The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural

by Stefany Valentine Ramirez

“What?” he gasped.

  “Derik Diareux is your great, great, a million greats, great grandfather.” Ithaca mentioned, “I’ll explain how your last name changed in a bit alright? Just hear me out and no more interruptions.”

  Ace nodded since he figured that saying anything would be considered an interruption.

  “Thank you,” sighed Ithaca, “So Derik goes out into the world to make some money and he happens to be wandering into Texas just as the Texas Revolution is going on. That’s where Texas breaks away from Mexico and becomes its own state. All you need to know is that Diareux saved Mateo Iglesias’s life, thus spawning the never-ending friendship of our two families.

  “But the story doesn’t stop there. As they continue to the west, Diareux falls in love with a beautiful Native American girl. I don’t remember what the English translation of her name is, but they called her Diachi. Since she was the chief’s daughter, the chief didn’t want her to forget who she was so Derik changed his last name to Diachi. Are you following all this?” Ithaca finished.

  Ace nodded with a smile on his lips, “Yeah, this is crazy. I’ll probably go into shock mode later after I have time to let all this news sink it. But for now keep going. I was actually getting the story.”

  Without another moment to spare, Ithaca continued her tale. “Oh, I forgot to mention that while they were in Texas they picked up a few enemies. Are you ready for this, cuz it’s going to come as a shock.”

  “Just tell me Ithaca, I really don’t care.” Ace insisted.

  Ithaca shrugged and sighed, “Alright, here goes. The family they became enemies with was the German family. The Stelters.” Ithaca waited for a reaction from Ace. When none came, Ithaca repeated. “The Stelter family Mace, they hated our families.”

  Ace shrugged, “So? You, me and Lee were friends at one point. That must mean that our families got past hating each other, right?”

  Ithaca’s brows folded as she stared at him. She opened her mouth to say something then decided against it before continuing. “Well anyway, long story short the two families created amazing businesses. The Iglesias’s have always remained loyal to the Diachi’s, and the Stelters have always been our enemy. Until this last couple of years. Suddenly your father started getting friendly with Mr-”

  “Father?” Ace piped. “Who… where-?”

  “Dead, Mason. Both our parents are dead and we never had siblings.” Ithaca snapped. “It’s just you and me.”

  Ace folded his brow as he let Ithaca’s harsh words sink in. For some reason hearing about his great grandparents and knowing he had a history; that he was somebody, that knowledge grabbed his affection. He never had anyone to look up to. His life was dark, meaningless, and aimless even. No memories and nothing to work towards except for the next robbery. Hearing that there was nothing for him only reminded him of how worthless he as an individual.

  “And do you want to know why they are dead?” she asked. Her voice was dark and layered with hate. When Ace glanced up at her, the wind had pulled some strands out of her bun so the hair was draped in front of her narrow blackened eyes. “Edrick Stelter murdered our parents Mason. That’s what the Stelter fire was all about. Without the Diachi’s or anyone to take over DiAchi Tech, the industry fell into their hands. Your girlfriend is the offspring of a murderer.”

  “Stop.” Ace said. The word flung off his tongue as if he had no control. This was impossible. Lee was the one who pulled him out of that meaningless life. Lee was the one that gave him something to work for. Lee made him happy beyond measure. Her father could not have done this to him. Her parents could not have been the one to take away every piece of identity he had and cast him into a life of villainy. What was Ithaca saying? Though she seemed credible, her words were impossible. “You’re wrong.” Ace concluded looking her straight in the eyes. He meant to say more but when nothing rolled off his slips, Ithaca took over.

  “Of course you won’t believe me Mason.” Ithaca smiled wirily at him. “That’s alright, maybe I am wrong. Maybe I’m putting the pieces together incorrectly. I know you don’t want to believe me Mace but just wait, you will see.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Ace as Ithaca reached back for her hat and sunglasses.

  “All in due time Diareux.” She said with a smile and all traces of demise had fallen from her essence. “But for now let’s go somewhere a little more private.”

  Ace stood up the same time she did and patted the sand off his pants. “Where are we going?”

