“Not quite the same as the butterfly house at the museum, eh?” Nick said with a grin.
“No, not the same at all,” I replied. I slipped my hand into Nick’s and felt a connection. He didn’t seem to pull away or hesitate at my touch. Maybe we had a chance in this dimension.
A loud noise — a shriek — filled the air. Alex looked in the direction of the sound and said, “I’m gonna go check it out.” He took off into the woods and left us behind.
“Are you hungry?” Nick asked. “I found some fruit the last time I was here. I’ll show you.”
“When were you here?”
“When I was looking for Ramel.” Nick studied our hands. “I figured he was hiding in here when I couldn’t find him in our dimension.”
“That was pretty clever.” I remembered the night Nick surprised Ramel in the clearing. Now it made sense. “In some ways that seems like a lifetime ago,” I said. I wanted to go back to the ease I felt with Nick in our relationship at that point in my life. There was no tension or confusion concerning my feelings for Alex.
Nick led me through the woods. We wove around colorful bushes and past fragrant flowers. “I know what you mean,” he said.
Thinking back to the dance, it changed the dynamic between the three of us. If only I’d looked the other way when I’d stepped out of the bathroom, I would have walked straight to Nick and never danced with Alex. If I’d never danced with Alex, would we be in this mess? Most likely my relationship with Nick would be fine, and Alex would still be quietly sitting on the sidelines.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Nick said.
“Does this dimension look the same everywhere you enter it?” I wasn’t about to express my true thoughts to Nick.
“No, it varies just like our dimension. Some areas are desolate. Some are like rainforests. It just happens that we entered a garden.” He stopped walking and pointed to a large bush. “There they are. I think you’ll like them."
The bush was large and heavy with round, purple fruit the size of apricots. I cradled the fruit’s soft fuzzy skin between my fingers and felt pink, miniscule seeds embedded in the skin. A soft “snap” sounded as I plucked the fruit from the bush. “What’s it called?”
“Passionberry.” Nick chuckled.
I rolled the fuzzy fruit between my fingers. “Is it magical?”
“Just try it.”
The fuzz tickled my lips. As my teeth bit into the delicate skin, I recognized the taste. “It tastes like honeysuckle.” Juice ran over my lips and trickled down my chin.
Nick’s thumb grazed my lip as he wiped away the sweet nectar. “It’s good, huh,” he said.
Our bodies were just inches from each other. I held the passionberry to his lips, and he bit. Juice dripped from the edges of the berry and over his lips. He took my hand in his as he swallowed. The uneaten berry fell to the ground as his arms wrapped around me. Our lips pressed together, and our kiss mingled with the sweet nectar of the berry.
As we kissed, my heart soared. This place was wonderful. A new world with new possibilities existed here. In this dimension, Nick and I had a chance for a new start. New life did begin in a garden.
A throat cleared and disturbed our kiss. “I found something you might want to see,” Alex said. His wounded eyes stared at us as if we’d betrayed him. But we didn’t betray him. He was the intruder.
Nick released me, but all I could feel was anger towards Alex. Why did Alex have to interrupt my time with Nick? He saw we were busy; he should have given us a few minutes. Why did Alex have to wear his heart on his sleeve? I never asked for his attention, and I didn’t want to feel guilty for having a relationship with my boyfriend.
Alex turned and headed back into the woods. “What is it?” Nick asked. His steps were close behind Alex’s.
“It’s not just what I’ve found, but what it means.” Alex looked over his shoulder at me, his brow furrowed. “Kate, you might not like what you see.”
“What is it?” What could possibly be so bad in this garden of life and possibilities?
“You’ll see,” Alex said.
I caught up with Nick and slipped my fingers in between his as we followed Alex. As we stepped out of the woods, we noticed the vultures that circled high in the sky.
“It’s this way,” Alex said. He led us along the white sandbar by the lake’s edge. The water scintillated as the sun shone down upon it. I squinted as I stared at its beauty, still overwhelmed by the magnificence of everything here.
“There.” Alex pointed to a pile of vultures picking at something. Their heads bobbed up and down as they tore away at their food.
“Eww.” Nick and I stopped kissing to look at this? I really wasn’t interested in seeing what was under those disgusting birds, but for some reason Alex thought we needed to.
Nick and Alex clapped their hands and shouted as they rushed the mound of birds. The vultures took to flight. Nick squatted down beside a lifeless creature. “That’s not good,” Nick said, and he slowly shook his head as he examined the remains.
My stomach heaved as I processed what lay before us. I covered my mouth with my hand, as if that would settle my stomach. Memories of Nick’s bloody battle with Ramel and the cerberi flooded my mind, but this was far worse. This seemed unjust and out of place in this dimension of beauty. The carcass’s belly was exposed, literally ripped open, most of the entrails were missing and what was left was draped over the sides of the open belly. Blood stained the sand under the beast, and empty dead eyes stared into the bright blue sky. “Was that a…”
“Zebra,” Nick finished my sentence. “They’re strong and wild. It takes a lot to bring down one of these.”
