“What is that?” I asked and Sophia spoke in hushed tones,
“The Infinity symbol?”
“What does it mean?” I asked just as confused as her. We looked at each other in the mirror and after a few fearful seconds, I received her answer and it scared me….
“The War, its begun.”
After this Sophia explained that the infinity war was one prophesied as being an everlasting war between a new powerful race and the elders. She confessed that she didn’t know much about it as it was always a myth in their world. But then I asked about what new race it spoke of and with her answer it all started to make sense. The new race was human hybrids, ones forbidden to be created but ones prophesied all the same.
Well, considering I was now the only human Vampire out there, it didn’t take a genius to guess that it was no longer a myth. Although I couldn’t exactly put Sophia’s fears of such at ease considering I doubted I was going to be around long enough to keep that claim. But it did make me wonder, what would our child be when it was born? Would it be human, Demon, Angel or this hybrid she spoke of?
Well, either way I would love it no matter what, just as I knew Draven would.
After this I also had to explain briefly how Katie had never really left me that day. Although, I had to say that Sophia didn’t look quite as surprised as I would have expected her to be. She also mentioned something cryptic about a cloned soul, about which I had no clue. I had tried asking her but shortly after this Draven and Lucius came back and it was time to act out the first part of our plan.
I fell back to the bed dramatically and let Sophia go to work. Well, let’s face it, knowing my bad acting skills, then one look at my face and they would both call bullshit…that was if they ever called anything bullshit in this time. For all I knew the term was mouse shit…oh no Keira, don’t go there again, as I think the last thing I needed right now was to see what vomiting blood looked like.
Sophia went on to pretend that I needed longer to rest and to postpone our journey back for a day or two. This, unbeknown to Draven and Lucius, was so that it would give Pip and Ari time to reach the Black Gate. What Katie had suggested worked and after a few confused screams, Ari finally understood what was going on. After I first convinced her that A; I wasn’t hiding in the room somewhere, trying to creep her out, B; I wasn’t dead speaking from the grave trying to creep her out and C; I wasn’t a ghost come to haunt her because of B and also doing so to try and creep her out. I mean seriously, what kind of sick sense of humour did she think I had?
I explained the plan and told her to be ready as Pip would know what to do. Of course, this helped immensely when she explained that Pip’s favourite Mohawk had been found, oh and that it was a woman. She didn’t tell me this of course, but I gathered as much as Ari hadn’t yet started shouting about Ranka being a man. Something I think would have been on the front page of the ‘OMG News’.
Well, at least it looked like after Ranka’s human scum chow down, he found himself enough energy to change back. And just in time too because I’m not sure he would have helped me if he hadn’t.
So, now the plan was set and after a day of ‘resting’ we soon found ourselves travelling through the streets of Rome on horseback. It was after sunset and the streets were quiet, which made the sights of Rome even more striking under the moonlight. I wished I had seen more of it but to be honest, since being kidnapped, nearly getting married, shot with a poisonous arrow, turned into a Vampire and then plotting to get home, I had found time for little else.
Lucius and his men were to accompany us for a while so that we didn’t run into any trouble. What trouble we could get into considering the soldiers that had followed Draven and Sophia through the Black Gate were of the supernatural variety, then I didn’t know. To be honest I just thought this was Lucius’ way of saying goodbye.
I had already spoken with Lucius alone that day, as I obviously had questions. Ones like, is it a bad idea to try and get a sun tan and should I wipe Hawaii off my bucket list. Also, should I stay away from granny’s silver and forgo the garlic bread as a starter…? Basic need to know things like that. All of which had him howling with laughter once I had explained what most of the stuff meant.
Thankfully, he put my mind at ease with the biggest one…the sun. He had picked me up out of bed and carried me outside, even if I was screeching like a girl about to be dunked into an ice bath. Let’s just say he proved his point…I didn’t become an overcooked roast on Thanksgiving.
He said he believed it would all be different with me as I was still mostly human and so far, other than that one initial thirst, I felt no different. Oh, but then there was the added reaction to any overemotional outbursts…fangs. For some reason, the second I was getting teary saying goodbye to Lucius in the bedroom, my fangs popped out and I was now not only a crying fool but a lisping one too.
“Don’t worry little Keira Girl, you will get a handle on it…in time.” I had wanted to add, ‘yeah, I hope I do get a handle on it in my own time, as that was precisely where I was headed.’
“If you want to know the truth, I used to practice speaking with them alone in front of a mirror,” Lucius admitted and I swear I saw a slight blush added to that confession. I couldn’t help it but it made me love him even more!
But before our private goodbyes, I found myself blurting out the question,
“Why did you agree to this, why are you letting me go?” He released a big sigh and laid it all out for me.
“Because, I knew that although I had a claim to your heart, I now know that I would never have a claim to your unborn child.” His reply had been a heart-breaking one as I knew he was making the decision to give me up out of his love for me. After this I threw my arms around him and whispered through my tears,
“I will always love you.”
