The Esoteric Design: Civilization Lost Page 30

  Dovian lowered his eyes.

  “You want to know something, Dovian? It was one thing to allow her to get attached to you despite my words with you before. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. The way she touches you.” Martelle balled his hands into fists. “But then you left! You simply picked up your gear and left for war with barely a few words with her. I had hope. I prayed she’d move on and find a stable man to follow. But no. She waited for you. Why on earth she would, but she did!”

  Martelle slammed his hand against the bedside table. “She’s waited for years upon years! My beautiful, intelligent sister…waits on a man like you. One who, at any given moment, will be violently torn from this world. A man who insists on breaking her heart every time he leaves.” Martelle stepped forward, looking down at Dovian. The Scarlet man looked pathetic. “A man who nearly died. No, should have died.”

  “I would have if I could,” Dovian sputtered. “To be rid of this cycle of death. To not have to fight for so many years, so many lifetimes, just to watch it all burn!”

  “But here you are,” Martelle responded. His snobbish manner had returned with his anger slightly subdued.

  “If you’re finished, I’d like to be alone now.” Dovian, using his bed for support, pulled to his feet.

  “Do you know what I did last night, Dovian?” Martelle asked.

  Dovian glared at him, not saying anything. He really couldn’t care less what Martelle did. He probably drank wine with beautiful women and read poetry in one of the cafes.

  “I held my sister all night as she wept for you.” The man’s voice softened.

  Dovian ran a hand over his face.

  “She told you to retreat, to get out of the village. Yet you remained. You should be a splatter on concrete. How is that even possible?” Martelle hissed.

  “I don’t know.”

  “There were no survivors, Dovian. Not one. And there you were…at ground zero. As soon as I’Lanthe heard the word of your survival, she ran to that ivory bridge. She awaited you all afternoon. I stayed by her side most of the time as well. And you know what happened next?” Martelle lectured Dovian as if he were a child, and it only angered the soldier more. “It wasn’t ten minutes after I heard of your arrival that she came back home with fresh tears. I’ve not seen her so shaken up before. Do you know how aggravating it is to have seen her cry all night for you, then see the joy that poured from her soul at the announcement of you being alive, just to see it all crushed again?”

  Martelle cleared his throat and clasped his hands before his waist. “I didn’t come here to beat you senseless because you went to war. I came here to talk some sense into you because you clearly aren’t getting the picture! Yes, you going to war will cause her pain. Death always on your doorstep will haunt her for all her days, but do you know what’s even worse? You purposefully broke her heart. That, I will not tolerate.”

  Martelle took a step closer to Dovian and grabbed his shoulder. “My sister, God knows why, loves you, Dovian. It’s far too late to shove her aside and tell her to move on. Either you fully commit to this woman, or I will keep her from ever laying eyes on you again.”

  Dovian looked bewildered. “You…want me…to be with her?”

  “I want my sister to be happy! And if you make her happy, then so be it.” Martelle stepped back, planted his fist against his chest, and bowed. “You’re supposed to be dead. You’re here for a reason. If God wills you to live, then I can’t argue with that. Until the day our Lord decides to take you home, I expect you to love her endlessly.”

  Dovian’s frosty glare brightened a little.

  Martelle gave an exaggerated movement with his hands and eyes. “Just…clean yourself up a bit before you visit her.”

  Dovian looked down at himself. He was in a rather horrid condition.

  “Martelle…I….” His shoulders slumped.

  The Emerald man waved his hand and turned away. “I don’t want to hear it. An apology to my sister in a prompt fashion would very much be appreciated, sir. And…” he looked over his shoulder, “do know that there are very few things I condone violence for. Hurting my sister is one of them.”

  “Noted,” Dovian said with a hint of a smile.

  “Now that we’ve come to an agreement, I bid you goodnight.”

  Martelle’s form was engulfed by the shadows as he took his leave. Dovian’s eyes fell onto the floor-to-ceiling mirror on the opposite side of the room. He looked like a corpse. With a sudden panic, he abruptly removed his robes, leaving the items carelessly strewn across the floor.