“Are there lions here?” I asked. It had to be something big to do something like this. Of course, I’d never been here before. I had no clue what might have torn into this animal.
“A few, but that’s not what did this. Look,” Alex said. He knelt beside Nick and pointed to the zebra’s neck. “No bite marks. Lions and most predators bite their prey when they take them down. This neck has been broken and not by a mouth.”
“Maybe it fell and broke its neck. Then the vultures ripped it open,” I offered. I knew that sounded ridiculous, but I didn’t want to meet whatever went around breaking large, wild animal’s necks.
“No. Look around.” Alex glanced quickly over the sandbar. “There’s nothing for it to have fallen over. Besides, look at how the belly was ripped open.”
Nick leaned closer to the carcass and carefully examined it. “Its neck was twisted by hands.” He shoved his hands into the upper body of the zebra and dug around.
“Ugh!” I gasped. My hands flew to my mouth again as my stomach swirled. “Nick, what are you doing?”
“It’s not here.” Nick turned his head and looked at me, his hands still inside the zebra’s body. “I’m searching for its heart. It’s missing.”
“You know what that means,” Alex said.
“Yep, a Dolum ate it.” Nick pulled his arms out of the zebra. “Kate, have you ever heard of a Dolum?” Nick knelt beside the lake and washed the bloody gore off his arms.
“No.” I shook my head. I had a feeling I was going to like Dolums about as much as I like Nephilim.
“Dolums are tricky. The rules they follow change depending on which dimension they are in,” Alex said.
“What do you mean?” I interrupted.
“Dolums are natural inhabitants of this dimension.” Alex gave me a thoughtful look. “They are very powerful, but when they leave this dimension their powers change. They become possessing spirits. They’re usually responsible for demon possession. They have to find a host, either human or animal. They can spend brief moments of time outside the host body. But if they are without a host for too long, they end up here, back home and far away from people they can hurt”
Nick continued, “They tend to irritate or hurt the possessed and frighten those around the possessed. But in this dimension, even though they do not
possess the living creatures, they still cause plenty of mayhem and death.”
The zebra’s shredded abdomen was evidence of the danger for the animals in this world. “Why did the Dolum do this to the zebra?”
“Maybe for fun, maybe for food,” Alex said with a shrug. “There’s no telling. Dolums are ruthless.”
Nick stepped between me and the zebra. “The tell-tale sign it was a Dolum was the missing heart. They love to eat the heart of their prey. They believe it bestows the prey’s knowledge and power onto them.”
“Gross,” I said. “But let’s get back to the possession thing. Can they possess us?” Images from movies flashed through my mind.
“Asteri?” Alex said. “No, you don’t have to worry about possession. With our angelic blood, we’re off limits to them, but you do have to be careful when you’re here. They can still hurt you. In fact, your heart would make a nice prize for a Dolum.” At his words, the tiny hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood at attention.
“Never come here without us,” Nick said. “You’re not ready to fight off what you may find here.”
“Can we go home now?” I asked. I needed a break; it’s not every day you see an animal torn to shreds and realize that demon possession in your day and time is possible.
Nick took my hand. “Of course, let’s go.” We turned our backs on the zebra, and the vultures descended. They hissed and whined as they fought over the carcass. Nick and Alex exchanged glances as we walked through the woods, but I was too deep in thought to say anything. The day started out in a beautiful garden full of life, but it quickly reminded me that death is never far behind. I realized now that no matter where I went, even in a world that resembled the perfection of the Garden of Eden, life would always be the same. Life is complicated, and we must do the best we can to overcome our challenges. Each day we must face those challenges. We can either give up in defeat or meet them head on. I’m going to meet my challenges head on and conquer them. I am an Asteri. I am strong. Victory is in my blood.
We stepped into the clearing beside the lake and I did my best to breathe in the scent of the flowers and take in the beauty around me. It would be several days before we’d come back, and even though seeing the dead zebra was disgusting, this place was beautiful, and that’s what I decided to focus on.
A strong, warm breeze blew. Its pungent breath tickled my body as it shimmied over me and wrapped its strong arms around me.
“Here we are,” Alex said as we stopped in front of the portal. “Are you ready?” He held his hand out to me.
“Yes.” I took his hand and smiled. I was thankful that I’d seen this wonderful place, even if it was as flawed as my own dimension. With both their hands in mine, their energy pulsed through me, and we stepped through the vertical shimmering lines of warmth and into our dull world. The lake still shimmered, but it seemed to have a layer of film on it that prohibited me from seeing its true beauty. The grass under my feet was the yellowish-green of dormant grass. No beautiful flowers bloomed or scented the air, but the pungent smell that followed me over from the other side quickly dissipated.
“Let’s get you home,” Nick said as we headed to our vehicle. When he squeezed my hand, I hoped that he would remember the intimate moment we shared on the other side.
“Bye, Alex.” I said, and I gave him a quick wave.
“Goodbye, Kate. I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” Alex said. The look on his face was like a knife twisting in my stomach. Hope poured from his green eyes. How could he still hope when I’d been so clear with him?
Nick got in the car and said, “We can’t let Alex see us kissing like that. We’ll have to be more careful.”
