Symbiosis (Scintillate Series Book 2)

by Karen Tjebben

  SYMBIOSIS

  Karen Tjebben

  SYMBIOSIS is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or events is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by Karen Tjebben

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the author. For information regarding permission visit: https://www.facebook.com/karentjebbenauthor.

  First Published Edition: January 2015

  Cover art designed by Christine Taylor MacLellan

  Printed in the United States of America

  Symbiosis is dedicated to my loving family.

  Michael, thanks for your love and support.

  You inspire me to reach for my dreams.

  Girls, your smiles and laughter brighten our home.

  I love you.

  I also want to thank Melanie and Emily.

  Melanie, I count on you for your honest opinion, and you

  always deliver. I love that about you.

  Emily, thanks for cheering me on. Your encouragement and

  support are appreciated more than you’ll ever know.

  Contents

  1. Challenges

  2. The Other Side

  3. Boundaries

  4. Unravel

  5. Run

  6. Night Moves

  7. Monday

  8. Visions

  9. Tuesday

  10. Field Trip

  11. Aftermath

  12. Stained

  13. Wednesday

  14. Crossing the Line

  15. Playing Hooky

  16. Fire Powder

  17. The Truth Shall Set You Free

  18. Battleground

  1. Challenges

  “There she is.” Alex gazed from the hilltop into the field below. Long blades of field grasses waved in the wind and obscured the three of them as they lay on their stomachs. Their eyes followed the beautiful young woman by the loch. Two small braids circled her head and joined at the back. The rest of her long red hair fell loosely over her shoulders. Golden balls were woven throughout her hair and tinkled softly as she moved.

  “She’s hard to miss,” Nick said. He looked almost wild as he lay in the grass, like a hunter waiting for his prey. His blond hair was long and unruly. His clothes were dingy, and dirt was caked under his nails. “I shall introduce myself,” he said as he hopped up out of the grass.

  A dark haired girl smiled up at Nick from where she lay beside Alex. She rested her head on her hands and said, “Do not forget Nikolas, she is likely to be afraid of you.”

  Nick smiled as a light breeze blew the strands of his hair about. “Sarah, you have forgotten. The ladies find me charming.” He brushed grass and dirt off his brown woolen trousers and adjusted his lion skin cloak. With a nod to his two companions, he began the trek down the hillside.

  “We shall see,” Sarah said, as she looked doubtfully at Alex with a crooked grin.

  Above them, puffy gray clouds filled the sky and cast shadows on the calm water. The redhead plunged the bucket into the calm loch and sent out a ripple that marred the shadows cast down from heaven. She hummed softly to herself as she drew the bucket slowly through the water. Nick’s eyes never left the maiden as he closed the distance between himself and the redhead.

  The young woman lifted the bucket from the water and turned to walk away from the loch. “May I help you, Lass?” Nick called out to her.

  She startled. Her head jerked up to look for the voice that called to her. She stopped short when she saw Nick. Her pale blue eyes studied him suspiciously as he approached her. “Who are you?” She gripped the water bucket to her chest, one hand on the bottom and one on the handle.

  “Forgive me. My name is Nikolas. I’m from the south.” He kept his distance as he studied her.

  “I can see that,” she snapped as she stared at what was left of the head of a lion resting over his shoulder. “What is your business here?” Water splashed out of the bucket and onto her simple woolen cloak as she stepped away from Nick.

  A smile eased across his face. “I mean you no harm. My friends and I are traveling through,” he said softly.

  She scanned the area and backed away from him. “Where are your friends?”

  Nick looked over his shoulder, towards the hillside. “They are not far. They are shy.” He smiled and gave his shoulders a slight shrug. “What is your name?”

  “If you belonged here, you would not need to ask,” she replied coarsely. “My friends are not far either.” She looked over her shoulder at the hand-stacked stone fence that stood in the distance. It snaked its way for miles and marked her clan’s lands. Sheep and goats wandered by the fence as they munched on the sweet grass. “I will go now.” She walked backwards towards the stone fence, keeping her eyes on Nick.

  Nick stepped towards her. “Please, I must speak with you.” He touched her shoulder. “You are in danger.”

  She swung the bucket at Nick’s head. He deflected the bucket, but water drenched his lion skin cloak and ran onto his woolen trousers. He smiled as he watched her lift her long tunic and run towards the stone fence.

  “We shall talk later,” he yelled out as she gripped the stone fence.

  “Not bloody likely!” she yelled back. She hopped over the fence and glared at him. The nearby sheep scattered away, bleating and clanging their bells as they fled. Nick nodded, turned, and slowly made his way back up the hillside.

  Girls from her clan ran up to her. “Hayden, are you all right?” a young brunette asked.

  “Who was that?” another asked.

  “No one important. Just someone passing through,” Hayden replied as the girls chatted anxiously around her.

  As Nick joined his friends, Sarah stood and said with a smile, “That went well.” She brushed her hair out of her face as the wind threw it about wildly. “You do have a way with the ladies.” She picked up a zebra skin from the ground, flung it around her shoulders, and attached it like a cape.

