The One Awakened Read online

  Angel took a cleansing breath and asked, “Is this about Rafe?”

  She smiled. “He is the person whom you’ve brought up, so he must be a part of it. Tell me about him.”

  He inhaled deeply and held it for a moment. “I met him on Earth. His personality and confidence instantly attracted me. At the time, he was Sofia’s boyfriend, even though I already knew, because of my affinity, that they did not feel romantic love between them. He and I seemed to get along well, but then I kidnapped his girlfriend and left him for dead on Earth, or so we thought. And then he shows up again as a Raizyn and an enemy. And now we find out he’s Ar’ch’s half-brother and possibly on our side, possibly on the Raizyn’s side. And in my head, I’m still thinking, here’s this attractive guy who I think I want something with. Crazy, right?” He laughed nervously.

  She smiled again. “What if he’s still your enemy? Would you want a relationship with him then?”

  “No, of course not, but I have never felt that he was my enemy. I have always felt a connection with him.”

  “Are your feelings ever wrong?”

  He tried to recall a time when his feelings had led him astray from the right path. “No, I don’t believe they ever have been.”

  “Well, that settles it, then.”

  “Settles what, actually?” Angel looked at her in complete confusion.

  “Why exactly do you feel so burdened when it comes to Rafe?”

  He opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t come up with a reason. “I don’t know.”

  “Is your purpose for caring about him to get him to want a relationship with you? Or is it to share love with another person?”

  Angel licked his lips and remained silent. Had he really been focusing on Rafe’s interest in him over just sharing love with another person? He sighed with his unspoken answer.

  “Angel, you are love, and love is meant to be given and shared. There are many kinds of love, and we are meant to experience them all. You cannot expect a type of love to be given to you by a specific person. That is in his or her power to choose. All you can do is love in the only way that you know and feel. Shift your focus and you will unburden yourself from the weight that has been preventing you from being free to be happy.”

  He nodded, feeling the truth of her words in his soul. “Thank you.”

  She gave him a one-shoulder shrug and a wink. “It is my gift to you. Now, when you awaken, you will be home at a place that will remind you of love. Blessed be.”

  Angel felt himself awakening and opened his eyes to find himself standing in front of the fountain at the entrance of his home. He gazed at the marble statue of a robed goddess surrounded by three angels who were gazing upon her beauty, admiring her perfection. He watched the water trickle down her robe and gather at her feet. Sofia, he thought. Love came in many forms, and their love for Sofia connected them all. He smiled and thanked the Goddess for clearing his mind and showing him the path that he needed to follow.

  Chapter Eight

  Patrysha opened her eyes and inhaled deeply. Instead of feeling drained, she felt restored and pleased that she started with Angel. Because of the similarities in their skills, she easily assisted him in finding clarity on his journey. She smiled at the purity of his love for others. She took another deep breath and smelled the deep richness of the earth and knew that her next session would be with Rafe.

  She allowed his energy to pull her toward him. She walked for a bit, following the stream, before leaving its path to venture deeper into the forest. She found him nestled among a cluster of trees. He looked so peaceful in his element, but she knew that he carried a heavy burden. She sat beside him and gave herself over to her skill.

  -o-

  Rafe opened his eyes to find himself staring at a smiling Patrysha. Whiteness surrounded them. “What is this?”

  “It’s a clarity bubble,” she replied. “It’s one of my hidden talents.”

  He laughed nervously and kept looking around at the nothingness that surrounded him. “So, why are we here?”

  Patrysha sat Indian-style in front of him and patted next to her so that he would do the same. Once he did, she said, “We are here because you are struggling, and I can alleviate some of that for you.”

  He tensed up. His memories of Dr. Kimp manipulating his mind came back to him, and he sat a little further away from her. He did not want someone else messing with his mind. “How do you plan to do that?”

