by Tia Fanning
Nothing. Jacob was gone.
I smacked my palm against the window.
I heard Stoyan come into the room.
“Where did you send him?” I asked.
“The farthest I could. Since his existence mirrors our own, he should be half a world away.”
China? He sent the poor kid to China?
“Bring him back,” I demanded.
“No.”
I spun around. “Damn it! Why? Why did you do that? Why did you banish him? I promised I’d help him.”
“He is dangerous,” Stoyan replied evenly.
“Dangerous?” I threw up my arms. “He’s just a kid. I can’t believe you sent him off to fucking Asia.”
“Katia, I will not apologize for what I did. My first priority is your safety. Jacob might be a child, but he is also a powerful spirit; that makes him dangerous. It might not be his intention to cause harm, but the risk is there all the same.”
“Yeah, whatever,” I muttered as I pushed past him to leave.
I didn’t make it out the door.
His fingers closed around my arm and swung me around. “You almost lost your soul tonight! Wake up, Katia. This is not a fucking game.”
Can we say stunned stupid? That was me. My dropped jaw refused to form words. Not only did he yell at me, he swore! He actually used a curse word!
Releasing his hold, Stoyan stepped back and looked away. He balled his hand and tapped it against his lips, as if willing himself to remain silent until he calmed down.
Finally, his gaze locked on mine. Besides his anger, I saw something in the depths of his eyes that I had never seen there before.
Fear? Desperation? Indecision?
In Stoyan?
Why?
Instantly, I found the answer to ‘why’ reflected in those depths.
I might as well have been standing in front of a mirror.
It was because me. He was afraid of what I would do, of what choices I’d make, and unsure of how to protect me when I insisted on putting myself in danger.
And he was terrified of failing me.
God, I was doing it again, wasn’t I? I was letting my heart rule me. I was making rash decisions without thinking about the consequences those actions might have on my life and those around me.
Worse than that, I was not letting Stoyan in, not trusting him to come through for me, though minutes earlier, he had saved my life.
Tears blurred my vision. He was so worried about failing me, but he never had. If anything, I was the one always failing him.
“I’m sorry. I told myself I would stop being so impulsive, but I guess bad habits are tough to break. I’ll try harder to change.”
Shaking his head, he gathered me in his arms. “Katia, I do not want you to change. I love you as you are. I always have. I just want you be safe. I want to have a life with you…” He let out a heavy breath, and pulled me tight against him. “A very long, happy life,” he murmured in my ear.
“You didn’t fail me. You saved me. You gathered my soul before it was lost.”
“You were only gone a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. I do not know what I would have done if I had lost you.”
If he only knew how long a few seconds really was.
“Thank you for saving me. I should have said that earlier.”
“You, my love, never need to thank me.” Stoyan nudged my head back, wiped my tears with his thumbs, and then kissed my cheeks. “We will help Jacob find his sister, but we will do it safely—”
“Wait a minute. How do you know his name? How do you know he’s looking for his sister?”
“When I left you earlier, I went to town to do research on recent deaths in the hopes of finding out the identity of the spirit.”
“How did you know you had the right one?”
“This area is just a gathering of small towns. Not many violent deaths concerning minors occur around here.”
“Okay, so how did you figure out that it was a minor haunting me and not some adult? You never asked me.”
Stoyan chuckled. “Because you kept referring to the spirit as ‘that kid’.”
“Stoyan. Do you know where his sister is?”
“I do.”
* * * *
Under the guise of a “concerned teacher” visiting her student, I stood over the small hospital bed and looked down upon the innocent girl, noting how much her name fit her in this moment. The bruises on her face were now faded, her soft hair was brushed to the side, no doubt by a caring nurse, and her eyes hidden behind tender lids.
She was a beautiful child. Truly angelic in her rest, her expression was one of peace.
However, I knew the truth. She was far from peaceful.
I could hear the screams echoing in her head.
She was lost in a nightmarish place, her mind trapped in a perpetual loop that replayed the same terrible scenes over and over again.
I knew where she was imprisoned. I heard the moments she repeatedly endured. Horrid sounds formed the images in my mind, burned them to my soul, and left a mark upon me that I would carry the rest of my life.
I took a breath to ease my nauseous stomach. Since I had insisted on ignoring my gift for so long, I wasn’t used to the intrusion of another’s experiences.
It had been twelve years since I’d opened my mind to another. Twelve years since I’d laid hands upon a lost one and wished it peace. I was not certain I could do this. What if I failed?
“Where’s the father?” I asked.
“Committed suicide,” Stoyan replied quietly.
“Does she have family?”
“No.”
My hands trembled as I raised them from my side and settled them on Angel’s temples. I pulled back. I wanted to heal her, but…
“She didn’t come to me, you know. The lost ones have to come to me. I’m not supposed to seek them out. It’s one of the rules. Fate chooses the one to receive healing; I’m not supposed to play God.”
“She did come to you.”
“No, her brother did.”
