A few more snaps and all my work was done. I felt like Mary Poppins. Magick was by far the best thing I remembered so far. There had been other memories that came back, good ones too, not just terrifying ones about the former Dark King. Memories of romantic midnight picnics with Cove and time spent cultivating the Royal gardens, but even the good memories made me sad. They only served to remind me of what I had tarnished, what I had left behind, and the loved ones I had hurt over the years.

This on the other hand had no sadness. This was just cool. A nifty trick I could use to make getting ready for this baby by myself all that much easier.

The weather was improving and I woke up one morning to a bright sunny day with only a slight breeze and decided it was the perfect day to go to the beach. I hopped out of bed and headed for the shower. After I toweled off and strapped on my swimsuit I searched for my hairbrush. I couldn't find it anywhere. Thinking that I might have lazily stuck it in the bathroom cabinet rather than returning it to my toiletry bag, I headed back into the bathroom and started pulling out drawers.

In the bottom drawer on the far left of the counter I found my brush. As I yanked the drawer open with dramatic flourish, everything in the back of the drawer came flying forward. Which wasn't much, a toothpick, some receipts, a green cat's eye marble, my brush, and a key. The key caught my interest and I bent down to pick it up. As I lifted it up to the light, I noticed the Chevy emblem and realized that it was the key to Terry's Bel Air.

I had totally forgotten about the car, and basically the entire contents of the garage after emptying out the nursery. I was so excited, it felt like electricity was coursing in my veins. I was definitely going to take the Bel Air on my beach trip. I tried to hurry as I finished to get ready, but my excitement began to give in to a fear that somehow I wouldn't be able to go.

I should have listened to my intuition. It was still a sunny day when I parked the car in the overcrowded parking lot, but the wind had started to pick up and I could see a cloud bank on the horizon slowly threatening to infringe its gloominess upon the brave sunshine. Still determined to enjoy my beach trip, I grabbed my towel and headed to the sunniest patch of sand as close to the shore line as possible but without being in danger of the waves invading my territory. I slid off my shoes and lied down on the already warming towel and stretched out flat on my back.

I took out the book that I brought with me, and knowing I probably wasn't going to read it anyhow, and placed it over my face, settling in for a nice long cat nap. I was going to take full advantage of the sunlight as long as it was available. It felt good to relax, listening to the roar of the pounding surf and the cry of the hungry gulls overhead. I fell asleep easily to their oceanic lullaby.

My dreams threw me back into time. I saw different images of myself wearing an assortment of different styles of period clothing. I was placed against many different elaborate backdrops, mainly palaces and stately homes throughout the ages. I never saw anyone else, but I was somehow always near books.

One image my mind dwelt on longer than the others was that of me standing in the heavenly alabaster halls of the great library of Alexandria. The dream had me recollect that of another memory, one much more recent when compared to the others. I remembered the first night I spent in the Underground, the first time Phoenix had taken me into a Faery Realm.

I remembered his study and how vast in size it seemed to me then, and how I had admitted to foolishly thinking his private study was the Dark Palace's library. I remembered the cool sound of his liquid laugh tinkling out of his perfect lips. I could feel my body shiver and start to wake, but I wasn't done with this dream yet, so I rolled over onto my stomach into a warmer and more comfortable position as I fell back into my comforting slumber.

This time though the loud cry of the gulls and the crashing waves brought back yet another memory from earlier that same day, when Phoenix had saved me from drowning. That day had been such a pivotal day in my life. It was the day I first saw the Underground with human like eyes, it was the first time I realized Phoenix could be sweet and charming and it was the day I left Cove. That day, Phoenix had told me Cove was married. It was after that, that I had decided I could no longer be with Cove, that our relationship had to end.

Even before I got back and found out what happened to Terry, what Cove had done, I had decided it was over. But had I but known, had I realised then that I was Cove's wife, that I had forgotten everything from our life together, things would have gone much differently. That was before I fell in love with Phoenix. I cared for him, it's true I did have an undeniable attraction, but deep feelings for Phoenix? I don't know about that; at that time I was still completely in love with Cove. Even now, as sorely used as I felt, my heart still yearned for Cove's love, the soft caress of his velvety words as they poured from his full lips in hushed smooth tones, thoughts of his chiseled body pressed against mine replayed in my memory.

The piercing ache in my chest drove me out of my sleep. I rolled onto my right side pushed my left palm down onto my towel and groggily sat my still half-sleeping form into an upright position. I ground my fists into my eyes trying to rub away the last remnants from my trip to, Dreamland meets Memory Lane.

I blinked several times and glanced around, noticing that my sunlight had lost its battle against the gloomy day. I sighed, resigned to the defeat and stood up grabbing my purse and towel while simultaneously slipping my sandals back onto my feet. I headed for the car and slightly worried about whether the weather might turn to rain and how in the world was I supposed to put the top back on the Bel Air. I knew that there had to be a button somewhere but if my luck held out then, it hopefully wouldn't start raining and I wouldn't have to worry about it.

