The Torn, Book One of the Holding Kate Series

by Cole, LaDonna

  I looked up in time to see him grab a vine and practically fall on top of us. He landed beside Donnie’s horse, reached up and pulled him from the saddle in an embrace. Tara jumped off of her horse and moved in to join the reunion.

  I couldn’t see him. His back was to me. “You are young again! Did you go back?”

  “Yes, the sphere fell on this year’s convocation.”

  “It took us all back.”

  “How did you get back here? Why did you come? You were home.”

  Tara glanced over his shoulder at me, hesitantly. “We weren’t given a choice. She was quite insistent that she was coming. We couldn’t let her come alone.” She smiled.

  The man seemed to tense, his posture became stiff, and then slowly he turned around to look at me.

  Corey. My Corey!

  His eyes were the same, deep blue and twinkling. Everything else had changed. His hair was gray streaked and laugh lines creased his face. His eyes locked onto mine and he seemed to drink in the sight of me. His eyes took in every part of my face, my neck, my arms and legs and body. I was doing the same to him, needing to make sure he was whole.

  He slowly stepped up to my horse and craned his neck up to me. “Hey,” he said.

  I studied him up close; this middle aged man was Corey? My Corey?

  “Corey?” I whispered, tears clouding my vision. “Is it you?” I reached out a trembling hand to touch his hair.

  “I have loved you for a thousand years.” His voice broke.

  I fell into his arms and wept. He was my Corey, whole, hale, perfect. He held me tightly as if he couldn’t believe I was here. He kissed my hair and forehead. My heart spiked and a flush of warmth spread across my skin. I wanted him to kiss me, really kiss me, like we had done forever in the pink clouds or on the swing, but he didn’t. He just held me. I looked up into his face—his old man face and tried to see my Corey.

  “You’re so old,” I moaned.

  Everyone around us broke out into laughter and I suddenly remembered we weren’t alone. That is why he didn’t kiss me. We had an audience. I glanced around and saw the scowls of the elders. They seemed perplexed at the strange reunion.

  Trip walked up behind me and held out his hand to Corey. “You really are old, dude. Freaky.” He grinned.

  Corey dropped me from his hold and the air between us was almost violent. He shook Trip’s hand and laughed.

  He glanced around and saw the expressions of the elders, passed a hand through his hair and looked down at his feet. “What have you brought me, here, Trip?” He held out a hand to the Tondo.

  “He attacked Kate and me, and we defended ourselves. We mourn for the loss of your people.”

  “Who is responsible for the death?” Corey’s tone was taking on an official sound.

  “I am.” Trip answered.

  “I am too.” Tara stepped beside Trip and took his hand. Corey studied the gesture and cut his eyes to me.

  “I am responsible.” Donnie joined them.

  “Me too,” I squeaked out. Corey turned back to me and frowned.

  “You?”

  “Yeah. Trip and I were arguing and I think the Tondo was trying to protect me. I also kept Donnie supplied with stones during the attack. I share the responsibility.”

  Pain crossed over Corey’s face and he walked over to the Tondo, knelt down at his head and whispered something in his ear. Then he stood and pulled four of the gleaming scales from his neck and presented one to each of us.

  “You will wear these scales around your neck for all to see while you are here. It will act as a reminder and a warning. It will remind the Tondo’s family that his life was given in protection of the weak. It will be a warning to all Tondos that you are warriors to be feared. I sentence you to serve the clan until such a time as you are taken from here. Each of you will be assigned a family to guard and serve while you remain. You will live with them, eat with them, work for them and protect them until such a time as you are taken.”

  “So be it.” The elders chorused and turned to disappear into the tree.

  “Come, friends, to my home. Let me introduce you to my family.” Corey smiled at us.

  My heart fell into my feet. Introduce us to his family! Corey had a family. Of course he did. How silly of me to think he had waited for me. My hands began to tremble and I didn’t think I would be able to take two steps.

  Then Corey turned to me. “You. We have so much to catch up on.” He took my hand, pressed it to his lips. Pain crossed his features as though the act of kissing my hand was too difficult to bear.

