After Sunset

by Nicole Renee

  It thrilled Tove and turned her on a bit to hear his roar get cut short over the phone as she hung up. Walking over to where Winny was tied, she ran her fingers over the woman’s supple, youthful-looking skin.

  “I’m sorry it had to end this way, Winter. I really am. But I must have power. And you’re my way to get it.”

  “I have no words.”

  As soon as the trio arrived at the Slade residence, Akachi was forced to explain everything that happened. He knew his brother would be upset at him for withholding what he knew of Winny, and he was regretting it now. Now the two brothers were in battle stances while Amara and Javier watched. The bartender kept glancing between Zahir and Akachi, who were standing on opposite ends of the room and hissing at one another. The only thing in between them was Amara, and she looked as if she would put them both out if they started to fight.

  “Zahir, I’m sorry but it was for your own protection. How was I to know she’d be kidnapped?”

  “Protection? I could have protected her, had I known sooner. But you! You and the seer,” he said with disdain, “orchestrated this behind my back. I should strangle you for your secrecy!” he shouted.

  Zahir had passed enraged fifteen minutes ago and was right on the highway to feral. His black eyes, which had changed the moment his brother and Amara began telling their tale, was now been highlighted by red. He was at the rabid point, and if that happened, well, no one would be safe.

  Amara felt that she had to come to Akachi’s defense. “It was to keep her safe. You know the legend of Nova,” Amara said boldly.

  Zahir’s head snapped from his brother’s to her. “I could have kept her safe. I had no clue as to what Davien was talking about. I thought he meant Akachi, and it was why I increased security around my brother!” he shouted.

  All three were glaring at each other, and Javier sighed before holding out his hands. “Listen, Zahir. I understand your frustration, and please, feel free to take it out on your brother later, but we have to not only find Winny, but also find a way to send these creatures back to their realm. Dash told me he’s found five of them, and Alexei wouldn’t leave Walker and Daisy unprotected while they recovered at the bar, so he’s been staying put. Davien and Raven are trying to keep us distracted from what is really going on, and that is to harm Winny.”

  Javier couldn’t believe that Winny was a Daughter of Sunrise. When he learned of the Sunrise history long time ago, he was saddened that they were forced to all but disappear after being exploited. To know of a direct descendant of the first, Nova, was an honor. With Winny’s help, Zahir would be unstoppable.

  Zahir closed his eyes before giving a slight nod. He knew Javier was right. He was more than just Winny’s mate. He was a leader. “Inform Clayton of whatever plan you have, please alert all the duals to stay inside until further notice. I want every creature who is not supposed to be here killed then burned…Use whatever you can to locate her. There is another study down the hall that you can use.”

  Amara glanced at Akachi before leaving the room. Javier followed, and it left just the two brothers left. Glowering at each other.

  “Zahir-”

  “Please leave, Akachi. I don’t want to say anything that I’ll regret,” he said, weariness entering his voice.

  “I had to, Zahir. It was all to protect you both.”

  “Really? It wasn’t because you wanted to reconnect with the seer after all this time? It wasn’t because she feared what I would do to Winny? After what she did to you…” Zahir shook his head. “You know it took me a while to connect the dots, but I didn’t think it was a coincidence that Winny’s seer friend was also helping you. Did she get tired of leaving you? Did she want her estranged lover back after all this time?”

  Akachi’s mouth dropped open in shock. He looked at his brother as if he’d lost his whole mind.

  “What are you talking about, Z? What is this about Amara? She was trying to-”

  “Save herself!” He bellowed out.

  “Zahir-”

  “Leave. I need you to just leave,” he finished quietly.

  Akachi knew better than to push the matter, so he stepped back and headed for the door.

  “I’ll help Amara find Winny.”

  “You do that,” Zahir bit out before turning his back on Akachi.

  The younger swallowed, fighting to keep his emotions in check. His brother was hurt, and right now it wasn’t about him, but finding Winny. He would have to talk to Amara, and soon, because there was something else going on that he had no clue about.

  Winny was back in the garden. She was on the ground looking at the lambs rolling around on the soft grass. She ran her hands through the soft dewy greenery and took deep calming breaths to center herself.

  “What are you doing here, Winny?” an amused and soft voice asked her.

  Winny turned to Nova who mimicked her, running her own fingers through the grass.

  “What do you mean what am I doing here? I was placed here by… someone, I don’t even know.”

  “Hmm.”

  When Nova said nothing else, Winny raised a brow. “That’s it? Just a sound? Nothing to add?”

  Nova stared at Winny before standing. “I should beat you.”

  Winny looked stunned as the woman flounced, actually flounced to the direction of the water. Winny stood and ran after her, pausing when she began to count backward from one-hundred.

  “Why are you counting?” Winny asked.

  “Because you’re testing my patience,” she gritted out. When she got to eighty, it didn’t seem to be working.

  “You sound angrier.”

  “You think?” Nova snapped. “This is a calm resting place. Your crap is throwing me off,” she added to which Winny snorted.

  “I’m throwing you off? I was drugged by someone I don’t even know!”

