"Kasha, what is your opinion? Would you want to come to this club?" Frankie asked me.
"I think it is perfect. I love the mystery you created from the first moment you arrive with the red door at the entryway walking into the club. There was a build up, creating excitement and interest in what the club was all about. I liked that it is not exactly the same as the other club, but when I am in here I know it is your club Graven. It has a very similar aesthetic feel to it. I am glad that you kept the cloud-like feel of the ceiling, that embellishment is my favorite detail in both clubs."
"I couldn't have said it any better myself. One question: where do the dancers go? I don't see any boxes, this place does not have a stage either which will limit booking performers." Graven looked around.
"We are working on a few things. I have a guy who specializes in steel ropes and hanging platforms coming by tomorrow. We are going to find a way to get something hanging from the ceilings for you. We talked about something like oversized bird cages."
"Ok great. I can't wait to see what that looks like." Graven clapped his hands together once. "So let's head down. We have some things we need to discuss- Randal, Frankie. Ladies, if you would please excuse us. I am going to have these gentlemen take me to my new office. Maritza, I'd like for you to make sure the bars are properly set up and look into the bar's storage areas." Graven handed out orders like they were cookies.
"Perfect. We can all walk down together. I have one more thing I want to show you on the way down," Frankie said walking in front of us. He had a little skip to his step. His excitement was oozing out of him; I almost started to skip behind him.
We took the spiral staircase down to the second level. The music was booming so loud it made it hard to have a conversation. Small talk would not be an option; it needed to be important enough to make the effort or not bother because the chances were no one would hear what you had to say. Frankie guided us to stand near the balcony overlooking the main dance floor.
He stood there and closed his eyes. His head dipped back and his chest rose with a deep breath. He blew out into the fog and as it swirled in front of us I watched as the dance floor became packed with people dancing and nearly shoving each other to get at the bar. The energy down there was electric. I could see the dancers pumping their fists to the beat, others swaying and swinging to the rhythm.
I looked over at Graven. "Where did all those people come from? I thought we were alone and not ready to open."
Frankie blew out again over the balcony and as the smoke cleared so did all the people.
"He is a Visionary, he has the ability to show people things, usually what they want to see, but it can be based on the truth of what is to come, other times it is just someone's fantasy. It only lasts for a few minutes at most, but it can be a very powerful motivator especially when it is used to show someone their worst fears."
"Wow. That was wild," I said trying to contain myself and not acting like a child seeing something for the first time. I was both amazed and terrified at the same time. Luckily or unluckily for me I have already experienced my worst nightmares.
"Would you guys like to see the DJ booth before we head down?" Randal waved us in the direction of the water feature.
The trickling water streamed down the wall that was visible on both levels. When we got to the back of the roped off VIP section there was a hidden doorway.
There were no handles for anyone to turn. From the outside it looked like the black door blended in with the wall. There was a small flat square on the outside of the door and Randal put his hand over it. His handprint glowed blue for a second and the door slid into a pocket in the wall.
The hidden panel opened into a narrow room. There was the same glass window from the private room below. Anyone in the DJ booth could see out into the club. Before I took note of the decor I was stuck on watching Tobias.
His feet were not planted firmly on the ground like the rest of us. He was slightly hovering off the ground. He was clearly in the zone. I don't know if his hair was now white or if it appeared white from the black lights. He looked like a giant version of one of those tiny trolls with the hair that stuck up and all over the place.
His arms moved in and out with the music. He looked like he was both dancing and conducting an electronic orchestra. I could see the turntables and cd players in front of him, but there were no records playing.
I looked at him and back at Graven. He winked back at me. "Later," he whispered.
There was an upholstered bench along the back wall with counters and shelves on either side of the room for storing records or other equipment a normal DJ might need.
I was at a loss of words. I again had no clue what was going on, but it sure as hell was cool. My experiences so far entering into this new supernatural reality have all been dark and devastating. Watching someone let the music flow through him and out for the rest of us to experience had me amazed and feeling a tad bit optimistic.
"Looks like he has a great view," I said. But I also noticed that he still had his sunglasses on so I'm not sure how much he was looking.
"He sure does. Graven when we go down to your office we can talk about the terms of his contract. Shall we?" Frankie gestured for us to head back down.
Chapter Eleven
WE GOT BACK DOWN TO the main floor. Graven and the other men went off somewhere, I assumed down. We did not see an office on the tour, but I knew it would be common knowledge. Tobias still had the music pumping.
Maritza and I went over to the bar. I put my drink down and realized I didn't even take two sips. The ice had completely melted. I was ok with that, I needed to stay on my toes at all times. I wasn't about to let someone get the drop on me so easily again. Even if we were in Graven's club.
Who knows what motivated those kind of people? I was sure it had something to do with money and power, perhaps a little sex. Even the most primitive species thrive on similar desires and from some of the comments Graven had made, some of these people live a long time.
