Immortal Beauty

by Thomas McDermott

  “Thanks honey, you are a true friend.” Claire said in her soft voice to the frightened cat above in the tree limbs. She heard movement and could see a shadow ahead of her. It was tall, whatever it was. Tall and slender, and in the dark looked like a man but as it moved closer her perception of the creature quickly changed. It had a lean face like a panther or something and the ears were all wrong. Claire gasped when she saw the hands. They were the most unnatural thing of all and she could see the outline of sharp and tenuous claws. It turned to look at her and she closed her eyes quickly and began speaking to it with her mind. She was calming the beast and making peace with him. She was shocked cold when it answered her.

  “Get out of my mind!” the creature hissed. She continued to concentrate and this time another voice from behind her spoke quietly but firmly.

  “He said, get out of his mind!” It was a woman’s voice but she spoke haltingly like a little child. This haunted Claire more than anything else. There was something really horrific about a female monster. Claire thought of Celine and how deadly and dangerous she had become over the centuries. What were these creatures capable of?

  “We are not monsters.” The female said. She was reading Claire’s mind. Claire managed to speak somehow.

  “Then what are you?” She spoke out of respect for she had learned many ages ago to respect all life forms, even her enemies.

  “We are newborn. We grow fast. We are Isis and Osiris.” The sing song quality of her voice sounded more and more like a human child. “Who are you?” The creature sounded genuinely interested in Claire but Claire knew that cats liked to play with their prey before feasting. If she could only keep them from reading her mind! This had never happened before, but then again, she had never seen a science experiment go so wrong either. She had to keep them out of her mind and she thought if she could keep them talking, she might just succeed. She just had to stall the inevitable for a little while longer.

  “Osiris and Isis. Weren’t they Egyptian gods?” Claire suddenly felt sorry for them. They too were Celine’s victims and had no idea. She created them out of a malevolent desire to destroy her enemies and create a new world that would worship her as the goddess of youth and beauty. Claire thought that Celine would enjoy changing her name to Aphrodite or some such nonsense.

  “We are gods.” The male spoke this time. His statement contained no ego. Claire was convinced he was just repeating what Celine had told him. They were circling her slowly and curiously. They were enchanted with her. “We are the new gods.” He spoke again and this time Claire could hear the hunger in his voice.

  “Is that what she told you?” Claire bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

  “That is what our mother told us. Our mother tells us many things.” The female hissed quietly. Claire could feel the hot breath on her neck and her terror rose to her chest. She tried once again to concentrate; to calm them down.

  “I told you to stay out of my mind!” The male shouted as if he were in pain. Claire felt sharp claws wipe across her middle and felt her sweater tearing silently. She tried another tactic.

  “What is a god?” She played on their obvious naivety.

  “We are gods. You are just mortal. We are immortal.” The female spoke in those simple little girl sentences and began to sniff Claire‘s clothing. If the situation wasn’t so precarious, Claire would have loved to get to know these two. She felt more connected to them than she did to anyone in over five hundred years. She was always more at home in nature with the animals anyway. She imagined them in the jungles of Africa together.

  “Ah. But you are wrong. I am an immortal. I live forever just like you and your mother. We drink from the same waters.” This created obvious excitement in the creatures.

  “We want more water! The yummy water! Give it to us!” One of them gave her a little shove. Claire started to panic when she sensed the presence of someone else out there. She reached into her mind and found the source. She closed her eyes and focused all of her energy on one thought. Within a few seconds came a large growl from nearby. Both of the animal human hybrids stopped in their movements of circling Claire.