  She smiled sadly. “I am here to help you, Rafe. I feel your mistrust, and you have every right to feel that way. You have been lied to your whole life by the very people who claimed to love you.”

  Rafe pressed his lips together. He struggled with accepting that there were Diasodz who had powers to know things about him that he would have preferred to keep private. Still, he couldn’t deny her correct analysis; he was a mess, and the lies he had been fed created that mess. “And how can you fix that?”

  “I can release the remaining memory blocks that you have. I can erase all the work that they did to you.”

  He inhaled deeply and then blew it out. That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it? He wanted to have his real memories restored so that he could know his true personality with his own thoughts and his own feelings. So, why was he suddenly so afraid of what he would discover?

  “You are afraid,” Patrysha said matter-of-factly. Her voice held no judgment, and he felt grateful for that.

  He nodded. “What if I don’t like who I really am?”

  She smiled. “Rafe, you already are who you really are. No being can erase the Goddess’ essence within you. You have already made choices to show that you choose love over hate. You deserve to be free of the burdens of the unknown. You deserve to be whole. Don’t you agree?”

  Rafe sighed and nodded, feeling a wave of emotion wash over him. He couldn’t remember a time when he truly felt whole. Patrysha was right; no matter what he discovered, he deserved to be aware of all of him. “Okay, so how do you make me whole?”

  She gently took his hand in hers and whispered, “Release.”

  Rafe couldn’t breathe. His memories came barreling through his mind like a carousel on overdrive. He felt disoriented and confused. Overwhelmed by the onslaught, he began to doubt that he could handle it. All of a sudden, he placed his hands on his knees, coughing and dragging in a deep breath. After a few more coughs, he sat back on his butt and looked over to Patrysha, who calmly looked at him.

  “You could have warned me,” he said after one more coughing fit.

  “You would have resisted, which would have made it worse. How are you feeling now?”

  He felt inward, examining everything he could feel. “I feel a tingling all over.”

  She smiled. “It will take time to sort through all that you have been given back. All I have done is unlock the doors. You now must have the courage to accept what is behind them. Be open to everything and embrace it all because it is already you.”

  Rafe nodded and swallowed back the tears he felt forming. “Thank you,” he managed to whisper.

  She touched his hand and waited for him to look at her. “Rafe, may I give you one last piece of advice?” After he nodded, she said, “The earth is temperamental, Rafe. It is strong and powerful, but it cannot survive without water. It needs warmth and nourishment and love. If you abuse it, if you starve it, it will give you nothing, or worse, it will destroy itself. But if you treat it well, it will reciprocate.”

  Rafe pressed his lips together and absorbed her words. “I will do my best to nourish my soul, Patrysha. I will be forever grateful to you for making me whole.”

  “It was my pleasure,” she said, but he could tell that helping him had drained her. “When you awaken, you will be at home, your real home, in a place that will help you begin your new journey.”

  Rafe smiled, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them again. He found himself sitting on the bench underneath the baby willows, the same bench where So
fia had been sitting and crying when he had kidnapped her. He sighed at the memory of that night.

  The oracle had said that Sofia became their savior because of his existence; his birth put the wheels in motion. He was important, and he was loved. He needed to embrace love and love those who loved him. And the first person who deserved his love was the Goddess, for She knew him before anyone else. The Goddess somehow trusted that he would find his way to Her, despite Damiana’s every effort to keep him away. He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess and then opened his eyes and headed back home. Patrysha was right; he had finally come home. It resonated true in his soul, and he embraced that feeling of belonging as he took the path back to the house.

  -o-

  Patrysha opened her eyes and leaned her head into her hands while resting her elbows on her knees. Rafe had truly drained her, but she knew that Ar’ch would be her toughest feat. She had to tackle not only his stubbornness and hard-headedness, but she also had to deal with his anger and fear. Patrysha took a few deep, cleansing breaths before she reopened her soul to search for Ar’ch. She found him sitting at the top of a hill behind Cybil’s back yard. The sun shone down upon him, and he seemed to be embracing its heat. She sat next to him, took a few more cleansing breaths, and then entered her realm.

