Mystic Awakening

by J L Lawrence

  “I agree that everyone has a weakness. We need to know more about the armor and where it came from. Maybe Xavier and Zane have found something. There is always a way.” She was betting her life on it.

  Kate chewed on a blade of grass, hoping divine intervention would strike, leaving all the answers in its wake. No such luck.

  She hesitated trying to word her next question. “Where is Braxus now? I mean, he was able to help Fury and bring in the darkness, which nearly succeeded in killing me.”

  “He is trapped with his master in the Hell Realm. He can only enter the Human Realm on the night of the Rising. The other day we were unprepared, and he sent waves of energy using Fury to channel. The Omega has never risked using energy until the night of the Rising, but this is a problem for the future. We have to arrive in the Meadows first for your transformation.” Xander drug his hand through his hair.

  Kate could see that talking about their close encounter upset him, but what choice did they have? Finally, after she stared at him for a few minutes, he started talking again. “Trust your instincts. As a Mystic, they’re impeccable. I don’t think the answer will be simple. It never is with destinies.”

  Xander sat up and pulled Kate up from the ground. With a wave of his hand, he cleared all of the trash, and the props they’d been using earlier disappeared. “Are you ready?”

  Kate couldn’t hide her excitement. She felt like a puppy wagging its tail, but she couldn’t help it. “What’s up next?”

  “Protective shields. These are a little harder because they require a consistent flow of energy, and sometimes you still have to fight, while still maintaining your shield. It takes a ton of focus, but you’ll get the hang of it. I’m…” Xander broke off and met her gaze.

  Uh-oh. What now?

  Chapter 12

  Xander looked at Kate with a wry glance. “Maybe we ought to wait a few more minutes. Xavier is here, and we need to make sure there is a smooth transition.” Kate could hear the tension in his voice and had to admit this didn’t make for friendly times. He took her hand in his and smiled. “Then again maybe it’s a good time to learn protective shields.”

  “What’s Gregory going to do while Xavier works with Angie?” Kate asked as they headed over to Gregory and Angie.

  “You mean besides pacing and going insane wanting to interrupt every five minutes?”

  Kate snorted. “Yeah that?”

  “He’s going to work with Joseph on arrangements to the portal. But more than likely he’ll be obsessing over Angie.” He continued to hold Kate’s hand. His constant need to reassure her began to worry her a little. There was something nagging her in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  * * *

  Angie turned to ask Gregory a question, right as he was taking off his shirt. Her mouth watered, and her knees went momentarily weak. His chest was tanned and flawless. Forget the six pack, he had a good twelve going on. His skin glistened and his athletic pants sat low on his waist, so it didn’t take much to envision the rest of him. Trying to keep her composure, she walked over and scowled at him. “Are we starting with a strip tease, or are we going to do real work sometime today?”

  “Does it bother you? Feel free to join me anytime.” He cocked one eyebrow in a challenge.

  “Please, I’ve seen lots of naked corpses in my time, and you’re not much better. So, I’ll pass.” He’d never know she was lying through her teeth. “What are we doing today anyway?”

  He smiled and leaned toward her. “Kicking your butt!”

  She snorted “Keep dreaming. You may get me at first, but once I learn, you’re history. Now, how do I kill these things?”

  “All demons are different. But there are three main tactics that work on every demon: remove its head, burn it from the inside out, hence the flaming arrows, and remove its heart if it has one. This is not a stake through the heart, but an actual removal. I would suggest you stick to the first two.”

  “Excuse me, did you say removal of the heart?” Angie nearly choked. “Who gets close enough to do that?”

  “Yeah, it is rare for us to get that close, but it does kill them. Shadow Warriors were the only ones that would use that tactic, because they had the power to turn them into dust in the palm of their hand. They also had the strength and speed to go in quickly, before the demons could react. They’re pretty useless now.” Gregory’s bitterness came through with every word.