  Nick adjusted the lion skin cloak on his shoulders. “Did you see that? She is amazing! Her spirit matches that fiery hair of hers.” Nick looked down the hillside at the village. “I think she likes me.”

  Alex stood and brushed himself off as he adjusted his tiger skin cloak. “Yes, of course you do. How could she not? What lady could resist your charms?” Nick pushed Alex in the shoulder, a smile upon his face.

  “From what I just saw,” Sarah began, “she might be the perfect woman for Nikolas. She certainly has spirit and fight.”

  “True, Nikolas needs someone to keep him in line,” Alex joked. He looked into the sky and settled his hands on his hips. “It is getting late. We should find quarter for the night. We need to plan.”

  “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence filled my room and roused me from yet another dream that included Nick and Alex. The dreams started the night of the Valentine’s Day Dance. So far I’d seen Nick and Alex at the pyramids, walking through crowded streets and marketplaces, traipsing through jungles, and traveling down a river in a boat powered by oarsmen. They looked exactly the same age, only their hair and clothes seemed to change with each location and time period. This last dream differed with the addition of a dark haired female in their group. Seeing her, hearing her voice was weird. I had no idea who she was or how she fit into their past.

  I hadn’t mentioned these dreams to Nick; I have enough to deal with. Ever since the dance, our relationship’s been strained. I don’t want to add another bizarre or supernatural thing to my life. The less he knows — the better.<
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  I turned off the powerful song and slid my feet into my comfy slippers. The warmth and weight of my robe was pleasant as I headed into the bathroom. A busy day was ahead of me, and I needed my wake-up shower before my training officially began at Jordan Lake. I couldn’t imagine what Nick was going to do to me there, but I knew I wasn’t looking forward to it.

  After my hot shower, I dressed and doubled my socks. I padded quietly into the kitchen and prepared my breakfast. The house was quiet because Dad was away on another business trip and Mom and Reese were sleeping in. In fact, I should be sleeping in. Who wakes up at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday? I drummed my fingers on the table while I ate some wheat toast and washed it down with chocolate milk. I hope today’s a romantic surprise and not really a training day. Nick and I need to get back to where we were before the dance.

  A light knock at the front door signaled the end of my breakfast. I walked down the short hallway from the kitchen to the front door and turned the door handle.

  “You’re not wearing that are you?” Nick pointed at my clothes. “I hope your swimsuit’s under there.”

  “My swimsuit?” I replied incredulously. “It’s like, thirty degrees outside. Why would I wear a swimsuit?”

  He pulled me outside and closed the door behind me. “What did you think we were going to do today, at a lake?”

  “I thought we were going to train — like run or climb trees. I never imagined we’d go swimming.” My breath rose visibly in the cold air as a nervous laugh escaped through my shivering lips. “You’re kidding right?” I wrapped my arms around myself more tightly in an attempt to ward off the cold.

  “No, I’m not kidding. I guess you can put it on under all that and then take those clothes off when we get there. Don’t forget a towel.” He opened the front door again and pushed me inside. “I’ll wait out here.”

  I trudged up the stairs and into my bedroom. Great! Today was going to be a nightmare. Ramel may not have killed me, but I guess Nick was determined to make me wish he had. Swimming… outside… in March! I hunted through my drawers and found my board shorts and tankini. I had no idea what Nick was going to have me do, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want to do it in a bikini.

  “We just have to walk a little bit,” Nick said as he pulled the car to a stop in a secluded section of Jordan Lake State Park. Loblolly pine trees soared overhead, bare bushes filled in the underbrush, and evergreens added beauty to the scene. All that was missing was snow for a barefoot walk on my way to an icy swim.

  Thoughts from my last trip to this lake filtered through my mind. That was the night that I learned about my Asteri heritage. I’d taken shelter in Alex’s arms as Nick slaughtered Ramel and the cerberi. Nick’s bravery had freed me from the relentless attacks that had pursued me. And now, as we walked together through these same woods, I wanted to take his hand, but I was afraid, afraid of crossing the barrier that I sensed he’d erected on the night of the dance. I didn’t know how to pummel the barrier; it seemed as if neither of us wanted to admit that it existed.

  Dead leaves muffled our footsteps as we marched along. “It’s just a little farther.” Nick pointed straight ahead. “You don’t have to be nervous. I’m here.” He took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

  The warmth from his hand soothed me, but I still felt awkward about what happened the night of the dance. I’d hurt him when I danced with Alex. I think he saw something that wasn’t there, or at least I tell myself it wasn’t there.

  “I know.” My eyes darted up towards his. “I trust you.”

  He smiled back, and it felt like a knife sliced through my heart. We never talk about my dance with Alex. We just pretend it never happened. Now Nick watches me, always suspicious, but ever faithful. He has that same look of expectation that Alex does. They both look at me like I’m ready to explode. If we don’t discuss it soon, I think I really will explode.

  We stepped into the clearing, and I instantly recognized the spot. I stopped, unable to move. My heart started to race as I sucked in breathes more quickly. I clung to Nick’s hand a little tighter. The images were all there, burned into my mind: the shredded bodies littering the ground, Nick covered in blood holding a sword that dripped thick iridescent gore, and the relief I saw in Alex’s eyes at my safety.

