Chapter 38

Dawn POV:

The truck stops moving, and I sit up straight. It was not a long journey, but it was uncomfortable. While on the way I reflected on what I think of Madame Lorraine. I don’t know why Archer is so terrified of her, but I found her amusing. She has a scary demeanor but there was no craziness in her eyes like I have seen in my father’s the last few days I was at home. She is tough which has to be an obvious trait if you run a mafia gang, but I should not be swayed by anything they lead us to believe in. They all deal with dirty business and never do anything out of good will or kindness. I mean having control over a horde of money through Archer will be beneficial for them. They have been waiting to overthrow my father for so long. No wonder Madame Lorraine kept saying ‘don’t disappoint me’ so many times.

“Take off your blindfolds” one of the men says with rough voice. I untie the blindfold and the light blinds me for few seconds. It takes some time to adjust to the light attacking my eyes. We all are lead out the truck and I watch with fascination the ground we are standing in. The whole entire area looks like an old Buddhist temple. I didn’t know we had a place like this in the city, but I have heard of a cult who always preaches about the medieval gods and ways of living. The place gives me that medieval vibe and also a cold terrifying feeling. We are standing in the middle of a plane rectangular ground with a high dark wall bordering decorated by solid intricate metallic fencing on top. In front of us is a temple almost three story high and made out of black stone. The whole entire landscape gives me chills all over my body. Jenny scoots close to me and whispers

“I have got goose bumps”

“Me too” I whisper back.

Walking up the steps I cross my fingers and try to ignore the coiling fear in my gut. The inside is just what a temple should be serene and chilly at the same time. Shrines and old paintings adorn the walls which lead up to from an arch. A vintage chandelier hangs from the ceiling and there are candles burning everywhere lighting the gloomy place. Monks in grey rags sit in meditation. I pinch Archer on his arm, and he flinches

“Are we at the right place?” I ask.

“I have no idea” He says.

We are escorted inside an alley which runs long and then around the corner starts inclining downwards. The passageway is narrow that only two people can walk side by side and there are few closed doors on both sides of the walls. The bizarre thing about this whole entire building is that the architecture makes no sense at all. I cannot decipher where the beginning is and how long or wide the building extends. There is no way anyone can make a clear picture of the inside by just seeing the front gate of the temple. The two men who accompanied us now lead us, one at the front and one at the back with arms at the ready. When the passageway ends we land in a square room with grey walls and sparsely furnished with furniture. The entire theme of the place is very depressing and is giving me a claustrophobic vibe. A man walks in with two more guards following closely wearing the same grey rags but more decent one and a black rob is tied to his shoulders. He is bare feet and bald and gives all of us a creepy smile, making the fear inside me coil tighter. Is he Feng?

“Hello children! Nice to see you. My name is Elijah, and I am the senior monk of the temple.” He fixes his gaze on me slightly squinting his pointed small eyes. “As you all have figured out I work with ‘the Goliath’ and I am to host you here for some days until the business is done. I think you will like my hospitality but mind you don’t try to take advantage of it. This is a temple, and we have rules and very particular about eating and sleeping times. The Goliath is not here currently, he is travelling. Once he reaches I will arrange for a meeting, and you will be transported to a different lodging place. Till then you are under my care and watch. You will be taken to your rooms and dinner will be served at seven. Each of you will be provided with two sets of silk grey shirt which I recommend strictly to wear. It is necessary because black and grey is our color and we don’t want the ones meditating in the temple to get distracted by anything of outside world. Your things are already kept in the hallway before the rooms. See you all later” He doesn’t wait a minute more and walks out the room with his robe billowing.

We are taken to a side lobby with consecutive rooms, and I walk in a gloomy room with dark cranberry walls followed by Jenny. There is a cot, big enough for two people and a small wooden side table with a water pitcher and a flower pot. White- and lilac-colored wild flowers are sitting in the pot which gives the room a lively feeling. There is a glass window, but the glass is sealed into the wall so that it can’t be opened which is strange. Proper ventilation is there but still the room makes me feel suffocated. A tiny wooden closet is sitting in the corner and as mentioned before grey shirts are folded neatly inside. When we get our backpacks, and the guards leave Jenny says

“I am sending Archer here. You two need to spend some time together”

“Like you are not dying to spend time with Skye.” I say.

“Shut up!” she laughs while opening the door and leaving me alone. I am in the middle of unpacking my bag when Archer comes in and locks the door. We have had our moments together but not like this, stranded in a room in a creepy place. Suddenly I start to feel conscious and that keeps me from looking at him. I feel him hesitate too, but he finally speaks.

“This place is strange don’t you think”

“Yeah. I had chills walking through the temple” I answer relieved to divert my mind from all the things that is going inside. I feel him coming closer and sitting on the bed beside me.