  “No worries there. I definitely do not intend to get that close.” Angie looked the dummies over again and took a deep breath. “So burn ’em up or take their heads off. I can do that… I think.” After several hours of combat training, she’d never been so happy to see Kate in her life. Although Kate’s expression showed trouble was on the horizon.

  “Hey guys!” Kate said cheerfully, as she walked over with Xander in tow.

  “Hey yourself. Thanks for the assist earlier,” Angie added.

  Gregory rolled his eyes.

  “No problem. I’m quite proud of myself. I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot today. I’m starting protection shields here shortly, but I stopped by to let you know it’s time for your strategy lesson. Xavier’s on his way with lots of scenarios, yada, yada, yada. I lost interest when he got technical. He’s setting up on the verandah, so you’re still out in the fresh air.” Kate tacked the last part on hurriedly and factually. No emotion. No questions. Yep, her fake sunny attitude had been a giveaway.

  Angie sighed, so much for peaceful relaxation or removing the burr out of the saddle. Every time she began to lean closer to Gregory, Xavier made an appearance and confused her. Angie dreaded working with Xavier, and Gregory’s reaction to the whole thing. She could already feel him stiff as a board, sitting behind her.

  As predicted, a sour look crossed Gregory’s face. Whenever he got in one of his moods, Angie lost sight of why she was attracted to him. This dark temperament was not part of his natural personality, and she always felt guilty that she was the cause.

  “Well, where is he?” Gregory growled. “Can’t he handle being around us all at once?” He sneered, rolling the last words off his lips.

  Angie watched his face freeze. His eyes met Xander’s. She didn’t need to read his mind to know he regretted hurting him.

  “Shut your trap, Gregory,” Xander snapped back. “I am not in the mood for your little girl games. Xavier has an excellent mind for strategies, and he has kept us alive this far. So check your feelings at the door and focus on survival.” He stepped closer. “And get over your jealousy issues!”

  Angie felt a stab of her own jealousy as she watched Kate and Xander. He bent down and kissed Kate softly, then she leaned her head on his shoulder. At least Angie could be at peace knowing Kate hadn’t settled for second best. She’d found the one person who accepted all of her. “One of these days you’re going to have to explain all this animosity and pain.”

  Xander touched her shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. “One day soon, I promise. It is not an easy story to tell and tends to bring sorrow to whoever hears it. We need to focus on your power for now without negative energy.”

  Angie waited patiently, feeling guilty for causing, or at least being part of, the reason for the whole scene. She also didn’t want to admit she was actually afraid of spending time with Xavier. He was a strong dominant male and gorgeous to boot. The scar across his cheek and the haunted look in his eyes made him all the more appealing. Why couldn’t she simply commit to Gregory and call it a day?

  Breathing deeply, she started walking toward the verandah. Kate squeezed her hand and sent her comforting energy. She stepped inside. Kate and Xander walked back to their training site and left her to face her own personal demons. As she stepped in and faced Xavier, she once again became mesmerized and felt her stomach jump into her throat. How stupid could one girl be? She wasn’t inclined to answer herself on that one.

  * * *

  Kate glanced back over her shoulder, as Angie stepped inside.
“Xander, I hope this ends well, but something will eventually come to a head between Xavier and Gregory. You can’t contain it forever. Angie’s not made for this type of entanglement and runs away easily.”

  Thankful he had the right to touch her, he took her hand as they walked. He couldn’t imagine having to compete for her affection. The simple thought alone made him sick. What would he do if she didn’t forgive his deception? If he lived, that is. “In the Meadows, she will have to make a choice.”

  “I suppose we’ll all be together a lot with nowhere to hide. Will the Council be able to help them since they approve matches or mates?”

  “Not until she makes her choice and asks for approval.”

  “Great. By then she can’t exactly go to the other one and say, I’ve changed my mind. This really sucks.”

