“Pet, stop what you are doing,” he said in a cold purr right into her ear. She squeaked, but continued to focus. “They are stealing you from me, pet. I will not stand for this!” Something brushed past her arm, and she gasped at how cold it felt but continued to focus. Her ankle thrummed strongly and by focusing on that, it seemed easier to focus on the design and the room.
He let out a loud roar as the room and design became more intense and seemed to get larger. “Pet, you have not escaped me,” he said, his voice becoming softer as though further away. “I will come get you and next time, you will be punished immediately for your disobedience. Do yourself a favor, pet. Turn back now to me. If you do, your punishment will be far less than it will be if you continue to follow that evil woman!”
Fear struck at her chest at the thought of what punishment he might give her. Almost automatically, she went to turn her head to look at him. Her ankle burned intensely, making her scream, as the room suddenly reached up and grabbed her, and she tumbled into it, straight toward the hard floor. Screaming again, she wrapped her arms over her head to protect it and waited for the feeling of the hard ground to hit her.
Chapter Seven - Interdimensional Culpability
The sound of water running brought Ari around. Blinking, she tried to figure out where she was. Things seemed brighter, not as sinister. Sitting up, she looked at blank walls. Her brain still felt fuzzy, but she was at least able to sit up without feeling nauseated. It took only one glance to find she was lying on a thin mattress in a small oval room.
The floor was covered with inlaid wood in a design that looked familiar to her, but as the mattress covered part of it, she could not call it to mind. A door opened and she looked up, surprised by the person who entered. “Cory?”
Smiling, her sister nodded. “How do you feel, sis?”
Moving her head from side to side, Ari shrugged. “Still a little foggy, but I don’t seem to be aching as much.”
“Good. Good thing we found you when we did,” she sighed, sitting on the floor next to the mattress. “We were almost too late. That bastard,” she muttered under her breath.
Frowning, Ari laid back down, resting her head, which was slightly pounding. “What happened?” It all seemed like a dream, and she half expected Cory to explain she missed her date with Jay because she became ill. That would make everything make sense to her.
“Well,” she said quietly. “The short description is you accidentally contacted a being from another dimension who has legal claim to certain women in our family, and he tried to take you.”
Blinking again, Ari stared at her sister, sure she could not have heard what came out of her mouth. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and opened them again. Her big sister snickered and winked at her. “Yeah, it is a lot to take in, isn’t it?”
“That’s putting it lightly,” she responded dryly. “When do I wake up?”
Laughing, Cory patted her arm. “Unfortunately you are awake, little sister. Abigail will be here within a day or two, and she will help us figure out a way around all of this.”
Frowning, Ari sat up again. “Are you telling me everything that happened actually happened?”
“Yep. And you only know a tiny part of it.” Turning, she placed a hand on Ari’s left ankle, which gave out a soft hum making her jump. “I remember the first time I saw Mom’s,” she said quietly. “It was just before my sixteenth birthday, and I wanted to know where she got it because I wanted one, too.” Chuckling, she removed her hand and shrugged. “She was never one to tell lies and before I knew it, explained everything to me.”
She snorted. “Oh, Ari, wait until you hear the story. You will be sure the whole fucking world has turned upside down.” Standing up, she held a hand out to help Ari to her feet. Ari took it hesitantly. “So, the moment I heard what that thing actually meant, I changed my mind and did not want it. Unfortunately, nobody ever told you about it so you were not prepared.”
Cory picked up the small mattress. “I’ll be right back. Whatever you do, don’t leave this room.”
Ordinarily, Ari would make some sarcastic comment back, but considering the last few days, she was not feeling like herself. This room had rescued her from Orion, and she was actually afraid to leave it. Hell, she was afraid to stay in it, but the fear of doing anything at the moment caused her to freeze and stand still over the design.
While she waited for her sister, Ari looked down. There was that design again, and this time she clearly recognized it as the one on the jewelry box. Glancing down at her ankle, she shook her head. What had she gotten herself in to? In the last week, she had signed up for dating sites, been burned by a strange piece of jewelry, become stalked by a red-eyed weirdo, crossed some sort of strange barrier into another dimension, and then been sucked back into her own.
“I must be insane,” she muttered.
Laughing, Cory reappeared, toting two folding chairs. “Can’t bring much in here as only a few things have been designated for it, but at least this way we can sit down.” She handed her sister one of them and they both opened the chairs and sat down at the same time.
“Cory, I think I’m losing it.” That was it. She was going crazy. That was the only logical explanation.
Cory’s angular face filled with compassion. “I know this is a lot to take in, Ari, but everything that happened to you did actually happen.” The emphasis on the last three words did not make Ari feel any better.
“But that’s impossible!” she spluttered. “Magic and different dimensions don’t exist!” A part of her recognized that she sounded like a petulant child, but she did not care. She just wanted to go back to being blissfully unaware of such things. “When does it go away?”
Wincing, Cory turned and looked around—anywhere but at her little sister. “It doesn’t, Arwen. Once you know, it just becomes more pronounced. You start recognizing the signs everywhere.” She sighed. “If Destra had explained those things to you, then you would have seen that dating site for what it was.”
