Prologue
Helston, England, 1854
Each time was worse than the last. It left Daniel with another dent in his soul, but, his love for Lucinda never faded. In fact, it grew. Each time, Daniel knew he was doing it all for a reason – Love. The love him and Lucinda shared couldn't be compared to no other. Daniel knew that eventually, Lucinda would remember, she would come back to him and they would finally live in peace for eternity, with no regrets – No matter what had to be done for it. But, even so, Daniel loved Lucinda enough to try and give her a regular life. And, each time, Daniel failed his attempts.
Hopefully, this time would be different.
The masculine figure sat in the dark, a dim candle light illuminating the room as he sat a desk, his hand moving quickly across a piece of parchment. The figure had been Daniel, his sandy hair disheveled and greasy, but still as handsome as he always had been. Daniel closed his eyes, filling his mind with the image of Lucinda before going back to his drawing, sketching out her fine jawline and perfect full lips. It made Daniel swallow down his desire, trying to forget them.
Daniel puts the pencil down, placing his head in his hands as his mind rushed. He was to leave before Lucinda were to wake in the morning, to disappear and give her a chance. Daniel hadn't exactly known where he were to go, but he was jumping on the first ship he could get aboard and set sail, without Lucinda. And this drawing would be the only piece of her he could truly bring, which broke a ping of pain in Daniel's heart.
Daniel then readjusted in his seat, rolling his shoulders and ran his pinky along her eyes, shading her almond shaped eyes and whimpered silently at the lifeless imposter of Lucinda. He wanted badly to be able to cradle her jaw, to kiss her soft lips once more, and finally settle, with her. But, with the curse, it'd be inevitable.
Then, he felt it. The magnetic pull that he and Lucinda shared and he knew she was in his presence. Daniel hadn't need to turn around to look, he knew she was there as he felt heat rush through him and send a ripple of sensation through him. He had met Lucinda merely a couple weeks ago, she had arrived earlier than the rest of her party, and had felt the pull to Daniel almost instantly, has she had to him, sweet rendezvous in a gazebo, with wild white peonies given by Daniel each time. Daniel's eyes dragged from his parchment and over to the large window, where Lucinda was holding the black drape, wearing a white sultry gown, and her black hair pulled into a loose braid that hung over her shoulder.
Lucinda's eyes pulled away from the veranda and over at Daniel, who was slowly rising to his feet. Daniel's eyes begun to glow the most intense shade of violet as his eyes locked onto her hazel ones. Lucinda let go of the drape and slowly approached Daniel, a light flush to her cheek that Daniel wished he could touch.
“What are you doing here?” Daniel sharply asked, hearing the own cruelness in his tone, and regretted it, knowing that Lucinda wouldn't understand Daniel's frustrations. A look of confusion and hurt flashed across Lucinda's face but she quickly recovered and stepped forward to Daniel.
“I-I couldn't sleep,” Lucinda stammered, explaining herself to him. It made Daniel regret his angered scowl – When it truly had nothing to do with her. “I saw the light in your room and then-” Lucinda took a hesitating pause, as if she were pained by what she were to say. “I saw your trunk outside the door. Are you going somewhere?”
“I was going to tell you-” Daniel begun but then stopped at a halt. Daniel couldn't lie to Lucinda, it wasn't as if he was going to tell Lucinda of his plans. Telling her of them would only make things worse, it would make it harder for her to let go – But, he already knew he was taking things too far, in hopes this time would be different from the multiple times before. Lucinda stared at Daniel before her eyes lingered and fell on Daniel's drawing of her. Lucinda gasped and Daniel let a breath whistled through his teeth.
“You were drawing me?” Her hazel eyes looked back upon Daniel's, full of adoration and awe. It showed the grand gap that was between Daniel and Lucinda's mind and memories – But, silently, Daniel was thankful for this. It had meant hope that Lucinda had still not remembered. Daniel had wanted to say yes, to pull her into his embrace and kiss her always soft lips. But, he could not. And it killed him that he could not. For the past week, Daniel had been planning to leave Lucinda behind. Daniel was struggling with drawing away from her, when he so badly wished to be with her. The pent up frustrations of Daniel's desire for Lucinda had filled up his hours of the night, where he had drawn her over, and over, and over again. Each with different angles of her feature; From the arch of her neck to the dark abyss of her hair. They had set a nice stack on the desk behind him.
Daniel's head turned, looking down at the sketch of her face. Daniel wasn't ashamed of being caught to draw her, nor had had regretted it – But, it bought Daniel's feelings out into the light for Lucinda to see. A chill ran up Daniel's spine and thus he realized, that Lucinda's discovery for his desire to draw her, will make her combust. I should have been more careful, Daniel thought with misery.
It always began like this.
“Warm milk with a spoonful of treacle,” Daniel turned his back to Lucinda, gazing at his own drawing some more, his violet eyes avoiding contact with her eyes. “It'll help you sleep.” Daniel murmured, a sad tone in his voice.
Lucinda gasped, an astonished tone to her voice as she spoke, “How did you know? Why, that's exactly what my mother used to-” Before, she could continue, Daniel cut her off.
