by H. R. Moore
‘All you can do is suggest there may be an alternative way. Every time you take him head on he’ll go defensive, he’ll try to justify his actions rather than think about the logic behind what you’re saying. Showing how others are being more compassionate is more likely to work. That way he’ll come to the conclusion by himself, feeling like it’s his idea, not like he’s been railroaded into it by you or anyone else.’
Anita nodded, she knew what Alexander was saying made perfect sense. She struggled with such a round-the-houses approach, but she knew she’d have to try.
‘Anita, regardless of what happens, it won’t be your fault.’ She turned away, tears filling her eyes. He closed the space between them and put his hands on her shoulders, the familiar tingles returning and gently flowing around their bodies. ‘Austin’s been setting this up since Marcus was born and you can’t expect to bring him around on your own.’
Anita turned to face him, standing so close she could feel his breath skip across her face. She met his electric eyes with hers, heady at their proximity, her energy responding, as did his. Anita bowed her head, stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around his chest. He pulled her tightly into him, Anita feeling secure with his muscular arms around her, Alexander resting his lips on the top of her head and closing his eyes.
They stood, each enjoying the touch of the other and neither wanting to pull away. Eventually Anita pulled back, looking up at Alexander, ‘will you meditate with me?’
‘Of course,’ he said simply, as an idea came to him, ‘I want to show you something though. There’s somewhere special I want us to meditate.’
Anita looked up at him, intrigued, ‘where?’
‘Just come with me,’ he said coyly, taking her hand and pulling her further into his chambers, into a room with an enormous, luxurious looking bed. She faltered as he pulled her towards the bed, grateful and surprised to see the shelves next to it swinging towards them, revealing a secret passage behind. Alexander stuck his head through and looked both ways to check there was no one there. The passage was dimly lit with lanterns along the ground and Anita wondered who maintained them, surely not the Descendants, as Alexander pulled her gently forwards.
They made their way through what seemed like a maze of tunnels, pausing only once, when Alexander thought he heard something. He’d explained it was probably just someone up above; there were vents all through the tunnels, serving the joint purpose of ventilating the chambers and enabling the Descendants to spy on those above to their hearts’ content. They finally arrived at a large, ornate door and Alexander turned to Anita, smiled indulgently as he pushed its heavy baulk open, and stood back to let her enter first. She walked through and looked around. Here too there was only a dim light from the same candle filled lanterns, so it took her a few moments to take in what she was seeing. She’d stepped into a columned space that seemed to circle around something in an open area in the middle. She could hear the soothing sound of running water as her mind processed what she was seeing. She stepped forward through a beautifully constructed archway and finally twigged, spinning round violently to confirm she was where she thought she was.
Alexander laughed, ‘it took you a while.’
‘We’re directly below the points of the Temples?’
He nodded. ‘I’ve always thought it a shame more people don’t get to see it, it’s really quite beautiful down here.’ She looked around, he was right, it was. There was a raised pool in the centre under the points, which was somehow surrounded by lush green grass, there were climbing plants trailing sweet smelling flowers as they wound round the columns and reached for the ceiling, there were rose bushes blooming with enormous white flowers, not the tight uniformed variety, but the looser, freer kind, and there was a tiny pin hole in the ceiling that, by some trick, let in enough light to illuminate every inch of the pool’s shimmering surface. The pinhole had been added by the Temple’s designer to connect the sacred pool below to the Temple points above. The point directly above the hole was inside the Council chamber, the area no one was allowed to walk over, however the designer had also installed a magnificent skylight in the chamber’s roof, with a tiny hole in its centre, so the pool was always connected to the outside world. ‘Like it?’ he asked.
‘It’s incredible,’ she said back, ‘it feels so calm, like the energy is totally even, without even the smallest ripple.’
‘It is even,’ he said, ‘in the same way that the pool under the Observatory absorbs the energy ‘noise’ in the area there, this pool does the same thing here. It has a more potent effect here though, there’s less background energy to start with and the place has a special balance being under the points of the Temples, nobody can explain exactly why, it just does.’
‘We’re meditating here?’ she asked excitedly.
He nodded, ‘I want so share something with you and here seems like the best place to do it.’
‘This isn’t what you want to show me?’ she asked astonished.
‘No. I want to show you something inside my head.’
She smiled. Alexander was so private; she loved it when he let her in. She moved so she was standing right next to the pool and lay down on her back; she didn’t feel at all vulnerable with Alexander. He hesitated, ‘Anita…’
She turned her head and sent him a calm, level look, ‘…sush,’ she said, stopping dead any further words, placing her hand beside her, ready for him to hold. He moved to her and lay down easily on his back, placing his arm down by his side and taking her waiting hand. He turned his face to look at her, curved his head forward so their foreheads touched, and they both closed their eyes, Alexander controlling their destination, Anita relishing the trust she had for him, letting him take her wherever he wanted to go. The intensity was astounding, it felt like there was so much energy coursing between them that it might try to escape, ripping them apart as it went. She felt powerful, like she could do anything, like she was floating off the ground and Alexander was floating with her, supporting her, lifting her up.
