Enlightened

by Samantha Britt

  “I’m not his one,” she said. The following silence was heavy.

  “What?”

  “It’s all a big misunderstanding,” she revealed. “I was mistaken as Des’ soulmate by some immortals, and they started trying to hurt me. Thane and Des felt responsible so they offered to protect me.”

  Offer was stretching Thane’s behavior a bit, Darcie acknowledged. But she didn’t think Kaine needed to know the immortals basically had to lock her away to keep her safe.

  “But… you are living at their home.”

  She shook her head against the unspoken assumption following his words. “Only for protection. Nothing more.”

  “Why would they protect you if you aren’t The One?” Kaine sounded far away.

  Despite the darkness, she shrugged her shoulders. “Guilt? A sense of obligation? I don’t know.”

  “Interesting,” Kaine’s voice morphed into an eerily familiar sound. A sound which caused a chill to race down Darcie’s spine. “Very interesting. Seems like Des’ story checks out.”

  She heard Kaine clap, and the space around Darcie illuminated. She shielded her eyes and blinked to adjust to the brightness. Looking up, she realized there was not any barrier separating her and the man on the other side of the room.

  She glanced around, noting the cold porcelain tile she sat on in her gown, the three blank walls surrounding her, and one wall made of bars. Aside from the entrance wall, the bare room did not resemble a prison at all.

  Darcie examined her body and noted everything seemed normal aside from the headache. The dress was wrinkled, but had no damage aside from that.

  She returned her attention to Kaine. “Did you turn on the lights?”

  Kaine’s smile was mischievous. “Indeed. Welcome to my home, Darcie.”

  She froze. “Your home?”

  Slowly, realization dawned.

  Kaine stood proudly, not looking anything like a man held prisoner the past few weeks.

  “Adir?” she whispered.

  His smile grew. “Very good. Let’s make sure you remember everything, shall we?”

  With a wave of his hand, Darcie’s mind filled with the memories surrounding her abduction. Her eyes flitted back and forth as she replayed her conversation with Adir.

  As a reflex, she opened and closed her injured hand. Fortunately, the pain from his harsh grip had subsided. Darcie hated it, but she couldn’t stop herself from cowering away from her abductor.

  Adir crossed his arms and continued to watch her. “Forgive my methods, but I wanted to know the truth.”

  She kept her lips pressed together.

  “Nothing to say?”

  Darcie didn’t take the bait.

  “Come now. From what I heard about you, I expected you to have more fight.”

  Her body shivered. Whether it was from the cold stone floor or her fear, she couldn’t tell.

  Adir tapped his foot. Darcie cringed against the sound.

  “Why?” she whispered. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Dear Darcie, surely you know enough about immortal history to answer your own question.” Adir crossed his arms and stepped closer to where she sat on the ground.

  “You must have learned something during your time with the ‘top three’.” It wasn’t hard to detect his disdain when referencing Des and his brothers.

  “Like I said, I only live at their house for protection,” she said and licked her dry lips. “I-I wasn’t included in those discussions.”

  His nostrils flared. “Liar,” he snarled. “You know what they are, yet you still give them your loyalty. Pathetic.”

  Darcie had no idea what Adir was talking about. She shook her head and looked at him with sincerity. “The only time I walked into a meeting was when you were there,” she said. She hoped Adir remembered the anger Des showed when she stumbled into the room with Eshe. It was obvious she wasn’t a welcome participant of the immortals’ business meetings.

  Adir contemplated her words. “Do you know how The Council came to be?” he asked. “And what the purpose of organizing the group was in the first place?”

  The change of topic surprised her.

  “No…” Darcie let her pause hang in the air between them.

  From her time with the brothers and their wives, she knew The Council consisted of the nine original immortals. She assumed their goal was to monitor and regulate lesser immortals’ acts, but Darcie really wasn’t sure.

  “When the Original Nine came into existence,” Adir began his story. He moved to the edge of the room and sat in a chair Darcie swore wasn’t there moments before, “most of us went our separate ways. Human civilizations were on the brink of development, and each of us was intrigued with the beings. I, for example, lived among different groups in the Fertile Crescent and assisted them with the transition to becoming farming communities. It really was a fascinating time…”

  Darcie had no idea where the conversation was going. She bit her tongue and forced herself to listen.

  “Eventually, as I lived among the humans, I began to notice something.” Adir stopped and gave her an expectant look.

  “What?” she obliged, knowing he waited for a response.

  Adir’s manic grin grew. “Whenever I came across humans in the middle of a disagreement, I would feel a warmth in my chest.” Adir took his hand and patted himself right over his sternum. “Right here. And my body… I cannot describe the strength and resilience I felt when I came in contact with conflict. It was exhilarating.”

  Darcie remembered what the immortals told her regarding the strengths of each immortal. “You gain power from conflict,” she stated. “Like wars.”

  “Exactly,” Adir nodded. “See, you do know something.”

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  “Patience,” his gaze narrowed for a moment. “I’m getting there.”

