by V L Friends
“Who is coming for you?” I asked. I was looking around for a place to hide, as I could hear voices in the distance.
“The coven of witches, hired by Louis and Caleb. They will kill us both.” Lucian pushed out words between gasps of air.
“How is Caleb a part of this and if he is, why am I in danger?” I asked, feeling very confused by this odd turn of events.
“Can’t explain it all now,” Lucian’s face was turning red as he wheezed. He spoke and could barely get out any air. “They seemed to work for Caleb. He was with them. He and I were fighting and I guess he thought his last blow had killed me so he left, leaving the witches to dispose of me.” He gasped for air and tried to sit up but winced as he fell back, grimacing with pain. “They were in for a surprise when I vanished from sight and that is when, I am guessing, they torched the entire woods.” He could barely get air out to say, “Hurry! Get out of here, now!”
“We need to hide.” I began to gather him in my arms, ignoring his plea. “Gawd, you are heavy!” Lucian was shorter than Caleb so I figured I could carry him, but I had not expected the solid weight. His body was like stone.
All he could get out as he pointed to some brush was, “Wolf cave… there.”
Noticing some hole in the ground with its opening about five feet across, covered by brush, I began to half carry, half drag his body. I got to the opening of a hole, then I hugged his body to mine and rolled us in. We dropped into the spider-infested hole a few feet down, just perfectly fitting as we lay stretched out, my body on top of his. I tried not to put my full weight on him.
“Are you situated okay? Am I hurting you?” I said, looking down at his face that seemed to hold no expression.
“I feel your elbow digging into my chest,” he said with a grunt.
“Sorry,” I said and shifted. “So you can feel things even as your spine is severed?”
“I can,” Lucian grunted, “but I am not able to move.”
“The voices are getting closer. They may still find us,” I said.
“Pull your cloak so that it is covering us. It will hide us,” he instructed.
I did this and we waited in silence with just the sound of our breathing and our hearts pounding against each other as the voices got nearer. We waited there as still as possible for what seemed like forever and my head was now resting on his chest.
“Lucian?”
“Hmm?” He seemed to be still conscious at least.
“Are they gone?” I asked.
He paused then said, “Yes, I do believe they are gone.”
“You said you’re temporarily paralyzed. What can I do to help you heal?” I asked.
“Lie here and whisper sweet nothings in my ear,” he said with humor.
“Get serious!” I was not amused.
“I must admit, precious, I have never felt more vulnerable than I do at this very moment. Everything is weaving back together slowly, so I am at your complete mercy for the next few hours. I also admit that it is quite blissful. Tell me… Why did you save me?” Lucian gave me his dimpled grin.
It amazed me that he could still be his usual flirty self, even in such dire circumstances.
“Honestly, I don’t know. You are such a giant pain in the ass!”
He let out a soft chuckle and I could feel his breath tickle my cheek.
“I don’t know what came over me. I mean, I just shoved myself in a spider-infested dirt hole just to save your skin!”
He laughed again and then choked.
“Don’t make me laugh,” he said.
“What will you do when you get out of here?” I asked.
“Well, judging from your uncle’s brutal attack on me and severing my spine, I am guessing that my presence is unwelcome, so I will leave,” he stated.
“I can’t believe Caleb could do this!” I said.
“He may be your sweet, kind, loveable uncle but there is no denying the violent walker in him. When pushed, he will destroy what threatens his loved ones. He is still a walker and we are all deadly. We rarely allow ourselves to love but when we do we protect ours with a fierceness. I am afraid it was my own fault. I tried to take you from him. I could not help myself. You are like the finest, rarest precious stone to me and you know how much I love my stones.”
I had to chuckle. He was a collector. I saw how he pushed magic and energy into stones he collected. I had to wonder if he thought of me like he did his stones, like an object to hoard power to be used later at his will. I cringed at the thought. What did I really expect… he was a powerful mage, after all.
“Just so you know, I will not be going with you. I want to make myself clear.”
“I know. Truthfully, the way Caleb just tried to eliminate me makes me realize that I have seriously underestimated him.”
“You and me both,” I murmured.
“He is most definitely capable of protecting you.”
I paled as I remembered the way Caleb had looked when he said, “Lucian will never hurt you again,” and the spooky calm he had at the party in Louis’s office. Could he be as deadly and ruthless to his enemies as Julian was… or perhaps worse?
If Caleb ordered the witches to kill you then why do you think they would kill me?” I asked.
“Those witches work for the Mage Council. I have spies within the council that recently gave me intel that the Mage Council wants you dead. You are a threat, Anaya,” Lucian said. “I don’t think Caleb was aware of their true intent.”
As I suspected, Lucian did know much more that was going on than any of us.
Lucian gave a smug half-grin. “Your cloak hid you from sight when they searched the wreckage… You’re welcome.”
“What is the difference between mages and witches and who makes up the Mage Council?” I asked, ignoring his attempt at gaining my gratitude.
