The Symbolon (7 page)

He moved his fingers along her cheekbone
. “And when I see you blush, I battle my impulses and remind myself, again, that it is only a few more days.” He looked up. “And then I count to a hundred and pray for good sense to kick in!” He laughed.

Pulling his hand from her face, he brushed his fingers through his hair. “And as long as I’m confessing, you should know that from the point after you healed
, and I knew I wouldn’t hurt you, it has been a constant battle!” He drew a deep breath. “I would truly love to have the strength to wait until our wedding night. But I can't tell you all that I go through laying in bed with you, night after night.” He turned to her with increased intensity. “To imagine lying next to you here…the place where we will spend our wedding night…is more than I think….” He gulped again. “You are the most
desirable woman
I can imagine!”

“Holy…” She meant to say ‘smokes’ but it didn’t come out. Then
, nearly whispering in revelation, she said, “Wow!” She shook her head to try and make the new reality permeate her brain. It was distracting, but she still needed answers. “Alex, I know something is going on with you. I can feel it. Are you certain?”

“Oh, my beautiful
, Valeria!” His voice went hoarse and was almost a whisper. “I could spend my life making love to you!” She felt that delicious flutter in her belly. “And I intend to begin proving that to you in about,” he glanced at his new watch, “forty-eight hours from now.” The look in his eyes told her that he meant it. “I know it seems like silly superstition, but as long as we haven’t yet made love, I know that someday we will be married.”

She settled into his arms
. “In your vision did we honeymoon here?”

“No.” He noticed the concern in her eyes and continued, “To me it’s like averting a vision. If I saw a vision of
you…let’s say, marrying someone in Florence. And I knew it was at a particular time, and I kidnapped you—
and, honestly, I should have a time or two
—then it wouldn’t be possible for that vision to be a reality. In this case, once we are married, it won’t matter if that vision takes place…because you’ll be my wife…forever.”

Alex drew a deep breath and bit his lip. She could feel his heart pounding. “I think we should cool the conversation on the wedding night and…the honeymoon.” He smiled softly.

“Well, I think otherwise.” She pushed him back onto the bed and crawled on top of him. “I think I need to investigate this vulnerability that you’ve just confessed to me!” Laughing, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

H
e rolled her to the side and pulled his head back as his jaw dropped. Raising his eyebrows, he nodded to himself. “How about a compromise?” he suggested, as his voice gathered strength.

“Compromise?”
Valeria pulled herself up on one elbow.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before!” His eyes lit with excitement. “Well, I wouldn’t have, if the family hadn’t decided we needed a night alone.”

“Uh…okay.”

Biting his lip again, he sat up
. “We have our marriage license.”

Oh, she liked his thinking!
“Camille would kill us!” Valeria said with a new level of thrill.

“She doesn’t need to know
everything
we do,” he said laughing.

“Right!
It wouldn’t be like lying to her. And we could still go through with the wedding ceremony. In fact, the only thing that would change is that…”

“We would be married and I could stay with you…tonight.”

“Let’s go right now—before you change your mind!” she demanded. Alex chuckled.

“Oh
, I am
not
going to change my mind on this!” He jumped up from the bed.

“I’ll race you to the boat!” She ra
n down the stairs, with him following close behind her.

“Wear your jacket, please!”
he admonished. She grabbed her jacket as he reached for the bag that held their marriage certificate and, within minutes, they were out the door.

They boarded the speed boat and
raced back around the island to Gaios. Arriving in the tiny town, Alex tied up the boat and then asked about who could marry them. The man on the dock informed them that the local priest was tied up, but the mayor could do the job.

Nearly running along the beautiful narrow streets of Gaios, they
both felt an exuberance that had evaded them most of their lives. They would be married tonight! He pulled her into the mayor’s office. The mayor sat at a desk right inside the door. There were two chairs in front of the desk and Alex held one out for her. The mayor looked up in surprise. Alex explained that they wanted to be married now. The mayor offered them a knowing smile.

“Where?
Perhaps the gardens?” the mayor asked in broken English.

“Right here is just fine!” Valeria insisted. The mayor raised his eyebrows at her and said something in Greek that caused Alex to turn his head in mild embarrassment.

But all discomfort disappeared the moment when Alex handed the license to the mayor. She could see Alex’s sudden relief and sensed their combined tension lifting. Opening the ledger, the mayor began to log their information. He stopped and pursed his lips as he drew in his bushy eyebrows. The mayor turned back to face them with his elbows on his desk. Pointing a thick finger at them, he said, “I am sorry. But I cannot marry you now.”

