Anew

21

I was born in 1523.

It couldn’t be.

But it was.

Scarlet could feel the truth sinking into her and she was terrified. Letting out a shallow and shaky breath, she felt lightheaded.

Scarlet said nothing as she stared at a small tear in the couch Gabriel sat on, unable to breathe.

“Scarlet?” Gabriel voice was far away. “Scarlet, can you hear me? I want to explain everything.”

She concentrated on the tear and started shaking her head, her lungs burning from lack of oxygen.

She didn’t want him to pull her back to reality.

She didn’t want him to explain everything.

She wanted to go home.

Back to Laura and her high heels.

Back to Heather and her incessant fashion tips.

She didn’t want to be born in 1523.

She didn’t want to be—

“Scarlet.” Tristan’s voice brought her back to the cabin’s living room and she looked up to meet Tristan’s gaze.

“Everything is going to be okay.” His green eyes sank into her, warming her core and bringing breath back to her lungs.

She nodded, bobbing her head up and down as she inhaled, and felt a peace come over her.

She kept looking at Tristan until her hands stopped shaking.

Something about him…his presence…his motionless form standing guarded and dark in the corner…something about him made her feel settled—and brave enough to look back at Gabriel and push words from her mouth. “I…don’t understand….”

“Did you just have a flashback?” Gabriel leaned toward her.

“I think so.”

“And…did you remember everything?” Gabriel eyed her carefully.

Scarlet scrunched her face. “Everything? I remembered being a little girl and walking with a woman in a village. By a castle.”

Wow. I sound stupid.

Gabriel and Tristan exchanged a look before Gabriel turned back to her. “Is that all you remember?”

Scarlet blinked as she thought. “Yes. That…that’s all.”

Gabriel let out a long exhale. “Okay. Um….well, hopefully, you’ll have more flashbacks soon. In the meantime…uh, everything is going to be okay.”

Scarlet stared at him.

I’m having memories from five hundred years ago?

Everything is not going to be okay!

Scarlet tucked her lips in. “I’m confused.”

A concerned look crossed Gabriel face. “Me too. I thought you would remember everything once I told you what year you were born. That’s how this usually works.”

Scarlet raised her eyebrows. “This? What are you talking about?”

Gabriel looked back at Tristan again, but his twin just shrugged.

Gabriel rubbed the side of his face. “Okay. Scarlet, I’m going to tell you some stuff that will sound insane, but it’s true. I need you to just…listen. Okay?”

Scarlet nodded, because anything else—like running from the cabin screaming with her hands in the air—required her to stand up.

Which she couldn’t do because her legs felt like Jell-O.

Gabriel took a deep breath. “Scarlet, you were born in 1523, and we,” he gestured between himself and Tristan, “were born in 1521.” He rubbed his palms on his jeans. “Tristan and I are…immortal.”

Scarlet blinked. “You’re what?”

“Immortal,” Gabriel said seriously, pursing his lips.

Clearly, Gabriel was insane.

Scarlet foldedng her hands together and shrugged. “You’re immortal. Sure.”

Gabriel leaned toward her. “Have you ever heard of the fountain of youth?”

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Gabriel, please—”

He held up his hand again. “No, I’m serious. Just…just listen to me.” He took a breath. “The fountain of youth supposedly gives people eternal life if they drink from it, right?”

From the corner, Tristan scoffed.

Scarlet looked at Gabriel with impatience. “That’s a legend.”

He nodded. “You’re right. It is legend. And the legend is wrong. It doesn’t give you eternal life if you drink it. But…if you drink it while you’re pregnant—like our mother did,” Gabriel gestured between himself and Tristan again, “it gives the baby—or babies—immortal life.”

The clock on the wall sounded into the silent room again.

Tick…tick…tick….

Scarlet raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Well, that’s just not possible.”

Tristan muttered, “I wish.”

Gabriel turned to look at his brother. “You’re not helping, Tristan.”

