Blood of the Rainbow

by Shelia Chapman

  Jared put his arm around Sara’s shoulder and kissed the side of her neck. Sara took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. “This is how I like to spend my time,” she said. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  Jared laughed softly. “I wonder what I did to deserve you.”

  “Jared, why did we buy winter clothes in the middle of the summer?”

  Jared grinned wryly. “Because we’re going to do some travelling soon. I thought we’d go to Colorado and spend some time camping out in the Rocky Mountains. Would you like that?”

  “Yes. I’d love to do some travelling. There’s so much I haven’t seen.”

  Jared’s mood turned melancholy, looking as though he might start crying. “We’ll go wherever you want to go. Do whatever you want to do.”

  Sara softly chuckled. “Unfortunately, the place I need to go right now is the bathroom.”

  “Do you want me to go with you, and wait outside?”

  Sara kissed Jared. “That’s sweet, and I appreciate it, but, I’ll be fine,” she said, moving to get up.

  Jared wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on his lap, kissing her long and passionately. “Hurry back,” he said, with a touch of sadness in his voice.

  Sara studied his eyes for a second, and then smiled. “I will.”

  Sara couldn’t have been gone more than five minutes. She was a few yards away from the bench, and she couldn’t believe her eyes. Jared was sitting on the bench, smiling. A strange woman walked up behind him. She put her hands over his eyes, and started kissing his neck. Sara watched. Jared seemed to be enjoying himself. He was letting her touch him and kiss him.

  Is this real? Could this be an after effect of George Thundercloud’s book? Was this part of the curse that went with it?

  Sara’s eyes filled with tears. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Time seemed to stand still. The world around her looked as though it were moving in slow motion. Nothing around her seemed real. Sara couldn’t think straight. Her heart felt as if it was being physically ripped from her body and torn to pieces before her eyes. “This can’t be true!” Sara mused. “Why would he do this to me?” She moved a few feet closer, until she could hear what he was saying.

  “All right, you’re not being fair. The dress was hard enough to deal with. You know that sets me on fire. You’re going to get raped right here in the middle of this park, with everybody watching….”

  The woman didn’t say anything. She kept tracing kisses along his neck. Jared leaned his head to the side and groaned. Sara couldn’t stand anymore. She walked up to them. The woman glanced up at her but didn’t pay Sara any notice. Sara walked in front of Jared. His eyes were closed, obviously relishing the attention. Sara stared at him for a few seconds. “I can’t believe you would do this to me!”

  Jared’s eyes flew open. He looked at Sara for a split second, his eyes burning crimson, full of confusion. Immediately he whirled. “What the…?” He sighed deeply and groaned when he saw who it was behind him. “Eve! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He growled and jumped up, glancing from Sara to Eve. “Sara… I… I thought… Eve what are you doing here?”

  Eve smiled seductively. “My parents came back to visit friends. I’d hoped I might get a chance to see you. I’ve missed you terribly. I made a horrible mistake Jared. I never should have left you behind.” She attempted to kiss him.

  Jared jumped out of her way and glanced from Eve to Sara again. “Eve, you said you didn’t love me!”

  “I know,” she cooed. “I didn’t realize it until I got back home. We were so far apart. I was scared. I’m not scared anymore. We’ve moved back to the States permanently. We’re living in New York. Don’t you understand? We don’t have to be apart anymore Jared. ”

  Jared growled. “It’s too late, Eve!”

  “No Baby, it’s not too late. I’m here. We can pick up where we left off.”

  Sara couldn’t bear to hear anymore. “That seems like a good idea!” She started crying and running, blinded by her tears. She had no idea where the exit was, or if she was even running in the right direction. Her heart was pounding, her head spinning, throbbing with every beat of her heart. She was hurting so bad she couldn’t breathe. Finally, she collapsed at the foot of a large palm tree, burying her head in her hands, crying hysterically, silently praying to die. She vaguely became aware of footsteps near her. She lifted her head to see who it was. It was Jared. She hugged the trunk of the palm. “Go away! Go back to your… your… whatever she is.”

  “Sara, please, let me explain….”

