Evie's Knight (32 page)

“Almost done.” He squeezed her hand. “Okay, you can open them.”

The sight of their enchanted new world put Evie in awe. A whimsical scene with lovely strokes of gold and bronze, soft ivory swirls and muted tones of green. She looked over at Calvin, then down at herself, quickly recognizing the theme.

“The Storm,” she said. “This is the painting. How did you do that?” She smiled as she realized that–together–they were now the very subjects of the painting he’d given her on her birthday. She and Calvin were the young couple in Calvin’s own creation of The Storm.

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I thought you might like this one.”

Evie let her eyes rake over Calvin, grinning as she discovered this new version of him. The garment wrapped around his torso was more impressive than the one in Pierre-Auguste Cot’s painting. And of course, shirtless always looked good on Calvin. The smooth contours of his toned chest were enhanced by the shades and shadows of the paint. And that was the strange part. He was painted, looked just like a painting.

She reached out to touch him, felt the same softness of his skin along his face. Though his hair had appeared to be sculpted from some potter’s clay, the restless waves tousled beneath her fingers. He put the man in the painting to shame with his own flawless features alone.

The color of Evie’s skin was naturally lighter than Calvin’s, and here, it was even more so, matching the complexion of the girl in the art. She quickly looked down at her body, remembering the sheer, almost transparent fabric of the gown that clung to the young woman’s form. Evie’s gown was light, sheer and flowing, but managed to cover her flesh better than the one in the painting; she sighed in relief.

Looking down at her hair, she noticed a hint of red amongst the blonde, and pulled one of the elegant locks, smiling as it bounced back into place. As she discovered her new self, pulling her painted fingers into a fist, Evie heard Calvin chuckle.

“This is incredible,” she whispered reverently.

In the painting, the young couple is the focal point of the art; only a small amount of their outdoor surrounding is visible. Calvin had filled in the rest.

A field of wheat, tall and golden, swayed before them with the gentle breeze. A small cobbled path lay beside them. The moss-lined stones led to a glistening pond that shimmered with flecks of sunlight.

Calvin took her hand, walked her to the path. “Come on.”

Soft, velvety moss grew between the cool stones beneath her feet. Thick, green hedges with large, soft leaves lined the trail on either side. As they walked along, sturdy stems with budded tips stretched taller. She gasped with delight when the buds flourished, blooming into soft, beautiful roses before her eyes–the petals unfolding into a masterpiece of perfection. Some, the warmest tone of ivory. Others, a lovely shade of red, soft and diffused. Calvin reached out and plucked a few of the painted beauties, handed them to Evie. She buried her face in the lush, scented petals and sighed from the hypnotic smell. 

Once they got to the quiet pond, Evie knelt down beside it. The water stood perfectly still, and the mirror image of them was breath-taking. Evie’s flowing curls dangled as she hovered over the water. She liked seeing the way Calvin looked at her through their reflection, his arm resting warmly around her back.

“I can’t believe all of this,” she whispered. The pond looked too perfect. Reaching out, Evie splashed through the cool water and watched it ripple as she moved her hand to the back of her neck, letting the cool drops slide along her skin.

She loved it. Loved it even more because it was Calvin’s–his own interpretation of something dear to her.

Calvin pulled her up to her feet, and she looked at him, glad his face was still his own. She enjoyed the familiar sound of his laugh while she reached up to the tips of her toes, took his face in her hands, and kissed his dimpled cheek.

“Calvin, this is…beyond words.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He took her hands, pulled one up to his lips and kissed it. “You hungry?”

She nodded, and he motioned to a grassy area off the side of the stream, tucked neatly under a large, leafy tree. The dangling leaves bounced in rhythm with the gentle breeze.

There, nestled against the bark-covered trunk, stood a wicker basket, flowing freely with food that didn’t look real. Painted grapes with perfect leaves, lush pears of rusted red and gold. On a round marble slab below sat a wheel of cheese surrounded by rough wedges of crackers, different colors and shapes. Two bottles of sparkling cider sat chilling in a bronzed tin filled with crystal-like cubes of ice; two tall glasses stood beside it. And beneath it all, lay the sheet of gold. The brassy square fabric the couple had draped above them in the painting, sheltering them from the storm.

