by E. L. Davis
Alexia had understood it, but was having a hard time believing it. She looked from Demetri to Roman, but both were avoiding her gaze. Neither of them was speaking up to tell her that it was all a lie or a cruel joke. “I understand.”
It wasn’t what she wanted to say. She wanted to say, ‘You guys are crazy, take me and my friends home now, please.’ But what Ahaz was saying could explain the way they made her feel. Maybe this had something to do with the way she looked into their eyes and her whole body and mind were taken over and she was forced to surrender herself to her lust.
“Do you have special powers or something?” she asked.
“You’re talking about our eyes, aren’t you?” Finally, it was not Ahaz that spoke, but Demetri. “The way we gaze into your eyes, and you get stuck in ours? Yes, Alexia, that’s something that any ‘Aionos’ can do, whether they are mortal or Immortal. We all have three basic defenses built into our bodies that are supposed to help us survive in this world.”
“Before we continue, can we please stop using the name ‘Aionos’? I hate being called ‘Aionos’, as that’s not what we are.” It was Roman who spoke this time.
“You’re right, Roman,” Ahaz responded, “it’s not a correct term for what we are, considering not all of us are Immortal. The name of our kind changed in 1493 when it was proved that you turned Immortal only when you died before you were supposed to. Basically, if you never become Immortal or until you do become Immortal, you are called ‘teras’. This means amazing, which is because, even though they are not Immortal, they still have the three basic defenses built into them. Since we are Immortal, that’s what we call ourselves, just Immortal.”
“Okay, so what are these three defenses you all have built into you?” Ellie spoke now, and it seemed that everyone was getting their voice back.
“They are very simple. First, as Demetri mentioned, our eyes are a big part of who we are. We have a certain charm about us that we carry through our eyes; it allows us to… encourage those we are charming to act on what they are feeling.”
Demetri joined in on the explanation now. “And if you turn Immortal, you can even get somebody to act as we want them to. It’s not an easy thing to make a human do something against their will; a person’s will is a strong thing. It takes many years of practice to make somebody do something they truly don’t want to. We understand this must sound horrifying to you, but it was something our creator believed would make our endless lives slightly more interesting.”
“Anyways…” Alexia said this in an annoyed tone.
“As I was saying,” Demetri continued, “our eyes help us to achieve what we wish to achieve, and it helps people to feel comfortable with the way we act. It’s supposed to be a ‘survival mechanism’. The second power we all have is not really a power at all; it causes a lot of problems. If we get mad, it’s not like how you would get mad. It’s unlike anything you could ever imagine. Our hair stands on end, our minds go blurry, and when we’re about to lose all control…”
“Your eyes turn black,” Cheri said, finishing his sentence.
“Yes, and once they are completely black, we lose all control. We will demolish anything in our path, and kill anything we can. It’s supposed to scare off our enemies and it does, but it can be very hard to control once you’re at that point. It’s very dangerous to be around us when we’re mad.”
The room went silent for a moment, it was as if they were letting the information sink into their mortal minds. It got to the point that Alexia couldn’t stand the silence anymore and she had to ask, “And what’s your third power?”
“Defense.” Astropos corrected her.
“What’s your third defense, then?”
Roman turned to Demetri as if he hoped that he would take the floor on this one. When he showed no signs of wanting to speak, Roman rolled his eyes and sighed. “We have the power to track those we love.” He paused for a moment, trying to choose his words carefully. “It’s like a string is attached to us and to the people we love most. The person we love the most is the easiest to track; nothing gets in our way and our mind just goes blank until we find them. When we need to find them, we just need to let the… ‘pull’,” he quoted the word, “take over and lead us to them.”
“How is this supposed to help you survive?” Alexia questioned.
“Immortals are very passionate people,” Astropos answered. “When we hate something, we truly hate it, and when we feel mad or angry, there is no describing how we feel. But when we love somebody, we feed off that love. It makes our bodies stronger, and will make our defenses stronger too. Once we find the one we love more than anything, we will never be stronger, and if we’re separated from that person, we will never be weaker.”
Alexia didn’t like the way Astropos was speaking to her; it was as if she expected her to know this already.
Astropos continued. “If we are kept from the one we love, it’s hard to use any of our defenses, it’s hard to think, and some say they would rather die.”
“Alright, I still don’t understand one thing.” Ellie was pale and tired. It was as if all the information they had been told had sucked the energy out of her. “You said you were here to warn all of us. What do we need to be warned about?”
“That will have to wait until tomorrow, I can sense you’re all very tired and need to rest. As long as you stay here with us, you are safe.” Ahaz rose from the rocking chair and headed for the door.
“You don’t expect us to just stay here, do you? I mean, my sister is supposed to be picking us up in” – she checked her phone – “fifteen minutes.”
“It’s been taken care of,” Astropos assured them. “Ahaz is very skilled at making humans believe what is not precisely true. All your families believe you are safe and sound on a trip visiting Alexia’s father for a week. We are hoping that it won’t take longer than that to make you all safe again.”
