Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series)

by Burgess, Marisette

“Nervous? You have nothing to be nervous about. Are you afraid of me?” This seemed to bother him.

  “I don’t know you… you aren’t typical…”

  “I can be typical. Are we not going on a typical date scenario tonight? Kasey, treat me like you would any ordinary American boy…”

  “Dion, there is nothing ordinary about you. Plus, I feel pressured. I can’t imagine what your expectations are…”

  Before I could finish, he stood before me. He placed his hands around my elbows. Then he slid them down until my hands were in his. I allowed his touch. I let out a small sigh and looked away from him. My heart hit the inside of my chest with violent pounds. On the back of my neck, a tingly sensation started and worked its way down my spine.

  “Kasey, I have no expectations. Please, stop worrying. I enjoy your company and if you find my company enjoyable, then let us focus on the here and now. Try not to think about my differences. We shall attempt to have a good time tonight.”

  I nodded. “Did Martin and John have a vision?” I stared into his dark eyes.

  He smiled. “Yes.”

  “How’s tonight going to end?”

  “I do not know. I told them not to tell me unless there was something dangerous that would occur.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Really?”

  “Yes, I want tonight to be a complete and total surprise.” He squeezed my hands twice.

  “I bet your definition of dangerous is completely different from mine.”

  He laughed.

  The chime from my phone interrupted our moment. It rang once and stopped.

  “That’s Madhu, she downstairs,” I whispered.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes…yes I am.” I swallowed nervously. I grabbed my phone, my little black purse, and my thin sweater, then we left.

  Madhu and Bernardo sat in a silver convertible Peugeot. Bernardo stayed seated behind the driver’s seat. Madhu opened the door and got out to let us into the back.

  “Hola,” she said and gave me a kiss on my cheek.

  “You look cute,” I grinned. She wore a black sweater over a silver beaded sparkly top with a black tight mini jean skirt.

  “Gracias, you too. Great to see you, Dion.” By the look on her face, she wasn’t sure I was really going to call him. I stepped into the backseat of the car.

  We said our greetings then were on our way. Bernardo was semi-attractive in a Fabio type of way. His dark features complimented his coal black shoulder length hair pulled back into a ponytail. The late Spain air was crisp and cool in the convertible. I shivered a few times. Dion put his arm around me. I didn’t fight it or pull away. I welcomed the warmth and desired the closeness.

  Everything was going to change tonight. The future was set into motion. I closed my eyes and inhaled the salty air. The romantic Mediterranean atmosphere, the magical city, and a world filled of immortals with super powers I was going to let the universe bring a night of possibilities my way.

  9. Kasey and the Mermaid

  The city shone in the night like a million glowworms sitting out in a meadow. Alive, it bustled with people and cars coming out to party. The club that Madhu and Bernardo chose was perfect, La Sirena, the mermaid an outdoor nightclub right on the bay. The clear blue-lit dance floor sat over the ocean water. The bar and the tiny shell tables were all themed to the clubs name. The D.J. played Latin music. Like seaweed dancing under water, beautiful people moved on the dance floor.

  “How do you like it, Kasey?” Madhu screamed as we grabbed an available high top with four stools.

  “This is very cool, I love the atmosphere.” I yelled back.

  Bernardo leaned into Madhu’s ear, and they giggled together. Dion’s hand tickled my ear as he placed my hair behind it, “What would you like to drink?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, something light, simple.”

  The music blared. In order to hear each other we kept our faces close. His baby soft skin and warm breath tingled every pore on my cheek.

  “I will be back.”

  Bernardo took Dion’s lead and made his way toward the bar as well.

  Madhu scooted over to me. “Sooo, you and Dion seem chummy with each other. What happened when you called?”

  “He said yes, and we are going to see how it goes tonight,” I said making light of the whole thing.

  “If he tries to kiss you, you let him. Take my advice.” Madhu shook her finger at me.

  “What?”

  “It is all revealed in the kiss. If he tries, let him. You will know by the kiss.”

  “Know what?” I asked, but the men returned and we focused our attention to them.

  “Thank you,” I said taking a sip of sweet white wine. “It’s good.”

  “Glad you like it,” he said. “It is a two thousand and nine white Chivite.”

  That meant nothing to me but obviously something to him.

  “The wine will keep you warm.”

  The night had a brittle cool breeze.

  “Ready to dance?”

  “Let me guess you’re a great dancer, right?” I asked.

  “Of course,” he said cocky. After two thousand years of living, I assumed cockiness was something naturally developed.

  I held my own on the dance floor, but his expertise level surpassed mine. He was patient and great at taking the lead. Even though I looked like a baby bird flapping its wings for the first time, he made me feel like I was a twirling floating snowflake.

  We would dance, take breaks with some more sips of wine, and then continue dancing. After one glass of wine, I began to feel loopy and had a hard time on the dance floor. Dion twirled me around fast and the world spun dizzily for a few seconds. He jerked me to a stop and grabbed my arm.

  “Are you okay?” he screamed over the music.

  I shook my head no. “I think the wine has gotten to me.” I fanned myself.

  He helped me to the table. “I will fetch you some water.”

