There was no way for James to dodge the blow. It had happened too quickly. He dropped to his knees, with a look of complete shock on his face.
“Nooo!” Emily sprinted over to where her father slowly slumped to the floor.
She caught him before his face hit the ground, immediately attempting to maneuver him onto his back. She winced as her movements brought a cry of pain from her father.
“Daddy, no,” Emily pleaded, as she placed his head on her lap. She watched as her father’s face turned pale and his body began to shake.
Dante loomed over them, casting a dark shadow. “See?” He shook his head. “Nothing constant. You’re always changing. Here one minute, gone the next. So weak, so sickeningly fragile.” Disgust oozed from his lips with each word.
Emily glanced up to meet his glare. This time all she could see was utter hatred in his eyes. Every ounce of his beauty was gone. The only thing visible was darkness. Looking into his eyes was like looking into a hole that had no end, like the crushing abyss of the deepest ocean.
“This is it, it’s over, and we’re all going to die.”
Emily did not cringe at the thought. Instead she took a deep breath; waiting for the blow to come that would easily take her life. She stayed calm; there was a sense of peace in knowing that this would be the end for both her and her father. At least it meant she could see her mother and they would all be together again.
He raised his arm in a position to strike, though Emily wasn’t sure if the strike was for her or her father, their bodies were entwined in a ball on the ground. She watched in slow motion as his steel bar of an arm began its downward decent.
Emily closed her eyes for just a moment. It felt surreal. All of her senses seemed to be heightened, engulfing her mind. She could smell the stale metallic scent of her father’s blood. She could feel the cold moist air that blew through the doorway leaving microscopic droplets of water on her skin. And she could taste the potent flavor of salt that lined her lips from the tears that had rolled down her face. The split second was euphoric, feeling much longer than it truly was.
“So this is what it feels like right before you die. One last blast from your senses.”
But then she heard it, what sounded like two rocks being slammed together. She opened her eyes to see Alexander’s broad back directly in front of her. He had one knee on the ground in a crouched position and held Dante’s fist in his grasp.
Alexander’s free hand grabbed a three-inch splinter from off the ground and plunged it into the ancient ones inner thigh, breaking the end off with a quick snap. Standing up he landed a hard uppercut to Dante’s jaw that sent him staggering a few steps back.
Dante laughed as he stumbled backward. When he regained his footing he glanced down at his small wound.
“It takes more than a splinter to kill me, Alexander. Surely you know that.” He laughed once more.
“A little bit at a time is all it takes.” Alexander lunged at him and the fight commenced again. The same pattern of flashes began as they engaged in their deathly dance. Each time they materialized, they were in a new position. Emily wondered how anything could be accomplished like this. It was like trying to fight a ghost.
“How do you kill Casper, let alone punch him?”
Emily’s head jerked from left to right as she tried to keep track of the battle. But, her question was suddenly answered when the two appeared and it was Dante who looked confused.
“I told you it just takes a little bit at a time.” Alexander threw a firm hook across his opponent’s face.
Then in a hundredth of a second he appeared behind Dante, grabbing him by the neck and throwing his body to the ground. It happened so fast it appeared as though Alexander had a twin.
Dante hit the floor with such force that the hardwood surface cracked and splintered beneath him. It only took a moment for Emily’s mind to process what was going on.
“The sliver! Dante has healed with it still inside him, he can’t shift forms anymore!”
Emily felt a real sense of hope budding from within her.
The Ancient One was up just in time to block an attempted kick. But, before he could retaliate, Alexander appeared in a position at Dante’s side, driving his elbow into his abdomen. Alexander flashed back to face him, his forearm connecting with Dante’s face as it came down in reaction from the previous hit.
Alexander’s blow caused blood to pour out of his enemy’s nose. It was the first time Emily had seen any blood come from the seemingly invulnerable being.
The backward motion of Dante’s head was now countered with Alexander appearing behind him, delivering a shattering kick to his enemy’s spine. This not only caused the most severe case of whiplash Emily could ever imagine, but it landed Dante right in front of her.
The Ancient One weakly climbed to all fours like a dog, and then slowly rose to a kneeling position. He was close enough that Emily could see straight into his golden eyes, now filled with pain. Before she could panic because of his proximity, Alexander appeared behind him.
“You are no brother of mine.” Alexander placed both of his massive hands on either side of Dante’s head.
Emily closed her eyes tightly but could still hear the loud crack.
She looked up in time to see the Ancient One fall lifelessly to the floor, just inches in front of her.
It was over. He was dead. Emily gawked in disbelief at what she had just witnessed.
Alexander stood still, his only movement from the rise and fall of his chest as he sucked in large amounts of oxygen. He stared at the lifeless body before him.
Then, as though someone had dumped a can of gasoline on it and lit a match, the body burst into flames. It was an instant pile of ash, leaving no smoke or singe marks. Emily felt no heat from the supposed flame. The only evidence was the mound of dark soot that remained in the place where the Ancient One’s body had fallen.
