Lady of Confusion

Chapter 4

Arabella shook her head hard. What had just happened? One moment she was staring at Lucian, the next, she was in the past.

She looked down at Lucian confused. Lucian was looking back.

“Why did you make me see that? What the hell are you doing to me?” Lucian reached out to grab her arm. Shocked, Arabella turned to leave.

“Wait. Stop. Please don’t go yet. If you are going to keep visiting me like this, I should at least know your name. Somehow I know you and yet I don’t.”

Arabella stood still then turned to look at Lucian who was up on his elbows in the bed. The pleading in his voice was hard to refuse. The misery on his face was plain to see. Her confusion deepened. By the Gods, how was this possible?

“How can you not know me Lucian. Did I mean so little to you?” She could see by his eyes that he had no idea what she was talking about. It broke her heart over and over again. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to be furious, but she could not. She realized that she really had not mean’t anything to him. In a fit of passion, Arabella raised her hards toward Lucian’s head. In horror, she realized what she was about to do. Never had she lost control. She was a healer, not a destroyer. She looked at her still raised hands then she look at Lucian.

HIs eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea what she was going to do,, but he felt like it was not anything good. Angry at herself, Arabella whirled away. Suddenly a slit formed in the dark corner of his room and then she was gone once again.

Lucian jumped from bed and put his hands on the floor boards where she had stood. They were cool to the touch which surprised him. From the look in her eyes, he actually expect the boards to burst into flames.

Lucian grabbed his head as misty memories suddenly burst into his brain. The pain grew as he tried to bring the memories into focus. He dropped to the floor and knew nothing more until morning. The memories receding into time lost, back to what once was.

Arabella threw everything and anything that came into her hands. Never in her life had she thrown a fit, this would be a first. Arabella sat on her bed, reliving her life. Thorn padded into the room and lay at her feet, his head resting on his paws as he watched her.

“There’s something not right here, Thorn. I have no idea what it is, but it’s not right.” It was the first time she could not help someone. Maybe she was too emotionally involved. Arabella fretted about what she should do.

Arabella rubbed her tired eyes as she gazed out at the forrest. The rage she had felt for so long was no longer there. Emptiness and confusion sat where the rage once was.

The color of red met her eyes as she turned toward her dresser. Arabella walked over and ran her hands across the stones of her necklace causing the stones to glow brighter. The lone stone that Lucian possessed was obviously missing. Lucian had given her that necklace on the last night they were together. She smiled bitterly as a lone tear ran down her cheek landing on a stone that flared even brighter than the rest.

“This is for you my beautiful Bella.” He said, ‘For when we meet again. I want you to remember me forever.” His smile was so sweet and boyish. As their hands clasped the stones between them, they grew ever brighter until they were all glowing and beating to their hearts. Lucian grinned with delight at the display. “Did you do that Bella?” Arabella shook her head no, she had no idea how that happened.

“It must be true then.” Mused Lucian. At Arabella’s questioning look he continued, “The antique show owner said that it had once belonged to a gypsy King who had given it his one true love on their wedding night. The moment the two touched it, they embedded their love within the stones and would only glow if true love held them. It’s true love Bella.”

Arabella wiped tears from her eyes as the memory spun around her. He got his wish, she never forgot him. Not for one day in her life had she forgotten him. What happened to the boy she loved, the life they planned? She thought about the revenge that had sustained her all these years. It was no longer there. She told herself that it was for Lucas that wanted Lucian to pay, but really, it was for he.

“Come Thorn, it’s a good night to go running. I need to get the cobwebs out of my head and it’s been too long that we have ran together.”

Arabella jumped down the stairs two at a time as she grabbed her down jacked from the stair post. The dark forrest and fresh pine smell beckoned to woman and wolf. Starting out in a slow jog, the soon quickened their pace into a fast run, the shadows of the forrest, under a full moon, reached out to them.

The moon was up when Arabella and Thorn reached home. The run did for her what hours of hard thinking had not done. Something bad happened to Lucian. What it was, she had no idea but planned to find out.

