by KD Bond
"Safe place?"
"Yeah."
They knew without speaking. It was safer for them to split up. They needed to draw their enemies in two different directions, hopefully confusing their scent. Defeating one Blood was difficult, eliminating three without a solid plan, impossible.
Kat covered the distance between her and Sia, throwing her arms around her neck in a punishing hug.
"Don’t die. Please," her sister whispered in her ear, "if he holds you back…"
"I know, I know. And I’m sorry." Kat whispered back; then, she let go. "See you there."
Sia nodded slightly, then took off with paranormal speed. Back through the broken glass door.
Kat turned her focus back in the direction of Luke, seeing his jaw nearly on the floor. His gaze directed at the balcony, her sister just sailed off.
Luke's eyes slid back towards her, mouth wide. "What are you?"
Kat took a step forward and was crushed as he took a step back. Lifting her hand's palm out, she spoke.
"Please just one more hour of your trust. I know I don’t deserve it but remember our time. Surely that accounts for something. After I get you to safety you can choose never to see me again, never remember me again. But right now, I need you to come with me. I need for you to be all in for sixty minutes, Luke."
Finally releasing some of her powers, she sensed the menacing Bloods approach. They seemed to be testing the durability of the front door, soon realizing a swift kick would suffice. Kat started to panic, which would be reckless. She wanted him to come willingly, but she would take him by force if she had to.
Just as she was about to make her moved, a look of determination pasted through his eyes. Their gazes locked, giving her his answer by slightly nodding his hand and walking towards her. At that moment, Kat knew she had lost her heart to this brave male. There was no reason to deny her feelings any longer. Kat had fallen in love with a human.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Luke knew he was crazy, but he’d never seen Kat look so afraid. The fear instilled in her eyes couldn’t be faked. Which was enough for him to realize that what was happening right now wasn’t a game. His mind was desperately trying to piece together what he’d witnessed her sister do a few minutes ago. And the other part of his mind was with Kat.
That small part of his brain was whispering to him that this was real, and Kat had the speed to escape on her own. Here she was trying to convince him to go with her, as danger loomed at their doorstep. No, Kat wasn’t afraid for herself or of those who come for her, she was fearful for him. She cared for him. So, he’d take a leap of faith for her.
"Thank you. My Goddess, thank you.” Kat walked up to him and dragged him towards the balcony exit, “I promise you’ll have your hour, now let’s go."
They exited through the door and walked up to the railing outside. The sun had fallen in the horizon replaced by a full moon, and they were greeted by nothing but darkness.
"I need you to jump with me, Luke."
Luke balked. Ha! She must be out of her God damn mind.
"You said you’d trust me, remember?" Kat pleaded with her eyes.
Luke remembered all right. But that was before she asked him to jump off a God damn building. This was crazy. They’d never survive a fall from this height.
As he continued to muse, the front door behind them smashed in. Luke risked a look behind him and the three scariest mother fuckers he’d ever seen, burst through the destruction of the door. Three distinctly tall creatures dressed in all black from head to toe. Luke squinted his eyes, trying to focus in on their faces, did they have skull heads?
Kat yanked on his arm, drawing his gaze back to her,"Luke, please."
Luke cut his eyes back near the dark figures, their deformed hollow eyes locating them outside on the balcony. The same moment he looked in their direction. Flames lit their eyes, as they created giant fireballs from the palm of their hands, balancing them in midair. With evil smirks, that promised pain, they let out a battle yell so loud the floor beneath them began to shake.
Luke was experiencing an out-of-body experience. He had to be. None of this was real. Any moment he would wake up, and this would all be over. And since this was just a dream, he had no problems stepping onto the railing. Luke would climb over, and before he hit the ground, he would wake up. No problem, he could handle that.
Closing his eyes while taking a deep breath, he jumped.
Cold air rushed through his face as he plummeted towards the earth’s surface. Luke opened his eyes and had enough time to realize that this was not a dream. Surely he would’ve woken by now. He’d jumped out of a perfectly fine building. To escape three giant disfigured creatures, with skulls as heads and could shoot fire out of their hands. What about that didn’t say dream.
As the ground came deviously closer, nothing happened. Just as he closed his eyes to pray, Lukes fall abruptly stopped. Stumbling back on the sidewalk, his eyes frantically caught those of the little redhead before him.
"What the hell just happened?" He tried to compose himself as Kat pushed him aside and grabbed his hand after stopping his fall to certain death.
"Let’s go they’re coming."
Turning around, Luke glanced up. Noticing those three walking skeletons setting up to jump down from the railing he just stood on.
Shit.!, "My car…" Luke tried to pull Kat in the direction of the garage.
"No Luke we gotta run, I’m faster than any car."
"What?"
"I need you to hop on my back." Kat turned her back towards him.
Luke gawked. "You can’t be serious?"
"I tell you to jump off a balcony, and you do that no problem. But this, this you can’t get behind."
“I thought I was dreaming,” Fuck! Luke ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Kat was right, but it was so, so emasculating.
"Luke, they are going to hit the ground in five seconds. I’m fast, but I’m not that fast."
