by N. J. Cooper
“Your mother and father don’t share a room?” She asked, not sure why she thought it was important. Zarek shook his head.
“Not since Kalani came back.” He admitted. Kyla stored the information for inspection later but focused her mind back to their next mission. The human realm. She turned to Orion who was waiting for them, he handed over two cards. Fake driver licenses.
“These are your identities over there, and a card with money on it, all using your aliases so Onyx can’t trace you. Hopefully we can get in there and out again before he notices we are stealing his human.” Orion muttered. Kyla slid the cards into her pocket.
“What’s the plan when we are over there?” She asked, walking with them downstairs.
“We’re going through the portal to the one connected to Detroit. It’s at Rogue River and we’ll have to stay there the night. When it’s light we’ll borrow a car and head to your mother’s apartment. Once we have her secured, we will head on to Atlanta, where Arkin the Alpha in the guard there, is expecting us. We come back through there.” Orion explained.
“And we leave my mother with Arkin?” She asked. Orion nodded.
“Yes, you can visit again once this is over and give her the option to turn or forget” Orion offered. Kyla nodded, shutting that thought out before it made her cry. She sighed and was about to ask if they could leave when Wyatt came through with his suitcase. Kyla frowned.
“Where are you going?” She asked. He smiled at her.
“Back to school, Oracle. I gotta get myself sorted and I don’t think I’m going to be able to, if I go with you” He admitted. Kyla wanted to argue but he was right. He couldn’t come to the human realm where the taking of blood wasn’t as monitored or frowned upon over there. She nodded and moved into him, her arms wrapping around him.
“Get better.” She said before pulling away. He nodded.
“Yeah I will. Be safe alright? I know Z here will kill anything that hurts you but just try to stay away from sharp pointy things.” He teased. Kyla chuckled.
“I will, goodbye Wyatt, I’ll see you when we get back.” She said letting him leave. She turned into Zarek to hold him as her mind threatened to release its emotion on her then took a deep breath that shook and steadied herself. She looked up to him.
“You ready then?” She asked. He nodded.
“Let’s go to the human realm.” He sighed before leading her to the portal room.
~ 22 ~
Kyla gasped, breaking away from Zarek’s tight hold on her, stepping out of the portal, with heavy breaths. It definitely hadn’t felt like that on the way through. Her whole body ached from the pulling and pushing, her stomach retching as it fought the motion sickness. Zarek moved over to her quickly, the only betrayal of his mood being his pale skin that normally held a golden tone. She breathed in his honey and walnut scent, sighing as her body climatized to her surroundings. Kyla breathed in the fresh air of her home realm, smiling as she heard the busy rush of vehicles and heavy machinery in the distance. She pulled in a deep breath, closing her eyes at the scent of smoke and metal. Sounds and scents she had never thought she’d miss but did.
“You okay? I should have warned you how harsh it is to come through the portal from our realm.” He breathed. Kyla waved him away and looked around them.
“I’m fine.” She said and walked forward to where two huge males waited for them to hand over their papers. Kyla took in where they were; some kind of industrial area that was hidden from plain view. They were in a warehouse that smelt stale and damp, but she invited the smell. Zarek led her over to the waiting men. Their claws and fangs were out, their yellow werewolf eyes intimidating her. They looked from the paperwork to them and back again.
“We’ve been expecting you, your Majesty. Oracle.” They greeted handing back the papers. Kyla tried not to scowl at the use of her alter ego’s title and not her own. She was just Kyla at the moment. She stretched out in her mind trying to test how strong her powers felt but the Oracle tensed.
