There were now only two certainties in his life: his father and Emira. Knowing the danger of being distracted at such a time, Elijah turned back to the task at hand.
Carefully walking around the house, he was more than happy to see the place presently deserted. He hoped his father would arrive late, giving Khalid more time. He needed the big man at his side tonight.
Elijah’s usual look of calm indifference was gone. He was growing anxious. He hoped the big man was okay.
The grassy expanse behind Khalid’s house disappeared into a dense forest. Elijah heard footsteps coming towards him from beneath the forest canopy. He hoped it was Khalid, but feared it was not.
Chapter 99
By the time Khalid reached Rallo it was already past dusk and only the waning moon illuminated the night sky. There were no signs of his guardian brothers and sisters behind him, and he had no idea how far behind him they were. Fear tugged at his chest as he thought of Emira; he had no time to waste.
Was he too late? From his cabin, he didn’t take the route following the road; he knew a shortcut. Passing the cabin, he didn’t even slow down; he plowed straight into the thick bush across the field from where he had broken into the valley surrounding his cabin.
The bush, the underbrush, the trees, nothing could slow him down as he pressed on and tore through the dense forest. He only stopped so he could survey the situation when he reached the edge of the forest just beside his house.
Chapter 100
When several figures emerged from the tree line Elijah saw it wasn’t Khalid and his council. It was his father, with his nasty lot of immortals. And Emira. His concern for her forced him forward, and he rushed to meet them.
Closing the gap between them, Elijah could see her clearly. He was relieved she was still alive, but he didn’t know for how long. William’s left hand was tightly clamped around the back of her neck. His hold was so vicious Elijah could barely hear her shallow breaths, and her light had disappeared.
Solomon was standing to William’s right, directly in front of Elijah. Two more blood-letters were standing to William’s left. Elijah thought himself enormously underestimated if his father believed this lot of immortal thugs would intimidate him.
Emira’s muffled whimpers were growing louder, and the sounds tore through Elijah’s soul. It took every ounce of will he could muster to remain frozen and calm. Every part of him clamored to rush forward, to tear William limb from limb, but he knew that would put Emira at grave risk.
Elijah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He pictured Ayda’s face, the mountains, the snow. Staring blankly into their faces, Elijah tried to retreat into the peaceful vacuum in his mind he had once known; he knew it still existed somewhere in there. He was biding his time, still hoping Khalid might make it.
Elijah knew he couldn’t stall them for long; time was running out. Without Khalid, he had no choice. It was up to him to make the biggest decision of his life, alone. Handing over the ME could mean a shift in the heavens. The power of his enemies would increase dramatically.
More than that, Mikal’s warning was plain. Handing over the ME would mean an end to Elijah’s immortality, and his life. The vengeance, which for so long had been his sole purpose for living, would be gone forever, completely beyond his reach.
He had no choice. To defy his father now would mean Emira’s certain and immediate death. Avoiding Elijah’s eyes, Solomon looked down as he extended his hand.
“Just give it to me, Brother.” Solomon spoke softly; he looked like a broken man, pitiful and defeated, only a fraction of the man Elijah had so admired in his youth.
“I will kill her, Son.” William pressed his hand hard beneath Emira’s delicate chin. Her spine could be crushed in an instant.
“Stop!” Elijah knew he was out of options. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out the two small pieces of parchment. He reluctantly handed them over to his brother, who in turn unfolded the documents and handed them to William.
William looked them over thoroughly. “You have done well, Son. This is it. I have seen partial drawings and etchings, but never the entire thing. Astounding, isn’t it?” William smiled, clearly pleased with himself. He looked once again at the rite and then back at Elijah.
“And now I must apologize, Son, but your lust for vengeance has caused me too many problems. I can’t allow this to continue. I would rather not kill you, but I can’t have you meddling in my affairs, so I hope this time the message will get through to you: your quest for revenge only ends in the deaths of those you love. I will take this beautiful life you seem to hold so dear. And then you must let it be over, Elijah.”
William looked down at the tiny girl in his vicious grasp and jerked up harder on her chin. Emira screamed in pain; her voice was saturated with terror.
“Don’t worry, my son; it will be quick.” William forced a somber expression, but Elijah knew it was just a façade, and, as he expected, it lasted only a moment. The faint smirk that stole across his father’s face burned a hole straight through Elijah’s chest.
Chapter 101
Emira’s screams ripped at his heart, but he was outmatched. What could he do? Even if he was able to defeat the immortals before him, he couldn’t do it in time to save Emira.
Watching her struggle in his father’s lethal grasp, he realized he was right back where he had been all those years ago. He could see Sara, viciously torn apart by William and his man, and he could see Malaki’s body fall lifeless after his father callously broke his small neck and threw him to the floor.
The fire in Elijah’s spirit was extinguished, defeated by vampires, these pathetic, undead animals. They were a species he had come to hate; they were horrible, vicious creatures, and if he somehow made it through this night, he would make it his mission in life to kill every last one.
