Henri waited for her to answer, wondering how she would react. Although already married and had been sharing a bed more than once, he was aware she was still figuring out her feelings for him.
He wanted to give her space and time, but since those three deadly words had been freed from his mouth, there was no backing out now.
After a full minute, she didn’t reply, much less move and this informed him of the real situation he was in: his wife had actually fallen asleep and she definitely didn’t hear him say those words.
Because of this, Henri felt relieved. Maybe then when the right time comes he’ll confess again and tell her just how much he meant to her.
After brushing a rogue strand of hair off of her face, he observed her again and recalled the day when he decided to be her betrothed. He started spying on her and protecting her from the entities she couldn’t yet see. Solene was so frail and innocent back then, but over the course of years, she had grown into a beautiful, strong, and intelligent woman. Of course, he couldn’t show himself to her yet, so he enlisted the help of Lady Ursula and taught her the protective incantation of the tattoos.
Everything—the suffering, the longing, the loneliness, and the danger—was all worth it. She was finally in his arms now and he planned never to let her go.
When morning came, Solene found herself alone in bed. She looked around but found Henri absent. There was a note on the bedside table for her though and it came from her husband.
‘Lady Ursula would barbecue me if I would hold you this morning, so I decided, albeit with difficulty, to leave our bed before you wake up. Take your breakfast first, my sweet wife, before you start training.’
She noticed the coffee table across the bed filled with food and this brought a smile to her face. She placed the letter back on the bedside table, stood up butt naked, and went to the bathroom.
The evening’s events surged inside her mind when she noticed a number of hickeys on her neck and her breasts. They were pieces of evidence on just how much Henri had poured his passion on her and this, she relished so much.
Now she wasn’t shy to show them off to the members of the house, but for modesty’s sake, she decided to choose a training outfit with enough fabric to hide her chest and neck.
Once done bathing and eating, she exchanged messages with her mother, checking if they had landed safety back to Germaine. Other than her grandfather’s brief travel dizziness, their journey was uneventful and this relieved Solene.
An hour later, she stood in front of Lady Ursula’s room, thoughtfully knocked to let her know of her presence, and waited a beat before entering.
Unlike yesterday, the old woman’s familiar didn’t greet her. This time, it was the same old living room but with a glowing portal to another place. To which it led to, she didn’t know but she figured Lady Ursula had prepared this portal for her. With curious anticipation, she advanced, stepping into the glow with her hands spread forward.
A healthy green welcomed her once the glow disappeared. Her breath was caught in her throat when she realized she was in a different place entirely; in a sunny field that stretched endlessly as far as her eyes could see.
One small hut stuck out from the sea of grass and this attracted her. After careful inspection from where she stood, she realized Lady Ursula was already standing in front of the entrance door, a weird-looking staff in hand, and her monstrous Elemental familiar beside her.
Another person caught her notice, standing at Lady Ursula’s left and this was Anklet, wearing her usual black bodysuit that screamed ‘femme fatale.’
After taking a deep breath, she approached them, smiling towards Anklet first and then a short nod on the old woman’s way.
“Welcome to my training ground, Rantzen Mistress,” Lady Ursula stated after giving Solene a once-over. “I trust that you are now ready to learn more about being a conjurer?”
“Yes, Lady Ursula. I am,” Solene replied. Tears and regrets were behind her now and she was ready to move forward into her future.
“Good,” Lady Ursula nodded. “Now, to give you an overview. This place will be your home for the next three months.”
“Three months?” Solene parroted, slightly surprised.
“Yes, Solene, but do not fret,” Lady Ursula grinned. “Time here is different from our reality. In truth, you’ll stay here for the next three weeks. You’ll be returning to the Rantzen Estate just in time for your birthday.”
“But Henri… does he know about this?” she asked.
The old woman shook her head. “He doesn’t, but he is well aware of how I train. He can whine as much as he could but I’ll not allow you to meet him until your training is over.”
Solene’s eyelids fluttered. Lady Ursula’s words came as a surprise, but upon careful thought, it does make sense. What better way to train than to rid of all distractions, right?
“If this means that I could focus on my training, then I don’t mind,” she stated with determination.
“Good answer, Mistress,” Lady Ursula replied, looking pleased. She shifted to the side and pointed to her beautiful, petite companion.
“Anklet here will be with you during the entire stay and she will take care of your physical and defensive abilities. I will be coming here from time to time to teach you further about being a conjurer and mastery over your powers as well as your emotions.”
Anklet and Solene exchanged nods and smiles again.
“Additionally, Cassandra will help you out with your lodging here. She will be bringing in your lunch and dinner later.”
Solene nodded again, taking note of the name that left a different impression on her. Cassandra had been tossing glares at her since she arrived in the estate. Solene especially wanted to know the reason why.
“Come inside,” Lady Ursula then ordered, cutting her thoughts. She entered the hut first while the two younger women followed. The Elemental chose to stay in its spot, enjoying the sun and the fresh breeze.
“For this week, you’ll be reading all of these books,” Lady Ursula stated as she stopped and pointed to a space of the house that was filled with books and more books from the floor to the ceiling. Solene was stunned, but nevertheless, agreed.
“To understand your present is to know your past, Solene. History can teach you the value of gratitude. Learn how your father became a conjurer and learn well.”
