“S-S-S-Seb.” Ana stuttered. I could scream at how relieved I was to hear her sweet voice again. In reality, she wasn’t gone that long, but given where she was, I wasn’t sure I would get her back. I couldn’t help myself as I planted hot kisses all over her cold face.
“I-I’m st-still mad at y-y-you,” Ana said, shivering.
I didn’t fight the laugh that bubbled up. I squeezed her harder, trying to warm her before I replied
“You can be mad at me forever if you promise to never scare me like that again.”
Chapter 22
Hi, My Name is Analise Walker
Ana
“This should help,” Helia said, handing me a steaming cup of what I presumed was tea.
I took the large coffee cup and inhaled the steam. It smelled of honey. Taking a sip confirmed the liquid to be as sweet as it smelled.
Jace walked into the kitchen carrying a fleece blanket. He gently wrapped the soft material around my shoulders. I smiled gratefully at him. Jace returned the smile and then frowned at Seb’s hand on the small of my back before taking a seat in the chair on the opposite side of me.
I had been back from the vortex for about twenty minutes, and in that time Seb hadn't once left my side. What was up with him? Maybe he was worried about me not making it out. Not that I could blame him since I was worried too.
“So, how'd you get out?” Jace asked curiously.
“Well…” I wanted to tell him, but I stopped, thinking of the moment I dived off the cliff. It was the scariest thing I'd done, but I knew I had to do it. I lifted my head up to see Helia. She was standing at the stove, stirring something in a big pot with her back to me. Her final words drifted through my mind before she left me in the vortex.
“I followed my instincts,” I finally admitted, “and they led me to the edge of a cliff. I dove into the freezing water. For a moment, when I was under there, I felt like I'd made a mistake. But, then, I saw a shimmering light further down. The next thing I knew Seb was pulling me out of a bathtub.”
I stared into the distance as I took another sip of the hot tea.
Helia came back to the table and sat across from us just like when we first arrived here. Seeing her there brought a lot of questions to my mind.
“So Celeste was the creator of vampires.” I stated to get my thoughts organized.
“Yes, the first immortal.” Helia responded
“Okay. And one thousand years ago, a war started on Nexus because this Erebus guy wanted all the power. Celeste sacrificed herself to imprison him, right?” I asked, looking for confirmation from the older woman.
Helia nodded.
“Does that mean she's dead?” I questioned even though I was sure of the answer.
“Mostly likely.” Helia replied.
I couldn't hide the disappointment on my face. A part of me held hope she was strong enough to survive even without her crystal heart. This brought me to my next question.
“What happened to her baby? The daughter she gave her powers to?”
Helia looked at me with something in her eyes that I couldn't decipher.
“My grandmother and I took her though the portal. When we arrived on earth, my grandmother used a similar spell, the one used on Erebus, except this one put the baby in a timeless slumber. The child was engulfed in an unbreakable cocoon and was laid deep in the earth’s core until the rising spell was performed.” Helia explained as she looked intently at me.
I glanced at Jace and Seb who both looked equally confused by the story.
“Where is she now?” My voice quivered a little, but I brushed it off as after effects of my journey. Helia gave me a slow full smile that had me nervous for her response.
She then took the finger of her right hand and drew small circles on the palm of the left one. When she was done, she held the palm up.
“You tell me,” Helia said
The center of her hand had transformed into a mirror. The image that it reflected was me. I was so startled, I jumped out of my chair, sending it crashing to the floor.
“Me! I-I'm the baby?” My words came out as a whisper, more to myself than anyone.
“How is that possible? She's only eighteen?!” Seb asked.
“Why didn't you tell me she was the daughter of Celeste?” Jace jumped in to say before Helia could respond to Seb.
I wasn’t paying much attention to them, though, because my mind was reeling from this new piece of information.
Celeste was my real mother. It all made sense; our resemblance to each other, her smile that made me feel at home. Now that I thought about it, she even called me daughter! Geez, I could be so stupid sometimes. How'd I miss that?!
“Jace…” Helia started, but I cut her off.
“I met my mother; the real one!” I said, still stunned by it. In the next instance, sadness took over because I knew that would be the only time I ever saw her. I had so many questions for her that she could never answer.
“Technically, yes, Celeste is your birth mother, but Lucy Walker is your mother too.” Helia reminded me.
“So Lucy's story about taking me from cloaked people is true.” I stated rather irritably. My anger at the woman who raised me was still there apparently.
“Yes. I needed to make sure the location was correct. That's when I started going to the library where she worked. Lucy overheard some things and followed me and the other witches on the night of your rising. You came out so forcefully, it knocked us unconscious.” Helia informed us
“And that's when she took me.” I added, putting the pieces together.
“Right. I found you a few days later but witches believe everything happens for a reason. So I left you in her care.”
Everything happens for a reason my ass! What was the reason for years of bullying and torture? To build character?! Yeah, right. My sarcastic thoughts must have showed on my face because Helia narrowed her eyes at me.
“No family is perfect, Analise. Remember that. Lucy may not have been the perfect mother, but she loved you. That's a fact.” Helia’s lecturing was frustrating, but I tried my best not to let it get to me. She just didn't understand how I felt about being lied to my whole life.
