There's Always Tomorrow (Immortal Series)

by Alice Addy

  “I believe this is the entrance to a sacred site, Sophie. I don’t know why I know this, but I’m certain it is of great importance,” he whispered, reverently.

  Tony looked up ahead, and saw a very small entrance to a partially concealed cave. He couldn’t find his voice, so he pointed.

  “Up there,” he said, hoarsely. “My search has ended, Sophie. You can rest here, if you wish, or you can come with me.” He looked down into her huge turquoise eyes. How angelic she appeared.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so, Tony. You know what’s right for you, but I feel the baby should stay out here, in the sunshine. This is a good place. You don’t have to worry about us.”

  Tony bent down and kissed his wife on her sweet, sweet lips. “I’ll not be long, darling. If you need me, just yell.” He stood up and walked very slowly toward the entrance.

  “Tony?”

  He stopped and turned to look at Sophie, sitting prettily on a patch of green. “Good luck, darling. I hope you find what it is you’re looking for.”

  Tony could feel his throat close. His heart swelled with the love he felt for his wife and child. Whether he met with success today, or not, it really wasn’t all that important, somehow. He was already blessed beyond his wildest expectations.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Before Tony reached the entrance, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck tingle. The air was cooler by several degrees and smelled of menthol. It was said that the cave at a sacred site, was entry into another world or dimension—a world where the Healing Spirit resided. It was an entrance into one’s own deep consciousness. Some said it was a passageway to the underworld. Tony believed what he could see and feel, and he knew this was the portal to somewhere he’d never traveled.

  He paused and took one last glance over his shoulder. It was necessary for him to fill his eyes with the sight of Sophie, before he stepped into the darkness. It could be the last beautiful thing he’d ever see. He closed his eyes and stepped through the entrance and was immediately spellbound.

  Tony felt as if all his senses had suddenly turned hypersensitive and were being bombarded with powerful stimuli. Everything was magnified. The cavern was dark, but he could see perfectly. He could hear the drip of the cave waters, somewhere back in the farthest recesses. He could smell the bat guano and hear the slight flutter of their wings. He felt pulled in one direction, toward the darkest passage. His freewill seemed to no longer exist. No matter what trepidation he felt, he knew he needed to be obedient and see this through to the end.

  As Tony slowly made his way to something he could not identify, his memory went back in time. Suddenly, he could see his early life in England.

  He was but a boy, and he and his best friend, Thomas, were hiding from his father. They often hid from responsibilities. It was much more fun to torment their sisters and spy upon their older brothers. Thomas was laughing, uproariously, and thus, he gave away their hiding place. Anthony’s father grabbed both the boys by their collars, and booted them back toward the house. They could not see the merriment in the old man’s eyes. True, his boy, Anthony, was a handful, but so much like he used to be when he was a young lad. It cheered his heart to see him so happy.

  Tony wiped his eyes. What in the world made him think of his father? He shook his head and looked around in the darkness. Images seemed to form in front of him. He could not see through them.

  Thomas was running toward him, his diploma in hand. “We’ve done it!” he happily exclaimed. “We’re free from this miserable institution.”

  The two young men had just graduated from university. They believed from this day forward, their lives would be their own. They would not worry about carrying on with family’s titles. They would not be burdened down by arranged marriages and estate taxes. They would finally live free from the restraints polite society placed upon the aristocracy.

  Anthony was out of breath, as he raced Thomas to the gates. “I’ve got our tickets. We leave in the morning. Mother insists I have dinner with the family. I’ll meet you at the docks, first thing. Be there no later than six.”

  Anthony was so happy he thought his chest would burst. He and Thomas had made all their plans. They were to see the entire continent and linger longer at some locations than at others. Women were their main objective. Thomas wanted to kiss a woman from every country. Anthony wanted to make love to foreign speaking women. He wanted to compare their differences with the women he’d been lucky enough to get to know, in England. He could already smell the salty sea air. He could feel the tossing of the ship, under his feet, as it crossed the channel. He heard the boisterous voices of the men in the dark tavern, in Prague.

