by Aiden James
“Delectable decadence you’re willing to share?” She asked sweetly.
“Why, of course!” I enthused. “Whatever I have is yours... seriously!”
“I know... ditto for me!”
Radiance steadily returned to her countenance, which in turn warmed me inside. And, in that very moment, I knew we could make it through anything. Nothing was impossible. Not even when the only people fully believing she and I would make it through this were her and me
My heart told me it would be enough.
It simply had to be.
Chapter Twenty-two
Despite my mental references to A Christmas Carol, I wasn’t really expecting for the classic Death specter to come knocking on my bedroom door that afternoon.
But I did expect for at least someone from my family to keep the visitations going. If not a blood relative, then surely either the Albrights or Wizard von Stroheim would stop by sooner or later. Right?
Wrong.
Surprisingly, no one came. Not one single solitary soul.
Good thing I wasn’t plotting suicide or creating a thermobaric bomb to scatter our unwelcome invaders to Kingdom Come.
Yes, I realize that everyone reading this journal by now fully understands that such things as mortal-mayhem and self-murder have limited effects on those of us who have attained semi-immortal status—and virtually no effect at all on those who have managed to render mortality obsolete.
“Maybe they’re planning something for tonight?” Daciana suggested, lightly biting her bottom lip.
“Wizard Bagley said something about ‘others’ arriving in Denmark sometime this afternoon.... Maybe whoever’s coming from the EEC will insist on coming here to Twin Magnolias before dinner,” I suggested.
“That would be bad,” she said, slowly shaking her head as if she could clearly picture such a scenario. “It would mean that they have uncovered ‘Sorin’s maze’, as Orpheus mentioned they were focused on. It’s basically the network of fourth dimensional wormholes I relied on to get back home from Romania. The longer it takes for the EEC to uncover the network, the better it will be for us.”
“Oh, I see,” I said, feeling my own anxiety begin to spike. “That makes sense. But, can’t Sorin throw them off your trail until it’s time for our midnight rendezvous?”
I added a hopeful smile, which inspired a slight chuckle from her.
“I’m not sure.” She shrugged.
“I don’t suppose he can squeeze in our rescue to happen sometime in the next few hours, huh?”
“I’m not sure what I’d do without your sense of humor, Bas,” she giggled sadly. “If only it were that simple.... From what Sorin explained last week, when we were finalizing plans for my escape from Wizard Ninnius’ fortress, he was adamant about his twelve o’clock arrival tonight inside the courthouse bell tower. Something about using the bell’s natural energy to fuel the passageway’s opening to accommodate the three of us.”
“So, Denmark’s courthouse is the spot. Really?”
It brought to mind the photograph shown to me by Attila von Stroheim roughly a week ago. It made sense that Wizard Gabon would use the same spot. Perhaps he had known from that very moment, when the photo was captured, he’d return to this locally prominent landmark many decades later with a special purpose intended.
A chill raced up and down my spine as I considered this fact. Maybe he knew back then that a Radu and Matei would meet and sparks of eternal love would fly!
That said, I initially couldn’t picture what a tolling bell could do for a spell’s effectiveness. Then I realized this: all magic has its roots in natural energy sources, including the use of minerals, elements, plants, etc.—along with the power of sound and the fervent spoken thoughts from one’s mind. The actual blending of all the ingredients is where the power comes from. Perhaps in the highly-skilled hands of an ancient Supreme, the bell and its location six stories above the ground are key features necessary for a planned ‘grand exit’ from this world to work.
“Hopefully, it doesn’t have to be so grand,” said Daciana. “I would much prefer a quieter exit.” She smiled weakly, shaking her head again, as if picturing something truly unpleasant on the horizon.
“I see your point... maybe Wizard Gabon can pull some ‘sleight of hand’ moves that can confuse the EEC contingent on its way—along with Wizard Bagley and his cohorts,” I said. “I, too, would prefer to leave here like a ‘thief in the night’, as opposed to P.T. Barnum with a megaphone.”
