HEART OF THE CHOSEN (CASTE BOOK 1)

Chapter 19

Two months had passed without any news from the caste. Neither Carmichael nor Gregory showed up and Eric grew more and more sullen. Conway had left him a number to contact in case of emergency and he had already tried several times to reach them, in vain. His concern for Thomas was becoming almost palpable. For my part, I felt like I was going crazy, constantly locked in a hotel room.

We changed places twice a week so as not to be spotted. Eric had bought a used charcoal grey Ford Cougar for a pittance. It had already taken us from the East of England to the South. For two days, we had taken up residence in Somerset in the pretty village of Frome. The sun had recently reappeared and spring was finding its way after a particularly harsh winter. The pleasure of discovering the landscapes of my country didn’t, however, prevent me from finding the time infinitely long. Besides Eric, I didn’t meet anyone, and I had noticed on several occasions that my escape companion distanced himself more, even if he was always attentive to the slightest of my requests. I hadn’t even had a cell phone since the terrible night in Brixton and I assumed that it had fallen out of my jacket while Eric was rescuing me. Trouble was, I hadn’t heard from Sam or Olivia. As for my cousin, I was still angry enough not to take offence, but for Olivia, I was particularly annoyed that I couldn’t reach her. Eric had forbidden me, for fear that Gregory would watch her, but I couldn’t help it. So one day, I used a payphone to call her. I got her mailbox then I contacted Johnny. He seemed very intrigued by the events that had taken place downstairs, but in front of my silence, he didn’t insist. Olivia hadn’t set foot in school since her disappearance, but Johnny had been able to talk to her mother. She had assured him that Olivia was fine but that she had to leave for some time for family reasons. Like me, Johnny didn’t believe her, but given Anita Kaprisky’s vital need to use her daughter for the most menial tasks in her household, I had to admit that if Olivia was indeed missing, Anita would have been in a frenzy about doing her slave girl’s work. Now, Johnny had found her, on the contrary, perfectly calm. I then decided to put it out of my mind, but I missed my best friend horribly. As for Thomas, he occupied my thoughts almost constantly.

At times, I wanted to scream for getting myself into such a situation. My life had taken such a peculiar turn that I had almost forgotten what being normal was. I became more and more rebellious, and to pass time, I trained to develop my powers in the nearby forests. I now understood that physical pain could prevent me from using them. It was therefore necessary that I could no longer be approached too closely by my opponents because that could compromise all my chances in the event of a fight. So I had the brilliant idea of creating a protective shield. It was the bullets hanging in the train carriage that gave me this idea. I mentally erected an invisible barrier around me to avoid being touched. At first, I only held it briefly, then with Eric’s help, I learned to hold it much longer, to the point that it felt like he was hitting a brick wall when he was trying to catch me. I was also learning to use my gifts on my own body. I could now levitate and reach a specific spot without even opening my eyes. I loved it and I owed a big debt to my companion who helped me in all my new training attempts. Those were the only times I could still smile and the same was true for him. We took adjoining rooms so that we no longer had to sleep in the same room. Eric knew how to behave perfectly, but I imagined that having me in front of him all night could awaken his primary male instincts. Myself, I had already spent time dwelling on his body, his walk and his seductive attitude. Eric seemed to me more and more captivating but, above all, I desperately needed comfort. But, I still remembered Carmichael’s words: “Do you even know what you’re doing to this man…”, so, even if I had complete confidence in Eric, I remained vigilant. Only, sometimes, events could get out of hand. During training, he had managed to break through my defences and I found myself slumped on the ground, Eric, lying between my legs paralysing me with all his weight. As he was already beginning to feel his mistake, Eric used his super-speed to pull himself out of this mess. I hadn’t seen him again until the next day and his silence spoke volumes about his frustration.

I discovered him putting things in his bag. I assumed again that we were going to leave for a new destination. But this time, he had a smile on his face and I had the feeling that he was no longer troubled. He intrigued me.

“Something is happening?”

“Yes, Eve, get your things, we’re out of here.”

“Okay, where are we going?”

“At Carmichael’s,” he said, a triumphant grin on his lips.

I wasn’t sure I was as confident as him. On the contrary, my stomach knotted, causing me sweats of anguish. On the other hand, the prospect of getting out of this daily routine made the proposal more than attractive, if we forget Carmichael. Without counting on the fact that we will, perhaps, see Thomas again. And, given recent events, I needed him more than ever. I finished my suitcase in a few minutes, a habit now. No sooner had I gotten into the Ford than Eric drove off.

