Part 20
   The Reveal


  Malekai led me into a room where he instructed me to wait for Dominik. I simply nodded as I looked around the place.

I didn't hear him leave, and it could be that my attention was caught up by the decor.

The walls were grey in color with no paintings, or photos.
Perhaps he chose them to be bare. The only thing close to wall art was a huge black framed mirror that leaned against a lonely wall.
  A charcoal grey tuft sofa, and two winged chairs across from it sat in the center of the room.
In between the furniture was a rectangular bevelled glass that was held up by two pedestals shaped like hands.
As a centerpiece, red, and purple orchids filled a silver vase.

  The pieces fit perfectly on a white shag carpet that was surrounded by marble flooring.

Above it all hung a beautiful chandelier with tear drop crystals, and beaded pearls that draped throughout this elegant piece.

  I walked around the quiet room, feeling the texture of the upholstery,
and I found myself standing in front of the large mirror.

  Seeing my reflection, my hair was a nice mess, and my clothes, although quickly thrown together, looked good.

Vanity was never a concern for me, but I have to admit that I liked this look.

I also saw Dominik standing a few steps away, and I was a little embarrassed that he caught me checking myself out.

He came to stand behind me, placing his hands on my hips. His touch made me feel tingly.

He said,
" You are a vision, and one that I can't bare to never see again! "

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I changed the subject.

  I looked around, and showed my appreciation for it's decor, and I guess he was alright with that.
He took a step back, and spread his arms wide.

He asked,
"Do you like it?"

  He stared at me with those eyes that I didn't want to turn away from. His smile was warm, and his lips were inviting.

He said,
"I really hope that you do. I want you to feel at home in my place."

  I really did love it, and he knew it.

A knock on the door brought me back, and Dominik excused himself to answer it.
I could see that it was Malekai.

They were discussing something that apparently had Dominik upset, and Malekai frustrated.

When he returned, I had strolled over to the windows. Placed in between each window were large vases with a scenery of villages. Each one had a different design that was beautifully detailed.

Though it was dark, I could see the shadows of trees that appeared to touch the sky above.

I asked,
" What time is it?"

No expression on his face, I started to ask again.

He quickly said,
" Shannon, if you'll give me tonight without worrying about time, or where we are, I will answer whatever it is you want to know."

It was certainly a good proposal, how could I say no.

I said,
" Ok, deal!"

Looking out the window, I wondered if the shadows were still watching, listening, whispering.
He took my hand, and led me towards the sofa.

I sat down, then he stepped away through a door on the other side of the room.

I began to wonder about the visions that flashed in, and out of my head. I knew they were tied to him.
As I remembered the cards, my heart started to beat faster.
I closed my eyes, and commanded myself to calm down.

Another moment passed, then Dominik
returned with two crystal glasses filled with red wine.
I hesitated as he handed one to me.

He said,
" Take it Shannon, relax, let's talk."

I looked at him with suspicion.

He added,
" All we have to do is talk, if that is what you wish!"

The nervous knots I was feeling didn't seem to fade as I sipped the wine. It was quiet, and I wondered what he was thinking about.
He broke the uncomfortable silence.

He said,
" Now then, what is it that you'd like to ask me?"

  I doubt that he'd be straight with me.

I asked,
"I want a straight answer!
No riddles, no answer in the form of another question!"

He licked his lips, followed by a soft laugh, and I wished he didn't do anything to entice me. This wasn't easy for me, because my body already wanted him.

He said,
" I will give you the best answer that I can."

He sat across from me, and I forced myself to look away.
I needed a distraction, something that I could focus on, because the feeling he brought out had me wanting to explore every inch of him.

Ugh, focus woman! I commanded myself as I scanned for a target. My eyes settled on the centerpiece of beautiful orchids.
They are my favorite, and I used them to organize my thoughts.
Hmm, what question should I start with.

He asked,
"My love, are you ready?"

I looked at him, and decided what my first question should be.

I asked,
" Why do you call me that?"

Dominik didn't look surprised that I asked him that.

He answered,
" It is a term of endearment. Do you wish for me not to call you my love?"