  Nova faced her. Placing her hands on her hips she rolled her eyes. “Winny, you were taken yes. But who took you is irrelevant. What you need to focus on is who you’ll face.” At Nova’s tone, Winny sobered up.

  “Lord Raven. He is the prince of Satan.”

  Winny swallowed at that revelation.

  “He knows who you are. Who you really are. But Raven also knows that you haven’t come into your full power.”

  “My full power? What are you talking about? Amara woke my dual side.”

  “She did. But she cannot activate it. Only you can.”

  “I thought by revealing myself to Zahir...”

  Nova sighed before smoothing Winny’s hair. “You tapped into some of it. And your dual side was thrilled. But your doubt destroyed it. In order for your power to flourish, you must believe.”

  “How can I believe in something that I haven’t seen for myself?”

  “How do you know the sun is going to come out every day? And the moon? Do you have tangible proof that it’ll be there or do you just know?”

  Winny deflated a bit before confessing the real reason. “I don’t know if I can do it. You say I am powerful, that I have abilities, and that I made my own bookstore appear… but I doubt myself so much. What if the time comes and I cannot do it, or call on my dual side?”

  “Then you will die,” she stated with a cut and dry tone.

  Winny plopped down onto the ground again. “Thanks a lot for the pep talk.”

  “I am only saying what is true. If you keep going down this road, you will destroy yourself. There is nothing worse than stifling your own voice, and who you are as a person, all because you do not believe in yourself.”

  Winny looked up into her calm and confident visage, trying to pull from her strength.

  Nova could feel it, and she smiled before kneeling at her feet. “You were created by Abir. You are the descendant of the Daughter of Sunrise. You can and will bring your dual side to life because it lives in you. Your dual is right beside you, Winny. And she’s waiting on you to call on her to fight your battles. You no longer have to do this alone,” she said with finality causin
g tears to well in Winny’s eyes. Suddenly the sun disappeared and the sky became cloudy.

  “It is time, Winny.”

  Before she could beg for more time, she felt a hand on her forehead. She was falling into darkness.

  Winny gasped aloud as her eyes blinked open and she looked around frantically. She tried pulling at her wrists but saw that she was tied to a cold rock. She noticed the light behind her, and thought it was coming from the street. She had no clue where she was. It looked to be a warehouse of some sort.

  “Hello? Can anyone hear me? Help!” she shouted. Winny pulled at her bindings, trying to find a way to wiggle out of it when she suddenly heard a voice from behind.

  “What a pleasure it is to be in the presence of a Daughter of Sunrise,” the cold voice stated.

  Winny stilled. She never heard anything like it in her life. The creature spoke as if words were difficult for him to piece together. She tried to control her breathing, but she began to scream in earnest when she saw a clawed flesh-colored, burned hand trail down her arm.

  “Don’t touch me!” she shouted trying to break free from her chains. When the thing finally came around to beside her, she gasped in shock.

  “I’m sorry for not properly introducing myself. I am Lord Raven Dragon. It is a pleasure to meet you, Winter Frame, descendant of Nova… Daughter of Sunrise.”

  24

  Davien’s eyes snapped open.

  His body kept vibrating and switching from his dual side, to his human side. He was breathless from the constant swapping. Finally, after a minute longer, he stopped moving. He gingerly stood from where he was once resting and walked over to the mirror. He saw his eyes were a yellowish-green color, the veins popping out of his neck. He saw the added muscles on his body and knew, at that moment, Raven received his offering. He was free, and Davien would rule the dual world.

  It worked.

  His grin widened and he looked at everything with new eyes. Walking over to his phone he called his head of security.

  “Michael,” he said, surprised by how much his voice had changed. “Contact Zahir. Let him know I want to meet.”

  Four hours.

  It was past midnight, and still, Zahir had no clue where Winny was. He had his men checking all areas, but she was nowhere to be found. It was as if she disappeared off the face of the earth. He sat at his desk, running his hands over his face, trying as hard as he could to think of all the places Davien, or more importantly Raven, would have taken her. He cut the lights off in his office about thirty minutes and tried, but failed, to stay focused. He needed to keep a level head. But it was hard when his heart was on the line.

  Literally.

  “Great One, I need your help. If you can hear me, please answer me.” It was still silent, and Zahir continued to speak. “I don’t ask for much, but any help would be appreciated,” he added.

  “You know, just because you don’t ask for something, doesn’t mean that I’m obligated to answer you,” an amused voice said from the door.

  Zahir’s head snapped up, and his eyes widened before he lowered his head. Judging by the white pants and linen shirt, the slip-on sandals which looked to be made of gold, and the kind golden eyes blazing back at him, Zahir guessed he was speaking to the Creator.

  Rising from his chair, he knelt before bowing. “Abir.”

  The grandfatherly looking man chuckled. “Please get up. I’m really not into the whole pomp and circumstance. I know I’m God. I don’t actually need you to remind me,” he said easily.

  Zahir rose from the floor before lifting his eyes to the man. “I’m so glad that you’re here. I need your help.”

  “No you do not,” he said quickly, before walking around Zahir’s office. He ran a hand over the globe, snorting at it. “You know the earth is flat, right?”

