Chapter Six: Karmic Trails

Juliana

Twenty-four hours of normal is a gift from heaven I wasn’t expecting. Normal-good — not my new normal which consists of spirits seeking consultations with loved ones and wretched misbehaving ghosts who take pleasure in taunting the living. No, the last day and a half have been filled with excellent music, my adorable brooding boyfriend, and best of all, my clean non-drug abusing brother.

Jared has been totally on his game. His guitar has been an extension of his best self. When I see him work in the studio, it’s as if he’s the brother I’ve always known coupled with the best brother I could ever imagine. The more the band plays, the more I see Jared becoming the man I always knew he would be. He’s energetic and his brilliant suggestions to make their songs tighter keep flowing out of him. Even the sound technician remarked at how well he’s playing. I’m in awe as I see the guitar feed him in a way that only creative art can sustain an artist. The more he plays, the more his energy builds and soon there is no distinguishing the separation of him from the instrument. The indigo blue Gibson is part of his body and soul. His etheric energy wraps around the body of the guitar until it is literally a part of him. It’s the most extraordinary thing I have ever seen in regard to someone’s aura and I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff, including my angelic boyfriend who is pretty spectacular looking in the realm of energetic fields.

“When Steven takes off, I’m going to stay with him,” Nathaniel says in my ear.

“I figured you would. I overheard Star say they wouldn’t need him to return until the show on Friday night.”

“It’s been uneventful around here lately,” Nathaniel comments.

“Shhh… don’t ruin the streak,” I whisper, and glance around as if an ill-tempered pixie who dishes out misfortune will sneak up on us for thinking about how nice my normal-good streak has been. Either that or find Marcus snarling verbal warnings down Nathaniel’s neck. Honestly, I’d rather have the pixie.

“What are you looking for?”

“Nothing,” I say as an embarrassing blush creeps over my cheeks.

“It’s something,” Nathaniel says, scrutinizing me.

“Stop it.” I place my hand over his eyes.

“Stop looking at the prettiest girl in the room?”

“I’m the only girl in the room, Nathaniel.”

“You’re always the only girl in the room,” he says, and leans forward, my hand still over his eyes, to seek my lips with his.

His kiss lands on my eyelashes. I breathe him in, savoring his clean sweet scent. He brushes his tender and too warm lips over my eyelid, to my cheekbone, and my lips.

“I may smell different after I fall,” he says.

“That’s a shame.”

“Will you still love me?”

“Will you still be a gorgeous moody sap?” I ask.

“Now I’m sappy? Your words sting my lovesick heart.”

“You’re sick, too? I don’t know if I can handle so much drama in my life.”

“Of course you can,” a female voice says.

I flinch at the sudden intrusion on our moment and open my eyes. Star’s watching us. She takes a drink from a can of soda, her gold eyes never waver.

“If you can put up with my tragic self, you can handle anything he throws at you.”

Nathaniel stiffens, even more than I do. He shifts forward, placing his body slightly in front of mine on the couch.

“Oops,” she says demurely. “I’m super at being in the right place at the wrong time.”

“Did you need something, Star?” Nathaniel asks.

“Lots of things.”

She glides over to the window where Mostly Mayhem is finalizing their last track.

“Let’s go outside.” I take Nathaniel’s hand and start to rise from the couch.

“Jules, wait,” Star says.

She doesn’t approach, which is good. I might be tempted to run out of the building shielding the side of my neck. Star has changed since she started taking her medication again. Her hair is now a midnight blue with a streak of white and black in it and cut in angular wedges. She continues to wear the goth outfits, but it’s her attitude that’s different.

“Before you go — and I don’t blame you for wanting to get far away from all my crazy nonsense — I wanted to say I’m sorry for everything.”

Her shoulders rise with tension and she stares up at the ceiling for a long pause. The inner struggle inside her almost has my empathy. Almost. But she’s really trying to apologize, so I suppress my panic and let her finish.

“Thank you for using the fire extinguisher on me. If you’d let me burn, we would be in better balance in the whole karmic universe kind of way, but catching on fire is extreme, even for me.”

I cover the side of my neck with my hand where she attempted to end my life. I can’t help it. Some instincts are too strong to be denied.

“Your karma, not mine,” I say.

“You’re right,” she agrees easily. “But I appreciate the help the other night. I could have messed up the tour for everyone and that’s not kosher.”

“It almost sounds like you’re thinking about others instead of only yourself.”

“Maybe.” She averts her gaze to look directly at my brother in the recording room.

Her sudden sorrow upon focusing on Jared makes me realize that medicated or not, she regrets losing him through this whole ordeal.

“I want to make my karma right, if I can. I came in here to say that if I can help you or your brother in any way, I will.”

Star wanders toward the door to the hallway.

