Painted Moments

22 A Remedy for Awkward

Chapter 22
A Remedy for Awkward

He laid him out flat on the floor before grabbing my hand and heading for the stairs. Uncle Trevor was gasping through his angry muffled demands that Lucas get his rear back there, but Luc didn't listen.
"Mason would you mind helping my guest to his room, and getting him some ice. He seems to have tripped over himself."
Mason just grinned.
"Sure, while I'm at it I'll debrief him, and we can talk tomorrow about what he thinks is so important it's worth dying for."
"I couldn't agree more."
Uncle Trevor grew quiet. I guess he finally took notice of how tightly knit we were. Maybe he didn't expect for Mason and I to open up to Luc this much after finding out everything the adults had schemed. I for one couldn't care less. He doesn't get to walk out then walk back in and make demands.
I mean come on. I didn't even know he was Nephilim until Luc unlocked his memory. How was he hiding that anyway? There are not any seals I know of that can hide it completely without hiding it from the sealed individual as well. Something about being conscious of it makes it impossible to hide from others of our kind. Uncle Trever still feels completely human even now.
Oh well, just more questions to ask tomorrow. For now I have a grumpy boyfriend to calm down.
When we got back to the room Luc became a caged animal. Pacing all over the room as if waiting for a target. I need to shift his focus. Preferably not the way I did last time, but he is very close to another rage. The pacing didn't seem to be helping him as he struggled to regain his composure.
"I swear Cori if I so much as hear his voice in the hallway I feel like I'll tear his skin off. I need to get out of here. I can't be in the same house as him right now."
We both knew we couldn't leave right now. Our safety took precedence over the need to run from our problems. There is one thing we could do. I hadn't tried it with him yet; trying not to be overwhelming with the craziness of my world.
"Well there is a place we could go if you don't mind diving a little deeper into the Nephilim thing. Plus he can't follow us there even if he wanted to."
He looked at me a little skeptical. I got up to rush over to my I.C.E. suitcase. I pulled out the small eight by ten painting to show him.
"What's this?"
"It's my library. The entrance is small since I painted it as a kid, but on the inside it's gotten pretty big over the years."
"So you were talking about books. I guess I don't mind a story. As long as it distracts me from the problem downstairs."
"No no I'm not pulling anything out of this one Luc. We are going in. I mean if you would like to try."
"Wait, you can go inside it?"
"Well yeah."
I tried to approach the subject as calmly as possible. After the interrogation it was made painfully obvious that Luc had not developed his abilities before they were sealed. He has no idea what the Partum family is capable of and only the basics of what the Motus family can do. With his knowledge he is limited to only this plain of existence. On top of that he had stuck to his request to hold off on the knowledge of anything to do with the creation abilities. He has never experienced a pocket dimension painting.
"We don't only use paintings as doorways, storage, or sealing people or things away. There is a much more relaxing way to use them. We can create small worlds within a pocket accessed by what we paint. As I said before, this is my Library Luc. It is not the one at the house nor a storage space for books."
His eyes had widened with each word. He stared at the painting in my hands with wonder.
"This is my real Library. It is a world of my own making. Not even Mason has gone inside, but I'm inviting you."
"Are you serious!"
The excitement in his eyes made me giggle.
"Yes, it is the Partum ability, but I won't explain it unless you want me to. Shall we go?"
"Of course I want to go, but no offense, how do I get through a small opening like that?"
"I'll teach you. Let me shoot Mason a text so he doesn't worry. I'll let him know we will be back tomorrow. Once we are through we will have to rest for an hour before we can come back. Moving through space is easy, but going into another pocket takes some effort. So we might as well stay the night there."
"Sounds perfect Koi, thanks."
I could feel butterflies in my stomach from how sweetly he was looking at me.
"No problem, Love. I've been needing a break too."
Mason thought it was a great idea to send us off for the night. According to his return message, after debriefing with Aspen and him, Uncle Trever had no intention of leaving Luc be tonight. Which means we needed to hurry.
