by Maria Dee
I giggled. “Thanks for saving me tonight. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but see you at formal, gorgeous.”
Marla laughed, hugging me tightly. “You look beautiful, Xenia, and yes you most definitely will see us tonight. Cal will be shocked.”
Calliope had been asked to Spring formal by a senior varsity football player—exactly her kind of guy. Although I wasn’t ecstatic about formal, I was pleased to know my two best friends would be there.
“All done. You are jaw-dropping-formal-ready,” she announced, gleefully. “Landon will be here any minute.” She looked at her wrist watch, nervously. I hugged her carefully, afraid to spoil her hard work.
“Thanks, Marla,” I hollered as she hurrying off to get dressed.
Orion shortly arrived thereafter, knocking at my front door.
“What’re you doing here?” I asked a tall, well-groomed Orion, sporting a tux.
“Taking you to Spring formal, silly,” he whispered, mischievously.
“I never said I’d go with you,” I sighed, guardedly.
“You never said you wouldn’t,” he smiled, cocking his head.
I bit my lower lip, suppressing a wicked smile.
His dark blue Porsche sparkled in the driveway with a tiny box resting atop.
The minute we stood by his car, he opened the box, displaying a corsage.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted one, but it’s tradition,” he said, handing me the box.
“Well, aren’t you sweet and old-school,” I said, examining the box.
“Allow me,” he whispered, placing the corsage around my wrist. I awkwardly shifted, and he opened the car door for me, executing his second chivalrous act of the night.
Orion glanced at me, periodically as he drove. I sensed his eerie gaze, unsure of his motives, but I was sure of one thing—I knew or at least felt— he was powerful. According to Kiran, he was not a fan of my existence, but he seemed normal around me—at least as normal as a person could seem.
“Thank you,” I said, quietly.
“You’re welcome,” he looked confused. “May I ask why you are thanking me?”
“I’ve never worn a corsage before. I’ve seen them in old movies, and thought they looked tacky,” I said, candidly.
“Oh,” he furrowed his brow.
“What I meant to say was now that you’ve given me one, I can see why a girl would think it’s sweet,” I breathed uneasily.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” he returned to his trance-like state.
I examined him, wondering how long he had been in existence.
“What?” Orion asked.
“Just curious as to when were you born?” I asked.
“August first—I’m a Leo,” he replied, evasively. He flashed his white teeth, amused.
“What year?” I asked, pryingly.
“Eighteen twenty,” Orion whispered after much deliberation—I could imagine why.
“You look good…for two hundred,” I laughed, nervously. I was born in two thousand and one—so that made Orion one hundred and eighty one years older than me.
“Thanks,” he chuckled, continuing, “I was twenty six when granted immortality by Nyxta.”
“Why’d you become immortal?”
“I kind of ran out of options,” he eluded.
I wondered how he had died in both worlds at such a young age.
After an enlightening drive, we arrived to our destination.
“Wait here a second,” he said, getting out of the car. He walked around, opening the door for me, extending a hand.
“Xenia, you look…breathtaking.” He softly kissed my right cheek, lingering a while longer than customary.
“Thanks, you too…uh…look good yourself,” I muttered.
He looked exquisite, actually.
We stood idly before he leaned forward, kissing my left cheek, edging to my mouth. His soft lips hesitated, giving me a moment to resist before parting my lips. He was delighted, yet stunned by my reception—as was I. He pulled me in closer, paralyzing my lower limbs with excitement.
The physical connection insufferably reminded me of Nicholas—and once I reopened my eyes, it was too painful to endure. “Orion,” I gasped for air, placing one hand over his chest, instigating a halt. “Let’s go.”
Surprisingly, he was just as invested in the moment. He was completely grounded by the looks of his clearly defined eyes. I pegged Orion for the two timing kind—wooing a girl Online and Offline simultaneously. However apparent I thought he was, I was disproven that night.
“After you.”
We approached the entrance and with every step closer, the vibration of music intensified from beneath us. We joined the big crowd of people in celebration—whether I liked it, or not. I followed Orion to the bar for a glass of champagne.
“Something to take the edge off,” he said, tapping his glass against mine. “Cheers.”
I nodded and raised my glass in return, guzzling half of the champagne with the lump of guilt stuck in my throat. Looking around, I spotted Marla and Calliope dancing with their dates—they each smiled and waved at me. I smiled, raising my glass to them. Seemingly, everyone was having a good time. A year earlier, I too, would have been having a plain old good time. Nothing about being who I was, was ever going to be simple again. I felt indifferent about whether that was a good or bad thing.
“Xenia,” he called, seeking my attention. “Care to dance?”
I snapped out of my daze quickly. “I need to know about certain things now,” I demanded, annoyed.
Orion rolled his eyes.
“First, we dance,” he said, leading me toward the dance floor.
“Fine. One dance—so long as you tell me all I need to know.”
“Would I lie?” He asked with an impish grin that was anything but reassuring.
I winced, following him to the dance floor. He spun me around once, playfully. Orion danced very well—he had a bicentennial of practice on me.
“I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but here goes. Nicholas has vanished it seems—for good.”