“Why not?” I said. “It’s better that he knows we’re together. That’s just the way it is.”
“It’s complicated.” Nick gripped the steering wheel. “This is hard for me, too.” Nick’s eyes were serious and hard. “I don’t want to betray Alex. He’s been my friend and ally for a long time.”
“It’s not a betrayal if he knows. Besides, it’s the deception that destroys relationships.” I rested my elbow on the door of the SUV. Maybe my relationship with Nick wasn’t as strong as I thought if he was more worried about hurting Alex than he was about hurting me. “Look, I love you, and I think you love me.”
“I do love you.” Nick twisted in his seat to look at me.
“Then we do what is best for us. We’ve been as honest with Alex as we can, and we move on from there. How he handles the information is up to him, but I don’t want to lose out on you just because he has a crush on me.”
Nick sighed and started the car. “It’s not that easy.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re Asteri.” Nick gave me a hard look. “We’re stuck with each other. We can’t just break-up or hurt each other and move on like regular people. We’re linked forever. Even if we move to different parts of the world, we still rely on each other.”
“Are you telling me that even after I’ve fully transitioned that Alex will still be a part of my life?”
“Yes.” Nick wove the car through the woods, easing over fallen branches.
“So he’s not just here to protect me while I’m transitioning?”
“He is, but you are also in his host.”
“Are you in his host?”
“Yes. The host is basically your angelic family.”
“This just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it?” I cradled my head in my hand. Nick pulled onto the road and accelerated now that the tires had good traction.
“You’re right. It does get better and better.” Nick gave me a quick glance. “You’re just not being patient. We shouldn’t flaunt our relationship because Alex needs time to adjust.”
“What does he need to adjust to?” This is maddening! “Alex and I never had a thing, so why do I have to worry about his feelings?” There is no way I can tell Nick about the minor attraction I feel towards Alex. But if he knew, would he change his mind about feeling sorry for Alex and fight for my heart, or would he stop his relationship with me completely?
“There’s no telling.” Nick stared out the windshield as he slowly shook his head. “I wish Alex hadn’t told you that he was attracted to you, but he did, so there’s no getting around that. Let’s just wait this out.” Resolution and determination etched his face as he briefly looked over at me. “Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Have a little faith.”
3 Boundaries
The dark corridor turned and narrowed as they marched along. Torches lit the passageway and threw shadows on the stone walls. Burly men encircled the trio, leading them towards the clamor at the end of the passageway. Their long hair hung wildly over their woolen cloaks. Their scraggly beards disguised their faces, masking their intent towards their captives.
The corridor led into a great room. The wooden trellised ceiling soared high, ornamenting the room. Great beams formed arches that supported the ceiling. On the walls, tapestries that depicted gory hunting and battles scenes were contrasted by ornate floral tapestries. Antlers of all sizes hung above the tapestries. It seemed both beauty and death were honored among these people.
An ornate, hand-carved, wooden chair sat alone at the end of the great room. A man stood on each side of the chair. Their weathered faces were in contrast with the highly-polished scabbards at their sides. Large saffron shirts draped to their knees and wool jackets covered their chests. Large plaid cloaks were draped over the men’s shoulders and provided extra warmth. Muscular legs stuck out from under their long shirts. They were obviously guards; providing protection was their business.
An unusually tall man with a big belly that hung over his rope belt stood at the stone fireplace. His red hair matched his beard and tunic. “Are these our guests?” he bellowed as he raised his thick arm towards Nick, Alex, and Sarah.
“We found them hiding in the cave,” the young man replied. He pushed Nick forward in order to separate him from the other
two. One of his hands gripped Nick’s arm while the other hand was on his dagger.
“Bring her in,” the tall man ordered. He lifted a large wooden cup from the mantel above the fireplace and took a big gulp as two younger men left the room and disappeared down another dark hall. With a loud thud he placed the cup back on the mantel and wiped his arm across his mouth, missing tiny drops of beer that shimmered at the tips of his red beard. He swished the beer in his mouth and then finally swallowed. “Ah, here she is.” He turned as the girl approached.
Hayden entered the room. Her long red hair hung freely over her shoulders and rested on the fancy stitching of her green bodice. She ran her hands over her apron, smoothing it out, as she stepped next to the tall man.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Tell me, my love, which of these ruffians harassed you?”
“That one.” She pointed at Nick and narrowed her eyes until they resembled the edges of knives. “The ugly one.”
“Hayden!” The large man laughed heartily. “This one is just like her mother. She is. HA! There is no need to be rude.” He stepped away from the fire and walked closer to Nick. “Do you know who I am?” The two men who stood at the chair stepped closer to the large man, flanking him.
Nick remained calm and answered steadily, “I know that you are chieftain here. I know that your name is Molloy. You have fought off vicious attacks and won wealth and lands for your people. I know that you want continued peace, and you want to protect your people.”
Molloy licked his lips. “You seem to know a lot.” The chieftain turned and strode to his hand-carved chair. “Tell me. Why are you here?”
Symbiosis (Scintillate Series Book 2) Page 4