Alex opened the door to the cabin and led her to the family room. He pointed to the sofa and fluffed a pillow at the end by the armrest. “Lie down.”
Kate smiled. “Well that’s assertive,” she teased. “Can we at least start slowly?” She laughed and felt her cheeks redden.
“Funny,” he said with a smile. “We’re going to play hide-and-seek.”
Those words brought back emotions that she thought were buried with Ramel. She’d played that once with Nick, and it hadn’t ended well. That was the night of the fire at the New Year’s Eve Party. Ramel tried to kill her that night, and he almost succeeded in killing her friends.
“What?” Alex didn’t understand the look of concern on her face. She just stood there, stone-faced, no flirty reply, nothing.
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
“No,” he shook his head. “It’s something. Tell me.” He wasn’t going to let her hide. He could read her well enough to know that there was definitely something that bothered her.
She stared at the throw pillow, avoiding Alex’s gaze. “We played hide-and-seek the night of the fire.”
Alex knew about that night. He hadn’t been around for it, but Nick had filled him in on everything that happened before he met Kate. Alex wasn’t thrilled to discover the level of attraction between the Kate and Nick, but he could overlook that. Nick had never believed in Netra’s magic, and Kate didn’t even know that he existed. She hadn’t done anything wrong. “Oh,” Alex said. He gave a slight nod. “This will have a much better ending,” he promised and squeezed her hand.
Kate enjoyed his touch. The gentle squeeze jump-started her heart and got her mind out of the slump it was in. That night of the fire was over. Ramel was over. She wanted to get back to the fairytale cabin with the handsome love of her life. Did she just think of him as the love of her life? She had, and she was happy about it. He was her future.
“This time,” Alex began, “you’re going to hunt for me in your mind. You’re going to sleep and wander towards my light. It’s basically telepathy.”
“I hope it’s easier than it sounds,” she said, sitting on the sofa and slipping off her shoes. “I’m not even tired.”
He smiled and eased her back on the sofa. “Falling asleep so you can hunt for someone is a skill, just like your eavesdropping, speed running, or teleportation. You’re basically using telepathy to find or connect with the person’s mind or energy.”
“So you’re saying that I can learn to fall asleep at will?” She crossed her legs at her ankles and rested her hands on her stomach.
“Yes, you just need practice.” He knelt beside the sofa. “Close your eyes. Get comfortable. Allow your spirit to separate from your body so you can wander about.” He stroked her arm; his touch sent tingles throughout her body.
The world turned dark as she closed her eyes. She breathed deeply and took in his scent. He smelled so good, fresh and clean. The clock in the kitchen ticked as the second hand stuttered in its cyclical path. The smooth leather of the sofa felt cool against her skin. She adjusted her legs and the friction of the leather against her skin produced a soft brushing sound.
Alex slowed the stroke of his fingers along her arm. “Try to slow your heart rate,” he said in a hushed, soothing voice. “Breathe deeply and let it out slowly. Feel yourself relaxing.”
Kate felt a peace wash over her. Her eyelids felt heavy, like she didn’t want to open them. She yawned and slowly exhaled.
“I’m going to talk you through this. You’ll still hear me, even when you’re asleep.”
Kate nodded. She felt more like she was being hypnotized.
“Now you need to will yourself asleep. Let go of your thoughts and all distractions and feel yourself slide into the darkness.”
Kate focused on her hands rising and falling with each breath. She embraced the darkness, and a tiny light floated in the air before her. She touched the light, and its warmth spread over her body. When she opened her eyes, she stood behind the sofa and looked down on her sleeping figure. Alex knelt beside her. Her heart began to race. Having an out-of-body experience was something she’d never imagined possible.
“You’re okay,” Alex soothed. “Relax.” He continued to stroke her arm as she lay on the sofa. He knew her heart would begin to race once she’d stepped outside of her body. Everyone’s shocked the first time.