“What do you mean? What happens to us when we vanish?” I asked, alarmed.
Orion groaned displeased, as though he had told this story many times before. “As you know, Nicholas was a powerful Diplozoe, but not as powerful as I.”
It was always a competition with boys.
“Still, he was too powerful for his own good—he slipped up. I can’t even trace him myself, and I’ve had a lot more practice, Xenia.”
We danced even closer so that our words were mere whispers, only for each other to hear.
“So he died a second time?”
“His last time, to be precise.”
“Seriously? How so? I restored him—he should be safe.”
“He would have, had he not left in a fruitless pursuit—a naïve man he was,” he snorted.
I took a moment to examine his face and body language—chilled to perfection, as expected. He continued moving smoothly across the dance floor.
He brushed a strand of hair from my face, and wiped a tear that streamed unknowingly down my right cheek—treacherous tear.
“Everything will be okay, Xenia,” he said, holding me closer.
I was overcome by an urge to leave. “I have to get out of here.”
“You read my mind,” he said, provocatively.
I was distraught, but not naïve.
“I’m not sleeping with you, Orion.”
“Who said anything about sleep?” The corners of his lips twitched into a smile.
“Orion!” I shouted, annoyed.
“Okay, so I want you. Is that so wrong?”
“Yes. It’s the wrong time to bring it up.”
“In that case, one can only assume there’ll be a right time to bring it up—I hope it’s soon,” he beamed at the prospects.
“How about never. Not Online, not in Styx or…” I trailed off, reliving my escape from the Dome with the thought
of the Offline world. I was unsure whether I was even safe there, let alone what Orion had in mind.
“I get it,” he replied, sullenly. “Xenia, I get the feeling you’re hiding something.” He furrowed his brow, disapprovingly.
“The feeling is mutual,” I replied, heatedly.
He gestured with his head, prompting more.
“I think Nicholas left in pursuit of my biological mother. Apparently, I’m adopted.” I could barely say it out loud. I shivered, continuing, “I’m worried that the ESOM has captured him.”
“Huh. Fascinating,” he said, feigning interest.
Orion was back to work with his hand tangled in my long hair, brushing it aside. While his lips grazed my neck, I could feel his warm breath against my skin. He inhaled deeply, and released a sigh full of lust and longing.
I looked over his shoulder, observing others dancing to the soft, and hypnotic music. I was light on my feet as most of my body felt supported by Orion, and the thick sweet air—it had an indescribable scent, almost honey-like.
“I know you feel the change, Xenia. Embrace it,” he whispered, enthralled.
“Can others feel it too?” I raised my head from his shoulder.
“To some extent, but humans feel a natural high nowhere near what we feel—if they only knew the things we could do,” he said, amused.
“What’s that?”
“First off, the trivial perks are tapping into another’s energy and world whenever we please,” he explained, offhandedly.
“That explains you showing up in Styx when I restored Nicholas,” I mused.
“Exactly,” he said, suppressing a smile.
“How do you shift back when travelling?” I asked, interested in any way that could ease the process. I had the basics down but I still had a lot to learn.
“It comes with practice. Give it time,” he assured.
“How do you bring others with you when you shift?” I asked. To Orion’s dismay, I was nowhere near done asking questions.
“You tap into another’s energy. Your body is touching mine for instance—touch is very powerful for us.”
“Without touch, how do you shift along with others? And what other less trivial things can we do?” I asked, obsessively.
“Give it time,” he chuckled, amused.
I rested my head on Orion’s shoulder and willingly embraced all the changes. We shifted energy levels further, reaching the stages just prior to Styx, the transitory portal. Within a second, my heartbeat escalated as Daisy appeared in my periphery. She looked less than pleased, sending chills down my spine.
“Just admit it. You want me too—I can feel it,” Orion pressed, impatiently.
“What? No. It’s not you—don’t you see her?”
“Who?”
“Look behind you,” I said, cautiously.
He looked over his shoulder, and something about his gaze shook Daisy to her core. She appeared enraged before disappearing.
“How’d you do that?” I asked, amazed.
“Those travelers can be so inconsiderate at times. We can’t have one night to ourselves.”
“You deliberately scared her away?”
“Don’t worry. They’ll be back for you.”
“They?”
“You see, when a part of us dies, the living part of us continues onward in the other world, as if nothing happened, yet that part of us that died—our lost fragment—will wander alone, seeking restoration.”
“Tracing for energy that can help,” I added.
“Exactly. And when a Diplozoe comes in contact with someone, their energy rubs off on them like a tracking device. I knew Kiran was with you when I met you on campus, although I’d never seen you two together.”
“Wow. That’s insane.”
“That’s just the icing on the cake, Xenia.” He grinned mischievously. “Here’s another interesting tidbit for you. You won’t live up to your full potential as a Diplozoe if you’re lacking a component of your soul.”
“Like in Nicholas’ case,” I said, uncomfortably.
Orion nodded, agreeably. “Once you’re restored, your energy capabilities are intensified and you can travel between worlds more comfortably.”
