by Candy Crum
My jaw dropped slightly. I did not see that coming. “What? I haven’t a clue how it’s possible to be unrelated to her and still share her blood.”
Erin smiled once more. “Khia and her thief conceived a child the night before she destroyed him. When the dark soul attached itself to Khia, it also became part of her daughter. Shortly after Khia killed her family and stole the throne, it became apparent that she was with child. Her daughter was born just as evil as her mother and Khia loved her deeply. Khia named her Sekhmet, after the goddess of war. The goddess of war was depicted as a lioness and Khia wanted her daughter to be strong and powerful as such.
“By the time Sekhmet was about eighteen years old, she was just as cruel as her mother. The kingdom had been destroyed. Everyone and everything was struggling to survive. Sekhmet tortured their people and one night made a very fatal mistake. She entered a village just outside of the palace grounds. A small child was bringing water back from the river when she found him. Sekhmet began using her power over the water as a torture device, drowning him on dry land and even resorted to beating him with her bare hands between drowning attempts.
“Sekhmet may have been powerful enough to control some of the elements around her, but she had no idea of the other immortal creature that existed outside of the palace walls. Khanae had taken it upon herself to be the voice of the people and protect them, even despite what she was. Her people knew what she was and instead of fearing her, they believed in her. They believed that she was powerful enough to overthrow Khia and take the throne and rule justly; as Khia’s parents had before her. Because of her duty to her people, she constantly kept watch. She was patrolling that night and found Sekhmet and the dying boy. Khanae quickly rushed into action to defend the young child.
“Though Khanae’s powers were still young, she was able to equally match Sekhmet in a fight. Sekhmet’s downfall was her greed and resulting miscalculations. Khanae overpowered her and ripped her heart from her body, killing her instantly. The boy lived, in case you were wondering. He told his family and word quickly spread throughout the people of Khanae’s heroism, and she became even more of a goddess in their eyes. When Khia learned of her daughter’s demise, she set out to learn about the creature that had destroyed her child so easily. What she found was nothing short of amazing.
“She found a Rogue Vampire that wanted Khanae’s downfall, and he told Khia all of their secrets, including how they were created. In a fit of grief, Khia ran to her most trusted advisor and told her what she had learned. She told her how the Vampires were created and the powers they possessed. Her advisor convinced Khia that if the Vampires were able to create more of themselves, then so could she. She would need an army to stand against the Vampires if they were coming for her.”
“I thought we were born; not made,” I said.
Confusion had swept over me. I was completely lost at that point. Khia’s daughter was dead. Was it possible we could create more of ourselves like the Vampires?
“Immortals are unable to create more Immortals unless it is through normal conception. The only Immortal with this power is Khia, and that is because of the terrible power of the dark soul within her. This is why your soul is not evil. The power was somehow transferred through Khia’s blood when she turned her advisor, but the evil of the soul stayed with Khia. That is not to say that the advisor was not an evil woman; she was. She was simply not possessed as Khia had been.”
“So if someone drinks Khia’s blood, they will become an Immortal?” I asked.
“No,” Wendy answered. “The turning is performed in a certain way. Khia tried to turn like Vampires do, and it didn’t work. When Khia was about to give up, her advisor talked her into giving it one more shot. This last chance would have killed her friend if it failed, but she assured Khia it was for the greater good. Khia slit her wrist with a bone handled dagger before plunging it into her friend’s heart, twisting the blade before removing it. She laid her friend on the ground and let the blood from her wrist pour into her friend’s slowing heart. It only took a few moments before the heart healed and so did the rest of the wound. When the woman awoke, her eyes had changed from dark brown to the crystalline blue typical of Immortals.”
“Wow,” I said. It was all I could manage. “So, I am a descendant of the friend, not Khia.”
“Exactly,” Erin said. “Khia created others. She created six before she realized that the power dwindled with each turn. She only turned women. This is why the majority of Immortals are women. In fact, if a male immortal was born he was either killed at birth, or his powers were bound. They were afraid the men would be more powerful and would try to overthrow the matriarchal society they had created for themselves.”
Wendy held my hand, comforting me as she continued. “Most of the myths you hear of Vampires are because of the fear Khia put into the people. Once she learned she was able to make her own army, she began striking fear into the people to strengthen her need amongst them and distract them from their hatred of her. She told them of the creatures that drank blood and would even steal their babies and sacrifice them to slake their blood lust. She made Vampires into monsters, though very few at the time were.
“When Khia and the other six Mothers bound the powers of the infant males, they noticed they still grew to have spiritual abilities. They were still capable of purifying a Vampire, though they couldn’t turn them to ash and finish them off as their mothers and sisters could. They used them as guardians. This is where the idea of staking came from. If a male Immortal staked a Vampire through the heart, that Vampire was paralyzed, not killed, and the bodies were burned afterwards to destroy them. The people in the kingdom still believed Khia was human and therefore believed that the guardians were human also. Many people started attempting to stake Vampires, thinking humans had the power to destroy them, and they got themselves killed since a stake through the heart wielded by a human has no effect.”
