Chapter 34

“Where are we?” Liri held her hand over her stomach.

Abe hadn’t considered how porting left her feeling unsettled. He set the basket on the floor. “Let me get some light in here.” He knew the small space by heart and didn’t need to worry about tripping over anything. The air was stale, making him second-guess his choice. Going over to where he knew the cabinet to be, he touched the front of it and opened the door. There were only candles inside, so once it was open, it was a matter of lighting one. He felt along the shelf for the matches and smiled when he found them. He should probably upgrade to a lighter someday.

“The suspense is killing me,” Liri said quietly, telling him she was still settling from the port.

“One second.” He held the candle near his face and blew on it. There was nothing worse than burning dust into the wax. Patting the ledge, he found the holder and worked the candle into the opening. Striking the match, he lit the wick and then took two more candles from the cupboard. He made a mental note to invest in a few of those battery-powered lanterns to add to the inventory here.

When he had three candles lit, he picked up two and took one to the counter in the small kitchen space. “It’s not fancy.” He wondered if this had been a good idea after all. “This mountaintop cabin was where one of us would go when we needed to wait until we could move somewhere else.”

She was looking around, “that must have been hard,” she looked up at him, “not aging among the humans.”

“It had its challenges. We have several remote locations we used to stay at until a new identity and area were set up.” He set the candle on the table. “I liked it here. The quiet.” He looked around, “it’s small, but it has the one feature that makes it all worth it.” He went over and pulled the sheet off the small sofa and then knelt by the fireplace. “I’ll get this going and then show you.” Had he made a mistake bringing her here? He’d seen where she lived, and it was pristine and polished. Maybe she wouldn’t appreciate the rustic serenity of here. How was it possible that he was over two hundred years old and as nervous as an adolescent suddenly?

“I know it had its hardships, but it must have been exciting being able to recreate yourself and be someone else.”

She was right behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as he set the kindling down. She was sitting on the sofa and didn’t appear concerned about the room’s state. “That part turned into a joke with my brother and sister.” He smiled as he set some wood over the kindling, “for a few decades, it was a race to see which one of us could come up with the most outlandish new identity.”

“I would love to be anyone but me most days.”

Striking the match, he held it to the kindling. It ignited without issue. Then again, it had been drying a long while now in his absence. “I’m glad that you are who you are.” He confessed without looking at her. He watched it for a few moments, making sure he hadn’t lost his touch, placing it the best way. It was easy to forget that things were always immediate in modern times, and older skills could be forgotten.

“What do you think Mitz packed in the basket?”

He stood up and went over and pulled the sheet off the table. Did he want to have it here or outside? Going over, he picked up the basket and brought it to the small table. “Knowing Mitz, everything will be perfect.”

“I don’t envy her job.” Liri got up, “I discovered I’m not fond of grocery shopping.” She scrunched up her nose. “There are so many choices it gave me a headache trying to choose the best one.”

Abe smirked. “It’s pretty insane nowadays.” He cleared his throat and went over to pull the ladder down, “I’ve witnessed how things have changed.” He glanced to see she was watching him, “the market once had one, maybe two options for most items, and then man started competing with each other,” he pulled the cord to open the hatch to the roof, “that drove up the prices, the options just kept expanding and now when you walk into a grocery store is filled with a ludicrous quantity of items,” he motioned to the ladder, “shall we?” She nodded and came over. Her eyes were wide with excitement. He waited until she was going up the ladder to finish. “I think the human race has become lazy and spoiled. Things were better when they were more simplistic.”

He got up the ladder to see her standing, looking toward the bay. He should have checked the railing to ensure it hadn’t eroded over time. “Stay back from the edge. I’m not sure of the state of the wood.”

She turned and looked up at him. “This is beautiful.” She looked back at the water.

Abe had to admit it was one of his favorite things, to sit up here and watch the reflection of the moon across the water. He looked down to see the trail to the cabin was hardy visible and decided it was much easier to port here than to try to drive, walk or ride up that. “The bay is a few hours’ drive away, but from up here, it looks like you could reach out and touch it.” He looked down and realized he couldn’t expect her to sit on the damp roof. “Did you want to eat up here or…”

“Up here.” She looked at him and smiled.

“I’ll go get the basket and a blanket.” He turned and went back down the ladder. Going over to the trunk, he opened it and pulled out a thick blanket. Lifting it to his face, he inhaled to check that it wasn’t musty smelling. All he could smell was the cedar of the trunk he kept it in. When he stood up, he looked at the small bed and felt panic in his gut. It was an old, practically ancient metal bed frame. He tried to recall what decade he’d hauled it up here. Shaking his head, he went over to the table and grabbed the basket. Stupid male brain was in full swing now, he thought, automatically going to the wrong place at the mere glimpse of a bed. He looked over his shoulder at it and decided that if things progress that far between them, it would not be on a century-old creaky bed with a dusty old mattress. He paused and rested his head against the rung at the top of the ladder. Getting way ahead of yourself, old man. Blowing out a breath, he went up the rest of the way and set the basket on the roof. It was out of habit to spread the blanket in the best location on the roof to see all around, as well as enough area to lie back and watch the night sky.

