Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Housed on the side of a hill, the white walls of the farmhouse clashed in the middle of the vineyard landscape. Dawn was watching the sky, and the rays coming from the east would soon light up the stone facade. Papa Forbe invited us into the living room. Fairly tired, I collapsed in an armchair facing Sam. We were now discussing the consequences of my brother’s actions. And although I had regained control of my emotions, our conversation shook me, because of the confessions I was forced to make.

“What should be done?” I asked aloud without waiting for an answer. “If I stop his coma, he’ll start again. He absolutely wants to know if he’s immortal. And if I don’t release him, the situation will become dangerous. He’ll be mad at me when he wakes up, he’ll be mad at the whole world. But I can’t let him die either. Imagine if he doesn’t come back! Blake told me we didn’t have the same mother, but I have no reason to believe him.”

“Why?”

“His goal was to sow discord between us and push me to make this marriage. He wanted a war, he wanted me to start this war. My emotional bond with my brother was an obstacle, so he wanted to sow the seed that would separate us. In everything he said to me before he died, this is the only affirmation that I refuse to believe, because I feel in my flesh that we have the same blood, but what to do?! I even thought of keeping Ethan in this state for a month, and then making him believe that he had succeeded, and that he had come back to life. And at the same time, if he comes back from death, then maybe our telepathic link will reform. When I think about it, it’s not so surprising that I now have this connection with Carmichael. Before my resurrection, I could already feel his presence. That’s how I found him in Amsterdam. I knew immediately that we were in the right place. See, Sam? I’m the cause of my brother’s dilemma. I gave him up. When I died, I was only focused on myself and what was happening to me.”

“Hey, Eve, calm down,” Sam said, as my rate of speech had accelerated dangerously under the effect of the stress. “You had nothing to do with it. Ethan is disturbed, and you know this very well. And if you want my opinion, he was the one who was selfish towards you. You are queen because you want to protect your fellow human beings. You had to make this decision for the good of all, and prepare them for a war whose outcome no one knows yet, not even your pre-cogs. You also had to recover from an assassination, committed by Eric, moreover. Not to mention London, where you’ve been locked up for months, and Ethan hasn’t lifted a finger…”

“You’re wrong. I got out with his help.”

“It was your strength of character and your determination that guaranteed the success of your escape. Good God! Eve! He waited until you were dying to act! If it hadn’t been for Papa Forbe, you would be dead by now!”

“And I would be back.”

Sam cleared his throat, embarrassed. He still hadn’t come to terms with the idea of my death, and my subsequent resurrection.

“He did this on the night of your coronation.”

“He stayed with me for two years in Ariège.”

“He killed in cold blood, Eve!” Sam said, raising his voice. “I’ve kept quiet so far, to protect you and because you asked me not to act. But we’ll have to find a solution for your brother, Eve. He cannot stay free.”

Sam was right, I knew that. And many shared his view. But considering locking up my brother forever was intolerable for me. How could I make such a decision? It was beyond my strength.

A long silence weighed before I felt a familiar presence approaching the house.

The doorbell rang, which startled everyone except me. Elvis went to open it and returned a few seconds later, Carmichael a step behind him. Papa Forbe invited him to sit down and offered him a coffee. He took his place next to Johnny while staring at me with his translucent green eyes.

“I came to see if my wife was ready to join me,” he said without looking away.

The smile on his lips made me understand that he wasn’t angry with me for having left him earlier.

“I’m ready to join my husband,” I replied, not intending to spoil the event more than it already was.

Sam was right, I thought. Ethan could have chosen another moment to execute his plan. I decided then that I wasn’t going to let my brother completely ruin my wedding, just hours after its celebration, and if I wanted all this to still have meaning.

I stood up and extended my hand to Carmichael. He took it, greeted everyone with a nod, and led me outside. I expected to find a car parked in front of the farmhouse, but, seeing that we were making our way on foot on the small paths leading to the castle, I concluded that a morning walk in the woods was part of his plans. A glow, of a mixture of orange and mauve, was on the horizon and illuminating our steps. The distant view of the castle was more splendid than ever.

The coolness made me pull my long coat around my waist. The crisp breeze made my cheeks rosy and a light fog escaped from my mouth as I breathed. We reached the woods without having exchanged a word yet.

