Semiramis Reborn

by Maya Daniels

  “So! You have a name?” I ask quietly as I drop on the ground, still trying to catch my breath.

  She looks at me with uncertainty, and I can totally relate to that. I used to look at people the same way not long ago. You know, when your heart screams there are good people in the world, but your mind tells you go on, sucker, screw yourself again, trust the wrong person so I can keep tormenting you for years with ‘I told you so’ when they hurt or betray you.

  “My name is Alexia,” I tell her in an effort to put her at ease. She’s strung taut as a bow and I doubt she’ll answer, but as we’re all aware by now, I can’t keep my mouth shut to save my life. So I keep blabbing, asking questions.

  “Do you live here? Actually, where is this place?” I look expectantly for a second, but no answer, so I continue with the next question.

  “Oooooo...Can you talk?” My eyes widen as I look at her. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Earlier she mouthed words but didn’t speak. She snorts at that and I narrow my eyes.

  “Faith,” she says.

  “I have enough faith, thank you very much,” I say irritated.

  “My name. It’s Faith.” She smiles, and I see a glimpse of her character in it. She’s self-aware, confident, and although I see the mischief dancing in her eyes, I can also see the no-nonsense attitude as clear as day. I like her already.

  “Well, good for you, at least you can talk. I was starting to think the cat got your tongue.”

  “It’s not smart to talk with those things around, but I guess you have a death wish. I should’ve just left you to it, huh?” she counters, looking straight at my eyes.

  “Look at you. Aren’t you a ray of sunshine?” I shake my head and stand up. “What are those things? Do you know?”

  “No. I’ve never seen them without their robes.”

  I watch as she tries to hide the shiver, and with every second, I feel closer to her somehow. Sisters in arms! I snort at the thought and she looks at me like I just sprouted a second head.

  “What?” I ask defensively.

  “Oh, nothing. I’m just wondering if everything is right in your head.” She rolls her eyes at me and shakes her head. “You do know where you are, right?” With one eyebrow raised, she takes a good look at me.

  “As a matter a fact, I have no idea,” I tell her honestly. She was looking in the distance as I said this but she turns her head sharply my way again.

  “How did you get here?”

  “If I’m not mistaken, this is the astral plane, so as I’m sure you are aware, the only way to get here is through the portal in the fog.” I feel tired suddenly of talking, explaining…of everything. I just want to know why I’m here and to get back in my body.

  “Well, at least you’re not as dumb as you seem at first glance,” she says sarcastically. That earns her an eye roll from me.

  I take a good look at her now. She’s as tall as I am and has curves that would make a guy drool like a fool. Her blond hair is neither curly nor straight; it has that bed-head look that hints at wild sensual pleasures. Her face has sharp, exotic features, unlike the usual baby face that you’d expect on a blonde. Okay, I apologize if I’m stereotyping, but you must admit that when you think of a blonde woman, you think of gentle, angelic features, not exotic, I’m-gonna-rock-your-world-and-leave-you-spinning features. At least I do, but as you well know, I’m weird and I always overanalyze everything and everyone, so never mind me. Her eyes are neither green nor blue but kind of change depending on what she says, so it’s easy for me to read her. Thank the Goddess for that, because like her or not, I’m still not sure if I can trust her. She’s projecting an alpha personality, and since I have the same genetic makeup, I have a feeling we’ll be testing the waters first, both of us, before we decide whether we’re on the same side. It better be quick, because I have no intention of spending more time than necessary here.

  “So what’s the verdict?” she asks, her hands on her hips as she looks down her nose at me.

  “Huh?”

  “You’re analyzing me, so I’m asking you what the verdict is,” she asks as one side of her mouth curves up a little.

  “I’ll let you live,” I grin at her. “For now,” I add as an afterthought, and she snorts, shaking her head.

  “How long have you been here?” I ask.

  “Couple of hours this time.”

  Faith looks away but not before I notice the shimmer of tears in her eyes. It’s like a hot poker in my heart.

  “What happened, Faith? Why are you here? Did someone pull you in against your will in this realm?”

  “No!”

  The sigh that follows doesn’t assure me much. I want to shake her to get her to tell me what happened. I’m curious, yes, but that’s not why I want to know. I’m wondering if maybe I’m here because of her. Am I supposed to help her get back, help her do something? There’s a whirlwind of thoughts going through my mind, and if she’s not talking, I have no idea what to do.

  “Okay, listen. I’m not trying to get in your business or ask personal info you are not willing to share. I’m trying to figure out if I’m here to help you, or if I should go my merry way and see why the fuck I’m here,” I say flatly.

  “Well, go ahead, go figure it out, because I assure you, you’re not here because of me. I came here on purpose.”

  I can feel her closing off with each word that comes out of her mouth. I want to try persuading her, but I don’t. I don’t have time for that, since obviously, she’s not the reason for my situation. Not because I don’t care or don’t want to help, but pick your battles and all that crap.

