Do no harm, p.19
Do No Harm, page 19
But as she made her way around the different parts of the bridge, something just felt off. She had walked onto the roadway, looking down at the large structures that held the bridge in place in the river. Over and over she’d looked, checking for anything that seemed odd. All the people seem jovial, calm, and excited to see their king. Guards stood watch at the entrance to the two towers, there being no way for her to get inside, even if she turned on a bit of charm. Evie was limited with what she could do.
Finally, upon hearing the time, she decided to make her way back to where they first arrived, knowing that this was about the moment that Ithas would announce to everyone that there was a threat; he needed to give them enough time to process, but also to evacuate and change the route.
Through the crowds, people waving handmade flags and creating a path for the procession, Evie weaved around children and parents and onlookers, her heart beginning to pick up speed.
Finally, she found him, and he seemed to be looking for her, too.
His arm landed on her shoulder. “Anything?”
She was a bit out of breath. “Nothing, no.”
He nodded, still looking around at the crowds. “We’re going to need a platform, a place to warn them from.”
Her heart jolted. “Ithas, are you sure—?”
But he didn’t seem to hear her. “You’ll need to get somewhere safe since people are probably going to start leaving in droves.”
She nodded. “Right, but are you sure—?”
“I know you didn’t say that you saw anything, but I’m going to tell them that you did. That’s the only way we’re going to make sure they’re safe. Even if nothing ends up going off, and the bridge remains intact, it’s better to be cautious.”
“What if—?”
“I know, it’s scary, but you’re doing great. Once I make the announcement, see if you can help herd people away from the bridge.”
“Ithas, I don’t think—”
“It’s going to be okay. I know it’s a lot. But this is the price we pay for—”
“For what?” She raised her voice. “The price for what? What type of medicine—?”
But a hand that was suddenly clasped around Evelyn’s neck from behind, froze them both.
She tried to whirl, tried to turn around to see who this was, but the grip was so strong, she had to hold still just to breathe.
Ithas’ expression turned sour. “I was looking everywhere for you.”
“Not good enough.” That voice, Evie thought. Where have I heard it before? She tried again to move, but to no avail.
“Don’t do this,” Ithas scowled. “Not to her.”
Evie’s heart tumbled to the ground, her blood running cold. Do what to me? she thought through shaky breath.
The rumble from the voice behind her reverberated through the fingers. “I’m doing it for her.”
“You’re a liar.”
“Takes one, Ithas.”
Then Ithas’ eyes dropped down to hers. “Don’t listen to them. There are other ways. Remember what we have. Remember us.”
Evie could feel her eyes bugling, fear gripping her heart as tightly as the hand was gripping her neck. What is he talking about?
She swore there was a deep growl in response to Ithas’ words from behind her. The hand gave a slight tug, almost throwing her off balance. “I’ve had enough,” was the last thing Evie heard before everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-Six
PROBABLY STILL 1912?
NO CLUE WHERE
It could have been the clap of thunder, the sound of breaking glass, or the dog licking her face that woke her up. Regardless, Evelyn groaned at her newly discovered consciousness.
Wait.
That seemed awfully familiar.
Fay sat back on her haunches, her tail swishing. But as Evelyn became more aware of her surroundings, she realized they were not familiar at all. She was in a lovely room in what seemed like a castle or some kind of manor. She was sitting on the ground, on a plush carpet in front of an ornately carved fireplace. A fire was generously heating the room, cozying the space.
Where is the bridge? Ithas? The King? What happened to everyone?
She looked around the room for some kind of clue—some kind of explanation as to how the world had shifted so quickly. On the floor next to her was what might have been tea or coffee that was now knocked on its side, the cup broken. Alas, the breaking glass sound. She saw the next flash of lightning and a moderate boom of thunder followed. Fay lay down, her head between her front paws, looking up at Evie expectedly.
“Where are we, Fay? And how did you get here?” Evie asked her.
As if in response, Fay let out a surprising bark before returning her head to the rug. Evie stood, her legs a bit shaky, as if she had been running miles on them. Behind her was a substantial four-poster bed. She made her way towards it, noticing that it was unmade, the covers turned over on the nearer side, as if she had…perhaps she had just crawled out of this bed? But how did she get in here in the first place?
Evie turned to the high windows, heavy curtains pulled to the side with graceful white ones covering the panes. She pulled the creamy fabric aside but it was completely dark. Following a quick flash of lightning, she managed to see the outline of gardens and rolling hills with some trees. But the light was gone too quickly to make out anything else. A thunderstorm in winter?
And that’s when the door to the room made a sound.
Evelyn spun from the window to the wooden door on the other wall. Her heart thudded in her chest, trying to think of how to get out of here–trying to imagine who was coming in and how she could escape if she needed to. The window probably opened but…
Dion. DION?!
Her patience was on the floor with the shattered cup at the sight of him stepping into the room. “Dion? What the hell is going on?”
