Supernova (Supernova Saga)

by C. L. Parker

  “Thanks for the warning, Ty.” Dominic clapped him on the back almost causing him to fall over. He walked over to Kerrigan and Lucy and leaned his forearms onto the counter. “What’s up?”

  “Lucy’s going to tell you what the stones on your bracelet mean. And it looks like I’m going to go over there and try to pry Gabe’s hands off the merchandise.”

  She went to go join Gabe, who looked to be trying on every single piece of jewelry he could manage to get on his body, including clip-on earrings to his nipples.

  Once Kerrigan was out of earshot, he turned to Lucinda. “I assume you’re the same Lucy, Availia’s Lucy?”

  “You assume right. May I?” she asked with a nod toward his wrist.

  Dominic held his right wrist out to her, not really comfortable with doing so after the weirdness of their initial greeting.

  “You’re timid. Did I make you uncomfortable earlier?”

  “A little. It just felt like you were inside my head poking around some pretty personal memories. You saw it, didn’t you? It’s true what people say?”

  “Yes, to both of your questions,” she answered. “I’m a seer, and you’ve been through a lot, young man. With more to come. Kerrigan will help you, just as Availia did, even if she doesn’t yet know the power she has surging through her. You’re fond of her, no?”

  Dominic was taken aback by her question. He hadn’t even fully come to that conclusion himself. Hearing her say it out loud, it didn’t sound wrong. He answered her with a simple nod, and she left it at that.

  “Kerrigan made this bracelet and gave it to you,” she started, eyeing his jewelry. “I’m sure she didn’t consciously know at the time that it had a purpose, but destiny did. When two souls are lost to one another, destiny always has a way of bringing them back around to the other, making them whole. She was making it for her other half, for you. You’re her twin flame, Dominic.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “I’ll explain, but let’s start with the jade. It’s the prominent stone in this piece,” she continued. “It’s used for protection and self-healing. Given what you’ve been through, I’d say that’s a very fitting stone. Wouldn’t you?”

  “I suppose so. But, I’ll never be completely whole again.”

  “Never say never, Dominic.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “Now, the moonstone. There’s only one. Did you notice that?”

  “I did. It’s a little hard to miss.”

  “Yes, well the moonstone is a passionate stone, a stone for lovers. There is only one true love, one soul mate, or twin flame, for each and every one of us. Yours has staked a claim on your heart with this one, seemingly insignificant, token. When the time comes that one flame finally finds the other, they’re drawn to each other like magnets. The result is really quite phenomenal.” She gave him one of those smiles that said she was keeping a secret from him.

  “I, uh…I don’t think that’s…” Dominic stumbled, thrown off by her interpretation.

  Lucy interrupted him. “Of course, Kerrigan didn’t know it at the time she gave it to you. She was far too young. But the flame that resides in her heart did. It was her destiny. You are her destiny, and she is yours. You can try to fight it, but in the end, you will always come back to her, as she will always come back to you.

  Have you ever heard the phrase: Love conquers all?”

  “I think you’re reading too much into it.” Dominic pulled his wrist away and tucked his hand in his pocket, as if hiding the bracelet away would somehow conceal his true emotions as well.

  “Am I? Well I guess only time will tell.” Lucy smiled knowingly. “Kerrigan is wearing the same stone, but Availia gave it to her for a different reason. You see, a moonstone can be revitalized when placed in the light of a full moon, because that’s when the light is brightest. For Kerrigan, it doesn’t have to just be the moonlight. Any source of natural light will work the same. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I think so.” Availia spent a lot of time in the sun on the days following that night that his soul was nearly ripped out of his body, and with each passing minute, she seemed to grow stronger and stronger.

  “She’s almost ready,” Lucy said. He knew full well what she was talking about. “You’ll need to give her the letter within the next couple of days. Her training must begin soon.”

  Dominic nodded his understanding. “Do you know what she’s training for, exactly?”

  Before Lucy could answer, Kerrigan came up behind him with the rest of their friends.

