Ray put his hands to his head and pulled at the roots of his hair. Relieved, he sighed deeply.
"Thank you. I can't live without her. I'll never forget what you did for me."
With a dry mouth, the young man replied:
"Don't linger, Ray, and don't draw attention to yourself. If I were you, I wouldn't say anything to Asarys. Tell her you have to go away for a few days. You know how easy it is to read her. Faïz will know right away if she's aware of your plans."
The young man hastened to take David in his arms to thank him, but the latter remained upright and didn't return the embrace, too busy chasing the bitter taste out of his mouth: the taste of betrayal.
"I'm out of here. I have to take care of the departure," Ray said as he walked away quickly. "I'm counting on you to find something to tell the others about my sudden absence."
When the door closed, David picked up the chair that had been thrown down in anger, and fell into it, his head loose. Slumped down, with his face in one hand, he heard the door open gently behind him. He didn't turn his face to the footsteps that were slowly approaching. The young man knew exactly who it was.
"Well done," said Faïz in an attempt to reassure.
"And now, what's going to happen to him?" David asked, raising his head towards the door that Ray had opened a few moments earlier.
"The authorities will be waiting for him on Greek land. He'll be locked up until the mission is complete."
"You'll destroy him."
"I'm saving him by keeping him out of this. His life is precious to me, more precious than he knows."
"I wish you'd said the same about Asarys and Lexy."
Faïz raised his head to the ceiling before leaving to sit opposite to David.
"There are choices to be made. You have to let the girls go."
His interlocutor got up, his eyes filled with anger and bitterness for this dark brown haired man and walked towards the exit. Before opening the door, he turned around one last time:
"You're not the good guy in this story, Faïz. What makes you different from the Maestro?"
"I'm on Earth, not him!" replied the young man without bothering to turn towards David. "Prepare the plane tickets to Cartagena. Colombia is waiting for us."
15
I opened the windows overlooking a forest of palm trees, Encenillos and Orchids. In the fountains below, Victoria flowers from the Amazon were floating on the water, playing with the colors of the garden on this dazzlingly colored patio. On the other side of the walls, cumbia, Colombian music, was already resounding in the early morning. The old neighborhood of Cartagena never slept. There was constant animation. After the drums, the cuatros and the songs of that night, it was the turn of the stalls of small merchants to take over the streets of the neighborhood. Even though I couldn't see the bustle beyond the compound, I could hear it.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of this air full of flavor, mixed with a gentle sea breeze. Then I felt hands sliding down my hips before embracing my waist tenderly.
"Forgive me for missing you waking up," Faïz whispered in my ear.
My hands caressed his and my head came to rest against him.
"These last two days without you were long," I said in a barely audible voice as I continued to admire the view of the garden.
"For me too. How was the flight?"
His lips grazed my neck, giving me a slight shiver. I managed not to lose my mind and turned around to admire his perfect face. His usual arrogance was tinged with a reserve that I didn't know. I frowned.
"Yes, we landed in the evening and the team took us to the hotel right away. What was so important in Sefiros that you didn't make the trip with us?"
Faïz looked away a little too fast and now looked over my shoulder. I had lost him, once again.
"Nothing, just a little problem to fix. Where are Lexy and Asarys?"
"Went to breakfast."
His soft, warm hand caressed my face. Although his gaze came back to me, I could see that his mind was somewhere else.
"Give me the latest news on Georgia," he asked suddenly as if he was coming back to reality.
"She's better this morning. The separation wasn't easy. It's the first time I've been away for several days. Your parents will stay at my house until the work on the villa is over. Elijah will stay with her until the mission is complete, and then he will return to his people, the Queyums."
The sound of my voice betrayed a deep sadness. I shrugged my shoulders and forced myself to smile.
"It's a good thing I'm in good company. Saying goodbye to him will be easier and I know the girls will take my mind off it. They're so important to me."
Faïz backed away abruptly. His forearms contracted. He seemed to fight against an invisible evil.
"What's going on?" I asked, frightened by his sudden change in behavior.
"Nothing," he murmured as if he was out of breath.
"Is that what I said that hurt you? I mean, I did say that I was in good company. I was talking about you, your family, everyone," I tried to explain my last words.
"I know!" said Faïz. "It's not that."
In front of my desperate gaze, he resumed, with the greatest difficulty, a balanced attitude.
"Forgive me. I'm exhausted. All these events... Sefiros and the flight... You talk like the mission's already over, but it's far from over. Athanasius still isn't in his tomb. No one can say what tomorrow will bring, not even me."
"Yes, I know, but we have all come a long way," I said with a tight throat. "I just need a break. That's all I need."
I searched for my words, but the hard look of the man in front of me destabilized me.
"Just give me a break," I whispered almost desperately.
Faïz's features loosened. His anger and anxiety disappeared instantly. Remorse could now be read in his eyes. He came towards me and took my face in his hands. Even if I read in him all the purest feelings he had for me in the depths of his blackened eyes, I knew that his heart contained a completely different, hidden feeling that he didn't dare to confess to me.
