“Gods do not know death, and Odam believes the way we live and love, with the knowledge of our mortality, and in the face of our damnation, is very romantic. We have an ending, an eventual finality that will come as surely as the sun will rise and set; that is what makes everything count, every moment meaningful, every breath a gift, every kiss a precious flower that withers and fades, only remaining in the vastness of what was and will never again be. Odam’s eternity of experience and wisdom has led him to the conclusion that nothing lasting can be beautiful, because beauty comes in the passion of moments and lives that fade.” Khalid’s voice shook with emotion.
“Death is what allows us to live. Death is what makes us alive. He envies us and he respects us.” Khalid’s tone grew strong, but gentle, like a heavy load had been lifted from his shoulders. “He does not see himself as above us, or better than us, as his brothers do. That is the difference.”
“That is all well and good, but how can you say Mikal is right? If we don’t give my father what he wants, Emira will die.” Elijah spoke with absolute conviction.
“Elijah, Odam has empowered me for longer than you could imagine. My only charge has been to protect the ME.” Khalid rubbed his chin and looked at the ground. “I love Emira with all my heart, but I can’t risk the balance of the universe to save her.”
Elijah could see he was sincere, but…”That’s not good enough, Khalid. You can’t just let her die!” Elijah shouted.
“What exactly would you have me do?” Khalid asked.
“I say fuck the gods! Fuck the balance of the fucking universe—fuck the universe altogether! You are worried about a universe out there that doesn’t care shit for you. What about Emira’s universe? It’s going to disappear. I’m willing to sacrifice my universe to save her, since, when I hand over that rite, I’m a dead man.”
Elijah threw up his hands. “I’m tired of seeing the people I care about die. What is the fucking universe without the people we love?” Elijah could see his words weighing on Khalid’s mind as he stared blankly at the ground, rubbing his forehead.
“Elijah, there is something else you should know about Emira.” Khalid looked up at him, his eyes burdened with pain. “She is The Key to the rite. Your father has her. If we also give him the rite, then he will have everything he needs,” he sighed.
“So the rite itself is useless without Emira?” Elijah asked as he stepped forward and placed his hands on Khalid’s shoulders. A faint smile quirked his mouth.
“Yes. She doesn’t even know yet, but she is the only one who can read it.” Khalid admitted.
“Then the decision is easy. We can save Emira and maintain the balance; we just have to make sure we save her. My father doesn’t know anything about her. He has no idea she is special.” Elijah smacked his palms victoriously against Khalid’s chest, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
“That’s right! Vampires can’t see her light. That is the only way we are able to protect her. They know nothing of The Key,” Khalid mused.
“Well, let’s do it, then. Let’s get her back.” As he spoke, Elijah searched Khalid’s face for consensus.
“You heard what Mikal said. Are you truly willing to give up your life for a girl you scarcely know?” Khalid asked.
Elijah nodded firmly; he could see Khalid was inspired by his willingness. “I am a wretched being; her life is worth infinitely more than mine. As long as I take my father with me, I will die smiling. I’ll have to do it immediately after we make the trade, since I don’t know if I will have minutes or seconds… but either way, I will have to be very quick. My life is of little consequence to me; it’s definitely not worth hers. I live only for vengeance; she sees so much more.” Elijah gazed at Khalid, his eyes pleading and bleeding hope at the same time.
“Okay. Let the gods fight their own war. Let’s save Emira,” Khalid agreed. “If we see an opportunity to save her without giving up the rite, we’ll take it. Otherwise, we just have to make sure we save Emira.”
Hope was now ready to burst from Elijah’s chest. This was the best death he could imagine… to save Emira and have his vengeance before Mikal took his power and his life.
“I’ll take care of my father, but it will be on you to get Emira out of harm’s way.” If the course of tonight’s events unfolded as he envisioned, he would be dead and his loved ones avenged by morning.
Chapter 90
“What are you doing?” Elijah yelled when he saw Khalid walking back into the cabin.