“What about our belongings? You want us to stay here for a week with nothing?” Cheri sounded almost offended. Right after the words were out of her mouth, Astropos snapped her fingers and three suitcases appeared at the end of the bed.
“You will find everything you need in your bags here, and I am sure you know whose is whose. Good night, ladies, tomorrow will be a long day.” Astropos turned out the door and Ahaz followed her.
Alexia couldn’t believe that she was expected to stay here after what they had just been told.
She had barely any time to process it, and very little time to ask all the questions that were running in her mind. She still had no idea how she knew Ahaz or why she had fainted when all those images flashed in her mind. If she wasn’t so tired, she probably would have thrown a fit and demanded answers. But there was no arguing with them, and only Demetri and Roman remained in the room with Alexia, Ellie, and Cheri.
“Please trust us,” Roman urged. “If you leave, you won’t be safe. None of you will be.” He glanced back and forth between the girls. Alexia had a feeling that he could have made them stay with the power of his eye defenses, but this was a genuine request with no mind tricks.
“Tomorrow we will tell you more. If we tell you too much at once, it could hurt you. You can sleep in here tonight. I’m sure this bed is big enough for all of you, and I’m sure you don’t want to be separated at this time. Good night.” Before leaving the room, both boys looked back at Alexia and she saw extreme sadness on their faces. They felt guilty, like whatever they were in danger from was because of them.
∞ CHAPTER EIGHT ∞
The sound of waves crashing on rocks was coming from all around her. She could feel the moisture in the air; even the wind that was gently blowing on her face felt moist. To her left was an old staircase leading up the side of the cliff and on her right, was a man she knew, but she didn’t know how she knew him. He told her to climb the stairs, but she didn’t want to. She feared what might happen when she got to the top of the cliff. His eyes had been calm a moment before but now they were starting t
o darken, and it was making her even more scared; if he lost control, she would die.
Tears started pouring down her face as she climbed the wooden stairs. They creaked under her weight and one or two of them were already broken. “How will I get down,” she asked the man who had remained at the bottom of the staircase. She stopped to look at him and wait for his answer, but he yelled for her to keep climbing and she did as she was told. She could now see that the top of the cliff was flat and easy to stand on. The wind blew harder up here and the waves crashing into the rocks sounded much closer. She peered over the edge and saw a straight drop into jagged rocks.
Alexia’s eyes shot open and looked around the room. It took a moment to realize she was not at home, nor was she on the cliff, and then the memories of the night before came back to her: the strange incident at Java’s with her friends, being taken to Demetri and Roman’s house, being told that they were Immortal and that they had some sort of powers. The details were blurry, but one thing was clear to her now. Ahaz, the man who explained to her what they were, was the man from her dream.
She rolled over to see if her friends were awake, but both were still fast asleep. As quietly as she could, she made her way into the hallway and looked to either side of her. She wanted to find a bathroom, so she could wash her face and fix her hair before she ran into…
“Demetri.” She jumped as he came out of the room she was walking past. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.” It was strange to see him this way. His eyes were groggy, and his hair was a mess. He wasn’t wearing his normally crisp clothes, but instead was sporting a long black robe and black slippers. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“You look cute.” She smiled as he blushed slightly. “Bathroom?” she questioned.
“There is one attached to your room. I put fresh towels in there last night, so feel free to shower.” She turned to go back into the room when he grabbed her arm.
“You look cute, too.” He winked at her and went back into his room and closed the door. She shook her head and went back into her room, only to be scared again, this time by Cheri.
“You can’t just leave like that!” she snapped at her.
“I was trying to find a bathroom.” Cheri responded by pointing at a closed door in the corner before lying back down in the bed. “Thank you,” Alexia whispered. Before going to take a shower, she opened the suitcase she recognized to be hers. To her surprise, all her favorite clothes had been neatly packed inside. She had no idea how they had known to pack these things for her but was never the less grateful.
After a hot shower, she brushed her teeth and combed out her hair. She felt much better and the slight hangover she had woken up with was gone. From the suitcase, she picked out a pair of comfortable sweats and her baggy black sweater. There was no point to get all done up, as it was made clear to her that she wouldn’t be leaving this house until it was safe. But what was she in danger from? There were still so many things she didn’t understand, and wanted to know. She needed answers, now.
In a moment, she was knocking on the door that she had seen Demetri come out of. When nobody answered, she walked in to find Demetri standing in front of the huge closet picking out clothes. He had clearly just got out of the shower, as his hair was wet, and he was only wearing briefs. She wanted to apologize and look away, but she couldn’t. His body was beautiful. Now with no shirt at all she could see every muscle he had. She imagined what it would be like to feel his bare abs; they looked rock hard, almost fake. His biceps were bulging, his pecks were toned, and his skin was a breathtaking tan color. She was making a fool out of herself by staring, and he was staring back as if it were no big deal that he was almost naked.
“I…I…” was all that came out of her mouth.
