Thall's pupils dilated. "Don't cry." He wiggled and shifted into an upright position and held her to his chest.
"It means so much to me. It is such a huge sacrifice." Capri snuggled next to his warm body.
"But it is a moot point. Lachesis won't allow it."
"That isn't what's important. It's the fact that you asked."
Capri yawned and nestled on the bed next to him. "I'll explain it in the morning." Feeling herself drift off to sleep, Capri was warmed by the heat of Thall's body as he moved closer and draped an arm over her waist.
The sun rose early. Capri squeezed her eyelids tighter trying to ward off the invading light. A deep, rich Columbian aroma tickled her nose. She opened one eye and glanced around her room. A cup of coffee rested on the spot where Thall had lain.
"Good morning." His deep voice caressed her ears.
She yawned, stretched and sat up against the head of the bed. "Good morning. Is that for me?"
"Morning coffee. Cream. No sugar." He handed her the coffee. "Your bathtub has been filled with warm water and strawberry cream bubble bath. I'll make breakfast. Pancakes and syrup. I found the box. Just add water."
She raised her mug to her nose and inhaled. "What in the world did I do to deserve you?"
"Caught the fancy of a Fate." He grinned and cast his gaze across her naked breasts.
Careful not to spill her drink, Capri climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. "The only thing that worries me is I am going to wake up from this dream."
Thall stepped beside her. He slid his hand down her ass and in between her legs. "This may be a fantasy, but it isn't a dream. I'm as real as I can get. Now, go have your bath."
Strawberry cream bubbles greeted her as she entered her bathroom. She placed the coffee mug on the edge of the tub, sunk into the watery heaven and let the heat of the water melt her muscles.
Lying with her head on the seashell-shaped pillow, Capri turned her head and smiled as Thall knocked and entered. He placed a tray across the sink, lifted a plate and handed it to her. "Ahem. Breakfast is served, Madam." He bowed.
"Pretty good English butler imitation. I don't think I've ever had breakfast in the tub."
Holding the bottle of maple syrup, Thall paused. "I've seen you eat in the kitchen, the bedroom, your living room, on your balcony, in your office, in the cab, at the—"
She waved her hand to stop him. "I get it. I'll eat anywhere. No, breakfast in the tub is a bit unusual, but I'm willing to give this a try."
"Want to know what I was thinking about trying?" He waved the maple syrup container.
"On the pancakes, mister. We can try your fantasy another day. I'm hungry."
"Note to self. Feed hungry female." He tilted the bottle and let the amber liquid drizzle over her plate of golden brown flapjacks.
Trying not to soak her meal, Capri sliced off a chunk of syrup-coated pancake, stabbed it with a fork and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm."
She chewed and swallowed. "Good job. These are almost as good as my dad makes."
Thall raised his eyebrows. "Almost?"
"He is my dad. He's had more experience making them." She continued eating her pancakes. When she finished, she placed the plate on the edge of the tub and reached for her coffee.
"Probably cold. Let me get you a fresh cup." He picked up her mug and exited the bathroom.
"He's perfect. Marry him. Oh." Capri clapped her hand to her mouth. What did I just say? Marry him. I can't marry him. He's a Fate and six thousand years old. What am I thinking?
She lowered her hand and waved it through the water, disturbing the bubbles. But I would like to spend forever with him.
The door swung open. "Fresh coffee." He held out her mug.
"Thank you."
"Any more pancakes?" Thall bent over a picked up her plate.
"No. I am perfectly contented."
He smiled. "Good. I'll leave you to your bath."
Capri sipped her coffee, leaned back her head and closed her eyes. Marry Thall? Would that even be possible? She thought about her failed marriage and swallowed down the repulsion that threatened to destroy her serene mood. Not all men are like him.
She glanced toward the closed bathroom door. Thall's different. Her heart knew he wouldn't cheat. "Damn. Should've brought my cell."
