Power

by Theresa Jones

  In truth, only three of those members were actually guilty of any plotting against me, and I knew for a fact that a good four of them had been innocent. Well, at least not guilty of treason. But I had to establish my dominance. I had to create fear of me. Most of the Rising members already knew me. I was often Damien’s go-to person. And I only failed once, which in fact hadn’t even been my failure. My only failure had been allowing the scum I worked with to fail, instead of killing him and completing the task myself.

  I pushed the memories away and focused on Frank. I had worked with him in the past and I knew that I could depend on him to do everything in his Power to complete any task I set before him. He would be loyal to me without me trying to influence him. He was one of my supporters when I first ascended to this position.

  Even still, I decided to rummage around in his head. I knew he wouldn’t mind, he liked the feel of my Power in him. He was pretty much as disgusting as humans came. His Power was tangible though, and as I sifted through his thoughts, I enjoyed the flavor of him. We both ended up getting entangled in each other’s Power. They say misery loves company, well I believe it’s any negativity or evil that loves company. We enjoyed the rush of the Power flowing back and forth. And as they all do, he began to fall for me again and moved forward in an attempt to claim me.

  Unfortunately, Frank and I had gone down this path before. We had bed each other before, and though I enjoyed his antics to a degree, he was usually too rough for me. I like to be the dominant person in any relationship, even just a physical kind, but so did he. And that didn’t bode well for me.

  As he was kissing and biting my neck, and running his hands up my thighs, preparing to open my legs to him, I decided this had gone on long enough. As much as I enjoyed an hour of his time, I had too many other things to attend to. I cut off his access to my mind and Power, and then telepathically commanded him to sit. I knew he wouldn’t appreciate the demand, or the way I stopped his progress with getting into my pants, but I didn’t care. I was his leader, he was my subordinate. He was here to do my bidding, not the other way around.

  While I had been in his head, I was able to see everything he had been thinking. If you looked past all the lust, you could usually get some useful information. I gathered that most of the Rising was supportive of my ascension. Most of them feared me. Some were jealous of me. Very few would risk trying to fuck with me.

  However, there was a large amount of us who feared the future. This was the first time in history any Order member had been able to defeat a Leader of the Rising. And he was by far the most powerful leader we have ever had. We have noticed that over the last few decades, all Rising members have been more powerful than the previous generations. And it has caused a lot of fear that he was defeated. They all fear and hate this woman, Allison. And many fear she is actually the prophesied descendant.

  That was something I highly doubted, however, I had decided to kill her anyway, and correct the balance of good and evil. The balance where evil is obviously more prominent in the world. Once she is dead, then I will reign over this forsaken planet. We would no longer sit by and allow the Order to grow. We would slaughter them all.

  As I was thinking, Frank stepped away from me and sat, as he was told. He was going to throw up his shield, so I couldn’t look into his mind, but he knew better. It would cause suspicion, so he allowed me to see how angry he was at my refusal. I didn’t care. I brought him here for a reason. “Frank, I want you to be the general in my army.”

  I could tell instantly that the words stunned him. We never really had organized an army before. And we had never assigned ranks to Rising members before. I was going to change things around here. I saw confusion, fear and excitement all pass across his face, each emotion changing his features. He settled on determination. “You know I would follow you anywhere, Leader, and I will lead anyone you wish.”

  The words were spoken with loyalty and honesty. We aren’t known for our honesty, but we are known for torturing those who dare to lie to their leader. I didn’t question his loyalty now. Instead I decided to explain the details of my plan to him. I could feel the smile curve my lips upward as I spoke the words, “Good, Frank, because I intend to create an army that will kill off every Order member alive.”

  ***Allison***

  We were waiting at the chapel now. I still hadn’t been able to see myself, and Sharon was walking me to the room where I would be waiting until it was my time to walk. It was the room the choir practiced in, so there was a piano off to the side, and many chairs in rows where the choir sits to sing. Off to the corner, I saw a full-length mirror, and instantly it had all my attention.

  Before we left the hotel, they had put my veil on, attaching it to the correct spot in my hair, but that was it. I was still in just jeans and a cotton blouse as I walked to the chapel where I would finally get to put my dress on. Sam was already in her gorgeous ivory flower girl dress. It was puffy and looked like the typical Cinderella dress, except miniature size. Her long golden hair had been curled, not in tight spiral curls, but it medium sized curls. And then pulled back and clipped in place with flowers to match my hair, except she looked like a miniature angel, you could almost see wings sprout behind her back as she floated from one room to the other. She was gorgeous, in every sense of the word!

  Sharon walked in then, carrying in the big white bag that held my dress. Sharon was my maid of honor. She was dressed in a long purple dress. The purple was technically called wisteria; it was darker than lavender, but still a light shade of purple. It matched my ivory dress perfectly. The dress was a layer of satin, with a layer of chiffon on top. It gathered under the bust, and had little cap sleeves. Though the dress wasn’t as stunning as some I had seen, it looked like it was made for her. The satin underneath was very formfitting, hugging her perfect shape and curves. The chiffon just flowed easily over the satin, making her look like a goddess. Her hair was falling down in stunning waves of dark auburn. I felt a twinge of jealousy; I wished I could have looked like that.