“I know,” Daniel turned back to face her, a need in him wishes to explain that he had advised this very sleeping remedy to her in the past when the shadows came, how he had held her until she fell asleep in his arms and then she was gone. Lucinda stared at Daniel before taking another step forward and lightly placing her hand on his shoulder over his shirt, causing Daniel to gasp – They hadn't touched in this lifetime, Daniel had been so cautious as to make sure they had not, however; Their first bit of contact left Daniel breathless, it always had.
“Answer me,” Lucinda whispered. “Are you leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Then take me with you,” She blurts, but Daniel watched her quickly take an intake of breath – Obviously regretting her plea. Daniel watched the evolution of her emotions as they settled through her, hiding his fear of losing her under his armor. Daniel had known she had always done this – She would first feel as if she had done an impulsive act, then bewildered, and then ashamed by her own forwardness - and Daniel, each time, had quickly comforted her, ashamed of himself for being so naive and rude to her. He, however, hadn't this time.
“No,” Daniel began, shaking his head as memories begun to poison his mind once more, “I sail tomorrow. If you care for me at all, then you won't say another word.” His voice was stern and his radiant eyes were fierce.
“If I care for you,” Lucinda repeated, a light mixture of confusion and wonder in her voice as she spoke mostly to herself. “I. . . I love-”
“Don't.”
“I have to say it. I - I love you, I'm quite sure, and if you leave-”
“If I leave, I save your life.” Daniel cut her off once more, his eyes softening slightly in hopes that Lucinda will remember, that all her memories were buried within her, and could be unlocked skillfully. “Some things are more important than love. You won't understand, but you have to trust me.” Daniel's voice was more gentle and promising. There were some things more important than love, like for instant – Lucinda's life. But, then again, Daniel wouldn't have cared for her at all if it hadn’t been for his love for her.
Lucinda narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms before taking his hands and pulled them to her chest, placing them over her heart. “You mean to say there are things more important than this?” Lucinda challenged Daniel. I have to stop here, Daniel thought, or else she'll never learn, and the past will only repeat itself once more. But, Daniel couldn't. Daniel felt her warmth and it made him melt, tilting his head back and moaned out softly. Daniel was trying hard to release himself from her, to walk away and ignore how close they were. Daniel could almost feel the sensation of his lips tingling, though their lips were not touching. But, then a bitter feeling filled Daniel and he sighed, remembering this all had to end, again. But, her fingers traced his so lightly, and he could feel her thrumming heartbeat through her thin white gown.
There was never anything more than this, more than love. Lucinda was right. Daniel was about to lean in, succumbing into his desires for her, to press his lips eagerly against her own. But, Lucinda pulled back, her eyes wide with confusion as she stared at him, as if she had seen a ghost. Her hand pulled away from him, placing her hand on her forehead, slightly stunned.
“I'm having the strangest sensation.” She tells Daniel, who then whimpered softly.
Was it already too late?
Lucinda's eyes wandered down to the paper, taking a step back towards Daniel and looked back up at him, placing both of her hands on his chest. “Tell me I'm mad, but I swear I've been right here before. . .”
It was too late.
Daniel looks up, shuddering, and feeling the dark arise around them. He then took his last chance to embrace her and kiss her as he been yearning to for several weeks, since the day they had met.
As soon as their lips met, they were both consumed with love, and both of them became impotent. Her mouth tasted of the sweetest honeysuckle that made Daniel dizzy, but he had pulled her closer against him – Though his stomach twisted with agony, the knowledge of what was to become of her was sickening. Their tongues traced along each other, Daniel's fingers coming up into her braid and weaving into the strands, groaning into her mouth. Every new exploration, every new touch made their love burn brighter, more powerful, and hotter. Yet, to Daniel, none of it was exactly new.
A powerful quake shook the room and an aura around them began to glow, and Lucinda noticed nothing, unaware that anything else was happening but their passionate and fierce kiss. Daniel, however, knew what was beginning – But that only made him pull her closer, listening to her soft moans of pleasure that erupted from her throat.
The shadows swirled around them, their quick whispers filling his ears and for a moment, Daniel wondered if she could hear them. Lucinda pulled away, gasping for air as she stared into Daniel's eyes and cradled his jawline as a dark cloud hazed over her face, but not before Daniel saw the light grow in her eyes, growing with recognition.
“Daniel-” She gasped once more, a scream erupting from her as she saw the Announcers above, feeling pain rush through her, before she was nothing but ashes on the ground.
Daniel was blown back against the wall. He fell and lay huddled, like nothing more than the outline of a man. He buried his face in the carpet and shook. Tears welled into his eyes, holding his face in his hands as he sobbed into them, no more passionate feeling, no more light, nothing – Nothing for another seventeen agonizing years, where he would watch her die yet again.
But,
Daniel knew. He knew well in his heart that is would be worth it in
the end, for them, for their love. Eventually, Daniel hoped, they
would finally be at peace, being able to love one another without
obstacles.