“Witches are humans trying to wield magic but mages are paranormals who are born with it in them. Like a gift. It is a part of us since birth. We learn to unlock it and carry it with practice. The Mage Council is actually made up of all kinds of supernaturals, not just mages. The council has 13 members. They make up the laws and govern much of the supernatural world now since there is no longer a walker king nor a shifter king. Normally there is an active mage king but he has become ill.”
“But you’re a mage. Why would the council want you dead?” I asked, eager for any conversation that would keep my mind off the bug-infested hole I was in.
“Not all of them do. My guess is that one of my brothers who has some influence got some to agree to it. If he can get rid of the competition for mage king, it would strengthen his chances of becoming ruler when our father dies.”
“Wait. your father is really the mage king… so your father is ill?”
Lucian nodded. I had noticed that it was much easier for him to talk, so he must have been well on his way to healing.
“I thought Louis was a walker king?” I asked.
“No.” I could clearly detect Lucian’s detest for Louis. He rules like a warlord for his territory but he is not king. He is in the running to take over but now he is a ruler over just this territory, like a governor. When my father finally passes away I am sure many will be pining for that position, including Louis.”
I wanted to ask if he was in the running to take over for his father, but I decided by the irritated tone in his voice that it might be a sore subject, so I moved on.
“So why is there no walker or shifter king?” This was more information than I was getting from anyone else, so I couldn’t help but press for information.
“There was but the walker king stepped down and, out of protest, no one would step up for the job. Walkers still believe he is the chosen king but he placed himself into self-appointed exile. He was supposed to be the head king ruler over all supernaturals but he refuses. No one knows where he is. Some say he became a monk and lives in the Himalayan Mountains. He is said to be an ancient, more than 500 years old. Anyway, I guess that’s why there
is so much division among us. As for the shifters, well, they have been divided for a very long time and any hope of unity since Lucifer took away their king seems to be hopeless.”
Lucian’s face suddenly turned grim and his eyes darkened.
“I know you may think you belong with them, Anaya, but you don’t. You must go find your own kind. You must go find the angels of heaven. Leave this place.” Lucian’s voice was pleading.
Tears filled my eyes at his words. Even my bones seemed to be vibrating at his words. Could he be right? Where did I belong, and could I even leave now? Had I grown too attached to Caleb and Julian?
“I need to put myself into a healing sleep. You should go. Get away from me and stay away from me,” Lucian said with a harsh tone that had a hint of pain.
“I won’t leave you here vulnerable. What if they come back?” The tone in my voice was even surprising me. I cared about Lucian, even if he was my enemy in one sense. Perhaps it felt worse now that I knew he was not playing a game with me. He truly did care about me and this reality was tearing him up inside worse than the physical pain that was inflicted.
“Please… Go.” His voice was a hoarse whisper and I realized he was holding back his painful emotions.
Tears welled up in my eyes. “Will I ever see you again?”
He didn’t answer, but the look he gave said it all. He was hoping that he would never have to feel the conflict I brought inside him again.
“I want to give you something. Something so you will remember me. Remember that I love you. The kind of love you said you search for. The kind that forsakes all others and says I would stay with you for eternity. If I could do it, you would be that person I choose. You can’t choose me, though, and I can’t choose you. It would be bad for you and for all of earth and heaven. Take my emerald ring from my hand. Hide it safely and remember me,” Lucian said as he nodded down to his hand. He still couldn’t move it himself.
I nodded and pulled it from his finger.
“Then I am leaving now, but I will leave you this cloak. No argument. I will be safe.”
Shifting to pull the cloak from around me and laying it carefully to cover him, I turned to look deeply into his eyes one last time.
“Tá mé i ngrá leat,” I whispered to him. His eyebrows raised in shock.
“I love you with a love you may never know or understand, but my prayer for you is that you do one day see and understand this love,” I said.
His mouth curved in a weak smile in response.
I stepped onto the road and glanced back one last time. I must have been quite a sight with my soil-stained, off-white dress and matted hair and bare feet as I walked the paved road with a dazed look in my eyes. I must have looked like some kind of zombie in the light of the afternoon sun. I was so tired, I felt like I was the walking dead. I felt numb inside.
Even the sounds of a screeching car, car doors slamming, and footsteps running up to me didn’t seem to affect me or cause me to come out of my trance as I walked the slow steps forward.
Arms enfolded me in a tight hug.
“Anaya! Anaya! What happened to you?” The agony in Caleb’s voice was evident. He set me down and those ocean blue eyes looked deeply into mine, searching for something.
Julian’s voice interrupted.
“Let’s get her out of here, before anyone sees her.” Julian’s usual rough grip was tender this time as he slowly moved behind me, lifting me into his arms. He carried me to the back seat of their awaiting vehicle.
Julian squeezed me tight to his chest and rubbed my face as he stared into my eyes like he was trying to awake me from my stupor. The desperation in his worried eyes brought me back to reality.
“Anaya, listen to me. Can you hear me? Are you hurt?” He rubbed my face and shook me a little. What was that look deep in his eyes? For the first time, I thought I saw fear.
I blinked.
“No,” I said, now trying to sit up on my own.
Julian ran a hand through his hair. I had never seen him look so upset.
“You scared the hell out of me!”
