Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series) (13 page)

Max led the way to our center stage seats, but John stopped me from sitting.

“Would you like to see Dion back stage before the show?” he asked.

“No, I’m okay. I’ll see him after,” I replied.

“Um…well he wants to see you. Come on.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

“Did you have a vision?” His actions confused me.

“Nope, he told me he wanted to see you before the show. I was to make sure I brought you by.”

We walked behind the stage walls, and like any typical theater the manic and mayhem that goes on before a show was at full blast. Despite the hectic atmosphere, John took me right to the actor’s area. All the actors were in costumes, huddled together, down on their knees deep in prayer. I felt strange watching them pray, as if I walked in on a private moment. John left me there and returned to his seat. When the group finished, they made the sign of the cross and stood. Dion came to me at once.

“
Hola
, I am glad you came.” He gleamed.

“Me too,” I answered giving him a hug. His skin felt warm. I felt guilty for being cross with him earlier. I couldn’t imagine how he wasn’t cold in his short roman toga. Then again, did he even get cold?

“Really?” He questioned, “You seemed upset earlier. Was something bothering you?”

“Yes, but I’m okay. I don’t want you to worry about me. I want you to worry about your performance.”

“Why would I worry? I have this down.”

I scoffed, “You’re a Saint. Aren’t you supposed to have humility?”

“Yeah, I am bad about that one from time to time.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You know, you can always come to me with anything that is bothering you.” He lifted my chin with his closed fist forcing me to look at him.

“I know…I know…” I removed my chin from his hand.

“We are going to start soon. You should probably get back to your seat. Thank you again.”

“It’s my pleasure. Break a leg.”

He grinned at my comment. We kissed on the cheek and parted. I went back and took my place between John and Antony. As the orchestra started the overture, I looked around at the audience, amazed at how many people filled in since we arrived. I gazed to my right and my heart stopped.

I must have stiffen in my seat because Antony leaned over and asked, “Kasey, what is wrong?”

“Sam and James are sitting over there.” I motioned my head in their direction. Antony looked, and then, without saying a word, he caught the eyes of John, Max, and Martin to let them know. They nodded when they saw what we had.

The lights on the stage dimmed, and the play began. Dion was incredible. A true actor. I forgot Dion played a role and accepted him as Hercules in Spanish. The orchestra, cast, and crew all did such a phenomenal job. The audience gave a standing ovation. As soon as the curtain came down, the bright lights on stage were back, Max huddled close to us.

“Let us go back stage I want to avoid Sam and James.”

We did what he commanded and made a beeline for the back stage. The celebrations were loud and chaotic. I followed the Kleon brothers putting my faith in them that they would lead me to Dion. Max spotted him first. He was by the dressing stations receiving congratulations.

“Job well done, brother,” Max said grabbing Dion’s shoulder and shaking his hand.

“You were amazing.” I hugged and gave him a pop kiss on the mouth without any thought to it, but it caught him off guard. His other brothers congratulated him, too.

“Thank you let me go change out of the costume. Give me about ten minutes.”

We waited for him to return. When he came back Max said, “We should get out of here. See you back home.”

“Thank you, thanks a million,” Dion smiled and said his farewells to his brothers.

“Kasey, you shall ride back with me.” He led me through all the chaos and celebrations stopping at brief times to say congratulations or to receive congratulations from fellow cast mates. 

As soon as we approached the car, we heard someone screaming Dion’s name. We turned to see John sprinting toward us, his face troubled. When he reached us, he pulled Dion away and spoke to him in private. Then Dion looked anxious he nodded and John left. Dion came back to the car looking stone serious.

In the car I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, frigid.

I began to buckle myself in and his hand stopped mine. “Do not buckle.”

“What! Why not?”

“Kasey please…”

“Dion, did John and Martin see something?” I asked alarmed but returning my seatbelt back in place. He began to open the roof to the convertible.

“Isn’t it chilly tonight to ride with the roof down?” I was annoyed at his strange behavior.

“Kasey, trust me, please,” he placed his hand on my leg and gave me a nervous smile.

“Errr, you drive me nuts,” I turned my head toward the road.