“I see,” I stated flatly. “This is a lot. But I’ll get used to it like always, I suppose. What about Werewolves? Where did you come from?”
Erin paused for a moment, her brows furrowing. “I think that’s enough for one day. There are more Forsaken in the area. I can feel them. Plus, that was a lot for you to take in at once, and our kind is just as complicated,” Erin said with a smile. “But, before I go, you should know who sent me.”
“You weren’t asked to come by Khanae?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. Khia sent me. She is not on my list of likables or trustables, but she was adamant that I be here to save you both. She had a vision that this would happen and that Wendy would not be able to handle it alone. And, before you ask, no, there were no signs of her planning this. The Forsaken didn’t know her. That much, I can say for sure.”
I nodded. “Thank you for telling me,” I said.
She smiled before turning and running away. Wendy and I quickly headed back to her car and booked it out of there. It had definitely been an interesting day.
Chapter 4
When we returned home, we learned that not only had we been attacked at the school, but that Daywalkers had attacked the house. Three Vampires attacked, looking for me. Apparently, Jeff told a lot of Vampires—Rogue and Daywalkers alike—what his plan was, and they were on the lookout for me. They believe Jeff had succeeded when he tried to turn me, and they were searching for a hybrid. Things were about to get very bad, and it was obvious that I was no longer safe there. Now nowhere was safe—except for one place.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Aeric said. “She would be at risk with only half of us there.”
“We have no choice,” Wendy said. “What happened today was an embarrassment to me. I fucked up—I did. I’d never encountered a Forsaken that old, and it never occurred to me that he would be that powerful. That was my fault for underestimating my opponent. It won’t happen again. But leaving her here is a death sentence. She is being threatened everywhere now. Her house is the only place that ha
sn’t been attacked. No one knows where she lives.”
“Sayen, please. What do you think?” Aeric asked.
“I need to discuss something with you, Sayen,” Wendy said sternly, giving Aeric a death stare.
Aeric looked to me for some kind of answers and all I could do was give him an incredibly confused shrug as a response. I had no idea what she was about to tell Sayen, and I prayed it had nothing to do with she-who-shall-not-be-named.
“Kailah, what the fuck is going on? This is getting a bit ridiculous. Wendy and I have been close almost my entire life. That is a long time, and we have never had an argument.”
“I honestly have no idea why she wanted to talk to Sayen. It confused the hell out of me, too.”
His eyes narrowed. “Yet you never denied knowing why she was mad at me. You know, don’t you?” He wasn’t angry; he was hurt that he’d done something to anger his friend, and he didn’t know how to fix it.
“I don’t want to get in the middle of it. I don’t want you to be upset with her, too.”
“I only wish to know because I want to fix it. My true friends are limited, and this is a time when we need to be as strong as possible; we cannot be fighting each other. Please.”
I sighed and pointed to the side of my head, trying to get across that I’d rather this be a private conversation.
Just remember that you asked. Okay?
He nodded.
She saw everything that happened with Analynn channeling me to speak to you. She saw how you reacted. She saw what you said to me after it was over. She saw everything.
His face fell, guilt crossing it. I felt bad for him. Even as bad as he hurt me with what he told me—saying that we could never be together—I couldn’t stand the look of guilt and hurt on his face. His face was far too beautiful to ever show sadness and pain.
His eyes met the floor. I see, he said softly through our telepathic link. She has every right to be upset with me. I won’t push the issue further.
I sighed, my eyes closing as I weighed the moment. He may not care about me as I care for him, but it didn’t matter because I truly cared. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and put my arms around his neck, pulling him down into a hug. For a moment, he stiffened, not responding in the slightest, but soon I felt his hands move to the small of my back as his face nestled into the junction between my neck and shoulder.
How can you even stand to be near me, let alone touch me? he mentally asked.
My head shook lightly. Because you are my friend, and I hate to see you hurt, especially if you are hurting because of me. It’s all over with. I can’t hate you for the way you feel. I’m just trying to move past it because I know you are better off.
Aeric lifted his head, his eyes meeting mine. “I’m not better off…”
“Before you finish that sentence, ask yourself if it’s good for her to carry that around with her all the time. Given your true feelings,” Wendy said, making her way back down the stairs with Sayen close behind.
I loved Wendy, but I wanted to yell at her just then. It may or may not have been in my best interest to know, given the situation at hand, but I sure as hell needed to know what he was feeling.
Aeric’s eyes looked away from mine and back down to the floor, his body tense again as he let me go. “No, she doesn’t need that stress.”
“It’s been decided. Sayen and Brett will be staying with Kailah at her house in North Vernon, and everyone else will stay here. If another Vampire attack happens, all means necessary are to be used to get information out of them. We need to know what is going on. If anyone is attacked by Forsaken, kill them immediately. Do not risk your lives,” Wendy said, her voice hard and authoritative.