Liri had the basket beside the blanket and was sitting down by the time he had it spread out. “I always get hungry after taking the elixir, I don’t understand why.”

He sat down. “I’m just happy that you’re okay.” He opened the basket. “I was afraid I was going to lose you today.” He busied himself taking the containers out, trying not to relive his panic when Nova said Liri was out wandering alone and Aunt Crissy had seen ‘bad things.’

“I was afraid too, I think it finally hit me at that moment what is going on.” She grimaced, “When Spencer phased me to the caves, I thought for sure he’d made some kind of mistake, but now…”

“We’re going to find them and end this soon.” If it was the last thing he did, he decided. He watched her open a container and look in.

“Did you go back and look in the box I dropped?” She tilted her head and smirked at him.

“No.”

She held it so he could see inside. “It’s almost exactly what I had selected for our coffee date.”

Abe chuckled. “Mitz is very intuitive.”

Liri took out a pastry and set the rest down, “her soul isn’t like one I’ve ever seen.”

Abe pulled out a small black box, “what do you mean?” He opened it and then froze. Inside was a necklace with a small pendant on it. It was the same as the one he wore around his neck, he flipped it to look at the other side, and it had the Solrelm emblem on it. He snapped the box closed, suddenly feeling like a nervous adolescent again. Mitz had said to let her know; he would have remembered if he had done that.

“I’m not sure how to explain it. Her soul shows the same as other Alterealm people, but there’s this glow to it that I don’t understand.”

Abe leaned back on his elbow and tucked the box under the edge of the basket. “She’s amazing, and if anyone has a little something extra to them, it’s definitely her.” He reached in and took out the thermos Mitz had included.

“Mmm,” Liri nodded, “she is.” She held out her hand for the thermos.

Abe took the two cups out and wondered if Mitz had sent coffee.

Liri held it closer to her face and inhaled. “This is not coffee, but it smells heavenly.”

Abe sat up and set the cups down. He didn’t need to ask what it was. He could smell it already. “Hot chocolate.” He grinned, “Mitz makes the best hot chocolate.”

Liri tilted her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever had it.”

Abe reached over and took the thermos out of her hand, “there’s no going back after you do.” He grinned and then paused; she was beautiful with the moonlight shining down on her. The reflection on her hair made it look like there were streaks of gold throughout it, and when she lifted her face to the sky, he couldn’t help thinking she resembled an angel in that light. He felt his fangs descending and had to focus on stopping them. He cleared his throat, poured some into a cup, and then offered it to her. He watched her eyes widen as she swallowed a small sip. “Told you.”

Pouring some into the other cup, he capped the thermos, and even though he didn’t have an appetite with the way his nerves were buzzing, he grabbed a pastry and focused his attention on it.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d enjoy it the way I do.” He glanced to see her taking another sip and closing her eyes to savor it, “after seeing where you live.”

Her eyes popped open. “I hate the sterile look,” she smirked, “I had my quarters painted in dark colors until,” she smirked, “recently, when Bas lied to my mother and told her I was staying somewhere else while my quarters were being painted more appropriately.”

When she smiled, he couldn’t help but smile; her happiness was contagious. “Was that when you first came to Alterealm?”

She nodded, “and now that I’ve escaped the constraints of Solrelm,” she took a small bite of the pastry and didn’t speak again until she had swallowed it, “once everything has been exposed and my people are aware of how they’ve been deceived,” she huffed out a breath, “I’m not living there.” She shrugged, “I’ll keep my quarters and visit, but now that I know there is so much more,” she waved her hand, “places like this, why would I want to live in such a perfect sterile place.”

Abe smirked, “I like clean and orderly.” That was understating it.

She searched his face; her smile was slow to come. “Then it’s a good thing you met me; a little chaos is never bad.”

Abe laughed. “I see why you get along with my crazy family.”

“I adore your family.” She leaned closer, “I love Alterealm. I’m allowed to spar and have a weapon, and I’m not required to say and do the perfect expected thing all the time…”

“It has its ceremonies and moments of proper etiquette.”

She snorted. “I’m not a cavewoman. I can conduct myself appropriately when I have to.”

An image flashed in Abe’s mind, one of his lack of clothes, bare feet, and wooden weapons. “No, you are definitely not a prehistoric being.”

