Chapter Twenty
Views of the lake surface, glistening under the moonlight, greeted Helena as she stood on the bank, still trying to wrap her head around what had transpired. She pulled her hood back from her head, losing herself in the misery that had enveloped her. After more than eight decades, she had found someone to rely upon, but, her relationship with the Bradford’s had gotten in the way. Cliff was gone, out of her life, and she held no hope of winning him back. To have any chance of that, she had to have been true to him, and she had given him nothing but lies. She couldn’t take any of those back, or any of her misinformation. Cliff Daniels would have to remain a memory, a glimpse into a blissful life filled with joy, pleasure and laughter. The glimpse of immeasurable happiness stabbed into her heart so precisely, so sharply, Helena could not handle the author and the result of her pain: the missed opportunity. Cliff was the finest man she had ever met, including Roman. Now, all that awaited her was more loneliness, and infinitely more coldness in her heart.
The warmth of her tears sizzled on her skin, as she recalled the night of their date. It was as if he had read her mind, and had given her the perfect experience, from start to finish: a romantic dance; a nice, long conversation; and a steamy night that had haunted her mind, leaving her yearning for more. The vapors from her breath rose up into the air, as a sigh of pain left her lips. Helena looked up into the sky, wishing she could turn back the clock. But, not even a witch as powerful as she could do such a thing. Just as she averted her gaze from the stars, however, she realized that she would not be alone for much longer. A cloud of yellow smoke shot straight down in front of her, bringing a small smile to her face. It was Kate, her closest friend and apprentice. She didn’t speak. Instead, she leaned in towards her, and then wrapped her arms around her back, as Helena squeezed two more tears out of her eyes.
“The girls just arrived,” Kate informed Helena, as she eased back. “Olivia told us what happened. The poor thing’s devastated. She couldn’t stop crying. She begs your forgiveness.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Kate,” Helena retorted, settling her gaze on her friend. “She did amazing out there. She got excited. I can’t blame her for that.”
“She failed to smell a human, and shifted in front of him,” Kate emphasized. “How can you not blame her?”
“Because: I was going to tell Cliff the truth anyway,” Helena responded, her voice weakening, as she dragged her gaze away from her. “He just found out sooner.”
“You were going to do that?” Kate squinted at her. “Why? And how did he get there in the first place? I thought you broke up with him.”
“He was the one who set fire to Riker’s building last night,” Helena stated, as the tantalizing memory of his kiss raised every fine hair on her body. “He said he did it to draw my attention. Long story short, he wanted me back. Frankly: so did I. He’s an amazing guy, Kate. I told him I needed thirty-six hours. I was going to meet with him tomorrow morning at his hotel.”
“Yeah, he is,” Kate agreed with a sigh, as she pressed her lips together. “The girls heard everything. They were in shock, when they got back from your mission. They kept talking about him letting you go. It’s a little selfish, but still, it’s very noble of him.”
“Thanks a lot for waiting for us,” Julia’s sarcastic comment compelled Helena to keep her silence. There she was, strolling across the forest alongside Melissa, with a rather stiff look on her face, as she approached them. “Helena’s our friend, too, you know.”
“I’m sorry, guys.” Kate said, her voice coming out slowly. “The minute I tracked her, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“You tracked me?” All of a sudden, Helena’s tone turned into a high-pitched squeal.
“Yeah, I used a spell from my mother’s book,” Kate admitted, returning her gaze to her.
“I’m afraid we got bigger fish to fry,” Melissa interjected, crossing her arms over her chest, as she stopped beside Helena. “Redfield showed up at the estate. He was furious. He knows you were responsible for killing almost half of his clan. He threatened to call more clans over, if we didn’t deliver you to him. Of course, Raul laughed at him. He said something like: ‘You can tell her yourself, right before she rips your head off. No, wait. I’ll do that.’ Then, Raul yelled at him for trespassing on Wolf Mountain. They argued, they called each other names, and I’m sure Redfield would have engaged him, if not for that.” Melissa pointed up at the sky. The first colors of the sunrise were in the horizon, as darkness slowly faded into daylight. “They agreed to see one another in battle, at the western clearing, tonight at midnight. Raul wanted to do this in Wolf Mountain, but Dean talked him out of it. It’d be too close to Shandaken. We’re meeting tonight at ‘Joe’s’ diner, at 11:30.”
“That’s really smart of him,” Helena remarked. “Anyway, girls, thank you for your support. It really means a lot to me, but I could really use some time to myself right now. Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” Melissa said more sweetly, as she smiled down at her. “But, we’re not going anywhere, before we do this.” At that, she curled both of her arms around Helena’s neck, and pulled her in for a side hug, as more tears rose up in her eyes. Kate and Julia followed their friend’s example, and, before she knew it, the witch was lost in a tight, group hug, feeling her pain grip her insides, as wave after wave of emotion poured into her veins. Perhaps this warmth, this display of affection was the best remedy to heal her shattered heart. Helena couldn’t be sure. Her wounds were still too fresh. But, what she did know was that, even with her family by her side, believing in love again would be next to impossible.