  -o-

  Ar’ch opened his eyes to find Patrysha sitting on what he assumed was the ground. With everything being white, it almost looked like she was floating. He sat next to her and waited for her to open her eyes.

  She gave him a startled expression. “You came here quickly.”

  He smiled. “I am air. I am more receptive to invitations of the mind.”

  She returned the smile. “Of course. So, shall we begin?”

  “Sure, though I am not sure what we are beginning or how or why.”

  “I am here to bring you peace and provide you with clarity of your circumstances.”

  “And what circumstances are those?” he asked.

  She sighed. “Ar’ch, I’d prefer not to play games. You read minds, so you know what people are thinking. I can do so much more than that. I am an empath, blessed by our Goddess. I know not only your thoughts but also your emotions. I know your motives and your inhibitions and your subconscious’ needs, wants and fears. There is nothing that you can hide from me. So, no more act. No more trying to hide. The Goddess wants me to free you, so let me do Her bidding.”

  Ar’ch swallowed. “Fine, free me then.”

  Patrysha laughed. “If only it were that easy,” she sighed. “Why are you so angry?”

  “I’m not -” he began and then stopped himself; he needed to stay truthful if he wanted to save Sofia. “I hate how everyone is embracing Rafe as if he’s the Goddess’ greatest gift, when he stole our own savior away from us!”

  “He is the Goddess’ gift, Ar’ch. The Goddess’ prophesied that his birth would bring us our savior.”

  He stood up and paced. “I know! I get it. But he was raised by evil, and he could very well still be evil. This could all be one big trap to destroy us all.”

  “Do you really believe that to be true? You have seen inside his mind. You have seen his reaction to the truth of his birth.”

  “I have also seen his anger and hatred and resentment.”

  “And you have also seen his confusion and his hurt and his love.” Ar’ch rolled his eyes at her and turned away. “Why do you choose to focus on the negative? Why can’t you see where his journey has taken him and where he stands today?”

  “Because he took Sofia away from me, and she is now in danger because of him!”

  Patrysha smiled. “Yes, let’s discuss your guilt now.”

  “What?” he said, caught off guard.

  “Why are you still holding on to guilt?”

  “I’m n- ” He stopped himself again and exhaled in frustration. “I failed her. I failed all of them. I failed the Goddess. I failed my family. I failed Sofia. I lowered my guard, and it cost Sofia her safety.”

  “You love her,” she said.

  “And look where that has gotten her!”

  Patrysha sighed and shook her head. “Ar’ch, your prophecy states that you will love like never before when you discover the one is for you. Love, true love, is all-encompassing. You toyed around with affectionate feelings and half-loves here and there, but Sofia owns your heart and soul, and it scares you. You have always been perfect in everything you do, and now you’ve made a mistake and let your guard down.”

  “Exactly! And it could cost our entire race its future!”

  “Do you honestly think that the Goddess would entrust you with the care of our savior if She didn’t have faith in your ability to take care of her? Did you ever ask yourself why the Goddess chose Sofia to be your true love? Do you still not understand the power of love?”

  Ar’ch opened his mouth but had no words to say. He searched his soul and his heart and felt so weighted down. Finally, he expressed his innermost fear. “I am a failure at love.”

  Patrysha stood and hugged him. “Oh, Ar’ch. No one fails at love. Love is unconditional. One can only fail if he chooses not to embrace love.” She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Do you know that the Goddess loves you?”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  “Do you know that your mother and father love you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know that Angel loves you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know that Sofia loves you?”

  He hesitated, but when she raised her eyebrows at him, he spoke from his heart. “Yes, but I don’t deserve her love.”