"Are you sure it's just me in your life? Don't you have anything to say to me?"
A bunch of impetuous emotions ran through his features.
"Never doubt that, Zoe. Ever!"
Her lips came to gently mold over mine before continuing with a passionate kiss. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
"OK for the break," declared Faïz in a suave voice with an authentic smile. "I'm going to devote a whole day to you. I need to be with you too."
The Plaza Santo Domingo was sumptuous with its colorful colonial-style houses. I had already finished my ice cream while Faïz was taking his time to enjoy it. One of the works of Fernando Botero, a famous painter and sculptor, was enthroned in the middle of the square. This artist had the particularity of rounding his characters with unusual and especially voluptuous shapes. The statue, with its imposing size, of an almost elongated woman, attracted all eyes. In admiration of her, I couldn't help but lay my hand on her.
"It's just a wonder," I declared, my eyes wide open. "Come on, touch it."
"I don't see the point," replied Faïz, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.
"Still, you're usually pretty handsy."
He replied with a small grin at the corner of his lips:
"Is that a reproach?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"No, al contrario. Me gusta cuando me entretienes."
Faïz pulled his finger on the collar of his shirt, as if he was suddenly too hot, and pinched his lips.
"Even if I didn't understand anything, I think the answer suits me."
A smile stretched my lips and I joined him on the other side of the statue. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hoisted myself up on my toes to kiss him. My long, high, flowery skirt was floating in the air.
We continued our expedition in this city, surrounded by a fortress with extraordinary charm. Cartagena de Indias was a magnificent city. It w
as no wonder it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The facades of the colorful houses with balconies decorated with bougainvillea and other plants transported us to an offbeat world where the beauty of each place, each museum and each church had its own history. Cartagena was also nicknamed the pearl of the Caribbean and for good reason: if paradise existed on Earth, it would obviously bear its name.
It was on the Plaza de la Trinidad that we decided to have lunch, on the terrace of a restaurant. This long walk through the streets of the city had exhausted me.
"Where did you send the girls?" I asked Faïz after the tapas were served.
He lifted his glasses and I did the same to get a better look at his face. I still couldn't get used to seeing him in a T-shirt and jeans. This style was almost out of tune with him because it was so rare to see him like that.
"Fifty kilometers away."
My stunned expression compelled him to continue.
"If we had kept Asarys and Lexy in Cartagena, there would have been damage. They're..."
I burst out laughing.
"Special, I know! What's their schedule today?"
"They're at the Lodo El Totumo volcano on the Rosario Islands. It's a beautiful excursion with mud baths and the discovery of rivers on the program."
"Alone?" I was worried.
"No, they have agents following them from a distance. They're careful to stay as discreet as possible, like with us."
I scanned the place to try to spot Barthey's men, but they blended in perfectly, which relieved me. I needed to be together with Faïz. A young waiter brought us our cocktails at that moment, I took the opportunity to ask him some information in Spanish:
"Excuse me. What do you recommend that we see absolutely in Cartagena?"
The young man took the time to think for a few seconds before answering me:
"There's Blanca Beach, which is about an hour from here. The Caribbean Sea is a beautiful place to see. The sun reflects off the crystal clear waters. Not far from it is the National Aviary which is a must in the city. This park has the most bird species in the world, one hundred and ninety in total."
"Oh, indeed, it must be a beautiful discovery," I said, curious to discover this place.
Faïz listened to us without understanding us, but remained alert.
"In the evening," the waiter continued. "Go and walk along the citadel walls. The panoramic view is exceptional. You will see one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. It's a spectacle that even the inhabitants of the city can't get tired of throughout their lives."
I nodded and thanked him with a smile. The young man then walked away from our table and let us have lunch.
The sun was still high in the sky. When my feet went into the water, this contact immediately refreshed me. I turned back to Faïz who had remained on the beach, arms crossed and jeans rolled up on his calves. My shoes and my bag were next to him.
"It's so good. I should have packed a bathing suit in my suitcase!" I shouted in his direction.
A group of musicians was playing a Bachata tune not far from us. Carried away by this tune, I started to dance, my feet in the water, while looking at the man I loved. His smile was immense. I couldn't see his eyes, but I suspected that he was looking at me behind his glasses.
"You can go in the water with your clothes on," Faïz told me as he was coming to meet me.
I made a little grimace and he laughed. His arms encircled my waist and held me firmly. I stopped dancing.
"Go for a swim, you want it so much, Zoe."
"No, I can't, look..."
Before I had time to finish my sentence, he lifted me up as if I weighed nothing.
"Let me go," I shouted in between bursts of laughter, understanding what he wanted to do.
I struggled while he laughed shamelessly.
"Faïz, no. No!"
Without sparing me, he threw me heavily into the sea. With my head under water, I couldn't help thinking about my hair, which would be untamable for the rest of the day.
With my feet, I easily returned to the surface. After passing my hands over my eyes, I noticed that Faïz had half his body in the water and was laughing as I had never seen him before. I pretended to be furious, but as soon as he took me in his arms and kissed me, I immediately forgave him for his action. He moved his face away from mine and plunged his dark and intense sloe into mine.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered.
