The Symbolon (5 page)

They arrived at St. Mark’s and transferred to a motor boat. Valeria heard Alex say “aeroporto
.” They were headed to an airport.

Of course, she realized
! Of course—they were going to Greece! Where else would Apollo’s oracles set up council meetings? The speed boat pulled up to a small general aviation airport. A golf cart was waiting for them. She noted that Alex’s Porsche was now parked near a hanger where men were loading supplies, including what appeared to be several cases of champagne, onto a small twin-engine plane.

“Are you flying us to…our destination?” Valeria asked. She had heard him talk about his love of flying.

“Not today, beautiful! I wanted to relax and have a mimosa with you this morning. But perhaps on
our honeymoon!
”

At this point she was certain that Alex was teasing her, seeing the effect created
when he mentioned their honeymoon. The corners of his mouth turned up in that beautiful smile that she loved, telling her that Alex noticed the effect again. She suspected that he hadn’t mentioned the honeymoon before in an effort to keep things cool until the wedding night. But it had come up several times today—and
it was driving her crazy!

They boarded the flight and an attractive woman in a uniform asked them in English if they would like a drink. Valeria was stunned when Alex ordered a Scotch on the rocks. He must be feeling more relaxed
!

During the flight, she thought about Mani. What would keep him from standing next to his best friend in a wedding that was 3
,000 years in the making? She was certain that Mani would have cancelled any engagements from Johns Hopkins. Alex hadn’t even used that as an excuse. She wondered if there was something about the council that kept Mani away, something sinister that he knew. Then she smiled—her imagination was really getting the best of her! She knew Alex would never take her there if he believed there was any danger.

Besides, her experience proved this group of oracles to be highly ethical. Despite Daphne’s fits of jealousy and bad manners, Valeria knew that she would never lie, cheat
, or steal! Eventually—
and it might be a long eventually
—they would probably become friends. After all, they both cared a great deal about Alex’s welfare and happiness.

Still
, there was something gnawing at her consciousness; something that made her feel a bit nervous about the council meeting. It was probably because she knew how important it was for Alex to get the council’s permission, and also because she would be meeting the rest of the immortals for the first time. She suddenly wondered about Aegemon. There had been neither reports of his death, nor any reports of the pneumonic plague.

“If Aegemon is still alive, is there a possibility that he could be at the council meeting?”

Shaking his head vehemently, Alex said, “Don’t worry about that, beautiful!” He patted her knee, as he took another sip of his scotch. “Once you try to take out most of the oracles,” he shrugged and continued, “funny thing is that none of them want you in their council.”

The flight landed on an island that sat on the western boundary of Greece. They went through customs and walked to a waiting limo, as their bags and supplies, which Valeria assumed were for the wedding, were loaded into the trunk. Alex was giving directions
about what should be loaded where, when Valeria noticed a man several limos down with movie star good looks who was staring at her. She felt herself blush from his intense scrutiny. The man had short dark hair, and a perfectly tanned olive complexion. He was dressed immaculately in dress slacks, a suit jacket, and a silk sweater. The man smiled and pulled his sunglasses from his face, and then he winked seductively at Valeria. She glared for a moment, stunned, and then shook her head in irritation. Alex noticed and immediately placed his hand on her back, guiding her toward the open door to the limo.

Before climbing in she turned to Alex and whispered, “That man…he’s staring at me.”

Alex narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. He brushed his hand over his chin as he turned to look at the man; then he hesitantly offered the stranger a non-committal wave. The stranger’s smile broadened, but it didn’t seem to reach his eyes.

Alex
climbed into the limo next to her. “Let’s go,” he said to the driver. There was something in his voice. He sounded weary—or worried. She turned toward him and he looked away. She thought he looked pale.

She wondered if it just had to do with the obvious flirtation coming from the man. Since she had ended her engagement to David, there hadn’t been anyone else paying any of that kind of attention to her…well
, except for Alex!

The man was still staring at them, though the tinted windows prevented his view into the interior of the limo.

“Do you know him?” she asked.

Staring out toward the man, Alex muttered softly, “Yes.” They pulled out from the small airport as Valeria waited for more information, but it was obvious that Alex didn’t want to discuss him.

The limo took them to a marina docking port where they quickly boarded a private sea taxi. As the luggage was loaded onto another boat, Alex seemed to be watching, as if to see if the stranger had followed. Within minutes, another limo pulled into the lot. Alex quickly put his arm around Valeria, issued an order to the men loading their supplies, and then, while reaching into his pocket, gave instructions to the driver of the boat. Alex tossed a hundred euros at him and the boat pulled out immediately.

The man in the limo leapt toward the dock and called out in a light Italian accent, “Alex!” and then offered an arrogant smile that told Valeria that the man saw this as some kind of
game…and he hadn’t lost yet. As the boat pulled into the harbor and headed to the south, away from the island, she noticed that Alex’s expression was flat.

“Who is that?”

“Oh…uh, that’s Paolo,” Alex replied, with attempted casualness.

“Paolo?”

Nodding subtly, Alex’s expression remained pensive. She was certain that there was something she needed to know about Paolo but she didn’t want to ruin the mood of the evening. She decided to drop it until later. One thing was certain, Paolo was going to the same place they were, and that meant that he was also an immortal.

The water taxi took them from Corfu to the emerald isle of Paxos. While Valeria was uncomfortable being that far away from land, she found her mind completely distracted by thoughts of Alex and their wedding…and the man, Paolo.

After an hour, the taxi wove its way around a few uninhabited islands, past an ancient white monastery, and then to the azure shores of the pretty little coastal town of Gaios. Valeria leaned against Alex and took in the beauty.