But the concerns of the present outweighed his hatred, and he was jerked back into reality. He couldn’t let this happen again. He couldn’t let his father or his father’s minions kill another one of his loved ones. This time he would not stand by and do nothing.
He had to act, and he had to act immediately, because he might have only moments left to live. Handing over the ME had been his death sentence; he was already on borrowed time.
Now that he could see what his father’s true plan had been all along, Elijah was glad Khalid hadn’t made it back in time. Khalid was a strong man, a brave man, but he wasn’t sure if he had a place here, on this field of Titans.
Emira’s eyes flooded with tears. She had been trying to be strong, but couldn’t hold back any longer. Elijah could see her beautiful face contorting with fear and pain.
“Elijah!” Her scream rang out like a cymbal as William’s fingernails dug deep into the skin on her neck. The desperate cry jerked Elijah out of his defeated mindset and hardened his resolve. One thought resonated deep and dominated his entire being.
Emira needs me, now! His vision was clear. This was not going to happen, not to Emira.
“Stop!” Elijah shouted. “You need her.”
“What are you talking about, boy?” William laughed as he slightly loosened his grip on Emira’s neck.
“They call her The Key; she is the only one who can read the ancient text. Not even your god can read it.” Elijah smiled.
“You lie!” William shouted in protest. As he looked around at his comrades, his grip around Emira’s neck loosened even further. Seeing his opportunity, Elijah made his move.
In a whirlwind of fury, Elijah turned his back on his brother and pressed his toes into the earth. With a power nobody could have anticipated, not even Elijah, he rushed forward, his steps thundering.
A glint of fear lit his father’s eyes for the first time, and before William could react, Elijah had pried his arm away from Emira’s neck and shoved it skyward. With one fluid motion, he leaned back and, raising his powerful right thigh, Elijah hammered his leg forward and buried his foot into William’s chest, catapulting his father backward
several yards before he finally crashed to the earth.
Solomon remained frozen where he stood. Without hesitation, Elijah raced back to his brother and snapped his neck, dropping him to the ground. William was still lying stunned when Elijah rushed to Emira’s side and hauled her into his arms.
He was free and his spirit alive, now that she was safe. Still, he might have only seconds left, and now that Adol’s men knew Emira was The Key, there was only one thing Elijah could do to guarantee her safety forever. He had to kill them all.
Setting Emira safely behind him, Elijah stalked back towards his father. Before he could make it, two of his father’s thugs emerged in his path from behind the oak tree, separating Elijah from his father.
It didn’t matter. These demons and their kind had taken from him everyone he had ever cared for, and they were now trying to take that which he held most dear, someone who had come to mean more to him than anything—maybe even revenge. He would make sure their mistake was never repeated.
With lightning speed, Elijah drew the small kopis from under his coat and rammed the point of the blade hard into the throat of the man standing to his left. He pushed until the man’s feet left the ground and the sword pinned him to the tree at his back. The immortal who had been standing next to him now lunged at Elijah.
With one swift motion, Elijah jerked his sword out of the tree and swung his arm to the right, slicing through muscle, arteries, and bone. His arm extended, sword in hand, he turned his head just in time to watch the lunging immortal swallow his blood-polished blade. The blow nearly severed the demon’s head.
Elijah rushed back to Emira and quickly spun her behind him, staying between her and Solomon, who had now reawakened. At least for the moment, he was the only threat remaining.
“I never wanted things to be this way, little Brother.” Solomon’s apologetic voice was sincere, but not fearful. “I hope you are strong enough,” he continued, his face expressionless.
Elijah didn’t say a word. William emerged from the darkness opposite Solomon, and Elijah stepped back towards the house, keeping Emira as far from danger as possible.
“Very impressive!” William cheered as he dusted off his jacket. “I won’t underestimate you again, Son.” His smug grin had disappeared. “You are strong, but you haven’t a chance against all of us.” William glared at Elijah while he spoke, but then a smile lit his face once more.
All of us? He was confused; he looked around, but saw only Solomon and his father. He looked into his brother’s eyes, and, as he had expected, there was no vestige of the brother he once knew and loved. He saw disappointment, regret even, but a deep resolve to follow his father’s orders—whatever they might be.
But Elijah wasn’t afraid; he was on fire.
This was the moment he had waited for since he opened his eyes and raised his head from the cold stone floor of Rothber Castle. Some time during that terrible night he had been baptized in blood and birthed into immortality.
Now he would finally have his vengeance. It would have to be now; this was his last chance. If he didn’t take his revenge now, he would never have it. Soon he would be a weak and dying mortal.
“Still not convinced?” William’s tone was patronizing, but that didn’t matter. Elijah knew tonight would be his. William raised his hand toward the forest in showmanship fashion as four more immortals emerged from the shadowed tree line and walked to William’s side.
This changed everything. If Emira hadn’t been standing behind him, the extra muscle wouldn’t have mattered. He still believed he could see an end to Solomon and William before he was overtaken. He knew his rage would see him through.
He wasn’t afraid of death, but there was something much heavier than death weighing in the balance. He couldn’t take his revenge without leaving Emira open and defenseless.
