Waves of Change

by Nulli Para Ora

  “I won’t have to be in the OR. I just need to be in the hospital, preferably on the same floor as you. Come with me; I need to give you something.” Daniel stood up and offered his hand. When she took it, he led her up the stairs to the main level. After running upstairs and putting on his pants and undershirt, he ran out to his car. When he left, Alicia grabbed a robe from the bathroom on the first floor and took a seat at the kitchen island.

  When he came back in, he joined her in the kitchen and took out a large glass and filled it with water from the sink before he set it on the counter behind her. “These are for you.” He offered his open palms and waited.

  Alicia looked at the ring and earrings in Daniel’s hands and covered her mouth in surprise. “They’re beautiful!”

  “I had them made by one of our jewelers the day after I met you. These gems and metal can hold a small amount of water that will never evaporate. As long as it’s touching your skin, I will be able to find you. We’ll also be able to speak with our thoughts.

  “I know you remove your rings before surgery, so that’s why I had the earrings made too. The ring also converts to a pendant, so you can wear it on a chain while you work.”

  Alicia stared in wonder as she looked at the designs. There were small diamonds on the ring, each graduating in size as they reached the center. The center stone was large, but not garish. It was an emerald-cut diamond that looked to be about four carats to her untrained eye. The earrings were lever backs with diamonds and emeralds the same color as Daniel’s eyes.

  “The day I met you at the restaurant, I read your water. I knew you were the only woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, so I had these made. I based them on the things I learned from you when I touched you. I was hoping you would wear the ring as a symbol of our bond and…”

  He paused, and she watched him try to gather himself before he spoke again. He’s nervous. Why is he nervous?

  “I was hoping you’d wear them as a symbol of our bond and as a symbol of me asking you to take my name.”

  Alicia’s entire world seemed to stop. She held her body still and looked into his eyes. His pupils had dilated, and his irises were a bit deeper in color. She could almost feel his anticipation, and she blinked several times as if she could force herself to wake up. “Daniel, are you asking me what I think you are?”

  He smiled and moved closer to her. “After we met, I knew I would never really be able to live my life if you weren’t in it. We’ve developed into more than I could have ever imagined, and I never want it to end. I only want it to grow.

  “I want to wake up with you in my arms every day. I want to come home to you, and I want to be there to help you and take care of you when you need it. I want to share all of your hopes and dreams, and I want to create new ones with you. I want to leave you breathless so you know how I feel whenever I look at you. I want everything from you, with you.

  “Dr. Alicia Renee Lewis, will you continue to bring light, joy, warmth, lust, and love into my world? Will you stand beside me for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me?”

  Alicia could feel herself tremble, and her eyes welled up. She was about to speak when she saw the water from the glass float in midair and form words.

  I will never take you for granted.

  I will be there to catch you if you fall.

  You will always hold my heart in your hands.

  I need you.

  I love you.

  Please say yes, Alicia.

  The last four words hung in the air, and Alicia closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tight. “If I read all the books in the world, I don’t think I could find the words to describe the feelings I have for you that you create in me. I am so fortunate to know you, to have you as a part of my life. For months, I woke up with thoughts of you in my head, and I found you in my dreams. But I’m awake now, and you’re still here. So if you are asking me to spend the rest of my life by your side, there’s not a force on this planet strong enough to keep me from saying yes!”

  When Daniel pulled back to look at her, she could see he too was in a battle to hold back the tears. He took her left hand and brought it to his lips. After several kisses, he slipped the ring onto her finger. Clasping his right hand with her left, he began to pull water from her body and his.

  Alicia watched as small globes rose from both their hands. The two became one and Daniel lowered them into the ring. She looked on as the water was absorbed by the stones and metal, and she stared in wonder as the bioluminescent symbols reappeared on her finger. Daniel repeated the process with the earrings and placed them in her earlobes.

  Reaching into his pants pocket, Daniel retrieved an intricately woven metal necklace and repeated the same process, adding both of their water to it. When he placed it around his neck, his chest glowed with the symbols. “We’ll always be able to find each other now, beautiful. We’ll always be able to talk like this.”

  Alicia smiled and kissed him with passion. It didn’t take long to lose herself in him, but in an instant, her high was shattered by panic. “I still don’t know what time it is!”

  *

  Daniel watched her run up the stairs and closed his eyes as her thoughts became a blur of:

  “I’m late! I’ve got to shower. Mitral valve prolapse.”

  He laughed and looked down to see the light from the symbols fade and disappear from his chest. A thought popped into his head, and he pulled his lips into a grin in response.

  “Danny. Be serious, I am already late!” Alicia yelled down to him from the bathroom.

  He strolled up the stairs with casual steps and stood in the doorway. He watched as she stood in front of the shower with a look of exasperation. It was all he could do to keep from laughing when she made a sweeping gesture toward the water droplets suspended in midair while raising an eyebrow. “Beautiful, if you think there is any way I would let you shower alone after last night, you are out of your gorgeous mind.”

