Snowscape Trilogy Page 5
She sat back and relaxed a bit, I could see the change in her demeanor as though she went from a perfect princess sorority girl, to a laid back stoner. Although everything looked the same down to her perfect light pink manicure and coifed blond curls, I could see that she wore body language as if it were a coat. She could become anyone she wanted to simple by a tilt of her head or a slouch in her back. It was an impressive skill, and a veteran people watcher such as myself was impressed. Here was a girl who could become whatever she needed to be at the moment.
“Seriously, Amy, let’s just go shopping today. We can have a girl date, look at guys at the mall. Go see a movie or something.” She smiled a bright, white perfect smile.
I took another sip of my latte and frowned. She put her cup on the coffee table and I noticed that she hadn’t picked it up. One of my biggest pet peeves was seeing the round pink lines of lipstick that tended to be left on the coffee cup of anyone wearing even a hint of lipstick. One of the main reasons I found myself without so often. Violet’s cup was as pure white as her teeth. She was no coffee drinker and had made a special trip to Spot just for me. I was touched, but not enough to be distracted. “No, we are going to sit here and have a discussion. We will start with an easy one. What’s up with the coffee? How did you know I was thinking about going to Spot for a vanilla latte?”
She laughed. “That’s the question you’re starting with? Well, that one I can tell you. I’m psychic.”
Not the answer I was expecting. “You’re psychic?”
“Yep. Why do you think I can be whomever you need at the moment? Don’t think I didn’t notice your quick assessment of me. I can read emotions like anyone else would read a book. After I talked to Sam last night, I know you’d needed a latte and girlfriend kind of day, so drink up and let’s go shopping,” she stood up as if to get ready to go.
“No. Sit.” She immediately sat down, although it did not seem by choice.
She sighed. “Stop doing that.”
“What?”
“Ordering me around.” She let out a loud deep sigh. “I don’t like it.”
“Then don’t listen,” I replied just as tersely.
She picked up her cup from the coffee table and started fidgeting with it. She didn’t go to take a drink and didn’t answer my question, but seeing her pick up the cup reminded me that I also had a cup in my hand. It was warm and soothing. Having something to do with my hands kept me from trembling and I took another drink to have something to do. I moved closer to her. “So. Are you going to answer my questions?”
A resolution stole over her and she looked at me and smiled. “I will answer any question that you put to me that I am able. I’m sure you’ve gathered by now that I am not a regular human. Because of my nature I have the ability to read people and their emotions. It allows me to a certain sense of freedom usually.”
I paused, collecting my thoughts. “Usually? Can you read any human or only me?”
A hesitation stole over her and she opened her mouth to speak, but stopped short. Then, “Not everyone, and I need to form an intimate connection for it to work most successfully.”
“So, the kiss…?”
She nodded. “The kiss was the quickest and easiest way I could get the connection. I couldn’t read you at all before that and times being what they are. Unfortunately it also sometimes has the undesired side effect of siring people to me as well.”
Sitting back on the couch I yawned, although my thoughts raced and darted around in my head like pinballs. “Sire? As in vampire?”
She gave me a confused look and said flatly. “Vampires aren’t real Amy.” Oh, my face reddened for a moment in embarrassment before it turned to annoyance. How was I supposed to know what was real and what wasn’t anymore. Psychics, demons, dream masters? Is a vampire really such a long stretch? “Vampires aren’t real but the term is borrowed from vampire lore. When a person is a seer such as myself, there have been past accounts of them being sired to their intended target.
“Target?”
“I was trying to see your soul, Ambrosia.”
“Did you? See my soul?”
“Souls. Yours and others. Briefly. But I saw what I needed to see and that is what matters. Luckily no siring happened this time between you and me.” As she trailed off I knew that was a story there that needed to be told eventually, but it was not my main objective right now.
“What did you see?”