  “No fair! No fair!” They both started screaming. They truly were children. Innocent children caught up in an ancient war. They ran off as a large bear came chasing after them. It followed them into the darkness of the woods and Claire allowed the shaking to take over her body. That was too close for comfort and she ran now to the house knowing that the two creature would be busy for a while. She saw the guards in a heap and laughed. Sasha was absolutely back to her old ways. She ran through the open door and headed down the laboratory. She saw Sasha and Frankie crouched at the bottom of the stairs. Through a glass window they could see Celine. She was standing over Taylor with a needle in her hands. She was about to stick it into the I.V. tube when she stopped and looked around. She could sense their presence. Sasha scanned the room and saw her old battle sword propped up against one of the steel cabinets on the wall closest to the bed. There was no time left. She ran with all her might and threw herself through the glass windows knocking a shocked Celine to the ground. She grabbed her sword with one hand and Celine’s auburn locks with the other.

  “I have a theory that if I chop your head off you won’t come back.” This was Nyoirin speaking now, avenging the death of her lover. Somewhere from deep inside Sasha was watching everything as if it were just a movie.

  “You did! Or don’t you remember the Revolution?” Celine said as calmly as possible. Her queer green eyes were sparkling with delight. She was enjoying this! “You won’t have a chance. You should have accepted my generous offer over lunch. It didn’t have to be this way.” Celine smiled and Sasha could feel the air leaving the room and felt an awful vibration coming from her middle. She knew she was in trouble and spotted the needle on the floor that had so recently been in Celine’s hand. She knew it was poison. She knew it was meant to kill Taylor and that it probably wouldn’t kill Celine and just hoped it packed enough of a punch to weaken her a bit so Sasha could breathe again. She grabbed the hypodermic and plunged it into the prominent vein in Celine’s neck and immediately took in a huge gulp of oxygen. Celine slumped to the ground without another word. She was unconscious at least, and hopefully dead. Sasha looked up to see Frankie and Claire with shocked expressions on their faces. It was priceless to see Claire finally react to something and Sasha beamed back at the two of them.

  “Don’t just stand there! Get Taylor free!” They obeyed Sasha immediately and crunched through all the broken glass to release Taylor of his bonds. Taylor looked up briefly and so very weakly said:

  “I knew you’d come.” He was staring at Sasha with his drugged and beautiful gray eyes. She couldn’t bear this right now. For now, it had to be business. She simply smiled at him and once they got him off the table, Sasha lifted the body of Celine in his place and began to tie her tightly to the bed in which she had imprisoned Taylor. She also took the I.V. and found another vein and without mercy plunged the needle through the flesh, hoping that this concoction would keep her subdued and from regaining her ability to suck the life out of a room. This would buy them some time until they knew what they were going to do with her. Marcus would know. As if on cue, Marcus came running into the lab with a look of shock on his face.

  “I couldn’t find her!” He looked down at the bed with shock. “What did you do to her?” He looked at Frankie and Claire. Frankie laughed and pointed to Sasha.

  “It wasn’t us. Ask her!” He nodded at his new American friend. He loved this version of the woman who was once Helene and Nyoirin.

  Sasha sighed. “I gave her a shot of something that she was going to kill Taylor with. I don’t know what it is but I imagine it won’t kill her and then for good measure I hooked her up to this thingy that kept Taylor weakened so he was unable to summon a storm. I’m just hoping super bitch here isn’t immune to everything.” She smiled as she looked to Marcus. She could see that he was proud of her and for som
e reason that meant a lot to her. Her father had never been proud of anything she had ever done and Marcus was slowly, inevitably becoming the father figure to her as he was with Frankie and Claire, who were holding a very weakened Taylor upright.

  “What do we do with her?” Claire whispered, afraid of the answer.

  They all looked to Celine who was slowly becoming more white and pale as the poison coursed through her body. She looked like a beautiful marble statue that never knew life.

  “She comes with us.” Marcus was stern and ignored everyone’s looks of shock . “We have to keep her sedated until we figure out what to do with her.”

  “What do you mean? I’m going to kill her now and put and end to all of this.” Sasha was trembling. She could feel her own thirst for revenge cloud every rational thought she ever had.

