Life After: The Complete Series

by Julie Hall

  Between chasing Kevin and artfully weaving through the masses, I almost missed the large white tent until it was practically upon me. It stood shiny white, with poles like a circus tent stretching high into the sky. I stopped and gawked.

  The trance was broken when someone bumped into me, forcing me to take a shaky step forward. I quickly scanned for Kevin, worried I’d lost him in the horde. Moving in the direction I’d last seen him, I glimpsed his back just as he rounded a corner of the tent. I broke free of the denser crowd to follow, half-jogging, half-speed-walking to catch up.

  When I rounded the corner, I smashed right into someone and stumbled. Warm hands shot out to steady me. With a rush, I was ambushed by foreign emotions and sucked in a harsh breath. Surprise, followed by curiosity and a measure of concern. Then the arms dropped away, leaving me alone with my own emotions.

  “Hey there! Sorry about that—I just wanted to make sure you didn’t fall.”

  I gave myself a mental shake and glanced up. My near collision was with a handsome prince. Literally, the stranger was dressed like a prince. He caught me staring at his outfit and shifted uncomfortably.

  “Oh yeah, this, it’s actually kind of a joke.”

  When my eyes reached his face, I found my voice. “So you’re saying you don’t dress up like royalty on a regular basis?”

  I cocked an eyebrow, a small smile forming.

  When he realized I was poking fun at him, he seemed more at ease and matched my smile.

  “Only for very special occasions.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, at least your friends will be able to find you in a crowd.” I turned my head and did a quick scan of all the crazy get-ups. “On second thought, maybe not.”

  He laughed along with me.

  “Seriously though, sorry about running into you. I thought I saw a friend head this way.” I peeked my head around his side, but no Kevin. That’s so bizarre. How could I have lost him?

  “Yeah, no problem, it was an interesting way to meet. And speaking of . . . Hello, new friend, my name’s Jonathon.”

  “I’m Audrey.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Audrey. And may I say that color of blue looks very lovely on you.”

  I willed my cheeks not to change color and smiled politely. With sandy brown hair and eyes to match, he was certainly nice looking. It didn’t hurt that he was playing the role of Prince Charming.

  “Yes, it does.” Logan’s deep voice was unmistakable.

  He placed a hand possessively on the small of my back. I failed at keeping my cheeks from coloring this time. Jonathon’s eyebrows shot up a fraction as he regarded Logan, a sociable smile still in place. Logan wore his usual stoic mask, neither angry nor happy.

  “So this must be who you were trying to find?” Jonathon asked.

  “Oh no, it was someone else. Jonathon, this is Logan. Logan, Jonathon.”

  Jonathon immediately extended his hand toward Logan in the traditional greeting. Logan, however, just nodded his head. Jonathon let his hand drop.

  I was acutely aware that Logan’s hand hadn’t left my back and that he stood much closer than necessary. I didn’t want Jonathon to get the wrong idea. Heck, I was starting to get the wrong idea.

  “Jonathon, Logan’s my mentor.”

  Jonathon’s eyebrows shot up. “Whoa, so that means you’re a huntress? Wow, you are an extremely rare creature. I haven’t met a female hunter before.” The typical response. His smile broadened. “I guess that means I may be seeing more of you in the future.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m a healer.” My blank stare prompted him to continue. “Almost like a doctor. You guys come to us to get patched up. Most of our patients are hunters. They seem to get themselves banged up on a regular basis.”

  “Oh.” I gestured back to his outfit to change the subject. “So are you going to tell me what the joke is?”

  He dipped his head, and his voice dropped in volume. His nearness felt somewhat intimate to me, but I didn’t have anywhere to go with Logan’s hand boxing me in on the back and Jonathon’s broad frame on the front.

  “I’ll have to tell you about that another time. I think Cinderella is late for the ball and has a few of her mice waiting for her.” He shifted his eyes to the side conspiratorially. Following his gaze, I found Romona, Kaitlin, and Kevin all staring at us. How in the world did Kevin get over there?

