Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series)

by Burgess, Marisette

  I walked in with the bag of presents in hand. John and Martin stood in the living room. Martin tied John’s bow tie. They were both in slick black suits with red shirts. No one would be able to tell them apart aside for the fact that Martin had a black tie and John a bow tie.

  “FelizNavidad, Kasey,” they said in unison giving me kisses on my cheeks.

  “Merry Christmas to you as well.” I gave them hugs.

  “Oohh, are those presents for us?” John eyed the bag.

  “Yes, but not until Christmas.” I took them away and placed them on the coffee table. Due to the hectic past week, the boys never decorated for the season.

  John closed his eyes and put his hand over them as if he either had a headache, or was concentrating.

  He opened his eyes and said, “Thanks Kase I love it.” Then he kissed my cheek.

  My jaw dropped, “Did you really just see what was in the bag?” I asked annoyed.

  “No, he does not know. He is fooling with you Kasey.” Martin turned his brother in.

  “Yeah, Martin will not let me see what you got us. We have to focus on it together or we get nothing. He has been blocking it since we heard you bought us gifts,” John sat on the couch sulky.

  “Don’t get too excited about it John. You guys have everything imaginable. This is a little something. Not a big deal.”

  “I know Kasey, but because we have everything we need, we stopped giving each other gifts a few centuries ago. I think it was nice that you got us a gift,” John said sincere.

  “It is a gracious act. You really did not need to.” Max entered the conversation stepping into view at the top of the stairs. He is truly a handsome man. Especially in a black and white, tie tuxedo.

  He gave me a smile and greeted me with a kiss as he stepped into the foyer.

  “Everyone looks great tonight,” I said. They looked classic, aristocratic.

  Layna entered the room from the kitchen wearing a big red bow. She walked up to me and I held my breath. Even though she was friendly, I still had my reservations about such a wild cat. She placed her head under my hand and I rubbed her ears.

  “She wishes you a Merry Christmas,” Antony said coming down from the stairs. He cleaned up. He had on a black suit with an opened jacket. His white shirt had the two top buttons undone. We greeted each other.

  Then he appeared at the top of the stairs. I let out a soft gasp. He was magnificent in his black on black suit and red tie. The epitome of perfection. In his James Bond way, he strolled down the stairs. He placed his hands on my waist.

  “You look amazing,” I whispered.

  His smile melted my heart, “Not nearly as enchanting as you.”

  We greeted each other with a soft kiss. His brothers turned and looked away to give us our moment.

  “I have never seen your eyes as vibrant as they are tonight,” he said. I gave him an Eskimo kiss.

  “All right you two, let us get a picture. So we can all say in five years how Dion looks exactly the same,” John took out a camera.

  The comment was odd but I didn’t want to think about anything like that, not tonight. Dion and I posed for the picture and John took it saying, “Good looking couple.”

  “All right let us go,” Max cut him off.

  Dion and I rode together to the church. There were masses of people walking down the cobblestoned road heading up the hill to the church.

  “Kasey have you ever been to a Christmas Eve service?” Dion asked. I gave him a look that suggested he rethink his question.

  He smiled and nodded. “You know even if a person is not of the faith I believe it is something everyone should experience for the mere fact that it is positively memorable.”

  We entered the church and seating was rare to find. Most of the men were standing while they allowed the women to sit. There was a spot for one more in the very last pew, he gestured for me to take it.

  Shaking my head no I said, “I don’t mind standing.”

  He leaned up against the church’s sand stonewall and I leaned against his chest. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist. The aroma of fresh greenery from the natural wreaths and garland filled the church. Everything was lit by candlelight. The flutist, violinist, and organist played as the angelic voices of the boys’ choir echoed. I was familiar with a few of the songs solely based on their melodies. Everything in Spanish, I couldn’t make out the lyrics.

  I’m not sure if it was because the atmosphere enhanced the experience, but the songs that I have known all my life listening to them on the Christmas radio station seem to have a mesmerizing affect within the walls of the church. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t understand a word, the music, the story, and the whole town of Deia made the experience tender. By the end of the service, emotional, I wiped my glossed eyes. Dion squeezed me tight.

  After the midnight mass, we headed for the feast. The Castillo’s turned the restaurant into a great party hall. We set up two rows of tables all along the walls. The middle was open for the dancing. Then a beautiful buffet table, sat on the back wall, with its own schedule for the night.

  First, they would bring out appetizers of hams, chorizos, and cheeses. Then the first course, a fish soup. After the soup the main course, roast lamb. Following the main course, an assortment of desserts laid out. The entire place filled up with approximately eighty of the jolliest people drinking wine, eating, and laughing with good friends.

  Fernando along with some of his male friends and family members brought out the guitars and began to play. The floor filled with people dancing. Even Martin sat down with the men and pick up a guitar. Dion and I danced and drank all night. John stepped up and reluctantly asked Catalina to dance. She missed James.

  I would treasure this life experience for as long as I lived. Around four in the morning, the place settled down. Gently, I let Fernando and Beatriz know that I was going to hang out at Dion’s the rest of the morning. They understood and accepted. I think all the wine they had drunk helped my case.

