by Lucia Ashta
“Ah. Now it makes more sense.”
What made more sense? Lena was puzzled.
The man had recognized there was something exotic about her that could be partially explained by her origins. She looked at him with an unspoken question, only to catch him staring at her face, trailing her features and stopping at her full lips.
“And what’s your name?” she asked.
With difficulty, he pulled himself away from her mouth. “My name is Paolo, Paolo Bianchi.
“And you are Lena what? What’s your family name?” He wanted to be able to find her if he ever needed to—if her face and otherworldliness haunted his dreams.
“My name’s Lena.” She stopped herself mid-sentence. “You know, I don’t believe I have a last name anymore. First I was known by my father’s name, and then by my ex-husband’s. I won’t do that any longer. Now, in my new life, I’m me. Just me. I’m no one else’s anything.”
“Okay. Just Lena then. It’s been a great pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again someday. I really do.”
“If we’re meant to see each other another time, I’m sure we will. I’ve handed my life over to destiny, Paolo Bianchi.”
Lena pulled her bag from the carousel. Then she smiled a warm smile from the heart. It had been refreshing to connect with a kind-hearted man. She took him in one last time; he looked seductive without even trying.
“Thank you, Paolo. I’m very grateful to have met you. Goodbye.”
She turned and sashayed out of the terminal. When the automatic door moved open to make way for her, she broke into a grin that no one saw. She’d always wanted to make a dramatic exit. It was like a scene from a movie.
She knew without having to look that Paolo’s gaze had followed her every move out the door.
Chapter 7
How could there not be a single car for rent in the entire Phoenix airport? The employee who staffed the third and last car rental agency in the airport explained again.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t help you. Like I said, there’s a festival going on in Flagstaff over the next few days, and all our cars have been reserved.”
The employee stared at Lena impatiently from behind smeared glasses.
“Can I have a minute to think about what to do? I hadn’t anticipated this problem.”
The employee looked back at her noncommittally.
“Is there some other means of transportation that could take me to Sedona? A bus or something?”
“Well, that may be a possibility. You usually have to make reservations in advance for the shuttle, but they may be able to fit you in. They’re on the other end of this terminal.” He pointed. “They have a yellow sign with a map of Arizona on it.”
“Okay, I’m going to see if they can help me. But once I get to Sedona, I still won’t have a car.” She paused. “I guess I’ll have to buy one.”
“Sure. If you can’t rent a car, just buy one.”
The kid was mocking her, but the reality was that she would need to buy a car anyway.
“Do they have car dealerships in Sedona?”
“Clearly you haven’t been to Sedona before.”
Clearly, she hadn’t, because she had no idea what he meant. Lena was tired of his attitude and didn’t care to hang around to figure it out. She’d find out soon enough, once she actually figured out a way to get to Sedona.
“Okay, thanks for your help,” Lena said out of habit. “I’m going to try to find a shuttle.”
“Or buy a car,” he added.
Lena considered responding, but it wasn’t worth it. She spun around to go and ran into Paolo.
“What are you doing here?”
Paolo laughed. “Surely you can’t be that surprised to find me when you just saw me fifteen minutes ago.”
He had a point. It’s just that she hadn’t expected to see him again after her theatrical exit, especially not so soon.
“I’m picking up a rental car.”
“Well, they don’t have any cars available in the entire airport. I’ve checked every rental company. Apparently there’s a shuttle that may be able to take us to Sedona. I’m headed to find out now if you want to join me.”
“I made a reservation. They have a car waiting for me.”
“Oh.” It wasn’t the most eloquent of responses, but it was all she could muster. Her friends had tried to talk her into making a reservation.
Paolo smiled. “Lena, you’re welcome to ride with me.”
“That’d be really great, thank you.”
When Lena buckled herself into the passenger seat of a black sports car, she wondered what destiny had in mind for her. She left the airport behind, determined to allow things to develop on their own for once.
“Destiny has a funny way of unfolding, doesn’t it, Lena?” Paolo said as they pulled out onto the highway, mischievous smile snuck across his face.
Chapter 8
Lena expected brown landscapes typical of deserts. But the city was nothing like she’d imagined, nestled in mountains striated in pinks and oranges that glowed like fire when the sun set.
Lena and Paolo had talked almost non-stop for the two-hour car ride, but now they were quiet save for a few comments about the landscape. She realized what the kid at the car rental agency had been talking about. The city was small. One main road traversed it, and it took less than ten minutes to drive from one edge of town to the other. Lena instantly loved it.
“Where are you staying?” Paolo asked.
“Would you be terribly surprised if I told you I have no idea?” She smiled. She’d enjoyed his company so much during the drive that no longer cared about little details like where she’d sleep.
He bellowed in laughter. “No, Lena, I wouldn’t. I’d expect nothing less of you.”
Lena jerked her head up out of habit, a defensive reaction to the mockery she was used to from her ex-husband. But she found only good-natured playfulness in his eyes. Her defenses melted away.
“Where are you staying?”
