Endeca (The Escapism Series) (7 page)

“Well, I ain’t a home wrecker so that’s a total bust,” she sulked, scrunching her face sourly. “Hmm, what a pity.”  She eyed Orion as he ordered lunch.

“Gotta bounce—I have a paper to submit,” Landon said, snagging Marla’s last fry. “And for the record, I find Nicholas to be a strapping, still ancient, man.  He clearly swept Z off her feet,” he raised his brow, winking at Calliope.

“I’m leaving too. Official boyfriend time,” I announced, motioning over toward Nicholas who stood in the lane way, waiting for me.

“Maybe I should get me one of those,” Calliope said, intrigued by the idea.

“You know that’d involve seeing them on more than one occasion,” Marla said, jokingly.

“I’m aware of that, thanks,” Calliope sneered, twisting a shiny black lock of hair between her fingers.

I snickered, waving goodbye.

As I approached Nicholas, he grinned mischievously. “You want to get outta here? Maybe grab a drink?” he asked, oddly.

“I guess we could. We’re way past due for boyfriend-girlfriend time,” I said, playing along.

“You read my mind,” he hugged me tightly. “I’ll get my car. Meet you out front?”

“Hurry back,” I chirped, immediately embarrassed once the words left my mouth. I knew he’d return quickly, just as I always expected Kiran to pop out of nowhere.

My Cyclopod rang, startling me. It was Edric calling with the phone I had provided on loan.

“Hey, way to get with the times.”

“Funny, Xenia,” he said, continuing in a more serious tone, “Is Nicholas acting out of the ordinary?”

“No more than usual.”

“Listen, there’s something you need to know,” he said, intercepted by static.

“Hello?” I called out, while the static ridden line broke up into crackles and Edric mumbled, “Stupid phone,” before it disconnected.

“Who was that?”  Nicholas asked, catching me off guard.

“Edric, but we were disconnected.”

“That’s too bad,” he smirked, “You should send him a text. We don’t want the big old dog to worry, now do we?”

I giggled, sending Edric a quick text that I would be home later. He was quickly becoming rather protective of me. It was likely his strange way of showing gratitude for extending my home to him.

Nicholas gallantly opened the door for me, as he often did, when I got in his car.

“On second thought,” he said, while taking off down the road, “Can we swing by my place first? I have an old journal that we could look through—might be of use.”

“Of course, anything that could help,” I said continuing, “I’m dying to know what Orion has uncovered—he’s up to something, I’m sure.”

Nicholas smirked, while gazing ahead at the long stretch of road. “You really loath him, don’t you?”

“Loath doesn’t even cut it. He’s screwed with my mind one too many times. He’s a walking contradiction,” I explained, examining Nicholas’s face. He appeared indifferent.

“Are you sure you don’t have feelings for him? Because if you did, I’d understand. After all, in my absence, I know you two had grown fond of one another.”

“Oh God—just stop right there. There’s nothing between us. He somehow took advantage of my loneliness and boredom.”

“I see,” he replied, quietly.  “Loneliness and boredom can lead to many things.”

“We kissed and that was all.  He…I…I’m not sure why, but we did. It meant nothing.”

“Good to know,” he said, appeased.

“Is there something the matter?” I asked, feeling inadequate.

“Huh? No, just trying to figure things out.”

“Are you having second thoughts about us?” I whispered, self-consciously.

“I wouldn’t think of it,” he said, winking playfully. He reached for my hand, interlacing his fingers between mine.

Once we arrived, I felt somewhat anxious.  Nicholas was in some kind of hurry as we entered his living room.  “Are you okay?” I asked, worriedly.

“I’m better than okay. Glad to finally be alone with you here…” he leaned in, at first, slowly kissing my neck. His teeth grazed against my skin before tugging on my ear lobe, seductively making my entire body writhe under his command.

“What happened to drinks?” I asked, timidly.

“The tension between us is undeniable, Xenia,” he whispered, skimming his hand through my hair, “Why don’t we act on it?”

“I-I don’t know,” I stuttered, completely thrown.
Why now? It’s not like I hadn’t tried. Back then, he wasn’t the least bit eager given his missing fragment. But now, with the open portal, it made less sense. We were facing the unknown with grave repercussions for all of existence. Maybe he thought this was it! Our only chance at happiness because the end was near. Maybe Orion’s plan wasn’t as promising as he’d led on…

“I…
love you
, Xenia.  Don’t you love me?” His hesitant grey eyes mirrored my own, lost in reflection. His hand moved from the round of my hip to the small of my back, pulling me in closer.  We kissed and he released a soft grunt of yearning.

“I do,” I uttered, nervously.

“Show me, then.” He kissed me harder, sliding his hand under my shirt, exciting my skin.

I recoiled, struggling to breathe.
I couldn’t rid this feeling…gut feeling that something was wrong.

“I’m afraid, Xenia,” he whispered, releasing a sigh of torment.

