Chapter 14

David

That night David once again dreamed of Stormy. She was dressed in the simple black tee shirt and black leggings. Angie was pointing as Stormy ran laps around what looked like a human elementary school gymnasium. The harder Stormy ran, the more Angie seemed to be pushing her. As a trainer she seemed to be putting his mate through the works. He saw her climb the ropes suspended from the ceiling and up and down a cargo net on the wall. She did several sets of gymnastic style tumbles across the set of old blue mats, as well as several kicks and jumps while balancing on a small balance beam.

David didn't know if the calisthenics served as a punishment for Stormy slipping away to see him, or if they were a normal part of her training. Even in his sleep, he found himself fascinated by the way she moved. There was such a grace to everything that she did. Her movements seem to be a cross between the precision of ballet, the stealth of an assassin and the power of a body builder.

On the second night David dreamed that Stormy was sleeping in a small twin sized bed in an empty room. She was repeatedly reaching out for whatever she was dreaming about and bit her lip. He wondered what her heart secretly desired and hated that he wasn’t there to provide it. His missed her with a dull ache that seemed to camp in his chest. Almost as if she could hear him, he saw her disappear from the twin bed.

The weight of her body appearing on the mattress next to him, startled David from his dream. He opened his eyes and found Stormy curled up beside him. It was almost if his wish had been granted. Stormy didn’t even stir as he reached out and drug her across the bed. He cuddled her onto his chest. His presence seemed to soothe her, and she stopped reaching for whatever she had been dreaming about. David kissed her forehead as he drifted off to sleep again.

The next morning, he felt Stormy stiffen beside him. She sat up quickly with her arms raised like she was prepared to defend herself. He dodged a punch before she blinked twice and stared at him. David realized she had no idea where she was or how she had got there.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. You are home now. I think you teleported in your sleep.” He whispered as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back down onto bed with him.

Stormy shook her head and made the signs for no control. She chewed her bottom lip and looked frustrated with a side of guilt. She flattened her hands and crossed them at their wrists. She flapped them a couple of times and pointed to herself.

David shook his head. “I don't understand that one,” he said. Stormy's eyebrows furrowed for a second. She made a fist but extended her index finger and shook it violently like she was yelling at someone. Then she pointed to herself.

“You are going to be in trouble.” David interpreted. Stormy shook her head and made the gesture for trouble again so that he would remember it.

“With Angie?” David asked her. Stormy nodded her head and put her arms down to her sides, and flapped her hands like they were wings. David nodded in understanding. That was how she said her trainer’s name.

“In the meantime, would you like to get up, My Sweetness?” David asked her.

Stormy shook her head emphatically. She scissored her fingers so that they look like they were walking across her palm and pointed to the garden outside his window.

“Would you like to go for a walk outside,” he asked and she clapped her hands. She bounced slightly and he knew it meant she was excited.

When David got to his feet, he realized that Stormy have been sleeping in the tee-shirt he had given her again. It made him smile. “It looks good on you. Sweetness” He said.

Stormy picked up the collar and lifted it to her nose. She inhaled deeply and winked at him. He understood. She wore the shirt because it smelled like him. He walked to the dresser and handed her a second one as well as a pair of his boxers. She bit her lip and took both from his hands and strolled into the bathroom.

David sent for Daniel and took the time to quickly change into clean clothes. He sat on the end of the bed to wait for her. When she returned, he took her by the hand and let her out into the gardens. Daniel met them at the patio door. His hair was sticking up and he looked like he was barely awake.

The minute her saw Stormy he pulled her into a hug. He quickly waved them off with a promise to return after he had a cup of coffee from the kitchen.

David took her deeper into the garden but because her feet were bare, he stuck mostly to the soft grassy areas. As they walked by a bed of wildflowers, most of which were daisies, she pointed to the flowers and then to herself.

“Are wild flowers your favorite, Sweetness?” David asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded her head and clapped her hands. He walked over to the bed and picked a daisy. He returned to her and tucked it behind her ear.

She clapped again and put her fingers flat to her chin and drew them outwards. She bit her lip seductively.

“You are welcome,” he said as he realized he has just learned how to say thank you. She replied by reaching up and drawing a question mark on his chest again.

“I like the gardens,” he said. “I find them peaceful.” He pointed to an entire bed full of multicolor day lilies. “Those are my favorite. They only bloom for one day. But in that one day, they are remarkable. They're not like dragons who live for many, many years, sometimes so long that they get bored.”

She reached up and drew another question mark and held up her fingers like she was counting.

“I'm 500 years old. He told her. Her eyes wide. She pointed to his face and placed her open palm over it. He didn't understand the exact connotation of what she was saying, but he knew she was saying he looked really good for 500. He chuckled.

“How old are you, My Sweet?” He asked her. She shrugged like she wasn't sure. She held up two fingers made a fist and then held up five more before wobbling her flattened hand in what he interpreted as maybe. “25! Dragons aren't even out of diapers at that age.” He joked. “Dragons are considered juveniles until they're at least 100,” he told her. She clapped our hands together and smiled like he had shared some kind of secret.

She pointed in the direction Daniel had gone and cocked her head. She drew the question mark on his chest again.

“Daniel is around 300 years old. He's little more than a teenager.” David explained.