Maritza went behind the bar to talk with the barmaid. Maybe I should have been following her and listening, but the music had my mind wandering. At this point, for me, a wandering mind meant a worried mind.
Setting aside my own fears I still had two other situations I needed to find solutions to. Rescuing my mother and protecting my friends Patience, Axel and Phaela. Here in Santa Fe I knew there wasn't much I could do about my mother. It crossed my mind to try and astral project to see her, but I knew from Graven's experience that I wouldn't get close to her or onto the compound. I can't imagine they lowered their protection spell against astral projectors. I needed to get back to Sedona and out to their remote hideaway. So that would have to wait until we got back. But here in Santa Fe- I had three other people that I cared very deeply for and they were in danger. It had only been a few days since Anton was killed. If Ziona had not already sent someone to question them, they would soon be on their way. Patience still thought I was being held captive.
Everything had been happening so fast that I almost forgot that I needed to get back there. I told Phaela I would try to come back in an hour and that was more than a day ago. Maybe I should have just told her that I was safe. I looked around and watched Maritza and the barmaid walk through a door behind the bar. I assume there was a stock room or additional coolers where the beer was stored for easy access.
Graven had gone off to do business stuff with Frankie and Randal. I started to contemplate how much time I might have until everyone was finished. I had a rough idea where Patience and Axel's house might be located. Though I loved to spend time in Santa Fe, I had only lived there for a few weeks so my internal map might not be so great. I really was going to have to see about getting a new cell phone; I couldn't even pull up a map.
I totally got that Graven felt like I was his responsibility to protect, but I was going to have to learn to take care of myself in this much more hostile world that I was living in. I might not have known how to u
se all of my quote unquote powers, but I must have had enough to protect myself or at the very least defend myself.
I was able to channel something when those red-eyed mutts chased me through the underground tunnels. Maybe if faced with another life or death situation I would be able to do it again.
I refused to live like a prisoner, even under the illusion that I was free from the confines of that dark cell. I was starting to question if there was any way to truly escape the darkness. It was everywhere. The even bigger problem of course is what was hiding in those shadows.
We were in a busy enough part of town I could have found a cab to get to their house. They needed me and I needed them. I looked around again and no one was in sight. I knew that Tobias could see me, but what did he know about where I should or shouldn't be? Chances were with those sunglasses on he wasn't bothering to look anyway.
I started walking around pretending to examine and inspect the club, making my way toward the front corridor. I knew it would be obvious if I went out the back door, and who wants to take their chances in an alley, not me.
I walked through the black and red corridor with the music pounding as loud as my heart. I was fighting myself internally about leaving, but there was something inside of me that was pulling me to them. I had to go see them.
I didn't care what happened to me in the process. The closer I got to the front door the stronger the pull was, I felt like someone was calling me. Like they were calling me. All other thoughts fell to the wayside. I found myself with tunnel vision and one mission. My feet started to pick up the pace. I knew I had to get out of the mazelike entryway.
I was about to burst through the black drapes when I hit a wall. At least it felt like a wall. I must not have been looking where I was going. I lifted my eyes from the red lines on the floor to find a very unexpected solid astral projection of Graven.
"And where, might I ask, do you think you are going?" Graven stood strong and in my way.
"Get out of my way, Graven," I demanded and tried to push through him. I failed. "How are you doing that?"
"How am I doing what? What's the matter? You don't know how to do something? You don't know what I am capable of?" Graven's questions were full of sarcasm.
"I guess not, and that is exactly why I have to get out of here. I have to go there. I have to see them. They need me." I pushed into this chest. I tried to maneuver past him.
"If in fact there is truth to what you say, they need you alive. You know not what I am capable of and you say you trust me. What about those whom you do not know or trust? Have you any idea what they are capable? How will you defend yourself?" Graven demanded an answer.
"I will manage. I have powers, don't I? They are so great that everyone is making a fuss over kidnapping me, holding me prisoner, not being sure about how far to push the abuse on me to get me to give up my "true self." I used my fingers to emphasize the quotes. I could feel something stirring inside of me, coiling up from the base of my core, starting to constrict the flow of my existence.
"What do you want from me, Graven? You must want something too. Everyone does. I see how your associates looked at me, you did too. There is something about me, something different and everyone can sense it. I am going to Patience's house now!" I again tried to push past his barricade again with no avail.
"Let me go!" I cried out and pounded at his nearly transparent chest. I dropped down to my knees and couldn't help but cry. When I opened my eyes I realized I was still standing and Graven was holding me by my elbows, my shimmery blue elbows.
"Why are you doing this to me?" I couldn't stop crying. It was like the dam broke. The pain and the fears were two fold and I was feeling them in my physical body and my astral body.