In the background, the song changed over into another and I was in dire need of fresh air.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” I asked.
“Sure,” he responded. His eyes slowly redefined into a light green.
As we walked outside, the heat boiling under my skin escaped with the passing cool breeze.
Orion stared at me considerably longer than I felt comfortable with. I blushed self-consciously, and tucked a few stray hairs back with a loose bobby pin.
“It’s cold,” he said, placing his jacket over my shoulders.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
He stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders. “I haven’t asked a girl in a long while, but here goes. May I take you to dinner…or something?” He lingered by my ear, waiting for a response.
“It’s too late for dinner,” I replied, buying time. I had mixed feelings about Orion.
“Or something?” he asked, playfully kissing my cheek.
“It all depends on what that something is.”
“Anything you want is fine by me,” he said, unexpectedly. “I enjoy whatever it is we’re doing here.”
Before I could even begin to explain how much I wished Nicholas was saying those words, there was crackling of gravel and I turned to look behind Orion.
Nicholas solemnly stood before us, unimpressed. “Orion, it didn’t take you long to weasel your way in.”
“Nicholas!” I shouted, running into his embrace.
His warm skin against my cheek soothed me beyond words. “Where have you been? How could you just leave like that?” I exclaimed. Slowly the excitement turned into anger—I was officially mad.
Nicholas softly kissed my forehead, while he glanced up at Orion and the present situation. How it must have looked—poor Nicholas.
I wished he had known how much I missed him over the months he was gone. But with every day that passed, my animosity toward him grew—and I hated it. These obsessions subsided the moment I was in his arms. I followed Nicholas’ fiery gaze toward Orion.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, casually. “Don’t let me get in the way of this happy reunion,” he said, turning away.
Nicholas confronted him. “I won’t allow you to get in our way, traitor,” he sneered, infuriated. “Why don’t you tell her who you really are?”
The growing intensity seared the air between them—it was too much to handle. Orion stood tall and still, merely observing Nicholas.
“He was sent by the ESOM to spy on you,” Nicholas revealed, sickened.
Orion was one of those rogue Diplozoes, spying for the ESOM—my spy, nonetheless. I wondered how long he had tracked me and how much he had disclosed to the ESOM. As I deliberated the news, my heart beat faster and harder against my chest. I walked up to Orion and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. “How could you lie to me this whole time? You told me Nicholas vanished for good,” I exclaimed. “I should have known better.”
Orion casually wiped the blood from his lip—I hadn’t meant to strike him so hard.
“Shame on me,” he whispered, apathetically.
I squirmed out of Nicholas’ protective hold, following Orion. When I caught up with him, I pulled his upper arm instigating a halt.
“That’s all you have to say for yourself? You don’t even deny the allegations?”
“You can’t deny what is true. Besides, he’s back and you are with him.”
“But why? Was everything a lie?”
“Not everything. I had no other choice but to lie. Would you have come out with me tonight if otherwise?”
“That’s beside the point,” I replied subtly. “You’re really a spy?”
“Not a very good one,” he uttered. “I haven’t been in contact with the ESOM for quit
e some time. Don’t worry, I haven’t disclosed your whereabouts.” He brushed a loose strand of hair back from my face and ran his hand down the side of my cheek. “Goodnight, Xenia.” He left immediately thereafter.
Nicholas stood in the shadows, observing Orion and I. His face grew long and his complexion grew paler. His eyes were solidly anchored in the moment, ignited.
“Explain,” I demanded, while the unrelenting hostility brewed inside me.
“I left because of you,” he explained, troubled.
“Well, if that’s not a confidence-booster,” I winced, confused.
Nicholas grimaced. “I traveled to Styx and I pleaded with Nyxta to grant me immortality once more.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked, beyond stunned. “And who’s Queen Nyxta?
“When I was eight years old, Nyxta—the Queen of Styx—was consumed with rage against the ESOM for murdering me. She granted me immortality, a gift only given to her Charon’s. I felt honored, but I was not restored and would never be as strong as another Theodiplozoe. On top of that, Nyxta discovered through the Fates that I would meet my Charon or my demise by twenty five. Essentially, I was a ticking time bomb. After you restored me, I lost my immortality, and I had to get it back,” he sighed, continuing, “Now we can travel together free from harm’s way. That’s the least I could do for you after restoring me.”
“It was my duty though—I’m your Charon. You sacrificed your last living fragment for me—that’s crazy!” I exclaimed.
“I want to help in any way possible. Let me help you,” he pulled me into his embrace, resting his forehead against mine.
“You’re officially dead because of me.” I felt overwhelmed.
“I am still here—I live. That’s all that matters.”
“I feel so guilty.”
“Don’t. I’m forever indebted to you—even if you chose to be with Orion,” his face twisted in disgust.
“That would never happen. Please don’t ever mention his name again,” I said, hugging him tightly.
We walked hand in hand and before I knew it, it felt as though I had walked into an invisible wall. “Do you feel that? The energy around us is impenetrable,” I asked, bemused.
Nicholas felt the air around him as though we were encased in a bubble of gel. “We’re being summoned to Styx,” he said, warily.