Sarah studied the bag. “What magic do you have?”
“It is not magic. It is life,” Netra whispered.
Sarah reached out and touched the bottom of the bag and squeezed it ever so gently. “You hold life in a bag?”
“Women carry life with them everywhere they go,” Netra replied with a coy smile.
“Now you speak in riddles.”
“Psha, it is no riddle. A woman’s womb is one source of life.” Netra tucked the bag back into her petticoat pocket. “I have my own source of life. I will share it with you. If you have the faith to do what it requires. Do you have the faith?”
“Faith in you?” Sarah replied. “Faith in your bag?”
“This bag is the answer you seek. That is why I have been summoned here.”
Branches snapped behind them. “Sarah,” Alex called as he neared. His white shirt hung open over his trousers. “What are you doing here?” He took Sarah’s hand in his.
Sarah smiled and her fingertips grazed his chest where his shirt splayed open. “I couldn’t sleep. I needed some fresh air.”
His fingers interlocked with hers. “Come back inside. You shouldn’t be out here alone. The villagers could come back.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, I know.” Alex wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “And just how would we explain that?”
One side of her mouth rose higher as she smiled back at him. “You worry too much.” She ran her fingers through his wavy hair.
“You don’t worry enough.” He said before his lips met hers.
“Kate, Kate,” whispered Nick. “You need to wake up.” Nick’s fingers gripped my shoulder and shook it back and forth.
“What?” I moaned. “What’s going on? What time is it?” I pulled my shoulder free from his grasp, rolled over, and rested my arm across my forehead.
“It’s almost 5:00.”
“In the morning? How did you get in here? My parents always arm the alarm system.” Nick looked at me with disappointment. “Did you really think an alarm system would keep me out?”
“No, I guess that’s pretty obvious.” I rubbed my temples and sighed. “Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t find the Dolum.”
“And you had to wake me up to tell me this. I was in the middle of a good dream.” I fiddled with the ornate butterfly that hung around my neck.
Between the mischievous smile and the dancing eyebrows, I had a pretty good idea where his mind was headed. “Really,” his fingers trailed up my arm, “was I in this dream?”
I inhaled and rolled my eyes. “Focus. You’re obviously waking me up for something important. What is it?”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” His breath warmed my face as he kissed my cheek.
I yawned and decided not to respond. There was no way I was telling him about the dream.
“I found the lair. The spot where the Dolum dumped his kills. The police and forest rangers have cleared the land of the animal remains. Which of course means that the Dolum knows his lair is compromised. He won’t return.” Nick shook his head. “Alex and I searched the grounds. We looked for any signs of him, but nothing really showed up.”
“What’s the next step?”
“Alex is still there.”
My stomach knotted, and I felt sick. “What! You left him alone.” I sat up quickly and clutched Nick’s arm. “What were you thinking?”
“That Alex is very capable of handling himself.” Nick leaned back and studied my face. “Are you worried about Alex?”
“Of course I am,” I replied defensively. “He’s my friend. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Was Alex in your dream?”
I sighed loudly and glared at him.
“Interesting. I’ll take that as a yes. What exactly was this dream about?” His eyebrows pulled down and his lips formed a straight line across his face.
“The dream is my business. You woke me up to talk to me about the Dolum, so get busy talking.”
“Hmm, deflecting. Very interesting.” His eyes narrowed more as he slowly nodded.
“You were saying.”
“The Dolum left that area. We don’t know where it has gone, or where it will resurface. Hopefully, it will stay in the woods around Jordan Lake and stick with killing animals until we find it.”
I inhaled deeply and let my breath out as I rubbed my head. “There are a lot of people that live close to Jordan Lake. Do Dolums like people better than animals?”
“People have souls and are more intelligent than animals. That would make eating a human heart a better prize than an animal’s heart. Dolums can also control people. They can possess people and live through them. If the Dolum finds a human host, it may be a while before we find it.”
“Uh,” I moaned as I flopped back onto my pillow. “How do you think it got here?”
“I think it may have hitched a ride.” Nick’s eyes roamed over my body. “Did you feel anything unusual before we left the other dimension on any of our trips?”
“What?” I sat up again. “You think it came over on me?”
“It didn’t come over on Alex or me.” Nick lifted his shoulders. “We would have felt it. The Dolum would have known we would have felt it. We don’t have newbie written all over us.”
“Well,” I gasped offended. “I didn’t bring it over.”
“Okay,” Nick smirked, “besides, you probably wouldn’t have even known it. Dolums can hide themselves. Similar to when we cloak ourselves. We won’t see them if we don’t know to look for them. If he did come over on you, you probably wouldn’t have even known it. When he first clung to you, he may have felt like a strong breeze blowing against your skin.”
“So you’ve already decided this is my fault.”
“No, this is not your fault. It’s our responsibility to take care of you and prepare you for what is coming. If we’re going to assign blame, it lies with us. We didn’t clear the area before we left. We knew there was a Dolum in the area, and we didn’t make sure everything was safe to go. We knew better. You did not. We should have been more careful.”
“Then why did you ask if I felt anything weird on our trip?”
