Among The Cloud Dwellers (Entrainment Series)

by Giuliana Sica

  I kicked my sandals off and sat on the bed waiting for Bene to pick up. No answer. No machine. She’s probably at work, I thought and hung up. The room was finally beginning to cool off. I reached for the fan to switch it to low and gasped when Gabe grabbed my waist and pulled me down on the bed against his chest.

  “This is a really nice dress you’re wearing. You’ve been teasing me in it all day long.” He tugged at my dress straps. “What’s even nicer is what’s beneath the dress.” He slowly unfastened the few buttons on my back and sneaked a warm hand onto the bare skin of my waist.

  “I thought you wanted to take a nap,” I said, turning to face him. I kissed his chin.

  “That’s roight, but where does it say we can’t have a nap in the nik?”

  “Nowhere.” I reached down to unzip his jeans shorts.

  “The problem is I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep if I’m lying naked next to you.”

  “You think I’d be the only one having a problem?”

  “No, but I can handle it. The question is, can you?” His voice trailed off as he adjusted himself against the pillows and was soon drifting off into sleep.

  I struggled to find a way to sneak into his dreams. I finally gave up and settled into his arms. This is how it should always be, I thought as a sharp pang of panic reminded my heart it was only for a few days. I decided to just ride the wave until it crashed to shore. To live the present is to live a gift. I drifted into a soothing sleep. Gabe breathed quietly right next to me.

  CHAPTER 20

  We drove to Evalena’s house with the windows down, the radio music snatched away by the wind twirling around us. The day’s torrid heat had given way to a bearable evening breeze. Gabe sat next to me looking toward the bowing sun. He propped an elbow on the window ledge, lost in thought, his eyes hidden behind dark lenses. He had changed into a pair of shorts and a navy button-down shirt with tiny yellow palm trees printed all over it. I’d bought it for him earlier that afternoon, more as a gag gift than anything else. Leave it to the gods; he wore it nonchalantly, as if he had just stepped out from the freshly printed pages of L’Uomo Vogue.

  “I wish I’d brought my camera.” His deep voice brought me back to the moment.

  “I’ve got one at home.” I smiled at him, taking my eyes off the road for a moment.

  He reached over to caress my chin. “You’ve got such a lovely smile, Porzia,” he said quietly. “I wonder if capturing it on film will be enough once I head back.”

  “Maybe with a panoramic view you might be able to fit it all in.” I grinned broadly to show my point. “Did you want to go somewhere special while you’re down here?” I considered places to visit, places to take pictures of.

  “No, not really. I came to see you.” He brushed a rebel strand of hair off my cheek.

  I shook my head. “And what an incredible surprise! I still can’t believe you’re actually here.”

  “I’m here.” He pulled his hand away and turned to look out the window again. We drove the last few miles to Evalena’s place in silence. It wasn’t the right time to get into such a serious subject.

  We parked and walked hand in hand up the few steps leading to the front door. I was about to knock—with my arm midway up—when Evalena opened the door.

  “Hello, dear.” She hugged me tightly, then pushed away and held me at arm’s length to better inspect me. “You look fantastic!” Her eyes drifted up to Gabe standing quietly behind me. For a moment, time froze. My intuitive abilities struggled as Gabe stiffened and Evalena perceptively bowed as if to give due respect to a higher power.

  Now, that was interesting.

  Evalena tilted her head to one side, breaking the spell. The energies shifted as she offered a hand to Gabe.

  “Glad to meet you, Evalena.” An edge of wariness tinged his tone.

  “Pleased to meet you too, Gabe,” Evalena answered. Her smile lifted the last veil of caution like warm sun dissipating lingering fog. I felt Gabe relax behind me as Evalena motioned for us to step inside. The smell of barbeque hit my nostrils. We followed it toward the back of the house, past the kitchen, and out into the back yard. There we found Rex fussing over succulent racks of baby back ribs. He glanced over at us and grinned wide. He managed to hug me with one hand gripping long tongs while the other held a sweaty bottle of Corona.

