"You were watching?" I wasn't the only one surprised by this. Felix, Riley and Axel were all shocked to see the council members there.
"Yes," Rema said. "When I mentioned that you might be ready to start taking jobs at our council meeting, they wanted proof."
"We stood outside of the gym to watch shortly after Felix came running inside," Carson said. "What we saw was more amazing than anything we could have imagined. You took every hit like a champ and kept fighting until the very end."
Carson was smiling like a proud father and it made me blush. I knew him and Rema believed in my power but it felt good to actually show it off to them. The awed looks of the rest of the council members made me feel good, too. Even Nia had an impressed look on her face.
"You really were impressive," Riley told me.
Felix and Axel nodded in agreement.
"I've never seen anyone fight like that," she continued. "I pride myself in being lightning quick but you were still able to dodge all of my moves. I'm actually kind of jealous."
"You were all amazing, too," I said, feeling the need the comfort them. I was sure they were okay about losing to me but I felt bad for beating them at their own game. "I've only ever seen people fighting on TV shows and movies but this was nothing compared to that. It was actually kind of thrilling."
"It does give you an adrenaline rush," Carson said. "But that doesn't mean you should enjoy it. When it comes to fighting actual dark creatures, it's not nearly as satisfying. Fighting someone to train and fighting someone to kill are two completely different things."
"He's right," Felix said. "When it comes to the real thing it won't be anything like this. Actually, it will probably be a lot quicker. You won't have to make sure you keep the enemy alive. You'll be fighting to kill them."
"I still don't know how to do that," I said.
"The concept of it is pretty simple," Carson told me. "You'll be given a fairy enchanted stake and in order to kill your enemy it needs to penetrate their heart. Decapitation is another way to kill them but that takes a lot more energy."
"Does it have to be a fairy enchanted stake or can it be anything sharp and pointy?"
"In theory, it can be anything," Carson said, "but the stake you will be given is a symbol that you have graduated and are part of our ranks. If something happens to your stake, any sharp object will do. The enchantment on the stake makes it a little bit easier to get the stake into the chest though."
"So, when do I get one?"
"Well," Carson said. "Normally you would have to go through a final exam to test your fighting abilities but from what I just saw I don't think that's necessary. What you just did showed a lot more talent than any of our tests could. Of course, the council will need to continue our discussion about you and have a vote to determine if you are ready to start taking jobs but I don't see that being a big issue."
"You all look like you need a nice long rest," Rema said. "I suggest you take the next few days to recover. We'll let you know when we come to a decision and if we have any jobs available for you."
We all agreed that some rest sounded nice and we stumbled out of the gym after the council members had left. I was starting to feel the pain from all of the hits I had taken and my body was aching from all the energy I had exerted. The others were moving just as slow as I was.
Once we made it up the stairs to the Lovac floor we all parted ways. I almost followed Riley to her room, but insisted I needed a shower before getting some sleep. She left me at my own room and said she’d leave the door unlocked if I wanted to stay there.
Once in my room, I decided a bath was a better option. My legs were shaking and I didn’t think I could stand for a whole shower. I turned the taps on to hot and went to grab a change of clothes. I was drenched in sweat and the clothes I had been wearing smelled horrible. They were also torn and I could see some singed spots from Axel’s fire. I normally didn't care about clothes but since I had only brought a few items with me, losing a good pair of pants and a shirt made me sad.
I was wondering if there was anywhere nearby I could go shopping when I slipped into the tub. The hot water almost burned my skin but it eased the ache in my muscles. Steam was already filling the bathroom and I closed my eyes, trying to imagine I was in a sauna. I sank back into the tub and rested my head on the cool tile.
Chapter 17
Something latched onto my arms and legs and started pulling me under the water. The bottom of the tub had disappeared into a black hole and I was being sucked into it. I thrashed in the water and when I felt my physical body hit something that was invisible to me I snapped out of my fear.
This was just a horrible nightmare and I had to concentrate on getting out. I let the dark creature pull me under the water more while I focused on waking up. It was getting harder to breathe by the second but I forced myself to search my mind for the thread of darkness that was latched to my brain.
I felt myself getting light-headed when I finally pushed the darkness out and gasped myself awake. For the first time since these nightmares had started, I realized that they could kill me. This darkness could make me do whatever it wanted, even make me drown myself. It finally hit me that this darkness was going to kill me, one way or another.
I jumped out of the bathtub and quickly drained the water. I was trembling as I dried off and threw on some clothes. I didn’t even bother to dry my hair before I left my room and ran down the hallway to Felix’s.
I pounded on his door, not afraid to wake him or anyone else in the hallway. This was an emergency. I probably should have gone to Riley’s room and talked to her but I wanted Felix’s comfort. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and let me cry on his shoulder.
He opened the door just a crack and looked warily at me.
"Avery?" He sounded uncertain.
I nodded and tears flowed out of my eyes. Felix threw the door open and pulled me inside.
"What’s wrong? What happened?"
