Beyond the Garden

by S. Y. Thompson

  As Lil turned back to Dana, she once again noted the woman’s haggard appearance. Her experience with grief told her that Dana had probably ignored her own needs during this trying time. As difficult as it was for Lil to relate to others, she felt compelled to make the effort.

  “When was the last time you ate something?”

  She could see she’d surprised Dana with the question. “Sometime yesterday, I think. I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Then I suggest we address that issue next. It will be several hours before we can proceed. After breakfast, we can take care of Francene’s effects at the hotel and settle the bill.”

  “I can’t,” Dana insisted. “I don’t have any money, remember?”

  Lil had expected to cover the expense of the meal as well as the hotel. She found it refreshing that Dana hadn’t immediately leapt to the same conclusion. Most people in her place would happily have taken advantage of Lil’s generosity.

  “Let us worry about that later.”

  Dana shook her head and smiled. “Any other time I would refuse, but I really don’t have a choice. All I can do is thank you again. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Uncomfortable with Dana’s naked gratitude, Lil couldn’t respond. She led the way out of the Consulate and a brief stop by an international bank provided her with some local currency. Lil took Dana to a nearby restaurant and insisted they take their time with breakfast. She was just as hungry as her charge since she’d missed dinner the night before.

  After Lil paid the check, they returned to Dana’s hotel. At first, the concierge resisted the idea of allowing them access to Francene’s room. All of that quickly changed once he learned of her demise. Without Dana’s presence and willingness to take on this chore, Lil knew the hotel would lose several days with the room unavailable until the Consulate stepped in. Lil helped clear out Francene’s belongings and then took care of the charge for both rooms. Once they finished, she had the concierge call for a car service. Dragging suitcases down the street and back to the Consulate wasn’t exactly practical.

  Dana had spoken little throughout the morning, but broke her silence as they waited outside for the car. “I want you to know that I’m keeping track of how much money you’re spending. I promise that I’ll repay every penny.”

  As she looked into the intense green eyes and listened to the words, Lil perceived an odd tingling sensation in her stomach. It had been centuries since she experienced such a feeling, but she recognized the tenderness she suddenly had for another human being. Breaching her personal barriers was a rare occurrence and Lil wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Instead, she focused on the practical details required for their situation.

  The car she had called for arrived at the curb, saving her from the necessity of responding. The driver helped load the bags into the vehicle and Lil climbed into the backseat with Dana beside her. Throughout the short drive, she was very aware of Dana’s presence. Lil was confused by her reaction to this woman and refused to look at her. She recognized the unexpected attraction, but knew it meant nothing. Having a desire didn’t mean she had to act upon it. She had learned long ago that becoming involved with a mortal was a bad idea, even if Dana proved open to the possibility.

  Lil felt the contact of another’s mind and realized that Kaya had reached out to her. She relaxed and silently answered the call.

  “I am here.”

  “I faxed the power of attorney to the Consulate a few minutes ago, Mistress.”

  “Very good. How are the woman’s parents handling the news?” She hoped they were strong people who could provide emotional support to Dana once she returned home.

  “As expected,” Kaya responded. “They are distraught. The woman fainted and the father cursed me for lying to them. I had trouble convincing them of the truth. Issuing a power of attorney was a difficult process, especially since they had to awaken their attorney so early in the morning.”

  Lil sighed softly. “And the charter?”

  “I contacted Imani since she is the closest to your location. She advised me that the plane is ready and standing by upon your arrival at the airport.”

  Imani Bah was assigned to the African continent and rarely connected with Lil. Born in 1872, Imani was one of the oldest of Lil’s people and quite capable on her own. Unlike Sophie, Imani rarely required assistance. If she said the arrangements were already in place, then Lil believed they were.

  “Thank you, Kaya. Hopefully the Consulate is as efficient and this will all be over soon.” Lil could sense Kaya’s deep curiosity, though the woman was careful not to transmit her questions. Lil was grateful she kept silent, unable to explain things fully even to herself. “I will contact you again once we are in the air.”

  ****

  Lil leaned her head back against the seat cushions as the plane taxied from Ataturk Airport. The ordeal with Tilki and the U. S. Consulate had taken far longer than she wanted, even after having prepared for every eventuality. The Attaché’s contact at the Istanbul morgue had indeed delivered the death certificate before the negotiated deadline, but Francene’s body was another ordeal. It had required a trip to a local mortuary, the purchase of a casket and further arrangements to transport the body to the airport. On top of all that, Dana had balked when she learned Lil had chartered a plane to carry them back home. She insisted Lil was spending far too much money when the Consulate would arrange for the transportation. Finally, Dana relented once Lil explained that such an arrangement would take days and that Francene’s body hadn’t been embalmed. Dana had turned a little green at the pronouncement, but at least she’d stopped arguing.

  Now, Lil planned to nap for a while as they flew across the Atlantic. She had chosen a seat in the rear of the private plane because Dana had taken the front. Lil wasn’t accustomed to dealing with strangers and relating so closely to Dana over the last day and a half had her on edge. She felt confident that the attraction she’d experienced earlier had faded. The only thing on her mind now was returning home to the secluded manor and her animal friend.

  The plane leveled off and the hum of the engines lulled her into a light slumber. Lil felt her muscles loosen and the tension in her shoulders ease for the first time since traveling to Istanbul to grace Elie. Movement from displaced air disturbed her rest and Lil opened her eyes to see a flight attendant walk by carrying a tray. A soda and sandwich resided on the salver, the woman headed toward Dana near the front of the cabin. Lil blinked and turned her head to the side, looking out the small window.

  It was dark again, night having fallen while they finished the arrangements. Lil couldn’t see anything but shadows below the plane, yet she enjoyed the quiet time nonetheless. Ten minutes later, that pleasant solitude was shattered when Lil heard someone clear her throat.

  “Um, do you mind if I join you?”

  Lil gestured at the seat across from her, watching Dana carefully. She couldn’t imagine what else the woman would possibly need from her now. Once they reached San Diego, they would meet the coroner’s people on the tarmac. Additionally, Lil had already arranged transportation to see Dana home.

  Dana settled on the edge of the seat, leaning forward with her hands clasped between her knees. Her eyes fixated on Lil’s face for a long, uncomfortable minute. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you for what you’ve done.”

  “Please, there is no need—”

  “Let me finish,” Dana interrupted. “I’ve told you that I’ll pay you back and I mean that, but it may take a while. I know you’ve spent a small fortune to smooth things over for Francene and me. Just tell me one thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “Why?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why did you help me?” Dana asked, curiosity written on her features. “You happened upon a stranger in an alley and saved her life. That’s one thing that I think most people…or at least most decent people would do. The rest is something else. Anyone else would expect something in return
, but you don’t. Do you?”

  The way she phrased the question told Lil that Dana already knew the answer. “No, I expect nothing from you. As to why, I’m not sure I can account for my reaction to your dilemma. In truth, I simply followed my instinctive compulsions.”

  Dana smiled and tilted her head slightly to the right. “You’re not an American, are you? You speak English very well, but you have a slight accent. I can’t quite place it.”

  Lil returned her smile. Sophie had said much the same thing to her a few days ago. After centuries of life, Lil thought she shouldn’t have any accent at all. She was aware, however, that she still carried a formal manner of speaking. Still, it wasn’t as though she could tell Dana that she had been around when this language first came into being or that America hadn’t even existed then.

  “No, I am not American although I currently reside in Maine.”

  “That’s a long way from San Diego. Well, I’ll leave you alone. I’m sure you’re tired.”

  Lil couldn’t think of a good reason for prolonging this contact, yet she felt compelled to say, “No, please stay for a moment. We have spent hours together and I know nothing about you other than your name. You said you were in Istanbul on vacation?”

