Chapter XXII: Different Stars
The inquisitive black cat thumped his cast over to his food dish, and sniffed it for the fifth time. He was still getting used to being out of the carrier, and trying to acquaint himself to where his things were. Vee scratched Poe's head, and stood up while putting her backpack on.
"I've got everything we may need: flashlights, food, water, your tonic, empty bottles, and rope." She pulled a folded, discolored piece of paper out of her pocket. "And directions." Her face dropped into a worried frown. "The only thing I didn't think of was weapons. We'll need some form of protection over there; who knows what we will encounter."
Edward held one hand up in the air, to remind her. The blades reflected what little light was left of the day, while he grinned. "I will bring those."
She laughed, and approached him. "Oh yeah." Vee placed a hand on his chest, kissed him, and looked him in the eye. "You're such a sweetheart, that I suppose I never think of you as a weapon."
He liked that she didn't see him for what he could be; what he once was. And he knew that he again could have the power in him to take another life. If he ever came face to face with Jack, he may not be able to stop his actions. Brushing those thoughts away, he smiled at her. "Are you ready? Let's go." Edward was anxious to get the vital ingredients, and ultimately his hands. She nodded that she was.
They walked to his father's study, opened the secret passageway, and started down the winding stairs. That was something he didn't think he would ever get used to; her kissing him. It had happened far too frequently in the last hour for him to question it. So, instead, he gladly accepted it. He had even found himself leaning in close for a kiss a couple of times. Apparently, that was something he did now; initiate kisses. Shocking. What else was shocking was how he had thought it was the end for their relationship; but really, it was just the beginning. Her open display of affection toward him, quite frankly, gave him vertigo. Or maybe he had just been holding his breath from the thrill of it too often.
They made it to the basement, and walked up to the wall that had the doorway etched into it. Vee opened the piece of paper she had been carrying. He noticed the edges of it were covered in a brownish-red color, like it had dried blood all over it. She read some strange, yet familiar words aloud, and the Other Land shimmered into view within the doorway. The same scene as last time lay ahead of them. The door was a sort of gateway, or portal. He hoped that wherever it lead to was safe, and they could get back easily.
He turned his head, observing that Vee had a look of determination on her face. Going to this place was thrilling, yet a little scary. Who knew what was there, or what could happen to them. He wouldn't blame her if she decided against it. He really didn't expect her to do so much for him; but the fact that she wanted to, made him love her that much more.
Vee looked back at him. "Ready?" He nodded that he was. She linked her arm with his. "Let's go through it together."
Simultaneously they stepped through the portal. It was like stepping into an energy field. It surged through his body, leaving him breathless. Vee gasped next to him. Edward looked at her to make sure she was alright, and laughed. Her hair stood up on end, and swayed around her head like a halo. He could feel his doing the same. His laughter got her attention. She looked at him, and had the same reaction.
Edward surveyed the landscape, as their hair started to lose the static electricity and settle down. The air was different here; it was thick like water or ice. Yet they could breathe just fine. The air itself looked to be a deep, blueish-purple color. Rather than casting everything in an alien light, it actually made everything look more vibrant. The three moons that hung in the sky, were all placed at a distance from each other. It made everything illuminated; there were no shadows anywhere. They were also sized and colored differently. One was a brilliant crimson, while the other two were shades of blue. There were also brightly shining stars of various hues throughout the sky.
The ground was firm, yet dusted with an orange colored sand. Here and there, an odd shaped tree, or twisting rock formation, broke the flat landscape. In the far distance there were mountains spotted with oddly colored glowing orbs. He surveyed the land in front of them, looking for any source of water. One collection of rocks had an illuminated cavern at the center of it.
Intrigued, he pointed to it, and was about to tell Vee to look at it, when he realized she was staring at him. She must have been looking at him the whole time. He questioned her by raising an eyebrow, and cocking his head.
She stepped closer to him, grasped his face, and pulled it down to hers, so they were nose to nose. "Oh my God, Edward. Your eyes. They-" She paused searching for the right words. "They're glowing. It's like they're made from lightning bugs!"
He looked closely at her eyes. Every couple of seconds there was a dull spark of green, like threads of flashing light were woven throughout her irises. "Yours look differently, too."
"Can you see anything? I wonder if that's why everything looks funny here." She started to noisily rummage through her bag.
What a strange question, I can see everything here far better than I ever have. It's like everything is enhanced here. I am not human; her sight here may very well not match my own. And she may have a completely different interpretation of it. "Yes, I can see. Quite clearly. You can not?"
