I reach out, sensing her location. Creating my own portal, I follow her back to our living quarters in Aravot, our personal city in the Summerlands of the Eternal Realm.
My portal dissipates and once again, the pleasing smell of Seraya’s garden fills the air.
A familiar song echoes from Seraya’s piano as I stride up the spiral staircase to our chambers. Her beautiful descant brings memories of Capri, Italy to mind.
In her study now, I move toward her watching her fingers slide expertly across the keys. Reaching my beloved, I lay my hands on her shoulders and lovingly work out the knots within the curves of her neck.
Eyes closed and with absolute precision, she pays me no mind while continuing to play and sing, distracting herself from the troubles of the battle. Or so one would think.
Music helps Seraya work through her thoughts. Not distracting so much as focusing, playing can even drive her into a meditative state. It often rouses visions from the Universe, a gift only Chayah has.
“Perfect as always.” I lean down and leave a kiss to her cheek.
Playing her last note, she pulls her foot from the pedal as the melody fades into silence. She tilts her neck side to the side, opens her eyes and lets out a sigh.
“So much for Capri.” Disappointment seeps from her. “Gods, I could’ve used that break.”
“Can I help?” I sit beside her on the bench.
She shrugs. “I’m getting too old for this shit.”
“You and me both, kid. You’re two bodies newer than me, after all.” I jokingly nudge her shoulder. “Seriously though. What can I do?”
“I don’t know. I’m just… exhausted.” She stares off into the distance. “You know?” She looks back to me. “All this chasing our tails. And now Helena shows up. What does she want?” Seraya purses her lips, glancing back out the glass doors that overlook her garden. “I really needed that trip.”
“Let’s focus on getting this Helena business sorted. Perhaps you could speed this along. Any dreams?”
She nods. “I saw Mother. She handed me a relic, a Shadow dagger, I think. Of course, she didn’t say anything. And then I was kissing a man I didn’t recognize in the Mortal Realm. Chicago, I think? Navy Pier.” Her gaze returns to me “That’s it. I have no idea what the hell any of it means. Things are getting worse and now with Helena, I just don’t know. And of course, I’m dreaming of Capri, so it sucks we may not make it there for our anniversary.”
Dreams for Seraya aren’t dreams at all but visions, often foretelling the future.
“Perhaps not, but we can always reschedule. In the meantime, Helena’s appearance must be analyzed.”
“Any vision involving Mother has a connection. Just don’t know what.” She looks to me. “Ironic, eh? Right before Capri. Gotta love cruel jokes the Universe plays.” She laughs like it’s no big deal, but it is.
Reprieves for immortals are hard to come by. Seraya and I have been ‘saving the world’ for far too many millennia to keep track of so missing out on a vacation is a bitter turn of events.
Especially for our Gemini.
She has sacrificed so much in her immortal lives. She jokingly calls motherhood the Eternal Sacrifice, but for her, it is. Our revered trip to Capri is the only time Seraya gets to feel human – like a woman, wife, and lover – not a sovereign responsible for the fate of the three realms.
Being human isn’t something I know much about, however. Of Seraya’s three Gemini, I’m the only one who’s never been human. I wasn’t born to human parents like everyone else, I was created by Gaea, herself – for and from Seraya – Blood of her Blood. Soul of her Soul. Which makes me a God of sorts, not an Eternal like her other Gemini.
“While you contemplate, just breathe.” I move her long, ebony curls off her shoulders. Laying my hands on her cheeks, I gaze into her bright, amethyst eyes. So expressive. So telling. “For now, let’s… Converge. The old-fashioned way.”
Leaning closer, I press my lips to hers gently yet with all the passion I can gather. Moments like this, my Gemini needs to reconnect with my soul more than listen to any words of wisdom I could offer.
Little peace exists for our kind, so we take it when the Universe offers. This is one of those moments that’s paramount for maintaining our strength. Joining souls in a Convergence is the best way to do that.
The usual jolt of electricity pulses through me as I kiss my soulmate.
