Among The Cloud Dwellers (Entrainment Series) (21 page)

“You’re welcome, hon. Bye.”

We hung up and after checking to see if Peridot needed refills, I got some fresh water and walked back to the couch to snuggle in Gabe’s arms. I kissed him lightly on his strong chin. My body still ached pleasantly, satisfied and coated in that afterglow only precious lovemaking exudes.
What about a woman’s body after climax? Before lovemaking with Gabe, did I ever take the time to stop and listen?

In the dim light I closed my eyes and summoned all my senses to savor my body’s tingling energies. My skin smelled heavenly of warm spices carried along by sirocco wings moving across the parched sands of the North African deserts. My hair was a tangled darkness of fragrant, damp silk. The hollow of my throat, where my heartbeat purred like an expensive engine after a great ride up a winding mountainside, tingled and echoed where Gabe had bitten it. On my fingertips the intensity of his scent lingered like a shadowy prisoner. I wondered if men felt it as well. Are they able to understand—for one instant—to grasp the concept, to taste and feel the magic like we do?

Gabe stirred in his sleep, moving his arms to encircle my waist. He whispered something about me smelling good and went right back to sleep. I kept on munching on his chin for a while. I admired the sharp profile of his straight nose, the fullness of his sensuous lower lip, and the curve of the upper one, speckled by a day-old shadow. His mouth barely parted to reveal the whiteness of his teeth. I loved the thin laugh lines fanning at the corners of his eyes and the sharpness of his cheekbones, his eyes shadowed by long, dark lashes. Two thin lines extended across the smoothness of his forehead, interrupted by long rebellious strands of golden hair, longer now than when we met weeks earlier.

I remembered how the first time I saw him his thick, luscious hair had mesmerized me. I had yearned to run my hands through it, and now I was able to do so. From an unreachable horizon, he had transformed into the incredible love that filled my heart.

I gently woke him and suggested we go to bed. Holding my hand he followed me, half asleep, and just about collapsed onto my bed. I pulled the sheet over his body and stretched out next to him. With one last butterfly-wing kiss I settled into his arms, exhausted.

Dreams whispered, riding the warm night breeze. My curtains swelled against the pressure, trying to contain the questions brought on by Ether. It was a night when one could hear Peter Pan chase Tinker Bell around; a night when shadows broke free of their supporting roles to become prima donnas in dramas played silently on the stage of my unconscious.

Beaded with sweat, Gabe groaned in agony. Peridot cowered, a lonesome spectator of the frenzy, the madness, the mystical music, the beckoning of shadows. His ears flexed backwards as the keening sound rose from the camouflage of the chorus of cicadas and summer crickets, silencing nature. The howl coiled slowly at the foot of the bed, raising a shadow against the moonlit wall. It gained strength, piercing through the deafness of sleep to insinuate its echo in my waking mind.

As Gabe’s scream died, I awakened in time to see a form withdraw hastily out the window. Distant drumming faded and finally ceased.

I sat up with a start, pressing the palms of my hands against the mattress’ heat. I blinked sleep off while my mind questioned what had just transpired. Gabe settled back in his sleep like nothing had happened. I took a second to look at him. Finally, his face relaxed and my heart skipped a beat.

At the foot of the bed, Peridot purred and the curtains settled gently as the breeze withdrew. The chorus of insects resumed their serenade to the rising moon. I wondered if the lingering panic that drummed in my heart was just the echo of a nightmare I couldn’t remember.

What now? Are we sharing nightmares?
Overwhelmed by sleep, I did not pursue it. I leaned back into Gabe’s arms. I banished the monsters as I drifted back into sleep, sure the rest of the night would be quite peaceful.

*

With the sun high up in the sky, all the fright and fears of the previous night seemed a distant mirage. Being in Gabe’s embrace sure helped make things all right. I wished I could wake up in his arms for the rest of my life. I felt his body slowly stir from sleep; I readjusted myself against him and smiled.

“Morning,” he mumbled against my neck.

“Hmm—”

“Do you always feel this good in the morning?” He nibbled at my earlobe.

“Yeeesh,” I managed to respond as I stretched my limbs and arched my back like a lazy cat. I purred in contentment.

Thump!

“
Meow!
” Peridot complained loudly. The real cat had just fallen off the bed. I must have hit his sleepy body curled at the foot of the bed when I stretched my feet, pushing him off the edge. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose.

