by Ashley Nemer
“Hey Nikole, can I get you another?” she heard a familiar voice ask. Glancing over to him and smiling, her tongue licking the inside of her teeth, as was her habit when he was around her.
“Hey Kevin, yeah, I think I will. Nice crowd of people here tonight. I like that they’re keeping you busy.”
Kevin regarded the crowd and smiled. “Yeah the club is finally picking up and holding strong. You and Adara helped make that happen. Hey, where is she?”
Nikole shrugged. “I felt like being alone tonight. Tomorrow’s the big day, and I just wanted to come for a few hours and relax, clear my mind.”
“Alright, well enjoy your night, and I’ll make sure no one bothers you. Break a leg tomorrow. You know where to find me if you’re hungry later or need anything.” He gave her a smile as he walked off.
She watched him go back to the bar while she finished off her drink. A waiter brought her another one while she slowly perused the crowd. She saw a man off in the distance that caught her eye, tall, dark hair, olive skin. Normally, that would’ve been just her type of guy. Tonight however, she was not looking for a chase. Finishing her second drink, she decided it would be best to head home. “Gotta prove Zayn wrong,” she thought, “I’m capable of thinking rationally and without emotion, like a soldier.”
She started to leave when she felt someone touch her arm. She turned around and saw it was the guy she’d just been thinking about.
“Hey there, can I buy you a drink?” he asked with little formality.
“No thanks, I’m leaving. Maybe some other time.” As she smiled to him she realized that he was not just a man, but an Algula. One of her subjects, this made her body cool instantly. Feeling less alarmed she turned and walked out the door to go home.
She lay in her bed that night, thinking of all the different ways Zayn used to tease her when they were growing up. Hell, who was she kidding? They still fought like they were kids. Why he thought she couldn’t protect herself, she didn’t understand. She had the same training he did! If it hadn’t been for that one time, this wouldn’t even be an issue. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. She dreamt about that moment she’d really messed up.
“Nikole, no!!” Zayn yelled as she fell from the ledge. Running, he tried to grab her hand as she gripped the side of the mountain. “What the hell are you doing? You are going to get yourself killed!”
“Shut up, Zayn, and just help me up. Gods, you always complain. I’m fine see? Just hanging around!”
Zayn pulled her away from the edge of the mountain. “What were you thinking, chasing after that man? You don’t know the terrain... you WERE going to get yourself killed!”
“I was not, I just lost my footing, that’s all, and it can happen to anyone. I’m not dead, and I would have been fine even if YOU hadn’t shown up. You cannot control me the entire time, akh. You have to let me fight my own battles.”
He shook his head at her. “Absolutely not. You will not be fighting any battles. You’re to stay a princess; you will never be in the military.”
She punched him in the shoulder, angry with him for making such a statement. “How can you do that? You know I am meant for more than just being a princess!”
Zayn grabbed her by the arms. “Enough, woman! I’ve given my orders. Now, you can continue to train, but you will not fight. I think you proved today that you are reckless and make foolish decisions. Back home you go. NOW!”
Heading home with Nasir, she sulked the whole way, not wanting to admit she understood where her akh was coming from. “It isn’t fair; you know I’m just as good as him. Abb thought so. Why can’t he just give me a chance?”
Nasir put his hand on her shoulder as they walked, letting her cry in silence. He knew she was too proud to ever admit when she was wrong. Reaching the door he looked at her, the woman she had turned into. He remembered when she was born and was proud of the woman she had become. “Nikole, you know I love you like my own bent, so when I say this, please keep that in mind. You are strong willed. You don’t admit when you’re in need of help and you are too prideful. Learn to temper those emotions and maybe we can broach the subject with Zayn in the future.”
Nikole gave him a hug, his embrace calming her some, but she was still furious. although she knew he meant well. Kissing him on the cheek, she headed off to her chambers.
