“So… Where are you from? Rainey never told me; I didn’t really give her a chance. I only told her to go get you without delay,” he said with a sly grin.
“Are we playing question for question? Because this conversation is going to get pretty boring if we’re only discussing my life. There isn’t much to tell.”
“We can play that game, if you want. Where are you from?”
“Nowhere, Arkansas. Where are you originally from? There were no States nine hundred fifty four years ago. That was like… back with the dinosaurs and cave men, right?”
“Har, har. I’m guessing that the remark about the dinosaurs was supposed to be a joke implying that I’m old. Very funny, baby girl. I’m from Eastern Europe, originally, but I’ve managed to live in just about every part of this big world. Eternal Island is by far the best. I don’t feel like I have to hide what I am here. I can be myself.”
The waiter set the drinks on the table and made himself scarce. Ariana picked her beer up and sipped it. Abe ran his finger around the rim of his glass, making it sing.
“Where are your parents? I hate to think that I may have snatched you away from a loving mom and dad and friends who are going out of their minds wondering if you are dead or being mistreated by someone. That is the only thing I regret, though not enough to make me think I should have handled things differently.”
“Friends, yes. Family, no. Janie and Lance were my only friends and Michael was my only family. My parents died when I was sixteen. I had to live in a foster home until I finished high school. I was not an honor student. I went to college, but then realized I couldn’t afford to continue studying and live, too. Me and Janie have been best friends since kindergarten. I’ve worked at Mel’s Bar and Grill for the last six years and me and Michael got married in March, last year. That’s about it, Abe. I told you I was boring.”
A cloud of sadness swept over her eyes, and Abe caught it before she could drive it away.
“There is nothing boring about you, Ariana. Something’s bothering you, though. I can see that. You want to tell me about it? Maybe I can help.”
“Nothing you can do, Abe. I’ve just remembered a joke we used to share, me and Janie. My first wedding was such a non-event, I promised her she could be my maid of honor at my next wedding, not that I was expecting to lose Michael… She made me pinky-swear.”
“That sounds serious.”
Ariana smiled. “Yes, it was.” She sighed and continued. “It makes me sad… that she won’t be here… And I worry about sharing this kind of news with her and Lance. I don’t know how they’ll react and it’s important to me that they like you and accept you as the man I’ll spend the rest of my life with. I guess I will find out when I dream walk, later.”
Abe kept quiet for a while.
“Did I upset you?” Ariana worried.
“I was just wondering, with all the powers you possess, if you would be able to take me dream walking with you, so I can meet them and be there to support you. And… if they have nothing to leave behind, they are more than welcome to come live on the island, as your guests… but you know the rules about leaving; I can’t compromise on that. My people’s safety would be at stake. If they decide they want to come, though, you could give them a lift on Wednesday, when you pick up your dress.”
“Wednesday? Pick up my dress?”
“Of course. You can choose whichever dress you like. What? Did you think I’d make you get married in blue jeans and a t-shirt?”
“I haven’t really had a chance to think about it. Where are you sending me?”
“Rainey is taking you to Beverly Hills, California.”
“Seriously? I’ve always wanted to go there.” Ariana looked at her ring. “And I’m gonna have to find a really good wedding present for you.”
Abe laughed. “I have everything I need, Ariana.”
“I believe that. All you have to do is snap your fingers and someone will come running to give you what you want.”
“I wasn’t talking about that. I meant you. You are everything I need, the only thing I truly need in my life – now and ever.” He took her hand. “Now, back to your friends.”
“I’ve already mentioned it to Lance. Not sure what he thought about it, though, he didn’t comment.”
“Was that last night? When you said he didn’t get a chance to say much?” Abe laughed.
“Yeah. I suppose he was a little stunned, at the time. Janie doesn’t really have anyone, either, like me. I guess that’s why we got along so well. But Lance’s parents are still alive – his mom has Alzheimer’s disease and his dad’s a jerk. The only complication would arise if Janie and Lance are…” she cleared her throat, “very close now… And Lance wants to stay there. I guess I couldn’t blame Janie for wanting to stay with him. She does like him a lot, I know. I can ask again, and yes, I would love for you to meet them. We can try it when we go back home.”