“Ow! That must have hurt,” Gabe said. He raised his head to see where Peridot had landed. His strong back emerged solid against the fluid blue sheets. I felt an irresistible urge to reach over and touch him.

He tensed against my fingers as they trailed along his scars. He turned to stare at me, wide-awake. His eyes clouded over, filling with something like despair.

“I’m sorry I’m not flawless. Those scars are a part of me, and there’s no bloody turning back,” he stated defiantly.

“Why are you so defensive about it?”

Gabe exhaled his frustration. His shoulders collapsed back on the pillows. “I didn’t mean to sound so harsh.” He blinked, looked up at me, shoving his clouds back inside, and closed his eyes. “It’s something I can’t really talk about.”

I could feel a palpable turmoil behind his shut eyelids. “You can’t talk about it because it’s painful to remember or because you promised not to talk about it?” I asked softly, frowning.

He opened his troubled eyes, betraying, exposing the intensity of his distress. Yet he managed to raise a hand to caress my cheek. “Both.”

Am I supposed to just let it slide? Wait until he’s ready to explain? Why does it matter so much?

I can put two and two together, and I knew he had gotten those scars in the near-fatal accident that put a stop to his racing career and kept him from starting over. I could only begin to imagine how painful it all must have been. Not only the physical aspect of it, but he had given up what he loved to do most in this life.

He hadn’t been given a choice. Fate had chosen for him. That was probably the hardest part of it all. For someone as headstrong as Gabe, it must chafe to bow to fate and admit defeat. Still, I had the feeling this wasn’t over. I shook my head. I had no idea how to deal with it. Evalena would have been much better at it.

“Never mind, Gabe.” I rubbed my cheek against the palm of his hand. “No matter how many scars you have, I still love you with all my heart.”

Oddio! Did I just tell him I loved him?

“
Fair dinkum?
” he asked quietly.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

“You’re in love with me, Porzia?”

I looked straight into his crinkling eyes as he broke into a huge grin. “Come here and let me show you how much I love you, Mr. Miller,” I whispered. I smiled softly as I lowered my mouth to meet his lips.

He pulled me closer to him. His fingers wrapped around my hair, tugging. A second before losing myself against the softness of his mouth, his eyes captured mine and allowed me a glimpse of his infinite blue. I tasted his breath against my mouth as he whispered, “I love you too, Porzia.”

I closed my eyes and literally collapsed against the strength of his chest, feeling his love wash over me and merge with mine. Our mouths joined in a slow, passionate dance; our first kiss to seal our love. How many had we shared until that moment? How many yet to come? Each kiss had been different in taste, but all were essential stitches quilting the mantle of our growing love.

*

“
Meow?
” Peridot, his fall forgotten, leaped back onto the bed and butted his way in between us. He purred loudly as he kneaded his huge paws in the small space between Gabe’s chest and my waist.

“I think your cat loves me too,” Gabe said, smiling against my lips.

“Then we know you’re not going to want to go anywhere, with both of us head-over-heels for you.” I lifted my head up and smiled at him.

“Is food part of the deal?” he asked.

“Of course it is. I only have a little time to spoil you, and I’m going to make the most of it.” I cast him a sultry glance. “Would you like help in the shower scrubbing your back or would you rather I started coffee?” I teased him, jumping out of bed to grab my robe.

“Tough choice but I guess it’s going to be coffee since you’re already getting dressed.”

In the kitchen, the radio chirped something about another gorgeous summer day in heavenly Florida and don’t forget sunscreen. The first notes of Shania Twain’s latest hit reached my ears. We had a light breakfast; I didn’t have much in my fridge to play with after having spent the past few days traveling.

While Gabe touched base back home on his laptop, I took a quick shower and then put on a sundress. My damp hair trailed refreshingly against my back. I pirouetted and curtsied in front of the full-length mirror, excited and ready to enjoy the rest of the day with him.

We drove down to the coast, passing Gulf Breeze and the Sound, to the sandy white shores of Pensacola Beach, where we spent the morning walking lazily hand in hand. Emerald water lapped shyly at our feet. Seagulls swirled above us, and a gentle breeze tousled my hair. We kissed, laughed, and joked, teasing one another with the salty water, splashing as we chased each other to breathlessness. I pointed out dolphins jumping out of the water in the distance and, closer to shore, the shadow of a huge manta ray gliding like a dignified mother superior in the penumbra of a convent.