“Okay, whatever. So I'm some thousand year old daughter of the first immortal. What's this all add up to now?” I was missing something big here, and I needed to know what that was.
“Technically, you are still eighteen since you didn't start aging until you rose. But it all matters now because Erebus is due to rise again.”
The words Helia spoke sent a chill down my spine. I prayed she was not serious.
“I-I thought Celeste...” My voice trailed off as I felt the fear wash over me.
“No, she didn't kill him. She only imprisoned him and the spell is starting to wear off. Soon his body will be free, and he will come for you.” Helia recited the events like someone who had all the time go through it in their head.
“I don't know who this guy is, but he won't get near Ana.” Seb jumped to defend me as usual.
“Erebus is only the most dangerous and powerful vampire in history. If there is even a chance he’s coming for Ana, I’m sure she’ll need more than you to protect her.” Jace chimed in venomously.
No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening! When I visited the past, I never saw Erebus, but I felt the fear that surrounded his name in the room. This vampire killed my father, brother, and mother. He was the reason I was here. Celeste knew he would have killed me too had I stayed in Nexus. And, now, Helia was basically saying this crazy creature was coming back for me! What the hell was I supposed to do now?
“I can’t fight him! What do I do?” I asked timidly.
Helia walked towards me and gently took my hand in hers.
“Hopefully, you won’t have to dear. Even though Erebus’ prison will free his body, he had been hibernating for a thousand years. That being said, he won’t be able to awake without…”
“Blood!” I cut Helia off.
She
nodded in agreement. I could literally feel relief wash over me. As long as Erebus didn’t get any blood, he couldn’t awaken and come after me.
“Yes, he needs blood to completely break the spell but not just any blood. It has to be the blood of one of his descendants.” Helia explained, walking back over to her boiling pot.
I wondered briefly what she was cooking at this time of night. It didn’t smell good or bad to me, but Seb would scrunch his face every so often, clearly not enjoying the aroma.
“Who are his descendants?” Seb asked.
“Do they even know about him?” Jace added.
This was the first time I noticed the tension in both their bodies. It was like they were having a contest on who could stick their chest out the furthest. I was going to guess something happened between Seb and Jace when I was in the vortex. Now is not the time for me to bring it up though.
“Erebus only had one son. His son’s name is Ferox. The vampires know him as king Ferox, the current ruler of vampires,” Helia said, never taking away his focus on whatever she was cooking. Silence surrounded the room. I knew what everyone, except Helia, was thinking. The current feared vampire king is the son of Erebus. That’s just fucking great! With the father being who he was, I could only imagine how the son would be.
We all still stood, silent in our own thoughts; each of us not knowing what to say. Helia, of course, had more “good” news to add.
“King Ferox has two children, Princess Catalina and Prince Cassius. These are the only vampires whose blood could raise the ruthless Erebus. All you have to do is kill the royal family. Helia told us like it was a simple plan.
Had she lost her mind? I couldn't just kill royal vampires. I was not some secret vampire assassin. My only training had come from Seb. A human, might I add.
“Helia, you’re asking the wrong person. This isn't my fight!” At this point, I didn't care that I sounded whiny, but she had no right putting this on me. It was too much for one person to bear.
Seb tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to him, noting his face and body was hard and ridged.
“Ana, I need to call and check on Marie. I'll be right back,” he said.
I half-nodded and seconds later, the front door was closed.
The three of us stood in an uncomfortable silence. Helia wiped her hands on a towel before slowly approaching Jace and me. She looked between the two of us before sighing loudly. What did she have to sigh about? It was not like I asked her to take down a group of powerful vampires or something.
Helia walked out of the kitchen, leaving Jace and I staring at her retreating form. A minute later, she returned with a book in her hand. It was a brown leather-bound book that looked old from the cracks along the binding and cover. Even the pages looked crinkled and yellowed.
“Here,” she said, handing me the book “This should give you more information on the vampires you must kill.”
I took the book from her hands but didn't bother to open it. I was assuming she didn't hear me earlier when I refused this mission.
“Helia…” I started to remind her that I wasn't participating, but she put her hand up to stop me.
“I know you’re afraid, Analise, but you are the only one who is powerful enough to defeat them, all of them.” Helia sounded so sure of her words, she almost convinced me; key word being almost.
“No, you’re wrong. I've only been a vampire for two years. I'm not strong enough to beat them!” I yelled, getting frustrated by the whole thing. There were so many things running through mind, I felt like I was going to explode!
“That's where you’re wrong, Analise. You have a crystal heart deep within that gives you abilities that have no limits,” Helia said, looking me dead in the eye, daring me to challenge her words.
I gladly accepted the challenge. “How is that possible when everytime I use my ability, it completely drains the life from me. I'm always weak after.”
There was no way for me to be so strong if one bolt knocks me out. Let’s hear her explain that one to me.
Helia’s face changes to a mocking smile; almost like she was waiting for me to say exactly what I just said.