Filled with immense emotion, I bowed my head, forgetting the world that continued to revolve around us.
He told me, "I love you, Zoe."
After leaving the beach, Faïz made a phone call from his phone. I heard him ask his interlocutor to come and bring me a dress. Embarrassed by his request, I insisted that I could keep my clothes, insisting that they would dry quickly in this heat. He didn't want to know anything about it and said that my outfit was too transparent for his taste. Several tens of minutes later, a small woman joined us on the beach with a brand new dress that still had the label on it. I thanked her politely in Spanish, as she was undoubtedly a local.
I quickly changed in the back of a cafe. The long yellow dress with its silky fabric and discreet neckline was pleasant to wear. Its big brown belt at the waist made my curves stand out without exposing them too much. I finally put my clip back in my hair hoping that it would hold until tonight, then I joined Faïz who was waiting for me outside. Although he was in the middle of a conversation on the phone, he gave me a dazzling smile when he saw me reappear.
The day was coming to an end. After visiting the more than atypical aviary of the Avario National Park and walking in a part of this reserve where the birds lived in almost freedom, Faïz and I arrived just in time to enjoy the sunset on the city walls. Facing the sea, this spectacle finished to seduce us. The cloudless sky, with multiple colors, seemed to be on fire. It was reflected on the sea, offering a horizon that seemed to be painted on a canvas as it was so sumptuous.
Faïz, behind me, was holding me a little tighter than usual. It was as if he was trying to hold that moment, as if he was afraid of tomorrow. I wedged my head against his neck and enjoyed this phantasmagorical moment. Night had fallen on the Plaza Bolivar. Musicians and dancers had invaded the citadel, animating every street and every place with rhythmic tunes, giving an incessant urge to dance.
"You must go home and rest," said Faïz, who held me by the arm before I escaped again into the crowd.
"A last one," I begged him, trying to get my arm out of his grip.
"Be reasonable, Zoe. The girls are home. Tomorrow you get up early to see a little more of this site. You'll dance with them."
I was nostalgic to leave this place soon. Cartagena deserved a much longer stay. Unfortunately, we were only there long enough to put Athanasius back in his tomb. Tomorrow, Faïz would leave at dawn with a team for a scouting trip in the mangroves. The sanctuary of the Maestro was located there. Meanwhile, the girls and I would continue the tour of the city and its surroundings.
"Yeah, you're right. You also need to be rested for tomorrow," I agreed as I went back to him.
We walked towards the patio and walked home quietly.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" I asked after a while.
"Where else were you intending to sleep?" replied Faïz, gratifying me with a very charming slanted smile.
He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulders before coming to kiss the top of my head. Suddenly, he stopped in a quieter street and stood in front of me. He seemed to want to say something to me, his lips pursed and uncomfortable. I questioned him with my eyes, worried.
"Zoe, I wanted to check with you about Georgia. Someday I'm gonna have to... I mean, I'm gonna have to tell her who I am. She's my daughter, too, and I want her to call me daddy. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take William's place in her heart."
I put a finger on his lips to force him to stop his stream of words that he was hurrying through.
"I was going to, don't worry. I
just need to find the right words to say to a five-year-old. I promise you I will."
My hand rested on his cheek and he sighed, relieved, "I'd like her to have my last name."
I nodded my head before answering, "All right. I've been waiting for you to ask." His forehead collapsed against mine. A peace had just come over him.
My friends and I were walking through the market, out of town. Asarys was focused on her guide and was curious about the history of this country and the city of Cartagena.
"Listen to this!" she called out to us, shaking her hand in the void in front of her. "The city has one of the most efficient military fortification systems in South America. The fortress was built in fifteen thirty-three. It's crazy."
"No wonder the Maestro's grave is here," Lexy shrugged.
"Oh no," blew Asarys with a bewildered pout.
"What does the book say?" I asked my friend.
"Cartagena was also the largest port of the slave trade in Latin America."
"Boo, that's scary," Lexy replied as she examined a mango on a small merchant's stall.
"The city has its dark side," I replied, taking the book out of my friend's hands. "Enjoy the present moment and take a look around you. These unique colors deserve to be admired."
"Yes, you're right."
Her hazel eyes warmed up as she looked at paintings depicting the festive habits of the local population.
"I have the scoop from Jul," said Lexy as she picked a piece of fruit from her cone.
She smiled mischievously. I frowned and warned her with a stern look.
"Yes, yes a real scoop!" she insisted.
"Spit it out," ordered Asarys, feeling the tension rising in me.
The fact that Jul was giving information to my friend without even talking to me first stung me. I couldn't blame him though, they were more or less a couple.
"Come on!" I encouraged her too, grumbling, "I can't wait to see what he got for us."
Asarys and I sat on the stairs of a church while Lexy preferred to stand in front of us. Lexy took a wicked pleasure in keeping us waiting. I glanced exasperated at my sidekick sitting beside me.
DARK FAÏZ Book 3: Dawn never keeps its promises Page 22