look, then proceeded past both men to the house. It looked as though that expression was permanently etched on his face. I couldn’t help but grin because it felt great; I had a distraction from all the energy between us. I entered my borrowed room, stripped off my wet clothes and grabbed some dry ones. I proceeded to run a comb through my hair and pulled it up out of my face. I did up all the necessary snaps and buttons, and promptly headed back down stairs.
Mexico
Ryan and Derrick were sitting in the living room talking intensely about some particular subject when I walked in. You could cut the tension with a knife.
“You don’t have to stop talking about me just because I entered the room, please continue, boys.” I sat down on the couch beside Ryan, leaving no room on the huge couch between us. I looked directly at Derrick. I watched him fidget and look away. I was amazed that I did not get ‘that look’ again.
As I looked at Ryan, he was looking at Derrick like the cat that caught the canary. I was thoroughly enjoying sticking it to Derrick, and it was successfully relieving the tension I was feeling. I knew that I was only transferring my emotions. My frustration was not really about Derrick at all, it was more about my total loss of control.
Derrick spoke in a gruff voice. “We need to be on our way by seven p.m. tonight.”
I looked at Ryan and asked, “Are you joining us?”
He smiled warmly and then put his hand on my knee, “Yes, is that okay?” I was surprised by his action, but I felt as if he had brother energy about him. Besides, the look on Derrick’s face was worth it.
I placed my hand on his and then squeezed it as I replied, “I think your company will be a great distraction and make the journey a lot more enjoyable.” It was easy being affectionate to someone you’re not sexually attracted to. I laid my head on his shoulder and looked directly at Derrick. I was feeling extremely cocky right now. He was glaring angrily at Ryan, who on the other hand, seemed amused by all that had transpired, and laughed.
There was a long silence in the room. I watched both men, their expressions changed as if they were having a conversation, but no words were involved. It was as if they were fighting telepathically. They both turned to stare at me and their expressions changed to that of no emotion at all.
The silence continued, “Have I missed something… boys?” They continued to sit in silence. I had been sitting there the whole time and was effectively left out of their silent conversation. I stood up annoyed about being ignored and walked towards the kitchen.
Turning around I declared, “I’ll be in the kitchen when you feel like letting me in on what’s going on,” and promptly stormed out. Twenty minutes had passed when I finally felt someone enter the kitchen, before I heard the footsteps on the tile floor behind me. Derrick looked like a man on a mission. He walked with long forceful strides that made me uneasy as I watched. I wondered what his intention was. Then his body was in my space, he felt wound up like a top that could not spin off its energy. I unconsciously started to back away from him, trying to maintain a healthy distance between us. He kept coming until I was finally cornered; his hands were beside my head on the wall behind me. I felt trapped; he was staring directly into my eyes. I found the emotion he was emanating unreadable making the situation even more uncomfortable.
“I know what you’re doing, Jordan. Your plan isn’t going to work so forget about it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied innocently. I could feel my inner, stubborn self getting stronger. It’s was like the time at my after school job when my boss continued to bully me. Then one evening, I just stood up to him after taking it for so long and gave him what’s due, moments before I quit. I could feel myself reacting this way.
Now he was staring at my lips. Without thinking, I licked them.
“Ryan has special tools too. You’re not fooling anyone.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied.
“You’re trying to make me jealous,” he said in a forced voice.
“No, you’re wrong; I’m trying to find some personal happiness. After this adventure, I’d very much like to date him.”
“He has the ability to read your mind, so he already knows you’re attracted to me,” he explained.
“A girl can simply change her mind. It’s my prerogative, Derrick.”
“So you can dismiss me from your life so easily then?” he asked.
“No, but life goes on doesn't it? I don’t expect you to compromise yourself for me,” I replied. Suddenly he moved his hand around to his back and rubbed it the way I had seen him do earlier while he was naked in his room.
Shock was the expression evident in his eyes. It looked like he was lost in thought for a few minutes before he brought his hand back to the wall and then continued with his interrogation. I stared at him as he looked at me hotly. I don’t remember seeing such inner frustration in his eyes before. I almost got the feeling his inner struggle might not have been about me.
I felt the hardness of his chest press more firmly against my breasts. He didn’t frighten me, I just felt like I had to be stronger and more determined. “You’ve made it very clear where we sit in regards to a relationship. You told me I was like a wart in your life. Most warts are removed as soon as possible. My intentions have traveled in a more likeable direction. Besides, I couldn’t ask you to give up your powers for me. I can’t walk around like a dog in heat forever. I need to scratch my itch, and soon.”
In a quick and sudden motion, his lips were on mine in a very forceful manner. It was as if he were trying to posses my body and soul with one kiss. I tried to push him away; I was too angry to allow this to happen. When all my efforts failed, I surrendered and allowed myself to succumb to his desire. I felt his hand on my body leaving a trail of shivers in its path. I opened my mouth to allow his tongue access, for it had been denied until this point. Our mouths and tongues were engaged in their own dance when I felt his hand go up my shirt to cup my breast.
