Chapter 17

"But you should, by definition, maximize your clients dollar per square foot. Wasting money on frills does not serve the client if that is not part of their design protocol," the young man stated.

Michael sighed, 'The intro class was so much easier, ' he thought.

The twenty students in his master's level class looked up at him from their seats, waiting for a response.

The last three days had been a whirlwind.

...

Valerie and Tera had been none to happy with him early Monday morning as he stepped out of the cab in front of his flat.

What had followed was a surprisingly easy morning.

Michael had cooked them all breakfast, the first decent meal any of them had in almost 24 hours.

They talked easily about school starting that day, of Valerie's need to get an early start at the office. The innocuous chatter of people at ease in each other's company.

"I best be off," Valerie said as she stood from the table, taking her dishes into the kitchen.

"If you'll be on campus would you like to have lunch," she asked over the sound of the water washing away the remnants of her breakfast from the plate.

"We would love to," Michael said, more than a little bit of a question in his answer as he glanced from Tera to Valerie.

"One or both, I'll be happy with either," Valerie said, as she walked back over to the table.

Her hands slid gently into his hair on both sides of his head as she bent over, her lips finding his.

Michael was surprised by the passion of her kiss. Valerie's lips were soft and warm, parting as her tongue teased his in a seductive dance that ended far too quickly for Michaels taste.

"I'll see you later," Valerie said, looking into his eyes. Her statement laden with promise.

Turning she bent and gave Tera a kiss on her cheek.

Michael watched as a knowing smile passed between the two and then Valerie was grabbing her purse. Turning, she caught the keys Tera threw to her for the car Nigel had given her. The front door drifted closed behind her as she walked out into the gray dawn.

Michael sat looking towards the closed door for a moment, the after image of Valerie's auburn hair, the last bit of her to pass the threshold, burned into his memory.

Tera watched Michael as he stared at the door, smiling and shaking her head she rose and headed for the kitchen.

Rinsing off her plate she was watching as Michael's gaze moved from the door to her.

Smiling at him she said, "I'm going to get a few hours of sleep, when do you want to go to the University?"

"A few hours, it's only just after six, I feel like a run. What say we head over about elevenish?" he asked.

She stood there for a moment; he noticed her hands on either side of the sink, her long fingers splayed out on the cool umber shaded granite. The arch in her back, the way her eyes watched him, so very much like a predator sizing up her prey.

"That sounds good, do you want me to run with you before I hit the sack," she asked.

"No, it should be fine, I got a ton of sleep yesterday and I need the exercise, with classes starting today I should be fine, you get some rest," he finished as she moved around the counter towards him.

Michael stood as Tera moved in close to him. "Be careful," she said in a soft, almost worried voice.

She looked up into his eyes from beneath her lids, in that moment she seemed young, vulnerable, he had never seen a look from her quite like it.

His hand slipped into her dark hair, his palm and fingers caressing her, he bent just a bit and kissed her.

Her lips were hot, wet, lush. Her body moved into his, forming to his chest as her hands wound around his waist.

Their kiss was short but passionate. As it broke she opened her eyes and he saw a dark, seething passion there, one he would be happy to become lost in.

Her arms released him as she stepped back. Her finger came up, pointing at him. "I mean it, be careful," she said.

Moving quickly he bent and kissed the tip of her finger, surprising her as his lips closed over it. His eyes locking with hers for an instant and then that lopsided grin of his and he was off, taking the stairs to the loft three at a time as he went to change.

Tera shook her head, breaking the spell, trying to get her breathing back to normal from the ragged cadence it had suddenly taken on.

She sat at the table, listening to him moving around above her, the flush of the toilet, him humming lightly to himself as he brushed his teeth, the little things that many people never noticed. Tera noticed them all.

He came down the stairs, again taking them three at a time.

He was wearing the thin running suit that he favored, warm against the wind but not bulky so as not to impede his movement.

Michael smiled at Tera for a moment then he was out the door.

Tera, much as Michael had done only moments before, simply stared at the closed door long after he gone.

Michael's run had two notable moments.

The first was turning the corner and seeing the wooden windows open at the rowing hut he and Tera had found last week.

There were several people milling around, moving sculls into the water at the small dock, rummaging through a large pile of oars.

Michael slowed and walked up to the door, peering inside he was comforted that boat houses such as these, no matter what side of the Atlantic they were on, never changed.

"Good morning," Michael said to the man with the clipboard who had a decidedly haggard look on his face.

"Morning, what can I do for you," the man asked, more than a little impatience in his voice.