  I tried to focus on a non-moving object. The whirling impression in my head caused my slight dizziness. My stomach began to cramp and I had this strange sensation, an awkward feeling as if something important was to happen. I spotted Madhu and Bernardo having a great time on the dance floor.

  On the other side of the club, two dark haired men sat at a table staring at me. They didn’t look like Spaniards, they were foreign. They had an heir of familiarity, but I couldn’t place their ethnicity. They didn’t look away when I caught them gawking. They wore serious stern expressions. The young men made me uneasy. I looked away. Their faces suggested that I was in some way bothering them. I couldn’t help myself, I looked back in their direction and they were gone.

  “How are you feeling? Is something wrong?” Dion returned with a glass of water.

  I shook my head. “Nothing, I think I became tipsy and the twirling made it worse.”

  “No more wine then.”

  By two o’clock I was hungry and tired. Mahdu and Bernardo decided they wanted to go to another place before heading home.

  “Are you sure you do not wish to come with us?” Madhu asked reconfirming.

  “No, no we are okay. I want to get back to Deia. Don’t worry, we will hail a cab.” I reassured her with a goodbye hug.

  “All right Kasey, adios.” She leaned into my ear. “And good luck.” Madhu winked before she got into the convertible with Bernardo. They drove off and I turned to face Dion.

  “So, what are you hungry for?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I think I’m too tired to eat. I want to get back to Deia. I can get something there if I’m still hungry.”

  “I know a couple of sandwich shops open this late. How do you want to get home?”

  “Well, I was thinking a cab. Why?”

  “How fast do you want to get home? I am quicker than a cab.”

  “Are you serious? You could carry me all the way to Deia running!”

  “Yes.”

  “Um…Dion I’m not exact
ly the lightest person…”

  “Kasey please, you are practically a feather to me.”

  “Well…um…okay let’s give this a try.” Nervous I looked around.

  He laughed, “Not here, too public. Let us take a walk down toward the beach where it is more deserted. Then from there I can run.”

  “Right… gotcha.”

  His fingers softly slipped into mine and he led the way. The beach was not far an eight-minute walk or so.

  “You surprised me tonight, Kasey. You are a decent dancer.”

  “Thank you. How is it that you seem to be an expert at almost everything?”

  “Years of practice.”

  “Tell me…about that.”

  “About what exactly?” He was tender.

  “I don’t know…how about the Greek gods that now live on Earth.”

  “There are a lot of them, I know some. We are good friends with a few demigods. They are scattered around the world. I am surprised that only a few of us are in Deia right now.”

  “Wait, what do you mean by that?” I asked.

  “Deia is a special place where immortals can come and stay for a longer time. We never have to worry about questions. The people here just look the other way at us. Take Helena for example, she has never left this little village. She says it brings her peace after the life she endured.”

  “Wait, Helena? The old woman she’s immortal?”

  “Yes, she is Helen of Troy the demigod,” he said casually.

  I stopped walking.

  “You mean I have met the Helen of Troy and she made me lunch,” I whispered my words.

  “Yes, but do not believe all the stories you have been taught, humans embellish and exaggerate a lot.” He stopped with me.

  Awe struck I stared into the dark water.

  “How could you not tell me who she was?”

  “Kasey, at the time you did not know about our world.”

  “I can’t believe that was Helen of Troy. Why is she an old woman and blind?”

  “She chose that form when she was sentenced by God. She wanted to spend the rest of her immortal life not being desired by men or even to look at them.” He continued to walk I followed.

  “Does she have a special power?” I asked.

  “Yes, she can read your thoughts when she touches your face. God graced her with that because she cannot see.”

  “Really… did she read mine?” Mildly concerned I couldn’t remember what I was thinking when we met.

  “Yes,” he smiled.

  “Ohhhh… that wasn’t nice. You tricked me by taking me there.”

  “No, it was no trick. I needed to stop by to pick up lunch. It was a coincidence that you were with me and met her.” He strained to sound legitimate.

  I didn’t buy it. “Uh-hum, sure. What did she tell you?” Suddenly alarmed, I feared I thought something about him and didn’t even know it. He snickered and turned to face the ocean. Whatever it was, it was going to embarrass me.

  “Dion! How awful what did she say?” I placed my hand on his shoulder I turned him toward me.

  “Nothing awful,” he laughed.

  “Tell me! What did she say?” My temper escalated.

  “I do not want you to be upset.” He avoided the question.

  “So, tell me what she told you! Or I will be upset!” I was seconds from exploding.

  He looked down with a sly grin, “You really think I could have my own photo shoot.”

  I stopped breathing. My hands covered my face. “Oh, God,” I whispered.

  He wrapped his arms around me and brought me close into him. “Do not fret about this. I thought it was adorable.”

  I removed my hands from my face. “That was not nice. How could you do that to me? Those thoughts are private.”

  “I am sorry, please do not be angry,” he said in a puppy dog way. I pushed back from his embrace and resumed our walk. He followed.

  “If she has been living there all these centuries does this mean that the village knows the truth?”

  “I think they know some people are unique, they pass the information from generation to generation. The best part is they never question.”