She tilted her head slightly and breathed a sigh of what sounded like relief. “That you were the one we were looking for. Sam and I have been searching for you for a long long time, Amy.”
My eyes swarmed with tears and I yawned again. I hesitated, not sure I wanted to hear the answer to the question. Curiosity won out as it often does. “You’re lying to me right now aren’t you?” She smiled quietly as I fell back against the couch. I blinked rapidly but couldn’t focus my eyes. “Which part?” I blurted out. She leaned into me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and I could feel the blackness pull over me. I looked down to my cup, almost empty and to hers completely full. Panicking I grabbed her hand. And she squeezed gently.
“It is okay, Ambrosia, you just need to sleep. Nathaniel needs to talk to you. Go to the snowscape and I will guard your sleep as Sam and I am meant to do. You will learn all that there is to know when it is the proper time.”
Chapter 9
When I awoke I was in my living room and Violet was gone. The cups remained on the coffee table and I noticed by the warm orange glow coming in from the outside that the sun had begun to set. I picked up the cups and went to throw them into the kitchen garbage when I glanced out the window. The sun stood high in the sky. It was only noon and the orange glow had come from world being on fire. I dropped the cups as the world swayed in my visions. Everything was encased in bright white and blue flame. I could see the trees, the building all turned to ash and rubble.
I blink and a shiver went down my back. I calmly dropped the two coffee cups in the trash and walked outside into the fire. It was snowing by the time I arrived outside and I knew then that I was still asleep.
The snow was slowing drifting down the dark sky again. I often dreamt of snow. It always had a calming effect on me and was one of my favorite moments in time. It was always the same street with the single streetlight and the sounds of the river calling in the distance. Although I didn’t remember this from my real life I had always imagined it was a long forgotten evening I must had had as a child. A little portion of my infancy tucked away in my subconscious. In a rush the sight of fire came back to me and I remembered Violet’s visit to my apt.
I turned knowing he would be there. He was, after all, the one who wanted to finally talk.
“Where did the fires go?” I asked, my voice echoing off of the darkness and snow. I felt obtrusive in the scene, but it was my dream and I needed to know. I walked up to him, the snow crunching beneath my bare feet. I looked down and saw that I wore a nightgown of pure light pink and my feet were bare. I shivered but not from cold, from a need that I could feel rising through my inner most being. “Answer me. I know you have to.”
He turned away and spoke gruffly. “You don’t know anything yet.”
Anger surged within me and I could feel the snow melt around me. Dripping icicles surrounding my field of vision suddenly drowned out the sounds of the rushing river and I vaguely recalled Violet sending me to the snowscape to meet Nathaniel. I grabbed his shoulder and turned him toward me; pulling off the cowl he had always hid himself behind. It was then that I had first seen his face. His eyes. This man had travelled with me for as long as I could remember. He had always been there. Always just at the edge of my dreams, watching and waiting, but I had never seen his face. Never seen his eyes. As I saw his face, his eyes bore into my soul and I knew why he had always concealed it from me. His eyes were of pure life, pure perfection. As if capturing a souls and placing them into small orbs was a possibility. His features were prefect. Not just handsome but
beautiful.
His eyes held a bright white fire that danced with energy. They were the color of perfect opals shimmering in a sunlight day, reflecting with violets, greens and pale blues. His dark hair and features only made the contrast more beautiful and dangerous looking.
I could see a scowl pull on his lips, but it turned into a slight smile as he looked around. The snow was gown and we now stood in the center of a field. Fires burned around us in the distance, but a cool and easy moving river encircled us like a moot keeping the inferno at bay. “Very good, Ambrosia.”
“Nathaniel,” I said tasting his name upon my lips. He nodded and suddenly I found myself back in the snowy landscape I had started. A single bench sat under a white glow of moonlight.
Come,” he said and took my hand leading me on. “We have much I’m sure you wish to discuss.”