Nikole woke up groggily, pulling away from a dream…no, a memory that had taken place one hundred years ago. They never let you live things down around here. Looking over at her clock she groaned. Damn! Late again! Getting out of bed she saw there was a note left under her door. Retrieving the cream colored paper, she read it, eyes sparkling as they took in the handwritten note from her akh.
Nikole,
We’ll meet at 1 pm to test your skills. Four military members and I will be in the field with you. It will be a war simulation, and you will have one chance to beat us. Take all five of us down and you will earn your place in the military.
Good luck, my dearest okht. I know how bad you want this. Remember what baba always said, you have to outsmart the opponent. It’s not always who is strongest that wins but who is quicker on their feet.
See you soon,
Love
Zayn
She smiled at her reflection in the mirror; her day had come. It was time to prove everyone wrong.
Darting her way through the trees after firing off a few rounds at the men chasing her, she ran between the trunks and jumped over logs. She started a zigzag pattern, dodging the bullets as they flew by her head. She knew they were filled with paint, but she wanted to get this right. She was going to prove to Zayn she could be in the army and fight to protect their people. Biting off a curse, she stumbled and fell on a trip wire that cut up her leg. Kneeling down taking the first aid kit out of her pack, she dressed the cut. Shit! She heard the men coming, they were a mile away, and she KNEW they were going to smell the blood and find her. Getting up, she started to run again, looking for a place to take cover. Stopping and looking around, she spotted a hollowed out tree. Leaving her blood on some rocks to mislead them, she hid in the tree and began to plot her plan of attack. She checked her gun, noticing that she was out of ammo, and reloaded quickly. Lowering herself to the ground, she waited for the men to come follow her path.
“I can smell her; she’s here. Spread out and get her. She isn't going to win,” Nikole heard Zayn tell his men. He said he was looking out for her best interests, but maybe he didn’t think she could protect herself. He always said his biggest fear was losing her, just like they lost their parents. Hearing a twig snap, her attention came back to the competition at hand. The first man approached her line of sight so she positioned her gun and aimed, grinning when she shot him in the chest and he pretended to die, falling to the ground.
“1 down 4 to go,” she thought, watching two more men come up through the tree line. Readjusting her aim, she fired and tagged each one in their inner legs. It would hit the femoral artery and they would bleed out if this weren’t simulation. Feeling smug, she mumbled, “2 more to go, Zayn and Nasir.” She could smell Zayn’s scent. Hearing twigs breaking just outside of the hollowed out tree, she felt her akh’s presence. Zayn’s leg made its way in front of the tree. She waited till he moved forward. She had to be sure to focus on not thinking any thoughts, so he couldn’t mind link with her. She slipped out from under cover she put her arms around his body, knocking the gun out of his hands, disarming him completely. He grabbed her shoulder from over his body, pulling her to the ground, and slammed her body on the dirt.
Extending her leg, she kicked him in the chest, pushing him back against the tree. He laughed, grabbing up his knife and pointing it to her in a threatening manner, “Little Okht, I told you, you cannot best me. Why don't you give up?”
Snarling up at him her fangs dropped; she could feel them pulsating. “You have not beaten me yet, Zayn. I am the better warrior!”
Getting up off of the ground and moving to a fighting position, she s
ignaled him to come forward. He charged as she dropped to her knees, just as his legs hit her shoulders. She lifted him up with her back, flipping him over her body. Grabbing at his knife while he is in the air and holding it to his throat, she pinned him to the ground. “Can I join the army now Zayn?”
Hearing a trigger pull, she felt the ball hit her back and the wet paint dripped from her clothes. Nikole groaned as she realized what this meant…
“Not so fast Nikole, you forgot there were 5 of us, not 4. You’re unsuccessful.” Nasir's deep smooth voice said with a cocky tone.
Her face flushed at his admonition. She took Zayn's hand, pulling him off the ground before turning and looking at Nasir. “That was a cheap shot and you know it. I am just as skilled as every one of your men out here today! It’s not right that you are not letting me fight.”
“Everyone else out here knows how to count, Princess; you forgot. We can't let you out on the battlefield knowing you might forget out there.”
