Coralie was caught by surprise.
“I would like to hang out with you again ... soon. There may be reasons why this feels so familiar, so comfortable … so natural.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know that you don't understand, but it's complicated...”
“Complicated...”
Alex leaned in closer, attempting to quiet her. Though she hadn't yet, Alex had noticed. Others were beginning to catch glimpse of their table. He didn't want to bring more attention their direction. Especially, since to others that surrounded them, their setting looked very different from the one of which Coralie thought they could see.
“Yes, complicated. I can explain later, but right now, I should probably get you home.”
Coralie answered with silence.
“I could walk you home, keep you safe. You know, you can never be too careful. You never know when some crazed stalker could be following you.”
Allowing herself to soften, Coralie rejoined, “Just to be reassured, you're not speaking from recent experience, are you?”
Alex shook his head with a grin. “Any takers?” he prompted, motioning towards the door.
“You know, I can take care of myself...” Coralie spouted, over-sensitively.
“Oh, I'm sure that you can,” Alex said, trying to not sound condescending, “but it would make me feel much better if you would just oblige by saying okay.”
“I don’t need your assistance. I can take care of myself.”
“So, you have informed me … twice, now.”
“Well, I just wanted to make certain that you heard me the first time.”
“Okay, so maybe you'd consider half-way.”
“You are not going to let me leave here alone, are you?”
“Not a chance...”
Giving in, Coralie sighed. “Okay, fine ... if you must...” then she stood, abruptly. “Well, come on ... let's go...”
Smirking, Alex said in a playfully patronizing tone, “I thought you would see it my way...”
Coralie shrugged, making her way to the door, rolling her eyes a bit as she slid passed him. “Ugh! Don't push it, superman...”
He smiled, rising gracefully to his feet, and moved quickly. Coralie didn't know how, but he'd made it passed her, and was standing at the front entrance of the restaurant, holding the door open for her.
“My lady...” he said, motioning for her to pass through.
Suddenly, his words - something in his tone - struck a chord and rang through Coralie’s brain. This caused a single thought passed through her mind.
Courtland.
Chapter 28
Buzz. Buzz.
Taking his phone from his jacket pocket, Court answered, “Hey, Cris.”
“Hey Brother, listen –”
Court had just arrived in his driveway, beginning to dismount his motorcycle. His mind was not on talking with his sister. His mind was far from where he stood. It was with her. Of course, nowhere else other than with Coralie. “Look, Sis, I really don't have time to chat.” Court started, looking around his family's homestead place.
“For this, you do...” Criston interrupted her brother’s words with assertion.
Her tone caught Court by surprise. Giving his sister the floor to talk, he said, “Okay, I'm listening...”
Whether or not he would find this information important or not was of no matter. Allowing her to speak was respectable of not only his sister, but another Empyreal Warrior. No matter what his mind was stuck on, he would respect that of her.
“Court, you know where I'm at and what I'm doing here, right?”
“Yes – now, get to the point!” Court said, in agitation.
“Have you seen it?”
“Seen it? Seen What?” Court grilled with intensity. Criston had always had a flare for the dramatics. If this was her motive for contact, this was not the time. “Criston –”
“I've just heard – I swear, or you know I would have called sooner.” Criston confessed this painfully to her older brother, knowing that the knowledge of what she knew would only hurt him. That was the thing about siblings. When one hurts, the other does just the same. A moment of silence was exchanged between the hushes on the line.
“Oh no –” Court allowed the words to slip from his lips. He saw what his sister was talking about. He saw them. All of them.
First to come, a vision swept in front of his eyes, black on black.
He saw her coming.
“You see it, don't you?”
“Yes,” he admitted, reluctantly.
“They know. They all know. They’ve gotten word, and they are coming after her, Court -”
She waited for Court to say something, say anything, but there was nothing but silence that answered her.
“Court?” Criston called out to her brother. Nothing. “Court –”She cried out, again, toward the other end of the line. Still nothing.
Court was already gone.
* * * * *
Courtland, Coralie thought.
Just the passing of his name through her mind made everything around her seem so distant. Coralie realized that this had been the first time, since she had run into Alex earlier in the night, that she had traced Court's name across her mind. A rarity in itself. Since the moment she had met Court, he was all that she could think about. And now, she couldn't recall one Court-related thought passing through her mind in the last three hours. She suddenly felt the weight of guilt push down on her. “You know, maybe I should make my own way back home, you know, by myself...”
Alex began to argue his point. “Coralie – we've been through this.”
“I know, it's just that –”
Alex stopped and turned Coralie toward him. “Look, Coralie … you may not realize this, but your safety and protection means a whole lot to a whole lot of people, including me...”
Coralie not knowing what to say stood silent.
Alex continued, “... you mean more than you'll ever know...”
“To whom?” she whispered.
Alex just stared at her intensely.
Coralie was at a loss for words. But there was something in his intense eyes which made her agree. Without much more than an agreeing nod, the two of them began to walk in the direction of the Collier’s house.