  Tony stumbled, and fell to the soft, damp earth. What was happening to him, he wondered? Was he just remembering his past or was he being forced to face it?

  Small shafts of light permeated the rocky walls, striking the reflective properties in the stone. It created a magical effect, resembling thousands of twinkling fireflies ascending into a black void

  Tony’s head began to throb. He felt pain in his chest, and his back had stiffened. What was happening to him? Was this what it felt like to age? Had he made a mistake? Would he exit the cave, an ancient and decrepit old man?

  The sound of water grew louder. It seemed to drip in a peculiar rhythm. Where had he heard that before, he wondered? The closer he came to the sound, the faster the dripping. Within moments, the water seemed to be rushing through the rocks, falling into a dark abyss.

  Tony sat and cradled his aching head in his hands. Suddenly, a loud explosion rattled the inside of the cave. It was deafening. Surely, a cave-in would follow. Tony jumped to his feet. A blinding light flashed before his eyes, followed by an eerie silence.

  Sitting in front of him, were his friends. Seven of his closest buddies sat huddled in the shallow trench, wet and miserable. They had a look of horror plastered on their faces. He followed their eyes toward the center of the area, and saw Thomas.

  “No!” he screamed. “Oh, God, Thomas!” he yelled.

  Thomas was moving, but Anthony knew he was beyond his feeble attempts to help. Thomas rolled over, and looked up at Tony. He smiled. “It is all good, dear friend. I am well. Cheer up. We’ll meet again.”

  Tony was sobbing. He felt as if his heart was breaking. The loss of his dearest friend had been more than he could face, and he had been trying to run from the memory of it, for almost a century.

  From his knees, Tony looked up into darkness, and prayed.

  “Divine God, the Source of all life, hear my prayer. I have come in search of the Healing Spirit. I pray to reconnect with the universe. I need to reconnect with my soul’s origin. I seek an end to this immortality, this gift of everlasting life. I seek only what mortal man has been given. Take back this power, I beseech you. Cleanse from me, this life eternal and replace it with a life of mortality.”

  Tony collapsed and closed his eyes. He was spent. He soon felt a soothing sensation surround his body. The pain in his temples began to lessen. He felt exhausted and weak.

  As he lay there, he heard the drip. One…Two . . Three . Four! Suddenly, all the water the cave could hold, poured down on Tony. He was engulfed in the mighty deluge. Coughing and sputtering, he managed to get to his feet. Reaching out with his hands, trying to feel anything familiar, he sought his way back. Waving his arms around, he felt nothing. He started to run, sightless in the dark. It wasn’t important to see where he was going, he figured. As long as he got far enough away from the water, he wouldn’t drown.

  The cavern floor was wet and slippery. Tony was having some difficulty standing upright. It wasn’t long before he tripped. Trying to stop his fall, he grabbed onto a root or a branch, which only propelled him down a steep slide. Farther down, he felt himself slip. Tony prayed the slope was not bottomless, as he felt the numerous injuries to his body, from the sharp rocks along the wall. Down, down he slid. It was impossible to estimate how far he’d fallen, when finally
, he saw a bit of light at the bottom of the shaft.

  “Thank you, God,” he sighed. Closer and closer he came to the light. It grew in size. The opening in the chute was as large as a man. He guessed he’d come out on the other side of the mountain range. How long would it take him to get back to the entrance and to Sophie?

  He had run out of time to ponder his situation, as the slippery surface propelled him out of the cave and high into the air.

  “What the fuck?” he yelled, as he tumbled through space.

  “Tony?” Sophie shrieked. “What are you doing jumping out of that hole? You could kill yourself!” Then she realized the ridiculousness of her statement. “Sorry, Tony.” She apologized, quietly.

  Tony crash-landed about fifteen feet from his wife. Fortunately, he fell into some soft sand, void of rocks and cactus. He sat there, shaking his head. “What the hell?” he questioned.

  Sophie ran up to him and cradled his head against her breasts. “Did you change your mind? Was it too scary?”