  “There’s nothing to explain Jared. Did you contact her and tell her to meet you here? Was that what you did? So you could humiliate me in front of her? Just go away and let me die in peace!”

  “No! I won’t go away! I didn’t call her. I didn’t know she….”

  “She was kissing you Jared, and you were enjoying it. Just go away!”

  Jared knelt beside Sara, his eyes glossed with tears as he looked at her. “Sara, I’m sorry. I thought it was you!”

  “What?” Sara shouted. “Jared, how could you mistake her for me? You should have remembered her touch. You proposed to her first. How dare you compare me to that bitch!”

  Jared rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. “She’s not a bitch Sara, and I’m not comparing you to her. There is no comparison Sara,” he sighed again. “Honey, please listen to me. She walked up behind me and put her hands over my eyes. I honestly thought it was you. I would never do anything to hurt you Sara. I love you. You’re the only one I love and the only one I want,” he said, reaching to touch her face.

  Sara’s eyes were filled with mingled tears. A mixture of pain and anger. She moved away from him. “How could you not know when a strange woman is trying to seduce you?” A part of Sara wanted to believe it was all a mistake, but part of her didn’t know how to deal with this. Sara didn’t want to deal with this. Her head was still pounding, and Jared was blurry.

  “Sara, I thought it was you, honestly. You have to believe me. I’m going to marry you. I love you Sara. No one has ever held the part of me that you hold. No one has ever meant anything to me but you. You mean the world to me Sara,” he said through tear glossed eyes. “You’re everything to me. I’ve spent my whole life trying to find you.”

  Sara looked up, and behind Jared, stood Eve. “You better tell your neck nibbler that!” Sara scowled.

  Eve was almost as confused as Sara. “Jared, what’s going on? Who is that? Why were you chasing her?”

  Jared stood and grabbed her by the forearm. “Eve, tell her this was all your idea. Tell her I didn’t know it was you,” he ground through his teeth, squeezing her arm hard, fighting to keep his eyes from changing again.

  “Jared, you’re hurting my arm!”

  He tightened his grip. “I’ll hurt a lot more than your arm if you don’t tell her!”

  Eve grimaced. “Ow! All right, I don’t know who you are, or what you’ve got to do with this, but he’s right. I walked up behind him and covered his eyes. I guess he thought it was you.” She glared at Jared, her eyes still full of fear and confusion. “Now will you let go, and tell me who she is, and what she’s got to do with us? If she’s the little fling you’ve been using to keep me off your mind… you don’t need to bother anymore. I’m here now.”

  Jared turned his full gaze on her, glowering, desperately trying to control anger that had turned to fury. “Eve… I tried to use you to forget about her.”

  Eve laughed skeptically. “You used me to forget about her? How long have you known her?”

  Jared lovingly smiled at Sara. “Since she was ten years old.” Eve stared at them. Jared held out his hand, helping Sara to her feet, and embraced her. “Sara, I could never hurt you. Especially not with Eve. I love you too much to do that. Do you believe me?”

  “I’m trying to….”

  Eve scoffed. “Oh please, you’re making me sick.”

  “Eve, this is my fiancée, Sara F
oster. Eve, Sara is the one I told you about years ago. The girl from my dreams. Sara, Eve King, my ex-girlfriend. I’d still like to think we’re friends?”

  Eve smiled awkwardly and offered her hand. “I’m sure we’re all going to be good friends,” she said, shaking Sara’s hand, as though Sara had used her hand to clean her ass.

  Sara couldn’t tell if Jared was buying Eve’s sugar-coated lemon, but Sara wasn’t. She knew, sooner or later, Eve would be trouble for them. Sara was more bothered about the amount of grief Eve would cause Jared. She smiled sharing a warm glance with Eve. “Of course.” If Jared had wanted Eve, Sara would have let him go. But, since Sara knew differently, if Eve wanted Jared now, she would have a fight on her hands. Sara was not giving him up!”

