Revelations

by Butler, Christine M.

  Jaxon had gotten up to head into the kitchen and make herself some food when the door to the RV burst open. She was able to grab a pillow to throw in front of her, to hide her nakedness just as her mom walked through the door.

  "I'm so happy to see the two of you so in love and able to show it in front of all these kind souls here who have taken us in despite the danger to themselves, but I wonder if it has occurred to either of you that this is not a honeymoon." Merriwyn looked at Jaxon who was clutching the pillow to herself, and then she turned to see Seth walking down the small hallway in just a pair of boxers. She quickly rounded on Jaxon again, "You should be ashamed of yourself. Your best friend's mother lies right next door in a coma that I can't pull her out of and that child has been trying to talk to you for two days now about everything. She had to wander off with Mikel this morning - a perfectly find young man, but a stranger to Caislyn, nonetheless. He is willing to try to cheer her up when her father is dead and her mother's life hangs in the balance, but you are here - hold up for two days acting like a teenager with a new boyfriend." She then turned her fiery wrath on Seth who had already started to throw his pants on. "And you - you should know how this works. We are to contribute to this community while we are here and you have done nothing to help out. All that vampire strength going to waste when they can use it." She glanced between the two of them, bot now looking thoroughly guilty, "I have to leave soon to get some supplies to help with Vesta. I can not do that until I can get you all on the same page, cooperating with everyone here instead of playing like this is vacation. Now, hell is about to be unleashed on top of all of us in the form of a pretty nasty storm, I am sure the people here could use some help getting ready for it. They need to set up a mess hall with proper drainage before it happens, as no one has eaten yet today."

  Seth pulled a t-shirt over his head and walked towards the door to the RV, "I'll go see to it," he said with his head down.

  "I'll go look for Caislyn," Jaxon said, but she hadn't moved yet because she was obviously naked under the pillow.

  "No, you won't. Caislyn is being well taken care of right now. You can, however, get dressed and come learn something while we try to help Vesta again this morning."

  "Wait, Caislyn is being taken care of?"

  "Yes, I do believe she fell in the freezing cold creek this morning when she was out with Mikel." Merriwyn knew already that Gregore was with her, and she had been filled in my Mikel about Gregore and Caislyn's past. At least what he knew of it. She purposely left out this information for Jaxon though because she wanted her daughter to feel worse for not seeing to her friend and her responsibilities before herself."

  ~...~

  When Gregore went back inside the tent he found a sleeping Caislyn. He didn't want to wake her, but he thought it would be better to get the soup in her now while it was still hot. He rubbed her back and whispered her name until she turned to face him. He reached over and gently caressed the pillow creases on her face. "I hope you haven't been drooling all over my pillow!" She smiled up at him, and then frowned immediately as a cold chill coursed through her causing a violent shiver to run the length of her body. "Here," Gregore said as he helped her sit up and piled more blankets on top of her. "I brought some hot stew. It should help warm you from the inside out." He was rewarded with another smile.

  "You've been the only bright spot in all of this since I left Elizabeth City." Tears started falling down Caislyn's face and Gregore brushed them away with his fingertips. "My dad is gone, Greg and my mom..."

  "Shh, it's going to be okay, Caislyn." He held her tight and rocked her back and forth gently.

  "I came all this way, only to have them both lost to me in the end."

  "Caislyn," he pulled her away and looked down into her bright green eyes, "I believe your mom will get better. She's in the right place for it. I promise, I will do whatever I can to help."

  The first little pats of rain on the tarp outside let him know that the sky was getting ready to unleash the ugly beast he had seen on the horizon earlier. He picked Caislyn up and slid her over on the cot until they were both under the covers together. The rain started hammering down on the tarp now. "For now, we're going to be stuck inside. This is one hell of a torrential downpour we had coming our way." Gregore pulled Caislyn close and held her, running his hands up and down her arms to create some warmth through friction.

