16. CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 16
M atthew sent Lexi alone through the portal the morning of July Fourth—a privilege now that she and Gideon had become close. Gideon met her on the other side, bringing her a couple blocks past his home, to the mews where his horse was stabled.
She’d grown familiar enough with his body language to note that his step became lighter, his muscles more relaxed, the moment she took his hand or slipped an arm around his waist. But on this particular day, she also noted the way he constantly scanned their surroundings, always aware of the environment. The double crystal wrist bands he wore this morning made no secret of his willingness to shift instantly into action at any threat.
She appreciated his protectiveness, and had to admit she felt safe—and more than a little tingly—knowing she was in his care. But she hated that her visions of one potential Fourth of July outcome meant he couldn’t fully relax and enjoy the holiday with her. Hated that her mere presence in his life, in his world, could bring a threat. Was she trading his safety for hers? Was that fair?
Entering through a large brick archway of the massive stable, he led her around a corner toward the stall where a big Palomino was already nickering at the sound of his voice.
“Oh, Gideon. He’s lovely.” She ran her hand along the horse’s sleek neck, letting go of her doubts as she reveled in the stallion’s powerful beauty .
“This is Socrates, and I believe… yes, he’s flirting.” He laughed as the horse threw his head around to nuzzle Lexi’s neck. “Are you ready to hop up?”
“You haven’t put the saddle on yet, only the bridle.”
“We don’t need the saddle. Socrates and I have been riding together a long time,” he said as he easily lifted her onto the stallion’s back, then settled in behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and took the reins.
“How long will it take us to get there?” she asked, leaning back into his chest and relaxing into the rhythm of the horse’s gait. Clad in the boots and snug riding pants he’d sent over to her in preparation for their day, she was aware of her hips rocking to the motion and moving against his thighs.
“I’m aware of it too,” he said, running his hand up her leg to rest on her hip.
“Out of my head, Hero.”
“I still don’t see any brick walls, my sweet Heroine.” He dipped his head to nuzzle her ear. She instantly heated and closed her eyes, lips parting, forgetting she’d even asked a question until he began speaking again.
“My cousin Julian’s horse ranch is three miles outside the city, in the woods on the banks across the Schuylkill River. It’ll take us an hour to get there, crossing over the bridge. Wait until you see the beauty of his land. There’s nothing else around. Beyond his horse pastures there’s only ancient forest.”
They rode in silence for a while, and Lexi marveled at how quickly the city dropped away after only a mile or so, unlike her own world where there was no break in civilization for miles on end. Familiar, and yet so utterly foreign.
“So how exactly do our worlds intersect?” she mused as they rode. “The basics are the same, but… ”
“It’s complicated, and I’m not sure I completely understand it myself, but the parallel worlds seem to follow an extremely similar historical path, though the nuances may vary. Anything of historical or cultural significance occurs in both places in some form. That’s why the locations and names of major cities are the same. Significant monuments, cathedrals, and important works of art generally exist in both worlds.”
“What about people?” she asked, suddenly concerned. “Are we duplicated too? Is there another me running around your world somewhere?” She shifted in discomfort, agitated as her thoughts took in this possibility.
Gideon pulled her in closer, nuzzling against her cheek. “Generally speaking, no. At the point where your world entered your Industrial Revolution, the universes went in such widely different paths that there has become less and less in common between the words. Including the people born to them. Some of our oldest surviving citizens likely had duplicates at one time in your world.”
She thought instantly of the bespectacled man who’d extended a hand to help her up when she’d fallen on her first night in this world. So that really might’ve been Benjamin Franklin? The real Benjamin Franklin? She almost giggled.
“So, you’ve got Mozart, but not The Beatles,” she said, but when he didn’t respond right away, she swiveled to look back at him.
“Beetles.” He lifted a brow. “I’m going to go with… correct.”
A gust of wind and a shadow crossed their path, and the horse whinnied as it threw back its head, taking a quick jog to the side.
“Easy, Socrates.” Gideon reined in the horse as they both looked up towards the sky. “It’s only your uncle Vikkras being a smart aleck.”
