by Candy Crum
“She’s lovely,” I said. It came out but a whisper.
He nodded and smiled. “As are you, young one. You’ve inherited many of her traits.”
When I looked back, he was once again looking down at me, giving another sad smile.
“This can’t be happening. I don’t understand,” I said.
He nodded. “I know. Things were never supposed to be this way, but the seal was broken, and you’ve been exposed.”
“Seal? What seal?”
“We have limited time, and I have already wasted enough time lost in my memories. I am sorry for that. I will explain things the best way that I can. Sayen is not the young woman that you believe she is. She was well over a thousand years old when we met and fell in love. She lost track, but she believes that she is somewhere between one thousand five hundred and two thousand years old. The woman that you met, Khia, is over three thousand years old.”
My jaw dropped, and despite the calm hold Taima had on me, thinking about Khia’s age and how powerful she must have been terrified me.
“How is that possible?” I asked.
“Just as Vampires exist, so do Immortals. A war has been going on between the two species since their creation in the Cradle. Sayen always referred to her homeland, Egypt, as the Cradle of the Shadow World. It is where all immortal beasts were born.”
“This is incredible.”
He nodded. “I know it must be difficult. There is much for you to learn. The war will come, and when it does, you will be thrown into it. You are the key. Sayen knew that she would bear the child that would change the war in their favor. She tried to protect you, but it has worn away. Three thousand years, this war has been brewing. Neither species has been able to get a good grip on the other. Khia is the mother of all Immortals, and she is the most powerful. Though Sayen is half her age, she is the second most powerful.
“Sayen was taught that all Vampires were vile, disgusting creatures that were hell bent on destroying the human race. She followed Khia’s rule and used her powers to destroy Vampire after Vampire without any remorse. One day, Sayen was attacked by a horde of Rogues, those Vampires that are unable to walk in the day. They are particularly terrible. Sayen would have died that day, but it was Khanae, the Vampire queen, that saved her. I believe you’ve seen her battling with Khia in your dreams. She’s the one that passed Sayen’s warning on to you. Along with my help, of course.”
So, it was Sayen that was warning me through the dream. I shook my head in disbelief. There was so much to take in.
“What exactly do I have to do with this war?”
He paused for a moment, looking to his illusion of Sayen before continuing. “After Khanae saved Sayen, she fled Egypt. She learned that Vampires were just as different in personality as the humans were, and some of them had pure hearts and even pure intentions. She could no longer bear the thought of killing a Vampire while knowing that he or she may be an innocent.”
Like Sydney, I thought.
“Unfortunately for her, Immortals can always find one another through their power of vision. This caused her to constantly have to move. Eventually, she found her way to America. She sought solace in the woods. After settling in with the wildlife, Sayen and I met, and we became great friends. She taught some of my tribe to speak English, something she’d learned while living in England and found useful in these lands that the white man had begun to colonize. It was because of her stay in England that she decided to come here.
“Sayen and I grew closer and wanted to be married, even have children, but she knew her family would hunt her down, kill her, and take the child. For nearly a week, we spoke with the spirits and came up with a ritual that would sever her bloodline, but bind her to me. It would make her unable to touch her powers. She would no longer be able to communicate with the spirits and the elements, but she would be tied to my lifespan. She would age as a human does and also be safe from her family. Even her children would inherit this. They would be human as well.”
My eyes narrowed as his expression began to darken. “There was a snag in that plan, wasn’t there?”
He nodded. “We thought that the ritual was everlasting, but the truth was that it only lasted as long as I survived. Her human lifeline was tied to mine by the mixing of our blood. When I passed, the spell slowly began undoing itself. Sayen’s appearance began to regress to her former youthful appearance. Her body became younger and younger every day. By that time, we had grandchildren, and she was forced to leave them, lest they know the family secret. One day, while searching for a new dwelling, she had a vision. It was the first one she’d had in many years. It told her that the seal would be completely broken, and that would be marked by the birth of a baby girl in the family.”
