Haunted Devotion

18.

What is there in past history that binds you to another soul? Is it passion? The hardships? The sacrifices? Or just love that conquers all? When you look at Nolan and I, we have something tying us to one another that I can't explain. When his lips pressed against mine, his cold hands held me close, warmth still came between us and an underlying yearning of attraction. How can I feel so much for a mere spirit? Something...someone I summoned from a relic that I had no idea would complicate my life the way that he was.

"You shouldn't do that," I stumbly say, still feeling the warm but cold sensation on my lips.

Nolan holds my face, longingly looking into my eyes, "I have no choice...I'm yours, always be."

I closed my eyes taking in the coldness of his touch, "I have these flashbacks...a little girl, then a grown woman with my face but I can't tell if it's a dream or real life memory."

Nolan kissed my cheek, hugging me, "It's the past you, all the lives we built together, the ones I knew and love...still love."

I back away slowly saying, "And Linus? Who was he to me? I had a dream or vision of him too. We were engaged, his family was there, you were there too."

Nolan scrunches his eyebrows in offense to the mention of Linus being in the altered reality he had changed for her to be more comfortable in.

"He...he was?"

I nodded while explaining more, having Nolan turn, holding onto the wall.

"Were you happy?" He asks low.

"I couldn't stop looking at you or stop feeling familiar with you," I say, answering as honestly as I could, "He was a stranger to me at first until I remembered one memory."

Pressing his forehead to the wall he sighs, "That wasn't supposed to happen, he isn't supposed to be—" He shuts his inner thoughts up while now closing his eyes, "Gerald was right wasn't he? You have feelings for him."

Why does this have to be so complicated?

"Trust me, love, If I knew the right answer I would happily tell you but I guess there's things I didn't see to prevent this from happening."

"Prevent? How would you have prevented something that might have been fated? I mean think about it."

Nolan now sits on the floor having his back slide down the hallway wall holding his head in his hands.

"Freewill, I have freewill to choose. We might be soulmates in another life, but what if Linus is my soulmate in this life? Wait, why am I even entertaining the thought?"

I walk down the hall, down the stairs, right into the ballroom.

Already being there, transporting, Nolan looks to me, "What is it that he has that I don't?"

He's human for one.

"Ouch," He says, hearing my thoughts.

I sit opening my relic while trying to make sense of the situation, "There has to be something to break this curse."

Nolan stands, grabbing the book, chucking it to the side of the room.

"What was that for?" I say nonchalantly.

Folding his arms, he says, "Courting. Let's see who can court you into actually falling in love."

I chuckled low, "Seriously?"

Nolan nods, "Let the best man win," And with that he disappears while I'm left chuckling more that I have a ghost wanting to win me over than a human would.

****

"Let's see..." Rowen brews something in a pot on the stone stove while licking her finger from whatever she dipped it in earlier.

The unknown voice comes in with a crackle of nervousness.

"Seems I can't find her," shrinking in despair, he hears Rowen stop stirring and tapping her fingernail on the stone stove.

"Are you lying? Or are you playing a cruel joke on me? Either way you better come up with an explanation."

The unknown voice clears its throat, "Nolan has disappeared, she has too."

Rowen nods, licking her bottom lip, "He must've gotten help from that filthy Gerald."

Rattling begins to take place where they are and Rowen sighs.

"A month left until I can go back to living among the flesh and not here with the dead."

The unknown voice sinister laugh clogs the space as Rowen throws the wooden spoon she had in her hand.

"We need to try harder...maybe I do have to take a trip up there to the living."

Frantic panic enters the unknown voice, "Or...you could find a second source instead of Devlin."

Rowen huffs out, "What second source? Devlin is the only source for me to stop aging and live like a human again but with massive magic power," Touching up her brittle hair, she sighs more dramatically.

The unknown voice tsk their tongue, "Death is the new beauty you know?"

Rowen shoo's the voice away while sitting on the coffin like couch she has placed where she is.

****

Linus wakes thirsty only to be met with Nolan in the room sitting in a chair in the left corner of where the window is.

"What are your intentions with Devlin," Nolan comes out and says not beating around the bush.

"How'd you get in here?" Linus asks.

Nolan leans forward, "Answer my question."

Linus moves to the end of the bed to take the same stance as Nolan,"She's the only one I feel that gets me," Shrugging he continues, "I think I might like her."

Nolan scoffs, "Might like her? Then this will be easy."

"What do you mean?" Linus says now standing.

Standing up too, Nolan folds his arms, "She's mine and you won't get in the way since you don't know where you stand with her."

Laughing while smiling, Linus nods, "What are you exactly? A fling? A friend with benefits?"

Snickering with mockery, Nolan grins, "You have no idea the history me and Devlin have. If I was you, I would just not start anything since there's nothing to start."

Linus nods, "It's her choice isn't it? So I'm not worried," Walking past Nolan, he feels the cold spots you would feel when around a spirit.

"Why is that?" Nolan asks, not liking the way Linus said that.

Turning his head, he salutes him then goes down to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Devlin is already there making a grilled cheese, not being able to sleep.

"Hey, want some?" About to make another, Linus shook his head, "Just wanted water," Going beside her, he grabs a cup then fills it with water at the sink, "I have a question," He admits. "Sure," Devlin says. "What's Nolan to you? Honestly?" Devlin looks to Linus but can't voice how she really feels since she doesn't know either.