We stopped for lunch at a small bistro with a terrace overlooking the water. We ate grilled amberjack sandwiches, homemade coleslaw, and refreshing lime sorbet and talked the entire time about everything new couples talk about: our hopes and dreams, our families and friends. It was too early to talk of our future, but our pasts were presents enough for the day.

To open up came naturally. He stared at me with rapt attention as I shared the experience of my trip to Georgia with Benedetta and then burst into laughter when I mentioned the fiery agua and Bene’s summon of magic to bail us out of trouble. His mood shifted as he listened to my description of the intense feelings unleashed by Jason’s guitar and Bene’s whistling. I told him a little about Evalena; without going into much detail I could see that she intrigued him.

We made our way back to my place for a short nap before we headed out to dinner. Away from the water, the day hung limp with humidity; the air heaved thick and nearly liquid. My hair clung to my neck, still impossibly damp as we reached my front door and stepped inside. We closed the windows and turned on the air conditioning for respite from the oppressive heat. It was the kind of suffocating heat that builds before a storm.

On the answering machine, Oscar’s voice from
Gusto
welcomed me back home after my Georgia adventures. If he only knew . . . He wanted to know if I could fax him Delilah’s article before the end of the week, as they were expecting Jason’s photos to be ready by then as well.

Benedetta had also called, and I dialed her number while Gabe stretched on the bed and pulled his shirt above his head.

I kicked my sandals off and sat on the bed waiting for Bene to pick up. No answer. No machine.
She’s probably at work,
I thought and hung up. The room was finally beginning to cool off. I reached for the fan to switch it to low and gasped when Gabe grabbed my waist and pulled me down on the bed against his chest.

“This is a really nice dress you’re wearing. You’ve been teasing me in it all day long.” He tugged at my dress straps. “What’s even nicer is what’s beneath the dress.” He slowly unfastened the few buttons on my back and sneaked a warm hand onto the bare skin of my waist.

“I thought you wanted to take a nap,” I said, turning to face him. I kissed his chin.

“That’s roight, but where does it say we can’t have a nap in the
nik
?”

“Nowhere.” I reached down to unzip his jeans shorts.

“The problem is I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep if I’m lying naked next to you.”

“You think I’d be the only one having a problem?”

“No, but I can handle it. The question is, can you?” His voice trailed off as he adjusted himself against the pillows and was soon drifting off into sleep.

I struggled to find a way to sneak into his dreams. I finally gave up and settled into his arms.
This is how it should always be,
I thought as a sharp pang of panic reminded my heart it was only for a few days. I decided to just ride the wave until it crashed to shore.
To live the present is to live a gift.
I drifted into a soothing sleep. Gabe breathed quietly right next to me.

W
e drove to Evalena’s house with the windows down, the radio music snatched away by the wind twirling around us. The day’s torrid heat had given way to a bearable evening breeze. Gabe sat next to me looking toward the bowing sun. He propped an elbow on the window ledge, lost in thought, his eyes hidden behind dark lenses. He had changed into a pair of shorts and a navy button-down shirt with tiny yellow palm trees printed all over it. I’d bought it for him earlier that afternoon, more as a gag gift than anything else. Leave it to the gods; he wore it nonchalantly, as if he had just stepped out from the freshly printed pages of
L’Uomo Vogue
.

“I wish I’d brought my camera.” His deep voice brought me back to the moment.

“I’ve got one at home.” I smiled at him, taking my eyes off the road for a moment.

He reached over to caress my chin. “You’ve got such a lovely smile, Porzia,” he said quietly. “I wonder if capturing it on film will be enough once I head back.”

“Maybe with a panoramic view you might be able to fit it all in.” I grinned broadly to show my point. “Did you want to go somewhere special while you’re down here?” I considered places to visit, places to take pictures of.

“No, not really. I came to see you.” He brushed a rebel strand of hair off my cheek.

I shook my head. “And what an incredible surprise! I still can’t believe you’re actually here.”

“I’m here.” He pulled his hand away and turned to look out the window again. We drove the last few miles to Evalena’s place in silence. It wasn’t the right time to get into such a serious subject.

We parked and walked hand in hand up the few steps leading to the front door. I was about to knock—with my arm midway up—when Evalena opened the door.

“Hello, dear.” She hugged me tightly, then pushed away and held me at arm’s length to better inspect me. “You look fantastic!” Her eyes drifted up to Gabe standing quietly behind me. For a moment, time froze. My intuitive abilities struggled as Gabe stiffened and Evalena perceptively bowed as if to give due respect to a higher power.