“Is it far?”

“In Brechin, Scotland, eight hours from here. It’s perfect.”

“In Brechin?” I wouldn’t have imagined the HQ of the caste elsewhere than in London.

But what exactly was I imagining... I had absolutely no idea what Carmichael’s home looked like.

The Ford Cougar was swallowing up the miles faster and faster and Eric was getting more nervous as we approached. We were driving on country roads with endless turns and I was starting to feel bad. Reaching Brechin, I thought we had finally arrived at our destination. Hope was disappointed by the GPS which announced another six kilometres to go. Eric was driving like a madman and his car sped through the surrounding woods. I was going to face my fate in, now, less than half a mile and I was shaking nervously. The woods were becoming denser and Eric slowed his pace. Huge poplars formed a shady alley, and at the very end, a monumental wrought iron gate, erected in the middle of old stone ramparts, opened its five-metre high gates. Upon entering, we were stunned by what unfolded before our eyes. A new path took us to a huge courtyard surrounded by a lawn cut to the millimetre. A huge building faced us. Two turrets hugged the ends of a large stone facade. White mullioned windows gave depth to this postcard landscape and the sun only made the gigantic expanse of this restored residence all the more sumptuous: an authentic mediaeval castle.

Obviously, the setting contrasted sharply with the dozen luxury cars parked in the parking lot of the large entrance courtyard. Without hesitating for a second, Eric parked the Ford Cougar between an Aston Martin and a Porsche 911. On the side of the woods, I noticed two charming pavilions from a more recent era that blended perfectly with the setting. My gaze returned to the castle and I saw, in front of the imposing entrance, Carmichael, his hands crossed behind his back. Dressed all in black, his tank top revealed formidable muscles carved in bronze. A small woman stood behind him. She couldn’t be more than five feet tall, and her almost platinum blond colour showed off gorgeous milky skin suffused with scarlet red lipstick. Her ultra-modern plunging bob blended perfectly with her post-apocalyptic outfit in total contrast with her surroundings. Dressed in leather from head to toe, she had bare shoulders and a generous chest lifted by a bustier with a plunging neckline. This outfit, which could have been outrageously vulgar among some girls, suited her like a glove. She reminded me of a Japanese manga character as she was perfect in every way. I got out of the Ford more intimidated than ever.

Carmichael was showing his widest smile. For my part, I tried to keep a certain composure, but, after more than two months of near solitude, a part of me was almost impatient to see him again. The blond behind him was staring at me with her azure eyes, but I still didn’t know if it was a friendly look or not. The thing is, I lowered my eyes instinctively.

“Welcome to Mortain, the heart of the chosen,” Carmichael said, opening his arms, “I suppose you want to see this place where you will reside for a while…”

“It’s only temporary,” I said.

“I didn’t see it any other way,” he replied without a look, “follow me.”

We passed through the monumental main door and I gasped as I discovered the splendour of the interior. The entrance was a huge vaulted room in the Gothic style, built on pillars of cut stone. On either side of the room were two heavy wooden doors lined with Louis XIV period furniture tastefully blended with the Renaissance style. The sun radiated this majestic place. Sumptuous stained-glass windows depicting bodies intertwined in a kind of dance overlooked a huge bay window, in a nice marriage between modern and period style. Through the windows, I discovered the vast courtyard garden. Perfectly trimmed, majestic flowers coloured the frame through the first spring shoots of some tall, century-old trees. A stony path framed everything and, on a large terrace set up around a swimming pool, covered in this season, stood an aperitif waiting for us. Around, the enclosure of the castle encircled us. At a height of more than ten metres, the walls met on an enormous tower with battlements. As I walked forward, I saw a figure staring at me from behind one of the tower’s fitted windows. It immediately disappeared. Strangely, my fear was gone too. Now seated on one of the rattan chairs on this unusual terrace, I was irrevocably under the spell of this romantic place.

Eric didn’t seem as captivated as me, he only had eyes for this little blond, but I knew him well enough now to know that a host of questions were swirling around in his head. The first on the list is: where would Thomas be? It wouldn’t necessarily be easy to find him in such a space.

Carmichael served us homemade iced tea and raised a triumphant glass.

“To your arrival!”

