The Nephelium

by Nathan Parks

  Leah had shared a little in the helplessness that many of the Alliance network felt as they could not stop the tide of deaths. As the Watchers fell, so did much of the history of the Alliance, the Fallen, and even the Nephelium. Also, many of the prophecies had been lost because only the Watchers knew where they were kept.

  Isaiah had been told of great, courageous stories throughout history on how the clans had been stopped by the joining of humans and angels and how the soul lust of the clans had been prohibited from pouring out into the reality of mankind and kept at bay. Now, it was only talked about as myths, even though true.

  He sat down on the front row. It had just been the night before that he and Troy had sat in these pews talking, and Troy had told him of the Guardians who were there protecting him. He wondered if there were any there tonight. At times he wished he was one--strong, noble, supernatural strength--but, then again, nothing beat being human, either. As a human he was able to experience human affection, human touch, feel what it meant to have a true free will. That was a big one. Eternals had some free will, but it was bound by their existence. The very essence of what they were bound them many times to either do Jah’s will or become a Fallen. There was no real mercy or grace for them as there was extended to humans. He didn’t think he would give that part up.

  If only they could put all the pieces together. The local Alliance network had been watching Arioch for over a year now. Leah had actually had run-ins with this Overlord a few times in the past century, but this time she said something was different. Never had she seen Arioch draw such a following of his clan, and then there was the vast subculture of Familiars that was growing more and more. The Vortex seemed to be seething with those seeking for belonging, power, family, or all three. They had never been able to fully understand it all, and it had become tormenting to them.

  It was like having a large puzzle, fresh out of the box. One knew all the pieces were there, but they just didn’t know how they all fit together. Now it seemed another piece was being added to the mix, or was this young tattoo artist even a part of what had been taking place? It seemed that Arioch really didn’t have an interest in her or even knew she existed, but Leah sure was pushing for this young lady to be guarded.

  *****

  Eve leaned against the cold, dark brick of the building behind her as she looked down the street at the lights and activity that marked the entrance to The Vortex. What had happened in there? What had gotten into Megan? She had to stop and catch her breath.

  The evening showed no sign of rain like the evening before, and she knew that if the city lights weren’t shining as a false façade of stars, that she would be able to see those that nature so eloquently set ablaze every night. She often wondered if life had just become too complicated. She remembered as a young girl hoping that she would grow up and go on an adventure that would allow her to see all kind of things, but then those were silly dreams of a girl who was trying to escape reality.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Guardian stood invisibly beside Eve, shielding her presence from any inhuman forces that may be still trying to come after her. He hadn’t had time to fully process what had happened to his partner. He was new to the ranks of the Guardians; and with his lack of experience in this field also came a new reality that choices that are made are made for a reason--the greater plan--and that we are only a small piece of. He wasn’t sure if he could fully grasp this.

  The sense of someone standing beside him made the Guardian realize that he had drifted off into his own thoughts. He quickly reached for the two blades on his belt. In an instant he had one in each hand.

  “Don’t, Gideon.”

  It was Leah. Something inside of him just wanted to cave. He was glad it was her. He hoped she wouldn’t reprimand him for not doing his job better, and she didn’t.

  “I will take over from here,” she said with a firmness, yet understanding, in her voice. “You need to take some time off. The regulations state that you need to return to Shiloh.”

  “I am fine.”

  “Go.”

  Gideon didn’t argue. He had stood at the gates of Shiloh as a guard, and he knew that when an Eternal witnessed a counterpart pass in battle or experience a traumatic event, it was required they go to Shiloh for a time of recovery. He looked back at Eve, wondering but not asking.

  “Everyone is asking the same question, Gideon,” Leah stated as she followed his gaze over to the young lady now trying to clear her head and make sense of everything that had taken place. “Who is she and is it all worth it?” he asked of Leah.

  Gideon turned and looked at the Alliance leader, noting the same question was written across her face. “Well?”

  “I don’t know,” she answered softly.

  He looked at her strangely. “You don’t know?”

  “I have an idea of who she is, but all I know is that the Arch Council recently sent me a message that we were to protect her at all cost. At that time I didn’t think much of it because no one even knew who she was, or at least that is what I thought. I knew that she has grown up under the watchful eye of Alfonso, but I just thought she was one of the many the old priest has looked after through the years. I now know there is more to all of this, and now everything is clearer, but I still don’t know the full reason.”

  “You say that Alfonso has been taking care of her?”

  “Yes.”

  The Guardian paused and took a deep breath the bigger picture started becoming clearer before him.

  “I thought . . . I mean . . . I didn’t think there were any more. I guess what I am trying to say or ask is . . . is she . . .”

  “Yes.” Leah stated.

  It was a simple word, but it took his breath away. He now understood Leah’s puzzlement. This was important, but why? No one was able to explain. The Arch Council may not even know right now.

  “You have to go. I am taking over. The Alliance has been told tonight that we have got to find out what Arioch is up to and that there is rumor that Adremalech is up to something, as well. Whatever it is, this young lady, I believe, is the key; and I don’t even think they know it yet.”