“No!” Valeria cried. “Why? We have a marriage license
!”

“Yes. But your license is not good for another two days.” Reaching across the
mayor’s desk, Alex took the license and studied it.

“But it says it’s been approved,” he said, pointing to a line on the document.

“Yes, but Greek law requires two weeks. It will be two more days until I can marry you.” He handed the marriage license back to Alex.

Rubbing his hand over his face, Alex asked, “Is there anyone near here, perhaps in Italy or a neighboring country,
who can marry us now?” Valeria felt her throat tighten but held on to hope.

“Of course!” the mayor replied.

“Where?” Alex asked.

The mayor smirked
. “Las Vegas!” Their faces dropped. “It is only two more days. My advice is to simply wait!”

“All right.
Well…thank you.” Alex took Valeria’s hand and led her out of the office onto the street. They both tried to handle the disappointment well…and both failed.

He was the first to speak
. “You know, Val, you are already my wife…in my heart.” The tears welled in her eyes and she knew she couldn’t speak. She pulled his arm around her.

From a bar above the street they heard Paolo’s voice
call out, “We meet again!” Alex sighed as if to ask,
what more must we endure tonight?
He refused to even look. Valeria suspected that Alex didn’t want Paolo to see the pain in his eyes. She didn’t know who this “Paolo” was, but she didn’t like him!

Just then, a beautiful
blonde woman joined Paolo. She brushed her fingers sensually along his chest as she whispered in his ear. Paolo pulled back from the woman, looking mildly surprised. Then, glancing briefly back down at Alex and Valeria, he said, “It appears that I am wanted elsewhere!” He winked at the woman, who giggled. He waved to them. “Ciao!” he said, as he wrapped his arm around the woman and disappeared.

Once they were back to the boat, Alex’s eyes narrowed at Valeria
. “Beautiful, it really is only two more days. Then we will have our eternity!” She nodded, still unable to speak. “Val, let’s not let this ruin the trip! Let me grill up the snapper and let’s enjoy our evening together.”

That evening
, they were both quiet. She sat on his lap in the Adirondack chair by the sea and sipped wine and watched the sunset. Despite his earlier insistence to the contrary, Alex held her all night in the room where they would spend their wedding night.

Despite the disappointment of the previous evening, Valeria awoke feeling quite exhilarated. She went downstairs and saw all kinds of deliveries arriving for the wedding…the best of them was the family!

She excitedly ran down to the boat, while chairs, tables, heaters
, and a speaker system were being set up. Camille jumped off the water taxi as soon as it edged against the dock and ran to Valeria and the two of them hugged like schoolgirls. Alex just watched and laughed. Even his mood had lightened up!

Camille immediately took charge. “Okay
, people! I need the bride and groom, Caleb, and Lars at the house ASAP!” She started up the lawn while Valeria and Alex finished hugging everyone as they stepped off the water taxi. Camille paused, placing her hands on her hips, with a smile. “We don’t have all day, people!”

Ava added with a smirk, “Well, come on people! What are you waiting for? General Camille has spoken!”

The group walked up to the house. Camille’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she hooked arms with Valeria. “So? What do you think?”

“Oh
, Camille, I just can’t wait! And the clothes are lovely. Thank you for all of your hard work.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve had so much fun. But you know
, I do have one disappointment!” Camille glanced toward Daphne. “I like Daphne, but we don’t shop together. And Ava, well, as you know, she is a mail order girl. I would have hoped that one out of three of my sisters might be a shopper!” she said with a laugh.

Arriving at the patio, Camille took Alex’s hand to give him directions, but she was immediately interrupted by the sound of a chainsaw. Valeria saw a large trinity knot being carved in a log—Camille really had thought of
everything!

“Lars, can you please ask them to take a break?’”

Nodding, Lars complied and the workers went off to lunch.

“So
, Alex…where’s your best man?” Alex turned around and found Caleb sitting in an Adirondack chair on the porch playing his hand-held computer game.

“Best man!” Camille was definitely in driver mode today. Caleb turned and jumped up. But by then
, Ava was talking to Valeria. Camille placed her hands back on her hips. “Okay, people! We have a lot to do. But if everyone pays attention, we can be done in about ten minutes and then have lunch. Okay?” she said with mock severity.

“Lars?” she said.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Do you have your minister’s certificate to perform the ceremony?”

Lars nodded and fished through his laptop bag, while Camille became distracted with the placement of a heater. She turned to the worker. “Excuse me, but you aren’t going to leave that there are you?” The worker said he didn’t understand English. Camille sighed and pointed where she wanted it and then resumed her duties as the wedding coordinator.