The blond also toasted, a big smile in the direction of Eric, who foolishly returned the favour. I had to make good against bad luck, Eric didn’t owe me anything, after all. Rather, I owed him everything.

“Before showing you to your quarters, I wanted to take stock of what awaits you here,” Carmichael said before turning to the blond, “this is your hostess during your stay, Naomi. If you need anything, you’ll have to rely on her.”

She nodded in approval. Carmichael continued.

“I’m sure you have a ton of questions, so I think we’ll start with a bit of history. This magnificent building has been in the family of the caste since its creation. Admit that it has character, right? It was built on ancient Roman foundations. The Romans called it the Villa Mortain, that’s the name we sometimes give it between us. People renamed it Mortain Castle when it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 13th century.

As he unfolded his story in a ceremonious tone, I wondered how many caste he had made the same presentation to. However, I was curious to know more.

“The castle was more of a stately home than a fortification. It has known a few battles in its time and even a gigantic fire caused at the end of the 18th century by the local villagers.”

“Ordinary villagers?” asked Eric.

“Yes, simple villagers, but helped by a let’s say... rebellious caste. But all this was a long time ago, and since that day, we haven’t stopped improving this first caste stronghold.”

“First? Why, are there others?”

This time, Carmichael looked me in the eye and I immediately felt the physical resonances of our last meeting. For a second, I could have sworn he felt the same emotion, but then he looked away as if trying to avoid me. I hid my embarrassment by taking a sip of my iced tea.

“Yes, there are others. Naomi will explain everything to you in detail a little later. As for me, I must leave you. I must finish supervising the evening in honour of your arrival.”

“I don’t think our hearts are happy, Carmichael,” I objected as the blond glared at me, “do you honestly think we’re going to act like we’re old friends when you detain Thomas and…”

“We don’t ask for so much,” Naomi cut me off in a thin voice, “that’s why Thomas will be joining us tonight.”

I remained speechless. My head turned in the direction of Eric, who had the same bewildered look as me. Carmichael contemplated the effect this news had produced before disappearing through one of the doors in the north wing, not far from the battlement tower. I noticed that the face that had appeared to me earlier through one of the windows of the tower had resumed its position without me being able to distinguish its features. I turned to the very blond Naomi who was staring at me carefully. She finally motioned for us to follow her and walked through the same door as Carmichael earlier. We were now in a large living room. The furnishings were in the Louis XV style below a magnificent French ceiling. Our hostess went to another door and we found ourselves in another living room, a little smaller and in a more contemporary style.

“The north wing of the castle is made up of several rooms in a row. Above are two floors where duplex apartments are located. You’ll have all the necessary comfort to live independently of others. In any case, that’s correct for you, Everliegh, because Carmichael wanted you to occupy a particular suite. Eric, you’ll get one of the rooms in the south wing, but don’t worry, they’re beautiful. And the best thing is that I’m on the top floor.”

She finished her sentence with a flirtatious smile. Obviously, I had no desire to be separated from Eric, but he didn't say a word... And he didn’t seem against a night visit from our pretty hostess.

We walked through a third living room before reaching a gigantic spiral staircase whose wrought iron railing contrasted sharply with the carved stone.

“Don’t worry, Everliegh,” Naomi called out to me, “there’s a similar staircase in the entrance, you can access your room other than from here. I just wanted to show you the way to the Pomona room. This is where most of our caste meetings, banquets and other official functions take place.”

She showed us the door that led to this famous room and climbed the stairs with an athletic gait.

She had led us into a huge corridor whose windows overlooked the inner garden courtyard. Tired, I was eager to discover my new room and I wasn’t going to be disappointed.

When I entered the room, I was speechless. On my left stood a large four-poster bed whose fuchsia curtains merged with the delicate patterns of the bed cover. In the corner were a very period-style claw-foot tub and a lovely dressing table. The windows overlooked the wood, and along the wall, I discovered a pleasant chest of drawers in solid oak overhung by an ultramodern lamp. To my right was the sitting area, my private boudoir. A magnificent round wooden table adorned with wildflowers blended elegantly with the seat of the beige velvet chairs. Two armchairs faced a pretty fireplace, and above it, all sat a huge crystal chandelier. Naomi showed me the small spiral staircase in the right corner of the room.

“Upstairs, you have your bathroom and a large dressing room,” she explained automatically like a real estate agent. “We’ve already put your suitcases there. We also took care of buying you some clothes.”