  Gideon nodded and quietly vanished. He would be back, he was sure. This was going to be big!

  Eve took another long breath, pushed away from the wall, and headed down the street. Questions still remained, but she didn’t think she had really any way of finding out the answers until she had a chance to slap her friend back to sanity. She could tell that her remarks had hurt Megan tonight, but she didn’t understand the draw that the club and its proprietor had on her. She gave up. If her friend wanted to stay trapped within that life, then so be it. She was done, and not only that, it was time for some coffee. A smile broke the concern and stress that held her face captive.

  Leah held back, just watching after planting a few thoughts in Eve’s mind. The Guardian figured at least she could get Eve and Alfonso in the same place, and that way she could actually talk more to Alfonso about what was going on. She understood that a Watcher was bound by a sworn code that only allowed them to reveal specific information unless told differently. So, no matter how much Alfonso wanted to share, there was only a limited amount he would be able to. It wasn’t their job to change history, only record it and, at times, protect it.

  *****

  There was nothing supernatural-looking about Ki as he sat at one of the small tables near the window. He and Troy had been hanging out for awhile discussing everything that had been taking place. Troy was using this chance to show Ki the schematics of a new weapon that he was designing.

  The Alliance had greatly benefited from Troy’s time in the military as a weapons expert. He had thought that after his accident he would never use those skills again, but Ki had been able to obtain a computer program that worked by vocal commands to draw out the measurements and designs. Then, through an assembly machine, Troy was able to accurately design new weapons to keep the members of the Alliance safe against the Fallen. It not o
nly had made him a stronger asset to the team, but the Fallen had been taken off guard by the new armament that their foes carried.

  The night had been slower at the café, and this was allowing Alfonso to sit with the two men and join in the discussion. This was where Eve found them as she arrived looking for her mentor. She didn’t know the other two men with whom he was sitting, but recognized them as regulars to the café. Alfonso could tell by the look on Eve’s face when she entered that she was not here for just a normal night cap. No, he could see something had happened.

  “Eve, what is the matter?” he asked, not showing any sign of anxiety, just tenderness that always seemed to flow from the old man.

  Eve looked at him and then to the other men that were at the table. She noticed that the only other person present was a lady in the back corner near where Eve normally sat. The lady looked somewhat familiar. Eve was here to speak to Alfonso, but there was no one else to handle the few customers he had.

  “I can wait,” she whispered to him as she kissed him softly on the cheek and gave him a hug. “There is something important that I need to talk to you about, though.”

  Eve went over and sat down on a stool near the counter and began to play with a napkin. Her mind was racing. What was happening to her? She felt that she was starting to lose her mind. She couldn’t understand the feelings she was having. She was getting dizzy and faint, and then there seemed to be that paranoia or something akin to it. She felt it the other night when she met that guy here at the café--what was his name? Kadar. Yeah, that was it. Then there was that lady today at The Broken Tear that seemed to just vanish. On top of all that, there was her friend talking about vampires and murders and now basically pushing her away.

  There was a small ring from the bell over the door giving notice that yet another customer had entered. Eve was getting agitated at this point. She looked up at the clock and noticed it was almost closing time. Alfonso had asked customers to leave in the past when she needed to talk. Maybe he would do it tonight.

  A strong-looking black man, well groomed and confident, had walked in, and he seemed to know the other two men to whom Alfonso had been talking before. He sat down, and she could hear them striking up a conversation. She looked around to find out where the old proprietor had gone, and she spotted him sitting across the table from the lady in the corner.

  “Hmm . . .,” she pondered. “Another wayward soul?”

  She watched for a moment as Alfonso was lost in conversation with the lady. She was dressed in a white tank top, and her hair was shoulder length. She was strong, beautiful, and looked confident. She almost looked flawless--flawless, except that Eve did notice that when she moved her left hand, a rough burn scar that stretched along her palm was revealed. Eve found herself mesmerized by this lady as she portrayed so much of what Eve had longed to become growing up.

  As she continued to watch, Eve noticed Aflonso’s demeanor change. He seemed to become burdened by an unseen weight. His shoulders seemed to droop, and it was as if his face aged about ten years in front of her. What were they talking about?

  “Alfonso?”

  The grey-haired man looked over at her. The twinkle in his eye was gone, and he looked exhausted.

  “It’s all right, Eve. You’re right, we need to talk.”

  She looked at Alfonso with utter confusion. Was this a dream? Why did he look so beaten down? Why was everyone looking at her now? It was like being in a nightmare from which she wanted someone to wake her up; but they never did, and she realized she would have to find her own way out.

  Alfonso stood up and motioned for her to come over to him. As he did this, he turned and addressed everyone else.

  “Hey, you guys,” addressing the trio, “we all need to be in on this.”

