Garden of Sorrow (Book 4 of Psychic Visions, a paranormal romantic suspense)

by Mayer, Dale

  ***

  No expense had been spared in creating a healing, soothing space for Stefan. So talented, yet tormented with overwhelming sensitivities, Alexis could see the small touches that had been added for his comfort – extensive use of soft pastels, overstuffed cushions, stereo system piping music into every room. A soft instrumental in the background.

  "Alexis, when you're ready."

  Alexis grimaced, putting her tea down on the table. It was time, like it or not. No more trying to focus on anything but the matter at hand. Stefan and Kevin had waited patiently while she'd attempted to settle herself. But fifteen minutes had gone by, along with their patience. "I'll tell you what I remember."

  It didn't take long to recite her short, crystalline memories of the night before. "Because the nightmare had been so vivid, powerful, it took several minutes for me to realize I was awake and safe in my room." She stopped, swallowed convulsively several times, before continuing in a low voice. "Only I wasn't safe. The same evil presence from my nightmare was in my bedroom, waiting for me."

  "Could you see it?" Kevin asked, his face alive with curiosity.

  "No. The room was dark, full of shadows." She paused again, closing her eyes for a moment. "But I could hear him. I don't know if he spoke in my head or aloud in the room." She clenched her trembling fingers tightly in her lap, trying to hold it altogether. "He said I was wise to be afraid and to stay away from his Daisy."

  "Daisy?" Kevin bolted to his feet, quickly coming to her side and bending close to her. "He actually said her name?"

  Alexis nodded. "Yes, he did, and from her voice, Lissa must have known of him, his presence on her side." She stared at Kevin and Stefan in growing horror as she realized what that meant. "Surely Lissa can't be in danger? She's dead." Her voice rose. Alexis couldn't do anything about it. Irrational fear for her sister chilled her skin to an iciness that quickly worked its way deep inside. "Oh, Dear God," she whispered. "Is her soul in danger?"

  Kevin wrapped his forearm around her shoulders, tugging her close in a protective hug. Alexis leaned gratefully into his warmth, craving security. How long had it been since she'd allowed herself to be held and comforted?

  "Shh… Your sister is fine. Her soul is fine." He squeezed her gently before releasing her.

  "God, I hope so." Relief washed through her. Then a slow burn of realization hit her. "You know what makes me so mad?" She glared at both men. "I was almost comfortable with these weird events happening and the psychic-ability thing goin' on. You know, almost okay with it all, and then this happened."

  She hopped to her feet, and paced around Stefan's living room. How plainly the space spoke of Stefan's personality. Sparse and clean, yet soothing.

  "This is all happening too fast. I can't get a handle on it." Alexis stopped in front of Stefan, her hands fisted on her jean-covered hips. "You mentioned a signature. Just what is that?"

  He took a sip of tea, while he collected his thoughts. "Everyone has an individual energy pattern. Like DNA, there can be no two energy patterns the same. These are signatures of your soul. Once recognized, they can be used to track someone on both sides of existence."

  Alexis stared at him, appalled. "Your mean follow?"

  He gazed back at her solemnly. "Follow." He paused again, obviously considering something. "This person read your signature on the other side and returned with you."

  "So now he knows who I am and how to find me?" That was too much. She slumped back down to her chair in defeat.

  "Possibly, and possibly not."

  "What does that mean? Why is everything so cryptic?" she cried out. Pain and confusion battled together in her mind. "There is a madman ghost out there who knows me, but I don't know him or what he intends to do."

  "Yes, you do." Both Kevin and Stefan jumped in together.

  Alexis looked at them in bewilderment. "I do? How? I didn't see him. I don't know how to read his signature. What can I possibly know about him?"

  "Tell me, if you were ever to be in the same room with him, would you sense that same evil again?" Stefan asked.

  "Definitely." The answer flew out. "But that doesn't mean I would know where it was coming from."

  "With time, you will. Just as I can," Kevin reassured her.

  Kevin had never mentioned his skills before. She was curious. "Is that why you showed up the first day we met?"

  He nodded. "I knew someone needed help. I opened my mind and let this same 'knowing' find you." He grinned. "Of course, what I found was a little unexpected."

