Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series) (22 page)

She managed to stutter, “DDiion!”

“Kasey, you have to get out of these cloths. It is too cold, look at you. You need to get in the warm bath. I do not want you sick,” I said annoyed with her disobedience tonight.

She nodded, and began to remove her gloves, shoes, and socks. The cold droplets of water ran down from the tips of her hair. With shaking hands, she unbuttoned her jeans and began to pull them down.

Did she want me to leave? Should I stay? I lowered my eyes away as soon as I caught a glimpse of her orange and red string underwear. She had not made it past her lower hips when we heard a knock on the bedroom door.

She stopped, her eyes bulged out.

“Relax, I shall see who it is,” I said.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

“How is she? Is she alright?” Max asked concerned.

“Yes, she is getting into warm water as we speak.” All the muscles in my face were tense from the night’s activities.

Max noticed my demeanor. “Good. That is good for her. Dion we did well tonight.” He shook his head.

I let out a heavy breath.

“Dion relax. They are gone and I do not think they will be coming back, not any time soon.” He stepped closer forcing eye contact. “I know… I know you are disappointed with how your brothers have acted. Perhaps one day we seven can stand side by side on good terms, but for now focus on taking care of her. I brought both of you some Volteo from the Rioja region. It will warm her.” He handed me two glasses filled with the red wine. I gave him a brotherly hug.

I returned to the bathroom door and knocked.

“Come in,” she said. I inched the door open a crack not peering in.

“Are you sure?” I asked uncertain if I should see her naked.

“Yes, it’s fine.”

I opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind me to keep the steam in. Her silhouette figure sat behind the curtain in the tub. Her bright smiling head peeked out from behind the curtain. She had stopped shaking and looked more relaxed. Her lower lip would quiver from time to time.

“Who was that,” she asked.

“Max, he brought you some medicine.” I handed her the glass of wine.

“Oh, he’s such a good Doctor.” She held the curtain in place with one hand as she reached out and took the glass with the other. She took a small sip. I rubbed my eyes together, sat on the toilet lid, and took a big sip.

“Are you okay Dion?” she worried.

“It has been a long night,” I looked away.

“Yes, it has,” she replied somber. “Do you think they will be back?”

“We do not think so, but with those two who knows.” I continued my discontent attitude toward her.

“Are you angry with me?” she asked sweet.

I looked right at her. “I am absolutely furious with you.”

Her mouth dropped and her eyes grew big. I closed my eyes and took a slow sip of wine.

My words were too harsh. “I am sorry I do not mean to be so unkind.” I drank more wine.

Kasey gave me an attempt at a smile then looked down at her body. “Why is it that I always end up naked when I’m around you?” she asked in a tease attempting to soften me up.

“That is because you cannot follow directions,” I said stern.

“I’m sorry Dion, Catalina told me that James planned to go away and I thought he was betraying you guys. So I came to warn you.” She avoided eye contact.

“Kasey, do you not realize that something could have happened to you tonight. What would I have done if I had lost you out there?” I knelt down beside the tub. “You have no idea how delicate you are.”

“I’m sorry,” she said looking like a sweet soaked seal. “I might not be unstoppable or have super powers, but I’m not fragile just cause I’m human. You treat me like I could break to pieces at any minute.”

“You can your human. Look at what happened out there, you could have drowned. You would be dead if Max did not put your spine back together. How can you be so reckless with your life?”

“It is my life. I’m being human. I’m part of your immortal world now, whether you like it or not and you can’t keep me in a safe bubble.”

“Kase, I cannot lose you yet, I just got you. I know that day will come, you have a right to die, but I would not be able to handle it if it happens now.”

She swallowed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I leaned in and kissed her.

“Oh, my love, your lips are still so cold.” I backed off.

I sat on the toilet lid, and took a few more sips of wine so did she. I relaxed my shoulders.

“By the way, you know who we heard from today? Professor Darius Mubarak.”

She swallowed hard. “I know, I’m related to Pandora.”