  “Hey, we should probably be going if we want to get to the lighthouse before it closes.”

  “Yes, youngsters should be out having fun, not meandering around a bunch of antiques, myself included,” Lucy laughed. “Now shoo! Go. And Kerrigan…be careful. You never know what might be lurking around in those old lighthouses.”

  “Aw, no worries, Lucy. I already promised Dominic that I’d protect him from the boogey man.” Kerrigan laughed and playfully poked him in the ribs.

  Lucy smiled, but gave Dominic a meaningful glance when Kerrigan wasn’t looking.

  “Thanks, Lucy!” Kerrigan said as she wrapped her arms around her. “For everything.”

  “No need for thanks, dear. If you should ever need anything, don’t hesitate to pop in,” Lucy said as she gave her a firm hug.

  The others said their goodbyes as they all filed through the door with Kerrigan and Dominic bringing up the rear.

  “Dominic?” Lucy called after him.

  He and Kerrigan turned toward her.

  “I’m just curious. What date were you born?”

  “January 24th, 1985. Why?”

  “And do you happen to know at what time?”

  Dominic thought it was an odd question to ask, but he happened to know the exact time because it was so unusual.

  “At twelve noon, exactly.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Lucy said with a satisfied smile. “You two better get going. I believe your friends are waiting for you.”

  With a dumbfounded look on his face, he put his hand to the small of Kerrigan’s back and ushered her out.

  “What the hell do you suppose all that was about?” Dominic asked as they walked toward their friends.

  “Dominic, my birth date was January 24th, 1985…At exactly twelve noon.”

  He tossed his head back and laughed. “Very funny, Querida.”

  “Gabe!” Kerrigan called out. Their friends stopped walking and turned to see what she wanted. Once they caught up, she turned to Gabe. “Wanna’ know Dominic’s birth date?”

  “Why? Does he want me to jump out of a cake nekked for him or something? ‘Cause it ain’t got to be his birthday for me to do that.” Gabe gave Dominic a suggestive look. “Anytime, boo-boo. An…ny…time.”

  “Okay, wait. Maybe this’ll be more believable if you tell him the date and time I was born.”

  “Easy peasy. Prissy tells the same damn story every year,” Gabe said with an eye roll. “Exactly twelve noon, on the twenty-fourth of January, star date 1985.”

  Kerrigan smiled at Dominic. “See? Told you so.”

  Dominic just stared at her slack-jawed.

  “Wanna’ hear something wicked?” she asked her friends.

  “Always,” Sydney answered.

  “Dominic was born at exactly the same time, on exactly the same date.”

  “Dude, that’s mondo insane,” Tyson said, as only a surfer could. “I mean, what are the odds? It’s like cosmically impossible.”

  “Nah, man. I’d say more like it could only be possible cosmically,” Talon rebutted.

  “Yeah, that’s all cool guys, but, um, we don’t have much time before I need to be back home, so we should probably get over to the lighthouse,” Dominic said, dismissing the conversation.

  And just like that, the topic was dropped.

  Tyson threw Olivia over his shoulder, causing her to squeak in surprise. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!” He shouted and then
took off running toward the parking lot.

  “He’s such a big kid,” Talon said with a shake of his head. Despite his mock disapproval of Tyson’s antics, he snatched Sydney up and took off after him.

  “Ya’ll are so stupid!” Gabe called after them. “But there ain’t nothing rotten about me. Here, hold my murse.” He thrust a small shoulder bag into Kerrigan’s chest and took off after the others with his arms and legs flailing in the air.

  “Murse?” Dominic asked with his eyebrows raised in question.

  Kerrigan sighed. “It’s a man purse.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” he murmured and then yelled after Gabe, “You run like a girl!”

  “Bite me!” Gabe yelled back.

  “So, you have plans tonight?” Kerrigan asked.

  “Yeah.” It was too hard to look her in the eye and lie, so he ducked his head and watched his feet instead.

  “Like a hot date?” she pressed, needing to know the answer.