Demetri laughed and pulled a pair of jeans out of the closet and put them on. “Does that help?” He laughed at the look on her face.
“No not really.” She was frozen to the spot still staring at his amazing physique. Then he was walking towards her, and she wanted to move so she could stop him from doing what she knew he was going to do. But she couldn’t and as he got closer she wanted him more than ever. Once she was in arm’s reach he would take her and kiss her hard and she would kiss him back just as hard. He was just a step away now and her body was still frozen and then he grabbed her. She was tight against his body now and her arms were around his neck in an instant.
Their lips met and started moving together, it felt so right and so good. She traced his arms with her fingertips, feeling his strong arms, and then she was being lifted off the ground. Before she knew it, she was being thrown on his bed and he was on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed and kissing her neck. She wanted to tell him to stop, as the bedroom door was wide open and there were so many people that could see. This was something she wanted to share with him, only with him.
“Demetri, please I…” but before she could finish his lips were back on hers but only for a moment. She met his gaze and she could see the passion blazing in his magnificent green eyes, and it made her wonder if he could see it in hers, too.
“What were you saying?” his voice was quiet.
“I… I don’t remember.” She had to catch her breath. They had just shared such an intense moment and it was taking a second for her to process it. He let go of her arms and she ran her hands over his chest down to his abs and he moaned with pleasure. He bent down and kissed her lips softly before getting off the bed. He yanked the first shirt he saw from his closet and pulled it over his head, covering his perfect body. Alexia sat up in his bed, her body still trying to catch up to what happened. Why had she come to his room in the first place? She couldn’t remember what she had wanted from him, and she would never forget what she had got.
She left the room without saying anything and closed the door. When she entered the room, she was sharing with Ellie and Cheri, they were both awake and digging through their suitcases. Alexia wondered if they could tell by the look on her face what had just happened. Neither of them asked, or even looked at her like she had done anything inappropriate.
“How is that shower? Good water pressure?” Ellie was pulling her bathroom bag and a set of clothes from the suitcase.
“Yeah, it’s good, awesome water pressure.” Alexia sunk into the bed and got back under the covers.
“What’s up with you?” Cheri questioned.
“Nothing,” she replied. “My mind is just racing from everything that happened last night.”
“Mine too. I mean, I don’t understand why I believe everything they said. It’s all so unreal, and yet I believe it. I mean, at least I know I wasn’t going crazy when I saw Demetri’s eyes go black.” At the mention of his name, Alexia’s body burned a little, although not like when she touched Roman; it was less intense than that.
“You know what, that reminded me of something.” She remembered her dream with Ahaz, how he had gotten mad at her for not wanting to climb the stairs, how his eyes had turned mostly black, and how he was about to lose control. She got up and left the room. The house was so big she had no idea where to find him. Knocking on Demetri’s door probably wouldn’t get her the answers she needed right now. She walked down the grand staircase and searched the main floor for Astropos or Ahaz but found neither. As she was about to go back upstairs, Roman and Demetri were descending them together. She turned her head and avoided looking at either of them. If she looked at Demetri she may not be able to control herself and if she looked at Roman, he might see the guilt on her face.
“Where is Ahaz?” she asked while looking at the ground.
“He left,” Demetri said.
“He left?”
“Yeah, like, gone.”
“Well, I need to talk to him.”
“Alexia, he is the leader of The Union. He can’t stick around here for a week.” Roman said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Is there a way to get a hold of him?” she asked impatiently.
“Depends on what it’s about?”
“I know him from somewhere. Last night before I passed out I saw… images of me and him together. And last night he was in my dream.” They showed no signs of letting her know how to contact him. “Please,” she chanced a look at Demetri, “I need to talk to him.”
“He will be coming back tomorrow, so it will have to wait until then.”
A whole twenty-four hours? How would she be able to wait that long? “I need answers.”
They looked at each other then back at her. “Do you want to wait for your friends, so we don’t have to answer them twice? In the meantime, what about some breakfast?” Roman was acting a little too nice and it made Alexia slightly nervous. She nodded, and he led her to the kitchen. It was a big, clean, shining room. Everything was stainless steel, and they even had a huge walk-in freezer. Long counters ran all along the walls and an island sat in the middle of the huge room.
“So, what would you like?” Roman asked.
“What do you have?”
“Anything you want.” He flashed her a smile and opened the huge refrigerator door. “We have bacon, eggs, and bagels with cream cheese, ham, sausage…” He closed the door and opened a cupboard door just beside it. “Potatoes, pop tarts…”
“Okay, I get it, bacon and eggs are fine.” She waited for Roman to start cooking before she tried asking some questions. “How did you become Immortal?” It wasn’t the best breakfast conversation to have, but she was curious.
“I died before my time, just like Demetri.”
“No, I mean, how did you die?” He was moving around the kitchen getting things ready, so everybody could eat together. “Roman?”
“It was a long time ago, Alexia, I don’t remember any details.” She could tell from the way he was speaking to her that he was uncomfortable, but she was uncomfortable not being able to have any answers.