  He returned her stare with a quirked brow of his own. Before she could say anything else, he walked into the bathroom, removed his clothing, got into the shower, and extended his hand to her.

  Alicia stood still for several moments looking back and forth between the levitating droplets and his outstretched hand. “This really is pretty cool, but I have to get ready.”

  He stepped closer to her and slid her robe off. After helping her into the shower, he began to kiss her with deep and lustful abandon. When she moaned, he allowed the water to fall. He wanted her again, but there was something wrong. He could sense an ache within her, and his guilt was immediate. “You’re sore. I can just pleasure you.”

  Daniel slowly dropped to one knee, trailing kisses as he descended. He watched the water travel over her brown skin, and he chased the racing rivulets with his tongue. In no time, Alicia’s hips began to grind against him, and her moans grew louder.

  “Danny, please…” Her plea was soft and needy, a combination he had a hard time resisting, and he pulsed and throbbed as he felt her thoughts. She wanted him, and he wasn’t about to deny the needs of his Dau-Hael.

  “I’ll go slowly.” He stood up and positioned himself at her entrance. His gaze was fixed on her face as he pushed into her in one long movement. Alicia released a long breath and gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer and erasing his earlier resistance. She’s definitely going to be late.

  Chapter 13

  After Daniel and Alicia managed to leave the shower and have a quick breakfast, they took Daniel’s car and headed to the hospital. He took the opportunity to explain a few things, and he talked as he drove her to work. “I told you about the evolution of our people, so now I’ll tell you a bit more about our sovereignties. There are five nations of the Leuk Ahnal. We are members of the Pa lel nation. Our ruler, King Philip, is charged with protecting the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl, our most sacred artifact.

  “One of the other nations, the Ver-Rist Tokos, is at war with our
people. Their ruler, King Davidus, seeks possession of the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl. He believes he can manipulate its power to grant everyone in his nation the ability to not only manipulate the water of anyone in proximity but to also control anyone who touches water.”

  “So not every Leuk Ahnal is able to manipulate the water of other people to control them?” Alicia was intrigued by this revelation and wanted to learn as much as she could.

  “No, we’re not all born with that ability. Only a very small percentage of our population has this skill. If Davidus could give this power to all of the people in his nation, then everyone would be in danger, not just the Leuk Ahnal or the Pa lel. He could use this as a weapon to enslave all of mankind.”

  “How does he plan to get this artifact?”

  “We’re not sure. We’re always trying to stop any threats that emerge, but despite our intelligence reports and our work, we still don’t have a clear picture of how he plans to achieve his goal.”

  Each answer and explanation increased her curiosity. She listened to his every word as if he was an ancient guru. “How does the artifact work?”

  “It responds to a particular resonance. King Philip has the ability to create the resonance with his thoughts. It’s sort of like a brain wave signature that allows it to activate. Even though they know our king protects the artifact, they have never made any moves to try to abduct him.”

  “Is it because he wouldn’t cooperate?” If I can help him figure all this out, he won’t have to be an enforcer anymore.

  “King Philip would take his life before allowing himself to be used to activate the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl for the Ver-Rist Tokos.”

  “Why hasn’t your king used the artifact to do what Davidus is trying to? Couldn’t he manipulate the Ver-Rist Tokos and end all of their plans?” It seemed like a logical action, but as she continued to accept the existence of the Leuk Ahnal, she found logic didn’t always supply answers.

  “As far as I know, the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl can’t be used for that purpose. Somehow King Davidus was led to believe total manipulation was one of its functions.”

  “What are its main functions then?”

  “Those are known only to King Philip. What I do know is the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl is kept in water, so our king can access it from anywhere if needed. Only he knows its location, and only he has the resonance signature to use it. He has no heirs yet, so the resonance has not been passed on to another.”

  “So what does all of this have to do with me?” Alicia was confused. She couldn’t figure out why they’d tried to kidnap her, and the more she learned, the more unreasonable it seemed.

  “Chris told me our advisors received intelligence indicating the Ver-Rist Tokos were attempting to make some kind of poison. Maybe they need something from you to do it. I really don’t know.”

  “Something from me? For a poison? They could get a chemist for that. I don’t specialize in anything remotely related to making poison.” None of this made any sense, and Alicia struggled to piece it all together.

  “I don’t know, beautiful. I just know that man was pretty set on taking you yesterday.” Daniel clenched the steering wheel as he stared at the street ahead of them.

  She could feel the anger emanating from him, and she reached over and squeezed his knee. “I’m okay, Daniel. I’m still with you.”

  “I know; it’s just… What if we didn’t get to you in time? That was too close. I don’t know what I would have done if Chris was too late.”

  “But now I have these, so you’ll always know where to find me.” Alicia smiled as she felt Daniel relax. When they arrived at the hospital, they entered the parking garage and made their way up to her office.

  * * * *

  Daniel walked next to Alicia as she entered her office with her hands up in mock defense. “Don’t kill me, Gladys; I can explain.” She had called Gladys to warn her she would be late, but she still seemed ready to explain herself.

