Chapter 25
Cassius stares after Will and Rupert with Livia as they make their way home. Suddenly he becomes aware that he's being watched. It is Natalie who’s still close to him. “Tell me what really happened?” she demands, looking at him warily. Cassius presses his lips together, enraged by her questioning. “Oh come on, I need to know, I have to protect her!” she hisses with narrowed eyes.
“Well, then you’re not having much success,” Cassius snarls at her, his eyes blazing with fury.
“She’s only ever in trouble when she’s with you!” the girl counters but Cassius raises his hand in protest.
“It had nothing to do with me this time, I promise. It was her fear of plants. Why she dismounted and her horse ran away, that I don’t know.” His voice is husky and his face grim.
“But I can guess.” Natalie stares closely at his tortured face, glimpsing feelings that astonish and scare her. Suddenly she believes him and she wrinkles her brow, remembering Ruth’s jibes about plants the day before. “So Livia’s really got issues with plants?” she asks in a soft voice. Cassius only nods, not wanting to tell her any more. “Ruth realised that before anyone else did, how odd,” she murmurs, lost in thought. Then she looks straight at Cassius. “Do you think this knowledge had anything to do with what happened just now?” Cassius scoffs, raising his eyebrows.
“You bet! I know you don’t trust me, Natalie, but if you want to protect Livia you should watch other people more carefully and not focus on me.” Natalie gazes into his troubled green eyes.
“Who do you have in mind? Who's trying to harm her? Ruth?” Cassius just shrugs and looks away.
“Ruth seems to hate her, for whatever reason,” he says indifferently.
“Because of you, you idiot!” Natalie exclaims exasperatedly. “Since you’ve been after Livia, Ruth has been freaking out. You surely must have realised!” Cassius pulls a face.
“You’re all wrong, you know. I’m after no one. Dark beings like me are destined to stay alone.” Natalie winces at the bitter tone of his voice.
“Ruth would give anything to be with you,” she whispers. “And Livia – well, perhaps, she dreamed about you last night, you know.” She just has to tell him, he looks so forlorn and hopeless. Surprise registers on his handsome face but then he waves her words away.
“Obviously a bad dream. But you’ve got it wrong, I wasn’t talking about Ruth but about Augustus.” Natalie’s eyes widen in surprise but then she laughs incredulously.
“You have to be wrong! Only yesterday he said that the ring suits her, that was him giving his consent to her becoming an Arash, wasn’t it?” Cassius shakes his head, moving closer to Natalie.
“Ask Will or Rupert. Those three were talking and I overheard them. Augustus is against Livia because she disrupts the family.” Natalie gasps in horror.
“But that’s awful! What will become of her if he vetoes her?” Cassius’ eyes are hard now, his voice low and menacing.
“We can’t let it get to that point in the first place. We have to prevent it by all means.” Natalie feels the fire in him and looks at him apprehensively.
“Why didn’t you take her home yourself?” she suddenly asks, changing the subject deliberately.
“My horse is too edgy, not suitable for two riders,” he growls, not looking at her. Natalie stifles a smile.
“I think it’s you who is too edgy, you know?” she replies with a wink. “You two are behaving like children, you particularly.” Cassius smirks at her.
“Look at yourself, before you blame me. Besides, you should be pleased, you did ask me to stay away from her.” Urging on his black stallion he canters away.
Chapter 26
As soon as we get home I rush to my room and stand under the hot shower, but not even the scalding water is able to chase the cold from my bones. I never want to face anyone again although neither Rupert nor Will asked a thing on the way home. This ride home – it should have been the stuff of my dreams, being held by Rupert. It was the opportunity of a lifetime but I simply couldn’t concentrate because my thoughts were concerned with what I’d told Cassius. My anxiety must have been the reason why Rupert’s touch didn’t affect me at all.
When I leave the bathroom I find Natalie sitting on the bed, brushing her locks. She is obviously waiting for me and judging from her determined expression she’s intent on discovering the truth. “Can I help somehow?” Here she goes, lowering her hair brush. I kind of expected this interrogation and have been afraid of it. I slump on the bed beside her, considering my answer. Knowing how tenacious Natalie is, it’s clear that she won’t let up until she knows at least part of the truth.
“No thanks, you can't help. I’m sorry to have made such a fuss.” Not a good answer, I’m certain it won’t do. Natalie shoots me a sly glance.
“We were really worried when your horse cantered up all by itself.” The silence is heavy, the unspoken question between us. I close my eyes and brace myself, knowing I have to give her something at least.
“You know, since I was a child I’ve had this unaccountable phobia of plants and flowers. I’m not able to step on them, to crush them.” This part of the truth has to be enough and Ruth can tell all she wants now. I half expect Natalie to laugh but she remains silent.
“Don’t worry,” she whispers after a while. “We’ve all got some phobias. With us they’re much more pronounced than with other… people.” Her brown eyes look into mine imploringly. “We have to learn to live with them and thereby overcome them.” That really doesn’t sound like Natalie at all, it sounds precocious, like something Augustus might say. Besides, I can’t imagine her or Rupert being afraid of something irrational, much less Ruth and Cassius, but I refuse to think about those two at the moment. “Why did you dismount anyway?” she persists. Thank god for Cassius and his story about the snake!
“The snake, you know…” I mutter but Natalie purses her lips.
“Your horse is so calm it wouldn’t be spooked by an alligator,” she replies mockingly. I hesitate, should I confide in her? But no, she has been Ruth’s friend much longer than she’s been mine. I don’t want to denounce Ruth who would surely deny my story.
“Well, this time it did,” I reply stubbornly and get up to dress.
While everyone else is preparing the barbecue outside I retreat to the kitchen to avoid their nosy or concerned stares. But when I offer to help Mrs Roberts she declines rather brusquely. Silly old cow! Obviously she doesn’t like me either. So I’ve no choice but to join the others.
The guys are busy carrying logs, the girls plates with meat and vegetables, cutlery and glasses, everyone’s chatting and laughing. I decide to sit on a tree stump not far away but a bit apart from them all. I know it’s a mistake to isolate myself, I should try to be completely normal, but I just can’t. Soon Rufus and the Jack Russells join me as if they feel my dejectedness. But then they’re accustomed to me slipping them treats, so I guess that’s the real reason they stay with me. I’m glad they’re here anyway and fondle their ears for lack of anything else to do. Now Will, Rupert and Augustus are tinkering with the fire. I notice Natalie glancing surreptitiously at Will who is wearing tight white jeans and a smart dark blue jumper and is throwing small branches into the fire. He looks so delicious with his floppy blonde hair that I silently commiserate with Natalie. A scruffy-looking Rupert pokes the embers with a long iron bar while Augustus gives orders, waiting for the right moment to put on the grillage. What is it with men and fire? On a large wooden table, at a safe distance from the dogs, there is the food and the wine, plates with steaks and chicken, slices of peppers and aubergines. Cassius is the only guy not bothering with the fire but sitting a bit apart, just like me, in the grass. Dressed in black as usual his face is gloomy, as he works his way through the bottle of Bordeaux beside him, staring into the distance.