Sacred Vow – Chapter 14

Sitting forward on the edge of his chair, Djalma laid the book on the table to his side.  “Really, now?  How did she help?  I imagined that the only threat you might run into was the physical drain from visiting too frequently.

Ian tried to get off the couch alone.  His body forced him to reconsider just what was involved in jumping from one reality to another.  Ever since he ceased to be bonded to someone else’s body when in a parallel life, most of the impact on Ian seemed to be mental or emotional.  His experience in the void showed that if he mishandled the gift of reality shifting it could cost him his life.

Djalma was up and offering assistance. “No need to rush yourself.”

“I was just going to get a piece of paper.” Ian settled back onto the couch but remained upright.  He pointed over to a stack of books to one side of the room.  “Could you please?  There is a piece of paper inside the flap of that top book.  Have a look at it.”

Opening the book, Djalma stared down at the inside flap for a while.

“Read it, please,” Ian said.

As Djalma read aloud, Ian recited along.

Both fell silent before finishing the Vow —as if simultaneously realizing that it was something not to be recited without specific intention.

Djalma asked, “This is the?Sacred Vow?”

“Yes.  And I think it has something to do with the immediate reason that Katerina and I are in communication.  It seems we have made a very strong commitment to each other.  I am certain that quoting this verse allowed Katerina to pull me out of a disaster during my last journey.”

“Would you like some tea, Ian?”  Djalma started to walk to the kitchen.

Ian was surprised at Djalma’s subdued response.  Ian thought the story he was about to tell was something remarkable.

Djalma called back from the doorway, “I assume you’ll need some food and drink while you fill me in on the gaping holes in your story.”

While Djalma made tea, Ian managed to get up and move about.  It was an odd pain that he had, mostly internal, like that poison he’d felt in the dark days before Djalma had given him the token.  Every part of Ian’s body hurt, but he was much improved from when he first returned from that last visit — Ian suddenly thought about Katerina and her baby.  Why couldn’t he have helped her?