The meditation settled and Anita looked around confused, wondering if something had gone wrong. ‘Hey,’ said Alexander, ‘everything ok?’ Alexander had never felt anything like this before either, he’d practiced the love pose only a handful of times before, and never with anyone he actually loved. It was incredible the power that was flooding between them and he was savouring the sensation, forgetting that Anita would be full of confusion.
‘Yeah, I have literally never felt better. The power is incredible, you can feel it too?’
Alexander nodded, ‘I’ve never felt anything like it, it’s extraordinary.’
Anita sat up a little to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. ‘The pool is a place in your head?’ she asked cautiously.
Alexander sat up on his elbows, making sure he kept hold of her hand, he’d forgotten all about where they were given all the excitement. ‘It’s more than just a place in my head,’ he explained softly, ‘this is my Centre.’
‘This is your Centre?’ she repeated back to him stunned, trying to work out what this news meant. ‘Why?’ she asked, the best she could come up with.
‘Why is anyone’s Centre what it is?’ he laughed, ‘I’ve looked into all the research there is, but there’s nothing concrete about what causes our Centres to be what they are. There’s speculation it’s inherited from parents, but I don’t know what my parents’ Centres were and Philip would never go anywhere near the topic, so I couldn’t ask him. Given most people don’t even know how to meditate properly, the research is pretty limited, and those who do know usually consider it a sign of weakness for others to know the places in their heads. You’re the only one that knows any of mine,’ he said, looking down self-consciously.
She turned her head to look at him, rolling her body towards him so she could place her free hand on the side of his face and gently turn it back towards her. She looked into his blue eyes, seeing there a reflection of the longing she felt and dipped her head to kiss
his stubborn lips. As their lips touched they felt a jolt of energy like nothing either of them had ever felt before, so strong it was almost painful. They responded instinctively, Alexander rolling his shoulders towards her, wrapping one arm around her, pulling her to him, his other hand grabbing a handful of her hair, locking her lips to his. He rolled her gently backwards, lowering her lightly to the ground, pining her there with his weight. The world around Anita seemed to swirl, she had no idea if she was sitting, lying, standing, floating, she was lost in his mouth, his smell, the hard contours of his body. It was like she was both grounded, supported by the grass pushing up against her back and at the same time suspended, drifting in the air. Alexander pulled back, his breath ragged, looking hungrily down at Anita’s serene figure on the grass. He leant back towards her, planting soft, slow, heavy kisses over her face, Anita running her fingers playfully across the exposed skin at his neck. He bit her lip exquisitely, seductively and Anita’s stomach clenched. She took a deep breath and pushed him gently away, sitting up to face him.
‘I think I love you, Alexander,’ she said huskily.
He looked ecstatically back at her, ‘I think I love you too.’ He pulled her to him, folding his arms protectively around her, caressing her back, not quite believing he wasn’t in a dream.
‘I think it’s time to wake up now,’ said Anita, ‘it’s so perfect, what I’m about to say isn’t allowed in here.’ Alexander pulled them abruptly out of the meditation, not sure he wanted to hear what she had to say. They woke up to the feeling they were falling, their stomachs lurching upwards as they landed on the ground with a heavy thump.
‘What was that?’ asked Anita alarmed.
Alexander looked astonished, ‘I don’t believe it,’ he said delighted.
‘What?’
‘We were floating, when we were meditating. I’ve heard about this happening, but only ever at the Spirit Temple in the clouds and never without extensive practice. I just can’t believe it,’ he said, grabbing her and pulling her into a rough, excited embrace. Anita had never seen Alexander so animated, so went with it, clearly this was a big deal. A couple of seconds later Alexander let her go, remembering why they’d left the meditation so quickly. ‘What did you want to talk about?’ he said quickly, bracing himself for the worst.
Anita took a deep breath. ‘I love you Alexander, but I owe it to Marcus that nothing more happens between us until I’ve had a chance to end it with him first.’
‘Is that all?’ Alexander asked relieved.
‘Yes! What did you think I was going to say?’
‘I don’t know, that we couldn’t be together, or something equally horrible.’
She took his hand. ‘Alexander, when I meditated with Marcus it was also in the love pose. I’d never even heard of the pose, let alone practiced it, you stayed away from it for obvious reasons, but when I meditated with Marcus the feeling was less intense than when you and I meditate normally together. I thought maybe that was just because Marcus is a Mind and you are a Spirit, but after what I just felt, I know that can’t be all it is. I don’t feel for Marcus what I feel for you,’ she said hesitantly, ‘it’s as simple as that, but I don’t want to cheat on him, I can’t do that to him after what he did to get Austin to let me go.’
‘I understand,’ he replied. ‘You’ve been through a lot together.’
‘I just hope me leaving him won’t push him further towards Austin.’
‘It might,’ Alexander said truthfully, ‘but Marcus and his choices are not your responsibility. He has to account for his own actions and you have to account for yours. To stay with him when you don’t love him wouldn’t be good for either of you.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘I’ve made my mind up; I just need to talk to him. Come on, let’s go, the longer we’re alone together the more likely my resolve is to break,’ she flirted.
