Eyes of the Eternal (Realms of Rebirth Book 1)

by G. E. White

  ~ Chapter 11 ~

  Quinn stood, rooted to the spot as he took in the sight of Jared’s family. He raised his hand to give a small wave. “Uh, hi…”

  The teen already scolding himself the moment the words were out of his mouth. ‘Hi’? That’s the best he could come up with, when greeting this royal looking family?

  Yet apparently, his simple words were well received as the afroed woman was the first to break the tableau. “Oh he’s adorable!” she practically squealed.

  “Justine, do not start,” scolded the man on the throne.

  The woman, Justine, scowled. “What do you mean don’t start? Don’t start lightening the mood – I can see the poor boy is petrified by your gloomy ass, so I make him feel welcome.”

  “Yes and he’s probably had a very long day and he doesn’t need you cooing and fawning over him, like he’s some kitten on YouTube, you’ll make him uncomfortable.”

  She crossed her arms and snorted. “Like you ever complained when I fawned over your ass, Joseph.” She then turned to Quinn, “Am I making you uncomfortable honey? If so just tell me and I’ll knock it off.”

  Quinn blinked back in surprise before giving a shake of his head, “Uh no, its fine.”

  Justine smiled vindicated, “Come, come, sit down.” With a wave of her hand two bushes of vines sprung from the ground and wove themselves into two chairs.

  Quinn hesitantly strode forward and sat in what turned out to be a very comfortable vine chair.

  “Thank you, Ma’am,” he said.

  “Call me Justine, ‘Ma’am’s for Nanas.”

  “Well, you are getting up there,” said Jared’s double, who had been watching the exchange with an amused smirk.

  She sneered at the long-haired man, “No one asked for your stupid-ass opinion James.”

  Jared groaned as he sunk into the remaining chair. Quinn got the distinct impression that this was a common occurrence.

  “Everyone this is Quinn, Quinn, this is my twin brother James,” he said, gesturing to the pony-tailed man.

  James gave a half-assed salute, his smirk apparently permanently etched across his face. Pointing to the man sitting in the throne Jared continued, “My older brother Joseph, and as you’ve probably guessed, this is his wife Justine.”

  Quinn nodded and softly muttered his hellos. He was struck by how elegant they all appeared; Justine in her green blouse and brown skirt, the front half of her hair braided tight against her scalp before giving way to an immaculately coifed afro, Joseph sitting regally in his throne garbed in a dark wine red button down shirt and pressed black slacks, and James in a light blue V-neck shirt under his pin-striped grey matching slacks and sports coat. Yet at the same time they were all so normal as they bantered with one another.

  “So are you all gods?” he asked tentatively, not wishing to upset anyone.

  Joseph inclined his head as he met Quinn’s gaze. “Yes, though it’s not a common occurrence for gods to be related to one another. Well, with the exception of these two,” he intoned as he gestured to Jared and James.

  “Thanatos and Hypnos have always been connected. Polite way of putting it is they’re two sides of the same coin, though I always thought it was because they only had so many brain cells to share between them – though I’m pretty certain Jared got the lions share.” Justine drawled.

  James melodramatically clutched as his chest. “You cut me to the quick, dear sister-in-law.”

  Justine just rolled her eyes, but slight curl lip betrayed that there was no malice or true belief in her words.

  Quinn turned to James, “Hypnos… God of Sleep, right?” he guessed.

  “Got it in one, kiddo,” James said.

  Usually Quinn would have turned his nose up at the thought of being referred to as ‘Kiddo’ but he could tell that these people meant no disrespect by it.

  “While Joseph over here is the big bad Hades, Lord of the Underworld! Wooooo,” the God of Sleep said shuddering in mock fright.

  Joseph glared at his younger sibling. “I swear James, promise to Mom or not, I will end you if you keep this shit up.”

  “Guys knock it off,” Jared warned.

  James stepped behind Jared, throwing an arm around his twin’s shoulder while his free hand ruffled Jared’s hair. “Yeah, Joseph, knock it off. You’re upsetting poor widdle Jared.”