“I'd hope you'd say that. Well, Analise, the reason that happens is because you haven't mated,” Helia said with a raised brow.
“What?!” I shot out. She couldn't be serious.
Helia glanced at Jace quickly but not quickly enough for me to miss it.
“Your powers are too strong and your body can't handle the full use of them. Most supernatural creatures have a soul mate to ensure the survival of our kind. We mate with the person that we bond to every way. The connection is intense and instant the moment you see your other half. In your case, you need to mate because having a mate balances your powers and makes you stronger,” Helia said, looking amused.
I, on the other hand, was losing it. I have a soul mate? Like an actual guy that was perfect for me in every way? The thought both thrilled and scared me. What if he didn't like me? What if I couldn't find him? Or worse, what if I already did?
“I have a mate. H-how do I find him?” I asked cautiously, noticing for the first time how quiet Jace had been.
“Not a mate, honey, but three mates. Three men will bare a symbol that marks them as yours. You will know when you meet one by the connection you feel towards him, but if you are unsure, just look for the symbol typically on the back of their necks,” Helia said then returned to the pot on the stove.
“Wait, why three? I thought people had a soulmate, not soulmates?” I questioned.
Helia reached into her cabinet, pulling out some herbs to add to whatever she was cooking.
“You, my dear, are not typical. Three will have your mark, and you will be drawn to each man. But it's up to you which one to choose and complete the bonding.”
My stomach was tight with knots. My mind was on information overload. And I was hungry. This day was getting worse by the second.
“Choose wisely because, once you've chosen a mate, it will unleash the full capacity of your powers which your mate will help balance for you so as not to overwhelm your body.” Helia added, cutting another glance at Jace.
Jace was watching me intently like he was waiting for me to lose it. The moment was getting closer by the second.
Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head. It hit me so hard, my knees almost buckled. The expression on my face changed, and Jace was aware because he suddenly looked pale.
“Excuse us,” I said sharply.
Taking purposeful strides in his direction, I grabbed his wrist and tugged him with me out of the kitchen. We exited the front door into the cool night air.
“Ana…” Jace’s words were stopped short by my hand slapping across his face. Jace’s head whipped to the side and he turned back to me stunned.
“How long have you known?!” I practically screamed.
He rubbed his reddening cheek but didn't respond. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. Still, I needed to hear it. Just for confirmation, I zipped around him and lifted the hair covering the back of his neck. Not to my surprise, there was a small red symbol of intersecting swirls. It kind of looked like a heart with another one crossing through the first but the second was upside down. Jace stumbled away from me, but he knew I'd already seen it.
“Tell me now, Jace! How long?” I demanded.
“Ana, I'm sorry. I never meant to hu…”
“Just answer my question.” I interrupted angrily.
Jace sighed heavily. He looked at me with sad eyes that made my insides ache. But I pushed it aside.
“Since the first day I saw you when we were still kids I knew you were my mate,” he finally said.
Hearing the words out loud did nothing but made me feel worse. For years, I felt drawn to him and didn't understand why. But he knew the whole time yet he still chose to ignore me. Was I that fat and ugly that my own mate didn't want to claim me? My heart was breaking in my chest, but not for Jace—for me. If this wa
s how one mate treated me, what was there to be expected from the other two?
I didn't even realize tears were already falling from my face until Jace’s warm fingers brushed them away. His gentle touched ignited a violent reaction from me, and I slapped his hands away.
“Don't touch me.” I snapped, adding distance between us. Jace’s eyes glossed with unshed tears, and I cursed myself for feeling bad for him.
“Ana, I'm so sorry. I never told you because it was complicated,” he said, pleading for me to understand.
“Complicated!” I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. “Let me clear it up for you. You knew you were my mate yet you stood by for years watching me be bullied and tortured! To add insult to injury, you dated my sister! The spawn of Satan!”
I was beyond pissed. My powers were shimmering below the surface.
“No, please, just let me explain. I never had any feelings for Kim. It was all faked,” he said, reaching out to me. I stepped further away.
“Ana, before I moved here, I used to live with my grandmother. She taught me witchcraft.. See, my mother hates what she is and didn't want anything to do with being what we are. My mother wanted a normal life, but she couldn't force me to have one. So she sent me to my grandmother. It was good for a while, but after my grams taught me how to ignite a flame, I was addicted. I was just a kid who liked playing with fire until I went too far and burned down half my school. No one was hurt, but I was freaked out, and I wanted to go back to my mother. My mom, however, had one condition; no magic. If she caught me, she would send me back and have my magic bound. When I first saw you, I knew you were mine, but I was young and scared. I was the new boy, and I didn't think you would like me. That night, I called grams and told her how I felt. She said you were probably my mate but not to worry about it yet and just be your friend. The next day at school, I was going to try to be friends with you. I waited outside after school but got bored by how long it was taking you to come out. So I started using magic to levitate some rocks. That's when Kim caught me. She threatened to tell everyone what I did, including my mom. I begged her not to and promised her I'd do anything. She told me she wouldn’t tell if I became her boyfriend and never speak to you.” Jace poured out his story, staring at me with hopeful eyes.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 22