Vik and Alana were heading to the party in a light-weight wooden glider plane, guided and kept aloft by Vik’s skill with creating updrafts and wind currents. He circled back and buzzed them again, he and Alana waving at Lexi who waved back and laughed with delight. Lexi noticed that except for the sound of the rushing wind it was totally silent. So beautiful.
“You’re worrying the horse, brother!” Gideon shouted at him, flicking a hand to wave them off, but he was smiling. “We’ll see you there. Now shoo!”
Vik and Alana waved again and flew off ahead.
As they drew within sight of Julian’s home, Lexi’s excitement mounted. Vik’s glider plane looked to be merely the first of many wonders she would see that day. They hopped off Socrates and Gideon tied him to a post, settling the horse in with food and water. Alana and Vik came to greet them, giving hugs all around, both of them dressed in colonial costume for the holiday.
“Nice flight?” Gideon asked Vik.
“The best. It’s a beautiful day for it, with plenty of horses to buzz along the way.”
“Yes, it’s apparent how much you like that,” Gideon said.
“You know I do,” Vik laughed. “I did, however, notice Benjamin Smythe’s carriage heading this way. Which I suppose is not surprising being that he’s on the Council and this is the biggest party in town. But I figured you’d want to know.”
Gideon’s posture morphed instantly from relaxed to rigid. Lexi touched his arm, a gesture that usually calmed him, but he barely responded, placing his hand atop her own but continuing to scan the crowd, searching for someone, when apparently, he found who he was looking for.
Beneath her palm, the muscles in Gideon’s forearm flexed into fighting mode as a rather pale man, short of stature, waved at him and began making his way over to them.
And that man had a face she recognized all too well. He was the ghost who’d stared back at her in the vision on Market Street .
She didn’t need to be an empath to note that his sudden easy-going step and bright expression had been clumsily adorned the moment he locked eyes with Gideon.
Somehow this guy didn’t fit in with rest of the people she’d met in that world. He lacked their relaxed confidence which came from living in a world where there was little fear or want. It was obvious the man did not feel comfortable in his own skin, or perhaps his own civilization. Walking among his people, he was like a dinghy bobbing on an ocean full of tall-masted ships.
And he was insincere from stem to stern.
“Gideon, so good to see you here. And you, Vikkras and Alana,” the man said, reaching out to shake hands.
“Benjamin,” Gideon said, perfunctorily returning the handshake.
“And this must be your new woman. Word travels fast around here, you know.” He reached to shake Lexi’s hand as well, revealing no sign that he recognized her. Then surprisingly, awkwardly, he pulled her in for a quick hug.
Lexi could have sworn she heard Gideon growl. Before Benjamin had even released her, Gideon subtly pulled her away from him, tucking her to the side and practically behind himself. Gideon’s actions verged on rude, yet she found herself grateful that he’d done so.
“This is Lexi, yes.”
“How nice that she’s able to visit us on this celebratory day,” Benjamin said.
“Indeed,” Gideon replied. “But if you don’t mind, we were just on our way to meet Julian.”
“Of course, of course. I merely wanted to say hello before the four of you disappeared into the crowd. Please, enjoy your day,” he said, his broad smile like a strong cologne, masking the odor of resentment. Then he turned and headed back toward the main festivities.
“That was interesting,” Alana said.
Lexi put an arm around Gideon’s waist and pulled him closer to her, feeling him take a deep breath, relaxing a little.
“It couldn’t hurt to keep a few pairs of eyes on him if possible,” he said.
“You got it, brother,” Vik confirmed.
“Come on,” Gideon said, taking Lexi’s arm. “Let’s take you over to meet my cousin. We can grab some food from the cook-out too.”
As they crossed the expansive grounds toward the beautiful stone house, the place buzzed with hundreds of people. People… and all the methods of transport that had brought them there. There were horses, carriages, bicycles, and more flying machines, including gliders of the type Vik had flown, as well as some strange contraptions that looked part bicycle and part insect—very Leonardo Da Vinci, she thought. Several hot air balloons were being anchored around the perimeter of the property.
