Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Chapter 19

(Hours after Rubin left the manor)

CAELUM

I stormed inside the study and gritted my teeth as I watched Aeon frantically rummaging inside his drawer, looking for the arrow. Papers are strewn everywhere, his beloved books and the ones he has borrowed from me or rather, taken from me, was thrown unceremoniously on the floor. Even the curtains hang dangerously from the bar holding it in place as Aeon settled by the window, hiding his face in shame and annoyance yet his purple eyes glinted dangerously as he breaks the silence, “How dare she takes the arrow without even asking for permission? I can’t believe it.”

“So, she did take it?”

“Well, who else? Newman doesn’t know about it, only the both of us have discussed the arrow and its magical properties. The fact that the scroll pertains to the arrow was such very big coincidence – it makes me wonder how it all ends up connected.”

“But she doesn’t know about it, too.”

“Are you trying to defend her, Caelum?” Aeon raised an eyebrow at me, his face inquisitive as he pulls away from the wall. I diverted my eyes and started rummaging inside the drawer, pulling out the boxes and opening them one by one. “She’s the only one I know who might have taken it, Caelum. She disappeared into the night without a trace. I cannot even track her down.”

“But why should she take it?”

“I don’t know. She may have sensed that it is powerful but using it on humans is useless. It was an ancient arrow; it does not work that way and she can just take a steel and wield them into her arrows. I am so annoyed!” Aeon pulled at his hair and gritted his teeth, making the wind rattle the windows as he lashes out, “It was one of those special artifacts, one that is not easily obtained. I can almost imagine myself inspecting the words written on it. I should’ve taken it inside my room as I originally planned – if I did, that blasted Cupid won’t have the chance to steal it!”

I paused, trying to digest what Aeon said. Did he just mention words written on the arrow?

“It was written in the old tongue, the same as what Zeus used to speak to his children. It will take me about three days to decipher but now, I won’t have any chance to do that.” I frowned, looking at Aeon as he walks out of the room without even paying me a glance. I took the scroll from the top of the table and run my hands down on the words – the wielder of the arrow.

Now that she has the arrow, what will she do with it? Was it possible that she knows about the prophecy foretelling that she was bound to finish me?

I touched my chest and felt a jolt of pain. Ever since that cupid came on earth and started to bother me with her crazy antics – it was like something has awaken in my chest, something I haven’t known that was slumbering, waiting of something, or rather, someone. I closed the scroll and walked out of the study, deciding that I should spend some time at my field and think of what I should do next considering that Rubin was already in possession of the arrow. Aeon’s door blasted open as he ran down the stairs and cornered me.

“Where did you take her? You know, when you were drunk and-”

I pondered for a moment, thinking hard. Where have I taken her?

“The field, the dome and my flat.”

“And? Where else did you take her after that? I mean, a week after that, when you ask me if I would like to join you?”

“Piedmont, Italy – The winery and Kyoto, Japan – The chocolate factory.”

“That’s all?” I nodded, pushing Aeon back so I can head inside the kitchen and take some snack.

“Okay,” he furiously writes on his notebook, muttering,” The field, the dome, the flat and the winery and oh! The chocolate factory.” I frown. “What are you making that list for?”

“I’m going to keep a look out and find her. Once I did find her – I'm going to drag her back here and tie her down so she won’t get away. Oh, maybe I should locked her in, too.”

“Good plan,” I muttered, turning away from the fridge as I decided that a nice black coffee will cheer me out of this mood.

“What? You’re not going to support me? I’m doing everything I could for your safety, Caelum, because you are like my brother. I never wanted you to suffer. So, you might as well be grateful!”

“Well, why should I be grateful if Rubin has the arrow and would possibly kill me with it the first chance she got?”

“If she really is planning to kill you, then she should’ve done it last night. We won’t even have this argument if she did. I bet you all the money I have right now that Rubin is just plain curious.”

“Just curious. Alright, let us pretend that she is just curious.” I rolled my eyes at him, marching out of the kitchen as I lost the interest of making myself some coffee.

“Caelum,” He called out and tried to block my way. “Caelum, you know I am right. Rubin won’t kill you! She is so kind she won’t be able to do that.”

“But I acted like a total git when she kissed me. I pushed her back and ignored her and now - don’t you think that she is only planning my murder which is why she hasn’t decided to be done with it yet?”

