An Eternal Family 1

by Stein Willard

  Now that she knew where Syria was and that she wasn’t going anywhere, she took her time to take in the scene. The tension in the village was thick and it had to do with Syria’s group. She moved into the dark foliage, circling the settlement. There was something fishy about this place. She encountered three lookouts on the other side of the village. She carefully sidestepped them and moved over to the large hut. Her stomach roiled at the sound of Copernicus’ voice. She couldn’t wait to deal with him, but that was only possible once she had dealt with his bodyguard.

  †

  Jemima looked at the limp slice in her hand to the three faces looking at her with anticipation. She might be new at eating, but the aroma of the melted cheese, garlic and pepperoni was quite enticing. She cautiously lifted the slice to her mouth and took a small bite. She almost laughed at the range of looks on the other women’s faces. Jessica looked completely absorbed as she stared at Jemima’s lips. Gabriella looked like she was waiting for her to vomit on her. Inger, on the other hand, looked hopeful. She rolled her eyes at her daughter. Inger had an unhealthy obsession with pizza since she was little. Had they not put their foot down, she would’ve been happy to have pizza every day. She chewed the bite and swallowed. It wasn’t too bad. The chewiness of the melted cheese and the crisp base was a not all that unfamiliar, she found.

  “Pizzas have gotten better since the 1960’s.”

  The girls cheered as they each reached for a slice. She finished off her slice as the conversation around the table picked up. She was privy to a range of opinions on an astounding variety of topics. As an artist, she had mostly kept to herself, except for when she had cruised nightclubs and parties for women. She didn’t have friends, not like the girls sitting with her right now. They were beautiful, smart, and successful; and they weren’t shy to discuss anything or to voice their opinions. She blushed furiously when Gabriella’s work came up and the discussion got a little risqué. Jemima was about to make an excuse and leave, when she felt the hair on her nape twitch.

  Tahlia.

  She looked up and met Tahlia’s gaze. The vampire looked from her face to the plate with the pizza ends before her. A look of horror came over the beautiful face and Jemima smiled. Tahlia abhorred the smell of pizza—a leftover from Inger’s pizza craze all those years ago. Before she could think about it, she was out of her chair and had her arm curled around Tahlia’s waist.

  “It’s just a one-off,” she murmured against Tahlia’s cheek. She looked up and witnessing the surprise, she realized what she had done. And how easy it had been. As she made to move away, Tahlia’s arm snaked around her waist. Their eyes held and Jemima felt hers fill with tears at the mixture of love and wariness she read in the black eyes. She leaned in and planted a tender kiss on Tahlia’s lips. “We’re going shopping.” She turned to the girls and smiled at their wide-eyes stares.

  Thanks to them and their vivaciousness, she had dropped her guard and allowed herself to surface from the vestiges of self-doubt and fear. She was going to make sure to show this wonderful woman just how much she was loved.

  And it started tonight.

  XI

  Leo didn’t have to open her eyes to know the identity of the person who came to sit next to her.

  “I see you finally remembered that I was also here,” she said quietly and smiled when soft lips were pressed against her cheek.

  “Hi.”

  She opened her eyes and looked at her sister. Izi looked happy. Really happy. Her blue eyes twinkled and she kept throwing glances at the Dark Prince. Looks, which he returned with the same intensity and frequency. She felt a twinge of envy. To have such devotion for another person and have it returned, must be quite comforting. One day, in the near future, she might also experience… NO! She shouldn’t go there. Not when she was expected to focus and keep her sister and her companions safe. She forced her attention back to Izi.

  “How are you?”

  Izi’s smile was blinding. “Wonderful.”

  “I can see that.” She reached for her sister’s hand. “I’m really happy for you.”

  The blonde’s smile faded. “Just hang in there, sis.”

  “I am.” She brought the small hand to her lips. They were talking about the very thing she was trying to avoid. “Are you ready for what is about to come? It will most probably be dangerous.”

  “With both you and Jonas to watch over me, I think I’ll be fine.”