In a moment of spontaneity, I push us out from her piano, rise to my feet then sweep her into my arms. Cradling her to my chest, I stride through our living quarters toward my bed chamber.
Seraya’s cheek presses to my chest as we enter my room.
We settle onto my bed, and I pull her close to my chest. She rests her cheek back, closing her eyes, and relaxes into my embrace. Within moments, our minds meld and souls merge as one. We’ve been together so long that our souls can Converge almost instantly.
Our astral bodies drift into the spirit realm, regaining the mental strength we’ve lost. For hours to come, that’s where we stay. Two Gemini souls converged in the ether, relishing the calm before the storm. Because as we both learned long ago, that’s all tomorrow is.
Another looming storm on the horizon.
2
~Seraya~
Colorful butterflies flutter about the fragrant field of flowers I’m sitting in. One lands on my shoulder and another, on my knee.
My garden protects the Tree of Souls and Erudition. Called many names by differing mortal mythos, she’s simply Viveka to us. My Tree is the Axis Mundi – the foundation that holds the three realms together – literally and figuratively, the center of the Universe.
This garden is my favorite space in Aravot.
I offer my left hand to the indigo-winged beauty sitting on my knee. For a moment, she accepts my offer, moving to sit on my finger.
Pulling my hand close to my nose, I carry on a conversation with her as if she understands. Her wings glimmer with an iridescent light similar to mine and my Gemini’s auras.
All immortals have auras that help us recognize which faction they belong to. Genesis auras are Luxe, appearing pure white, while Demons and Fallen have darkly shadowed or rather Tenebrous auras.
Luxe auras have their own distinct color that only their Gemini and I can see. That’s why they jokingly call me Cosmic Cupid. It’s one of my favorite jobs – matching Gemini souls with their mates. As the first immortal to have a Gemini of my own, it’s both an honor and my privilege to bring souls together. It’s where our Lead with Love motto came from.
After a brief visit, the butterfly and its friend on my shoulder simultaneously lift their wings and fly off toward Viveka.
Closing my eyes, I lift my chin and smile, inhaling the distinctive scent of peonies and sea air from the Infinity Pool that lies just beyond. This garden is my sanctuary in the Universe. Humans call it heaven. To me, it’s just home.
I exhale and open my eyes, gazing at the breathtaking world surrounding me. Ironic how such a beautiful place can feel so tainted from the darkness of Jagat still clinging to my black leather fatigues.
Queen of Shadows dead? Ha.
While the revelation of Helena’s presence still bothers me, comic relief came from the absurd notion that she was dead. Someone clearly doesn’t know their Genesis legacy.
Death is nothing more than an illusion.
Bodies die – souls do not. They simply transcend to an immortal body in another realm once their body is no longer functional. Immortalizing is a secret kept hidden during a mortal’s life because the realm they transcend to depends solely on their choices while human. Some will be chosen to Eternalize, becoming immortal warriors for Luxe and others choose to Demonize, becoming second generation Shadow Walkers for the dark factions of Tenebrous.
Who they become when they die is a choice. Free will is paramount.
Like Helena, I’m also a Goddess. Except my human form will expire once it begins the next Phoenix Cycle – the death
and rebirth of body and soul. This occurs each time Gaea, the Goddess of all creation, decides Humanity has run its course and the Mortal Realm should be destroyed. The events during this 23-year cycle is what saves or destroys humans on Jagat.
My divine title is Chayah, Eternal Mother. Their human blood runs through my veins just as my Eternal blood runs through theirs. This is also why their souls immortalize and transcend to another realm upon their death.
I, along with Genesis, my family of Gods, Goddesses, Celestials, and Eternals must protect it. I am the sovereign of all human souls. A phoenix that dies and rises again.
Humanity is my legacy.
Following each battle, I come here to the garden. Meditation amongst my unborn souls grounds me. Reminds me of life’s fragile beauty.
Viveka is magnificent. Majestic. Standing hundreds of feet tall, millions of pink leaves will turn purple, bloom and spark. And when a human is ready to be born, its soul will release into the Universe to connect with its body.