“My dad and his five brothers all had girls,” I said.
He nodded. “It confused Sayen for a while because she never sensed any power in them when she searched for it. After a while, she quit looking into the lives of her descendants. Every birth was a dead end. She decided that the vision must have been false. That is why it escaped her. On the one-hundred-year anniversary of the completion of that ritual, Sayen felt a massive explosion of Immortal energy enter the world. That was the day that you were born, Kailah.”
“That’s why I’m involved… The seal broke with me. Are you saying that I have that kind of power locked inside of me? You said there was an explosion of power when I was born.”
“Oh, yes,” he said. “Sayen said that she’d never felt anything like it. She said there was no doubt in her mind. The child born would be the key to ending the war. Kailah, you have even more power locked inside of you than Khia herself.”
“That’s insane! Impossible, even.”
“Really? Sayen’s powers were bound. Binding the powers of someone that strong is like pulling all of their power into one place and placing it in a box. She passed a piece of that box onto our children. As they grew, so did the box, but it was never opened. Then they passed it on to their own children, allowing that box to grow and grow, generation after generation, until the seal was broken and there was a child capable of harnessing the power within. When you were born, Sayen sensed all of that pent-up power released into the world again. You hold all of it within you, but you must be taught how to use it. It could kill you if you’re not ready.”
“I guess the next logical question would be, what does this mean? Where do I go from here?” My body was beginning to tremble again, despite still feeling warm and comfortable. I could feel his hold on me slipping. I wondered if his power was beginning to slip.
“Shortly after Sayen was born, Khia had a vision that Sayen would be mother to an Immortal goddess. This child would be the most powerful Immortal to ever exist, even more powerful than Khia. She would be an end to the war. When Sayen went rogue and left her family, the hunt for her ensued. They wanted the child they were promised. After our bonding ritual, it halted everything. We thought our children were free from that fate. That time has come to an end. You are the only one that has the power to stop Khia from enslaving humanity. She will try to tell you that she tries to save it by ridding the world of Vampires, but never listen. She plans to take a throne much larger than the one she has in Egypt. She wants the world. You have the power to take that away, or to hand it directly to her.”
My eyes widened, and I started to wonder if I’d ever process what was happening. At the very least, it was becoming more and more real to me, as strange as that seemed. The world around us began to wave a bit. I looked around and the image of Sayen was gone.
“Our time is up; this was the best that I could do. Sayen will find you, and when she does, she will explain the world and all of the secrets held within. Remember, Khia can find you through use of your mental power. When you use it, it’s like putting a pin in an Immortal map. Please be careful, child. I will be here for you. I am here with you now. Sayen has sent me to protect you, and I will do my best. Once you learn to use your power, you will be able t
o communicate with me in the real world and not only in this spiritual realm.”
The world around me faded, and I smelled the familiar scent of my fabric softener. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was back in my closet, shaking violently with the shock of the cool environment with Taima’s departure. I took a deep breath and quickly gathered some clothes before bolting for the shower. I needed to calm myself as soon as possible and the warm water would certainly do that. I thought my life was getting out of control before. It was nothing compared to what it was about to be.
Chapter Six
When Rachel returned, I gave her a quick rundown of everything that happened in the vision. At first, I thought her eyes were going to fall from their sockets, but she eventually blinked. Rachel suggested that we hold off on going out, but after everything I’d seen, I decided that night might be the last time we get to go out and have a good time. Hell, it was possible that it may be the last time that I was ever able to go out again. If what I saw was true, then my life was in danger. I could die.
If Taima wasn’t a Grey’s Anatomy-quality hallucination from a brain tumor that I’d spontaneously developed, and everything that he said was true, there was a good chance that I could die. The only thing that kept me from tipping over into insanity was that Rachel has witnessed quite a bit of it as well. She was the key to my mental health, and I planned to hold on to her for dear life.