He had to make a decision now, before his time ran out.
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He thought it would have been much harder, but it was the easiest decision he had ever made. He would leave his vengeance unclaimed. There would be no reckoning, no retribution for the vicious murder and betrayal of his family. Emira was his choice. Her life for his vengeance was more than a fair trade.
She had already given him more than he had ever imagined possible, more than he ever believed existed, more than revenge ever could have granted him. She had given him hope. She had given him life. For a brief moment, she had allowed him to see himself as he had been so long ago, as a good man.
He suddenly understood the tree. He was the tree, the tree who lives for the flower. He lives for the flower, because no matter how much he gives her, she always gives him more. He gives her protection and allows her to live, but she gives him life and beauty and shows him how. Emira was his flower. She was his redemption. And now he would be her savior.
Painfully aware he could have only seconds remaining, Elijah turned to face her.
“Just take me away from this place,” she pleaded between sobs.
“I can’t go, but you must.”
“Please, just come with me! You will find another time, one better suited for revenge.” Her mind was racing. Why would he not just grab her and run? What could she say to make him listen?
“It’s not about revenge anymore, Emira. I’m losing my strength. I’m dying, and what I said about you was true. You are The Key, and if I don’t stop them now, you will be in danger for the rest of your life.” He framed her lovely face with his hands and gently stroked her cheeks as he spoke.
“I don’t understand,” she sobbed.
“Listen to me, Emira. When I handed my brother that piece of paper, my fate was sealed. The god who made me immortal warned me that if I did that, I would lose my power and quickly die. So you see, this is the only chance I have to make sure you are safe.” Elijah was pleading and trying to console her at the same time.
“You knew! And you still did it… for me. No, please tell me that’s not true.” Emira’s voice was sharp. “You miserable, selfish man,” she shrieked and slapped him across the face as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she had stopped crying and hugged Elijah as tightly as she could.
He wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked the back of her head.
Emira could sense the field of demons closing in around them, but still she wasn’t afraid; she was safe in Elijah’s arms. She knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and she believed in him—powerfully. His strength and tenderness made it easy for her. She could abide in his arms against this onslaught, as if in a sturdy lighthouse amid crashing waves.
Elijah slowly pulled away; he looked deep into her eyes and kissed her gently on her lips. He imagined in all of history, there had never been a kiss that meant so much. He knew it would be his last loving act in this world, and he was happy to have lived long enough to experience something truly divine.
“Elijah, your eyes!” Emira exclaimed.
Elijah could hear her shock. He could feel his eyes burning, but Emira had seen them do that before.
Elijah didn’t understand. He touched his eyes, then looked at her blankly.
“They are glowing bright white!” she gasped.
It didn’t matter to Elijah; his only focus was to make sure Emira would be safe after he was gone. All the tension left him. He could never have imagined dying a better death. He was truly happy.
“Run!” Elijah mouthed.
“Come with me!” she tried one more time; tears were again rolling down her face.
“I can’t, but I can hold them off. Run now!” His face was uncompromising and his voice scolding.
As his father’s men prepared to attack, Elijah gathered his composure and turned to meet them. His death might be certain, but his presence here tonight would be felt. He was ready.
Chapter 103
“I won’t leave you!” The shrill voice echoing from behind him allowed a deep fear to crawl back into th
e depths of his soul.
“Please, Emira, I am not positive I can kill them all.” Elijah’s voice was shaky as he shouted over his shoulder.
He glanced at the tree line, hoping to see Khalid, before he turned back to Emira. He would give anything if his big bear of a friend was here to carry her away to safety.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Her voice was soft but uncompromising. Elijah dropped his head; he knew they only had seconds. “So,” she said, “what’s it going to be?”
Elijah knew what she wanted. She wanted him to run away with her, but he couldn’t. He would die anyway, and she would never be safe.
Elijah slowly raised his head and looked deep into her eyes. Tears were streaming from their corners. He stepped forward and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
“Don’t cry, please. I’m going to make sure you are safe. I’m going to kill them all.”
Elijah whirled and grabbed a vampire’s swinging sword hand just before he would have been parted from his head. Holding the vampire’s arm firmly with his left hand, he swung his short blade up and to the right, splitting the monster’s head in two.
Elijah tossed his short blade into his left hand and pulled the vampire’s sword loose with his right. He looked down at the dagger-like blade in his left hand and the short sword in his right.
He thought of Hassan. It had been ages since he had fought with sword and dagger. He thought about Hulagu and Ayda and how much each of them had taught him.
He realized now why it hadn’t worked, why he had never been able to understand what they were trying to teach him. He had been a tree growing alone in the desert with no reason to live. All he had was the hate he clung to with such desperation. He hadn’t been ready for what they wanted to teach him; he hadn’t deserved it, not until now. Not until he had found his flower.
The vampire before him seemed to fall in slow motion, revealing a wave of immortals hurtling towards him. He glanced back at Emira once more and smiled. His heart was finally at peace; there was no more room left for hate or vengeance. Protecting Emira was all that mattered.
Apotheosis of the Immortal Page 40
