Olivia

Her mouth felt like dried paste and regrets.

She must have bitten her tongue multiple times, because the metallic taste of blood lingered on her lips.

It was sunny outside, the light coming through a wide window on the English countryside. The hills were the same she saw just before jumping off the moving train.

The memory brought her back to the pain in her limbs and rib cage. She slowly lifted a bruised hand and felt her bust wrapped in some sort of cast that was holding her together. Her right leg was suffering the same fate, but for the rest she felt pretty good. She tried to get up but vomit raised up her throat for the effort.

-Yeah I wouldn't do that if I were you - a familiar voice called from the back of the room. The boy who found her unconscious walked towards her.

The room was small and cozy, made warm by a small fire in the centre and some stew cooking in a pot. The smell made her stomach rumble, but she tried to focus.

The boy had ridden himself of the cloak and now she could observe him clearly. He has long brown hair, tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. His brown eyes were warm and golden, just like the fire burning in the room. He was smiling, but she could read tension in his freckled nose.

The boy leaned on the small table next to her bed and grabbed a thick red paste. He spread some on her lips and she was tempted to bite him. A warm feeling grew suddenly inside her, making her eyes burn in relief. Her bones were still broken, but the pain was much duller. She really did not like being able to feel like a mortal.

Olivia looked over at the table and noticed all sorts of ointments. She had studied the revolutions in recent medicine in England, but nothing like the stuff she was looking at. That was magic.

Fear raised up her throat once more, but before she could say anything the boy raised his hands defensively. That is when she saw the mark buried on his arm, identifical to the one she bore.

Another unworthy immortal. Just like the man in black had suggested.

His eyes followed hers and smiled more sincerely. -Seems like you and I have a common interest for defiance. -

-Seems like it - her voice was lacking any sweetness. The fall must have impacted her vocal cords as well.

-The name is Andre, chosen it myself as you can probably guess - he started talking and she didn't have to ask any questions. - I have no idea how old I am, but I am going to guess a couple of hundreds? Hard to keep track when all the historians die of old age. Quite ironic really, the only people who lived most of history can never tell the truth about it to mortals? I don't know if you were around when the Christopher Columbus found America, but the dude? Worst breath ever. Ugh, went to one of his talks and almost asked him how could he confuse a new continent with India, and you must know how sensitive he was about the topic. -

She had to admit, she liked his spirit. Being immortal could become so boring at times, she could almost not believe Andre was real.

-Not sure what my name is, but I go by Olivia these days. - she blocked him before he could tell her all about how much of a jerk Amerigo Vespucci had been. - And not sure how old I am, my first times in the human world were around the mid seventeenth century. But what I would like to know is how you got your mark. -

Andre smiled sadly and walked up and down the room as he explained. He stirred the stew once in a while, but Olivia wasn't sure if he was doing it because it needed it or only because he wanted something to do with his hands.

-Ah that is one interesting story - he pointed out. - And probably shouldn't tell you if this was all a test by the mist people, but then again, would have I not already failed by saving you? Marked just as I am? You must understand... mortals are great company, but they die as fast as flowers and the pain of their death is too great for me to get attached. A long existence is lonely. - his eyes were wet with fresh tears. Olivia didn't like to cry out of desperation, better having something else to do to keep herself busy. But she understood.

-It was my first assignment as a path-changer. - he painted the picture for her. - I was prepared to do anything to please them. I had been told that murder was sometimes necessary. Seduction, lies, the whole package. Our families are our folk, so I was proud to make them proud. I had lived amongst mortals for several centuries by then, was know as a potatoes farmer in Russia. I married a beautiful young woman named Katerina, we even had a child together. - Olivia gasped at the knowledge that immortals could mate with mortals, she hadn't known it was a possibility. - I never cared much for either of them, but when I received my orders ... something clicked inside me, I didn't know what to think. -

Olivia remembered her own mission, her own doubts. Andre seemed pained by the memory. He sat on the bed next to her broken body. She usually didn't like unnecessary physical contact, but she would have hugged Andre tight if she could have.

-They told me "The child of mixed blood will be a bane to the world." - he whispered, as if the people of the mist could hear him so far from the forest. Olivia could not believe they asked him to murder his own son. Andre looked young, but his eyes were full of ancient sadness. - I had no love for the child, but I couldn't kill him. He was so innocent, how could he be a bane to the world? I left the day after to never come back, but they found me and exiled me officially as a mortal in an immortal body. -

....

Author Note: Hi! I am so so so so happy that you guys just met Andre. So much yet to unravel about this character!

And if you like the story, do not forget to live a like! It helps the book being seen by other people!

Read well!

Ps: I am terrible at character drawing, but here's my rendering of Andre. (Any better fan art is more than welcome)