  “Sasha, it’s not 1650 anymore! You can’t just kill the president of a global company. As long as she is drugged she’ll not cause us any harm.” He looked at Celine and Sasha saw the dangerous swift look of pity run across his brow. He was too goodhearted. This meant danger for them all. Claire noticed the same look and a frown appeared on her pretty flawless forehead. Marcus missed all of this and said quickly.

  “Grab those packets of fluid she’s been feeding Taylor. I need to find out what it is and how effective it’s going to be on our immortal beauty. We might need something a little stronger.” They did as he directed. Marcus picked up his cell and called the driver. “We’ll be out front in three minutes.” He looked to silent, lovely Claire and noticed for the first time a large gash in the middle of her black cashmere sweater. “What about the creatures?”

  “Oh you mean Osiris and Isis? They’re a little too busy right now to play with us. But I wouldn’t push our luck.” Claire was back to her indifferent self, staring at the dirt on her hands. Taylor seemed to recover pretty quickly once the drug was no longer dripping into his blood stream and he even helped them carry Celine up the spiral staircase which was no easy feat and would have been funny if their lives were not in danger. They made their way outside where the driver of the black car was waiting for them. They shoved Celine into the backseat like a piece of luggage and clamored into the vehicle. They all heard the howling sounds coming from the woods.

  “Oh, they’re still busy.” Claire smiled and then stopped cold when she heard Osiris inside her own mind.

  “I will get you Immortal!” It was a threat and Claire did not wish to remain another second to see if the threat would be executed.

  “Drive! They’re coming for us!” She wasn’t sure that they were but it was not worth the risk. The driver took off sending dust and gravel flying everywhere. The front door was still open and the guards were still tied up and just starting to come too. Sophie came running out in time to see her mistress being thrown into a car. She knew that no good would come of this and in a way she was satisfied in knowing that she had been right all along. Sophie had grown fond of the tedious American secretary that she made all her meals for. She watched in silent horror as Ellen changed and she said nothing as they drugged the poor woman and even looked away when she died. Sophie was glad that Celine was finally getting a taste of her own medicine. Without bothering to untie the guards or gather her things, Sophie walked out of the chateau for the last time and decided that today was the day she was retiring from work and she was going to buy some land and grow big, beautiful vegetables. She never saw the creatures hiding in the trees waiting for their next meal. She never even had time to scream.

  SAFE AND SOUND

  Sasha and Taylor didn’t have too much to say on the ride back to Paris, nor did they join in the excited talk of Frankie and a strangely animated Claire. They just held hands quietly and from time to time cast looks in each other’s direction. Once back in the city they carried the unconscious Celine to one of the endless rooms looking over the garden. Marcus thought of how different it was when he carried her for the first time over this very threshold. It always ended up here. The hill where the waters lay and the beautiful house that hides the eternal fountain. The old doctor was waiting, bent from time though his eyes gleamed sharply at the sight of the strange woman that had been placed roughly on the canopied bed all decorated with lily of the valley.

  “So this is she.” He whispered quietly to himself. He was finally meeting the ancient creature he had heard so much about his entire life and now she was in his care. Her beauty struck him hard. He had never seen such a lovely thing and thought that an angel must look very much the same as this pale, unconscious wonder that lay before him. He was in awe. He was not prepared for this. He ran his fingers through his white hair and watched Frankie and Marcus carefully working with the intravenous flow.

  “What is that?” He asked Marcus gruffly.