"I almost just drowned in the bath tub." I wrapped my arms around myself and started to tremble. Just the remembering the hopeless feeling took its toll on me.
Felix sighed and pulled me into a hug. I didn’t resist and wrapped my arms around his middle, resting my head on his solid chest. He didn’t say anything for a minute, just held me and ran his hand through my still damp hair.
"I should have known how tough this was going to be for you. Most Lovac are more prepared for the darkness. At least I found you before it started to get too intense. How would you feel if this started to happen without an explanation?"
I sniffed into his chest and hoped he didn’t mind that I was drenching his shirt in tears. "Crazy," was all I muttered. "But I feel crazy now."
"You’re not. You still have control of yourself most of the time. When that drops below the majority of your time, then you’ll be considered crazy. But it won’t happen. Not for you."
Anytime Felix or Riley mentioned that I would find my Dimidium, I could hear the jealousy in their voice. I wasn’t as trusting of Riley’s power and part of me hoped they weren’t completely true. I wanted to find my Dimidium but I also wanted them to find theirs. It wasn’t fair to them, that some human-raised Lovac would find peace before them.
"Come on," Felix said, pulling out of our embrace and pulling me towards the bed. "You need to get some sleep. I’ll make sure you don’t go into another nightmare."
Felix saw my hesitation and added, "I’ll be a complete gentleman. Promise."
I let Felix pull me onto his bed and he wrapped his arms around me again. I placed my head against his chest again and curled up next to him. This was longest he had let me get close to him and I was praying he wouldn’t yank away at any minute.
His hands ran up and down my back, calming me into a deep sleep. I don’t know how long I slept for, but when I woke up, Felix was still lying underneath me, snoring gently. My heart fluttered and that’s when I realized: I was starting to fall in love with this man.
A knock on the door a fe
w minutes later caused Felix to shoot up in bed and send me almost falling off.
"Sorry," he said, looking almost confused at my presence but his thoughts cleared a moment later. He smiled gently and kissed me on the forehead. "Stay here."
"The council requests to see Avery in the meeting hall in fifteen minutes," a voice said when Felix opened the door. I could almost hear how uncomfortable Felix felt that someone knew I had spent the night with him.
"Of course. I’ll escort her down there myself," Felix said.
He shut the door and came back around the corner. He had an amused smiled when he looked at me again.
"What?" I asked.
"Your hair looks like a tumble weed."
I groaned. That’s what I get for sleeping with wet hair. I crawled out of bed and ran to the bathroom without another word. I threw my tangled hair into a pony tail and when I glanced in the mirror, I saw faint bruises dusting my cheeks and arms. If I was completely human, I imagined they would be black and blue, not faded to a light green.
Felix was ready to go when I exited the bathroom and we slowly made our way down to the main level where the meeting room was. We were both sore from the fight yesterday but my body was adjusting enough to the pain that it was tolerable.
We were greeted by a few disapproving looks from the council members as we entered the room. I didn’t know if that was because Felix was with me or because they knew I had been with Felix. All night. Either way, I didn’t care. I was eighteen and they had no say in my personal life.
I expected the room to be fancier but it was rather plain. There was a long table at the front of the room where the council members were sitting. The Nesmyr members were seated in the middle with the Lovac members separated on either side. The rest of the room was empty right now. It wasn't very large but it could probably hold quite a few chairs if there was need for it.
Felix and I stood in front of the table and waited.
"Felix," Rema said. "Thank you for escorting Avery here. Would you mind waiting outside for a few minutes?"
Felix nodded to Rema and gave me an apologetic smile. I was sure they only called me here to discuss if I would be deemed ready of taking jobs, but I still wanted Felix to stay, mainly because being near him calmed my nerves.
"We asked for you to come here so we could give you our verdict on whether or not you will be allowed to start taking jobs," Rema said. It was clear she was not the head of the council but it looked like the Nesmyr council members were too good to address a Lovac. "After some discussion we have agreed to let you start taking jobs as long as you are with another Lovac until you start to understand the proper procedures and can handle the jobs on your own."
I wasn't really surprised. Rema and Carson made it pretty clear yesterday that I was ready for battle. Now I just wondered when I would be going on my first job and what it would consist of. I knew Lovac fought Zhulik, but when, where and even why were unanswered questions.
"You will also be presented your very own stake," Rema continued. "Keep it with you at all times and make sure you don't lose it. These stakes are very hard to acquire and if you lose yours, you will not be given a replacement."
I nodded in understanding and a Nesmyr worker was soon standing in front of me with a black box in his hands. He opened it in front of me and nestled in the foam was the most beautiful piece of crystal I had ever seen. This shocked me almost more than anything else I had learned about these people. I expected it to be a silver stake, since I've always heard stories of Vampires and werewolves being weakened by silver. The crystal was shaped like I had pictured a stake would, though. It had a thick base with a good grip that narrowed to a very sharp point. I didn't know it was even possible for crystal to get that sharp. It also glimmered. There was a rainbow of colors being made from the light and in the very core of the crystal was a rainbow colored strand of smoke. I assumed this was a trace of the fairy magic that Carson said it was enchanted with.