She looked around them. "I can see the door we came through in this rock just fine, but it's hard to see anything farther away. I can make out some light coming from over there." She paused to point to the cavern he was just looking at, then with a grumble continued her search of the bag's contents. "Aha!" She yelled, pulling out her flashlight. The exclamation rang through the air around them, like an echo. She clicked a button, and the flashlight lit up, illuminating their faces. The light didn't act normal, however. It refracted into several lines of light, like a star-burst effect. Vee shrugged her shoulders. "Huh. Well, ok then. I guess it still works." She looked at the doorway behind them. "Will you be able to find this?"
Edward leaned back, and studied its shape. "Yes, I will have no problem finding it again."
"Good," she said while turning to the direction of the cavern. "I suppose we should go toward the light." She chuckled a little at her statement, which was just confusing to Edward. Why would that be funny? However, he agreed that they should go in that direction; funny or not.
He started to walk to it, to find out that gravity was also different here. He felt slightly weightless, like he was walking through water. He saw that Vee was wearing a disgruntled expression. She looked at him, her eyes raised in surprise. "Ugh! It's going to take forever to get there, at this rate." She trudged on. "I move a lot slower than what I should."
He slowed down, so as not to get too far ahead, and realized it was easier to walk. "Try not to fight it. Slow your pace."
She did as instructed, and smiled. "It worked! I can actually move faster by moving slower. What a strange place." Her smile lasted while they walked, seemingly delighted by the place.
He rather liked it as well. It seemed like such a beautiful and peaceful land. Yet, they had not met any creatures so far. He had noticed some large shapes moving at the base of the mountains. Avoiding possible alarm, he didn't tell Vee. He didn't know what they were, but they seemed to not notice or care that Edward and Vee were walking through their land.
They walked, undisturbed, for a couple hours until Vee climbed up a rock formation. She looked down at Edward, who was still standing on the ground, eying her with confusion. "C'mon up! It's a great spot for a break."
He scrambled up the twisting rock, and sat down next to Vee. The backpack was in her lap, and she was pulling things out of it. So far she had taken out a bottle of water, and a small, brightly colored foil-wrapped brick. "You want anything? Perhaps your tonic?" She riffled through the bag, and brought out a glowing glass bottle. "Oh, wow!" She held it up higher, and the moons' light intensified the vibrant, green glowing effect.
Edward carefully took the bottle from her, positioning it between a couple blades, and raised it to his lips. He used his teeth to uncork it, then spit the cork out. Taking a few gulps of it, he lowered the bottle. "Tastes the same." He finished the tonic, then handed the bottle back.
She took it, and grabbed the cork off the ground. Brushing it off on her pants, she re-corked the empty bottle and placed it back in her bag. "I don't know if I would be able to drink something glowing like that." She frowned, and wrinkled her nose up. "Seems radioactive or something." He shrugged in response.
As they sat there resting, Vee took in a deep breath through her nose. She chuckled a little. "I guess it makes sense that the way this place smells, reminds me of you."
Edward frowned in confusion. He didn't think he had an odor, and was suddenly self conscious. "What do I smell like?"
"Hmm. How do I explain it?" She thought for a couple of seconds, while looking up at the sky. "Kind of like how the ozone smells right before a big thunder and lighting storm."
"Is that a good thing?"
She laughed. "Yeah, I love it." He smiled at her response; at least she loved something about him.
Vee finished the brick shaped cookie, and tossed the wrapper in her bag along with the half empty bottle of water. "I wonder what time it is." Reaching in her pocket, she produced her cell phone. She fidgeted with it for a couple seconds, and grumbled "It won't even turn on." Placing it back in her pocket, she looked his way. "Oh well. Are you ready to continue?"
"I am. It won't be too much further." They both stood, Vee dusting off the seat of her pants, and climbed down the rock.
Edward's prediction was accurate; a few minutes later, they arrived at the mouth of the cave. Up close, he could see that the cave descended into the ground. The light was coming from the thousands of butterflies that lined the crystalline structures jutting out of the walls and ceiling. Their bio-luminescent bodies were glowing a light green, while their wings glowed purple. They were just like the one they saw through the doorway the first time they had glimpsed this place. Only now, there were many, many more of them, creating a vivid light display. Vee definitely didn't need her flashlight here. She had put it away hours ago anyway, saying that her eyes were adjusting and she didn't need it.
Neither one of them could even speak. They slowly and reverently descended farther into the cavern. Both of their faces alight, and full of wonder as they walked. The tunnel opened into a large cavernous room, with a body of water in the center. Or at least he thought it was water. It was like looking into a giant garnet. The deep red liquid was crystal clear, and reflecting red light danced along the ceiling. It mingled with the greens and purples emanating from the butterflies, creating a beautiful myriad of colors.
Vee pulled an empty bottle from her bag, and carefully filled it. She twisted the lid on, and beamed a huge smile to Edward. She excitedly whispered, "We got it!"
