Page 15

fifteen

W e sat in silence, the forest’s stillness wrapping around us like a dense cloak. The only sounds were the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional creak of branches swaying in the breeze, a stark contrast to the heaviness between us.

I felt the solid earth beneath me, the rough bark of the tree pressing against my back, and the warmth of the sun on my skin. The air carried the faint scent of damp moss and sunbaked wood, grounding me in the present, yet even the serene surroundings couldn’t shake the heavy unease that lingered .

The ruby on my finger felt anchored to me, a constant reminder of what Reggie had taken. It wasn’t just a ring; it was a symbol of my stolen identity, a life that was never truly mine. In the stillness, I could almost feel the ache of that loss, the void carved by Reggie’s manipulation.

I looked down at the ring, hollow emptiness spreading through me as anguish surged within. The pressure was unbearable, like a vice gripping my chest. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, blurring my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

Despair twisted into frustration, sharp and sudden, igniting something. My fingers curled around the ring, tightening as anger surged through me. I yanked at it, pulling with all my strength, but it remained unyielding and immovable, mocking me. The more I struggled, the more helplessness crept in, wrapping itself around my resolve like iron shackles.

Compassion filled Zeke’s eyes as he reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I wish it were that simple.”

My voice cracked, desperation tinging each word. “We just need to separate the rings, right? Can’t someone just…fade me out of here? Take me to another realm, somewhere far from Reggie?”

His face tightened, his shoulders slumping slightly, as though my words had taken a toll on him. He exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck, before speaking. “Yes, but— ”

I snapped, “Then why don’t you just do it? Why are we still talking? Isn’t that the answer?” My pulse thudded in my ears, impossible to ignore. I hated the crack in my voice near the end, hated that I couldn't hold myself together.

His lips curved into a subtle smile. “I’m flattered that you’re implying I’m more powerful than you, but I assure you, I’m not.” His gaze met mine, charged with an undeniable force. “To fade you—to pull you from this place—I need your full, unwavering commitment to leaving with me.”

“But I don’t have any power!” I blurted, throwing up my hands in exasperation. Frustration edged my voice as I fought to contain the wave of defeat rising inside me.

He spoke carefully, afraid of pushing me further. “The power still belongs to you,” he said, steady and composed. “You can’t access it right now, but the ring keeps it tethered to you. Reggie’s…borrowing it. But at its core, it’s still yours. And like I told you, these realms are cloaked in powerful magic. If you don’t fade with me, I may never find my way back. I can’t risk leaving you here.”

He leaned in, his eyes searching mine with a depth that felt like it reached into my soul. “Do you trust me, Bryn?”

The question lodged itself deep in my gut. What proof did I have that Zeke was trustworthy? How could I know I wasn’t just trading one kind of captivity for another? Reggie’s warning echoed in my mind: If you ever try to leave me, I promise you, you’ll regret it.

Could I even trust my own judgment? I had believed Reggie was my husband with little more than the reassurance of my own memories, false memories. Now I was staring at the possibility of falling into another trap. Zeke could just as easily be a pawn in some larger, more intricate scheme. He could be working with forces far more dangerous than I understood, leading me down a path I couldn’t see.

I hesitated, the truth settling in. He was right.

“So,” I said slowly, my voice trembling, “what happens if I don’t fully trust you? What then?”

He lifted my chin, his sapphire eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made the world feel like it had shrunk to just the two of us. “I promise you,” he said, his voice steady, each word deliberate, like a vow. “I’ll either earn your trust, or we’ll find another way to remove the ring. But no matter what, I won’t leave you behind.”

I nodded, warmth swelling like a soft glow inside at his words. But as I glanced around, I noticed the air growing crisper, the sun sinking lower in the sky. A sudden unease crept over me, and I asked, “What time is it?”

Zeke glanced at his watch. “6:58.”

A spike of anxiety shot through me, and I scrambled to my feet, yanking my backpack over my shoulder. “I have to be home by 8:00. If I’m late, Reggie will know. He always does, and I don’t want him asking questions.”

