Telesa - The Covenant Keeper

by Lani Wendt Young

  For what seemed an eternity, we just stood there, our bodies separated by cupped hands of flame while a storm raged and thundered outside. I couldn’t read the look in his eyes. I was used to the mischief, the teasing glint, the concern, even the serious intensity – but here, now, in his eyes, there was something different. He leaned closer toward me and reached with one hand to lightly brush my cheek. He whispered in the electric night. “You’re beautiful.” And now his eyes spoke what I could understand – he wanted to kiss me. And before I could stop it, the mere thought of his lips on mine provoked a surge of heat that rushed through me like a blast from a furnace, a blast that fired the flames in my hands, sending them shooting upwards to light up the whole room, sending Jason jumping backwards in alarm.

  “Whoa! Watch it!”

  As quickly as I had lost control, I reined it in, shutting off the flames with a mental switch, leaving the house in darkness again. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Jase!” I moved to stand beside him, wanting to see for myself if he was alright, but unwilling to get too close to him. “Are you alright? Did you get burned? Jason?”

  I breathed a sigh of relief to hear his familiar teasing laugh. “I’m fine, but damn Leila – I thought you were kidding when you threatened to burn me up before! You could have taken my whole face off there.”

  I wrung my hands nervously. “ I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, it was an accident, honestly. I usually have much better control only I wasn’t thinking, I mean I wasn’t expecting this, you caught me off guard.”

  “You weren’t expecting what exactly?”

  I moved away from him and carefully summoned the flames again so I could make my way to the kitchen where I started looking for the lanterns that I knew Netta kept stored. I faked intense concentration on getting the lamps lit while I left his question unanswered. Only when the room was flickering with light did I turn to look at him again.

  “There, got it. Thank goodness for Netta’s efficiency. Now, are you hungry? Nafanua said there was dinner around here somewhere.” I let my own hand-held flame die as I moved to get plates and food from the oven, avoiding his eyes, avoiding him.

  Until he came up behind me and quietly asked, “Leila, do you want me to leave? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn’t mean to. I can go.”

  I turned agitatedly. “No! Don’t leave. I’m fine, it’s okay. I want you to stay. I like having you here.” I paused, unsure how to continue. I wanted to tell him that he was the only friend I had at the moment. Well, the only friend who I could talk to about what I was going through. The only person who could come to this place filled with strange mystical happenings and make me feel normal. He was like an older cousin. A smart, funny and caring cousin. Or at least that’s the lie I’m telling myself. I snuck a glance at him. A ‘friend’ who also happened to be sending my heart rate into a death spin as he stood in my kitchen with barely any clothes on. I smiled at his serious face and resolutely took a deep breath. “Jason, please don’t go. It’s a bit lonely – and scary – here when all the others are out. Stay, okay? I promise I won’t light anymore fires.”

  I looked up at him as he smiled that familiar roguish grin. “Okay, I’ll stick around. But only if you tell me what that was a minute ago. If you weren’t trying to maim me deliberately, then where did that come from?”

  I shook my head unwilling to come clean. But another look at his open smile reminded me that this person was the only friend I had on hand. And he deserved the truth. “Jason, you remember when you asked me about triggers for my powers? Well, I wasn’t completely honest with you. It’s kinda embarrassing. A major trigger is, umm, you know …” I floundered.

  “No, I don’t know. What?”

  “Well, when I’m with someone and I get kinda … into them … kinda … aaargh!” I rolled my eyes and threw my hands up to the ceiling with embarrassed frustration.

  “Just what are you trying to say, Miss Leila?” He was laughing now at my discomfort. Standing there with folded arms, with his head cocked to one side. “Go on, say it!”

  “Say what?”

  “You were trying to say that one of the triggers for your powers is physical attraction, ahem … sexual desire, to be precise. Which is why you nearly blew up the kitchen a few minutes ago, because you are just so crazy hot for me and you couldn’t handle it.”

  “I am not! I did not. Of course I can handle it.”

  He interrupted, “Ahhh, so you admit that you’re hot for me!?”

  I rushed on frantic and flustered, “Don’t be ridiculous, of course I’m not hot for you.”

  “Oh? You’re not huh? So what happened back there then?”

  “Nothing. I was just nervous, it was dark and I hate the dark and there’s a storm outside and it’s making me tense and so all of that just made me flame, that’s all.”

  He shook his head eyes dancing with mirth. “So, it had nothing whatsoever to do with me.”

  “No. Not at all. And you’re very conceited to think that it did.”

  His eyes widened and he started walking towards me. “Oh, so I’m conceited am I? I see, so in my delusional conceit, I only imagined that your pulse was racing, your heart was pounding, and you were totally contemplating what it would be like to kiss me?”

  My eyes were horror filled as he exactly summarized what had happened. I shook my head in nervous denial and took several steps back, halted by the bench top behind me.

