A Storm in the Making

Chapter 25--More Than a Friend

I could feel the pressure Julius was exerting on me to bend me to his will. To accept his declaration of love at face value.

Some instinct I had no name for yet, made me mistrustful of Julius’s motive. It cautioned me against believing in his love at first sight--for me, an alien—had came that easily to him.

I turned my head away from him and buried my face in the pillow. Immediately his scent filled my nose. I whirled back to face him. “This is your room,” I accused.

Surprised, Julius let his guard down for one brief moment. Long enough for me to catch a flash of memory from Julius of his growing up in this room.

Julius blushed like a girl, nodding stiffly, and suddenly became interested in the view out his window when he realized he knew what I’d seen in his mind.

Realizing this was truly Julius’s bedroom, my curiosity overcame me. I let my glance drift around the room. Personal space is very telling about someone’s personality. Dark woods, loaded bookshelves, and heavy furniture. That, I was expecting. It fit his brooding personality.

What I was not expecting was the painting of a beautiful woman over the fireplace. Midnight hair and green, green eyes looked out at me from an oval face too much like Julius’s to be anyone other than his mother.

“You brought me to your home? To your bedroom?”

It bothered the hell out of me that I was totally alone with a being so much stronger, both mentally and physically than me. Warning bells were clamoring in my head as loudly as the rusticated fire alarms back at my old high school in Lakahatchee.

“Enough! I want up,” I demanded.

“Technically it is my father’s home,” Julius admitted, sliding down the bed to make room for me to sit up. “But yes, I brought you here, to my bedroom,” he answered, abashed.

“Why?”

“Storm,” Julius slid off of the bed and knelt down beside it. While I stared, embarrassed for him, he rested his elbows on the bed and gave me a pleading look that seemed to beg me to comprehend something beyond my understanding.

I swear, I thought to myself, if one more man knelt to me today, I was going to barf; and I didn’t care if Julius could read my mind.

He did, I realized as a puzzled look scrunched his eyebrows together. “Who else has sworn fealty to you this day?” he asked urgently.

Yeah, like I was going to answer that question, I thought, as I began reciting my multiplication tables in my head to keep him from picking the answer out of my head against my will. I didn’t know how else to protect my mind from him.

It must have worked because he gave me a frustrated look. And then, as if he heard something I could not, he leaned so close to me I felt the breath of his words fan my cheeks.

“Listen, Storm,” he urged, sounding so much more human suddenly, that I found myself listening to him. “You do not have to do anything you do not want to do. Not even for the Hermits. You need to know that. You do have a choice.”

“Damn it, Julius, quit talking in riddles. I don’t understand you.”

“I know.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead before rocking back on his heels. “More’s the pity.”

Before I could react, Julius put me gently away from him and stood.

“I wish we had more time, but there are other things I want you to know before you go down to meet with the Hermits.”

“There’s more?” What could possibly follow a declaration of undying love, I wondered.

“The Hermits caused your fainting spell.”

At my gasp, he continued. “They wanted a pretext for getting you here. a place they could talk privately to you. It was my job to get you here to this house.”

“Why here?”

“It is the Hermits’ opinion that the students are in entirely too much awe of my father to have the temerity to disturb him here.”

“So--. Why do they want to talk to me?”

“They’ll tell you soon enough.”

I didn’t know what to say to him then. I couldn’t tell him about what had happened on the field with Varak, Vorst, and Natos. It made me feel very alone, like I hadn’t felt since those summers at Uncle’s when I was a child.

“Nigel suspects something.” Julius said, changing the subject. “So does William Helm, for that matter. Beware of him, Storm. He has a purpose in being here. I felt it when he appeared next to us.”

“I don’t even know that guy,” I answered defensively, thinking yeah sure, warn me off the competition. How irkingly macho.

“Many evils have found a home on this planet, you will find.” Julius commented.

“And Nigel? Is he evil, too?” I couldn’t help but add.

“I felt no threat from the Traveler. He is just entirely too curious about you for my own peace of mind.”

“Humans are curious creatures.” I was being defensive and I knew it. I knew it wasn’t fair to compare Nigel’s humanity to Julius’ alienness. Me and my big mouth. I wasn’t having this conversation. Julius was too prejudiced. I could feel it rolling off him in waves.

“He’s attracted to you.”

“And you’re not?”

“Storm, listen to me.”

“No. You listen to me.” I swung my legs off the bed. “I will not discuss your theoretical rival with you.” There. I said it. I could see it so clearly now.

Julius and Nigel were rivals. Me, who had never had a boyfriend in my life, now had two contenders for that honor. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

William Helm might even be a third rival. Although that hadn’t been what I had felt coming from him exactly, he wanted something from me. But what, was the million-dollar question I didn’t have an answer for at the moment.

“Rivals? You think that is what this is about!” Julius recoiled, obviously offended. "Of all the conceited. . .” Then he grabbed me so quickly it yanked my head back so I was looking up at him.

“Let. Go. Of. Me.” I said icily.

Julius dropped my arms like he had been burnt. “Forgive me.” He apologized, stepping away from me.

“I am not a bone,” I yelled, taking another two steps away from him. “I need friends more than I need two dogs growling over me.”

“We are out of time. We need to go downstairs now,” Julius ground out. He turned and walked over to the door. “The Hermits are here. Your family is not far behind. You must meet with the Hermits before your family attempts to interfere.” His eyes held a plea in their depths as he grasped the knob and opened the door for me.

“Fine.” I snorted. “Let’s get this over with.” I marched over to the door. “Well?”

Without further ado, he stood aside for me to exit his room. “I’ll always be your friend, Storm,” He stated humbly as I passed him.

“Yeah, right. Friend, my eye. What do you really want from me, Julius,” I asked glancing at him over my shoulder before I stepped into the hallway.

“More than friendship, Storm” I heard him mumble as the door closed behind us. “Much more than that.”