I was in the middle of making my second cup of hot cider standing in my kitchen when it finally did start to drizzle. It was more of a heavy mist than an actual shower, but it was still nice, and having the car parked safely back in the garage made it all the better. I was just about to go back to the living room and snuggle up with my book when I realized I didn't have it.

I checked my purse twice and the kitchen counters, I went upstairs checking the master's bedroom and bath, along with the other two rooms and the hallway bathroom. I still couldn't find it. I went back downstairs and dug through the couch cushions and then went to grab the car keys.

I dashed through the rain as I crossed the yard and ducked under the stairs towards the backdoor to the garage. It was musty smelling, but dry inside. It was dark, too, but it only took me a minute to find the light switch. Once I could see, I unlocked the car and slipped inside to check for my book, feeling slightly guilty for leaving water droplets on the leather interior.

I reached under the seats and checked the floorboard, but I couldn't seem to find the stupid book. It was really starting to bug me. Usually I'm pretty rigid about putting my books back, and when I take one out to read I keep it with me constantly until I'm finished. After that, back it goes to it's place on the shelf. But since I couldn't find my book, I was on some sort of hell bent mission to locate it. I decided to get in the car and head back to the beach to see if I could find it there. Bad idea, Coral.

Before leaving on my quest to find my book, I figured out how to raise the convertible roof on the Bel Air saving the white leather interior from any further water damage, but it mattered little. The light shower we were having dried up before I was even halfway to the beach. It was comforting to know that I was learning more about the car though.

She was a sweet ride and I was set on keeping her that way. I pulled into an almost deserted parking lot. Typical Southern California, no matter what the weather was, there were always a few devout surfers or beachcombers paying their homage to their precious beach. The surfers always reminded me of monks, even before breaking their bread they would be at their altar of ocean catching their morning waves out past the break; the early morning ritual like the repetitive chanting of a thankful prayer. It was already dark now being a little past eight o'clock at night. I stepped from my car into the chilly night air.

Having enough good sense to leave my headlights on, and aided by the light of my phone, I scrambled across the cold sand to the spot where I had thought that I left my book. I started to feel anxious, the desperation to find my book mounting. The night air raising goosebumps on my arms. I clambered over a little embankment of sand, out of the reach of the glow cast by my headlights.

Solely relying on my phone for light, I carefully scoped about a five foot radius of sand from where I was standing. I was kneeling down, gently and systematically making strokes with my arms towards where I was situated, about halfway through the semicircle I was working on, I finally found my book wedged into a small divot in the sand only partially revealing itself.

I sighed with relief and grabbed my book. I sat down on the soft, cold sand and watched the black moonlit waves rolling onto the beach. I thought about everything. I thought about all the craziness in my life and how grateful I was in that moment to just be there, to just be alive. I thought about my life and how lonely it had felt for so long. I thought about death and losing the people I loved, like Terry and Grace. I thought about Cove.

I thought about all the things I had been mad at him for. How wrong I had been about him too. I thought about how he must have felt finding out his wife whom he had been searching for, for years, had told him that she was going to marry his brother. How Phoenix had been the one to save me, not him, not my Cove.

Standing up, I dusted off the grains of sand that had gathered on my arms and clothes. Only then did I begin to realize the danger of my surroundings. While I had been so focused on my task I completely tuned out everything else around me. I hadn't seen the fog had rolled in so quickly, or so heavily. It had been a long time since I had been out at night, well in the human world at least.

I had forgotten how often Encinitas was covered in fog at night. Especially in early spring, this time of year was always the worst. I wasn't scared, I felt more annoyed than anything. All I had wanted to do was read my book on my couch in my pajamas. Why is this so hard?

I blew out a disgusted breath and tried to form the best plan of action. I wasn't in danger though, so that was a plus. I never went to Swami's beach anymore, not since the day Phoenix took me there after my first night in the Underground, the day I broke up with Cove.

"Cove," I whispered softly. I couldn't help it. His name fell from my lips without will, as the petals fall from a rose. My heart fluttered lightly in my chest. Even now, after everything my husband's name still caused my heart to shiver. My husband. My breath hitched a little in my throat as the gravity of that truth settled inside a little more. It was still weird to think Cove and I were married, but it was starting to feel weird in a good way.

I could never go back to that beach. It was the breakup with Cove more than anything that made me stray away from the things that had reminded me of Terry's death. To me it wasn't just the death of Terry, it was the death of my relationship with Cove, it was the death of me.

"I'm sorry, Cove. I really do love you. I always have," I confessed aloud, speaking to no one but the endless ocean in front of me. I raised my head to stare at the bright full moon in all her glory, "But what am I to do now? What can I do about any of this?" She continued to shine in her iridescence, but no answer came.

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Author's Note

I hope you've all enjoyed this week's chapter. Brace yourself for next week. I'm hoping to cook up a little drama. Eek! 😱😏

As always, please vote if you liked this chapter and comment like CRAZY!! ;-) <3

Elizabeth Door 💋 XOXO