Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series) (14 page)

“What! That’s lame.”

He laughed. “No one said it had to be extravagant.”

“Figures, I wouldn’t get a cool power.” I sulked.

“Kasey, that’s probably not even a power. Let us hope you are not related to Pandora. You do not want any part of this world.”

“Why?”

“After what happened tonight you really have to ask?” His whole body tensed once he brought up the accident.

“Do you think your brothers are going to try to kill us again?”

“I don’t die, and I doubt they were trying to kill you.”

 “How can you say that? James threw a tree at your car with me in it!”

“True, but he knew you were with me. I would never let anything happen to you.”

With his other hand, he pulled my hair away from my cheek. My heart thumped with the anticipation that he might kiss me. I leaned forward a tad but cringed from the pain on my hip.

“Kasey… I wish to discuss something… but I do not want you to feel like I am prying into your personal matters,” he said apprehensive.

 I wasn’t sure to what he was leading into. “Whatever it is you can say it.”

“I know you received an abrasion on your hip from the accident tonight.”

His comment disturbed me.

“Max told me before we entered the restaurant. Why did you not let us know you were injured?” he asked.

I huffed. “I really have no privacy with your brothers around do I?”

“Some, but not really.”

“How did he figure it out?” I asked.

“Max has a great gift. He is like a human diagnostic machine. He can scan a body, know what is wrong, and then proceed to fix the broken parts.”

“Does he have any limits?”

“Yes, he cannot cure disease. He can mend flesh, bones, muscles, and purge all pain. When he scanned you at the site, he realized you hurt your hip, but you insisted that you were fine. He respected your wishes and did not pursue it any further. Why did you not let us know you were hurt? He could have taken care of your wound and you would not have any pain right now,” Dion asked concerned.

My cheeks blushed. “It’s not that bad, and I was uncomfortable with the idea…” I glanced down embarrassed.

“Kasey, he is a doctor, and quite possibly the best doctor in the world. I hate the thought of you sitting here cringing in pain when he could have taken care of it.”

“Pain is part of life.” I smirked, “In a few days it will start to heal.”

“If you change your mind, tomorrow he can make it disappear.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

“One other topic of conversation I wish to address,” he said.

“Boy, you sure are on a roll tonight. What?”

He leaned in close to my face. “You kissed me after the play.”

My stomach descended like the plunge feeling when the airplane drops. “It was just a peck of congratulations, that’s all.”

His breath felt warm on my lips. “Would you mind if I continued the celebration here, now?” he whispered.

Goosebumps filled my whole body. “No, I don’t mind,” I whispered back. I closed my eyes and let the sense of his soft smooth, lips glide across mine. I tried to lean into him, but the movement upset my hip, and I winced in pain.

He backed off. “I know I am rusty, but was it that painful?”

I laughed at his comment. He played with my hair and moved it back.

“You silly girl.” With a gentle touch, he placed his hand above my right hip and guided my body so that I was lying on my left side. He started to kiss me. His lips barely touched mine. Did he think I was made of breakable glass? The thought made me chuckle.

He backed up and cocked his head to the side. “Is this amusing?”

Horrified that my thoughts got the better of me, I blushed. “No…no…not at all.” I gazed at his shirt avoiding his eyes.

“Is everything alright? I was not kidding on the rusty part.”

Poor thing he was so confused. Here we were, embraced in a passionate kiss, and I giggled.

“No…I mean yes, yes, everything is perfect,” I tried to compose myself.

He eyed me uncertain and I looked back at him. He took his hand and precisely weaved his fingers into my hair. He barely held the back of my neck. I swallowed, nervous. This time there was nothing gentle about his kiss. His lips were full of strength and authority. He was full of passion. Entirely consumed with desire, he cleansed all traces of the giggles away.

12. Dion’s Innocence

Kasey is my serendipity, angelic, and surreal asleep in her tiny twin bed. Cuddled into her pillow, she is everything happiness claims to be. I watched her squirm as the rays from the outside sunlight beamed down on her pastel face. She fluttered her eyes. Like a bloomed bouquet of gardenias, her smile gave purpose to my existence.

“Good morning,” I said first.