Scarlet dropped her face into her hands with a frustrated groan. “What’s going on?” She looked back up at Gabriel. “Are you just making up some stupid story so I won’t be mad at you for lying to me? The fountain of youth, Gabriel? Really? Worst lie ever.”

“No.” Gabriel’s eyes looked sincere. “I promise I’m not lying to you. I’m just…I’m just trying to help you remember…that’s all.”

Scarlet turned her palms up. “So…what, then? Am I supposed to believe I’m immortal too?”

“Not exactly.” Gabriel hesitated. “You’re…semi-immortal.”

“I’m…semi-immortal?”

All aboard the crazy train!

Gabriel’s expression was serious. “Yes, you’re semi-immortal.” He swallowed. “You keep…dying…and then coming back to life.”

…And the crazy train has officially left the station.

“Sure.” She nodded. “That makes total sense. I die and come back to life. Perfectly normal.”

She was about to crack a joke about zombies when….

Click.

Something in Gabriel’s words struck a chord in her.

It felt right. It felt…true.

Nope. No way.

Gabriel was a lunatic.

But still, something within her…almost…believed him.

She inhaled through her nose, confusion, hopefulness, and anger warring inside her.

No.

It was too crazy.

She couldn’t accept something so preposterous simply because Gabriel’s pretty mouth had said it. His pretty mouth had said a lot of things lately.

Scarlet leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Tell me something. Do I keep coming back to life in the same way…your house is being fumigated?”

Gabriel dropped his head into his hands. “Okay, that was a lie. You caught me off guard today.” He looked up. “But I’m not lying about this.”

“Right.”

She didn’t believe him.

Yes, she did.

No, she didn’t.

Yes, she did.

No, she didn’t.

It sounded insane, but her instincts told her it was true.

Agh!

She didn’t know what to believe and her head was starting to hurt.

Not to mention her heart was hammering away like a toddler with a mallet.

Scarlet shook her head and stood up. “I can’t do this right now. I think, um…I think I’m just gonna go.”

She was so confused by Gabriel’s secrets and lies, she couldn’t listen to some silly story about being immortal, or semi-immortal, or whatever—even if it was true.

Which it wasn’t.

She’d barely risen from the couch when Tristan spoke.

“Scarlet, wait.” His words drifted across her skin and floated into her pores, making her insides hum in pleasure, and hammer even louder.

His voice was powerful, familiar, and connected to her in a supernatural way.

She could almost…feel it.

And she wanted to feel it.

But, then again, she wanted to feel a lot of things.

Like Tristan’s biceps.

“Please, Scarlet,” Tristan continued, beseeching her with his emerald eyes. “Please sit down. Hear Gabriel out and let your gut decide. If you think we’re crazy or dangerous or lying, then you can leave. And Gabriel,” Tristan shot Gabriel a dirty look, “will never bother you again. I promise.”

Scarlet eyed the twins for a moment.

Trust her gut?

Her gut was currently telling her to run her hands through Tristan’s dark hair.

She wasn’t so sure her gut was reliable.

Scarlet looked at Tristan carefully. He had no reason, as far as she knew, to lie to her. He had no reason to string her along.

So, why did he care if she stayed?

Tick…tick…tick….

Scarlet slowly sat back down. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.” She eyed Gabriel. “But no lying.”

Gabriel nodded. “No lying.”

Scarlet folded her hands again and eyed her boyfriend. He looked desperate, hopeful and afraid, all at once.

She sorta felt bad for him.

She knew he cared about her and wanted her to believe him.

But could she do that? Could she trust him?

Should she trust him?

“Let me start over.” Gabriel cleared his throat. “In the 1500s, the three of us,” he twirled his finger around, pointing to Tristan, Scarlet and himself, “lived in England. And you and I,” he nodded at Scarlet, “were engaged to be married.”

“What?”

