“So what if I want to read up on how to do spells and teach myself more when you’re busy writing your books?” Lynn asked.
“Well, I’m sure I could always give you a book to read. What do you have in mind?”
“Well, let me carry on with the book that you’ve been teaching me with. How do I read it so it doesn’t look like a fiction novel?”
Lark smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll unlock the book for you.” He reached up to the shelf and removed the book he had been using to teach Lynn. He turned away after removing it from the shelf and muttered something before he turned and held it out to Lynn.
She took the book from him and opened it. It was no longer a fiction book. She paged through it reading about spell after spell.
“There you go,” Lark said.
“Thank you,” Lynn said. She left the library and returned to the living room lost in reading the book and absorbing the knowledge it offered.
She read hungrily and began to practice the spells that the book contained. She believed if she could learn the spells on her own and demonstrate a thirst for knowledge Lark might trust her and give her the key to unlocking any book in the library so she could read and learn on her own.
Feeling comfortable that their life had settled into a steady rhythm, Lynn left the house regularly to do the shopping and see friends of hers.
She often seemed to forget her keys when she went out and would ring the doorbell when she returned for Lark to let her in.
On one such day, Lynn had not been gone long when the doorbell rang. Lark thought it must be Lynn who had forgotten something. He would give her the keys she had forgotten and make sure she took them with her when she headed out with whatever else she must have forgotten.
As Lark neared the door he stopped. He felt the familiar itch of his skin and as he looked down, he saw his hands transforming. He passed the mirror in the entrance hall and saw his transformed face in the mirror. He felt his blood run cold as he stood looking at himself in the mirror.
What the… he wondered?
The doorbell rang again and Lark quickly incanted the spell that made him look normal to other people when he was transformed. He stepped over to the door and looked through the peephole. He couldn’t believe it.
Lark opened the door and peered out carefully revealing enough of his face that Sasha would be able to see his monster face if his spell had not worked.
She smiled instead and greeted him warmly, “Lark. Good morning!”
Since she had not retreated and run away screaming, Lark decided that his spell must be working. He opened the door wider and smiled at Sasha.
“Good morning! This is a surprise!” Lark said.
“I hoped it would be. I wanted to surprise you,” Sasha smiled.
Lark stepped back. “Forgive my rudeness, please come in.”
Sasha climbed the steps and entered the house; Lark closed the door and locked it behind them. He showed Sasha into the living room and offered her a seat. She sat down and he excused himself to quickly go and put the kettle on and prepare some cups for coffee.
Sasha followed him into the kitchen as he was preparing the cups and they spoke in the kitchen while they waited for the water to boil.
Lark studied Sasha as much as he could.
What the hell is going on Lark wondered? He had transformed when Sasha had arrived. But his curse was supposed to have been broken. Something was wrong. Something big was wrong. He needed time to try and figure out what it was.
On the spur of the moment, Lark said to Sasha, “Would you mind if I poured our coffee into a thermos each, and then we could go for a walk? I was on my way out for my daily walk when you arrived and it is after all such a beautiful day.”
“Well, sure. I would like that,” Sasha replied.
Lark poured the coffee into a thermos for each of them and they left the house soon after. There was no sign of Lynn. Lark wasn’t sure why right then but he thought it would be a good idea if Sasha had not been at home when Lynn returned. Something was wrong and he had a suspicion it had something to do with Lynn.
Lark and Sasha walked until they arrived at a small park. They entered the park and found three swings. They each sat on a swing as they talked and drank their coffee. Their backs were turned to the main road so Lark was not too concerned that Lynn would see them if she passed by. He didn’t expect she would pass by but he wasn’t going to take any chances.
Lark asked Sasha many questions about her father and her mother. He asked if everything was taken care of and if she needed any financial assistance after her father’s death.
“No, everything’s fine and taken care of. Mom can survive financially,” Sasha said.
“You’re from Ohio right?” Lark asked.
“That’s right,” Sasha replied. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason. I’m just recalling what you told me when I interviewed you.”
“Oh,” Sasha said. “I grew up there and have lived there all my life until I came to New York last year. My parents are quite strict and it was a hard job getting my parents to agree to let me go. They said they’d let me go for a short while but if I didn’t find anything by the time my money dried up, I’d have to go back. You were a lifesaver,” Sasha said looking at Lark affectionately.
Lark met her gaze and she blushed.
Pieces were beginning to fall into place for Lark.
The lack of parental interference on the part of Lynn.
The strict parents of Sasha.
The itchiness that suggested he was transforming whenever Sasha had arrived and left. That had been his true transformation.
What about his feelings for Lynn?
Were they real or had he simply been lying to himself?
He had still always felt an emptiness when he was with Lynn. He had tried to push it aside but it had persisted and now he understood why.
Lynn had fooled him.
But how had she known?
And what did she want?
Had Lynn thought she could get away with her deception?
She almost had. She must have believed there was little chance that he would find Emma reincarnated in this life.
Now as he looked at Sasha he felt his feelings stir.
Familiar feelings.
Feelings he had felt before.
Feelings he had felt with Erin.
Feelings he had felt with Emma.
It was enough for him to know.
In the same manner that he had struggled to believe that the universe would send him Lynn as the reincarnated Emma when he saved her in the alley, he now asked how the universe had sent him Sasha across the years, the miles and from eight billion people on the planet.
But it wasn’t his place to question the workings of the universe.
It worked in its way according to its rules. What he did know was that Sasha was real.
He made a decision then.
“Listen, I think it will be best if you don’t come to the house for now,” Lark said. “Rather work from your place here assuming you still have it.”
“I still have it. I can work from home,” Sasha replied. “May I ask why?”
“There’s just some stuff I’m sorting out at home. I’m cleaning the house so to speak. Once that’s sorted, I’ll let you know and then I can you set you up with your own office in the house.”
“Oh,” Sasha nodded. “I see. That’s fine. Just let me know when you’re ready.”
“Sure. We can do lunch or breakfast or coffee regularly so we can keep a handle on things and make sure whatever needs doing is getting done in order of priority.”
“No problem, Lark. Just let me know the schedule,” Sasha said.
Sasha did not ask about Lynn although she wanted to. She decided it would be better not to ask. It was none of her business anyway.