  “No, I mean yes, you were totally imagining all that. I don’t know where you could have gotten all of that from! It’s just …”

  He had me cornered now and shushed me with one finger lightly to my lips, “Ridiculous, I know, you told me. So what you’re saying is that, my being this close to you has no effect on you whatsoever?”

  I swallowed and shook my head defiantly. “No. It doesn’t. There’s nothing like that between us.”

  “I see.” He was still smiling as he carefully brushed my still-wet hair away from the side of my face, bent his head and whispered against the nape of my neck. “And this? No effect whatsoever?”

  His lips brushed a delicate trail of fire on my skin, igniting sinuous ripples of longing that coursed through me. His hands on my waist, gently but firmly pulled me closer, melding my body to the hard length of his. Of their own accord, my hands moved up his bare chest, tracing indents and contours of muscle, playing on the warmth of sun-kissed gold skin. His mouth lingered at my ear, his voice a hoarse whisper, “Are you feeling anything now Leila?”

  I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, willing my breathing to slow. I thought of Daniel and what had happened on that terror-filled night and that gave me the strength I needed to neatly sidestep Jason and push past him.

  “Jason, quit it. Stop messing around. I’m trying to tell you something, something important.”

  The pleading edge to my voice put a stop to his teasing. He looked at me with gentle compassion. “I’m sorry, Leila. It’s just too easy to rile you up and I enjoy it too much. See?” he raised his hands and took several steps backwards, “I’m backing off. And I’m ready to be serious. Honestly. Now, what is it that you want to tell me?”

  I sighed resignedly. “I wanted to tell you that yes, you ARE … hot … a little bit. And it doesn’t help that you know it. So just tone it down a bit okay? But nothing can happen between us, nothing. If you start kissing me and I start blowing up every time you’re around, then that means we can’t be friends anymore. And I couldn’t handle that Jase, I couldn’t. I’ve lost too many people already. First my dad and then I lost the right to be with my friend Daniel. I can’t open up to my other friends at school because this stuff is just too weird. I don’t trust Nafanua and her sisters but I have no-one else to turn to. I have to stay here with them because they’re the only ones who have any clue about what’s going on with me, who have any clues about how to help me make sure I don’t wipe out the whole island by accident. You can’t know how happy I was today to be able to share my s
ecret with you. And to have you be okay with it. I’ve felt so alone Jase. You’re the only friend I’ve got and I couldn’t stand to lose you too. I just couldn’t. Please don’t. Don’t do this – the killer smile, the telling me I’m beautiful, the naked chest thing, the breathing on my neck and making me want to kiss you – just don’t. I can’t handle it, I can’t.”

  My voice had risen several hysterical octaves and I ended my tirade with a muffled sob. There was no teasing in Jason’s eyes as he closed the distance between us and enfolded me in a huge hug. Instinctively, I stiffened, but there was nothing but friendship in his embrace. “Hey, I get it. It’s okay. Everything will be okay, you’ll see. I’m not going anywhere, you’re not going to lose me. We’re friends, and I’m going to do everything possible that I can to help you get through this.” A soft laugh. “And I promise, no more naked chest and neck breathing – just friends.”

  I looked up at him with a watery smile. “You promise?”

  He grinned back. “Promise.” He released me and quickly pulled the t-shirt over his head before taking me in his arms again. “See? Minus one naked chest.” A frown. “But I’m afraid I can’t do anything about my killer smile. You’ll just have to work really hard on your self-control to resist that.”

  We laughed together. I didn’t want to move away from his embrace. It felt so good to be held in his arms – safe, warm, secure.

  We stood there like that for a long moment. Just listening to the angry storm. While lamplight flickered and danced in the wind. A huge weariness settled over me. It had been a long and exhausting day. One in which I had – among other things – awoken a volcano and then told her to go back to sleep. I stifled a yawn and Jason raised my head from his shoulder. “Hey, I think you need to get some sleep. It’s late.”

  I protested but another yawn caught me midway. “Yeah, sorry, I’m wasted. I think I’ll just lie down and have a nap.” I half stumbled to the living room sofa with Jason steadying me. “Will you stick around?” I turned anxious eyes on him as I lay down on the soft cushions.

  He looked down at me with his golden smile. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to be right here.” He motioned towards the other sofa. “I can sleep over there. At least until Nafanua gets back. I’ll stay, I promise.”

  I smiled a thank you and was already drifting into hazy sleep, but not before I felt him place a feather light kiss on my forehead. I imagined I heard him whisper, “But I can’t promise that I won’t think you’re beautiful. And I definitely can’t promise that I won’t fall in love with you, Leila Folger.”

  Outside, the raging wind intensified even more. A tall poumuli tree gave up its fight and crashed to the ground somewhere in the forest, the sound drowned out by the rolling thunder. There was indeed anger in the air.