Gabriel’s immortal? Sure, no problem.

She and Gabriel had been engaged?

Back. Up.

Gabriel nodded. “But in 1538 you…died.” He swallowed. “Then you came back to life—”

“I’m sorry,” Scarlet held up a hand and shook her head emphatically. “I feel like you glossed over a few details. Like the whole you-and-I-were-engaged thing.” She shrugged. “And how did I die? And how in the world did I come back to life? If you want me to believe this ridiculous story, then you at least have to give me more information.”

She’d been engaged to Gabriel…five hundred years ago…before she’d “died”…and come back to life?

Agh.

Her alleged life sounded so stupid.

It’s true…her instincts said.

Shut up, instincts. You sound ludicrous.

Gabriel nodded. “Right. Let’s try this again.”

Tristan sighed and uncrossed his arms.

Looking over his shoulder at Tristan, Gabriel said, “Do you want to try and explain this to her?”

Tristan slanted his eyes at Gabriel. “Now, why would I want to do that when you’re doing such a fantastic job all on your own?”

“Shut up.” Gabriel turned back to Scarlet. “Anyway…we were engaged—”

“And then you died,” Tristan interjected, in a matter-of-fact way.

Scarlet’s eyes shot to Tristan.

Gabriel looked at his twin. “I thought you didn’t want to tell her.”

“I changed my mind.” Tristan shrugged, then looked at Scarlet. “You and Gabriel were on your way to happily-ever-after and then his crazy ex-girlfriend shot you with an arrow—”

“Your ex-girlfriend killed me?” Scarlet looked at Gabriel.

Gabriel turned back around. “It’s a long story—“

“No, it isn’t. I’ll sum up.” Tristan took a step forward and crossed his arms in front of his chest again. “Gabriel was courting a girl from a nearby village named Raven—”

“I was not courting her,” Gabriel snapped.

“Whatever.” Tristan rolled his eyes. “So, Raven assumed Gabriel would marry her. But then he met you.” He shrugged again. “Suddenly, Gabriel no longer cared about Raven. So, what did Raven do?”

Scarlet’s mouth parted. “She…killed me?”

Tristan nodded. “And she also cursed the arrow that killed you.”

Scarlet whipped her attention back to Gabriel. “What?”

There were curses involved now?

Immortality…the fountain of youth…curses….

What next, dragons?

“I’m cursed?” Scarlet looked at Gabriel.

“Not exactly.” Gabriel made a face. The curse wasn’t directed at you, but you still suffer a ... side effect of the curse. Because of the arrow.”

“You see,” Tristan took a step forward, “Raven, being the little witch she was—“

“She wasn’t a witch.” Gabriel sighed.

Tristan raised his eyebrows. “She cast a curse, Gabe. That’s something witches do. They ride on brooms, play with cats, and curse people.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Why do you always do that? Why do you have to argue with me about every single thing? It’s like every time we….”

The brothers began bickering and, suddenly, Scarlet’s head started spinning with color and sound.

Click.

A memory burst inside her mind.

She was a teenager, and wore a long dress. She wasn’t in Georgia, she was somewhere far away. Somewhere colder…and dense with trees. Her hair was longer, and she was holding hands with someone….

So as not to disturb the unfolding memory, she whispered, “I remember something….”

The boys immediately went silent and turned their full attention on her as she tried to soak up more of the vision. She was holding hands with…. Her eyes traced up the hand and arm next to her and met a pair of familiar brown eyes.

Gabriel.

She was holding hands with Gabriel. He was smiling and she was laughing at something he’d just said.

They were comfortable.

They were…real.

Scarlet blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what her flashback meant. She looked at Gabriel and sharply inhaled. “I remember you. We were walking through the forest. My hair was longer…and you were dressed weird.”

Gabriel leaned in, a slow smile spreading across his face. “You remember?”

Tristan cocked his head to the side.