Now, that was interesting.

Evalena tilted her head to one side, breaking the spell. The energies shifted as she offered a hand to Gabe.

“Glad to meet you, Evalena.” An edge of wariness tinged his tone.

“Pleased to meet you too, Gabe,” Evalena answered. Her smile lifted the last veil of caution like warm sun dissipating lingering fog. I felt Gabe relax behind me as Evalena motioned for us to step inside. The smell of barbeque hit my nostrils. We followed it toward the back of the house, past the kitchen, and out into the back yard. There we found Rex fussing over succulent racks of baby back ribs. He glanced over at us and grinned wide. He managed to hug me with one hand gripping long tongs while the other held a sweaty bottle of Corona.

“It’s great to see you again, Rex,” I said. “This is Gabe.” I turned in his arms to properly introduce the two of them. Gabe shook hands with Rex and promptly received an offer to dig into the fridge for a cold beer.

I told Gabe I would fetch him a Corona and left the two men talking about that stuff men talk about in front of blazing barbeques. In the kitchen I pulled a bottle of Shiraz from Umeracha out of my oversized bag and showed it to Evalena. She brushed her hands clean against the apron hugging her hips and took the bottle. She read the label and raised an eyebrow. “So, this is the famous wine you flew halfway across the planet to write about?”

“Yep.”

“And that out there is your Two of Cups?” She pointed the bottle’s neck in Gabe’s direction.

“Yep.”

“He doesn’t know about the past life regression.” It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer. She whistled softly under her breath. “Do you know what a
nurrullurrulla
is, Porzia?”

I frowned. “No.”

“A sorcerer, an Aboriginal sorcerer.” She waved a hand in midair. “Enough said. I’ll explain later, when we’re alone and we have more time. I can’t say more and I need to be around him a bit longer. Would you like a beer?” she asked without missing a beat.

“
Merda
, right about now I could use a keg.” I shook my head, wondering what had just hit me.

“How about lime?” She handed me two Coronas with lime wedges stuck in their necks. I grabbed the two frosted bottles and headed back to the patio, my hands gripping the bottles’ necks in a futile attempt to absorb some of their coolness.

“Here’s your beer,” I offered, handing one of the bottles to Gabe.

“Thanks, luv.” He brushed my hand with his fingers.

“We’re about ready here,” Rex announced, piling the barely blackened, caramelized ribs onto a serving tray and covering the barbeque with a lid. I usually adore barbeque but for once the charred meat scent hit my nostrils all wrong, and I felt queasy. We made our way back into the kitchen. Too busy swallowing the surging nausea, I still hadn’t had a chance to sip my beer. I glanced over my shoulder as I stepped over the threshold leading back into the house and noticed enormous clouds gathering, obscuring the scattered pattern of stars that sprinkled the heavens. I couldn’t see the moon anywhere. I blinked and readjusted my eyes to focus on the candlelit dining table.

“Porzia, would you sit by me tonight?” Rex pulled a chair out for me and motioned Gabe to the one next to me.

Evalena placed heaping bowls of potato salad and baked beans on the table and took the seat between Gabe and Rex, smiling like the Cheshire cat the entire time. Come to think of it, that was her usual smile.

“Is this your first time in this neck of the woods?” Rex asked Gabe, putting a small rack of ribs onto my plate with no formality whatsoever. He then tossed some to everybody else, nearly missing Evalena’s plate.

“Yes. I’ve never been to Florida before,” Gabe said. He eyed the baked beans suspiciously. They might not cook them like that in Australia.

“They’re really good,” I encouraged him.

He scooped some onto his plate, mildly alarmed by the juices running dangerously close to his meat. I handed him the breadbasket and the potato salad. He knew what to do with those.

I concentrated on my own plate and finally managed to push the lime down the neck of my beer bottle and take a sip. Nothing beats cold beer on a hot, muggy summer evening. I closed my eyes and swallowed, following the bitter taste. It went down my throat to the mouth of my stomach and farther, crashing against the cliffs of my stomach like high, foaming surf.
Exquisite!

