Enlightened

by Samantha Britt

  Finding her voice, she cleared her throat, “Someone, please explain this to me before I lose it. What do you mean, ‘immortal’?” She knew the general definition of the word, but a part of her hoped Thane used it in a different context.

  He observed her, contemplating how best to broach the explanation before gesturing to the seating area of the room. “Maybe we should sit for this conversation,” he suggested.

  Bella and Lome agreed and immediately made themselves comfortable on separate chairs. Thane moved toward a stand-alone chair, leaving the room’s couch open for Darcie. Cautiously, she moved and sat on the edge of a cushion.

  “Better?” Thane asked.

  Darcie nodded. “So what do you mean when you say you are immortal?”

  The man sighed and ran a hand over his jawline. “I wish I handled this more delicately,” he admitted. “I’m afraid we are overwhelming you unnecessarily.”

  Darcie was tired of the apologies. “Just tell me. Not knowing what is happening is making it worse.”

  “Very well.” Thane leaned back in his seat and looked up in thought. “I suppose it is best to start with your question. We are immortal. Immortal, as in, we do not die.” His gaze moved down to gauge her reaction.

  She forced her face to appear unfazed. “You do not die?”

  Thane nodded. “Correct. Lome, Des, and I were created as we appear now. We do not grow old, and we do not die.”

  “We are not the only ones,” Lome added. “A number of us were created the same way, pretty much out of nowhere.”

  Growing up with a father whose life work was dedicated to ancient cultures, it was no surprise Darcie’s mind immediately traveled to the gods and goddesses of the ancient world. She looked at the three people in front of her. They looked completely normal.

  This has to be a dream.

  “Wait.” Darcie remembered Thane’s choice of words. “You only said you, Des, and Lome.” She turned hopeful eyes towards Bella. “You aren’t immortal?”

  The girl’s sympathetic expression remained. “I am immortal, but I was not born this way.”

  Disappointed and confused, Darcie leaned forward and rested her head in her hands. She willed herself to wake up from the nightmare that began in the grocery store bathroom.

  This can’t be real, she told herself. None of it made sense.

  Immortal gods?

  Ridiculous.

  Darcie being immortal?

  Impossible.

  She was an average girl from Maine. There was nothing extraordinary about her.

  As if hearing her thoughts, Bella addressed Darcie, “I know this might seem unreal,” she offered in a calm voice. “Trust me, I know exactly how you feel.”

  Still holding her head, she shook it from side to side. “Doubt it.”

  Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

  “Can I tell her?” Bella asked one of the men in the room.

  “If you think it best, my love,” Thane answered. Fabric rustled, and Darcie felt the cushion sink as Bella sat down beside her.

  Delicately, she cleared her throat. “You already know the brothers were created as immortals. There are others as well, but the brothers are the strongest–the most powerful when they are united together.”

  Darcie listened halfheartedly.

  What would a psychologist say about my radical dream? She snorted. Most likely, they would blame the illusion on boredom and years of living immersed in historical cultures.

  “While Thane, Des, and Lome are the strongest of the immortals,” Bella continued, unaware of Darcie’s distracting thoughts. “Their strength is…. limited.”

  Lome scoffed. “That is putting it lightly.”

  “You see, Darcie,” Bella persisted, ignoring the interruption. “The Creator made the brothers with access to only half of their power. To gain access to their full potential, they are required to find their One.”

  Hearing the familiar words so many had directed towards Darcie, she finally lifted her head. “The one?”

  “Yes.” Bella smiled, encouraged by her response. “The One refers to a human–a human woman who is destined for one of the brothers. Think of them as soulmates.”

  “Soulmates?” Darcie parroted back.

  The petite girl nodded. “When the brothers were created, their souls split and were divided between two individuals. Thane received one half,” Bella paused and cast loving eyes towards her husband. “And I claimed the other.”

  Following the new information, conversation after conversation replayed in Darcie’s head:

  The women in the bathroom mentioned “the one” with derision and anger…

  They thought Darcie was her, and their ringleader nearly killed her because of it…

  There was no way she would allow herself to be thrown into the dangerous mess.

  “No,” she denied. “No, I am not one of those people.”

  “We believe you are,” Thane stated with authority.

  “I can’t be,” Darcie’s mind raced as she tried to convince her audience. “I’m not immortal. That woman, Evetta, left marks on my neck. She almost killed me.”

  “You are not immortal, yet,” Thane clarified. “It takes a bonding for the transformation to occur.”

  Darcie could only stare at him. Bonding? His words were complete nonsense.

  Bella jumped back in. “Not anyone can bond with one of the brothers to become immortal,” she explained as if it would make Darcie more receptive to the incredulous story. “Only those who are actually matches for their souls can alter their mortality. The whole thing is destined by the Creator.”

  Darcie did not buy it. “What does that even mean? Destined?”

  “Each of the three brothers’ power is limited by their nature. Alone, they only reach half of their strength. It is only when they encounter their One when they are able to obtain their full capabilities.”

  Darcie blinked as she processed the words. “So... you are saying I am someone’s ticket to power?”

