“But then other things you don’t see at all?’ he nodded. ‘I bet you didn’t see me coming?” I asked wondering what he would say but I was sure that I wasn’t a thought in his mind until two days ago. He looked at me, giving me a blank stare.
“I saw you comin’ years ago and I knew that…” he said only to stop before he finished. He stood from where he was setting at and walked away from me but I only followed him, wanting to know what he was going to say.
“You knew what?” I asked him as I pulled him back by his shoulder.
“I knew that you would be a pain in my arse, that’s what.” He said in a snide chuckle, trying to cover up whatever he wanted to say in the first place. Before he could fully turn away from me I grabbed his hand, pulling him back around to face me. The full moon that filled the night sky lit up his face, showing me his blue eyes that were as darker looking that normal. His hand suddenly grabbed my face causing my heart to race - beating faster than it already was. Two second later he released me.
“You’re lying to me…I mean…you really saw me years ago?” My mind was in whirl of questions again. He walked close to me again, grabbing my arms to pull me closer to him - closer than before. Being that close to him was making me scared but not for fear that he would toss me over the cliffs to rid the world of another mortal. I was scared because he was making my heart flutter, my palms sweat and head to become light headed.
“Aye, you’re kind of a big deal to me and others as well.” He stated.
“Why? I’m no one special Blake.” I said with a shrug.
“You’re wrong Nora. I don’t know everything about why you’re important to everyone but I do know how you’re important to me.” He said. I looked at him still confused but the next thing I knew he I realized why I was important to him - he kissed me straight on the lips. There was something different about him, about me. I didn’t stop him, I only kissed him back but when we both finally released each other we almost pushed each other away. I didn’t know about him but I knew that I was in shock. My body didn’t even want to function. Since he wasn’t moving I assumed that Blake was having the same problem as I was.
“Say it Blake. Say why I’m so important to you.” I demanded from him, not looking directly at him only pointing in his direction.
“I can’t and you know why I can’t.” He told me and I knew why but I still needed to hear it to make sure I wasn’t crazy, to make sure that the feelings that I had been feeling weren’t wrong.
“I know why but I need to make sure that I wasn’t wrong…that everyone else wasn’t wrong about you and the way you act towards me…and the way I feel towards you.” There was a long moment of silence. “Say it!”
“I can’t!” He yelled over the crashing waves.
“I don’t care. I need to hear it!” I demanded, roaring back towards him.
“I love you! Is that what you want to hear?’ he said snapped as I began to tear up. ‘I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. I saw your smile, and your beautiful eyes. I also saw what was in your heart, what was inside you. You’re an amazing person whether you know so are not. You’re pure and innocent. I don’t think that you could hurt a fly. You can’t even hurt me even though I know I get under your skin so much that you want to scream.” I closed my eyes as he stroked my hair. When I opened them again I saw his face grow sad.
“What is it?” I asked him as I took his hand from my face.
“What I didn’t see was Reid. I didn’t know he was…’ he paused. ‘I just wish that I had met you first.” Blake told me with his eyes slightly glazed over. His words broke my heart because I now knew what he was feeling and I had finally admitted to myself as well Blake that I had feelings for him to. I finally knew why I was acting strange around him; towards him. I didn’t know how it happened or why happened but I had those same feeling about him. I was trying to be strong, not wanting him to get to me but he did without me even knowing.
“I wish you did to.” I told him looking deep into his eyes. He looked so young although he had lived for lifetimes.
“Do you mean that?” he asked me.
“Yeah I do. I care about Reid, don’t get me wrong but I don’t know what it is about you, you just drive me crazy! You make me feel things I’ve never felt and no matter what you do to me, no matter what you say I can’t seem to stay away from you.’ I told him, finally admitting everything out loud. ‘But I know that I have to for you, for me but mostly for Reid. I don’t want to mess up anything that you could have with him again. You two are brothers and I won’t mess with family. If I’ve learned anything from you guys its family is key to doing anything. If you have your family by your side then anything is possible and if there is still a threat to The Keepers then you guys have to stop it.”
“They don’t believe us.”
“Then we have to stop the problem before it happens, there might still be time. There has to be time because if not there is a chance I will lose all of you and I refuse to do that. We all believe what you saw and we know that that man is somewhere close if not in Medina so all we have to do is fine him.” I said firmly.
“We?” He asked. I moved closer to him and kissed him gently on the lips and nodded my head once I was done.
“Think as hard as you can to your vision. Is there anything that you can remember that might make it easier for us to zero in on him?” Taking my hands within his, Blake closed his eyes and dug deep into his memory, remembering any details that he could from the vision he had the night before and when he finally thought he had something his eyes flew open. Letting go of my hands he ran his fingers through his own hair as he tried to spit out what he saw.
“The hotel he came back to after they rejected him, it was the Reale Albergo.” He said.
“The Royal Hotel, that’s the hotel where we’re at. He’s in the same building as us.” I pointed out. Blake grabbed my hand and we hurried back to the hotel but just before we entered the doors I stopped. Although I knew we had to go in for multiple reasons, I didn’t want to because I knew that whatever Blake and I had – it would be over.