“So, how did you like the play?” he asked changing the subject.

“It was great. You’re talented.” I grumbled. I developed a nasty chill from the cold wind that blew at us. I shivered several times in my seat. He looked at me apologetically, “Thank you, you really thought so.”

“Of course I did. You certainly have a gift. Have you ever tried Hollywood?”

“Naturally, in the forties and fifties, but it was not for me. I prefer the theater feel with a live audience.”

“You mention the forties and fifties like they were yesterday.”  His nonchalant manner toward time amused me.

“When you live as long as I have the forties and fifties seem like they were yest…”

He jerked the wheel violently swerving the car. My screams bellowed through the open car. A huge boulder fell from nowhere and landed directly in front of us. With Dion’s quick reflexes, he veered the car, screeching the tires around the boulder. Once we were driving straight again, I braced myself with the side of the door. Tiny pebbles hit the windshield, imitating a downpour. In a matter of minutes, the glass shattered into a million pieces.

Dion grabbed the back of my neck and pushed my head down toward my lap. I covered myself with my arms as I felt the glass fall upon me. When he let go, I dusted off the glass pieces and sat upright in my seat. I looked out through the glassless windshield in time to see a giant tree flying toward us. He swerved the car attempting to miss the tree, but the tree seemed to be mimicking the car’s every move. If he jerked right, the tree swiftly glided through the air to its right. If he jerked left, the tree followed in the same pattern. It finally landed a few feet from the car. An impact was inevitable.

Dion let go of the steering wheel and jumped over me. He picked me up and pressed me close. The pressure felt like I hit a stonewall. He held me tight against him and evacuated our bodies from the moving vehicle.

We rolled through the air, and his back hit the pavement hard. At speeds, I cannot imagine, he skidded on his back holding me close to his chest. He roared in pain. I held on tight to his shirt, but as we were slowing, my lower body slipped off him and my hip skidded on the pavement. I felt a low stinging sensation. When we stopped, he rolled me off and grunted in pain. His shirt shredded. There was a brief second of pain in his face then he popped up on one knee, as if the road hadn’t ripped off his skin. His flesh healed rapidly. Any injuries were disappearing.

“Kasey, are you hurt?” Dion drew my attention to him. My heart pounded with every heavy breath I took. The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs. I wanted to reply but couldn’t.

“Kasey, say something, can you move. What hurts?” He placed one hand behind my ear and the other on my rib cage. He looked panicked.

“Kasey, look at me. Are you hurt?”

I shook my head no. I pointed at what I was seeing. The front of the car hit the tree at such speed that the car flipped foreword. Beyond the tree, James ran disappearing into the forest. I whispered, “James.”

“Stay here. Do not move. Let Max look at you.” He took a quick look up and down my body.  Once he was content I wasn’t hurt, he was gone.

Seconds later, a black Mercedes pulled up with great urgency, and his brothers ran out. Max reached me first. The others followed Dion.

“Kasey, hold still.” Max said. His hand began to glow, and he scanned my body as Dion had with his eyes.

I sat up and pulled my shirt over my hip concealing my torn clothing, “I’m fine.” I managed to say.

Max’s eyebrows wrinkled. “Kasey, are you sure?”

“I’m okay, really. I’m not hurt.” I ignored the stinging coming from my right hip. Max placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Kasey, if you are injured I can help.” He was troubled. Did he know?

“I’m okay. I don’t need your help.” The tears began to stream down my face, even though I didn’t want to cry. I tried to wipe them away. At that moment, the Kleon brothers came back huffing big breaths of cold air. Dion came straight towards me and helped me up. We hugged. I buried my face into his cold, frayed shirt. Underneath the slashed shirt, his skin was warm and comforting.

“What happened?” Antony asked.

“The tree flew toward us. It landed right in front of the car.”

I trembled, “So, I did see that right! How?” My voice hoarse from all the screaming I did.

“James’ telekinesis. He moved the tree with his mind,” Max said.

“Why?” I asked.

“I am not sure,” Max answered.

“Man, I really liked this car too,” John said. He and Martin examined the wreckage.