Today, however, she’s not blooming as brightly as usual. A clear sign Jagat is unstable. Regardless, Viveka still holds an aura, the same color as mine. The glow is a breathtaking iridescent hue, reminding me of the life and possibility that still lives within her blooms.
Closing my eyes, I embrace every still moment, bask in the warmth from an invisible sun. I revel in the whispers of the sea-scented breeze that gently tousles my hair.
Flowering scents invade my senses as I open my eyes and lift my chin to peer up at a lavender sky. It’s cloudless and perfect. Though staring at the concealed heavens above reminds me that my mother sits somewhere in the ether, just out of touch.
Journey, my Phoenix, swoops through the garden. Her cries echo as a bloom sparks and floats off to meet its body in Jagat. Exhaling a breath, an unabated smile tugs at the corners of my lips. The glimmer of life blooming always brings me joy.
Just beyond the garden, azure waters from the Eternal Falls run into a pool of urban legend. I think humans call it the fountain of youth. The waterfall is but a trickle today, giving view to the entrance of another place of legend – where Humanity began.
The Grotto is sacred to me. It’s where I first made love to Titus – Blood of my Blood. Soul of my Soul. We weren’t supposed to fall in love, but fate, I’ve found, is one of the few things I can’t control.
Our transgression was an accident by design, as Mother later called it. Though at the time, Gaea was furious.
We had inadvertently taken control of Her creation.
Gaea’s response was to give me a chance at redemption, more like an ultimatum: Rejoin Her in the City of the Mother but leave Titus and my child in Jagat to die, effectively wiping the slate clean. I refused.
I chose love.
Now whenever Humanity inevitably attempts to destroy itself, desecrating all that I’ve built and sacrificed for, I’m reborn human. My memories, like every other human’s, are hushed until I Eternalize. Until I find my Gemini and we fall in love, proving to Gaea that my heart and soul are still led by love.
It sounds like a simple choice, but without memories or remembering who I truly am, every rebirth is a dangerous game of roulette putting my children at risk of extinction.
So I sit here in the garden, contemplating the possibility of another rebirth because although I’ve always managed to find my way back, nothing is certain.
Luxe is outnumbered.
Tenebrous is taking over Jagat. Humans are Demonizing and Celestials are falling for power. It’s a dark time in history, a darkness I’ve never seen, so I can’t help but scrutinize over Viveka’s waning health like an addiction.
Viveka’s lackluster appearance leaves a shadow over everything.
A deep sigh escapes as I sit, studying her limbs, feeling the fading power in the Tree. When it weakens, so do I.
That’s what happens when Chayah begins a death cycle.
It hasn’t officially happened yet, but I’ve seen it all before. Humans fights for dominion. Demon and Fallen intercede. Genesis gets caught in the middle, saving them all from themselves – the next Phoenix Cycle is always just another day, century, or millennia away.
I’m not ready.
I close my eyes and take a breath. It’s only been some two hundred human years since the last incarnation.
“It’s too soon, Mother.” I say it aloud though probably for no one to hear considering Gaea stopped involving herself a million or so years ago. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Seraya, my love.”
Opening my eyes, I twist around at a whisper in my head. A gift all Genesis share –
telepathically communicating with one another.
Titus stands ten feet before me. A vision of the day Gaea brought him to life crosses my memory. Even today, so many millennia since, his presence still sends shivers through my soul.
But then, first loves always do.
Ebony hair contrasts beautifully with his Mediterranean olive skin. His complexion matches my own. Blue eyes, the lightest shade I’ve ever seen, are so light I can nearly see through them. Straight into his soul. Standing tall, Titus hovers around six-foot four, wearing his usual fatigues and black T-shirt, showing off thick arms and a broad chest.
“Sorry to disturb your meditation. Caspien and Raziel are returning from their mission soon. They have news. You’ll want to be there for it.”
My heart flutters, relieved Cas has finally returned home.
Inhaling a breath, I turn back and exhale, closing my eyes to take a final moment to access her power, waiting for any last message she has to offer.
Viveka speaks to me; the lives the Tree holds have a direct connection to my soul.