  Abir faced Zahir, who stared at him in shock and awe. “Zahir, I’ve heard you speak to me. Even when you didn’t think I was there, or when you thought you were talking to yourself. I have watched you and your brother from inception. But what you have always failed to realize is that you already have the tools necessary to defeat this evil. It’s why I haven’t intervened.”

  “But I do not have what I need. Winny is gone and I-”

  “Yes you do,” he interrupted gently. “Winter has everything she needs as well. But you both have to believe. You are a warrior. Cut from the finest cloth. She too has the heart of a warrior. But you’ve been reliant upon unnecessary things. You need to rely on your dual self. You are definitely a match made in heaven. Two of the most powerful beings, and you can’t even be trusted to use your own power,” he muttered aloud before shaking his head.

  “I have used my dual side.”

  “You have,” he agreed. “But only as a last resort. It should always be your first choice. You told Winter that she would know when to believe. Now is the time, son, for you as well. There are two outcomes Zahir Slade, and they both are determined by you and Winter.”

  Walking over to Zahir he placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Zahir to shiver from the power he could feel coming off of the man. Abir’s smile widened as his eyes seemed to glow even brighter. “You are destined for great things. You and Winter.” Stepping back, he glanced at Zahir once more before disappearing into thin air.

  Barely a second later and Zahir’s phone rang. He sped to the desk and answered it. “Yes.”

  “Davien request your presence.”

  “Where?”

  “The Garden District.” Zahir hung up before snarling. Davien wanted to meet him at the cemetery, no doubt to kill him.

  How original.

  Instantly Akachi appeared at his side.

  “I heard you from the study. You’re going?”

  “Yes, I am. This needs to end once and for all. Davien will not breathe after tonight. At

  least not on this realm.”

  Akachi placed a hand on his brother’s forearm.

  “Just be careful, alright? I know-”

  “I know,” Zahir said, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I forgive you, Akachi. We will talk about this later. Let the rest know, and keep trying to find Winny.”

  As soon as Zahir left, Akachi headed back to the library. “Still nothing?” he asked Amara who’d been sitting in silence for hours, while he helplessly watched from the couch.

  “No. There seems to be a covering over her. Whoever took her did their homework. Typically I can always find Winny,” she said quietly. Blinking her eyes open she stood and stretched her body.

  She noticed Akachi looked troubled. “Were you able to talk with your brother?”

  He sighed before sitting back. “I tried to apologize again…but I feel terrible. For even keeping it from him.”

  Standing in front of him she placed her hand on his arm before offering a smile. “You’re brothers. You’ll always have one another, and he will forgive him. That’s what matters.”

  She tried pulling her hand away, but he gripped it a bit tighter. “I was wondering if you could help clear something up for me.”

  “Okay,” she said cautiously.

  “I keep having these dreams. They feature you from hundreds of years ago. In Jamaica. Only you were never there with me. But they feel so real,” he said keeping his eyes on hers.

  She tried in earnest to pull her arm back, but his grip only tightened.

  “I thought it was me dreaming you up, but four days ago, I dreamt that you and I were in the ocean. It was nightfall, and I’d asked you if you ever had swum. You said, ‘No. I’m scared because the water is so dark.’ I used my hand and caused the water to turn a bright white. The water looked almost clear and you laughed saying that you had never seen anything like it. The same way you said it earlier tonight.”

  Her heart was racing and she knew he could hear it, tipping him off that something wasn’t right.

  “It wasn’t a dream was it, Amara.”

  Her eyes teared up, and she shook her head before snatching her
hand away. She rubbed at her wrist.

  “Answer me, Amara! It wasn’t a dream was it?” he repeated, his voice louder than she’d ever heard it.

  “No,” she said weakly.

  His eyes took on a look of disbelief. “I knew you in the past, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why is it that I have no memory of you?”

  She bit her lip before looking away.

  “Answer me!”

  “I had too!” she shouted back. “There was no way for you too-”

  “For me to what? For you to trust me? For you to tell me whatever it was that was happening at the time?”

  “You had to help your brother! You told me yourself that it-”

  “No. I don’t want to hear your excuses. You lied to me, and what’s worse is I had to find out from someone else. Now that I think about it, I can remember when I woke up one day and my brother asked me about you. I thought he was delusional, telling him I had no idea of what girl he was referring to. He never saw you, but he knew you based on how I must have described. Which I can’t even remember. Did you really not want to tell my brother because you feared that Winny would be put in the same position?”

  Amara never thought that for a second. But she also knew the importance of keeping certain information to oneself.

  “I wanted to spare Winny the same heartache that I faced. If anyone tried to come against

  either of them before their bond was created, we could have been in a more troubling situation.”

  She saw the hurt look on his face and tried to get through to him. “Akachi, you truly do not understand my-”

  “Save it. You lied and I suffered from it. I had blocks in my memory that I could not explain, but just shrugged it off as trauma or the effects of living a long life. I had no idea that it was because of you.”

  Amara’s heart broke again at the cold look that came over his face. “Akachi, please I can—”