“I need to know if the Dolums have figured out a way to cross-over without some help,” Nick said. “If they did, we are in trouble.”
“Oh.” I bit my bottom lip. “I don’t remember anything weird, just a bad smell.”
“Ah, a bad smell.” Nick smiled and squeezed my hand. “Like a stench, sulfur, Hell.”
“I thought that was you. You know, silent but deadly.”
“Funny. We’ll find him and take care of him.”
I nodded, fully comprehending what “take care of him” meant. This new life sure had a lot of death in it.
“I better get going.” Nick leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “Your parents will be up soon. I shouldn’t be here when they do.”
“Smart man.” My thumb brushed along his cheek and the stubble tickled my skin. “I’m never going to get back to sleep now.”
“Good, especially if you’re dreaming about Alex,” he said with a wink.
“I never said I was dreaming about Alex.”
“You never said you weren’t dreaming about Alex.”
“Would you stop talking about Alex?” I pulled his face to mine. Our lips connected, and the butterflies in my stomach stirred. Our kiss lingered, and he finally pulled away.
“I should get going.” He looked towards my bedroom door. “Your parents are awake.”
I focused intently for sounds coming from across the hallway and heard my parents whispering in their bedroom. “I’ll see you later,” I whispered.
“Definitely.”
He slipped open my bedroom window and crawled through. I shut and locked it behind him. He brushed his hand along the edge where the alarm sensor rested. I knew better than to reopen the window. He’d already rearmed the system.
&n
bsp; I slipped back into bed, pulled the covers up tight, and cocooned myself in their warmth. My thoughts went back to Sarah and Netra. What did Netra want Sarah to do? How could Sarah possibly save an entire village? And where was Sarah now? She and Alex were obviously together. Did they have a falling out? What was in Netra’s bag? What kind of life could be held in a bag? Was Netra a witch? Was a she some sort of mythical creature that I didn’t know about yet? I knew I couldn’t ask Nick or Alex any of these questions. As soon as I started questioning them, the real inquisition would begin. How do you know about Sarah? Where did you hear about Netra? Are you seeing things in your dreams? Nick and Alex would be relentless in their pursuit of the source of my knowledge. There was no way I was going to open Pandora’s box.
5. Run
On Sunday, after eating lunch with my family, I met Alex at his gray Enclave. I pulled open the passenger door and my backpack dropped with a thud on the floor mats between my feet. “Sweet ride,” I said, snapping my seatbelt in place. The soft black leather seats gently hugged my body while the rich smell soothed me.
Alex chuckled. “Thanks.” He put the SUV in drive and backed out of the driveway.
I looked at him, remembering how he looked in my dream, how those waves curled when his hair was longer. He’d always been quiet, so much more reserved than Nick, but I knew that he was powerful too. He was like that babbling brook, seemingly smooth and gentle, but in reality, strong enough to chip away at rocks and shape the earth.
“What’s the game plan for today?” I purposely avoided staring at his muscular legs.
“You’ll never guess where we’re going,” Alex joked.
“Let’s see.… Jordan Lake?” I twirled some errant hair around my finger. “I brought my swimsuit.”
“You don’t need it. We’re going running.”
“Really?” I twisted in the seat so I could face him. “Running? There must be a catch.”
“You’re gonna have to run really fast.” He smiled as he accelerated on highway 751.
“Hmm, I’ll try to keep up.” We sped past the trees and numerous inlets on our way to the lake. Occasionally we spotted birds and small animals that make the lake and surrounding woods their home.
I shut the SUV door with a thud and slung my backpack over one shoulder. “Are we heading to our usual spot?”
“Yeah. Do you want me to get that for you?” Alex stretched out his hand towards me.
“My backpack?” I shook my head. “No, thanks. I got it.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Okay,” he said softly.
Nick usually carried my backpack for me. Obviously I could carry my own backpack, but Nick was just doing it to be polite, a nice boyfriend thing to do. Why did Alex want to carry it for me? Was he trying to flirt with me? I did not want to encourage that.
“I guess I probably don’t even need it.” I looked back at the SUV as I contemplated whether I should bring it. “It does have my water in it.”
“You should bring it. It’s better to be prepared.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” I slipped my arms through the straps of the backpack and gripped them in the front. As we walked, thoughts about the Dolum and my dream fought for my attention. How were we going to find the Dolum when it could have traveled anywhere by now? Did it leave the area? And then the dreams about Nick, Alex, and Sarah always revealed new information about them which both excited and troubled me. I wanted to dream about Sarah and Hayden again. I wanted to know what happened to them, but the fact that neither of the guys ever mentioned them mystified me, and I wasn’t about to ask about them.
Alex and I trekked in silence to the portal in the clearing. “Why do we need to cross over when we’re only going to work on running today?” I asked.
“Privacy.” He looked around at the woods that surrounded the perimeter of the lake. “It’s usually pretty secluded in this part of Jordan Lake, but with the discovery of the animal carcasses, there could be hikers or hunters in the woods. We don’t want anyone to see you training. People may ask questions.”
“Makes sense.” I shrugged. “But there’s no way I’d walk through these woods if I thought there was a killer on the loose.”