“You mean to say my father’s past is written in one of these books?” Solene inquired quickly.
“Yes,” Lady Ursula answered. “Every conjurer writes an account of their life. Call it a diary or a biography whichever you chose. Once your training is done, you’ll be doing this yourself.”
Solene stared at the books in awe and suddenly she felt impatient to start reading away her first day in this alternate dimension.
“I’ll be checking in every night to reinforce and evaluate your understanding. You may start now,” the old woman announced.
“Thank you, Lady Ursula,” Solene bowed slightly when she noticed her leaving.
“Anklet, it’s good to see you again,” she then exclaimed, turning to her bodyguard with eyes gleaming.
The latter smiled and lowered her head. “Mistress Solene, if you ever need anything, let me know anytime. I’ll be here to assist you.”
“Sure, I will,” Solene answered whilst folding her arms over her chest,” but let’s start with calling me by my name. You know I dislike formalities.”
Anklet smiled at this.
“Of course, milady.”
***
“Jacob Arnold St. Fair,” she muttered to herself.
On the cover of a hardbound book there wrote her father’s name. Finally, after half an hour of checking, she was able to spot her father’s book sitting on top a shelf near the fireplace. With a big smile on her face, she quickly pulled it and began to read, choosing to sit on the sole comfy couch of the room.
‘I was born in the City of Kiev in the summer of 1960. My mother was half-Ukrainian and half-Italian. I never met my father, but I didn’t mind. I was full of attention and warmth from her extended family that I later knew to be a family of conjurers. Our main household though consisted of my older brother, my younger sister, my mother, and I. We were all gifted with the ability to wield the mysterious magic of the Universe. I was told back then that we were blessed with holy blood from an archangel; that we were descendants of an angelic race long forgotten and long erased from the scriptures. It was from this idea that I believed myself to be a special person. My older brother and younger sister, Malik and Arita, fell from grace. They chose not to pursue the conjurer life despite their promising gifts. They said the abilities of a conjurer was well-suited to me than to them. I scoffed at this belief, but nevertheless, accepted it. Five years later, our mother died. She left me these words, “Live freely and live your life with full of love.” I kept her last words close to my heart as I left Ukraine and relocated to California. In this place, I met my wife. She possessed the purest soul I had seen in my life. Sure that she was the one, I raced to court her and luckily, she felt the same way.’
Here, Solene smiled despite teary-eyed. It was great to read her parents’ love life from the words of her father. It brought her joy and it warmed her heart.
‘Two years later, we were blessed with a daughter: my beautiful Solene. Meridith had a difficult time with her labor and unfortunately, it came to the point where the doctors made me chose who to save. I chose my daughter naturally but this was all because I knew deep inside, I had my familiar to trade with for my wife’s life. Using my powers, I summoned my familiar and without hesitation, I exchanged my lordship over it for her good health. It was a success. I never regretted freeing my familiar ever since.’
Solene admired her father’s resoluteness and strength. Deep inside, she wished he could have told this story to her in person but she knew it could never happen.
‘Malik visited our house to see Solene and immediately when he did, he was in awe of her mesmerizing heterochromatic eyes. The pale bluish color came from the St. Fair side of the family, but the lavender? It was a big mystery. Meridith certainly had no genes like this in her side of the family. The doctors’ said my daughter had a rare eye condition, but I was relieved when they further said it was harmless. Personally, I think this rarity of her came from our angelic race—whatever that is.’
After reading this, Solene wiped her tears away and briefly watched her reflection in a metallic jar sitting across her couch. Her different-set of colored eyes was indeed a mystery to her. She had been ridiculed because of this back in her junior years and even became an object of discussion in her senior years, but she never hated this side of hers. In fact, she loved her eyes as much as she loved her family.
‘Life with my wife and daughter was the best ever and I could never trade it for anything. They were my treasures and I was willing to give my life to them in a heartbeat. However, I didn’t expect I would be tested with that so soon. I was aware I was haunted by demons, spectral, and other entities. I had what they needed and I could fulfill their wish if I wanted to. My life was hanging by a thread and because of this, I fear for my family’s safety.’
Solene compared her current experiences and the explanation her grandmother Riza gave. Demons and other entities were also after her for a power she inherited from him. History had repeated itself and she fears for her family too and those people around her. However, with the Rantzen Family and Henri on her side, it was now a different story.
Could it be that that dark blue-haired grim reaper wanted something from his father? Did he have to kill him in order to take that?
Wanting to find answers, Solene continued to read his writings, but to her dismay, she couldn’t find anything about his death that night. His last entry was all about her.
‘I fear for my daughter. She had shown abilities as a conjurer at a very young age. She might become the target of these malicious entities because of this and I can’t have that. Locking up her power is the best way. This would allow her to live normally too. I’m hoping with all my heart that it would though.’
Henri was right, Solene thought, her father truly placed a spell on her. She had reconciled with her parents’ decision already, but still, this didn’t stop her from worrying. Her father’s accounts only made her further realize the gravity of her situation.
A fucked up, messed up situation.
With a deep breath, Solene closed the book and stared at the clouds outside her window. She made a fist and muttered with all her heart, “I will fight father, don’t worry. These entities can’t bully me anymore.”