  Caislyn's hand flopped over the far side of the cot, her knuckles banging into something as she did so. She reached down and pulled out the framed 8x10 sketch she had done so long ago of Gregore and herself on the playground that day they met. She touched the frame and traced the lines in the drawing over and over. "I have a copy of this that I keep with me too." Gregore just stared past her at the drawing she now held in her hand.

  "You know, I used to dream about you when I was young too. Only, I dreamed about an older you. I hadn't thought about it in years until the dreams started coming again."

  "Oh yeah?" Caislyn questioned, curious to hear about these dreams now.

  "Yeah, not too long ago, a few days before you arrived here, I had a dream that we were standing across a river from one another. We both wanted desperately to cross the river, but it kept growing wider and then before I knew it you were gone completely."

  "I had that same dream, and then my dad came to me. He was dream-walking. You know, visiting inside my dream. He showed me the castle where my mom was being kept and told me I had to get there soon because he wasn't sure how much more she could take. He acted like he would never see me again, and then he was gone. And he was right, on both counts."

  Gregore hugged Caislyn a little closer, "I'm so sorry, Cais." He kissed the top of her head, "I wish I could take all the pain away from you and give you back your family." Again, he kissed her and kept holding on. "I don't know what to do though."

  "Just don't let go," she whispered to him above the pattering of the relentless rain. She turned to Gregore and leaned up to kiss him. Their mouths lingered together for a few moments, reveling in the sensation of finally meeting up the way they were meant to. As if in concert with the wild emotions that swept through both of them and the weather outside, that kiss turned into much more than just a kiss; just as the rainstorm turned into something more with the first crack of thunder. Clothes were being tossed between lightening flashes, the rain drops overhead were as relentless as the kisses that both Gregore and Caislyn were demanding of each other. One more crack of thunder and it seemed for a moment that the whole world stopped to take a breath as Gregore entered Caislyn. Another, louder, boom sounded in the heavens as she threw her head back in ecstasy. This was a release they had both been waiting for too long to experience. All thoughts of their surroundings were forgotten as Caislyn cried out, her voice carrying through the flimsy tent material, and out to the area surrounding Gregore's lodging. The occasional clap of thunder was the only thing that drowned out the sounds of their love making. As the passion between them began to heat up lightening struck a tree nearby, sending it crashing down, just missing tents. It just missed their tent, the tip of the tree landing precariously near the fire pit that remained ignited thanks to the temporary, makeshift roofing the villagers had placed over it. As the vibrations of the fallen tree rippled through the ground, both Caislyn and Gregore found their climax. Gregore lay on top of Caislyn, watching her. It wasn't until she opened her eyes and smiled up at him that he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He brushed away sweat that had collected at her hairline and started trickling into her face. "It looks like we found a way to bring your temperature back up," he said to her laughing.

  "Yeah, I guess we did." She pushed at him to get him to move, so he slid off of her, coming out of her for the first time. She didn't get up to leave, as he feared she would, instead she rolled him over and lay herself on top of his chest, listening as his heartbeat hammered away. "I missed you so much, but I am seriously glad that was our first time."

  "Why?" He asked, whil
e rubbing her hair back out of her face.

  "Because I really didn't know what I was missing." Gregore smiled and bent his head to kiss Caislyn's.

  "I know exactly how you feel." The two of them lay there for a few more minutes, and watched as the cabin of the tent began to lighten, the rain drops eased to a light mist, and their breathing had long since gone back to normal. "I guess we better go see what we broke out there."

  Caislyn laughed. "What we broke? I think it was the lightening."

  "Nope, I don't think so." He held his hand out to her as he stood up in the middle of the tent, pulling her towards him. "I'm pretty sure what we just did was way more powerful than that storm." Caislyn playfully smacked at his chest and bent down in search of her clothes. It took her a few minutes to realize that her own clothes had been soaked in the creek earlier, but Gregore was ready. "Here," he said as he handed her the sweatpants he helped her into earlier.

  "Thanks, I almost forgot about the creek." Gregore smiled at her and continued dressing himself while she got ready.

  "At least you had the sense to take your boots off before you tried to swim."

