Chapter 22 - Jane
1501 Words
I wake up to the smell of coffee and bacon. My eyes feel gritty and my face feels swollen. I cried myself to sleep last night as Kadis held me. But I didn’t sleep very well. My dreams were filled with wars, fighting, and killing. The dream is already fading and I can only remember small flashes of it. I remember one battle that had a beautiful woman stabbing an equally beautiful man in the chest with a fiery sword. In another, an old man with bark for skin was trying to protect a group of weird looking creatures. More strange scenes cross my mind. It was the oddest dream I ever had. Especially, since I don’t usually remember my dreams. I can hear Kadis moving around in the kitchen. Wrapping myself in the blanket, I make my way to the kitchen and flop down in a chair. A cup of coffee appears in front of me, along with the cream and sugar.
“Sorry, I don’t know how you like your coffee.”
“Two cream, Two sugar.”
“A double-double?”
I look up and see him laughing at me.
“Is that what it’s called? I just always order it with two cream and two sugar.”
Coming over and fixing my coffee, Kadis puts it back down in front of me and playfully ‘boops’ my nose.
“That’s what I like about you, Jane.”
“What?”
He chuckles, shakes his head and serves me up a plate of breakfast. I’m not really hungry, so I just kind of pick at it. I’m off in my own world. Thoughts of Bea, the funeral, Kadis, Michael, even my dream, swirl through my head. I can’t make heads or tails of anything. Giving up on the pretense of eating, I bury myself in my blanket and hold my mug of coffee in my hands to warm them. I feel cold when I’m tired, and this morning is no exception.
“Are you okay?”
Looking up from my mug, I find Kadis looking at me with concern. His brow is furrowed and his mouth is turned down. I see he has finished his plate and is sitting across from me with his own cup of coffee. He looks perfect. Michael’s warning about how Kadis is not who he says he is, stomps through my head.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, Jane.”
“What do you do? I know you said you were well off, but how did you get there? What about family? Favorite color? I know almost nothing about you.”
His frown deepens for a second, as he stares past my head. Silence settles between us.
“My past is the past, I don’t tend to dwell on it. I like to focus on the here and now.”
Getting up he comes over and picks me up from my chair. Carrying me over to the couch, he sets me down gently, tucking the blanket around me. He settles down next to me, pulls me against him and leans back. Laying my head on his chest, I can feel his heartbeat and the rhythm of his breathing. When he speaks the rumble of his voice spreads through my body.
“I don’t have parents or a family. But I’m okay with that, I get to choose my friends and pets. As for my wealth, I made some really good investments a long time ago and they’ve been compounding ever since. I love to travel the world meeting new people. Sometimes they join me for a time. Though I’ve been by myself the last little bit. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of research into history and folklore. Something happened recently that piqued my interest in the subject.”
My head rises as he takes a deep breath. I stay silent, enjoying the comfort of his arms.
“My favorite color is orange and I prefer dogs over cats. I like to do simple things like taking walks and watching movies. I try to stay out of the limelight. I prefer to spend my time with real people,” his arms squeeze me closer, “People like you, Jane.”
I peek up at him. His head is tilted back and he has a faraway look in his eyes. He closes his eyes and when he opens them he's focused on me.
“I want to be with you, Jane. I want to wake up with you every morning and lay next to you every night. That is the truth. Everything else is inconsequential. We will learn about each other in due time. I don’t want to rush it. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
His answers were as vague as my questions, but his voice is earnest with sincerity. I don’t know why, but I do trust him. Shifting so my face is closer to his, he kisses me deeply and passionately. His mouth slowly exploring mine. The cold I felt this morning melts away as my body heats up with desire. Untangling myself from the blanket, I move over so I’m straddling him. I can feel his arousal as I settle myself onto his lap. I take control of the kiss and flick my tongue on his bottom lip. His arms tighten around my waist and he crushes me against him. I want him with every part of my being. I break away from the kiss and run my lips along his jawline to his neck, nibbling here and there along the way. His head tips back and a groan escapes his throat. I run my hands over his shoulders and chest. His groan rumbles again. Suddenly, I’m lifted up as Kadis stands. I wrap my legs around his waist to hold on tight, as he carries me to the bedroom.
--------------------
“So what is it you are looking for again?” I ask as I pick up one of the oldest books I have ever seen. It’s written in a language I can’t read. I look over at Kadis who is studiously going through one of the books, then glance back at the one I’m holding.
“You can read this?”
He stops reading and writes down a few notes on a notepad. He has already filled a few pages of it with his writing. Holding his hand out for the book I’m holding, he places it in front of him. Patting his lap he beckons me to sit.
“The language these are written in is called Gozarian, it’s very similar to ancient cuneiform developed by the Sumarians. I learned it at a very young age. See here,” he says as he points to the title. “The Book Of Fae.”
“So it’s a book of fairytales?”
“Not really, I’m hoping it’s a book about a realm that belongs to what humans call fairies. But not the cutesie fairies like in the stories you know. These ones are more like the tales of woe and mischief described by the folktales in Ireland, Scotland, and England. There are also many stories from the tribes in Africa and North America. But a lot of those have been changed or lost due to oral storytelling.”
“I suck at languages. No matter what I took in school I couldn’t remember anything past a few simple words.”
He gives me a sexy smirk, his eyes glinting in laughter at my confession.
“What I’m trying to find is any information on these realms of fae, or fairies as named by the modern world, and daemons. Fae are said to consist of many different species, which can include elves, brownies, sylph, leprechauns, and so on. Daemons are documented as ‘goodly’ spirits or beings, very similar to angels in Christianity. Though daemons predate conformed religion, as do fae”
“So why are you looking at this stuff? You seem to know a lot about it.”
“Like I said before, something happened that caught my interest. I started doing a little bit of research a few weeks back. Actually that is what I was doing in the library that day we met. After discussing it with further with my friend Jaed, you remember him right?,” After a quick nod from me, he continues, “I decided to dig a little deeper. So here I am.”
I look over the books piled on my table and then back at Kadis. His excitement is written all over his face. It’s so cute!
“Well, I have some more meetings to go to about Bea’s estate, so you are just hanging here?”
‘Is that all right?”
I give him a quick kiss, “I would love it.”
Getting up, I leave him to his books and go to get ready. Walking into the room, I hear my phone buzz. It’s Michael.
‘Just checking in. How are you doing?’
‘I’m doing ok. Just heading out to meet with my lawyer.’
‘K. B safe.’
His warning about Kadis seemed to be made from jealousy. Did I make a mistake trying to keep him as a friend? Looking at my bed, mussed up from lovemaking, I’m beginning to think I really need to talk to Kadis about Michael. Kadis has not said a whole lot about Michael and he has trusted me about keeping Michael as a friend. It’s only fair to tell him about Michael's warnings.
I’ll tell him when I get back.
- Writer