  “Come,” he whispered and led me into the base of the enormous tree. I saw an opening and a winding staircase carved into the hollow of the tree.

  We ascended the stairs and came out on the wide pathway suspended high above our horses. They were already being tended to by some of the Darchori. The Tree City was amazing. The woven bridges and pathways were solid, with no give or sway as I assumed they would. It had taken thousands of years to create these natural paths. They were beautiful and ancient works of art. I couldn’t appreciate them very well at the time. I just kept thinking about what Corey’s wife would look like.

  We stepped up into a tree house, and Corey moved forward to kiss a beautiful and sensuous woman on the cheek. “Nanrik, Tara will be your house guest for a while.” He held his hand out to indicate Tara.

  She smiled, walked forward and hugged Tara placing a kiss on her cheek. “Welcome, warrior.” She said in a deep voice.

  “I will send her back to you after we have visited,” Corey stated.

  “As you wish, Cianti Todura.”

  We continued down the walkway, Corey leading and greeting the Tree People as they passed. He was greatly loved by the clan and completely accepted as one of them. It occurred to me that he had probably lived here longer than most of them had been alive. Corey kept my hand as he toured us around the city. I didn’t mind. I liked it. All too soon he would drop it and take the hand of his wife. My heart would stop beating in that moment.

  I drew in a shuddering breath. Corey turned to study me.

  “Are you okay, Kate?” He was concerned. His face crinkled into a frown.

  “Yes. It’s just a lot to take in.”

  He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and said. “Yes, I can imagine that it is.”

  We came to another home and Corey swiped at a wind chime to announce his arrival. A man came to the woven door and smiled at Corey. “Cianti Todura, how can I serve you today?”

  “Is your beautiful wife home?” Corey asked.

  “Of course, I will get her.” He stepped back into the home and I heard some low voices and noises.

  The first thing I saw was a stick stretched out in front of the woman. It was a walking stick, one like a blind person would use. The next thing I saw was the severely scarred hand that was holding it. This person had been burned very badly. Her whole arm was covered in the hideous scars. When she turned, I saw that her face had also been burned, her scars were the main feature. You could hardly get past them to see the person. When I did, I looked into the eyes of my friend.

  “Pinky!” I exclaimed.

  “Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in years.” Her voice was raspy. “And a voice I haven’t heard in years. Kate, is it you?!” She cut a knowing expression toward Corey, and then wrapped me in a hug.

  “Pinky, what has happened?” My face contorted in pain and empathy.

  “Ah, yes. I do see that for you we have only been gone a matter of hours. We are still very fresh in your heart, aren’t we?” Again the arch of the eye brow to Corey.

  He dropped his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Trip, Donnie, Tara, and Kate are our guests. Could you house one of them?”

  “Only one? They can all stay with us.”

  “No, not all of them.” He picked up my hand and smiled at me.

  My heart did a flop. Eeww gross! Why am I so attracted to an old man? I thought.

  Pinky
chuckled and waved her hand. “Go on you two. You have a few years to catch up on. Come back when you get hungry. Now Trip, Donnie, Tara, come in, come in. I want to touch your faces and catch up.”

  They filed into the house and Corey and I were left standing on the door step. He watched me with his twinkling eyes. “You are exactly as I remembered you.” He moved a strand of hair out of my face, his eyes doing what his hands could not.

  My heart fractured with pain. He was not my Corey. He was someone else’s Corey. I closed my eyes and he cupped my cheek in his hand. I stopped breathing.

  “Come, you must meet my family. They have heard so much about you.” He pulled me along with him.

  I’ll bet they didn’t hear the good stuff. I thought. The loved-her-for-a-thousand-years stuff.

  We walked around a large circle bridge in the center of the town. Corey pointed to the largest tree I had ever seen. “Home,” he stated.

  I suddenly didn’t want to go in. I didn’t want to meet the woman who had made love to my Corey, had babies with my Corey. I hated her already. I stopped. Corey turned to me and I shook my head.