“Yes.” Scarlet continued, “It was cold and the sun was about to set and I….” She wound herself around the memory again, gathering as much information as possible. “I had on a long dress…and an engagement ring….”

Was I really engaged to Gabriel in some past life?

So weird.

“Yes.” Gabriel nodded in excitement. “Do you remember anything else?”

Scarlet tried to think harder; tried to get her brain to cooperate with her will to remember, but the memory began to fade—the sound and color coming to a close. Slowly, it receded to the back of her mind, where it silently laid down among the few other precious memories she possessed.

“No,” she admitted with defeat. “That’s all.”

Her head felt fuzzy as she drifted back to the present.

Scarlet stared at the floor as she thought.

It was true.

Everything Gabriel and Tristan were telling her was true.

She had lived centuries ago.

She’d been engaged to Gabriel.

She remembered. She couldn’t deny it.

Scarlet took a deep breath.

It was all true.

Which meant….

Scarlet looked at Gabriel, then at Tristan. “Holy crap. You guys are immortal?” Her small voice cracked.

The brothers nodded.

“And I…I keep dying and coming back to life?” Scarlet could barely get the words out without choking. Or coughing. Or shuddering.

Because dying and coming back to life was totally creepy.

And gross.

Gabriel looked sympathetic as he nodded.

Scarlet took a few more deep breaths. Okay, so she was semi-immortal. She died and came back to life. She could accept that…right?

Her hands started shaking again.

Gabriel sat next to her and put his warm hand on her knee. “You don’t remember…any of this? At all?”

Scarlet shook her head, utterly overwhelmed. “No, Gabriel! Clearly, I do not remember. I think if I remembered I wouldn’t be sitting here, freakin out!”

“Hey…hey.” His voice was soothing as he tried to calm her down. “It’s okay.” He nodded reassuringly. “Everything will be okay. I promise. You can do this. You can handle this. You just have to trust me…okay?”

Scarlet looked into his brown eyes and tried to summon the strength to breathe without crying.

Or, at the very least, not throw up.

She nodded at him and took a moment to gather her thoughts and approach her situation rationally.

Which was impossible, because rationality had no place amongst immortality and curses and elves.

Okay, so maybe there weren’t elves involved, but there were curses, which was just as crazy.

Scarlet exhaled.

She just needed to suck it up, and accept her new—albeit totally bizarre—reality.

She could do this.

“Okay,” Scarlet said, standing up so she could shake off the nervousness inside her. “Just…just give me a minute to wrap my head around all this….”

Or maybe to throw up.

No, Scarlet chastised herself. I will not vomit in front of the two most attractive guys I’ve ever seen.

Scarlet paced.

I’m five hundred years old.

I die and come back to life.

My boyfriend is immortal.

And, oh yeah, and there’s a curse.

So much for being normal.

She stood up straight and took a few deep breaths until her hands stopped shaking.

She had questions—lots of them.

“Okay. So, I die.” She tried to say this like it was a fact, and not a dire fate.

Gabriel nodded. “Yes, but you always come back to life.”

Like that was supposed to make her feel better.

“Do I come back to life right away? Do I just die for a few seconds and then pop right back into a new life or something?”

“Um, no.” Gabriel rubbed his palms on his jeans again. “It’s different every time. Sometimes you’re dead for a hundred years, sometimes only a few decades.”

I sometimes stay dead for a hundred years?

This day officially sucks.

She swallowed, trying not to think about her body decaying in a grave while insects crawled all over her. “And…why do I keep coming back to life?”

Gabriel’s voice was regretful. “Because you have immortal blood inside you.”

“Right.” Scarlet nodded. “Because I’m semi-immortal. Was I, like, born this way? Am I a hybrid or something?”

Both brothers shifted uncomfortably.

“Not exactly,” Gabriel said clearing his throat. “The arrow Raven used to kill you was coated in immortal blood when it pierced your body, embedding the blood in your heart. Immortal blood never dies, so when your body dies the blood inside you fights to bring you back to life.”

