In His Eyes(54)

Better that she sleep, ignorant of all the things that swarmed within him. Better that she slumber while he doused the embers of a flame that would do neither of them any good.

He eased from the bed, careful not to wake her. He watched her only a moment longer, then slipped back to the coldness of his own chamber. Yes, sleep had granted him a great mercy. Now he would not be foolish enough to reveal more of himself than would be wise.





Color. Color more vivid than any she’d ever seen. Ella ran her hand through the air, expecting the radiant blue to dissipate under her fingers. Light. Light so unnaturally bright she should have had to squint, yet didn’t need to. The light pulsed around her, coming from every direction and not leaving any room for the slightest shadow. Not a shade of darkness touched the pristine sky or the ground around her.

Ella turned, and brought her gaze down from the dazzling sky and to the earth below. Where was she? She took a step forward and grass rippled beneath her feet, swishing against her gown and tickling her fingertips. So green. More green than any grass she’d ever laid eyes upon, it danced in the gentle breeze as though it knew the answers to all of life’s secrets. She cupped it in her hand, marveling at the silky texture.

Warmth enveloped her, the way sunlight felt upon the skin on the most perfect spring day. Ella wrapped her arms around her and closed her eyes. A sensation draped over her, something she’d not felt in so long. Peace. An overwhelming sense of peace. Wherever this place was, she didn’t want to leave. She stood there for several moments, allowing the feeling to slide over and around her, shedding light on places too long cast in shadows.

Finally Ella opened her eyes and looked down. She wore a startling gown of the purest white. So clean and clear it almost glowed. She turned, admiring the way it fit her perfectly, as though the seamstress had known every contour of her frame. She ran a hand over it, the smooth fabric glistening under her touch. Such a fine garment, and nothing at all like the dirty dresses or ill-fitting fabrics she usually wore.

Her hair, left free, swayed in the breeze. She captured a strand and examined it. Had it always been this color? Such a glorious red woven with bits of gold? Or was it only that way because of the brilliant light? She dropped the strand and looked around. Other than her, only one thing stood in the great expanse of vibrant blue sky and never ending brilliant green grass.

A tree, wider around than three of her could reach hand in hand, spread majestic branches to the sky. Star-shaped leaves, an effervescent green even brighter than the grass, perched upon the regal branches like the finest birds. Ella ran her fingers through the tall stalks as she walked, letting the grass brush against her palms and send ripples of joy through her tired soul.

She approached the tree and placed a hand upon its trunk, expecting rough bark. Instead, the trunk of deepest brown boasted a velvety covering that even a queen might envy. Ella tilted her head. Odd, indeed.

She turned and looked out over the field, the light around her nearly feeling alive, and bringing every sense awake. Something caught her attention. A scent. Nothing at all like anything she’d inhaled before. She could only describe it as something like sweetness, love, and…goodness. It gently caressed her and she breathed it deeper, allowing her lungs to swell with the pleasure of it.

“Hello, Ella.”

She turned, the brilliant white gown flaring out around her. A man stood by the tree, resting his hand on the trunk and regarding her with a smile. Clothed in white even more brilliant than her own, he reached out a hand to her.

Where she should have felt fear, instead Ella felt only acceptance. She slid her fingers into his and allowed him to pull her into the open.

“May I have this dance?”

Ella smiled. “But there is no music.”

He lifted his brows, his face glowing with sunlight. “Is there not?”

As the words left his upturned lips, Ella noticed the sound. Pure and clear, yet unlike any instrument she had ever heard before. He bowed, and she giggled and made a curtsey. As the music swelled, he spun her around in the grass, her feet moving and gliding in perfect harmony to a tune she couldn’t name. Joy spread through her, and she threw back her head and laughed.

She let go of his hands and twirled, feeling like a small girl again. The grass spun around her, a carousel of green and light. She threw her hands in the air, trying to touch the sparkling sky.

“Ah, so there you are.”

She slowed and turned to him, the smile on her face wide enough to make her cheeks ache. “What do you mean? I have been here the entire time.”

“Have you?”

Something within her stirred, and her heart shifted. Memories came at her like clouds to ruin a clear day.

Ella placed her hands on her head, but the recollections didn’t go away. She saw herself as though she were outside of her body. There she stood after her mother died, dressed in a dirty skirt and torn blouse, a bruise where one of the stallions had nipped her upon her arm. She’d tried to care for the huge, angry creature to please her father but had been terrified.

The vision shifted, and she sat hunched over something in her lap, her fingers pricked as the needle slipped again. She’d strained her hands and eyes learning to make the finest lace like her mother, though she’d never liked it. She’d pretended, because Papa said lace would make money and drawings would not.

Ella closed her eyes and saw the faces of several children—their mocking smiles at her worn clothing, the whispers about her odd behavior behind their hands. Oh, how she had shifted herself to try to make them like her more. Hiding bits here and changing things there.