  She grimaced, remembering the mud-spattered mess she'd been. "Does that technique always work?"

  "There's the trick. These skills will work for you if you work with them. You need to be centered before you start or it's much harder to understand what you're seeing and perceiving."

  Alexis winced. "It sounds like a bad sci-fi movie to me."

  "Just like this 'evil' presence is your imagination?" Stefan laughed. A large cushion hit his shoulder before landing on the floor beside him. "Thanks, I appreciate a second one." Calmly, he added the pillow she'd tossed, to the one he was already using. Alexis glared at him in frustration.

  The two men waited for her with understanding and compassion written on their faces.

  The main question burned away deep inside. "Why would he warn me to stay away from Daisy? What is he doing to her?"

  Stefan said, in a determined voice, "That's what we're going to find out."

  ***

  "I'd like to state, for the record, I think that trying to contact Daisy about why this guy is holding her is a bad idea. Even if Lissa can help you, I still say it's a really bad idea." Kevin stood before Stefan and Alexis. Standing with his hands clenched on his hips, he radiated disapproval.

  Alexis had come to see this stalwart stance as his policeman mode. When she recognized it, she could almost see him in action against the worst of the criminal elements – and winning. A formidable foe.

  Damn, not only was she attracted to this man, but she also respected him. Not good. Up until now, she'd viewed police officers in the same way as she had hospitals. She'd feared them.

  "It won't be easy, either." Kevin's frown deepened. "I might be able to help but this could go south in a really bad way."

  Stefan walked the couple of steps to stand in front of Alexis, reaching out to hold her hands. "Do you want to go ahead?"

  Alexis closed her eyes, abruptly shutting out their conversation. Did she want to take this step? More to the point, was there a choice?

  Kevin's harsh voice broke through her musings. "You don't have to try this. It doesn't have to be this extreme."

  "Have you ever tried doing it a different way?" she challenged him.

  "Yes. I've been forced to search for victims of a killer on the other side," he answered shortly, his chin locked into position. "I survived, but the whole thing was a bad deal."

  "Ouch," she murmured at the tortured look on his face. "What other options are there? We need to contact Daisy. Find out what hold he has on her. I also want to find a way to loosen his hold on me. I have to try."

  Kevin looked at Stefan. "Are there any ways to do that?"

  Stefan let out a tired sigh. "I don't know," he admitted. "You know as well as anyone, damn it. There are no certainties in this business."

  Kevin slammed his fist in the heavy cedar beam at the entrance to the living room. "Oh, do what you want. It's not like you're going to listen to my warning. Unfortunately."

  "Does that mean you're leaving?" Alexis struggled to keep her voice calm and steady, but inside, her stomach sank. It was important for Kevin to stay, though she couldn't explain why it was.

  Kevin snorted in disgust. "No, I'm staying. This way, I can watch every stupid step."

  She threw him a hurt look before turning to look wistfully at the unlit fireplace. There was a chill to the summer afternoon that even a fire couldn't warm, but she'd have loved the welcoming comfort the dancing flames could bring. She rubbed her
arms unconsciously.

  Kevin grasped her by the shoulders, turning her away. "Go sit down. I'll light the damn thing for you."

  "And I'll get the wine. We're going to need something stronger than tea." Stefan walked into his kitchen, leaving the pair alone.

  Kevin stacked kindling in the blackened fireplace. Smoke residue blanketed the brick mantel, giving it a cozy well-loved look. Alexis tried to ignore him as she lay back against the cotton cushions of the futon and closed her eyes. Her stomach flip-flopped with nerves, ignoring her command to calm down.

  "I don't want you to get hurt." Kevin's brusque tone accented his words. "And this course of action is likely to do just that."

  Fear wobbled through her voice. "Thanks for being concerned…and the warning. I'm aware it's dangerous. I think the spirit I met last night is out to get me – to kill me, even."

  "And you think meeting him on the ethers will stop him? What lunacy is that? Besides Daisy may not know anything helpful. Spirits often don't. This could be a wasted trip." Kevin's voice rose.