  Dominic had hoped she wouldn’t ask him, but he knew that she would probably just keep pushing him if he didn’t give her some sort of answer. It seemed a distraction was in order.

  Rounding the corner into the alley, he saw that the others were already in their vehicles and pulling out. Dominic grabbed Kerrigan, and, before she knew it, her back was pressed against the brick wall of a building with his hands planted on either side of her shoulders, caging her in.

  “What are you doing?” Kerrigan asked, taken off guard by his abruptness. His nearness as his body came into contact with hers wasn’t exactly helping either.

  “I think you mentioned something about rewarding me with a kiss if I came out tonight?” he asked. His husky voice unraveled her from the inside out.

  He dipped his head and pressed his parted lips to the crook of her neck, his light beard caressing the underside of her jaw line and enticing her more. Kerrigan’s hands found his thick mane and brought him closer to her sensitive skin. He forged a wet trail of open-mouthed kisses along the length of her neck, his cold breath blowing over the warmth of his kiss and creating a mind-blowing sensation. Eventually, he made it to her lips and hesitated with his forehead pressed to hers.

  The hesitation wasn’t because he had changed his mind. He just wanted to make sure she hadn’t.

  Kerrigan answered his unspoken question, squelching any doubts he may have had. She arched her neck and sucked his bottom lip between hers chastely once, and then a second time. She let her teeth graze against the sensitive skin. Dominic hummed in appreciation as he rolled his hips against hers. He ravaged her mouth, his tongue sweeping over her bottom lip, asking for entrance. When she granted it, his hands flew to her hips to hold her closer, his thumb pressing that spot on her right hip.

  Kerrigan’s back arched as that feeling took over her body again. It was like a magic button that only Dominic knew how to work. She moaned into his mouth and slid her arms under his to wrap around his back and hook her hands over his shoulders. Her full breasts pressed against his chest, and she began to move her hips in time with his, seeking friction.

  “You’re driving me loco, Querida. We have to stop.” Dominic broke the kiss and took a step back to try to bring his pulse back down to an acceptable level.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Kerrigan said between breaths. Her eyes swept over his heaving body and came to rest on the bulge in his jeans. “Looks like you’re getting a bit too worked up there,” she smirked with a lift of one eyebrow.

  “Well if you hadn’t been grinding all up on my junk, I wouldn’t be having this problem right now,” Dominic defended himself, hoping to piss her off enough that she wouldn’t question him any further. “Christ, I am a man, you know…with a very healthy sexual appetite, I might add. So stop being such a cock tease.”

  “Cock tease!?” she squealed with a hand on her hip. “You’re the one who said we had to stop.”

  “Yes, I did. That doesn’t make me a tease. That just means I’m at least semi-conscious of the time. We need to catch up to the others,” Dominic said, dropping the subject. “Come on.”

  “Ugh! You’re an infuriating man, Dominic Grayson!” She pushed off the wall and stomped toward his car, leaving Dominic to trail behind. Not that he wasn’t enjoying the view.

  “By the way, I really like the way the word cock sounds coming out of your mouth,” Dominic called after her, to which Kerrigan only huffed and shot him a dirty look.

  She didn’t offer to speak to him on the drive to the lighthouse, and he didn’t try to get her to talk either. As long as she wasn’t talking, she wouldn’t ask him about his plans for the rest of the evening.

  The gang was waiting for them when they pulled into the parking space at the lighthouse. Gabe had his shirt pulled up while Sydney blew raspberries on his stomach, and he giggled like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Kerrigan didn’t wait for Dominic to open her door before she jumped out and slammed it behind her.

  “It’s about time,” Tyson huffed. “Did you all stop off for a quickie or something?”

  “Yes, Ty. That’s exactly what we were doing.” Kerrigan answered sarcastically as she walked past them to go inside. She stopped just outside the door and turned back to them. “The sign says they closed at six o’clock, guys.”

  “It’s cool,” Talon said, stepping up beside her and knocking on the door. “The light keeper is our uncle.”