It didn’t take long for the mounting surf to reach my brain. I relaxed my back against the solid wood of my chair and exhaled deeply, realizing that, until that moment, I had been holding my breath. I took a slow, lazy look at Evalena and then shifted my eyes to Gabe. He seemed relaxed, easily chatting with Rex about cars and engines. Evalena followed the conversation, taking dainty bites of her ribs and toying with her potato salad. I didn’t know if it was an effect of the beer or if the motes above both Gabe’s and Evalena’s heads were actually sparkling. I shifted my eyes onto more solid sights: my plate. The runny baked beans didn’t look at all appetizing. I was no longer hungry. I wondered what the hell was happening to me. I took another sip of my beer and shook my head, trying to make sense of whatever it was that had suddenly crept up on me.

“What’s wrong, honey? You’re not hungry?” Evalena asked me, pushing her own plate away.

I’m not the only one having problems eating tonight.
I remember thinking that just before the room started spinning into solid darkness and I lost consciousness.

*

Two cards danced in front of me. The Magician and the Two of Cups.

My hand reached out. And in the darkness I rolled a set of dice.

Two.

*

Soft voices called me back up as a pungent smell hit my nostrils and made me wince. A strong hand held my neck, and I relaxed against it; intuitively I recognized and trusted the source of that strength.

“Porzia, luv, can you hear me?” Gabe’s concerned tone reached through the fog, gripped my will, and pulled me out slowly.

“What happened?” I mumbled, keeping my eyes shut.
What was I afraid of looking at?

With enormous effort I blinked slowly, absorbing the lamplight, clutching Gabe’s hand tightly.

“You had a dizzy spell, honey,” Evalena said. She brought a glass of iced water to my dry lips. I lifted my head to take a sip, helped by Gabe’s hand still supporting my neck.

I blinked again to adjust my focus and tried to pull myself up; I realized I was lying on the same couch I’d had my past life regression on. I was suddenly uncomfortable. As if lying on burning coals, I sat up quickly, swung my feet onto the floor, and tried to get up.

“Whoa! Not so fast, luv!” Gabe said, standing up himself to support me.

Grateful, I hung on for dear life. Confused and disoriented, I tried to toss a few words out there; “I’m OK,” I managed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the evening. I don’t know what happened.”

“Perhaps you’re just tired,” Evalena ventured.

“Maybe we should head back home.” Gabe’s eyes shadowed with concern.

“I think that’s a good idea.” Rex spoke his first words since I had regained consciousness. “How about you give him your keys and let Gabe drive you home, Porzia?”

I looked at Gabe. “Can you drive on our side of the road?” I felt reluctant to hand him my car key chain. Not because I didn’t trust his driving abilities.

“No worries,” he said, taking charge. He apologized to Evalena and Rex for not being able to stay longer. As he carried me out to the car, he promised them he would take good care of me. Before I knew it, I found myself sitting on the passenger side, seat belt strapped tightly across my chest. He sped off into the night.

“What happened back there, Gabe?” I whispered. Quietly, I observed him.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not psychic, but something definitely took place between you and Evalena.” I relaxed against the car seat. “Something did. Even an obtuse mind like mine was affected by it.”

“You’re not obtuse.” A shadow of a smile flickered across his face.

“I am when it comes to things not of this world.” I don’t know any better way to get straight answers than to ask direct questions.

“You didn’t tell me Evalena was an Intuitive,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I didn’t tell you Rex was retired Air Force either.” I pressed him. “How do you know Evalena is an Intuitive?”

“She’s also an Initiate.”

“Pardon? A what?”

“Initiate. She’s capable of recognizing the strength of medicine work.” He paused. “I bet she’s capable of a lot more than that.” He took his eyes off the road to look at me. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were trying to test me tonight.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Gabe?” I spat, tasting bitter anger in my own words. “Test you? Test you on what? And how do you know so much about all this hocus-pocus business? I thought you raced cars for a living.”
Oh no! Merda! I hadn’t meant it to come out like that.

“I did.”

“I’m sorry, Gabe. I didn’t mean it like that.” I took a deep breath. “Listen. The last thing I want to do is argue over something I don’t even understand. Please forgive my rude remarks and help me make some sense of all this.” I reached over to squeeze his hand.

He sighed. “Are these the dice you’ve been rolling?” he asked me, pointing at the two shiny cubes hanging off my car ignition.

“Yes. But what do you mean—?”

He shook his head. “This isn’t the right time. Not while we’re driving.”

“OK then, when we get home.” I wasn’t going to let this one slide. I needed answers. But, ever cautious, I wondered how much flour I would have to spill from my own bag to make it a fair trade.