Evie was overwhelmed. Never could she have imagined something so beautiful, so perfect. She looked at him, wanting to thank him, not knowing how.

As Calvin reached for her hand, cupped it gently within his own, she realized
their
painting should have a different name. Dark troubles lurked beyond their new world’s door–a wild tempest that could put both of their lives at risk. No, they weren’t quite in the storm yet. This, their lovely piece of heaven in the sky, was more like the quiet stillness that proceeded a violent outbreak–this, was the calm before the storm.

Chapter Thirty-five

The warm, mossy ground gave way beneath Evie’s feet as she walked with Calvin, back to where they’d started.

He pulled her against his firm chest, ran the tip of his nose across her shoulder blade. “Are you ready to go?”

She shook her head, giggled, “No.” She wanted to linger in their fantastic wonderland, stay there forever.

Calvin chuckled. “I’m not ready either. But it’s time to meet Parker. He’s probably wondering where I am.”

She slid her chin along his muscular forearm. “No cellular reception up here?”

“Not quite.” Calvin tightened his arms around her. “Alright, put your feet on top of mine.”

As Evie placed her bare feet on his, she started to worry about how they’d drop from such an extreme height. “How are we going to land?” she asked.

“You’ll see. Ready?”

“Wait.” She pressed her face to his chest and closed her eyes, bracing herself. “Okay.”  

“Alright. Here we go.”

Silence fell as she waited, imagining a fast and furious plummet toward the ground. Her heart dropped as the pull began, but it wasn’t sudden like she’d expected. Or fast. In a slow and steady manner, they began to drop. As if the foreign material beneath their feet was thinning–shedding layers and, ever so slowly, giving way. Evie cracked open her eyes and watched as, in one long and seamless motion, their soft descent pulled the world around them in a tunnel toward the ground. What had once seemed as real and endless as the wide canyon scape, now looked like nothing more than a painting. Flat and lifeless. Stretching like an elastic band. And then slowly, the image started to fade, revealing actual branches and trees, rocks and twigs, the place where they’d started.

“You can open your eyes now.”

“They’re already open,” she said, lifting her chin. “That was amazing.” Though her heart still raced, relief swept in as she checked out the familiar canyon grounds. It was then she realized Calvin was no longer shirtless as he’d been in The Loft. She took a step back, ran her gaze over herself next. “I can’t believe we’re back in our own clothes now. I didn’t even feel that.”

Calvin flashed his flawless smile.

A million questions swam through Evie’s head. “Do you land like that every time?”

“No, it usually gets a little rough at the end. Sometimes we drop from about a foot or two off the ground. I deliberately held onto the canvas this time, made it stretch to the limit.”

Evie found this new part of Calvin fascinating. The extraordinary abilities he’d acquired, the modest manner in which he’d revealed them. She vaguely listened in while he phoned Parker, the reality of their fate sinking in just a bit more. At some point, the bleak events that stood in their future would overcome her. But for now, she’d let it simmer somewhere on the back burner and enjoy, for a time, being with Calvin again.

***

“Calvin seems happier than I’ve ever seen him,” Fiona told Evie. “I’m glad he finally listened to reason and got you back.”

Evie gave her a smile. “Thanks.” She’d been intimidated by Fiona at first. Something about her perfect, pouty lips, light green eyes and strawberry hair. That, and the fact that she’d been spending so much time with Calvin, sharing his secrets. But Fiona’s easygoing manner put her at ease. Now Evie was enjoying her company as she watched the battle before her in fascination. “You know, it’s crazy,” she said, legs dangling from the mountain ledge. “I’m watching this, but I can barely believe it.”

A grunt sounded from deep in Calvin’s throat as he took a knee to the gut. He wrestled his competitor to the ground, summoned a dagger lying on the dirt across the way, and held it over the muse at his mercy. Then, as he’d done several times before, he released the man, gave him a nod once they stood, and went at it again.

“I’m sure it seems strange,” Fiona said. “I have to say, I’ve worked with a list of people, and Calvin’s one of the most dedicated men I’ve met. And Parker’s not too far behind him.”

To hear of Calvin’s dedication was no surprise, but Parker? Evie breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I was sort of wondering about him. How he’d do, you know?” She wasn’t sure if Fiona had seen the same side of Parker she had.