Aeon’s face was so pale as he looks up at me, his jaw clenched tights as he tried to argue, “I don’t think so, Caelum! You’re just prejudiced with your feelings because you hate them cupids. You can’t even look at them as you forced your way out of love. Though, let me tell you that Rubin isn’t like how you thought her to be, she’s not half as bad as you make her. You know her, you’ve been with her, so don’t do that.” His purple eyes are so focused on me that I had a hard time to avert my eyes.

I sighed. “You’ve been good and kind to her these past few weeks we spent with her. Your attitude has changed drastically that you even asked Newman to follow and monitor her. I have known you for a thousand years and I believe that you care for her more than you ever know. I am good at reading people and I willingly trade all my riches to tell you that she would rather hurt herself than hurt you,” Aeon breathed out, his nose flaring, chest heaving while the wind attacks the trees with its invisible fist. The howls coming from outside filled the silence between us as I proceed upstairs to my room and shut the door behind without saying anything to contradict Aeon’s opinion.

I breathe in and out, trying to understand all of the words that Aeon told me. Would she really spare me and hurt herself instead?

I marched up to my bed and fell down, unceremoniously. I reduced myself to staring up at the chandelier, the candles flickering light is the only thing that illuminates the room. I averted my eyes and watched as the clouds chased each other from the window. The frosty drip of candle wax hang from the stubs and I entertained myself by flicking them off, making use of non-essential energy. It takes a long while for the wind to stop from howling and settle into a quiet whisper. After another quarter of an hour, however, I am forced to conclude that Aeon will not go up to my room and barge inside to argue about Rubin not hurting me.

Sitting up, I flicked my hand and breathe in, the soft silky sheets morphing so that the grass tickled my arms as I look up at the cool blue sky. I stretched my arms and lie down on the field, the violets and lilies still in full bloom even if summer is blowing harshly down the land. This field is rarely affected by the normal weather, instead, it depended so much on my emotions that an argument like a while ago can wither the roses and precious hyacinths. I plucked a violet and twirled it around my fingers, snorting as I saw Aeon’s white hair glistening from afar. He turns his head and spotted me as I lied upon the ground.

“Caelum. Caelum!”

“What now?” I muttered in a bored tone, mustering all my courage to pretend like I do not care about whatever news he brings about Rubin. It’s been a couple of hours since she disappeared, I wonder how she’s doing out there on her own.

“I asked Newman to accompany me. We searched around town and I even asked Rause about her-” I glared at him and Aeon bowed his head, having the decency to blush, “Well, you see, they are best of friends and Rubin will surely go to Rause if she has a problem but I am mistaken for Rause do not know where she wad. Rause also said that Rubin is old enough to decide on her own and I couldn’t tell Rause about the real problem because she doesn’t know about our true identity and how important the arrow is to us.”

I rolled my eyes, snorting as I listened to him, mentioning Rause’s name as though it was a prayer – caressing it with his tongue.

“Newman tried his best to search around the park for he knows that’s where she usually ran off when she’s upset but she’s not there, either.” Aeon settled down on the field and took another violet, earning a glare from me. I don’t like others touching my flowers.

“Do you reckon she went back to Paris?”

“Could be, but unlikely.” I muttered. Aeon frowns, not really getting my point as he crossed his arms, “What do you mean?”

I licked my lips and turned at him, “Well, she can’t really do what we could- you know- materializing on the place we wanted to go to. She can only fly.”

“So?”

“It will take her a couple of hours to reach Paris from here. Not to mention the risk of being spotted and targeted by military forces since she is a foreign unidentified object.”

“That’s stupid.” Aeon frowns before asking in a worried voice, “Do you really think that they will target her?” I nodded, squashing his idea of her flying to Paris and how impossible for her not to be spotted. Huffing, Aeon throws the violet down on the ground before he stretched his arms, “I’m gonna go back to the manor and catch some sleep. I will continue with the search tomorrow. I can’t just let her go like you did. I won’t give up my study.”

Aeon directed a glare at me but I just sighed, not really having the interest of arguing with him.

*

It's odd to feel some kind of attachment to someone you just met barely a month ago.

As I went out of my room, I couldn’t help but glanced at the end of the corridor, expecting Rubin to give me a glare. Turning rather quickly, I forced myself to walk downstairs and ignore the gnawing feeling deep down my stomach.

Losing her was like losing a tooth; I am so used to having her that I just realize how much she meant to me when she’s gone. I couldn’t shake the feeling. No matter how hard I tried to sway myself from the thoughts of her, something inside of me keeps on insisting to go search and try to take her back here.