  As fast as he could, Dovian washed, healed his wounds to nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises, and dressed in a fresh pair of slacks and a charcoal shirt. The man skipped any form of ceremonial dress and left behind his battle attire. He rushed through the kitchen area where his father busied with preparing a pot of soup. Dovian grabbed a long-stemmed tulip from a vase and headed for the exit, his sudden invasion of the space startling his father.

  “D-Dovian?” Gaius III shouted. “I’ve made some dinner.”

  Dovian spun, wrapped an arm around the older man and gave him a quick squeeze. “Sorry, father. Got to go. I will have some later.”

  And with that, Dovian rushed out of the room, activating his frequency tuner.

  “Well…I’ll be,” Gaius III whispered. “I’ve never seen him so motivated.”

  Dovian made sure to enter I’Lanthe’s bedroom from the garden. As he arrived, he took his place beside the hedgerow. The room was open save for the white curtains that were drawn on the left side. One ashen drape was pulled only halfway, waving in the breeze. Dovian neared the opening, peering over the bedroom. His heart sank at his findings.

  I’Lanthe lay diagonally face down on the bed, her arms covering her head. A rippling effect took over her body as she sobbed into her blanket. Seeing her cry was incredibly hard. He didn’t mean to cause her harm, but he had a knack for doing the opposite of what he was supposed to.

  Gently, Dovian rapped his knuckles against a marble pillar. I’Lanthe quickly pushed herself upright, wiping at her tears. She abruptly forced herself to hold a commanding expression, but her face fell as she realized Dovian was her visitor.

  “Oh, you! Be gone, you terrible man!” she yelped and fell back onto the mattress, covering her face with her pillow.

  Slowly, he approached her bed; his head hung low, the flower dangling between his fingertips.

  “Lanthe.” His deep voice gave her goosebumps.

  “I’ve no more words to share with you, sir. Please leave,” she said through her pillow.

  Dovian sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not leaving.”

  I’Lanthe sat up, her mouth hanging open as she made a noise of protest. “Oh! Not leaving? And what will you do when I start screaming of an intruder in my room?!”

  Dovian couldn’t help but smile at her remark. “You wouldn’t.”

  “And you laugh at my pain, you callous man.” She glared.

  “I’m not laughing at your pain.” He scowled.

  “Get out.” She pointed.

  “I’m not leaving until we talk.”

  Stained by streaks of makeup, I’Lanthe’s pink cheeks matched the color of her nose. Her hair had come mostly undone with her chocolate curls cascading down her back. Her glower was menacing, her violet eyes full of piercing light.

  Taking a huge breath, she screamed, “Intruder!! I’ve got an–”

  She squeaked as Dovian covered her mouth and pulled her back against his chest. “Listen to me for one moment, you stubborn woman!”

  I’Lanthe exhaled and sank into him. He gradually removed his hand and raised the yellow tulip.

  “I came here to apologize,” he whispered.

  I’Lanthe slowly turned in his arms. “After all that? You think you can just waltz right in here with that silly flower, that charming smile, beautiful eyes, and messy hair…and everything will just be forgiven?”

  Dovian’s gaze softened.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me, Lanthe. I would never expect you to understand me and my strange behaviors. I don’t blame you if you tire of me someday and leave me high and dry. However, I would like for you to know that I am a fool. I’m sure I’ve told you this before.”

  I’Lanthe fought against her smile.

  “And being a fool, I ask you to remain patient. There are things about me, things inside of me that I fear will eventually harm you. In what way, I’m unsure. Just know that the last thing on my mind is ever to hurt you. I’d rather die than hurt you.” He twirled the flower.

  I’Lanthe timidly accepted the tulip.

  “Promise me one thing, Dovian,” she whispered as she tickled her nose with the petals.

  He nodded.

  “In the future, I make decisions for myself. You don’t know what’s best for me because you don’t love yourself. Before you can properly love someone else, you must know how to love yourself.” She stared at the flower.

