The Last Oracle

by Colvin, Delia

  She pulled back from him and stared in surprise. “The family is meeting us in Puerto Rico for my birthday?”

  “It’ll be fun.”

  At that moment, she understood. The purpose of the “celebration” was so that Mani could ensure that she was no longer affected by the curse. Still, she wouldn’t concern herself with it. Alex seemed happy and content and she would not break the mood to discuss anything so dark or serious.

  She cocked her head. “So, what is a ‘starter’ anyway?”

  “A starter...well, I typically snorkel for my own lobsters, but when I first arrive, I pick up one from Jimmy. I’ve been getting starters from Jimmy’s family for over fifty years.”

  “Oh! Yeah! A starter...okay.”

  “When that goat started nudging you and then Jimmy suggested that we go into his store, it was everything I could do to keep from laughing.”

  She giggled softly and, hearing his carefree laughter, she felt the joy fill her soul as she curled into him. “Tell me about this place.”

  Alex lifted his glass of wine and took a sip as he stared at the fire. “This place is my escape. Nobody knows where it is—except for you now.” He kissed the top of her head. Valeria brushed her hand down his open shirt thinking it was quite a luxury. “The landing strip isn’t published. Hardly anyone can land on it, and I can hear anyone who comes up the mountain from quite a distance. It was the only place I could think of that I wouldn’t worry about your safety.”

  Valeria moved her knees up so that her toes curled against Alex’s. She loved his khaki shorts and admired his tanned, muscular legs...and even his feet were beautiful. Hesitantly, she said, “When I was in St. Croix, I prayed, regardless of the cost, that you would be on the flight out of Puerto Rico with me. When I didn’t see you, I wondered how you had hidden yourself so completely.”

  He took her face in his hands. “Do you know how close I was to picking you up, loading you into my plane, and heading up here?” He looked back at the fire. “But that’s not the life I want for you. I want to take you anywhere you want to go. I would love to spend a few months a year in Manhattan with you. Have you ever been to Paris?”

  Valeria shook her head no. “I don’t really care where we are—as long as we are together and married! I could spend a lifetime here making love to you.”

  Alex sighed happily. “Well, except for Puerto Rico.”

  She picked up a stick and began playing with the fire. “I would like to spend my birthday with you in New York. Do you ever think there will ever be a day when we can do that?”

  “I don’t know. There are some things that need to happen, but until we get bored with our life here, I’m feeling quite selfish about my time with you.”

  “Well then, we will be here a very, very long time,” she said sleepily.

  ∞

  They awoke with the sunrise and the soft Caribbean breeze blowing across them. The sky was the most amazing color, dotted with small white clouds. It was one of the most perfect mornings she had ever experienced, wrapped around Alex.

  Kissing his chest, she noticed his boyish grin.

  “What are you smiling about?” she asked, brushing her hand along his face.

  Alex sighed, happily. “It’s really our first morning of married life!” He leaned on his arm. “Well, I mean—with both of us alive and all.” She kissed his chest and luxuriated in running her hands along it, then trailed them down to his hips. “I thought I would make us breakfast and then we could do whatever you would like.” He smiled suggestively. “Although, we really should go snorkeling today.”

  Valeria crinkled her nose and bit the corner of her lip.

  He rubbed his finger over her lip and shook his head. “All right, snorkeling tomorrow. If you would like, perhaps we could go for a hike. There’s a particular view I’ve been fantasizing about sharing with you for years.”

  She curled into him. “I would love to see that view...later.” Just then, she saw something in a corner of the room and leaned forward. “Alex? What is that?”

  Alex rolled his eyes happily. “It’s called a guitar. You know, strings, neck, you pluck it or strum it.”

  Valeria laughed under her breath. “And what do you do with it?”

  Alex shrugged. “Depends on what I’m in the mood for.”

  “Will you play it for me?”

  “I’ll tell you what. You humor me with the snorkeling tomorrow, and I’ll humor you by playing the guitar tonight.” He kissed her nose. “But you may be sorry you asked.”