‘Not yet, Kyla. We can’t merge until I’ve healed, and that poison has done a number on my strength. Just keep following the leads and try not to use our power and then I’ll let you know when I’m ready.’ The Oracle said as she felt Kyla try to connect. Kyla didn’t answer but focused back on Zarek and the guard. They were all power and intimidation with their strong bodies and forceful glares. The one on the right had brown hair, cropped short and was almost taller than Zarek, and definitely bigger. The guy on the left had his dark black hair pulled into a bun at the back of his head and although slightly shorter than the other one, had an insane amount of muscles straining the tight shirt he wore. Why was every supernatural everywhere, so damn ripped? The left one had a huge scar running down his face and Kyla tried not to stare but it did make her wonder where he got it and why.
“You have some information for us?” Zarek asked. The right one nodded.
“Yeah, come with me. I’ll take you to Lincoln.” The one on the right said. Kyla frowned.
“Who’s Lincoln?” She asked. The guy smiled.
“The Alpha.” He grinned and led them to the back of the warehouse and out a door into a compound that had a brightly manicured garden with children running around playing. Vegetables grew in planter boxes along the wooden fence line and the smell of cooking wafted through the air from the BBQ, that was surrounded by women and men, talking and laughing, most of the men shirtless and most of the women pregnant. Kyla tried not to gape as she was led down the path to another building that looked like an old lodge, except it was three stories high and in pristine condition. She gaped up at it, surprised at how the guard lived. Solar panels covered the roof, three tanks sat next to it with a porch across the front. Porch swings and kids toys littered the dark wooden porch and warmth bloomed in Kyla’s heart remembering her own childhood. She followed the guard in, her eyes widening at the sheer magnitude of the place inside. Like a giant wooden cabin as grand as the royal mansion. The foyer was interrupted by children running through it, laughing as the huge living room opened up to the right, wrapping around to an industrial sized kitchen. The stairs were on the left and that’s where she followed the guard up to, with Zarek seemingly oblivious to how the hominess of their surroundings was affecting her. He had probably seen the place so many times, he was used to it. She wasn’t. Her mind flashed to the tiny, corroded apartment her uncle had rented for them. The linoleum in the kitchen stained with beer and vomit, the carpet not much better with her room being her only haven. She would hazard a guess that everything had been sold by now though, her uncle would have sold those things the instant she’d left, to pay off some gambling debt or another. Kyla sighed and climbed the third flight of stairs. Each floor looked exactly the same with doors lining each side of the corridors. Finally, they reached the next floor where the landing was vast, a huge open area where there were activities and a whole group of werewolves surrounded a chess table. Two people sat at the table as the others hooted and cheered around them. One was a small boy, maybe 12. He was wearing big round glasses, his wide face was sprinkled in freckles and his wiry body supported a smirking, dimpled expression. He moved the King into position on the board then grinned at his opponent who was comically larger than him.
“Checkmate” The boy grinned. The large, muscular woman on the other side of the board swore, picked up her King and threw it across the room. Her brown hair was knotted on top of her head with her dark skin glistening with a sheen of sweat. Her features pinched, she stood, flipped the table and stalked from the room. The boy rolled his eyes then stood as everyone scrambled to help pick up the mess the woman had made. The guard they were with, walked forward and cleared his throat. The boy looked over at them, pushing his glasses further up his nose. What the hell? He can’t have been who they were being taken to? He didn’t look old enough to have gone through puberty, let alone be an Alpha. But sure enough, he grinned over at them.
“Your Majesty. Oracle. Welcome.” He moved forward
and bowed respectfully.
“You’re so young.” She frowned. He laughed and nodded.
“I turned younger than most, yes. But I’ve been alive for a very long time, Oracle. May I call you Kyla?” He asked. She nodded quickly.
“Please.” She said, respect instantly building for that simple question.
“Good. Well Kyla, I expect you want to see some information in regard to your mother?” He asked. Kyla nodded eagerly.
“Well let’s go see it then. You’re excused, Brighton.” He said to the guard who had led them. Brighton nodded and left. Lincoln turned away and led them through a door to the side of the room. It was a boardroom but completely closed in with no windows, or natural light of any kind with an overhead projector set up, and a large wooden table with a map of the realms set across it and a few other folders scattered around. The chairs were wooden and cushioned and the chilled glasses of water waiting for them had Kyla’s throat going dry. Lincoln shut them in the room and locked it. He walked over to the maps and Kyla frowned. There were maps she had never seen.