  We reached the deserted beach.

  “What if someone sees us?” I asked concerned about the stunt we were minutes from pulling off.

  “I shall be going too fast for anyone to notice. Moreover, I am careful. I take deserted roads. Once we are out of the city it is all country until Deia. No one will be able to see us.”

  “Okay, let’s do this. What do you want me to do?”

  “Nothing, I am going to pick you up like this.” He picked me up and cradled me like a baby. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  “Ready,” he whispered.

  “Ready,” I whispered back.

  Dion ran.The wind hit my face. It was forceful and I felt like an astronaut taking off into space. It was impossible to open my eyes. I had no other choice than to bury my face into his shoulder. The ride lasted a minute at most. He stopped, and squeezed me closer. He was warm and cozy. I could smell the deep aromas of his after-shave, musk on a moonlit beach. I inhaled and exhaled.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  I managed to detach myself from his chest. “Are we here?” I looked around.

  “Yes, this is the back of my house.”

  “That was intense. How fast were we going?”

  “A fifth of a mile per second.”

  “How long did it take?” I was astounded.

  “Two minutes, I can go five times the speed of sound, but I did not go nearly that fast because of you,” he boasted.

  “How are you able to see?”

  “I am not sure. The pressure does not affect me.”

  “You can put me down now.”

  “Of course. Sorry.”

  I put my outfit back into place due to the high-speed winds from the run.

  “Remind me if we ever do that again not to wear a dress.”

  He grinned and his eyes glanced down toward his feet. “I tried to keep your dress in place. I was afraid it was going to blow up.”

  “Yea, I felt that.”

  The placement of his hand had shifted to my thigh after he began the run. Even with the dim moon light, I could tell he blushed. He turned away embarrassed. Adorable, the moon’s light merely helped accent his god given splendid features.

  “So, your house?” I questioned suspiciously.

  “I thought I could show you the telescope, if you wished. If not, we can do something else. Anything you desire Kasey.”

  My brow raised, “Careful with those words, Dion.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Telescope’s fine.”

  I removed my boots to walk across the sand, and we made our way to the wooden staircase that went up to the cliff’s edge. When we reached the top, we stopped in front of a dimly lit walking path into the dark forest.

  “I don’t get it. With the amazing view of the ocean why would you cover it up with a forest?” I hesitated. I didn’t care for the shadowy path.

  “It lends itself to more privacy. The house is elevated you can still see the ocean from it. The walkway goes up some more.”

  “Are there any living creatures in there? It’s pretty dark.” I regretted removing my boots.

  “Not really, maybe a big spider or snake is the worse you will find.” He took my reluctant hand and pulled me along. I grabbed on to his arm and hugged it tight. I shuffled my feet in low quick movements.

  “Kasey, what are you doing?”

  “If there are snakes around, you shuffle your feet to scare them away.”

  He started laughing. “You silly girl.” He reached down, picked me up, and cradled me in his arms. Our faces were inches from each other.

  “There, now the snakes will not get you,” he whispered.

  “Thank you,” I replied. We held our pose. His pupils danced. Did he want a kiss? He tilted his head ever so slowly toward
me and I turned my head away. I didn’t care if destiny intended for us to be together, I wasn’t ready to feel another boy’s lips on mine. Even if it was Dion’s.

  “Can’t you do your speedy thing and get us to the house quicker? Something about forests at night makes me uncomfortable.”

  He sighed, “The path is not that long. I do not think I have to use my abilities to get us to the house.”

  10. Kasey and the Brothers

  It really was just ahead thank goodness. He put me down as soon as we came to the paved clearing. The back of the Kleon house looked like a paradise vacation resort.

  “Oh, this is beautiful.”

  The deck area was a three level stone floor beauty. The lowest level, the one the path let out to, had a gorgeous, oddly shaped, pool with a stoned waterfall trickling into it. Green florescent lights lit up inside the pool. Lined along the spa’s edge were enormous stone pots with greenery in them. On either side of the spa two, gigantic ivory bowls with tall flames extended high into the air. The house sat on the third deck level. The second floor was dark except for the spotlights over the balcony. On the first floor, a light came from the right three sliding glass doors.

  “How odd…it is two o’clock in the morning. Why are my brothers up?” Dion headed for the light. I had hoped to put my boots on but he gave me no time. A light came from the living room. Several dark shadows could be seen, some standing others sitting.

  When we entered, everyone in the room stopped and looked at us. Max glared disapprovingly. John checked me out, nodded, then smiled favorably. A petite, dark-skinned man wearing a tan suit and small glasses sat on the sofa. Sweating too much for any normal human, he appeared anxious. Was he a Greek god or another type of god? He passed a handkerchief over his forehead.

  “What is going on?” Dion seemed alarmed.

  I stayed back in the shadows. The man in the tan suit caught sight of me and stood. He said something in a language, I did not recognize. Then he pointed at me. All the brothers looked my way, and I wished for a turtle’s shell so that I could make myself disappear. My stomach cramped again. That familiar sensation tingled all over my body. Something serious was to happen, and soon.

  “She is a friend of mine, Kassandra Reese.” Dion replied to the man in English.