Meridian Chronicles: Keepers & The Soul Key (#4)

Chapter 10

Meridian reached her hand out to take Aiden's, and when she brought her hand to his, she hesitated as her fingers clasped over his.

"Aiden, give me your hand."

Aiden brought his hand forward. She wrapped her fingers tightly around Aiden's hand and pushed her fingers into his palm. He squinted his eyes as he watched. He brought his other hand up to his face to examine it; then quickly turned to reach for a low-hanging branch on the fruit tree they stood under. With a smirk, he dropped his hand down once more. "Well, I didn't think my hand had cooties." He brushed his hands up and down Meridian's arms and tried to pull her close to him, but she resisted. "What is happening?" Aiden brought both his hands upward, examining them with wide eyes. Without blinking, his eyes locked with Meridian's who remained confounded. "What is wrong?"

The nymphs approached, and Karma reached out to Aiden and clasped her hand around his forearm. "Oh, this isn't good. Aiden seems to be trapped between dimensions, like a ghost. He isn't a ghost, because he is aware of where he is, his soul is not lost. He isn't alive, but he hasn't moved on either."

She and the other nymphs strode away from the reunited couple, to visit with Esmra who stood still and her eyes watered with joy as she placed her hand over her heart.

"Oh, Karma, oh it is so good to see you. We have been so worried about things. What can you tell us? Are Meridian and Aiden all right?" Esmra pulled on Karma's arm.

Karma drew a slow breath and looked over her shoulder at Meridian and Aiden who still stood beneath the tree conversing with much confusion on their faces. Talon and the other guides swarmed the couple in the curiosity of what Karma discovered.

"Esmra, Aiden is with us now, Moloch kidnapped him before when he passed. Moloch is the dark one's soul collector. They held him prisoner. By Astaroth. We have freed him, but I am afraid that his circumstance is beyond my comprehension. He is here with us, but as though he is caught between dimensions, like a ghost. I am afraid that whatever Astaroth has done, has a lingering effect. It is as though he is lost."

Esmra gasped and Tallulah, not able to see the fairies took Esmra by the arm in haste. "What! What is? Are they okay?" Tallulah questioned.

Esmra took Tallulah by the hand and led her back into the house where she could explain things. The nymphs followed suit leaving behind the straggling group of guides and Talon who walked just a few feet behind. As the guides approached the porch, they could see Tallulah's face through the window. Her hand over a wide-open mouth, the other pulled a chair from the kitchen table to sit and take in the news.

"Esmra, we know this is a lot to take in, but we have to acquire the quartz sword. We can take Aiden and Meridian along to see Selena."

Tallulah and Esmra were quiet at the kitchen table, and Tallulah began to fidget with her old wore out tablecloth. "Oh, poor Aiden. I am glad to know that he is safe, but how can something like this happen?"

Aiden and Meridian walked into the house and went upstairs into Meridian's old room where they stood looking out her window. She reached out to hold Aiden.

"Aiden, what happened? We haven't had a moment to talk, please, talk to me."

Aiden's face was full of defeat. "I don't know. I swear the last time I saw you; it was after the wreck; you were in the hospital bed. The dream I kept having played out, and it was then that I knew what I had to do. I knew it was meant for me to save you. At that moment, everything became so clear. I chose to give up my life to send you home, where you belong. Now I look at you, and you look different, but the same. You are still beautiful and even more so than the day I met you. I would do it all over again." Aiden pulled Meridian to his chest and embraced her.

Meridian held her cheek to his chest and tucked her arms close within his cradled arms. Beside herself in so much sadness and love, she also felt guilt.

"Aiden, I would never have wanted you to give up your life for me. Now, look at what happened. Moloch stole your soul, and you were stuck in the dark realm. Did you even realize at any time that Astaroth was pretending to be me?"

"Well, not at first, it was so surreal." He pulled Meridian away from his tight embrace to look at her and said, "I was back at Tallulah's. The scenery was identical. It was like I never died, and mostly I believed it was you until I saw her wrist. She didn't have the mark." Aiden brushed his hand down her arm and then turned her hand over to expose her wrist, "After I noticed that she didn't have your mark, I wondered. But I didn't press much. Then I woke up, and she was gone. I went looking for what I thought was you and I happened upon that crazy scene. I was so scared; I never knew that demons were so gruesome. I guess I can say that I have been in hell. That is the dark realm? I never want to go back there, ever. I am still afraid. Now, whatever that crazy demon did to me, how am I going to get out of whatever this is?" Aiden brought his arms up in defeat and dropped them back at his sides but not before his signature move, to rake his hand through his hair and tilt his head up at the ceiling letting out a sigh.

Meridian shook her head. "I don't know, but I am glad that we were able to get you out of there. I am grateful for you, for what you did for me." Meridian's voice softened and trailed off to a mumble, as though she didn't want to say the words.

"What is it?" Aiden turned his body to face Meridian to see her walking toward her old bathroom with her head hung low. "Oh no, don't start this again. I did what I did for you, and I have no regret in doing so. We talked in this very room, the day we found out we were meant for one another." Aiden paced behind Meridian, took her by the arm, and swiftly turned her around. He pulled her chin up and forced her to look in his eyes. "Faith. Faith Meridian. Do not start losing it now. We have come this far, and we will get out of this. Together." Aiden wrapped his arms around her once more, keeping his forearm pressed against the back her head, to make sure he held her as close as possible, taking a moment for a lighter comment.

"Seeing the nymphs finally, they are strange creatures, and certainly intimidating. I could sense their power. Especially Karma when she stood next to me. Either way, I just hope that they can find a way to help me. I want to find my way back to you."