“Is that what happens to Guardians when they die?” Emily asked as she reminded herself to breathe.
Alexander nodded his head in silence as he continued to stare at the ashes.
Emily scanned Alexander’s body. He was covered in blood and she wasn’t sure how much of it was his. He didn’t look as though he were badly injured at all.
She then glanced back down at her father. His breathing had become more labored and his face was even whiter than before.
“Daddy, you hold on. We’re going to get you some help.” She looked up to Alexander. He was instantly gone. The beeping of the phone came from the kitchen and Emily heard three numbers being dialed.
Her father took a quick intake of breath, and then groaned with pain. Four inches worth of the bow was still sticking out of his chest near his heart. She knew it was not smart to remove the object because it could cause him to bleed out, but she also knew that he was in a great deal of pain and that these could be his last moments.
“I’m so sorry… This shouldn’t have happened.” Emily tried to control the sobs that were rising in her throat. She needed to be strong for him. He needed to see that she believed everything was going to be okay, even though that was a lie.
“Everything….” Her father struggled to breathe and speak at the same time. “Everything happens for a reason, you remember that.”
“Daddy, don’t talk that way. Don’t talk like this is it for you.” The tears flowed down Emily’s cheeks.
“You promise me that….” Her father took a deep breath, wincing with the pain it brought. “That you’ll keep swimming. Just keep your head above the water and keep swimming and you’ll make it.”
Emily was nodding her head because she couldn’t speak.
“I can’t do this, I can’t lose him. I’m not strong enough.”
“I love you, sweet Emmy.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
Emily could hear soft moans coming from the other side of the room where Xavier was regaining consciousness and climbing to his feet. She didn’t bother to look over; she knew Xavier
would be fine. It was her father that was dying right in front of her eyes, just as her mother had done.
Alexander came over and handed the phone to Emily. He then reached down and scooped James up like he was a small boy.
“Where are you taking him?” Emily gasped.
“I’m going to run him down to the end of the road to meet the ambulance.”
“I love you Daddy,” she whispered, kissing his forehead.
Emily received no response, his body was limp. Alexander turned and headed out the door.
“Hello? Hello? Please stay on the line.” The dispatcher’s voice came through the phone that hung from Emily’s hand.
But Emily didn’t hear her. The only sound she could hear was that of her own cries saturating the air as she watched Alexander carry her father’s lifeless body through the doorway and into the dark.
Chapter 17
* * *
Revelation
Sleep eluded Emily once more.
Sitting up in bed, she ran her fingers through her hair and let her head hang in an uncomfortable position. It was three days since the big battle, and Emily had hardly slept. It was impossible. How could she?
Movement came from the corner of her room where her large bookshelf and chair were positioned. She snapped her head in that direction, attempting to focus on the shadow that now moved briskly toward her.
The soft light from her bedside lamp flicked on to reveal Alexander, with a very worried look on his face.
“You need sleep, Emily. What are you doing awake?” He sounded like a concerned parent.
Emily didn’t want Alexander to take over the role of parent. She wanted her father to do all that. She needed him here with her.
Alexander sat down next to her on the bed waiting for Emily to speak.
“I….I just can’t sleep. It’s no different than the other nights. I can’t shut my mind off. I can’t stop reliving everything and wondering what the future holds, and what I’m supposed to do with all of this.” Emily looked up to meet Alexander’s compassionate eyes. “Uuuhh, I’m just rambling, I know… I don’t even make sense anymore.”
“You make sense. You’ve been through more than most. You need to give yourself some credit. The strength you have shown these past three days has been amazing.” Alexander rubbed Emily’s legs that had curled up beneath her satin sheets.
“I guess that’s why I’m having a difficult time sleeping. I’m trying so hard to be strong during the day; you know keep my head above water like my father told me to. But at night when it’s just you and me, I have no strength left.” Emily sighed.
“I’ll be your strength. I’ll be whatever you need me to be,” Alexander vowed.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Emily placed her hand on his.
“Lead a normal life,” Alexander teased.
There was too much truth in his sentence and it made Emily shiver.
“Don’t talk like that. I’m unsure of so many things in my life right now, except you. You’re the only thing I’m sure of, so don’t take that away.”
Alexander brushed her hair back from her face. “I won’t. I couldn’t leave you, it’s impossible.”
The warmth of his hand brought Emily instant comfort. Something about Alexander’s touch was like a medicine to her. It seemed to have had a literal physical effect on her. At this point, she certainly felt like it was a possibility that his abilities stretched that far.
Emily cleared her head and tried to focus. “Has Xavier been by? Does he have any updates?”
“He was here about a half hour ago; nothing has changed at the hospital. Your dad is still in stable condition. Everything the doctors have done seems to be working.”
Emily had spent the last two nights by her father’s bedside, refusing to leave. It wasn’t until this afternoon, when the doctors reported that they were certain he would recover, that Emily had allowed herself to relax. It still took enormous amounts of convincing from Alexander and her father for Emily to agree to go home for the night. She had only given in when Xavier promised that he would stay by his side and bring periodic reports throughout the night.
