by C C Solomon
“Of course, the Silver Spring town could have helpful information,” Erik added. He gave me an arrogant wink as he headed to the dining room and I pursed my lips and looked away, secretly smiling.
“What about just some of us go,” Lisa began. Having filled her plate, she headed out of the kitchen. “It’s only two hours away.”
Erik entered the kitchen again. Walking past me, he reached out and his hand grazed the back of mine, which was hanging down at my side. I was still annoyed with him but the contact gave me instant butterflies.
“A lot can happen in a two-hour drive. And then, what happens if the place is a set up? We should all stick together,” He surmised.
“Well, six of us won’t stop that,” I said, giving him a tight smile.
He looked over at me. “We’re like family now and we should remain as one.” He smiled in return and it was like sunshine yet again. Secretly. I believed he smiled only for me.
Wait, was he trying to be charming?
I turned away from him and caught Faith’s smirking face. I lowered my head. Seemed our secret flirting wasn’t so secret.
“I agree with Erik that we should stick together. But we should also head over to Silver Spring,” Faith began. “Witches here are trying to use magic spells to locate the prison but so far, no luck. Even Lisa couldn’t help. You either, Amina. So, us taking a quick visit to Silver Spring to see what’s going on won’t hurt.”
“I think that sounds smart,” Felix said. “We need to go. They said we have to go now.”
Lisa, plate annoyingly filled to the brim for such a tiny girl, turned to Felix and frowned. “Who’s ‘they?’” she asked.
Felix smiled and tapped his head. “Voices in my head.”
We all stopped what we were doing and looked at him.
“Nine years ago, I would have been worried about your mental stability,” Lisa began.
“I’m still worried,” Erik muttered besides me.
“But now, there actually could be people telepathically communicating with you,” Lisa went on.
“Doesn’t mean they’re good people,” Erik surmised.
“We’re going. End of story. Either you come with us or you stay here,” Lisa announced before exiting the kitchen.
“I’m with her,” I stated. “We have four yeses, one no and one maybe. Yes wins! Let’s go.”
Chapter 15
Three days later we were heading south to Silver Spring.
“So, where exactly do we head once we get off the highway?” Erik asked, driving a gray Sudan the Hagerstown community let us have.
I sat in the front passenger seat and gazed out of the window as we exited 495 into downtown Silver Spring, following the SUV Charles was driving.
“Felix will know,” Faith stated from the back seat.
There were no signs welcoming us to the town. We simply drove straight down Colesville road, but it wasn’t long before we saw a tall steel wall a few blocks before Georgia avenue.
“Well, this is new,” Faith commented. “What is it, like, twenty feet tall? More?”
Charles made a left down a side street and Erik followed, circling the circumference of the great wall. It was maybe six miles around, with no visible door or opening and no sign.
“Sooo, I’m going to take a gander and guess this is the Silver Spring town,” I said.
“How did they build this?” Erik wondered.
“This is a magic wall, for sure,” Faith replied.
Charles stopped his car back to where we first started. Erik followed suit.
I looked around. The street in front of the wall was clear. On one side of the street was an abandoned office building. On the other side a vacant restaurant. The rest of our surroundings was filled with weeds, tall grass, trees, and a few more side streets.
“Should we honk…or something?” I asked.
“I feel like we’re visiting the Wizard of Oz, this is so exciting,” Faith said in a sing-song voice.
I shook my head then stopped as, surely by magic, an outline of a door appeared in the smooth, steel wall in front of us. “Whoa,” I whispered.
We waited, expecting the door to open and perhaps a man in a green uniform to appear but nothing happened.
“Do we...knock?” I asked.
Felix and I seemed to have the same thinking because he got out of the car, Charles following, and headed to the door.
Erik leaned over me, opened the glove compartment, and reached in. He pulled out a handgun I didn’t realize was in there.
“What are you doing with that?” I questioned.
“Insurance,” Erik answered, taking the safety off the gun. He then looked up at the top of the steel wall through the front window. “I don’t see any sharpshooters but it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. If anything goes down, Charles is going to cover Felix. His magic will better protect them.”
“So, you think,” Faith said from the back but I heard her cock a gun behind me and I turned around to face her.
“Lisa is on alert. If she felt dark magic from the wall, she was supposed to have Charles drive us away and regroup. The fact that we didn’t have to leave might be a good sign,” Erik added, looking around.
“Hmmm.” I turned to him. “Was I not invited to this strategy meeting? Because I’m sitting here confused,” I said with a frown.
Erik glanced over at me, eyes gentle. “I told everyone but you and Felix. Felix was to lead us in, so he had to come pure of thought just in case these people had telekinetic abilities and felt things were a set up. Same with you.”
“And not Lisa?”
He turned away. “She is good at sensing magic even when it’s hidden.”
If my blood could boil with me living through it, I was sure it would. He had my brother keep a secret from me. If there was anything I had left, it was my brother and if Charles was willing to keep secrets from me, even if it seemed small to him, then what did I have?
