Beck’s voice was firm. “There’s another piece to it. If it was ordained for us to meet, fall in love, and be together, then the big question is…Why?”
Chapter 47
Reunion
Turks and Caicos
Avery was pacing up and down on the dock, wearing her skimpiest bikini. Periodically she looked out to sea for any sign of the boat bringing Beck. She heard it before she saw it. Then there he was, standing on the back of the sea cruiser, waving at her.
A woman with bright red hair was piloting the boat. She waved and Avery wanted to laugh. Andromeda is never far away. Brigid’s with us.
When the boat pulled alongside the dock, Beck jumped off and swept Avery off her feet.
“God, I’ve missed you!” he whispered in her ear.
“Me too. I’m so happy to have you back safe and sound. Let’s not go back to the house just yet. I want you all to myself.”
Beck looked down at her feet. “Is that why you brought the blanket? So we could talk?”
“Avery grinned. “I’ve scoped out a very private beach for us.”
After they were settled, Avery drew him deep into her passion and they flew away together, celebrating their reunion.
Later, with passion spent, Avery felt Beck stir. “Are you back yet?”
“In more ways than one. I think you missed me.”
Avery sat up. “It’s more than I missed you. Philippa and Celeste are dear and they’re trying to be helpful and reassuring, but I feel unsettled. I’m scared except when I’m with you.”
He stroked her cheek, looking deep into her eyes, and then drew her into a soft hug. “You know I’m here for you and for us.”
In response Avery nestled in as Beck’s view shifted far away out to sea. “There’s a wonder to all this, but, like you, I can’t see where it’s going to lead. On at least one thing, though, I’m very clear. We’re supposed to be together.”
Avery pulled back a little and looked up into his eyes. “At least we know who we are and where we came from. I’ve been talking with Philippa and Celeste. Both of our careers are gone. So I asked about my future. Turns out they had an answer.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“The Tethyans are still seeking who they are and what’s to come. In some ways, even though they have a mission, they can’t see their future any more clearly than we can. But they have these ancient libraries and they’re searching for guidance. Philippa thought the Discoverer might be interested.”
Beck’s eyes widened as the thought sank in. “So they’re having their own identity crisis. We fit right in.” He was quiet for a moment. “It’s not what you were doing, but it sounds fascinating.”
Beck loved the look of anticipation on Avery’s face.
“I’d be studying our people. They’re still working to assemble the details of their history and what their future may be. They have a purpose, but their real purpose may be in the future. What’s happening just now is just the now—not what’s coming. Am I being crystal clear?”
Beck laughed. “I know what you mean. Believe it or not.” He turned serious. “I’m so happy to hear about the possibilities for you, and I have to tell you about me.” He again detailed his time with his parents and his thoughts since.
“Part of me is reassured,” Avery said. “Even if we can’t know exactly who we are yet, we have information that says we’re meant to be here and meant to be together. I can handle a lot of the uncertainty just knowing that. Then it becomes a wonderful adventure. And do you want to hear about your future?” she asked. “You know, the one we don’t understand.” She waited until Beck nodded.
“There’s going to be a visitation.”
Beck couldn’t contain himself. He laughed. “There’s always some kind of visitation.”
“I’m serious, Beck. Have you heard the name Reuben De Santis?”
“No, it means nothing to me.”
“I overheard Philippa and Celeste talking. He’s a famous couture designer and he works up close and personal with the Tethyans. They want you to meet him.”
“Is he going to design clothes for me? I can’t wait.”
She cuffed him on the shoulder. “From what they said, part of the designing relates to how people work for the Tethyan needs and causes. Things are unraveling fast, and they need talent to work on how they use their resources. Think of it as management.”
Beck nodded. “I don’t know exactly what it means, but I’m sure he can explain it to me.”
Beck could see the change in her expression.
“We’ve had our time,” Avery said. “Now you need to get acquainted with our new family.”
She took him by the hand, led him back to the house where they found Philippa waiting with her hands folded in front of her. Without a word she walked up to Beck and hugged him warmly.
Just then Celeste walked into the room. “So this is your young man.” She walked over to Beck, extending her hand.
He was engaged by her immediately, struck by her beauty and presence. As he took her hand, he could see the strength and depth in her eyes. But behind the strength he found sadness. He wondered why he was allowed in. “My pleasure, Celeste. May I call you that?”
She smiled. “I have no other name. Or at least none I use.”
“Tell me, are you here to teach Avery or are you part of our guardians?”
“No, I’m not Andromeda. I’m here for Avery and, by implication, you.”
Beck decided not to ask what that meant.
Chapter 48
Guidance
Turks and Caicos
Celeste came into the room overlooking the pool where Avery was reading, and sat on one of the large sofas.
“Avery, come sit with me.” She patted a sofa cushion.
Avery perched on the edge of the sofa as if she was ready to flee. She could not define why she felt cautious. And she was wondering what the invitation meant. Every meeting with Celeste brought something new.