  “Kate, there’s nothing there.” Nick gently took my chin and turned my face towards his. He was beautiful and clean. No trace of blood; no evidence of the hell he’d destroyed to protect me.

  “I know.” I bit my lip. “It’s just that this is the first time I’ve been here since it happened. I guess I didn’t think I’d ever return.” I looked into his eyes. Pain and sorrow spilled out.

  “We’re here because we have to be. This is the best place.” He looked out towards the lake and then back at me. “You’re going to do great.”

  “So what exactly are we going to do today?” My breath swirled in the air as I talked. I was still in denial that we’d actually swim in this cold weather.

  “You are going to learn how to control your mind. You’re ready to tap into your body’s full potential.”

  “My body’s full potential?” I laughed and playfully grabbed his arm, curving my hand around his bicep “And how are we going to do that?”

  “You need to be properly motivated.” Nick laced his fingers through my hand and led me towards the lake. “The cold water should give you the desire to be warm. Hopefully you’ll take control of your mind and decide for yourself what you feel.” As we neared the water, we stopped. “Strip down to your bathing suit. Place your clothes here to keep them from getting wet.” He pointed to a patch of dormant grass and some rocks. “You might need them later,” he said with a smile.

  I stared at him as he removed his shoes and socks. The frost on the grass didn’t seem to bother him. “Well, get going,” he said as he pulled his arms out of his shirt. “You don’t need help, do you?” he smirked, balling up his shirt. He tossed it onto a boulder amidst the rocks.

  I grimaced at him because I could tell that he wasn’t flirting. “No, I can manage.” I untied my shoes and stepped on the backs of them while I pulled my feet free. I leaned against the boulder and instantly felt the cold cut through my clothes and bite my butt. I pulled off my socks and stuffed them into my shoes. When I stood up, I shivered as the frost tickled my bare feet. “Nick, I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”

  “You don’t have time to waste. You need to be ready right now.” Nick pulled off his running pants and revealed his swimsuit. His muscular chest and legs usually made me hot, but it was just too cold out here and his attitude was too dismissive to affect an internal response in me.

  “It’s cold,” I said.

  “You’ll get over it.”

  I took off my coat and yanked my sweatshirt over my head. The cold air hit my flesh and goose bumps sprang up along my exposed skin. I shivered and realized how thankful I was for the thin padding in my tankini. I pulled off my yoga pants and stood, shivering with my arms wrapped around my body. Nick put my clothes in my bag while I stood there, too cold to move.

  He ran his hands up and down along my arms, warming me. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I was too afraid, too afraid that he’d pull away again. Our relationship was so hot and cold recently that I didn’t know what to do or what to say. It was just easier to follow his lead and give him time to figure out how he felt about me. I was afraid that if I pressed the issue that I would push him away. His eyes locked on mine and he said, “You can do this.”

  “I know.” I nodded, not believing him for a second. We walked the few steps across frost covered ground to the water’s edge. A thin sheet of ice clung to the edge of the lake. Light sparkled off the surface, scintillating and giving the deceptive impression of warmth and comfort, but I knew better. The ice gave its true nature away. “I still can’t believe you’re serious about getting in that water. Look! Look at the ice.” I pointed to the thin crust of ice that embraced the edge of the lake.

  �
�That’s nothing to us. Don’t psych yourself out.” He stroked my back. The warmth of his hand magnified the contrasted between the frigid air and the warmth of his skin on my back. “I’ll step in with you.” His fingers laced between mine. “When you put your foot in, tell yourself that the water is warm — that it feels good. A lot of this is mental.”

  I burst out laughing. “Mental! Right now mental would explain a lot of what’s going on in my world.”

  “Very funny, Kate. Focus.”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled it loudly. “That’s it. Focus. That’s all there is to it?” I asked. I stared at him, pretty confident this experiment was going to fail.

  “It might take a couple of tries,” Nick encouraged. “But by the end of the day, you’ll be swimming in here. You’ll even think it feels great.”

  I stuck my toes into the water and quickly pulled them out. “It doesn’t feel great.”

  Nick chuckled. “I know it’s cold, but let’s take ten steps into the water and get this over with. Once you’re wet, you can begin conquering this.”

  “Ten steps is a lot. It might get deep quickly.” I looked at the water, unsure of how far out the shelf stretched. Would a sudden drop accidentally result in my complete submersion?

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” His hand slid around my waist and he pulled me slowly into the water. Before I knew it, the water was up to my knees, and then it lapped up to my thighs, and soon surrounded my hips. The frigid water overwhelmed me as a numbing pain coursed through my body. My teeth chattered as the water reached my ribs and then my shoulders.

  “Nick, I can’t take anymore!” I stuttered; my head shook, and he released me. I dragged my frozen arms and legs back to land as fast as I could.

  His arms surrounded my waist as he pulled me to him. I buried my head in his chest. Warmth emanated from him and seeped into me at every point of contact. It felt so good to be held by him, to feel his presence. He hadn’t held me like this since the dance. He’d been so distant.