“What is it?” he asked.
“What are we going to tell everyone? When they see us together?” I asked him. He moved his body closer to mine, pushing me into the brick wall of the building causing me to hit it with enough force to make my body jolt on impact.
“We’ll play it by ear but know that when I say things that are hurtful towards you, I don’t really mean any of them but we can’t let Reid get hurt because of us, because this.” Blake explained as he kissed her once last time. A long and passion filled kissed. His lips tasted like nothing I had ever tasted before – they were amazing. Reid helped me forget Adam but Blake was making me forget Reid. Maybe that was Reid’s role, to help me forget so that I could move on but even if that was true, I don’t think that he could ever have guest I would fall head over heels for his younger brother. I nodded my head and as we walked into the lobby we let go of each other’s hands.
We stepped out of the elevator and walked up to the room I was sharing with Ashwin first, spotting Reid standing in the doorway with Ashwin talking. “I don’t know where she is, I woke up this morning and she was…” she stopped when she saw Blake and me together in the hallway. They both hurried towards us, Reid taking me by the hand and pulling my body closer to him. Ashwin stopped beside her brother and shot both of us looks with a single eyebrow cocked as questions circled inside her mind.
“Where have you been? We’ve been worried.” Reid asked me, giving Blake a go-to-hell look.
“I couldn’t sleep so I did a stupid thing and went for a walk. Blake insisted on going with me when he saw me leaving…so I wouldn’t get into trouble.” I explained. I hadn’t lied – I just left out the part where we had confessed things together and kissed – more than once.
“Yeah, I had to babysit your little girlfriend because you’re not competent enough to do so big brother. Maybe you want to watch her better?” He
said as he shot me a dirty look. I threw him one back but inside my heart was breaking because I knew that what he was saying wasn’t true.
“Why don’t you stop being such prick and tell them what you saw.’ I turned to face Reid and Ashwin. ‘While we were walking Blake had another vision. He knows where the man who will threaten The Keepers is staying at.”
“Where?” Reid asked with the sense of urgency in his voice.
“Here, he’s in this hotel somewhere.” I said. Just as both boys started to walk towards to where the others were at, Ashwin stopped them before they could get more than two steps away.
“What is the point? The Keepers don’t believe us anyway.” She stated. The both flew around and looked at her like she was crazy.
“Ashwin this could be the difference between life and death for us.” Reid explained.
“Yeah and I don’t know about you but I would like to live. I enjoy living.” Blake announced as he glanced over at me for a moment. She finally agreed and told the two of them to go round up Sebastian and Jaryn but she pulled me into the hotel room again so that we could talk privately.
“What really happened between you and Blake?” She asked me point blank.
“Nothing happened, we just talked and most of the time he was rude and a cocky asshole if you must know. It’s nothing that I have to explain to you…he’s your brother so it anyone knows his manners than it’s you.” I told her.
“You like him don’t you? He’s the other one that is in your heart?” she asked me again. All I could think about was worried if I was acting like a girl with a crush and if I was, could Reid tell to?
“Blake and I are friends, barely, but just friends Ashwin. Now can we stop giving me the third degree and go find this guy?” I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.
“I can’t let this go Nora.” She stated as I heard her close the door behind her.
“Please, if I’m your friend you’ll let it go. If you don’t drop it for me, will you at least drop it for your brothers?” She finally agreed to do so although I knew that she would always wonder about what really happened between myself and Blake as well as always thinking that there was something going on between us.
“What if Reid finds out?” She asked in hopes of trapping me so that I will admit something.
“He won’t find out anything because there isn’t anything to find out.” I said as I walked off towards Sebastian’s room leaving Ashwin to tail me slowly while she always insisted on wearing her four inch heels. We walked into on all four of the men talking about what to do. They decided to have us all split up and try to find anyone who matched Blake’s description of the mystery man. “Now listen up everyone were only goin’ look around for about an hour because we don’t know when this event if gonna take place…if it takes place.” Reid said snidely.
“If Blake said that it does then we need to believe him.” I told everyone. Without warning Jaryn let out a loud cough but all I could do was give him a cold stare because I knew what he was implying.
“Fine, but just knowing where he’s isn’t givin’ us much of a lead. There has to be…” Reid was saying only to be cut off by Blake’s screaming and falling to the ground, crippling over in pain. He hands grabbed at his head in a fruitless effort to stop the pain that was surging through his head. Ashwin and I knelt to be by his side, comforting him in any way that we could. His seizure like convulsions seem to last forever, minutes longer than the last vision I had seen him have. Suddenly his body stopped jolting around but still, dead still.
“Blake?” Ashwin said her brother’s name out loud hoping that something hadn’t gone wrong even though it was supposed to be impossible for them. Without warning he sat up, wide eyes and spooked looking. He looked over at me and slowly lowered his head to my shoulder where are I placed my hand on his head. No one said a word because the intensity in the room was so high.
“What did you see?” I asked him, not moving him from where he was. After he got his composer back he slowly but surely got back to feet.
