The Lady in the Forest
by Jeanné Olivier
The Lady in the Forest
by Jeanné Olivier
Copyright © 2012 Jeanné Olivier
Cover design by: Cathy Williams
www.dragonflyebooks.co.uk
Sebastian had been able to see things more clearly ever since he could remember. A very rare eye condition enabled him to distinguish colours that to other humans appeared to be identical. It motivated him to explore the profusion of his visual ability and exceptional talent by taking him on an exhilarating ride through the possibilities of painting. The beautiful Professor Fiona Raine had a similar ability and was the first person who ever shared this secret with him. Sebastian is about to discover that their abilities and connection are much more significant than sharing a love for painting. He has to choose between life as a normal student and falling in love with his class mate Mia or following his destiny to serve a greater purpose with Fiona Raine.
The cool March breeze sent a slight shiver through Sebastian’s tall spine as he walked onto the platform. His coat cringed quietly, straining to stretch across the width of his tight shoulders as he hugged it closer to his chest. He could really do without the journey home today. He considered moving to London when he got accepted into the Fine Art Program at the Royal Academy of Arts, but he wasn’t quite ready to leave the different shades of Surrey forest behind. The train gave him time to think anyway. He rubbed his lazy eyes and the muscle on his left temple did an involuntary dance. Something has been niggling at his brain, constantly disturbing the edges of his mind but disappearing before it can shape into anything comprehensible.
He sank into a seat allowing his long limbs to consume the space next to him and he slumped into the corner with the true grace of a twenty-two year old. His lashes instantly fell, painting thick sooty shadows across his cheeks. The day’s events dragged through his mind. The ‘tu-tuk-tu-tuk’ of the wheels clacking across the tracks rocked him into a semi-conscious state. Professor Raine pissed him off this morning! They shared a deep connection and he was very fond of her beautiful smile but she was so out of line. He knew he had been out of sorts lately, but telling him in front of the entire class that she expected more from him was humiliating. He could see the pity in Mia’s eyes. Mia’s eyes, endless pools of sapphire and tiny violet flecks glittering …
“Tickets please.” The conductor’s decree yanked him back to the present. He fumbled around in his coat pocket and presented the crumpled up ticket to the man, frowning at the graduations of grey curling up from under his uniform hat. He had always been amazed by grey in particular. It’s astonishing that the colour considered to be the boring one can have so much depth and texture. Like Mia’s eyes.
He wondered if she knew about the soft silvery shadows that lurked around the violet sparkles. She didn’t know that he noticed these things. When she was upset, he could see the shadows swallow the sparkles and overcast her entire face. When he caught her staring at him, her lips went exactly one shade darker and the violet sparkles about ten shades brighter. Mia didn’t know he had the ability to observe wavelengths beyond those of a typical human’s eyesight. But Professor Raine, she knew.
He had been able to see things more clearly ever since he could remember. When he was younger his parents had his eyes tested and the specialist diagnosed it as Tetrachromacy, a very rare eye condition. It was harmless but it enabled him to distinguish colours that to other humans appeared to be identical. It motivated him to explore the profusion of his visual ability and exceptional talent by taking him on an exhilarating ride through the possibilities of painting. Professor Raine had a similar ability and was the first person who ever shared this secret with him.
The murmuring carriage voices were hypnotizing him again. He tried to fill his head with Mia’s face but her image kept escaping him. His brain was flipping from Mia back to Professor Raine until they melted into one person. It was weird to have Professor Raine look at him with Mia’s eyes and to feel the contentment he always felt with Professor Raine while staring into Mia’s eyes. Mia’s eyes never made him feel content, they made him over-excited and unable to string a sentence together.
He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. The train slowed into Witley station and he stared into the plush forest running along the track. Then he saw it. He scrunched his heavy eyelids and lifted them slowly but it was still there and becoming more obvious by the second. He instantly knew that this was what had been haunting his mind lately.
