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The images became distorted. I saw my brother Chris and me down in the tunnels of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, training. Alex with Jack and Edward. My necklace that someone had put in my room, as well as the old blueprints of our house. Our library and a wall that opened up. In the end, more tunnels and a large hall with escaped and rebelling women hidden from the Knights of John. Amazons.
Everything distorted again, and I saw the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My father. Charly. Pale, lifeless, different. Two men were chasing me, and another man saved me. I know him. But before I could think about it any further, new images flashed across my mind's eye. Stephan, our butler, watching me. Aza, who comforted me. Lots of books with myths and legends. The Bible, the Koran, and John Adam Nash. His name handwritten on a page. Piercing eyes, mottled gray hair, and words I didn't understand. "Where's your mother?" What did he mean by that? Only now did I realize I had never thought about his strange question. At the time, I'd been so busy with research and another question I couldn't think of.
New images formed. Charly and Anne had disappeared. Blood. A roof terrace, rosemary, lemon, olive trees. Golden eyes. Music, a dance, red roses. Pain. No, no further! I need to know who he is.
But I was already standing in the middle of the large hall of the museum ship INTREPID with my brothers, Aspasia, Maggy, Emma, Jack, Edward, and Alex. There were blasted bodies and anxious looks. There were lots of women. There was no Charly. There was no Anne. Jack was with a sword. A dark figure was pushing in front of me. There was blackness. There was a dull pain. It was not tangible, but still present.
A glistening light, cold ice eyes. Stephan. That man with the golden eyes again. A conversation. "Take care of the women in the tunnels!" his voice commanded. "None of them must be left, do you understand?"
Pain, betrayal, and ... and knowledge! The man with the golden irises was Tanael Baldur! He had broken my heart more than once, a heart that was supposed to belong to Alex. Alex.
I opened my eyes, startled. "Where is Alex?" I asked the strange woman, who was staring at me with her head tilted back. She furrowed her brow.
"Alex?" she asked with a hiss.
"Yes, Alex, my fiancé!" My voice sounded shrill. "Where is he? And where are the others? My brothers, Aspasia, Maggy, and Emma?" I didn't mention Edward and Jack as I still wasn't sure if they could be trusted.
Without answering, Hecate turned around and floated out of the room so quickly that I could barely follow her figure with my naked eye.
"Where am I?" I called after her. Then I was alone, alone with all the questions piling up inside me and growing with every second.
Was I in Italy? Was I able to escape Tanael and Stephan? Where was my father? Had he managed to escape? Who was Hecate? Strange name. Who named their child after a Greek goddess? But everything about her was wrong. Why had I reacted so calmly?
Again, I felt this dull pain that seemed to clutch my heart. But I just couldn't place it.
I carefully pushed aside the fluffy blanket under which I was lying. A dark blue, silky nightgown nestled softly against my skin. There were no signs of injury anywhere. So, the pain couldn't have come from that.
I slowly slid down the mattress. My bare feet hit a natural wooden floor that felt pleasant. Rays of sunlight lay on my skin and urged me to walk towards them. On shaky legs, I walked to the window. The view was breathtaking and allowed my thoughts to rest for a brief moment.
A colorful, wild, yet fantastically beautiful garden spilled into the landscape before my eyes. Palm trees that touched the horizon. Olive trees, which were huge, old, gnarled and full of green and black fruit. Lemon trees next to orange trees. Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, mint, and basil had grown into massive bushes, filling the rising breeze with their spicy scent. The scent of jasmine and lavender was in the air. Oleander stood among magnificent rose bushes. The hidden gardens of Florence's villas were nothing compared to this beauty.
Everything else was forgotten, and I enjoyed this gift revealed to me here. A smile flitted across my lips, and before I knew it, I climbed out of the window and stood on the lush lawn, surrounded by this overwhelming nature. The sun was shining, but it was nowhere to be seen. Glancing at the sky didn't show the light blue with fleecy clouds I was expecting, but a vault of pink mist.
Confused, I searched for the source of the light, which was clearly on my skin.
"Myrina!" I suddenly heard Aza's voice behind me from the bedroom. She sounded nervous. "What are you doing out there?"
"Aza!" I exclaimed happily. At last, a familiar face and someone who could answer my questions. I hastily jumped back into the room and wrapped my arms around her. Hesitantly, she hugged me.
"Is everything all right with you, Myrina?" she asked quietly.
"I'm fine so far, Aza. I just have a lot of questions."
"I was so worried about you," she whispered, and I knew she had tears in her eyes. Surprised, I peeled myself out of our embrace.
"Was I injured? I remember the fight on the pier and that Mr. Baldur and Stephan had kidnapped me. I must have escaped them somehow," I gushed.
Aza looked sad as she gently took me by the hand and led me to the bed.
"Sit down, Myrina. You mustn't overexert yourself. Hecate has given you a strong medicine, but you should take it easy," she lectured me.
"Medicine?" I asked in astonishment but immediately thought of the strange potion that the floating lady had handed me. "For what?"
"You were ill and had a fever. Don't worry; Hecate has cured you." Aza's curt answer made me feel like I wasn't allowed to ask any more questions.
"Okay," I sighed and tried another topic.
"Aza, where are the others? Where is my family, my friends, and where is Alex?"