  In an instant, the dangerous expression disappeared and he resumed speaking, “Like I said, I reveled in the sensations of conflict among humans. So much so, I even began orchestrating rather memorable disagreements among the early civilizations. Ever heard of the Persian wars?”

  Darcie’s mouth fell open. Quickly, she closed it and gave Adir a skeptical look. “No way.”

  “Yes,” he repeated, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. “Let me tell you, I enjoyed riling up those Persian tyrants. It was too easy to get them to rush to war with the Greek city-states.”

  She could not believe her ears. Adir facilitated the well-known Greco-Persian wars? Impossible.

  Only it isn’t, Darcie reminded herself.

  In fact, Adir’s story could very well be exactly what happened.

  “And I was not the only one to realize how the human condition could lend me strength,” her captor added, undeterred by Darcie’s incredulous reaction. “The other eight eventually figured out how humans enabled them to grow more powerful.

  “It became quite a debacle,” Adir admitted with his head tilted back towards the ceiling. “We were all growing in strength, but the interactions and manipulations among the humans were beginning to threaten their existence. It was actually Thane who brought all of us to the table to discuss the matter.”

  Her head swirled with the information and realization of how the immortals learned about their power.

  Why would Bella and Thane not tell her the entire story?

  Darcie assumed the immortals came into existence knowing how humans fueled them. Why not share the real history with her?

  Something felt wrong.

  Darcie passed the point of being able to hide her interest in the story. “What happened?”

  “Initially,” Adir continued to stare at the ceiling. “Nothing. The Original Nine met and discussed the situation. We each vowed to limit our influence on human history. We could live among the emerging civilizations, but under the condition we did not alter their path to satiate our selfish desire for power.”

  “I’m guessing that didn’t
work.”

  Adir’s chin dropped and he met her gaze. “No, it did not.”

  Playing her part in his theatrics, she asked again, “What happened?”

  He did not hesitate. “The Fall of Rome.”

  Adir proceeded to explain how the Original Nine immortals played a part in the fall of the most well-known empire in the western world:

  Both Faine and Eros prospered in the society surrounding Rome and the cities of the empire the indulgent society reached. Faine encouraged the arts, becoming the patron to various musicians, actors, and artisans. Eros thrived in the lust-filled and pleasure-seeking Roman society. He often lessened general’s military tactics by encouraging their efforts to be centered on seeking female companions for the night.

  Both of the immortals, unknowingly, diminished the Roman people’s conquering talents–the talents which enabled them to become the dominant empire in the first place.

  Julisanna and Evetta both played games with members of the emperor’s family. Evetta facilitated jealousy between the sons of emperors, encouraging discord and usurpers to step forward to lead the empire. Julisanna’s fault lied in encouraging mothers and fathers to pick a favorite son to dote on, developing deep and lasting relationships with one another. The relationships only gave Evetta concrete targets of jealousy for the less-loved children, leading to disarray and civil wars.

  Charmian’s part was more intentional. The normally gentle immortal was fond of the Germanic tribes and their beautiful landscapes. She grew tired of the mistreatment of the peoples by Roman soldiers, and she worked to empower the tribes in their revolts against Rome. She became the champion of all those Roman’s considered barbarians.

  “Thane, Lome and Des did nothing but benefit from the conflicts created by their siblings,” Adir revealed. Darcie released a relieved sigh she did not realize she held in. “But they did nothing to stop the downfall they saw coming, either.”

  “And you?” she questioned. “How did you contribute to the Fall of Rome?” Just saying the words aloud made her think she might need to be committed.

  “I,” Adir started to wrap up the long-winded and intricate explanation, “encouraged as many battles, street scuffles, and wars I could manage. And I never felt so alive.”

  Darcie could only stare. In truth, Adir looked stronger after just sharing the story. How much power did each of the immortals incur as a result of their actions?

  “Now, you can see why things changed after that,” he said, catching Darcie off-guard.

  “What do you mean?” her voice came out as a whisper.

  “It became clear to us,” Adir rose from the chair and walked towards her, “we could not continue our interactions with humans without causing another series of events which could, eventually, cause their extinction. The Fall of Rome was a hit to civilizations for many years and led to the dark ages for the western world. The Council’s new purpose was to ensure immortal influence on human existence became minimal.”

  Darcie watched his approach, tensing her muscles as he drew near.

  “We, immortals, need humans alive in order to continue our own existence. While we have no proof, we all suspect our lives will end the moment humans are no longer walking this planet.” Adir stopped two feet away from her.

  He reached out a hand to her. “May I?”

  Cautiously, Darcie placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up. She immediately stepped back to put more distance between them and crossed her arms across her chest.

  “How does all of this affect me?” While Darcie found the information interesting, she could not figure out why Adir was bothering to share it with her.

  “Your protectors,” Adir said the word with disdain, “were appointed the official enforcers of this agreement. Whenever an immortal is suspected of interfering with human history, they answer to the three brothers.”

  “Okay…”

  “Any idea why the brothers would be designated as the council’s police?”

  Darcie looked down. She tried to think of a valid reason.

  “Because their powers mesh? So, combined they are the strongest. And they did not partake in the interferences which caused the Fall of Rome?”