They heard the sound of children laughing and a few firecrackers going off as they made their way across the ranch. In front of the large home, a feast was spread out, the scents making her mouth water. Roasted fish and game, dumplings and puddings, scrapple and apple pies. The drink of choice seemed to be hard apple cider. And everyone was imbibing, young and old alike.
The four of them took plates and began piling the food on.
“Hey, save some for me,” said a giant bear of a man striding toward them.
Lexi gaped up at this amazing anomaly of a person. At well over six feet tall he looked like a Viking warrior with long, dark brown hair, a couple of small braids woven into it here and there, and a devilish goatee. Various Celtic symbols crafted in metal and embedded with the crystals so pervasive to this world hung as pendants around his neck. Yet he wore leather chaps over denim jeans and a lasso sat at his hip, his powerful chest bare and slick with sweat, proving that he was actually working this ranch and not simply lording over it. He wore a huge smile on his face and carried an unlit cigar in one hand.
And he had a kitten on his shoulder.
“Lexi, this is my cousin Julian, our host today,” Gideon said. “Julian, this is Lexi Cross.”
As she reached out to shake his hand, Julian shoved his cigar at Gideon. “Hold this, cousin.” He then took Lexi’s hand into both of his with genuine affection. “I’m honored to meet you.”
“Likewise,” she said, truly meaning it. When they stepped apart, she looked toward the kitten. “And who is this?”
“Oh her? That’s Bunny Boo, of course,” he said with his deep voice, reaching to take back his cigar as if it were an appendage that had been temporarily missing.
Her companions rolled their eyes, shaking their heads and chuckling. Obviously, Julian had some kind of a reputation regarding the names of his animals.
“Do you want to hold her?” Julian asked Lexi.
She nodded, and Julian turned his head slightly towards the cat, silently moving his lips as if talking to the kitten. Bunny Boo then sauntered down the length of his arm, which he held out towards Lexi’s shoulder, and proceeded to settle comfortably into the crook of her neck, purring contentedly.
Lexi looked at Gideon, eyes wide, and Gideon shrugged his shoulders, smiling.
“Listen, Lexi,” he said, using his cigar like a pointer as he began to gesture. “I’m dying to talk to you more and tell you everything you need to know about my grumpy old cousin here, and I promise to do so. But at the moment I’ve got a horse that’s jumped a fence and I need to put him back in his place. ”
Lexi wondered if by that he meant he was going to physically put the animal back into the pen or give him a stern lecture regarding his behavior. It seemed that either was possible.
Julian directed his gaze at the kitten. “Bunny Boo, when Lexi’s had enough of you, come back to me.” He patted his shoulder and turned to walk off towards the pastures.
At the last moment, he looked back and called out to Gideon. “The piano’s available in the great room, of course, when you need it.” He then popped the still unlit stogie into his mouth and sauntered off.
Kitten on her shoulder, Lexi imagined she’d walked straight through the looking glass. What a strange and funny world this was—so much more than simply an anachronistic version of her universe.
“His piano comment,” she said, taking a sip of her cider. “I assume that was for me? To extend my stay today at some point?”
“Yes.” He swigged the last of own drink. “In fact, we should probably go do that now, and we need to talk about that as well.” The kitten must have sensed the change in itinerary and hopped off Lexi’s shoulder.
“We’re going to go check out the festivities while you two do that,” Vik said, draping his arm over his wife’s shoulder. “We’ll catch up with you shortly.”
Taking her hand, Gideon led Lexi into the home, her eyes rounding in delight at the sight of the vaulted great room, the wood beam and stone walls, and the giant hearth. They set down their food and drink and made their way into Julian’s music room, a space more refined and less rustic than the great room, with fine Colonial French furnishings and a grand piano sitting as pride of place.
She ran her hands along the instrument as Gideon went to a book shelf and grabbed several large crystals. They were big—maybe five to ten pounds each—flawless and smooth, clear as glass. He set them on the piano and in several spots surrounding the piano bench where they both went to sit.
“Quartz?” she asked.
“Yes. They’re needed to amplify the musical tones. Both Taco Shots and Club Deux Mondes have them embedded in the walls throughout.”