  “Dr. Lewis, it’s no problem. All of the surgical procedures for the morning were rescheduled. There was an issue in one of the operating rooms, and they had to check them all out.”

  “What kind of issue?” Daniel wanted to know the exact nature of this problem, and he didn’t want Alicia to go anywhere until it was explained to his satisfaction. His heart rate increased, and he innately reached out with his water in search of any potential threats. Would they send someone here to try again?

  “Nice to see you, Daniel. From what I understand, there was a malfunction with the backup generator outlets. The electricians fixed the problem, and the routine checks should be completed shortly.” Gladys smiled and returned to tapping her fingers on her keyboard.

  The explanation seemed plausible, but Daniel wasn’t comfortable. If he was going to protect her, he needed to know this problem wasn’t a diversion designed to mask a possible Ver-Rist Tokos threat. He reached out to Alicia with his thoughts in an effort to see the whole picture. “Could someone have tampered with the backup generators? Has something like this happened before?”

  “I don’t know all the specifics, but the hospital does have a security system with cameras and guards. I don’t think someone could just walk into the room with the generators, but if they did, there’s probably some video surveillance of them. We’ve had issues with power failures before, but the backup generators are well maintained. They’re part of the vital systems of the hospital.”

  He accepted this explanation and released a slow breath. He could still feel tension in his muscles, and he tapped the fingertips of his left hand against his thigh in an attempt to release it.

  “Oh my God!” Gladys placed her hand over her mouth before she stood up and rushed around to the front of her desk.

  “What’s wrong?” Daniel scanned the office, and then the hall through the open door. His body was on instant alert, and he readied himself to react.

  Gladys grabbed Alicia’s hand and stared at her ring. “You’re engaged!”

  Alicia smiled and nodded. “That’s why I’m late.”

  “Late?” Gladys’ eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she stared between Daniel and Alicia.

  “To the office, Gladys.”

  She took a small breath before she shook her head. A wide smile spread her lips, and Daniel noticed a small bit of water had collected in her lower eyelids. “Congratulations to both of you.” She squeezed Alicia in a hug before turning to him to do the same. To his relief, she didn’t seem bothered by his initial paranoid reaction, and he returned her hug and smiled when he pulled back.

  “Have you told your parents yet?” Gladys clasped her hands in front of her chest and bounced on the balls of her feet. She looked like she was on the edge of bubbling over as she moved her gaze between them.

  “Not yet. I’ll probably call them sometime today. Excuse me a minute; I’ll be right back. I need to grab those case files.”

  Gladys nodded at Alicia as she disappeared into her office. When she was out of sight, she leaned forward to speak to Daniel in a low voice. “Alicia’s a good woman. I know you’ll make her happy. I just wish my Hunter would bring home someone like her. I’d even settle for someone who was a tenth of Alicia!”

  “I’m a very lucky man, Gladys. I love her more than anything.”

  Gladys smiled and gave him another hug. “You’re such a sweet man. You’d have to be blind not to see how much you care about her.”

  When Alicia emerged from her office with files in hand, she narrowed her eyes and appeared to be on the verge of laughter. “I turn my back for five minutes, and already your hands are on another woman.”

  “I’m sorry, Gladys, but I think she knows.” He held Gladys closer and watched as Alicia shook her head.

  “Gladys, Danny’s going to be our guest today, so please put him to work.”

  “Hey! Who volunteers for more work on their day off? I’m beginning to rethink this whole marriage thing.” He released Gladys and folded his arms over his chest. He rolled his eyes and
poked out his bottom lip for effect.

  “Rethink this.” Alicia made the remark and walked over to him. She placed a light kiss on his lips while sending him the most erotic images his brain had ever encountered.

  His muscles stiffened, and he tried not to moan, but it was difficult. “We’re going home for lunch, beautiful.”

  Alicia smiled and gave him a sly wink as she headed for the door. “Don’t let him get into trouble, Gladys!”

  Gladys smiled up at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. He tried not to move until the erection caused by his fiancée’s wanton thoughts calmed down. “Tai ikamu, Alicia!”

  “Hmm? Did you need something?”

  “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you when we get home? You are in serious trouble, beautiful!”

  * * * *

  After an hour and a half of talk about the wedding and guests, Gladys proposed an idea. “You know, if you’re not squeamish, I can bring you to the viewing room.”

  “Viewing room?” Daniel raised his eyebrows, uncertain of what she was inviting him to see.

  “Yes. This is a teaching hospital. The operating rooms have areas built above them with windows that allow you to observe the surgery. If you want, I can take you to one of those spaces and you can see Dr. Lewis in action.”

  “Really? I could do that?” He’d never thought about watching a live surgery before, but when the offer was presented, he was intrigued.

  Gladys nodded. “If you want to see a procedure, then yes. I can let you in. You can even bring your computer. Dr. Lewis can only hear you if you use a button to activate the microphone in the room.”

  “Does Alicia talk to people in the viewing room often?”

  “Oh yes, all the time. There are lots of medical students, residents, and fellows who come to see her surgeries. They always ask questions on the techniques and things of that nature. I’ve watched her a few times myself.