When Alexander had walked out the door with her father, Emily had honestly believed he was dead and that it was the last she would see of him until she stood over his casket. She had felt so utterly alone in that moment, like her heart might stop beating. Alexander had come back and loaded Emily into the car and sped to the hospital. Emily didn’t really remember the drive; she sat silently while the voice in her head cried relentlessly. When they arrived at the hospital, and Emily had learned that her father was still alive, she could hardly believe it. During surgery the doctors were just as surprised. They said the wooden bow had come centimeters from her father’s heart and had barely missed a major artery. It was a miracle he had survived.
Emily’s life hadn’t been shattered like she thought but it had still been turned upside down. The battle created so many questions. Was she ever going to be safe again? What was it about her and Alexander that had the Opposition in a fury? What was it that Dante had shown Alexander in his vision?
Emily had not expressed any of these concerns to Alexander. They really hadn’t spoken about the event at all. Everything was about her father. Emily wasn’t even sure how things got cleaned up and straightened out at the home in Cooperstown. She had only briefly wondered how they were going to explain everything to the authorities.
When she mentioned her concern to Alexander he replied, “Not to worry, everything has been taken care of.”
Emily didn’t really care how it was done; at that moment all she cared about was her father. All the other details seemed insignificant.
“Well that’s good news, I guess,” Emily replied, returning her thoughts to the present conversation.
“He will be home before you know it. Then things can begin to feel normal for you again.”
“Really? I’m not sure things can ever truly feel normal again.”
Alexander grimaced. “Yeah I suppose they can’t.”
Emily instantly regretted her statement. She hadn’t meant to make a comment that would cause Alexander to feel guilty.
“It’s just that I have all these questions now. I wonder if all of this is really over or if it’s just the tip of the iceberg. You know…with the Opposition and the Ancient Ones and all of the not-so-normal stuff. I didn’t mean us.” Emily wanted to take back the hurt she had caused but she was afraid she couldn’t.
“But that is us, Emily. All your questions exist because of us, because of me.”
“Alex…” Emily was interrupted as a figure appeared at the foot of her bed.
Emily was obviously startled, no doubt still a little jumpy since the battle, but Alexander seemed unalarmed.
Standing only a few feet away loomed a tall and slender woman.
Her long blonde hair flowed in loose waves over her shoulders and down her ribcage like a golden river that shimmered in the sun. The faint light surrounding her illuminated her soft skin. In fact, it looked more like she was the actual source of the light. The woman wore a satin emerald robe that cascaded down the length of her body. She was breathtakingly beautiful, just as Dante was. Initially, Emily felt fear at the sudden appearance of this new stranger, but the feeling immediately faded. Something told her there was nothing to be afraid of.
Then Emily looked into her eyes. Not only did she see the familiar green color but she also saw love and compassion.
“Hello, Emily.” Aldara’s voice rang through the air like a tiny bell.
“Uhh …” Emily glanced at Alexander who stood and walked over to greet Aldara.
He embraced her and then turned to Emily. “This is Aldara. She is one of the Governing Five. And also my mother.”
“Oh! Hello. Alexander has told me about you. I guess I’m still a little on guard… Uh, sorry about that.” Emily was at complete ease now, despite her fumbling words.
“I must apologize.
I’m afraid there is no way to announce my arrival. It can be very startling, especially after all that you have recently been through.” Aldara’s voice was soothing and sincere.
Emily already liked her.
“To what do we owe the honor of your visit, Mother?” Alexander sat back down on the bed. “Emily, you should know that as long as I have existed I cannot recall a time that one of the Governing Five has left the Guardian Realm.”
“My son speaks the truth. This is a historical visit for me. Though I have seen the mortal world many times through visions, this is the first I have beheld it with my very eyes.”
“Sorry it’s just my room. It’s definitely nothing glorious.” Emily felt slightly self-conscious.
Aldara gave a melodic laugh. “It’s quite nice. It suits just fine.” She swept the room with her eyes and then back to Alexander and Emily. “My visit must be brief. However, the length of my visit should not detract from the importance. What I am here for is something that I have long awaited.”
Alexander and Emily exchanged glances. It made Emily feel a little better to see that Alexander was just as clueless as she was.
“Emily, I know you have so many questions. I know things seem different and somewhat out of sorts for you. Though I cannot answer all of your questions at this time, I come bearing knowledge and wisdom that will satisfy for the present.”
Although Emily could feel herself jumping inside with this news of answers, she simply muttered, “Okay.”
“You question why you have the privilege of knowing Alexander’s true identity. At times I know you feel unworthy of his presence. You wonder why the two of you would fall in love as you have, why someone would love you so much.” Aldara paused for a moment to let her words sink in.
Emily just nodded her head in silent agreement.
“That’s exactly how I feel; completely inadequate to be in his presence.”
Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance Page 25