  Chuckling to himself, Xander sat her back down inside their circle. “Okay, protection shields need a lot of energy. Your fear fueled it the last time to protect Angie, but fear is hard to control. This time, you want to call positive energy to have control over it. Breathe deeply, stay focused. It will take some practice. Imagine a kind of bubble that protects all those inside it. You will be able to see who is inside it and what all it is protecting them from. Ready?” He linked their hands to help her channel the energy in the beginning.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Kate closed her eyes and found her balance.

  She began to pull the energy inside her. She didn’t have to use memories anymore. She could feel the energy pulsing around her now and called it to her. She brought the bubble image into focus and imagined all the protective attributes she would want the bubble to have. She blocked demonic energy from the shield and then decided to add in bugs. Since she hated bugs anyway, it seemed like a good choice, and it was something measurable to test her shield.

  As she opened her eyes, she blocked out everything but the shield, which at this particular moment was the size of a quarter. Great, unless she was aiming to protect tiny fairies, she’d better figure out how to expand this thing. Focusing all her energy on the little bubble, she envisioned it growing larger and larger. Finally, the bubble began to respond. It grew, until it covered her whole body.

  Sighing in relief at mastering her first task, she began to expand it further. After a lot more effort, it finally enclosed around Xander. Once established, she took the time to test and understand her energy field. She watched as the bugs fled from her, so she knew it was working to some extent.

  She studied Xander and took notice of the pale light surrounding him that marked the boundaries. This is what it would look like when she wasn’t using the bubble decoy. The same could be said for the circle surrounding them both. She was protecting their whole area.

  Ready to test her boundaries, she tried to levitate a stick lying next to her, but she lost her connection and dropped the shield. Frustrated, she slammed her hands on the ground. “Dang it!”

  Xander leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. “Stay focused. You managed to cover our entire area with your first try. I was only able to cover myself my first time, and that was shaky. After a couple more tries, you’ll be able to multitask. With limited powers, this is not an easy undertaking. You’ve got this. Try again.”

  Refocusing, Kate pulled in her energy again. She wanted to prove to herself and Xander how much she was capable of doing. She didn’t want to be a hindrance if they had to fight again.

  After a couple hours, she finally managed to hold the shield and levitate or manifest objects. Nothing huge yet, but it was definitely a start.

  She’d also learned how to control the light and envelope anything she chose. She could change the conditions of the shield without stopping and creating a new one. All in all, this had been a successful day, and the first time she believed she was going to have real powers. Even with sweat pouring down her face, she felt radiant. I can conquer the world!

  She jumped forward and landed on top of Xander, knocking him flat on his back. Her excitement radiated through them, and her laughter was infectious. A few moments later, the laughter ceased, and a new awareness began pulsating through her. She became aware of his body beneath hers and could feel his arousal pushing against her thigh.

  She met his gaze and slowly leaned forward to trace his lips with her tongue. The first kiss was feather light, but the electricity still arced between them. They groaned in unison. Xander rolled her over onto her back and deepened the kiss.

  Their tongues swirled, pulses raced out of control, and bodies melted together. An electrical current started at Kate’s toes and radiated up her body, slowly creating an intense ache. She could feel the heat pool between her legs.

  No longer able to control the urge that had been building all day, Kate ripped his shirt off. In the same moment, her own was magically removed. Xander lifted slightly off her body and began trailing kisses down the side of her face, down her neck, and hovered above her breasts.

  Her need for him pulsed inside her like a bass drum. It overshadowed all rational thought. All she knew was that she needed him to complete her. It was like a strange primal need flowing through her blood. She gasped and thrashed her head when he latched onto one of her breasts and suckled with an intensity she’d never experienced.

  Pleasure flooded through her, and she ached for his possession. She whimpered as he moved from one breast to the other. She thought she’d go insane from the whirlpool of feelings exploding through her. She was ready to erupt and wanted him deep inside her when the explosion came. She wanted him. Now.

  He ran his hands all over her body. She gasped, then sighed, every touch brought out new sensations. He teased her with his hands, rolling her nipples between his fingers. She bucked beneath him, whimpering with need. She wanted him. Only him. It was intoxicating.