“Good morning, did you stay up in that chair all night?”

“No, I took a pillow and slept on the floor.” I picked up the pillow lying next to her bed.

She shook her head. “That was silly you could have…”

“I am a gentleman, I would not unless invited.” I sat beside her and ran my fingers down her arm. Leaning in for a good morning bliss, I pecked her. Our lips touched, barely brushing against each other. Applying more pressure, we kissed. Each moment of my one thousand, seven hundred, and sixty-one years of life was worth every kiss, every touch, and every look she gave me.  With just a smile, a thousand years of time, forgotten.

She broke first, “Mmm…Good morning.” She smiled.

“I should be going before the house stirs. If I leave now I can speed out of here without anyone ever knowing.”

“All right, I’ll see you this afternoon after school.” She caressed my hand with hers.

“I will be at the theater for most of the evening. Would you come and visit back stage until I am through?”

“Sure, sounds like a plan.”

We kissed goodbye. Then I sped out of her room and out of the restaurant at half my capable speed.

I arrived home with some fresh baked goods for breakfast. The house started to stir with the aroma of food and coffee. The first ones down to the kitchen were John and Martin.

“Sweet, breakfast,” they said.

Antony and Max were not far behind. Max took one look at my clothing and shook his head. John laughed. We sat at the squared kitchen table to eat.

“Was there any other signs of them last night?” Antony asked.

“No, they did not come around to her place,” I replied.

“They are not dim-witted. I do not think they will be back for another few days.” Max ate a cheese pastry.

“So help them if they come again and try to harm her... I am ready to use that spell myself.” My fingers tightened around the coffee mug handle. Max stood up, grabbed my shirt, and pulled me up.

“This is exactly what it does to a man,” he snarled. His eyes maddened with rage. “Do not lose yourself to revenge and anger because you love her. If you are going to take this relationship on Dion, you cannot lose track of the man you are.”

It has been decades since Max demonstrated this type of anger. He pushed me back into my chair, sat down, and placed his hand over his eyes. John and Martin sat frozen, jaws dropped.

Antony took another bite of his strawberry strudel. “Max, Dion is not Sam,” he said with his mouth full.

Max looked up with regret surrounding his eyes. 

“I know exactly what love does to a man.” I gripped Max’s shoulder with a strong hold, “I have watched it happen to two of the finest men I know. I am aware of whom I am, and I will never lose sight of that. And you, as well as anyone here know love is not something we choose, it chooses us.” I could not swallow the lump stuck in my throat, “when it is over, and she has passed, I am going to need you brother,” to my surprise, the words came out.

Stone serious, Max replied, “I will be there.” He took hold of my shoulder and shook it as a promise. Then he grabbed his pastry and went upstairs. I exhaled with relief.

“You know this whole thing with you and Kasey is hard for him,” Antony said, “It has brought back memories and emotions of Cyra that he has not dealt with for centuries.”

“To be honest, I am terrified to end up like him or Sam. Our lives now have little to no meaning or purpose, but without her, it would have none.”

“Max isn’t the only one that will be here for you. We will carry you through the years for all eternity,” John said with a sympathetic grin.

“With any luck there will be an end to us all someday.” With a solemn gaze Martin stood and left.

******

Three days since the accident there was still, no word or sign of Sam or James in Deia.

I prepared to go to the restaurant for lunch, when Kassandra, from the Spanish novella, my ringtone for Kasey, bellowed in my pocket.

“Hello beautiful.” I said.

“You need to get to the restaurant right now!” she shrieked.  I took off towards her at high speed. I made it there before she could speak her next words. I found her standing in front of the restaurant with phone in hand. 

“What is it? What is wrong?” My hands grabbed hold of her waist.

Surprised that I appeared so quickly, she said, “Um…I’ll have to remember to use those words with caution. Next time.” Kasey hung the phone up. She looked grave.

“James is inside having lunch with Catalina,” she whispered.

“What?” I took a step to the side and peered into the restaurant. At a far corner table Catalina and my brother James sat, laughing, and chatting.

“Uh, what is he up too?” I asked.

“I don’t know. You could imagine my surprise.”