"Alright let's get going. Is there anything else you want to bring?"
We hadn't even bothered to change yet. Instead we just packed an overnight bag for the sake of getting out of here fast.
"I don't know, snacks?"
"The kitchen is fully stocked."
"Awesome!"
I'm greatly enjoying Luc's happily bewildered attitude. It is a great improvement compared to the angry and hurt man of a few minutes ago.
"Let's get going then. Just hold my hand and touch the painting. Follow the feel of my life force like you do in your combat classes with Mason. If all else fails I'll drag you in with me, and we can try again later."
We sat on the bed with my painting between us. At first as we started the process and the swirling glow of the dimension began to open, I thought I might have to pull him through after all.
Then a surge of his eager energy flowed into me like a wave. No one could get into my painting without me opening it. So His energy swirled with mine forcing the door open with a figurative slam, dragging us both to the other side at breakneck speeds. The rush tickled and tingled through us leaving us roaring with laughter in a heap on the mossy forest floor.
"Holy Crow! Is it always like that?"
I giggled at him. His exuberance is amazingly infectious.
"It's usually much slower. Your life energy gave it a bit of a boost."
"Is that why I feel like I just ran across a football field for the winning goal?"
I laughed and rolled off of him onto my back.
"Yep, that would be the reason."
He sat up with a stretch before looking around. I could understand why he would look confused. The scenery didn't exactly scream Library. I had intended to take us straight to the heart of the painting. The one depicted on the canvas, but his boost had thrown off my concentration. So we are actually about a mile out on the east side of the forest.
"Your boost of life force over shot our destination a bit. The Library is about a mile that way. This is my world, remember?"
"Cool. How big is it then?"
I stood up and brushed the soft moss and leaves from my clothes.
"The Library is the heart of my world; everything else branches out about a mile in every direction. We are closer to the Falls and hot springs."
"Did you say Hot Springs!"
Well I did still have pool water in my hair. I was planning to bring him here anyway to clean up. I guess we just took the shortcut.
"Yeah, I told you we didn't need to change first. Come on. "
Luc followed behind me at a slow pace. I didn't mind. He was so mesmerized by the bioluminescence of the plant life. Touching everything he could get his hands on. Plus he had saved me a buggy trip to the springs with his shortcut, and his fascination with his surroundings was a flattering compliment to my imagination.
It was always a full moon at night here. So between the lunar light, the illuminated plants, and the sound of bubbling water the trail to the springs was easy to follow.
"Oh wow! Koi this is a paradise."
He looked at me with shock and awe.
"You created all of this?"
I smiled.
"Don't be too amazed yet. You haven't seen the Library."
The springs were housed within an alcove of granite. Water fed through the roof of the alcove from the falls farther up. The hot water seeping from the ground tempered by the cool falls made the perfect combination for soaking a tired body.
We dropped our stuff by the side of the largest pool. I didn't waste time. Wading into the water I dove beneath the surface coming up on the other side of the pool deep within the alcove. There I selected two glass bottles from my collection.
Luc was smiling when I came back. He reclined on a ledge with his eyes closed; completely submerged except for his head. I giggled at how quickly he took to being here.
He opened only one eye to look at me before closing it again.
"I can see why you didn't want to change. This place makes my pool look like a blue puddle."
"Here you can use this to wash your hair, and this one is for the body. If you go to one of the smaller pools you can shower off in the spillover."
His eyes popped open to look at the bottles in my hands.
"You really have thought of everything here haven't you?"
I smiled again.
"I have been creating it, and tending to it since I was ten. What do you think?"
He took the bottles from me and walked down the stone stairs to the smaller pools on the lower levels. I rested on the ledge dozing peacefully.
As I waited for him to come back, I tried to think about how to deal with Uncle Trever tomorrow. This vacation could only last for a short while.
The feeling of cool glass on my warm skin startled me awake.
"Whoa. Sorry didn't mean to scare you."
He chuckled, "It's your turn."
