Word Count: 1982

~Avila

I stalk into my room, leaning my back against the closed door.

Ugh. What a miserable day.

Breakfast consisted of Vade giving me the cold shoulder, and when I went to ask him to spend the day helping me go over some flashbacks I've been having, he brushed me off and disappeared.

At this point, I think I need to take a hint and leave him alone.

Sighing through my nose, I push off the door, dragging my feet to the bed. I was cornered by Roel, who spent the entire day stuffing history down my throat. I now know everything about all the King's and Queen's that came before me.

Something shifts on my desk. The breeze coming through my window lifts it up, causing it to drift down to the floor.

Frowning, I stoop down to pick up the piece of paper, folding it open.

Avila.

Meet me in the gardens this evening. Midnight.

E.

A shiver rolls through me. Emerick wants to see me again.

***

I get through dinner without much fuss and excuse myself to my room early. It's not the best idea, because I spend the next couple of hours pacing back and forth, waiting until the house settles so I can sneak out.

It's colder tonight, the bitter air slipping beneath the collar of my coat, chilling my skin.

Picking my way around the house, I stalk into the garden, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure I'm not being followed. I'm guided only by moonlight as I weave between the hedges, careful to avoid brushing up against any rose bushes.

I find Emerick sitting on the bench, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

He turns to look at me, dark eyes roving over my person. Something shifts in his expression, like he still can't believe I'm real, that I'm alive.

"This feels very forbidden," I whisper, my breath fogging up in front of me as I sit down next to him.

Meeting him like this, in the dark, away from any guards or safety is dangerous. And yet, a thrilling feeling has settled in me. He could be here to kill me, but I've been dead before.

What's the harm in one more time?

"This is forbidden, Avila." He shifts his body to face me. "But doesn't it excite you?"

"I suppose. I don't want Vade to see, though," I say, looking warily back at the sprawling manor. At this hour, it looks haunting. Moonlight drenches the walls, but it's the shadows that accompany it that give off the creepy vibe.

When I look back at Emerick, he is frowning a little.

"Why not?"

"He hates me enough," I remind him. "If he knew I were seeing a strange man behind his back, he might even give up his right to be King just to get away from me."

Upsetting Vade is the last thing I want. He doesn't deserve to be lied to, although at this point, I'm struggling to see why he would care. He clearly thinks little of me.

"That sounds ideal."

Emerick leans back on the bench, stretching his arms out, his hand brushing against my back. I stiffen, swallowing thickly.

"It's not ideal. I actually like Vade." I brush my damp palms over my covered thighs.

Emerick shakes his head. "You shouldn't. There is nothing good about him."

I turn to face him, getting a good look at him. He dresses like darkness and shadows, with hair and eyes to match. His demeanour, although frightening, isn't as mysterious as I expected him to be.

"What do you know that you're not telling me?" I narrow my eyes.

"Nothing," He shrugs. "Tonight is about us, about you getting to know me again."

He reaches for my hands, pulling them into his grasp. His skin is warm, soft. I jump a little, his grip tightening in response.

"Right. How did we meet?" I force out.

I'm trying not to remember that in this life, I have no experience with men. I don't know what it feels like to kiss beyond the single flashback I've had, and I most definitely don't know how to act around one.

"You were on a tour and you passed through my village. I was just some farm boy, looking to inherit nothing more than my fathers bad luck," he explains, looking off through the garden, to the dip in the hill that leads down to the city.

"And I spoke to you?"

"Not at first. During the day you didn't even look at me. I thought you were beautiful, like an Angel fallen to earth." He reaches out and touches the end of a piece of my obsidian black hair, the moonlight tracing every bend and curl as they slip through his fingers.

I remain perfectly still, not wanting to corrupt the moment.

"So at night, when I saw you had snuck out of your temporary lodging for some fresh air, I followed you." His grin is boyishly mischievous. It evokes memories of him pinning me to the bed, of his lips on mine.

I focus on his story instead of my flushing cheeks. "You followed me? That sounds creepy..."

He laughs breathily, the sound beautifully masculine.

"It was good I did, because you slipped in mud and fell back. When you tried to get back up, you found your foot was stuck," he recalls.

I note the faint lines by the corners of his mouth that become visible with every smile. He is handsome in a sturdy, sure way. Not in the breathless, shocking way that Vade is.

I shake the thought from my head.

"And you came to the rescue?"

"I did." He nods his head, obviously proud of himself. "I helped you from the mud and I took you back to my home so I could wash your boots. We got to talking...in fact, we didn't stop talking until dawn, when you were forced to leave."