  Jonathon stepped back, took my hand and brought it to his lips for a chaste kiss. There was more heat in that kiss than he showed on his face, and I blushed when he released my hand. Logan moved a bit closer and tensed up.

  “Now that I know where to find you, I’m sure we’ll bump into each other again. It was very nice to meet you, Audrey.” And then, as an afterthought, he included a nod of his head. “Logan.”

  With a wave, he stepped around us and disappeared into the multitude. Logan’s hand dropped from my back the instant the crowd swallowed Jonathon. I found Romona looking between Logan and me thoughtfully, Kaitlin literally doubled over in laughter, and Kevin’s eyes as big as saucers. I felt extremely exposed and kind of upset about inadvertently being made a spectacle. Regrettably, I did next what came most naturally. I turned on Logan.

  “What was that all about?”

  After removing his hand from my back, he’d taken a few steps away. The look on his face was detached.

  “What do you mean?”

  My eyes narrowed. “You know what I mean. What was up with the possessive act?” I gestured with my chin toward the bulky mass of people.

  He shrugged carelessly. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” Was that really how he was going to play this?

  A strange sound caught my attention. Kaitlin had finally straightened and was wiping tears between giggles and hiccups with a yellow handkerchief that matched her dress perfectly.

  “Oh, never mind.” I rejoined our friends, giving Kaitlin a scolding glare for good measure.

  “Oh, Audrey, I’m really sorry, that was just too much!”

  I rolled my eyes and pretended to ignore her, for once not regretting the dark thoughts directed at her. Kevin looked like he’d swallowed his tongue, so I turned to Romona. Her eyes were still thoughtful.

  “Well, now that we’ve found you again, should we go inside?”

  No longer in the mood to celebrate anything, I shrugged. The excitement of the night had waned with the weirdness that had just ensued. Was the whole evening going to feel like an emotional roller coaster? Following behind my friends I huffed. It better not.

  My jaw literally dropped when I stepped into the tent. I’d been distracted by the emotions of others as we bumped and jostled our way through the sea of people around us, but just one step inside, everything else was shoved from my mind.

  The first thing that registered was the magnitude of the interior of the tent. From the outside it appeared to be approximately the diameter of a city block and the height of a ten-story building. By contrast, the inside space had been stretched and pulled to accommodate a city rather than a mere building. It was as if we’d been transported to a whole new world.

  Just as I was about to swim against the crowd to double-check the exterior size of the tent, someone interpreted my bewilderment.

  “Gateways to all the other parts of the realm have been opened so we can celebrate together. Most of the realm is here right now, so it needs to be big enough to fit everyone,” Kaitlin informed me as she searched the crowd. “I may be able to track down some of my friends from home.”

  I nodded even as my eyes flew over the flocks of people. The music that drifted to my ears was like nothing I had ever heard. The perfect melody was created, sounding as if the wind was playing woodwinds and running water the strings. It was peaceful, exhilarating, and mesmerizing all at the same time. And it was also oddly fast-paced, with a catchy beat. Something you could really dance to.

  As we made our way deeper into the tent, the sights took my breath away. Lights hun
g suspended in the air and twinkled like stars. Colors more numerous than I could count emanated from the crowd and wafted upward, mingling with a multitude of shimmering angels flying gracefully above. I realized with a start that the colors were somehow coming from the people dancing.

  My eyes scanned for my friends, who had started to blend into the crowds. I spotted Kaitlin dancing first. Shimmering golden yellow dust floated around her like a halo before being sent up as she twirled with her hands in the air. Romona smiled at me wildly and grabbed my arm to join the group. A pale blue hue illuminated her and pulsed like a heartbeat. Kevin was dancing out of sync with Kaitlin, but she didn’t seem to mind. A bright sunset-orange aura surrounded him, and he sent up sparks every time his feet stomped the ground. I laughed in spite of myself. The atmosphere was infectious.