  “I can’t…” I was shaking from head to toe.

  “Kate!” Corey was immediately alarmed. “What is wrong?”

  “I can’t…”

  He suddenly looked over my head and beamed. “Here she is. The woman in my life.”

  I gazed into his rapturous face. He was totally besotted with the person behind me. I couldn’t stand it. I felt like I was going to be sick.

  Corey took my shoulders and turned me around. “Taylia, meet Kate. Kate, this is my Taylia.”

  I looked at a beautiful woman who was much older than Corey, but striking still. Her face broke into a magnificent smile. “It is so good to meet the true love of Cianti Todura.” She took my hand into hers and squeezed it.

  “Even you call him by his title?”

  “Oh, yes, of course. We all call Father by that title.”

  “Father?”

  “Yes, Kate. Cianti Todura, Corey, is my father.”

  Corey’s home was full of people. He introduced me to all of them and each one beamed knowingly at him and seemed genuinely pleased to see me. After being touched and hugged by thirty or so of Corey’s children, he led me into a room in the top of the tree and closed the door behind us.

  “Alone at last,” he said. He swooped me into his arms and spun me around in circles, laughing. “It has been so long. I never thought I would see you again, my Kate.” He touched my face and searched my eyes. “You are so beautiful. Even more beautiful than I remembered,” he whispered. He ran his hand down my cheek to my throat and shoulder. “So warm…so…” his eyes lingered on my lips and he moistened his own. I shuddered in delight.

  I closed my eyes anticipating the reunion of our lips. My breathing became ragged and desire spiked. I leaned in for the kiss, but he wasn’t there. I snapped my eyes open and focused on him. His eyes were pained and he seemed to be having an internal battle of some kind.

  Oh. Thirty kids. Married. Corey was married. He couldn’t kiss me. I was the other woman. Pain knifed through my chest. I would not allow myself to become HER, that home wrecker who destroyed my family.

  I stepped back out of his arms and he sighed resignedly. I walked to the window to put some space between us. I didn’t think I could keep my hands off of him and the Mrs. could walk through the door any minute. I hated her.

  “You have kept busy, I see,” I said in a high pitched unnatural voice.

  Corey crossed to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Ohhh. He felt so good.

  “Yeah, when Eunavae and I came, they welcomed us warmly. We settled and built the school, taught them medicine and English.” He laughed. “I never imagined the whole village would adopt it.”

  “You started a school?”

  “Yes, you are standing in it.”

  “This is the school?”

  He nodded.

  “I thought this was your house.”

  “It is both.”

  “Where are all the children?’

  “This is a secondary school, Kate.” He breathed in my ear and chills broke out all over me. My heart raced. “We make doctors.”

  “Oh.” I fell silent, afraid to ask what I really wanted to know. Silence grew between us, questions we couldn’t ask, but had to know.

  “Kate, I have to know. Did you and Trip…”

  “No.” I turned in his arms and looked up at him. “He is with Tara. We never…I mean not really. A crush, tops.”

  Tension seemed to melt out of him. A look of constraint crossed his face. I gathered my courage. “How long have you been…been…you know?”

  “What?”

  “Married.” The word cracked out of my mouth.

  “Married?”

  “Yes, when do I get to meet the Mrs. Cianti Todura?”

  “As soon as I meet her, I will let you know.” He grinned.

  “So you were never married? Never in love?”

  “I was in love.” Corey gently took my hand in his. “I have loved you for a thousand years, my Kate.” He kissed my fingers and held my gaze.

  “Corey, if you aren’t married, then why haven’t you kissed me?” My voice was almost pleading.

  “I am old.” He wrapped his arms around me. “I didn’t think you would want to kiss an old man.”

  “Corey Chastain, kiss me and kiss me good.” I pulled his head down to mine and he pressed his sweet lips against my lips and fire erupted inside of me. Corey kissed me with all the pent up need of two centuries of waiting. He kissed me gently and deeply and with mad passion. Our arms were all over each other. His hands in my hair, at my neck, in the small of my back, he lifted my shirt and stroked the skin on my back. Corey kissed me, until I melted into his embrace.