  “Huh?” Tony couldn’t process what his wife was saying.

  “How come you didn’t go into the cave? Did you decide not to look for your mortality? And, how did you get way up there?” She pointed to the opening in the side of the ridge, above her head.

  Tony was puzzled. Nothing she said made any sense. She was acting strange, even for Sophie. “I went into the cave, sweetheart.”

  “No, you didn’t. I sat right here and watched you disappear for maybe a minute. Then, you came flying out of that hole. How did you get up there, so fast?”

  “Sophie, could you have fallen asleep? I’ve been gone for a couple of hours, at least. I went far back into the cave. I prayed. Hell, I practically drowned.”

  Sophie stood up and dusted herself off. “Well, darling. I think you bumped your head flying out of that hole, and you don’t know what you’re saying, but I don’t want to be disagreeable. The baby and I want to go back, now, if that’s all right with you. My back hurts and I think I need to spend some time in the hot tub.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

  Tony really didn’t know how to explain what happened. Maybe Sophie was right and he did hit his head. He knew he felt mighty peculiar. “Okay, sugar. Hot tub it is. Let’s go.”

  Tony limped all the way back to the car. This had been one hell of an excursion. Maybe he was nuts. At any rate, his search had ended, and he would get on with his life, which included adoring his wife and child.

  Life, for however long, was good.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Six months later

  “Just look at him,” Tony gushed. His eyes filled with unshed tears of happiness as he held his newborn son in his arms. “He’s amazing.” His face was alight with pure joy. Since meeting Sophie, his life had turned around completely. Living forever, with her by his side, would have been his dearest wish, but alas, no one lives forever.

  Or does he?

  Over the last six months, Sophie had watched her husband let go of his torturous past. At one time, the sadness in his eyes held two hundred years of sorrow. Now, his eyes were warm and held promise of the future. He no longer suffered from his night terrors. More nights than not, she could hear him chuckle in his sleep. No doubt, he was recalling something she had said or done that he thought humorous. She took delight in knowing she could lighten his mood. Secretly, she wasn’t nearly as naïve or harebrained as he thought. She had learned that some men found it charming, and why change something that worked?

  Tony had experienced some subtle physical changes, since their sojourn into New Mexico. He tired more easily and he noticed his vision was not quite as sharp as it had been over the past two centuries. Surprisingly, he was just getting over his first cold…but he dared not hope.

  The baby started to fuss and instantly, Tony panicked. “Sophie, what do I do?” he implored. He held his son straight out in front of him, looking very uncomfortable.

  Sophie giggled. “Bring him over here, darling. Your son is simply hungry. I’ll take care of that.” She held out her hands. Sophie loved holding and nuzzling her son. His sweet little baby smells touched her very soul.

  As the beautiful little boy noisily nursed at his mother’s creamy breast, Tony could feel his heart pounding in his chest. This was the most incredible sight he had ever seen. The two most important people in his life were there, right in front of him. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and stroking their cheeks, ruffling their hair. His son had his mama’s blonde curls and his papa’s dark eyes. They had made him. He was a miracle.

  “What are we going to name him, Tony? We can’t just keep calling him, the baby, or, son. I’d like a strong, normal name…nothing silly or faddish. I don’t want him to grow up and be embarrassed by it. You know, I once knew a girl whose mother named her, Accidental. Really! Can you believe it?” Sophie looked scandalized. She glanced down at her small infant son and smiled, lovingly. “It has to be perfect,” she decreed.

  The baby quieted, his belly was full and his mother held him lovingly in her arms. His long dark lashes cast shadows on his chubby cheeks. He was a beautiful boy.

  Sophie glanced over at her doting husband. He looked tired. He’d been through so much over the many years since his birth. He’d seen and experienced the most revolutionary advances in history. He witnessed the invention of the automobile, the airplane, and man setting foot upon the moon. Nations had warred against nations, and had fallen. Still, he looked forward to the endless future, knowing he would ultimately see it alone.

  They never discussed the results of their experiences in Chaco Canyon. Sophie could feel her husband’s fear, but she was optimistic. She’d noticed the slight changes. It was time he faced the facts. He may very well, be mortal.

  “Tony,” Sophie said softly. “What are you going to do about those?”

  Tony looked completely puzzled. What was his wife referring to, now? “What do you mean?”

  Sophie smiled. “Those gray hairs at your temples,” she said, as a matter of fact. “Some women find them sophisticated, but I think you’re too young. What do you intend to do if you wake up one morning, and you’re white headed?” She knew that was a stretch, but it got his attention.

  Tony’s eyes grew huge with surprise. “Gray hair? Are you sure, darling?” He jumped from his chair and raced to the mirror to see his reflection. After some serious searching, he discovered the single gray strand.

  “Oh, my God, Sophie. Look here! Look here!” Tony ran about the room, not stopping long enough for Sophie to see anything. He was ecstatic. For the first time, he admitted that all the signs added up to something. He had refused to put them all together, until just this moment. For too many years, he’d been disappointed. It was almost too much to accept, even now.

  Sophie saw the tears run unabashedly down her husband’s handsome face. “Darling, I think you should sit down. I have a few questions for you.”

  She waited for him to sit in the chair beside her bed. “Was it the trip to New Mexico?”

  Tony shook his head, slowly. His fingers gently traced the leather pouch handing around his neck. Lately, it had caused a slight rash to develop and he found it uncomfortable to wear. He reached up, grasped the rawhide cord, and snapped it off.

  Sophie gasped. She was aware of how very important the gift from the shaman had been to Tony.

  Tony held up his wrist for Sophie to see.

  Again, she gasped. “What have you done? Why did you change the tattoo Marie Laveau gave you?” Sophie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Out of instinct, she crossed herself.

  “I didn’t do anything,” Tony said flatly. “I noticed, as I was showering off the muck and sludge from the cave, that my wrist was tingling. The flesh felt as if it were being pulled and twisted. I assumed it was the result of the strong magnetic fields in the cave. The next morning, the image had changed to what you see now.” He stroked the inked flesh, lightly.

  Sophie was intrigued. “It looks like a bird of
some kind.”

  “It does indeed,” Tony agreed. “I believe it’s a dove…a renewed promise to man. Maybe it is a renewed promise for me.” He thought about it for a while, and walked over to the window. Staring out, he could see it all, clearly.

  “I believe the chemo I received in France, shifted my body chemistry enough to be receptive to the elements of Chaco Canyon.”

  Sophie believed this, too. “I also think it is the power of faith and prayer that aided you.”

  After thinking more on the subject, she practically whispered, “You know what this means, don’t you?”

  Tony nodded. “I’m mortal. I’m like every other living man.” His voice trembled as he said the words.

  “Tony,” Sophie wept, “you’ve been given a death sentence.”

  Tony returned to his wife’s side and took her up, into his arms. He was smiling. His sparkling green eyes were dancing. His lips found hers, as he covered them with kisses.

  “Yes, darling. I know what this means. I’ve surely been given a death sentence. And now—I can finally start to live.”

  “Thomas Grant Barton,” Sophie mumbled.

  Tony smiled. “I like that, darling. You’re so wise.”

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALICE ADDY has always been in love with historical romances. She grew up on tales of cowboys, horses, and covered wagons. However, she also grew up watching Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Vincent Price transform into various creatures of the night. It was fun to be scared…from the comfort and safety of her parent’s sofa. Her imagination continued to grow from there, and as she reached maturity, romance was thrown into the mix. As she writes about her vampires, witches, and immortals, she would like to believe that with enough love and understanding, no one is forever damned, and all can be redeemed in the end.

  She enjoys collecting American antiques and has a passion for gardening. When the weather cooperates, she loves getting her hands dirty. Colorful flowers and blossoming trees often times find their way into her novels. She strives to set a beautiful scene for her beloved characters. Readers will also notice her love for children and animals in her books. Hopefully, their antics will make you laugh and perhaps even shed a few tears, but always…always her stories will have a happy ending.