  “It’s great to see you again, Rex,” I said. “This is Gabe.” I turned in his arms to properly introduce the two of them. Gabe shook hands with Rex and promptly received an offer to dig into the fridge for a cold beer.

  I told Gabe I would fetch him a Corona and left the two men talking about that stuff men talk about in front of blazing barbeques. In the kitchen I pulled a bottle of Shiraz from Umeracha out of my oversized bag and showed it to Evalena. She brushed her hands clean against the apron hugging her hips and took the bottle. She read the label and raised an eyebrow. “So, this is the famous wine you flew halfway across the planet to write about?”

  “Yep.”

  “And that out there is your Two of Cups?” She pointed the bottle’s neck in Gabe’s direction.

  “Yep.”

  “He doesn’t know about the past life regression.” It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer. She whistled softly under her breath. “Do you know what a nurrullurrulla is, Porzia?”

  I frowned. “No.”

  “A sorcerer, an Aboriginal sorcerer.” She waved a hand in midair. “Enough said. I’ll explain later, when we’re alone and we have more time. I can’t say more and I need to be around him a bit longer. Would you like a beer?” she asked without missing a beat.

  “Merda, right about now I could use a keg.” I shook my head, wondering what had just hit me.

  “How about lime?” She handed me two Coronas with lime wedges stuck in their necks. I grabbed the two frosted bottles and headed back to the patio, my hands gripping the bottles’ necks in a futile attempt to absorb some of their coolness.

  “Here’s your beer,” I offered, handing one of the bottles to Gabe.

  “Thanks, luv.” He brushed my hand with his fingers.

  “We’re about ready here,” Rex announced, piling the barely blackened, caramelized ribs onto a serving tray and covering the barbeque with a lid. I usually adore barbeque but for once the charred meat scent hit my nostrils all wrong, and I felt queasy. We made our way back into the kitchen. Too busy swallowing the surging nausea, I still hadn’t had a chance to sip my beer. I glanced over my shoulder as I stepped over the threshold leading back into the house and noticed enormous clouds gathering, obscuring the scattered pattern of stars that sprinkled the heavens. I couldn’t see the moon anywhere. I blinked and readjusted my eyes to focus on the candlelit dining table.

  “Porzia, would you sit by me tonight?” Rex pulled a chair out for me and motioned Gabe to the one next to me.

  Evalena placed heaping bowls of potato salad and baked beans on the table and took the seat between Gabe and Rex, smiling like the Cheshire cat the entire time. Come to think of it, that was her usual smile.

  “Is this your first time in this neck of the woods?” Rex asked Gabe, putting a small rack of ribs onto my plate with no formality whatsoever. He then tossed some to everybody else, nearly missing Evalena’s plate.

  “Yes. I’ve never been to Florida before,” Gabe said. He eyed the baked beans suspiciously. They might not cook them like that in Australia.

  “They’re really good,” I encouraged him.

  He scooped some onto his plate, mildly alarmed by the juices running dangerously close to his meat. I handed him the breadbasket and the potato salad. He knew what to do with those.

  I concentrated on my own plate and finally managed to push the lime down the neck of my beer bottle and take a sip. Nothing beats cold beer on a hot, muggy summer evening. I closed my eyes and swallowed, following the bitter taste. It went down my
throat to the mouth of my stomach and farther, crashing against the cliffs of my stomach like high, foaming surf. Exquisite!

  It didn’t take long for the mounting surf to reach my brain. I relaxed my back against the solid wood of my chair and exhaled deeply, realizing that, until that moment, I had been holding my breath. I took a slow, lazy look at Evalena and then shifted my eyes to Gabe. He seemed relaxed, easily chatting with Rex about cars and engines. Evalena followed the conversation, taking dainty bites of her ribs and toying with her potato salad. I didn’t know if it was an effect of the beer or if the motes above both Gabe’s and Evalena’s heads were actually sparkling. I shifted my eyes onto more solid sights: my plate. The runny baked beans didn’t look at all appetizing. I was no longer hungry. I wondered what the hell was happening to me. I took another sip of my beer and shook my head, trying to make sense of whatever it was that had suddenly crept up on me.

