The Crystal Rainbow Ch 34

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Chapter Thirty-Four – Essence

Where does one uncover the true essence of the human nature?

In a tender heart? An avaricious mind? A courageous spirit?

Or, a jealous soul?

A Fool's Book of Wisdom

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"You could not possibly begin to understand just how relieved and delighted I am to leave that place." Kimberly unconsciously trailed her fingers over the now unblemished skin of her throat and shuddered. "I really did believe I would die down there. You do know that, do you not?"

Helen turned her compassionate eyes on her companion and allowed a weak smile to touch the corners of her mouth before she wrapped a comforting arm around the younger woman's slender shoulder. She gave Kimberly a gentle shake.

"Now, now, I will not stand for any of that foolish sort of talk. Old Helen may be a crotchety old bitch, but she never turned away from a person in need of help and I sure as hell did not intend to start tonight. So, enough talk of dying, this night needs no encouragement to take a life." She shivered, gathered the loose folds of her skirt in her hands and hugged the garment close to her body. She sighed and then muttered with disgust, "Bah! Helen is the true fool here. Ready to run off without looking to see where she is. Well, we cannot go back because that is where we were. We cannot go forward or we walk into a bloody brick wall, although a hard thump to my thick noggin might do me a bit of good, seeing as my brain has been working so well this night. But, I will hold off on further abusing myself until I am not quite so pressed for time. Come now, old girl, should we go left or should we go right?"

Helen allowed her eyes to drift, looking from side-to-side, examining their options. She gave a small snort of disgust, smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand and tilted her head back to look up and examine the nighttime sky.

"Well that helps a wee bit, I think. At least I now know which direction we need to go."

Her course now decided, she gave a curt nod of her head, lifted her skirts and turned to face the path on her left. She trudged down the alley to its end where it met with a raised wooden walkway. Without glancing over her shoulder, she called to Kimberly.

"Girl, you need to come with me as I do not intend to leave you here for that fiend to find. I give you my word that with the rising of the sun, if it is your wish, you may go wherever it is that you will. But for tonight, I need to keep you with me. After all, I do believe you owe me a favor for the effort I placed into healing you. I would not have all of my hard work go for naught. Besides, not all of my reasons are altruistic ones, either. I am quite certain that Xavier believes you killed me tonight and I intend that Xavier remain ignorant of my survival for as long as possible. Therefore, the beast must not find you turned or not." She stopped and looked around her. "Do you happen to have any idea of where we are? I need to return posthaste to my home in the Bois de Vincennes ...."

Kimberly's gasp cut off Helen's words and she turned to look at the young woman with a raised eyebrow. The shock of Helen's revelation caused the pale blonde to cover her mouth with the splayed fingers of her hand and muffled the words she spoke.

"But, no one lives in the Bois de Vincennes! I have heard that it is haunted and not a place where one should go for a casual stroll. I live in Montmartre and, while it is not a savory place to wander, I at least feel secure enough to walk the streets where I will during the hours of daylight. Madame, do you mean to tell me that you live in a place where it is not only dangerous to walk the paths during daylight, but an open invitation to disaster if one decides to venture off the marked ways? I realize I sound quite foolish and superstitious, but after the events of this night, you can hardly fault me for my concern."

Kimberly paused. Thoughts of the haunted Bois had brought the horrific memories of her encounter with the beast flooding into the forefront of her mind and she had to fight off the rising panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She closed her pale blue eyes and, ignoring the fetid smell, took slow, deep breaths of the chill night air to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Once her heart no longer threatened to burst and the roaring sound of her pulsing blood thundering in her ears quieted, she opened her eyes. She looked into the deep sapphire of Helen's eyes and found no pity, only respect and something else. She studied the older woman's bemused expression for a moment before she continued, her eyes widening with sudden realization. "Hmmm ... well, perhaps not all is as it seems in the Bois. Is it truly necessary for us to go there?"

Helen simply stared with an unwavering gaze into Kimberly's eyes, cocked an eyebrow and gave a slow nod of her head.

Kimberly moaned and threw her hands into the air. "Oh fuck! This seems a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire ... damned if I do, damned if I do not. I am sure there are numerous other truisms that would equally apply to this situation, but they all mean the same thing. My future is not certain yet. I mean, whether I am to have a future that is. Merde!"

The young woman's voice trailed off into a quiet rant of muttered curses before falling silent. Helen smirked and shrugged, her gaze never breaking from the younger woman.

"Very well! Just stop staring at me, woman! Yes, I know where we are. We are near my home. I recognize the smell of this place well. This," Kimberly spread her arms wide to dramatize her words, "is Montmartre. And, due to the lateness of the hour, we shall never find a brougham for hire. If you intend to walk, it is a long, long walk, Helen. If I were to hazard a guess, the walk would take probably around three hours without a rest. That means the night should be near its end by the time we arrive at your home, but I can see from the look in your eyes that nothing I can say shall change your mind." Kimberly sighed and rubbed at her temple. "Let me think a moment. Hmmm .... Do you ride?"