Celeste smiled. “Don’t be afraid,” she said as she took Avery’s hand.
Rather than feeling intruded upon, Avery felt reassured. “Celeste, I keep going back to the car accident I survived. If I’m who you think I am, is it possible I can still breathe underwater?”
“How old do you think I am?” Celeste asked, dodging the question.
The question seemed to come out of nowhere. Uh-oh was the first thing that came to Avery’s mind. “My guess is you’re in your mid-thirties, and I expected you to be a lot older for some reason.”
Celeste smiled. “You’re right. I am a lot older. In fact, I’m over one hundred years old.”
Avery wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear more of what she considered to be a fantasy, but knew it was going to happen anyway.
Celeste continued. “There’s a point to your knowing that. Let me tell you about the Tethys. They’re fascinating places. From what you tell us, it seems you were near the one called Thonis outside of Alexandria.”
“Where I saw the woman and child,” Avery said.
“I think the people you saw were sent by Gaia as a sign. A symbol to beckon you on.”
“It makes as much sense as the rest of this. Why couldn’t I see the city? Other than the fact that the water was murky.”
“You would not have seen it because there’s a time warp.”
Avery started to speak but the look on Celeste’s face stopped her. “The time warp is part of the protection of our cities. They exist in a time before that moment so they can’t be seen. They don’t exist yet when you’re outside. Progenitors and people they bring as guests, who don’t have to be Progenitors by the way, can pierce the barrier.”
“I suppose you can’t explain how people who can’t breathe in the water can visit.”
“The core of the Tethys is an air environment so they use a small submarine to bring in guests.”
Avery’s eyes were bright wi
th fascination. “What about the time warp?”
“The time warp is under Gaia’s command, and because of the different laws of time, those of us who live in the Tethys age at a different rate. Which means more slowly.”
Avery studied Celeste’s face for indications of greater age. What she saw looked like greater wisdom and the stability of self-assurance.
“So my experience of life is different from yours in a lot of ways. Remember that Gaia has given us a special role. Let me tell you something about the Progenitors. Many of us are healers of very special kinds. You might call me a seductress, and I may seduce both men and women for purposes of healing. For example, some might say that reminiscing about a lost love affair induces needless suffering. But as I said before, no experience or affair is ever a total loss. It’s possible to heal by taking the experience of love and warmth with us so we prepare ourselves for a love which will be enduring. Love and depth of feeling come into our lives in many ways. I try to guide people to that understanding.”
“That makes me think of my parents—that we can take the warmth and love with us even if the loved one is gone.”
“Yes, you understand. It’s what I hoped to find in you.”
“I suppose you’re going to clarify healing and seduction for me.”
“Yes. Seduction is not always sexual. And healing isn’t always something physical. Sometimes people must be seduced in ways that heal them. For example, there are junctions in history where the future of humankind is in peril. If one path is chosen it will be an unmitigated disaster, and if another is chosen humankind will progress. There are times when women, as the ultimate source of life and continuity, must direct that moment. It’s then that I may be sent to seduce a man and shape his direction. Sometimes it’s straightforward and at the time it may take place as an implausible and desperate affair of the heart.”
“Is that what happened when you had that tragic affair?”
“Yes, it began for healing and ended in love. He was a man who was shaping history and I was sent to heal an important part of him so he would help our people. Who he was meant an end to our relationship was required.”
She waited a minute to see if Avery was following her direction.
Avery was struggling to see the truths as they might relate to her world and her future. In the end, she had to lay it aside.
Celeste waited patiently.
“Avery, understand it’s now my job to be the seductress with you. A crucially important part of your life is opening, and for you to proceed it’s necessary for you to be healed in a way that permits you to go forward to all that’s possible for you. To do that I need to draw you into the water. It’s likely you can breathe in the water and we’ll find out safely.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“As a matter of fact, you do. We can leave things as they are for now and you can tell me when you’re ready.”
Avery’s expression spoke to her resolve. “There’s absolutely no way I’m going back from this now.”
“Then I’ll be pleased to take you to my home Tethys, which lies just out there at the edge of the continental shelf.” Celeste pointed. “We’ll need to make some preparations in the morning. Be sure to sing yourself to sleep tonight. I think you’ll find you have new music. I’ll awaken you early.”
Chapter 49
Flight from Fear
Turks and Caicos
Avery fell asleep at once but there was no peace, no retreat to comfort, or safety. There had been no music to lull her and give her solace. Frightful dreams descended upon her and she heard voices uttering warnings she couldn’t decipher. Shapeless creatures circled her. They seemed to be pressing upon her a perception of a future she couldn’t clarify. Were they offering hope or warnings? She felt lost. At last, in the early morning hours, they released her. Just then she heard Celeste’s voice telling her she had a choice. She sat upright, rigid in fear.
Next to her Beck had been sleeping peacefully. He stirred just as Avery jumped out of bed and shouted, “SHIT!” She began to toss her things into a suitcase. “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Enough is enough.”