  “Okay. I’ll let you be and do your own thing. I need to see why I was led here and then go back. There are important things that wait for me back home.” I’m brushing dust from my legs and butt.

  She looks at me, not blinking for a long moment, like trying to see if I’m hiding something or maybe even trying to still figure out if I’m nuts. Who knows? I nod my head and only manage two steps before my foot stops frozen half way in the air for the third one. With a few words, she manages to freeze not just my footstep, but the air in my lungs too.

  “Are you looking for someone that was taken from you violently?” she asks softly.

  I’m afraid to move. So many emotions hit me at once—hope, urgency, excitement…it’s overwhelming. Can it be? Can somehow something, someone, whatever, pull me into a realm without notice so that I find my sisters, my friends, my family? Slowly I turn my head first, then my upper and lower body follow as though I’m worried if I move too fast, I’ll scare her and she’ll run away before she tells me what I need to know.

  “Is that why you’re here, Faith? Was someone taken from you… as well?” I add ‘as well’ because she starts narrowing her eyes. I guess assuming I’m being nosy again.

  “Yes, but I was too late.” She looks down and I see she’s trying to control her breathing. She’s fighting grief and tears, and I know the feeling all too well. Better than my own name, to tell the truth.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” I whisper, and I can’t keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

  She looks up at me, and with surprise on her face, she follows the tear falling from my left eye as if she’s fascinated by it. I see when she makes the decision. It is all happening in her eyes: kinship, understanding, compassion, and at the end, determination. It’s amazing to witness it, and human eyes are so expressive, you can read a person’s mind through them. Ha! Lucifer will be proud; I do listen when he teaches. I’ll make sure to rub it in his face when I get back. First things first!

  “I’ll help,” was all she said.

  “Help, me?”

  “Yes, I’ll help you find whoever was taken from you, Alexia.”

  Well, I wasn’t expecting that. Okay, maybe I was, a little. It was nice to hear it nonetheless. I learned the hard way through my awakening that you should count your blessings when you’re offered help instead of acting like an idiot and listening to y
our bloody ego telling you that you should do everything yourself, even if it means going headfirst off a cliff. Been there, done that. No, thank you!

  “I will be very grateful for it, Faith, but it’s not one. Many were taken.”

  I start explaining to her what happened, skipping most details and names but giving her a brief countdown of events, and no, I don’t mention the Tablets of Destiny; even I’m not that idiotic. Her eyes keep getting rounder and rounder, like they’re going to pop out of her head.

  “Oh, sweet Goddess, I’m so sorry,” she whispers when I finish.

  I don’t want pity! It pisses me off more than anything else. I’ll rather deal with anger, hatred; anything, just not pity, and I tell her as much.

  “I have no pity, sister, I’m just witnessing your loss and pain,” she says, and I see I’ve insulted her. Well done, dumbass. My mind reminds me how good I am at putting my foot in my mouth. I have many questions and not enough time. I feel it in my bones. I don’t have much time left before I go back, so I bombard her with those instead of chitchatting.

  “You said ‘this time’ when I asked about you being here. Do you come here often? Have you seen others? Where are those robed figures going? Did they take the people we are looking for?” I suck in a sharp breath. “Are they hurting them??”

  “Breathe, Alexia. Let’s start walking and I’ll tell you what I know.” She comes closer and rubs my shoulder in an effort to comfort me.

  That last question I asked has me feeling sick to my stomach. Have they been hurt while I was being self-absorbed with my vengeance plan? The anger, that was like embers in my heart flares up to full flame in less than a second, and it’s all aimed at me. If that’s true, I’ll never forgive myself and my selfishness. Faith understands without my saying a word. Of course she would. We’re both dealing with the same feeling, no matter if it’s one person or ten, when they’re taken from you. It’s not just the loss that you feel. It’s the self-blame, the guilt, the hurt, the helplessness. It all sits in a lump in the pit of your stomach, leaving a gaping hole in your heart and it consumes you, one shallow, useless breath at a time.

  We look at each other for a few seconds, like having a wordless conversation, and neither of us blinks or looks away. I feel the bond weaving itself slowly, an etheric cord invisible to human eyes, from my essence to hers, first as tiny as a piece of hair, but with every breath, it gets thicker and stronger until it’s a rope connecting us to those that we allow to become part of our soul. It’s as good as it is bad. We allow too much. We let these cords form with whomever we come across who has an effect on us without being aware of it, so in our own sick little ways we use them, either as a beacon of love and hope for those meant to walk our journey with us or as a noose for those that hurt or betray us. Cutting these cords is a messy business and not fun at all. The rope creating itself in this very second with Faith is a beacon, formed of understanding and compassion. Soul connected to a soul, sisterhood. My eyes tear up and hers do too. I realize she’s seeing it as well.

  “You’re a witch.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement.

  Faith gives me an amused smile, the teary eyes sparkling in the silver glow of the moon.

  “How else could I be here, may I ask, oh wise one?”

