promise. I know it wasn’t the right thing to do, but I couldn’t take you home. I’ve dreamed of showing this place to you for so long. I understand though if you want to go home, I’ll take you now,” Zell finished and waited for my reaction. He was expecting the worst, and I think he was surprised when I calmly answered.
“I see,” was all I could think to say. “I guess I can stay for a while since I’ve already cleared it through my dad,” I said giving Zell a sour look. I had promised not to be angry, so I was trying hard not to be. I wandered back outside and took in the breathtaking beauty of the island, our island, and the serenity of it immediately soothed my anxiousness.
Besides, perhaps Zell was just trying to protect me and save my Dad from worrying about me. What did Zell have in mind for this evening though? Most of me didn’t want to stay with him, but another part of me was excited at the thought of having Zell all to myself. Especially having him to myself on this beautiful island that according to him, he built for me before I was born. This was all too strange to be true. Should I be frightened? Was this person standing before me a sinister force? Could he possibly be who he says he is? Could he actually be over six thousand years old, but yet still not appear much older than me? He did fly us to this island without the help of a plane. His kiss, even those that barely qualify, reduces me to a quivering mess. Then there are the dreams and the nightmares that are so frightening. In them, someone was always there to protect me. Was it Zell? If I were honest, I believe I could remember him too in my earliest memories and dreams. We have just never spoken or touched until now.
“Annie?” Zell asked concerned at the faraway look in my eyes. “I’m sorry that I deceived your dad. I’ll never do that again. I feel so guilty about it. I just couldn’t take you home as you were. I didn’t know how long the effects of my kiss would last. I just saw Jon coming through that door after you, and I reacted badly. I admit that I wouldn’t mind if he chose to break up with you, but it’s not right embarrassing you or him with a crowd watching. I hope you’ll forgive me. I’m not sure how the kiss works. I only used it on one other person, and she was many hundreds of years ago.
I felt a ridiculous pang of jealously, and I snapped back to reality to search Zell’s face.
“She saw me in my Anak form. She screamed and screamed and screamed. I kissed her to stop her screaming, but she was unconscious for a week afterwards. That’s why I called your dad. I thought you would be unconscious for at least a couple of days. You must be stronger than she was.”
I breathed easier knowing his kiss was not a lover’s kiss, but he meant to soothe the woman. I blinked a few times and tried to focus on his face.
“Possibly ,” I answered quietly.
“Are you angry with me?”
I shook my head slowly. “No, I promised I wouldn’t be.”
“What is it then? ” Zell asked with a worried expression.
“I just . . . I just think that your kiss might have worked. It seems as if I remember you from a childhood memory,” my voice trailed off as I seemed to go catatonic again.
Zell gathered me in his arms and held me close. Neither one of us said anything. Slowly, my arms left my side and slid around Zell’s wai st. He crushed me closer still and laid his head on the top of mine.
“Annie,” Zell barely breathed my name. “If I die now, I die gladly now that I’ve held you in my arms. This moment—it’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.”
We stood like that until the sun began to fade outside. Finally, Zell took my hand and guided me into the cottage. He motioned for me to sit on the sofa in front of a stone fireplace that looked hundreds of years old and most likely was.
“I’ll build a fire. The wind on top of this plateau is pretty cool after the sun goes down . That is why I
“I see,” was all I could think to say. “I guess I can stay for a while since I’ve already cleared it through my dad,” I said giving Zell a sour look. I had promised not to be angry, so I was trying hard not to be. I wandered back outside and took in the breathtaking beauty of the island, our island, and the serenity of it immediately soothed my anxiousness.
Besides, perhaps Zell was just trying to protect me and save my Dad from worrying about me. What did Zell have in mind for this evening though? Most of me didn’t want to stay with him, but another part of me was excited at the thought of having Zell all to myself. Especially having him to myself on this beautiful island that according to him, he built for me before I was born. This was all too strange to be true. Should I be frightened? Was this person standing before me a sinister force? Could he possibly be who he says he is? Could he actually be over six thousand years old, but yet still not appear much older than me? He did fly us to this island without the help of a plane. His kiss, even those that barely qualify, reduces me to a quivering mess. Then there are the dreams and the nightmares that are so frightening. In them, someone was always there to protect me. Was it Zell? If I were honest, I believe I could remember him too in my earliest memories and dreams. We have just never spoken or touched until now.
“Annie?” Zell asked concerned at the faraway look in my eyes. “I’m sorry that I deceived your dad. I’ll never do that again. I feel so guilty about it. I just couldn’t take you home as you were. I didn’t know how long the effects of my kiss would last. I just saw Jon coming through that door after you, and I reacted badly. I admit that I wouldn’t mind if he chose to break up with you, but it’s not right embarrassing you or him with a crowd watching. I hope you’ll forgive me. I’m not sure how the kiss works. I only used it on one other person, and she was many hundreds of years ago.
I felt a ridiculous pang of jealously, and I snapped back to reality to search Zell’s face.
“She saw me in my Anak form. She screamed and screamed and screamed. I kissed her to stop her screaming, but she was unconscious for a week afterwards. That’s why I called your dad. I thought you would be unconscious for at least a couple of days. You must be stronger than she was.”
I breathed easier knowing his kiss was not a lover’s kiss, but he meant to soothe the woman. I blinked a few times and tried to focus on his face.
“Possibly ,” I answered quietly.
“Are you angry with me?”
I shook my head slowly. “No, I promised I wouldn’t be.”
“What is it then? ” Zell asked with a worried expression.
“I just . . . I just think that your kiss might have worked. It seems as if I remember you from a childhood memory,” my voice trailed off as I seemed to go catatonic again.
Zell gathered me in his arms and held me close. Neither one of us said anything. Slowly, my arms left my side and slid around Zell’s wai st. He crushed me closer still and laid his head on the top of mine.
“Annie,” Zell barely breathed my name. “If I die now, I die gladly now that I’ve held you in my arms. This moment—it’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.”
We stood like that until the sun began to fade outside. Finally, Zell took my hand and guided me into the cottage. He motioned for me to sit on the sofa in front of a stone fireplace that looked hundreds of years old and most likely was.
“I’ll build a fire. The wind on top of this plateau is pretty cool after the sun goes down . That is why I
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