Her expression was suddenly animated. “You really have memories from all of time?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s from all of time, but they do go back a long way.”

“That’s amazing.” She sighed. “I would love to know that I was so much more in other times. Not expected to conform to this expected version of myself.”

“I think you are perfect the way you are.”

She studied him for a long moment and then sucked in a breath, “Where do we go from here, Abraham? Our souls are the other half of each other. Where does that take us? You’re from Alterealm and have such a heavy obligation to fill. I’m from Solrelm and have done nothing but be pampered my entire life.”

He nodded slowly. “I think our paths will merge quite seamlessly.” She gave him a curious look, “You’ve just said you’re not going back, and I know if anyone can help those we find and are in need, it will be you. Your zest for living will be a plus to those taken in.” He shrugged. “You helping with the safe houses as a representative of Solrelm will help many in the future.” He blew out a breath. “I have a home in the city, it’s not much, but I’ve held onto it for the last eight decades as a private recluse when I need it—it could be our home base in Interealm.” He glanced at the box and picked it up. “I didn’t know what to make of this mating thing. To be honest, I wasn’t sure it was for me,” he gripped the box tight in his hand and watched her for a reaction, “but when the thought of something happening to you or losing you became a possibility, I didn’t like how that felt.”

“I didn’t know either.” She quirked an eyebrow. “I’ve spent sixty years avoiding the opposite sex so I wouldn’t find myself chained to one for all of eternity.” She licked her lips, And then I met you, and there was none of the dreadful feelings I thought there would be at the possibility of having one person to be with for all of eternity.” She bit her lip for a moment, holding it captive with her teeth, and Abe wanted to lean over and taste her again. “I want a home in Interealm, I want to run safe houses and protect those that can’t do it themselves.” Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight, showing him she held such hope that it made his chest ache. “I want to have a home in Alterealm and be able to go to Solrelm from time to time,” she looked at the lake for a moment, “and I want to come here when I need a moment when the noises and chaos become too much.” She looked back at him, and Abe felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest like a firework exploding, “I’d like to do all of that with you.”

He tried to focus on thought, on words to express feelings, but he couldn’t, so he held out the little box Mitz had known he would need. “I don’t know how, but Mitz knew I’d need this tonight.”

She set down her cup and took it from him. He held his breath when she opened it. “What is it for?” She touched it gingerly with one fingertip.

“It is my mate’s medallion. To be worn because of their place in the Alterealm royal family and with me as a member of the royal guard.” He leaned over and flipped it over, “and the back has your emblem on it.”

She put her hand over her mouth and looked at him. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking and hoped he hadn’t rushed this too fast. He was out of his depth when it came to dating and everything considered proper in this era. Things were simpler in the past.

“I know we can’t,” he cleared his throat, “that we may have to hide it from your people for…”

“Hide it,” her eyes grew wide, “I’m done hiding. I am done pretending I’m okay with the way things have to be.” She took the chain from the box and held it to him. “I am going to wear this like a beacon of hope for all the women in my realm to know that they, too, have a choice.”

Abe took the chain from her hand and then leaned back as she pushed the basket aside and crawled over to him. She straddled his legs and sat with her body close to his. When she lifted her hair up, he awkwardly fumbled with the tiny clasp to get it undone so he could secure it around her neck.

When he finished, she dropped her hair down and put her hands on his shoulders. “I’m not waiting. We’re not waiting.” She gave him a shy look, “If you agree.”

Abe held his hands at her waist and tried to think beyond wanting to kiss her. “Shouldn’t I at least speak with your father?”

“What?” She gripped his face between her hands. “You most definitely will not speak with my dad, not if you ever want to see me again.”

Abe studied the intense look in her eyes. “Sorry, in my mind, things were at their best when men asked permission to be with a woman.”

Liri grinned, “then I think we need to scrub that from your mind. Immediately.” She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. “Our souls, can you feel them reaching for one another? It’s beautiful.”

Abe knew his eyes changed because his mouth was suddenly full of fangs. “I’m feeling a lot right now.” He admitted.

She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “I think you should feed from me, Abraham, with beautiful eyes.” She whispered it, her breath brushing against his lip.

“If…”

She put her finger over his lips. “No ifs, not tonight. Just once, I’d like to follow my heart and do what feels like it was meant to be.”

Abe looked into her eyes. They were so dark he could see the moon’s reflection in them. He’d never followed his heart in all of his existence, but tonight he would. “I want to exchange blood with you,” she didn’t look concerned, but he felt the need to explain. “It’s part of our mating.” He didn’t know if there was enough Alterealm in him to mark her, but he wasn’t going to miss a step in this, not with Aliria. He'd done everything for his family for the last century and a half. To protect how they were, but tonight, this was for him.