  “It is not so vulgar,” Thane countered. “My brothers and I do not reach our full potentials because we are only half of ourselves. We are limited until we find, and bond, with our soulmate.”

  Darcie grew annoyed at the repeated explanation. No matter how many times they said it, the story still sounded crazy.

  The attractive man turned to Bella with a sickeningly in-love expression. The young woman returned his gaze with equal affection.

  “I recognized Bella the moment I laid eyes on her,” Thane revealed, keeping his eyes locked on Bella.

  “Me too,” Bella replied, smiling brightly. “I thought you were the most handsome man I had ever seen.”

  Their loving display changed nothing.

  “Des said I am not the one,” Darcie pointed out. “We don’t feel that type of connection.” She refused to admit what she first thought of Des, or the sensations which ran through her body when they first met.

  All three people in the room frowned, at a loss for how to counter her response.

  “What are the chances anyway?” Darcie took advantage of their silence. “There are billions of women in the world. I’m just one girl in a sea of others.”

  “Actually,” Lome leaned forward. “You are not just one girl. You have been many girls.”

  “Lome,” Bella cautioned knowingly. “That is too much.”

  “Look at her, Bella.” Lome gestured towards Darcie. “I can see her mind spinning with denial. The only way we can convince her of the truth is to tell the entire story.”

  Bella looked to her husband for assistance. Unfortunately, her silent pleas did not reach him. Thane stared, lost in thought, at Darcie.

  Eventually, the older brother spoke, “Lome is right. She should know.”

  Leaning back in triumph, Lome grinned from ear to ear. “She has always been an intellectual,” he said to no one in particular. “She always needed facts before she could ever be convinced.”

  The statement confused Darcie.


  “You are not just one girl,” Lome addressed her again. “You are the girl. The One meant for Des.

  “You are right when you say the world is full of people,” he continued. “That being the case, finding our Ones was never an easy task for any of us. The Creator showed us mercy and ensured we would have multiple chances to find our soulmates.” Lome paused and observed Darcie.

  She didn’t know what to say. “What do you mean?” She was tired of trying to decipher their conversation; she just wanted someone to spit it out.

  Lome obliged. “You have lived multiple lives, Darcie. You went by different names, and sometimes were not quite the person you are in this life, but the fundamental characteristics about you never change.”

  “You’ve always been clever,” Bella added. “And kind.”

  “And always unwilling to accept the truth,” Lome smirked.

  “And always meant to be his,” Thane stated last.

  What could she possibly say?

  Each of the individuals in front of Darcie watched her. They made their comments with such levity and belief. Didn’t they realize how insane they sounded?

  Darcie reverted back to her original thought regarding the unusual circumstances. “I must be dreaming,” she murmured.

  “Believe me, Darcie,” Thane’s tone grew even more serious. “You are not dreaming.”

  She lowered her head. “I want to go home. Please,” her voice shook. “Let me go home.”

  “I’m sorry, Darcie,” Thane released a heavy breath. “We cannot allow you to return to your home. It is not safe.”

  “But why?” She snapped her gaze back up to him. “Des says I’m not the one. Shouldn’t that be enough for you people?”

  “Regardless what Des says, other immortals believe you are.”

  Other immortals?

  “Why does that put me in danger? I don’t understand. You said you guys were the most powerful.” Her breathing increased as she frantically tried to find a way out.

  “You are correct, we are the most powerful.”

  “But others resent that fact,” Lome added to Thane’s words. “And they will do anything to ensure the three of us do not grow any stronger.”

  “If Des finds his One,” Bella offered, “all three of the brothers will have reached their full potential. Our family would maintain our position of power for the rest of time.”

  Lome and Thane sat up in their seats, looking proud. Darcie could not help but notice their reaction the exact opposite of Des’.

  She stood, and the three immortals rose from their seats.

  Taking a deep breath, Darcie forced herself to look directly into Thane’s eyes. She willed him to hear her. “I understand. I understand that, in your life, finding Des’ wife… soulmate…whatever. I understand it is important to you, but that does not mean I can help you.”

  “And even if I could,” Darcie rushed to say, silencing Thane’s impending retort. “Des has made it clear he does not believe any of it. So, there is no point in me being here. I want to go home.”

  “Perhaps it would be better if you had access to all you know,” Thane offered, cautiously walking towards Darcie.

  Even though she felt uneasy, Darcie did not step back from his approach. Oddly enough, she trusted that the people around her did not mean her harm.

  Thane lightly placed his hand above her right ear. It was an odd move, and Darcie could not help but think the gesture felt familiar.

  A warmth emanated from Thane’s fingers and onto Darcie’s skin. She gasped as images flew across her eyes.

  Darcie watched three figures step out into the dim parking lot lights. She saw the cars she moved around to avoid the men chasing her. She felt the painful blow as one of the strangers kicked her side.

  The attack wasn’t the only thing she remembered.

  With unbelieving eyes, the teenager watched the events from the night of the club unfold before her. Not only were the memories clear, but they were completely different from how she thought the evening with her friends went.

