The red cloth appears in my window. Warmth fills in my stomach and then cools as I am reminded of Kartik. I flashback through memories of our relationship, the first time we met in the church, our first kiss, the moment where we discovered each other's dreams and how it intensified our love. I am interrupted by a sudden breeze that flits a folded up piece of paper. Curiosity gets the best of me and I open it up exposing a written letter. It can't be Kartik.
It reads:
Dear Gemma,
I miss you so. Time seems to last forever when I am no longer around you. But that does not stop me from thinking of you and wanting to see you again. Please remember me Gemma. I am not changed by the Tree of All Souls. Please believe me Gemma. If you are still willing to make my acquaintance meet me down in the Thames at Six.
With Love,
Kartik
It's a prank – it has to be. I turn around to see Anne or Felicity snickering behind my back but there is no one, just me and Kartik's letter. It cannot be real unless Kartik had crossed over from the Realms and has come back as an apparition. Or I could just be dreaming and having a vision. If so, then I will meet him – illusion or not- at the Thames. All I have wanted was to see his face again with his brown curls and brown skin.
"Gemma…" a shaky voice says.
I turn around and it is Anne.
"What is it Anne?" I ask politely despite my anger over the prank.
"I saw Kartik" she says.
"When-how?"I ask.
"I saw him put the letter on the sill" she says, pointing a shaky finger at the note.
"What does he look like – is he well?" I ask.
"He looked…fine" she says.
"But that is what bothers me", she continues, "What has happened to him – how did he come to our world?" she inquires.
"I don't know" I say silently.
Wait…this has to be a prank – she is pulling it right now! Felicity was probably under it all! I can just see her saying "Now Anne let us play a little game on Gemma". Well I will not let her pull me down without a fight.
"Speak the truth Anne – Felicity set all this up didn't she?" I ask.
"No, we would have never done such a thing" she says.
"Didn't she?" I ask escalating my voice.
"No" Anne says softly.
"Lie" I snap and crumble up the forged note. The bits of paper scatter out onto the floor.
"No…Gemma!" she squeaks.
"Well that was a lot of fun but I think we better play games that do not mess with our emotions" I spit out and mimic one of Felicity's fake smiles.
"No…Gemma!" she pleads but I ignore her.
"Gemma will you listen to me!" she shouts.
Her unusual strong voice sends the hair on my neck standing up.
"Proceed" I say.
"Gemma it was not a joke" she says her brown eyes looking straight into mine.
"Then what was it?" I snap.
"It was all true – all written by Kartik!" she exclaims.
"Great – what else is new?" I grumble.
"What else is new?" she continues, "Well we discovered the Order which is run by sorceresses that is in charge of the magic in the Realms".
"Not to mention the Rakashana who were the protectors of the realms. We realized that in order to get in to the Realms you have to be a member of the Order. That the Realms is a magical land of both beauty and evil. That some people want to be in charge of the magic and will do anything they can to get the magic", she says staring daggers into my eyes.
"Now if I told you this several years ago you would call me mad" she snaps.
"Why if all that exists then who knows what else is out there" she says.
"Okay I understand" I say softly and turn my gaze to the last remains of his note.
"Do you really think he is still out there?" I ask.
"Do you?" she asks.
5 hours later at the Thames.
I look out at the Thames and try not to meet the eyes of the Mud Larks. Like them, I sift through the world holding on to what little I could find of value to love and to cherish. Would I always be alone? What will be my future?
"Gemma…" a low voice says.
I whirl my head around and it is my Indian Prince, curly brown hair and all.
"Kartik" I gasp.
He embraces me in his arms.
"I thought you would not come" he says in my hair and I can feel his warm breath.
For the first time I feel like I can truly breath.
"I thought you were dead" I say softly.
"Not exactly" he says.
"But how…" I say but before I can continue he shuts me up with a kiss.
His hand cups the back of my neck. My hands find his face and I pull him closer. The kiss deepens. The hand at my neck slides down my back, drawing me into his chest.
"Wot is dat Indian boy doin to dat English girl mum?" a little Mud lark boy asks.
"Somethin dats wicked dats wot" the mom answers.
We fly apart.
"I don't think this is the most private place for affectionate matters" he whispers into my ear.
"I know a place that would be" I whisper and the magic surges into me.
I grab his hand and feel his emotions, our emotions. It is beautiful.
I focus on our location and we are transported to a place almost as beautiful as our emotions.
We stand in a garden made fragrant by lotus blossoms as large as beds. It is the same one in our dreams.
"I remember this place" he says.
"So do I" I say and we lock lips.
"Thank you" he says.
"You are welcome" I say from my lip-swollen mouth.
"So how did you escape?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" he asks.
"From the Tree of All Souls" I say.
"I did not escape" he says.
"But how are you here?" I ask.
"You are aware that the Rakashana and the Order were lovers?" he asks pulling me close to him.
"Of course" I whisper.
He draws the engraving of the two hands clasped inside the circle in the dirt.
"It is the symbol of love. The hands are protected by the circle, the symbol of eternity."
"As long as we are in love, we will always be able to continue to love each other – even if we are separated" he says and meets my gaze.
This is too good to be true. Because we are of Rakashana and the Order we will be able to see each other for eternity. A warm tear tickles down my cheek.
He wipes the tear away with his hand.