  “What’s wrong, honey? You’re not hungry?” Evalena asked me, pushing her own plate away.

  I’m not the only one having problems eating tonight. I remember thinking that just before the room started spinning into solid darkness and I lost consciousness.

  *

  Two cards danced in front of me. The Magician and the Two of Cups.

  My hand reached out. And in the darkness I rolled a set of dice.

  Two.

  *

  Soft voices called me back up as a pungent smell hit my nostrils and made me wince. A strong hand held my neck, and I relaxed against it; intuitively I recognized and trusted the source of that strength.

  “Porzia, luv, can you hear me?” Gabe’s concerned tone reached through the fog, gripped my will, and pulled me out slowly.

  “What happened?” I mumbled, keeping my eyes shut. What was I afraid of looking at?

  With enormous effort I blinked slowly, absorbing the lamplight, clutching Gabe’s hand tightly.

  “You had a dizzy spell, honey,” Evalena said. She brought a glass of iced water to my dry lips. I lifted my head to take a sip, helped by Gabe’s hand still supporting my neck.

  I blinked again to adjust my focus and tried to pull myself up; I realized I was lying on the same couch I’d had my past life regression on. I was suddenly uncomfortable. As if lying on burning coals, I sat up quickly, swung my feet onto the floor, and tried to get up.

  “Whoa! Not so fast, luv!” Gabe said, standing up himself to support me.

  Grateful, I hung on for dear life. Confused and disoriented, I tried to toss a few words out there; “I’m OK,” I managed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the evening. I don’t know what happened.”

  “Perhaps you’re just tired,” Evalena ventured.

  “Maybe we should head back home.” Gabe’s eyes shadowed with concern.

  “I think that’s a good idea.” Rex spoke his first words since I had regained consciousness. “How about you give him your keys and let Gabe drive you home, Porzia?”

  I looked at Gabe. “Can you drive on our side of the road?” I felt reluctant to hand him my car key chain. Not because I didn’t trust his driving abilities.

  “No worries,” he said, taking charge. He apologized to Evalena and Rex for not being able to stay longer. As he carried me out to the car, he promised them he would take good care of me. Before I knew it, I found myself sitting on the passenger side, seat belt strapped tightly across my chest. He sped off into the night.

  “What happened back there, Gabe?” I whispered. Quietly, I observed him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not psychic, but something definitely took place between you and Evalena.” I relaxed against the car seat. “Something did. Even an obtuse mind like mine was affected by it.”

  “You’re not obtuse.” A shadow of a smile flickered across his face.

  “I am when it comes to things not of this world.” I don’t know any better way to get straight answers than to ask direct questions.

  “You didn’t tell me Evalena was an Intuitive,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “I didn’t tell you Rex was retired Air Force either.” I pressed him. “How do you know Evalena is an Intuitive?”

  “She’s also an Initiate.”

  “Pardon? A what?”

  “Initiate. She’s capable of recognizing the strength of medicine work.” He paused. “I bet she’s capable of a lot more than that.” He took his eyes off the road to look at me. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were trying to test me tonight.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Gabe?” I spat, tasting bitter anger in my own words. “Test you? Test you on what? And how do you know so much about all this hocus-pocus business? I thought you raced cars for a living.” Oh no! Merda! I hadn’t meant it to come out like that.

  “I did.”

  “I’m sorry, Gabe. I didn’t mean it like that.” I took a deep breath. “Listen. The last thing I want to do is argue over something I don’t even understand. Please forgive my rude remarks and help me make some sense of all this.” I reached over to squeeze his hand.

  He sighed. “Are these the dice you’ve been rolling?” he asked me, pointing at the two shiny cubes hanging off my car ignition.

  “Yes. But what do you mean—?”

  He shook his head. “This isn’t the right time. Not while we’re driving.”

  “OK then, when we get home.” I wasn’t going to let this one slide. I needed answers. But, ever cautious, I wondered how much flour I would have to spill from my own bag to make it a fair trade.

  CHAPTER 21

  “Gomi pulled me out of the car. Nothing new. I’d had accidents in the past, and he would always be the one rescuing me. That’s how we actually met in the first place.” Gabe glanced over at me to see if I followed.