  Eve’s eyes glossed with tears, she was stunned, and for a while, at a loss for words, trying to process the fact that Sara obviously wasn’t a figment of Jared’s imagination. Eve never expected Jared to get over her, because Eve never expected Jared to find Sara, she didn’t believe Sara existed. In fact, she wasn’t convinced that the woman Jared had introduced her to, was Jared’s dreamgirl.

  Eve wiped her fake tears on the back of her hand and sniffed. “Well, it was very nice to meet you Sara. I think I better be getting back. Mother will start looking for me,” she smiled.

  Sara studied Eve’s eyes. She wasn’t buying this noble display. “It was nice to meet you too Eve. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding….”

  Eve put on a perfect painted smile. “Oh don’t worry about it. It was my fault anyway. I should have known someone as handsome and sweet as Jared wouldn’t stay single for long.” She smiled and touched his cheek. “I hope you’re both very happy. I’ll see you around. Well, bye now,” she said and walked away.

  Sara turned away from Jared, tears streamed down her face. She wondered how she could make this right. She should have trusted Jared. She should have known he would never cheat on her. “I’m so… sorry I doubted you Jared. I’m not good enough for you. All I do is hurt you, one way or the other. I don’t deserve you.”

  Jared put his hands on Sara’s shoulder and turned her. “Sara, will you stop blubbering about something I’ve already forgotten about. I don’t care. If I had been in your place, I probably would have reacted the same way – maybe worse.”

  “You’re not mad at me?”

  Jared smiled, lifted her chin, and crushed his lips against hers, devouring her, pressing her hard against his body. He ended the kiss, looked into her eyes and smiled again. “No, I’m not angry with you. I find it very hard to stay angry with you. When I come anywhere close to it, one smile, and it fades on the breeze,” he said, kissing her again. “There is one thing I wish you would stop doing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “This does make me angry!” Jared forcefully said.

  “What?”

  “Stop thinking you’re not good enough for me.”

  Sara smiled, “I’ll try.”

  ------------

  They drove to ‘Mastro's City Hall Steakhouse Restaurant’, where Jared ordered Sara, probably the most expensive meal she’d ever eaten, but it was delicious.

  For a starter, they had Caesar Salad with Cool Ranch dressing. Then the waiter brought out the main course - jumbo lobster tail with creamed spinach, crepe suzette for dessert, and a bottle of Veuve Clicqout Champagne. Sara had two glasses. Jared wouldn’t have any since he was driving. Even, though Sara only had a small amount of the Champagne, it was enough to make her tipsy and giddy. At least it dulled her headache.

  Jared was enjoying Sara like this. By the time they got home, Sara was pretty spaced out, and again, extremely aroused.

  Jared parked the car. “Now, stay where you are until I get to your side. I’m not sure if you can walk straight.”

  “I’m fine, Jared,” Sara said, opening the door and attempting to stand. Funny, where did the twister come from, everything was spinning. Sara’s legs felt like wet noodles, and she went down, scraping her knees on the driveway.

  “Ouch!” Sara commented, and started laughing. Suddenly, everything was funny. She couldn’t stop laughing.

  Jared wrapped his arms around her. “Honey, are you all right?”

  Sara smiled seductively at him, “I’m all right,” she giggled. “I’ve just got a little booboo, that’s all.” Jared’s lips were almost touching hers. Sara desperately wanted him to kiss her. Every fiber in her being wanted him. She leaned closer, pressed her lips to his and kissed him passionately. Jared kissed her back and they were left panting for breath.

  “Here, let me see your hands….”

  Sara kissed him again. “I don’t want you to see just my hands.”

  Jared laughed. “Oh, you don’t – do you?” He looked at her hands. “Come on, let’s get inside and let me clean that up.” He lifted her to her feet. Bad idea, Sara started to slump again. Jared lifted her in his arms and carried her inside, depositing her on the sofa. Jared came back with a first-aid kit, and started cleaning her hands.

  Sara smiled. “Jared, I love you.”

  Jared finished cleaning Sara’s hands and kissed them, then kissed her lips. “Looks like we’ve come full circle.”

  Sara kissed him passionately. “Yes. We met because of one of my little accidents.”

  Jared chuckled. “Which is one of the main reasons I decided to become a doctor. So I could take care of all your little accidents.”