Taken by surprise I asked, “How…?”

“I spoke to Helen at the
hogueras
, she too mentioned my lineage to Pandora. What did the Professor say?”

 “He said it is scary how similar your DNA is to Pandora’
s
. She must be no more than three generations from you.”

“How is that possible? I thought immortals could not breed anymore,” she asked.

“We cannot. I do not know, perhaps we need to look into your lineage and see how many of Pandora’
s
descendants there are.”

“Yeah, something.” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. She pulled the curtain back her silhouette lean down and dipped into the water. Overheated, I tugged at my thin knitted sweater. I took another sip of wine. She ran her hands through her hair and I swallowed nervous. I wanted her. I wanted to see the natural beauty that lay behind that curtain. She popped her head back out.

“Are you all right?” she asked bewildered.

“I think I am going to have to remove myself from the bathroom soon.”

It took her a second to grasp my subtleness. With a grin, she looked down at her naked body.

“Ah, I understand,” she said. If her cheeks were not already rosy pink, she would be blushing. I let out a long low breath, knelt down in front of the tub, and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips warmed up. The wetness from her soft skin left my own damp. As we kissed, I opened my eyes briefly. Her bare back, hip, thigh, and bent leg twisted forward in the water. Abruptly, I backed away.

I scooped up her dripping, burnt smelling, clothes from the bathroom floor.

“What are you doing,” she asked with some worry.

“I am taking them to the dryer. I most certainly am not sending you home to the Castillo’s in my clothes again,” I smiled at her and made a quick exit from the bathroom.

18. Kasey’s Spanish Christmas

December 24th the busiest I have ever been in Deia. The preparations for the night’s festivities took days. I spent the entire day helping in the kitchen. The feast that was prepared for after the midnight mass was enormous in quantity. These new experiences were something I relished. I even looked forward to the Mass until one in the morning and then the party until the early morning hours. What a way to enter Christmas day partying all night.

The wine drinking started early afternoon on Christmas Eve and went well until sundown Christmas day. I was to meet Dion at his house before the mass then we would ride together to church. The Castillo’s had to be there earlier because Garcia and Rodrigo sang in the all boys choir. The temperature was pleasant, warmer than the night of the winter solstice. I put on a fuzzy, vibrant, green, and silver thin turtleneck sweater with a long flowing white skirt and my white boots. I styled my hair half way up.

The Kleon house bustled with five men trying to get ready, tying ties, finding shoes, and a very potent smell of different kinds of after shaves. The mood at the house for the past few days had been a somber one. Even though they were coming out and celebrating tonight the truth was that, they were still hurt and bothered by the actions of Sam and James. Yet with everything that happened, they yearn for the family to be complete again.

I walked in with the bag of presents in hand. John and Martin stood in the living room. Martin tied John’s bow tie. They were both in slick black suits with red shirts. No one would be able to tell them apart aside for the fact that Martin had a black tie and John a bow tie.

“
FelizNavidad
, Kasey,” they said in unison giving me kisses on my cheeks.

“Merry Christmas to you as well.” I gave them hugs.

“Oohh, are those presents for us?” John eyed the bag.

“Yes, but not until Christmas.” I took them away and placed them on the coffee table. Due to the hectic past week, the boys never decorated for the season.

John closed his eyes and put his hand over them as if he either had a headache, or was concentrating.

He opened his eyes and said, “Thanks Kase I love it.” Then he kissed my cheek.

My jaw dropped, “Did you really just see what was in the bag?” I asked annoyed.

“No, he does not know. He is fooling with you Kasey.” Martin turned his brother in.

“Yeah, Martin will not let me see what you got us. We have to focus on it together or we get nothing. He has been blocking it since we heard you bought us gifts,” John sat on the couch sulky.

“Don’t get too excited about it John. You guys have everything imaginable. This is a little something. Not a big deal.”

“I know Kasey, but because we have everything we need, we stopped giving each other gifts a few centuries ago. I think it was nice that you got us a gift,” John said sincere.