  

  The village cowered in the storm. The wood frames of the Samoan houses swayed in the wind and the woven blinds were no match for the sleeting rain. Families were running to take shelter in their neighbor’s more substantial cement brick homes. Everyone was too busy hiding from the storm to notice the women emerge from the forest. Dressed only in tapa cloth, with their skin smeared with the paint of the mulberry. Their long hair blowing wildly in the wind, tangled nets of fury. Heedless of the rain, they walked through the empty village and down to the beach where the mutilated carcasses lay.

  Whales. A mother and her child. The stench of rotting flesh hung heavily in the air already. There was blood caked on the sand. Chunks of white flesh that had been hacked off lay discarded on the rocks.

  The women stopped. Sank to their knees. A wailing, keening grief. A chanted prayer to the heavens. And then rage. The leader summoned a lightning strike. It lit up the sky with a terrible beauty and then set the remains alight. The whales burned. The smell of roasting flesh was a sickening thing. The leader turned. There was cold finality in her voice.

  “This village must be punished.”

  They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice. That’s a lie.

  The storm raged. Screams filled the night.

  Terror.

  Agony.

  THIRTEEN

  I awoke disoriented from a night filled with confusing, fear-filled dreams. Where was I? The rain had stopped and sunlight was pouring in every window. It was mid morning, at least. I sat up and memories of yesterday came flooding back. Jason … I looked around and saw his red truck still parked out front. So he must be around here somewhere which meant Nafanua still wasn’t back? I stood and stretched. Where was he? There was a whole lot of ruckus coming from the kitchen. Someone was singing. And making a lot of noise with pots and dishes. I walked over and peered curiously around the doorway, my jaw dropping at the sight of Jason cooking at the stove. The entire kitchen looking like a tornado had swept through it. Netta’s spotless kitchen. I groaned. “Oh no, she’s gonna kill me. Jason, what are you doing?”

  He turned and his grin tugged at my annoyance. “Leila! You’re up. What does it look like I’m doing? I’m making us some breakfast. Should be ready soon. Give me a couple more minutes.”

  I gave his enthusiasm a weak smile, resigning myself to the fact that I would be doing some serious cleaning up later and went upstairs to wash the sleep from my eyes. I checked my watch – it was 11am and still no Nafanua. Where were they?

  “Leila, food’s ready. Come down here!”

  Back downstairs, I sat at the dining table gingerly while Jason served me a plate of – scrambled eggs. Toast. And papaya. With lime and a frangipani from Nafanua’s garden. I arched an eyebrow in surprise. “Umm … this looks … nice.”

  “Well, what else were you expecting?” Jason was defensive.

  “Nothing. No, it looks lovely and ” I took a bite “… and it tastes delicious too.”

  “Well, what is it?”

  “It’s just that, the kitchen – it’s completely trashed! Like you were cooking up a seven-course banquet or something, not just scrambled eggs and toast. What happened in here Jase?”

  He grinned sheepishly. “I kinda had a few failures before I got to the scrambled eggs. I wanted you to have something nice, you know, you’re always feeding me these fancy dishes so I tried to fix us some pancakes using an old family recipe. Only it’s so old I couldn’t remember it properly. That ended up in the trash.” He pointed to the still-smoldering trashcan in the corner. “So then I thought we could have banana muffins. I texted my sister back home for the recipe and her texts back were taking forever so I kind of got impatient and got creative with a few of the ingredients and then when I tasted them, ugh. Nasty. So they ended up on the back lawn feeding the birds.” He nodded his head to a fluster of birds bickering over scraps out the back.

  “Jason you texted your sister in America for a muffin recipe for breakfast? You goofball. You do realize that I don’t cook any of the stuff you eat when you come over to visit, right? That I can’t cook to save my life? You could have just opened a box of cereal and we would have been fine or cooked us eggs and toast in the first place.”

  He shook his head laughing ruefully. “Yeah, I realized that AFTER I trashed the place. I almost zipped down to McDonald’s to get us a Big Breakfast from there but it was after 10 so I gave up on that idea. Sorry about the mess, don’t worry, I’m going to clean it up when we’re done. Honest. I may not be a great chef but I do know how to do dishes. With four big sisters ruling the kitchen, I was always stuck with clean-up duty.”

  He was right. I had to admit he did have some skills when it came to swift cleaning and dishwashing and before long, Netta’s kitchen was back to its pristine state.

  “Leila, do you think you’ll be okay here by yourself? I need to get back home to my laptop.” He hesitated, a thoughtful look in his eyes. “Last night, after you went to sleep, I did some thinking. About all of this. You know, your fire problem. I’d like to help you, if you let me. I have some contacts back home, good friends of mine who I could ask to help us out. These are people I c
an trust to safeguard your secret and to help me figure out what’s causing this to happen to you. A couple of doctors I went to school with, a physicist, a few lab guys. We could take some blood, get it back home to a lab. They could run some tests for me, try a few things, see if there’s any way possible that we can stop this from happening. That is what you want, right?” He peered closely at me. “I kind of got the impression yesterday that you would like to be rid of this anomaly.”