Chapter Seven (The Truth Bomb)

Julian stood over her mother’s grave as James finished packing the soil. It felt to her like she would never stop crying, the guilt was so strong. Julian knew she hadn’t meant to kill her mother but the fact, was that she had. Now her so called father was back. What was she supposed to do now?



James put the shovel back into the small shed set beside the garden and came to stand beside Julian. What was he supposed to do now? He thought to himself. He couldn’t stay here, it wasn’t home, never had been. He had to take her with him, back to Erislan. His beautiful home, where he had left to start a family with his wife. His wife… he felt the deep stab of pain in his heart for his beautiful wife. She had been his world, and yet his nightmare and her own destruction.



James knew there was no use in dwelling on the woman he couldn’t save. He knew she was in the spirit world now and that one day he would see her again and so would Julian. He did know that he had a duty, though. That was duty was to make sure Julian remembered her mother the way he remembered her. He could still see her smiling up at him, as they danced in each other’s arms at their going away celebration her family had thrown for them.



“James, promise me we’ll be happy. Where ever we go on our journey in life, we will always make the best of whatever comes our way.”



The vivid memory brought tears to his eyes. They had been so happy together. Julian was what their love had given life to and he was never going to let go. James’ heart started to lift. Leona and Kaleb, Adrianna’s parents, they were in Erislan. Along with the rest of Adrianna’s brothers and sisters. He was so excited for Julian to meet them, they had been so supportive of Adrianna and James’ marriage. They would love her like Adrianna would have if she would have been herself.

James could not wait any longer, they had to leave now. All he had to do was figure out how to get them to Erislan. Julian would have to get them back, after all only a valenian could open the portal.

James turned toward Julian and laid his hand on her shoulder. Julian looked up at him with wet mournful eyes. James felt the love he had for her swell up inside of him and just like instinct he embraced Julian.

Julian was taken aback by James’ hug. At first she did not know if she liked it but then, she felt a light shock of electricity run through her body and she felt like a soft glow was emanating from their bodies. She felt a warm rush that flooded her senses, overwhelmed with emotions. She felt excitement, happiness, guilt, sadness, but what really overwhelmed her was the love that she felt flowing from James. She knew without a doubt that this man was telling the truth, he really was her dad.

“Whoa! Did you feel that too? That was amazing!” Julian gasped as they let go of each other.

“I didn’t feel anything.” James said laughing at the excitement in her voice and the redness of her cheeks.

They just stood there staring at each other. James could not believe how much she looked like her mother. She was the perfect mix of Adrianna and James. She had Adrianna’s high cheek bones, and copper skin, but her long wavy hair, a dark almost black color, and her nose were like James’. Her big bold eyes were all her own, though. They were the most peculiar eyes, one was a dark violet and the other was a bluish greenish color.

Now that she could see James, from the glow of the morning sun, she could definitely see the similarities between them. This made her so excited! Her mother had always told her that her father had died working on a cargo ship when she was a baby. It was so surreal to actually see him in the flesh. The odd fact about the whole situation was that Julian felt no discomfort around him now. During their embrace, she could feel the cocoon of protectiveness he emanated. This was a strange feeling of comfort, but yet it felt natural and good. She felt like a piece of her had been put into place in her soul.

“So what do we do now?” Julian sniffled.

“Well… I don’t know if your mother ever told you- wait, what did your mother tell you about me?”

“All she eve told me was that you had died on a cargo ship…every time I asked for more she just shot me down.” Julian said as she downcast her eyes.”

James frowned, “Well, that is all going to change. I want you to know everything! Everything about me and your mother. She was so different when we first met. Beautiful, vibrant, she loved life!” James smiled brightly. “Here’s the difficult part I have to tell you.” James took both of Julian’s hands in his. “What I’m about to tell you is going to be hard to believe but I want you to open your mind to every possibility.”

Julian’s mind was racing. “Ok, I will.”

“Your mother and I..,” he stopped trying to find the right words. “We’re not from this world.”

Julian looked at him like he had just grown horns. “What are you saying? You guys are from Mars or something!” Julian giggled.

James smiled, “Something like that, but much, much more beautiful and amazing.”

James could not hold his excitement in. “The world we are from, is the world of the ancients. It is one of many.”

“What? What is that? How do you get there?”

“That is going to be the difficult part. I do not really know how to get back to it. You see your mother and her family are Valenians-”

“Their Va what?”

“They are Valenians. Oh, how to explain…” James scratched his head. “They are wise and extremely knowledgeable. In the present world, here, they might be called witches because of the knowledge and power they contain would be perceived as magic. They know about every world and how to get from each one to the next. Everything is transparent to them. That is why you felt everything I was feeling when we embraced.”

“Wait, you’re saying I am like them? But I have no earthly clue how to get back to your world.”

“That is right you do not have an earthly clue, because no one here in the present world would know how. But you possess the ability to know.”

“And how am I supposed to figure this out?”

“Well, I know where the portal is, and I can take you to it but I’m not really sure about the rest.” James said frowning.

Julian thought he was crazy! How was she going to figure out how to get them back to his world without a so called Valenian? Staring at him with the worry and excitement on his face made her want to at least go to wherever the portal was and try for both their sakes.

"She had been his world, and yet his nightmare and her own destruction."


-- This is a beautiful line. I love it. It says everything the reader needs to know about their relationship, even though I know you intend to elaborate more on it.


"Her big bold eyes were all her own, though." 


--This type of description is the best kind. It says so much with saying so little.


"Julian looked at him like he had just grown horns. “What are you saying? You guys are from Mars or something!” Julian giggled."


--The use of 'as if' as a descriptive really becomes this part. It works well with what Julian says too. Got to love the innocence of a young person.


Their dialogue actually flows really well. The way James speaks is very much like how I'd expect. You have a knack for old school speech lol. I like how you explained why Julian felt something when they embraced but James was oblivious. It's going to be interesting to find out just how they get through. 


You're doing great so far. Keep writing.