She scowled at Nasir's words as she walked off, shouting at them, “You both can go to hell!”
Nikole entered her bathroom, stripped her clothes off and tossed them into her hamper. As she walked to the tub, she caught a glimpse in the mirror. Her brown hair was full of leaves and her skin covered in dirt. Why couldn’t she just enjoy normal things girls do like getting her nails done and shopping? Fighting the emotion, she tried to not get upset as she turned the water on hot, letting the stream start to mist on her hand. Once the water reached the right temperature, she stepped in, standing under the stream. The water ran down her body, washing away the filth. Its warmth engulfed her, helping to calm her nerves. Rubbing the soapy washcloth together in her hands then across her arms, the soft cotton dragged along her skin as it pulled the dirt away. Her mind drifted to the fight. Stupid! Why couldn’t she remember to count? “Damn it, I know better!” Laying her head in the steam, smelling the dirt that ran out of her hair, she grabbed the shampoo and started massaging it into her scalp.
“I know I will prove my point. I am not just a princess; I am a warrior. I control fire and can fight better than most Ghuls in the army.” She shook back and forth, working the soap through her hair, washing it out. Finishing up, she stepped out and pulled the towel off its peg to run over her body. Drying off and looking in the mirror again, her olive skin was clean, hair shinning, the brown complimenting her eyes. She wrapped the towel around her and hopped up on the counter. She brought her right hand up to her face, staring at her fingertips; she mentally lit one on fire and watched the flame dance around the different fingers, playing with the flame like her siti Afaf taught her to do when she was a child. Nikole had only been around her a hundred years, but her siti helped her through her development of magik. She’d taught her how to play with the fire and how to control it, making it powerful and intimidating. She remembered looking into her eyes as she made the flames bigger with just a thought. Siti Afaf could mesmerize everyone. Nikole’s hair glowed and shimmered as the flames cast a shadow over it, onto the white walls of the bathroom.
Hearing the clock chime seven pm, she blew the flames out and hopped off the counter to dress for dinner. She did not want to see Zayn tonight. He was just going to gloat that she lost the simulation. He would, of course, conveniently forget that he himself had been taken to the ground and held at knifepoint. Slipping into her blue jean capris and a sleeveless blouse, she stepped into her shoes. She dried her hair and styled it accordingly; she was going to go out tonight and blow off some steam. They had been here long enough that she had a few people she could call up to enjoy a night on the town with, but only one she could call a true friend. Maybe that’s what she needed, more friends, not an akh. After grabbing her cell phone and sending a text message to her friend, asking her to meet at the local club, Impact, she stowed the phone in her pocket and headed down to face that infuriating akh of hers.
Making her way down the hall, she noticed the painting on the wall; this caused her to think about her parents and what wonderful Algula they were. They would have liked what Zayn and Nikole had done with this home and what they were trying to do with their legacy. Her attention was pulled back to the hallway when she heard Zayn moving around in his office. She tried slipping passed his office undetected, but he always knew when she was near. “You know little okht, if you stopped and thought about it, I am doing you a favour,” Zayn said as she tried to pass his office door.
Walking into his office, she shook her head while grinding her teeth. “No, you actually are not. You are making me want to leave and start after Haydar on my own.”
Zayn stopped writing and set his pen down, looking at her as he felt his anger flaring inside. She noticed his eyes start to shine as they usually did when he was mad. “If you leave me, I will send everyone after you. You won't get far no matter how many of my men you take down. You stay away from him, Nikole. That's final. He took our family from us; I will not let him take you too!” Pushing his chair from the desk, Zayn stood and came toward her. She could smell the anger on him. Most people were scared when his eyes started to glow like they did now, the yellow shade his eyes portrayed being so rare.
She stuck her chest out toward him, refusing to back down. “One day you are going to regret not having faith in me. Wait till that day comes, because the ‘I told you so’ will be one hell of a pill for you to swallow. I am going out. DO NOT come after me, Zayn!” Storming out of his office and down the hall, her fire dancing agitatedly along her arms, she could hear him cursing. Slamming the front door behind her, she slipped out into the night.