She looked up at him to see a smile wide enough to split his face in half. “What? Are you that keen to meet them?”
“You said ‘home’. And I’m ready whenever you are, honey.”
CHAPTER 46
“Okay, I don’t know how to do this, so we’re just going to wing it and see if it works.” Ariana and Abe sat Indian style, facing each other, holding hands on his bedroom floor. “You need to relax your mind. If it works, everything will go black for a moment, so don’t freak out on me. You will hear a heartbeat, too. It’s theirs. When I came to your dream, it was completely silent.”
“I won’t freak out. Let’s do it. You sure they’re asleep?”
“It should be getting close to sun up there. Oh, no!”
Abe jumped. “What? What?”
“What if their dream is outside, during the day? Will it hurt you, do you think?”
“I dream about being in the sunshine a lot. I’ll be fine, Ariana.”
“Alright. Now… close your eyes and relax. Take me and Abe to Lance’s dream…” Everything went black. Ariana could still feel Abe’s hands in hers. “Are you okay?”
“This is freaking awesome. We’ve got to do this again, sometime. There are a lot of people’s dreams I would love to screw with.”
She squeezed his hands to get his attention. “You hear that soft thumping? That’s his heart. Pretty cool, huh?”
“That’s not my train of thought, but you don’t have to know what I’m thinking.”
“I can’t hear your thoughts here, so you’re safe. I wasn’t able to read Lance or Janie, either, probably because I’m in their head already.”
“Cool, I haven’t been able to get you naked…”
“Shhh, here it comes.”
They both went silent as a bright sunny day appeared before them. Lance and Janie were laying in a hammock together and Ariana got excited for a second, thinking she had killed two birds with one stone, when she remembered Abe’s dream with the made-up Ariana. This Janie was a figment of Lance’s imagination, not the real Janie. She would still have to visit her separately.
Lance and the dream Janie were laughing.
“Hey, Lance. Can I have your attention for a minute? Without distractions?” Ariana nodded towards Janie’s double.
Lance looked up at her and almost fell out of the hammock. “Ariana! I’m so glad you’re here. Have you talked to Janie yet?” The fake Janie dissipated.
“No, not yet. Did you end up giving her cheap flowers anyway?”
He looked confused. “No, why?”
“Someone gave you that broken nose, both your eyes are black.”
“Oh, that. No, that was an accident. She accidentally head butted me.” Lance looked past Ariana to Abe. “Who’s the big guy? I know I didn’t dream him up.”
Ariana sat down in the hammock and Abe walked forward with an outstretched hand. As Lance shook his hand, Abe introduced himself. “Abe Cambridge, nice to finally meet you. I am the reason Ariana was taken away and I am truly sorry, but we are destined…”
“A
be… do you think that, maybe, I can take it from here? Lance won’t understand unless he hears the words from my mouth. Come to think of it, he’s not likely to understand then, either. He was Michael’s best friend.”
Abe nodded and went to stand beside her, facing Lance, who had a confused look on his face.
Ariana stared at her trembling hands and spoke softly to him. “Lance, I know that you probably aren’t going to fully grasp what I’m about to say, but please, for me, I hope you’ll try. I want you to know that Michael came to see me on the island for a couple of days, and before he left for Heaven, he said that this is what he wanted for me.”
“You’ve seen Michael?”
“In spirit form, yes.” Lance seemed to have difficulty pulling enough air into his lungs. “He doesn’t blame you for the accident, Lance, I told you that.”
There were tears welling up in Lance’s eyes. “I miss him, Ariana.”
“I do, too, Lance, but he told me to stop mourning for him and get on with my life and be happy… with Abe.”
Lance paused for a moment and then his face turned disgusted. “You’re telling me that you’re screwing this guy?”
Abe stepped toward Lance. “I don’t appreciate you talking to Ariana in that manner, and I don’t think Michael would have liked it, either.”