She looked at her arm, feeling his touch on her flesh as she stood at a distance. “Freaky,” she whispered to herself. She stroked her arm in the same place that his fingers grazed her body on the sofa. As she watched, she felt the sensations of the sleeping Kate.
“Look at me,” Alex said. “Do I look different?”
Kate stepped around the sofa and knelt beside him. She studied his face. He did emit a low glow. The longer she stared at him, the easier it was for her to notice the glow that radiated from him. “You’re glowing,” she said.
“Good.”
“You can hear me?” she asked.
He smiled. “Just barely, as long as I stay focused on you. It helps that I already know of your presence.”
“Cool,” she said. “Can you see me?”
“Only the Kate who’s sleeping on the sofa.”
“Wow,” she said slowly. She started to think of what she should do to him. Should she hit him over the head with a pillow? Should she grab him and give him a few kisses. It might be fun to surprise him. Harassing people could make this skill very fun.
“Now wander around,” Alex said. “Get a feel for movement in this state. Pick stuff up. Manipulate things.”
Kate went to the fireplace. She ran her hand along the rough stacked stones. The texture scratched against her skin. Then she went to the side and pushed the switch. The gas ignited and flames blazed behind the glass.
“Pretty good,” Alex said with a smile. “Not only have you’ve added ambience, but you’ve also impacted this dimension.”
She laughed. This out of body experience was bizarre. It felt the way she imagined walking on a cloud would feel. Her body moved fluidly while her steps seemed to float above the ground. She was getting used to that sensation.
She crossed back to the coffee table, pulled open a drawer and found a matchbox. She struck a match and lit the candles on the coffee table.
Alex watched the lit match float in the air above the candles. When the flame disappeared, he knew she’d blown it out. “I’m sensing a theme,” Alex said. “Do you have a thing for fire?”
Kate wondered if he’d feel her. Would he notice her lips brushing his cheek? She knelt close to him and looked into his face.
He sensed her. She was close. He wasn’t sure if he should trust her. She did have a prankster side. But then he felt the warmth of her breath on his cheek, he flipped the tables on her. He leaned forward, knelt over her solid body on the sofa, and covered her mouth with his.
She startled out of her dream-state and awoke with his kiss on her lips. One hand cradled her face while his other hand pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the muscles in his back. He took his time. Each kiss was deliberate, slow, and seductive. She lay there, in his embrace, wishing this time could last forever.
Her hands traveled down his sides and felt the strength in his abs. His kisses picked up their pace. He moved lower down her neck as her hands ran under his shirt. Her nails gently teased the ridges of his stomach. She’d felt him like this before, but it had never been in reality. The pleasure of his touch had always been in her dreams, experienced through another’s past. Experiencing him now far exceeded anything she’d felt in her dreams.
As her nails gently scraped his chest, Alex pulled away. He sat back on his heels and stared at her. She lay there, so beautiful and pure. She was his, and he was hers. While being with her brought him joy, a cloud of guilt overshadowed his pleasure. One day he could hold her in his arms as much as he wanted, but right now they had priorities, commitments they needed to fulfill.
“You were going
to kiss me,” he said. “I beat you to it.”
She gave him a half-smile. “Your over-confidence rivals Nick’s. You have no idea what I was going to do. A pillow fight crossed my mind.”
He smirked. Pillow talk is more like it. “Pillow fight,” he said. “Where were you going to get the pillow without me noticing?”
She hadn’t thought about that. He would notice a pillow floating through the air. Her surprise attack wouldn’t go unnoticed. Anyway, she was going in for the kiss. She shrugged. “I said I was thinking about it.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“Is that a compliment?” she asked.
“It’s a statement of fact. I’ll reveal another fact to you. We need to get back to work,” he stated. He wanted to kiss her again, but he knew better. He enjoyed her affection too much and got distracted too easily. “You’re going to go back under while I hide. I want you to search for me.”
“How am I supposed to find you?”
“You’ll feel a gentle pull towards me. Oh, and also, wander towards the light.” He shot her a smirk.
