Oh boy, if he smiles at me I might do what ridiculous fan girls do and actually swoon.
I wait patiently for my introduction. It comes from Cetty. She touches one of the man's broad shoulders and nods in my direction. "This is Piper Willow. She hails from the planet Earth."
Hails? That's a bit formal.
He turns his head and smiles at me. For the briefest of moments his eyes widen and his mouth parts open and I put all my energy into closing off my mind from him. Somehow I manage to stay upright.
“From Earth, my Mother says?” He looks only at my face, and I feel by the time he continues an hour has passed. “Well, we are honored to have you here in Eleth. My name is Cedric. Rush and Della are my oldest friends.”
I laugh. And not because what he says was funny, but because even though I've matured tremendously since dying, it seems some girly parts of my nineteen year old self remain. Rush rolls his eyes and Della smiles. But Cedric just stands in the same place staring at me with his absurdly good-looking face. Waiting.
“Um. You have a beautiful…home.” I hope he can't tell I'm gritting my teeth through my smile because I came way too close to saying something else that had nothing to do with the structure we're all standing in.
“Thank you, Piper Willow.”
What used to annoy me about Rush's formal greeting seems adorable from Cedric. Hearing him say my full name sends tingles up and down my arms and legs. I don't bother to rub them away; they'll be there for some time.
“Is your father home?” Rush asks, his voice laced with a bit more gruff than usual.
Without taking his eyes off me, Cedric shakes his head and answers with a wave of his hand, “You know him, always spending his time on the water.” His face breaks out into a wide smile and I assume he's speaking to me now. “He likes to sail. It's his favorite thing to do. We tease him when he's on land that he walks with a tilt.”
“Which is probably why he's not home often,” Della says with a playful swat at Cedric's arm.
“This is true,” Cedric laughs. “Come, I'm sure you all could use some refreshments. Piper Willow, have you tasted Elethian water yet?”
I shake my head and smile shyly. As he takes the crook of my elbow and leads me toward the Romanesque fountain, I can feel Rush trying to push his way through into my mind. Because I know nothing he could say at this moment will be anything remotely appealing, I keep everything shut tight.
Rush can wait.
CHAPTER 6
Cedric has spent the last few hours giving us a guided tour of Eleth. He stays within touching distance of me the entire afternoon, though he never actually makes any move to touch me intentionally. Rush, on the other hand, trails behind us, sending daggers my way every time our gazes lock. He knows I'm keeping him out for a reason only the butterflies in my teenage stomach can explain. Not that it's much of an excuse, but I haven't felt this way since brushing lips with Sloan.
Sloan.
I stop in the middle of a narrow walkway and look up at the bright sky. The suns hang low to the west, allowing for some of the many moons in the sky to show. I miss him. Blood pools into my mouth after I bite down on the inside of my lip after guilt washes over me. The sharp pain is unexpected and I yelp out loud. Being human again means my hormones are back. And the confusion that dwells inside a teenager’s brain; that nagging feeling that no matter what you do, you’re doing it wrong.
“Piper Willow? Are you well?”
My skin is jolted with a slight tremor of electricity as Cedric's hand gently rests on my bare forearm. The edges of my eyes prickle with tears and the memory of my last kiss with Sloan is all I can see.
“Piper. It's just…Piper,” I whisper.
Cedric blinks in confusion and steps away to allow room for Rush to wiggle in beside me. The jealous hardness in his eyes is gone from the day, replaced by a knowing sadness. Being careful not to touch his fingers to my skin, he pushes the hair away from the side of my face. As the braids and loose waves fall down my back, my throat is exposed. Surely he can see my frantic pulse rushing beneath my skin. I look away from the impossible sky above Rush's planet and straight into his eyes.
Soon. I want to go back to him soon.
He nods in affirmation. The deep sigh that escapes his chest tells me he understands. He is beautiful; the people of his Dhara are beautiful. Cedric could have been chiseled out of a Greek statue for all I know. But one thing is blindingly clear: there is only one Sloan.
“Come. I think you have seen enough of Eleth for the day. Let us return to Lurriah and begin your training. There is much I want to show you, Piper.” He smiles weakly, yet reaches out and takes my hand any way, leading me away from a quiet Della and confused Cedric, back toward the mountain with the elevator car that will take us to his city. After an awkward goodbye nod to Cedric, I squeeze Rush’s fingers and resist the urge to lean into him. I want the comfort, but that gesture would send mixed signals. The last thing I want to do is hurt him.
***
“So the water of Eleth is unique to the planet?”
I sit cross-legged in front of Rush, who matches my posture, except he looks more like a Yoga master than I ever will. The room we occupy is oval in shape with low furniture meant for lounging lining the walls of the space. There are no windows, and the tall walls are completely covered with shelves full of ancient looking books with binding that just might be older than Earth itself.
His head does a bobbing motion and I smile. “Yes and no. The same water flows beneath Lurriah. We tap into it for drinking, of course. But the people of Eleth produce it in greater quantities. Our water is precious. It is not just sustenance; it also improves health, extends life, and calms the soul.”
“And this is the water in the Station?”
“Yes. In part. Well, in a manner of speaking.”
