Shadowed Magic (The Enlightened Species Novella)

by Wendy S. Hales

  Chapter Ten

  Eros arrived at Aymee's apartment to see her looking beautiful in a black dinner gown as she slid into Mitch's car. A glutton for punishment he'd flown above the car weaving through the streets of Mesa. Watched her on a date through the window his heart full of sorrow. He turned and started to walk away slowly when the sound of her familiar gait echoing over the sidewalk caused him to turn back. He glanced into the restaurant window and saw Mitch sitting at the table with children instead of Aymee. The clip strike of her heels called to him.

  “Aymee.” He deserved the angry indignation her expression morphed into. She lifted her chin proudly and kept walking. Eros halted pursuing her as she continued farther down the sidewalk away from him. “I'm sorry.” He'd been right … he didn't deserve her. If you don’t think enough of me to trust that I know my own mind and heart then just stay gone. That single sentence filled him with hope. He did trust her to know her own mind. And he would happily spend the rest of her life proving it to her.

  Eros recognized the motorcycle immediately. He'd seen it passing in front of his house on the highway many times over the last week and a half. This time, he could clearly see the face of the rider. The male who'd escaped the alley. His stare intent on Aymee, the man pulled to the curb. The sickly scent of gangrene wafted toxically from the man. His red skin and fever-crazed eyes showed the man’s intent an instant before the gun lifted in his hand. Oh, great Fates, NO!

  Eros surged into motion and snapped the sick bastard's neck a moment too late. He'd already fired. The point of penetration in Aymee's chest trickled blood and her eyes fluttered closed. Eros caught her crumbling frame in his arms and launched toward the heavens, roaring in complete disregard of the windows the sound shattered in the buildings below. His mind was at a loss for what to do, he listened to her heartbeat stutter in her chest. She was dying. Pain shredded him. He couldn’t lose her. He would follow Aymee into the hereafter.

  “Father. The High panel healer awaits you. Bring Aymee home.” The telepathic call of his daughter, Umbrae gave him a direction. There was no way for him to shield this level of pain from being emphatically felt by his children. Herme, the eldest and greatest healer of the Volaticus people--could he save a human? Eros prayed to the Fates and flew faster than he'd ever flown before toward his house.

  Thud thumb … seconds passed before he heard another thud thump from Aymee’s struggling heart. A crowd awaited him below. Eros plummeted towards his yard directly toward the one person who represented hope. Herme held his arms out. Eros set his precious bundle into the arms of the healer and stepped back. All seven of his children stepped behind him. Linking his bloodline by hand to shoulder contact, they infused him with their strength and love. Aymee was so pale, cold. Herme set her on the plush grass.

  “Do you love this woman?” Herme asked. Eyes closed, his hand hovered above the bullet's entry wound.

  Words eluded Eros, he could only stare and pray. Herme gave Eros a sharp look over his shoulder. “DO YOU LOVE THIS WOMAN!”

  The healer's shout snapped Eros out of his trance. “I do.”

  Herme nodded, his eyes fell closed again. Beads of sweat bloomed across the healer's forehead and lines of strain appeared around his lips. Whatever the healer was doing was weakening him dramatically.

  “Do you wish her for your mate?” The voice of the Presiding Oracle, Innanna, came from behind him. Eros turned and noticed the faces of those gathered for the first time. Innanna stood with her bloodmate, Gilgamesh, next to Shane and a tearful Jess. Eros loved Innanna like a sister. They grew up together in Atlantis. Being asked that question by his friend and the most powerful Oracle ever to exist made his answer all-important.

  Eros didn't hesitate. “Yes. I wish her for my mate.” He'd never heard anyone refer to a human as a mate. If married, a human would be a wife or husband. That didn’t matter. Aymee mattered. If he spent her life sitting at her bedside, he'd do it. Just please Fates, let her live. He pleaded with Innanna with his gaze. Tears filled Innanna’s huge violet eyes, and she gave him a single nod. Eros returned his gaze to Aymee and Herme.