The tall man walked slowly through the door and shut it behind him with a click. His whitish-blonde hair was slightly out of place, strands falling over his forehead. He was wearing black slacks and shined black shoes but no vest, only his white dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He took a deep, oddly melancholic breath, and then let it out before looking right at her. He leaned back against the door, arms folded. “I know you’re confused.”
“Confused? One minute I’m outside on the bridge and the next thing I know, I’m…I don’t even know where I am.”
“I’ll explain all that.”
Evie looked over at Fay, who was now laying on the rug with one paw crossed over the other. She was looking at Evie hopefully. “How did my dog get here?”
“I’ll explain that, too.”
Evie crossed her arms. “When do these explanations begin?”
Dion smirked and looked down at the floor. “Always impatient.”
Evie didn’t know what to say to that except to narrow her eyes at him.
Dion looked back at her with his head cocked a bit to the side. “Are you hurt?”
She ground her teeth in annoyance. “No.”
He gave a slight nod. “Hungry?”
“No.”
He eyed the spill on the floor. “Thirsty?”
“Dion, what is going on?”
He rocked his jaw from side to side. “Does the word Canopus mean anything to you?”
She was taken aback by this question, seemingly out of nowhere. This time she cocked her head to the side. “You’re not the first person to ask me that.”
Dion’s eyes flared. “Did Ar-Ithas ask you that?”
“He did. A long time ago.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Of course I don’t know what it means.”
Dion smirked again. “But then you looked it up, didn’t you?”
Evie rolled her eyes at him, while at the same time, a flash of concern for how he knew that washed through her. She didn’t show him, though. “Yes.”
“And?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s the second brightest star in the night sky.”
He let out a hum. “Yes, although the brightest star in mine.”
“What?”
He shook his head before pushing away from the door, watching his own footfalls against the floor.
“Have you ever done anything, had something happen, that you couldn’t explain?”
“You mean like a medical anomaly?”
“Not quite,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets, leaning against the side of the fireplace. “Something more like this.” Evie watched as he pulled his index finger from his pocket and waved it in a small circle. The smashed cup from the floor lifted, the pieces each levitating, the liquid coagulating in the air. Fay followed the movements of the cup with her eyes. Meanwhile her owner’s eyes were about to fall out of her head. Evie instinctively stepped back, her legs meeting the side of the bed. The cup sealed itself together about two feet off the floor, the liquid refilling, and then it carefully drifted through the air until it was right in front of Evie’s person. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, the sight of…magic? Enough to just about give her a heart attack.
“What did you do?” she questioned shakily.
“Repaired the cup, Evelyn.”
“Right, yes, but…how?”
He blinked nonchalantly. “I simply moved the matter around.”
“Magic?”
He scrunched his face. “Well, humans would call it magic. For us, it’s just…doing.”
Evie shook her head.
“Take it. It’s your favorite.”
“My favorite?” Her eyebrows lifted.
“You like chai tea.” His statement was accompanied by something perhaps rarer than magic—a smile.
Well, what the hell. Evie reached out and took the cup out of the air. It was solid, real, and even warm. She brought it to her lips and watched Dion’s throat bob as she gently took a sip. It…it was perfect. The right amount of zing, a dash of vanilla, hot but not scalding. Not to mention the cup no longer had a crack in it.
Despite wanting to rage at him for this feeling of helplessness in her chest, she closed her eyes and smiled—her contentment clear to him.
She spoke after she licked her lips. “You just said ‘for us.’” Dion’s smile faded slightly. “What does that mean?”
His gaze flicked down to Fay who whined slightly as she looked back up at him, uncrossing and recrossing her paws. Dion’s gaze met hers again. “After dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“You must be hungry; you have been asleep for a while.”
“How long?” she challenged.
He pushed off the fireplace. “Time is inconsequential. Meet me downstairs in the dining room. Fay will show you.” And with that, she caught him wave his hand over the doorknob until there was an audible click. Then he slipped out of the room.
Evie just stood there. Dumbfounded. She looked down at her dog. Or at least what she believed to be her dog. But the creature seemed to suddenly be a bit more perceptive and…communicative than she was used to.
Evie took in a breath and held it. Which she was able to do since she wasn’t in a corset. In fact, she hadn’t really looked down at herself since awakening. She was dressed in a silken nightgown that was too sheer for its own good. A quick glance around the room and she located double doors which must be to a closet, since the other door was ajar and showed an en-suite bathroom.
She looked at her dog.
If you can’t beat ‘em…
“Fay, is that the closet?” she indicated to the double doors. Fay gave a nod. Yep, yes, that’s correct folks. The dog nodded. “Alright, we’re gonna just…go with that for the moment.” Evie suspended all the disbelief in the world and padded over to the doors.
Pulling them open revealed a scene she had not expected. Clothes. Lots of them. Fay pushed herself up from the rug and reached Evie’s side as she stood looking into the walk-in.