Thall knocked and entered. He held out her smartphone. "Message from Kat. Are you busy doing the nasty with hottie?"
Capri chuckled and held out her hand. "Kat never was one to shy away from a question."
He placed the phone on her outstretched palm. She glanced at the message and began to key in a reply.
"I'm going home for a few minutes. Call if you need me." He exited the bathroom and closed the door.
"Uh, okay." She paused. Her finger hovered over a key. "Call? How the heck am I supposed to call? You don't own a cell."
"Just say my name. I'll hear you." His voice floated into the room.
"Now that was spooky." She finished her reply and hit send.
A moment later, her cell chirped.
Soaking in tub - with hottie?
No. He's gone home.
Home?
No worries. He'll be back.
Home? Capri chewed her bottom lip. Maybe a chat with her mother might help clarify her focus. Take time off from work? She couldn't. She'd just gotten back from Indonesia. There was too much that needed her attention.
Work. Always work. Capri wondered when would her life ever take precedent over work.
"It's what I am. I'm the VP of… No." She slapped the water. "I refuse to be defined by my job. I am Capri and I want to be with Thall. I want to introduce him to my family."
Why? A little voice in her head nudged her.
She pressed the plug. It popped up. The gurgle of the draining water held Capri's attention for a moment.
Do I lo…lo—? No, she couldn't say or even think the L-word. She'd given her heart too easily to her ex and suffered the humiliated destruction of it. She needed time.
Time which could be spent lounging on an Adirondack chair overlooking Fox Ridge Lake. There she could forget work, let her mother pamper her and give herself time to focus on her relationship with Thall.
Grabbing her cell, she did an internet search for flights to Traverse City, Michigan, punched in her credit card information and pressed Buy Tickets.
Capri climbed out of the tub, dried off and checked the availability of rental cars at the Traverse City airport while she padded in the direction of her closet.
She dressed in a pair of her favorite blue capris and light summer blouse with brilliant blue and white flowers. Pulling her suitcase out of the back closet, she tossed it on her bed, unzipped it and packed several pairs of shorts, tank-tops and her bathing suit. "Thall?"
"Yes?" He entered her bedroom from the other door.
"Oh, you're back." She finished packing and closed the case. "I want us to fly home and visit my parents. They'll be at their summer cabin."
"That's pretty sudden." He released her and stepped back. "Isn't meeting the parents a big thing for humans?"
She nodded.
"How are you going to explain me?"
She hunched her shoulders and sighed. "I'll figure that out on the flight. Can you take my suitcase to the door, and I'll call a cab?"
Capri glanced around the room. Okay, I packed clothes, undies, tooth brush, bathing suit. Getting pretty good at packing at a moment's notice. Wonder if he has anything to pack? Oh, shit. Hadn't thought of that.
Walking across her bedroom, she reached for the switch and turned off her lights. She stepped into the living room and met Thall's gaze. "You can't come with me."
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Why not?" Thall stepped closer to Capri, his brow furled. "What do you mean I can't go?"
"You can't get on the plane."
"Okay, I'm going to say why not, again?"
Capri rubbed her nose. "It's a little thing. It's called airport securit
y. This isn't personal, but you don’t exist. You can't prove who you are."
He picked up her bags. "But you still want me to go with you, right?"
"Put my suitcase down, please."
Thall shrugged and dropped it.
With a wide grin and twinkle in her eye, Capri stepped forward and flung her arms around his neck. "You looked so delightfully pathetic when you said that."
She kissed him, then rested her cheek against his face. "And that means so much to me. It tells me you really want to go. You want to be with me. Good heavens, I sound like a giddy, little girl."
"Of course I want to be with you. Didn't I prove that last night?" He stepped back, cast his gaze across her body and smiled. "Or do I have to do it all over again to get the point across?"
Capri opened her apartment door and held it for him to pass through. "Of course you have to do it over and over again. I'm a slow learner."
They walked down the hall. Capri pressed the elevator button.