  Leo glanced around the cabin of the jet. Jonas and Pierre were seated together, their heads almost touching as they talked softly. “There is something else.”

  “What is it?”

  “The Queen’s Consort? Is she okay?” Her fleeting meeting with Jemima had revealed a woman who looked ill at ease in her own skin. Her whole carriage, a shadow of the once confident woman. “She didn’t act like herself.”

  Izi sighed. “Yes, there’s that, too.” Izi held up her hand at the alarm in Leo’s face. “There have been some changes on that front. Firstly, the babies showed an unexpected growth spurt, which I believe Tahlia had informed you about. Secondly, Jemima is undergoing and unexpected change, which we think might be linked to the accelerated growth of the babies.”

  “What change?”

  “She’s becoming human again.”

  Leo was silent, looking out the dark window as she tried to process the bombshell. Human? Was that even possible? This was completely unheard off. No one had ever been able to reverse vampirism. She turned to Izi.

  “How is Tahlia taking all this?”

  “We don’t know. She’s as stoic as always, but knowing how much she adores Jemima, I can’t imagine it would be easy for her.”

  Leo thought so too. The last time she had been in New York, she had witnessed the queen’s love for her partner. She had also been a recipient of the queen’s wrath for having compromised her spouse. A lot depended on this mission. As if there wasn’t enough pressure already.

  †

  There was a commotion at the main hut and Copernicus followed Chuey out. Syria examined the Outlander closely for any cues as to how the meeting went. His shoulders weren’t stooped, which could mean that he got what he came here for. She felt her heart sink at that. How was she going to keep this man alive knowing that he had in his possession a weapon that could harm her sisters? He came to stand next to her, silently. Chuey was smiling one of his creepy, genuine smiles as he looked at them.

  “We are preparing a hut for you to sleep in.”

  She watched him leave to speak to a group of women, who immediately sprang into action. She felt Copernicus’ gaze on her and spoke.

  “I take it your meeting went well. How long before we can leave?”

  “Two days. The shaman needs two days to prepare the package.”

  She nodded. “Are we safe at least, until then?”

  Copernicus’ gaze slipped away from hers and alarm bells went off in Syria’s head. “We are the guests of the shaman. I don’t think anyone would try to incur his wrath by trying to harm us.”

  Unless you have given him the go ahead. She glanced at the men and noticed that they too were watching Copernicus closely.

  “That is not what I had asked. Are we all safe?”

  The brown eyes flashed with anger when Copernicus looked at her. “If you’ve forgotten, I’m footing the bill for this mission. When I say we are safe, then it is so.”

  She gave him a scathing look that made him take a small step away from her. “Forgive me for not trusting you. Since you seem to have the full protection of the shaman, I suggest we leave you here and the rest of us return to the lodge to come back in two days’ time.” She watched his eyes widen with fear. That could mean two things. He still feared for his own life. Or he made a deal, which would see him be the only person to leave this village alive.

  “You wouldn’t dare!” he shouted. “I paid for their services.”

  “Then be honest with us. Are we all safe?”

  Copernicus looked around and
his eyes flooded with relief when Chuey came towards them. “Not now.”

  Harry stepped forward. “We’re not moving a muscle unless you tell us what you promised these people.”

  Chuey joined them and must’ve picked up on the tension. He looked from Copernicus to Harry and then to her. “Problems?”

  Harry spoke, his eyes not leaving Copernicus’. “Yes. We are leaving now. “

  Chuey’s eyes narrowed. “That is not such a good idea.”

  “And why not?”

  “The shaman will be offended by this. He had arranged everything for you.” Syria didn’t miss the warning look Chuey gave Copernicus. Copernicus, the bastard, had sold them out.

  “I’m sure the shaman will survive the disappointment. We’re leaving now.”

  “And I said it would not be a good idea,” Chuey hissed through his teeth. His stance was threatening and his eyes were taking on a strange glow. Syria walked up to him, towering over him. He looked up her chest to her face and she noticed that his pupils were split, like a reptile’s.