I let out a sigh, and moved back into the rhythm that our bodies played together. He moved his mouth down my neck and collarbone. I had never been one of those people, that could get caught up in the heat of the moment so easily. The passion I had with this man drove my body to demand things that were forbidden to him because of his vow. His hands were pulling and tugging on my nipples through my new bra.
I placed my hands on his back and felt that his tattoo was hot. I thought about the way it glowed in the afternoon, and wondered if it was doing the same now. Hearing a loud thump from the other room, reminded me we were not alone in the house, and Ryan who was still in the other room could interrupt us. I pulled away from him and stared into his eyes.
“Why is your tattoo so hot? What does it mean?” I asked trying to cool the energy between us. A strange look came across his face and he stared at me with eyes that visibly softened as I spoke.
“Does it hurt?”
“It tells me that my energy is activated,” he replied looking away from me.
“What? That makes no sense. You already know that your energy is active; why does it need to burn?” We heard someone clear his throat. We separated our bodies to look at Ryan standing in the door wearing a mile wide grin.
“We do have a difficult quest ahead of us without starting another,” Ryan declared.
My body was once again hot, swollen and sweaty. My mind was in a daze as I followed the men to the front door. I barely heard as Ryan spoke softly to Derrick. If I hadn’t been walking so close behind, I would have missed their conversation.
“See, I told you she was into you. Although after what I saw between you, I wish it were me.”
“When she’s in my space, my tattoo heats up,” Derrick said.
“Oh…, that’s totally a different story! What are you going to do about it?”
The Temple
I took a small piece of their conversation, and ran a mile with it assuming what was said was not a good thing, but in realit
y, it was not to be taken that way at all. I thought that his tattoo was trying to tell him he had an allergy to me. They should just tell me, I thought, and then I could deal with it. Instead, I was left to imagine all sorts of scenarios about what they were meaning - all of them bad.
I watched them both turn around and look at me before they continued with another wordless conversation. Ryan nodded a couple of times and Derrick shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m still here,” I said. They both looked my way and Ryan gave me a wink and a nod. I was growing more annoyed by each passing second. They wouldn’t share anything with me. I felt more in the dark than I did before. Now there were two of them being secretive…that is all I needed.
We headed out the door directly towards the three full Fairy Rings that I had seen from the balcony. They both walked into the middle one and turned to look at me. Derrick motioned for me to enter the circle. I was standing in the ring when I watched both Ryan and Derrick draw symbols in the air with their hands. They both stood beside me and each of them held one of my hands. There was a huge flash of light. Suddenly our surroundings had totally changed. We were standing amongst trees and some low brush but nothing looked familiar to me. The humidity in the air felt muggy like I had just stepped out of a hot shower to an even hotter day. My skin started perspiring immediately.
Ahead was a large pyramid made out of huge blocks of stone. We headed towards a staircase at the front; I held my breath as we approached. It would take me close to half an hour to walk all the way up. I was relieved when we walked past the stairs, and headed around to the back of the pyramid. As we rounded the pyramid, both men started touching the rocks at eye level. They seemed to be turning and pushing on some of the stones attached to the wall of the pyramid.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked. They both turned, each man seemed lost in thought, or they could have been communicating with one of their wordless conversations, for all I knew. Derrick finally spoke.
“We’re looking for a symbol that will open up to the caverns below the temples”.
My mind went to fear, “Below… you mean underground.” I could feel panic take over as I remembered my dream. I was going to stay above ground. There was no way that I would allow myself to be trapped in a dark cave alone. The idea of being underground and alone was more frightening to me than anything I had encountered so far.
I searched around in my pockets for my Turad. I was going to make sure I was prepared for anything. I placed it in a secret place I could reach easily.
“I found it, hurry!” Ryan said excitedly. I watched Ryan take a silver key from a string around his neck. The end of the key had symbols and strange engravings all over it. He inserted the key into what looked like a keyhole in the side of the stone. There was a loud crash and a bang. It sounded like rocks falling off a cliff. Suddenly, an ancient door with symbols appeared beside the key in the hole. The door was made of a different stone than the rest of the pyramid.
Derrick examined the raised symbols on the surface of the door. It reminded me of the doors that have touch keypads for unlocking and locking. As he ran his hand over the surface, he started pushing on random symbols. With a faint clicking sound, the door slowly opened inward and blessed our eyes with darkness. I could see nothing, however, standing close to the door, but a cool breeze rushed at me from inside the pyramid. I felt a chill travel up my spine to the top of my head.
I watched the men move forward; each one held their Turad in hand at full blaze. They both stopped just inside the door to turn and look at me.
“I’m staying out here,” I said.
“You can’t," insisted Ryan. “If we get split up,
Soul's Journey Page 21
