Echoes in Eternity (The Pella Series Book 1) (28 page)

             
She descends from the fence into the corral, slowly approaches 
B
, and carefully takes the bridle below his chin. Bucephalus tests his prospective rider. If the rider doesn’t have confidence, he jerks his head. Sensing his timidity, Elissa shows him that she can be one with him, confident in herself. While her right hand is firmly holding the bridle under the chin, her left hand gently lifts up, and strokes the center of his nose and lips with her gentle fingers. She slowly and gently moves toward the stifle, places her hand on his body, then scratches and rubs Bucephalus’ flank. She finally moves forward and massages his neck top line. That’s how I first handled him when Bucephalus first came into my possession! I’d told her about it years ago, when she was my wife. Horses aren't verbal animals, but they know body language, hands, and head motions. Elissa’s hands work the magic on gaining his trust and positive response.

             
 Elissa looks dazed momentarily as if she’s remembering something, remembering how to gain a horse’s trust, my horse in particular. She slowly lifts a leg up and eases onto him. She leans down confidently and rubs his neck as she’s firmly holding the bridle. Bucephalus stands erect, alert with the new rider on his back, vigilant, but he also senses her familiarity, recognizing his rider. She puts her boots into the stirrups. Then Bucephalus turns his ears back in an attempt to understand and feel this woman who hasn't ridden him for more than two hundred years; and that was when she was in a different place, a different body. He feels her confidence on his back. Elissa holds the reins close to her, working it, and I can see her legs exerting just enough pressure to get him to a trot, then to a canter. My heart is beating so fast, I can hear it drumming in my ears, ready to jump out of my chest. I try to hold my breath to no avail. My mouth feels dry. She gives him enough rein to get him into a gallop, and finally kicks him on the ribs as she’s giving him enough control of the reins, pushing him into a fast trot then getting into running speed and finally making him jump over the fence. Even though she’s running away from me making my heart ache, her interaction with my horse who allows no one to ride him, but me, and the way she took over him makes a spectacular show.

             
Max watches Elissa with sad eyes remembering her from another time interact with my horse as he stands next to Turk and Desertwalker. Jason too is completely shocked. In fact, they all have the same stupid look on their faces: mouth agape, speechless, and immobile with what just occurred. I collect myself, and rush to the corral’s fence and whistle for the bridled and saddled black mare. We take off after Elissa and 
B
. Elissa’s pushing 
B
 to put distance between us. She rides without a particular set direction. She’s heading for the Apache Falls, the canyon trail that leads to the water source, a natural place for my horse to go. It’s a dead end, but a hidden oasis tucked inside the towering walls of a canyon. The scenery is magnificent, unexplored, and magical. I can easily catch up to Elissa, but I don’t want to scare her off any more than I already have. Riding will give her time to cool off and time for me to think. How ironic that I want to be truthful to her, but this time the truth will not set either of us free.

             
Bucephalus takes her on the seldom worn trail, keeping a steady running pace. Dust from the trail and Bucephalus covers my face, my clothes, and my Stetson hat. But I ride on, almost hypnotically. I follow her dust column behind. The path gives way to rocks. Red towering walls of the canyon start rising, and she’s riding in a steady trot but not in a running away speed anymore. Galleta grass, scattered dandelions and daisies start dotting the vicinity adding a stark contrast to the red of the canyon walls. The seldom worn path forces us towards a westward trek. The mare under me smells the water and lush grass in the direction Bucephalus is heading. There are four smooth rock basins with water springing from underground, and from a small waterfall from the cracks of the canyon wall. They are partially sheltered from the sun, and its water is incredibly clear, sweet and cold most of the year. The spring creates a pool, a blue lagoon. It has sandy beaches and shady cottonwood trees around. The water also springs from the belly of the ancient travertine formations; both built and destroyed by water. There is one major pool created by the waterfall, and several smaller pools which cascade into one another streaming, and winding its way down towards the caves, and into the underground river to supply the subterranean water.

             
Bucephalus has stopped, and he’s drinking sweet cold water deeply. Elissa gets down from the horse, and looks around in awe. She looks at the blue lagoons, and canyon walls partially covered in ivy. The cottonwood trees rising into the sky, and some of the branches lowered to the ground as if they’re making an effort to reach the water. Desert willows are in full bloom. I get off the black mare, and let it trot to water next to my horse. Birds are chirping, and some are drinking water on the basins.

             
Elissa looks around with wide eyes.

             
“What is this?” she asks. “A Garden of Eden in the desert?”

             
“I...uhm, I wanted to show you this place, before you took off,” I say softly. “It’s called the Apache Falls.”

             
I take a wary step towards her, and she takes a step back. I stop.

             
“Ellie...” I say with pain in my voice. “Why are you running away from me?” Her face falls.

             
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” she says, her voice a whisper.

             
“I don’t know Sarah. I never met her before last night,” I say pausing. “What makes you think I know her?” She looks at me silently, assessing. She imperceptibly shakes her head.

             
“It’s what you know about me... Things I never told anyone except for three people. Among the three, only Sarah has ill will towards me.”

             
“Did you ever consider that whatever you think I know may just be a coincidence? Let’s examine them for a minute which you haven’t given me the chance to explain.”

             
“How could it be Alex? I turn out to be a whole different species that I didn't even know existed! You and I turn out to be the same thing. I meet you yesterday morning, and I go for a job interview, get rerouted to your office mind you, and get a job with the condition of a week’s trial.”