"Oh very funny. I don't think you're sorry at all. I stuck my tongue out at him as I took the offered bottles."
My grumpiness seemed to only incite his mischief. He got up and dropped his towel off on a side ledge before taking a running leap. The last thing I saw was his blue swim trunks as his cannonball splashed me in the face.
"Oh! See if I ever bring you back here you ungrateful pest."
I sputtered and pretended to pout so he would get closer.
"I'm sorry Koi. Scouts honor I'll be good. He smirked and held up three fingers."
Just as he was close enough I pushed the button my hand had been inching towards and fountains exploded skyward from the bottom of the pool. The jets caught him in the face startling him so badly he slipped dunking himself into the water. He came up sputtering and yelling obscenities no lady should hear. I'm quite proud of myself.
While he was still floundering and trying to find his footing among the jets and whirlpools I made my getaway to go shower in the lower level. I have to admit I procrastinated coming back to face the music. He most likely wasn't going to let me go on the whole splashing business.
When I got back, however, he was floating around on his back letting the water currents push him around gently.
"Gave up the fight love?"
Laughter colored my voice as I watched him from the side of the pool.
"Why fight? I've never been more jellyfish like in my life! Promise we can come back here every weekend!"
"Okay I promise, we can come back anytime you want too."
The only response I got was a lazy thumbs up. I guess I didn't have to worry about a water fight.
The buggy showed up to take us to the Library about thirty minutes later. The ride was quiet. Just the two of us cuddling up on the soft moss within the oval nest-like basket, hovering through the air on its pulley line. The floating lanterns that bobbed around the buggy made lazy circles over us casting soft yellow light.
"This place is straight out of a fairytale. How did you come up with all this?"
"I was obsessed with fantasy as a child. Like any girl, you know; enchanted forests, pools of water so pure you can see your reflection, caves full of jewels that echo back to you when you sing into them, and castles full of treasures untold. It's what I always dreamed about as a kid. A world full of light."
Luc squeezed me close to kiss my head.
"You have a beautiful imagination Koi."
"Wait until you see the Library. Look."
After so many years of escaping to this world and traveling this path, I knew we were at the perfect spot to sit up as the Library came into view.
As we came around the bend I watched his face for his reaction. We were still about ten minutes from docking, but the architecture of the building, and being able to see its full view between the huge trees was best done from a distance. Evening is my favorite time as well, with it being lit up with hundreds of floating lanterns.
The cream colored stone of the walls reflected the warmth of the lights. It gave the ancient design of the building a cozy welcoming feeling. The intricate fountains and aqueducts, that were a part of the very infrastructure, gave off a slight mist that painted prism rainbows against the walls, and the lush plant life gave it a very organic feel.
The Ancient Greek Hanging Gardens had been my inspiration for the outside aesthetics. While a cross between my version of what Alexander's Library might look like before it burned and Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal of Cleopatra's palace luxuries filled the inside.
Over the years I have added modern twists. The bathrooms with plumbing were a very quick add on, the research for that had been annoying, but led to a beautiful modernized kitchen. Then an entertainment room was quick to follow. Childhood imagination gave way to realistic wants and needs quickly as I got older.
The gardens are fully stocked with year round bounty. Veggies and fruits, exotic and more common, grow continuously here. So I mostly eat what is provided from the land. If I feel like a meat dish or junk food on the other hand a quick trip by buggy to my art gallery a mile to the North can take me wherever I choose.
"This is my home base. My jumping point you could say, and I can't wait to show you around. I've never had a guest before."
"Is this real? I feel like I'm dreaming. How can something like this exist?"
He is acting like a fascinated child.
"Amazing right?"
I leaned up on the side rail of the buggy with my arms crossed so I could rest my head on them.
"Do you like it?"
Luc settled in beside me.
"Do I like it? Cori I have no words for how awesome it is. How did you get so much detail into all of this?"
"Well like I said, I have been expanding it since I was ten. I do a little bit every time I come here. Slowly it grew into this."