“Good, that means you have more sense than some people. But trust me, right now, there’s some idiot out there who thinks he’s going to bring down the ‘Soul Stealer’.”
I raised my eyebrows and shrugged. “Well, he may find the ‘Soul Stealer’, but he’ll regret it when his heart is ripped from his body.”
“Exactly. That is why you need to get ready. You may find yourself face to face with a monster, and one of us will not be there to bail you out.” Alex extended his hand. “Come on. We have work to do.”
I placed my hand in his, and the butterflies in my stomach fluttered excitedly. My pulse raced, and a heat filled my cheeks as I blushed. Did Alex notice this physical reaction? Were my palms sweaty to his touch? Why am I blushing? I looked straight ahead in an attempt to avoid his face. I felt his eyes looking at me, but I remained firm in my avoidance.
“Are you ready?” Alex said softly. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
I nodded, and we stepped through the shimmering droplets of warmth. As soon as we were on the other side, I dropped his hand. I looked around at the beauty that surrounded us and avoided Alex’s penetrating green eyes.
“It’s nice over here,” Alex said. The sounds of insects and birds humming and chirping were the only response he got. “Are you going to run with your backpack?” He touched my arm and ignited another rush of heat throughout my body.
I stepped away from him and smiled. “No.” I shook my head. “I’ll leave it here on the rock.” I slipped the backpack off my shoulders and pulled off my sweatshirt. I pulled my long hair up into a ponytail and secured it with an elastic band.
“I thought we could run through the woods and explore together,” he said. “You should stay with me though. We don’t know if there are any more Dolums over here. There may even be something else that could be a problem.”
“Okay,” I said. “I can do that.” Meeting a Dolum would be bad enough. I didn’t want to meet anything else. I wasn’t interested in meeting other-worldly creatures. I was only interested in the beauty and majesty that this world had to offer.
“We’ll start off slow and then speed up as we go along. Watch out for low-hanging branches and holes in the ground. You don’t want to get hurt.”
I nodded. What was I going to do? I loved Nick, but the time I spent with Alex was affecting me. The pull I felt towards him was strong. It was like an internal force was causing me to crave him. The more time I spent with Alex, the stronger my desire for him grew. I wasn’t sure how to handle these emotions that swirled through me.
Alex led the way to the tree line. “Just follow me.” He started with a slow jog and headed through the woods.
The leaves crunched beneath our feet as we made our way over the dirt path that had been etched over time by animals. Various fragrances filled the air, varying slightly as we passed different flowering plants. Some scents were strong and earthy while others were intense floral fragrances.
Alex sped up. His arms and leg alternated as his muscles flexed with each movement. Determined to keep up, I sucked in air and felt my heart accelerate with each step. Although the ground was flat, it was covered in sticks, leaves, and rocks. I continuously scanned the ground and the space ahead of me as I ran to avoid tripping or crashing into something.
We ran and ran, past tall trees with gorgeous flowers of all shades, past short bushes with colorful birds flitting from bush to bush, and past inlets lined with rock. Occasionally, a bunny or squirrel would dart across our path. It was funny to watch them skitter into the bushes to avoid us. The run was peaceful, even if it was maxing out my endurance levels.
“Stop! Stop!” I panted. I gripped my knees and bent over as I tried to catch my breath. “I have to rest.” I craned my head to look up at Alex. We stood in
a small clearing. Green grass and low hills spread out before us. Trees and bushes lined the clearing, and small shrubs dotted the area.
“What? You’re tired already?” He smiled and didn’t look the least bit tired.
“Already?” I panted. Sweat trickled down my forehead. “How long have we been out here?”
Alex lifted his arm and looked at his watch. “About an hour.”
“An hour?” And he thinks I shouldn’t be tired?
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “You only have a couple more to go.”
I put my hands on my hips and stuck a foot out in order to look more menacing. “I don’t think so. I just sprinted at full speed for an hour. You don’t actually think I’m going to do that for a few more hours, do you?” I shook my head defiantly. “No way.”
“You won’t build up your endurance if you don’t push yourself.”
“I have been pushing myself.” I pointed back the direction we came. “Look how far we’ve come, and we still have to go back.”
“That’s right.” Alex grinned. “You can go at top speed and do it in an hour, or jog it and do it in a few hours. So which is it?”
I lifted up the bottom edge of my shirt and swiped it across my forehead. “I should’ve brought my water.”
“Yeah, you should have. We’ll bring it next time.”
I took a deep breath, glad to feel the air fill my lungs. A strong fragrance hit me, and I looked around to find the source. An unusual flowering plant grew in front of a group of trees. I hadn’t seen this plant on our other trips to this dimension. “Check these out!” In a few steps, I was in front of the fragrant crimson flowers. The inside petals encircled the bright white stamen that shot out of the middle of the trumpet design. The outside petals wisped around the trumpet in a wild frenzy and resembled a miniature mane.
“Stop! Don’t touch those.” Alex’s fingers tightened on my hand. “Those are fire flowers. They are poisonous. The pollen and nectar will strip you of your powers and leave you defenseless.”
Symbiosis (Scintillate Series Book 2) Page 7