“Out Thorn, it’s time for you to go to your family and time for me to find out the truth.” Thorn howled then turned back to the forrest. He gave Arabella one last look before he trotted off. He didn’t like her going to the caves without him. He knew Arabella’s tone of voice, it was not one that welcomed company. After Arabella showered, she prepared herself for the transfer.

It was two in the morning before she was ready to face Lucian. She placed the necklace around her neck and reached out to the darkness. A rip appeared and grew, Arabella stepped through.

Lucian was not in his bed. Arabella whirled around toward the door, her self trousers hugging her slender body. Her eyes widened when they came to rest on Lucian standing in the door way. He did not smile or speak as he stared at her. For several minutes the two faced off before Lucian broke the silence.

“Have you come to torture me some more, Vixen?” He laughed but Arabella could tell he was not amused. “I don’t know what I could have done to one such as you to make you hate me so.”

Arabella’s hand rose from her side, not in anger but in shame. He was right and she knew it. He did not know what he had done.

Lucian stepped back as he eyed her hand. His eyes went to her face and saw no anger. Somehow, that face kept him glued to where he stood. He had seen that face before, somewhere in his dreams.

“Lucian,” Arabella’s voice broke, “Lucian, I am Arabella Brennan.” No light of recognition lit Lucian’s eyes as he waited for her to continue. Arabella’s eyes traveled to the scar along his hairline. “How long have you had that scar?” Lucian frowned, fingers touched the fine line that as far as he knew, had been there all of his life.

“What has that got to do with anything, Arabella Brennan?” His voice was not welcoming. She did not blame him. She had been rather cruel to him.

“Please Lucian, just tell me how long.”

“You know, Arabella Brennan. I haven’t got much sleep because of you. I am tired and I am cranky. If you can’t tell me what this is all about, then please just leave me alone.” Lucian didn’t want Arabella to leave but his lack of sleep made his mouth say things he didn’t mean. He held his breath waiting for her to speak.

Arabella did not reply as she watched Lucian. HIs shoulders slumped slightly as he bowed his head. She wanted to reach out and touch his hair to see if it was still as silky soft as it was twelve years ago. The weariness she saw in his eyes, in his body pulled at her broken heart.

“Lucian,” she said as she knelt in front of him, I am so sorry, I truly am. “ Her voice turned husky with unshed tears. He wondered at what could bring this woman to tears in such a way. He suddenly felt bad for the words he spoke to her.

She looked up at him as he sat on the edge of his bed. She looked so beautiful and alluring to his male eye.. Shaking himself free of her gaze, he waited for her to talk. Something brought her here and it wasn’t the pleasure of tormenting him.

“Lucian,” she whispered, still trying to control her emotions, Clearing her throat, she tried again., “Lucian, I want to take you somewhere.” He looked at her strangely. “I know it is a lot to ask but I need for you to trust me. Please, I promise that afterwards, I will leave and never bother you again.”

Lucian’s heart hurt at her words. Still, he was not sure he should trust her. “How can I trust you Arabella Brennan? You come into my home uninvited. To top it off, you don’t even come in the conventional way. No, you come here by, what, a … a slit in the darkness? Would you trust some man who showed out of the blue into in your bedroom?”

Arabella had to admit that she would not. “Lucian, please. You want to know who I am and why I am here? I have to show you for you to understand. Please trust me this once.”

She rose up and held out her hand. Lucian hesitated before placing his hand in hers. Electricity traveled up his arm when they touched. He could see that it affected her too.

Arabella smiled, “Now close your eyes. Go on, I promise not to hit or bit you.”

Lucian saw the laughter in her eyes and thought how beautiful this Arabella Brennan was. He closed his eyes. Vertigo clutched at his head and he stumbled a little. He squeezed his eyes closed tighter fighting the urge to vomit. Seconds later Lucian was looking at a place he vaguely remembered. Arabella’s hand slipped from his as he watched the scene before him. His mouth opened in surprise and wonder. How he got here, he did not know, but he was not afraid. He was curious.