“Easy, Julian.” Caleb looked back from the driver’s seat to give him a warning. “Gentle.”
“She is a goddamn mess! What the hell happened?!” Julian accused Caleb.
“She wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the blast. He got away and they ran after him and had to improvise. Her car must have been caught in the magic blast. The drivers of both vehicles managed to get away but said they could not find her anywhere.”
“Why is she covered with soot and dirt?” Julian asked.
“She must have gone into the woods. It doesn’t make sense. Every inch of those woods has been combed!” Caleb said.
“I wore a cloak that hid me,” I blurted out.
Both their eyes turned to me in shock.
“Where did you get a cloak?” As soon as he said it, realization hit him or maybe he was reading my mind. “Lucian!” Caleb said with disgust.
“How did we not notice her wearing it?” asked Julian.
Caleb shook his head, looking puzzled.
“It saved my life from them! They planned to kill me. I heard them, Caleb!”
He stopped the car, causing me to jolt into Julian, then turned back and studied me with scary, stern eyes that gave me a chill.
“You were with him. Where is he?” Caleb was all-out scary. Did he even hear me tell him his stupid mage minions tried to kill me?
“He is gone… for good,” I mumbled, looking away.
“Where is he, Anaya?” Caleb yelled a demand that seriously caused a tremble deep inside me. I knew, but I would not allow him to find out. I blocked my mind. He knew it and was furious. His eyes showed his fury and I couldn’t bear how he was looking at me. I let go and began to cry. Maybe Lucian was really right. I didn’t belong here. Uncontrolled sobs took over.
It was Julian who came to my rescue. I totally did not expect that. He pulled me back into his lap.
“Leave her alone, Caleb.”
“We need to finish him, brother,” Caleb spat out at Julian.
“Let him go,” Julian spoke softly.
With that Caleb shoved the car in park and got out.
“Take her home,” Caleb barked and he strode back down the road we had just come from.
I took a long bath and then fit into a comfortable pair of pajamas before I made my way down the stairs to the smell of spaghetti sauce. Julian was cooking, which was another big surprise. He handed me a plate of spaghetti.
“Is that an apron you are wearing?” I teased him with a sly grin while I burned this image into my memory.
“You are enjoying this?” His lips narrowed in a frown but his eyes sparkled.
I let out a laugh, not able to take my eyes off this display of new domestic behavior I was seeing before me in Julian.
I had slept away most of the day and now it was dinnertime. Caleb was still gone.
As I ate, Julian watched me with interest as if he were memorizing things about me. When I was done and he had cleaned up the kitchen, throwing his apron on the counter, he took my hand and led me into the parlor to sit in front of the fire.
Being restless, however, I could not sit, so I paced. Julian’s legs were crossed as he sat back in silence, glass in hand, swirling an amber liquid. He occasionally looked away as if deep in thought.
“You know your pacing is not going to make him walk through that door any faster,” he said with a heavy sigh.
“Where is he?” This was getting ridiculous.
“Caleb rarely acts like this but when he does he tends to brood for a while. He may be gone for quite some time,” Julian said. “You may want to reconsider running away with him.” He eyed me with interest and a sly smile at my startled look. “What? You didn’t know that I knew what the two of you were planning?” His words were dripping with sarcasm.
I was speechless but I knew guilt was written all over my face.
“Well, I guess I just ha
ve to work harder at convincing you to stay with me,” he said as he looked at his drink and gulped the last bit of it down.
“I just figured you would be happy to be rid of the weak human girl,” I said with a shrug.
Placing his empty glass on the table in front of him, he got up and walked over to stand in front of me. My heart was pounding nervously. Even after witnessing his gentleness, it was still hard to not see him as unpredictable and dangerous.
His fingers touched my chin to tilt my head upward gently to look him in the eyes.
“Losing you would be my undoing,” he said. There it was, that look of vulnerability. Was I finally seeing the truth? He was letting me see it. Then the look was gone as fast as it had come.
He turned and leaned down, throwing another log on the fire.
“Make no mistake. I do not regret my actions. I am a warrior. That is who I am and I can’t change that, but I am also more. I am also your father, your protector, and I can’t lose you. It is difficult to live with your human values and ways and expectations, but I am willing to try because I need you. You are a part of me.” Even if he couldn’t look at me when he said this, it was truth. I had the feeling that this was the last time these words would utter from his lips, so I had to savor the moment.
I knew that someday he may likely change his mind about me but I said nothing. Lucian’s words kept running over and over in my mind. “You do not belong here. You need to go and find your own kind.” I felt an emptiness and disappointment at my new reality. This was not my refuge. I was not really home. The idea that I had not found my home yet set in, and I felt a rush of emptiness shudder through me.
Julian saw the look on my face and his brow furrowed as if to question me but he quickly turned away.
“Do you perhaps play chess?” He interrupted my desolate thought process.
I nodded.
“How about a game? Being a general well acquainted with the game of strategy, I will no doubt obliterate you, but I guess I will have to go easy on you,” he smiled.
For once his arrogance amused me rather than infuriated me.
“Enough of your trash talk, walker,” I announced with a hint of humor, as I sat down at the chess board.