On the way to Louisville, every so often Rachel would pull her phone from her pocket and sigh in frustration before ignoring the text from Jeff and placing it back in her pocket.
“I hate him. I wish he’d just leave me alone,” she said.
“It’ll be okay. We’re going out together tonight, and we will be forgetting our problems! Even if it’s only for tonight. We have to do this. We can’t both be going crazy.”
She laughed. “That’s very true. So, I suppose we should get this show on the road. How about some loud music?”
“Why did you even bother asking?” I asked with a smile.
I connected my phone to her car and navigated through my “Heavy” playlist while she drove. Disturbed was a must. It wasn’t long before we were able to enjoy the sultry sounds of the amazing Dave Draiman. The entire way to Louisville was filled with laughing, leg drumming, and exaggerated singing. We didn’t say a word otherwise, and it was incredibly peaceful. The lighter mood was slowly beginning to ease the heavier weight that fell on us earlier.
As we pulled into the parking garage next to Rachel’s favorite club, Club Crimson Shadows, the anxiety settled in. Awesome… Just what I needed. I hated new places, and I hated being around a lot of people. More than that, I hated myself for being that way. It was a nasty, vicious cycle. I was always nervous in social situations, and with the added stress of everything else going on, it wasn’t making it any easier. I just needed to push through it.
“Lighten up, Kay. It’s just a club. You’ll feel better once we’re inside,” Rachel said with a smile and a gentle nudge.
I returned the smile and followed her up to the front door. It didn’t surprise me that Rachel walked past the long line of hopefuls trying to get in and straight up to the bouncer.
“Hey, Jake!” she cheerfully said.
“Rachel Roberts! Well, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Bouncer Jake excitedly replied.
“You know me! I can’t stay away for too long. This is my friend, Kailah.” She gave him a wink.
I nearly rolled my eyes with her insinuation, but didn’t have time to before she all but shoved me into him. I loved the girl, but she was always trying to get me a date.
“Hello, Kailah,” he said softly with a smile to match.
He seemed like a really nice guy, but I wasn’t interested. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop my ridiculous wave and nervous laugh of a reply. He laughed lightly before giving me a quick hug. I died a little inside, feeling like an idiot.
“Go ahead in, girls. Be careful and have fun!”
I decided to opt for a much less invasive “nod” before lowering my gaze and making my way inside. Rachel was snickering from behind me. Had we not been in a room full of people, and had I not been at risk of having Bouncer Jake have to carry me out, I’d have flogged her.
“I’m going to get a drink. You coming?” she asked.
“Well, I’m definitely not hanging out by myself,” I said, looking around.
It was even bigger inside. There was a second floor, but it was a wraparound loft-style. You could see everything up there from the bottom floor because there was only a railing and no walls partitioning it off. The ceiling was two stories high with lights and massive speakers hanging from it. The stairwell to the second floor was off to the right, and I could see that there was another bar up there, though it was more intimate than on the main floor.
“This place is huge,” I said. “Don’t leave me. I’d be like a kid lost at the zoo. Literally. I’m not so sure these people aren’t animals.”
She laughed. “You’re such a baby. Follow me. This place is like another home to me. I come here a lot.”
“Alcoholic much?” I asked, laughing at her. She and I liked to pick on one another quite a bit. I’d think she was sick or angry if she didn’t pick on me. She felt the same about me.
“Hey! Shush! You’re always busy with work and school. I’d die of boredom waiting on your ass. Besides, even when you are free, you’re way too tired to go anywhere and do anything. Not that I blame you. I would be, too. Point is, I had to find something to do. They have awesome shows here. That’s why it’s so big. The sound system here is amazing. They have live bands, drag shows, local dance groups, and their karaoke nights are epic. You have to audition to compete in it.”