“Afraid of what?” I pried.

“Losing you…” he said, caressing the side of my cheek.

“I know how you feel, trust me.”

“Then why wait any longer? I want you…don’t you want me?” he asked, disheartened.

“Wait,” I said, grabbing his hand and placing it over my erratic heart. “You’re the only one who makes me feel this way.”

He shut his eyes, breathing in deeply. I raised my arms above my head, allowing him to undress me. He beamed, appeased by my willingness.

Before I knew it, we were in his bed room, our clothes were scattered throughout the house and we were deeply and passionately enthralled in one another. The lights flickered before bursting in his room. My laughter quickly turned into heavy pants as we transitioned to the middle world, further magnifying the rising heat and passion between us.

I awoke in his warm arms, and slowly, slipped out from beneath them. I draped a sheet around my body and searched for my clothing. A shard of glass pierced my foot and I groaned in pain.

“Are you okay?” he asked, awakened by me.

“Yeah, just looking for my clothes,” I said, casually.

He chuckled under his breath. “Come back here,” he ordered, playfully. “I have a strict no clothes policy.”

I smiled, returning to bed where he examined my foot, carefully removing the piece of glass.

“Keep pressure on there,” he instructed, placing a tissue over the wound. “Were you sneaking off?”

“I was going to use your bathroom but then forgot about the chandelier…” I explained, blushing a darker shade of red.

“It’s right through those doors,” he pointed.

“Thanks,” I replied, hopping carefully around the scattered glass.

I patched my foot up with a Band-Aid and splashed my face with cold water. I felt so alive, so refreshed, so
awakened
all because of him—it was uncanny.

A knock on the bathroom door pulled me out of my haze. “Xenia is everything fine?” he asked, worriedly.

“Yes. Just a second,” I said, patting my face with a towel.

“How’s your foot?” He stood by the bathroom door as I stepped out.

“It was a shallow cut, no biggie.”

“Sorry about that. I guess we got a little carried away,” he said, fighting a grin.

“I suppose there’s no telling what could happen when two of our kind get together,” I snickered.

“Well, there’s no open fire and the house is still standing. That’s always good,” he sighed in relief.

“Oh,” I mustered, taken aback. “Sounds…dangerous.”

Nicholas chuckled, smugly, “It can be. We affect all energy, indiscriminate to the type of energy.” My eyes widened and I simpered—
I wondered what our energy yielded earlier aside from the obvious.

“As much as it pains me to say this, we still need to go to Orion’s before it gets too late.”

“Right,” he said, as we both moved toward the shower, I flinched.

“I can use the shower on the second floor,” he offered, sheepishly.

“I don’t know why I hesitated,” I muttered, nervously.
I knew exactly why—images of electrical sparks, rampant fires, and home demolition.

“It’s okay, really. Baby steps,” he whispered, deliberately planting an unchaste kiss against my lips.
Yes…totally worthy of home demolition.  But tonight, we had other issues to tackle.
Nicholas paused, revelling in the effect he had over me, before gracefully leaving.

After a hot shower, I felt relaxed and ready for anything aside from visiting Orion’s dreaded place—but it was essential.

We reconvened by the entrance and made way to Orion’s in a silent commute. I had no words to express what I felt and it seemed Nicholas was in the same boat, peering over every so often, warily.

Once we reached Orion’s long, spirally drive way, I noticed the moon casting a light directly over the old, creepy house.
Beware, the moon cautioned.
The estate was too big for a man living on his own, but then again, Orion was the king of grandiose.

“I feel like he’ll release the guard dogs on us at any point,” I said, nervously. I had been there before but it was different then. I was alone, without Nicholas by my side. Orion had even more reason to set the dogs loose now.

Nicholas teased, “Release the dogs!”

I stifled a chuckle for a glorious moment, forgetting where we were.

We stood by the front door, waiting. Nicholas looked at me, perplexed by my frozen carriage. He rang the doorbell, watching me as I chewed my lower lip nervously, staggering a breath before Orion appeared.

“To what do I owe the pleasure,” he sneered.

“Cut the crap, Orion. You know why we`re here,” retorted Nicholas, snidely.

“Please…come in,” he offered, clearing the entrance. The moon light glistened off his light green eyes in a final attempt, exerting fair warning.

I followed Nicholas closely behind. We convened in the study where Orion poured himself what appeared to be a stiff drink.

“Can I fix you two a drink?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder by the bar.

“Bourbon, neat,” said Nicholas, without hesitation.

Orion’s eyebrows rose, awaiting my response. “I’ll have one too,” I requested, indifferent.

“As you wish,” he said, with an impish grin. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were mending our broken bridges, dear friends.”

“Delude yourself all you want, Orion. We’re here about the temporary seal,” I snapped.

“Yes, I’m well aware,” he replied, glancing at me with menacing eyes. “After reading for days, I came across the volume of the ascension.  In the old scripture, it states that the one who is anointed in the river, in solemn oath to the deity, shall be granted a temporary seal.”