“Does it surprise you that I don’t know either?” He smiled warmly. “Let’s try this place.” He gestured to a lodging sign up ahead. “Does that sound good?”
She nodded. She didn’t really care where she stayed that night. What she did care about was that he’d included her in his plans.
Lena studied Paolo. His olive skin was bronzed, which was uncommon for a Michigan winter. She realized she had no idea what he was doing in the Midwest.
“Were you staying in the Detroit area?”
“Well, as luck would have it,” he said with a look that implied a shared private joke, “or destiny, my flight had a layover in Detroit. I came in on an overnight flight from Lima.”
That would explain the wrinkles in his clothing and the day-old beard, though it had the effect of making him look attractively tousled. Overnight flights had an entirely different effect on her appearance, she was fairly certain.
“So you’ve been to my continent?”
“Is it all yours? Are you a good sharer?”
“The very best”. She was flirting with him. She was surprised it was so natural.
Paolo’s eyes lit up, and that’s when she really noticed how amazing his eyes were. Not only were they the color of honey, but they were almost the same color as hers. How had she not noticed before? She’d never met anyone with an eye color so similar to hers.
She allowed her gaze to travel over the rest of his features until she realized she was staring, just as he’d stared at her in the airport. She chuckled when she caught herself.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing, I’m just laughing at myself. It feels good to laugh after taking my life so seriously.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Paolo said, making Lena realize that she still knew very little about him. There was no way she was going to sashay away from him this time.
“Paolo, why did you choose to come to Sedona of all places?”
“
I’m starting to think I came here to find you.”
Then he pulled up in front of the inn’s main entrance, parked the car, and got out.
Chapter 9
Paolo and Lena got adjoining rooms at the Javelina Inn. The innkeeper explained that javelinas looked like wild boars but were from the peccary family, originally from South America. She told them they’d likely see javelinas wandering outside at night and assured them not to worry, they wouldn’t miss them, because they weren’t the quietest of creatures.
Lena wondered why an inn would brag about noisy, wild animals that roamed its property at night. That was her first hint that Sedona was a place like no other. The second hint came right on the tail of the first.
“I have a book on animal messages behind the counter if you need it,” the innkeeper added.
Lena didn’t know why she’d need one or even what a book on animal messages was, but she figured it was good to have access to one if she found out what the heck it was for.
Paolo carried their bags to her room first, where he placed hers on a table by the window. “Would you like to join me on a hike? After hearing that woman boast of their amazing trails, I can hardly wait to see for myself.”
Although Lena was tired from the long flight and the drive from Phoenix, it sounded like a good idea. After the dreary Michigan winters, the Sedona sunshine and bright blue skies felt glorious. It was March and already relatively warm in Sedona, and thanks to the change in time zone, there were still a couple of hours of daylight left.
“You know what, that sounds lovely. Let me change into clothes and shoes I can hike in. I’ll only be a minute.”
“When you’re ready, come knock on my door,” he said and pulled the door shut behind him.
Lena rummaged through her suitcase until she found sneakers, leggings, and a sweatshirt. They’d work for a hike. She pulled them on and assessed herself in the mirror. She looked a little worse for the wear, but she was a beautiful woman and never should have believed otherwise.
She’d become weak while with Robby. She gave her power to him but now she was reclaiming it. She was already beginning to feel better with the thousands of miles between her and the memories of her marriage. She decided she was finished thinking and talking about Robby. She’d given enough of her energy to him.
As Lena walked out the door to Paolo’s room, she realized she was really starting to like him. She didn’t know if that was good or bad. After all, she barely knew the man.
But there she was, a day after her divorce, intrigued by a mysterious man. Should she be careful, or was it time to throw caution to the wind? She’d promised herself she’d live her life to the fullest, and she had to keep that promise.
Lena rapped lightly on the door to Paolo’s room. When she saw Paolo, she was sure she had no choice but to let destiny sweep her away.
She stepped across the threshold.
Chapter 10
As she did every morning, Asara awoke to birds chirping outside her window. Still in bed, she stretched and groaned as she felt her sore muscles. She didn’t understand why the temple masters pushed her harder than they did any of the other pupils. She always did what they asked of her, but it was never enough.
It was difficult. Most of the time she shouldered their demands gracefully and with acceptance. Other times, like now, she wanted nothing more than to bury her head under the covers. Mornings like these, when her body ached and she wanted her mother to take care of her, made her feel alone. She missed her parents and siblings.
On her seventh birthday, Asara’s parents told her they were taking her somewhere special. She thought maybe they’d go to one of her favorite places by the water’s edge; they knew how much she loved playing at the banks of their River Haakal.
When they left their home without her five brothers and sisters, Asara was excited. There was always little time to devote to her alone. She’d guessed her parents were giving her special time as a gift for her birthday. What she didn’t expect was for them to take her to the Temple of Laresu’u Kal, that grand temple she’d heard so much about, and leave her there.
When her father told her the temple would be her new home, she stared up at him in confusion. Then she looked at her mother, hoping to see something in her eyes that would help her understand.
