Beware The Kiss Part 20

"Good morning."

Tayler turned in the direction of the voice. Gabrielle sat at the edge of the pool dangling her feet in the water. She wore a cream-colored bathrobe. Tayler swam over to her.

"Didn't sleep?"

Tayler shook her head, treading water.

"Didn't think so." Gabrielle's smile warmed Tayler's cold extremities and calmed her fear. "Do you want to talk?"

Tayler swam to the shallow end of the pool and grabbed her towel. She wiped her face and paused. "I yelled at Erica for not having a plan."

"I know. Ana and I heard."

"I should apologize, but I'm still so angry with her. She's been avoiding me since the cave-in. I wish someone would tell her that I'm on her side."

"I think you did this morning." Gabrielle took Tayler's hand. "Erica's an amazing woman. It's a miracle to see the things she's accomplished in these past twelve years. Many others would have completely shut down."

Tayler's cheeks grew red. She shrugged her shoulders and held out her hands. "Erica is a powerful woman."

"And so are you." The look in Gabrielle's eyes was sympathetic. "How do you feel about the power you possess?"

"I try not think about it."

"Why not?" Gabrielle looked puzzled.

"It's not for me." Tayler picked her words carefully. "I feel like the power comes from the crystal and that whoever possesses the crystal, possesses the power."

"But the crystal is only a tool." Gabrielle brought her legs up and hugged her knees. "Ana gave you the pendant to help you focus your powers."

"So," Tayler sat down on the edge of the pool. "I have the power to turn the water in this pool to blood?"

"Yes, if that's what you want."

Tayler's eyes widened. She gripped the edge of the pool.

"But only Raven would do something like that," Gabrielle added.

Tayler looked into her hands. "How did you know?"

"One of the housekeepers saw traces of the blood you tried to clean up. Marina alerted Ana because she thought you were hurt."

"Why didn't Ana say something to me about it?"

"Probably because you didn't say anything to her."

Tayler looked away, feeling ashamed. "She preys on my weaknesses."

"Raven preys on everyone's weaknesses, Tayler." Gabrielle looked at the blue sky above. "There are two women Raven can't kill."

"Ana and who?" Tayler watched Gabrielle intently.

"Her name is Carmen, Ana's sister." Gabrielle's answer surprised Tayler. "She'll be arriving this afternoon."

"What can she do?"

"She can help you better understand your power. Once you learn the extent of your abilities you'll be better able to fight Raven-on your own terms."

"So there is a plan?" Tayler's eyes grew wide.

Gabrielle nodded and helped Tayler to her feet.

"I'm so glad you're back in my life," Tayler's cheeks reddened. She looked away.

From the window in the library, Erica watched the embrace. "Jealous?" Ana whispered.

"Yes, aren't you?" Erica question was filled with loss. "No," Ana paused, "their friends.h.i.+p is bonded by the death of Tayler's father. Tayler misses her father and, before last night, missed Gabrielle. Now that Gabrielle has returned, the sense of loss is deeper. They share an intimate bond -not a s.e.xual one."

Erica sighed heavily. "She's very angry with me."

"She's angry with Raven." They watched Gabrielle and Tayler talking by the pool. "I believe she's frustrated with you."

"Me?" Erica pointed to herself quizzically. "Why?"

"You've been avoiding her since the cave-in. You still love her, but your actions make you seem indifferent."

"Indifferent - " Erica clenched and unclenched her fists. Her voice was bitter. "Absorbed, maybe, even preoccupied. Indifference is not telling us about Raven's visit the other night, and the blood bath."

"Tayler was frightened. We've known Raven longer. We expect bad things from her. To Tayler, Raven is intimidating and terrifying."

"She told me we needed a plan to destroy Raven." Erica searched Ana's eyes for answers.

"We have a plan." Ana faced Erica. "I've sent for Carmen."

Erica's eyes grew wide and she began to shake her head. "No."

Ana held up her hand. "Ricah, she is the only one who can help Tayler now. We have no other choice."

"Ana, her ways are basic and simple at best." Tears rolled down Erica's cheeks. "Just because she survived Raven's fury once doesn't mean she's an expert on how to destroy her."

"She's all we have, Ricah." Ana held Erica tight. Her voice reflected the dire consequence of the situation. "And whatever Carmen asks for we must give her." Ana turned when she heard the door open.

"Breakfast is ready," Gabrielle announced as she and Tayler strolled into the library. They stopped abruptly and stood in awkward silence.

Ana kissed Erica on the cheek and broke their embrace. "Join us when you're ready, Ricah," Ana walked past Tayler and took Gabrielle's arm.

At the door, Tayler stopped and turned back to look at Erica. As their eyes met, Tayler fought the urge to run to her and take Erica in her arms. Instead, she turned and quietly left the room.

Twenty-Two.

As night approached, and Carmen's arrival loomed, the atmosphere in the hacienda became increasingly strained. At eight o'clock, Carmen appeared, sending Ana's household into chaos. A room had to be prepared according to Carmen's instructions. After the introductions, and before she met with Tayler, Carmen had a private conversation with Ana in the study.

Carmen returned the yellowed doc.u.ments to Ana and chuckled. "She is a terrible poet, no?"