He smiled as he got up and took her hand to help her to her feet. They left, Alexander firmly closing the door behind them before taking Anita’s hand, leading her back the way they had come. Neither of them noticed Gwyn hiding in the shadows watching them leave, her energy supressed as low as she could make it go. She’d been in the tunnels earlier and had heard Anita and Alexander coming towards her. She’d ducked into a side tunnel and supressed her energy, hoping they wouldn’t see her, but she’d kicked a lantern as she went, a muffled scraping noise floating to their ears. They’d paused at the sound, however when nothing followed, they’d carried on, Alexander explaining to Anita that it was probably someone from above.
Gwyn had silently followed them to the pool, and watched as they’d entered and closed the door. She couldn’t follow them inside; they would have heard the door open, not to mention that Alexander would have definitely detected her energy. Instead, she waited until they came out, seeing if they would give anything away. To her great disappointment they moved silently back towards Alexander’s chambers, but they were still holding hands and Gwyn reasoned that was suspicious enough for Marcus to want to know about it. If her boyfriend had been down here with another girl, she would want to know, and anyway she didn’t like Anita, so it would give her great pleasure to cause her some pain.
CHAPTER 18
Gwyn went straight to the castle, telling Amber she had something she urgently needed to discuss with Marcus when she got there. Amber let her in and told Gwyn to go up to Marcus’ suite and knock on the door, she was still bitter about having to take orders from him, so she was damned if she was going to go and ask him if this was a call he wanted to take.
Gwyn climbed the stairs and knocked on his door, Marcus surprised to see her when he answered. ‘Gwyn?’ he said hesitantly, ‘what’s up?’
She hadn’t stayed long, just long enough to tell him what she’d seen, twisting the knife a bit by adding an embellishment here and there. Marcus had remained composed, which had surprised her; she’d expected a jealous rage. He thanked her and showed her out, not quite sure of the best way to handle the information. He tried to stay calm, however couldn’t think of a single legitimate reason for them to be at the pool together, especially not holding hands. He decided the best thing to do would be to talk to Anita about it, so he barked for Amber to get him his driver, bossing her around was never going to get old, and headed to Cordelia’s to see what she had to say.
Anita had just got home, still on a high from what had happened with Alexander. They hadn’t kissed when they’d said goodbye, respecting Anita’s wishes to tell Marcus first, and this had only served to add to the tension. She was replaying their most recent kiss during the meditation in her mind when Marcus’ voice pierced her daydream, his footsteps following his call.
‘Anita? Are you here?’
‘Hi,’ she said, a little off balance. Why was he here? ‘Good day?’ she asked, trying to buy herself a bit of time to get back on kilter.
‘There’s something I need to discuss with you,’ he said tersely, trying to keep his tone as even as he could, however irritation plain to read on his face.
‘What is it?’ she asked, concerned. The only saving grace was that this couldn’t be about what had just happened with Alexander.
‘Tell me,’ he said abruptly, ‘how is Alexander?’
Shit. ‘He’s very well, I’ve just seen him in fact,’ she replied tensely, trying hard not to escalate the situation.
‘Really?’ he said feigning innocence, ‘why did you see him?’
‘We’re friends, it was good to catch up, we meditated together. As you know I’ve found meditation very helpful recently.’
‘I think it would be best if you don’t see Alexander any longer,’ said Marcus, as though this were a perfectly normal thing to drop into conversation.
‘I’m sorry, what?’ Anita spluttered out in shock, half laughing. They’d had an unspoken understanding that Anita would stay away from Alexander before, but the words had never actually been said, and she’d only obliged as she’d been working for Helena and hadn’t wanted to do an
ything to piss him off.
‘I think it would be best if you don’t see Alexander any longer,’ he repeated, condescendingly.
‘Yes, I heard what you said; I’m just in shock that you think you can dictate who I’m allowed to see.’
Marcus was a little taken aback; he’d expected her to reluctantly agree with him, seeing the logic behind what he was saying. ‘But I think it is for the best, don’t you?’
‘What does that even mean? Why would it be for the best for me not to see one of my friends?’
‘Because I’m uncomfortable with you holding hands with your male friends,’ he said venomously. Anita went cold. How could he possibly know that? ‘It’s not like this is the first time you’ve been caught holding Alexander’s hand in public.’
By the Gods, how had he found out? Surely not from Alexander? ‘Marcus, I hope you realise what you sound like. You sound exactly like your father. You can’t order me around, or force me to do things I don’t want to do, whether you think it’s for the best or not. I’m an adult, quite capable of making my own choices and I choose to spend time with Alexander.’ She paused, steeling herself for what she was going to say next, ‘and in fact, I choose not to spend time with you anymore.’
The colour drained from his face, ‘what?’ he whispered, looking lost. ‘You can’t break up with me. I love you.’
Tears pricked at Anita’s eyes. She didn’t want to hurt him, but there was no other way. ‘Marcus, since,’ she paused, taking a deep breath, ‘since you convinced your father to set me free, you’ve changed. Austin has let you into his inner circle and you’re obviously happy about that, but I don’t like the person he’s turning you into. He’s closing your eyes to what’s really going on in the world, he’s making you kick people when they’re down, and above all, he turning you into someone like him.’