Helen blinked and nodded.

Kimberly continued, "Good. I have a friend that owes me a favor. He might be able to locate a horse or two for our use, but it could take a bit of time. Then again, if we begin walking to the Bois now, we might pass by a conveyance that we could borrow for the night. Although, I am quite certain the gendarmes would not see our use as borrowing, if you take my meaning. Normally, I do not condone this type of behavior, as I am not a thief. But, after my encounter with ... Xavier? Yes, Xavier ... my normal standards no longer apply. What do you think?"

Shrugging, Helen turned back to lift her foot onto the raised walkway and called over her shoulder.

"I think we need to make haste. If we find a means to quicken our journey whilst we walk, I shall certainly feel no qualms in availing myself of it. But, I see no benefit in speculation, we simply waste time." Her rapid stride faltered and her abrupt halt startled her companion. Helen turned to Kimberly and with an abrupt wave of her hand, motioned for the younger woman to take the lead. "Please, the ones I care for most in the world are in danger from Xavier and I must return to the Bois as soon as I am able. I do not know these streets. Will you help and show me the way?"

With a sigh of resignation, Kimberly nodded and walked past Helen.

"Of course, follow me."

*****

"Sing?"

The astonished couple spoke the single word in unison and Erik's embrace turned ever more protective. His amber eyes flashed and his angry words rumbled low and full of menace.

"You speak nonsense. I trained her voice so that she might sing at the opera, not weave enchantments. And I know no more magic than the simple healing potions taught to me by Helen. How is it that you believe the two of us can call to life the Golem?"

Leshii turned to regard the man. His eyes narrowed, his lips thinned into a hard, straight line and the mossy strands of greenery that made up his hair began to sway as if stirred by an unseen breeze.

"Foolish man," Leshii snarled, "you think to question me now that your enemy comes? Still your insolent tongue and do as I say, or all you hold dear shall surely perish in a manner most unpleasant."

Erik released Christine from his hold and stepped in front of her as he drew his body to its full height. The air began to crackle with static electricity as the woodland spirit and man faced one another. An instant before the tension reached the point of no return, Sabratha ran between the two and shouted.

"Stop!"

A vibrant cloud of fiery red hair floated in gentle wisps about her small body as she stood between the spirit and the man. She held her arms out with her palms raised towards each being's chest. She looked first to Leshii and then to Erik, her gaze piercing, yet gentle. The rising wind ceased and the crackling energy faded.

"We have no time for bickering. Leshii, they have no idea of the nature of their power and you seem to have no understanding of how to explain it to them, so allow me to do it." She lowered her arms and gracefully inclined her head to Leshii, who reluctantly returned the nod.

She turned to the couple, who now had their arms wrapped about the other's waist. Christine thought she caught a glimpse of deep sadness in the woman's eyes, but it disappeared before she was sure what it was she had seen. Sabratha gave a small shake of her head and then turned serious eyes on the couple.

"Christine, you can call upon the forces of nature to do your will. Erik, you have command of small magic. However, with your voices joined together in music, the power of your combined will is a magic more powerful than Mara expects. Your music, or rather, your magic is far greater than the power I commanded through the bracelet. Merde! I have no time for a proper explanation, so you must trust me and do as I say. Please¹?"

She paused and as neither objected, she continued. "Face one another. Hold hands. Close your eyes and use the silent speech to talk with each other. Remember the first time you saw each other, the first time you spoke with one another, the first time you touched, your first caress, your first kiss and, this is the most important thing, remember how all of those made you feel. When you remember all those times, gather all of the emotions from each of those moments then hold them together in your heart and open your mouths. Do not hold back; allow the music to flow from you, allow the passion that fills your souls to give words to your song and the magic will follow." Sabratha took a step back from the couple. A small shiver caused her shoulders to tremble and she wrapped her arms about herself in a tight embrace. She gazed upon them, a look of immense sorrow pulling the muscles of her face downwards. Then, her features smoothed into a mask of seeming placidity. Clearing her throat, she spoke in a powerful voice, "Now, sing!"

*****

Erik and Christine's consciousness barely registered Sabratha's command as the couple opened their eyes and stepped into the room where they first met as children. A delighted laugh escaped Christine when she recognized where they were and Erik smiled to see his love's pleasure. He ran his eyes over the lithe form of the woman he loved, savoring the beauty of her nude form.

"Nude?"

He glanced down and confirmed that he too was no longer clothed, but as they seemed alone here in their secret place, he pushed his concerns aside and focused on the stunning vision twirling about the room before him. His smile grew broader and Christine noticed how his eyes caressed her with his rapt gaze. She danced to him, her smile broad and beaming back at him. Then, her eyes sparkled as they filled with mischief.