  "Yes," she said turned her feet this way and that showing off her boots. "My feet are already thanking me."

  Together, they walked out of the tent and into a mass of people who had come to inspect the fallen tree. Everyone turned, some of them who had been close enough to hear what was going on in the tent prior to the tree falling began clapping. Caislyn dipped her head into Gregore's shoulder to hide as a crimson blush began sending waves of heat across her face. "Oh, wow. The walk of shame in a gypsy camp is bad!"

  "Walk of shame, huh?" Gregore said as he tossed her to the gypsies. "Not here, I get to walk around like a stud for making you scream like that. You were actually louder than the thunder!" He was laughing, but so were all the others who had gathered around. Caislyn took her boot back off and threw it at Gregore, then took the other one off and threw that at him too.

  "Ow!" He said laughing, and catching the boots as he watched her walking down the length of the tree barefoot. It didn't slip Gregore's notice that not everyone was laughing. Mikel had been standing nearby, and as soon as the outburst and catcalls started, he turned in a huff and walked off out of site, into the tree line. Gregore looked back up at Caislyn who was now standing on top of the widest part of the fallen tree. He laughed as she admirably took a bow in front of everyone before jumping down.

  Gregore was about to go to Caislyn when a small, frail hand caught his own. He turned to see Pavlina, the eldest of the clan grasping for him. "You've turned the skies blue, she is your bride now." At Gregore's questioning glance, Pavlina pointed a finger up toward the sky, letting it be known exactly what she meant. There were dark clouds raging past on either side of the alcove in the trees that they called home, but dead center the sky was the same beautiful azure blue of that morning.

  "What in the..." Pavlina's finger found it's way to his mouth to shush him before he could curse the day.

  "You must not curse it. This is a sign of the Gods pleasure with your union. We shall celebrate tonight under the magic sky."

  Caislyn wandered back over as Pavlina was speaking, "what are we celebrating?"

  The old woman smiled at her and took Caislyn's hand in her own, while holding onto Gregore's other hand. "Your marriage." The old lady squeezed both Caislyn and Gregore's hands and then walked away, yelling directions to everyone in the little gypsy encampment.

  "Um, what was that all about?" Caislyn asked Gregore while trying to contain the deer in the headlights look she was currently wearing. He tipped Caislyn's head up and she puckered up for a kiss. He simply smiled down at her.

  "Look up, past me, Caislyn." The moment she did, her jaw dropped, and she spun around looking at the sky and how the dark clouds were passing by on either side of the gypsy camp now.

  "What does this mean? What's happening?"

  "Pavlina just informed me that it means the Gods have favored our union and are shining down on us now, so we must marry."

  "Wait, we must what?" Panic was beginning to set in as the reality of the situation finally sunk in. "Um, I have to go." Caislyn took off for the RV she was sharing with her mother and Merriwyn. Surely, Merriwyn would know how to fix this. Gregore stood, watching Caislyn run off across the camp.

  "Looks like you lost your bride already, Gregore." Mikel smiled, enjoying the site.

  "Ah, Mikel, I don't expect you to understand Caislyn the way I do. She's in panic mode. She'll be an entirely different person by tonight's ceremony." Gregore smiled, clapped the man across his back and then walked over to secure his own tent that he and Caislyn had left open in their haste to see the downed tree.

  ~...~

  "Caislyn, what's going on?" Jaxon asked as Caislyn burst through the door, crazy energy rolling off of her in waves.

  "Merriwyn?" Caislyn yelled, ignoring Jaxon as she pushed deeper into the back of the RV to where they had her mom set up. "Merriwyn, I need you!"

  Merriwyn came rushing out of the bedroom area, "what is it?" Caislyn grabbed her hand and pulled her outside of the RV.

  "Look up."

  Merriwyn did as she was instructed and then smiled. "Good news just keeps coming, doesn't it? When is the ceremony to take place?"

  "What? How do you..." Caislyn was confused, but Jaxon was more so as she watched the strange interaction between her mom and her friend.

  "What's going on here?" Jaxon asked again, hoping for an answer this time.