“What are these?” She asked, her fingers touching them.
“These are some realms we are researching.” He offered them to her. “Velatem Realm, which is where you have just come from, the Outlands and the human realm are the three you are probably familiar with, in fact the only three that most are familiar with. We research the other ones. Find the realms and learn about them.” He informed. Zarek sat down in one of the chairs and grabbed one of the folders, letting her go over the maps and learn about things he had probably already been taught.
“What are the other two realms then?” She asked.
“One is the Fae realm. They refuse to be a part of our realm collective. They are very private creatures and we are understanding why, the more we study them. They are interesting creatures, a lure in every form for every creature. Blood, soul, sexual-every desire any creature could have, the Fae can sate it which is why they stay away. They don’t want to be ambushed or harassed every time they step out of their houses. So, they stay private, living among themselves freely, storing the power that they don’t use in the ground, which in turn keeps the realm existing with the exact climate they need.” He explained, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“What climate do they need?” She wondered; her mind taken by the information he fed her.
“A very hot one. The cold is fatal to their kind. So, they live in a temperature that would kill a human if exposed.” He admitted.
“So, what’s the other realm?” She asked grabbing the map that had been outlined but only had a small portion of it actually filled in with notes on a desert and a facility. He frowned.
“That one is our newest finding. A hidden realm. One that we believe is under the rule of a mad man. There are rumours among our kind of a race like us but not. They have the blood of a supernatural but the soul of a human. It gives them a distinct lure and means they have enhanced abilities than that of their human counterparts. They can run faster than a human but not as fast as a supernatural for example. Rumours have it, that a man who figured out what he was, tried to come to our realm, but with his human soul, it was too dangerous, and he was turned away. It left him angry, and now he swears revenge and is building an army in this hidden realm of people like him. As far as we can tell, it’s nothing worth worrying about at the moment but we plan to get more information by sending in an inside man to find out more on exactly what he means to do and how far along he is with his army” Lincoln explained. Kyla nodded along before turning to Zarek who was laying out pieces from the folder he was digging through.
“Is that my mother’s things?” She asked as he placed a piece of paper on the table with the same address that she had, written on it. He nodded, his expression of concentration catching her by surprise. “Is something wrong?” She asked. Lincoln sighed from next to her and brung everything up on the overhead for her. She gasped at the list of names that had a big DECEASED stamp next to them. Kyla cringed. “Did my mother kill these people?” She demanded.
“That is what we are trying to figure out. She visited each one of them before they died, we have no evidence she actually had a hand in their deaths though.” He admitted. Kyla’s hands shook as she grabbed the paper to look at it closely.
“Who were they?” She asked.
“They were Elders, Kyla.” Zarek said softly. Kyla cursed under her breath.
“My mother must be under the influence of Onyx. We already assumed Onyx was trying to do the same as Byron on this side, but he must be using my mother to do it, so he doesn’t get caught.” She muttered refusing her mother having a choice in the matter. Zarek winced.
“Kyla. You said your vision gave the impression that they had a different relationship than that.” He reminded softly, drawing her attention to the vision she’d had that implied they were lovers. Kyla shook her head.
