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

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After everything that everyone had endured to get the much-awaited for quartz sword, now it was time to return to Earth to say a brief goodbye while everyone else set off for Etheria to face Warrick and the demon court for the fight of their existence. With all that had happened, Meridian and Aiden did not have time to themselves to talk.

Meridian turned over the sword to the nymphs and returned to the fairy realm to inform Selena of Meridian's success. Talon found the fallen for more allies and a chance to be a spirit guide again. 

 Invisible to the human eye, Meridian and Aiden remained invisible in Tallulah's front yard.  Their eyes gazed upon Meridian's old bedroom window where so much had transpired between the two of them. Where they first met in the flesh was just across the street at Stephanie's bar, that for the time being was closed and quiet. Aiden broke his gaze away from the window and his eyes traced Meridian's profile and his warm smile surfaced for just a moment.

"Meridian," Aiden brushed the back of his hand across her cheek, "I want you to know that whatever happens, no matter where things end up, I wouldn't change a thing. I would do it all over again."

Meridian's eyes fluttered at the sound of Aiden's voice. She looked up to Aiden while brushing her hand up and down his arm. "Aiden, all of this is so crazy. I can't believe it. I can't believe I got the sword. We are here back at Tallulah's, where so many special things have happened between us. I miss this place, I miss us, the way things used to be when I was a..." her voice trailed off.

Aiden turned himself toward Meridian to hold her. "I know. I know."

"What if I don't want this life? What if I wanted to stay here and be a human once more? I know I need to return to Etheria and get things right; see my mother and father again, but I don't know if that is the life I want." Meridian looked into Tallulah's large picture window, where Tallulah was in her kitchen, cooking and getting things ready for dinner. "I want those things, simple things. I miss Tallulah. I miss Esmra."

"Meridian, we don't always get the life we want. We get the life we are destined to have. For whatever reason, you were meant to be who you are and to do the things you have done and will do. I was born a human. I gave my life for something greater than myself. This path I chose, it was what I was destined to do. I don't question those things. I knew in my heart the day we met that there was something special about you. I felt like I had known you my whole life, and you had been with me my whole life. There is a reason for everything, I just don't think we are supposed to know why things happen the way they do. Life is a mystery as they say." Aiden snickered with his statement, but his eyes saddened when he looked at Meridian, who stood staring down at the ground as she listened to him talk.

"Aiden, I question a lot of things and how they will be when this is over. I mean, do things go back the way they used to be. Will you be there? Will I see you every day, and you live a spirit guide existence? With what Astaroth has done to you, it is like it traps you in a dimension. I am afraid you will stay lost as they call it." Meridian took a step to walk away from Aiden.

Aiden followed Meridian and grabbed her arm, "Meridian, I know that things have been so hard on you, and having faith in yourself has been a challenge through all this. I am sure that having faith in others is a lot harder. Remember the day that the curse was, well sorta broken? We had our little spat, you realized when you spoke to the angel, that you had to have faith in yourself. You did and look what happened? You made it, and I was okay. No harm came to me." Aiden reached his arm out and pulled her into his chest, where he cradled her, "Have faith in me. In us," he said as he squeezed her.

Meridian drew her arms into her body as he held her. They stood under the tree in Tallulah's front yard that swayed with the slight breeze. The spring was in full bloom, and the air was sprinkled with the scent of flowers and fresh-cut grass. As the breeze continued, the wind chime swayed and chimed, barely noticeable to the couple. Meridian surveyed the tree and spotted the wind chime identical to the one in Tallulah's living area that she saw the first day she found Tallulah. Two half moons and in the center a pentagram. She closed her eyes and smiled with the thoughts of Tallulah and what she meant to her.

Tallulah has been there for me so much, even when she didn't know who I was. She took me in, with little doubt. She helped me and guided me through so much. I loved that life, being human and the feelings and the simple things that as a Spirit Guide I have never known. Now here, I am held by the one who I truly love and want to be with Aiden. He gave his life for me. He sacrificed a life he could have had to save me and save humankind. We have been through so much. What happens if we cannot free Aiden from Astaroth's spell and dark magic. What if Aiden remains trapped between the realms? Will he be able to help in Etheria? Can he go to Etheria? Ghosts can't, they are stuck here on Earth. Oh, my head hurts from all the questions I have.

Aiden interrupted Meridian's thoughts, "Meridian.... Meridian. Are you all right?" Aiden had broken his embrace and got his eyes locked on Meridian's spacey eyes.

She blinked furiously and focused on Aiden, who stood with his stern look of concern. "Uh, yes, I am sorry. I was in another world." Meridian snorted.

Aiden took Meridian by the hand, and with his other hand, he ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a massive sigh while he stared at the ground. "Meridian, let's go inside. I know that Tallulah can't see us, but at least Esmra has a little better way of connecting to us. We can let them know that so far, we have not had any trouble. That things are looking up. We can join up with the others, which, by the way, no one really said what the next step is." Aiden paused and looked to Meridian, who looked as though the light bulb went off.

"Well, you are right. I guess, in a way, we are flying by the seat of our pants here." Meridian scratched her head and pulled a strand of her long platinum locks and began to pick each strand away. "My father!" Meridian's mind jumped tracks. "Aren't they going to wake my father?"

Aiden shrugged and shook his head, "Well yes, that is what I overheard. I think so. How will we know?"

The pair continued to discuss the what-ifs and the whys as the strolled into Tallulah's house and went upstairs to Meridian's old room. Meridian's mind that always carried her away had her in a tizzy as she and Aiden continued to discuss all the things that had happened in a short time.