You heard the same thing I did, didn't you, my friend? The only reason I had accepted the contract with the Longfields was my unwavering promise to Carol to preserve Mary Garden, where she rests in peace alongside her young daughter. And yet, in just a single breath from Killian's lips, all my uncertainties were erased forever. But something doesn't feel right. My mind won't stop racing. Killian is perceptive; he notices my unease and says kindly:
—Look, sweetheart, I know this can be overwhelming, so you deserve an explanation from me. I have deep feelings for you, so I thought this through very carefully. None of this ties you to me; you owe me nothing. I did it precisely to free you from the contract. Now, if that's what you want, you can leave Longfield knowing your home is safe. And my car—I gave it to you so you'd understand how much you mean to me. It's a unique vehicle, my favorite among all the ones I own. Whether tomorrow you're with me or we're just two strangers, when you look back there should be no doubt. I never wanted to buy you, nor to tie you down. I just want you to know that this is real for me.
I kissed him through tears of happiness; all my fears were calmed by his words. All of them except for the pressing need to make it clear that I am not for sale. And I told him so:
—Look, Killian, it's impossible for me to reject what you've done for me, but you know that, right? I've told you—my feelings are my own. If tomorrow I discover that what I feel for you no longer makes me happy… you know what that means. I hope you'll do the same for me, that you'll stay honest with your heart. Love can do anything, but it should never cause harm.
The music sounded so beautiful; girls were kissing and caressing each other near us. Killian pulled me into his arms, and I felt safe. We drank, we danced, we laughed. The night was perfect.
Until Annia fainted right in front of us and began to convulse. Evangelina threw herself to the floor behind her and managed to catch her before she hit the ground; she turned her on her side and counted the seconds with such confidence that we realized this had happened before. A minute later she recovered, though to me it felt like two centuries. Evangelina checked her condition and spoke to her calmly.
Finally, we left and headed to Annia's room. There was no need to consult doctors because she knew exactly what it was, and the seizure was within what was expected. After a while in silence, as we comforted her, she said:
—I've been pretending with you that the wedding didn't seem like a big deal, but the truth is I was so terrified when my father told me about the arrangement that I tried to change my body with hormones, to look as masculine as possible so my future husband wouldn't think I'd let him make me his. Of course, I didn't know you then, Killian; I had no idea what a beautiful person you are. Those hormonal changes, along with the stress of the situation, triggered this. Don't worry, it doesn't happen very often, and according to the doctors, we can control it so I can live without crises. I suppose I ruined graduation. We're leaving for Switzerland tomorrow. Don't worry, really, I'm fine.
Killian went to sleep so he could pilot in the morning. I stayed with the girls and told them what he had done for me. Evangelina said she found it romantic and genuine, because Killian knew he wouldn't be able to buy me. Annia asked me:
—What about Lucius? Does he know about all this?
I told her the truth:
—Lucius hasn't written to me since we left, and I haven't written to him either. I'm sure it's because of an agreement between brothers, an arrangement not to interfere while I'm with the other. But we'll meet in Switzerland soon. If I realize it hurts to stay with him and watch Killian leave, I'll tell him, and I hope we can be friends. But my head is spinning. I'm sure of what I feel. My only question is—can you love two people? I don't know. Today, I don't think I could lose Killian; it would break my heart in two. But I can't say Lucius has lost ground either. In fact, I'm sure having him close will be a damn temptation.
Evangelina replied:
—There are people who don't even find one love in their entire lives. You already have one, and it's Killian. The world would tell you to feel lucky and stop there, to shut yourself down, but I think it's a mistake to impose rules on what you feel. Can you love two? Of course you can, and that's exactly why you'll end up staying with one—not because it's right. Only love can regulate itself; everything else is denial. When you truly love, you don't want them to suffer, and here we're talking about brothers. I wouldn't want to be in your place.
Annia said:
—Men, men… everything is easier without them, but I admit the Longfields might be an exception. Now listen, you two—I need you to sleep with me. I want to feel surrounded by affection tonight. Evangelina, will you sing, at least until I fall asleep?
She sang a Latin lullaby, soft, deep, and deeply melancholic. We held Annia's hands, and I rested my lips on her shoulder so she could feel my breathing and know I was there for her. In the middle of the night, Evangelina woke me and whispered:
—I want to tell you something important. I need you to promise me that we'll stop that marriage. I don't want to see Annia suffer anymore, and now I know I don't want to see you suffer either. With your magnetism—that inevitable quality you have—and my way of thinking, we could make a difference.