“As I you… My Little Keira Girl.” He hadn’t realised it but until then he had never said the ‘my’ part of the nickname he had given me, as before now he had never called me his in this time. But now, I guess he did have the claim to do so as after all, I was now one of his vampires. It made me wonder if this was subconsciously where it had all begun, but then I shook off the thought as that wasn’t a can of worms I was ready to open yet.
We made it to the river and I felt sorry for Draven having to witness my emotional goodbye to Lucius. But it couldn’t be helped. At first, I didn’t think he would let me off his horse, but one pleading look up at him and well, he was putty in my hands. I ran over to Lucius as he too had dismounted and then I hugged him to me.
“Thank you for all you have done,” I told him, knowing now that this had all been prophesied. It just had to be.
“Are you thanking me for kidnapping you, little one?” he teased and I nudged him and teased him right back,
“It wasn’t all bad.”
“Then I seriously must question what you class as a good time, for you were shot, near to death and then made into a child of darkness.” I laughed, shrugged my shoulders and replied,
“Yep, just a regular day in the life of the Electus.” At this he burst out laughing and after kissing my forehead he wished me farewell, bidding me to take care until next time. Unbeknown to him the next time we spoke would be nearly two thousand years into the future.
After this he left us to continue to the river alone and I think once Lucius was out of sight Draven could finally breathe more easily. You could tell he was eager to get back to his own land and was probably already planning for my eternal ‘lock down’. No doubt already constructing a Fort Knox type building in his head, one to be built with no windows and only one door! I grinned to myself a little at the thought but then sadness swept over me as I was getting closer to another heart I would soon have to break. This one, much more difficult than the first.
Draven dismounted and then reached up and pulled me from the horse. A few of Lucius’ men had continued on with us, no doubt to retrieve the horses once we were finished with them.
&nbs
p; “So where is the Gate?” I asked as I looked up and down the river bank seeing nothing. I knew it was dark but the moon provided enough light to be able to see that there was no gate like we had stepped through in coming here. He took my hand in his and started walking me down the bank towards the water’s edge. I looked behind to see the soldiers all followed but it was Sophia my eyes sought out. She gave me an encouraging nod, as only she knew what we had to do once we reached the other side.
“It needs immortal blood to summon it,” Draven said pulling me from my depressing thoughts of my upcoming betrayal. I then watched as he pulled free one of his smaller blades he had strapped to him, for he had many hidden there. Then he sliced clean across his palm before holding his hand over the water and making a fist, letting the blood flow. At the first droplet, something started to happen. The water started to create little waves and then it grew in speed, swirling around faster and faster. It started to rise up out of the normal water level of the river, as if a tornado was picking it up. I stepped back at the sight but Draven grabbed my hand and pulled me back to his side.
“Don’t be frightened!” he told me, having to shout over the sound of tons of water spinning and creating a vacuum. As it rose up, it started to tilt so that soon it became fully upright and presented itself as a liquid portal. It looked darker than all the rest and more hostile.
“Allow me brother, let her see me go first as it may ease her fears,” Sophia said winking at me and I knew this was so she could go first and warn the others. I watched her step onto the water without sinking and then into the portal, quickly disappearing from sight.
“We go together!” Draven shouted and then tightened his grip on my hand before we followed Sophia through the wet abyss. Like before, it felt like I was falling, but upright, not down as I expected. Almost as if someone had a rope tied around my waist and was yanking me forward through space.
I would have fallen forward flat on my face once on the other side but Draven managed to spin quickly and catch me before that happened.
“Easy there, I have got you and you’re safe,” he comforted me and I gripped onto his forearms a little longer just until the world stopped spinning. After this he moved me out of the way so that his soldiers could follow us through.
“Scout ahead and wait for us outside the entrance…I don’t want to take any chances of an attack from the Scythians,” Draven ordered firmly.
“Yes, My King.” His general answered with a bow and then marched his men out of there. I looked around and couldn’t see anyone, knowing that Sophia was keeping them hidden until the men had gone. The last thing we wanted was a small army of men forcing us out of here at Draven’s command.
“Come, let’s get you home.” Draven said as he started to grip my hand and pull me towards where his men had disappeared to. Then we heard Sophia’s voice.
“Well, look who I found!” she said faking surprise.
“Tootie bear!” Pip shouted before launching herself at me, meaning Draven had no choice but to let me go. Her green hair had been braided back and it whipped me in the face making me laugh.
“Miss me?” I asked.
“Sure did, Buckaroo! And so did this,” she said, whispering this last part as she reached down between us so she could place something in my hand.
“Mohawk says hi, oh and bye-bye.” I smiled and whispered, back,
“Thank you, my friend.” I then gripped my hand around the large coin protecting it like the lifeline it was.
“What are they doing here?” Draven’s stern mistrusting voice brought me back to our situation. I pulled back from Pip and nodded to Ari and Sophia before then turning to Draven.
Then I told him the heart-breaking truth.
“We are going home.” Then I threw the coin and…
Unlocked the Gate.
Chapter 38
Homeward Bound
Before he could act, I turned and threw the coin into the Black Gate, praying to every God that it worked.