When the fires started raining down from heaven he knew she had come. Violet had kept up her side of the bargain and has sent Ambrosia to him. She was angry. Of that he was both certain and scared. It was new this feeling of fear. He had never really had to deal with fear before. As a servant of God many eons ago his fear was always wrapped up within his faith. God would protect. God would provide. Angels were the firstborn of God and although he favored humans now, God still did love his immortal children and would protect them in the end. Of that he was certain. But fear was derived from love. One could not know fear until they knew love. Lucifer had taught him that. And now Nathaniel knew both. When the fires started, he went to her, as he knew he would. As he knew me must. But she surprised him once again. When he arrived the fires were already gone and she was waiting for him.
I sat down on the bench expecting it to carry the chill of the freshly fallen snow, but it did not. The only chill I carried was the anxiety that threatened to choke down my questions. I could barely speak I was so nervous. He still wore his robes, soft and black, the same color as his rich dark hair and I suddenly felt silly wearing only a nightgown in the snow. As the thought passed through me I saw that I was now wearing a deep rich overcoat that covered me from head to toe. My feet were no longer naked but encased in deep wool socks and boots. The realization of what had happened flashed through my mind.
Nathaniel nodded and sat down next to me. I could feel his proximity through my cloths and it both pleased me and made me nervous. I looked down and could see that now there was a blanket draped over me as well. “You’re learning.” He said simply and moved always from me on the bench. “Although it does not please me to know I make you so nervous. I will not touch you unless you ask me to.”
I looked at him. “I have questions.”
“Of course you do. But you also already have the answers.” He drew himself up on the bench, folding both of his legs under so he could sit comfortable looking at me. His at ease posture helped me to relax and I threw off the extra blanket that appeared.
I turned toward him mirroring the way he sat. “Tell me who you are.” I ordered in the most authoritative voice I could, mimicking the way I had spoken to Violet.
He laughed. “I’m not Violet. You cannot order me about here and there to tell you what you want to know. Your first lesson is that that trick can only work on humans. And if you haven’t figured it out already, I am not human.”
“Okay. Then what are you?”
He paused a moment considering. “I am your guardian, Ambrosia.”
“Guardian?”
He nodded. “You are a very important person Ambrosia Ross.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Ah, yes, “ he grimaced. “I know that Samandiriel has paid you a visit already.” He stood up and suddenly I found him standing in front of me. He took my hand with gentle force and pulled me up. I tried to resist but could not. He was stronger than me. I knew in that minute that although I had some control here, he had more. And more importantly he had control of me.
Standing in front of me my hand gripped in his he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around my waist. The gesture was both soothing and unnerving. I wanted answers but there was also no other place I wanted to be than in his arms at this very moment. I could feel his lips brush against my collarbone and the overwhelming need of him almost overtook me. I managed to speak. “Please.” He bit down on my neck and waves of desire came crashing over me. “Please,” I managed again.” Tell me what’s going on. Tell me who you are.” I was close to tears. Tears of desire, frustration and exhaustion all rolled over me.
Nathaniel stiffened and I could feel his warmth leave his body. I could see the jealously radiate from his opal eyes as he backed away from me. “Fine. But we will not speak of Samandiriel again. You will stay away from him.”
My breath was short with anger and desire, but I wanted answers. “Tell him to stay away from me,” I said irritably under my breath. I looked at him and he stood passively waiting for me to make the first move in this game we now played. “Fine. Who are you?”
“My name is Nathaniel. And I once was something more. But now I am no longer that. I am strictly your guardian.”
“Why I am so important, that I would need a guardian?”
He took my hand again, but this time as a friendly gesture. I let him and we started walking. I blushed suddenly when I realized that we were once again the wood that we had had our earlier rendezvous. If Nathanial noticed he did not say. “As you have already gathered we are walking through your snowscape, Amy.”
The fact that he had used my nickname did not escape me. “My snowscape?”