  Either way, after helping clean up I headed back with Dion. We arrived at the house before his brothers.

  “I am glad they are not here yet,” Dion said as we walked through the door. “I wanted to have some private time with you.”

  “Oh, what did you want to do with the private time,” I asked suggestive. I grabbed his tie and pulled him in for a kiss.

  “There is time for that later,” he smiled. “I wanted to give you your Christmas present.”

  “Okay, let me grab yours.” I rummaged through my bags of presents.

  “Let us go out to the pool deck. In case, they come home. We will not be bothered out there.” He took my hand and led me out to the pool. He acted funny and stressed the private time. I began to let my crazy thoughts get the better of me. Why would he want to have the perfect private ambiance unless he was going to … Oh, God I thought, please don’t let him propose to me! By the time, we got out to the pool deck I was in an internal panic.

  We sat down at the round wooden table. I couldn’t look at him.

  “Kasey, is everything all right?”

  I nodded, but said nothing.

  “Would you like me to go first?” he asked unsure.

  “Yes, please open yours first.” I passed him a big box and then a smaller one.

  “Two presents! You out did yourself,” he smiled then began to unwrap the larger present. The orange hues of sunrise started to form on the crest of the Mediterranean Sea.

  He undid the lid on the bigger box and began to laugh. “You got me running shoes!”

  “I was told that they are the best out there for sprinting.” I laughed with him.

  “That is great.” Then he proceeded to open the smaller box.

  Anxious I stopped him. “Wait!” I said nervous. “I…” I swallowed hard, “It’s just…”

  “Kasey, what is it?” he asked.

  “Please tell me you aren’t going to propose to me.” I held my breath.

  He froze
and looked stunned. “Well obviously not anymore,” he said sarcastic. My eyes shot open in horror.

  He bit his upper lip trying not to laugh. “That was mean of me, sorry Kasey. I could not help myself. No, I was not planning on proposing to you tonight.”

  I let out a huge sigh, “Oh, Dion that was not funny.”

  He lost it and laughed.

  He reached over and caressed my cheek. “Kasey…there is nothing I would love more than for you to be my wife one day. I do not think that time is yet.”

  “Oh, no, Dion, I completely agree. It was just the whole set up I…I am over analytical sometimes.”

  “Most of the time actually.” He removed his hand. “Can I open this now?” he asked.

  “Yes, but don’t…” I started to say.

  “Kasey, you are doing it again. Let me make up my own mind about it.”

  I let out a big sigh, “Okay, open it.”

  He began to un-wrap the small box. It was one of the glass Christmas ornaments with a wooden carving inside. The carving was the Irish trinity knot interwoven around an Irish Claddagh.

  He grinned, “Hmm…the symbol of spiritual growth, eternal life, and undying love.”

  I blushed. He took my hand and butterfly kissed the back of it.

  “It is not too much and not too little. It is perfect my love,” he said. I blushed further giving him a radiant smile.

  “Now for my gift,” he said excited.

  “Yes,” I joined his enthusiasm. “Now that I know it is not a…”

  He pulled out a ring box and set it on the table. My smile turned to a frown.

  “Dion, what’s this?” I said harsh.

  He smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Oh, you wouldn’t? Would you?” I asked not knowing if he was pulling my chain again or not.

  “Open it and you shall find out,” he said.

  I took the little black box and creaked it open. A key sized pendant illuminated like a torch. With a ruby rose and emerald leaves resting on the hilt of a golden sword. The rose’s stem coiled tightly down the silver blade.

  “Oh, Dion,” I whispered.

  “It belonged to Catherine the Great. I thought it matched your red hair and green eyes perfectly. It is something we acquired some time ago. I bought the necklace so that you could wear it around your neck,” he said pulling out a necklace from inside his coat.

  “I can’t take this,” I whispered.

  “Do you not like it?” he asked taking it out of the box and sliding it on the white gold necklace.

  “Dion, it belonged to a prominent Russian empress. I can’t wear this around my neck. It’s value alone.”

  “Do not worry about what it is worth.” He stood and walked behind me. Dion placed it on my neck. It radiated against my green sweater. I inhaled feeling the weight of the treasure on my chest. It was delicate, womanly, and amazing.

  “Did I choose wrong do you not like it?” he asked as he sat back down.

  I looked down at the remarkable charm. “It’s not too much, and it’s not too little. It’s perfect,” I smiled.

  He placed his hand under my ear and held my cheek in his palm. Then we both leaned into each other and with a gentle embrace, we kissed. We stayed this way for what seemed too short of a time. I held his hand and rubbed my thumb on the inside of his palm.

  “Dion,” I said as we sat with our foreheads pressed together. “I want to find Pandora. Would you help me?”

  He took his head back, “Yes.”

  Here’s a sneak peek at

  Book Two

  Jar of Pandora

  Coming in 2012

  1

  Kasey Farewell Spain

  My fingers squeezed his hand. The takeoff always made me queasy. An hour earlier, I loaded myself with various drugs from motion sickness to nausea reducers. I shook my foot, closed my eyes, and tried to remember to breathe.

  “How ever did you do this all alone when you came to Spain?” Dion asked me.