Thall shook his head. "Wait a second. No, you're not. You were like third in your class at graduation."
The doors opened and Capri and Thall stepped inside. Thall pushed the lobby button and turned. "I'm going to miss you."
"We'll be apart for six hours. Traverse City isn't that far away."
"Time in this dimension and time in mine travel at two different speeds. To me, it'll be weeks for me before I see you again." Thall tucked Capri against his body. He parted his lips and lowered his mouth to hers. Capri tilted her face upward. The heat of her lips on his stirred a longing that could not be quenched until he was able to be with her again.
The elevator slowed and stopped. The doors slid open. A chirping sound came from Capri's purse.
Thall released the kiss. "Technology is not my favorite human thing."
Capri chuckled and followed him out of the elevator. She stepped through the entranceway, whistled and waved. A cab crossed traffic and parked by the curb.
"My flight and rental have been confirmed." She winced when the cabbie tossed her suitcase into the trunk. "Meet me at Michigan Rentals about five…human time."
Thall chuckled. "You forgot to add, and don't be late."
"I understand you're sad, but I'm so excited you're coming with me and meeting my parents."
He opened his mouth to speak. She hushed him with a finger pressed to his lips. "When we arrive in Michigan, we have a thirty minute drive from the airport to the cottage. We can discuss everything then. Kiss me quick, so I can get out of here and get to Michigan where we can be together again."
She planted a peck on his mouth, turned, slid onto the backseat, slammed the cab door and rolled down the window. "See you in Michigan. And don't be late."
Thall stood on the edge of the curb and watched her taxi blend into traffic and disappear up the street. He closed his eyes and shifted.
"Thall. It is so good to see you again." Xyno hovered next to him. "And you are back at your favorite spot by the creek. But you look so sad. What has put such darkness in you?"
He glanced up at the glittering pink shimmer and shrugged. "I fear it is a human emotion that has overwhelmed me."
Xyno changed to her corporeal form and sat next to him. "What is this emotion? And why does it do this to you? Can Lachesis not heal it?"
A small grin crossed Thall's mouth at the concern he heard in her voice and saw in her eyes. "I do not think one can be healed when one is in love. The darkness you see in me is because I am not with Capri. And while I am sad, the heaviness also gives me joy as it means I am in love with her."
Xyno raised one eyebrow. "That confuses me. Are all human emotions so bewildering?"
Thall chuckled. "Yes."
"Tell me what being in love feels like."
He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, rubbed his face then scratched his head. "When you are with the one you love, you are filled with such joy and happiness. As if all the suns of the universe radiate their light from within you. But when you are apart, a dismal hollowness consumes you."
"You are saying, this human, Capri, is your light?"
Thall leaned back and stretched out on the bank. "She is my light."
"Then I envy you. What a wonderful thing it must be, to be in love. Does she love you in return?"
"I do not think she has reached the moment of courage for her to admit to loving me."
"Does that not pain you?"
Thall shook his head and smiled. "She was in love years ago. He broke her heart. And while it has healed, it will take time for her to freely give herself to love. When she does, we will be complete."
"I am called. It has been a very busy time." Xyno shifted away.
Thall watched the clouds drift across the sky. He focused his mind on Capri. She sat in first class, gripping the arms of her seat. An empty glass of wine rested on her tray. Her skin was pale and her eyes squeezed tight.
Sadness crept into him. He couldn't hold and comfort her or protect her from the fears swirling inside her. Those were her human demons and she must fight them.
He ached to be able to reach deep within her where those demons hid and wrench them out of her. She should only experience happiness. There was nothing he wouldn't give to secure that happiness.
Thall closed his eyes. "Lachesis. We must speak."
"Come, my son."
He shifted and settled beneath the Tree of Life.
His mother changed to her human shape and sat next to him. "Have you enjoyed your time being with your human?"
He nodded. "I crave more."
"I feared this."
"Why? You bonded with a human. I am the result of that union."