Nodding, “Yes. When every human dreams they escape their mental being, their souls if you will, go to their own personal dreamscape. Most humans are limited to four or five, but they change and alter with age, desire and fear. Most humans go to sleep, dream and then return to their lives. Some special ones are able to know that they are dreaming and manipulate their surroundings. They call it lucid dreaming. Humans usually are limited though and do not know that everyone can control the dream that they are in simply by using their subconscious. But you are different, Amy. You are what the archangels refer to as a master of dreams. You have not only the ability to evolve within your own lucid drams, but to walk through others as well. Hence why you walk in a snowscape”
“Why did you call it a snowscape?”
“Because you are not like other humans. When you are here others can only see the white noise that surrounds you. You drown out all other senses to an observer save the one you are speaking to. I’m sure there are many words for it in many languages. Snowscape is just a nickname the angels gave it long ago.”
“So you are saying I can visit anyone’s dreams I want to?”
“Yes.”
“Although an intriguing concept why would that make me important? What does it matter if I can see another’s dreams?”
“You’ve already started noticing things about people, haven’t you? Your intuition is usually right. You know a person’s wants or fears just by looking at them. That is why people intrigue you so much. That is why you are content to watch them go about their daily lives without thought of interference why eye contact does not make you nervous. You can see into their dreams. Not as clearly as when you are sleeping, but even when you are awake your intuition is never really wrong.”
“So? I have good intuition? What is so dangerous about that?”
“Ambrosia, I don’t think you understand what this type of power could do on the human realm. You can go into any living persons dream at any time. You can make them see what you want them to see. You can know their biggest fears, their deepest regrets. Do you understand what kind of havoc you could wreck onto this world with knowledge like that? You can control presidents or kings. You can expose secrets and guilt’s. You are the single most dangerous person who had been alive in the history of mankind.”
I swallowed. There was more he wasn’t telling me. I could feel it. “What about you?”
He tilted his head, “Me?”
“I know you are more
powerful here than I am. I can feel it.” I raised my hand to his chest and noticed the warmth seeping through from under his soft cloak. I did not know if it were my hand that led it there or his, but he took full advantage and grasped my small fingers in his own. I notice he wore a ring on his left hand. A simple band made of soft white gold like my mothers had been. Mine did not travel with me into my dream world and I suddenly noticed its absence like a cold weight on my finger.
He led me to a fallen tree where we both sat, knees and hand touching, but nothing else. I felt weak and unworthy of such a responsibility. I held his hands tight as the world danced around in my head and I became dizzy. He put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me tight against his soft robes. “You’re waking up. I will be here when you return.” I reached up and held his face in my hands, staring into his perfect opal round orbs and I suddenly pulled him towards me in a deep passionate kiss. I could feel his tongue move about my mouth as the world spun and I kissed him harder my nails pressing deeply into the sides of his face. I could feel his moan of need in my mouth and I awoke suddenly on my couch breathless, with a painful yearning in the pit of my being and even more questions.
Chapter 10
By the time I woke up it was already late afternoon. The sun really was about to set and the sunny day that was ready to burst before Violet drugged me had turned sour and rainy. It was dim and grey outside and the bitter part of me felt it appropriate that the rest of the world feel how I did right now. I woke up without any sense of grogginess and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep anytime soon. I didn’t want to sit around the apartment board and alone so I picked up the phone to call Kayla. I noticed then that the background screen on my phone had been changed to a picture of a single four-leaf clover and a note besides it ‘for luck!’ A forgiveness present left by Violet I presumed. My thoughts turned to Nathaniel’s remark about me tasting like clovers. It made me both blush and smile despite my anger as I thought also of Samandiriel and our kiss by the side of the road. I did not understand the two men that had suddenly taken over my life, but I had the distinct feeling that this was not a new occurrence. M heart had been torn asunder in the past and Violet had told me I must choose. There was no mistake of what she was speaking. I just did not understand yet the implications of each choice. I needed a short break from all of this madness.