Haunting Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 11

After Raphael had left, I spent my morning reading one of the novels he had placed next to my bed on the nightstand. The books seemed to carry a note of suggestion as each and every one of the heroes match Raphael’s description. I narrowed my eyes as I paged through the books, finally setting on the one that seemed like the least obvious. Raphael was trying to send me a message, that much had become apparent.

But how he knew of my reading habit and desire for a hero, that I wasn’t about to figure out. Did this all meant that he wanted to fill that void in my life? Was that his alternate motive perhaps, to make me fall for him?

I was still puzzling this revelation when Eric walked into my room, carrying a tray of food. Wonderful, they were still treating me like an invalid. While I understood their motivation, I was slowly starting to get sick of it. Everyone seemed to think I need taking care of, that I can’t fend for myself.

“Brought your lunch,” Eric said all chipper – maybe a little too chipper.

“Thanks,” I replied, getting into a sitting position.

“How are you feeling?” Eric asked as I turn a piece of bread and started chewing on it absentmindedly.

I shrugged. “Better, I guess.” I actually felt wonderful, energized – alive again. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. The more helpless Eric and Raphael thought I was, the better if I ever had to plan my escape. Being underestimated was my best bet at this point.

“Still not sleeping well?”

“No, the concoction Raphael gave me last night did the trick, but my body still feels weak… foreign to me.” Eric nodded. He was buying my explanation. I was getting a lot better at this game – or maybe I’d always been good at it without realizing.

“At least you were able to get a good night’s rest.” His voice sounded distant, distracted. Something was on his mind – something he was hiding from me.

Eric, what aren’t you telling me?”

He started, and averted his gaze. “Nothing serious, I promise.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Do you want me to trust you?”

His gaze snapped back to mine. “Of course.”

“Then tell me, if it’s not serious.”

Eric took a deep breath, letting his shoulders sag. “It’s nothing. It affects me more than you and I’m just worried. You have no reason to be concerned, Lana.”

“If it doesn’t affect me, then where’s the harm in telling me?” I challenged. It was sounding more and more like he wasn’t be completely honest with me.

“Raphael was called to the palace by Queen Elisa. I’m just worried what that conversation would entitle. I don’t think she knows we saved you… but she might want to change her policy.”

“Wait, why would Elisa call on Raphael?”

Eric’s eyes widened. “Shit, I wasn’t supposed to tell you this.”

“Because you don’t want me to trust you and I’m better left in the dark?” I provided, my voice loaded with sarcasm.

Eric glared at me. “Okay, this has got to stop. I know you feel like everyone you’ve ever trusted has betrayed you, but this route of self-pity doesn’t become you. And frankly, I’m getting tired of it. Here I am trying to help you and you are giving me the hardest time imaginable. I don’t have to help you, yet I’m still doing it. So please, stop going on and on about how you don’t trust me or how you don’t like me or one of these days I’m going to stop caring and leave you to your own devices.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You really blame me for not trusting you? How dare you?! You pretended to be Kalen! You gave me hope that someone would save me only to make me think someone I care about through me to the fire – betrayed me! I’m supposed to like you after that? I’m supposed to trust you so easily when you’ve given me absolutely no reason to? When the only thing you’ve told me is that you suspect Raphael from having ulterior motives? I’m sorry that I’m not jumping up and down because the righteous, stand-up, great Eric is offering me his help.”

My tone wasn’t able to depict the weight of my anger accurately. I was being nicer than I should have been. Times like this made me wish I was more like Andreas, so I’d be able to make people understand the full meaning of my words.

Eric bit his tongue, but I could see him get visibly upset. “What will it take to get you to trust me?”

“Stop hiding things from me would be a pretty good start.”

“Very well. You know the wards on the palace that keep sorcerers from using their magic? Well, Raphael and I had made a deal with the king that entitled we put up the wards and all members of the Followers of Light are exempt from persecution.”

“So, how were you able to save me then?” I asked, fighting my mind as it tried to revisit that night.

“We built in a safe-guard that allows the two of us to be able to use our magic within the boundaries of the wards should the king have gone back on his word.”

“And in the mean time you just let every magic user not part of your little group die?”

“We did not let anyone die!” Eric growled, his anger seeping through. “We try to convince as many sorcerers and witches as possible to join the Followers so we can save as many lives as possible.”

“You never gave me that choice.”

Eric pulled his fingers through his hair. “I told Raphael we should offer you that choice, but he was clear that people had to believe you were dead. He said something about his brother…”

“John?”

“Yeah. He specifically mentioned that John should believe you were dead.” Eric’s tone sounded off, more like he was grasping for an explanation than providing one. He was lying to me.

“Why should he believe me dead?” I asked innocently, pretending not to be suspicious.

“I don’t know. I just do what Raphael tells me.” And there it was. The statement I had been waiting for. Eric didn’t even realize the mistake he had made. He had just admitted to following orders. Yet claimed to be questioning Raphael now. How did someone throw away that kind of loyalty now when he didn’t ask question about faking my death? Keeping me in a house, now that was crossing a line.

“And what did he tell you to do now?” I asked, the suspicion slight creeping into my voice.

“What are you implying, Lana?”

“I’m not implying anything; I’m simply curious.”

“All he asked of me was that I take care of you until he returns.”

“And suddenly you aren’t so interested in getting me out of here as before?”

“He promised to tell me his motives when he gets back.”

“But the question is whether or not you’ll tell me that information. I still think you are keeping something from me and I think it’s related to faking my death.”

Eric looked visibly uncomfortable. “I’m not hiding anything.”  

He was. I could tell. But I decided not to let on to that fact. If he wanted me to trust him, fine. He could live under the illusion that I did. “Very well, I will try to trust you.”

His posture relaxed. I lived along deception too long not to notice it in him. He was keeping something from me, something important.

“I have some errands to run, will you be okay until dinner by yourself?”

I nodded meekly. He just needed to continue to believe I was weak and helpless. Eric smiled kindly and left.

Raphael was gone. Eric left me alone. Soon there would be no one to guard me. The situation almost seemed too good to be waste. I would take my chances. I no longer cared what they were keeping from me. I knew only one things: I could no longer stay among people who hid things from me. I would stop sitting around idly waiting for things to happen. It was my turn to be brave.