  Adir gave a low chuckle, but he looked anything but amused. “Thane, Des, and Lome are not the strongest because they work together. They are the strongest because their power is fueled by human conditions they do not need to facilitate. Destruction, whether it is caused by men or natural disasters throughout the world, strengthens Thane. Any pain, whether it is emotional or physical, fuels Lome.”

  “And your dear Des,” Adir smirked. “Death, whether it is caused by men in times of war or by the natural passage of time, increases Des’ abilities. Every. Damn. Day.”

  The room spun. Death?

  Des’ life was tied to the death of others?

  “So you see, young Darcie,” Adir moved forward and reached out his hand to gently stroke her cheek. His voice took on an eerie calm. “The brothers enforce a rule which limits other immortals’ power. All the while, they continue to grow stronger without even trying. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

  Her stomach rolled. Not only from the information Adir just shared, but also the unsteady expression she read behind his eyes. He looked ready to snap.

  “No,” she murmured. “That isn’t fair.”

  Adir’s hand lowered onto Darcie’s shoulder; his thumb rested against the pulse at the base of her neck. The contact caused another spike in its pressure.

  “I’m glad you agree with me.” His thumb gently traced her throat.

  Slowly, her captor lowered his head to stare directly into Darcie’s eyes. “How about we move to a more comfortable location, and I tell you how you are going to help me overthrow the brothers?”

  23

  Darcie sat in an overstuffed chair and tried take in the room’s exits without anyone noticing. She knew the door they entered through led to the rest of the house, but the two closed to her right were a mystery. She could always try to escape through one of the three windows, but she had no idea if they were on the ground level. Not to mention, Adir currently stood between her and the potential glass exits.

  Her captor paced along the far side of the room talking on a cell phone. He spoke too quietly for Darcie to hear, but his body language revealed his unhappiness with the conversation. The frown on his face put her on edge.

  She tugged on the hem of the shirt Adir gave her to wear. It fit her the way it was intended to, but Darcie did not like the style that showed off an inch of her stomach. She tucked her legs to her body, glad the jeans were flexible enough to allow for the maneuver to cover her abdomen.

  “Just take care of it,” Adir commanded into the phone. She watched as he ended the call and threw the device on the ground.

  Darcie stilled and braced herself for what was to come. Adir walked over and sat down in the chair across from her. He ran a hand through his hair, causing a portion to move out of place.

  “Eric!”

  Darcie jumped.

  One of the doors to the right swung open, and a harried teenager rushed into the room. Darcie strained her eyes to look beyond the newcomer and into the space behind him, but he quickly shut the door. She tried to keep the disappointment from her face.

  “Yes, Sir?” The youth’s voice wavered.

  “Eric, I need you to contact your kin. The rebellion is underway and we will be in need of your services.”

  “Of course. Right away.” Eric spared one curious glance Darcie’s way before he left to complete his task.

  Once again, she was unable to see the room beyond one of the mysterious doors.

  Adir let out a sigh. Darcie turned her head. He looked at her with a contemplative expression.

  Fidgeting in the chair, she asked, “Who was that?”

  “Eric?” Adir waved a dismissive hand. “No one. A lesser deity who acts as a messenger. Nothing more.”

  “A messenger between you and his famil
y?”

  “Not family in the way you use the word,” he replied, sounding bored. “Eric and other deities like him thrive on conspiracy and intrigue in humans and immortals alike. They aligned with the rebellion without much coaxing.”

  “Aren’t you worried they will turn on you?” Darcie thought it obvious people who thrived on traitorous behavior couldn’t be trusted.

  “Don’t worry,” Adir’s lips turned up. “No one will dare cross me. Though, I appreciate your concern.” She bit back her retort, remembering his instability in the prison cell.

  “What do you think of my home?”

  Darcie looked around the finely decorated room. She wouldn’t say it, but the space reminded her of many rooms in the brothers’ mansion.

  “It’s nice. You have good taste.” Her voice lacked inflection.

  “Come now, Darcie. Lighten up.” Adir tilted his head and observed her. “You look so tense. Relax. I will not harm you.”

  “I’m cold.” She demonstrated the fact by allowing a small shiver to run through her body.

  “Well, we can’t have that,” Adir stood and reached behind his chair. He withdrew a thick green blanket.

  Darcie watched as he stepped her direction and draped the blanket over her body, taking care to not touch her in the process. She lowered her chin, unable to maintain the uncomfortable eye contact.

  “Better?” he asked before returning to his chair and looking at her expectantly. His false concern was frustrating; his attempts to appear friendly were annoying. Darcie couldn’t take it.

  “Why am I here?” she finally braved the potential storm and asked the nagging question.

  “You are going to help me overthrow the brothers.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t understand how. You know I’m not Des’ soulmate… or whatever it’s called.”

  “Yes, I believe that to be true,” Adir allowed. “However, Thane and Lome are convinced otherwise.”

  He paused, letting the last statement hang in the air between them.

  “So?” Darcie asked impatiently.

  “They will do anything to ensure your safety, including accepting their role as the enforcers for The Council is over.”