by Martha Woods
“What?” I ask as I pull a pillow under my head. I can see his smile right before I flip off the lamp.
“I just can’t believe you’re really here,” I hear him say into the darkness.
“And I’ll be here when you wake, Darien. Now go get some sleep. I expect a spectacular breakfast in the morning.” I hear him laugh before he shuts the door. I wait a few minutes before I climb out of the bed and tip-toe to the door.
Carefully, I push open the door and poke my head out into the hallway. I listen to the silence of the house before I’m convinced that everyone is sleeping and I’ll be able to walk downstairs without anyone noticing me.
Stepping out into the hallway, I walk carefully in the darkness, making sure not to run into anything or step on a loose floor board. But as I reach the lower level, I start to breathe easier. It is only minutes before I’m standing in front of the door, but I feel like it has taken me years to get to this moment. In retrospect it has, but now I am here and I need to face this last fear.
I open up the office door and let it swing open as I simply stare into the room from the hallway. I can see the room has been re-painted and is now is designed to be a small sitting room. When I was a child, it used to be an in-and-out room. Darien’s father would often receive new shipments to the house, the antiques that were most valuable that he wanted to process himself. The room was always packed full of new boxes and crates, making it the best place to hide when Darian and I would play. But there was one particular box that I always dreamed of opening, the one that Darien’s father kept on the mantel of the fireplace. Being told that I was never to touch it made it even more desirable.
One night, when Darien was taken an unusually long time finding me, I had used a chair to reach the mantel and examine the box. Lifting the weightless, wooden lid, I saw a small metal locket around a silver chain, tucked neatly against felt backing. Wanting to know if the neckless would fit me, I lifted the locket from the box and came into contact with the first token I had ever laid my eyes on.
I blink a few times to push the memory of the beautiful locket from my eyes. I finally convince myself to step inside the room as I look towards the wall where the fireplace used to be. Now all that remained was a flat wall with a large landscape painting hanging over top it. I wondered how much of the room had been damaged due to my selfishness, doing something my uncle had specifically told me not to.
A strong wind blew against the window, causing my attention to be drawn to the night outside. I can hear the wind now rustling through the tall oak trees that surround the estate. As I stare out the window, the face of the spirit that has resided in that locket rises to the forefront of my memory. In the background, I can see the glow of blue fire as it consumes everything.
“Enough,” I say out loud as I turn from the window and quickly leave the room. I pull the door softly shut as not to make a sound. As carefully as I had left, I make my way back to the room I had called my own for many years. Climbing back under the sheets, I force my eyes close and focus on the darkness of my mind. I can do this, I assure myself over and over as I finally let exhaustion pull me into the subconscious.
Chapter 3
I’ve missed this, I think as I stretch in a bed that doesn’t need ten layers of furs to keep me warm. I’ve missed the Georgia heat, and my own clothes, and being in a place where no one understands the darkness around them. As I enjoy a few moments to myself, I begin to smell something burning. My first instinct is to search the house for a fire, as I quickly leave the bed, slip on my sandals and sunglasses, and leave my room to start searching for the origin of the smell.
As I make it downstairs, I can see a hazy smoke filling the area and slowly seeping out of the kitchen. I begin walking towards the source of the smoke when I hear a soft voice start giggling, followed by the sound of shuffling feet.
“You’re going to burn the house down,” she says, as the sound of someone struggling with a window meets my ears when I finally step into the kitchen. Over the stove is a black cloud where Darien is standing with a frying pan. Next to him a young girl tries to pry the pan from his hands and after a moment, she succeeds and quickly tosses it into the sink.
“What were you thinking, Darien? The world knows you can’t cook,” she says as she faces him. Darien looks defeated, but lost for words as he simply stares her down. I can only assume the young girl is Elizabeth and I can’t help but stare as well as I remember the last time I saw her. I remember trying to hold the baby in my arms, but even when I was ten I wasn’t very strong. Now a young woman stands in front of me and I can barely comprehend the change.
The fire alarm brings me from my thoughts as Darien and Elizabeth grab towels and start whipping the smoke away from the alarm. I turn my gaze and finally spot the young boy who has been struggling with the kitchen window for the last few minutes. I calmly walk over, flip the lock, and help him lift the window, allowing the smoke to be drawn outside. He turns and looks at me surprised, causing him to tumble backwards over a stool. The commotion finally draws the attention of Darien and Elizabeth to me.
“Whoa there. I’m not going to hurt you,” I say as I help the boy to his feet. I can tell he is more confused over the fact that I’m wearing sunglasses in the house than a stranger in his home.
“I’m not scared. I just don’t know who you are,” he replies defensively. I can’t help but smirk as I look at the boy and see many of the same facial features Darien had at that age. I can only assume that this must be John, the younger sibling I never met.
“John, Elizabeth. Let me introduce you to Anna. She and her uncle used to stay the summers here at the house,” Darien quickly explains as he ushers Elizabeth and John together. They both look between Darien and I, trying to put together what he is saying.
“Why don’t I remember her?” Elizabeth asks. My smile grows even more as I take a moment to search her face and try to remember what she looked like as a baby.
“That is because you were only a few months old when we first met,” I reply as I look from her to Darien. His face seems to relax despite the chaos that had started the morning. The room begins to air out as I begin to move about the kitchen like I’m dancing with an old friend.
“But why haven’t you been here since then?” Elizabeth quickly responds. The family settles down at the kitchen island as I begin preparing breakfast. I’m whipping pancake mix in a bowl as I glance over at Darien. I wish I could read his mind and say what he wants me to say to his brother and sister.
“My uncle passed away, and without a guardian, I had to return to my parents. You see, my parents also manage an antique business, but they live in Russia and deal mostly in Asia. I used to travel with my uncle in America, learning the family business and helping him wherever I could,” I explain as I find a clean pan and begin heating it over the stove. And by learn the family business, what I really meant was I learned about the supernatural realm from my uncle. He would introduce me to many species of creatures from vampires to werewolves, to witches and sorceries. My uncle explained it was important to be peaceful and respectful to all sorts of beings, especially since our people are at war with the supernatural realm, the place where demons and spirits cross over to our realm and often cause chaos. He always told me that even the most dangerous creature could prove to be a great alley in our war. Even more so when it came to finding tokens and collecting, or destroying them.
“Why haven’t you ever come to visit?” John asks as I pour the batter into the pan. I keep my focus on my cooking and talk over my shoulder to them.
“Unlike my uncle, my parents are reluctant to let me leave their side, especially my mother. For the last fifteen years, I’ve been studying and working with them. My brother is busy with his scientific research, so I’ve been left managing daily operations with my mother while my Dad is away,” I explain.
“Then why are you here now?” Elizabeth quickly follows with another question. I flip the pancakes in the pan, and finally t
urn towards her, giving Darien a reassuring smile that their questions do not bother me.
“When I heard about your parent’s death, I came as soon as I could. With my experience in the antique business, I’m confident I can find a buyer for what your parents worked so hard to create and make sure their work lives on,” I explain. Their faces soften as I turn back towards the stove and finish flipping the pancakes onto plates for us all to enjoy. I set the plates in front of them and take a seat at the island.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, Anna. I feel like I’m starving half the time,” John says before taking a large bite of his food. I can’t help but laugh as I glance over at Darien. A smile has finally crossed his face and I feel we can move past the awkward introductions.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t given much time off and my mother expects me to conduct some business for her while I’m here, but I will stay as long as it takes to make sure your parent’s work is continued by a reliable person.” I wish I could lie and say I was going to be around for as long as they needed me, but then I would be tempted to never return to the Kingdom. Being so far away from my daily routine and bland wardrobe, it truly made me envy normal humans and their oblivious nature to what constantly hides in the shadows.
I finish the rest of the meal in silence as I listen to Elizabeth and John ideally chat about what they want to do today. Eventually, they leave the room as I promise them I’ll come visit again before I have to leave. Finally, I’m left alone with Darien as he takes my plate and sets it in the sink.
“Thank you for breakfast,” he starts as he sits next to me at the island.
“Your welcome. After all, I couldn’t let you burn down your parent’s house,” I say. I can’t help but chuckle, but it’s more form the ironic situation more than the humorous fact that Darien still lacks any cooking skills despite his creative ability.
“It’s hard for you to be here, isn’t it?” he asks as he places his hand on mine. I try to relax as he slides his fingers into mine and tightens his grip. I return the gesture as I keep my focus on the space in front of me. I can hear the morning birds outside as they chirp and flutter away. I begin to fear the morning sun, wondering if my sunglasses will be enough to keep the deep glow from my eyes when I’m surrounded in sunlight.
“It is hard, Darien. But I can’t hide forever. One way or another I would have made my way back to this house to face my nightmares. I couldn’t even sleep without first coming back downstairs to look at the room,” I admit as I finally angle my head towards him. His face looks grim at my confession.
“One of these days, Anna, you’ll need to forgive yourself over what happened.”
I shake my head as I remove my hand from his and stand. “Even now, that seems like an impossible action. Anyways, I need to head into the city and meet my contact. I can come by tomorrow morning and talk about who would be most suited to pick up your parent’s work.”
“I’d appreciate that, Anna. I’m really glad you came,” Darien says as he stands and walks me to the front door. “But I got to ask you one more question before you go.”
“Yes?” I ask as I take a step outside. Already I can feel the heat of the day raising. I start thinking of all the places where I can buy some more clothes to stay cool throughout the day.
“What’s with the sunglasses?”
I can’t help but nervously laugh as I instinctively re-adjust my sunglasses. “Unfortunately, I’m not perfect and have developed a sensitivity to sunlight. So, I’m stuck wearing sunglasses during the day,” I poorly explain.
“That is surprising. I always thought you were perfect.” We both laugh as I place my hand on his shoulder for a moment, wishing I could stay longer. But I need to remind myself about my real mission here, so I lower my hand again.
“I’ll be by in the morning,” I say before I turn and walk down the long driveway to the main road.
* * *
“What took you so long?” I ask Morgan as I slide into the rental car. We look like secret agents, dawning sunglasses and tired expressions.