Moments later, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket, distracting her from the road. She looked at it, noticing a text from Adara that read she would be at the club. Relief flooded her; at least she’d have company tonight. She let herself smile as she ran her hand over the dash of the Mustang, feeling it purr under her touch as she revved the engine. She was a beauty, shiny yellow with black pinstripes down the side of it. She went 0-60 in 5 seconds flat. Nikole dropped it into 5th gear and flew down the highway. It was time for her to drink off this fight and ignore her overbearing akh. Taking the road that passed Nasir's house, she looked at it, remembering how he bested her earlier. Punching the gas pedal down, she made her way out of the city limits and out from under her akhs thumb.
The club was packed, hardly an open spot to be seen from the road. Luckily there was valet parking at this club. She pulled up to the front and tossed her keys to the main attendant, smiling at the bouncer as he let her pass the long line and cut in front to enter the club. Her eyes took a second to adjust to the lighting, smiling as she passed the different bartenders she knew. They motioned to her, trying to signal her over to them. Stupid humans, thinking fang banging was the cool thing nowadays. She made her way upstairs to where the elite members spent their time, finding a seat before signaling the owner her way. He would make a delicious snack if there were not so many people, maybe later she would corner him.
“Hey Nikole, you’re here early tonight. Want the usual?”
Nodding at him, she grinned. “Thanks Kevin, and go ahead and keep them coming. I think it will be a long one tonight. I'm meeting Adara here, so send her my way when you see her.”
“Yes ma'am. Let me get your rum and coke right away. Did the test not go well? What did your akh have to say?”
“Well, it’s crap, Kev. I’m really pissed off. I swear that akh of mine tricked me; I’m not sure how, but I know I had them! I don’t want to talk about this now; it’s too upsetting. Maybe later we can meet up and well...” She smirked at him. “Just send Adara my way when you see here, will ya?” She got up and moved to a booth, located in the sectioned off area and away from the crowd. Most of the people up there were from the upper society families and were good about minding their own business. Occasionally a straggler would make their way up and Zeus, the upstairs bouncer, had to escort them out. She thought about Zeus, laughing inside. He got his name because he had a lightning bolt ta
ttooed on his arm and liked to act like he was God. His bark was far worse than his bite though.
Nikole turned her head toward the familiar voice that was coming from the top of the stairs. Adara! She always liked to make an entrance. Kevin met her at the stairs and escorted her to the booth while dropping off Nikole's drink. Adara looked to Nikole then down at her drink. She turned to Kevin, placing her own drink order before looking back to Nikole. “Did it again, didn't you, fight with your akh?”
Nikole nodded, taking a long drink.
“When are you going to learn you are never going to get him to agree to let you help? You are just going to have to beat him at his game, show him who is in charge. Just because he is the oldest doesn't mean he gets to rule you. It’s the 21st century, and if the humans have equal rights, so should the Algula.”
Nikole let out a laugh when she heard Adara’s bluntness… that was why they got along so well; Adara never sugar coated shit.
“Regardless of the humans, you know he is our king and we are all sworn to obey, as much as you and I think it is ridiculous. Besides, I don't want to talk about him, not right now. He has my blood boiling so hot that I am going to need to feed tonight to maintain my calm.”
Kevin brought Adara her drink while Nikole signaled for another one. “Nikole, that's why you need a steady guy, so you don't have to hunt. We have been over this; there is a benefit to having someone reliable when you need nourishment.”
Nikole’s fangs start to salivate. “Adara, we have also discussed the joys of the hunt and the adrenaline rush not knowing the outcome. Besides, Kevin’s busy tonight or I would just ask him. It’s been a few weeks since I fed and I need to tonight anyway. I think I need the thrill of the chase to burn off this excess energy.” She finished off her first drink as Kevin came back with a second round for them both.
Adara looked at Nikole giving her a small frown. “And why are you even drinking? I thought you gave that up, said it was a filthy human habit.”