  Jared pushed James’ hand off of him, “Quit it! Geez, I’m only two minutes younger than you.”

  “Which means I’m still older.”

  “That doesn’t mean-” Jared’s thought was cut off by the ring of his cell phone. He checked the caller ID and stood. “Sorry I’ve got to take this.”

  Justine tapped Quinn’s knee as Jared moved to the far corner of the room speaking in hushed tones.

  “So what do ya think of the place? Not the Addams’ Family Realness Fantasy, now is it?” she asked.

  Quinn had to agree, “It’s very beautiful; the gardens especially. Let me guess – your doing?”

  “Naturally,” Justine preened.

  Staring at her, it was suddenly like a light switch was flicked on in Quinn’s brain.

  “You’re Persephone, aren’t you?”

  Justine turned to Joseph and grinned, “Oo, he’s smart too, I like him. But I guess that’s to be expected from an incarnation of Athena.”

  Though Quinn flushed slightly under the compliment he also felt a twinge of irritation at her words. He didn’t completely understand his feelings. Justine had been nothing but nice to him so what was it that raised his hackles?

  “You should come stay with us sometime,” the woman continued. “I mean, as long as that’s cool with your parents.”

  “I don’t have any parents,” he muttered quietly.

  And just like that, Justine’s bubble of excitement popped. Her smile fell and she looked to Joseph for something to say.

  “Well, he’s going to have to stay with someone,” Jared interrupted.

  Apparently, the young man had just finished his phone conversation and now wore a slightly troubled expression.

  “That was Surina,” he explained, “She said she won’t be able to pick you up tonight Quinn, as something has come up.”

  “Oh… but she’s okay, right?” Quinn asked.

  “Yeah, she’s fine,” Jared assured. “The miasma’s been cleared up, no big deal.”

  “Miasma!” Joseph exclaimed. “How on earth did she get infected with miasma?”

  “Danaids.”

  Quinn stood from his chair as the sinking feeling he often associated with being lied to, latched onto his stomach. “Would someone mind telling me what the hell that really means? I’m starting to guess it’s nothing like asthma.”

  “You told him it was asthma?” Justine cried.

  “I said it was like asthma,” Jared said.

  “Which is still a bold-faced lie,” James interjected.

  “He’d just been attacked by ghouls,” Jared explained. “I didn’t think that it was the best time to tell him that his guardian might be infected by tainted blood and was likely to become a murdering sociopath.”

  “What?!” Quinn yelled.

  Jared raised his hands in a plea for calm. “Relax, I said she’s alright. No harm, no foul.”

  “Tell that to the danaids,” James replied.

  “Again with that word. What exactly are they? I mean, they looked like women to me, feral maybe but still women,” the teen asked, his curiosity pushing his outrage to the back of his mind.

  The twins exchanged a look. “Do you want to tell him?” Jared asked his brother.

  “No, I think you’ve got this one.”

  Jared sighed, sinking back into the chair Justine had provided, Quinn doing the same.

  “The story of the danaids is not a very well-known story in modern mythology; at least it’s not one of the famous ones and rarely is it ever correctly told. Danaids was the name given to the fifty daughters of Danaus, the King of Libya. His twin brother Aegyp
tus, the King of Arabia, also had fifty children, all men. Aegyptus suggested that they wed their children to one another.”

  “Incest, ew,” James chimed in, earning him an unimpressed look from his other brothers.

  “Yeah, we know, but things were different back then,” Joseph explained.

  James wrinkled his face with a grimace, “I still stand by what I said – gross.”

  Jared rolled his eyes and continued his story, “Anyway Danaus refused, suspecting that the only reason his brother suggested it was to gain control over Libya. But after being pursued across the sea Danaus finally agreed, but on the night of his daughters’ weddings – yes they had them all on the same night – he gave each of his daughters’ a dagger and told them to kill their new husbands. The next morning forty-nine of his daughters presented the heads of their husbands to Danaus… at least that’s how the history books put it.”