  Herme set his mouth over the hole in Aymee's chest. The healer’s muscles shook with strain. He lifted with the bullet between his teeth and spit it to the side. Eros saw the wound had sealed completely from the healer’s unique saliva, though Aymee's heart could still be heard struggling.

  Herme looked beyond Eros and his family towards Innanna. Sweat beads covered the healer’s brow and upper lip. Innanna ported the distant between herself and Herme. Kneeling, she lifted Aymee’s head into her lap and met Eros’s gaze. “Your blood can save her, Eros.” Innanna extended her free hand to him. He took it and sat on the ground with Aymee’s pale face between them.

  “How?” His voice cracked with emotion. Volaticus blood had no healing effect on humans. Out of desperation, he’d tried giving his blood to his wives before with zero benefit.

  “Son-of-a-bitch. Hurry!” Herme straddled Aymee’s body and started CPR.

  Innanna yanked Eros's wrist to her dentes, punctured his vein and placed the wound to Aymee’s bloodless lips. “Sicarius!” She called to his children, “Strengthen your father. Aymee will require every ounce of his ancient blood.”

  Umbrae shoved her wrist to Eros's mouth. Innanna gave him a nod of encouragement. Gently, he bit into his daughter, her iron rich Hulven blood nourished his rapidly depleting cells. Innanna placed her hand to Aymee's forehead, her violet eyes closed and pinched with strain.

  Eros’s gaze returned to Aymee as he heard the distinct sound of thud-thump. Herme fell to his side, exhausted. The healer drained a pint of blood handed to him by Shane in a matter of moments before starting on a second one.

  Aymee’s color started to improve. With instincts she shouldn't possess, Aymee latched onto Eros's wrist with suction. Her hands grasped his forearm and held it to her hungrily. A behavior Eros had never seen outside the Volaticus species.

  Umbrae withdrew her wrist from her father and Daniel stepped forward to offer his. This time Eros didn’t hesitate. He drank from the six out of seven of his children that had been born iron rich rather than anemic. His only anemic son shoved pints of blood into his mouth once the others had given all they could.

  Herme yanked Eros’s wrist free of Aymee. “It is done.” Innanna fell back into the waiting arms of her bloodmate, Gilgamesh, and drank the goblet of blood he held for her.

  Eros sealed the wound at his wrist. The strong beat of Aymee’s heart music to his ears. Her eyes blinked open, beautiful twin pools of blue, wide and alert. Her lips, coated in his life’s blood, never looked more beautiful. She blinked several times and rubbed her eyes, then looked around wide-eyed again.

  “What's happening to me?” She whispered. Her hands suddenly grasped her head, and she cried out writhing in pain.

  Guilt flooded Eros. Had their sacrilegious actions tonight doomed Aymee to a fate worse than death? “What did I just do to her?” His heart wrenched with every painful cry Aymee emitted.

  Gilgamesh spoke, the concern for Innanna clearly etched across his face “The three of ya saved her. Aymee is enlightenin’, Eros.”

  Innanna’s voice shook with fatigue. “Her conscience is expanding into the unused parts of her brain, tapping into her psychic energy. She will be immortal … like us. Yet she’s human, too. It required the three of us. Herme held her spirit, your ancient blood … and the sanction of the Fates that allowed me to open the neuro-pathways in her mind.”

  He looked at each confused face of his children, well aware he must share the same expression. If this were possible, they need not have lost their mothers … except Umbrae’s of course. For Eros, a lifetime with Aymee meant everything, but he couldn’t have done it with each of his wives. “Thank you.” He met the eyes of his children individually, flooding them with his love and gratitude through his paternal bond to each of them. Umbrae withdrew her Sicarius dagger from her ankle holder. Each of his sons followed their sist
er’s lead. Eros took one more look at Aymee whimpering with pain.

  “I’ve got her,” Herme whispered. The healer still appeared sickly.

  Eros gave the healer a nod of appreciation, withdrew his dagger and took his place in the circle of his family. “We are—“ he began. “SICARIUS!” The voices of his children unified with his in a choreographed drop to one knee, daggers plunged into the soil. They took a moment of silence in that position to thank the Fates and the universe for the bond of family before rising.