She nodded. “I noticed the glittering pieces embedded into the walls of Taco Shots. I thought they were part of the décor.”
“Which is exactly what most people think. We can’t give away all our secrets. But we need the crystals to amplify the musical vibrations. Your world has a much stronger pull than ours, which is why you fade back after four hours, but we don’t fade home when visiting your world.”
She lifted a brow. “Are you saying my world sucks?”
“Hey, if the shoe fits.” He laughed and pulled her close. “Ready?”
He played the music loudly, exactly the way it sounded in Taco Shots, although that had been a recorded version. Then he was done.
It seemed too easy. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“But I didn’t feel anything, nothing happened.”
“You wouldn’t notice anything this time, would you? You’re already here—there is no phase change, no traveling to be done. All we did was reinforce your vibratory frequency to last you another four hours.”
“You refilled my tank.”
“I refilled your tank,” he winked.
His smile sent a hot pulse straight to her core. “So, is this how people from my world come to stay here permanently? By listening to the music every four hours? I can’t imagine how somebody could live that way. ”
“No. Indeed, the more often we replay the sounds and extend your stay, the more it will begin to take a toll on your body. We can’t keep it up forever. You might become fatigued if we do it too often, and eventually it will have a more deleterious effect.”
Her brow furrowed. “So…”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “So, on the rare occasion someone does come to stay permanently, there’s a process they go through to allow their vibratory frequencies to make a permanent shift.” He touched the middle C key on the piano and it rang out. “It’s as if your world’s song is played in the key of C, and ours in G. For someone to stay here, we need to change the key in which their whole life sings.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “That’s a beautiful analogy.”
They sat like that for a while, his hand grazing up and down the side of her body, the edge of his thumb just brushing the swell of her breast, before he took her hand and they rose from the bench.
Bringing her up against him, he leaned back against the piano, and she titled her head back as he nibbled her jaw line, his hands began exploring her figure, slipping under her shirt to feel the fullness of her breasts, the dip of her waist, the rise of her hips. His world’s heightened effect on her senses were in full play now, the movement of his hands on her body creating an illusion of physical tracers—a rippling sensation that lingered for long moments after his hands had moved elsewhere.
And the feel of his hard shaft throbbing against her was like a kick drum to her already pulsing sex. She reached down to unbutton his riding breaches, sliding a hand in and pulling out his cock. The feel of his length and girth driving her all kinds of nuts. But it was Gideon who tipped his head back and groaned as she dropped to her knees in front of him, taking him into her mouth. The rumble of his moan moved through her like a physical touch .
“It’s like you know exactly what to do,” he managed to choke out behind gritted teeth. “Exactly how I like it.”
In fact, she did.
“I know what you like and what you want because I’m in your mind right now , ” she said silently in his head. “I can feel what you feel, as if I were the one being touched.”
“Holy. Crap.”
“Your pleasure is also my pleasure,” she said. “When you come, babe… oh God… so will I.”
Apparently, there were some serious advantages to this telepathy neither of them had even thought of. More than a means to an awesome sex life, however, there was a sense of union, a oneness, that couples without this telepathy could never experience. A complete absence of loneliness, a complete knowing of the other. And she felt Gideon’s heart embrace hers with a vulnerability, and a ferocity, that she sensed was rocking him to the core.
Laughter from the hallway beyond the music room jerked them apart, and he let out a groan.
She looked up at him with a smile, her hands still gliding slowly up and down. “Would you like me to continue?” She switched to silent conversation. “I’d love to wait so I can hear you roar with abandon the first time you come for me. But a woman never lets her man suffer. So, you decide.” She let go and held her hands up. “Yes… or no?”
The noise Gideon made was somewhere between a laugh and a moan, but he shook his head and shoved himself back into his breaches.
Lexi stood, groaning and giggling as she did her own little dance in her pants to try to ease the fire she felt.
Gideon gripped the edge of the piano and took some deep breaths. “We should get out of here and get some fresh air, maybe a cold cider. To pour on our laps.”