  “We don’t know.” Marcus handed him three medical packets filled with clear fluid. “She was using it on Taylor to keep him to weak to use his abilities. We are hoping that it does the same for her, otherwise we could all be dead by morning.” Marcus’ eyes never left Celine’s face. He produced the needle intended to kill Taylor. Find out what it is. We may need more sooner than I’d like to think. It stopped her from killing us all.” Marcus continued to stare at Celine. He still couldn’t believe he had any feelings left for her at all, yet his heart was tugging at him precariously. If she had not been consumed by her hatred, they truly could have shared eternity together as they watched the rise and fall of the human race. He gestured to the doctor. “You must keep her sedated at all costs. Do not be deceived by her beauty like I was. Remember the old stories doctor. Beauty is the beast in this tale and do not forget it. It always proves fatal.” He sighed heavily and tried to erase the images of all of Celine’s innocent victims through time. He walked out abruptly and went directly to his room. He was exhausted beyond belief. Here they were again. He still couldn’t believe Sasha took Celine out in her first round. He took off his clothes and stepped into the surprisingly modern bathroom. It did not fit the rest of the house at all and was made with polished chrome and black granite floors. The shower was actually another room in the bathroom with jets coming from walls and ceiling alike. He pressed a screen on the wall and Debussy began to play loudly from invisible speakers. He stepped into the shower, turning it on to the strongest setting and allowed the hot water to wash away the ache inside his chest. He did not know what to do next. They could not keep her sedated forever, or could they? The horror of this thought was not strong enough to erase the suggestion completely from his mind. She would never know. She couldn’t die, not really and this way she could be kept in some type of storage until they were able to subdue her terrible powers of death. It was inhumane at best, but Celine wasn’t really human. She was a creature who was threatening the balance of the human race and had immense wealth and resources to accomplish her goals. Even now she was creating an army of stronger, more agile creatures that could easily turn to tables upside down on the natural progression of things. Would it be more humane to sit back and watch her destroy our already unbalanced world? He could wash away the ache but he could not wash away his rapid fire thoughts. Celine would haunt him tonight as she had every night since he had met her. He made a vow never to visit her room alone. Even unconscious, Celine had an appalling power!

  Sasha and Taylor escaped to her room and opted for a long bath together in the antique bath tub that was the longest and deepest she had ever seen. She lit scented candles smelling of orange blossoms and lime trees. They quietly undressed each other and were no longer timid in each other’s presence. They had already been through so much together in such a short time that there was no room or time for anything but honesty. They lounged un the large porcelain tub until the water grew cold. Never once did they speak a word. It was too comfortable and safe in the quiet of the old house. They began to remember more simply by being here in this beautiful place. Sasha knew now that she had loved him always for thousands of years and she no longer pretended anything else was true. They w
rapped themselves in the large white cotton robes provided by Marcus and sat together on the canopied bed guarded by the carved golden swans. Finally Sasha felt the time for words had come. She hated to break the stillness and peace that enveloped them so tenderly.

  “Taylor. I’m so glad you’re ok. How do you feel?” She held his hand close to her heart.

  “Better and better with each hour. I’m sure I’ll be completely restored once I drink some of the water.” Sasha pulled his hand from hers.

  “You’re actually going to drink the water? After all the misery it’s caused?” She couldn’t believe it.”

  “The water didn’t cause the problems, Celine did.” Taylor said stubbornly. “Besides, I need it to regain my power. Who knows what I am capable of?” He sat up at full attention.

  “Now you are starting to sound like her.” She wished she hadn’t said that but it was absolutely true. All this talk of power and abilities and super human things lay at the core of Celine’s madness. “It’s wrong. It’s not natural. We are supposed to die and then move on. I’d like to see my mother again some day.” She hastily wiped a tear that slipped unnoticed. She had never voiced that out loud before. He looked up at her as she continued: “I am not the least bit curious about my supposed potential abilities. I do not want to live forever.” She hugged her knees to her chest.

  “Sasha, I understand your fear. But there is nothing to worry about. With Celine under control we have nothing to fear any longer.” He kissed her pale shoulder. “We can finally be together without worrying about her trying to kill us again.” He smiled. “You were amazing tonight by the way. You truly saved my life.” He grabbed her hand back and kissed it repeatedly until she laughed at how silly and lovely he could be. She had forgotten so much.

  “I just couldn’t let her do it. Not again. I am just thankful we got there in time.” She did not want to cry any more and shrugged off her emotions.