“You don’t have to make it up to the ones you’ve personally injured. You only have to equal the karmic debt by doing some good for anyone.”

“I know,” she says. “It would mean more if I could help you, though. That’s all.”

She shrugs and takes another drink from the soda can. “Your burn salve is magical, Jules. You’re an angel in disguise, aren’t you?”

My eyebrows rise at her choice of words and I don’t answer. She sort of shrugs half-heartedly and slinks out of the room as quietly as she’d come.

Rounding into Nathaniel’s arms, I press my cheek to his chest. “Does she know about you?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if she does. Her aunt is my unofficial employer, and Vivi knows everything.”

“Hmmm. I’m not sure how I feel about that,” I say.

“Me, either. But I trust Vivi. She’s given me a real job. I’m even in her will to be a caretaker on the ranch if or when she dies.”

“Nathaniel, it’s all too weird.”

“It isn’t. I have to have a plan for after I get my life back. That means security. A job, income, a place to live. I’ll take care of you.”

“You know I don’t want to be taken care of,” I say, unable to restrain my feminist views.

“You know what I mean. We will take care of each other. Does that sound better?”

“It does. Do you think Star is up to something?” I ask, feeling a little shaken by her appearance.

Star’s Aunt Vivi is a powerful witch. I don’t know her, but I would never second guess Nathaniel’s opinion of her. Vivi is also elderly and sick. I know Star has some supernatural skills. She helped me expel nasty spirits who were residing in my bedroom closet. Other than that, I don’t know if Star wields other kinds of magic.

“I don’t think so, Juliana. Her apology appeared sincere.”

“It’s hard to trust my intuition after she tried to kill me. It may have been an accident, but it still happened. I want to believe she’s being genuine, but I also know I trust people too easily.”

“Let it go for now and we’ll stay away from her on the tour. Sound good?”

“That’s a solid plan,” I say.

“I’ll ask Vivi about her niece next time I’m at the ranch.”

“It may be way too hard, Nathaniel.”

“What is?” he asks, concern etched in his silken voice.

His fingers stop trickling down my back as he waits for my answer.

“Living with the most thoughtful and amazing boyfriend.”

He hugs me closer and shakes his head, dismissing my assessment of his character.

“As long as I can live, then I guess you can keep your delusions about me.”

“I’m not delusional. You’re going to be impossible in every perfect way.”

“And while you’re thinking about impossible men, did you get a hold of Chris about your next lesson?”

“No. I tried to reach him by phone all day. I’m starting to think he isn’t back from the search for his father.”

Nathaniel nudges me backward enough to see my face. “You’re really concerned, aren’t you?”

“He’s made such a big deal about training me in the ways of the spirit world that I started taking it seriously. Now, he’s missing and I have a bad feeling.”

“You don’t know he’s missing,” Nathaniel says, his eyes holding steady on mine. “Did you have another one of your visions?”

“No,” I say with a shudder. The visions aren’t a fun time. “I thought about trying Chris’s suggestion of purposely meditating on someone or something specific, but I can’t deal with the whole disconnect from my consciousness. Besides the visions are like dreams. I don’t always interpret the images correctly.”

“Then don’t. I can find Chris for you if you want to make sure he’s all right.”

I pull back from his searching gaze and stare at my shoes.

Through the speakers, I hear Caleb call it quits. They’re thrilled to be finished. It’s a relief to everyone to have the last song recorded. Before finalizing the album, there will be cutting and sound editing, but Mostly Mayhem’s part of the process is pretty much over.

“I can’t ask you to do that. Chris isn’t your biggest fan.”

“He won’t have time to pull out the sage and say a prayer before I’ll be out of there and back to let you know.”

“Thank you,” I say, and turn on the couch to place my lips against his. “It will be a ginormous relief knowing he isn’t lost in the desert with his father. I’m worried about the horses, too.”

Apprehension mixes with concern and seems to harden the sudden steel in Nathaniel’s gray eyes.

“Is something happening with your client?” I ask, thinking the distance I see lurking in Nathaniel’s gaze is one I’ve seen before.

“Possibly.”

“Then you should go back to work. If you want to check on Chris when you have a spare minute, I appreciate it, but not when Steven needs you,” I say.

I won’t be the needy female. Letting Nathaniel use his angelic powers to do me a favor and check on my shaman friend is a huge request for me. I like being independent, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t get over myself. Being in a relationship means letting someone share responsibilities and accepting their kindness. So, I’m going to take Nathaniel up on his offer.

“Okay, boss,” he says, and brushes a kiss over my lips. “See you soon.”

Nathaniel slips out of my arms and out of the room, vanishing like an illusion or a trick of the eyes.

“Soon,” I whisper, wondering if he can catch the trail of hope I send after him.