“Jane knows too?” Ari guessed.
Snorting, Cory shook her head. “She doesn’t want to accept it and refused to believe it was anything but a fairytale when Mom told her. Maybe that was why Destra didn’t tell you.”
Nodding, Ari stared at the design on the floor. “What does this mean?” she asked, pointing at it.
“I’ll have Abigail explain it. To be honest, I don’t truly understand. I learned enough to recognize the signs of paranormal activity, and how to stay away from them, but never delved deeply into it. I just didn’t want to know.”
The two sisters sat lost in thought for a while, but Ari was having trouble with the silence. It reminded her too much of the blackness she just escaped. “So, where is Abigail that it’s taking her so long to get here?”
Smirking, Cory chuckled. “In her own dimension.”
Blinking Ari stared at her sister. Surely, she could not have heard correctly. “Pardon?”
“Does it really surprise you to hear Abigail isn’t from here, Ari? After everything you’ve gone through over the last few days?” Seeing Ari’s blank look, she grimaced. “Okay, here is the long and short of it. Abigail is from a parallel dimension. She used to be a dimension jumper, going back and forth at will, but that stopped about seventy years ago.”
Ari almost asked what happened seventy years ago, but was afraid it would mean she truly was insane.
“See, she had an affair with a man from a bi-collandrial dimension and did not find out she was pregnant until way after the affair. By that time, she was visiting ours. She wasn’t sure how dimension jumping would affect the pregnancy, so she elected to stay here for eleven months until Destra was born.”
“Eleven months?” Ari asked confused. “Pregnancies only last nine.”
“In our dimension,” Cory nodded. “Not in hers.
“I guess the birth of Destra really threw her for a loop, and she stayed here for twenty more years, until her daughter was able to
manage for herself and then left. She stayed in touch just like she does with us, through phone calls, letters, and packages. But she did not come back until the day Destra received a piece of jewelry—a bracelet that seared her flesh and left a design behind.” Cory nodded toward Ari’s ankle. “Just like that one.
“She had to come back to visit, explain to Destra what she was and what the design meant. She also had to warn her that men from other dimensions would contact her now that she had been marked.” Cory blew out a breath. “Unfortunately, Abigail was a hair too late. Mom had already fallen in love with a man who turned out to be from a different dimension. I was born a year later.”
“Oh,” Ari gasped. She always wondered who their fathers were.
Cory shrugged. “Mom did not want us to have to deal with dimension jumping and magic so she refused when he asked her to mate with him and live with him in his dimension. Instead, she sent him away and raised her son who by the time I was ten was wearing dresses and already having my name changed.” Cory grinned.
“Who fathered Jane and me?”
“Same man. We have the same parents, Ari. Vane came back yearly to see mom and me. He teased about us being his vacation. When I was nine, Mom found out she was pregnant again. Vane was thrilled, thinking he could convince her to finally come to his dimension. But, no, she refused.
“Jane was different. Not only was she born a girl,” Cory said dryly, “but she was a practical child from the moment of her birth. Mom doted on her. She drove Vane nuts.”
“Where is Vane now?” Ari almost did not want to know.
“In his dimension. With Mom.”
“What? Is that where she went?” Ari gasped. “When she left us, I figured it was to go travelling like Ab-i-gail...” Her voice slowed on the last word. “Oh. I guess she did.”
Snorting, Cory nodded. “Yeah, I never have understood why Destra wanted to make it sound as though she was dead. I asked her why she just didn’t tell you and Jane the full truth, but she steadfastly refused.” Her expression turned annoyed. “And look what it has done to you? If she had just been honest, none of this would have happened.”
Shaking her head, Ari stared at the symbol on the floor. It all seemed crazy and even though she had been living it and wanted to consider it all a dream, she knew she hadn’t. For one thing, she had a physical reminder, she thought as she caught a glimpse of her left ankle.
“When can I go home?” There didn’t seem to be anything more Cory could tell her.
“Uh, Abigail said to wait until she got here. It seems the guy who took you really knows what he is doing. He’s been involved with our family for a long time and this room is the only thing stopping him from taking you now.”
“Great, just great,” Ari sighed. A strange thought came to her. “How long was I over there?” She couldn’t say “in his dimension” as weirdly enough that would make it too real.
“Three days. Oh, don’t worry,” she hastened on as Ari sat up straight in shock. “I called your work and told them you were deathly ill. Your boss said as soon as you felt better to call her.”
“Feel better? I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”
For two days, Ari was rarely allowed to leave the tiny room. Whenever she had to use the bathroom, Cory practically had a panic attack and would stand outside and chant something the whole time she was in there. It was very hard to actually relax and use the facilities, Ari thought, when she was afraid someone was going to whisk her away to another dimension at any moment.
On day three, she woke up to find herself staring into the eyes of her grandmother. Her grandmother, who should look ancient, looked only a few years her senior. “Abigail,” she said calmly, sitting up, not in the mood to hug the woman who seemed to have started the whole thing.
Abigail’s lips twitched. “A bit angry with me, are you? Well, I can’t blame you there. Hard enough finding out you aren’t even from this dimension, let alone being stolen away to another one without your okay.”