  True to his words, Quinn found he was completely unfamiliar with the story as it had never been mentioned in the few books on mythology he had read as a child. But there was something about hearing this story that warmed Quinn. It wasn’t a very happy story so far but just the hearing of it, the learning of it, seemed to invigorate him.

  “But I’m guessing it didn’t all go down like that.”

  “Most of it was the same, but Danaus never ordered his daughters to murder their new husbands. Nothing was planned, but when 49 out of the 50 men took what they thought their new wife owed them, the Daniads lashed out refusing to be these men’s bed slaves. Lynceus, who truly loved his new wife and respected her choice to not consummate the marriage, was spared.”

  Quinn’s brow furrowed in sympathy of the horrible tale, “So was it a revenge killing or self-defense?”

  “Neither,” Said Jared. “It was an infection. When the 49 other danaids killed their husbands, they were consumed with anger and revenge – the violence and disregard that the sons of Aegyptus showed them infected their very beings,” Jared said using his hands to better illustrate the events.

  “This is what miasma is, a taint, an infection, a virus – whatever you want to call it, it’s a condition that spreads with the shedding of blood in a violent and hateful manner. So technically it was the sons of Aegyptus who were the original carriers of the miasma, which they spread by raping their new wives. The miasma caused the danaids to turn on their husbands, and once they had spilt their blood the infection grew.”

  “If the individual is not cleansed of the blood they’ve spilled soon, the violence and bloodlust can consume them, which is what happened to forty-nine of the fifty danaids. Soon they turned their anger on innocent men; killing complete strangers because of what people of their gender did. The miasma continued to feed and grow on their hatred and soon enough it didn’t matter who they attacked. Men, women, children – it was all the same to them. All that was left for them was bloodshed.”

  “You see, they used to be human,” James jumped in. “You know before the murders that is, but the miasma had one so-called positive side effect – though their minds are lost their bodies became tougher, stronger and unable to age. Some people say that they drink the blood of their kills which is what keeps them young.”

  Quinn listened intently to the story, his head bobbing occasionally with his understanding. “Kind of like vampires.”

  “Yes, minus the charm, comprehension and communication skills, ability to blend in and, according to recent literature, glitter spackled complexions,” James said with a snort.

  “So when Surina fought them off-”

  “She was tainted by their blood and would have regressed to being just like them. But she was able to get to a priest in time to perform the cleansing ritual,” Jared assured the teen.

  “What about soldiers who kill during war? Wouldn’t they get infected with miasma as well?” the teen asked.

  “Not exactly,” Justine said, joining the conversation. “Miasma is created by blood spilt in absolute hatred, malice or joy. Most soldiers don’t have the personal connection with their enemy to either truly hate them, nor do many take actual enjoyment out of killing another. For them it’s just an act of survival.”

  “Are you saying that Surina enjoyed killing them?”

  “No! No, definitely not,” Justine said back-peddling. “It’s just that miasma is spread two different ways. It’s first created by those who take joy in their violence, but once they are infected, their blood becomes tainted and whoever comes into contact with it will also contract the illness.”

  “Oh… Well it’s good to hear that Surina is okay. Well, if she can’t pick me up I’ll just…” Quinn trailed off, realizing he really didn’t have anywhere to go except back to Cedar Hills.

  “You could stay here,” Justine offered.

  Joseph shook his head. “The boy needs fresh air and he certainly isn’t going to get it down here.”

  “It does get quite stuffy down here,” James griped.

  “You can move out whenever you feel like it,” his older brother replied.

  James held his hands up in surrender, “Okay, okay, I’m shutting up.”

  “What about your place, Jared?” Justine asked.

  Jared stiffened under Justine’s question. “Yeah, I guess… I mean it’s small, but I guess we could manage…” he said awkwardly.

  “Good, problem solved,” Justine chimed, “Joseph why don’t you and the boys swing by the kitchen and get some food to take back with them. Knowing Jared, the fridge is probably empty.”