  The music was loud, blaring through the speakers surrounding the dance floor. Darcie’s head pounded. Marie and Josh left her to go dance, and she was counting the minutes until the night was over.

  Darcie closed her eyes, breathing through the disconcerting memories.

  She stood by a tall table and watched as Thane and another man approached. Her breath hitched when she made eye contact with Des. He was stunning. She couldn’t deny the pull she felt towards him.

  Darcie left the bathroom and overheard the two brothers argue. She, now, knew they were arguing about her. Darcie couldn’t deny the pang of hurt she felt as she listened to Des fervently deny any feelings for her.

  Stop it, Darcie commanded herself. She opened her eyes.

  “Do you remember?” Thane asked.

  “Yes,” she replied hoarsely. “But it doesn’t change anything.”

  “Unfortunately, it does,” he disagreed. “Those men attacked you. Not three days later, you were attacked by some of our own.” Thane’s lips turned down.

  “We cannot allow you to be harmed,” he continued, “You need to be safe. We can protect you here.”

  Darcie searched for any reason she could give to convince the occupants of the room to let her return home.

  She thought of her dad. What would he say when she didn’t return home?

  Darcie voiced the question.

  “We will influence your father’s thoughts,” Lome answered, unaffected by how intrusive his response sounded. “Just like Des did when he took the memories of the attack from you. We will lead your father to believe you are safe and sound visiting some location or family member. It really is quite easy.”

  Darcie gaped at him. “I… I don’t even know where to start. What you are saying is wrong. You can’t keep me from my dad!”

  “We have no choice,” Thane told her. “You must be kept safe.”

  Angry tears welled in her eyes. She forced them back and wiped the corners of her eyes.

  “Darcie,” Bella stepped forward, but knew better than to reach out to touch her. “You need to rest. That is enough for today.” The petite woman directed the last comment to her husband.

  Thane looked ready to argue but held back. Instead, he gave Bella a nod.

  “Come,” Bella gently touched Darcie’s arm. “Let us find you a private room to process this.”

  Knowing there was nothing she could do, Darcie chose to comply and followed Bella as she walked towards the exit.

  Just as the girls were about to cross the threshold. Darcie stopped and turned back to face the men. They hadn’t moved an inch.

  “Tell me,” her blue eyes were icy as they moved between the two brothers. “Are you keeping me safe for my benefit? Or your own?”

  To Thane’s credit, he did not flinch.

  Nor, did he lie.

  The older brother maintained eye contact as his mouth formed one simple word, “Both.”

  11

  Spending the better part of the day staring out the window, Darcie’s eyes were dry from the lack of blinking. With a scoff, she realized she did the same thing the morning before her entire world turned upside down. Fluffy white clouds passed by the tall mountain. Lowering her gaze, she glanced down into the green valley below.

  She learned from Bella that the brothers’ home was located on a steep mountain in Greece.

  The information went well with the ancient god theme, Darcie had thought with a smirk.

  Her amusement was short lived, however, as the reality of her situation hit her.

  Darcie never thought she would say it, but she missed the snowy ground back in Maine.

  Sighing, she leaned forward and placed her head and palms against the cool glass. The room they put her in was three stories up.

  At first, she was permitted a room with a balcony, but she lost the luxury after she tried to escape by scaling its stone railings. Some soundless alarm instantly alert
ed the immortals to her departure, and she was greeted by Thane and Lome when she managed to land on the ground.

  Now, following her relocation, there was no way out except the main entrance–the same entrance which was constantly under watch by one of the brothers’ lackeys.

  Her eyes followed a distant speck on the ground. With its brown coloring, Darcie suspected it was a goat or some other small animal. She watched it slowly move across the grass and wondered how much longer she would be forced to stay cooped up in the room.

  Two days had passed since Thane told Darcie she would not be leaving their house for the near future…

  They were the longest two days of her life.

  While she believed Thane showed concern for her well-being, Darcie was not naive enough to forget there was an ulterior motive to her confinement. The brothers believed Darcie was the key to securing their power in whatever hierarchy system they were a part of, and they were clear about their end goal.

  During the two occasions one of the immortal brothers visited her in the luxurious prison, not one minute would pass before one of the men made a comment about how Des would eventually admit the truth. Both Lome and Thane were full of hope at the prospect of finally reaching their full “potential”.

  Whatever that meant.

  Darcie resisted the urge to tell them not to hold their breath. Even if Des suddenly admitted he made a mistake, she did not see herself ever following through with whatever crazed plan they would request.

  But, after forty-eight hours, Darcie was no longer able to explain away her situation as the result of an overactive imagination. She knew it was real, and her chances of going home were slim to none if the departure was not ordained by the brothers.

  Accepting immortals existed was difficult, but easy enough compared to trying to figure out how in the world she ended caught up in their lives.

  The role she allegedly played was the impossible fact to swallow, and Darcie refused to do it. She would strive to convince the brothers they made a mistake, and that they should allow her to return to Maine.

  A soft knock barely registered in her ears. Not waiting for a response, the visitor pushed open the tall door and stepped inside the elegant prison.