She laughed and scooted closer to me.
At the moment, we sat on my bed, with one of my action adventure video games playing softly in the background, along with my television tuned to Nickelodeon to provide an additional distraction—just in case my sanctuary was suddenly breached before Daciana could hide. The extra noise should make it easier to explain away any ‘mysterious conversations’ going on inside my bedroom.
“Are you ready for another round of Call of Duty?” I asked, motioning for her to either climb up onto my lap or shoulder.
“Sure.”
She leapt up onto my lap, leaning her head against my stomach.
Once again, my dear ‘Daci’ operated as my guide, as it turned out she had more experience with this video game series than I did—courtesy of her brother, Serghei. Of course, I felt a little intimidated by that fact... but apparently my game reflexes are a little quicker than his—according to my beloved. So, the awkwardness of comparing myself to him quickly passed.
I took a short break around three o’clock to see if anyone lingered anywhere upstairs. Moving quietly through the long hallway and landing, I soon determined no one had been there since Ali and Harris had left at lunchtime. I circled back toward my bedroom, pausing to listen for anything going on downstairs from the landing.
Other than my father and grandfather watching what sounded like the exciting ending to the latest televised Tennessee Titans’ game in the living room, I didn’t detect much else going on. Only Lucian’s collar bell, which softly jingled as he roamed the foyer and living room areas below. I glimpsed his tail wagging before I moved back to my bedroom, silently praying the little guy didn’t bark to give away my presence.
“Anything changing out there?” I asked Daciana, once back inside my sanctuary and had shut the door. She was peering through one of the plantation blinds facing Julien and Meredith Mays’ stately home across the street—likely gauging the growing number of warlocks and witches crowding Old Dominion Road.
“There might be a thousand Mateis by now... and up the road to the east, it looks like just as many Radus have also arrived,” she advised, as I came up beside her.
“That’s not good,” I said, stating the obvious while following her gaze. My uneasiness deepened as I observed the horde of Mateis spilling over into the Mays’ front yard. “And none of the mortals in town can see them?”
“That’s correct,” she confirmed, closing the blinds’ slat and motioning for us both to move back to the front edge of the bed. Apparently, she was ready for a Call of Duty rematch. “And, your friends, Julien and Meredith are not in immediate danger... neither one has visited their home since yesterday.”
“I imagine Meredith is with my mom, or grandma, or both today,” I said, smiling at the fact Daciana continued to handle her knowledge of my thoughts without making me feel intruded upon. “But I’m not sure about Julien.”
“He’s downstairs with your dad and grandpa right now, watching the game,” she said, waiting for me to get settled so she could return to my lap. “At your family’s insistence, Julien and Meredith have been staying in the small apartment in your barn since yesterday.”
“Really?” I had heard about the apartment, as it was discussed when Grandpa wanted to spruce up the original blueprints, just a few days before I was sentenced to Purgatory.
She grinned knowingly, gazing up at me. “It’s really nice. Your grandfather is quite proud of the place... but you haven’t seen the inside of the barn
since it was renovated, have you?”
“No, although I’ve been meaning to check it out. I guess that’s gonna have to wait, huh?” I grinned wistfully.
“It will still be here when we return.” Her grin widened into a hopeful smile. “In the meantime, I’ve been wondering if you can bring your game system with us.... Although, maybe it’s better to not pack it, since Sorin indicated we’ll be plenty busy in this ‘other world’ he’s talked about.”
“I wonder what’s it like there... do you know?”
She shook her head.
“The only thing he’s told me is that it’s a place where magic is easy, and all of our physical needs will be provided for. Oh, and he did mention once that many of the Earth’s mythical creatures thrive in abundance on Paradusil Dragonului.”
“The place is called ‘Dragon Paradise?’”
“Yes, that is the English translation of the Romanian name he gave me,” she said. “It has other names, too, from other languages. But that’s the one Sorin uses.”