“Have you thought about Ethan?” Carmichael began, as if he wanted this subject to be tackled quickly, and thus the first to be closed.

“I haven’t made up my mind, but his confinement now seems inevitable.”

“It bothers me to admit it, because you know how attached I am to your brother, but this time you’re right.”

“Do you believe it’s possible we have the same mother?”

“What did my uncle say that night that hasn’t been verified since? Blake had come to reveal everything to you. I find it hard to believe that, on this point, he lied.”

“If he wanted to ruin my relationship with Ethan and send him to his death, Blake couldn’t have chosen a better course. He made the same bet with my own life.”

“Maybe, then we’ll keep him in a coma until we find a better solution.”

I didn’t protest. My brother left me no choice. A long silence between us gave way to the sounds of our footsteps on the dirt path.

“Otherwise, apart from this disastrous event, how did you find the wedding ceremony?” Carmichael inquired awkwardly, which made me smile.

I stopped my walk. Did he need to be reassured?

“I was very intimidated. I must have looked like a fool as I walked down the aisle.”

“You were gorgeous.”

“You were gorgeous too. Johnny did his job well.”

“I intend to hire him full time for the organisation of events. Marion is setting up an office for him in the big tower. She’ll be his spokesperson with the castes, at least as long as the castes still find it difficult to trust him.”

“Does she fulfil her role as assistant well?”

A hint of jealousy crossed my remarks. Marion and Carly Stanton had arrived at the castle not long before, and were already taking up too much space for my liking. Marion was a telekinetic and had replaced Naomi as Carmichael’s assistant. Her sister Carly, a telepath, had brought Eric to his senses and now seemed to be indispensable to him. In addition, Carly maintained an intimate complicity with my now husband. But I knew that for three hundred and something years he must have had many adventures. Several castes present at the castle at this very moment had already shared his bed, and I didn’t intend to identify them one by one, at the risk of becoming mad with jealousy.

“She’s perfect,” he said, with no idea of the thoughts going through me. “But she’s a bit shy. Totally different from Carly on this point.”

“You knew Carly well, it seems.”

Okay, I had sworn to myself three seconds earlier not to venture into this area, but it had escaped me.

“What do you want me to say exactly?” he asked, a smile forming on his lips.

“Did you sleep with her?”

It was brutal, but direct. We weren’t going to spend two hours on the Carly subject either!

“No.”

“Ah!” I said, sheepishly.

He burst out laughing, and we resumed our walk towards the castle. His mood changed a few minutes later, when, sullen, he decided to give me other revelations.

“Unfortunately, I have other news to tell you.”

“Said that way, it’s sure to be bad.”

“It is…”

“Carmichael, you’re worrying me. What happened?”

“Althea, Queen of the Six, has destroyed an entire city on the Chinese coast.”

I gaped and stopped again. This vision froze my blood, a whole city was destroyed because of her madness.”

“Are we sure it’s her?”

“Certain. Many will think about leaving us after such a demonstration, out of fear or fascination.”

“We have to be more convincing.”

“We’ll soon be leaving for New York, Paris and then Hong Kong.We need to speed up the process by showing up, recruiting and convincing. Large gatherings of castes will be organised with the sole purpose of meeting you. Salomon is taking care of the details. The most powerful castes of the castle number in the dozens. On the battlefield, this won’t be enough.”

“And last time, I failed to face Althea.”

Carmichael turned and stared at me as if I underestimated my abilities. He put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me to him.

“Last time, you weren't immortal,” he whispered in my ear. “With training, you’ll do just fine.”

“Training?”

“I brought a professor for that. You’ll meet him very soon.”

We continued our walk, and I saw the little chapel in the distance. It was now reserved for me if, one day, I felt the need to go there. I quite liked the idea of having a place all to myself, where I could find a certain solitude, in a castle that was becoming more and more frequented.

Carmichael stopped and put his hands on my shoulders. He pulled me to him and directed my mouth to his. After that passionate kiss, he pointed to the chapel.

“Finally, My Queen, this is where you and I will spend the night…or rather the day.”

“Are you serious?”

