Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series)

by Burgess, Marisette

  Max whispered a prayer under his breath. He pulled the drawer under the sink and pulled out a pair of surgical scissors. He took the scissors, cut straight up her ripped shirt and bra, and then cut the straps off. He stretched her white tank top off her shoulders and off her sides exposing her back. He took his left hand and placed it around her neck it glowed with bright yellow rays. Then her back began to glow in the same manner.

  “Dion, you do not have to watch this,” Max said.

  “I am not leaving her.” I placed my hand over her head and stroked her hair with my thumb.

  “Remember she will never feel a thing,” Max reassured. “Antony the scalpel.”

  Antony handed Max the scalpel. Then Max cut a perfect line into her flesh from her neck to the bottom of her back. The incision did not bleed Max had the ability of controlling the blood flow and keeping it within her body. I held my breath and could not swallow due to the lump in my throat. Max put the bloody scalpel down then with the same hand; he parted her flesh using only his thumb and pointer finger. The incision needed to be wide enough for him to slip his hand through it.

  I turned my head and closed my eyes. Over hundreds of years, I watched him perform countless surgical procedures. Never did I care for the medical profession, but it by no means bothered me. Tonight was different. I could not bear the thought that Kasey was undergoing this. She did nothing to deserve this. It was merely because she was with me. How could I have left her unprotected? I never imagined a brother of mine capable of such a thing.

  I opened my eyes as Max inserted his hand into the widen incision.

  After rummaging around her insides, he said. “Her lungs are good. You can remove the mask. I have her breathing normal.”

  Antony detached the oxygen mask from her face. I squeezed her hand. An ache pierced my stomach as clicks resonated through the silent exam room.

  “Her bones are in place. Now I am going to start to repair the nerves.”

  Martin stepped back after the third crack; he rocked from side to side. Time never moved more slow. It took him numerous minutes or so. As his hand passed the damaged areas in her spine, his fingers worked to heal the tissues, muscles, and nerves.

  When his hand reached her lower back, his eyebrows furrowed.

  “What is wrong?” I asked.

  “This is the area I worried about. She has two nerves still attached by a miracle.”

  “Does this mean she will walk?” I asked.

  “Give me two seconds and I will let you know.” Max’s fingers worked. He concentrated. “They healed nicely. She will walk.”

  I sighed. My legs gave out and I bent next to the table. Then I kissed her forehead.

  Max pulled his hand out of her body and wiped it on the towel. With that same hand glowing, he passed it over her incision gliding his fingers skillfully on the opening. He began from the bottom of her back to the top, ever so slow. After his radiating fingers passed over the cut, it vanished. When the entire incision and the three slashes on her skin were gone, he removed both his hands from her body.

  “Flip her over.” Max commanded. I placed my hands under her shoulder and rib cage then lifted her up. I moved my hand onto her chest holding her clothing in place to keep her decent. I could feel her tender breasts beneath my fingertips. Antony rolled her towards him and we laid her onto her back.

  Max placed his glowing hand on her forehead. The bleeding cut disappeared. He then ran his thumb down her cheek and healed any reminisce of the scrape. Max went over to the sink and scrubbed his hands. She began to moan.

  “Max…” I found it hard to get the words out, “I cannot even thank…” I shook my head and swallowed hard.

  “I know Dion…I know,” Max reassured.

  “Dion, we know what she means to you,” John placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “She is special to you brother, she is special to all of us,” Antony smiled.

  “We would give our lives for her,” Martin stepped up.

  I had not notice that James had stepped out of the room, but he reentered with a blanket for Kasey. We laid the blanket over her, body this woke her into consciousness. She looked around the room confused. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it twice.

  “What…” she tried to ask, but her voice was hoarse and raspy. She lifted her head.

  “Get her some water.” Max ordered Martin.

  He left the room.

  “Take it easy Kasey, relax.” Max placed his hand on her forehead. She rested her head back, but still looked concerned.

  “How do you feel?” Max asked.