I pursed my lips and turned to look out of the window.
“I’m sorry. I thought I was doing what was right,” Erik stated.
I didn’t answer.
“Oh, forgive him, woman,” Faith piped up from the back. “There are worse things to fight about with your boyfriend.”
I opened my mouth to correct her of the fact that Erik and I were far from a couple when the door in the steel wall opened.
Out stepped an unarmed man. He looked late 40-ish, with average height and his dirty blond hair in a low pony tail. I was disappointed there was no green outfit like in Emerald City.
We watched as he, Felix, and Charles exchanged words.
“What is he saying?” I asked Erik. I knew since he was a were he could hear them, even from thirty feet away.
“Felix’s telling him we’re travelers looking for a community that can help us save our friends. The truth. Basically. The guard, or whoever he is, wants to know how we heard of their community. Felix said he saw it in a dream. He’s not going to tell him that you and Lisa also had dre—” He stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong?”
“He asked for you.”
“The guard?” Faith questioned.
Erik frowned, eyebrows gathered in concern. “Yeah. He asked if Amina Langston was with him.”
I looked on as Felix turned towards us and nodded before speaking to the guard again.
“What’s he saying now?” I asked.
“Felix told him you were with us. The guard wants to see you.”
“Okay.” I reached for the door but Erik grabbed my arm. He gave me a concerned look but then let go without uttering a word. I opened the door and got out of the car, Erik did as well. I looked over to the guard who was taking out a piece of white, letter-sized paper. He looked down at it and then up at me. I waved. He gave me a curt nod, then said something to Felix and Charles.
“What’s he saying now?” I asked Erik.
“He said that we can all come in. We’re to follow him in our cars. If
we veer off, they will shoot and kill us.”
“Well, that does not make me feel welcomed,” Faith muttered from the passenger window.
We all got back in our cars and Charles and Erik drove at no more than ten miles an hour, which was enough to give me a tour of the town as we entered through a larger entry way that slid open around the smaller door space.
I don’t know what I was expecting but all I saw was a town very similar to Hagerstown. There were people shopping in stores, kids playing in a playground, joggers running on the sidewalks, citizens sitting outside, dining at a couple of the town restaurants. There was a movie theater, a gym, a few high-rise apartments, a candy and ice cream shop, a bar. And those were just the things we passed.
“Wonder how many people live here. They can’t have people filling all of these apartments,” Faith wondered. “Size-wise, it’s bigger than Hagerstown and Lisa mentioned they have, what, two thousand people?”
“Could be using some of these apartments as something else. Hospital, school,” I guessed.
The guard’s car stopped in front of a high-rise apartment a quarter of a mile away from what I assumed was the center of the town. Charles pulled up behind the Sudan on the right side of the street and Erik followed suit. He put his gun, which had been resting in the cup holder with the safety on, in the back band of his jeans.
“Do we really need that?” I asked.
He looked over at me with steely eyes. “Ask me that again when this meet and greet is all over.”
I shook my head and got out of the car.
I walked over to Charles. “I’m going to fight you when this is all over, you know that, right?” I whispered.
He looked over at me, eyes wide. “What did I do?” he asked.
“You didn’t tell me about Erik’s plan. Family first, remember?” I replied, crossing my arms.
“You!” Shouted the ponytail guard. He was pointing at me. “Amina?” he asked, he had a thick West Virginian accent.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Come with me. He wants to see only you first.”
“She’s not going anywhere alone,” Erik said, stepping forward. Another guard that I hadn’t noticed before stepped from the other side of another car.
“Who is this he you’re talking about?” Faith asked, behind me.
“Our leader,” the guard stated.
“Can someone come with me and just stand outside of the door of wherever you’re taking me?” I asked. “We don’t plan to cause any harm. It’s only six of us. But as you can imagine, since we’re outnumbered we’re a little apprehensive.”
The guard gave me dead eyes, head tilted to the side. He then straightened up. “Sure, bring your brother,” he replied.
“How’d he know I was your brother?” Charles whispered.
I shrugged and began to move towards the stairs leading inside the building but Erik stopped me and grabbed my left wrist. I turned and looked at him with quizzical eyes.
He frowned. “I don’t like this. How do they know all of this stuff about you?”
I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “There’s probably a telepath around. It’s going to be okay. Charles and I made it this far together, we’ll be okay in there.” I moved on my toes and gave him a tight hug because, well, I didn’t honestly know that it would be okay. This world was just too unsettled for that. Yet, somehow, touching him seemed to bring a calm over me.
His arms wrapped around me tightly. “If you’re in there too long, I’m going to knock down every door until I get to you.”
I smiled again. “Well, then I better not take too long.” I wasn’t sure what Erik and I were to each other but whatever it was, it felt nice to be cared about like this. I moved away from him reluctantly.
“Lisa, do you need a hug to reassure you too?” Charles asked and the fairy laughed and walked over to him for an embrace.
We then both headed into the building to see the wizard.