  “It’s the colors,” Romona was saying in my ear.

  “What?” I yelled back above the noise.

  “It’s the colors,” she repeated. “It’s like the empathy link, but you don’t have to be touching. In here, everything good gets mixed together and shared with each other.”

  My eyes widened. “Really? That’s so . . . so strange.”

  Romona laughed. “I know! But isn’t it amazing too?”

  And it was. How was it possible to be so happy, peaceful, and excited all at the same time? It made everything bad go away and just made me, well, want to dance.

  And so I did. I closed my eyes and danced like I never knew I could, free of insecurities, and it was amazing.

  Time ceased to matter anymore, and when I finally opened my eyes it was to discover that the world was bathed in purple. I caught my breath. My arms and legs were covered in a lattice of glowing lavender. I ran a hand down my arm, and the markings swirled like mist before slowly settling again on my skin like a blanket of intricate snowflakes. It was mesmerizing.

  “We were wondering when we might see you again.”

  It was only after their cloud of mixed teals and greys thinned that I recognized Deborah and LD. Their arms were linked. Deborah’s lustrous hair was piled on top of her head in an expertly styled tangle of braids. Her regal, one-shouldered emerald green gown with gold embellishments had an empire waist and flowed to the ground, allowing the tips of her golden Roman sandals to peak out. LD was dressed in a black tux complete with vest and tie. He reminded me of a wiser and more mature version of James Bond.

  “It’s you!” I exclaimed, slightly breathless. Even though Deborah’s strange parting words at Celestial Heights had left me equal parts anxious and eager to meet again, I now felt only excitement from the infectious atmosphere.

  “It’s us!” Deborah laughed. “We saw you from afar and wanted to see what you thought of the celebration.”

  “It’s kind of unreal.” I admitted. “No one really warned me it would be like this.”

  “It’s one of those things that’s easier experienced than explained, isn’t it?” LD asked.

  “I was told that several times over the last week. I can see their point, but I would have preferred to be a little more prepared”

  “Well we can’t always be one hundred percent prepared for every situation.” Deborah pointedly said. Before she’d spoken to me of purpose, plans, and wise decision-making. She now spoke of preparedness.

  “Agreed. I’m continually being challenged by that truth.” I laughed. “Some days more than others.”

  “Life, and even the afterlife, is a dance between being prepared and letting go. The wisdom is in knowing how to prepare and when it’s time to let go.”

  She’d lost me again. Was this another riddle of wisdom or a fortune-cookie insight?

  LD laid a hand on his wife’s shoulder. With an affectionate look and a small nod, she turned her ageless eyes toward me.

  “We’re sure you are well on your way to figuring out these things on your own.”

  “You have our every confidence, Audrey,” LD chimed in. “Now, what I want to know is have you had your first adventure as a huntress yet?” There was mischief in his eyes.

  “Oh, I suppose you could say that I have,” I hedged.

  “That’s grand! See, you’ve already broken the ice!”

  “And are things going well with Logan?” Deborah asked.

  “Some days are smoother than others,” I answered honestly, if vaguely.

  “I see.” A small smile played at the corners of her lips.

  “Romona is here somewhere.” I did a half-turn to look for her. “I’ll bet she’d like to say hello as well.”

  “We will keep a lookout for her.”

  LD shook my hand warmly and then looked at Deborah with playfulness in his eyes. “Audrey, it was such a pleasure to see you again, but I need to steal my beloved away for another dance.”

  “How could anyone refuse such a man?” she replied.

  “My point exactly! Audrey, we are waiting in anticipation for your adventures to play out.”

  Ha! More like misfortunes. “I’ll make the effort to search you out when I have a story worth telling.”

  “Excellent! Now enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  As they walked away, still linked arm in arm, their cloud of colors began to grow again, so tangled they existed as one instead of two.

  “Wild, isn’t it?” Kaitlin had twirled her way over. Her golden yellow haze sparkled, making her hair and skin shimmer.