  Alexis shrugged. How could she explain such a feeling? "Maybe. But I want to try. I felt like his prey. And I hated that."

  "That he knows about your connection to Daisy is disturbing in the first place. But this makes your evening jaunt insane. I know you're wanting to understand. To control this so you're not a victim, but last night should have shown you how hard this craziness can be?"

  "Precisely why I want to go back there." She swallowed painfully. "Maybe it will be easier now that I do know."

  He lit the paper with the burning match. After a second's hesitation, the flames fired up, consuming everything in their path. Kevin watched the fire, still crouched down in front of the hearth.

  "You're a rank beginner compared to him," Kevin said his aggravation and fear spiking his voice up to a dull roar. "Stefan walks on both sides when he has to, but he never takes a casual stroll." He spun around to face her,

  Stefan reappeared, bearing a wine bottle and three glasses. He poured the wine. "Take it easy, Kevin. You didn't listen back then, either."

  Kevin stood aggressively before them, a muscle in his tight jaw twitching as if to some inner debate, until finally he lowered his head, acceptance written on his face. He stayed still and silent, before reaching up to rub his forehead. "Fine, let's get it over with…meaning talk to Daisy, and then get out before you're recognized."

  Damn him for his wording. This entity had felt distant and not quite real up until now. Kevin's words brought the entity into the present, big time. Several soul-searching moments later, Alexis realized she didn't have a choice. She had to do this. Something wouldn't let her do otherwise. Instinct? Intuition? Or just the hope that Daisy would know something useful. Now if only Alexis could get at what that was.

  Within minutes, the lights were dimmed, the fire was roaring, and in true Stefan style, they all sat comfortably on the floor. Lit candles completed the warm, intimate look of the space, as did the half-drunk glasses of wine.

  Stefan calmly and quietly directed Alexis's mind.

  "Visualize the same path that you follow in your meditations. Take a walk through the door to the beautiful calm sunny meadow. Feel the sun on your face, the breeze in your hair. Smell the flowers blooming around you. See Lissa waiting for you on the other side. Walk toward her, happy and full of joy at seeing her again." Stefan's smooth velvet voice spoke calmly, pausing at times to allow her to slip deeper and deeper. "Now that you're relaxed and happy, open the door and set your mind free."

  Alexis appreciated the two men's presence. She'd been this far in a few times during practice, but had never allowed herself to go further while alone. Until she'd followed the path into her dreams last night.

  Stefan's calm voice guided her. "See yourself in the same meadow full of wildflowers. Use the light as your guide. Know I am at your side. See the path you've traveled and know Kevin stands at your back."

  Alexis smiled, tilting her face upward as she enjoyed the freshness of being free. She knew few people would understand this sensation – there were no words to truly describe it. She found herself trying to store memories for later. The fresh smell of air, taken in through nostrils that weren't there, colors that brightened and blended at will, no longer regulated by the physical constraints of vision and reality. Heat or coolness, it all depended on where she allowed her thoughts to flow. It was unique and incredibly addictive. She realized earlier meditations where she'd thought she walked freely had been simple explorations. Unlike this time.

  Focus.

  Trust Stefan to keep her on track. Almost instantly, she found herself in Lissa's meadow, as she'd come to think of it. Happily, she called for her sister.

  Alex! I'm over here.

  The two sisters hugged and laughed for joy. Alexis knew she was only in her meditative state, but her sister seemed so real. According to Stefan, she was real, just not in the same reality as Alexis.

  Hello, Stefan. Lissa glowed with an incandescent light as she recognized the presence with Alexis. Thanks for helping my sister.

  It's not as if I had a choice, he said humorously.

  Lissa's laughter tinkled lightly. When you're on this side of the physical plane, it's a pleasure to find someone like Stefan to talk with.

  Is that all you were doing? Up to now, I thought you were nagging me to take care of Alexis. Stefan materialized as a luminous glow, his dry sense of humor unmistakable.

  Alexis found it difficult to accept the totality of the experience. There was a whole other world out there. All she was missing was Kevin… Otherwise this reality seemed perfect. Alexis started. Could Stefan and Lissa read her mind here?