“Hmmm... doesn’t sound like there will be a universal outlet I can use with my AC/DC converter in a place called Dragon Paradise,” I quipped. “But, hopefully there’s sunlight, or something similar. I have a solar-powered adaptor for my Nintendo switch, and we can share it to play games. I’ve got a loaded arcade on it. It’s in my backpack, along with my iPad and journal.”
“I’ve seen you write in your journal from afar,” she said, pausing to crane her neck to where I pointed to the old blue Nike ‘bookbag’ that I had used for much of the past decade. It rested against the base of my nightstand. “You write very well... from your soul.”
“Thanks,” I said, blushing. “Hopefully, you’re okay with what I’ve written about you... and you aren’t offended by anything I’ve described about other stuff.”
Yeah, I suddenly regretted my candid thoughts about her family, and of course, my brief romantic dalliance with Rhiana Johnson.
“It’s okay,” she replied, smiling lovingly. “I wouldn’t change any of it, since it was all true to the moment it was created in. I love all of it, Bas, including your thoughts on Ali’s friend, since you really didn’t know what to expect from one day to the next. If everyone around you had their way about it, I’d still be stuck in Romania....”
Her voice trailed off, and her smile faded. Surely, she pictured everything that might’ve happened had a determined wizard not stepped in to change it all.
“I’m glad Sorin brought you here, Daci. My heart is overflowing with love and thanksgiving.”
Absolutely the truth... although I worried our bliss could be short lived, depending on what happened from here until midnight.
“Me too,” she said, allowing her smile to blossom again. “My heart feels the very same way!”
Honestly, it felt like we could gaze at each other like this for hours on end... if not for the tenuousness of our present situation.
“Our necks might get tired too,” she joked, in response to my latest silent musing. “And, I am totally ready for a rematch!”
We laughed together, and it seemed like we were just getting into a good groove for a ‘two out of three’ contest, when all of a sudden, a trio of heavy knocks resounded from the other side of my bedroom door.
“Yeah?” I responded, hoping I sounded as if I were into the game as I had been just seconds ago. I caught a glimpse of Daciana scurrying for cover behind my headboard.
“Son, dinner’s ready!” said Dad, with an irritated gruffness.
“Your grandpa and Julien have been grilling ribeye steaks out on the back porch,” said Mom, whose sweetness was just the opposite of my father. “Your favorite.”
“Really?”
Oh, yeah... that announcement appealed mightily to the primal carnivore within.
“Yep!” Dad responded, adding a warm chuckle that might’ve been for Mom’s benefit as much as mine.
I heard them mumbling together, and could picture Mom shaking her head at Dad’s initial tone, since he sometimes sounds pissed off when he’s actually in a mellow mood.
“Hmmm, that sounds really good,” I said, casting a glance back toward where Daciana peered at me from near my nightstand’s lamp. I silently mouthed to her that I would grab her a bite to eat as well, adding another kiss blown from my pursed lips before turning off the game console. “I’ll be right there... but isn’t it a little early for dinner?”
“It’s almost six o’clock, and we’re expecting company this evening,” Dad advised.
“It’s that late?” To my surprise, my nightstand’s clock confirmed the time as 5:58 p.m. Just six hours left to hang in there... depending, of course, on what happened when our EEC visitors returned for ‘Round Two.’ An event, I might add, which had kept my stomach churning in knots since this morning. “Well, damn, I guess it’s later than I had thought.”
A glance out the window facing Chaffin’s Bend revealed the sun had begun its rapid descent in the western sky. It would be dark just over an hour from now.
Meanwhile, and without warning, Mom opened my door... slowly, as if breaching my privacy respectfully, and giving Daciana plenty of time to take cover. My mother lightly sniffed the air, and I stood to greet my parents as they strode into my bedroom hand in hand.
Both were dressed semi-formally, as if they had attended a ‘special occasion’ church service that day. Perhaps they did... knowing their oldest kid was dancing with the Devil again, and believing I was likely headed back to Purgatory very soon.