Lexi stretched in the sun as they stepped back outside. “So, you told me how the vibrations work. Your beautiful story about our universes playing in different keys. But how does it happen? How does one get re-tuned?”
He shuddered at the question, and prayed she didn’t feel it. How would he even begin to tell her how painful and risky the process could be? Could he ever ask it of her? There was no way he could move to her world. His body couldn’t take the sensory onslaught and the eventual total deterioration.
“Let’s take a walk and get that fresh air,” he said, taking her hand. “The views across the river are gorgeous from here. I can explain it to you as we stroll.”
They crossed the grounds, moving away from the crowd. “This four-hour time limit is mighty frustrating. How often can we extend my vibrations before there’s a problem?”
In truth, he had no idea how many times this could be repeated, or how frequently they could do it, before it began to have a deleterious effect on her. Roberto would know, but Gideon wasn’t sure he felt comfortable asking him just yet.
They reached a big oak tree and he pulled her in front of him, her back to his chest, and he set his chin on her head as they looked across the river. He took a deep breath and exhaled, the rush of air blowing a strand of her hair against his cheek. “Honestly, I just don’t know.”
She turned to face him, placing her hands on his upper arms. “I don’t mean to assume anything,” she said, color rising to her cheeks, “but this is hardly a normal… um… dating situation for me. If we continued to see each other, if we got closer…”
“No, you’re right to wonder about these things. Believe me, I’ve already made a few assumptions about us as well.” He ran his hand down the side of her face, tucking the wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Just now in the music room, that was… did you feel…?”
She nodded, her smile soft and her eyes filled with light. “Yes, of course I did.” She turned her face into his palm and kissed it. “So then tell me about this transition process.” She quirked a half smile. “Just in case.”
He shook his head, his mouth going dry. Unsure of where to start.
Lexi studied him, obviously trying to understand his expression. He felt her mind reach out to his, and then pull back, probably not wanting to invade without invitation. “Tell me what’s got you so upset all of a sudden. I don’t need to be in your mind to feel your anxiety.”
“You’re right, sweetheart,” he said, taking her hands in his. “You deserve to know now, before things with us progress any further. The transition process, you should know that—”
His sentence was cut short by the sound of early fireworks exploding in the sky behind him, which was not surprising for the Fourth of July. He turned to look and together they watched the sky painted in sparks, reds and golds diffusing across the clouds like a neoclassical painting, and he knew they were both remembering her vision and were thankful she was there at that moment, safe in his world.
A smile on his face, he spun back to her, pulling her up against his chest, appreciating her presence there, safe in his arms. But his body suddenly moved too freely against hers. The delicious weight of her form pressed against his was becoming insubstantial.
She’s fading.
“Gideon!” she yelled, her voice coming at him as if through water.
“No. It’s not time yet, it’s not even close!” he yelled back to her wavering, ghostly image .
He didn’t need to look at her timer. She had plenty of time left, even if he hadn’t refilled her tank. This was caused by something else.
The last thing he saw was the horror in her sapphire eyes as she winked out of existence.
“Lexi!” he shouted, the arms that had been squeezing her now passing each other as they dropped through the empty air.
This isn’t right. Not here, not now…
Then his spine turned to ice and he knew. Someone’s done this.
“Lexi!” Like a blind man, his hands slashed and clawed wildly at nothing, as if somehow she was just out of reach, just on the other side of nothingness. As if he could simply reach into the abyss and pull her back.
He spun around looking back towards the house, the heels of his hands pressed to the sides of his head. What had he done by bringing her here on this day?
Choices. Paths. Fate.
He had no control at all. Probably never had. It had always been nothing more than one, big, fucking illusion.
His hands fisted at his sides as a growl rose from someplace low in his gut, the sound rising up through his body and the volume increasing to a thunderous note. Guttural and painful. A wounded animal.
Right behind that, like an explosion going off somewhere deep down in his ocean of fear, a blast of energy issued out of his every pore with a sonic crack, all the closest trees bending at their trunks, a nearby picnic table going airborne. The grass in the meadow flattened.
And in the silence that followed, one could hear the sound of the horses in the distant corral. They were stampeding.