Page 60 of The Immortal's One
“My mother cared for me and my siblings, of course,”Bella starts, gazing off the edge of the balcony, her expression wistful. “And my father was a baker.”
“A baker?” A bird swoops down from the awning and flutters right past my ear, making me jump before flying back out into the open sky.
“Yes.” Her voice softens. “We lived above the bakery on the Île de la Cité. I still dream about waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread and sweet cakes.”
“Île de la Cité… Isn’t that where Notre Dame is?” Dad’s studies don’t focus on French history, but I have a general knowledge of Paris from when we visited the famous city when Dad guest lectured at Sorbonne University.
“It is.” Bella looks back at me and nods. “Though, it’s much grander now than it was back then.” Her eyes twinkle with a fondness I can’t help but admire.
I exhale. “Wow.”
Bella’s lived through six centuries of history. Six hundred years of change. It’s hard to wrap my head around. She's seen everything from the dawn of the French Renaissance to the modern world I know today. How has she processed so much?
How would it feel to see so much transformation and shifts in humanity, culture, and life itself?
But wait… Bella has magic. And she’s Immortal. Maybe automatic toilets and smartphones aren’t as mind-blowing when you can live forever and heal people with your touch.
“What are you thinking?” she interrupts my thoughts, raising a curious brow.
“Oh, you know. Same old, same old.” I huff a weak laugh. “Everything I’m learning is starting to feel real, but it still sounds… insane.” I shrug.
“I know.” She gives a slight nod. “I remember when I first learned about Thane.”
I wrap my arms around my legs and rest my chin on my knees. “What happened?”
Bella sighs, and for a split second, she seems to age before my eyes, looking far older than the young woman sitting in front of me.
“Well, I already told you I was sixteen when I met Thane,” she begins, a smile tugging the corners of her lips. “And even though my family lived in Paris, right in the heart of the city, my parents were very strict.”
She chuckles, shaking her head. “I guess you could say I was a bit of a wild child. I loved exploring the city, meeting people, and taking in the culture. I drove my parents crazy with worry. Paris wasn’t always the safest place for a young woman back then.”
Bella reminds me of Kayla, always on the move and free-spirited. I imagine the young Immortal running through the streets of Paris, her long skirt flowing and youthful face beaming, causing a commotion.
Bella continues, “I was chasing my little brother through the marketplace when I ran straight into Thane.”
She pauses, smiling as she stares at the cup in her hands. “He was dressed in fine clothes, all proper and noble-looking. I thought he was a rich lord I’d accidentally assaulted.”
“What did you do?
“I apologized and intended to hurry away, but then I saw his face.” She lifts her chin, but her eyes are unfocused, lost in the memory. “I’d never seen anyone so handsome in my life. He and I stood there, at the bank of the Seine, just staring at each other. It was an…otherworldlyexperience.”
I remember how Thane looked at Bella the first time I saw them together. It’s clear he’s crazy about her, which is impressiveconsidering how long they’ve been together. My parents only made it ten years before everything fell apart.
“I didn’t know anything about Thane back then,” she continues, “but I know now… I was already in love with him.”
I can’t help but scoff. I don’t believe in love at first sight.
Lust? Sure. But not love. That takes time.
But you’re not an Immortal soulmate. What do you know?
I stifle my laugh.
Touché, subconscious… touché
“What happened after you met?” I ask, invested in hearing the rest of the story.
Bella brushes a strand of hair behind her ear with a coy grin. “Thane introduced himself, and we ended up spending the afternoon together.”