  “We all deserve love, and it is Sofia’s choice to love whom she wants to love. And she loves you. She loves all of you, Ar’ch. She loves our Goddess. She loves your parents, even though they are not hers. She loves you. She loves Angel, and she loves Rafe. And she needs all of you to love her enough to work together to save her.”

  “But I don’t trust him.”

  “Trust our Goddess. Trust Sofia’s judgment. Believe in love, and let love guide you. Sofia cannot survive without you, Ar’ch. Fire needs air to survive and thrive. Without it, fire is snuffed out, destroyed, useless, alone. Focus on love, and bring our savior home.”

  He nodded as a tear trickled down his cheek. “I will.”

  “I know,” Patrysha said with a smile. “When you awaken, you will know your path and you will have peace.”

  Ar’ch blinked and found himself sitting underneath the silver and gold willow tree. Sofia loved willow trees, especially this one and the one near her home on Earth. So much had happened at the willow tree back on Earth. Could all of this have been avoided had Ar’ch not been so quick to pull Sofia away from Rafe? Had he taken the time to trust Sofia’s judgment then, would the truth have come out sooner?

  Ar’ch took a deep breath. Patrysha spoke the truth. He had seen Rafe’s memories. He knew the hurt and confusion and betrayal he had felt and had suffered. And if he could finally be honest with himself, he also knew that Rafe was not evil.

  Ar’ch’s arrogance and pride had already cost them so much time. He hated admitting failure, but he hated feeling lost even more, and he was lost without Sofia. He finally knew what needed to be done, and nothing would get in his way.

  -o-

  Patrysha dragged herself up Cybil’s steps and collapsed in the rocking chair that had been set on the porch for her. Cybil handed her a glass of tea and smiled. She closed her eyes and sipped her tea while rocking back and forth. They sat in silence for a long time while she took cleansing breaths and drank her tea.

  When she took her last sip, Patrysha took one last cleansing breath and opened her eyes. “Thank you, my friend.”

  “You are most welcome,” Cybil said. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Tired,” she answered honestly. “Was I successful?”

  Cybil smiled. “Only time and circumstances will tell. May the Goddess be with them all.”

 
Patrysha sighed. “They are going to need Her now more than ever.”

  Chapter Nine

  Drake touched Damiana gently on the shoulder, and she jumped in surprise. She had been staring down at the floor, so Drake followed her gaze and recalled that she had put a cell underneath where they were standing.

  “Good morning, Drake. I wasn’t expecting you,” she said.

  He saw her look away from the floor, which immediately made him suspicious. “I can see that. Who’s down there?” he asked, pointing to the floor. “And where is my son? I can’t find him anywhere.”

  Damiana began walking toward the throne room’s exit. “Everything is being taken care of, Drake.”

  He grabbed her by the arm and raised his power. “What exactly does that mean?”

  She looked to where he gripped her arm and then glared at him. “I caution you to keep your power in check because I am no longer the less powerful between the two of us,” she said, sending out her own wave of energy.

  He felt her power strike his skin and let go of her arm in shock. “How is that possible?” he asked, concern etched on his face. He immediately put his shields in place.

  Damiana smiled. She straightened her shoulders and pushed her long, lustrous, curly, black hair behind her shoulders. “The cell that I have built beneath my throne absorbs the power of the one who occupies it and transfers her powers to me. Despite her reluctance, our daughter is serving a useful purpose to our cause after all.”

  “Are you insane!” he yelled at her. “Our daughter is down there? You will kill her!”

  “As if you’ve ever cared about our daughter!” she scoffed. “All you have ever cared about is her and her son. I’ve never been good enough, and our daughter means nothing to you, so don’t pretend to care now.”

  He felt her try to break through his shields to torment him and knew she was losing her mind. She had never had the strength to even attempt to break his shields, and now he had to use effort to block her out. That meant that she had gained an incredible amount of power from Sofia, which made Drake wonder exactly how much power his daughter held within her. For the first time in his life, he feared Damiana. He needed to quickly get the situation under control.