Michael understood how it was, trying to get rowers organized and on the water was somewhat akin to herding a pack of 5th graders around an amusement park. An exercise in patience.

"Nothing pressing, I see your busy, I had heard faculty could use a scull now and then, saw you were open and wanted to introduce myself and get a bit of information," Michael said with an easy friendly tone.

"Sorry, first day back and getting everyone where they need to be is challenging, Anthony Timmons, I coach this motley crew," he said walking up to Michael and extending a hand.

"A pleasure, Michael Dane, I'm teaching a few architecture classes this term," Michael said shaking the mans hand.

"Dane, Dane ... ahhh, University of Florida, you were good, I remember seeing a few of your races," Anthony said.

"I did a bit of rowing in college, was hoping to get a bit of oar time while I'm here, its been years," Michael said, a brief blush crossing his cheeks at being remembered yet again for something that was, for him, simply something that made him ... him.

"I'm sure we can get you fixed up, mornings are usually crazy but the hour before dusk is usually pretty quiet, why don't you come back by one evening next week and we should be able to set you up, you rowed singles yes?" Anthony asked as he moved back into the hut.

"Yep, singles was my thing, I appreciate the help, I'll swing back round one evening next week, have a great day Anthony," Michael said as he turned, restarting his run along the canal.

The other thing that happened was a name popped into his head un-bidden as he turned heading back towards his flat.

He was thinking of Aoife at the time, replaying the visions he had had. The cavern, the ancient energy of the place, all of it had a surprising duality of feeling, as if it was real and ... not, both at the same time.

The name that slid into his consciousness during his ruminations was Sirrush.

Michael shrugged as he picked up speed crossing the bridge just around the corner from his flat. The name falling to the back of his mind as the rest of the day's activities took its place.

The day had moved along easily. After his run Michael moved through his day, always conscious of either Tera, or Valerie, usually of both of them.

Lunch passed in a similar manner as breakfast had. Easy discussions, quiet laughter, the three of them getting more and more comfortable with the other.

"My uncle had a new car dropped off for me," Valerie said as lunch was concluding.

Reaching into her purse she grabbed a set of keys and laid them in front of Tera.

"You can have these back, it's parked over in the employee lot, don't want you guys to be stranded," Valerie said with a grin.

Tera smiled and took the keys, sliding them into her pocket.

"Thanks, my bike was destroyed, being so close to the explosion and all, it will be a few days before I can get it replaced," Tera said taking a last swallow of her coffee.

Michael watched the interplay between the two women, enjoying their easy conversation.

Thinking about it, Michael found that he was in need of transportation as well.

He always took great joy in driving, having a unique and eclectic mix of cars over the years. He missed the GT3 and found that he was looking forward to getting behind the wheel again.

His statement of this need brought about a surprising response from Valerie.

"I'm sure my uncle would be happy to help track down a car for you," Valerie said a little to quickly, eliciting a bit of a glare from Tera.

"Well, ummm... ," Michael started, hesitating a bit at what seemed to him an odd remark. He continued, " ... I appreciate the offer Valerie, but I think I can handle tracking something down."

There was an awkward silence at the table for a few moments. Valerie was kicking herself mentally for not keeping her wits. Tera was slightly amused as she looked over at the younger woman, seeing the blush in her cheeks and tension in her eyes.

It was Michael who broke the silence.

"I should be in good shape today, I have a few things to finish up this afternoon, but tomorrow looks to be fairly empty. I think I'll run into London tomorrow, poke around a bit see if I can come up with something," he said, as he laid his hand over Valerie's, trying to ease the worry that seemed to have come over her.

She smiled up at him, took his hand and gave it a brief kiss then was away, saying she had meetings the rest of the day, and asking if they would like to come to her flat for dinner.

"That sounds good," Tera and Michael both called to the young woman's back as she waved over her shoulder and disappeared into the building behind them.

Michael and Tera passed through the rest of the day easily, by the time late afternoon arrived Michael was starting to feel the effects of little sleep in the last twenty hours.

"What time are we suppose to be at Valerie's," Michael asked from his seat next to Tera.

"About an hour, long enough to get cleaned up and changed," she responded.

Tera had watched him through the afternoon and knew that he was starting to become fatigued.

'Seven bullet wounds will do that to you, ' she thought to herself as she pulled the Range Rover to a stop in front of the flat.

"I need a shower, then we can head out," Michael said wearily as he stepped from the car and walked towards the front door.

The shower revitalized Michael a bit, and less than an hour later they were knocking on Valerie's door.

Valerie opened the door, a brilliant smile playing over her lips as she greeted Michael and Tera, biding them inside.