  “That may not be possible,” Dovian mumbled.

  I’Lanthe ran her fingers along his jaw line, her sight suddenly attracted to only his eyes. She moved closer.

  “Then I’ll just have to teach you,” she whispered against his lips.

  As soon as she kissed him, he lost all resolve. Whatever she was made of, it was meant to undo him. She was both his strength and weakness. He felt awful in a way. For her to care so much for him where she could keep him in check and love all of his broken pieces, he felt he could never return the favor. I’Lanthe was incredibly strong and stable. The amount of effort it took to love someone like him far outweighed the effort to love a woman like her. Loving I’Lanthe was easy.

  “You’re perfect,” he whispered against her lips.

  She slung her arms around his neck and fell back, pulling him toward her. Dovian pinned her against the mattress, his fingers interlacing hers. She smelled delightful, of flowers and candy. And as he kissed her neck and earlobe, he decided she tasted the same. The sounds she made only encouraged him. As her hips ground against his, he lifted his head, sucking in air.

  “Damn,” he said between his teeth.

  A hand lightly touched his chin, and he looked at her questioning face. Planting his forehead against hers, Dovian kissed I’Lanthe as she ran her hands up and down his back, her leg twisting to lock with his. He squeezed her knee.

  “I need you,” he exhaled.

  His admission elicited a moan from her, and she arched her back and moved her lips to his neck. Biting his earlobe, she spoke softly, “Then have me.”

  Dovian fought with himself, desperately trying to regain control. As he closed his eyes, the years of battle and death flashed inside his mind. He gave a sharp sigh and pressed his lips against hers again.

  “I…can’t,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure why he said it, but he did.

  “Dovian!” I’Lanthe tugged his shirt. “Do you want me?”

  She swirled her hips beneath him, and he closed his eyes. “You’re sure?”

  When he opened them, he caught her lustful gaze locked onto his. She pulled his hips against her and raised her chin, eyeing him seductively.

  “I have wondered for far too many years what you’d feel like inside of me,” she whispered.

  With that being said, Dovian moaned and assaulted her with kisses. They fumbled with each other’s clothing, Dovian pleased that he didn’t fuss with wearing any robes. He had barely removed his pants before I’Lanthe tugged him atop her and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Once again, Dovian was proven to be weak for this woman. For once, he was glad he lost the battle.

  ***

  Dovian heard the fighter jet a mere second before it sped by and dropped a series of bombs upon the small village he had been ordered to protect. His scream of warning went upon deaf ears as the trail of destruction ignited the main road with a glowing white tail; dust and rock burst outwards along with it. The path of fire fled in the blink of an eye down the center of the village all the way up to the children’s hospital. Dovian only got one foot forward, his wings still curling outward, before he gave up and dropped to his knees in the dirt, the utter destruction of the two-story building crumbling into a heaping pile of powder and flame. The cloud pummeled forward and engulfed his form, coloring him like death.

  Falling back, he saw a perfect blue sky with a blinding ashen sun. Another jet passed overhead, sending another wave toward him. It crisscrossed the village, making sure not to leave a single spot untouched by destruction. With the nearing of the pounding booms, Dovian remained in his place, unable to do anything as the bombs blew one after another toward him in an endless stream. The deafening blows ruptured his ears and washed over his body in searing heat.

  A loud gasp erupted from Dovian as he sat up in bed, his palm pressing against his forehead. He took a second to gather his bearings. Nightmares had always plagued him, but lately, they seemed to come without reason.

  “Dovian?” a whisper sounded from beside him.

  I’Lanthe’s thin hand touched his shoulder, guiding him to lie back down. Dovian complied and faced her. She brushed his silver hair out of his eyes. He felt clammy and hot.

  “You were having a nightmare,” she whispered.

  He hummed in confirmation.

  “Was it the children’s hospital?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  The woman propped herself up on her elbow and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

  “So many died, yet I survived somehow. Why?”

  I’Lanthe ran her fingers through his hair to soothe him. “Because you are meant to be here.”

