Synchronicity (Scintillate Series Book 3)

by Karen Tjebben

  Paul didn’t like talking about that part of his life. He considered the man he once was to be dead. He’d changed his name and started a new life. He didn’t want to rehash the events that led to his rebirth, but he knew it was necessary. The information the two Asteri could share was too important for Nat to pass up. It would change her life. Paul squeezed her knee and said, “Go ahead.” He gave her a weak smile. “You can tell them.”

  “I met Paul many years ago on a trip to Africa. I traveled with a group of doctors and nurses that provided care to various tribes. Africa had always been a dark place for me. I went there to conquer my demons.” Nat laughed and squeezed Paul’s thigh. “Be careful what you wish for. The dreams started the first night we arrived. My dreams were plagued with demons and death. The violence in the villages that surrounded us threatened to seep into our little commune. I feared my ‘skills’ would be needed. But you know how that goes. You cannot reveal your true identity. Your powers must always be masked by some believable ‘miraculous’ event. But sadly, miracles do not always present themselves. Sometimes death just comes,” Nat said soberly.

  “One night an old woman came to seek help. She claimed that her son was ill. He jabbered in an unknown language, cut himself, threatened others, and killed cattle with his bare hands. The people of her village captured her son and threatened to kill him. She begged us for help. The doctors I was with figured he was mentally ill but were afraid to get involved in a town dispute. We were there to assist the people with physical problems not mental. Even though the woman admitted that her son had committed the crimes, it didn’t sound right to me. I didn’t want an innocent man to be punished for something he had no control over. To me, the symptoms didn’t sound like a mental issue. They reminded me of possession.

  “I followed the lady to her village. The walk was dark, save the meager light of the stars to brighten our path. Her English was limited, and I did not speak her native tongue, so we trekked the miles in relative quiet. I spent time trying to remember my spells and the ritual of exorcism. I wasn’t sure what I was walking into, but I assumed it was a Dolum. I’d handled those before. They’re nasty creatures. I’m sure you’re aware.”

  Zoe and Evan nodded. “Our paths have crossed,” Evan said. He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and cradled his chin in his hand.

  “Recently,” Zoe added, placing her hand on Evan’s back.

  “Then you know that they must be dealt with… roughly,” Nat said. “As we neared the village, curses filled the air. The man’s bellowing gripped my heart, for I did not hear the curses but the pain behind the vulgar expressions. The man was seized by a demon, helpless and headed for death.”

  “How did they constrain him?” Evan asked. “Dolums are stronger than man. Surely the village had nothing that could overpower a Dolum.”

  Nat chuckled and looked into Paul’s eyes. “Strength comes in many forms. Some men are naturally stronger than others. Some men fight harder than others. Their will is their strength.”

  Paul swallowed hard. The memories of that life clawed at his mind, seeking to take hold and destroy his peace, but that man was dead. He would not allow anything to ruin the roots of love that now bound his life together. The praise from Nat filled his heart. He didn’t deserve her kind words. He’d harmed people. He’d destroyed livelihoods, yet here she was, praising him for his strength.

  Zoe saw the conflicting emotions in Paul’s eyes. He loved Nat, cherished her, saw her as his savior. In some way perhaps she was. She’d freed him from the grips of a Dolum and given him a new life.

  Nat smiled and squeezed Paul’s knee. “His mother led me to him. Tears streamed down her face and she looked at me with hope. I looked at Paul with pity, for the hypnotic opal eyes of the Dolum stared back at me. As Paul writhed against the chains that held him, the Dolum growled. Spittle dripped from his chin. He cursed and threatened to kill me. Of course all of this was in ancient Greek, which sounded like babbling to the people of his village. I offered Paul comfort and peace. This enraged the Dolum. He cursed and sliced away at Paul’s flesh with his claws. I knew I had to work fast. Paul could only hold out against the Dolum for so long. Eventually he’d lose, and the Dolum would overpower everyone and kill them.”