  His family united, Eros resumed his spot on the ground and lifted Aymee into his lap. A strangled cry gurgled from her throat. He rocked, clutching her to his chest. Eros needed answers … now.

  Herme brushed Aymee’s cheek, the compassion in the healer's face spoke volumes. He met Eros's gaze. “We discovered last year that potentially the blood of an ancient Volaticus Elven could re-animate a human upon a human's last breath of air and final heartbeat. Though any ancient that might try it would likely die of blood loss before the transition was completed or the human’s spirit was lost to the hereafter.”

  Innanna picked up the conversation from there. “That is the scientific aspect. Returning a human to life is not the same as enlightening. That is something the Oracles' and Fates' advisors have known far longer than it took science to prove. The Fates have been adamantly against our interference, so we’ve been bound by oath to remain silent. Through your incredible bond to your children and vicariously your children’s blood bonds to others of our species, your pain rippled through our kind with monumental force. The Fates reached out to me in response to your pain and revealed the course needed for Aymee to live and enlighten. Please understand, Eros, the Fates will still bar us from instigating human enlightenment. Aymee received this gift because she is barren, her psychic enlightenment can never be passed down. Therefore, the destined path of natural human enlightenment is not compromised. The other contributing factor is your love for her, together with the strength and integrity of you personally. For those reasons, the Fates gave her this gift. Aymee is the first and only enlightened human in existence. This will be a challenge for both of you. She will need your unwavering support.”

  His gaze returned to Aymee as her cries faded to whimpers. “And she will have it. Do you have an idea of what abilities she will possess?” Aymee slowly quieted in his arms, her eyes opened and closed.

  Herme clasped a hand to Eros's shoulder. “We believe humans will have a few abilities similar to ours though not as pronounced. Telekinesis and possibly the ability to port … no one is sure. If the abilities do manifest, they will likely have more limitations in range and distance. It's doubtful she will be able to initiate telepathic communication though a Volaticus might be able to bridge telepathically to her psyche and maintain that bridge. We currently can’t do that with the humans of today. She will undoubtedly have abilities specific to humanity that are currently unknown.”

  Whatever they needed to walk through, Eros was willing. Aymee released her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Eros, I can't see right. It's like looking through night goggles … only I can see details, too.”

  Eros met Herme's gaze while holding Aymee against his chest and spoke to his children standing behind him in view of Aymee. “Shadow,” he ordered.

  Aymee sucked in a breath. “I can see them. Well, sort of.” Her voice trailed off in wonder. “The details went away. Now, everyone is just colors of red, orange and yellow. I can’t tell the boys apart. Umbrae’s shorter, so I know which one is her.”

  “It sounds like infrared, my love.”

  The healer nodded in agreement to Eros evaluation.

  “I will work with you to help control it.” Eros smiled.

  Aymee quieted in his arms. “Why is Umbrae so … happy?” She lifted from him to hold his face between her hands. “You love me.” She searched his face, blinked hard and searched his face again.

  “I love you.” Eros kissed her lips gently. “You are empathic, too. That one I can help you with as well.”

  “Aymee,” Herme called her attention. He handed her a leather bound book. “The SOSC is here for you. We will be learning as you learn. You are the future of humanity.”

  Aymee took the book and flipped through the blank pages. “I don't understand.”

  Herme smiled at her kindly. “You are enlightened. The first of your species. The book is so you may document your abilities toward the aid of humanity … someday. If you feel yourself weakening, you must drink from Eros or another ancient Volaticus Elven.”

  Aymee glanced from face to face blinking and shook her head as if to clear it. “Like blood?” She shivered at the thought. “Won't that weaken Eros?”

  Everyone laughed. Daniel piped up. “Holy shit, girl, you already sucked him down like a Big Gulp.”

  Aymee’s jaw dropped, but happiness ripped through Eros. This was his Aymee.

  Herme patted Aymee’s shoulder. “Don't worry, I assure you he will be strengthened by your blood in return. It is the way of mates.”

  Aymee sucked in another breath, and Eros braced himself. What if she didn't accept him?