  Dovian wasn’t so sure about that. The entire village had been reduced to rubble. A shell had landed on top of him. Yet, he awoke with minor injuries. Not one building was left standing. Not one person had survived except for him. It didn’t make sense.

  “I’m not meant to be here any more than those children were.”

  “Dovian, you can’t blame yourself. You did your job. Things like that…terrible…awful things, they can’t always be stopped. The things you’ve seen and done, I know it’s hard. I wish I could take it all away from you.” She ran her fingers across his face, pleased to hear his sigh of comfort. “You don’t belong out there. You belong in here with me. I may not be able to take the bad memories away, but I may be able to keep the nightmares at bay.” She sat up in bed, letting the sheet fall from her naked body. She shyly held a hand against her chest, her fingertips trailing over her clavicle.

  Dovian immediately became distracted. Propping himself up, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Grasping her hand, he locked his fingers around hers and kissed her knuckles.

  He whispered against her neck, "I thought I was in paradise. I thought I had it all. Things made sense. Everything worked as methodically and as simply as it was supposed to. Then...you came. You crashed into my world, throwing it all into disarray. My plans were all ruined. Suddenly it all seemed so mundane. How long have I lived like this? Was I even living? No. Before you, life made sense. Now, it's all a whirlwind, a sensation that begins as a mere tingle in my gut that quickly burns like a wildfire in my heart. Before you, life was hell. Now, with you in it, I realize I've finally found paradise."

  She quietly whimpered his name, touching his hair. His lips trailed over her smooth skin, starting at her collarbone, moving up her neck to her ear. The touches instigated a moan from her, and she situated herself in his lap, gasping at his soft touches as his hands moved over her. Giving a soft growl, he brought his mouth to hers.

  “Hm, it’s raining,” she whispered between kisses.

  His ears picked up the clattering of raindrops in the fountain outside her room. Droplets flooded down the purple and red petals of the orchids outside, carrying the familiar scent throughout the open bedroom.

  “Erm, I love the rain,” he mumbled against her skin.

  Dovian reached beneath I’Lanthe and gently lifted her.
Wrapping her legs around his waist, she lowered against him, hissing with passion. Thunder rumbled in the distance, mixing with the woman’s breathy moans. Lightning flashed, brightening her skin only for a split-second to allow teasing glimpses of her flesh. Her violet eyes sparkled like starlight. Oh yes, Dovian loved the rain.

  The sounds of passion blended with roaring thunder, overwhelming his senses. So much of his world was consumed by this woman that he did not detect the strange presence in the corner of the garden. Cerulean eyes watched the couple; the bright irises dimmed as they formed a spiteful glare. It was for only a moment before lightning lit up the night sky, and the intruder disappeared.

  "Ground Zero"

  Chapter 15

  4,847 S.F.

  One of Lita’s favorite sounds was that of laughing children. Youths were innocent and often far wiser than most adults, and because of that Lita dedicated her work as Emerald to teaching Sunday school classes and entertaining youth groups. Her church was specifically built to be a place of refuge for teens and children, placed near a bus stop in a poorly-developed suburb of Kansas City. Many of her visitors came from broken homes. Some merely wanted or needed a place to go until their parents clocked out for the day. Lita and a few others took turns looking after the facility. Sometimes a Scarlet warrior or two, often Dovian or Karter, would check in on Lita and the children just as a precaution.

  “Ha! You hit the eight ball in once again!” Lita exclaimed. She walked to the corner pocket and pulled out the black ball. With a thud, she placed it on the pool table where it previously sat. “But that doesn’t count! Have a redo.”

  A boy of about fifteen years rolled his eyes. “Aw, come on, Lita. You know I lost. Let’s just setup again.”

  Lita shook her head in disagreement. “We’re only halfway through our game. It would be a waste of additional fun to give up now. So, have another hit on your set, and we’ll finish our game!”

  The boy frowned. “But I rightfully lost.”

  Lita shrugged, humming. “Well…then we both know I win this round, but it doesn’t mean we can’t keep playing.”