  Ithaca smiled up at him. When she blinked, her eyes had returned to their blazing hazel. “You wanted to learn how to teleport right? Who said you couldn’t learn today?”

  ~Last night had been horrible, and unfortunately Lee hadn’t slept a wink. She was tossing, turning then fidgeting with the sparks on her fingers, and then repeating the pattern until the clock said sunrise and by that time, sleep had finally got the best of her. Just as she was drifting into a dream, Lotus had walked into her room.

  “Haileigh,” she whispered crouching beside the silvery hair poking out from under the blanket.

  Though she was exhausted Lee couldn’t help but to snicker. “Lotus when you say my name I think you’re saying ‘hey, Lee’ as in ‘hey, what’s up, Lee’.”

  Lotus had rolled her eyes as Lee sat up in bed. “You’re the same sister I remember.” She finally confessed flattening some of her frizz. “Hey, I only found out a short while ago, but there’s a TV show host that wants to interview us today. You kinda have to come with me so I guess I’m not asking I’m more telling you to come.”

  “Is that why you’re all dressed up?” asked Lee as Lotus rolled off her sister’s bed. “And why your makeup looks beautiful?”

  The familiar smoky shadow and long lashes fanned from Lotus’s face when she turned around and when she smiled, her iconic red lips outlined her perfect white teeth. “It saves time. Plus I don’t like the stage artists doing my shadow. They never get it quite right.”

  Lee nodded as she too slid out of bed and began folding her hardly messy covers. “I don’t know how to put make up on. In the past I have always had other people do it for me so is it okay if I go like this?”

  Lotus was already to the door when she whirled around again, “Yeah, that’s not a problem. Just as long as you’re wearing something really nice, I don’t think it matters. Hey, actually I should have told you this sooner and I’m actually running a bit late. So just slip on one of my dresses, grab something to eat and we can get out of here alright?

  Lee nodded. “Is it alright if Ace comes?”

  Lotus’s long nails rapped against the doorframe as she stood there with a slight frown on her face. “Well we can’t leave him alone in the penthouse can we?” she replied. By now it was a wonder how naive Lee was when realizing that her older sister wasn’t too fond of Ace.

  “Okay,” Lee squealed as she hurried past her sister and down the spiraling stairs.

  “Be quick about it,” Lotus called over the banister, “And what are you going to wear?”

  Lee shrugged as she hurried across the white rug to the giant glass door. “Can you pick something out for me please?”

  There was just enough time for Lotus to nod before Lee shut the door and hurried alongside the pool. She wasn’t sure what had suddenly sparked her chipper mood when all night had been miserable. But the thought of seeing Ace again and burying her face in his chest before apologizing seemed imminently better than laying around and soaking in her bad attitude.

  As her feet padded swiftly beside the crisp blue water, Lee remembered how unlike her usual self she had been. How could she possibly not trust Ace? He had never done anything to make her question it. How selfish was it for her to want him to stay away from Ithaca? He was the one that needed to come to Heleow and now that he had found someone that had the answers. What was she thinking last night?

  As she hopped up the steps, she was glad for a fresh start. She loved Ace. She was in love with him, and the joy o
f being in love was far better than being angry at the man that made her happiest. As she knocked on the door, she could already see herself holding him again and pressing her lips to his. She bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet as she waited for him to come to the door.

  A moment of waiting ticked by and Ace still hadn’t come. So naturally, Lee knocked once more. Perhaps he, like Lee, had been up all night and had finally found some sleep in the early morning. Lee would have waited another minute for him to come to the door, but Lotus had made it clear that they were on a tight schedule. With a twist, the doorknob clicked and slid open effortlessly.

  “Ace?” Lee’s voice echoed around the empty gym. “Ace, love?” she called a little louder.

  Lee wasn’t sure how heavy of a sleeper he was, but she never imagined him to be this heavy so she walked in and glanced at the amount of clothing draped over the gym equipment. Just down the hall Lee could make out the doorway of a yoga studio with a bed in the corner.