  “Who’s going to stop us?” Behind her, she could hear the men drawing close to show solidarity.

  “The jungle is a dangerous place in the dark,” Chuey said in a slightly slurred voice. “Anything can happen.”

  “We’ll take our chances.” She stepped away from Chuey and looked at Copernicus. He looked absolutely terrified. “We’ll be back in two days.” A final look at Chuey showed him glaring at her with intense hatred. Syria allowed the men to go first, with her following. She had just made her job so much more difficult. It would not be easy to keep five humans alive in a jungle infested with some bloodthirsty supernatural beings. They wouldn’t be able to cross the river in the dark, which meant that they’d have to set up camp somewhere.

  †

  Lake watched the scene unfold from the large tree she had scaled to have a bird’s eye view of the whole village. She had mixed feelings about the whole incident playing out before her and it left her with a few questions. Why, if she was working for the most amoral being on this planet, did it look like Syria was willing to jeopardize her meal ticket by taking him on publicly? Also, why did it seem like Syria was protecting the humans? She hadn’t thought twice about biting and killing her. What made these other humans so special? The local man who had faced off with Syria, turned to Copernicus.

  “If you know what is good for you, senõr, you will make sure that they return to the village.”

  “How? You saw that they were all following her.” Copernicus’ voice had a higher pitch than normal. He was scared stiff. Maybe she could deal with him first and then… A man exited the main hut and Lake could only stare at him. He looked so out of place in his loud Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. She assumed that he must be the esteemed shaman. He didn’t look like anything. Short, long oily hair. Distinct facial features of the Amazonian inhabitants. He glanced around as he approached them.

  “One of the women alerted me. Where are they?” He looked from Chuey to Copernicus. “I thought we had a deal, Senõr Bohme?”

  “We did…have. We do have a deal. All I need to do is talk them into returning here.”

  “And if they refuse?”

  Copernicus wiped his mouth. “What do you want me to do?”

  The shaman glared at Copernicus and even from where she sat high up, she could hear his heart beat frantically in his chest. In his flat tone, the shaman issued a few orders. Three men came to kneel before him. He placed his hand on their heads and mumbled something. Next thing, the men all toppled over and began to writhe in the powdery dirt. The other young man was taking off his clothes as he watched the men intently. When the dust had settled somewhat, there were three huge lizards lying at the shaman’s feet. Lake blinked. This didn’t bode well for Syria and her team. The teenage boy was naked now and before Lake’s gaze scales began to form on his body, as it elongated. Razor sharp teeth pushed out of his mouth, pulling his whole face into a long, broad shape. He remained upright, but a part of his body, she didn’t know which part, began to take on the shape of a tail. Sharp spurs rounded off the end of his tail. He was not much taller than his normal human height, but he looked even more menacing now.

  The shaman barked out something and the creatures slithered off into the jungle with dazzling speed. She glanced at Copernicus and found him sitting flat in the dirt, his hands covering his face.

  “You have allowed a month’s worth of food to leave the village, senõr. Something like that can cause the villagers to riot. I will not have that.” The shaman threw that over his shoulder as he walked away, but stopped and turned to face Copernicus. “You have promised me the vampire as payment, pray we catch her. Now, go to your hut and wait until I summon you again.” Two skinny men stepped closer and hauled Copernicus to his feet.

  Ah, karma!

  What an unrelenting debt collector she was.

  †

  Tahlia was acutely aware of Jemima’s hand holding hers as they strode down the hallway towards the lift. She opened her senses to soak up every small sensation, sight and smell. The past hours had felt like a century and she was so hungry to experience her wife’s affection and nearness again. When the lift door closed behind her, Tahlia frowned lightly. It all started in this very lift.

  “Hey.” She glanced at Jemima. The blue eyes were wide and Tahlia felt herself being drawn into them, as was always the case. “Will you do me a favor?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t think, just feel.”