I tried to keep my eyes on her as we made our way to the bar, but it was hard. As nervous as the place made me, it was really amazing. I loved it. Mentally, I was enjoying everything around me, minus the people. It was pretty crowded. But my stomach was my biggest enemy. It was overreacting, as usual.
As we entered the last few yards before the bar, my anxiety spiked. Paranoia of my new secret life started to settle in, but I tried to push it away. Rachel settled on a barstool, and I saw next to her as we waited for the bartender to make her way around. I passed the time by checking out the bottles of alcohol along the back wall.
Behind the bar was a small stage with a few white cubes, each one different size than the other. They each had different colors of lights inside of them, giving them a pastel glow: blue, pink, and green. There was a girl in tasteful lingerie on every one, dancing. Behind them was a taller stage and a DJ stood up there, playing music. There was so much to look at and focus on.
“Did you just wander in here all by yourself? Or did you have help? I don’t want any trouble,” a heavily English accented female voice said, catching my attention.
As soon as my eyes locked on hers, my heart began thudding hard in my chest, though the rate never increased. It was a very strange sensation, indeed. I easily recognized the light pink aura surrounding her tiny frame, as if I’d been seeing them my entire life. She was a Vampire.
“I-I’m sorry?” I stammered.
Her eyes narrowed. “I said, I don’t want any trouble.” Her voice was slightly softer that time.
“Damn, Kim,” Rachel snapped. “There isn’t going to be any trouble! I come in here all the time. You know that. You’re my favorite bartender.”
Kim gave a dangerous smile to Rachel. “Yes. Very true. But you’ve never brought that in here before.”
Rachel’s face immediately changed as rage washed over her. She clearly had no idea what that woman was talking about. Rachel opened her mouth to say something in my defense, but I grabbed her arm, shaking my head with what I’m sure was a wide-eyed expression.
“We don’t see many Immortals in here. And the ones that we do, we consider family. I just want to make sure you’re not going to cause any trouble,” Kim said. “In other words, which side of the War are you taking?”
I shook my head. “Ma’am, I don’t know you. Honestly, this is all brand new. Trust me when I say that I’m too much of my own enemy right now to be anyone else’s. Well, at least on purpose. I couldn’t even fathom how to personally cause any trouble for you.”
Rachel’s eyes widened as she looked from me back to Kim and then back to me again. “Oh, my God! Is she…?”
I nodded.
“Well, hell! I’ve known her forever! I had no idea.”
“I think that’s the point,” I said.
Kim narrowed her eyes as she studied me. “You still smell human. Have you even started the transition yet? How old are you?”
I couldn’t help the sarcastic expression that crossed my face. “Lady, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I just found out a week ago that I may be slightly less than human. So, I’m really not privy to all the details yet, and I don’t think you’re the sharing kind, are you?”
Rachel punched me in the leg. “Kailah!” she scolded in a loud whisper. “She’s a Vampire! It might be a good idea to cut the sarcastic attitude.”
I nearly laughed at her warning, given that she was about to rip the woman’s head off not moments before for being less than polite to me.
“Here,” Kim said, handing me a shot glass filled with an amber-colored liquid. I started to protest about my age, but she gave me an incredulous look. “If I wanted to, I could convince the guy sitting next to you that he’s Cher. Do you honestly think anyone is going to question me more than once about who I serve?”
She smiled and pushed the glass closer. “It’ll ease your mind a bit. There are only friends in here, so you can put those edgy nerves of yours at ease. This is a sanctuary. No violence is allowed on my grounds. If feeding occurs, it is with a willing host and it never results in death, though they may be a bit dizzy.” She winked.
“You own this place?” I asked.
She nodded. “This is all mine. I’ve taken a lot of time to build my business and the reputation that it has. Like I said… Only friends here. As long as you are kind and never raise your power to harm a Vampire, unless it is in defense of someone in grave danger, then you and I are friends. No Vampire in here will harm you, or they will feel the sting of my wrath.”