  Sharon helped me step into my dress, and did the million buttons up the back. My dress was also satin covered in three tiers of lace instead of chiffon. It dipped down lower than any other dress I had ever worn, showing more of my chest than I was used to, but not too much. It was gathered under my bust as well, and then flowed out smoothly over the rest of my torso and down to my feet. The lace was embroidered with tons of sequins and tiny jewels. It had a very vintage look, and the ivory color really pulled it all together. The train was long and stunning, and made me feel like a princess from another era.

  She walked around me then, and stood in front of me, her smile widened as she looked me up and down. You could see the look of complete satisfaction across her face.

  “You are all done now.” She said. “But hold still so I can take a few pictures.”

  Since we were doing this small, we didn’t hire a professional photographer. Instead we just had everyone taking pictures on little disposable cameras, and a few of the artists taking professional-ish pictures.

  Once she was done, I sighed “Finally!” Not just because I was tired of all the primping and preparing and posing but because I was anxious to see myself in the mirror.

  She rolled her eyes at my impatience, but then led me, ever so carefully, to the mirror, bundling up my train to carry behind me. She stopped me before we made it to the mirror and said, “Wait, one more thing.” I suppressed the sigh that was fighting to escape my frustrated lips. “Your mother will be here in just a minute, she has something for you.”

  Just then, as if on cue, my mother walked in. She again had to hold back tears as she said, “You look as beautiful as I always imagined you would look on this day!” Although she had called me beautiful in the past, I believed every word she said now. She truly believed that I was beautiful today. The thought made me smile, and I too had to hold back tears of my own. She took a deep breath and said, “Okay, I have to do this fast before we both start cryin
g all over the place and mess up the pretty faces these girls painted on us.”

  She walked to me, holding an old black box in her hands. She opened the box and pulled out an old necklace. It was one I had never seen before. It had a long chain, and at the end was a purple stone, surrounded by a metal enclosure. It too looked very vintage.

  “It was my grandmothers. I never have had the opportunity to wear it, but I knew that one day I would find a purpose for it. My grandmother never did things without reason, I have no doubt she saw this day before we even knew it would come.” She said, again trying to hold back tears. It was a losing battle she was fighting. As she walked behind me to close the necklace around my neck, I saw a single tear slide down her rosy cheek.

  “It’s beautiful, Mom! Absolutely perfect!” I said. The purple stone appeared to match my bridesmaid’s dresses and bouquets flawlessly.

  “It’s your something old, Allison.” Sharon said. “Your dress is new, and you are borrowing my earrings.” The earrings were long dangly things, with a purple stone at the bottom. “And I believe your garter is blue, right?” she asked.

  I nodded, no longer able to speak without tears flowing. Everything is perfect! This was the day I had been waiting for since…since forever. The day every little girl dreams of, even the little girls like me who never cared about girly things. Nothing could make it better. My mom hugged me, and then shuffled out of the room to her spot.

  “Thank you, Mom!” I said before she was all the way through the door. She turned back to me and nodded, again I saw another tear stream down her cheek.

  I stood there, looking down at the gorgeous necklace, admiring it and thinking about how it felt like it was made for me, for this day. Sharon took a breath, cleared her throat.

  “Ok, enough of the sappiness. I will not allow you to cry before you even walk down the aisle.”

  She again gathered my train and helped me walk to the mirror. At first I was taken aback. The person standing there looking back at me, barely resembled me at all. She looked taller than me, but I was wearing very tall heels. She looked long and elegant. Her face was flawless, with deep smoky eyes that brought out the brown and purple there and made them look mysterious, like they held hidden secrets. My cheeks were rosy, but not too much. And my lips were pronounced with a deep red that made me look older and more mature. The dress was perfect and made my body look curvy in the right places, and smooth in the right places. My mouth opened as I exhaled in shock. I couldn’t even speak to say my thanks, I was too stunned.

  Sharon looked at me expectantly, waiting for my approval at her best work yet. All I could do was look at her and smile, still trying to hold back tears. She hugged me and whispered to my ear, “I am so blessed to have you as a friend!”

  “Thank you so much for everything, Sharon! I cannot imagine a better person in the world, or a better friend!” I said, finally finding my voice, and being able to form coherent thoughts and words. We stood there, holding onto each other, trying hard not to cry. And then she pulled away and nodded.

  “Its time.” Rick said after he came through the door. But then he saw me and smiled wide. “Allison, you look amazing!”

  I smiled back, knowing I was still too emotional to speak. Sharon gathered my train and we followed Rick and Sam to the back of the chapel to await our cue to enter.

  I took a deep breath. So many thoughts started flying through my head. It was finally happening. I would marry the man of my dreams. I would forever tie myself to him, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. He would be mine and I would be his. I started taking more deep breaths. For a minute there, I thought I might pass out. All of a sudden I was overwhelmingly nervous. All the horrible statistics of weddings flew through my mind. What if I was a bad wife, what if I couldn’t do it right. What if this wasn’t my destiny and I was making the wrong choice?