  “I can do that.”

  Jemima leaned closer and brushed her lips over Tahlia’s. “Good.” She laid her head on Tahlia’s shoulder. “We’re going to get through this. We have to.”

  The lift doors opened and they stepped out. Tahlia made for the back exit, but Jemima shook her head and pulled her in the direction of the hotel’s main entrance. Tahlia, rarely, used this entrance, not liking to be gawked at when she crossed the gleaming lobby. But for Jemima, she would even consider crossing the reception area in a swimsuit. She was aware of the eyes on them, following them, as they crossed the vast foyer. She gave a mental sigh of relief when they reached the doors.

  Outside, she inhaled the cool air. She couldn’t wait for them to move back to the outskirts of the city or even the ranch in Wyoming. It horrified her to think of Aria inhaling this polluted air. Jemima was squeezing her hand and she smiled faintly. Less thinking; more feeling.

  “Where to from here?”

  “This way.”

  They walked down the wet pavement, taking in the bustling nightlife of the insomniac city. Jemima stopped in front of a window and pulled Tahlia with her, asking her opinion on the object in the widow and thus drew her into her much-loved window-shopping pastime. Who would’ve thought it would be so liberating to stroll through the streets, holding hands? After an hour had passed, Tahlia glanced at Jemima.

  “I thought you said we would be doing some shopping.”

  Jemima chuckled. “We will, later. There is something I want to show you first.”

  †

  Jonas buckled his seatbelt and threw a glance over at Izaura. She had spent the past three hours chatting with her sister. He was aware of the love the two had for each other and exactly how much his lover missed her sister. He would give her as much time together with Leonara as she wanted.

  “What makes her different from the others?”

  He smiled and turned to Pierre. A few months ago, he would’ve struggled to do something as natural as smile. “What do you think?”

  Pierre threw his hands up in typical French fashion. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.”

  “I don’t either.” His eyes flitted over to Izaura. “She’s just special.”

  “I guess that’s reason enough,” Pierre said as he glanced out the window. Jonas picked up on the faint note of sadness in voice.

  “Is something amiss, brother?”

  Pierre sighed. “I don’t know, but I think all these babies
in the house is making Viv broody.”

  Jonas shrugged. “It’s to be expected. Women and babies mix very well.”

  “I know.” Pierre glanced out the window. They had begun their descent. Jonas bumped his shoulder against Pierre’s.

  “What is really the problem?”

  “It’s Viv and I.” Oh no, not them too. Jonas felt an ache in his chest. “We’re alone. Not alone, alone.” He threw his arms wide, a frown on his handsome face. “How can I explain this? Let’s take you, for instance. Besides Izaura, you have Clarissa, Jessica and now Raven. You have a family. Does it make sense?”

  Jonas nodded. He could relate to that. Pierre and Viv craved the closeness of an intimate clan. The Royals’ inner circle was a family, but within the family, they had a number of nucleuses.

  “It makes perfect sense.” And it was something that could easily be fixed. The clan didn’t allow humans in unless they were vouched for by someone within the Royals’ inner circle. He slapped Pierre on the knee. “I’m afraid you’re forgetting something, though.” At Pierre’s look he smiled. “Trinity is your wife’s daughter, which means that you are grandparents to Noa, just like Tahlia and Jemima.” Pierre stared at him. “What I think, is that with most of the attention focused on Tahlia and Jemima, you’ve forgotten your role in that baby’s life. However, growing your small family is not a bad idea either.”

  †

  Syria swung from the branch to one a little lower before she jumped. She landed before the gaping men. Crossing the river was not an option and camping on land was suicidal. Thus, their lofty camp. They had veered off the path, surprised not to have been spotted by sentries to find the biggest, strongest tree near them. She had scaled it to scare out any predators or primates and made sure to pull the branches in to eliminate access from nearby trees to the one she was securing. She had wondered about the tied canopies earlier, but had quickly realized that the villagers used them to move from tree to tree as they hunted primates and other prey.