He kissed her temple
. “I’m sorry it’s not warmer. The climate is perfect most of the year. But it can be a bit cool in the winter.” She cuddled into him. “We’ll use heaters for the garden wedding if we need them.” The temperature actually felt wonderful. And Valeria was about to marry the man of her dreams!

The town was reminiscent of Venice with burnt pastel buildings covered in bougainvillea and surrounded by deep
ly green foliage. It was breathtaking! She glanced at Alex expectantly. “So, this is it?” His expression lightened up and he smiled.

“I wanted to show you Gaios. It’s quite scenic. But you
look like you should probably rest. I don’t want you worn out.” She saw his eyes become playful again. “Remember, we have a wedding…and a honeymoon in a few days!” She blushed again and rolled her eyes at him. He laughed and gave her a light squeeze.

“I am tired. So, where are we going next?” Valeria suspected that the plans had changed
after Alex had seen Paolo. The truth was that she
was
exhausted. This was her first real outing since she had been ill. And although she felt great, her energy wasn’t back to a hundred percent, but she was certain that she had enough energy to spend a few weeks in bed with her husband!

They waited while several bags of produce and other groceries were loaded onto their boat. As the men finished securing the packages for safe transit, Alex turned to her and brushed his hand over her face affectionately. “Would you like to see where we’re staying?” he teased.

“Yes!” She happily wrapped her arms him.

The boat pulled away from Gaios and Valeria found herself watching to see if they were being followed. As they left the harbor, the water got a bit rougher, and her hand instinctively tightened in Alex’s as the boat steered around the island, past rocky cliffs and the occasional azure beach, finally pulling up to a dock with several jet skis, kayaks
, and a speed boat. From the dock, Valeria could see an enormous manicured lawn where some kind of minor construction was being done. Analyzing the work, Valeria’s heart lurched! They were building a wedding arbor! Tears moved into her eyes. Behind the arbor construction was an enormous L-shaped mansion, with a large square tower above the center of the “L”. It looked like something out of “Homes of the Rich and Famous.”

“Are we staying here?” Valeria
asked, astounded.

“Yes, if that’s all right. It’s a family estate.”

“Family estate? Whose family?” She knew he was wealthy, but this was considerably more than she expected.

“
Our
family!” His eyes lit with joy as he shook his head. She took it in; the years of loneliness, before Alex, were now nothing more than a weak memory.

He sensed her emotion and hated thinking about her life before he found her. But he knew that the tear in her eye wasn’t from the pain of yesterday, but the joy of today
. He lifted her off the boat onto the dock and pulled her into him in a tight embrace.

“We’ll be alone this evening,” he said, with his voice a bit unsteady. “The family decided to stay elsewhere tonight. But they will be in tomorrow for the council meeting. Then
,” he took a deep breath, “I have the extraordinary honor of marrying you!” She choked, and he held her tighter. She couldn’t risk her voice at that moment.

Past the dock, there was a lush green lawn, and to her left sat two white Adirondack chairs that were perfectly placed for watching the sunset
, a small table nestled between them. Ten feet in front of the chairs, the grass suddenly halted, dropping three feet to a small beach with occasional rocks that sprouted from the sand and tides that lightly lapped at the bluff.

They held hands as they walked up to the house
, and Valeria couldn’t help but notice the massive windows on the lower level. The home was a burnt yellow with heavy white trim that looked striking against the Greek blue sky. As they neared the home, she could see the patio that looked out over the sea. It was done in flat cut stones and cement. There were more Adirondack chairs, a teak table and chairs, as well as a fireplace, a grill, and refrigerator. The interior walls were the whitest of white with accents and arches made entirely of brick in the family room and kitchen. The kitchen to the left of the entrance had a very long preparation table down the middle and a quaint breakfast area under the brick arch.

Alex guided her up some steps to the right of the entry, leading to the only room at the top of the stairs, the tower room and master suite! The room was dominated by a wall of windows with French doors leading to a private deck that looked out over the deep blue Ionian Sea. Valeria noticed a light pastel mist that hovered on the horizon. Deep green, uninhabited hills pushed into the sea, creating a magnificent vi
ew! The bedroom was elegantly furnished with light wood furniture, pastels, and overstuffed chairs. Alex led her to the closet and the lights came on slowly, displaying a closet full of gowns and dresses…and beautiful undergarments, that Camille had certainly ordered. Valeria could tell Alex was as tense as she was.

He gulped
. “I’ll be sleeping in the other room until after the…” He couldn’t say it now…
Oh, how she loved him!
“I thought we could spend our…our wedding night here, if that’s all right.” He winked as she blushed again and he laughed softly, nervously. “The room is private and no one will be able to…well…” Now it was his turn to blush. He pulled his hand through his hair before continuing. “The master suite is in a separate part of the house from…the other rooms. So we’ll not be disturbed.”

They would make love here on their wedding night. Her heart was racing and her breathing was going through the roof.

Feeling intense emotion for him, she took his hand. “Take a nap with me.” He looked at her with so much longing, but didn’t move—suddenly uncertain of himself. She stepped toward him and pulled his arms around her, and then, standing on her tip toes, kissed him. She broke their embrace and took his hand leading him to the bed.

Alex stood next to the bed, his discomfort evident. Valeria
leaned back on the numerous pillows. Finally, hesitantly, he sat on the edge of the bed. She brushed her hand through his hair. “Lay down with me.”

“I think I should go…” His voice was hoarse as he drew a deep breath. “I need to…Val…”
He gulped.

Just then
, the luggage arrived and Alex jumped up to direct that…
in Italian!
He gave a short chortle and rolled his eyes toward her. After the luggage was delivered, Alex turned to her, but moved toward the door.