I burst out laughing nervously. It had been two months since I wore almost the same clothes so I welcomed this news with the joy that was necessary.

“How many caste are there in this house?” asked Eric.

“Thirteen of us are permanent residents, others come and go. There are also five humans and their children in the pavilions of the castle and…”

“Humans?” asked Eric.

“Yes. They are caste descendants or ascendants who’ll never have or who haven’t yet inherited the gift. They are perfectly aware of our secret, live here at our expense and want for nothing, and this, in exchange for their services.”

“All the caste live in the castle?”

“No, there are also some in the lake pavilions. The property alone contains two hundred hectares including the castle, seven independent pavilions and a winery. Only the annexes below the castle haven’t been renovated since the great fire. The first pavilions you see at the entrance are those of humans. Another is at the edge of the wood, almost uninhabited, there’s also one in the vineyard on the other side of the forest and three other pavilions are near the lake. The other caste live in the castle itself. Carmichael must think highly of you to give you this suite because, as far as I can remember, no one has stayed there yet.”

“And him, where does he live?” I asked her, ignoring her last biting reply.

“Carmichael doesn’t live within the grounds of the villa,” she replied without emotion, “he lives in the old chapel, about fifty metres from the big tower, but no one is allowed to enter there.”

She didn’t dwell on the subject and turned, wriggling, towards Eric.

“Now I have to take you to your room! Everliegh, I’m sure you want to rest and take a nice bath. You just need to dial zero on the phone to order your meal, or you can take them directly with us in the common room of the south wing. You’ll have access to it by crossing the garden courtyard. Eric, if you want to follow me…”

“I’ll only be in a minute,” Eric assured her.

He turned to me and took both my hands in his.

“Eve, how are you?” he whispered as Naomi was already standing impatiently behind him.

“Fine, don’t worry. I’ll join you later.”

He gave me one last look before following Naomi. To tell the truth, I wasn’t unhappy to be alone for a while. I needed to put my thoughts back in order. This was nothing like what I had imagined. And the prospect of seeing Thomas again filled me with new vigour. My heart raced at times with anxiety and impatience to see him again. I was now convinced that he was well treated. What tormented me more was that he was going to appear before us this evening, as if his capture had never happened, as if the last two months had been, in reality, only a terrible illusion. But in the end, it was what I hoped for the most and I should only be happy about it, that he was safe and sound was all that mattered to me. And again, what allowed me to be so sure on this point? Maybe Carmichael lied to me after all. I kept wondering about his disconcerting attitude. I firmly thought that after our last meeting he would behave more expressively towards me. Not that I wanted him to, of course. This man had shattered all my certainties and had made me unhappy by manipulating me as he pleased. I had never behaved like this before, and the hold he had on me still fueled my concern. However, I hadn’t considered the scenario where Carmichael would deliberately avoid me, and yet that was what his reception suggested.

I looked around the room again and gazed at the beautiful white roses on the console by the window. On the right wall, there was a recess and a small door. I noted with joy that there was, in addition to the rest, a refrigerator stocked with bottles of water, low-fat sodas, three bottles of champagne, taramasalata, blinis and… caviar! For once, I relished this experience of luxury by tasting everything in a few minutes. I wanted to go upstairs, but I still had to take off my boots. There was no question of dirtying this place as soon as I arrived. The operation was more difficult than expected and I had to support myself against the wall under the stairs to remove my second boot. Suddenly, I felt my hand sink into the wall. There was a click. A back door opened under the stairs, carefully concealed in the wall by the imperfections of the stone. Barely as wide and tall as me, it was a totally empty closet. I closed it and immediately went up the spiral staircase. Arriving in the bathroom, I explored the place. Everything was white, blue and bronze, the contemporary-looking furniture contrasting with the beautifully eroded mosaic tiles. I was finally going to go into raptures under a royal shower. Opposite, the dressing room was huge and a whole section of the wall was dedicated to evening dresses and designer shoes. Before that day, I had never come across a pair of Jimmy Choo, I immediately tried a few, totally excited.

I wasn’t going to act like I didn’t like the place. Plus, the rooms had so much charm that I was beginning to realise that I could easily get used to all this opulence. Obviously, Sam would have been mad if he had known about me here, but my biggest fears were directed more towards Gregory and his caste than by my adoptive father. I had always thought that Gregory’s goal was to bring me to this place under Carmichael’s orders, too. But, if not, then what were his real intentions? Only my host had the answers.