Michael took in the small flat, neat and tidy, everything in its place, definitely a woman's home.

The smells coming from the kitchen elicited a rumble from Michael's stomach.

Blushing, he said, "smells good, do you need help with anything."

Valerie was a little surprised, none of her other boyfriends had ever cooked anything more than microwave popcorn or toast, usually burning both.

"Ummm ... I guess if you would like to prep the salad, that would be great," Valerie said hesitantly.

Tera smiled and sat herself across from the little kitchen island.

She had been watching and enjoying Michael's cooking for more than a week.

Tera was sure that Valerie was going to be as surprised as she had been, regarding Michael's ability in the kitchen.

Michael smiled and kissed Valerie on the cheek as he moved past her into the kitchen. Grabbing a knife from the block he found the vegetables and started in.

Valerie sat down next to Tera, expecting to see a bit of comedy before stepping in and finishing the salad prep herself.

"How was your afternoon Valerie," Michael asked, as he grabbed a red pepper and started cutting.

"It was good," Valerie began, her voice trailing off as she watched the knife become a blur in Michael's hand.

The pepper disappeared in a moment, then its green and yellow cousins followed suit.

Valerie sat with her mouth open watching Michael eviscerate the vegetables one after the other. His practiced moves showing a talent for knife work and his quick motions with the chopped, sliced and minced vegetables providing a glimpse of his overall love of cooking. You cannot move with the practiced ease he showed without loving it.

Michael finished with the small cherry tomatoes, halving and then halving again the last one, popping a quarter in his mouth as the rest were slid against the flat of the knife into the bowl with the rest of the veggies.

With a smile he looked over at Valerie and Tera.

"Next," he said brightly, eliciting a small round of applause from his audience.

Dinner passed quickly, the three of them talking off and on through out. All of them were a bit surprised that there was not a great deal of tension.

It seemed all of them felt, in this moment, that they were ... attuning to each other, learning and embracing the dynamic that was still forming between them.

Michael stood up plate in hand, heading towards the kitchen.

"None of that now," Valerie said, intercepting him and taking his plate.

"We can clean up, you relax, it will only take a few minutes," Tera said from behind him.

Sighing, Michael knew that he was out numbered, a line from Sun-Tzu popping into his head.

'Better to retreat from a superior enemy than to fight and loose, not allowing the ability to fight another day when the odds are more even.'

Michael sat down on the couch, his thoughts drifting as he watched the two women, his two women, work at cleaning up the dishes. He felt a wave of contentment at the scene as his eyes slowly slipped closed.

"They are both strong, but in very different ways, you provide the fulcrum on which both balance," Aoife's voice resonated in a smooth, deep tenor.

"Good evening Aoife," Michael said as he stood, stretching towards the ceiling of the now familiar cavern.

"So, to what do I owe this little visit my mysterious vixen," Michael questioned with a wide smile on his face.

Aoife's long deep chuckle vibrated throughout the cavern, giving the sense of a small earthquake, or ... one of those vibrating beds that Michael had gotten whiplash on once while on vacation with his parents.

"You seem to be in a good mood young one," Aoife began, her voice seemingly close.

Michael turned a 360 but did not see anything more than the flicker of shadows cast by the burning braziers along the walls.

"You were in a calm and centered space when you slipped to sleep on the woman's couch. I thought perhaps you and I could have a brief conversation while you rest. You must have many questions and I have been less than ... forthcoming. Ask, I shall answer that which I can and is appropriate," Aoife finished, her voice trailing to whispered echo at the end.

Michael stood at the edge of the small island, contemplating what to ask. There were so many questions, so many things he wanted to know, felt he needed to know, but in that moment only one really stood out.

"Will Valerie, Tera and I be able to make ... US ... work, I don't want them to be hurt or make ... sacrifices on my account?" he asked, wanting and not wanting the answer simultaneously.

"I provide you with the opportunity to ask anything, and you use it to ask of the women in your life and their safety," Aoife said, her eyes focusing yet again on this unique young man who held such promise.

"I cannot see the future, I don't know what will become of the relationship between the three of you. What I do know, is that asking the question, feeling as you do, is the first step to providing some balance for you all," she finished.

Michael thought of this for a moment, and then, surprising Aoife, he dove into the lake.

The water was crystal clear, and much much warmer than he expected.

Michael could see the reflection of the braziers easily through the waters shifting surface above him. Looking down was like looking into the primordial abyss, it could be that the bottom was just below his feet, or ... not present at all.

He broke the surface, pulling in a lung full of air and then dove down again, slicing through the water, enjoying, as he always had, the feeling of freedom and power he felt in the water.