Stoyan raised my hand and placed it on my chest, covering it with his own. “What does your heart say?”
“It says I should heal her. But, Stoyan, of course my heart would want that. My heart rules me.”
He removed my hand and brought it to his lips. “And I love that about you, Katia.”
His reassurance gave me strength.
I would heal her, and I would accept the consequences, be they good or bad.
I placed my fingers on back Angel’s temples asking God to grant her peace.
Her mind quieted. Her eyes fluttered open.
For a few moments, she stared at us, dazed, confused. Suddenly, her eyes closed. The screams filled her mind again.
I shook my head. “Something is wrong.”
“Try again,” Stoyan whispered.
I did, but it happened again. She came out and went back in.
Oh, please don’t let this happen. Lord, don’t trap this poor little girl in that mental hell.
Tears welled in my eyes as I tried a third time. Unsuccessful.
It was too much for me. I broke.
“I can’t heal her,” I sobbed. “Her mind, her memory, it dominates her world.”
Stoyan leaned over, placing his hand on Angel’s.
“Do it again, Katia.”
“I can’t do it. It won’t work. I can only heal the pain. Heal the sickness. I can’t erase memories.”
“Do you trust me?” he asked softly.
Nodding, I tried again. But this time, when Angel’s eyes opened, Stoyan began chanting. When he finished, her dazed look cleared.
I laughed with joy that knew no boundaries. “We did it! What did you…?”
Stoyan’s eyes were closed, but a tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.
The healing worked, but at what cost?
“You have your father’s gift? You carry the memory?”
Before Stoyan could respond
, Angel let out a gasp. “What’s wrong with Jacob?”
I followed her gaze.
Jacob stood in the doorway.
I guess now that Angel was free of the prison in her mind, her brother was able to locate her. Jacob had lost the two-inch razor teeth and horrific mask of rage, but still had his big black eyes and sad gaping mouth.
I wondered how I could explain to Angel that she was seeing her brother’s ghost…but then, I wondered how she was able to see him at all. When I saw her life through the eyes of her brother, she held no such gift.
Jacob suddenly disappeared.
Angel’s eyes went bright. “Mommy?” She then frowned “Why is Jacob going with you?”
I looked at Stoyan. “Why can’t I see him?” I mouthed.
He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You can only see the unsettled. Jacob’s mother has come for him. He has found peace now.”
“How can she see them?” I whispered back.
“This is a common, temporary gift of sight for the one left behind. It is so they might find closure by having the opportunity to say goodbye.”
Angel pulled back the covers. “I want to go too.”
Sitting up, the young girl moved her legs to the edge of the mattress to get out of the bed. Suddenly, she stopped.
“Okay, mommy, I’ll listen.”
After a few moments of silence, Angel started to cry, nodding the way children do when a parent is telling them something important.
Angel looked at us, and then turned back to the doorway. “But I don’t want a new mommy and daddy. Why can’t you and Jacob stay here?”
Stoyan slid his arms around my shoulders and pulled me close as I wept.
The little girl wiped her cheeks. “Okay, I promise.”
I clutched tightly to Stoyan’s shirt. “Can you hear them?”
He shook his head. “No, I can only see their light and it is fading now. They are leaving.”
“I—I love you too,” Angel hiccupped, then fell back into her bed, and bawled into her pillow.
Epilogue
Eighteen months later…
I had been here a week, and I still couldn’t believe this place was once my home. At sixteen, I left here in tears, imbedding in my mind a memory of resentment, and impracticality. I’d even wished a hole would open in the earth and swallow the archaic village.
How wrong I was.
Today, the village was a place of hope, understanding, and love for mankind. It was a retreat for those searching for their inner gifts, an environment to hone the ones they were aware of, and above all, it was a sanctuary for those in need of healing.
I was amazed at how much Stoyan had accomplished in twelve short years. It was a massive project given to him when he first obtained his Master’s Degree in international business and started working for his father.
The outskirts of the village were no longer barren fields that refused to yield food. Now a hotel with a pool, spa, restaurants, and conference rooms occupied the land.
Inside the village, where there had once been only shacks of wood and stone, there were now small cottages complete with electricity and running water. Home again to the people who, like myself, had once fled this place wanting to integrate into the normal world. Many had come back here to live and work, and contribute to the continuance of our heritage and our gifts.
In the center of the village was a large grassy square where people communed to give or receive guidance and healing, to simply sit and talk, to learn, or to do things as mundane as shop for trinkets at one of the many stalls. It was the perfect place to read a book, paint a picture, or have a cup of coffee with a friend.
A soft breeze swept over me as I walked through the crowded square. Though barely audible, I could hear the whispers of the departed elders preaching for the young ones. Remember your gifts and use them wisely. Be an honorable force in the world.
If they were here now, I think the elders would have been pleased with the evolution of our village, despite the modern upgrades. I believe they would have been happy to see our slice of the earth pulsate with life again and be filled with the laughter of children, the love of family, and the pride of heritage.