Beck reached out and grabbed her hand.
“I can’t do this, Beck. I’m sorry. I’ve tried to accept all this but I can’t. I want my life back.”
“Avery. Talk to me. Sit here.” He drew her to him.
She sat with her head down. “I’m so confused. Celeste wants me to do something today and I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to do anything here. Can you take me back to Florida?”
She turned fully toward him. “Doesn’t all this bother you? Our lives are gone, people are trying to kill us and we have no idea where we’re going or what our lives will be like. I’ve lost all control and I want it back.”
Beck considered what to say. “Avery, if going back to Florida is what you need, that’s what we’ll do.”
He knew her well enough to recognize when she needed comfort and quiet. It wasn’t time to push her forward.
“Oh Beck, I knew you’d understand! I just want to curl up with you and have a quiet life.”
Beck pulled on some clothes and left the room. He knew it would be better if he broke the news to Philippa and faced whatever her reaction would be. Avery seemed fragile, and he needed to be her protector.
Philippa was in the kitchen brewing her morning tea when she heard the commotion. When Beck walked in, she was relieved.
“What’s going on? Is Avery ill?”
Beck explained his view to her and what he was proposing.
“I thought maybe Celeste was being too optimistic.” She sighed. “I had hoped she had reached acceptance. Of course, take whatever time you need. Naturally I hope in time you’ll rejoin us, but we don’t get to dictate.” She took his hands in hers. “You have our understanding and support.”
Beck expressed his gratitude and returned to Avery.
Moments later Philippa sensed Celeste behind her and turned. “Celeste, it will have to be as Gaia will have it to be.”
Celeste merely nodded.
In the bedroom, Avery took command of herself, then walked to the kitchen. She looked from one woman to the other and said, “I want to thank you both of you for everything, for your kindness, for your willingness to share all of this with me, including who I am and where I came from. It’s been important.”
She spoke not at all of the nighttime visions still hovering around her.
Then she could no longer restrain the feelings welling up inside. “And I don’t want a fucking bit of it! I had a life which was going nicely and found a guy I love. I want him and I want that life back. The rest of you can go on killing each other in the name of who knows what.”
Philippa listened to the outpouring with her hand over her mouth.
Avery continued. “You can help me go back to my life or I’ll find my own way as I always have.” On Avery’s mind were all the years she had made her way through the life she constructed alone and where she had found her own rewards. Deep down she felt it had all been taken from her.
Philippa started to speak, but Celeste took her arm. “Avery. I meant it when I said you have a choice.”
Avery’s fury continued. “That’s nice, Celeste. What about prophesies and portents? What about Gaia’s will for us?”
Celeste spoke in soft, clear tones. “Perhaps I didn’t put it in proper perspective. Gaia had a plan, but she also knew it might not work out. Everything about life has possibilities and the outcome is never assured. An opportunity or a possibility may exist, but never the outcome. If this is not something you want in the end, then that’s how it will have to be. We don’t get to say. You do.”
Avery remained adamant in her anger. “But what about what is ordained?”
Softly Celeste said, “Your choice must remain in the end.”
The anger slowly drained from Avery and she sank back against the counter.
“Before
you leave,” Philippa said, “let me remind you. There are alternatives. If you change your mind and want to return, we can form a plan. Do you remember Reuben?”
Avery nodded.
“He transforms people. Not just with his clothes, his creations. He undertakes to make new lives for people as well. He can re-create them and give them whole new personas. If it’s safety they need, they can have it. If it’s a new career, it can be created. He would work with you. Both of you.” She hesitated, trying not to cry.
Beck entered the room and stood behind Avery. “Thank you both for your understanding,” he said. He had other thoughts and feelings, but this wasn’t the time. Avery was his sole concern, as he led her back to their room to pack.
When they were alone, Philippa turned to Celeste. “You were right, of course. The prophecy was as all prophecies are—open to interpretations, promise, and change.”
“This does not change the battle before us,” Celeste said.
Philippa fixed her gaze on Celeste. “I think you don’t entirely understand. For me this is not a matter of the fight for our planet. This is about me finding my daughter and now losing her all over again.”
Chapter 50
Reprieve
Turks and Caicos
It was settled. Avery and Beck would return to Florida. Philippa tried to get them to make some definitive plans but found Avery firm about her privacy. Beck stood back and let them play out the conflict together. Instinctively he knew he had to simply support Avery rather than try to be a negotiator.
Philippa was stoic. “I do understand this is your decision.”
Avery was adamant. “Yes, it is, and we’ll build our own future.”
“At least let me make travel arrangements. I’m concerned about your safety, and we can’t publicize your movement. It’s not easy. This is a foreign country and we need to get you back unnoticed.”
To that statement, Beck felt he could respond. “I agree with that, Avery. In a sense, we need to sneak back into the U.S.”
She whirled around ready for a fight, then just as suddenly relaxed. “I suppose we need some help. You’re right.”
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