  “You’re telling me! This really is unbelievable. Why didn’t you guys warn me about this?” I poked at one of Kaitlin’s sparkles before it disappeared.

  “You have to admit this is kind of hard to explain. How would you have taken it if we told you space would bend over on itself to create more space and that when you danced you would change colors?” She shrugged. “We couldn’t have told you what your color would look like anyway, and that’s the best part.”

  “Do the colors mean anything?”

  “Of course they do! They’re a reflection of who we are. Everyone’s is different because we’re all unique. It’s a manifestation of your spirit. Now that you’ve seen yours, there is something you know about yourself that you didn’t before.”

  “That my spirit is purple?”

  “Haha, exactly! And look!” She pointed her finger and lifted her face upward. Above us, all the different colors and textures were mingling. Beautiful was too mild a word to describe it. It was like a fireworks display, a sunset, and a rainbow all at once.

  Despite the brilliance of the sight above, something vivid from the corner of my eye stole my attention. My eyes followed and settled on Logan.

  Through the crowd, I caught glimpses of him dancing with Romona. He was laughing as he spun her around. His light was an intense silver that shone brightly as if a spotlight were on him. He was too far away to detect any details in the color, but even from where I was standing, he was spellbinding.

  I yelped at a sudden hand on my back. “I did say I’d see you again.” Jonathon’s voice was close enough to my ear that he didn’t have to yell.

  Kaitlin quickly covered the startled look on her face with an easy smile. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend, Audrey?”

  Jonathon stepped to my side but didn’t drop the hand on my back. That was a little forward, and since Logan wasn’t around to box me in this time, I took a casual step to my left, allowing Kaitlin into a circle.

  “This is Jonathon. I just met him.” And to Jonathon I said, “Kaitlin’s a huntress.”

  “Really! Another female hunter?”

  “We like to roam in packs.”

  Jonathon flashed Kaitlin a smile. “Kaitlin, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” He extended a hand.

  Kaitlin lifted an eyebrow before taking it. “Should I perhaps be giving you a curtsy instead?”

  Jonathon seemed uncomfortable with the comment. “Oh, this.” He looked down at his outfit. “It’s kind of a joke with the people I work with.”

  The smile Kaitlin gave Jonathon could only be described as c
onspiratorial. “That wasn’t what I was referring to.”

  The side of Jonathon’s mouth quirked up. “Oh, please. You know that doesn’t mean anything here. Besides, that was a lifetime ago.”

  “And modest at that. Hmmm, interesting.”

  Jonathon just shook his head.

  I glanced back and forth between the two of them. They continued their conversation almost as if I wasn’t there. That habit of Kaitlin’s was getting old fast.

  Finally Jonathon said, “Well, I was hoping to borrow my new friend here if you didn’t mind.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind.” The way she stressed the “I” made it obvious she thought someone else would.

  “Oh yeah,” Jonathon turned his head to look toward the crowd. “Do you think your boyfriend would mind?”

  “Huh?” I started to choke on nothing. Kaitlin gave my back a few hard hits before I got my breath back. “I don’t have a boyfriend!”

  Jonathon smiled broadly enough to show most of his white teeth. “Perfect! Then let’s go!”

  Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction. I could barely wave “good-bye” to Kaitlin. The last I saw of her, she winked and turned to weave back through the crowd.

  Jonathon pulled me through the crowd. “Hey, I can’t feel anything.” I lifted our joined hands to demonstrate, slowing our progression.

  He smiled patiently at me. “It’s because we’re all sharing emotions in here, so the link doesn’t work the same way. Too much stuff floating around to pick up on just one person.”

  “That’s interesting.”

  “Let’s keep going. I want to show you something.”

  I didn’t resist as he pulled me forward and we dodged through the sea of bodies. Before I knew it I was outside, fresh air filing my lungs. But a sense of disappointment left me bereft, and I tugged my hand free of his, whirling around to return to my friends.