“Follow me,” was the only answer I got. So what did he have to show me? My hand in his, he pulled me towards the chapel. He opened and let me pass. I took a step forward and discovered that the interior had been totally revamped. Paintings, mirrors and tapestries in shades of beige blended beautifully with taupe curtains, seagrass rugs and stone walls. A library, filled with rare editions of classical literature, took up considerable space at the back of the room. I ran my fingers through them. Two white leather armchairs sat enthroned in front of the hearth. A grey sofa took the centre of the space, adorned with beige cushions, royal symbols sewn into the lace. There was no bed, only a dresser, console tables and a pedestal table topped with magnificent red and white roses. The colours of the central stained glass shimmered majestically in the light of dawn. A fire was lit, and candles, placed everywhere, diffused a pleasant odour while their glow, flickering, danced in the middle of this romantic decor.

“Did you give up your bachelor pad?”

He took off his dark jacket. Below, his tailored white shirt perfectly matched the shape of his muscles. His raised collar on his robust neck made him devilishly attractive. I bit my lip at this sight.

“I wanted you to feel comfortable and I wanted to show you that you were always welcome in this place.”

“Thank you.”

“When you came to my office earlier, I read Johnny’s thoughts that you had discovered my surprise when you went to the apartments. So I took advantage of your absence at the Forbes to…”

“You mean you did this yourself? Last night?”

“I told you, no one but you is coming in here.”

“In a few hours?”

“I’m fast.”

“And you read Johnny’s mind? You should be wary of what you might find there.”

“I’ve already had a glimpse of his… whimsical side.”

“His Majesty did all this for me,” I continued, advancing towards him.

“Yes.”

“But, Sire, you forgot to install a bed here!” I said as I let my coat slide to the floor.

“I’m sure you will be inventive, My Queen.”

“I remember the first time I came to visit you in this place, there was one. But, as I recall, you didn’t find it necessary to make good use of it.”

“You were young then, sweetheart.”

“I still am.”

“You have matured since and it’s time to finish what we had started that night. This will give me the opportunity to formally apologise to you.”

I burst out laughing. How good it was to hear that sound escape my lips, when everything else made me cry and sink into despair. This pleasant feeling encouraged me to continue our playful conversation.

“I doubt, His Majesty, that you can convince me. I really took it very badly.”

It was his turn to smile. I approached him and put my hands on his chest. He took off his shirt, taking his time on each button he removed. His skin contrasted with the whiteness of my fingers passing along the length of his chest. With one hand, he grabbed my neck and pulled me close to his face. The next second, he shoved me back and, with mind-blowing speed, placed me on the couch, straddling on top of him.

He let my sweater slip over my hips. Bare chested, I took advantage of his excitement to increase mine. The friction, mixed with the bewitching heat of our common power of attraction, made my senses more insatiable than ever, my cheeks ignited and my body radiated.

“Take off the rest of your clothes,” Carmichael ordered me.

I made them disappear in a second. My atom-destroying telekinetic gift, as Johnny called it, was certainly useful in this kind of situation, but quickly regrettable when it came time to get dressed. Carmichael smiled and showed perfectly aligned white teeth. My desire diffused through every pore of my skin and mixed with that of my husband, just as eager to consummate our marriage without delay. A bubble of heat reached my face, my body was already shaking. My hands grabbed a few dreadlocks from his hair, his head tilted back. As he performed his pelvic movements, his eyes, slightly narrowed with the effort and desire they contained, stared at mine. My breathing got harder and harder, I let out a moan. He grabbed my shoulders as if he wanted me to feel him more, as if it was still possible. I kissed him passionately, pulled his hair again, and cried out. I gasped and left his mouth. I took a welcome breath as Carmichael’s sensual movements now came at a frantic pace.

“You are my Queen now.”

“And you, my King,” I said breathlessly.

Hungry with desire, he grabbed my shoulders with his fingernails, then embraced me and squeezed me with his nervous arms. I was almost choking in his passionate embrace, or was it pleasure? I couldn’t tell how long our union lasted. Nothing existed, apart from our two bodies entwined, nothing mattered at that moment. Not even all the bad news that had started this long night, not my brother, not Althea, not the prospect of war. I was his.

I couldn’t help but let out a cry of ecstasy when the heat finally took hold of my entire soul. Carmichael followed me into my bliss, and my eyes held tears of pleasure as I slowed my pelvic movements. A final spasm carried Carmichael away. My body swooped down on him, exhausted by this promising start to our nuptials.