“It is a gracious act. You really did not need to.” Max entered the conversation stepping into view at the top of the stairs. He is truly a handsome man. Especially in a black and white, tie tuxedo.

He gave me a smile and greeted me with a kiss as he stepped into the foyer.

“Everyone looks great tonight,” I said. They looked classic, aristocratic.

Layna entered the room from the kitchen wearing a big red bow. She walked up to me and I held my breath. Even though she was friendly, I still had my reservations about such a wild cat. She placed her head under my hand and I rubbed her ears.

“She wishes you a Merry Christmas,” Antony said coming down from the stairs. He cleaned up. He had on a black suit with an opened jacket. His white shirt had the two top buttons undone. We greeted each other.

Then he appeared at the top of the stairs. I let out a soft gasp. He was magnificent in his black on black suit and red tie. The epitome of perfection. In his James Bond way, he strolled down the stairs. He placed his hands on my waist.

“You look amazing,” I whispered.

His smile melted my heart, “Not nearly as enchanting as you.”

We greeted each other with a soft kiss. His brothers turned and looked away to give us our moment.

“I have never seen your eyes as vibrant as they are tonight,” he said. I gave him an Eskimo kiss.

“All right you two, let us get a picture. So we can all say in five years how Dion looks exactly the same,” John took out a camera.

The comment was odd but I didn’t want to think about anything like that, not tonight. Dion and I posed for the picture and John took it saying, “Good looking couple.”

“All right let us go,” Max cut him off.

Dion and I rode together to the church. There were masses of people walking down the cobblestoned road heading up the hill to the church.

“Kasey have you ever been to a Christmas Eve service?” Dion asked. I gave him a look that suggested he rethink his question.

He smiled and nodded. “You know even if a person is not of the faith I believe it is something everyone should experience for the mere fact that it is positively memorable.”

We entered the church and seating was rare to find. Most of the men were standing while they allowed the women to sit. There was a spot for one more in the very last pew, he gestured for me to take it.

Shaking my head no I said, “I don’t mind standing.”

He leaned up against the church’s sand stonewall and I leaned against his chest. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist. The aroma of fresh greenery from the natural wreaths and garland filled the church. Everything was lit by candlelight. The flutist, violinist, and organist played as the angelic voices of the boys’ choir echoed. I was familiar with a few of the songs solely based on their melodies. Everything in Spanish, I couldn’t make out the lyrics.

I’m not sure if it was because the atmosphere enhanced the experience, but the songs that I have known all my life listening to them on the Christmas radio station seem to have a mesmerizing affect within the walls of the church. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t understand a word, the music, the story, and the whole town of Deia made the experience tender. By the end of the service, emotional, I wiped my glossed eyes. Dion squeezed me tight.

After the midnight mass, we headed for the feast. The Castillo’s turned the restaurant into a great party hall. We set up two rows of tables all along the walls. The middle was open for the dancing. Then a beautiful buffet table, sat on the back wall, with its own schedule for the night.

First, they would bring out appetizers of hams,
chorizos
, and cheeses. Then the first course, a fish soup. After the soup the main course, roast lamb. Following the main course, an assortment of desserts laid out. The entire place filled up with approximately eighty of the jolliest people drinking wine, eating, and laughing with good friends.

Fernando along with some of his male friends and family members brought out the guitars and began to play. The floor filled with people dancing. Even Martin sat down with the men and pick up a guitar. Dion and I danced and drank all night. John stepped up and reluctantly asked Catalina to dance. She missed James.

I would treasure this life experience for as long as I lived. Around four in the morning, the place settled down. Gently, I let Fernando and Beatriz know that I was going to hang out at Dion’s the rest of the morning. They understood and accepted. I think all the wine they had drunk helped my case.

Either way, after helping clean up I headed back with Dion. We arrived at the house before his brothers.

“I am glad they are not here yet,” Dion said as we walked through the door. “I wanted to have some private time with you.”