  “Same. I held my breath and closed my eyes. I tried focusing on some music,” I said keeping my eyes shut and my head pressed against the first class seat cushion.

  “It will be all right. We are soon to take off and then we shall be in the air. Is it take off or the entire plane ride that makes you ill?” he asked concerned.

  “Takeoff and landing.” I wished he’d stop asking questions.

  “Well, then good, it will soon be over.” Dion held my hand for reassurance.

  “Is she all right, she looks ill? Can I help?” Max asked. I opened my eyes and he was leaning over us.

  “Thank you but I do not think you can cure fear,” Dion smiled at his older brother who has the ability to heal with his touch.

  Max gave me a sympathetic look, “It will soon be over Kasey. Remember take deep breaths.” He went back to his seat.

  After the holidays, my second semester of high school in Mallorca, Spain was busy. Dion and I had grown close and unequivocally inseparable. With his ability for speed, he ran me to Barcelona and we spent a weekend sightseeing. Spain seemed like a dream.

  Other than the fact that I wanted to see my brother and family, Deia, Spain marked itself as a place with a thousand memories for me. I stole the best part of my trip, Dion.

  The low vibrations of the plane intensified as we accelerated down the runway. I remembered slow steady breaths. The slight pressure pressed me back into my seat. Then the plane lifted and my stomach ascended. That is the sensation that makes me sick.

  “Kasey, your color, you are turning green, are you breathing?” Dion sounded worried.

  Once the plane stabilized, I relaxed. I opened my eyes and took in a few deep breaths.

  “I have never seen someone’s skin turn that shade before. Quite impressive. I thought you would be sick for sure,” he said shocked.

  “That’s why I skipped breakfast this morning and took all those meds.” I let go of his hand and stretched.

  “Do you require anything?” he asked.

  “Water, I could use some water.”

  He motioned for the flight attendant. I grabbed one of those traveling pillows and laid it across Dion’s shoulder. Then I nestled myself into it. He lifted his arm and held me close. Our attendant came over. Dion asked for some water and a soda for himself then she went to get it. The seat belt light flashed off. John popped his head in our personal seating space. John and Martin, Dion’s twin younger brothers sat behind us.

  “Hi,” John smiled.

  “Yes, how can we assist you?” Dion asked.

  “Well, actually I wanted to suggest something to Kasey,” he smiled amused.

  I met his gaze. “Yes.”

  “You know Martin and I were thinking sometime in this ten hour flight you might want to tell Dion about your parents. I do not think the surprise factor would go over well in this situation. Just food for thought.” Then he sat back down next to Martin.

  I gasped. Dion looked confused.

  “You know out of all the people to get the gift of past, present, and future, I wonder if it was such a good idea giving it to two fifteen year olds,” I said loud enough so that they could hear. John gave my chair an abrupt kick. I sat up from the pillow and ran my hands through my hair. Panicked at what they must have seen. With their ability to see the future, past, and present nothing was a secret around them.

  “Kasey is something wrong with your parents? Will they not like me?” Dion asked alarmed.

  “Oh, no it’s not that. No offense to you but they won’t care one way or the other who you are. They always were open to us being with whomever we wanted.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Well, it’s really bizarre. You must realize that when I told you my parents were free spirits, I didn’t mean that lightly. Frankie and Sue are as free as birds in the sky.” I tried to stress the issue.

  “I understand,” he chuckled. “Kasey, I have met all sorts of people from all sorts of walks of life throughout time, re
member I am a two thousand year old saint. Nothing shocks me.” He assured with confidence.

  “Dion, I doubt you have ever met people like this.”

  “Kasey relax, it is going to be fine,” he had no idea.

  “Dion my parents are nudist and live in a nudist colony,” I blurted out. His face froze his jaw dropped.

  “Wait …what?” he stuttered confused and amused at the same time.

  “They live naked,” I replied sully.

  “No…really.” He pressed his lips together attempting to contain his laughter.

  “Yes,” I began to worry.

  Then his face went from amused to uncertain. “Were you raised in a nudist colony?”

  “No! No, no they moved into the colony while I was in Spain. This is their most recent crazy fad. I’m hoping it’s a phase.”

  He placed his hand over his heart and let out the biggest laugh.

  “So, when they pick us up from the airport…”

  I interrupted, “They will be clothed. They only live in a compound where they can be naked, but only within the walls of that compound. That’s why my brother hasn’t been living with them, they chose to live this life style about eight months ago.” I explained.

  He starred straight into the seat in front of him.

  “I’m so sorry and so embarrassed,” I muttered.

  “It will be alright,” he smiled amused, “we do not choose our parents. So, are you staying with them and will you be naked too? Will I have to get naked, myself?” His lips widened his eyes unsure.

  “No, people have a choice to be naked or to stay clothed, especially guests. As far as me staying there I was hoping I could stay in your house.”

  “You never have to ask you are always welcome,” he said.

  “That’s one of the issues I have to work out as soon as I get back to St. Cloud. I figure I’m going to have to get a place so that Nolan has a proper home. Now, he’s staying with…” I swallowed and decided to end my words there. I didn’t need to get into details about my little brother living with my ex-fiancé.