“All right, I want the groom, best man
, and minister right here.” She pointed to a location off from the arbor that was already decorated with a mix of white roses and bougainvillea vines. Valeria noticed that the flowers were real and wondered how they had pulled that off since yesterday!

“Do you think anyone’s going to think it’s funny that I’m just a kid and they’re calling me the best
man?
” Caleb let out his joyful laugh. At that, Camille relaxed and offered a contagious giggle.

“It’s really just family and I think you’ll do great!” She smiled at him calmly. Valeria, being the only one
who could touch Caleb without being shocked by his electricity, messed her fingers through his hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“So
, Lars, you’ll lead, followed by Alex. Caleb, you’ll walk out after Alex.”

Camille continued giving instructions
, and then Valeria was walking up the aisle toward Alex. She felt incredibly silly and awkward. Then she looked into his eyes. For a moment, she was actually there…
their wedding day
. The day they had waited 3,000 years for. Valeria heard nothing else during the rehearsal…she was certain that Alex didn’t either. They were living the dream of tomorrow. They barely heard Lars pronounce them husband and wife. A tear rolled down Valeria’s face. She could see Alex’s eyes glistening with emotion.

Lars was still speaking when Alex took her face in his hands and
, with his voice full of the emotion he felt, he said, “I love you more than life.” Then he moved his face to hers in a lingering kiss that left her knees weak.

Anticlimactically, Lars joked, “All right, well
,” he scratched his head, as Alex and Valeria continued to kiss, “you may kiss your bride.” Hearing the snickers, Alex and Valeria looked around and then joined in on the laughter. Immediately, Camille was giving further instructions for the next day while the couple was happily lost in each other—until Lars tapped Alex on the back. “Jeremiah’s here.”

Alex’s eyes were still intensely focused on Valeria’s and the corners of his mouth turned up in
that smile
, before he drew a deep breath and, at last, broke their spell.

“Right.”
He glanced toward the dock, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. “Shinsu must be coming separately.”

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but it seems that it is just Jeremiah
,” Lars relayed. There was a momentary cloud in Alex’s eyes. Lars patted his arm. “It’ll be all right.”

“Beautiful, come with me.” Alex took Valeria’s hand and led her to an Adirondack chair on the patio. “Jeremiah needs to clear you before you will receive an invitation from the council. He’s going to want you to give him
a transference. When he sees that you have Cassandra’s memories, he will permit you to join us at the council.”

“And then?” Valeria suddenly fe
lt nervous again.

“You don’t need to be nervous! Tonight there will be…some
things that might…that are…a bit different. We’ll talk about that later. I don’t want you to be frightened. But as far as the transference, just think about the subject—which is your life as Cassandra. Focus on that. Jeremiah will take your hands and you will look into his eyes. It should take no more than five to ten seconds and it will be done.”

Valeria gulped
. “Alex, you promised me that even if they say no, we are still going to be married tomorrow—right?”

“Don’t worry about a thing!”
he said.

An ancient man with dark leathery skin and a gray
Afro and beard, approached them slowly hobbling with a cane. Valeria was certain that he was less than five feet tall.

“That’s the island stud?” She giggled, recalling Alex’s stories of Jeremiah, including that he had the oldest body of any of the immortals and lived on an island in the Eastern Pacific where he was considered a god and had a number of young wives.

Offering Valeria a subtle wink and a smile, Alex lifted a finger and tapped his lip, indicating that Jeremiah had extraordinary hearing! As the old man finally approached, Valeria could see his bright blue eyes—not like Alex’s. Perhaps time had faded them, she thought.

The old man was chuckling, leaning heavily on his cane
. “Island stud!” he snorted. Valeria looked at Alex concerned. “Don’t worry, young lady. I’ve been called far worse!” He hobbled toward her. “I’m Jeremiah, the Abatao island stud!” He chuckled again. “And you, my dear, are Cassandra.”

She wanted Jeremiah to call her Valeria. But she wasn’t going to say anything that could cause a hitch. “I’m sorry for the
...island…stud remark,” she muttered. Alex snickered under his breath.

“Young lady, at my age, I appreciate the title!” He let out a cackle and then glanced toward Alex critically
. “My young friend here wouldn’t mind that title either.”

“No
, Jeremiah, I’d prefer to be known as her husband.” Valeria noticed that Alex didn’t use her name.

“I can see why!” Jeremiah let out a lascivious cackle that left Valeria
feeling uncomfortable. “Alright, young lady, let’s get on with the task at hand.” Alex nodded and moved another chair directly in front of Valeria’s. Jeremiah sat down and she held her hands out toward him. The old man shook his head in irritation.