I rested my hand over my bulging tummy.
Would my children grow to know this place? Would they love it? I didn’t know for sure if the baby was a boy or a girl, but I had a feeling I would be blessed with a daughter.
Would she come back to this place in the summers to learn our customs and explore her gifts with the elders that resided here?
Anxiety nearly overwhelmed me.
My eyes instantly sought and located Stoyan a short distance away, engaged in a conversation with his father. He turned and met my gaze, giving me a reassuring smile, as if he knew my thoughts—which he probably did.
If it was another daughter, and she happened to inherit my gifts, she would be well cared for. Fate would find a way to bring her a protector.
“Are you okay, honey?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.
“I’m okay,” Angel replied, seeming lost in her own world as she wandered around a small booth behind me, filled with crystals and other such things.
For a little girl who’d just turned twelve, Angel was too reserved, too old in her ways.
I peered out over the grass where the other kids had gathered to listen to an elder reciting a story. Angel should want to be over there, laughing, having fun, wanting to hang out with other boys and girls her age.
But she didn’t.
She still grieved for her brother.
Even though Stoyan took from her the gruesome images of how Jacob died, Angel bore many memories from her tragic life. Her brother had been her strength for the first decade of her existence, and now he was gone. It was a void that no amount of love and caring could fill.
My heart ached for her.
Stoyan and his parents approached us, bringing along an older couple. During the introductions, I was told by the man and his wife that they knew of me, for I was legend to our people.
What?
They threw words out like powerful healer of the lost, and then spoke of my great-grandmother.
It turned out they were relatives of one of the families I’d stayed with during my travels.
The older man then referred to the kids surrounding the tale-telling elder, pointing out twin boys who sat on the grass in the very back of the group… with the group, but somehow still apart.
“My grandsons,” he said, his voice filled with pride, “both hold the gifts of the protector.”
Delight fluttered on the breeze, a tinkling sound, as familiar as it was foreign. Realizing Angel was no longer with us, I scanned the area.
Angel sat on a blanket with an old woman. The wise elder with long black hair and exotic eyes leaned over and placed something around Angel’s neck. For a fleeting moment, a gold glow descended upon them.
I panicked.
“Stoyan!” I gasped, before hurrying over to Angel.
I fell to my knees beside my daughter, sparing an accusing glare at the elder.
“What have you done?” I demanded.
The elder smiled and said something in a language I did not understand.
Angel beamed. “She says she’s given to me what is already mine. She has been waiting for me to come for a long time.”
I gently lifted the thin chain around my daughter’s neck and studied the gold amulet: An image of the Egyptian goddess, Bastet.
“Angel, how do you understand Arabic now?”
She shrugged. “I don’t. My special friend told me what she said.”
Stoyan, Stylianos and Ileana quickly joined us. “What’s happening,” my mother-in-law asked in concern.
Glancing away for a moment, Angel nodded, as if engaged in some conversation with an imaginary playmate.
My daughter turned to me. “My guide wants me to tell you that Jackie sends her regards,” Angel relayed with curious innocence. She then wrinkled her nose.
“Who’s Jackie? What’s a regard?”
“Stoyan, what do we do?” I whispered, horrified.
He knelt beside me, “If it was not destined, it would not have happened.”
That brought me little comfort.
Stoyan glanced at our daughter, and then at the elder. “Are you to be her mentor?” he asked in our people’s tongue.
The elder nodded, her eyes showing how pleased she was with this.
“Oh, I forgot!” Angel exclaimed.
“What?” I asked cautiously, almost afraid to learn the answer.
“When my new friend came, she brought messages from my brother.” Excitement sparkled in her eyes. “One message was for you! My brother told my guide to tell me to tell you ‘thanks’!”
I couldn’t find my voice to respond.
Angel was glowing, her happiness radiating like the sun. My daughter was not the same girl she had been when she woke up that morning.
Angel started to laugh. Pointing to the group of children, she said, “My guide said my sister will one day marry—”
Palms covered my ears.
A muted exchange occurred.
Stoyan lifted his hands just as Angel giggled her promise ‘to keep the surprise a secret’.
My hand flew to my mouth as I tried to hold in the overwhelming emotions. I failed miserably.
I fell into Stoyan’s arms, sobbing.
My husband held me close as I cried tears of joy and relief into his chest. I didn’t have to worry for my unborn daughter anymore. Somewhere in that group of children, her future protector waited.
After placing a kiss atop of my head, he murmured in my ear. “I love you, Katia.”
I looked up into his knowing eyes.
He read my heart.
About the Author
When Tia Fanning is not lost somewhere in the exciting world of fantasy and romance, you might find her residing in the mid-west with her husband, Warren, and two dogs, Drew and Jack.
However, according to her husband, she is usually lost... even the dogs can’t find her.
To learn more about Tia and her adventures, visit her at www.tiafanning.com or befriend her on www.myspace.com/tiafanning.
Also Available from Resplendence Publishing:
