by Carol Oates
Lewis is a blood relative, Ben continued.
I laughed nervously. But we’re not human.
Our father was.
I turned to Samuel, but he kept his eyes on the pages. Your mother was a Guardian, and your father was human, he said gravely. I wished he would look at me.
Panic was threatening to consume me; beads of perspiration pricked the back of my neck.
You are the first born in the latest generation of the royal bloodline, Samuel said, finally looking at me in amazement. The child of a Guardian and a human. The prophecy it’s about you. His eyes darted to Caleb’s frozen form. These papers contain records of Ben and Triona’s bloodline as well as pages from the prophecy I’m sure the Council has never seen.
No, no, no, I mumbled. I didn’t want to accept any of it. How did I go through my entire life and learn none of this before? On top of everything else I had been told about Caleb, demigods, and magic, now I was expected to believe there was a secret prophecy about me?
It’s your destiny. Ben’s excited tone was unwavering.
I turned to Caleb. I I don’t want this, I stuttered, my heart racing uncontrollably. I don’t believe in destiny. Annice stood behind us, placing one gentle hand on my shoulder and one on Caleb’s. It seems destiny believes in you, Alitriona.
What? I choked out.
Your name. She stunned me with a brilliant smile. It means defender of mankind.
I leaped from the stool, almost knocking it over, and with a sweep of my hands sent the papers fluttering into the air. My heart thundered and blocked out all other sounds around me. Joshua staggered backward, his hand flew to his face as a yellowing sheet whipped him across the cheek.
Caleb’s fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist, and I turned my face to him, twisting my hand to loosen his restraining hold. His eyes tightened, and his eyebrows pulled down in a worried frown. His chest heaved with each sharp breath, and I could see he was as shocked as I was by my part in the prophecy. But for me, it was the latest in a long line of revelations reshaping my life, and I didn’t have any room left in my overloaded brain to worry about his feelings right now.
Triona, he pleaded, attempting to calm me in that familiar soothing voice of his. It didn’t work.
I twisted my wrist and jerked my arm away from him. No, I snapped, my voice strained.
None of it was possible. I was in a realm of fantasy. Just a few days ago I was standing under a tree with John, sheltered from the rain, and now not only would I live for hundreds of years, they expected me to be their returning queen because of some papers written thousands of years before I was born. It was all so absurd. I couldn’t be royalty; I just couldn’t be. I couldn’t lead who knows how many; I couldn’t make decisions that would affect so many. I was the girl who couldn’t decide what to have for breakfast.
I was the one who couldn’t even travel to another country without my best friend and brother conspiring behind my back to watch over me. I couldn’t change anything for anyone.
I bounded from the room, brushing past Ben. He attempted to block my exit, but Annice pulled him out of the way. I ran to Caleb’s bedroom and dropped heavily on the side of his bed with my head in my hands, my breathing a deep rasping. I scrunched my eyes shut, trying to barricade myself against all the information that had been thrown at me. I looked up, startled, when a small hand delicately touched my shoulder.
I hadn’t heard Annice come in or notice any movement of the bed when she sat beside me. Her hand stayed at my shoulder as she quietly waited for my breathing to return to normal. It took several long minutes.
Tell me what you’re feeling, she asked kindly.
I didn’t answer. I was still trying to gain some control of the words whirling around my scrambled brain.
Her hand rested on top of mine on my knee, soft and smooth but un-yielding. I realized I had been rubbing my leg. With a flick of her head, she swished her shining blond hair over her shoulders, filling the air around us with her aromatic fragrance. Her scent was cinnamon and vanilla, comforting.
Well? She smiled reassuringly, urging me to speak.
Everything is so surreal, I said. Since the day I met Caleb, everything in my life changed, and it keeps changing. I feel as if I’m constantly spinning around and every time I try to grab onto something solid it just disappears. She laughed light-heartedly. Was she laughing at me? I narrowed my eyes to examine her expression, but she appeared genuine.
How can you be so calm? I accused. I tried to keep my voice from breaking but failed miserably. You’re acting as if all this is nothing to you. Annice removed her hand from my knee and swept an invisible piece of dust from her own.
I’ll admit all this is a little easier for me. I’ve had a long time to get used to our world, and I am blessed. She inclined her head, motioning toward the house. I met my soul mate early and have two wonderful sons. I’ve had some amazing people in my life. Her eyes flickered with pain for an instant. I’ve seen the good in being part of a race like ours as well as the bad. There is more good, I assure you. So yes, I am able to remain calm, but no, I don’t see any of these changes as nothing. Samuel and I refuse to think of this as the end of everything we know. We believe in a bigger plan.
Destiny, I grumbled dismissively.
She nodded.
Do you think I’m part of this bigger plan?
She hummed quietly as if considering, her bottom lip pushed out just a little further than the top, and then smiled. I believe so, yes.
And Caleb, do you think he has a role in this great destiny you imagine for everyone and everything that has happened to now? You think that was all some plan to bring us to this point? I clenched my jaw tightly, almost painfully, as my life and everything that had happened up to now flashed through my mind: losing my parents, going to live with Carmel and Lewis, meeting Caleb and losing him again. My mind raced through all the times my friends and family watched out for me, always being around if I was ever in the slightest danger or I hurt myself. Was that some part of a bigger plan to keep me safe? Did people watch over my best interests because destiny made them do it? I thought of the night of the fire and the terrible thing Caleb was forced to do to protect me.
Of course, each and every one of us has a role to play, Annice began.
Was it destiny that made Caleb kill Seth?
Her silver eyes flickered again, but her expression remained unchanged.
Yes, she stated confidently, I believe it was.
I scrutinized her expression. It gave nothing away to contradict her words.
I exhaled hard as I got up and walked to the door, crossing my arms over my chest before turning back to her. Did she really believe that?
When it happened, she explained, it changed Caleb. He found meaning in his life that he didn’t have before and strength in his need to protect you. Strength he will need now. Seth didn’t die in vain. I couldn’t believe what Annice was saying. Was she really trying to justify the fight to the death that had cost the life of her adopted son?
Why don’t you hate me? I asked her. Why don’t you hate my family? They could have told Seth and Caleb that I wasn’t human. It felt like a confession.
She brushed her shining hair from her face with the back of her hand.
It wouldn’t have changed the outcome, she said simply. It would have confirmed to Seth that there was truth in the prophecy, except instead of it being about your child, it is about you.
But he could have been convinced I wasn’t about to destroy the world! I protested, hugging myself as I thought about all that Caleb had sacrificed his deal with the Council, his killing Seth, who had been like a brother to him. Caleb wouldn’t have had to do what he did. Annice lowered her eyes for a moment and then returned her stunning gaze to me. Nothing could have swayed Seth from his path, she said firmly.
He couldn’t have been convinced. His parents turned him away because of his dangerous obsession with the prophecy and with humans. He badly wanted to be a
Council member, but his parents wanted nothing to do with the Council or his aspirations. They wanted no part of the Council’s beliefs, and it made him very bitter. He felt betrayed by them. She closed her eyes again.
Samuel and I thought we could show him a new path within our family, but there was no new path for him. As for the Council, they would have used your lack of birth records to procure the same outcome.They would have made a hidden bloodline seem like a conspiracy against them and all of us. I sat down beside Annice again. It seemed that no matter what I threw at her, she would never blame me or allow me to blame myself for Seth’s death or Caleb’s decisions.
All I ever wanted was a normal life, I sighed.
She smiled, and it was consoling to see Caleb in her eyes, the way they creased in the corners.
I wanted to travel, I continued, eventually settle down and maybe even have a kid one day. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was never in my plans to change the world.
Who says you have to? Annice asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.
The prophecy, I muttered, confused.
The prophecy is just the beginning, not the end, she said firmly. Samuel and I have long believed the prophecy spoke of a new race, human and Guardian, in one bloodline that will unite us all, she said gently. Anyway, the prophecy is only part of who you are, not all of what your life will be.
Do you really believe that? The others
Men! she interrupted, laughing. Always so quick to presume. Annice gently rubbed my arm, and it felt strangely soothing. Do you love Caleb? she asked directly.
Yes, I answered immediately. More than I ever thought possible.
Do you want all those things with him?
Yes. My eyes tightened, reinforcing the conviction in my voice.
She took my hand and held it between hers, looking deep into my eyes.
Well , then, she said, grinning, you need to take him for yourself. You have to show the Guardians the way to live with humans in a world where neither is afraid to explore their potential. Show them we can be a family again. She made it all sound easy; the knot in my stomach had disappeared, and my heart didn’t pound in the slightest. Then it hit me, and my eyes widened.
What did you say to Ben?
She placed her hands lightly in her lap. I simply explained to him that Caleb was also a victim of circumstance and he has suffered in his efforts to protect you because he loves you.
And that worked? I exclaimed, shocked. That quick?
Absolutely.
I raked my fingers through my hair and inhaled deeply. That’s your gift, isn’t it? I examined Annice’s exquisitely serene face, and she laughed lightly. You help people to see things more clearly when they’re confused? She took my hand again and looked at me with sparkling eyes, confirming my suspicion with a silent smile.
We had barely entered the kitchen before Caleb enveloped me in his arms. I returned his embrace eagerly, holding myself tightly to his chest, listening to his heart thump loudly under his skin. I sighed, relishing the strength of his body and his warmth all around me again. He kissed the top of my head and stroked my hair tenderly.
Are you feeling better, my love?
I am now, I murmured into his chest.
He eased himself away from me, placing one finger under my chin delicately to raise my face so our eyes met. I love you. The conviction in his voice was unmistakable and comforting in this madness. He brushed his lips over mine, and I responded, twisting my fingers through his hair and pulling him closer to me, reveling in the feeling.
Eh hem, Samuel murmured.
I pulled away abruptly, breathless and a little embarrassed. Sorry, I muttered, aware of my flaming cheeks.
Joshua, Annice, and Samuel were standing on the other side of the room, watching us. Joshua grinned at my embarrassment, and Caleb’s parents simply smiled joyfully at us. Caleb didn’t move from my side, and he kept his arm tightly around my waist.
Take no notice of my parents, Triona. After all, I’ve learned my behavior from them, Caleb teased cheerfully.
Annice beamed an adoring smile at Samuel, and he moved closer to her, placing a light kiss on her shoulder. Joshua rolled his eyes clearly, like Caleb, used to their tactile expressions of affection. Ben came back into the room; he looked tense and a little guilty.
Are you okay? he asked.
Yes, I assured him. I did feel much more positive; that was a handy trick Annice had up her sleeve.
He didn’t move any closer, probably because I was still clinging to Caleb with one hand around his waist and the other over his heart.
I’m really sorry, he said, his green eyes glistening at me and his brow furrowed.
I felt stupid and immature now for the way I had stormed out of the room, causing more stress for everyone. As if I didn’t cause enough stress already just by existing.
It’s fine, really, I said breezily, trying to ease his guilt. I was shocked, but it’s sinking in — slowly. His expression eased a bit. Have you called Lewis and Carmel since you arrived? I asked.
Not yet, he said. I was just about to. I wanted to talk to Amanda first, let her know everything is — I haven’t been a very good — He trailed off awkwardly.
Boyfriend? I offered.
Ben’s eyes fell to the floor. I heard Caleb’s breath quicken, and I gave his waist a slight squeeze. My parents had set a precedent with their relationship by being together regardless of the Council’s rules, and there was no way anyone was going to stand in the way of Ben and Amanda. They would have to go through me first. I glanced up at Caleb and across to Annice.
I’m going to call my aunt and uncle, I said slowly, but first I’d really like someone to explain exactly what my future part is in all this.
Let’s all take a seat in the living room before we begin, shall we? Annice suggested.
Caleb led the way, holding tightly to my hand. He sat down on one of the couches and pulled me down beside him. Ben sat next to me, and the others sat across from us on the other couch.
Samuel looked to Ben, and asked, Shall I begin with what we know? Ben nodded. Caleb put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I smiled at Ben; his body language seemed to suggest he was a lot more relaxed than when he arrived.
So, Samuel began. It’s all very simple, really. Easy for him to say!
Dagda believed mixing our blood was the way forward and that shared souls were not confined to the Guardians, Samuel continued. He was murdered by those that became the first members of the Council, so he was right about his own kind turning against him. At the time of his death, a queen with the gift of foresight wrote the prophecy, foretelling that in the future, human and Guardian blood would be joined and that in time, all life would be changed. He glanced at Annice, who smiled back. We’ve always believed the papers in the hands of the Council were incomplete, as have others. The papers Ben brought with him are proof that the prophecy is not about an end to Guardians or humans, simply a new beginning, a new race combining both. The Council has used propaganda and fear throughout time
Yes, I interrupted impatiently. I know. Our father was a human and fell in love with my mother, but she wasn’t human, and the Council forbade relationships that combine the bloodline of both and hung a death sentence over everyone’s head if they considered it. Except they didn’t know about our parents, and they should be alive because there is a super-secret bloodline of Guardians whose birth records were kept by humans along with an extra special bonus prize missing pages of a prophecy. That means some of the Council have been keeping secrets, and it was them and not humans who killed the king way back when. I guess we just hit the jackpot when our parents were burned to death in the wreck of their car
Wow. Easy, Triona, Ben suggested sternly, looking almost embarrassed by my outburst. I glared at him. Ben’s eyebrows shot up almost into his hairline. He silently shook his head and pressed his lips together, registering correctly that it was not a good idea to interrupt me right at that moment.
/>
So, I continued my recap with a bitter edge I couldn’t seem to rid from my tone. Caleb, Joshua, and Seth arrive in Camden, and Caleb here, I glanced up at him to see that he was frowning, decides that instead of telling me everything from the beginning, as soon as he knew we both wanted to be together, and letting me make my own decision about whether he was worth the risk, that he should barter his life for a few short years with me.
Now, I am the first born and Ben is the second of a race of super beings who carry a royal bloodline, and the Council still expects Caleb to pay his debt to them. Have I got everything?
Not exactly, Samuel said with an amused smile that faded quickly once he began to speak. Bres was the first one who was part Guardian, part human. He was a cruel man who betrayed our people and brought down our society. You are the first since the war that sent Guardians into hiding and the first since the queen wrote the prophecy. I remembered the story about Bres. I’d thought it was completely irrelevant before. What do I do now?
Caleb placed his hand over mine, which had begun slide up and down my thigh, and held it still.
You have to live, Samuel continued solemnly. But that’s the issue here.
The Council has had power for so long, and they enjoy it. They have many convinced that the prophecy is dark, that the idea of human and Guardian blood blended poses a threat beyond imagination. The war and Bres’s betrayal almost wiped us out, and they have convinced most that another mixed-race like him would finish us off.