"Yeah I get that, but how?"
I poked him in the side for his pushiness.
"I'll only tell you if you are really ready to listen. Otherwise, I'll give you the grand tour in the morning. I'm more interested in soft pillows and a warm bed at this point, Luc."
"How can you even think of sleep when you're surrounded by so many exciting things? I mean look at that sky!"
He flopped on his back throwing his arms up as if to embrace the swirling lights above us.
As usual the night sky here is full of movement. The stars are in constant motion. A grand celestial ball where the brightly colored guests dance together in contradicting coordinated chaos. Bursts of light would flicker here and there at random like soundless fireworks. I'm pretty sure informing him that we could join the party on the celestial plane of this world would be too much for me right now. Maybe another surprise for another day. When I had the energy to dance the night away among the carefree creatures on that level.
I painted it into being about two years ago. I had been so stressed and strung out after taking over the hunters. I always had to be strong. There wasn't anywhere I could go to feel vulnerable.
Over time even going to my library became taxing as it slowly morphed into a private place to finish work in peace. One day I was at the Inner Office just sitting on the steps listening to one of my young nieces read about The Twelve Dancing Princesses dancing their troubles away through the night.
I made it to my Library within an hour, and painted throughout the rest of the day like a mad woman. It took me four days to infuse that level with life. I've spent many high pressure evenings blowing off steam, and dancing the waltz with the innocent and affectionate celestials.
"You're right, but it's probably after midnight by now."
His only response was a disappointed huff.
"Don't pout, I have every intention of sleeping here every night with you until Uncle Trev plugs his brain back in, and reboots."
Luc chuckled at me.
"Does that mean I can come here whenever I want?"
I opened my eyes, which had gotten so heavy suddenly, to peek up at him.
"I have to let you in since it's keyed to me, but yes. Once I open the door for you, you can stay as long as you like, or leave whenever you need. You will just need me to get back in."
"Hmmmm. Don't take this the wrong way, but is there any way I can get my own key to your figurative apartment? Seems a bit cumbersome to bug you every time I want to run away for sanctuary."
"I wish I could. I made the anchor for this world the actual door though, and it had to stand up to our sneaky little Mason right? To rewrite it now would mean possibly losing some of my records, or having to start the entire world from scratch. So much life has gone into this painting. It would be difficult to recapture the essence of this place. It would probably look the same, but it wouldn't sit right. You know what I mean?"
"Oh yeah I completely agree! That would definitely not be worth it. Besides I doubt I would want to be here without you anyway."
I pulled him down beside me to cuddle into his chest.
"How about we work on painting your own entrance and tying it to the art gallery. You won't be able to enter the Library that way, but you can go to the other areas. It shouldn't be hard to add a guest house for you to stay in if you really want to get away. There is also the option of starting your own pocket world."
"I can do that!"
"Do you really want to know?"
He paused to weigh his options.
"You're baiting me aren't you?"
"Can't blame a girl for trying."
I shrugged my shoulders, and closed my eyes again; waiting for him to make his choice.
"Fine, but keep it extremely simple."
I peeked at him, saw his eager face, and felt a little hope. Maybe the day that he could accept me and all that he is wasn't as far off as I thought.
"Well since you're a Motus I would have to open it for you. Once it's open though you can put your own lock on it, and start creating whatever you want inside it. Any space add ons will have to be added by a Partum creator though."
"Why?"
"Well Motus abilities allow them to create things like my stick figures. They create life within the plain they inhabit. Like interactive 3D models that are capable of independent thought.
Partum abilities are different though. They create the basis for life. Pocket worlds big and small. Ecosystems and environments that you can interact with, and they can be of all shapes and sizes. If you put the two abilities together they can make whole new worlds in limited pockets of space. The biggest one I've ever been in had about a fifty mile radius. Think of them like video game maps."
"So you're saying that the Partum guys make the maps while the Motus guys make the animal life and NPCs?"
"Yeah basically."
He whistled out his amazement.
"That's a lot to get my head around."