But even worse than the new prison sentence they obviously feared, a sudden disappearance from this world to ‘God knows where’ would doubtless be more traumatic for everyone who loves me. Same for Daciana, cherished by her family too....
They won’t know where we are, unless Sorin Gabon sends them a postcard or ransom note.
That silent joke could’ve inspired an ornery smile, if not for the fact it was impossible to gloss over the emotional pain sure to come for those I cherish dearly—made keenly poignant as I noticed now that Mom’s gorgeous sapphire eyes were reddened, obviously from crying. Dad’s hazel eyes were much darker than usual as well.
Seeing them both like this seriously tore at my heart!
“Do I need to change clothes for this occasion?” I asked.
“Nah... you’re fine, Bas,” said Dad, smiling sadly. “Come along... everyone’s waiting.”
He wrapped his arm around Mom and they motioned for me to lead the way out of my room. I listened for one of them to close the door behind them, but they left it open. In the meantime, I wondered who counted as ‘everyone’ in Dad’s headcount for this evening’s dinner event.
As we approached the landing, it sounded like most of my family had gathered in the dining room, where I also heard Julien’s resounding laughter.
A joyous occasion, perhaps? At least this should be much better than a meeting with Charles Dickens’ Grim Reaper!
Upon reaching the grand foyer, I noticed sage garland draped across the hall tree and credenza. And, as we passed through the large Corinthian columns that mark the living room’s entrance, the same kind of garland rested atop the fireplace’s sculpted mahogany mantel.
Obviously, this sort of thing wasn’t some early holiday season decorative effort. In all likelihood, it was Grandma’s doing, whose superstitions and ties to the ‘Old Ways’ from our Romanian homeland had outlasted my grandfather’s by nearly a century. And, for those unfamiliar with this practice, sage has often been employed throughout the world to purge an area of unwanted negative energy and to bring things back into a state of harmony.
That said, I couldn’t picture my family feeling I had permanently screwed up our home’s ‘Chi’ balance... at least I hoped not. But did this have anything to do with the EEC’s earlier visit, and perhaps a hope to ‘flush out’ my beloved Daciana from her hideout?
“Well, it appears our guest of honor has finally arrived!” Julien enthused, his patented Georgian drawl enhanced by t
he martini he held as I stepped into the dining room through the open pocket doors from the living room. “Dig in, everyone!”
The immense table was set with thirteen place settings, along with a platter filled with delectable smelling steaks, and large crystal bowls containing ‘side offerings’ of local traditions, such as savory mac n’ cheese, baked potatoes, and my personal favorite, sweet potatoes. There were hot yeast rolls and a variety of other vegetables, too—a real feast, for sure.
Such an extravagance for just lil’ ole me? Y’all shouldn’t have!
With the gravity of the impending evening ‘visitation’ Dad had mentioned upstairs, I was torn between giving voice to the humorous thoughts pouring into my head at that moment—like noticing my place setting put me in a spot similar to Jesus in the more famous Last Supper depictions, with half a dozen place settings to the right and that many to the left—and the prudence to keep things demure. I opted for the latter, at least until I knew fully what this grand production was all about.
To my relief, everyone seemed most interested in heeding Julien’s admonition, which gave me the opportunity to better assess my situation. To my immediate right sat my parents, along with the Mays and my grandparents. And to my left, sat Adrian, Catriona, and their adorable kids, along with Alisia and Harris.
An even dozen... with my familial clairvoyant interrogators stationed all around me from various vantage points. I wondered if this might also include Meredith, since as mentioned previously, her mortal intuitive gifts rivaled those of any witch or warlock I’ve known. Even as I quietly surveyed the room, after noticing Grandma had also draped a smaller garland of sage across the dining room’s mantel, I noticed Meredith studied me thoughtfully... and the odd color of her eyes. Normally green or blue—depending upon her mood—this evening they were gold. Mom had once said that Julien’s wife’s intuitions are strongest when her eyes morphed to this particular shade.