  Rick took my hand and placed it in his arm.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall. I may not be able to see much of the future, but I know in my heart that this was meant to be. There is no better woman in the world for David, and he is the only man alive that could ever deserve you.” His words sent shivers down my back. The sound of his deep, husky voice, along with the words he spoke, made it sound like truth, like fate. Like there is no way he could be wrong. He looked deep in my eyes and promised, “This is right.”

  It was as if he had known my thoughts. Though I knew in truth he could, I also knew he wouldn’t. It was just something he thought and wanted to share with me. But it was the perfect thing to say.

  When I thought on his words, I knew he was right. There was no way this could ever be wrong. And suddenly I was ready. I didn’t even notice that Samantha had already left to walk down the aisle, scattering purple pedals as she went.

  Or that Sharon also had already walked on, and I could no longer see either of them, or all the flashes of a million cameras. The organist, who sat directly in front of me, at the back of the church, looked at me, and nodded. That was my cue. Rick grabbed my hand tighter, and together we walked forward.

  As I walked past the doors, and into the small church, my senses were assaulted with a plethora of sights and smells. Sharon and Lizzy had come to decorate the church, and had insisted that I not see it until this moment.

  There planning was well thought out. I couldn’t imagine a better way to walk down the aisle. There were actual wisteria flowers, intertwined with carnations and roses, flowing all over the church. They hung down the sides of the pews, and from the walls in the back and on both sides. It looked so natural, almost like we were outside and the smell was to die for, so thick and pungent.

  I glanced around, noticing every single thing, the ivory lace that fell down the aisle beneath the purple petals. I saw the artists crouched in weird positions, trying to capture the perfect shot, and then my eyes fell upon my mother, and I felt the first tear fall down etching an indelible crevice of happiness down my cheek. I smiled back at her, as I noticed her dabbing the tears away from her eyes with a tissue.

  And then I saw him. He looked more stunning than any man I had ever seen. He was all dressed up, in a black tuxedo, with a purple tie. His permanent disheveled hair was combed and gelled to a very nice style, something he never fully accomplished before. He always said his hair was unmanageable, but it changed his whole look when it was actually straightened.

  His face was shaved, and his eyes shined bright. Today his eyes were not the normal hazel shade; they were glittering bright green, like two emeralds. I no longer wanted to walk slowly, and though I loved Rick like a father, I no longer wanted to be holding on to his arm. I wanted to run to him.

  I wanted to fly.

  When I finally reached him, nothing else in the world mattered to me. I was only vaguely aware that there were other people around us, all watching our every move. All I could do was look into his eyes, and love him with every molecule of my being. His eyes were smoldering with a deep, intense passion. He looked at me then, like I was the last woman on the planet, like I was the only person he would ever love, like I was his everything.

  My heart swelled and I thought it might burst through my chest, it felt so full of love. The Power was radiating off nearly every person present. There were still a few non-powerful people present, like my mother, but most of us here had Power, and were so overwhelmed, we could barely contain it.

  I got the familiar warmth and tingle I feel when my Power begins to be unleashed, but I couldn’t focus on reeling it in. All I could think of was him, my love, my David and that soon I would be his and he would be mine forever. I could tell he was probably not paying much attention to his Power as well; his eyes were glowing green, so bright I nearly had the urge to squint away from him. I could see the tips of his very gelled hair, turn green also, but I ignored it. I heard the priest speaking, but I couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying now. David and I were in our own world, staring into the depths of our souls, uniting as one.

 
The priest stopped talking, but neither of us turned away from each other to look at him. The room got quiet and I felt myself fall deeper into David eyes, realizing that at some point I may be trapped forever in his dynamic gaze, which really wouldn’t be that bad. For a moment, I think time stopped. Perhaps the world even stopped revolving around the sun. I think everything everywhere might have stopped. There was nothing except David and me and our love.

  I vaguely recalled David twitch slightly to the left, as though someone called his name, but he still didn’t want to look away from me. He inclined his head away from me, as though listening to someone speak to him, but never taking his eyes from mine.

  Until he did.

  He blinked and whispered, “I think this is where you say ‘I do’.” He said it with a smile, trying to hide the passion that lay within.

  I blinked, and turned to my left to look at the priest. He smiled also, seeing that we had been too lost in each other’s eyes to even hear what was going on. He said again, “Do you Allison Lee Stevens, take David Michael Donnelly, to be your lawfully wedding husband?”

  I nodded, and tried to say, “I do”, but could barely squeak it out. My throat was closed tight with emotion. I felt another tear slide down my cheek.

  I looked deep into David’s eyes, as he answered the priest with his, “I do.” You wouldn’t think that two little words could cause someone so much happiness, but it was possible. With those two words we were united our lives, bodies and souls to each other for all time.

  The priest then addressed me and said, “Repeat after me, I, Allison Lee Stevens, take you David Michael Donnelly to be my lawfully wedded husband,” Then he paused so that I could repeat. I did, but barely. My voice wasn’t working right and my tears kept a constant stream flowing down my face. I could see the love and success, the pure and unconditional bliss behind his eyes as I spoke the words to him. I had to concentrate on the priest and his words though, to make sure I didn’t miss what I was supposed to say.