The Eternal Gift Vol. 1: NA Urban Fantasy (The Eternal Series)

by Candy Crum

  I looked out the window and realized we were driving. I’d been so engrossed in my friend’s injuries that I hadn’t even noticed that we were moving. I saw the hospital sign coming up, and I felt instant relief. I sighed lightly, as if exhaling away the inner turmoil. That quickly ended when we passed the entrance to the hospital.

  “That was the hospital entrance,” I said.

  Brett opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again.

  “Brett! Where are we going?” I demanded.

  “Kailah, it’s okay. Calm down,” Aeric softly said.

  “No! Where are we going? The other hospital across the street?”

  There were two in Louisville and each one worked together for excellent patient care. If we weren’t going to one, the other would be just fine.

  “We aren’t taking her to the hospital –”

  “What?” I interrupted Aeric. “Then where in the hell are we going? She needs help!”

  “No. We are taking both of you to our house. Our mom is very good with injuries and will be able to help her way better than any hospital can. Think about it. What were you planning to tell the doctors and police? If it was the same story that you told me, then you will be the one getting locked up, I’m afraid,” Aeric said.

  “God, I hate you,” I said as I sat back in the seat. Once again defeated.

  I heard Brett’s faint laugh. “She’s a feisty one, Aeric. Her bite may actually be worse than yours.”

  “Shut up, Brett,” Aeric and I both said at the same time.

  I heard another light laugh from our driver. “As the happy coupe wishes,” he said playfully.

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. More than anything, I wished that I’d have just taken Rachel’s car. “How much longer until we get there?”

  “Not much longer. We live just outside the city,” Brett replied.

  I nodded. “Good. Next time you jerks decide to come up with a plan that involves either myself, or more importantly, my severely injured best friend, please let me know.” Sarcasm was my natural defense mechanism, and it was in full swing right then.

  Letting their misdirection roll off of me, I decided to pass the time by comforting Rachel. I gently ran my fingers through her blood-soaked hair and pulled the jacket higher around her neck, hoping that I would keep her warm. In the alley, I saw the condition of her body and clothes. Her shirt had been shredded to almost nothing and her bra no longer connected in the front. He didn’t even bother with the button on the jeans she was wearing; he ripped through them with ease.

  After removing my phone from my pocket, I lifted back the jacket, so only I could see under it. I lit up my phone and used it as a flashlight, trying to see what her legs looked like. They were bruised and had a few nasty scratches, but nothing severe. Her underwear was torn open, but I wasn’t sure yet if she’d been sexually assaulted. I got there while he was still shredding her clothes, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

  Looking up, I saw Brett was right about the timeframe. He pulled into the drive of a large, two-story house. It was beautiful. It wasn’t massive, but certainly bigger than what I was used to. He pulled up to the edge of the house and killed the engine. I helped Aeric slide Rachel back into his lap, and he once again lifted her with a gentle and graceful touch.

  Walking up to the house, I started to feel extremely tired. My eyes began to get heavy, and I started to feel weak. I forced myself to keep walking and barely made it up the few steps leading up to the large front porch. Brett opened the door and let Aeric through. I followed him in and Brett was close behind.

  Looking ahead of me, I saw a beautiful staircase leading up to the second floor. My eyes grew even heavier, and I began getting quite dizzy from the fatigue. Movement on the staircase caught my attention as I saw a woman making her way down. She was gorgeous with long, black hair and a dark complexion.

  I thought at first that it might be their mother, but that was impossible. Tis woman looked no older than me. I saw her dark green eyes narrow at me as her head cocked slightly to the side, studying me. Her identity hit me hard as the room pitched. My condition had completely fogged my recognition capabilities.

  It’s her… Oh, my God, I thought.

  “Grab her,” she said.

  Strong arms closed around me just as everything went black.

  Chapter Ten

  Waking up in a strange place was always terrifying, but waking up in a strange place feeling like I’d been hit in the back of the head was far worse. As I tried to move, I found myself wishing that I carried Advil with me more often. Willing the pain to dull was proving to be fruitless, and I was forced to study my surroundings with half-closed eyes.

  The couch that I was on was undoubtedly the most comfortable piece of furniture I’d ever felt. It was overstuffed and a beautiful wine color. The walls were lined with thousands of books and movies. It was like a library with a massive seventy-plus-inch TV dominating the exterior wall.

  “How are you feeling dear?”

  My attempt at a swift escape from the couch was a mistake. The combination of absolute pain mixed with the fear of the raven-haired Vampire entering the room rendered me nearly paralyzed as I clutched both sides of my head in agony.

  “Please, Kailah, don’t fear me. I’m not here to hurt you. Only help.” Aeric’s voice had been smooth, but this woman had a voice like trickling water. It soothed as it wrapped around me. My pain slowly began to subside.

  “I don’t know what to believe anymore. The world is a terrible place. I just met you, so I haven’t decided if you are in the good part, or the bad part. I do remember you from my dreams. You’re her. The first Vampire that warned me about Khia.”

  I slowly tried to sit up after having been knocked back on my ass after the wave of terror and sickness from her presence hit me.