He grabbed his jacket and backpack in one swift motion, quickly adjusting the straps as he fell into step beside me. “Listen,” he said, his voice sharp, “you have to keep things business as usual with Reggie. Don’t let him catch on that anything’s wrong. If he figures it out, he could fade you to another realm, and then you’d be lost again.”

I went rigid, my breath catching in my throat. “I…I didn’t even think about that,” I whispered, my voice thin, barely there.

His hand closed around mine, his touch grounding me as I fought to keep the panic at bay. I squeezed his fingers, trying to hold myself together.

“Don’t worry,” he said, his gaze steady and reassuring. “It takes a lot of work to build a false reality. He won’t start over unless he has no other choice.”

I nodded quickly, clinging to his words, but a knot tightened in my stomach, refusing to be undone.

“That’s why you can’t mention me. Not to Reggie, not to Sal. They know I’m looking for you and have been watching for me. But they’ve gotten complacent.”

The thought spun in my mind. “Wait—didn’t Sal already see you at the diner? Is that why he had such a grudge against you?” I asked, my words tumbling out in a rush. “Are they onto us already?! ”

“No,” he replied, his tone light, as if trying to ease my anxiety. “I’m cloaked. To anyone magical, except you, I appear as a tall, lanky redhead with a scruffy beard and brown eyes.” He flashed a cheeky grin. “You were my inspiration for the hair, by the way,” he added with a wink. “As for Sal, his grudge isn’t really about me. It’s more about my taste in things. He’s always had a thing for wealth and status, and I guess I’m simply another reminder of everything he doesn’t have.”

I chuckled, breathless from our frantic pace, heart racing as I struggled to keep up with him. “Well, aren’t you the clever one?” I said, my legs feeling like jelly as I forced myself to move faster. “So, do you have any magic tricks to speed us up, or maybe freeze time for a bit? Anything to keep us out of Reggie’s line of fire?”

Zeke’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he maintained a steady pace, effortlessly covering the ground with each stride. He didn’t even seem winded. “No time-pausing spells, sorry. But…” He raised a finger, casting a quick glance at me. “I do have an idea. We can test our fading theory now.” He leaned in just enough to close the distance, grinning as his voice dropped. “I’ll count to three, and then I’ll fade us both to the parking lot. Baby steps, right?”

I looked at him, skeptical but willing, and gave a small nod. He reached out and took my hand, his grip firm, before he gave it a reassuring squeeze. “ One…two…three…”

For a moment, I was left standing there, staring at the empty space where he’d previously been. Then, in a blink, he reappeared, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish look. “Okay, so I guess we can scratch that idea,” he said, his tone dry but amused. “Maybe we just walk a little faster, yeah?”

A small part of me knew it wouldn’t work, no matter how much I wished it would. But I couldn’t shake the thought: what if it was a trick? What if, when I let him fade me, it wasn’t to the parking lot but somewhere I definitely didn’t want to end up? This situation had shattered my trust in people, and now I was left wondering how I could ever rebuild it. How could I move forward when everything felt like a potential lie?

“Sorry,” I said, offering an apologetic smile. Then, I gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “Hey, maybe you could try waving your hands again and see if a massive gust of wind can carry us there?”

His laughter echoed, deep and rich, bouncing off the surrounding trees. “No time for jokes, woman!” he said, picking up speed, his arms pumping as though he were sprinting in place. “We’re in a hurry!”

After what felt like an eternity, we finally emerged from the forest, our legs heavy with exhaustion and lungs burning from the relentless pace. I turned to Zeke, still gasping for air, and asked, “What time is it now? ”

He glanced at his watch, scanning the dial with urgency. “It’s 7:47,” he answered, his voice composed, like he was already two steps ahead. Without missing a beat, he seized my hand. “Come on, I’ll drive you to your house.”