  She picked her pace up to a jog. When her head poked into the room, the reflection of her messy hair and finally un-sunburnt skin was the only thing to stare back at her. The room was empty and the only sign that anyone had been in there was the unmade bed. At that sight, her heart went into a whirlwind of emotions. Where had he gone? Why hadn’t he told her? When would he be back-?

  “Hails,” Lotus’s voice came as such Lee jumped up startled when she whirled around.

  “Have you seen him?” asked Lee frantically.

  Lotus looked around slowly, “You mean Ace?”

  Lee frowned, “Yeah, I just came here and I can’t find him.”

  “Bathroom?” guessed Lotus.

  Lee shrugged and ran a hand nervously through her tangled hair.

  “Look, we can’t wait for him. I’m supposed to be leaving right now and you’re not even dressed.” Lotus tossed a small pile of tops and skirts at Lee. “Slip one of these on and we’ll go alright? I have a pair of flats by the elevator door.”

  “Can you write a note?” Lee asked deciding to go with a simple green blouse and a white skirt figuring it would look well with Ace’s locket around her neck.

  Lotus sighed once more as her sister ripped off her pajama shirt. “I suppose so.”

  As Lee changed on the spot where she stood, Lotus rummaged through a janitor’s closet. Well, it would have been a janitor’s closet if it wasn’t stocked with guitars, keyboards and binders of sheet music. “Me and my sister,” Lotus spoke slowly as she took a highlighter to a piece of sheet music. “Won’t be back until one or two. I’m going to leave this on his bed. Man, you guys really need to get cell phones.”

  “We left them at the hotel, remember?” said Lee as she shimmied up her skirt.

  Lotus nibbled her red lips as she crossed over to the yoga studio. “Well, remind me to send someone to pick them up when we get back to the penthouse.” She spoke as she marched over to Ace’s bed and dropped of the note. “Now come on! We are so late!”

  Lotus practically dragged Lee out the gym by the hand. After Lee had slid on the simple flats one size too small, they were descending in the elevator and watching the big glass dome below grow closer until finally the door opened with a ping! The lobby was already packed with tourists, but the heiresses managed to march around the familiar gold statue without being recognized. As they emerged from the doors, Lotus’s blue Hailstorm was already waiting for them in the parking space. In no time at all, they were gliding through the streets of Heleow with the convertible hood on to spare their hair.

  Lee watched as the unique glass towers eventually turned into flat blue water. Seagulls drifted over the ocean spray just as they began to ascend the bridge connecting the island of Heleow to the submerged medallion tunnel. Lee vaguely remembered how mesmerized she had been when first arriving to the city. But as she leaned her head back on the leather headrest, her vision seemed to tunnel until she was staring at something that wasn’t even there.

  Ace clouded her thoughts as usual, but this time the lingering thoughts of bliss weren’t accompanied by his face. Instead a mixture of worry and regret hung in the back of her mind. Where had he gone to so early in the morning? It wasn’t like him to just take off- well, not since they had been dating anyway. But what if he had gone looking for answers elsewhere? Or worse, what if their little spat had been harsher on him than she had realized.

  “What’s with you?” Lotus asked just before Lee was about to reflexively thump her own forehead with guilt.

  Wearily Lee faked a smile, “I guess I’m tired. And I’m worried about Ace. It’s weird not having him by my side. We’ve grown so attached the past several months.”

  Lotus nodded though she kept her brilliant blue eyes to the stretch of near vacant bridge ahead. “Well you trust him don’t you?”

  Lee hesitated and didn’t turn to look at her sister right away. Had she heard them fighting the night before? “What do you mean?” Lee finally asked.

  “If he always comes back to you, then what are you scared of?” Lotus explained. By now they had begun to plummet into the white milky tunnel and the pitch of the wind rushing up against the car had changed.

  Lee studied the side of her sister’s face. The curve of her nose, the angle of her jaw against her neck and even the slight bloat in her cheeks looked so much like hers. “Nothing.” Lee finally replied. She let the moment linger in the air for an extra moment before reaching over and awkwardly hugging her sister with a seatbelt pulling her back. “Thanks Lotus. You really are my big sister.”