  “I’ve met a few Vampires. They made me pretty sick. Each time I thought, that was the worst feeling in the world to have. I realize, now, just how wrong that was. Being around you is like being crushed in a massive vice. My entire body hurts, I feel pukey, and I can hardly breathe. My head feels like it’s going to explode. How the hell am I supposed to trust someone that makes me feel like that? Speaking of which, where is Rachel? I need to see her. Now.”

  “Rachel is downstairs with a plate full of fruit. She’s awake and eating now. Your friend will be just fine. It’s you that I’m worried about.”

  “You expect me to believe that?” I asked. Though the pain in my head had dwindled down enough for me to speak and think, I was still in a great deal of pain. “She was damn near dead. Hell, I didn’t feel much better when I walked through the door. Why did you tell them to grab me?”

  “As I walked downstairs, I saw that you were horribly unsteady. I know Immortals, and I knew what was happening to you. I felt your energy wavering and that you would not be conscious for long. Had I not told them to grab you, you would have hit the floor very hard when you passed out.”

  “Why do I feel so badly? I’ve met two Vampires that were good. Both made me nauseated, but nothing like Jeff did. And Jeff is horrid. He’s the one that tried to kill Rachel. Even still, a thousand Jeffs couldn’t come close to comparing to what I feel around you. Is it you making me sick? Or is the house just crawling with Vampires?”

  She smiled softly. “The reason why you feel so badly, and why you were so overwhelmed to the point of going unconscious, is because of me. Yes. My name is Khanae, and we have indeed met in your dreams.”

  I nodded. “Then you must be very, very strong.”

  “I am the queen. The very first of my kind, and I was born three thousand years ago. You were completely incapacitated on the couch for hours due to my strength and your new gifts disagreeing. I have good news for you, though, my dear. Rachel came in with terrible wounds, as you know. I healed those with my blood. She will be completely fine. I only gave her enough to heal the worst of them and the rest will heal over time.”

  “Thank you,” I
said, slightly shocked. While I was worried about Rachel becoming a Vampire, because there was not a single part of me that understood how anyone turned into one, I was still grateful to know that she would be okay.

  “You should know that I would never use my powers against a human. Vampires like Sydney and I are the same. We would never harm a human without our own lives, or the lives of another innocent, being in danger first. Though I am the mother of all Vampires, I do not condone the actions of some, like the very young Jeff. However, I do fully support those, like Sydney, using their abilities for good and to help others. So, rest your mind, child. We will figure this out. The human mind can only take so much, and you nearly hit your breaking point tonight.”

  I laughed. “The human mind? Interesting choice of words.” I wasn’t human. At least, I didn’t think that I was. Kim had asked if I’d gone through the transition. I didn’t even know what that meant.

  “Indeed. I suspect that after tonight, you have many questions. I’m here to answer those for you.”

  “And I’m sure that whatever I ask will be covered with a pretty little lie, no offense. At this point, after being hunted in my dreams for months on end, at work, and then attacked in another public area, I don’t really trust anyone, and I certainly don’t trust anyone to give me the truth.”

  “That’s a fair assumption, I suppose,” she said, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Though, you should know that the time for subtlety has passed. Things have become dangerous for you, and as a result, the rest of the world as well. Due to your powers, you are impervious to all Vampires’ power of compulsion, save for one. You are still too weak to resist me. I’m telling you this because if you resist information that is necessary for you to make a decision on your position in this war, I will compel you to hear me and to believe me. You will lose all free will to believe what you want to, and you will simply accept everything that I tell you here as fact. I would never lie to you, so that last part isn’t truly relevant. It is only important because most beings do not enjoy losing the free will to feel apprehensive about certain things.

  “I tell you this, not as a threat, but as a warning. What you do with the information that I give you afterward will always be your decision. You may join Khia, if you feel that is your rightful place, you may stay with me, or you can avoid it all, if you so choose. If you do the last one, however, I will still ask that you stay with me, so we may protect you. Your life is in danger, no matter which side you choose. I will never take your free will to make your own decisions, but will force you to listen to me. To listen to the truth. If you don’t understand the position that you hold, you will not be able to protect yourself. It’s been a long, difficult night for you, so let’s make this easy. Shall we?” Her accent was light, one that I wasn’t familiar with.

  Though her words seemed threatening to someone like me, her voice was soft and comforting. The expression on her face was motherly, not evil. As I studied her, fear slowly slipped away, though my concern remained. It was obvious that she cared for my wellbeing, but I needed to keep my walls up and remain vigilant.

  “How do I know that you aren’t already compelling me?” I asked. Seemed like a logical question to me.

  It quickly occurred to me that I’d made a large mistake by looking that woman in the eyes. Her emerald green eyes darkened slightly as her pupils dilated. I felt the swarm of Vampiric energy around her and it felt as though it was trying to choke me. The front of my mind began tingling as I sensed the brush of her mind against mine. That tingle quickly became a burn and the heavy feeling in my chest returned.

  “On your knees,” she said, her voice flat, demanding. The kindness and sweetness in her voice was gone.