Speaking of the magic, I could sense it from the object. I thought I was only able to sense power coming from living beings but this stake was giving off enough energy that I could feel the familiar tingle in my body indicating power but it was nothing compared to what I could sense from an actual person.
I picked the stake up with shaking hands and felt the power surge through me. It was exhilarating and like nothing I had ever felt before. It almost felt like the magic was being transferred directly from the stake into me.
I tossed the stake around in my hands. It was the perfect weight for being able to maneuver with it quickly. It was cold and smooth and I couldn't stop staring at it.
I was so mesmerized by the beauty of the stake that I hadn't realized Rema had been asking me a question.
"I'm sorry. What did you ask?" I said, pulling my gaze from the stake and looking in the faces of either amused or irritated people.
"I asked if you had any questions." While Rema’s tone held irritation, she had an amused look on her face.
"Oh," I paused to think. "Actually, I do. How do I start getting jobs?"
"Felix will teach you about that. In fact, can you tell Felix that he may come in now," Rema said, addressing the Nesmyr worker that had given me my stake. He nodded and let Felix in, who immediately came to stand next to me.
"Felix," Rema started. "Avery has just been approved to start taking jobs on the condition that she goes with another Lovac until she understands how to properly handle them. She has just received her own stake and we would like it if you could start teaching her how to get jobs. I would prefer it if you could start out with a simple job and work your way up."
"Of course," Felix said.
"Excellent. I think that is all we have to talk about. You are both excused."
Felix gave a small bow and I mimicked him. The Nesmyr worker gave me the box to carry my stake in before we left room. I didn't want to let go of the stake but I didn't want to look out of place carrying it in my hand. Felix saw my hesitation and tried to reassure me that it wouldn't be in that case for very long.
"We should go get you some custom gear so you have a place to put it in your clothing," he said as we left the meeting room.
"What do you mean?"
Felix pulled a small piece of fabric away from the side of his pants that revealed a holster for his stake. He explained that there was a small shop here that made custom clothing with small pockets to hide the stake so we could carry it without anyone noticing it. He said I could choose any design and color I wanted and could have as many items as I wanted made.
It was probably as close to going shopping in a mall for clothes that I would get while I was here. I was excited about it, though. I had never had custom clothing before and I was eager to get it designed the way I wanted it. I'd seen a lot of the clothing Riley and the other female Lovac wore and I was jealous of it. Now, I would get some of my own.
"Can we do that now?" I asked.
"Sure." He shrugged. "We'll go get you some items picked out and while they're working on them I can start teaching you about finding jobs."
"I can't wait. This is all so exciting."
"We'll see how excited you are after your first job."
I opened my mouth to argue but I had nothing to say. He was right. I might be excited now but once I actually had to face a Zhulik and really put my power to the test I might not be very eager to take more jobs. Facing a Zhulik also meant trying to kill one. I wasn't sure if I was ready to kill anyone, even if it was an evil monster. If all Zhulik were like Lucas, they looked almost like regular people once you got past the red eyes and deathly pale skin.
The only thing I knew I would be excited about was the chance to take down the demon that killed my mom. As much as I wanted to hunt Lucas, the demon was my first priority.
Chapter 18
I had guessed that the clothing place was on the main level of the facility where a lot of other shop-like places were but Felix surprised me when we went downstairs to the Nesmyr staff
rooms.
"The ladies that make the clothing aren't commissioned by the head Nesmyr so they have to work down here in secret. Most of these women are the wives of the men that serve the upper class Nesmyr. They didn't want to get official jobs here so they do this instead."
"Will they get in trouble for doing this if they're caught?"
"No. Upper class Nesmyr don't really care what the lower class ones do. They do it in secret because they don't want the upper class Nesmyr to start coming to them for custom clothing. They would rather make clothing for people they actually get along with."
"I like them already."
The room wasn't far from the stairs and there were five women inside waiting for work.
"Hello ladies," Felix greeted them. They all seemed to know him and were happy to see him. "This is our newest recruit. She's here to get some clothing made."
The women were all very outgoing and more than happy to help me. They ushered me around to their fabric selection to pick out the colors and textures I wanted. They showed me their books and books of different styles and items I could choose from. In the end I picked out four pairs of bottoms and five shirts in different styles.
The clothing they made was all unique and incredibly gorgeous. They assured me it would all be form fitting and flattering, unlike the clothes the upper class Nesmyr would try to put us in.
Felix offered to pay for the items for me but I pushed him away. I had more than enough to buy some fancy clothing and I was excited to finally use some of the money my mom had saved up for me.
The women told us to come back in two hours and they would have all the items made up for me. I was surprised that they would be able to get them done so quickly and they told me they didn't get much business this time of year. During graduation season is when they had more orders than they could handle. This time of year they only got a few orders a week when the older Lovac wanted something new or had ruined something old. This was the largest order they would probably get for the rest of the year.
Avenging Amethyst (Immortal Eyes) Page 11