Asara knew her parents loved her. Why would they want to send her away? She was a good girl. Why didn’t they want her?
Asara didn’t receive the answers she sought that day. It’d take her many years to understand what happened next. Both her mother and father hugged her with a glimmer of tears in their eyes and then turned and walked away.
Asara stood there, alone in the world while she watched her parents fade into the distance. They didn’t turn even once to look back at their daughter.
Once Asara could no longer see her parents, she turned to look up at the imposing complex of the Temple of Laresu’u Kal. She’d grown up hearing stories about the magic that was performed there, how the temple masters knew the future and the past. She’d heard of men and women that could fight without ever picking up a weapon.
There she stood, intimidated, scared, and alone. Tears welled in her eyes and she fought to keep them in check. She inhaled deeply and steeled herself for what was to come. Then she took her first step toward embracing her destiny.
Chapter 11
Lena woke disoriented in the unfamiliar bed at the Javelina Inn. Her senses gradually grew alert and she remembered it all, including her dream.
It was the same one she’d had before, of the little girl who looked much as Lena did when she was younger. She wondered what it meant. Was she dreaming of herself as a child in a different world? She was certain there was some important message she was supposed to take away from the dream, but couldn’t figure out what it was. She tried to go back to sleep.
An hour later, Lena grimaced in frustration. Her bed was comfortable, her body was tired from traveling and the long hike with Paolo, yet she found herself tossing and turning. The digital clock on the bedside table glared 2:34 in mocking, red numbers. Lena closed her eyes again and was relieved when sleep finally claimed her, but the relief was illusory.
She slipped into another dream, this one horrible, unlike any she’d had before. Demons were chasing her.
There were several, led by the largest and most grotesque of them, covered in bulging, unnatural muscles. They had human-like features and an overpowering stench of evil that caused Lena to whimper in fear.
The demons were clothed like people, but lumbered forward like monsters, crushing everything in their path. Their leader chased Lena unrelentingly, while the others hurt any innocent person they encountered. Lena cried out as one snapped a boy in half.
She felt powerless and could do nothing but run. Lena knew they’d kill her if they caught her, and a part of her realized that if the demons killed her in the dream world, she’d die in the physical world too. She ran for her life.
Finally, a blaring sound shook Lena awake. Terrified and trembling, she fumbled with the alarm clock on the bedside table until she turned it off. It was 4:44 in the morning.
It was an unusual time for an alarm to be set, but Lena was grateful. She couldn’t shake the fear though. The dream was all too real, as if her life were truly in danger. She was horrified at the pain she witnessed and at the evil she felt emanating from the demons.
Lena was scared and sobbing. She needed more than anything to be held and reassured that everything was all right. She wanted to be told that such malice didn’t exist in the world, even though deep down she suspected it was real.
She didn’t want to be alone, and there was only one person there that could help her. She’d just met Paolo and didn’t want to appear cowardly, afraid of a dream, but she was truly terrified.
Still trembling, Lena got out of bed, grabbed the key and left her room barefoot, in the T-shirt she’d been sleeping. She didn’t care. She knocked on the door to Paolo’s room. She had to knoc
k again before a bleary-eyed Paolo opened the door in his boxer shorts.
Half asleep, he didn’t ask questions. He saw the traumatized look on Lena’s face and stepped aside to let her in. He didn’t ask what was wrong. He didn’t ask what she needed. He pulled her into bed with him and held her, just as she’d hoped he would.
Within a few minutes, Paolo fell back asleep. His breathing grew heavy and deep. The rise and fall of his chest against Lena’s back comforted her. Paolo held her close; she laid curled into the open curve that his body created for her.
Lena didn’t want to fall asleep, afraid the nightmare would take hold of her again. She prayed silently to God to protect her and those innocent people she’d seen the demons hurting. Sometime later, Lena fell back to sleep and didn’t wake until she felt Paolo stir behind her.
Paolo squeezed his arms around Lena with a familiarity that belied they’d only known each other for a day. She couldn’t explain how close she felt to him or how much she trusted him already.
She enjoyed the feel of Paolo’s body nestled behind her. They fit together, his body perfectly complementing hers. And in that moment between sleep and wakefulness, Lena was certain she even knew what he was thinking. She felt his desire to kiss her. How was it possible?
Paolo’s lips made contact with the nook between her neck and shoulder, the space left open by her T-shirt’s gaping neckline. She felt his kiss before it touched her skin. Electricity preceded it.
When his lips made contact it was powerful in a way she’d never experienced before. Inexplicably, there was a sense of complete intimacy and of surrendered love. She was amazed how something so gentle as the brushing of his lips upon her skin, just once, could have such a profound effect on her soul.
Her mind tried to remind her she had other plans. According to a mathematical equation she took from a book, Lena calculated she’d need three and a half years to heal from her past relationship before she could be with a man again. But despite math, Lena felt her heart ready to ignore rules and plans. There was no straining. On the contrary, straining would be to deny what, seemingly, already existed between them. This man felt like he’d been her lover for eons.