  “Now that, my friend, was a stupid question, I’ll give you that much,” I say, laughing softly, shaking my head. I do have special moments, don’t I?

  “Where are we going, Faith?”

  “Let’s first go see if the people you’re looking for are being kept where I think they are. If we don’t find them there, we’ll need to go up the mountain where their temple is.” I start wondering how bad can it be when this strong woman shivers at the thought of it. I don’t have time to dwell on conversations in my head; we need to start moving.

  “Okay, lead the way. Oh, and by the way, where are you from? I love the accent,” I try to change the gloomy subject. Faith starts walking deeper into the orchard of winter trees with their silver apples, and I follow, but I stuff my hands in my pockets because the apples feel so inviting. Twice I caught myself with my arm raised to pick one. If I know one thing for sure, it is that when the urge to do something gets overwhelming to the point that your mind says one thing and your body does the opposite, you better make sure you take control of your body or you’re screwed all the way to Sunday.

  The apples feel enchanted, and I have a feeling if I do end up picking one, there will be no going back from it - ever! I joked with Lucifer the first time I met him, and he asked me to have dinner with him because he was lonely, but I didn’t feel uneasy with anything he offered. I feel very uneasy now, with every apple I pass that pulls at my body.

  “Down Under,” Faith says in front of me. It takes me a second to realize she has answered my question, but since I am concentrating on keeping my hands in my pockets and not snatching the apples hanging in my face everywhere I turn, my mind takes some time to catch up, and I blab the first thing that comes to mind.

  “Hell??”

  Looking back to that moment, I can freely say that what happened was my fault, but at the time, I didn’t feel it was, or maybe just didn’t want to admit it. Faith laughs. She laughs louder than either of us expect, like a cannon echoing through the orchard. She slaps a hand over her own mouth, but it’s too late and she just looks at me, wide-eyed. There’s a chilling scream somewhere up in the mountain and the thundering of feet start shaking the ground under my bare feet. Then she says, loud and clear, only one word that gets my mind, body and soul on the same page in less than a millisecond.

  “Run!”

  5

  As the scenery flashes past me and the only sound I hear is the wild beating of my heart in my ears, my mind is creating pictures of what can happen. One new type of death after another, and all I can see is the flaming eyes and the creepy lanterns. I have goosebumps all over my body, but not because I’m cold. The feeling of being prey while a predator is hunting you… let’s just say you don’t ever want to experience it. It’s not that I somehow lost the fear of dying and death in general. I have people that depend on me to at least keep breathing until I get them back to safety. After that, it’s not important if I breathe or not. Until then, I will do everything I can to stay alive, even if it means running like a coward.

  So we run. I have no idea for how long, but eventually I see the end of the orchard and the woods stretching beyond it. The only problem? The open field between the two. Not a small clearing, mind you. No, I’m not that lucky, as has been proven many times over. From where I am, I’m judging it’ll take several minutes to get across it—long enough for everyone and their brother to see us or catch up to us, as will prove the case. The glow of the moon that I was grateful for until now makes things more difficult, and I curse under my breath. I know, you’re shocked at that revelation. Not even my sailor mouth can help now.

  “Faith!” I say loud enough so she can hear me. Her name carries all the questions and apprehension I feel.

  “Keep running and don’t stop, no matter what, Alexia. No matter what you hear or see, just keep running until we get to the woods. It’s safe there, I promise,” she yells back, not caring if anyone heard her.

  That told me a hell of a lot more than reading an entire introduction manual on this realm.

  My legs are already burning from the running we’ve done so far, but with new determination, it feels like I’m picking up speed instead of slowing down. It’s funny how the mind works. In situations like this, the fear that creeps up in your soul either freezes you like a deer in the headlights or it gives you the inhuman ability to fight to stay alive till your last breath. Obviously, even after all my talk about not caring whether I live or die, my mind makes sure I keep breathing, because it takes control of my body and it almost feels like I’m flying with speed as the trees zip by. Faith is keeping up, and I’m sure she’s experiencing the same feeling as I am. The thundering footsteps are getting closer, no matter how fast we m
ove, and I feel chilled to the bone. Are we going to get caught now? Or, just so death can laugh in our faces, will they catch us right before the woods, so that, in some twisted way, we can taste the freedom that awaits us there but will never be ours? Am I going to die in an astral realm before helping even one of my sisters get free so she can save the others when I’m gone? Out of nowhere another thought springs to mind that leaves me baffled, but I have no time to ponder it. Will Lucifer care that I died, or will he be glad he doesn’t have to worry about me anymore? Why the fuck do I care either way?

  We’re almost at the end of the orchard and I try to keep my breathing as even as possible. As I get closer to the line of trees that mark the end of it, I set my jaw, narrow my eyes, empty my mind and focus only on one thing. Get to the woods, no matter what. I feel uneasy about Faith, whether she’ll be able keep up, so I close in on her until we’re running shoulder to shoulder and I take hold of her hand. The only indication that she didn’t mind was her gentle squeeze as our hands connect. That’s all we have time for.