After using the restroom, Ari walked back into the little room to find three chairs and a table had now taken up residence. The table had the same design as the floor. Both Cory and Abigail were seated, and breakfast was waiting for her.
For three days, she had been waiting impatiently for the arrival of her grandmother. Now suddenly she wished she would just go away. This was all her fault, after all. Sitting down with a huff, she dug into her pancakes with gusto.
The other two silently waited for her to finish, which just made her more aware they were there. Finally, when she cleaned the plate, Abigail began to speak. Her first words confused Ari. “Cory, please remove the plate and leave. What I have to say to Arwen is for her ears only.”
“Good luck,” her sister said with a wink, and then she was gone, closing the door behind her.
As her sister and the dishes were gone, she had nobody else to look at so she turned and looked into her grandmother’s warm gray eyes. “Why?” There were so many questions she had, but the why was in everything. Why had he taken her? Why had she never been told? Why? Why? Why?
Nodding, Abigail leaned back. “As much as your mother refused to recognize the truth sitting in front of her at first, and Jane still refuses to even consider it, I think it is past time you learned who you are and where you came from. I will tell you everything. I know you will have a lot of questions. Please try to hold them back until I’m done.”
Annoyed because Abigail sounded like a teacher speaking to her less-than-intelligent students, Ari gave her a sharp nod. Get on with it, Abigail.
Abigail’s lips twitched in amusement before she began. “The first truth you must grasp is that this is not the only world there is. There are countless dimensions and realms. Some use the same spot in time and space and others do not. Most dimensions are filled with a conglomeration of beings, some good, some bad, all trying to make their way through their existence.
“Now, one of the ways this dimension differs from my own is the life expectancy. Earthlings only live sixty to eighty years unfortunately. My life expectancy is three to four thousand years.” Ari’s mouth dropped open. “As such, I have plenty of time to see what is truly out there. And that is the next truth you must learn to accept. Many other creatures know how to cross through the dimensional barrier. It is, as you have found, quite discombobulating at first as your body slowly shifts from one dimension to another. If you do it on purpose and shift intentionally, it is still uncomfortable, but it is less likely to make you ill.”
Taking a drink from the glass of water in front of her, Abigail watched her granddaughter for a few minutes before continuing. “The third truth you must accept is that magic exists, though it is not what most earthlings think it is.”
“Then what is it?” Ari asked, unable to stop herself.
“Most people here in this dimension seem to think magic is making something appear out of nowhere. They insist magic is illogical and thus cannot exist.” A slow chuckle left her lips. “Magic, Arwen Maria, is the ability to use energy to make things happen. Everyone and anyone has the ability to tap into this magic if they believe in it. Thankfully, the vast majority of people do not.
“There are, however”—Abigail’s voice hardened—“three realms I know of where every being who resides there is intrinsically selfish and evil. A few of those individuals have embraced magic wholeheartedly.”
“Orion.”
She nodded her head. “Yes, Orion is from a realm so far away he never should have found you. If it hadn’t been for the Interdimensional Dating Service, he would not have been able to.” Anger seethed through her tone, and Ari wondered just how well the two knew one another. “He, unfortunately, is immortal. The bastard cannot die,” she spat. “As I have no idea how long he has actually existed, I cannot tell you how long he has mastered the ability to use energy for his twisted desires, but it is at least five thousand years.”
“Five thousand years!” Ari squeaked, unable even to t
hink in those terms.
“Yes,” Abigail said quietly, frowning. “Five thousand years ago, my great-aunt made a huge mistake. She was one of the first of our family to cross dimensions freely and did not know what to look out for. She crossed into his and was caught in his web. He used all his power to confuse and befuddle her until she was filled with fear and trepidation. She was the first of his slaves who held magical power. He thought he was one of the few who knew how to use it.”
Her eyes turned cold as they locked on Ari’s. “He is smart, very smart. Never underestimate him, Arwen. After he learned about our family, he offered her a way out. He offered her a contract, which gave him access to certain women in our family who he could take at will once a century.” Her voice turned colder. “Unfortunately, my great-aunt’s line died out. So, for three centuries, he has not been able to take what he asserts is his. Finding you, I am sure he is salivating at the idea of making you his slave, Arwen.”
Ari did not understand. This all sounded like some horror novel. “How did he know I was a relative?”
“Arwen, you are the spitting image of my great-aunt Celie. One look and he knew. And the moment he felt your presence enough in that coffee shop, well, he felt your energy signature, which is quite intense by the way, and could not wait to get you.”
Could not wait to get you. Ari’s throat closed up as her heart began to beat faster. “How can I defend myself against him?”
Abigail took a moment to answer, rubbing her thumbs up and down the glass she held. “Technically, you cannot.”
Dread. Fear. She was doomed.
“At least not yet. But Cory and I discussed it when he took you, and I made a couple calls. The fact is, you need to be trained to block him and fight his control.” She paused. “You wanted to accept it, didn’t you?”
Ashamed, Ari nodded. “It seemed right.”
“Of course it did. His power, combined with that horrible contract he and Celie drew up, created a very hard shield to get through.”
Your Dimension Or Mine? Page 9