Avow

CHAPTER 14

Charleston 1741

Tristan knocked on Nathaniel’s door and waited impatiently on the doorstep. Having been in the New World for over fifty years now, Gabriel, Nathaniel and Tristan had set up homes for themselves and had fully assimilated into the rugged and adventurous land. They had gone on many quests to the lower regions, spurred on by rumors of the eternal fountain, and had traveled to the northern regions where the established cities held whispers of magic and immortality. But they were still without a cure for Scarlet.

Which was unacceptable.

The great door opened. “I would say this is a pleasant surprise,” Nathaniel said, “but since you’ve been in an awful mood for fifty years I’m assuming you are not here to sing or dance or anything jolly like that.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Well, then by all means,” he gestured him inside, “come in and depress me.”

Tristan smiled at his tolerant friend. He tended to be his darkest around Nathaniel. Why, he wasn’t sure. But still the chap was always pleasant. “I will try to keep my depression contained today.”

“And wouldn’t that be a feat?” Nathaniel smiled. “So. What can I do for you?”

Tristan paced farther into the foyer. “I would like to go through all your books on immortality.”

Nathaniel led him back to his office—which was half medical and half magical—and bustled about, retrieving books from shelves and tables and under the legs of otherwise-wobbly desks.

“What exactly are you looking for?” He began stacking his collection of books upon one of the wobbly desks.

“An alternative cure for Scarlet,” Tristan said.

“I’m afraid my books may disappoint you on that end, but you are welcome to borrow them anyway.”

Tristan nodded. He would read. He would scour. He would do anything to find a pebble of hope amidst the rocks of despair that sat upon his shoulders.

Nathaniel added another volume to his pile and the desk wobbled, spilling the books all over the floor.

Tristan bent to help Nathaniel gather the books and his eyes caught on a page that had fallen open. The words “true death for an immortal” were scribbled at the top.

He jerked his head to Nathaniel. “We can die?”

Nathaniel waved a hand at Tristan. “Supposedly. If our hearts are cut in half. But it is not true. You yourself were shot through the heart with an arrow and did not die. Clearly, the splitting of an immortal heart is not fatal.”

Tristan’s mind began to race and, for some reason, hope flared in his chest. “What if it was not the splitting of my heart that failed, but the arrow itself? Do you think immortal death would be possible with the right weapon?”

Nathaniel shrugged. “I suppose anything is possible.”

“Interesting.” Tristan wasn’t sure what this new information meant, but for the first time in decades, his heart beat with a purpose.

Several weeks later, Gabriel patted Nathaniel on the back and hollered above the noise of the crowded bar, “Another round for the good doctor!” before winking at Greta, the bartender of his most-frequented pub.

And by “most-frequented” he meant daily. And nightly.

They had been hunting for the Fountain of Youth without success for decades now, and still had no cure for Scarlet and, therefore, no cure for his curse.

So Gabriel was still without love—a plight he endured with endless women, plenty of card games and, yes, booze. Which was why he’d wrangled Nathaniel out of his home filled with medical equipment and insisted he come out to play in the taverns tonight.

Where Gabriel had spent the last few decades gaining and losing wealth, and Tristan burying himself in books and, lately, an unnatural interest in weapons, Nathaniel had dedicated his time to his pursuit of medicine—and was actually becoming quite a skilled physician. Medicine suited him much better than witchcraft.

Greta poured another two shots for them and Gabriel lifted his glass to Nathaniel. “Drink up, my friend.”

Nathaniel smiled and drank along with him. “You are in good spirits tonight.” He set his empty glass on the bar.

“Yes, well, thanks to those lovely women,” Gabriel nodded at the group of colorfully-dressed ladies batting their lashes in the corner, “and my beloved Greta,” he smiled at Greta, whose only response was a “Hmmph”, “I am in good spirits most every night.”

“So I hear.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Has Tristan been complaining about my activities again?”

“No. He simply takes note.”

“Yes, well, I wish he would throw away his note pad and join in on the party every once in a while.” Gabriel waved a finger at Greta for more liquor. “It is a draining thing to be the only happy family member.”

Nathaniel laughed. “Is that what you are?”

“I am certainly not the disgruntled family member.” Gabriel drank up what Greta poured.

“No. I suppose you’re not.” Nathaniel watched Greta pour more into his glass and drank as well. “Have you noticed a change in your brother lately?”

“Yes. I’ve noticed he’s no fun at all. He used to be pleasant, you know. Friendly and content. The bastard.”

“No.” Nathaniel wrinkled his brow. “I mean, have you noticed a darkness in him? He seems…different.”

Gabriel shrugged. He did not have enough alcohol in his body for this conversation. “His love died. Who wouldn’t be dark at that?”

Nathaniel scratched his jaw. “Yes. I think that may play into why he has withdrawn from the world as he has. Scarlet’s death was horrendous.”

A sharp pain shot into Gabriel’s chest and he waved at Greta again to numb it away. He did not want to think about Scarlet and the hope she brought him when she was alive. He did not want to think at all.

“Now, no more talk of Tristan, he is souring my pleasant mood and he’s not even here,” Gabriel said. “Let us speak of other things. Like the card game being held later tonight.”

Greta refilled both their glasses.

Nathaniel smiled. “You have already lost your fortune twice since we’ve been in South Carolina. I’m not sure a card game is wise.”

High stakes made Gabriel feel alive and, without Scarlet, he mostly felt dead. “I have an eternity to win and lose my fortune, so I shall play until card games go out of fashion.”

“You are truly reckless.”

“Why, thank you.” He smiled. “Now, drink up!”