Lance’s face was shocked as he stared at Abe. “No, no! You don’t know Michael. He wouldn’t…”
“I met Michael. We had a very long conversation about my feelings for Ariana…”
Ariana stood up, interrupting Abe’s speech. “Lance, Michael’s last wish was that I would be with Abe. He wanted to make sure I was loved and taken care of, and he knew that me and Abe were meant to be together. Everything happens for a reason, Lance. I’m a witch and I’m supposed to live on Eternal Island. I was meant to love Abe and we are destined to get married… This Saturday, in fact.”
Lance lowered himself gently to the ground and simply stared at her. She figured he would either pass out or start shouting at her again, shooing her out of his dream. Was that even possible? She would go without a fuss, but she didn’t want Lance to hate her forever, and this would definitely cause problems between him and Janie when she found out, which she was bound to do.
Lance surprised her by speaking in a calm, mature voice. “Are you sure, Ariana? I know from experience that you can’t stop love. But Michael’s only been dead a short while…”
“I’m positive, Lance. It’s what he wanted. If he were here, he would tell you the same thing.” Ariana lowered her gaze. “And I haven’t even got to the shocking part of the story yet.”
“Ariana,” Abe whispered. “Maybe we should save the rest for another dream. I think he’s taken in all he can, for now.”
Ariana looked at Abe. “If I don’t tell him now, I’ll only upset him again later.”
Abe nodded.
“Oh yes, by all means, Ariana, tell me more. You pregnant or something?” Lance’s sanity finally tipped over the edge and onto the other side.
Abe cleared his throat and Lance rolled his eyes.
“Abe runs Eternal Island,” Ariana hastened to explain. “He’s their… um… King.”
“So you… will be queen? You hit the jackpot, didn’t you?” A leer she’d never seen on Lance’s face before contorted his features.
“Ugh, I hate that word, but yes. Yes, I will be… Queen. And I’m not marrying Abe for his money, so you can put that face away. When you come, you’ll see. Money isn’t really a big deal there. Everyone works and everyone pretty much has what they want.” Ariana gritted her teeth and soldiered on. “There is also another word the people on the island will call me, after our baby is born. They’ll call me High Vampess.”
“Baby? You are pregnant, aren’t you?”
“No! Christ, Lance, you can be such a moron! No, I’m not pregnant. Stop fixating on babies. Though I do want a baby, and so does Abe. You’re missing the main point.”
“What’s more important than that? Oh, the High Vampess thing. What’s that?”
“Well, it’s what they call a Queen that is mated to the High Vampire. I will… be one, one day.” Ariana waited for the heat, but what came next surprised the hell out of her and Abe both.
Lance started laughing, and he laughed, and he laughed some more. Ariana and Abe watched in silence, waiting for Lance to get it all out of his system.
When he couldn’t laugh anymore, Lance simply stared at them, his face gradually losing any hint of hilarity. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” he managed to say after a while.
“Yes.”
“In that case I don’t have any choice but to be happy for you. Anything else would only drive Janie away from me, and I’m not going to let you do that, Ariana. We’re already having crazy dreams, thanks to you.”
“What can I say to convince you, Lance? Can’t you just be happy for me?”
“Well, in a normal world, I would be happy for you, if that counts for anything.”
“It does, Lance. Oh, thank you.” Ariana ran and hugged him tightly. “We want you and Janie to come and live on the island with us, if you want to. Please, Lance. Just give it a chance. I promised Janie she could be my maid of honor, if I ever got married again. You’re not going to break her heart and say no, are you?”
Lance took a deep breath. “We already had a… tentative discussion about it. I won’t stop her doing what would make her happy. Hell, I need to see that island, to believe it. So, I guess you’ll get your wish. How exactly do you propose to get us there? You said humans couldn’t find it.” Lance eyed Abe worriedly. “I’m not ready to relinquish my soul yet, so you can keep your fangs away from me, vamp dude.”