  He lifted his hand and removed the remainder of their clothing. Before she could blink, he plunged into her. Their connection was so strong, the emotions overwhelmed her and sent her spiraling out of control. She grasped his shoulders as the wondrous sensations traveled the length of her body. Her orgasm exploded. It released the energy, excitement, and fears that had built during their training.

  He continued kissing her until everything subsided, but he still held her close. Something inside her finally understood that this was her world and her future.

  * * *

  A bolt of pain flashed through Xander’s mind. He recoiled. What was that? At first he thought he had hurt Kate. All they needed was another energy storm. He should have remembered.

  Then he realized it was Xavier and tried to push it aside. He’d have to deal with his own damn issues. Xavier pushed back in desperation, breaking through the haze in Xander’s mind.

  Xavier was having trouble. His emotions were spiraling out of control. Xander connected to him and could feel his conflicting desires. One part of him was ready to grab Angie and go somewhere private, and the other ready to run for the hills. What the hell had happened in the past couple of hours?

  Xander slowly sat up to process the information. He waved his hand to redress and freshen up Kate and himself. Not only had he left Xavier when he needed him, but he had made love to Kate in a dirty field. When it came to her, he had no control, zero. The guilt of his lies was lying heavier and heavier. He wanted to tell her, but it was too late now. He couldn’t spook her and risk her resistance to the portal. At least she didn’t have the experience yet to navigate the many blockades in his mind. Without her knowing what she was looking for, he could keep his secrets well hidden.

  Kate was still dazed and amped up on an adrenaline rush. “What is it?”

  “Xavier is on overload dealing with Angie. Something happened between them, and he is having a hard time holding himself back from her, but at the same time fears getting close to her. He sent me a distress signal asking for help. He wants to stay and go over plans face to face, but all his emotions are swirling out of control.” He took a deep breath to control his emotions. How many obsta
cles did the Council think they needed to endure?

  “It’s always something, but I feel confusion in Angie, too.” She sat up and pulled her hair into a ponytail. “I guess we better head over before Gregory catches wind of something, and we really have a problem. We need to help Xavier cope, but I’m not sure how. He has to relearn emotions again.”

  “I don’t think baptism by fire is the best approach. Add in Gregory’s animosity to the mix and raging hormones, it adds up to a real big mess.” Xander stood, pulling Kate to her feet. He kissed her deeply. “One day we will get to spend uninterrupted time together.” He hoped. “At least that much could be normal for you, and we could make love in a bed with candlelight and whatever you desire.”

  “All I desire is you and no interruptions. In a field or in a bed doesn’t matter. Then again, maybe a deserted island should be our goal.” Kate leaned on his shoulder. They walked to the verandah. “Let’s go save Angie and Xavier, shall we?”

  Xander touched her shoulders gently and looked deeply into her eyes. “Kate, I want you to know that I have fallen deeply in love with you. Never forget that. Let’s go, Mystic.” He pulled her along quickly before she could question him.

  * * *

  “So,” Angie said, “what you’re saying is that the main goal of the battle is to bring the Mystic and Omega together. The quicker they meet, the quicker it’s over, right? Why don’t they meet in the middle and call it a day? Why all the fighting if it comes down to the two of them anyway?”

  Xavier brought up a few of the pictures and drawings from the last Rising. Bodies were ripped apart and blood soaked the ground. One picture was of a woman who didn’t look much older than a teenager. She was holding up her hands in terror, as the demon ripped her heart out of her chest. Angie gasped in horror, but it was important for her to grasp the true concept of what she would face. He wished he could soften the reality, but her best chance to survive was to understand.

  “When the Rising begins, the first goal is to kill as many demons as you can to protect the human realm. Without the Shadow Warriors, this will be more difficult. This also allows us to clear the path between the Mystic and Omega. After the winner is determined, many of the demons will be fighting to stay out of the Hell Realm or find a way to escape. The Shadow Warriors provided our best offensive weapon. Without them our greatest concern is getting Kate to where she needs to be.”