I said,
" No questions! A term of endearment calls for a deep feeling for someone. Do you use the term loosely? Just with anyone?"

He was quick with his answer.

He said,
" No, not just anyone. As a matter of fact, never have I used it before!"

His answer surprised me.

I asked,
" At the party, you said that you were celebrating life. I got the feeling there was more to what you said.
What did you mean?"

He took a moment before he answered.

He then said,
" What I meant to say was that I was celebrating a new life."

His answer could have many meanings.
I was confused because some meanings I thought of just didn't fit with his persona.

I asked,
" What does that mean? Are you getting married? Having a child with someone? Perhaps a change in your gen...."

I felt embarrassed at the thought of him changing genders. I couldn't finish the last question. Either way, I was hoping the answer would be no to all of the above.

Dominik laughed as though he read my thoughts. His expression was serious now, and he waited a brief moment before he spoke.

He said,
" No plans for marriage any time soon. As for a child, one never knows, and I celebrate a new life, one that I hope soon will be a part of mine!"

He meant his words, and I'm hoping he will elaborate.

I asked,
" I don't follow, care to explain?"

He smiled, and looked me straight in the eye.

He said,
" A Life that will be mine, all mine, only mine. Not just a signature on a contract, but in all that is her. In mind, body, soul, and with what is most valuable, a treasure that she carries in abundance within her."

I said,
" That's a pretty tall order you're asking for.
Tell me, does she know about this plan of yours? I mean it's a little presumptuous of you to celebrate before knowing for sure if she will bite!"

His serious expressions were beginning to make me feel a bit uncomfortable. I wondered if what I said upset him.

I added,
" You seem to be ahead of your own game, and she may not
even know she is playing."

He quickly answered,
" Oh but she does know! Deep down inside she is very aware of the power she wields. She is unlike anyone I've ever encountered. No one has ever bewitched me as she has!"

The words he spoke echoed in my head as I heard Male....never mind.

He continued,
" Never has anyone surrendered so completely to me, even after knowing everything, after seeing everything in it's truth. I want to celebrate a joining with my match, with all that is she."

This line of questioning had just turned deep. Really intense, and perfect for Jack the bartender.
However, I knew Dominik was talking about me.
His gaze caught me, and demanded my attention. An expression I could not ignore.

He said,
" One I don't plan on ever letting go!"

Dominik meant every word he said. It didn't frightened me, but I needed to change the topic.

I asked,
" The envelope, why did you give me such an amount?"

I was relieved to see his smile return. This told me he was ok with the switch.

He replied,
" You deserved it my love."

I'm not sure if I agree with him, and
I think it was overly generous.

He added,
" Shannon, you earned it, especially since you gave away Dorian's generous tip."

It didn't surprise me that he already knew this.

I asked,
" How did you know?"

He said,
" It doesn't matter, what else would you like to know?"

Again with the dodging of the questions. Ok, I'm not letting him slip through this one.

I asked,
" The initial D on the card."

He gave me a nod of acknowledgement.

I said,
" It's a match to the one left the night before. I'm not asking, because I already know they are identical. I also know it was you I was with the night I don't remember."

I waited a few moments to see his reaction. Talk about a poker face, he expressed nothing.

I continued,
" What I want to know is why can't I remember everything? Why do I get flashes of certain things that happened that night?"

Dominik was quiet for a long moment, and I noticed a reaction in him.
He looked genuinely surprised.
He straightened his shoulders, and seemed a bit concerned, but I wasn't sure.

He said,
" My love, I don't think that you are ready to know the truth!"

Frustration came to settle in.

I said,
" Fuck Dominik, do you have any idea how irritating it is to get a glimpse of something, only for it to quickly disappear. Never getting anything solid, or long enough to make any sense of it!"

He gave me an apologetic look that I didn't understand.

He said,
" You weren't supposed to remember any of it."

Confused, I asked,
" Why is that?"

He let out a sigh, and  something tells me that he has been dreading having to explain something that may not end well.
I could be wrong, but I have to know.

He said,
" My love, there is so much you do know, and much more that you shouldn't. As I told you before, you are a rare creature that has me mesmerized."