The coin flew through the air and just at the last second, when Draven registered what was happening, it seemed to land in the empty space between the rumbling stone. It stayed suspended there for a few moments before it started to dissolve.
“What…what have you done!?” Draven cried out in anger taking a step closer to the gate as if something could be done. But it was too late. The portal was already starting to change. It had started to suck in all the rock around it, breaking it up into tiny fragments until a vortex of fine, spinning dust was all that was left.
“I’m sorry Draven, but I have no choice.” I looked back at the girls to emphasise my point, as it wasn’t just me I had to go home for.
“You do have a choice, Keira!” he told me and my heart broke for him. I knew what awaited me on the other side but for Draven, he had an eternity to wait for me. He pulled me off to one side and his grip told me that he never wanted to let go. This was it, there was no other way but to tell him the truth. I looked back to Sophia and she nodded for me to do what needed to be done.
“I came here for the prophecy Draven, because I had to,”I told him with such fervency that he had no choice but to feel the magnitude of my words.
“What do you mean?”
“Back home, back through there…” I paused and looked behind me.
“…that’s where I belong. It’s where everyone is counting on me. So many people I care about, my friends, my family and most of all, you, my husband...they don’t know it yet but they are all relying on me to return and save them from the war that is coming,” I told him with such fierceness, the truth of what I was telling him couldn’t be denied.
“The dream? It’s true, isn’t it? It’s what awaits you in your time?” I nodded, swallowing hard.
“I’m the only one who can stop it.” This time I couldn’t keep the sadness from my voice.
“No! That’s all the more reason for you to stay!” he argued and as far as arguments went, it was a good one. It would have been so easy. To stay with the man I loved, to be with him for longer than what little time awaited me back through that portal. But what type of person would I be if I chose my own happiness over the happiness of those I cared for.
“I know you, Draven. I know that you don’t have it in you to condemn me to a life of misery and pain. Both of which stem from knowing that I have left everyone I’ve ever cared for behind to face certain death. To face the end of days, knowing there was some way I could have stopped it. You would never do that to me,” I told him, then I looked down and placed both hands over my belly and said,
“You would never do that to us.” He closed his eyes against his utter anguish and I hated myself for doing this to him.
“But I can’t lose you,” he told me with his voice nearly breaking.
“You will never lose me…never,” I told him, framing his face with both hands and pulling him down to me.
“I could never forget you, I could never forget our time together…I could never forget falling in love all over again,” I said with tears streaming freely down my face and he sucked in a shuddered breath, one I felt rock me to my core.
“I…I don’t want to let you go,” he whispered placing his forehead to mine and I could feel his own tears landing on my skin. Each one was as beautiful as it was torturous.
“I know,” I told him, leaning up to kiss away the tears left on his cheeks.
“But I also know that if I don’t go, then I wouldn’t be the person you fell in love with and this soul, my soul…well, it wouldn’t be worthy of your love.” This whispered confession was something he knew and in the end, it was reminding him why he had fallen in love with me in the first place. Why, even when he thought me just a mortal girl, not his Electus or Chosen One, he was still ready to give up everything just to be with me.
And now, knowing what he did, it was also the reason he had to let me go.
“I will miss you,” he whispered once before pulling me to him, where I let myself cry fre
ely in his embrace. He placed his hand to the back of my head and held me to his chest where great heart-breaking sobs erupted.
“Ssshh, don’t cry for me, for I want the last time I see you to be your beautiful smile, to see your enchanting eyes light up as they look at me. I want to see your soul and heart one last time, so that I may remember it and…and keep it with me for always…for the eternity I must wait.” Hearing his beautiful goodbye was too much to take. I gripped onto him as if I never wanted to let go and it felt like I was saying so much more than goodbye for now…it felt like I was saying goodbye forever…our forever.
Because he was my temptation…and this…well, this was my sacrifice.
Instead of the lifetime we could have together, I was exchanging it for a together that could only stem from a shorter life with little time.
Oh yes, it was my sacrifice indeed and one I had to make.
“I love you,” I said looking up at him and he granted me a smile that both warmed my heart and almost crushed it.
“And I love you, which is why I am…I am willing to let you go,” he told me and I nodded, biting my lip to stop it from quivering.
“I know,” I replied and then granted him his last wishes. I smiled up at him and gave him a sight he wished to remember me by.
“Thank you. And now something for you to remember me by,” he said placing his lips to mine and kissing me one last time. I felt him pulling at something before he reached inside my cloak, then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. We both deepened the kiss and it was one I felt tugging at my heart, branding the memory to my soul for the rest of my life and hopefully… far beyond.
I don’t know who broke the kiss first, but I knew that neither of us wanted to. We had to. I grasped his hand, entwined his fingers in mine and just held onto him a second longer before I stepped away. I kept my hand in his until it was far enough that my steps wouldn’t allow it any longer. My fingertips grazed slowly along his until the connection was broken. I let my hand linger there for a second before it fell and his did the same.
Blood of the Infinity War (Afterlife saga Book 8) Page 44