  Jared opened his mouth as if to say something but was ushered out of the room by his two older brothers.

  Quinn stood to join them but was stopped by Justine’s hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean you, honey. You’re the guest.”

  He watched the three go, unsure of what to make of the situation. He didn’t wish to impose upon Jared, though he would prefer to sleep somewhere topside, and having a roof over his head that didn’t have bars on the windows would be nice for a change.

  “Don’t let Jared’s attitude bother you,” Justine said. “He probably just worried you’ll look down on him when you see his place.”

  “I usually sleep on a hospital cot in the same room as a man obsessed with sharp food, I’m sure his place will be fine. I figured Surina would have told him as much,” he said chuckling with little humor.

  “Probably, he’s just worried about how your other… sensibilities may react.”

  The teen raised an eyebrow at her. “Other sensibilities? I assume you’re talking about the whole Athena thing,” he sighed.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “We’re individuals – each incarnation like starting brand new, yet there some things – some quirks – that we carry with us along with our powers and responsibilities from incarnation to incarnation.”

  The woman smiled as she fiddled with the wedding band on her finger, “Some of us have habits we can’t break… For Thanatos that habit is being close to the living. He has a bit of a soft-spot for them. So, while he has the means to live the high-life, he would rather live with them, be equal. For it is in death that we are all made equal.”

  Quinn grinned. “You should have been a poet.”

  “Who says I haven’t? Come, we should get going, I’m sure they’re waiting for us out in the foyer.”

  ~ Chapter 12 ~

  The sun had long since set by the time they arrived at Jared’s place, which turned out to be a simple apartment in one of the complexes down by Lake Erie on the States side.

  Their journey up from the Underworld had been much more relaxed than what Quinn had experienced going down. Apparently, Joseph’s mansion came equipped with an actual elevator that deposited the two of them to the basement floor of an underground parking lot. From there they caught a cab to Jared’s apartment complex on the lake. They now stood in the hallway of the fourteenth floor just outside of Jared’s apartment. While in the elevator, Quinn couldn’t help but notice the missing button for the thirteenth floor.
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br />   Jared fiddled with his key card lock trying to turn on the green light

  “You do realize what floor you’re actually on, right?” Quinn asked.

  “Shut up,” Jared grumbled with little malice. “The whole thirteenth floor thing is just a superstition. Hell, in some cultures the number thirteen is lucky.”

  The light finally clicked on allowing Jared to pull down the handle, yet he paused for a moment. “You’re not allergic to dogs, are you?”

  “Not that I know of,” Quinn replied.

  “Good.”

  Jared pushed open the door and the two, stepped in.

  Three deep and excited barks came from inside the bedroom as a large animal bounded out the door and across the living room to greet them. Jared crouched down to greet his beloved pet, stroking its heads, while three tongues tried to lap at their master’s face.

  “Hey buddy, who’s my good boy?” Jared praised.

  Quinn, on the other hand, just stood there. The bag of food Joseph had given him clasped tightly in his arms.

  For the most part the black lab that came to greet the two appeared to be like any other dog found at a breeder’s farm, or pet shop. Yet Quinn was quite certain that no pet shop or breeder dealt in dogs with three heads.

  As Quinn stared he didn’t realize that the dog/dogs had finished welcoming their master back and were now interested in the newcomer to their home. Quinn stiffened as one of the dogs’ heads sniffed at his leg while another seemed more interested in the package in Quinn’s arms. The last rubbed its face against the boy’s other leg, encouraging Quinn to pet it.

  “Don’t worry, he won’t bite you, he’s just curious,” Jared assured.

  “Uh-huh…” Quinn replied uncertainly, straining to remain perfectly still.

  When Quinn didn’t reach down to pet the one persistent head it looked up at the teen and barked trying to get his attention.

  He jumped at the sound and shuffled back.

  “Cerberus, no!” Jared scolded, hooking his fingers under one of the dog’s collars and pulling him away from the wary teen. “Sorry man, he’s just excited to see you. We don’t get many visitors.”