“Dawn” He calls my name and I still struggle to look at him. My black hair is obscuring most of my face from his view and so he brushes them gently and tugging them behind my ear. I slowly lift my eyes and that is all it takes, only one look to just melt in each other’s arms. I don’t know who initiates the kiss, I don’t care. Our lips touch and I close my eyes forgetting everything but him. The shiver that runs down my spine cannot be explained in words. All my hair stands up in my body and I pull him closer to me. The kiss deepens, lips meeting teeth and tongue and we just drown and drown in each other’s embrace until I feel the soft bed on my back and his body pressing over mine. Both of us are trying to be gentle but barely holding it together in fear that we might ruin something. I know he is hesitating, and I am too because in the back of my mind I know where we are and that we have lots to do. This place is a labyrinth of secrets, and we could be watched or spied on some other way. Still the fire once set is bound to spread and so we don’t stop. He takes off my jacket and I pull his shirt over his head. The rock-solid torso and the smooth texture of his skin makes me want to run my fingers all over him. He kisses me again and pins me down gently on the bed. I am aware of the silence because I can hear the frantic breathing of both of us between our kisses. He kisses my cheeks and then moves down to my neck, and I feel like the ceiling crashing on me. I didn’t know the skin on my neck is so sensitive until he runs his lips on the nape of my neck. I gasp and immediately feel ashamed of the moaning. Someone taps on the wall where the bed is placed, and we immediately stop holding our breath.

“We can hear you clearly” Krista’s voice comes barely masking the discomfort in a very Krista like way. I look at Archer and we both are shocked of how clear the voice sounded which proves that the room shares the same wall, and it is not thick enough to muffle sounds. This also means that if we want to discuss something important we have to be very careful of not being overheard by some stranger.

“I like what I hear” Damien says a little loudly. Great!! We look at each other and Archer bursts into laughter burying his face in my hair at the side of the neck. I am embarrassed to death and my ears are burning. If I look at the mirror I will find my cheeks red now for sure, so I push him aside and start unpacking my bag again while he rolls over laughing.

“Sit up and wear your shirt” I order him as keeps being sprawled on the bed shirtless.

“Yes mam” he says, and I smile secretly.

After a few moments we both put on the grey shirt and wait for someone to come to take us for dinner. Eventually we hear a loud bell ring and guards take us through the same way we came in and then in a cafe like area where long tables are laid out with chairs. A line of monks all dressed in grey garbs and all bald stand in a queue with plates in hand. This is like a typical high school cafeteria; the only difference is no body’s talking. We join the line and take our food one by one minding not to make any sound and then sit at a long table which is almost empty. We got served with rice and a veggie curry with steamed asparagus and stir-fried vegetables. The food is hot and surprisingly tasty. We eat silently and quickly to just get out of this eerily silent place. When I am done I dump the plate in a bin and then wash my mouth in the basin. A guard approaches me and whispers “You are requested to come and meet the head monk”

“Only me?” I whisper back.

“Your friend is also being escorted. Follow me” he says. Out of the corner of my eyes I watch Archer finish his meal quickly and get up with a guard trailing him. Others are not bothered at all but all of them look at me questioningly. I follow the guard to the temple where the gate is still open and cold wind is blowing in. Monk Elijah swoops in just when Archer comes and stands beside me.

“I am sorry to bother you in the middle of your dinner, but I think it is important to be transparent to each other.” Elijah says, “Follow me.” I have no idea where we are going and what will happen next and that makes me want to throw up the food I ate. It is a habit I guess to assume the worst, which is good and bad, but it is unlikely they will take us and then slit our throats though I believe they are more than capable of. The rags might hide their physique but now I recognize a fighter when I see one. We walk through another labyrinthine corridor very dimply lit and come up to a big room looking like a medic room. Beds are laid out all over the room and monks in complete black garments are walking and tending the wounded. My heart speeds up. Elijah turns and says to me “We have someone who will be happy to see you my child”

We walk past the beds till the last one and I abruptly stop not trusting my legs to take a step further. Archer bumps into me and then goes still too. On the bed Julian is lying looking pale but very much alive.

“Julian!!” When I get back my senses I rush towards him and get on my knees to get a better look at his face. He has burning like scars at the left side of his face. The rest of his injuries are covered by the white blanket.

“Hello Missy. I look terrible don’t I?” Julian says slowly. I can tell by his face that he is hurting. Tears fill my eyes and I bury my face on the bed. “Don’t cry Missy, I am doing just fine”

“You don’t do that for me ever. I thought you were dead, and it killed me.” I say fighting to keep my voice stable amidst all the tears.

“You are a precious girl you know that, and I am a miserable old man. You need a better life child” he says shakily.

“I will if you are there to be my guardian.” I say. My heart is exploding right now and the relief I am feeling is beyond anything. He is alive!! Julian is alive and I don’t have to be guilty about letting him die my entire life. This is a very pretty feeling and maybe for the first time in my life I thank God for blessing me with his life.