  “Strange…I’m really sore.” She looked around bewildered.

  “Do me a favor and move your legs.”

  She immediately looked alarmed. Kasey rocked her legs back and forth.

  “You will feel stiff, as if your body underwent a rigorous work out. Before you walk make sure to stretch your spine and legs.” Max instructed her.

  Martin re-entered the room with a plastic cup of water. He handed it to me and I brought it to Kasey’s lips. She reached up and tried to take hold of it herself, but her hand trembled.

  “What happened?” she asked, looking at James. He avoided her eyes and looked down ashamed. “I was being chased and then…”

  “You fell off a cliff. Max mended your spine. It was fractured,” I informed her.

  “What? Really?” She became anxious.

  “We will give you some space.” Max gestured for the others to leave the room.

  They left, and I bent close to Kasey’s face. I leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

  “Will I be alright?” She asked concerned.

  “Yes. He was able to heal your spine completely. You scared us. For a second we didn’t think you would walk again.” I kissed her forehead.

  “I can’t believe I’m not in pain.” She said amazed.

  Max entered the room. “Pardon me, Kasey but you have been through quite an ordeal today. I would suggest you rest for a while.” Max dimmed the lights.

  “Dion, why not go with your brothers and look for Sam? I shall stay here with Kasey, she will be fine.”

  I kissed the back of her hand then I kissed her lips. I whispered into her ear, “I love you.” Then I squeezed her hand and walked out of the room so that she might sleep.

  15. Kasey It’s Time

  I didn’t want Dion to leave me, but my body craved sleep. He left and before Max closed the door, I called his name.

  “Do you need something?” he asked.

  “No, no, I…I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I know you don’t particularly like me…I just wanted to say thanks.”

  “My dear Kasey, I am truly sorry if this is what I have led you to believe. It is not that I do not like you. You are a fine girl.”

  “I always thought you didn’t want me and Dion together.”

  He confused me.

  “In a way I do not. You have to understand, I know what my brother is going to go through when this period of bliss is over. Cyra and I were in absolute ecstasy. So in love, so much passion, and then in a fraction of a second she was gone. There is not a day in a thousand years that I do not yearn for her touch. Some days I wake up in the morning, and I swear I can smell her floral scent next to me. There is nothing more powerful than love and nothing more painful. I would never wish this eternity of suffering, of longing to be with her some day, on any man, much less my own brother. My wishes were for him to avoid this pain. But I suppose love is unavoidable.”

  I could see the suffering in his worn eyes. Would this be Dion after I’m long passed?

  “Max, if you could turn back the hands of time, knowing what you know now. Would you have allowed yourself to love Cyra?”

  His face became blank as if he was mentally reminiscing. Then he half smirked and nodded.

  “I would take a thousand years of suffering again for even one day, one kiss, of hers.” And with that, he left the room.

  It must be hard for him to have s
uch control, such discipline of his emotions. Even though sometimes he seemed callous toward his brothers, I saw why they all admired him and allowed him to be their father figure. He was young, merely twenty-five, when God robbed him of his human life, but Max exemplified the wisdom much like that of an elder.

  I couldn’t help to think of what was to become of Dion and me. I would continue to age and then one day pass on to the next stage. That would never happen to him. I wondered if two soul mates agonized for each other until the day they were able to be together. Was Cyra longing for her Max wherever her spirit resided? I must accept destiny for what it is. I needed to believe that fate had a plan a reason for what it did. I could not think of the suffering Dion would endure when I passed, or I would never fully embrace the love intended for us. Exhausted, I fell into a heavy sleepy state.

  I awoke from my sleep, and it seemed like years passed. Dion sat in a chair watching me. I smiled.

  “Hello beautiful.” He reciprocated my smile.

  “What time is it?”

  “It is ten o’clock in the evening,” he replied.

  “Hmmm…” I stretched. My neck was still stiff, “It’s so late.”