The collie sat and looked up at her. Then at the closet, then back up at her.
Evie looked down at her. Then at the closet, then back down at her.
“I guess I should pick something,” Evie said out loud to…her dog? She jumped slightly as the sound of the rain pelting the windows intensified. Inside the closet was modest for this house. The clothing was simple, corsets and skirts and blouses and stockings and boots. The person to whom this closet belonged valued comfort and well-made things over the newest styles and frills. Her mother would have used the word “simpleton.” But Evie preferred “practical.”
She kept near the front, not wanting to invade this woman’s privacy too much, and chose something easy. The clothing being uncomplicated meant she didn’t need to worry about someone dressing her or making a fuss.
She put the garments on the bed and chose a pair of dress slippers in a forest green color. She forewent stockings since the house was cozy and she was most certainly not here to impress Dion. Honestly, there wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before in his line of work. Naked, she dropped the chemise over her head which was too big, perhaps by a size and a half. Then a corset that completely wrapped around her. Then a tan, comfortable cotton dress, again, a bit too big. And finally a matching forest green short-sleeved cotton wrap-jacket that went down to her knees over the dress. It was secured with a matching belt. It seemed like the kind of dress one would wear while strolling the gardens. But, despite its slightly larger size, it was mighty comfortable.
Fay jumped up and turned around before trotting to the door to the room. Evie stared at her, meeting herself in a vanity mirror. She looked surprisingly refreshed—her skin looked smooth, no lines under her eyes. Her hair was luscious and fell in waves down her back. She watched herself for a moment, twirled around in the dress before meeting her own gaze again. It must be the odd lighting in the manor. Or perhaps that she had apparently just slept for some time. Or maybe Dion had voodoo-ed her hair while she slept. That’s a weird thought, Evie.
Fay didn’t seem to care that her hair was down, but she did. Just so improper. Not to mention for dinner. Her mother would know even though she was…actually she had no idea where in the world she was. Right, first question when she got downstairs. Second question should probably be how he did the cup trick. Third might be why her dog seemed to be way too smart all of a sudden. And why was she even here!
Evie, wanting answers, looked quickly around the vanity. She found a couple of pins and berets and twirled her hair up to the top of her head. Strands fell loose around the sides but she let it go. Again, not here to impress Dion. He’d seen her…in worse situations.
She grimaced at the thought.
But then the image and feeling of him wiping her face on his knees before her sent a twist through her stomach.
Fay scratched at the door.
“Alright,” she conceded and made her way towards it.
It opened into a dim hallway, lit by electricity. There were other doorways, paintings, and plants. Fay trotted ahead of her towards the main staircase because Fay knew where that was? Evie glanced up at one of the sconces, narrowing her eyes at the lightbulb. She had never seen it before—she could see no filament, no wires, no obvious source of light.
Her interest was interrupted when Fay gave a soft bark at the top of the stairs, her tail wagging eagerly. Just about as eagerly as Evie wanted answers. “Fine,” she conceded again and lifted the hem of her skirts which were a tad long and found the staircase.
The railing and the stairs opened into a large foyer. The staircase was a beautiful cherry wood with a centered carpet that curved downward to the first floor. The entryway had dark wood on the bottom and lighter painted walls on top above the wainscoting. The chandelier in the middle was beautiful but dim, allowing the lightning to brighten the room during its intermediate flashes. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows gave the space a stately finish with roped-back drapes.
She began the descent with Fay, again lifting her skirts to make each step. In the middle of the foyer on a wooden pedestal was the figure of what seemed to be a relic of Ancient Greece. A man, muscular with short curly hair and a beard in a military skirt stood facing an invisible enemy. He held a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. Evie only had time to glance at it as she followed Fay through the entryway and through a doorway, down a short hall, and into what must be the formal dining room.
Evie took in the room quickly. It was surrounded by windows, overlooking what she caught in the flashes was some sort of hedged garden. Another fireplace gave the room a soft glow. Twelve chairs sat around a mahogany table, which was only set for two on one side.
Dion stood at that end, having not donned a jacket or even unrolled his sleeves. Completely ungentlemanly for dinner. But she decided she didn’t care. His smile returned when he saw her. Twice in one night. A record.
“Please,” he said quickly, moving and pulling out a chair, “sit.”
Evie hesitated for just a moment, not wanting to trust him, not knowing what this was about. But what choice did she have? She could run screaming from the house. To where? She could run back up into the room. That Dion could clearly open. And what had he really done that was so bad? Fixed a teacup? Asked if she was hungry? Well, he might have kidnapped her. Okay, that was going to be question four.
“I have questions,” she blurted before moving.
He gave two slow nods. “I know. I will…do my best to answer them.”
She crossed her arms. “That seems like an excuse to not tell me things I need to know.”
“I’ll determine what you need to know.”
She scowled. “That’s not acceptable. That’s what people like Dr. Renault said—that I wasn’t entitled to know things.”