To hell with it. "Okay, okay."
Luke threw his arms around her neck. And as soon as he settled securely on her back, she took off.
Luke’s body was notably larger than hers, so his positioning felt awkward, but only for a moment. After a few seconds, he didn’t have time to think about anything else. Sweet baby Jesus, mother of God, it feels like we’re flying. This was exhilarating. Kat couldn’t be moving this fast, could she?
If it weren’t for the realistic night chill cutting through his eyes, Luke would’ve revisited the possibility of this fantasy being a dream. However, this was not an illusion of his imagination. And neither were the creatures closing in behind them. Frankly speaking, his mind just wasn’t this descriptive.
Sneaking a peek to the immediate threat trailing behind him, Luke noted they were gaining on them, fast. A few elongated strides and they could reach their long boney fingers out and grab them.
"They’re right behind us, Kat!" Luke3 yelled over the whirling wind.
"Luke, I need you to hold on as tight as you can. You’re crushing my wings, but I’m going to speed up and try and lose them!"
“You're what!”
Did she say she had wings?
Luke’s grip became punishing around her neck, and that seemed to be all the response Kat needed. She shot off like a rocket in the night. Damn, she was fast. Luke didn’t think a fire jet could beat Kat in a foot race. Luke didn’t understand how he was still conscious. Let alone how he was able to turn around and glance over his shoulder, trying to see their assailants. Who was barely noticeable.
They ran forever, it seemed, before they came to a stop at some dusty broken-down building. In an area where he’d never been.
Sliding off her back, Luke took a moment to catch his breath. He bent over, laying his hands on his thighs and began to dry heave. Luke distantly felt small circles rubbing his back in comfort. Running at that velocity must have affected him after all.
Luke peered over as a woman started walking towards them
. The one that came crashing through his window.
"Get him inside."
Luke didn’t have the strength to argue. So he allowed himself to be lead into the building by Kat.
Once he finally got his breathing under control, Luke was able to take in his surroundings. The ancient structure was modernized, with an inside that was surprisingly clean and furnished. It had a computer desk, a table with chairs, and a few couches facing a huge flat-screen TV. Despite its outer appearance, the inside looked like a regular apartment, which was shocking.
"So, the human didn’t faint when you turned on the jets.... impressive." The brunette remarked absently, talking to Kat.
The mystery women face was revealed under the flouriest light. Features that were nearly identical to his women, except her coloring was slightly different. Luke eyed Kat in question.
"Luke I’d like you to meet my twin sister, Sia."
That explained the similarities. But right now Luke wasn’t feeling the family reunion. He took a menacing step towards Kat, pointing an accusing finger in her direction.
“Start talking and right fuckin now!”
∞∞∞
Yeah, Kat could tell the shit was about to hit the fan. Luke was pissed, and she couldn’t blame him. His world was turned upside down. Nightmares he couldn’t fathom coming true were banging down his door, literally. Kat put him directly in the line of danger, and for that, she’d be eternally remorseful.
"Are we safe?" Luke questioned, folding his arms across his chest.
"For now," Sia answered, crossing her arms in turn. “The Blood’s track by scent, their master must have something that belongs to Kat since they choose her to follow. But our scents are muted here. The area is surrounded by garbage, so they shouldn’t be able to find us before dawn draws them home.”
"Great," Luke replied, never taking his eyes off her. "Now talk. What the hell is going on."
"Kat," Sia seethed in warming.
"No, Katrina, I want answers. You promised me, I deserve to know what’s going on and I want the truth."
"And you’ll have it as I promised." Kat took a tentative step towards him. And her heart shattered just a little bit more as he once again stepped back. Her face fell, body sagging, as she looked towards her sister.
"Fine. It’s your funeral.” Sia threw her hands in the air, “because when Sky hears about this, all hell is going to break loose."
Sia stomped off towards her bedroom, slamming the door shut. Both jumped at the sound.
Finally, alone, Kat redirected her gaze to Luke. "What do you want to know?” She walked over towards the dining table. “I’ll answer everything to the best of my ability. You’ll have an hour, as promised, but that’s all I can give. There are some things I have to plan out with Sia."
Kat set her watch, hopped up on the table, bracing her hands in front of her. Waiting. Luke started pacing in front of her, seeming to collect himself before he began.
"So, you aren’t an electrician?"
Kat laughed. She didn’t mean to, but she didn’t expect that as the first question he’d ask.
"No, Luke, I am not."
"What are you?"
"A Harpy," with this, he stopped and finally met her eyes.
"A what?"
"A Harpy."
"What’s that?"
Kat cocked her head to the side, studying him. "Luke you’re a brilliant man, you know what a harpy is. Or at least you’ve heard of us in old human folk tales."
"But that can’t be true; harpies aren’t real." That wasn’t a question, so she kept quiet. He seemed to be talking to himself, anyway.
"What were those…those things after us?"
"Blood Demons. Soulless beings from the underworld."
"Demons are real too?" Luke placed his hands on his hips.
"Yes."