             
“The job is yours Elissa!” I say fervently.

             
“Alex,” she says shaking her head. “I don’t know if I want it anymore...”

             
“What? Why? No, Elissa, no... It’s your job!”

             
“Alex...I,” she says and closes her eyes. “I don’t know if I can do it. To be honest, I am immensely attracted to you,” she says visibly swallowing. “The feelings I have for you aren’t normal. At least, they aren’t supposed to be...” she whispers. “It’s unhealthy. They’re too strong. Too primal, making me...” she says and stops to restrain herself.

             
“...insatiably hungry for you,” I complete her sentence. She nods with wide eyes, and her lips parting. “By what means do you think they’re not normal? We are only half human. The other half is angel.”

             
“I still can’t trust you!” she utters abruptly and it makes me flinch. The sting of her words burns my soul.

             
“Too many odd coincidences... It’s... unsettling!”

             
“Elissa!” I cut her off. “Please judge me by my own merits! Not by your mother’s, uncle’s, nanny’s or anyone else’s. I’m Alex Pella! If you like me, you like me for who I am. If you hate me, let it be by my own wrongs! I never...ever sell off anyone, least of all you. That’s not how I operate.”

             
“But,” she rebuttals.

             
“Ellie, how have I wronged you?” I ask, and that stops her in her tracks.

             
“That’s the thing,” she sighs. “There’s something about you. Something familiar, yet unrecognizable. And I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad!”

             
“So far my only crime is being attracted to you as strongly as you are attracted to me, maybe more so. And if that’s my big sin, I admit to being the most offending man of that crime,” I say looking into her eyes with an unblinking gaze. “Unrepentant offender...” I whisper my words seductively, enunciating and take a step towards her. This time she doesn’t run.

             
“But, with what had happened yesterday at my home...” she says and then shakes her head and corrects herself, “at my uncle’s home, my world has turned upside down. I don’t know who to trust or what to believe. I find out that you and I are something more than human; a species I never knew existed. I’m drawn to you, captivated by your essence...” she whispers, “Your voice... the sight of you... your scent... the way you move...” she says and her voice goes down to a barely audible whisper, “the way you make love to me... I...I can’t think,” she says looking up at me with wide eyes. “I just want to lose myself in you and this can’t be good for either of us after knowing each other just for one day. We need time...”

             
“We will have time. We've just found each other, Ellie,” I cut her comments short about time and our connection. How can I discuss with her that I have waited centuries for our souls deep love and passion to be reaffirmed in these present moments?

             
“Maybe the week of trial for work was the right thing to do all along. Maybe for us, too...” she says and I open my mouth to protest, but she holds her hand up to finish. “Whenever I say your name, Alex...” she says pausing and looking into my eyes, searching, “it shakes me to my core, and wraps me in a warm caress like a blanket of stars, its illuminant. I should be running away from this! I’m bewitched by you!” she says, and I close the short distance between us.

             
“Do you think I can let you go after what you revealed to me, Elissa?”

             
“Maybe you really should... You saw the kind of trouble that could follow me which nearly killed your man Anthony, and may have forever severed my ties with my family.”

             
“Elissa, do you think that would scare me off? Have you any idea what I am capable of?” I say fervently.

             
“It’s not the point, Alex. This is my burden, not yours. It’s unfair of me to bring whatever curse I have upon you, or your men!” she says her voice rising an octave.

             
“Is this the only reason? Because if it is...” I say, but she interrupts me.

             
“And when you told me the name of your ranch...” she says pausing as her lips quiver. “The name 
Four Winds
 is the stuff my nightmares are made of,” she says visibly shaking.

             
I extend my hand slowly up to her face, and wipe away the dust of her cheek, and her hair gently. She leans into my touch, her eyes closed.

             
“You see, I wanted to distance myself from everything and everyone I knew, and everyone that reminded me of things that burnt a gaping hole in my heart,” she says as her dusty hands clutches to her shirt now spotted with the trail dust and dirt. “But I find myself landed right in a place with the same name that scared me to my core... Somehow I feel that it’s part of my past. Something with the name of your ranch, and it terrifies me. What I don’t know, what I don’t understand, and what I don’t remember scares me. All I can think is to run as far away as possible. Even if I have to live in China, or in Siberia, or the remote corners of the earth just so I’m away from it...” she says shuddering.

             
“Running away from what makes us afraid, or from the past is a race we’ll never win. Living in  self-exile, letting fear take control of your life will only incapacitate you. If you let it control you, take over your life, it will find you in whatever corner of the earth you’re hiding in,” I plead with her.

             
“I’m not ready to face them yet,” she says with wide eyes.

             
“I am.”

             
“It’s not your fight...”

             
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I say my voice a whisper in her ear. She swallows.

             
“Why?”

             
“I just found you. Isn't that reason enough?” My hands are clasping the tops of her arms as if she’ll fly away. I lean down; my lips are only a touch away from hers.

             
“I’m dusty, and sweaty from the trail,” she whispers shyly as her fingers tuck away loosened strands of hair behind her ear.

             
“Yes, and I find it irresistible!” I say smiling and close the distance between our lips. She shudders as our lips are merged. My right hand travels to the nape of her neck, then I pull her loosened ponytail rather forcefully, and tilt her head up, grasping her mouth into the captivity of mine. My left hand skates down to her back. As my hand reaches down to her buttocks, I pull her into me and make her feel my full salute erection.