“Hmm, walk towards the light,” she said with a laugh. “That sounds a little risky. You’re not trying to get rid of me, are you?”
He wanted to kiss that smirk right off her face. “What do you think?” He stood, looking down at her as she lay on the sofa. “Go back to sleep and look for me.”
“So the game is starting? Hide-and-seek?”
“Yes, and you’re it.” He walked out of the family room.
Kate closed her eyes and let everything go black. She stood over her body. It was eerily freaky to look at herself on the sofa; it was as if she was an observer in the room. As she stood there, looking over her body, she crossed her arms over her chest. They felt solid to her. She tucked stray hair behind her ear. It stayed. Even in this dream state, she felt as if she were a solid object. She didn’t know how to explain what was happening, and maybe she never would. She was getting used to not having answers to all of her questions.
She turned slowly in a circle and drew in a slow breath. He’d said to look for a light and wander towards it. She didn’t see any lights, except for the lamps and the overhead lighting. She knew he didn’t mean those. He did say she’d be drawn to the light, and she did feel a pull towards the stairs.
She grabbed the banister, her ghostly fingers feeling the stair rail, and made her way to the second floor. With each step, she felt a stronger pull within her. It was like a tiny spark that grew inside her. She stopped at the top of the stairs. There were two directions she could go. A bedroom and en suite were on each side of the stairs. She looked in one direction, and it was dark. She turned and looked in the other direction. A faint light glowed from the doorway. She walked towards the light.
She pushed open the door. The bedroom was neat and tidy. It wasn’t as extravagant as the master bedroom that she slept in, but it still looked classy. She opened the closet, a habit from playing the game as a child. She hadn’t seen a glow coming from behind the doors, she just felt compelled to do it. Then she noticed it. The glow was unmistakable. With confident steps she marched into the bathroom. Alex lay on the bathmat in front of the garden tub. He looked relaxed and comfortable. “Found you,” she cried.
“Yeah, but it took you a while. You even checked the closet. What was that about?” he asked. “Did you see a glow coming from there?” It concerned him when he heard her look in the closet. If she was just guessing as she wandered through the house, she would need a lot more practice. Maybe she wasn’t catching on as quickly as he originally thought she would.
“No, I didn’t see a glow. But come on, didn’t you play this as a kid?” Kate wondered what games he had played. Hide-and-seek seemed like a timeless game, but maybe it wasn’t. “Besides, you always have to check the closet. You never know what’s in there. It’s just standard operating procedure.”
“What? Boogie men?” He chuckled and sat up leaning against the tub. Even though he couldn’t see her, he felt her presence. The spot of her location seemed to waver slightly, like a thin haze blurring one’s vision.
“I’ve met worse,” Kate replied. “A girl has to be prepared for anything. And most importantly, don’t let them sneak up on you.”
“Well, we’re playing again,” he said standing. “This time I may be outside.” He headed out the bathroom door. “Wait a few minutes, and then come find me,” he called over his shoulder.
Kate sat on the tile that surrounded the garden tub. She counted the taps produced by her nails drumming against the tile. After 100 taps, she left the bathroom. She felt the pull and headed down the stairs into the family room. She slowly scanned the room. A subtle glow came from outside the picture window. “Outside. Big surprise,” she murmured to herself.
She crossed the patio and scanned the yard. A dull light emanated from the boathouse. She ran through the grass and stopped at the door. It was locked. He wasn’t making this easy for her. She focused on the lock and willed the pins and drivers into their correct position. She turned the handle and stepped inside.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” she sang. The water lapped gently against the stone walls, but she still heard his faint breathing. A light glow brightened the stairwell.
She jogged up the stairs and threw her hands in the air. “Ta-da!” she shouted.
Alex lay on the sparring mats, his ankles crossed and his hands behind his head. “Considering I was farther away, that was a little faster.” He opened an eye and looked in her direction. She was doing pretty well. At least she didn’t try to open any of the cabinets on the walls before spotting him. “Do you want to check for any boogie monsters?” He looked at the cupboards that lined the wall. “There are plenty of hiding spots.”