  “It is amazing that he held out against the Dolum for as long as he did,” Zoe said. She was often amazed by the strength of humans. It was as if a mythical teeter-totter determined the value of man’s life. One could choose his position on the teeter-totter. Man could either choose the high side and elevate himself, celebrating life and living with honor and integrity, or one could sit on the low side, deep in the muck and grime of life. So often, mankind balances itself in the middle, living a good life, but not quite rising above others with integrity nor slipping into the abyss of shame. It was clear that Paul was the kind of man who lived with honor and integrity. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to suppress the Dolum’s actions for as long as he did.

  “The village shaman was there,” Nat continued. “I watched as he chanted and danced around Paul. I was glad he was there. His presence would cover my work. He would take the credit and therefore protect my secret. As he did his routine, I chanted very softly to the Dolum and completed the exorcism.”

  Paul chuckled and began, “I’ll never forget the freedom I felt as the Dolum left my body. It was like I’d been carrying an elephant on my back and then suddenly the elephant was gone. The crushing, smothering weight disappeared. I could breathe again. Relief washed over me. My mother’s arms embraced me and I wept. I truly wept.” Paul looked to the ceiling and whispered, “Thank you.”

  “But now you are here,” Zoe said. “You left your family.”

  Paul nodded in affirmation. “Many of the villagers were still mad. They wanted me punished for the death of their animals.” He looked at Nat and squeezed her hand. “Nat smuggled me out. Again she saved me.” He twined his fingers with hers.

  “I arranged for Paul to move to America with me,” Nat began. “I understood the anger of the villagers. The animals were their livelihood, so I replaced what they’d lost. Everyone in that village needed help, not just Paul. I did the best I could before I left.”

  “So you see,” Paul started, “I know of the darkness that you fight. Nat did not break faith when she revealed to me her secret. And you can know with assured confidence that I will never betray your cause.”

  “So now that you know Paul’s story,” Nat began, “please tell me about Netra’s success. How did this happen?”

  9. Powers

  Breakfast went smoothly. Kate had been nervous about seeing Alex after last night’s kiss, but he was the perfect gentleman. It was like he knew what to say or do to make her smile or feel good. Kate wasn’t sure if that was because he had insights from his past with Sarah, or if he was good at reading her. Part of her figured it really didn’t matter. If he could use his past knowledge with Sarah to their relationship’s advantage, then she would be happy about it.

  They prepared and ate breakfast in relative quiet, but whenever their paths crossed, Alex offered a gentle touch. His hand landed on the small of her back as he stepped by her to reach for the plates. He relished the touch of her skin as he grazed her shoulder when he reached for the glasses. Alex didn’t mind that they didn’t have many words to share. He was content with the joy he saw in her eyes. She was happy here with him, and that set his world aright. As they cleaned up, they made small talk and shared some laughs. Alex used every opportunity to strengthen the bond between them.

  Stepping outside, Kate took in the fragrance of the flowers and trees in the breeze. This mountain retreat was idyllic, peaceful, and beautiful. She could easily forget that monsters lurked in dark corners and preyed on innocent blood, but she would never forget the Dolum, how he used her to cross over into this world. He’d feasted on blood and fear, but his path of destruction caught up with him. She didn’t lose a moment of sleep over his death.

  “Ale
x,” she caught his gaze over her shoulder, “why can’t Dolums cross over by themselves? Why do they need help while we can cross at will?” She still blamed herself for the Dolum’s presence in her world. He’d caused a lot of fear for many people. Killing all those animals was scary enough, but when people started getting attacked, the fear skyrocketed. Kate couldn’t imagine what life would be like if Dolums wandered freely in her dimension.

  Alex picked up the practice swords and tossed her one. She caught it easily and adjusted her grip on the handle. “There are legends of a time when Dolums crossed over on their own volition,” Alex stated. “It is said that they crossed the lands pillaging and destroying everything in their path.”