"Then what?" I'm officially hooked on the story.

His smile grows faint. "You told me to move to the town close to this estate. I was so obsessed with you, from the moment I saw you, that I agreed. I moved as soon as I could, and got a job as a butcher."

His admission stuns me. All that for me? Was I such an expert seductress that I managed to lure him into an entirely different, far risker life with me? Now I feel like a fumbling idiot who can't ever scrounge together the right words.

Or was it my power and title that attracted Emerick?

"Is that what you still do?" I ask tentatively.

He rubs his jaw. "No, not exactly."

"What then?" I push.

Why do I get the feeling that every word Emerick utters is carefully chosen, as to not reveal a deeper meaning?

"I own a housing complex now. One that houses some very special people," he explains.

"Who are they?"

Maybe I shouldn't prying so rigorously, but I'm curious. If I was once in love with this man, then I must have known all his secrets. If that is the case, why does he seem so wary about indulging them to me now?

"They each participate in a very valuable cause. One I too am involved in." He rests his hand on his chest, signifying deeply connected he is to this unnamed cause.

I'm fully sideways on the bench at this point, my knees tucked up to my chest. "Interesting. Tell me about it."

He goes quiet, the silence only cut by the gentle breeze rustling at the tree's above us. Something heavy and uncertain digs into the pit of my stomach at his hesitation, at the shadow that passes over his face.

"Perhaps in time I will." He looks back out toward the distant city, at the glittering lights and sprawling buildings.

"Why can't you tell me now?" I press. I can feel the irritation in my jaw, in the way it clenches against my volition.

"It's late and it's cold." He grabs my hands again, bringing his mouth down to blow warm air on my cold fingertips. Then he looks up at me with those dazzling brown eyes. "I'm just so glad you're here, alive. I've missed you dearly."

My apprehension melts away at his sweet gesture. I slide closer to him, letting my legs drop back down so my feet are pressed against the gravel.

Emerick brushes a cold finger against my cheek, which is burning despite the chill.

And then, I can't hold his gaze anymore. Images of Vade stain my mind and I'm forced to look down at where our fingers are intertwined between us.

"I feel so many steps behind, like I should be in love with you, but I'm..."

"You're not," he breathes.

I close my eyes. "No."

I'm not sure I'm fully acquainted with the feeling of love, but this isn't it. Not yet, anyways.

The breath he draws in is sharp, coldness biting into his expression. The moment I blink, however, it's gone.

"That is completely understandable. You don't know me, but you will," he assures me. His smile returns, although it's tighter. "We just need to be careful."

"Perhaps we shouldn't fall in love. Wouldn't it just complicate things?" I ask. If I am to marry Vade, it feels cruel to everyone involved to entertain someone else.

Emerick stands, dragging me up with him.

"I'm already in love with you, I'm afraid." He smiles gently, shifting his hands to seat them below my jaw, his thumbs brushing along the hard line of it. "And I'm not giving up on you. Especially so you can marry that Prince."

He spits the last word out with enough hatred to heat the space we stand in.

"He would be kind to me in marriage, at least," I say with a shrug.

Emerick's jaw tightens as he shakes his head. "It would kill me, Avila, to see you happy with him."

I blink. "You don't want me to be happy?"

"I want you to be happy with me," he insists, his brows drawing together earnestly. "Our history is full of love and loyalty. You and Vade have nothing but bitterness and hatred between you."

That much is true, but I can't help but feel conflicted on the matter. Emerick tells me one thing, and Vade acts in another way. The truth seems trapped behind a shimmery veil I can't quite get through.

"You told me he loved me...that he still does."

Emerick's hands drop and he steps back, sliding them into his pant pockets. "You should get back. You must be freezing."

The whiplash this man is giving me is jarring...

He's an integral piece of my past, and is necessary for regaining a picture of who I once was. He's also deliciously handsome and tempting, yet there's a coldness there I can't describe.

He doesn't trust me. I would be hurt, but I suppose I don't trust him either.

"When can we speak again? There is so much I want to know." I adjust my collar, the cold starting to bother me.

He looks over my shoulder at the manor. "Soon. Allow me to reach out to you, so we do not get caught."

I nod. "I look forward to seeing you again."

He steps forward, leaning over to kiss my cheek. His lips are cold, but soft, my stomach fluttering in response.

He doesn't pull away entirely, pinning me with his gaze.

"I'll be thinking of you, Avila. During the day, and during the night."

He leaves me speechless as he backs away, winking once before disappearing into the shadows.

💜••💜

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~Midika 💜🐼