  I sat up. I realized gravity allowed my clothing to fall downward. Immediately I placed my hand over my breasts, holding in place my tank top and sports bra. Shredded and bloodied, my white tank hardly covered me. I noticed the cold chill on my bare back. Shocked by these revelations I asked, “What happened to my top?”

  Dion, whose facial expression illustrated that he was enjoying the fact I was half-topless, explained, “Max cut it off in order to properly work on your spine.”

  Goosebumps spread through my skin. I shuttered at the thought.

  “Did he have to cut me open?”

  “Wide open.” Dion grinned.

  I sighed. “Gross. Why couldn’t he just touch me and heal?”

  “Kasey, this is not Hollywood. It does not work quite like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “In order for Max to heal a body part he must physically touch that body part. If a bone is broken he must touch that bone so that the bone can begin to heal, then he heals the muscle, then the skin. If it is an organ he must place his hand on the organ.”

  “I can’t believe I don’t feel a thing other than sore.” I said dumbfounded.

  “He has an amazing gift,” Dion said.

  Looking down I flushed. Embarrassed I asked, “Did everyone see me like this?”

  He smiled big, “Yes, but you were always properly covered up. I promise.”

  That didn’t make me feel any better about his brothers seeing me so bare. He stood and walked over to me. I’d never seen him look so unkempt, his hair disheveled and messy. He looked adorable in his tight black tee shirt with faded ripped jeans. He came and stood by my side. I lifted my shirt a tad higher, due to my awkward state. I didn’t look at him. He took his hand and softly caressed my forearm up to my bare shoulder. Then he took his thumb and with a feather touch, passed it across my shoulder blade, down the middle of my back outlining my spine. He stopped at the very bottom of my lower back. A tingly sensation traveled through parts of my body and my skin filled itself with goose bumps. He reached down and kissed the lower part of the back of my neck. I let out a heavy breath.

  “My sincerest apologies for what my brothers did to you,” he said in a soft voice.

  “You don’t have to apologize for your brothers actions.”

  “Still, I should have been there to protect you.”

  “You saved my life. You did protect me.” I looked at him with a kind smile. He leaned down and kissed me lightly. I let his hand explore all of my back as our lips continued a rhythmic dance. With his other hand, he caressed the opposite shoulder. For a split second, I thought about letting the hand on my chest let go of the clothing it was holding up. Before I could act on the thought, he stopped and stepped back.

  “Here, I took a tee shirt from John for you to wear.” He placed a burgundy tee shirt in my lap.

  “Oh, thank you.”

  I must have been overly eager in my thank you, because he chuckled.

  “I will turn around so you can change.” He then walked back toward the chair and faced the wall.

  The tee shirt had a big recycling triangle in the middle. Inside the triangle was a river with fish in it. After I finished I said. “Okay I’m good, interesting shirt.”

  “Sorry, John grabbed it,” he said taking no blame in the matter.

  I got off the exam table slow and steady. Even though I felt fine, I was somewhat freaked about the medical procedure I underwent. Dion came over to me at once. He must have thought the same, unsure how I would do on my feet. I grabbed hold of his arm and steadied myself for a second.

  “I’m okay,” I said letting go and stepped forward. I twisted and turned my upper body in a stretch. My spine cracked several times. As I passed the sink, I took a quick glance at my reflection. It mortified me. “Oh, God. I look horrible.”

  I rubbed my cheeks for they were unusually pale. I pulled out my band that held an un-kept ponytail. I let my hair fall loose.

  “You look like you fell off a cliff today, but otherwise still beautiful,” Dion said putting his hand on my back and kissing my head. He placed a large grey coat over my shoulders.

  Dion locked up the clinic for Max and we headed for his house. The night was dreadfully wintry. Always a Florida girl, the forty-degree night air sent a chill down to every bone in my body. He cranked the heat in his car for me. Winter was on its way. As we walked into his gorgeous art-deco mansion, the aroma of something delicious traveled right to the core of my stomach. It rumbled loudly and shocked me.