“If you have already forgotten, Princess, I don’t particularly like being awake during the day and it’s a much brighter world outside the Kingdom,” Morgan says before peeling off down the road. Despite the heavily tinted windows, I could tell he was having issues with the sunlight.
“Well, let’s make this quick. What have you learned?”
“On the floor is some info l I dug up on a human named Tony Yung,” he says as I take a moment to pull a thin folder from below my feet. A single page rests inside with chicken scratch on both sides.
“And what is so special about Mr. Yung?”
“He was supposed to hand over a token he inherited from his father, oh about twenty years ago. Slimy fellow has been evading our scouts for years. But it seems the man has gotten greedy and fat in this city. Owns a successful restaurant and several properties around town. I’m sure he’s keep it out of reach, but close enough that it’s been beneficial for him,” Morgan explains as he turns down a narrow alleyway into a small parking spot behind a townhouse.
“And this place is?”
“Where I’m sleeping today. Take the car and do what you need to do, but I’m not much of an escort if I can’t get a decent day’s rest,” Morgan admits as he steps out of the car without another word. I roll my eyes as I climb into the driver’s seat and pull away from the building after jotting down the address.
Wanting to get more information on Tony Yung, I head downtown to scout out his restaurant. Parking on a main road, I get out and start ideally walking down the congested sidewalk. With it being tourist session, it’s easy to blend in with the crowd. When I reach the Thai restaurant, I sit at a table outside, close enough where I can see inside but hopefully not apparent enough to be noticed by the owner if he is around.
As I enjoy an order of Thai tea and pad thai, I closely observe every person walking in and out of the restaurant. For it being early afternoon, I’m surprised by the sheer number of people who are dinning in. None of the other restaurants close by are experiencing anywhere close to the same number of customers, and for it being a Tuesday many of the customers in the restaurant are drinking wine.
As I glance back down at the table, I notice a wine glass has been placed before me and is already full of a golden colored liquid. I trace my fingers around the rim of the glass as I stare through the liquid. Even though I rarely drink while on a job, I can’t help but have an overwhelming feeling that if I drink the wine, and maybe an entire bottle, I’ll feel so much better. My hand twitches, causing the glass to topple over and shatter on the ground. The sound draws the attention of several people walking by, but I pretend not to notice. I pull a few bills from my wallet and leave it on the table before I get up and walk away.
The further I get away from the restaurant, the better I begin to feel. It becomes obvious to me that the token is somehow effecting the wine, making it more desirable regardless of the time of day. I roll my shoulders as I step into a shop to catch my breath and clear my head. Even now, the desire still rests inside me, my thoughts slowly trying to influence me to go back. I distract myself by searching for a few new outfits to use during my stay in the south.
With shopping bags in hand, I make it back to the rental car without any more issues. The feel of the air conditioning is welcoming as I look over Tony Yung’s other properties in town. Making my way to each, I scout out a few storage buildings and finally end my search at an old, brick townhouse situated on a very wealthy street.
“Looks like Mr. Yung has it made here,” I whisper under my breath as I step out of the car and take the steps to the front door. As I look through the glass of the front door, it’s easy to tell that the place is empty, but clean. When I test the door knob, I’m surprised to find that it’s unlocked. But as I crack the door, the unwanted sensation fills my body once again as my mind is quickly filled with thoughts of returning to the restaurant and enjoying a bottle of wine.
Bingo, I think as I pull the door closed and quickly make it back to the car. Without a doubt, I’m confident I have located the location of the token. Its call is strong. Stronger than most, I ponder as I make my way to a familiar internet café. I have several memories of going to this place with my uncle. There are only a few ways to send a secure message out of a big city, and that normally includes going to places that are owned by the Kingdom.
“Anastasi!” I hear my name yelled from the back of the café once I step through the door.
“Lucy?!” I yell back as I welcome a strong figure into my arms. The woman lifts me from the ground and spins me around as though I’m as light as air. “I would have never imagined you still being here? How is your family?” I ask as she sets me down and drags me behind the counter. Thankfully the place is almost empty, but the few people that are at computers look up momentarily to see if there is going to be another outbreak of emotion.
“The clan has never left, despite the increasing numbers of numerous races in the city. Speaking of, you stink of death,” the werewolf replies as she pulls up a stool for me to sit in. I can’t help but laugh as she quickly sets to making me a cup of tea. I wanted to protest that it was too hot, but I wouldn’t want to ruin this traditional greeting for Lucy. As a child, I often played with her children in the forest, hunting animals or playing horrible pranks on each other.
“My escort isn’t a fan of the day light,” I admit as I watch her work. She turns her attention from me as she assists a customer with a drink order and eventually comes back to me.
“Does this mean you won’t be around for the rest of the summer?” she asks as she finally sits down across from me. I shake my head and take a small sip of the tea to show my respect. It’s overly sweat, but I like it.
“I’m in town for business, then I’ll have to return to my family. But speaking of family, where are your offspring these days?” I say with a smile. Werewolves are known for their large families, something I always thought was miraculous.