I laugh. “You don't sound very sure of your answer.”
“When your Station was created, we used our water as a conductor for energy. I guess you could say it came with us through the bridge.”
My blank stare proves I don't understand much of what Rush is trying to tell me. He nods and waves a hand in the air to change the subject.
“There are other Stations and other places similar. I am not the only one from here that was curious with your planet, with your people. Each of them has a central life-force and that is the fountain for your Station. I don't have the time to explain how everything works. But if you are confused, just stop me, okay?”
I nod. “Sure.”
“The water of Eleth, as we call it, helps sustain the balance of the Station. It keeps our connection open. Like a strand of energy that cannot be broken. The water will never spoil. It will never evaporate like your Earth water does. It is, and always will be, infinite.”
My hand shoots up in the air and Rush pauses with his mouth open. “Does this mean that the Station will always exist?”
“In a way…yes. Until your planet ceases to provide sentient life, it will be there, waiting for your kind to pass through.”
The stone floor suddenly feels uncomfortable beneath me and even after shifting, my butt goes numb. Kind of like my lungs, which seem to be struggling to provide enough oxygen to my brain.
“You say that as if the fate of humans is already scheduled for extinction. As if…I don't know - Earth won't be around forever.”
“Of course it won't. And your fate is sealed, Piper. All of us,” he gestures widely at the room with his hands, “We are all fated to expire at some point. The Universes will have their way with you and I eventually. It is as life is meant to be. It is how life survives death; rebirth. Like a fire in the forest that fertilizes the soil, or a phoenix that bursts into flame, only to be born again.”
“Phoenix? That's a bit fantastical, don't you think?” My laugh cuts off short when Rush raises an eyebrow and watches me with a serious expression.
“All fantasy is based on some truth. Let that be a lesson you learn now - today. Your fa
ntasy is a reality to someone else in another place and vice versa. The sooner you accept that, Piper, the easier it will be for you to understand that your kind is not as unique as they would like to think.”
I feel chastised, even though the idea of a bird that bursts into flame only to come back as a youngling makes me want to giggle. “Got it. Move on.”
He takes a deep breath. “I have already told you we are connected. That I travel to your planet via a bridge. These bridges go all over. To more places in more dimensions than I could ever imagine. Once they are established, they remain in place. The portals from each side are opened by sheer will. At least for my people.” He taps his temples and I understand he means with his evolved brain.
“Do you have any other amazing talents? Can you move things with your mind, like make a chair float across the room, or make it rain on a hot day?”
He doesn't understand I'm joking as he waves off my questions. “As a Seer, my abilities are with traveling along bridges to other planes and seeing into the beyond that these places exist in. And believe me this is not something all of the people of my planet can do. My sister, for example; she is unable to withhold the connection of a bridge as distant as the one between Dhara and Earth. Her gifts lie with emotional connections. She can feel energy in a way I never will. And she can alter moods, though she is forbidden to do so without consent.”
My hand flies up into the air on its own accord. Again. “Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that there are people on Dhara that can move chairs with their minds and control the weather?”
“Well, of course. Have you heard nothing I've explained to you previously about our evolution as a people?”
The genuinely serious look on his face makes me want to laugh. Just burst out into a gut-wrenching fit so intense I cry and snot runs from my nose. Instead, I snort. Not very lady-like, but the point is made. Rush narrows his eyes at me before continuing.
“So, these bridges are not connections that just anyone, anywhere can use. We have learned to master them. In a way. I can manipulate my energy, or someone else's, like yours, when I travel along the beams. It's a fascination I've had since I was a young boy.”
“Beams? What are the bridges actually made out of? Where I come from, one walks on a bridge, or drives a car over one. But that feeling of being blown apart and then thrown back together was nothing like walking on a bridge.”
This time he laughs. The serious look has faded some, replaced by one of genuine interest. Rush is a good teacher and it's obvious he enjoys explaining his ways to me. Though I doubt he'll stay that way once he realizes I'm just as confused now, if not more so, than I was before he brought me to his planet.
“Beams…light. Or the absence of it. That is what makes a bridge.”
“See, I was thinking a bit more Star Trek than that.”
“Star Trek?” His laugh is loud enough to boom up into the cathedral-type ceiling. The low-hanging chandeliers pulsate brightly before calming to their original, more subtle glow. “This is not a Science Fiction story. And I don't have all the answers. Light travels everywhere. It reflects off every surface. In some places, light leaves an impression. Sort of like a burn in the surrounding energy. We have learned how to manipulate that. We have learned how to extend light over far distances in a fraction of time in space.”
“I know I didn't go to college, but I doubt many of the Scientists on my planet would understand a thing you just said.”
“Well, no, of course not. If they did, your people would travel the bridges as well.” He winks and I laugh.
“We have a lot to learn back home, I guess.”
Rush smiles. “Oh, Piper. You have no idea.” He reaches his hands out to me, palms up. “Now. Let us begin. This part of your training will require physical contact. It will require your mind blending with mine. So be prepared. There are some…things…we will share that neither of us want to. But this is necessary for a new Seer.”