“What does that mean? How do we know if this is safe?” I replied, unsettled.

“We don’t but it’s all we’ve got,” replied Nicholas, taking another mouthful of bourbon. We were running out of feasible options. Maybe he was willing to try anything at this point.

“What’s the oath I’d have to pledge?” I asked, quickly hopping on board.

“It’s an oath to the goddess Styx, the only one who can seal the portal,” Orion responded, humbly.

“So I ask Styx to lend a hand and I won’t bare the wrath of a crazy deity?”

“Exactly,” he replied, relinquishing the thought, “because you’re a Charon, one of her servants, she will grant you one request.”

“Whether or not she’ll consider it is another thing,” explained Nicholas, furrowing his brow.

“Another round, anyone?” Orion offered, amused.

“Hit me,” Nicholas crooned, heedlessly.

“What’s gotten into you? First with the hard liquor and now with entrusting Orion so readily,” I whispered, seizing his drink.

“Stressful times,” he said, releasing a heavy sigh, “If you’re afraid, I can pledge to Styx instead,” he said, taking his drink back.

“Sorry to intercept this lovers quarrel, but it has to be Xenia,” he clarified, sternly.

“Why’s that?” I asked, skeptical in anything that came out of his mouth.

“You see, with such a big pledge there are certain stipulations one must offer, one of them being female,” he sneered at Nicholas.

“I’ll do it,” I said, committing to the unknown.
What choice did I have?

“Then it’s settled,” Nicholas said, finishing his drink. “Let’s start.”

“Now?” I asked, taken a back.

“Better now than later. Unless you’d prefer to wait and see what an open portal does to all your friends and family. Personally speaking, it all sounds entertaining—I love surprises,” Orion mused.

“Fine. Let’s go,” I sighed, flustered.

We each transitioned to Styx and with every metaphysical shift, a different color spiraled into the sparkling universal white light. I started to notice the other traveler’s energies. With Nicholas and Orion, I felt and saw an unbridled amount of symmetry—it was dark, twisting and agonizing to witness. They both arrived before me, standing adjacent to one another by the edge of the river.

The usually calm river seemed angry and unsheathed as I stepped foot in the shallow end. I had only known the river to be very deep but on either side, it seemed to vary.

“Ready?” Nicholas asked, anxiously.

“Yes,” I whispered, while my heart pounded against my chest.

“Here,” Orion said, handing over his old, leather bound book, “I’ve highlighted what you should say aloud,” he said, sternly.

I took the book and nodded in agreement.

Θεά
Styx
,
προσεύχομαι
για εσάς
θεά
.
Το σώμα
και την ψυχή
μου
σε αντάλλαγμα
για
το
λάθος
Έντεκα
.
Πάρε με
τώρα
.

“
Thea Styx, proseύchomai yia esas thea. To soma kai ten pseche moe se antallayma yia to lathos
Έnteka
. Pare me tora
.”

I exclaimed, invoking a powerful deity. The river grasped hold of my legs, keeping me in place, while she rose from the deep waters. A beautiful deity slithered from the depths of the river, hovering over the water. Her scaly light green skin was shiny and her lower half looked mermaid like. She stared, eerily waiting.

“What do I say now?” I whispered to a stark Orion.

“Nothing,” he said, stepping into the water beside me. He grabbed a hold of my hand.

“What are you doing?” I asked, alarmed. Styx looked titillated by our presence.

“Finishing the pledge,” he said, cautiously, “Only an immorta can pledge an offer in the river.”

“
To iero skafos
,” she chimed, gliding before us.

“What have you done, Orion?” I asked, horrified. I tried escaping, but his grip was too tight.  I called out for Nicholas but he was gone.

There were so many telltale signs, Xenia. Why were you so blind?

“
Parte to soma, thea
,” Orion shouted, pulling out a dagger. He quickly sliced my palm diagonally, squeezing my hand allowing the blood to drip into the river.

With every blood drop received, the river’s fury further magnified. I immediately filled with a surge of fear, which masked the pain. I placed pressure over the wound with a part of my shirt.

“What are you doing?” I asked, petrified as Styx approached me. She beamed, placing her hand on my head, while a bolt of light expanded throughout me before she disappeared. I collapsed and just as everything before me wiped out too, I caught a glimpse of Orion’s hard face and his eyes, no longer the lightest green I had ever seen. Instead, they were as white as ivory.

~

When I reopened my eyes, I was shocked to find myself in bed.
My bed
with Edric gaping over me. I immediately sat up, alarmed. “What happened?”

“Shhhh, Xenia…you’re safe. Everything is okay,” he hummed, consolingly.

“Orion
used
me…as a sacrifice to Styx!” I cried overwhelmed.

Edric straightened up anxiously, his face overwrought with worry.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, lost beyond words.