  I couldn’t stop myself. All I wanted was to do exactly as she asked me to do. I knew that she was controlling me, I could feel it in my mind, but I couldn’t stop myself. I began to slide off the couch.

  “Stop,” she said, her hands gently grabbing me by the shoulders to bring me back onto the couch. “I don’t want you to actually bow before me. I would never ask something like that of anyone, especially you. You are family, whether you want to be or not. I simply wanted you to see what being compelled feels like. Now that you know, you can trust that I’m not compelling you.”

  “Wow,” was all I said as I got comfortable again. Well, as comfortable as one can manage with excessive body aches, tight chest, and migraine. Her power disappeared as fast as it came on, and I was able to focus again.

  “A human never feels that pain. A human mind is weak and spongy. It takes to compulsion very easily. You, however, are an Immortal. Your entire existence is to repel me. So, even though you aren’t strong enough to call on that power, your body knows that it’s supposed to do something to save you. That’s why you felt such pain. That’s why you knew what was happening, but were unable to stop it.”

  “Fair enough. Deal. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

  Her smile was warm as she gently touched her warm hand to mine. “Thank you, and please forgive me. I considered you family the moment that I knew you were born. Sayen is my family also, much like a sister to me, or even a child. Her family is just as important to me, which is why I needed to put so much emphasis on this conversation. I don’t protect you only for her. I protect you now because I have been for years.”

  She smiled warmly as she gently squeezed my hand. I could feel something like love radiating from within her as she looked into my eyes. She meant every word about caring for me and considering me family.

  “Like Sayen, your great-great grandmother, I’m originally from Egypt. I moved here several decades ago at her request. The boys are Romanian.”

  “Well, you’ve done a good job covering the accent. It’s barely audible.”

  Her smile faded and dark concern crossed her delicate features. Her dark green eyes no longer held happiness in them.

  “We tried to stay far enough away that you would never learn about your heritage, but close enough that we could help you, if you ever got into trouble. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way that you plan.”

  My conversations with Taima came back to me. He told me that Sayen was watching me. That I was being protected from birth because I was the one destined to end the war.

  Khanae shifted and pulled me from my thoughts. “There has always been a dull thrum of energy around you and it allowed us to track you because you’re Sayen’s kin. But we had no idea what you looked like until Sydney wandered into the picture.”

  Though I didn’t want the life I’d recently been thrown into, it was becoming apparent that I didn’t have a choice. I was quickly finding that the idolized versions of the Vampires in my mind were undeniably fiction. Sure, Khanae said that there were nice Vampires, but there were also those like Jeff. Plus, who was to say that Khanae wouldn’t bite my head off if she got too hungry, or if I got too opinionated? She is a Vampire, after all.

  “Because your blood isn’t pure, and you’re partially human, you will transition. This time is crucial because while your power is growing, you must be protected. Rogue Vampires, like Jeff, want to use you to win the war between the Immortals and Vampires. They want to bend you to their will and force you to help enslave the human race so they can live in the open. It’s been said that the child of Sayen that would inherit the great power would be strong enough to return Rogue Vampires back from the darkness and turn them into Day-walkers. If that is true, this would be disastrous for the human race.

  “Immortals want you because they want to destroy every Vampire on the planet, good or bad, and take a seat of power. Not only over Egypt, but the entire world. There wouldn’t be a military on earth strong enough to defeat her if she won. It would be a terrible fate for all humans and supernatural creatures alike. The shadow world, what we call the supernatural world, needs to be kept separate.”

  “What is the difference between a Rogue and a Day-walker?” I asked.

  “I’ll save the
technical stuff for later. It’s not relevant at the moment. You will learn all of these things in due time. All you need to know is that Jeff is a Rogue. His bloodlust is insatiable and he is vile. You will recognize them by their deep red aura that turns almost black in anger or while hunting. You will also notice that their eyes have a permanently darker color. Day-walkers’ eyes brighten, but turn dark when angry or utilizing their power. Rogues also have pale, cold skin, permanently elongated teeth, and a violent allergy to sunlight. Their fangs are even longer than ours. Those aren’t all of the differences, but those are only a few. That will help you tell us apart.”

  I couldn’t hide the shocked disgust on my face. “You have got to be kidding me. So, not only is there one type of terrifying, blood-sucking demon on the loose, but there are two?”

  Hurt crossed her face, and I quickly realized what I’d said.

  “Vampires,” she corrected.

  “Khanae, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “Demons are typically destructive creatures that survive on chaos and are very temperamental. We prefer not to be lumped into the same category as them, though we don’t have any grudges against them.” Her soft smile was genuine, though I could still see the hurt in her eyes.

  “There are Demons, too?” I asked.

  She nodded. “The shadow world is very big. Vampires, Werewolves, Immortals, Demons, Succubi and Incubi… Nearly every creature you’ve ever heard of or read lore on exists in one form or another. The boys and I have encountered many things over the years that we’ve been together.”

  “How long have you cared for them?” I asked. As soon as I asked, something in me clicked. They called her their mother when we were in the car. How could I have been so stupid? They didn’t mean that she adopted them. They meant that she turned them.