They had been walking for a few moments, with not more than a few murmurs exchanged between them. Thoughts continued to fly through Coralie's mind. Thoughts of Court. Thoughts of Alex. Thoughts of the last few weeks. Trying to put together all of the pieces to this puzzle, also known as her life, had been so tiring.
Coralie realized that this felt good. Really good.
A normal, easy, conversation about nothing. Nothing to do with powers. Nothing to do with secrets. Nothing to do with stolen and lost memories.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Alex's voice. “You seem to be pretty deep in thought. Anything you want to talk about?”
“No – Sorry, just random thoughts, I guess.”
Coralie stopped suddenly at the sound of something close to them. She noticed that Alex had stopped too, but assumed it was due to her own abrupt halt in step. Though she assumed it was a coincidence, she asked her question anyway.
“Alex, did you hear that?”
Alex didn't say a word, but Coralie felt him take a protective stance, closer to her.
A slow crackle of earth.
Then another.
Coralie looked ahead, then gasped, as she watched a dark, slim, silhouette of a body step out against the shadows of the empty, tree-lined road.
* * * * *
Court sped as fast as he could across town on his motorcycle.
Visions sweeping in, one after another. Plans were being made. Targets were being set. All of them having to do with Coralie.
He had to stop them. All of them.
The first was coming ... soon.
They would be quick. Court knew that he had to be quicker.
He saw visions of black.
Black silhouettes and black shadows swirled around, seeking her out. Her existence had surely spread like wild fire. Or at least it would after this encounter. He had to find Coralie before she did. Before any of the Others did.
Visions continued to flow freely through Court's mind. This was the part about his Gift that he loathed. Especially now that things were different.
Though Coralie had always been a part of his life, this was the first time that he had been a real part of hers. He had been waiting on this, on her, for such a long time. But now, everything was at stake. The love of his life was being threatened and he would do anything to protect her.
Anything.
He couldn't just sit back and leave this to her Protector. He would have to take matters into his own hands.
Court searched through any thought that may be swirling around in close vicinity of her. He continued in jumping from thought to thought, when he suddenly saw her.
His search was over.
He’d found her, or them rather.
He could hear her thoughts along with his. His were filled with her. Hers were fearful and confused. He knew that he had to hurry. Court sped faster, along the dark tree-lined street, trying to reach them in time.
He would not allow this to be the end.
Chapter 29
Coralie watched the slender, dark figure step out of the shadows and onto the paved road ahead. Then she saw, what looked like shadows, follow the figure, hovering behind it.
The dark figure stepped into a beam of light cast down by a street lamp, showing herself. All along the while, the shadows remained what they were – shadows, even in the beam of light. The willowy woman was dressed all in black, with sleek, long black hair pulled tight into a slicked back tress that trailed all the way down her back. She was dressed all in black clothing that looked tailored made to fit her every curve, as though she had any. Her look was finished off with matching black stiletto boots – which, Coralie decided, was an intimidation maneuver.
“Ah, pity that you had to bring your loyal, liable sidekick,” the woman said, directing her words to Coralie. She then turned to Alex, “Though my fight is not with you, it'll be fun taking you out as well, Alexander.”
Coralie glanced at Alex, questioning, not understanding, but turned back to the woman quickly.
“You don't know how long that I've waited for this moment, for this challenge… that is,” the woman paused, glaring at Coralie, “... if you can call it a challenge...”
“Wait, Tempest … it doesn't have to be this way!” Alex shouted, desperately.
“Oh, but it does, Alexander...”she began to explain, “... you know who she is ... you know what I am and what I'm here for...”
“But Tempest … I don’t understand. Why now?”
“It was all for this moment...”
“It was all a lie?!?” Alex roared.
“Ah, little puppet, of course, it was. Don't you realize the legend that I will become, the power that I will obtain when I destroy her.”
“Alex,” Coralie was finally able to mutter out amidst all of her misunderstanding.
Avoiding having to give a fearful answer to Coralie’s certain, but unspoken question, Alex continued as if she had remained quiet.
“You won't!” Alex growled. “I won't allow it!”
Tempest laughed at his intensity. “Step aside, puppet ... she's mine...”
Tempest unleashed her fury in the means of the shadows that surrounded her. The shadows that began traveling in their direction, had begun to take form into about a dozen overgrown, mutated arachnids of some sort. Their spiny, prickly legs began making their way toward them.
As the forming figures approached the two of them, Alex sprang into action, violently striking at them, sending the mutants in the opposite direction of their contact point.
Coralie's instinct was to fight, though she realized there was no need. One by one, the arachnids were defeated by a slice or jab from Alex's forceful arm or leg. When the arachnids were harmed enough, they disintegrated into thin air, leaving behind only a fading dark fog in their place. After all of them had dissipated, Alex began his trudge toward Tempest.
“Alex, no!” Coralie shouted in desperation, but Alex disregarded her plea.