"What’s next, Katrina?" Luke threw his hands up in the air, "are you going to tell me the tooth fairy is real? What about the Easter bunny, Santa Clause?"
"No, I’m not, Lucas. But I will tell you most paranormal creatures such as harpies, demons, vampires, and werewolves are real. There are more to that list, but I think you get the picture. They aren’t just urban legends, Luke. They exist… I exist."
"But how can this be." Kat felt this was another moment where he wasn’t directing the question at her, but she answered anyway.
"Every story or folk tale starts with a little bit of truth. Think about it. The theory had to come from somewhere. You just don’t magically come up with the idea of a vampire without something to compare it to. Over the years, the tales just started to get water down and become myths, fairytales. Humans were able to create such elaborate tales because there once was a time when we didn’t have to hide who and what we were from humans. But as your species started to evolve, wars commenced amongst our kind and yours. The Phantom creatures, what we call ourselves, decided to pull our subjects away from the human realm. It was just easier to leave, so we wouldn’t be killed or forced to kill. Centuries went by before any of us returned to the Earth realm. And by then humans didn’t have any recollection of what we were. They turned our image into creatures your kind feared in the darkness. We became the monster under the bed, and we collectively decided to keep it that way."
Luke looked like he wanted to throw up, as everything she shared began to sink in. "This can’t be happening," Luke said to himself. Again, it wasn’t a question, so she kept to herself, watching him. Waiting for the moment, he snapped and tried to kill her. Humans were known for that. Trying to destroy things they couldn’t explain.
Surprising her once more, he took another deep breath before he began another round of questions.
"What are the other realms you mentioned?"
"They’re different dimensions, another world as you will. We can leave your world and enter ours through underground passageways. There are portals beneath the Earth’s surface that only paranormal creatures can see or create to exit this world.”
"Are there any humans where you’re from?"
"Yes, but not many."
"So, humans can cross into your world."
"Yes."
"How?"
"It has to be with another paranormal or the portal may not open. But it’s not a good idea to take humans over to our world for a long period. Just better for everyone if humans never knew our world existed.”
"Why?" Luke looked at her with renewed interest.
"Because…" Kat glanced down at her watch, shit, ten more minutes.
"You promised Kat."
The harpy sighed. Sky was going to kill her. "Because humans stop aging in our world after repeated exposure."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"How… why?"
"We aren’t one hundred percent sure. Could be many things. The magic in the air, or maybe because time runs on a different wavelength in our world than yours. We don’t know seeing how none of us make a habit of bringing humans into our realm. But I do know you can feel the power as you walk through the breach. For humans, it’ll keep them youthful while they’re there. If they returned to Earth after a year, they wouldn’t have aged a day. Prolonged exposer, of unspecified time, will halt their aging, making them immortal, permanently. So, we don’t want humans finding out that the cure for immortality is right in their backyard."
"My God, the chaos." Luke sunk into an empty chair at her feet.
Kat hadn’t even noticed how close he’d gotten. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but having him close made her heart swell.
"Precisely."
Luke sat there for a very long time in silence. Kat knew he would bolt soon. And it’d be the first time in history where she wouldn’t want to see someone run from her. When he spoke again, she jumped at his unexpectant voice.
"So, what now?"
Kat didn’t answer the question, because she didn’t know how. This had never happened to her before, or anyone the Knight knew.
"Are you…"
Luke looked up and swallowed, "are you going to kill me now?"
Kat just stared at him, Goddess above, she fell in love with a human, didn’t she? How could she have let this happen? Kat shouldn’t have allowed this to happen, because now the man she loved was looking at her expecting to die. By her hands, nonetheless.
Kat wanted to assure him that he was safe with her. However, if there was one thing she learned in all her years as a Knight was never to fight a losing battle. And if the Knight had to go up against Sky to protect Luke, Kat would lose. So, she decided not to answer his question, and when her alarm sounded on her watch, signaling his hour was up, she was grateful she didn’t have to.
Chapter Twenty- Nine
Kat didn’t answer his question, which meant there was a high possibility that she was going to kill him. Hell, why wouldn’t she? The creature just spilled all their secrets about her hidden world to a human. And that’s what he was, to this extraordinary woman, just a plain and simple, human being.
Luke saw what she could do, seen her speed, her strength. He knew she possessed the power to annihilate his very existence. But right now, at this moment, once he finally was brave enough to look into her eyes, she looked broken. On the table, she sat silently crying, with her head down. Against his better judgment, he stood before her. Easing his way between her thighs and lifting her chin, so she was forced to look at him. Those forest green eyes were mesmerizing, and looking into her eyes reminded him of the reason he jumped. At that moment he didn’t care what she was.
Luke lifted his hand and wiped her tears.
"Hey, hey, please don’t cry." Luke’s words only seemed to make the tears fall faster.
"This is just so messed up. This wasn’t supposed to happen Luke. You weren’t supposed to find out. I was supposed to leave you. Why didn’t I leave." Kat choked out.
"Shh, shh yeah, I know it’s okay. I understand," Luke embraced her in his arms.