"Do you see?" he asks pointing to the engraving.
I nod, "Because there is no telling where it begins or ends, nor does it matter" I say, mimicking what Kartik said to me when we were in the Cave of Sighs.
And with that, he slips his hand behind my neck, pulling me gently toward him. His hands twine in my hair and he rubs the strands between his fingers. And then our mouths are on each other: hungry and searching. I feel the smooth skin of his chest under the weight of my fingers.
I brush my lips against the hollow of his throat and he makes a sound that is a bit like a sigh and a growl.
"Gemma…"
His lips are on mine in a fever of kissing. My mouth. My jaw. My neck. The insides of my arms. He places his hands at the small of my back and kisses my stomach through the fabric of my dress which sends sparks through my veins.
"Kartik…" I moan.
"What is it?" he asks looking worried.
"It is nothing", I say, "Take me".
He lifts my hair and warms the back of my neck with his mouth, trailing kisses down my spine while his hands cup my breasts. The laces of my corset are loosened and I am able to feel his breath in my back. It is very thrilling.
I help shed his shirt revealing the smooth brown of his skin, the breadth of his shoulders, and the muscles of his arms. He is so beautiful and different from me.
I fall to the rose-strewn ground and take Kartik with me. Kartik presses against me with enough force that I think I could fall away into the ground. However, I am able to press against him feeling the warmth of his body. We are both nude and we cannot help but analyze each other's bodies. I forget to be ashamed by it.
"Are you certain?" he asks me.
"I trust you – you are the perfect man" and I speak the truth.
Kartik is still frozen.
"I have never been more certain in my life" I whisper.
I kiss him again, letting my tongue explore the warmth just inside his lips. We gaze at each other in awe. He pulls me tightly to him and I grip his shoulders.
He takes flight inside me and I, naturally, cringe at the pain. But he is swift and gentle and the pain vanishes quickly. Instead, a greater force takes over like an atomic bomb…pleasure. We moan as the pleasure exhilarates.
"Gemma…"
"Kartik…"
The pleasure exhilarates faster till I no longer can hold it in – I scream.
"Gemma…"
"Gemma…"
"What is it?"
He pulls out and lets his bodily fluid soak the ground.
We are covered in a rain of petals when we stop and we take delight in this. I blush and look out into the distance to see if by some flaw or another, dare I say it, someone would be watching.
"Gemma no one is out there" he chuckles and pulls me tight to him.
"It is just me" and he locks lips with me.
"You were extraordinary" I say after we kiss.
"So were you" he says.
"You were extraordinary" I repeat because, indeed, he was.
"Thank you" he says and grins.
"Is normal… intercourse anything like that?" I ask.
"I don't know" he says.
"But I thought…" I say.
"No" he says.
"So we were both…" I am too embarrassed to say chaste let alone I did it with a man before I was married. Before I was engaged! I should be ashamed of myself! And I roar with laughter because I am reminded of Mrs. Nightwing.
"Yes" he says now chuckling with me.
"Why are you laughing?" he asks.
"I am imagining Mrs. Nightwing being furious with me at this moment" I say and laugh.
He laughs too.
"Well you are an adult" he says.
"You are very developed" he continues.
"Shut up!" I tease and shove him.
"So are you" I say, staring at him.
"Dear Lord what time is it?" I ask.
"I have no idea" he says and smirks at me.
"We were pretty fast" he says.
"Yes" I say and realize how sore I am.
"Are you okay?" he asks.
"Yes…just sore" I say softly.
"I am sorry" he says.
"No you were perfect – there is nothing to apologize for" I say.
"But you are sore" he says.
"I have had worse pain" I say softly and we both know what pain it is….heart ache.
"Gemma…there is something I need to tell you" he says.
"What is it?" I ask.
"I can't be with you always".
My heart thumps in my chest – I knew it – there was a flaw.
"Why not?"
"Because I am now from the Realms and I have to return to them now and then"
"When do you have to return?" I ask.
"By midnight" he says grimly.
"When can you leave?"
"At dawn" he says.
I put my arms around him and he backs away confused.
"Do you know what this means?" I exclaim.
"We can still be together and see each other in the daytime – I usually sleep at around ten anyway" I say.
"Why it is perfect!" I exclaim and he beams at me.
I give him a firm smooch on the lips. He returns the favor and our kiss deepens.
I back away. "Slow down cowboy", I say and he grins.
"Maybe wait a day or two" I say for I am still sore.
It is strange, however, because during the process it did not seem to hurt at all.
"How do you return?" I ask.
"I sort of fade away" he says.
"So you will not need my assistance back into the Realms?" I ask.
"No" he answers.
I breathe in a sigh of relief for if we ever lost track of time and I did not return him to the Tree of All Souls he will probably be a lost soul. I would never be able to see him again.
"So what happens if you do not go back in time?" I ask.
"I will not be able to see you again" he says grimly.
"Shall we look at the time?" I ask.
"Yes" he says softly.
We hold hands and I focus on our location- Big Ben…Big Ben…C'mon…. and we are in London.
It is only 6:30.
"That's amazing" I say.
"It is" Kartik agrees and pulls me into a tight embrace.
"Where shall we go now?" I ask Kartik.
"To India" he says and we hold hands. There is more magic between us then any sorceress could have-even me, Miss "High One".
The End