“Anything I can do?” Titus is distraught at my anxiety; he’s trying to read my thoughts, search my fears, but I’ve blocked him out. As the oldest and strongest Genesis Elder, I’m the only one who can truly block out another Eternal, except for the Celestials.
I’ll keep my concerns hidden for now to avoid worrying anyone prematurely. Though given my visions and unrest in the Mortal Realm, there’s no hiding much.
“A war is coming,” I say simply, without emotion.
Titus crouches beside me, staring ahead at the Tree. He sees it too.
“Perhaps. Tension has risen between the humans, and even the Demon and Fallen factions. This battle today was no accident,” he says. “Felt like a distraction.”
I inhale a bated breath before speaking. “Storms are brewing, at the very least.”
“Yes,” he says hesitantly, setting his hand on my shoulder. “There’s something else you need to know.”
Still staring ahead, I release a deep sigh. I already know what he’s going to say. While I can keep my thoughts from him, not he nor any other Genesis can keep their thoughts from me.
“Remliel saw Helena fleeing the battle.” I tilt my chin up and peer at Journey still circling overhead, her massive crimson wingspan, regal and breathtaking. “I know. Been a long time since she’s shown herself around me.”
Titus lets out a groan. “Please don’t hide from me.” He can feel me, not simply blocking him out, but forcing him from my mind like a tsunami. I don’t do it often but given everything that could be in play, there’s simply no choice.
While I say nothing, it doesn’t matter because Titus can feel my anxiety as his own. He may not be able to hear my thoughts, but I can’t hide my racing heart.
“You have a right to your privacy.” He lays his hand on my shoulder, attempting to relieve my unease. “Raziel and Caspien should be here any time now, we really should go.”
Relieved, I prepare to stand. Cas and Raz have been gone for some time now. I’ve missed Cas terribly.
Titus offers me a hand once he’s back on his feet, pulling me to mine. “I can’t help my concern, love. I’m always in defense mode.”
“Perhaps you are, but I’m not. I’m on offense.” I let go of his hand and set mine gently on his cheek. “A storm is brewing. And we
need to be ahead of it if we’re going to defeat it.”
“Chayah, can I speak to you?”
Titus and I are just a few steps from the Great Hall when Nova and Remliel reach us. Both were injured during the battle, but they seem to be recovering. A short time back in Aravot heals most wounds that would be deadly humans.
“Alone?” Nova looks to Remliel, then Titus. “Should only take a minute.”
I glance at Titus, reach out and run my hands along his waist. Pulling him close, I leave a quick kiss on his lips. “Can you take charge while I speak with Nova?”
Titus purses his lips then releases a breath. Wrinkles disappear from his forehead. I hear his thoughts of frustration, concern he can’t read me. Nodding, Titus leans in, offering one more kiss and whispering into my ear. “I’m here if you need me.”
“I know.” I move to release his cheeks, his dark stubble grazing beneath my fingertips. “Love you.”
He nods at Nova, then turns and opens the door to the Great Hall, ushering in Remliel.
“Apologies, Chayah.”
“Stop.” I grab her hands and lift her arms, searching for signs of residual injury. Looks good. “How are you feeling?”
She bobs her head.
“What does that mean?” Narrowed eyes, I suspiciously gauge her reaction.
Nova tries to mask her pain, but I see it plainly. She clears her throat to avert my dismay and pull me back to her question. “I heard something in the field. Saw someone.”
“I know. Helena.”
“Remliel told Titus.” Nova purses her full, pink lips.
“Yes.” I try not to laugh. “You all really thought she was dead?”
Nova lets out a laugh. “You know how the Newborns talk. A Fallen disappears for a few hundred years, and they start to make shit up.” She shrugs, smiling, but it fades as fast as it appeared. “There’s talk out there. Uprisings. Why else would we see Helena after all these years?”
“Listen, darling. There’s nothing to worry about.” I push her long, honey-blonde hair off her shoulder. One of my eldest and fiercest warriors, Nova is angelic and beautiful, yet lean and all muscle.
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