  I had kicked off my shoes and sat cross-legged on the sofa right in front of him, but without touching.

  His eyes shifted, narrowed, and stared at the Aboriginal Dhamala painting I had gotten in Melbourne. “Where did you get this?”

  “At the airport in Melbourne, coming home. Why?”

  He shook his head. “No wonder . . .” His voice cracked, remembering pain. He turned his head away from me and time drifted. “As I was saying, I was told Gomi found me, but by the time he and the rescue team got to me, night had fallen; temperatures had dropped drastically. Several hours had gone by since the crash, and I’d lost consciousness. See, I’d driven away from the designated course and lost my way in the bush. While I was trying to figure a way to turn back and get on track something cut across in front of me. I think a dingo, but it could have been a bunyip for all I reckon. I couldn’t say. In order not to hit the animal, I chucked a yewy, swerving to the right. I smashed the bull bar into a massive boulder at about eighty clicks; that’s about fifty, fifty-five miles an hour. The car flipped and rolled about twenty metres to the bottom of a canyon where it stopped, upside down, with me trapped in it, hanging by the seatbelt.

  “I don’t remember exactly how long I was out altogether. Clark won’t say and Gomi just shakes his head when I bring it up. Anyway, I woke up in the hospital a few weeks later after being in a coma. Doc said if it weren’t for the helmet, I wouldn’t have woken up at all.” He closed his eyes and relaxed his head against the blue of the sofa.

  Somehow, I found myself with him, trapped behind his shut eyelids. I spiraled backwards against the blue of his eyes and fought the surging wave of claustrophobia closing in on me. His eyes slit open, and I was suddenly free, back in the room, breathing again. My own heartbeat immediately screamed for attention. I shook my head, stunned with what had just happened. No one told me magic could be this painful. I focused on his familiar features, struggling to anchor myself on solid ground. The strength of his sharp profile reassured me. The silence thickened around us as if to tangibly shield me from what he would say next.

&nb
sp; “I don’t agree with what the doctor said,” he ventured at last. His eyes cast a doubtful look at me, searching to see if I would be open to hear more.

  “Porzia, this time Gomi wasn’t the first one to get to me,” he let out in a breath. “Someone else got to the accident site before he did and helped me to not give up.” His eyes glazed over with memories still vivid, the brush strokes not yet dry on the canvas of life.

  I felt my mind go empty. I knew deep down inside, without knowing how I knew, that we would never be the same once he told me what he was about to share.

  “I didn’t know for the longest time whether I’d dreamed the entire experience or if it actually happened. Just like you at Evalena’s tonight, being out of consciousness can be disorienting and even scary. There’s nothing to hold on to, no sense of direction, not even a hint of what choices and possibilities might lie ahead. I saw it all in an instant: the halted, failed courage of eternal, unaccomplished dreams. Not to mention the fact that your past has been completely erased. Wiped away.” He smiled wryly. “Talk about feeling bloody vulnerable.”

  Accidenti!

  “I’d been in a coma for so long I was having a hard time grasping reality. To this day I remember images, dreams or whatever you want to call them, that I had while I was unconscious. But I can’t tell you honestly what was true and what I made up in my mind as I spun farther and farther away from reality.

  “I was shown this to be a positive thing; something not to be afraid of. It was this state of pure potential that existed before the universe was created. So I was taught how to be into this . . . nothingness . . . into the silence between the worlds. I learned to watch the void between outgoing and incoming breaths and to treasure each empty moment of the experience. As time goes by, it seems I remember more and more, but it’s still bloody confusing.”

  He paused. With a deep breath, he gathered courage to finish. “But in order to save my life, I had to pay a price. Liberation walks hand in hand with Loss, Porzia. You must promise me you’ll remember these words. Evalena, being an Intuitive, could tell you more. But not much more than what I’m saying to you right now; she senses the ordeal I’ve gone through. She respects the silence as part of the bargain I honor in order to be here today. I’m bound by the pact, and I am trying to keep up my end of the deal even if it means giving up my wings.”