“Well, let us go in for some lunch and see what he does,” I suggested.

“Do you think he will do something in public?”

“No, I do not, but maybe he will leave.”

We walked into the restaurant, and I took a seat at a table near the front. James saw me, and our eyes met with stern looks. Catalina turned to see Kasey and me. She scoffed and spun back to James. She made a comment, and he smiled at her. I sat at a table.

Kasey did not sit.

“Do you think he’s told her that he’s your brother?” She asked bothered by the situation.

“I do not know.”

“Here, tell me what you want, and I will start preparing it in the back.”

“Could you bring me the chorizo sandwich, please?”

Kasey headed toward the kitchen. I took short side-glances at James and Catalina. They were smitten with each other. As Kasey approached with my lunch, it seemed that they finished theirs. They stood, James hung his arm around Catalina’s shoulder, and they proceeded to walk towards the exit. As they passed our table James, smiled at us, leaned in, and kissed her lips.

Appalled Kasey sat. “We have got to do something! She has no idea who he is!”

“I cannot imagine what he is up to with Catalina.” I was dumbfounded. “Let me eat. Then I think I know where those two would hide out away from the world.”

Kasey ate a small salad. She never ate too much in one sitting. She pecked at her food like a bird. When we finished, I realized I ran here and was without my new rented convertible.

“Kasey, give me a minute. Let me go home and bring my car.”

She looked at me oddly. “Why? We can take mine.”

Gently I asked, “Can I drive?”

She glared as if she was going to pick me up and throw me across the street.

“I do not mean to offend, but you are not safe behind the wheel on the Spanish roads. You might be a great driver back in America, but here you simply terrify me.”

“Well it’s not the easiest thing to get used to driving here. It’s different from America. What are you worried about anyways? It’s not like you can die if I wreck.” She dangled the keys, insinuating I follow her.

Once we got in the car she asked, “Where to?”

“The ancient ruins.”

The trip only took ten minutes. The forest path that led to the stones would have taken a normal human twenty minutes. I did not want to waste time. I scooped her up and sped through the forest. The shady woods were peaceful and serene with only the sounds of chirping birds. As we approached, I stopped and placed Kasey down, in case they were there. The clearing consisted of, broken pieces of huge rocks scattered everywhere. I motioned to Kasey to be silent. We crept behind a big stone wall and peered out to see if James and Catalina were amidst the ruins. They sat close on a flat slate, embracing each other, and sharing deep, zealous kisses. I nodded in their direction, and Kasey acknowledged she spotted them as well.

I picked up a small pebble and then threw it into the middle of the ruins. James stood up and looked in our direction. I grabbed Kasey’s hand, and we made ourselves known. With light footsteps, we walked around the stone.

Catalina stood angry. “What do you think you are doing here? Are you spying on me?”

James was furious. He hunched down, grunted like a bull, and challenged me to charge with his fist closed. I let go of Kasey’s hand, closed my fist, and ran towards my younger brother. He reciprocated my charge. We collided. I landed a fist right into his temple, knocking him to the ground. He groaned. He kicked into my knee and shoved my legs out from under me. His thrust sent me to the ground on my back. He popped up and landed his fist right into my chest. I grunted at the hard impact. Then I grabbed his neck and hurled him over onto his back. I did not care who was watching I was going to let my little brother have it after what he did to us. Catalina screamed.

“Stop it. What is wrong with you, Dion?”

Kasey put her arm across my chest.

“Stop,” she said in a soft voice.

Catalina went over to James and helped him up. He fumed.

“Catalina. Please. We came to warn you about him,” Kasey began.

“Against James, Dion charged him!” Catalina screamed.

“He is my brother and there is bad blood between us.” I dusted my pants off.

Catalina’s eyes went wide. “You are his brother?”

“Yes, although we have not spoken for many years,” James answered.

“Catalina, you don’t know who he is. He can’t be trusted.” Kasey broke in.

“He is a master magician, Catalina. An illusionist. Do not trust what you see. I bet he has shown you things.” I warned her. I was sure James used his telekinesis to lure her. For a moment, she looked at him with doubt, but then got irritated.