They left the cave just as slowly, even lingering at the mouth of it, for one last look. Turning away, and walking out of it, Vee held up the bottle. Its crimson glow was even stronger outside. It was as if thousands of tiny bits of light swirled within the liquid. With a smile of satisfaction on her lips, she carefully cradled the precious bottle in her arms, and carried it all the way back like that.
They were quiet during their long walk back. Edward glanced at Vee again. Her eyes were almost constantly glowing now; the flicker of light had developed into a dull glow. He wondered if all humans' eyes would react the same way here; or if she was different, changed. The memory of the night of the fire came to him like a vision. His blade resting against the open wound of her stomach. The concern of trying to stop the bleeding made him overlook something. It was the same blade that had his own blood on it. He hadn't meant to do such a thing without asking her first. What if she didn't actually want to be an immortal, like him? It was a curse for such a long time, until he had something worth really living for. Someone who made him feel alive again. What if she didn't feel the same?
Edward hadn't even realized what he had done. Not until he had seen the thin pink lines on Vee, that used to be large gashes. No one could heal that fast. No one except for himself. That and her current unnatural glow were huge clues that he had, indeed, changed her. He wasn't sure how to tell her, or if he should. He didn't even know if it would be a permanent thing or not; if she would always carry a part of him.
Edward's attention was redirected to the mountains when he heard something. It sounded like the wind was blowing in an oddly unnatural rhythm. They both looked in the direction of the sound, and Vee squinted to see better. He watched as part of the mountain moved. It slowly detached itself, and an outline of wings was now visible. What he thought was one of the peaks of the mountain, was now flying toward them. It cast a red-orange glow from its center, and resembled something he had only seen in a book; a dragon. He didn't realize they were real, until now.
The door wasn't too far ahead, but running was impossible. He didn't know if such a creature was dangerous, but from the mere size alone; he didn't want to find out. Vee also never stopped, and kept her pace steady, but her head was turned to look at the oncoming creature. She pulled the piece of paper out of her pocket, and started to unfold it. Tearing her eyes away, she read the words aloud, while walking up to the gateway.
The creature was almost upon them, as the door shimmered and reflected the vision of Edward's cellar. Edward and Vee gave each other a knowing glance, and instantly stepped through. They both turned to look back. The dust was swirling from the other side, and a puff of orange blew into the room with them. They could also feel heat coming through the doorway. And then it abruptly ended, as the gateway closed.
Vee let out a deep breath, and looked at him with an excited smile. "Wow! What was that? Was that a dragon?! Holy crap!"
"I do not know. I wonder if it wanted to hurt us." Edward held up a blade, and tapped the rock wall where the doorway was, just to make sure it was solid.
"I felt more excited than frightened of it, but I figure we can always go back to explore later. We have important things to do now." She held the bottle up, signifying what she meant. The liquid now looked like clear water. "I'm not sure if I can drive that whole way right now, though. Maybe we should rest before going."
"That is a sound idea. Would you like to stay here, with me?" He cast his eyes down, expecting her not to. "I will understand if you do not wish to. It is dreadfully cold in here."
"I would like to stay here with you. Besides, I like it cold while I sleep. And if I sleep next to you, it won't be so bad."
He grinned madly at the notion. It wouldn't be so bad at all. It was more than he had hoped for, in fact. He decided to be bold. "With your home being no more, I was hoping that you would stay here with me." He paused briefly, this time trying to retain eye contact. "On a more permanent basis."
She raised her eyebrows, and smiled. "Why Edward, it sounds like you're asking me to move in with you."
Seriously, he replied "I am." Wracked with nerves, he awaited her reply.
Pausing a moment, she became serious as well. "Thank you so much, Edward. I was thinking it would be really hard to live farther away from you than before. You asking me to live here has spared me from needing to ever experience that. I would love to live here with you."
He happily gave her several kisses. "You can do whatever you would like to the place, to make it your own. I know it needs a lot of work." He glared at the dust and cobwebs with disdain.
She snaked her arm around his waist, and started walking up the stairs with him. "You've given me an amazing gift. Not only being able to live in this incredible castle, but being able to do so with you."
He felt so unbearably awkward when Vee displayed her affections toward him. How could something he wanted so much, something he had constantly fantasized about, make him feel so very shy? Tongue-tied, he raised his arm over her head, and wrapped it around her. Using his forearm, he squeezed her against him.
Halfway up the stairs, Poe joined them. He was utterly covered with cobwebs, and sneezing. His cast was filthy with dust, and it looked like he had actually been rolling in dirt. They both had to laugh at the sight of him.
That night Edward didn't sleep much. He was too worried of the danger of Vee being so close to him. It made him horribly sad that he had lost the sheaths she had made for him. However, the thought that by the next evening he may have hands, was enough to make up for it. When he did sleep, he had marvelous dreams of what his life would be like, once he was complete.