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“You promised me I would have a great love.”
He smiled between Sorrel and Eric. “And so you have.”
“I won’t break the curse.” She stood defiant.
David only continued to smile at her. “Be brave, Sorrel.”
“This is being brave.”
“No, love, the bravest thing you can do right now is to break the curse. The world needs you. Follow the vines. I’m counting on you.” Without another word, he disappeared.
Sorrel closed her eyes and hung her head.
Eric took her in his arms, and she clung to him. “Your father is right; the world needs your gifts. Needs you.”
“But I need you.”
“And you will have me.” All of me if necessary.Chapter ThirtyEric and I both decided it was too dangerous to stay in Saint Augustine. And his book adamantly reminded him that he was bound to do what it said. That meant we had to find my book whether I wanted to or not. I was beginning to detest the Aelius queen. She had thought of everything. But I was determined to outsmart her. I wasn’t going to lose Eric. Maybe if I thought that enough, it would come true. Unfortunately, Eric had left the research he’d done on me at his apartment, and he was sure his family would search the place. That research had a lot to do with California. And California was the only place we could think to start looking for the book. We would follow the vines there, whatever that meant. So not only could we find ourselves dealing with my vengeful ancestor but with Eric’s insane family as well.
Eric was especially convinced that we needed to go to California because he believed something significant had happened there. He’d noticed when he had stolen my book, or what I thought was my book, that my family was told to leave California on the exact date as his family—right after my father died. Eric was sure that was no coincidence. That even if my book wasn’t in California, we would find a clue there.
This meant we were going on the mother of all road trips across the country, since Eric was a wanted man and, unlike me, he hadn’t been able to obtain a new identity yet. Eric thought renting a small RV would be the best and safest way to travel—allowing for more privacy. It was funny, I’d always been envious of some of the retired tourists that would come into my bakery who traveled the country in big RVs. I would think that they must really love each other if they were willing to spend so much time together in such a small space, day in and day out. I longed for that kind of a relationship, even though I knew I would never grow old with anyone. I would never grow old at all. And now here I was, given the opportunity to be with someone who would never grow old either. Eric was someone I could travel the world with for decades, changing identities as needed. No one would ever question why we were a couple. Except we couldn’t really be a couple. Eric was certain that once we found my book it would make sure only one family remained—mine.
Leaving Saint Augustine meant I had to say goodbye to all my mother’s things and the last place she lived and breathed. The only thing I took of hers was the diamond ring my father had given her. Even though binding yourself to someone required no ceremony or fanfare, my father wanted my mother to have a wedding ring. I didn’t recognize what a sweet gesture that was until I was older. Many years after my father had passed away, I would catch her taking it out of her jewelry box and putting it on. She would stare at it for several minutes with tears in her eyes, until it seemed she could no longer bear the memories of him. In those moments I knew she loved him. That despite how they were brought together, he was the choice of her heart. Just like Eric was my choice.
It’s why I drove as slow as I could as we started our journey westward across the panhandle of Florida, skirting the southern border of Alabama and into Mississippi. It’s why I tried to convince Eric we should stay at the beach somewhere along the Gulf Coast for a few days. He said the longer we stayed in one place, the more likely it was that we would be recognized. His point was valid; still, the thought of losing him ate at me. So much so that I kept glancing his way while I drove the small RV—which wasn’t small at all since I’d never driven anything bigger than a sedan—just to make sure he still existed.
Eric swiveled his chair toward me, reached over, and placed his hand on my thigh. “It’s going to be all right.”