  “So...you’ve been fantasizing about a hike?” she asked, with a sensual smile full of promise.

  He nodded and then rolled out of bed. She pouted...until she took in the view of him. He turned back toward her and lifted a brow. “Unless marriage has changed you, I believe it’s time for your coffee.”

  A smile sprang to her face as she watched him pull on a pair of shorts and head to the coffee maker. He pressed a button and, in a moment, Alex presented her with the perfect cup of coffee.

  “Hmm,” Valeria sighed as she clutched her cup of coffee.

  “How about breakfast in bed?”

  “Only if you’re joining me,” she said.

  She watched the way he smiled and was instantly glad she asked.

  ∞

  The hike was through a deep green, tropical forest. They wound their way from the cabin, along a steep, rocky trail. There were places where the trail was almost missing, though parts of it were repaired by Alex—she guessed. They reached a giant boulder and he steered her down a secret path that she would have missed if he hadn’t shown it to her. They crossed a creek several times, stepping on stones.

  Alex carried a pack with their lunch so that they could enjoy their meal with an ultimate view from the top.

  The hike was a feast for the senses, with all of the herbs that grew wild. Ferns and orange and red blooms seemed to sprout up everywhere. The coolness of the forest, and the wonderful and various scents that sprung up around every corner—as well as her husband beside her—made Valeria want to pinch herself to be certain it was real. Alex was obviously thrilled to be sharing this special place with her and her enthusiasm over the mountain was apparent.

  They reached a point where the trail seemed to end. There was a vertical climb that was too steep to walk.

  “We climb from here,” Alex said, grabbing on to a root. Valeria’s eyes widened in excitement as she took hold of a thick tree root and began scrambling up the vertical. Hanging on to the roots, they scrambled for almost twenty minutes, until the trail again appeared to end. Valeria turned around, but trees blocked the potential view.

  “Is this the top?” she asked, quizzically.

  Alex shook his head no, and then pushed aside a bush, showing the edge of a boulder.

  “We’re going to walk along this ledge, but it’s safer if you take off your shoes.”

  Stepping onto the ledge, Valeria saw that below was a series of drop-offs ending with a pile of boulders.

  “Val, lean against the stone,” he said, as he kept his arm on her back.

  When the boulder that they had been leaning on ended, Valeria’s eyes widened as she looked up to see a fifty-foot waterfall that descended into stone bowls next to them.

  Alex said, “That’s not the best part.” He turned her around and, from the edge of the bowls, there was a 200-foot drop-off that looked out through the valley to the sea.

  They sat with their legs dangling from the cliff and ate their sandwiches and fruit.

  “Did you hike here every day when you were alone?”

  “No, not every day.” Alex thought for a moment. “There are always improvements that are needed...on the trails, at the cabin. I restock supplies.” His eyes narrowed as he stared off to the sea. “When you were in St. Croix with Paolo, I focused on being here with you. I kept telling myself it would be very soon, so I kept myself busy with...remodeling and improvements.”

  “What kind of improvements? I d
id notice the coffee maker and the blender.”

  “The tub was a necessity. I brought in a bed instead of a cot,” he said, and then the corner of his mouth turned up. “You know, I do have a few traditions.”

  “Such as?”

  “I was hoping you would ask.” His smile broadened, and then he took Valeria’s face in his hands. “Just so you know, I can hear anyone within a mile of here. And in over fifty-three years, I’ve only seen others here once.”

  He hopped to his feet, stripped off his clothes, and stepped into the bowls and under the waterfall. Valeria stared in awe. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen, and the site of him under the waterfall was incredibly erotic.

  He stepped out from the waterfall and, seeing her expression, he smiled and lifted his index finger, signaling for her to join him.

  “There is something about you and water that is just irresistible!” he said.

  The electricity between them sizzled and caused her to completely abandon her insecurities. She stripped off her shorts and T-shirt without a moment’s hesitation, and took his hand as she stepped into the warm pool. He pulled her into his arms and they made love there, in the stone pools under the waterfall, with the warmth of the Caribbean sun.