“Oh, my God! Thank you, Lance. I must go share the good news with Janie in her dream. Be at the local airport at 6 p.m. this Wednesday. I’ll pick you up. Don’t tell anyone else; you have to just disappear. Bring only the necessities. I’ll see you then. Tell Janie she can have any dress she likes – we’ll get fitted together. I love you, Lance. Thank you for being such a good friend.”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I love you, too. See you Wednesday at six at the airport. Or, if not there, in whatever lunatic asylum these crazy dreams land me.”
Ariana took Abe’s hand and smiled at him. “Take me and Abe back to our own minds.”
§ § §
Rainey looked up at the gray sky and started walking towards Kade. Why was the guy always a hundred yards away? She was going to have a talk to him about making her walk so much through the soft sand. If he came into her dream, then why couldn’t he come all the way?
When Rainey got close, Kade turned and smiled a perfect smile. Never mind Clive, the guy she’d left in his own dreamland, back in her bed. Rainey had completely fallen for the man standing in front of her.
“Hey, gorgeous. You miss me?” Kade purred.
“You know I did. Sorry it took me so long, we’ve had a little excitement on the island.”
Kade’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? What happened?”
“Ab… I mean, the King proposed to… the future Queen tonight, and she said yes. The wedding is this coming Saturday, so I may not be able to see you that night, much as I hate it. Oh, and Wednesday, too. I am taking the bride-to-be to Beverly Hills, wedding dress shopping.”
Kade’s eyes opened wide and he smiled slyly. “Really? That’s perfect timing. Are you sure you didn’t read my mind? I’ve got everything in order here, so if you still want me to come and live on the island with you, you could give me a lift.”
“Oh, my gosh. Really? Yes! Yes, of course I want you to come. We will be in Beverly Hills at Heaven Sent Bridal by eleven o’clock Wednesday night. Can you meet me there? Oh, I can’t believe you are really coming.”
“How could I not? I’ve fallen for you. Besides, you need someone to take care of you.” He stopped talking for a moment and looked as though he were in a trance, then he snapped out of it. “Someone better than that guy in your bed.”
“Oh, no! Kade, I’m so…”
“Shhh! You are not mine yet, sweetness. But you will be soon. Don’t be sorry, I also have someone to let go. It won’t be easy, she’s been around for a quite a while. But I don’t love her. I love you.”
Rainey’s heart melted and she blushed. “I think I’m falling for you, too.”
Kade smiled. “I’m glad about that. You can tell the guy in your bed that’s the last time he got to sleep with you; your boyfriend is coming to stay for good Wednesday night.”
Rainey’s heart was beating fast. “I will.”
Kade bent and kissed her softly, sending chills all over her body. “I’ve got to go now. I’ll be waiting for you Wednesday night. Good night, Rainey.”
Kade disappeared and Rainey willed herself to wake up and share her good news with poor Clive.
CHAPTER 47
Ariana opened her eyes and looked at Abe, whose eyes were still closed. She laughed.
“Did you fall asleep?”
Abe dragged his lids open over his bloodshot eyes. Ariana gasped and put a hand over her mouth. “What’s wrong with your eyes? Are you okay? Abe? Answer me! Did I do that? The dream walking always makes me tired – are you tired, too?”
Abe’s body slumped and his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Oh no! Abe! Abe, you can’t do this to me. I’m not that good a healer. I don’t know what’s wrong with you.”
She snapped her fingers and clapped her hands in front of his face. She put two fingers on his jugular, feeling for a pulse, then immediately felt stupid when she remembered he didn’t have one anyway. She put her ear down by his mouth to listen to his breathing, then crawled quickly to the couch. She rummaged in her purse and found her cell, grateful for the time Rainey had spent loading hers and Becky’s numbers, back on the beach.
It rang twice before Rainey picked up. “I figured you guys would be necking. Get it? He’s a vampire… necking. Whatever, I’m sorry, I tell lame jokes…”
“Rainey, shut up! There is something wrong with Abe and I don’t know what to do. I took him dream walking with me to meet one of my friends and when we came back he was unresponsive and his eyes are bloodshot. He’s out cold on the floor and his breathing is slow. Please help me, tell me what to do,” Ariana cried, frantic with worry.
Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series) Page 25