“I’ll be right back.” Khalid shouted over his shoulder. Standing out in the middle of nowhere, Elijah surveyed the landscape around him.
How serene and lovely. It was a shame he had been on such a beautiful planet for so long and never cared to notice its majesty, all the beautiful life and color. Textures, he thought of Emira and her smooth skin; the way her soft lips had felt against his cheek, her warm breath on his chest, and how her heartbeat had echoed through his mind and into eternity. She set him free.
He also couldn’t help thinking of Ayda. He still loved her, and the thought he might never see her again saddened him; but knowing she was out there in the world, somewhere safe, gave him comfort. He wished he could have seen her one last time, to embrace her, and to apologize for the life they never had.
It confounded him that his love for Emira began with a couple of old coins. He wondered what would have happened if Ayda had found those coins, if he had seen that necklace lying on her collarbone instead. He imagined it would have changed everything.
Elijah slowly turned his head as he heard Khalid’s thundering footsteps emerge from the cabin. In his hand was a tiny piece of parchment. As he reached Elijah, he extended his hand with the piece of parchment clenched tightly in his fist.
“I have never known nor trusted one of your kind. You may not be one of Adol’s immortals, but you are still the vessel of an unholy god. I am not trusting what you are, but who you have proven yourself to be.” The gravity of his voice was daunting, and Elijah still didn’t understand. Khalid opened his hand and thrust the parchment closer to Elijah’s chest.
“Take it, now. I must go.” Khalid spoke quickly as Elijah accepted the parchment and read the small inscription on the top,
Apotheosis, it read. Elijah was still confused for a moment, and then clarity washed over him like rain as he remembered their conversation last night.
“This is it? This little piece of paper is what immortals and even gods have been searching for, for ages?” Elijah asked. It seemed incredible. It seemed so insignificant.
“Yes, that is it; it’s not the paper that’s important, it’s what’s on it.” Khalid’s tone was condescending. Elijah knew the paper itself wasn’t important, but he had expected the thing to be a little more impressive-looking.
“That’s great! We can negotiate with my father now.” Elijah was bubbling with enthusiasm.
“It’s not that simple,” Khalid said slowly. Elijah could hear his concern. “This is only part of it; there is a council of my kind. I must go and meet with them; I must convince them to give me the other piece.” Khalid’s worried face told Elijah the task was unlikely to be easy.
“I’m ready. Where are we going?” Elijah asked.
“We are not going anywhere; the council doesn’t like outsiders,” Khalid shifted away after speaking as if to close the subject.
“I’m coming with you. What if they won’t give it to you? What if you have to take it? You will need me,” Elijah demanded urgently.
“It won’t come to that,” Khalid waved his hand sharply and dismissively.
From the look on his face, Elijah guessed he found the thought of fighting his own people very disturbing. “But what if it does?” Elijah stepped close enough to be almost literally in his face.
“Okay,” Khalid responded after pacing and muttering for a few moments, “I hate this, but you’re right. Saving Emira is the most important thing. But we must not tell them about her light. If they learn William alread
y has The Key, there is no way they will help us.”
“Why don’t they know?” Elijah frowned in confusion.
“Her light just started a few days ago. The Key is always reborn into a human family in one of our bloodlines. We watch over the children of our descendants until one of them is revealed to be The Key. With all the vampire problems of late and… well, you, I just haven’t had time to tell the others yet. Also, once they find out, she will be taken away, moved around, better protected. I guess I just wasn’t ready for that. Only Ayda knows, fortunately.” Khalid raised his busy brows and looked challengingly at Elijah. “How fast are you on your feet?” he asked, smiling.
Elijah knew he’d just thrown down a friendly, competitive gauntlet. “Fast enough to keep up with you,” Elijah grinned back. Khalid shook his head doubtfully. “Where are we going, anyway?” Elijah asked.
“Kentucky.” Khalid spoke as if it were just across the street.
“Kentucky? How will we get back in time to meet my father?” Maybe this wasn’t the best plan.