  As they napped on the stones, Alex rolled to his side and faced her, a spark in his eye. “Do you want to try something truly adventurous?”

  “Do I want to say ‘yes’ to this one?” she said, crinkling her nose.

  Alex laughed. “Well, since it is July, there isn’t a lot of water right now. I thought you might like to scramble down the creek. It’s quite an adventure and I can help you.”

  Valeria couldn’t say no when he looked so joyful about the whole thing. Besides, it did sound like a fun adventure. Valeria sat with her knees pulled up to her chest by the edge of the eight-foot drop. Alex lowered his legs and then clung to the rocks; shirtless, he lowered himself down. Immediately, he raised himself back up in a chin-up and saw her staring with wide-eyed amazement at the ripples in his arms and chest.

  “I think I’m definitely going to like this!” she said. He winked and then lowered himself.

  “I’ll help you on this drop. Most of the others are four feet or less so you’ll be able to do them on your own,” he said, as she lay down on the granite and rolled her legs over the edge, feeling Alex’s hands on her hips.

  “I have you!”

  “Okay,” she said with a hint of hesitation.

  “Put your hands in the small indentation on the stone and lower yourself. I won’t let you fall...I have you. Now, drop.”

  She let go and landed flat on her feet and felt a thrill.

  “That was fun!”

  Alex laughed again and she was excited to know that she enjoyed something that brought him so much pleasure.

  They worked their way down dropping down from shallow cliffs, forging deep ravines, hanging on to branches and trees, and scrambling over boulders until, at last, they reached the base of the trail near their cabin. Outside their pleasure of each other, it was the most fun Valeria had experienced in a long time. Once she saw the back of the cabin, they held hands.

  She glanced up at Alex and began to laugh. “You should see your face!”

  Alex glanced down at his still bare chest, and saw that he was coated in sweat and dirt. Raising a brow he ran his finger along her chin and displayed the dark stain on the end of his finger. “I’m not the only one!”

  They laughed for a few minutes and then he grabbed her by the belt loops and led her into the shower with him, clothes and all.

  They slept for hours in the late afternoon heat, with the cool breezes blowing across their bodies. Alex propped himself up on his elbows next to her, running a finger over her sun-kissed shoulders.

  “Not bad for the first full day of our honeymoon!” he said.

  “Not bad at all,” she said, with her eyes aglow with love. “I think besides our wedding day—and night—that this is the most fun I’ve ever had.”

  “It’s only the beginning,” he whispered, and then he kissed her shoulder. “By the way, did you remember that those lobsters were only ‘starters’?”

  “Are you going to tell me what that means?” she asked.

  “It means that we need to either go snorkeling for fish or lobster—or we could run down to Jamaica Joe’s.”

  “After that hike, these legs aren’t running anywhere tonight.”

  Alex nuzzled her neck. “Just the hike?” he whispered.

  “No. Not just the hike,” she said with a giggle.

  “And by the way, I meant running figuratively,” he grinned. It was so unusual to hear Alex make jokes, and she loved seeing him in such a light mood. “I thought we could take the boat. Jamaica Joe’s is a small island café. I thought we could take in a little dinner and dancing.”

  “Is it safe?”

  “I think it might be smart for you to wear your contacts as a precaution, but they all suspect that I live on St. Thomas. Jimmy is there to assist with the illusion. His ancestors have worked for me for a hundred years. Jimmy has let the place go, but I can trust him. His grandmother told him so many stories about ancestors who betrayed sacred oaths that he’ll never say a word. Linc will probably leave the islands but he can always manage it from a distance.”

  ∞

  The outing gave Valeria a chance to wear a sexy little sundress that Camille had packed for her. They drove down the mountain winding down the steep hairpin turn, past the plane, and all the way to the base of the mountain. There, Alex parked under a tree and pulled out a small sailboat. He dusted it out and pulled a cushion from the back of the Jeep and set it down on the bench on the back of the boat; he helped Valeria onto it and then pushed them off.