I replied in a low voice so as not to wake Annia:
—I promise, for her and for Killian. No one should have to go through that. But also because you said you don't want to see me suffer, and that matters to me. I won't make you suffer either; if something is bad for you, it will be bad for me.
A few hours later I got up, and Evangelina followed behind me. We shared the bathroom to wash our faces; she was topless, while I was still in my pink dress. She found one of her blouses and put it on me, kissed my neck, and I thanked her with a smile. Then she kissed me again and turned me around to kiss me on the mouth, and I shook my head no. She obeyed and stopped. She looked into my eyes, and I could see her chest tense, then she said:
—I understand the secret now. I know it doesn't happen to everyone with heterochromia, but in your case, that combination of colors makes you truly captivating. It turns you into a beacon, almost like a guarantee that if we're around you, we'll be happier. Think—come on, think… no one wants to walk away from you. Annia and I are enchanted by you; Killian and Lucius too.
I told her that if it's true I have something special, it only activates with people I care about. I told her about Úrsula and the clones; she had even witnessed how much Mr. Vanderack hates me. To my surprise, she let the hot water run and, as if in a trance, drew a circle within another on the mirror and said:
—This one in the center is you, a massive planet with gravity so strong that everything nearby is pulled in. And the circle around it is your atmosphere, what allows you to be fertile and beautiful. Under that protection, you're a paradise. If someone tries to enter carelessly, you destroy or reject them; if, on the contrary, they enter at the right angle, you receive them. It's not that it activates with the people you want, but with those who truly see you as you are. And if they see you as you are, they can enter—and that makes you love them.
I asked her:
—And what does that make me? What does it say about me?
She wrote on the mirror:
—Carmilla, you are a force of nature…
And she explained:
—Near you there is oxygen, warmth, food, and life. No one will want to leave you. Do you understand? You'll have a huge problem with Lucius and Killian, because you'll have to ask one of them to leave, to drift through space again, and that's not what your protective nature wants—it never will. I fear it, but I'm also grateful to be inside… near you there are colors. I wouldn't want to go back to gray and black.
I thanked her with a gentle kiss on the cheek and said:
—I have no intention of leaving you behind. You are by far the most valuable person I know—beautiful and kind-hearted.
I left and headed to Killian's room. I wanted to fill his morning with color, to love him until he would never wish to return to outer space again.
I found his room empty. Lying beside the bed was a letter with an address, signed by a woman. It read:
—Of course you can come see me. Do it early, Killian, while I still have the strength. I already want to touch you and have you show me. Come to Libertador 1211 when you're nearby. I know you'll come. Clara Désmere.
It took us only fifteen minutes to get into one of Annia's vehicles. The three of us, like private detectives, were in that armored truck heading toward the address in the letter. On the way, we came up with a thousand hypotheses; none of them were good. Maybe he had a woman hidden away, maybe it was an old lover—but what if he was in love with her too? We had just talked about loving two people… or worse, what if he had children with her?
All that paranoia grew when we arrived at that large, beautiful house…
We drove past and stopped at the corner. We wanted to see if he came out with someone. Like teenagers, we started laughing at ourselves—at how foolish we looked, at how impulsive all this had been. But our hearts stopped for a moment when a woman in her fifties walked out of the house. She had white hair and wore expensive clothes, gold rings, and fine shoes. She came straight toward us and tapped on the car window with a smile. Annia, raised under strict security protocols, only lowered the window a few inches, and the woman slipped a black business card through the gap, letting it fall between the front seats, as she said:
—I knew you'd come here. Pay attention! When you hear "For a thousand years I will adore you, for a thousand years I will adore you," you'll be ready to enter my house. I'll be waiting.
We watched her walk away as calmly as she had arrived. We all started talking at once, asking what the hell that had been, gesturing wildly as we tried to explain it—until, by accident, I hit the audio controls and the radio turned on. We all heard an old song at the exact moment the singer, with a rough, aching voice, said: "For a thousand years I will adore you, but don't ever leave me, because I will be alone… for a thousand years I will adore you."
Annia, frightened, turned off the audio. We were all silent, trembling, when Evangelina picked up the black card and screamed in terror, dropping it again.
I picked it up, and I began to tremble. The business card read:
Clara Désmere. Seer.