“No one gave me a hug,” I heard Felix say as we walked through the doors.
Once inside, we were greeted by two guards at the door and security behind the apartment concierge dark oak desk. I only assumed they were guards and security because they were all wearing black. I couldn’t imagine that there was much leisure time or importance to make uniforms. I looked up and saw security cameras near the corners of the ceiling that looked very much on.
The space looked modern, with a sparkling clean, light-tiled floor, colorful artwork on the dark gray painted walls, and beige fabric lounge seating.
We followed our hippie guard into the elevator and up to the twenty-fifth floor, one level below the penthouse. We got off and, wouldn’t you know it, more guards were around the floor. I had to assume there were a lot of people in the town if the leader could afford to use so much personnel for just watching his building.
We exited to the right of the elevator and walked to the end of the hallway. Our guard guide stopped and turned to us. “You,” he said, looking at Charles, “You can sit in our waiting area.” He pointed to an apartment across from us with the door propped open.
Charles looked to me and I nodded before he walked into the apartment.
The guide looked at me. “Knock on the door. I’ll be out here,” he instructed.
And so, I knocked. A millisecond later, the door opened although no one stood behind it. I turned and looked at the guard, who was whispering to a female guard already posted outside of the door to the waiting area. They stopped talking and looked me.
“Well, go on in,” said ponytail guard.
I sighed and stepped through the doorway, jumping when the door closed quickly behind me.
I walked farther in, past an open walk-in kitchen to my right and a closet on my left. I entered a great room that looked like an interior design show had taken over. There were dark wood floors, pale-blue walls, a black suede couch covered in tons of pillows, a dark wood and leather dinette set and gold-framed art on the walls. But that wasn’t what caught my attention.
I looked past the living area to the balcony, which ran the length of the room. A man stood on the balcony. There was a small, circular patio set to his right. He rested his hands on the railing, back to me. He was dressed in tailored black slacks and a pale-blue collared shirt was tucked in his pants. He was around six feet and of average build, although I could see definition in his arms under the fabric of his shirt. His wavy black hair was cut into a low fade and his skin was the color of caramel. Although I couldn’t see his face, I already knew who he was.
I quickly walked through the room and slid open the balcony doors. “Phillip?” I asked, sliding the doors closed behind me. My heart thudded loudly in my ears and my nerves rattled, threatening to make my knees give out.
The man turned around and I caught my breath, frozen. It was him.
“Amina,” He whispered. His honey-colored eyes seemed to glow and he grinned a toothy smile. Phillip walked over to me, shaking his head. He then wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace and it seemed we stood like that for minutes. We didn’t say a word.
Finally, he stood back and looked at me from arm’s length, his eyes intense. I had never had a man look at me that way. Like I was the best thing he’d ever seen. It was amazing and scary at the same time. “Damn, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.
“Thank you. You too!” I placed my hands on my cheeks. “I can’t believe it’s you. I didn’t know if it was really going to happen,” I said. “There’s so many things I want to ask you.”
“And I want to talk to you too but if I don’t do this first, I won’t be any good,” he said in a quiet tone before leaning in and kissing me.
It was soft at first, then deep. He kissed me slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. I dropped my hands and he gently touched the sides of my face and pressed his lips harder on mine. My stomach did backflips. He explored my mouth with his tongue and flicked my upper lip, sending mini explosions through me. He moved
a hand to the small of my back and I was thankful for that support because I was feeling unsteady.
I pressed further into him and wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting more as he moved me to the patio glass door. My back now against the cool glass, I let out a whimpering moan, tasting more of him. His lips were so soft and warm. He moved his hand under my shirt, his soft fingers brushing my skin. I shivered in response.
How he made me feel like this was beyond me. It was primal. His lips alone stirred things low in me. I wanted to rip our clothes off and press us closer together.
I think I would have, except I did have a tiny bit of my faculties left and having sex on a balcony in bright daylight with a virtual stranger wasn’t my thing. I was no exhibitionist. More importantly, although lust was running the show, my heart was not. I thought of Erik. There was something between us and I wasn’t ready to chuck it all, just because Phillip had been helpful to me. There were other ways to show my gratitude.
I cursed my indecisive hormones. What was going on with me? I didn’t behave this way.
I moved sideways, away from Phillip, hands up in surrender, and eyes wide.
He looked at me with similar shock, his hands still out, as if holding me in an invisible embrace.
We stayed like that, in our confused stand-off, for several seconds. I was pretty sure by now that he was feeling as out of sorts as I was. Neither of us could have expected to have that kind of reaction to just touching each other for the first time. It was more than instant attraction and lust. There was a connection that seemed to defy logic. Had we known each other in the Pre-world and simply forgotten? Like Felix? Did I have some memory blocks since becoming something new? It was certainly possible.
“What was that?” Phillip finally asked, lowering his hands. He sounded a bit breathless and I understood because my heart was still beating loudly in my ears. “I feel like I’ve known you for years. But I don’t remember you from before. Just from our dreams.”