We sprinted toward his BMW, our footsteps quick and frantic. I barely had time to process the sharp pain in my legs before we were inside, the doors slamming shut behind us. Zeke punched the engine into life, the car jerking forward as he sped off, tires screeching against the asphalt.

I opened my mouth to give him directions, but before I could speak, he cut me off. “I know where you live,” he said, his eyes narrowing subtly as he stole a sidelong glance at me. His grin widened, a playful edge to it. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while now.”

“That’s…not creepy at all.”

Zeke turned his head slightly, meeting my gaze with an unapologetic look. “Okay, well, yeah, when you have no context…” He refocused on the road ahead and shrugged. “Alright, fine, it’s a little creepy. But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.”

He swiveled toward me, leaning in just enough that I could feel his breath on my skin. My heart fluttered, just once, and before I could make sense of it, he pressed a button on the dashboard. The glove compartment dropped open. He grabbed a phone with quick, determined hands and handed it to me .

“Take this.”

I hesitated, my pulse quickening at the thought of getting caught. My fingers trembled as I took it. “I’m not allowed to have a phone,” I said, my voice tight. “If Reggie sees this—”

“He won’t,” he cut in, his tone serious. “Trust me. Keep it hidden. I need a way to stay in contact with you, and you need a way to reach me if something goes wrong.”

I nodded, my grip still unsteady. “Okay,” I murmured. “Thank you…for everything.”

Zeke’s hand enveloped mine, his palm large enough to swallow it whole. His voice was soft, a thread of warmth running through his words. “No need to thank me, Bryn. I’m just relieved I found you, the real you.”

His last sentence clung to me as we flew down the street, the trees blurring into a sea of green. My pulse still surged, but with a different force now, one that hummed beneath my skin, like a quiet shiver. Like the hush before everything changes.

We turned onto the road leading to my house, and relief washed over me when I saw that Reggie’s Mustang wasn’t in the driveway. “Thank God,” I whispered, letting out a breath. “He’s not home.”

I glanced at the clock on the console: 8:01. Without wasting another second, I jumped out of the car, barely muttering a hurried, “Bye!” before sprinting toward my front door. I swung it open, the shrill sound of the phone ringing from inside greeting me .

I dropped my backpack with a loud thud and rushed into the kitchen, my heart pounding in my ears. I grabbed the phone just in time, drew a quick breath to steady myself, then answered with forced calm.

“Hello?”

“Brynie girl, what took you so long to answer?” Reggie’s voice boomed, thick with a slur, his dramatic sigh dragging through the line. “You know I’m more important than those dresses, right?”

I placed my hand over my racing heart, trying to catch my breath from the sudden surge of adrenaline. “Sorry, Reggie,” I replied, my words cool but betraying a hint of breathlessness. “I was literally putting in the last stitch.”

“Yeah, yeah.” His voice crackled, casual but with a faint edge of expectation. “Just checking that you got my laundry done before tomorrow. Left a note, but I wanted to make sure you saw it.”

I rolled my eyes, already knowing why he'd called right at 8:00.

“Yeah, I saw it,” I said dryly, my gaze drifting to the note stuck on the fridge—another reminder, always a task to keep me tethered.

“I’m almost done with it,” I lied.

“Thanks, Brynie,” he chimed, all fake sweetness. “You’re the best. Catch ya later.”

The call ended, leaving the house eerily still.

I sank into the nearest chair, the calm a sharp contrast to the chaos I’d just escaped. My nerves, frazzled from the sprint and the phone call, began to unwind in the quiet.

But even as my body relaxed, my mind kept racing. Zeke’s claim echoed like a distant pulse in my thoughts.

You’re not mortal.

An Immortal sorceress.

His tone had been so intense, the look in his eyes burning with something I couldn’t quite place. And then, those final words that made my heart skip: I will not leave you behind.

I tried to silence his voice, but it lingered, wrapping itself around my thoughts like an insistent whisper.

Once I finished folding Reggie’s laundry into neat stacks on his bed, I escaped into a long, hot shower. The water cascaded over me, soothing my aching muscles and washing away the day’s sweat.