I gave him an inpatient look. He wasn't exactly answering the questions. Then he sort of gave me an answer.

He said,
  " I truly cannot say why you are able to call forth that which should not have stayed in your mind. Even to me it is a mystery that you are aware of your time here with me, and the life you have. They were meant to be kept separate, yet somehow you have managed to merge them both."

I wondered why they had to be separate. Then something hit me. It had me excited, and scared at the same time. I got lost in my thoughts.

The dreams I've had of people I don't know, or maybe I do, and just haven't connected them to me. I looked at Dominik, and he was watching me with intense eyes.

He asked,
" Tell me, do you hear me when I call on you?"

I searched my memories, and I remembered hearing his voice when the couple argued outside my place. I struggled with the shadows that were running wild in my head. It was enough to drive anyone insane.

Dominik stood in front of the mirror, as he watched my reflection. He appeared to be speed reading a book. I wondered what was going through his mind.

I finally said,
" Sometimes I think I hear you, but you sound so far away. It's like a distant whisper."

He stared, waiting for me to go on. I recalled hearing his voice  before I got into the car.

I added,
" Yes, I heard you asking me to come to you."

As he closed his eyes, he smiled, extending his hand out to me.

He said,
" Come my love!"

I walked over to him, and he stood behind me as I faced the mirror.

He asked,
"Tell me, when these flashes come, what do you see?"

  I frowned because this questioning suddenly took a new direction.

I stared at him through the mirror, feeling a little like I had just been conned out of being interrogator.

He said,
" Close your eyes, and think of the moment that brought you the first vision."

I did as he asked, the memory of that flash blurred its way into my head.

I said,
" I was about to shower, I let my hair down, a flash of someone letting my hair loose from it's....

I said,
"It was you who released my hair from it's ties."

Dominik moved his hands to my shoulders.

He asked,
" What else did you see?"

Remembering the white card with date
written on it. I opened my eyes, a turned to face him.

I said,
" The date, a scheduled appointment that wasn't due for another month. It changed before my very eyes. Today's date!
Why would you do that? How did you...."

  Fuck a duck, I was excited, but I wasn't sure if I'd get an answer that made sense.
My heart was racing, and I was way too anxious.

He stroked my hair, and soothed me with soft hushes. Then he wrapped his arms around me.

He whispered,
" Yes, I did change the date, but only after you denied me the pleasure of your company. After the celebration, I was hoping you'd come on your own if I offered an invitation to join me."

I put my head against his chest.

I said,
" You sent Malekai for me, a stranger, and thought that I'd be ok with that!"

He said,
" Malekai is my loyal right hand, I can assure you that you were in good hands. I was sure you'd take a liking to him. Was I wrong?"

He didn't really get the point.

He continued,
" After you so kindly declined, I did what I had never done before."

Well it certainly wasn't taking no for an answer.

He said,
" I debated, and chose to give you another opportunity to come, and again you refused. It was then that I  decided that I didn't want to wait any longer to see you. So..."

He shrugged his shoulder in a nonchalant way. He was going to say something, but I cut him off.

I said,
" So you decided to change the date, knowing that I could not refuse you with a scheduled time!"

He nodded in agreement, then I snuck in my question again.

I asked,
" Dominik, how did you change the....."

He interrupted by simply saying,
" My darling, in time you will learn that you may already know the answers you seek."

I thought about something that popped in my head earlier, but opted for another question that jumped out at me.

I asked him,
" These appointments, do you change them often?"

He replied,
" No, this would be the first."

Then I asked,
" Is there a time that I don't answer your call?"

He said without hesitation,
" Not possible!"

I asked,
" Why not? If I am such a rare creature, as you say, then is it possible that I can resist your call, just as you are able to resist Dorian's charm?"

Oh no, I hope he doesn't realize I knew this.
He was firm when he stated his answer.

He said,
" NO!"

Dominik's eyes were wide, and filled with what I think was doubt. Determined to get an answer that I was satisfied with, but so far he's avoided the one's I need him to come clean with.

I said,
" You don't sound so sure. What makes you believe I can't break them?"