“Oh, yeah,” Fiona said. “I know exactly what you mean. Which sort of leads me to a question I was going to ask you.”

Evie encouraged her with a nod.

“I’m wondering if you would participate in the next round of training,” Fiona said.

“Of course. How?”

“Well, we’ve been working on the whole mind persuasion thing. I simulate Jocelyn’s ability–urge them to act out on my behalf. They’ve been doing all right so far, but I’ve been holding back, letting them work up a resistance at their own pace. I really need to take it up a notch, get them training against the kind of force Jocelyn will use.”

Evie gave her another nod. “That makes sense.”

“Most likely Jocelyn will try to get one of these guys to kill you,” she said plainly. “We’ve been staging that event, using a muse on the altar in your place. But I really think if they had the real thing, they’d do a lot better. Would you be up for that?”

“Yeah. Anything.”

Fiona’s lips tightened into a straight line. “Now we just have to get Calvin on board.” She waved her arms at the men, gaining their attention. “Lose the muses, Calvin, we need to move on.”

The mused brutes disappeared in a blink, and silence fell over The Loft. Dirt clung to the drips of sweat along Calvin’s face, Parker’s too.

Calvin eyed Fiona suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

“Evie’s going to help out by taking her place on the altar.”

Calvin shook his head. “No way.”

“I need to go full strength on you guys now,” Fiona said. “If we continue to work with a muse, we’ll be forfeiting the advantage of realism. Evie is the key behind making the moment real. We’re fortunate to finally have her with us. Let her help.”

A deep crease set in Calvin’s brow. “While we’re working with the dagger?”

“If one of you gets too close, I’ll withdraw the prompting before she gets hurt, guide you elsewhere,” Fiona said. “And of course, Calvin, you can manipulate the happenings up here, so you could always heal her if it came down to it, like you’ve done for Parker and yourself.”

“It better not come to that,” Calvin growled, glaring at Fiona. “I’m not about to let Evie get stabbed.”

“Calvin, none of us will let that happen,” Fiona said. Calvin stood there, stubbornly refusing to take the blade Parker held out for him.

“Cal, I want to help,” Evie told him. “I’ll be fine.”

“Can you imagine the pain she’d feel?” Calvin asked, still addressing Parker and Fiona.

Evie bit her lip. From what she’d heard, Parker didn’t have to imagine it—he’d experienced it firsthand. And Calvin too for that matter.

“Even if I
can
undo it…” Calvin continued, shaking his head some more. “I know I have the ability, but she’ll be suffering so badly I won’t be able to focus.”

“You did fine with me,” Parker said.

“It’s different with you,” Calvin spat, speaking over him.

“Calvin, there are enough of us here to prevent it from even happening,” Fiona said. “If you guys can’t resist these urges, knowing that Evie will be hurt, then we’ll know we have a problem. It’s
far
better it happen here, where I’m the one giving the orders. I can always change the direction, but we need to see how far you’ll go. We don’t want to be taken by surprise.”

Calvin nodded, let out a defeated sigh. “Are you sure you want to do this?” The look in his eyes silently pled with her, nearly begged her to object.

“I’m sure,” she said.

Calvin’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s get this over with. And Parker,” he added, glaring his way, “don’t let me lay a hand on her. I’m serious. Do whatever it takes.”

“Wait, Parker,” Fiona said. “Don’t physically step in unless you absolutely have to. Try just talking to him first. You too, Evie. Try connecting with him. That’s your best bet.”

Parker’s lips hardened into a straight line as he stood close by, restlessly running his palms over his jeans.

Calvin slid the blade into a leather case strapped to his belt, walked a good ten yards away from her, and took a seat on a large boulder. 

When Evie looked at him, he held her gaze, apologizing with his dark eyes alone. She offered him a smile, but he looked away, frowning.  Suddenly the air became cooler, and the light dimmed. A cold and unfriendly breeze sent a chill through her, and she shuddered in response. Anxious with anticipation, Evie let the cool air fill her lungs with a deep breath and waited.

She could tell when the corruption came on, could see it in his face–a change. His brows creased, and his eyes pulled into a steely glare in her direction. Mean, but not yet frightening.