Tempest grinned sinisterly as Alex approached her. “They said that you would try and protect her –”
Alex said nothing.
Coralie watched as Tempest seemed to form shadows from the palms of her own hands. With a snap of her fingers, the shadows formed into tiny daggers. She motioned slowly, with her frail-looking fingers, turning the daggers in the course of Coralie and Alex, who stood protectively beside her.
Coralie's breath caught in fear.
A moment of silence hung in the night air.
With a sneering grin, then a slight bite of her lip, Tempest flicked her fingers forward. The minuscule daggers began their destined travel straight for the place where the both of them stood.
Coralie, without thinking a second more, threw her hands up in the air and gritted her teeth, compelling her strength outward. The daggers stopped in mid-air. Tempest's eyes widened with fury at first, then with fear, as the daggers began to turn toward her in focus.
Everything was true. Everything Tempest had heard about this Warrior was true. She had to be the Great One. She had to be the Great Warrior.
“Coralie, you don't have to do this!” Alex shouted.
Anger was coursing through Coralie's veins. Pent up anger from weeks, months, even years, of secrets sourced through her. “She wanted to kill us, Alex! She wanted to kill you and me, both. I won't allow this! I won't allow her to repeat her attempt. This ends now!”
“Now look at that ... spoken like a true Warrior.” Tempest added, snidely.
Coralie kept her stare upon Tempest.
“You're not like them ... you are different, so different. You are so different in so many ways.” Alex continued, pleading with her, knowing that she wasn't ready for this just yet.
Why did Tempest have to plan this now? Element of surprise, he guessed. She would have had to have an inside source ... But who?
“Am I, Alex? Am I so different?” Coralie distressfully cried out in angst.
“Come on, Cor … trust me...”Alex said, resounding.
Coralie began, skeptical and untrusting, “Trust you? But you knew ... you knew and you didn't even –”
“Cor – please!” Alex pleaded with her, with intensity in his eyes. He pleaded because he knew what was to come if she followed through with her actions.
Tempest kept her eyes fixed on Coralie in the same fashion that Coralie's were fixed upon her. Only Tempest's eyes were filled with alarm.
Coralie stood silent, unmoving.
Finally, after a few moments, she began to slowly lower the suspended shadowed daggers. Just as she did, Tempest let a grin spread across her face. Not in gratitude for her life, but as an opportunity for another attack upon the supposed Great Warrior.
Tempest quickly formed two shadows in the palms of her hands. She allowed them to take shape and form into two cinquedea blades, each of which resembled ancient short sword blades.
Coralie's fear set heavy in her chest, knowing she had been fooled.
Tempest flicked her delicate, slender fingers in Coralie's direction, sending the two cinquedea blades directly toward her.
This time she was after the kill.
With all of her strength, recoiled in an instant, Coralie with outstretched hands held the two blades each affixed in mid-air. She then re-lifted the daggers that she had begun to lower to the ground.
Coralie quailed with ire as she slowly turned the blades and daggers back in Tempest's path.
“Coralie –” a voice shouted, causing Coralie to drop her concentration along with shadowed blades and daggers. She turned toward the sound of the voice, in the midst of the sound of crashing metal on the paved road.
“Court?�
� Coralie shouted, questioning his presence.
“Coralie, don't –” Court shouted, panicked and running toward her.
When he reached them, he muttered annoyed words toward Alex, gritting them through his teeth. “I thought you said that you had this ... that she would be protected?”
“I do! And she is!”
“Court?” Coralie questioned again.
“Well, isn't this nice,” said Tempest entertained with the feeling of regaining some position, or at least she thought as such. “It seems that my two for one special, has just become a three for all...”
Shadows arose from behind the dark, slight silhouette of her body and began to surround her. As the shadows began to take their form, Coralie acted upon her Warrior instinct once more and didn't hesitate a moment longer. She held out her hands, not wasting time or strength on grasping anything in mid-air. She did not even wish to waste it manipulating the shadows that targeted her and her friends.
Coralie, with outstretched hands and all of her strength, gave a cross, miming, shoving motion, sending a forcing blow toward Tempest and the shadows that surrounded her. The forcing blow caused Tempest to stagger backwards and the shadows that were swirling around her to dissipate.
Coralie quickly summoned one of the cinquedea blades and grasped it in mid-air, then immediately forcefully sent it travelling in Tempest's path. Before the soaring blade sliced through her, Tempest disintegrated into the dark night around her, leaving behind only a dark miasma that lingered for only a moment before doing the same.
Coralie stood, motionless, unbelieving of the events that she had just witnessed. Events that she had just been a part of. Events that should not be real, but she knew without a doubt that they were.
“Coralie – are you okay?” she heard two voices ask, harmoniously concerned.
Coralie finally allowed one word to breathlessly slip from her lips. “Yeah...”
“Cor, let's get you home.”
“Court, I had things under control.”
“Alex, I can take over from here.”
Empyreal: Awaken - Book One Page 18