"My human." She paused, reached under the tree and extracted another root. It quivered when she touched it.
"Capri?" Thall ran his gaze along the thick, healthy root.
She nodded and replaced it. "Taren Feroulet was your father's name. Neither of my sisters thought I could be with this man. In all of time, no Fate has wished to bond with a human. So they devised a test. If successful, we could be together for eternity."
Thall shifted, glanced at his mother then stared at the mass of roots beneath the tree. "He failed."
"No."
"You?" He lifted his gaze to meet his mother's.
She caressed his cheek. "No. Taren was completing it when Atropos snipped his root. He died in my arms with the test in his hands."
"What was the final test?"
"He had to obtain something to link us."
Thall blinked. "That is not difficult."
"He did not know the test existed."
"What did he hold?"
"A chain of white and yellow daisies." She held out her hand. A ring of intertwined flowers settled on it. "I am the white flowers. He was the yellow. He braided it himself and wanted to place it on my head, like a crown."
Thall raised his eyebrows. "Do I guess that I am not allowed to tell Capri about this?"
Lachesis shrugged. "I can forbid you telling her, but I sense that would be useless."
He chuckled. "I await the moment you and Capri meet. You are alike in so many ways."
"That day shall not happen."
Thall turned and faced the blue shimmering mass. "Atropos, why do you say that?"
"A Fate and a human. It should never have been allowed."
"But then I would not exist."
The blue shimmer deepened to the color of a bottomless well. "Your mother was a fool to have mated with that human. Clotho and I did not believe she could become with child by lying with him. We let her have her perverse fantasy. She is the weakest of us. Her heart is filled with love."
An angry heat filled Thall and he started to rise. Lachesis rested a hand on his arm then shifted. Her silver sparkles merged with Atropos' blue. The colors swirled and ebbed. The sky above darkened and the warm breeze stilled.
Xyno shifted and sat beside him. "What angers them?"
An orange shimmer, the third Fate, Clotho, materi
alized next to the mass and melded into it. Thunder rumbled across the sky. Leaves fluttered in the tree when brushed with the cold breeze, chilling Thall and Xyno.
"I am afraid I have caused the disturbance. Lachesis and I were discussing my being with Capri. Atropos arrived and—"
"I can imagine. She has never forgiven our mother for being with the human."
Lachesis appeared, smoothed her hair and smiled at her son. "You may be with your human."
"She has a name. Capri. Will everyone quit calling her my human."
His mother's reply was interrupted by the separation of the disagreeing Fates. Atropos vanished from sight. The dark clouds dissipated, the breeze warmed and the sun shone once again.
"To be with your human you must obey the rules we've agreed to." Clotho settled next to Lachesis.
Thall dropped his head back and looked toward the blue sky. "Did I not just say she has a name?"
Clotho's tone was full of distain. "I care not for the name of this human. This you must not do. You cannot tell her you love her. She must be the first to say it. She must prove her love to you. Humans are volatile in their relationships. This one must be committed to you."
"I agree to this. I have not told her I love her."
"Next, a binder must be found. Something to link you with this—"
Thall glared at Clotho.
"Something to link you with this person. It must be special. Unique. Forged in a way that will define your love for each other."
"And when we find this link and she has given me her word of love, then what?"
"You may live with her until her time ends. At that moment, you return to your true home."
"She returns here with me."
Clotho's color darkened. "A human? Exist with the Fates?"
Lachesis swirled around Thall. "I will allow this."
Clotho vanished. Thall turned to his mother. "Thank you."
"You will always be a Fate, but you may exist with…Capri. As she ages, you will appear to. Her lifeline, while long for a human, is just a moment for us."
Xyno leaned forward. "Can a child be created from their union?"
Lachesis smiled. "Not until the tests have been fulfilled. Atropos insisted on that. Why are you not smiling, Thall? Is this not pleasant news for you?"
Capri's Fate Page 17