  “Yes, we were diving Minnos Island.” Dana seemed sad as she spoke about their activities in Turkey. “Francene had wanted to see the coral formations there for years.”

  “That is a very advanced dive, Ms. Reed. The coral is at least forty meters below the surface.”

  “Please, call me Dana. It only seems right after all we’ve been through together and yes, it is a deep dive. I’m a certified Divemaster and an oceanographer. I work at Scripps Institute in San Diego.”

  “Ah, well. In that case, I suppose you were in your element. You should take comfort in knowing that your friend realized a dream before her untimely demise.”

  Lil felt she’d made an inept comment, but Dana didn’t seem to mind. “Yes, at least there’s that.”

  A more relaxed silence grew between them after that. Dana leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes and fell asleep. Lil’s mind refused to allow her that release so she turned back to the window. The flight was long, but blessedly uneventful. They touched down without incident in San Diego. Lil ensured the transfer of Francene’s body to the morgue van and turned over the appropriate paperwork.

  The car Lil had requested for Kaya was already waiting for them before she concluded the unpleasant business. Within an hour of touching down, Lil left Dana outside her Spanish-style San Diego home and took the car to a nearby restaurant where she dismissed the driver. She was hungry for dinner, but had no interest in eating here. Instead, she walked through the doors and made her way directly to the ladies’ room. Lil entered and found herself alone. She sighed in relief as she took a single, long stride and translocated home.

  Chapter Three

  Night had fallen before Lil arrived back in Maine. After returning to the manor, she took a deep breath and allowed all of the tension she’d built up the last two days to fall away. With Dana Reed’s ordeal finally settled and Elie’s path set before her, Lil had no desire to leave the grounds again anytime soon. She stripped down and took another shower, lingering under the hot water and relishing the almost scalding heat that pulsated against her skin. She stayed until the shower ran cold and then dressed in a soft, diaphanous robe that flowed around her body and brushed gently against her shins. The supple material kissed her flesh gently. The white of the gown complimented the paleness of her features and highlighted the darkness of her hair. She enjoyed the sensual feel of satin caressing her skin as she walked barefoot toward the kitchen.

  Pravde was nowhere in sight, but Lil noticed a stripped mouse skeleton residing in the tray that surrounded her perch. She felt the owl’s presence on the grounds as she moved to the refrigerator. As Lil removed the barely touched salad, she realized this was where she had started a few days ago. Lil stopped with her hand poised to remove the lid, images of Dana Reed flowing through her mind. Her thoughts weren’t erotic; rather she kept seeing the look of gratitude in her eyes. Lil could still see the way sunlight had reflected off the medium brown hair. She’d been surprised by the red highlights as well as the amber flecks in her eyes. In her mind, Dana’s appearance harkened back to older ideals of an attractive woman.

  Currently, society proclaimed that the thinner a woman, the more appealing. Lil didn’t agree. She preferred more full-figured women. Dana wasn’t overweight by any means. Instead, she was healthy, strong and solid. Regardless of her physical appearance, Dana also seemed emotionally stalwart and compassionate. She was just the type of woman Lil would have chosen to mark as someone with the ability to change the world. Not that it mattered. Lil would never see her again and she needed to put the last few days behind her to focus on the future. Symbolically suiting her thoughts to action, Lil tossed the container of salad into the trash.

  She left the kitchen, headed for the side exit that would release her onto the expansive grounds. With a mental command, she called Pravde to her. She heard the flap of beating wings in response. In seconds, Pravde flew by overhead. The animal understood her mistress wanted her close, but not in contact. Lil needed to feel the life energy, the ecstasy of Pravde’s existence as she raced over the cool air currents. As Lil walked over the countryside, she inhaled the crisp night air and tuned in mentally to her totem as Pravde hunted. She felt the cool, rough ground on the soles of her bare feet. Her nipples hardened beneath the thin gown and goose flesh erupted over her arms.