  Lissa's laughter rang free. All your thoughts are totally open here. What you think, I hear. It's simple.

  Stefan's voice cut in. Not only your words, but every thought is visualized and transmitted.

  As her mind hooked onto that new information, the images surrounding her wavered – the edges started to dissipate.

  Keep your focus! Stefan ordered.

  Alexis snapped to attention. Sorry. She immediately recognized her returning clarity was the result of her improved concentration.

  You're doing good, Sis. Lissa's warm smile wrapped her in a translucent hug. Alexis couldn't help but shiver in pure delight. Visits with her sister were priceless. Her focus blurred.

  "Focus," Stefan snapped. "You can visit with her later. She damn near haunts my place."

  Lissa's laughter filled the air.

  Alexis grinned.

  Are you ready to get to work? Stefan once again cut in.

  Yes, but can't we stay and visit for a bit longer? Alexis felt she'd only been there a second or two. How long had it been?

  But suddenly, she could feel it. The air was changing, becoming thicker, cloying. On cue with the air's changes, the sun slid behind a large gray cloud that suddenly appeared. A shadowy darkness moved toward them.

  There's no time. Lissa turned from Alexis to Stefan. He knows you're here. Make sure she's protected, Stefan.

  Alexis. Stefan's voice sharpened. Stay in the light of love and stay focused. You can do this. Your abilities are strong, just untried. Keep your focus.

  The sunlight went out. Alexis spun around, searching the area. When she turned back, Lissa had disappeared.

  Where is she? Alexis spun around, anxiousness crawling over her skin.

  She's gone. Now, are you ready to contact Daisy?

  No sooner had her name floated out on the ethers, than the child's tiny frame, dressed in the same party dress, solidified in front of them as if by magic. Fear contorted her face. He's coming. He doesn't like it when I visit with you.

  Stefan's calm voice controlled the conversation. Why?

  He wants me all to himself.

  Daisy… Alexis hesitated. The child turned those huge blue eyes her way.

  What? The child's high-pitched voice was sweet, ghostly, and extremely unnerving. Which, considering where and what Ale
xis was doing, seemed exactly as it should be.

  Focus!

  Shit, she'd done it again. Alexis concentrated harder. Daisy, you said you stayed so he wouldn't hurt other little kids.

  Yes.

  Stefan's question that floated through the air. How long have you been with him?

  Forever, Daisy answered, looking around the meadow nervously.

  Alexis had to ask. Did he kill you?

  I don't know.

  Daisy! The preemptory order, from nowhere and everywhere, shocked them all.

  Daisy vanished. She just poofed into the air. Alexis spun around, looking for her to reappear.

  Stefan? Alexis called out. She could no longer sense his presence.

  There was a moment of lonely silence before his faded whisper broke through her doubts. I'm here. Give me a moment.

  Alexis waited restlessly. This was no longer a comfortable experiment.

  Loneliness enveloped her. Nervousness dodged her heels. On the heels of that thought, the air around them went smoky gray. Alexis couldn't see her hand in front of her face.

  Stefan whispered harshly. Stay calm. He's here.

  She already knew that. Her skin screamed as a million spiders crawled over her nerves. Everything evil materialized in one deep, black, oozing fog.

  Hellooo there, my dear. You don't listen well, do you?

  Alexis shoved the fear down and steadied her spine, taking a deep breath. She refused to be intimidated. Apparently not, she answered calmly.

  Unholy chuckles wafted around her. Fine with me. Deep blackness reached for her.

  Alexis took a step back, but the ooze kept coming. Her fear rose, threatening to overwhelm her. Her throat clogged, choking her. It was as if he controlled the very air she breathed. The intensity of the situation increased with her thoughts. She fought against it, struggling to stay calm and aware. She couldn't allow him the upper hand.

  Focus! Stefan.

  Her spine snapped ramrod straight. Right. She could handle this.

  Instantly, before she could do anything, the overpowering essence of evil lessened. She could breathe again. With each passing second, the air was lighter and less intense.

  Horrible laughter greeted her thoughts. Don't think you can stop me. Your fear is my joy. You misjudged your skills and mine. You won't make that mistake again. Neither will I.