  I didn’t want to leave him, ever. I wanted to live a thousand more years in his arms. He pulled me tightly against him and began kissing my face, my jaw, and my lips.

  The world cracked and the imaginary outcome I had created splintered and fell apart. The beautiful delusion shattered. I was back, standing in front of Corey’s large tree house. It hadn’t been real, just my imagination, my beautiful dream.

  “I can’t…”

  He suddenly looked over my head and beamed. “Here she is, the woman in my life.”

  I gazed into his rapturous face. He was totally besotted with the person behind me. I couldn’t stand it. I felt like I was going to be sick.

  Corey took my shoulders and turned me around. “Taylia, meet Kate. Kate, this is my Taylia.”

  Coming back from my beautiful delusion to the very moment I had left off, I lifted my chin to face stark reality. I stared into the face of an ancient woman. She was stooped so low that she had to look up into my face. Her face was so creased with wrinkles that I couldn’t even make out what she had once looked like. Her eyes were kind and inquisitive. She stretched out a wobbly hand and said in a voice so scratchy and worn that it was hard to hear.

  “Kate. Kate of a thousand years?” She twinkled at Corey. Then she turned to me. “Oh, Kate, how we have longed for your arrival. Now, perhaps Cianti Todura can cross back home.”

  “You know me?”

  “Yes, we all do.” She took my hand and patted it. Her mottled hands were covered in thin papery skin. “Come into our home. We have much to tell you.”

  I didn’t know who this woman was but I couldn’t help it, I adored her. She carried herself with dignity and grace and spoke to me as though I were her long lost love.

  Impulsively, I wrapped my arms around her in a fierce hug. “Taylia.” I whispered her name almost reverently.

  She hugged me back and chuckled. “Ah, Corey darling, she is everything you described and more.” She pulled back and touched my cheek with her withered hand.

  I glanced at Corey. His eyes were beaming as he watched the two of us meet. I sent him a questioning look.

  “We will explain everything. I want you
to meet our children, first.” He took my hand and squeezed it and Taylia looped her arm into mine. They escorted me, sandwiched between them, into their home

  A pang of jealousy laced through me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet Corey’s children with another woman. I didn’t think I was strong enough for this. I wanted my beautiful delusion back, the one where I was kissing Corey, and he was still mine.

  We entered the enormous tree home and my mouth fell open. People of all ages ran around busy at tasks, greeting Corey and Taylia as father and mother, smiling at me curiously. Occasionally, Corey would snag one of them and introduce me. I didn’t see Corey’s features in any of them. They were all dark skinned with dark eyes and hair, definitely Darchori.

  Taylia told me the facility was home to over 150 children and adults, all learning the medical arts. She was very proud of their accomplishment and that pride carried through into her children.

  We sauntered into a large apartment that was furnished with a dining table and seating area. Three steaming bowls of soup were set and a platter of breads and fruits.

  “Sit, Kate, dear. Join Corey and me for our meal.” I sat down and Corey sat beside me. He still had not released my hand. I looked up at him desperately needing answers. He squeezed my hand, reluctantly placed it in my lap, and then we began to eat.

  “Kate,” Taylia began. “Corey has spoken of you every day of his long life. I feel I know you, but I understand that this must be very odd for you.”

  “Yes. It is very…odd.” I glanced at Corey and lifted a spoonful of soup to my lips.

  “You must have many questions and I can only imagine how your heart must be broken to find Corey married with so many children. But you must be patient. All will be explained. Corey has been ever faithful to you.”

  Married. My heart sank. Corey was married to this ancient jewel of a woman?

  “Oh. I. We. No. He broke up with me, so I…” I didn’t know what to say. This was just too weird. I glanced at Corey and the lines of his face spoke of the pain he had carried. I sat my spoon down, appetite gone.

  “Sweet darling, he never stopped loving you. Never.” She reached over and patted my hand.