  Lil relished the sensations as she let her mind drift in a cleansing exercise. Pravde hooted excitedly and Lil saw the bird rushing toward the ground in her mind’s eye. Through their connection, she could see everything as though Pravde’s actions were her own. Far below, a rabbit darted toward safety. He never made it. Lil left the owl to her dinner.

  Lost as she was in Pravde’s activities and the feel of the night air on her flesh, Lil gradually realized that she wasn’t alone. She pulled her consciousness back to her own body in a split-second, hyper-aware of her surroundings. Despite that fact, she still started in fear at the sight before her. The reaction faded rapidly as she identified her visitor, though the sudden burst of adrenaline left her heart beating a little too quickly.

  “Samael, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

  The monster before her bore no resemblance to the blond cherub-like countenance she’d last seen sported by the archangel. This creature’s hulking mass was covered in eyes. Eyes on his forehead and arms, eyes on his legs and one large orb in the center of his stomach. The irises of each eye were elliptical in shape and darted around in all directions as though reacting in desperate confusion…or panic. Compellingly enough, there weren’t any eyes where they should be on his face. Despite the lack of expression in the multiple orbs, Lil felt sure Samael wasn’t surprised that she so quickly discerned his identity. The fact that he usually appeared to her in different guises in order to generate a reaction tended to inure her to the novelty.

  “I’ve come with a message, Lilith.”

  She felt the words rather than heard them, reverberating inside her head. There was only one that commanded Samael’s obedience.

  “Why now?” she asked aloud, refusing to play along. Coupled with the verbal exchange, Lil sensed Samael’s ire at her less than respectful tone. “Why after all this time. He’s never had anything to say to me before.”

  Archangel Samael was not a being to trifle with, yet Lil had passed the point of bowing down. She hadn’t seen her first companion in many decades, but each time he appeared it was to hold before her the prospect of an end to her immortal existence. Although he had never before prefaced their interaction by portending a message from her creator, Lil had no doubt the encounter would end the same as it always did—in disappointment.

  “I am merely the messenger. Mine is not to question why.”

  “Uh huh.” Lil rubbed her hands over her arms, no longer
enthralled with the chill from the Maine evening.

  Samael settled onto the grass, morphing into his cherub-like countenance complete with white wings and thick, blond hair. He plucked a piece of grass from the ground and brought it to his lips. Samael kept his human-appearing blue eyes pinned to Lil as he waited. Finally, she rolled her eyes and knelt down in front of him.

  “What is the message?”

  With the grass strand still in his mouth, he softly carried out the assigned mission. “I have come to tell you of an artifact that will end your current existence, if you have the skill to discern the clues to its whereabouts.”

  “And here we go again,” Lil grated. “How many times have I searched for an heirloom with the same purpose? I have located the Necklace of Harmonia, the Spear of Destiny and the supposedly magical Book of Thoth. None of them accomplished my sharpest desire. Now you come to tell me of another relic?” Lil rose to stand over the seraph. “Go back and tell Him that I refuse to embark on another useless quest.”

  Samael lunged to his feet, his wings spreading wide with a rushing sound. Fury radiated from his eyes and thunder boomed overhead. The winds gathered and began to blow in a tumultuous, lashing blast as clouds quickly scuttled overhead. Samael reached for Azrael at his side, but stopped short of pulling the fiery sword. His movements reminded Lil that the Ancient Greeks and Romans had modeled their Gods of War in his image.

  “You dare?” Samael roared in her head. “You, who were created of clay and filth? I am forbidden from taking your soul, but do not toy with me, Lilith. You believe your existence a form of torment, but I can show you an unending world of true agony.”

  Lightning split the sky, striking the ground a short distance away and throwing debris into the air. The impact punctuated Samael’s statement and reminded Lil that he was a creature perfectly capable of carrying out the threat. Lil cringed and dropped her eyes from his burning gaze. She raised her hands in a supplicating manner, but that was as far as she was willing to go. Lil refused to fall to her knees for any male.