  “Gyu’re zo sveet… ah I mean so… sweet.” Sara laughed.

  Jared chuckled again, and scooped her in his arms, kissing her passionately. “And you, my little darlin’ are drunk. And I’m putting you to bed before you pass out down here, and I have to carry you upstairs anyway.”

  ------------

  It must have been early when Jared put Sara to bed. She woke up around midnight and couldn’t go back to sleep. She slipped on her silk robe and walked over to the window. The breeze was pleasant, with a bit of a chill in it. Sara looked up at the night sky, and noticed, far off, across the desert, lightning flashing. She could hear the distant rumble of thunder. She watched it for a while. It seemed to be getting closer, so she decided to get a better look.

  The alcohol had partly dehydrated Sara, and she was thirsty. She crept downstairs, being careful not to make any noise. She assumed everyone else would already be in bed asleep, and she didn’t want to disturb them. Sara went into the kitchen. She drank a glass of water, rinsed out the glass, and turned it upside down on the drain rack.

  She opened the door - it wasn’t locked. Why should it be? The only thieves out here would be mice and scarabs. The mice were only interested in dried seeds, and the scarabs were interested in the dead, and things Sara didn’t want to think about. Especially after what happened with that book. She shivered, and pushed the thought aside.

  Sara walked out in the back yard. The grass was slightly damp from the dew and tickled between her toes. Despite the air was warm, a gust of wind from the coming storm blew the front of her robe open, giving her a slight chill. She wrapped her arms around her body and shivered again, but she was determined to tough it out. She wanted to see what the sky looked like from the ground.

  The storm was definitely getting closer. The huge thunderhead discharged lightning bolts in evil branching fingers across the sky, answered by a heavy rumble of thunder, which shook the ground beneath her feet. From the sound of it, Sara figured she was in danger of getting wet, so she didn’t wander far from the house.

  She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. It was exhilarating. You could almost feel the electrical current as it flowed through the air from the discharged lightning flashes. The lightning, for some reason Sara couldn’t fathom why, but it reminded her of the spiraling ink from George Thunderclouds book, and the horrible dream she’d had at Dave’s office.

  All of a sudden, even though Sara was alone, it felt as if the desert had a thousand eyes, all staring at her. She was about to go back into the house. Despite the spectacular v
iew, she was overcome by an eerie feeling.

  “What are you doing out here… like this?” A familiar voice whispered in her ear, tickling her neck.

  Sara spun to face a wall of solid bronze muscle, and a pair of glowing crimson eyes. He wrapped his arms around her.

  Caught off guard, Sara gasped. “God, I wish you wouldn’t do that! Or at least give me some kind of warning. Seeing a pair of crimson eyes in the dark, especially towering above you is not normal Jared. I didn’t hear you cross the porch. I should have heard you – the boards squeaked when I walked over them!”

  Jared laughed – a soft, seductive sound that made Sara shiver again. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, thinking she was cold. “It might not have been me Sara.”

  Sara softly touched his face, looking into his eyes. “Who else would it have been?”

  “Sara, we’re not shielded from the influences of the outside world. Joel knows where we are.”

  “That might be true, but I know I’m safe whenever you’re around.”

  “You’re shivering,” he said, holding her tighter.

  “It wasn’t the wind that made me shiver just now.”

  Jared smiled and kissed the end of her nose. “Really? That’s interesting.”

  “How did you know I was out here? I didn’t think anyone was up. I tried not to make any noise, but I was thirsty.”

  Jared turned her and pointed up. “Oh!” she commented. Their bedroom windows were almost side-by-side, but for the bathroom between them. “What were you doing up?”

  “I was reading. I had put my book down to go to sleep, and decided to watch the lightning for a while. It must have reflected off your metal hair clasp,” he said, reaching up and slowly sliding it free. Sara’s hair spilled down over her shoulders. Jared threaded his fingers in it at the base of her neck and fluffed it out, then smoothed it down with slow, electrifying strokes.

  “You’re beautiful anyway, but you’re more beautiful with your hair down. Sara closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. “I like it better this way….”