Graven took me into his arms and held me tight. I could feel a warmth radiating from his core. I looked up at him holding me, through my tears he appeared to be glowing red. I wasn't sure if it was him or the lighting. The music still pumping and my thoughts shifted from one awful thought or memory to the next between the breaks in the beats.
I could feel his emotions and they were starting to override my own. I knew he was on his way to come to me. I didn't need for him to tell me. It was like he was an open book and the questions I might seek would be provided with answers.
I knew he said that he believed that I was someone he was meant to be with, but those were words. Words spoken to him, words he spoke to himself, words he believed and tried to convince me of. But in that moment as our bodies, our minds and our souls were entwined with one another, I could feel how real it was for him.
He allowed me to experience the latitude of what I meant to him. It might not have made sense to me at the time, but I could no longer blow off his words. They were not just words; they were emotions and dedications of himself to me and protecting my existence.
I felt him come from behind me and scoop up my body from the floor. He held both of my bodies that existed in two different worlds. Two worlds I was not really sure I belonged to.
The only other form of existence that I knew of was not an option for me. I wasn't ready to join Gram and I was not about to let myself be the reason my friends or mother would join her either.
"I know you have to get this out. This is not the place. I promise you that I will help you with your friends. I also promise you that I will let you cry your eyes out and hold you for as long as you need, but we need to get out of here.
"It is imperative that no one gets the impression that we are not what we say we are. This situation could look like we are fighting. I won't allow anyone to assume your availability. As far as anyone is concerned I am yours and you are mine." He held me tight and lifted the base of my chin to see my face. "I know you have not chosen me as your bond, but for now it is the safest for no one to know that. There are few who would challenge me and my position. Let's not give them the impression that they want to take a chance to find out. It won't end well for them."
I nodded in understanding. He gently used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the trail of tears that were staining my cheeks with black mascara.
"We are pretty much done down here. I will let Maritza finish up all the details. As we speak I am telling her of our departure. She can take the truck back to the hotel."
"Ok. I can't leave Santa Fe without seeing them. We have to talk about this as soon as we leave. If you won't take me there I will astral project there. They don't even know I am alive at this point." My chest double heaved between my snotty breaths.
We both faded back to our bodies and stood together looking at each other. Graven pulled me in for a bigger hug. I buried my face into his chest and he kissed the top of my head.
"I promise we will get through this." The intensity of his devotions warmed me from the inside out and calmed my sudden outburst. "Come on, let's get out of here," Graven whispered against the side of my head.
I felt his words tickle the tiniest of hairs on my ear and neck. His voice was low and unintentionally seductive. The shift in our energy felt good, but it also signaled to me that it was time to go.
Once outside of the club he escorted me back to the shady alley that we arrived in.
"I thought you said that you were going to leave the truck for Maritza?"
"I did say that. We won't be traveling by man's machine this evening," he replied as he lifted off his tear-stained tee shirt and tucked it in his rear pocket. Seeing this man remove his shirt would never get old. I also knew what came next and this time I was ready for it.
"Can you do that here in the city? What if someone sees us?" How could he transform into a gargoyle in public?
"Usually I travel alone and if I travel through my projection no one can see me. I have a feeling that you are so special that having you with me will not interfere with what I can do."
"What? I don't understand." I really had no clue what he was saying or trying to say.
"Most people when they astral project can't have a physical connection with their
surroundings. There are few people that are attuned to be able to see another person projecting, unless they are projecting at the same time. It has to do with the vibrational frequency of the person and how well they can control the projection. Two people could pass each other in astral form if they are traveling on different planes or different vibrational frequencies and not even know it. There are an infinite number of planes. I promise I will explain everything that I know to you in time."
"Ok, but what about us flying up and over this city? Won't people see us?"
"This city is so polluted with electromagnetic frequencies from the excess amount of technology that I am able to camouflage myself by using my ability to astral project. We should go undetected."
The alley was dark, but some light filtered in from the city that surrounded us. Even in this faint light, Graven's eyes drew me in. I probably looked confused by what he was saying, but the truth was that I was more mesmerized by his strong facial features than by what he was saying.
He continued to explain his theory to me, but I was thinking about the way his perfectly pulled back hair was about to disappear and his face was going to shift into something that looked more canine than human.
"The best way to explain it is that I can travel through my projection, my astral body will cloak my physical form. Your frequency is so close to mine that they will not see you in my arms. It is also why we are able to see each other and connect in a physical way even in our astral bodies."
I had read about some of the things that he was talking about, but not in a way that I thought possible. You hear about clairvoyants being able to see spirits and auras, but most humans tend not to believe what they can't see. I had my reservations, but always wanted to believe that more existed than what I could see. Gram always taught me about the infinite possibilities of energy. That energy didn't just disappear.
Betrayed: Breaking the Darkness Series Book Two Page 11