“As long as you can keep up, we shouldn’t have a problem.” Khalid smiled again, tauntingly, and then took off toward the woods. “Are you coming or not?” he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared into the tree line. Elijah heard thunder, the sound of heavy footfalls and then nothing.
Elijah quickly took off after him. He couldn’t see Khalid ahead, but the path left by the huge man would have been hard for anyone to miss. He seemed to tear through everything in the forest. But Elijah was fast; he knew he would soon catch up.
Chapter 91
Elijah had been running his fastest for at least an hour, and the only sign of Khalid continued to be the brutish path he had ripped through the thick underbrush. He had crossed roads, mountains, and even rivers. How fast is he, anyway? Elijah was amazed, and impressed.
As he passed over a thick, trampled briar patch, Elijah noticed a bit of blood and a large tuft of black fur caught on one of the thorns. Had Khalid run into trouble? Had he been attacked by something? Knowing how strong and capable the man was, Elijah didn’t bother to worry. He felt sorry for the poor beast that had gotten in his way.
It was a couple hours later that Elijah crossed over a small creak and saw Khalid leaning against a large tree, buttoning his shirt.
“You are faster than I thought,” he smiled at Elijah.
“Obviously not fast enough. How long have you been here?” Elijah was curious as to just how fast Khalid was.
“Only a matter of minutes; you were right on my heels the entire time, it seems. Of course, I did clear the path,” Khalid beamed proudly.
“Are we close?” Elijah was worried. If they took too much longer they might not make it back in time to save Emira.
“Yes, it’s just over that mountain.” Khalid pointed as he spoke. “Don’t say anything; let me do the talking. Your presence here alone is going to upset him.” He seemed even more worried now.
“HE will be upset? I thought you said we would be meeting with a council.” Elijah was once again annoyed by the big man’s secrets and half-truths.
“I am hoping to avoid the council.” Khalid paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “The man who lives here is named Arhan. We don’t have a leader, but if we did, some might say it is Arhan. He is the guardian who keeps the other half of the ME. Technically we would have to call the council for any decision of this magnitude, but I’m hoping he will cooperate.” Though his words were somewhat optimistic, Khalid’s voice told an entirely different story. “Follow me,” he commanded and raced up the hill with Elijah close behind.
Chapter 92
Elijah was surprised by the view from the top of the mountain. The valley below was completely cleared of underbrush. In the very center stood a large wooden cabin that seemed the exact opposite of Khalid’s small hideout. It was two stories high, and a large crescent window stretched across both stories.
There was a huge wraparound porch extending along three sides of the building, and the back door opened to a set of stairs that climbed down to meet a rocky path leading to a gazebo. The gazebo was intricately designed; it was round, with delicately carved rails stretching from the waist-high walls to the cone-shaped roof.
As they approached the cabin, Elijah could see it wasn’t made of treated lumber. Instead, the logs were bare, sanded and cut to fit together perfectly. Their texture was rough and dry. The wood still smelled like wood; the cabin’s look and smell reminded Elijah of something beautiful from ages past. He imagined the walls inside looked similar to the outside, with no drywall or insulation.
According to modern standards the house would be considered raw and unfinished, a work in progress, and perhaps even unlivable. Elijah could remember a time not long ago when it would have been considered magnificent. He had lived long enough to recognize the gem the structure truly was. The man who built this was an artisan, an expert at his craft.
The landscaping, which encircled the house, was also elaborate. The same logs that made up the house framed the flower garden; they were artfully designed and crafted to fit together end to end like puzzle pieces. The garden started in the front of the house with two small rectangular flowerbeds on each side of the walkway stretching from the front steps.
From there, it flowed artistically back around the house and along the rocky path to the gazebo, where it climbed up the gazebo walls and filled the gutter-like flower bed which flowed seamlessly around the inside. The beds themselves were filled with beautiful and exotic plants of all types and colors, some Elijah didn’t even recognize. The beds were kept in immaculate condition, clearly watched over meticulously; every plant had its place, and nothing was out of place.