I carefully unwrapped the dressing from my hand, wincing as I examined the damage. The skin was bruised and swollen, a jagged mark distorting the usual smoothness of my complexion.

My gaze drifted over the rest of my exposed body, lingering on the mottled bruises that marred my skin from the fall. It was a far cry from the flawless perfection one might expect from someone immortal, if that’s even what I truly was.

As my fingers traced the bruises on my arms and legs, a bitter thought settled in: how could I, so fragile, so breakable, and yet…eternal, feel so utterly hu man?

After finishing, I wrapped a fresh bandage around my hand, the cool material pressing against my skin. Slipping into my soft, fuzzy pajamas, I was embraced by the familiar comfort of my bed, a safe haven with warm, soothing blankets. I sank into the plush softness, feeling the exhaustion of the day melt away.

Reaching for my backpack, my fingers brushed against the phone Zeke had given me. To my surprise, there was already a new message waiting for me.

Zeke: Please tell me you answered the phone in time.

I smiled at his message, the playful tone easing some of the tension coiled tight inside me.

Me: I don’t know, you tell me…stalker.

Zeke: Hey, I had to make a quick exit! Tonight wasn’t the night to get caught lurking in the shadows…besides, I have a reputation to uphold as a suave and sophisticated operative.

Me: You forgot handsome.

Zeke: Oh, right! Devastatingly handsome. I was too busy being humble to remember that part. Thanks for keeping me grounded.

Me: How does one gain so much confidence?

Zeke: Oh, it’s easy. You told me how hot I am at least three times a day before you lost your memories. I’m pretty sure it’s a proven fact that excessive flattery leads to supreme self-assurance.

Me: That is a complete and utter lie. And are we really already resorting to amnesia jokes?

Zeke: Too soon?

Me: Probably. But don’t worry, I’ll likely forget about it anyway. Haha!

Zeke: HA! Oh God, I hope not! Speaking of which, we need to meet up soon and brainstorm some ideas. Want to get together tomorrow?

Me: I should probably go back to the diner tomorrow, keep things as normal as possible. I’m sure Sally will be thrilled. Lol. But, yeah, I’m usually off by 4. We can meet up after that.

Zeke: Perfect! I’ll pick you up at the convenience store across the street. See you then! Sweet dreams, Bryn!

Me: I’ll be there! Goodnight : )

I chuckled at the exchange, but the joy in the moment couldn’t quiet the weight of the world pressing on my soul.

After sending the last message, I tucked the phone back into my backpack, eyes darting around the room. Reggie’s habits were predictable, but I couldn’t afford to be careless, not when everything was on the line. I couldn’t risk him finding the phone, not like he had found that book. So, I took a deep breath, gathered my focus, and began to think of the best way to hide it.

I pulled out an old journal, its leather cover worn and faded with the time. With careful precision, I carved out a space inside, each cut deliberate. After a few minutes, I slipped the phone into the hollowed pages, ensuring it was nestled in a way that no one would think to look. Once satisfied, I slid the journal into my purse, the phone’s presence now concealed, secure in its new hiding place.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to breathe deeply, as if trying to steady the whirlwind inside me. I couldn’t keep pretending forever. My life was no longer the normal, predictable existence I once knew. It wasn’t just the lies Reggie had fed me or the mystery surrounding my powers. It was the pervasive sense of wrongness that had seeped into every corner of my world ever since those dreams resurfaced.

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to keep up the charade—living as if nothing had changed when everything had. My newfound knowledge felt heavy in my chest. Every step was a tightrope walk, and I was terrified I’d let something slip to Reggie, that he’d somehow sense that I knew the truth. But I couldn’t let fear control me, not anymore. I refused to let uncertainty, doubt, and the crushing expectations of others hold me captive any longer. It was time to take control, to stand up for myself, to embrace my truth. I had to confront this head-on, no matter how overwhelming it seemed.

And with that resolve setting in, I took a moment of peace before sleep finally overtook me.