He let out a soft laugh, and put his hand in mine , and led me towards the windows.

He said,
" There is no resisting my call because it is in your contract. You must obey when I call on you."

But I'm not like any other, and a standard contract I believe is for a standard individual. I took a chance in thinking this, and wanted to see his reaction.

He said,
" My love, do not rush things. Don't be in a hurry to remember it all at once. There is so much to call forth, and in doing so will only leave you confused. You will be overwhelmed by emotions that you may not be able to control."

I have to admit he had a point. I already felt lost, and had mixed emotions about everything we have discussed. I had so many questions, but there was something I was itching to ask.

I wasn't sure if he'd be ok answering questions about tall, blonde, and snobby.
Still I wanted to know.

I asked,
" What does Dorian mean to you?"

He stood very close, and my heart skipped a beat.
I can't deny that through the whole interrogation, a huge part of my body ached for him.

He whispered,
" You needn't worry about her. She doesn't, nor will she ever have what you have awakened in me."

Great! That doesn't really answer my question, and what did he mean? What did I do?

His face gently caressed mine. I felt his breath against my skin. I wasn't sure how to feel about what he said, but my body on the other hand, reacted rather quickly to his touch. I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. Especially considering what Mal.....

He suddenly moved away from me.

He said,
" Do not try to shut me out my love."

Interesting to learn that my thoughts don't have to be so easily read. The down side is that now he knows that I know this. This really blows.
I couldn't tell if he was angry about it.

He walked over to the table and picked up my glass of wine.

He said,
" Please do try to relax my love. Tonight we share it in just talk."

Ok, he wants to talk, so let's talk.

I asked,
" If I wasn't meant to remember our last encounter, why am I getting visions of it?"

Taking my hand, inviting me to sit with him.

I continued,
"I know that you said you weren't sure, but I would like to hear your theory."

He thought about it for a moment, as I watched, and waited for his response.

He then said,
" There were moments when my thoughts of you were so strong, I could almost feel you near me, and even though I was not in your presence, I would catch your scent. I wondered if at those strongest moments, you were doing, or feeling the same. Although I could see you at any time, I could not physically touch you.
To do so, you'd have to will me to. However, a set time leaves you with no choice but to come when I call on you."

I took another sip, and was thinking of something that occurred one night.
My dream felt so real, and I wondered...

I asked,
" Straight up, have I ever called on you during my sleep?"

He was hesitant to answer.

Then finally said,
" Yes!"

I asked,
" Even though I was asleep, were you able to touch me?"

He replied,
" Yes!"

I asked,
" Were we intimate?"

He answered,
" Yes!"

I was quiet for a few minutes. Weighing the pros, and cons of this new information.

I said,
" I went to you, and since it was during your sleep state, I could only do what you asked of me."

Hmm, this could be a good thing.

I asked,
" You'd have to grant what I wish for?"

He said,
" Yes, except that!"

Damn! I looked into his eyes, searching, wanting to swim in his thoughts.

Then I asked,
" How many times have I answered your call?"

I waited for him to respond, and I could tell the he was reluctant to to say anything.

He said,
" At the moment I don't feel it is important for you to know, and we'll leave it at that! "

I seriously didn't like his response, but I left it alone. For now that is!

Something told me that Dominik was holding out on me,
call it a gut feeling.

He asked,
" Shannon, are you alright?"

I pointed my finger to my head.

I said,
" You tell me!"

I wondered if I could resist his hypnotic gaze. My guess is only a test would give me that answer.
He watched me with intense eyes.

He said,
" My love, your success with resistance is only because I allow you to look away."

Well fuck, that didn't go so well. Ok then, I have more questions to ask.

I asked him,
" So now that I've connected the time spent with you during these appointments, and the life I have now, is there another existence that I'm not aware of?"

He didn't say a word.
I wondered, if there's a past life that he doesn't want me to know about.
I had to know, and I'm sure he wasn't going to tell me.

I needed to find a way to get to the memories that were guarded by dark shadows.
Nothing was going to stop me from getting them back,
not even Dominik!  


<💀>
     Written by
Sarah M Gutierrez


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