Lovely. The appealing visual of Rush's back muscles resurfaces and I know I'm blushing.
I lower my palms onto his and take a deep breath. “I'm ready.”
***
I am so not ready.
The pain starts as a tingle on my palm, and then erupts from my hands like lightning, bolting up my arms and crashing through my ribs so hard my heart skips a beat. When it hits my head I nearly fall over.
We are connected. Fully. I feel Rush’s words, but behind them is a cacophony of incoming messages.
Oh God. What is that? I ask, squirming beneath the assault.
Me. What you hear and feel…is me. Just as I feel your thoughts.
This hurts.
It is not pain. It is transference. Take a deep breath and sort the thoughts. Like a filing system inside your mind. Once you grab hold of something, label it and file it in your mind and move on to the next.
Rush, it’s hurting me. I feel my head sag from the weight of my thoughts and all of his. Tears squeeze from my shut eye lids and my mouth has gone dry. And then a calming sensation like floating in a still sea spreads over me. The tears dry on my cheeks and I’m able to swallow.
Better? Rush asks.
Yes. Much. What did you do?
I sent you a memory from when I was a boy and used to swim in the sea for comfort. Even I had a difficult time processing the power of the mind at one point, Piper. I haven’t always been this calm.
I laugh out loud. You, not expertly put together for every moment of every day? I don’t believe it. Though our eyes are closed, I know he is smiling. His emotions swirl around with mine and I recognize the feeling coming from him almost immediately: love.
Though he warned me before we began not to break the connection without preparation, I jerk my hands away from him and open my eyes. With a heavy sigh, his eyes flutter open as well but he doesn’t look up at me. And then I puke.
“I told you to be prepared, Piper. No thoughts are private between us during training. Someone will be by to clean this up,” he says quietly. Then he stands and leaves me sitting cross-legged on the floor, next to a thin puddle of my own vomit.
CHAPTER 7
There’s nothing anyone can say or do to make me feel better or any less embarrassed by throwing up on the floor in front of Rush when I learn the truth about his feelings for me. Even Della spent two hours in my room discussing various things about her planet like the fashionable dresses she helps create with her younger sister that I have yet to meet, and attempts to bribe me with the Lurrian version of chocolate. None of it works. I feel as if Rush opened himself to me and I insulted him in the worst possible way. Because it’s not just love I felt from him, it was doubt and pain and fear - of losing me. And I repaid the favor by upchucking. Before Della leaves my room, she sits beside me on the lounge and places a warm, slender hand on my covered knee. I don’t look at her.
“Has my brother explained what I can do?” she asks gently.
I nod.
“I can make you feel better, if that is what you choose,” she prompts.
With a strangled laugh, I shake my head. “Not sure being in a happy mood right now would be appropriate for anyone.”
She pats my knee again and smiles weakly. “I knew my brother must care about you deeply to bring you home. It’s not something he does every time he travels. But this was unexpected.” She waves her hand around the room and sighs. “He’s a difficult creature to learn, I know how frustrating he can be.”
“Frustrating is not the word I’d use.”
“Of course,” she laughs. “Well, I’ll have your supper brought to you. Rush is dining alone tonight, as well.”
“Really? Is he that upset with me?” I slink back into the chair, suddenly feeling very far away from home.
“Oh, no, Piper. He is not upset with you. He’s upset with himself, for not being honest from the beginning. Seer training is not something just anyone can teach you. I, for one, cannot train you. Andurush…he’s your mentor, but it seems as if sharing w
ith you will hurt you both.”
“I can only imagine what thoughts of mine he walked away with. This mental connection thing is not fair,” I grumble.
Della laughs. “Remember that we have spent our lives controlling it. You have just arrived here, and despite your sudden immersion, you have done rather well, I think.” She rises and tucks my hair behind my ear in a sisterly way. I give her one of my best smiles, though my lips are trembling. “Food will be here soon - please eat something. You will feel better tomorrow.”
She leaves me alone in my room with the lights low. Outside, the colors change as the day ends and night arrives. Stars dot the sky like jewels, and the crescent shape of a moon lights up my private terrace. I’ve begun to drift off when a soft knock at my door startles me.
“Come in,” I call to the server. I hope he or she will leave my tray of food on the bed and exit without attempting to engage in conversation, so I don’t look at the door as it opens.
“Piper?” Rush’s voice is cautious as he enters the room and closes the door behind him.
I jump off the lounge too quickly and catch my foot in the blanket draped around my legs. After stumbling a few steps and bursting out a string of curse words, I finally right myself and stand before him awkwardly. My stomach flips over on itself and I push the urge to let it purge back down. I will not throw up in front of Rush twice in one day.
He stands before me in a pale blue shirt and white slacks, barefoot. The color of his V-neck top brings out an intense glow from his already bright eyes. I wait for him to speak first, and notice he can’t find a place to put his hands. He wrings them together then uses them to smooth out unseen wrinkles in his pants, before he finally hides them behind his back.
“I came to apologize, Piper.”
“You? I’m pretty sure I’m the one that should be doing that.” I copy his stance and clasp my hands together behind me, moving just a little closer to him.
Dying to Return (The Station #3) Page 5