Aoife watched him, amused that he had chosen to take a swim during their visit.

Regarding him, she was once again taken by his easy manner, his honest heart and his inherent strength of both character and will.

Walking up the slope of the island he emerged from the water, shaking his head like a dog before running his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back, exulting in the little burn his muscles produced from the swim. It was good to be alive.

"When will I actually meet you," Michael asked, looking around once again at the huge interior of the cavern.

"Soon I should think, the time comes when you will be ... tested. Once complete you will know things you never dreamed, understand things you thought you already did, and be asked to make a choice you never thought you could," Aoife answered somewhat cryptically.

"All right, here is another one, who or what is Sirrush," Michael asked. The name coming back to his thoughts unbidden.

The cavern became still as his questions last echo's faded.

It seemed as if time had frozen, the ripples in the lake pausing mid motion, the flames in the braziers freezing mid flicker.

There was a sense of foreboding, as if the saying of the name was enough to throw the balance of the planet out of alignment.

The pause deepened

The only sound Michael heard was the beat of his own heart, it grew louder and louder as the seconds ticked by.

Time seemed to expand, like a rubber band being pulled taught from both ends.

Michael had the feeling of being caught at the Nexus point, wondering at the impending shock to come when the tension became to great and the inevitable counter to this silence ... ensued.

There are sounds that you hear and cannot comprehend, the train like roar as a tornado passes just a bit too closely, the pounding of a breaking wave heard from beneath it, the all encompassing sensory input from within an avalanche.

All these palled in comparison to the sound that built to a frightening crescendo almost as quickly as it began.

Falling to his knees, barely able to keep his eyes open, Michael was astonished at the feeling of raw power and pure unadulterated hatred that bounced off the rock walls. It built and rolled over upon itself, feeding back and generating more and more power.

The flames in the braziers shot up over 30 feet, scorching the walls above them.

The water of the lake seemingly boiled like a pot too long unwatched, now roiling with a self-generating heat.

The very air took on a weight and power that battered Michael, leaving him in the center of a maelstrom un-thought of or dreamed of before.

"Michael, Michael, MICHAEL, WAKE UP!" the mixture of both Tera's and Valerie's voices made their way through, finally, to his overworked nervous system.

Standing straight up, gasping for breath, every muscle tensed to the point of failure, the energy to maintain his position left him almost immediately.

With a wild, helpless look in his wide eye's he began to fall.

Tera and Valerie caught him before he did.

Michael slumped against the women's arms, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, he felt his body covered in sweat, never had he experienced such an outpouring of emotion.

'Aoife, ' he thought with a shudder. Tears sprang forth from his eyes, slipping down over his cheeks like miniature creeks swollen from a spring snow melt.

It is one thing to experience your own pain, rage, desire, etc. We all temper your own emotions within the boundaries of what we can handle.

Being exposed to another's; a rage and terror that felt ancient as the foundations of the world and as fresh and powerful as the birth of a new sun all in the same instant was an experience Michael was not, and never could be ... prepared for.

The sensory overload still fresh in his mind he allowed Tera and Valerie to lower him back to the couch, his body trembling between them as they encircled him with their arms.

With a helpless look into Tera's eyes he slipped from consciousness falling towards her, his head resting on her shoulder, his hand twined around her waist in a grip that would not be loosed.

"My god what happened," Valerie said, the fear obvious in her voice.

For Tera it was a bit different. After years spent in combat, going through the hellish reality that it provides, Tera was well aware that there are terrors in the world that we are simply un-prepared to face.

She had seen Michael's look before, the realization that limits we thought impossible to endure, were found and stepped over with the ease of stepping off a curb.

She held him tightly in her arms, gently rocking him as Valerie got up to get a cold towel for his head, wondering at this odd turn of events, among so many others from the past several weeks.

"I'm sorry ... I'm sorry," Michael murmured as he fought for consciousness.

Valerie had taken over for Tera, holding Michael so she could change her shirt; it was drenched in Michael's sweat and tears.

"Shhhhh, It's ok, your fine, you have nothing to be sorry for," Valerie said, misunderstanding who Michael was addressing.

His eyes slowly slid open, blinking a few times his vision cleared, he felt someone holding him, opening his eyes he saw Valerie looking at him with worried eyes.

The kiss shocked her, one moment he was coming awake, the next his arms were curled around her, he was clutching to her as if he was a drowning man in search of his last breath and then his lips were on hers.

Needy, pressing, burning, she tasted the salt as one of his tears breached the gap between their lips; she pulled him closer as the kiss broke and his forehead found her shoulder.