  With an almost nonexistent wind, he skillfully wove along the shoreline staying close enough for her to feel safe. The moon glowed silver and perfect on the smooth water and she was finally feeling relaxed.

  “There it is!” Alex said. There was a shack built on a dock. Alex stopped in front of a ladder. He tied up the boat and then climbed up the three steps and onto the dock. Then he reached down and helped pull Valeria up.

  Immediately, a giant of a man approached them looking almost like Brutus from Popeye. His face was unshaved and he wore a colorful shirt.

  “Alex, hearts are gonna be breaking—for once you got company!” Then the man looked Valeria up and down and pulled his fist to his heart. “And my heart is breaking! Who is this goddess?” Joe said, still eyeing Valeria.

  “Joe, this is my wife, Val.”

  “Wife? You been holding out for this one—now I understand! Nice to meet ya, Val. You newlyweds? Tell me he ain’t been leaving you home alone at night!”

  “We’re on our honeymoon,” Valeria said shyly.

  “Well, last time I saw Al, here, a few months back, I thought maybe he might be doing himself in. I told Deano, the bartender, I was afraid of that. You leave him back then?” Joe asked.

  Valeria opened her mouth but couldn’t find the appropriate words. It didn’t matter, Joe didn’t require two people for a conversation. “Well, next time you decide to dump the guy, give old Joe a call, will ya?”

  “Thank you, but I could never replace my husband and he has promised me that I’ll never need to.”

  “I’m just sayin’,” Joe said, and then immediately busied himself with a table.

  They had a casual dinner looking down on the sea turtles and other marine life moving through the Caribbean. Their dinner tasted even more delicious because of the exertion of the day’s hike. Someone began to play the steel drums, and Alex took Valeria’s hand and led her to the dance floor; they danced under the starlight, joyfully ending another day in paradise.

  It took Alex almost a week of encouragement to get Valeria into the warm Caribbean waters. He began by taking her out with him on his dinghy, while he speared fish or gathered lobsters.

  She was amazed at his skill as he maneuvered the boat around cove
s and rocks as if it had wheels under it. Then Alex would put on his snorkel gear and dive down, finding the perfect lobsters or fish and returning to an always-tense Valeria.

  One afternoon, he pulled the boat into a sandy cove and they both got out. Alex built a fire and played the guitar while Valeria built a sand castle. When it was time to sail back, she realized that she was covered with sand and didn’t want to get back into the boat. Alex dipped under the water to clean off. She stepped in nervously and then, realizing how comfortable and beautiful it was, stepped in a bit further. Once she rinsed off, she climbed back into the boat and waited.

  “Did you notice this beach is deserted?” Alex said, surfacing behind her.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I was thinking…”

  She sat in the boat hanging on to the edges, although it was still beached.

  “Alex?” she said, suddenly frightened.

  A moment later, something sprang out of the water and immediately she recognized it as his swimming trunks. They landed in the front of the boat with a splat.

  “Alex, that’s not funny,” she said.

  She heard him on the other side of the boat. “It was kind of funny.”

  “Okay, maybe just a little, but I’m still not getting in,” she said.

  “Come swimming with me,” he said, as he swam along in a few feet of water.

  “Now?” She looked around.

  “Yeah...” She saw the sensual turn of his smile.

  Within seconds, she had stripped and was, for the first time, enjoying herself in a large body of water.

  It took over a month until Valeria was snorkeling and loving it. Alex promised to take her to some of the other islands as she progressed. At night, they sat by their fire pit and ate lobster, while Alex played the guitar. Everything he played sounded so sweet and romantic. In his music, she could hear the sad yearning of his life before; she knew that this had been a place where he would come to think about her over the years. Now, they were living the most beautiful life she could imagine.

  She brushed her finger along the body of his guitar where there was pearl inlay that read, Orpheus. “Why does that say Orpheus? That’s not the brand is it?”