Walking up the front steps, Elijah stopped just behind Khalid on the porch. He waited quietly, taking in the artistry around him, while Khalid knocked on the door. Seconds later, Elijah’s attention was pulled away from the parade of color around him by the slight creaking sound of the front door slowly opening.
Looking towards the door, he was surprised to see a short man. No, he was actually Elijah’s height and build; he just appeared short next to his enormous friend, but everyone looked short next to Khalid. Elijah didn’t know why, but he had assumed all of Khalid’s kind were men of beastly proportions. Arhan had Khalid’s same dark olive skin tone and black hair; they could have been brothers, except for the size difference.
“Khalid, what a wonderful surprise. What are you doing here?” The man spoke with Khalid’s same strange accent while he smiled and pulled Khalid into a strong embrace. Khalid stepped back a pace and shook hands. Arhan noticed Elijah and frowned. “Who is this man you’ve brought to my door?” The words burst from his throat like an accusation.
Elijah could tell he was a distrustful man, and he certainly had good cause.
“This is my good friend, Elijah; he and I have grown very close,” Khalid reassured the man who still blocked the doorway. “We have come because Emira is in danger and I need your help.”
A look of uncertainty crossed Arhan’s face, and his brow furrowed. Elijah got the feeling this kind of request was out of the ordinary.
“All right, come on, let’s talk inside.” Arhan certainly wasn’t happy about the intrusion, but seemed to be doing his best to be polite. He motioned the two men into the house and shut the door behind them. “Have a seat and I’ll make some tea.” Arhan walked the pair into the dining room and pulled out two chairs. Elijah looked over at Khalid anxiously as they sat down.
“There is no time for tea and cookies, for god’s sake,” Elijah hissed.
Khalid seemed to get the message. “Actually, Arhan, we are in quite a hurry.” Khalid was speaking politely, but he was obviously nervous, at least to Elijah.
“Okay, old friend, tell me what you need,” Arhan said. He seemed more interested now as he pulled a chair up to the other side of the table. Khalid’s demeanor was usually like stone, and his obvious distress now might have been what made Arhan uncomfo
rtable.
“Do you trust me?” Khalid asked.
Elijah was losing his patience; he wanted Khalid to get to the point.
“What kind of a question is that? Of course I trust you, Brother. What is this about?” Arhan’s volume was growing with his curiosity and irritation.
“What I am about to ask you—” Khalid was interrupted as he spoke.
“We need the other half of the parchment,” Elijah blurted. They were running out of time, and his frustration and impatience had gotten the better of him.
Arhan shot to his feet in protest, his face scored with anger and disbelief.
“What have you told him, Khalid?” the man demanded as he slammed his fist on the table. “We keep our secrets for a reason. Our council has but a handful of members left, thus you know secrecy is our primary defense against our enemy’s vast and growing numbers.”
“He knows everything; he is also an immortal, but a friend.” Khalid knew this would send Arhan over the edge, but hoped he could reason with him.
“You brought a blood-letter to my home! You told him I am the keeper! What has come over you, Khalid? This is an outrage!” Arhan shouted, his anger boiling over.
“No. He is an immortal, yes, but made by Mikal.” Khalid hoped this would console the man a bit.
“Impossible!” Arhan’s eyes were wide as he tugged vigorously at the tuft of hair on his chin.
“It’s true, Arhan. I saw it myself, heard and saw Mikal while he spoke to this man, and he is a trusted friend.” Khalid spoke softly, in earnest. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but, as I said, Emira is in trouble and I need that parchment to save her life. Will you help me, Brother?” Khalid begged; his voice cracked with emotion.
Arhan’s face suddenly flooded with sorrow, as if he knew Emira was like a daughter to Khalid.
“You know I can’t just give you my half of the rite, Khalid, the two parts have been kept separate for thousands of years. We can’t take the chance of letting them both fall into the wrong hands.” His expression was sympathetic, but he spoke resolutely. “Besides, any decisions made about the ME have to involve the entire council; you know that,” Arhan finished piously.
Apotheosis of the Immortal Page 37