I went back to Paris a couple of times, making excuses about checking the restaurants and such but Aeon never fails to give me a knowing look, making me roll my eyes at him. I’ve gone to Kyoto, wondering about, staring down at the golden coins and the crystals and imagining how excited she has been to taste her first batch chocolate. And Piedmont, well, Carlos was waiting for her, expecting that I bring her again only to go back to the winery in disappointment of not bringing his cara mia.

I took the usual routes we walked if ever she really tried to go to the places we’ve been to but with no such luck, I couldn’t find her.

It was like the heavens have finally decided to end our meeting and snatched her away from me once again. The feeling I am having now was deeply in contrast with how I have first experienced life on earth. Lost, but now grieving of someone I have known and waited, now gone once again because of my fault, and partly, because of the prophecy.

Why should we have such a tragic fate? Why should Rubin be the one who is destined to end me?

I don’t understand how this all works and if there is a way around it, I hope I will be able to find it soon before one of us perished.

My temper is growing shorter; summer is about here and my bracelet is throbbing painfully on my wrist, trying to force me out of the manor and search for a victim. I resisted it as hard as I could but arriving back in the manor, empty handed, confused and scared of what might have happened to her, I succumbed to my true nature and barge inside Aeon’s study.

“Out.”

“What?” Aeon looks up from the couple of maps he had spread down at the carpet, encircling the streets he already has checked. “Caelum, please stop bothering me. I am really trying hard to find her so please, leave me alone.”

“Out, now.” It takes all my effort to stop myself from screaming at Aeon who just ignored me, still lying on his stomach. “Out.”

“But Caelum - I-”

“No buts,” I took him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him out to the living room.

“Caelum, what are you -” he gasps, only noticing the change in me. I stared at my reflection and saw dark eyes looking back at me, “No, Caelum!”

I flicked my hand and pushed him back at the wind, sighing. It took me a couple of seconds to calm my breathing and I check my reflection once again, seeing the same black eyes. I massaged my forehead and waved my hands, materializing back at my Paris quarters. My wrist shakes as I collapsed on the bed. I headed inside my closet, waving my hand on my safe box deciding that a day out will solve it all.

I just needed more hearts.

The safe box opens with a click, I snatched some allurements and sprayed it on me, taking my steel arrows and compound bow, before I headed down.

The warm afternoon sun made me flinch hastily while I rushed at the club and pick up a girl, not even bothering to remember her name. She gazes up at me with longing, her hazel eyes shining as though she was in a trance. Taking her hand, I lured her out of the bar and headed at the park. Confused by my own actions, I decided to focus down at the pretty girl who is blushing on my arms.

“Kiss me,” She says in a surly voice. She may be thinking that I am going to reply her with that same intensity but I proved her wrong. Instead, I leaned down and kissed her feverishly as though I was being chased. I smirk as I smelt her excitement. She lets out a laugh and to engage me to a light conversation which I politely answered too. It was halfway through our meeting when I grew bored, being preoccupied by the sight of a red head.

I squinted my eyes, trying to recognize the red head who is hiding by the bushes, her green eyes glistening. I blinked and saw her disappear. Was it all my imagination? If not, would there be a possibility that it was Rubin who is spying on me?

I was about to approach her when I was pulled back. Frowning, I removed the hands of the girl on my arms and strode off to the meadow where the red head was currently hiding. I stopped running, eyeing the haze that has surrounded the small meadow and watching as it slowly lifted, followed by the disappearance of a guy holding a sword.

Rubin writhes from inside the meadow, her vicious red curls spread out around her face making her appear like a suffering flower. She was clutching her chest and my eyes widened at the arrow protruding from it before dissolving into nothing. She looks at me with her wide green eyes before she screams in agony. I kneeled down next to her asking, “What is it? What happened to you?”

“I’m sorry,” She sobbed, reaching out a bloody hand. I noticed her wrist and how it was badly ripped, the skin barely hanging, exposing the bones from inside. “I’m so sorry,” She sobbed, shaking so hard that I can’t help but take her in my arms, the words dying inside my throat. “I didn’t - I never wanted to hurt you but now I hurt-” She bowed her head and tighten her fist on the collar of my shirt.

“I never wanted to fall in love with you.” she whispered, collapsing down on my arms. Her body gives out a jolt before she lets out a breath, going still and limp on my arms.

Checking her pulse, I was surprised to see that there is none.

“No – no don’t do this.” I whispered at her, leaning down so I can listen for any breath she takes, any indication that she is still alive. “Please, don’t. Don’t die yet.” I bit my lip and looked around the park, noticing a few spectators watching.

“Somebody, please, Anybody! Please, call an ambulance!”

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