Chapter four

“Hey,” Irene sighed just as Rasmus was getting ready. “Be careful, alright?” she handed him a small bottle which he took, his fingers brushing her skin lightly. She glanced down at her feet, hiding the colors that crept on her cheeks. Ever since the fight in the meadow, she and Rasmus had been playing family to hide in the human world while Sean and Aliyah are their children. She doesn’t know if it was her character that was getting to her but she knows for a fact that she had started caring a little too much for the man and also, thinking about him in ways she has never thought of any man but Edward. The problem is that sometimes the man gives her the attitude that he was on the same boat with her and sometimes he doesn’t. She had found herself wishing to have a vision about them to know what the future holds for them but the vision doesn’t work like that.

“Thank you and rest assured that I would come back to you,” Rasmus whispered.

Her head sprang up and she looked deeply into his brown eyes, could it mean what she thought it means or is she overthinking it? She nodded and licked her lips. “Hold your phone tight, it’s our only form of communication now.”

Rasmus smiled, his fingers itching to caress her face but rather he cleared his throat and took a step back. “I will be back before you know it, trust me. I can easily take down any rogue I encounter and this baby is going to hide me from the witches. Like always, you have thought about everything.”

Irene chuckled shyly but before she could reply, Sean spoke, “you should really get going, it would be dawn soon.” She turned and glared at the younger boy and he looked confused, probably wondering what he did wrong.

“I won’t be able to make it in the morning so I will be back late evening,” Rasmus replied and before any of them could say any other thing, he leaped out of the window and she saw him sprinting through the human streets like a dark breeze.

“Um…I was wondering if I can talk to Monica tonight?” Sean said, calling her out of her thoughts and she had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Of course he had chased hers away and now wants to speak with his. She was tempted to decline but for a crying out loud, she is a nine hundred years old witch and really shouldn’t be petty to a nineteen-year-old boy.

“Of course, I will prepare for the transition,” she smiled, turning to him.

“Thank you,” Sean chuckled softly, running his hands through his brown hair. Irene watched the young boy and she felt bad for him, Aliyah’s words flashing in her mind. ‘Will it ever end?’ She asked herself but she knew that this time, their only hope is for Aliyah’s boy to grow up and then save them so technically, they would be living like this close to twenty years or more and they are just starting. She nodded at Sean and walked past him to the kitchen where she kept her potions. She just needs to create a hologram of Sean wherever Monica is. They can see each other and what they are doing but they can’t touch one another and somehow that has been good for them. Why they don’t do so every night is because the magic involved in creating holograms is quite strong and can be detected by any strong witch around. So while they do it once in a while, they have to be quick as well. Talk about sacrifices that Sean was giving Aliyah.

***

“Oh Edward, it’s me again, time to wake up,” the smooth serene voice called and Edward moaned where he was lying on the floor. He opened his eyes and stared at the cloudy sky. This has been his routine for as long as he can remember, fall asleep due to exhaustion and then be woken up by the same voice every single time. A voice he has come now to identify must belong to a woman. He sighed and sat up, there was nothing interesting in his life, in fact, he don’t even know why he is alive if he would be stuck in a loop. He wondered why he doesn’t eat or even feel hungry. Like he said, a lot of questions and so little answers.

His dreams have been getting quite clearer of recent but it never gives him anything other than the fight in a meadow and the cry of the snow-white wolf. What business does it have with him? Why does he keep seeing it and most importantly, longing for it?

“Any new memories today?” The voice asked.

“Let me tell you something I figured out, we can save each other’s precious times if you just tell me who the hell I am and what I am doing here!” He yelled, glaring at the sky. He doesn’t see a form or anything but he knows that the voice was coming from there even though it was resonating all around him.

The voice chuckled softly, “ah Prince Edward, always feisty. Which I must say is what interests me about you. You may have lost your memory but you haven’t lost your character. Now tell me, why should I spill the beans and ruin the fun?”

“Fun? This is all fun to you? A man’s life is at stake here and all you can think about is fun?” Edward growled.

“Oh, now that’s the Prince Edward I know. Come on, unleash that power hidden inside you, those red eyes are evidence that it is still there, come on, bring it out, I can’t wait to see it.”

Edward frowned at her words just as a memory flashed in his mind. ‘My prince, what is wrong, your eyes are red.’  Who said that to him? The voice sounded familiar but he couldn’t make out the face of the person. He groaned softly and kneaded his temple.

“You need to work on your memories my prince, the lives of the people you care about depends on it. The faster you get your memories back, the faster you find your way out of here.”

“Where is here?” Edward asked.

“You own purgatory My prince, I am not giving you any definite answer until you know who you are. Anyways, he did say that there would be complications, I just didn’t know losing your memories would be the complication. Well, you have to work hard on getting them back otherwise you are going to be stuck here for eternity. And believe you me, eternity is a long time for a man to be all alone.”

“Give me a hint, please,” Edward said after a prolong thought.

“Begging? No, no, no, My Prince Edward doesn’t beg. If he wants something, he takes it and if he can’t take it, he breaks it. So, are you my Prince Edward or did I mistake you for him?”

Edward sighed. “You said the lives of the people I care about are at stake, can you tell me who they are?”

“Figure out who you are and you will have all the answers you need.”

“Hey, wait, wait, don’t leave me yet,” he quickly stood on his feet when he sensed the voice leaving and he started running around, “hey!” he yelled but the voice was gone and he was all alone. Edward groaned in anger and thrashed the air. “Someday you are going to have to tell me who I am and if I end up getting back those powers you spoke off, you are so dead woman, so dead.” He heard a distant chuckle and somehow, he felt relieved that she heard him for he had every intention of carrying out his plan.

Running his fingers through his hair, he scanned around him. Everything is just as it was the very first time he opened his eyes and found himself in the place, nothing new happens and nothing changes. Just who is he and what business does he have with the mysterious woman? She talks like she knows him well and from the little memories he has, he must have been a very important Personal or something. What she calls him, Prince Edward, that means he is a prince after all, the memory he had just now, someone called him that as well.

He ended up slumping on the floor, his face buried on his hands as he forced himself to remember. He must remember, some peoples’ lives are at stake. He may not remember them now but if she said he cared about them then he must have and so he needs to figure it all out. He shut his eyes, everywhere was quiet and then he heard a voice. ‘I will come back to you, I promise,’ it was a vow and the voice sounds like him. Who did he make such a vow to? ‘Edward, I love you,’ he heard and his eyes flashed open.