“Ha, ha,” she said. “Let’s go again. I want to get better.”
He stood and admired her perseverance. “Okay, once more. This time, there’s no telling where I’ll be.”
Kate flopped down on the mat with her legs crossed and leaned back on her hands. “I’ll give you some time.” She looked up at him with a crooked smile. “Don’t make it too easy.” She admired his retreating form as he walked towards the stairs.
After a few minutes, Kate left the boathouse, making sure to lock it on her way out. She scanned the surroundings and immediately noticed a glow emanating from the forest. She took off in that direction.
The grass tickled her legs as she cut through the field. When she came to the forest, she slowed. The bushes grew thicker and some had thorns. She pulled back the branches and found a natural pathway etched in the dirt. Kate paused for a moment to take in the beauty of the forest. The songs of birds echoed through the air, and the leaves whispered as the wind choreographed their dance. Squirrels skittered about, searching for food. A bird sat on a bush, jabbing at berries. Kate stopped and examined the bird. It continued its assault on the tiny, red fruit. She smiled, realizing that she was invisible to the bird, and that was why it wasn’t frightened of her. Her flesh and blood body rested on the sofa back inside the cabin.
Kate held her hands, palms up, in front of her. These hands, they were part of her soul or spirit. She wasn’t quite sure how to define herself in this state, but that didn’t really matter. She didn’t need definitions. She just needed to live her life without regrets. That may be difficult to do, but she would make that a goal.
Finally, the bird flew from the branch, and the branch trembled at its loss. Kate steadied the branch, amazed that even though she was invisible in this spirit state, she could still affect the real world.
Alex sat in the cave worrying about Nick. This rescue may be too close to home, and that’s what concerned him. He feared that Nick was so focused on Hayden that he would be myopic. Usually Nick looked at the big picture and solved problems, but now he risked tunnel vision. Alex sighed and rubbed his forehead, relieved that Justin was with Nick. He trusted that Justin would have Nick’s back.
The light grew brighter as sh
e ran. She stopped and closed her eyes, allowing the brightness to overtake her. She embraced it, and when she opened her eyes, she stood before Alex. “Boo!” she said exuberantly.
Alex startled. “Impressive,” he said in awe. “Did you just ‘pop’ in here?”
“Yep,” she said. “I got to thinking that Nick must not have walked around the world looking for me when he went under. He must have used some sort of shortcut. I thought I’d give it a try.”
Sarah was definitely influencing her. That was the only justification he could think of. As he’d watched her powers evolve, he’d realized that it didn’t matter that she didn’t look like Sarah. Even though she wasn’t Sarah reincarnate, she was influenced by Sarah. Somehow Sarah’s Asteri essence had been transferred into Kate, and he was awed by Kate on a daily basis. She blossomed unlike any Asteri before.
“Do you want to try something even cooler?” Alex asked.
She smiled and nodded.
“Wake up!” he shouted.
Kate’s heart pounded as her eyes flew open. She bolted upright and gripped the sofa cushion as she caught her breath. She was alone in the family room, and she started to laugh.
Alex walked in though the kitchen and joined her. “Fun, eh?”
“What a rush,” she exclaimed. It was like the beginning of a roller coaster that uses magnetic propulsion. “One second I’m out there with you, and the next I’m here. Bam! Will it always feel like that?”
“Like you’re slamming back into your body?” He sat beside the sofa on top of the coffee table. “You can learn to control it better. But if you like that rush, you can keep it.”
Kate chuckled. “I think I like it.”
“Avengers usually do. They tend to be thrill seekers.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “I’ve always liked to have fun, but I’ve never had a death wish.”
“Want to try it again, using the short cut?”
Kate nodded and lay back on the sofa. She embraced the darkness and went on the hunt for Alex.
Synchronicity (Scintillate Series Book 3) Page 16