"I never told you, but that night was not the first time I visited this room," Christine began. "I think the first time I came here was after my Papa told me the story of the first time he and my Mama saw each other. He told me that he had dreamed of her before they ever met. In his dream, he played his violin and she danced for him. I remember wondering why I found myself in this room night after night all alone. I worried that my dream meant I would always be alone, just as I was each night in this room. But, I guess a part of me never gave up hope and that was the reason I sang. In my childish way, I thought that perhaps my voice would act as a siren's call and draw my true love to me. I sang to find you, and I sang for you.

"And then, at last, one night there you were. Oh, I remember that I could sense you walking into the room. No one had ever appeared in my dream before that moment and my joy knew no bounds. I turned and you were standing next to me, looking down at me with such a look of wonder that I thought my heart would burst. And yet that happiness paled into insignificance at the touch of your hand on mine. I thought a million butterflies took flight and circled about the pit of my stomach. And then you had to ruin it all by panicking and calling yourself a monster. Oh, do you remember how angry you made me when you asked me if I were stupid? I was so angry I could spit, but when I awoke, the only thing I could think about was when I might see you again. Oh, je t'aime, Erik¹!"

Erik released her hands and snaked his arms about her waist. He pulled her body into his, placed his mouth next to her ear and whispered, "Je t'aime aussi, ma chéri². Shall we sing?"

He felt rather than saw her nod against his bare chest as he had closed his eyes once more. Her soft breath tickled him as it puffed through the dusting of dark hairs on his chest and caused his nipple to harden. He reveled in her closeness and the soft curves of her body. He ran his hands up and down her sides, caressing a shoulder one moment and cupping the smooth globe of her buttock the next. Her soft wanton cry fanned his spark of desire into a blazing conflagration. His member responded with immediate and enthusiastic sureness, its rapid rise bringing it to rigid attention against the smooth skin of her belly. He groaned when she stood on tiptoe, thrust her hips forward and ground against him.

"You have stolen my heart and now seek to take away my ability to reason. Christine, I shall not be able to sing if you do not behave."

She giggled, her hand trailed down his chest and across his abdomen. Her teasing touch halted as her palm encountered the silken steel of his shaft. She ran her fingers along the length of his erection, encircled it with her hand and she began a downwards stroke. He moaned. On her upward stroke, she paused as she reached the apex and ran her palm over the wet tip. He hissed.

"But, mon amour, how can it be that you do not know that this," she gave a gentle squeeze of her hand, "is a part of our power. Magic lies in many places. You can feel it, touch it and hear it. It lives in the air around us, in the beauty of a storm, in the gurgling water of a brook. Open your mind, your heart, your soul. Trust me. Join with me and I shall lead you to the place we need to go. My heart! My love! My soul! My life! Love me and I shall lead you to the place from whence music flows. Oh Erik, love me ... now! Ah! Oooh!"

He hushed her words with a teasing touch. A soft moan of pleasure escaped Christine's lips as Erik ran his thumb over her taut nipple. He lowered his mouth to tease the hard nub with his tongue and her encircling hand moved faster. When Erik felt the tingling sensation that preceded his release, he removed his mouth from her breast and restrained her hand.

"I am close and do not wish to spill upon the floor. I need to join with you." He spoke, his husky voice little more than whisper that caught in his throat as he stumbled over the words he forced from his mouth.

She did not answer him with words, but hopped up and wrapped her legs about his waist. One hand snaked over his shoulder and clutched his back to hold her in place. The other reached behind her and grasped his tumescent member to guide it into the hot wetness of her core. Their eyes opened and their gaze locked, one upon the other. As she slid down onto his length, they heard the opening strains of incredible music fill the air around them. And, they knew this music belonged to the two of them.

"No,"

they thought as one,

"this music does not belong to us. It is us."

They sang.

"Once, we did run

how we chased a million stars

and touched as only one can

. . .

Look, how I move

chance would have me glance at you

to know how you move me, me

. . .

Once, we did run

how we chased a million stars

and touched as only one can. ³"

As the last word faded into silence, they came and the power of their magic shattered the rough-hewn stone of the room. The blocks fell apart, crumbling into dust. A golden glow surrounded the lovers and held them safe within a protective sphere.

*****

Sabratha stepped away from the couple as they stood motionless facing one another and clinging to each other's hands. She returned to Cadmus, pressed her back to his front and drew his arms about her in a tight, but loving embrace. Nadir broke the tense silence with a question.

"What do we do now?" Nadir asked.

Sabratha sighed.

"Well, Monsieur ... we wait."

*****

¹

Oh, je t'aime, Erik!

– Translation: Oh, I love you, Erik!

²

Je t'aime aussi, ma chéri.

– Translation: I love you too, my darling.

³ Excerpt from

"So Long Ago, So Clear"

– From "Heaven and Hell" – Music and Lyrics by Evanghelo "Vangelis" Papathanassiou – Vocals by Jon Anderson – Windham Hills Records ©1975