  A big burly man cracked the door open to peer out. His face lit up with a big smile once he saw Talon standing there. “Talon, my boy!” he greeted him and then gave him a big bear hug. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hey, Uncle Raymond!” Tyson stepped in front of Kerrigan to greet his uncle as well. “We just wanted to take our friends on a tour if that’s okay.”

  “Sure, sure! Come on in,” he said, stepping aside to grant them passage. He was a jovial man, that much was clear. He hadn’t stopped smiling since he opened the door. He kind of reminded Kerrigan of her grandfather. “Take your time, but don’t break anything.”

  Kerrigan locked arms with Gabe and they followed the others inside with Dominic close behind. While the rest of them dispersed throughout the rooms to look at different things, Kerrigan stopped to look at the exhibit of toys left behind by the children of the former keepers. There was a little baby doll with long, curly brown hair in a delicate light blue dress and a little china tea set. The wooden box curios where they were displayed were antiques in and of themselves. Kerrigan wondered if they belonged to the three little girls that she had always heard fell from the handcart and drowned in the ocean during the 1800s.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Dominic’s finger appeared in her peripheral vision with a penny on the tip.

  Kerrigan rolled her eyes at his corniness. “Where do you go every night?” It wasn’t what she had been thinking about at that moment, but it was still a pressing question in her mind.

  Dominic sighed and shoved the penny back into his pocket. He should’ve known she wouldn’t let it go. His ego was severely bruised that his kiss hadn’t been enough to make her forget.

  “That’s my business,” he huffed, trying to make his voice sound stern because it was probably the only way to get her to back off. “I don’t believe I’m required to check in with you whenever I decide to leave the house, Kerrigan.”

  The tone he had taken with her was not only uncalled for, but it hurt her feelings. So, to mask the hurt, she lashed back. “You don’t, Dominic,” her voice was laced with sarcasm. “But you wanted to know what I was thinking about, and that was it.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “I don’t know why I care, I just do. Grammy said I need to protect you, and I can’t do that if you’re out gallivanting around all over town with some whore, now can I?” Clearly she had contracted a serious case of diarrhea of the mouth.

  “I know what she told you, Kerrigan. I was there. But I don’t need you to take care of me. I can take care of my damn self.” Apparently the disease was contagious.
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  “What do you mean you were there?”

  “Um, yeah. What I meant is that she told me the same thing…before she passed,” he clarified, covering his mistake.

  A frigid blast of air engulfed the room and distracted Kerrigan just as she was about to rip him a new one.

  “Does it feel like it’s getting cold in here to you?” She folded her arms over her chest and rubbed her upper arms to generate warmth. Her teeth started chattering, and a shiver ran through her body as her breath came out in white puffs. It was eighty degrees outside, so it just didn’t make any sense for it to suddenly be that cold. But she had felt something like it before. In her room, the night Grammy visited her.

  “Someone’s here,” Kerrigan whispered, looking around the room, but not seeing anyone. “Grammy?”

  Dominic turned to look around the room as well. That’s when he saw him. “It’s not Availia,” Dominic said and then shoved Kerrigan behind him in a protective stance.

  There was an apparition of a man facing off with Dominic. Although his transparent form was flickering in and out like old film being projected onto a white screen, Dominic could see him.

  The man was dressed in a pair of tattered bellbottomed pants and a dark navy blue shirt that was ripped to shreds. He reminded Dominic of one of those old sailors from the various pictures on the walls. He had a dark bruise that wrapped around his neck, and his head was a little cocked to the side. He had obviously been hung, or had committed suicide.

  “You can see me?” the ghostly figure asked in a gruff voice.

  Dominic nodded. “Who are you and what do you want?”

  “My name is William, and you don’t want to mess with me, boy. That little girly there’s just singing with energy. And I want it now. So step aside before you get hurt.”

  “That’s not gonna’ happen,” Dominic muttered through clenched teeth.

  “What’s not going to happen?” Kerrigan asked, confused. He was talking to thin air like a crazy person, and it scared her. Before he could stop her, she shoved past him to get away.