  She could believe that. The Dolum that had hijacked Trevor’s body had left a path of destruction in his footsteps, and Trevor was just one of the victims. It was easy to imagine the horrors that packs of Dolums could commit.

  Alex adjusted his grip on the sword and continued, “Just as God would not stand for the Nephilim to destroy mankind, he would not allow the Dolums to destroy man either. When you cross over to the other dimension, you’re tapping into a part of your brain that allows you to see a different field or reality. You can step into it because you can see it. It’s similar to how people see different shades of color. Most people have three cones in their eyes. That means they see about a million different shades of color. We see things differently than animals. Most animals have two cones. They only see about ten thousand different colors. Some people have four cones in their eyes. They see colors differently than the average human. They may see as many as one hundred million colors. It’s hard to even fathom what the world looks like to them because you’ve never seen it. That’s how it is for Asteri. Normal humans can’t fathom or see the other dimension because they don’t have the ability to see it. That’s what happened with the Dolums. It’s as if they lost a ‘cone’. They could no longer see the portal.”

  Thinking about it that way helped put it in perspective. People certainly don’t see everything that’s around them. There is so much more to our world than mankind could even begin to fathom, but Asteri could glimpse the inconceivable. “People don’t even know what they’re missing,” Kate said.

  “Exactly,” he replied. “In a way, people see what their eyes can accept, and that becomes their world, their reality. But as an Asteri, your brain allows you to see the other dimension, and you walk into it. It’s believed that God essentially ‘broke’ that part of the Dolum’s brain. Now they cannot cross over anymore by themselves. They know this dimension exists. They want to come here to get the human prey, but they can’t fix that switch in their brain.”

  “Which is why they’ll piggyback whenever they get a chance.” Kate swiped her sword at the tall grasses around her. The grasses bent in the blade’s path. “Too bad the Nephilim can’t be disposed of so easily. It would be nice if they were trapped in the other side.”

  “Their human legacy prevents that. They were born here, just like we were.”

  Legacy… Are we active or passive participants in our legacy? Kate wondered how much of her life was predestined. Did she have much control over her fate? She stared at the lake. The water shimmered in the sun and glistened beautifully. So much changed so quickly in her life that she felt as if she couldn’t keep up. The day at the lake with Nick and Alex when she learned to control her body temperature felt like yesterday, but her heart had ached for Nick back then. Now her heart beat for Alex alone. She understood what love was. Love was sacrifice, pain, and fervent joy. Love combined every emotion, mixed them together, and resulted in a desire hotter than fire that melted your soul with another’s.

  Kate looked at Alex again, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach awaken. He stood there, one hand on his hip and one hand casually held the sword downward by his leg. She couldn’t believe that he was her man. That sounded weird to her. The idea was almost archaic. The notion that she was meant for him from birth. That wasn’t done anymore, at least not in America. People weren’t given to each other at birth. Women chose for themselves who they married, but as she looked at him, she couldn’t be happier. He was kind, compassionate, and honorable. He had the traits that were important in a partner, plus she was actually attracted to him. She’d enjoyed last night’s kiss, and she knew he did too. She hoped they’d do some more kissing tonight. She would even make the first move if she needed to.

  Alex didn’t mind her staring at him. She was mulling something over in her mind. As long as it drew her closer to him, she could stare all she wanted. And once again he was relieved he had this time alone with Kate. He already loved her. That was the choice he made the first day they met. As his eyes locked on hers, it hadn’t matter that he didn’t see Sarah’s eyes in return. Kate was still his intended. She was meant for him, and his long wait was over.