“He just left The Keepers, he’s headed back here. He’s wearing green shirt, jeans and he’s sickly. He looks worse than I remember. I can hear his heart beating…he’s near death.” Blake explained.
“If he is headed here then we shall head to The Keepers and try again.” Sebastian stated.
“Blake do you know what he’ll use…to kill them with?” Jaryn asked, wondering if his brother had seen that in his vision. Blake looked at his youngest brother and shook his slowly.
“So we still don’t know if were in real danger or not? We’re only in danger if that man has the missing katana.” Ashwin snapped, her hands flying above her head.
“The point is dear sister is that we don’t know.” Sebastian said. That was the first time I had ever see him raise his voice. He was always such a soft spoken man.
“Better safe than sorry Ashwin.” Jaryn said as he walked off with everyone else. She soon followed us to the elevator and once she was in I pushed the button the go down to the lobby and just as we exited through the doors Blake grew weak again without warning, collapsing into Reid’s arms. While comforting him I looked up and saw a sickly looking man in a green shirt walk into the lobby. He was pale, thin and his eyes were tired yet full of anger.
“There he is!” I stated quickly so that they could see who I was talking about. They all looked around to see the dying man but unsure of what move they should make.
“Maybe we could talk to him?” Jaryn suggested when he saw the same thing that I had.
“But that would expose us?” Ashwin said.
“I think were well past that Ashwin.” Jaryn pointed out as he started to walk towards the man that was practically limping into the elevator. He fell just outside the doors and Jaryn caught him before they closed on his head, setting him into a chair that was around the corner. It a bit out of the way from everyone so that they would have some kind of privacy.
“There now, are you’re alright friend?” Jaryn asked. Everyone else lingered back in hopes that Jaryn could work his magic. He had young, innocent face that normally got anyone to listen to him. He had gotten me to listen to him.
“Yes, thank you young man.” The man said with an American accent. He coughed violently then Jaryn sat beside him, handing him a tissue. The man covered his mouth and continued to cough and when he finally stopped he gave Jaryn a weak smile.
“Looks like you’ve seen better days, yeah?”
“Yes, that is a very true statement. I came here in hopes I could get better but turns out I can’t.” The man said. His words broke my heart because I would know that if I was in the same situation as he was, then I would be angry about not being able to live either but I also knew why The Keepers turned him away. They couldn’t allow everyone who came to them to live because it would mess with the balance of nature; both life and death were a part of nature and that was the reason they picked how they did.
“I know why you’re here.’ Jaryn’s words brought me back to the current situation at hand. ‘And I know that they won’t help you.” The man looked up at Jaryn puzzled.
“Excuse me?”
“Listen, the Keepers won’t help you and no matter what you do they won’t”
“You’re working with them aren’t you? If you know what I want, then you’ll know what I’ll do to get it?” The man said as he started to raise his voice. Without warning Sebastian grabbed weak shell of a man, stood him up and walked him into an empty room, closing it behind all of us. We stood in front of this sad, sickly, little man and everyone was feeling something different towards him. Some felt anger, others fear and somewhere deep inside each of them they felt remorse; even if it was only a little - it was there.
“Were not working with them…” Sebastian said but stopped because he didn’t know how to tell this poor man that they had what he wished for; immortality.
“Can’t you manipulate his mind and make him forget?” I asked Ash
win. She licked her lips and let out a deep breath as she tried to focus on the man’s mind, this thoughts but her facial expression changed when she became frustrated.
“I can’t. I’ve tried but for some reason my powers aren’t working on him. Maybe it’s because he’s so sick…I don’t know.” She said getting upset not just because there was a chance she could die but she wasn’t able to help like she thought she could.
“Damn.” Blake said under his breath.
“We aren’t workin’ with The Keepers but we do need to stop you from doin’ anything crazy that you won’t harm everyone involved.” Sebastian said.
“You’re already immortal aren’t you?” the man asked. No one said a word, no one admitted the truth. I couldn’t hold back my own feelings at that moment, I finally let myself go and I heard the words pour from my mouth before I even thought them.
“Not all of us are and I know that if I were in your predicament then I would be angry too but if you do what you’re thinking about doing then it will take away my friends. Please don’t make me lose them…I know you’re losing people too and it doesn’t seem far but death is a part of life. If I could face my own mortality to spare you from having to then I would.” I said. The man looked at me for the longest time then rose from his seat and walked to the doorway but stopped and turned back, looking at me straight on.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He said before he left the room. From behind me I felt someone take my hand, hoping it was Blake but knowing that it wasn’t I turned around to see Reid.
“Now what?” Ashwin asked. This time she didn’t seem as fearful as she once was.
“I say we still go and see The Keepers, maybe we can try again. Whether this man has the katana or not he’s a possible threat.” Jaryn suggested. Sebastian agreed and within moments we all have left the room and were outside waiting for the car to pull around. After waiting for ten minutes we were in a town car being driven by a nameless man. I sat next to Reid, holding his hand and looking across the car to Blake who didn’t take his eyes off of me.
Immortalis - Book 1 (The Keeper's Immortals) Page 10