“Did you find them?” Max asked upset.

“No, I could not even pick up a trace.” Dion’s muscles tensed under my arms.

“Wait we have something!” Martin and John said simultaneously. Their eyes were the most disturbing eyes I had ever seen. Their dark eyeballs disappeared into their eyelids, and all that remained was the glossy white. They looked like they were some form of human aliens.

“I see Sam and James fleeing. They are not on main roads,” Martin said bringing his eyes back to their normal state.

“I see them in Soller. They will check into a hotel room.” John looked like himself again.

“I doubt they will remain there all night,” Max said.

“Should we go after them? Soller is not far,” Dion asked.

“No, I do not think they will be back, but we should stay on high alert throughout the night. John, Martin anymore visions let us know,” Max’s authoritative nature felt comforting.

“Of course,” they answered.

“Come. Let us go,” Antony suggested. “We will call the authorities and inform them of your accident. They can clear the road.”

Everyone headed back toward the black Mercedes.

“Dion, I want to go home.” I desired the safe walls of my small cubby of a room.

“Of course, we will stop there first. Can I come with you or do you wish to be alone?”

“You can come. That’s fine.”

He kept his arm around me the entire car ride. The mood in the car was somber. I tried to hold my composure in front of his brothers.

They dropped us off at the restaurant. Antony let Dion wear his shirt. Fernando and Beatriz were busy with customers. Catalina helped in the kitchen. We snuck by everyone and went upstairs. He closed the door behind me, and I let out a big sigh of relief. Then I shook uncontrollably and wept. I brought my hands to my face. Dion wrapped his arms around my back and held me close.

“I am so sorry,” I said ashamed.

“Why are you apologizing to me? I am the one who is sorry you experienced something terrifying tonight.” He leaned his chin on top of my head. I backed up from him taking small quick breaths.

“I’ll be alright.” I wiped my face and attempted a smile. “Could I get you something?"

“No I am perfectly fine, thank you,” he said.

“Well, I need to use the restroom, and I think I’m going to change into something more comfortable. I’m not planning on going anywhere else tonight.”

I rummaged through my drawer and pulled out my black loose lounge shorts with my wonder woman t-shirt. He sat on my bed with his back leaning up against the wall. I closed the door to the bathroom and lowered my plaid green pants down to my thighs. The scrape on my hip bled onto my underwear. The wound was the size of my hand. I cleaned it with some peroxide and cringed every time I patted it. I found some big gauze in the bathroom and, I covered the scrape. I welcomed my loose shorts. After too much time in the bathroom, I finally came out.

Dion sat on the bed with Fernando’s cigar box in his lap. He rummaged through the pictures.

His eyes narrowed at me. “When did you get these?”

“Just before the play this afternoon.” I put my cloths away and sat next to him.

“Ah, that explains why you were acting strange. Who gave you these pictures?”

“Fernando.”

“Did he say anything when he gave them to you?”

“He wanted to warn me to be careful and to not get too close to you and your brothers.”

“Interesting. What bothered you about this?” He grabbed my hand and started to rub the inside of my palm with his thumb.

“I know what you are, but when I was given that photo taken so long ago with you in it, it really bothered me.”

“I wonder if I am being selfish in allowing our attraction to go on. I mean, I could try to cheat fate and keep running from it. I am fast,” he smirked.

“Does that work?”

“No.” He raised the back of my hand to his lips and kissed it. “We will figure it out somehow. We will make it work for us. No matter what we have to do.”

“Have you heard back from the Professor?” I asked.

“No.”

“I would really like to know if I’m related to an immortal.”

“Why. We are not that great.”

I crossed my arms. “Let’s say that I am. I could be sitting here with some kind of special ability and wouldn’t even know it.”

“Ah, you want super powers, do you?”

“Of course.”

“Maybe, I can help figure out if you have one. Is there anything you can think of, that happens to you sometimes, that doesn’t feel natural or human?”

“Actually yes, my stomach cramps just before something serious, dangerous, or bad is to happen. I thought those feeling were some type of sixth sense.”

“Well, there you have it. That could be your super power.” He scooted closer to me.