BooksBarbecue
Back The Occurrence
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

The shock brought Dominique back to the room. Her eyes stared out but her thoughts were inward. Her heart punched at her chest.

“Breathe. Just breathe,” Kurt said.

Dominique put a hand to her chest. She kept it there until both her breath and her heart calmed.

Kurt was steady and still.

“There are many guides that come to us the more we open ourselves to other realities. The more you see, the more your system will grind down your defenses.”

“They weren’t figments of imagination? The old man and the boy?”

“No. They’re your guides, too.”

Dominique’s breath regained a regular rhythm, and her heart beat with a quieter pulse.

“And if I did save that boy with ice-blue eyes?”

“If he was the boy who became the imam you met, and you saved him, he might want to return the favor. If he remembers.”

94

94

In the room where she’d met with the president, Dominique spoke with Bruton about what happened—that it was more than just the idea of a past life connection with the imam.

She told Bruton what the old man had said, of the young boy’s ice-blue eyes, and if she had saved him in that lifetime—had saved the imam in that other life when he was the young boy—he might well remember that, too.

“How the hell are you even going to talk to him about this?

Dominique smiled.

“There’s nothing funny about it.”

“You asked me how I’ll talk to him. So, let me answer you.”

“Go ahead. Tell me. Tell me how.”

“His brother.”

“What the hell do you mean, ‘his brother’?”

She told him the imam has a brother who’s been institutionalized for decades in a hospital in Maryland.

“And how do you know this?”

“Mariam mentioned it when Nazir and I were with her.”

“Sayyid Sarif’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“And, how does the brother fit into all this?”

“I don’t know. But I know he does.”

“You’re banking a lot on fate.”

“That I’m still here is proof enough for me that fate is playing a part in all of our lives.”

“That may be. But at some point fate stops and reality sets in. And when the imam finds out you went behind his back and talked with his brother I won’t be able to protect you.”