Ana closed her eyes. "It's what we have."

"It is enough." Carmen squeezed her large body out of the chair and walked to the window. "I live that evening in my dreams night after night."

"I would have died if you hadn't come."

"No, Raven wanted you alive. That was her first mistake." Carmen turned. Her eyes were dark and brooding. "Love is a weakness, a trap for the soul."

"Raven has no soul," Ana said through clenched teeth. "She sleeps with Satan."

Carmen slowly shook her head. "No, my dear, Ana, Raven does have a soul. That's why we are in this predicament. The good of her soul wanted someone to love, someone to believe in, someone to share life with. Her mistake was wanting all those things from you." Carmen lowered her voice. "She has always viewed you with such awe, an obsession perhaps. But the good of her soul wanted the love she saw you give so freely to others. To retain her sense of power and control, she turned to a book of black magic for the love she could not have. She had to drug you for you to love her."

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" Ana said through tight lips.

"No. We are human. We aren't attracted to everyone we meet. Unrequited love is a spark that ignites revenge on the dark side of the soul. Proof is in the records of civilization."

Ana nodded and stood abruptly. "We have little time. Will you help us?"

"Si. But first we must discuss what I want you to do." Carmen returned to her chair.

In her fifties and dressed in bohemian garb, Carmen seemed more mountain than mortal. Even though she was eight sizes larger than Ana, Carmen was undeniably Ana's sister. Her light brown eyes, aristocratic nose and tender mouth were like Ana's, but unlike her sister's, Carmen's voice was deeper and her movements were exaggerated. The air swirling around her was filled with electricity. The scarf draped about her neck floated along with methodical jerks punctuated by her heavy footsteps. Unable to find something to say to break the silence, Tayler followed her down the hall.

Carmen led Tayler into a room and quickly dimmed the lights. She lit several candles. The room Ana had provided had no windows and was bare except for a few pillows on the floor and a low table placed between them. She lowered herself on one of the large pillows.

"I seek the security of the womb when dealing with the powers of evil. Everything human begins here."

"Raven is more animal than human," Tayler watched Carmen's lips tighten.

"She may be evil, but like you and I, Raven came from the womb." Carmen pointed to a pillow on the floor. "Sit."

Tayler adjusted the pillow beneath her.

For several minutes Carmen stared silently into the flame of one of the candles. "My purpose tonight is to enlighten you about the powers you possess. So far, you, Ana and I have escaped Raven's attempts to kill us. Ana survived because Raven is in love with her. I have survived because I mean nothing to Raven. But you, you have survived Raven because you are wise, kind and gentle." Carmen smiled at Tayler. "But!" Carmen's sharply raised voice caused Tayler to jump.

"Do not be fooled. Wise, kind and gentle women are only food for predators. Raven wants to succeed and she'll do anything, anything to win. Do you understand?"

Tayler nodded.

"So let us begin. We have much to do tonight." Carmen placed two unlit candles on the table. One was black, the other white. She lit the two candles and began to slow her breathing.

"Modern lie detectors were designed to capture the essence of these two candles," Carmen smiled. Her eyes danced.

Tayler silently wondered if Carmen had any theatrical training.

"It's all very natural," Carmen replied.

"What? How did you know that's what - "

"Be warned, Raven can read your thoughts even before you think them."

Tayler blinked nervously.

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions. These two candles will tell me if your answers are the truth or lies. Let me show you."

Tayler watched as Carmen held out her hands. The two small flames immediately stopped wavering. As Carmen raised her hands the flames grew in length, but when she dropped her hands the candles went out. Upon raising her hands again the flames returned.

"You are an only child?" Carmen asked.

"Yes," Tayler replied. The black candle went out. She smiled knowing it was the wrong candle.

Carmen raised her hand and the flame on the black candle returned. "You are troubled by your growing attraction for Ana?"

Tayler felt her face burning. "No."

The white candle went out.

"Your mother's partner is Lady Barbara Winthrop Sullivan?"

"Yes." The white candle again went out. Tayler drummed her fingers on her thigh. Her last two answers were false. She had told no one about her feelings for Ana, not even Gabrielle. And her mother's partner was Catherine not Barbara.

"Good, everything is working as planned. We can begin."

"Wait. The wrong candles went out when I answered your questions." Tayler c.o.c.ked her head, her gaze flying from the black candle to the white.

"Ah, my dear, you are mistaken. We are dealing with the power of evil. We must reverse the images that we learned as children. Simply, black is white and white is black. When you told the truth the black candle went out, and when you told a lie the white candle did."

Tayler shook her head. It was going to be more difficult to work on Raven's level than she had imagined. She watched Carmen replace the candles with a dark blue one. Carmen lit this candle with a match.

"Hold your hand over the flame," Carmen commanded.

"But I'll burn my hand," Tayler protested.

Carmen raised her hand and held it over the flame without flinching. "Trust me."

Hesitantly, Tayler slowly brought her hand to the flame and held it. The heat seared her skin. "Ouch," she yelled shaking her hand in the air. "See, I told you I'd burn my hand." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Trust no one -not me, Ana, Gabrielle, Erica -and least of all Raven. The moment you let your guard down you die. Understand?"

Tayler nodded. Her hand throbbed.