  As Lee recoiled in her seat and began fidgeting with the belt that had locked up on her, Lotus hardly acknowledged the medallion around them turning invisible. All she could do was sit there and keep her hands locked on the wheel. Though she had played many parts; never, ever, ever had Lotus felt like she could act out her life just as Lotus Stelter.

  When it came to her father, she was an independent adult. With Michael, learned to be patient, and with Kasper she was the vulnerable little girl who loved to be babied. She wasn’t sure what kind of role she wanted to play for Lee considering she was the newest consistency in her life. But just based off Lee’s simple remark, Lotus hadn’t realized that being real was all Lee needed.

  Unable to fully process what had just happened, Lotus picked up the radio volume and the two continued to Honolulu with no more conversation. At the time, that was all Lee needed. She couldn’t just relax about the love of her life as easily as Lotus had suggested. However, by the time they had reached the concrete tunnel of Honolulu, the mystical blue hues of the ocean had lulled her mind to a state of emptiness. After all, this was the first time she was able to be with her sister without having Ace around. Why not enjoy it?

  When they had stopped at a light on Main Street, Lee reached over and turned down the volume. “Lotus I have to ask,” she began as the car’s engine vibrated their seats, “When you drive around in this and you see that?” Lee pointed out the passenger window at a group of tourists with cameras to their faces on the sidewalk. “Don’t you feel pretty awesome?”

  Lotus snickered as she refused to take her eyes off the green light. “No, actually it’s kind of embarrassing. I feel like I should pose for them or something!”

  “So then why don’t you?” asked Lee rolling down the window. She just had enough time to blow a kiss at the tourists before Lotus stepped on the gas and her head fell back with acceleration along with laughter. “I couldn’t resist!” Lee exclaimed before Lotus could say anything.

  “No go for it!” Lotus replied climbing onto the highway. “Most people have never seen a Stelter, let alone a Stelter within a Stelter.”

  “Stelter-inception!” Lee proclaimed which only made Lotus laugh harder.

  “Exactly,” she giggled, “Hey, you’ve never ridden in a Stelter before have you?”

  From the passenger seat Lee smirked. “Ace used to own one.”

  “WHAT!?” Lotus exclaimed so loudly, her voice sent Lee’s ears ringing.
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br />   “Yeah,” replied Lee rubbing her ear, “He owned a Stelter Lotus. It was the only-”

  Lotus scoffed, “Come again now? The name of the car was Lotus? Like me?”

  Lee nodded quizzically. “Yeah… it said so on the car and everything. Why?”

  “Lee there’s no such thing as a Stelter Lotus. Dad has never named a car after me.” Replied the heiress. A moment lingered where Lotus let a truck pass her up before returning to their conversation. “He made the Icyst first and named it after mom. Then named the Hailstorm after you and then the Lambert. I don’t have a car in my name and I have no clue how your boyfriend could have gotten hold of one even if there was.”

  Lee sat there for a moment wondering what all this meant. Ace had never told her the story of how he got the car and for a moment Lee wondered if it were possible that she could have mistaken his ride for a Hailstorm. “I guess we’re just going to have to add that to the pile of unsolved mysteries.” Remarked Lee with a shrug. “Besides, we can interrogate Ace when he comes home. Where is this studio at by the way?”

  “We’re almost there.” Replied Lotus as she dropped the subject entirely. She wasn’t sure if Lee felt it too, but her brain began to throb almost every time a questionable matter sprang into their lives. “It’s at the base of the mountain just outside Honolulu. There’s a whole line of studios there. That’s where a lot of movies needing a tropical background are made. It’s remote enough to keep the fans out, but close enough to the city that it’s not isolated. You’ll see when we get there.”

  By the time the radio had finished out the last of an unfamiliar song, Lotus had taken an exit sending them descending on an even road cut into the tropical side of a mountain. Between the trees lining the road, Lee could finally see the jagged mountains up close. Deep gashes carved into the steep sides as if a giant’s sharp teeth had taken a massive bite from the rocks. As they continued to descend, the brush around them made her think of the movie Jurassic Park. As Lotus swiveled around a corner, Lee kept her eyes open for dinosaurs.