  “Hungry?” he asked amused.

  “I think I am.” I headed for the kitchen.

  John, Martin, and Antony were in the kitchen. The twins munched on some Empanadas. Antony ate a salad.

  “Kasey, you have come back from the dead!” John came over and gave me a great big bear hug and kiss on the cheek. Then Antony and Martin also greeted me with kisses on my cheek.

  “I can’t thank you guys enough for all you did.”

  “You do not have to mention it,” Antony said.

  “No worries it is part of the day job,” John beamed.

  Dion and I sat down and grabbed two brown crispy Empanadas. Before I picked mine to bite into it Antony offered, “Kasey I made enough salad for two if you would like that instead. It is southwest so it has spicy beans and peppers.”

  “Oh, that sounds much better. Thank you Antony.” He was strange, but kind, and down to earth. Dion grabbed my empanada and placed it on his plate. Antony proceeded to prepare me a plate of salad. Layna entered the room with her casual stride. She placed herself at Antony’s feet.

  “Did Sam ever resurface?” I remembered the tiger in the forest.

  “Martin and John received a vision of him leaving Deia and in his condo in Palma, but when we went there he was gone,” Antony answered.

  “Do you think he’ll be back?” I worried.

  “Oh, he will return, but I do not think before the winter solstice,” Dion said.

  “Where’s Max?” I asked noting that we were a brother short.

  “He and James have been privately talking for the past three hours,” Martin answered.

  “If he is confessing then they will be in there for the next three months,” John said hypercritical.

  “Do you think we can trust him?” I asked doubtful.

  At that moment, Max and James entered the room.

  “I think we can. He is a Kleon brother and welcome here.” Max put his arm around James approvingly. I swallowed; embarrassed that he heard my question.

  “I am sorry, Kasey, for everything. I never meant to hurt you. We wanted to scare you off. I truly am sorry,” James said attempting to be humble.

  I nodded, but looked away, remembering how he pressed me against that tree.

  Dion spoke grimly. “I am not ready
to forget.”

  James shook his head. “I understand. When the time is right then.”

  “Kasey, how does your spine feel?” Max approached me. His hand glowed as he scanned my back. I couldn’t look at his face. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

  “I feel fine, thanks.” I sputtered quickly.

  “What about Sam? What is his plan?” asked Antony in a serious tone.

  “Sam is not a terrible man. He is simply lost. I think in his mind he figures he is offering a form of salvation to his brothers. He does not want you to suffer this immortal life anymore.”

  “What about him? Why does he not want death for himself? He suffers as much, if not more, than any of us?” John said sully.

  “He figures there is no hope for him to ever have redemption, so immortality is the best choice he has.” James grabbed an empanada.

  “Whatever happens, we will be ready,” Max said, ending that conversation. “James is going to stay here with us until he decides otherwise,” Max informed the clan.

  Dion leaned into me, “Are you finished eating? I would like to show you something.”

  I followed him out of the kitchen and into the hallway by the front door. He grabbed a black leather jacket from the closet, and helped me into it. He took locks of my hair from under the jacket and un-tucked my red curls. Only the tips of my fingers stuck out from the sleeves. Like a girl in her daddy’s jacket.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as he put on his grey jacket.

  “Up to see the stars.” He grabbed my sleeve and led me outside. Hidden from plain sight, behind tall bushes, a steel spiral black staircase led up to the house’s flat roof.

  The tranquil air carried no breeze tonight. It was exceedingly frigid. Winter was moving into Spain and the island of Mallorca.

  The leather jacket did a stellar job keeping the parts it covered warm. The flat roof was decent big in size with a ruble floor. A two-foot boarder wall, made up the edge. The black night sky lit up with what looked like a thousand little Christmas lights. The ghost colored moon was in its waxing gibbous stage. That meant that it would be at full the night of the winter solstice. In the middle of the roof, bolted to the floor, a telescope with a metal case covering stood in isolation. Dion went up to it and took the covering off.