  If this was a dream, it was not going away. Eve sat down in the chair that Alfonso pulled out for her. The lady from the corner booth had now stood up and had made her way over to where everyone was gathering. Eve couldn’t help but feel drawn to her; she seemed to be an anchor in a swirl of madness right now. Eve didn’t understand why.

  There was a moment of silence as everyone sat down, and Alfonso took a look around at the motley crew of individuals here--and then there was Eve. He had known this day would come one day, but he had hoped that maybe it would come after he passed on.

  He may not have fathered Eve, but she truly was his daughter. He loved her so much and wanted so much for the world to just let her be. Alfonso felt like a parent who must tell their child that they have been diagnosed with a terminal sickness, how her world was about to change.

  “Eve, I am sorry to throw all of this right now on you, but there are a lot of things that are happening right now that requires us to sit down with you,” Alfonso said, breaking the silence. He reached across the table and placed his hand upon hers. “We have a lot to talk about tonight, and not all of it will be easily understood. Let me first introduce everyone to you.”

  She was lost--that is all she knew (if she really knew anything anymore).

  Troy turned his head in the direction of where he heard Eve sit and was surprised as he began to see an outline of where she sat. He felt a strange feeling begin to creep into him. How was it that he was able to see the outline of this young lady? He saw no extra spiritual entity, so how was he able, through his blindness, to see her? He held out his hand towards Eve.

  “Eve, I am Troy. I have heard a lot about you from Alfonso. He thinks so much of you.”

  Eve shook his hand as she looked at him and studied him. She didn’t verbally respond. She didn’t know what to say. He was a bigger guy, and she could tell by his facial scarring that he was blind; but he seemed to have more awareness of his surroundings than many sighted people she knew.

  Isaiah saw the pale look that had overtaken Eve’s face. He knew that he didn’t know everything that was going on here, but his heart, as a pastor, reached out to this confused young lady.

  “Eve, I am Isaiah. Most people just call me Preacher or Preach.”

  She nodded and shook his hand.

  Ki was next. He introduced himself quickly. He was ready to find out what was going on. He never really got much into personal greetings. He was more of a “let’s-get-things-started” kind of guy.

  Eve looked over to the one who had really caught her attention.

  “And you are?” Eve asked. She didn’t mean it to sound standoffish, but she couldn’t help it.

  “I am Leah,” the lady said as she held out her hand. “It is great to have the chance to talk with you.”

  “So . . .” Eve started as she looked back to Alfonso. “What is going on? Why are we here? I mean, I know why I came here tonight, but I am pretty sure this has nothing to do with it.”

  Alfonso looked over at Leah as she began.

  “Eve, the reason you are here is the very reason we all are here. The reason you are here is because you want to know why things are really starting to get weird for you, and we are here because we want to know what is going on, too. Even though you don’t know it yet, we are all tied together, and it all ties into why you are here today.”

  “I am sorry, but I am not following you,” Eve stated. “I just want someone to start making some sense.”

  Isaiah looked over at Leah. “Actually, we all would like that.”

  Alfonso spoke up at this time. “Eve, I need you to listen, and I need you to listen with an open mind. We have been together for a long time, and you know that I have always done what I could to protect you.”

  Confusion was slowly morphing into concern and fear as she heard the serious tone in his voice.

  “Just tell me. Does all of this have to do with Megan?”

  He nodded his head. “Megan, you, all of us, and so much more than you can expect. It even goes back to your parents.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  SNAP! Someone had awakened her! This wasn’t a dream anymore; she could feel everything rushing at her. It was the feeling one gets when
they hang their head out of a car window when a friend is driving fast down a road. Alfonso had said the word “parents.”

  “What you do mean? Did you find something out?” She was about to explode now. “What is going on?” She was raising the volume now.

  “Eve, what do you know about what Megan saw the other day at The Vortex?” Leah asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Vampires,” Ki stated bluntly. “Demons, the Fallen.”

  “Did Megan tell you about her experience at The Vortex?” Leah reiterated.

  “Yes, but I . . . What does this have to do with anything? She was tripping on drugs and had a really rough night. I don’t understand what that has to do with my parents, why I am here, or who in the world all of you are.”

  “Stop!” It was Alfonso again. “Let me start from the beginning. Give me the respect to allow me to break all of this down in a simple format. Leah, you know that I must be careful what I share.”

  “I know. Go ahead.”

  “Eve, I am not sure where to start.” He paused and ran his fingers through his thick, wavy, white hair. There was so much to say. “Eve, you said Megan told you about what she saw last night at The Vortex.”

  Eve nodded. She was trying to block all these strangers out and focus on the one who had been her hero for so long. She knew she could trust him. She knew there was safety with him.

  “Yes, she told me that she had witnessed what she thought were vampires attack a guy in the VIP room at the club and that they had killed him--no, she said they had eaten him! She said it happened suddenly, and that it was horrific. She was very upset and shaken. I just took it as a bad drug trip, though. I know she has had a problem with drugs in the past, and at times she still uses.”

  “You and I both know everything she has struggled with since she came into this café, not much different then you,” he said. “But this time she was telling the truth.”