“No. We don’t know it was her. I didn’t see a face.” She bit back. Zarek and Lincoln stayed silent. Kyla grabbed another piece of paper out of the file and a small sob escaped, her hand going over her mouth as she sank into the chair behind her. It had a picture on it of her mother. But she looked nothing like Kyla remembered. Her mother used to have dirty blonde hair that was silky and soft with the same bright blue eyes that Kyla sported. Her body used to be lush with curves, her cheeks puffy and her eyes gentle but what stared back at her from the picture, was anything but. The woman in the photo was pale with messy, frizzy hair, a frail, slender frame with haunted wide eyes, her face gaunt with shadows under her eyes. Kyla whimpered as she read her mother’s history. She had moved into the apartment in Detroit, been in heaps of trouble with local law enforcement for breaking and entering-a fact that had a side note that she was visiting witches who were hiding out there-and hadn’t been able to hold down a job. She was miserable and she was alive, which was something that Kyla had been hanging on to, but now she wondered if it was the better alternative. Her mother might be working with Onyx or under his control and she wasn’t going to rest until she figured out which. Kyla swallowed back her tears and stood with a newfound sense of purpose.
“We need to go to her. She has to know I’m alive, that Onyx hasn’t got me and that she doesn’t need to do what he says anymore.” Kyla bit. Zarek looked on with pity but she didn’t want it. Her mother would never do these things willingly. She didn’t care what the evidence said. Lincoln and Zarek shared a patronizing look before turning to her.
“Why don’t you both rest here for the night? It will be nightfall soon and too dangerous to go to your mother. Have some food, get some rest and we’ll head over there in the morning.” Lincoln offered. Kyla frowned and went to disagree but Zarek accepted before she could.
“That sounds great, thank you for your hospitality, Lincoln.” Zarek said. Lincoln nodded.
“Of course, your Majesty. I’ll have two rooms prepared for you both.” He smiled.
“Zarek and I can share, don’t go to that much trouble.” Kyla said, meaning that she didn’t want them to take up two bedrooms when they clearly had plenty of occupants for them already, but it wasn’t taken that way and Lincoln’s eyes went wide.
“You’ve been approved? When did that happen? The King hasn’t said anything about another courtship.” Lincoln eyed them both warily. Zarek glared at Kyla before leaning forward to Lincoln.
“Sorry, she’s not used to our customs. We’re still in the approval process, Kyla has to be announced to the realm first.” Zarek replied quickly.
“Ah.” Lincoln said in a big aha moment “Because she is not of supernatural background. That makes sense.” He accepted then looked between them, with a scrutinizing gaze making Kyla blush hard. “I can see it though. You two running things together. I’d vote for it when it comes down to it.” He admitted then turned to walk out the door before looking book at them “You know, werewolves usually stick to their own kind and most packs have a strict rule about these sorts of things but we can al
so get a scent off people, a reading of their aura without actually seeing it, if you will and our kind strongly believe in finding a mate. I guess humans would call it a soul mate. Of course, we are creatures of lust when it comes down to it and use that for the most part but when we find a soulmate, that’s it for us. We only need them, and our auras give off a specific scent when we are linked to our mate. If I’m not mistaken, I would say you two have that scent. Wolves won’t go against that kind of natural order and I daresay if that is as potent when it comes to a vote, then you will have their support.” He explained then left the room before either Zarek or Kyla could respond. Kyla looked over at Zarek, her eyes wide. They had just been told they were soul mates, maybe, by a twelve-year-old Alpha. Kyla shook her head in disbelief, following the Alpha back down to the gardens where the wolves were still enjoying each other’s company. They enjoyed a meal of home-made hamburgers, played football with the kids and spent the afternoon pretending they didn’t have the weight of the worlds on their shoulders. Kyla looked over at Zarek, his face was carefree and laughing, the sun highlighting him from behind. Her heart swelled. How was he so damned perfect? She had been introduced to everyone but couldn’t remember most of the names and all of them had already known who she was, treating her with same respect as Zarek. Eventually a small bonfire was started, the kids started going to bed and the marshmallows and beer came out. Kyla grinned; bonfires were a tradition of her realm that she remembered well. She accepted one of the sticks that Brighton offered everyone and hung hers over the fire with her marshmallow on it. She sighed and looked up to the sky that was dark and dotted with balls of light that her people called stars. Zarek sat down on the log next to her, his body brushing up against hers as he handed her some crackers to put her marshmallow on. She grinned at him.