  "Greg and I..." Caislyn stopped, the blush spreading up her neck and into her cheeks. "Well, we..." Jaxon needed no more and didn't want to torture her friend when she sensed there was more to it than a little sex.

  "I get the pic, Cais, so what's the big deal?"

  "The big deal is that," she said as she pointed up to the sky.

  "Oh, my God! How did that happen?" Jaxon asked.

  "The old lady said that it was a sign from the Gods that they were pleased with our union, and that we must be married tonight."

  Merriwyn was still smiling which was nerve-wracking enough for Caislyn, but Jaxon burst out laughing. "Seriously?"

  Merriwyn looked at the girls, "let's go talk about this inside, we're beginning to attract attention and I don't think you want to look disappointed in the Gods' blessing out here in the open, Caislyn." The three of them went back into the RV and sat down in the living room area. "I don't mean to embarrass you at all, but can you tell me exactly what happened so I can see if there is any wiggle room to get you out of tonights ceremony?"

  "Uh, yeah! Greg took me to his tent after I fell in the creek. He left to get some soup and when he came back, well..." he blush was back again, but Caislyn went one, "we kissed and then the rain came."

  "And," Merriwyn pushed for more.

  "And we made love and it was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced, especially with the storm and it just felt electrifying, more so than the storm itself. Then, just when we were... you know, at that point... a tree fell. It barely missed the tent and the tip of the tree ended just shy of the fire pit. I guess a bolt of lightening took it down, and... we felt the ground shake. We spent a couple minutes just there in each other's arms till we heard the rain stop, and it got bright in the tent. We went to check on the tree that fell, and Pavlina pointed out the sky above us and the storm raging past on either side. She told Gregore that the Gods blessed our union or something like that."

  "Indeed they did." Merriwyn said, lost in thought.

  "And you fussed at us for breaking the couch!" Jaxon playfully shouted at Caislyn. "You get with a guy and a forest starts falling down. I think that's way worse." Caislyn picked up a pillow and threw it at Jaxon.

  "That is sooo not helping." Caislyn looked from Jaxon back to Merriwyn, "what am I supposed to do now? I mean, I love Gregore, always have, but I am not ready for marriage."

  "Let's go ask Vesta what she thinks of all this, shall we?"

  "Mom? She's aw
ake?" Caislyn didn't wait for an answer she got up and ran for the room where her mom was resting. "Mom?" Caislyn called out. She ran over to the side of the bed Vesta was on and took her hand.

  "My baby girl," Vesta said as she opened her eyes. Caislyn looked up through tears towards Merriwyn.

  "How did this happen?"

  "It seems the last hour or so has been filled with miraculous things, does it not?"

  Caislyn eyed Merriwyn with a questioning glare, but said no more.

  "I heard bits and pieces of your conversation," Vesta looked to Merriwyn too, "Is it true? Has my daughter received the blessing of the Gods?"

  "It would appear so, and right around the time you came back to us as well."

  "Caislyn, you must go through with whatever they tell you to tonight." Vesta's breathing was a bit labored as she spoke and she tried to squeeze Caislyn's hand, but her effort went unnoticed for the most part.

  "I don't understand." Caislyn expressed to both elder witches in the room.

  "We haven't the time to explain now." Merriwyn countered.

  "Is Gregore here?" Vesta asked. At the sight of Caislyn's eyes growing wide, she had her answer. "I knew it would be him. The two of you have been at each other's side since you were little. Witches feel the link of destiny in their blood."

  "I honestly don't know what's going on here." Caislyn looked to her friend who simply shrugged.

  "This has been your world a lot longer than mine, I thought you would understand, but I definitely don't."

  A knock at the door brought them all back to their senses. Seth walked in and noticed Vesta was awake. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I'm very happy to see your mom awake, Caislyn."

  "Me too."

  "Seth, perfect timing." Merriwyn grabbed him by the arm and started steering him back out of the room and the RV. "You need to get word to Arkos." She paused, lowering her voice a bit, "let him know Caislyn has received the blessing of the Gods."