Eli was admittedly not a frequently train passenger, but he assumed the rail from London to Paris was much smoother than what he was experiencing. He opened his eyes, casting a venomous glare at the windows as the bright light of the midday sun shone through the windows of the train car’s hall, occasionally interrupted by his cabin’s unlatched door sliding on its track with every movement of the train. His headache was only getting worse.
Afraid of whatever threw their master to the ground, Ceres and Dinah crowded beneath the bench in Eli’s cabin. One of them whimpered, but he couldn’t tell which. He was usually good at telling their barks and whines apart. Eli felt guilty for not knowing. Another ache in his heart. His body felt unnaturally heavy, as if weighed down by his pain. Eli lumbered to his feet, leaning heavily on the bench to shut the clattering door to his cabin. He normally felt at ease in dress shoes, but now they were made of cement instead of leather. His shirt was tight over his shoulders and arms. His wool pants were restrictive. When Eli finally got to his feet, he only managed to take one step before another jolt threw him to the floor again. He tumbled out into the narrow hall of the train, coming to a thud with his back breaking his momentum against the hard surface.
Doors all up and down the hall clattered on their tracks, if they weren’t latched tightly. Eli managed a small audible groan as he pushed himself up on his arms. The train was still shaking. He tried to move slowly, but was stopped. Distracted, was more accurate. Thought he always tried to respect other’s right to privacy, his field of vision was filled with the cabin beside his own. Before he even knew what he was looking at, he’d seen too much.
Pale skin, pulled taught over firm muscles. Colorful tattoos, a shield portraying a dragon wrapped protectively around golden egg. The Russian Lieutenant Vikenti Kozlov’s normally pristine and meticulously maintained blonde hair was disheveled. Kozlov hurriedly hiked a pair of jeans up over his athletic legs. Before Vikenti could slide and latch the door shut again, Eli saw that Kozlov was not alone.
Behind the blonde, shimmying into her own tight pair of jeans, was Captain Viktoriya Sima. She was unmistakable, not for her long black hair, or lithe muscled figure, but for the tattoo sleeve that anointed her left arm. From her deltoid to her fingertips, her arm was inked into a fearsome dragon, breathing smoke and fire. On either side of her hand, a pair of eyes, nostrils on the top of her knuckles, and gums and teeth down her fingers. She even went as far to paint the fingernails of her left hand white to match. The rest of the sleeve was an artistic mix of scales, smoke and flame. Eli watched as long as he could, mesmerized as Viktoriya pulled a basic white tee shirt down over a deep red lace brassier. He could still see it through the cotton if he tried.
Eli immediately felt a rush of emotions, some he did not understand. Guilt for spying on them. Guilt for seeing Viktoriya in such an intimate way. Guilt for thinking about Viktoriya so soon after Valentina. Confusion for his lingering loyalty to Valentina. More guilt for Viktoriya being Valentina’s cousin. Pain from thinking about Valentina. There was also jealousy. Jealously? Was he jealous of Vikenti for what had just transpired between him and Viktoriya? Eli didn’t even know what they had been doing in their cabin. How could he be jealous of something he didn’t know about? Though as innocent as his mind tried to keep his thoughts, a different part of his mind laid it out. He was dressing, she was dressing, they were alone – and are frequently alone. They were having sex. And yes, Eli was jealous. And now he was even feeling even more guilt. And more confusion.
Finally, Eli pulled himself together enough to get to his feet again. Though, a busker did help him and offered apologies. Eli nodded in thanks for the help and waved the busker away. His thoughts were eager to be addressed and preyed on his mind. With a sigh, he latched his cabin door shut, and took a walk. He passed Kozlov and Sima’s cabin. He passed the other cabins, some doors still left open. Eli’s path took him to the end of the train, the last car split to serve as a lounge and balcony for smokers – a group to which Eli now belonged, thanks to Viktoriya.
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Looking For The Light (Book 2)
ParanormaalElijah's life has been thrown for a loop. His girlfriend left him, he's leaving his home behind, and setting off into the unknown. Doubting his mission and himself, the young telepath struggles with many of the great questions of life.