  Her hushed question filled him with hope. “I can bloodmate?”

  Herme shook his head. “Not exactly. Yours will be a life-mating … I think. And only if you choose, of course.”

  Aymee spun her face to Eros, blue pools full of yearning. “Will you mate with me?”

  Eros grinned and kissed her hard. His heart pounded in his chest. MINE! Aymee sighed and embraced him returning his passion with hers. Herme cleared his throat and ended the moment. Eros unfurled his feelings for her knowing they would roll through her developing psyche. “You stole my line and my heart. Will you be my mate?”

  Aymee gave him a mischievous grin. “You going to do anything else stupid?”

  Of course, Aymee would bring that up now. He grinned back at her. “Probably. I will also love you without measure for the rest of our lives. And, cherish your love as the great gift it is. I will –“

  Aymee put a single finger to his lips. “I’m all yours.” She dropped her finger and winked at him. “Hope you own a helmet.”

  “Witch.”

  Aymee leaned in her breath warmed his lips. She smiled into his eyes. “I love you, Eros Sicarius. I promise I will honor you as your mate. Always.” Eros groaned with pleasure and kissed her. His mate -forever.

  Glossary of Terms

  Aquaties: An enlightened species whose primary habitat is in the water. They have the ability to use sonar and high-frequency sounds. They have extremely sensitive hearing but average eyesight, and their skin is opalescent and capable of absorbing solar energy from the sun for conversion to thermodynamic energy. They manipulate current and tides, generating gravity and stability to the chortals. They have retractable fins, and their hair and eyes are usually pastel shades of coral, blue, green, and pink. They can manipulate melanin to appear flesh-colored and with typical hair and eye color when they want to blend in with humanity. Extremely tall, both males and females are usually between five foot ten and seven feet, with legs that are long in comparison to their torsos. Prone to multiple births called paired siblings.

  Bonds: Established by birth or blood, bonds enable communication and locating/tracking/finding/aiding the bond-mates. Physical bonds can be established by touch.

  Types include:

  A) Bloodmates: A chemical/biological compatibility within Volaticus couples that determines forever mating. Once mated, the pair have private and full access to each other’s emotions and minds.

  B) Bloodbonds: A bond created between parties that allows for private telepathic communications, port sigs, and aid when necessary. They can be either temporary, with the exchange of less than an ounce of blood between parties, or permanent with the exchange of an ounce or more between parties. Permanent bonds once established can only be diluted in strength by a series of full blood transfusions, and completely removed by death.

  C) Close re
lation bonds/birth bonds: Same as a bloodbond, only acquired at birth to members of immediate family, ie: mothers, fathers, and siblings born of the same mother.

  D) Physical/family bonds: When physically linked, members of the same bloodline or highly developed ancients (usually over seven thousand years old) can boost, share, or transfer their psychic abilities, memories and powers temporarily.

  Chortal: A permanently fixed port between two locations that requires less psychic energy; a safe exit point.

  Elven: One of the two separate races within the Volaticus species, Elven are born with all the Volaticus physical and psychic abilities. The young mentally and physically develop at a far slower rate than humans or their Hulven counterparts. Their abilities continue to grow throughout their lifetimes, with focused targeting of potential. Elven female reproduction is limited to an estrus period that occurs once every twenty-five to fifty years and lasts two weeks. All Elven are anemic and require iron from a blood host.

  Energy weavers: Elven with an ability that allows the bearer to create energy weaves.

  Energy weaves: Large blankets of energy that can sense, alert, block, protect and camouflage anything they cover. Weaves are primarily used to hide communities of enlightened species from human vision by making it appear to be harsh or inhospitable terrain, i.e. cliffs or canyons. Though immovable, it can flex to continue the illusion if a human encounters it.

  Fates: Heavenly manifestations that communicate with the Oracles on behalf the source of all energy known as the universe.

  High Ones: Volaticus usually over ten thousand years old

  High Panel: A Volaticus governing body with an elected speaker and separate advisers chosen for having reached the highest potential of ability. There is an advisor for every demographic within the species.