He bumped his head on the overhead rack as he scrambled to his feet. The train door wasn’t opening quick enough. His heart was hammering against his chest. His legs clumsily leapt across the bridge and he stumbled into the woods.
His breathing calmed down. What appeared like a stirring in the woods, a slight wisping of the leaves – something an unobservant person wouldn’t notice – was Professor Raine morphing from a tree. It was like watching a fantasy film. The tree bark was taking on human form just like dough did if you pressed it into a shape. The human bark was slowly moving away from the tree and flawlessly changing into Professor Raine with her smiling eyes.
“Hello, Sebastian,” her soft voice greeted him.
“Professor Raine,” he whispered.
“Walk with me.” She hooked her hand through his arm and steered him deeper into the forest.
They walked in silence and he was confused by how comfortable he was with her, even in this bizarre situation. He studied her pretty features. She was the youngest professor in the history of the Academy and couldn’t be much older than him. He liked her eyes the most. Similar to his own they were big shining emeralds but with fragments of beech scattered through the iris. Her lips were permanently curved into the beginnings of a smile and the chestnut hair that swept across her forehead and kinked around her ear made her look like an elf.
“I’m sorry I came down on you so hard this morning,” she finally interrupted the silence.
“Okay?” he replied, still feeling a bit broken.
“A long time ago, I experienced similar feelings to the ones you are experiencing now and I would like to help you understand what is happening to you,” she searched his face and found a lot of uncertainty there.
“What do you mean?” He started to feel anxious.
“You know that you are different to most people,” she stated the obvious, “but from now on you will rapidly become more different. Your transformation has already begun and soon you will be able to adjust to nature the same way I just …”
“Professor Raine, you’re not making sense,” Sebastian pulled his arm away from her and the muscle on his left temple did a very energetic dance again.
“I’m talking about embracing your gifts and choosing your path forward,” she started, but he interrupted her again.
“You’re freaking me out,” he aggressively wiped a rebellious strand of hair from his face. He didn’t know what she was and he didn’t want to find out. He stomped off and she didn’t try to call after him.
Sebastian sat on a bench staring out across the Thames, sipping his coffee. The morning sun was just touching the surface of the river and the rays were twirling around the glistering water, creating tiny rainbows here and there. Quite magical, he thought with a heavy sigh.
“Luckily you have broad shoulders to rest all those troubles on,” Mia’s voice jingled next to him. He swallowed his words and produced a sheepish grin.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she jingled again. “Can I join you?” A tiny frown pulled her eyebrows closer to each other.
“Are you okay, Bastian?” Most of his friends referred to him as ‘Bastian’, but the way her tongue skipped over the letters made his he
art miss several beats.
“Hey, Mia. Sure sit down.” He finally managed to focus his mind enough to utter a sentence.
She flopped down next to him sending whiffs of Gucci into his nostrils, the violet flecks in her eyes merrily teasing him.
“So what’s bothering you then?” She tilted her head and her blonde curls brushed against his arm sending electric bolts through him.
“Uhm …,” he stuttered.
“It’s about Professor Raine telling you off yesterday, isn’t it?” The frown hauled her eyebrows in again and she squeezed his arm, shooting more bolts up his spine.
“Well, uhm, not exactly, argh, yes,” he choked on the words.
“Oh, Bastian. She admires your talent and wants to moti…,” she suddenly drew a sharp breath and displayed a satisfied grin. “Good morning, Professor Raine.”
“Good morning, Mia,” Fiona Raine smiled at Mia but when she turned to face Sebastian he noticed sadness in her eyes. “Sebastian, could I have a word please?” she asked.
“I have to go anyway, Bastian. I need to pop back to my flat before class.” Mia got up and gave him a cheeky wink.
When Mia was out of earshot Fiona sat down and Sebastian noticed that she looked at the tiny rainbows glistering on the Thames.
“I’m sorry I upset you