She was still very raw about being taken by surprise, and it was affecting her demeanor now. She seemed more like a warrior than the good natured and humorous biologist that I’d come to know and love.
“Sayen, are you sure about this?” Aeric asked. His voice, for the first time since I’d met him, sounded unsure, weak. He sounded as though he had no confidence, as if he was challenging a mother rather than his friend.
“Aeric,” Khanae said, taking a step closer and placing her tiny hand around his large one. “I think the reason they are so willing to split up is not simply to try to physically protect Kailah while we are doing a stakeout to get information. It is to protect her mentality and focus.”
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“Do you honestly believe she will be able to concentrate and get the best training necessary while in such close quarters with you? Do you think that she will be able to focus hard enough to learn the things necessary for saving her own life when she feels your essence so close to her, pulling at her heart?”
My face flushed as the embarrassment hit me. So, everyone knew now. It occurred to me then that Khanae sometimes had visions of her own when it involves her children, especially Brett and Aeric. It was apparently a gift she had as a human, but was mostly lost when she turned. Aeric must have been putting that together, too.
“You saw what happened, too, didn’t you?” he asked.
“Forgive me, my love. You know that I rarely have control over the random visions regarding you and your brother. I have secretly always hoped for a union between the two of you…”
“As have I,” Sayen said.
“We all have,” Brett said. “But what you’re doing to her isn’t fair. She doesn’t deserve your baggage, and if you don’t allow us to do this, it will end up killing her. She needs to have time away from you to learn. It’s the only way. I hate saying that, brother, because I love you both, and you know that. But if she feels you near, she will always focus on you first, herself second—and it will kill her. It already did once, when she defied you simply because she was upset when she found out that your heart belonged to another. She nearly killed herself to channel Ana just so that you could talk to her. Do you really believe that she wouldn’t choose you over herself again?”
Been listening in again have you? I asked to Brett.
I’ve been listening for any dirty thoughts about me. We both know I’m the hotter brother, and it’s really me you want.
I saw him crack a smile and wink in my direction, earning an eye roll from me.
“You really could have died?” Aeric asked, voice barely a whisper.
I looked back to him and saw the hurt in his face. He was torn, and I hated it. I hated everything about that situation. I just prayed that Analynn didn’t come back. The guilt would kill him.
“Yes. It could have killed me. I’m sorry; I just couldn’t take that she was there and you wanted so badly to speak to her, not with me knowing that I could make it happen.”
“Kailah, why—” he let his sentence fall.
“Do you really need to ask that?” I asked.
His face softened for a moment before his eyes darkened again, and his aura grew a bit redder. He was angry—very angry. “Then I suppose that it is better for you to be somewhere else.”
“From the way you’re acting, it would seem that you think I’m no more than a little girl who developed a crush on her teacher.”
The entire room fell silent, waiting for him to reply, yet not wanting to know what he’d say.
“You nearly sacrificed your life just to give me—a man that has given you no real indicator on how he feels about you—some closure. Closure that I will never have no matter how hard you push for it. So, yeah. It seems a bit naïve at best.”
My jaw fell slightly open as I stared at him with disbelief. “Push? I wasn’t pushing, Aeric. Not for me anyway. I’d accepted that we couldn’t be together, but I still couldn’t stand the hurt in your eyes when you knew she was there. I thought if I helped you move past it that you would know peace for yourself. And what is with the change in attitude? You were very sweet and regretful before. Now, you are cold and unforgiving.”
He stood straighter then, his six and a half feet frame see
ming infinitely taller. “I was trying to spare your feelings, Kailah.”
“Aeric! You fucking—” Brett was cut off by a sharp elbow to the side from his Vampiric mother.
Looking to Rachel, I saw that she had tears in her eyes. A few of those had already spilled down her cheeks. It was killing her to see me so unhappy.
“You love a memory so much that you would push me away? Your friend?” I asked.
I couldn’t help but think back to just before Sayen and Wendy walked back downstairs. The short moment of friendship we’d shared. He was trying to anger me so that I’d hate him; of that, I was relatively sure. Either that, or he was trying to shut himself down by being cruel. Either way, I knew he was at least partly lying, and I knew Brett was trying to call him out on it.
I wasn’t naïve. I realized there was a very real possibility that he didn’t have feelings for me, and that was fine. What I couldn’t live with was him hating me or not wanting to be my friend. We’d gone through too much together not to be, and that was destroying me. But it couldn’t hold a candle to what he said next…
“Friend. Kailah, we aren’t friends. I am one of your instructors, and you are my responsibility. I make sure you don’t wind up dead—again. So, please try not to make my job more difficult and refrain from making any more ridiculous suicidal decisions.” He walked away then, without another word.
My heart felt as though it was being ripped from my chest.
“Kailah,” Rachel said. “He didn’t mean it.”