“No, no, no! YOU take my hands!” He glared sternly at
Alex. “Doesn’t she recall anything?” Attempting to soothe the situation, Alex offered her a subtle wink, but she could see that he was upset.

She reached over and took Jeremiah’s hands.
Now nervous, she looked over at Alex.

“Beautiful, you are doing fine. Jeremiah is just a cranky old man.” Alex took a deep breath and then smiled kindly at Jeremiah.

“That, I am! That, I am!” To this, Jeremiah let out another lascivious cackle.

“Beautiful, look at Jeremiah and focus.” He drew a deep breath and Valeria turned toward Jeremiah. After a few seconds
, it seemed as if nothing was happening.

“How about some affinity!”
Jeremiah growled.

“How about giving her reason to have some affinity!”
Alex growled back. Valeria was a bit stunned; she had never heard Alex sound angry.

Jeremiah cackled again, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes
. “Alexander, you are approaching disrespect!” There was a dangerous edge to Jeremiah’s voice that startled Valeria. How was she supposed to feel anything but fear from this man?

“Alex, I don’t think this is going to work
,” Valeria said, rising from her seat. “I don’t think I can do this right.”

Jeremiah
narrowed his eyes and Alex interrupted again, “Jeremiah, could you please give us a moment?”

Taking her hand, Alex led her away from
Jeremiah, again subtly lifting his finger to his mouth. “You’re doing fine, beautiful. I want you to just relax.” He said the words as if they were lines, and then glanced toward the house in what Valeria suspected was a silent communication to someone in the family. “I know you can do this.” He pulled her into him and kissed her gently, as Camille wandered out, as if by coincidence. Noticing Jeremiah by himself, she walked over to him and began talking in a way that was a touch more intimate and contained far more giggles than Valeria had ever heard from Camille. Jeremiah seemed appropriately distracted as had been Alex’s intention. He nodded.

“Please, oh please, Alex, let’s just have a civil wedding here! Please
, Alex! I have a terrible feeling about all of this!” She could feel her anxiety moving into hyperdrive.

“I’m sorry, Val,”
he said, his voice tight with tension. “I’m afraid there is no backing out—we are committed.” Sighing deeply, he took her hands in his. “Just ignore the old goat! Try to allow yourself some affinity for him and relax. You can do this!” But she could see an increasing concern in Alex’s eyes.

Pulling her hair back from her neck, she
was frustrated with herself for being so weak and cowardly. This was important to Alex and if he had a father or grandfather who was like that, she would have tolerated him. Perhaps that was the key!

“All right.”

He looked at her critically and then kissed her forehead before leading her back to Jeremiah. Camille was still flirting with Jeremiah when Alex returned. “Camille, if you don’t mind, we have business to attend to,” he said with a hint of gruffness that Valeria was certain was to convince Jeremiah that Camille was there on her own accord.

Camille gave Valeria a confidential wink and then said seductively, “Jeremiah, I look forward to seeing you this evening!” Jeremiah cackled.

Sitting down, Valeria tried to think of Jeremiah as Alex’s uncle. She took his hands and looked at him. She felt something happening that absorbed all of her attention. They sat there for almost three minutes when Jeremiah yanked his hands away angrily. “Young lady, you had better learn how to control your transferences!”

Alex’s jaw tightened and
Valeria noticed his face redden. Attempting to soothe the situation, she placed her hand on his arm, smiled sweetly at Jeremiah and said, “Thank you, Jeremiah. I will work on it.”

“I don’t need your entire epic history! Now I’ll be carrying that around with me!
I’ve a mind—”

Alex broke in, “Jeremiah?”

Standing, the old man grumbled, “I can’t have her testify. It would be a frivolous abuse of the council’s time.” He narrowed his eyes dangerously. Valeria noticed Alex’s pupils flash in response to Jeremiah’s allegation. Alex glanced toward the house in what Valeria was certain was another silent communication.

“Are you demanding that I withdraw my petition?” Alex challenged.

The door opened and Lars walked out. “What’s going on, Alex?”

“
It seems as though Jeremiah wishes us to withdraw the petition. But she has a right to be in the council.” Valeria noticed again that Alex avoided using her name.

Lars
said, “Yes…yes, she does. But realize that Jeremiah has an extraordinary responsibility here. And Cassandra may simply need more time until the council is comfortable. Withdraw the petition, Alex. Give her time to readapt.” Lars and Alex stared at each other for a long moment.