  Now he spent his days worrying about Nick and Justin. Nick was not keeping him as informed as he’d like. Alex wanted daily updates from Nick, mostly to ensure everything was fine, but Nick didn’t work like that. He told Alex that he’d inform him when there was something to tell. Alex knew they’d gone looking for Daevas, and if they found him, Alex wasn’t sure what would happen. They didn’t have a solution for Vires. That ring, along with whatever technology Hayden’s kidnapper used, could cripple their entire network of Asteri. And yet, Alex couldn’t imagine life without Nick. He’d been there from the beginning. He didn’t want to think about how life would change when the positive energy that encouraged and sustained people disappeared. People would lose hope. Their faith would crumble and desolation would take hold.

  Out of nowhere, a force of air shoved Alex’s shoulder and snapped him out of his thoughts. Kate stood at a distance with a smile on her face. “Hey,” he barked in response.

  “You were daydreaming,” she said. “Thought I should get your attention.”

  “You were off in your own world yourself, girly.”

  She laughed and chucked the sword to the ground. “Yeah, but I bet my daydreams were more fun than yours.”

  Alex smiled at her flirty talk. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

  She shrugged and smiled. “You might blush.”

  Alex was sure that nothing she said would make him blush. If anything, she’d be the one blushing. She couldn’t go a day without something causing her cheeks to turn red. But sadly she was right. His thoughts were full of concern, trying to fix a serious problem. But Kate, she was still young. She seemed to let go of troubles when they weren’t staring her down. Maybe that was why she was so happy and carefree. She didn’t allow herself to be encumbered by anxiety and worry. She wasn’t trying to solve problems before they even existed.

  “So,” she held her hands out as if waiting for something. “Did you notice anything?”

  He stared at her. He checked out the muscles in her strong, delicate legs and the curve of her hips that he’d grasped last night as they kissed. He continued appraising his way up her body and then said, “No, I don’t see anything.”

  “Liar,” she teased. “You were totally just checking me out.” She chuckled and threw another ball of air at him. This time it nailed him in the stomach. His abdominal muscles clamped as the force of the air nailed him. It felt like a weighted medicine ball had been hurled at him.

  “Did you notice that?” she asked again with a smirk and raised eyebrows.

  She looked so proud of herself, standing with a hand on her hip and a foot thrust forward. He had noticed it. It would have been impossible not to, and now he was impressed. “When did you learn how to do that?”

  “Last night. I was putting stuff away, levitating it, and I accidentally missed.” She laughed. “Instead of wiping the counter with my washcloth, my toothpaste went flying to the floor. At first I just thought I’d missed. You know, didn’t hit my target. But then it happened again when I put my shoes away. I tried to levitate them into the closet, but the door slammed shut instead. I tried it a few more times, and th
en I realized that I was moving chunks of air.” She laughed and threw her hands out. “I’ve weaponized air,” she said gleefully.

  Alex couldn’t help but smile. He loved her spirit. He pretty much loved everything about her. He knew the day would come when he’d find that little irritant, that annoying habit that gets under the skin the way a grain of sand makes its way into the oyster shell, but he knew he could turn that annoyance into a pearl. That’s what love does.

  “Excellent,” he said. “Now are you ready to have some real fun?”

  Kate smiled. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

  Alex strode towards her. As Kate chewed on her bottom lip, his thoughts diverted for a moment, but he quickly set his mind to the task at hand again. He had no idea how long they had, and his goal was to get her ready. “You learned a lot yesterday on swordplay. You already have a good grasp because of your karate background. But after your demonstration of ‘weaponizing air’,” he said with a smile, “you’re ready to play with the big boys.”

  Kate’s eyes bugged and a smile slowly spread across her face. “That sounds super fun.” She slowly nodded and bit her lip. “How does that work?”

  “Let’s go back to the house,” Alex said. He picked up Kate’s sword and held it in the same hand as his sword. As they made their way across the lawn, he slipped his free hand into hers.

  She smiled up at him and then looked back at the ground. Even though they kissed last night, excitement filled her as his hand gripped hers. To her, it was a sign of affection. Their relationship was changing, and she was happy about that. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but she was willing to try just about anything.