Questions tumbled over themselves in Scarlet’s mind. “Immortal blood inside my heart brings me back to life?”

Gabriel nodded.

“Then…why do I keep dying?”

“Because the immortal blood doesn’t belong to you. It’s a supernatural element that’s too strong for your body to contain, so in each new life the blood fights to break free of your heart. It forces your heart to beat faster and harder than a human heart should, straining your heart until it begins to rip. Over time, your heart slowly breaks until…you die. Again.”

Tristan stared at the ceiling, his jaw fixed tight.

Scarlet blinked rapidly, unsure of what to say. “I keep dying of…a broken heart?”

Gabriel nodded. “But the immortal blood inside you brings you back to life.”

“Until,” Tristan said, looking at her from his dark corner, “the same awesome blood tears your heart in half again and kills you. Basically, the blood gives you life…and then takes it away.” Tristan’s words sounded angry but his eyes looked hurt. “You die…you come back to life...you die…you come back to life. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Scarlet swallowed and looked at Gabriel. “Is that the ‘side effect’ you were talking about?”

Gabriel nodded.

“Okay…okay, okay, okay.” She ran a nervous hand through her hair. “So, why did…what’s-her-name, Raven?...why did she want me to keep coming back to life? Why did she put immortal blood on the arrow in the first place?”

Gabriel said, “She…didn’t.”

“Then who did?”

Tick…tick…tick….

Scarlet looked back and forth between the silent brothers. “Whose blood is in my heart?” She looked at Gabriel. “Yours?”

Gabriel looked at the floor.

Well, this can’t be good.

Gabriel cleared his throat. “The blood on the arrow wasn’t mine. It was Tristan’s.”

Scarlet’s eyes shot to Tristan—who was also staring at the floor.

Shifting uncomfortably, Gabriel looked back up at Scarlet. “At the time, Tristan and I didn’t know we were immortal. So, we had no idea Tristan’s blood would trap you in a life-and-death cycle. Tristan didn’t know—we didn’t know…anything, really.” Gabriel rubbed the side of his face and looked back at the floor.

“How did you not know you were immortal?” She looked at Tristan and scrunched her face. “And why on earth would you put your blood on the arrow anyway?”

Gabriel swallowed. “No one deliberately put blood on the arrow. That was…an accident.”

Tension laced the room.

“An accident?” Scarlet looked back at Tristan and waited until his eyes met hers.

He looked haunted. Pained.

Her heart thrummed as she felt something sorrowful settle upon her. Heavy and warm and full of regret, it whispered something to her soul.

Something powerful.

Something sad.

Something Scarlet couldn’t remember.

She searched his face, hoping for answers but he said nothing.

A silent moment passed. Tristan slowly turned away and left the room.

Scarlet’s eyes trailed after him as he disappeared, her rapid heartbeat calming down as he walked away.

Gabriel watched his brother exit with a sigh. “Um…Tristan has issues. So, just try to ignore him.”

Yeah, right.

Slowly, Scarlet sat back down and looked at Gabriel. “How did Tristan’s blood ‘accidentally’ get on the arrow?”

Gabriel pursed his lips. “When Raven shot you, Tristan…sorta…jumped in front of the arrow to save you. The arrow went straight through his heart and into yours. So, the arrow was covered in his blood when it hit your heart.”

Scarlet leaned back, confused. “But you said you guys didn’t know you were immortal.”

“We didn’t.”

“So….” Scarlet’s heart squeezed. “If Tristan didn’t know he was immortal, why would he jump in front of an arrow…why would he risk his life…for me?”

If she’d been engaged to Gabriel, why had Tristan been willing to die for her?

Was that normal behavior for a brother?

Was that normal behavior for…anyone?

Gabriel hesitated. “You’d have to ask him.”

Scarlet narrowed her eyes.

What was going on?