Imperfect

by Darci Darson

  “I don’t want him, either. He is nice but not for me. I want to go to this strange place you’ve told me about, to the University in Extbrook.”

  “I will send you to that University, Alyssa, even if it was the last thing I do in my life.”

  Alyssa’s expression softened with confusion.

  “Let’s go,” Yasmeen added. The wood was not safe at night. Rav and Kate were still not back from their expedition to a human town in search for some books about ancient times. Yasmeen and Rav had been studying the local sources in order to find any information about the ways of crossing between two dimensions. Yasmeen had never abandoned her desire to reconnect with her parents but so far all their efforts had been futile. Even the Elves’ magic had been useless. She was happy and fulfilled with herself, though. Rav was a good and loving husband to her. Yasmeen loved her family and enjoyed her life as much as possible... which was not difficult as they had moved into the heart of the Alyssum Forest, invited by Ettrian who had persuaded others of his kind to allow this. The Elf seemed to be more and more attached to their family than to his own as time passed by. Yasmeen sometimes wondered what was behind their decision to choose the Alyssum Forest as their family home. Was it its beauty and charm or the desire to further develop the business run by Rav and Ettrian? Was it the Elf who had nagged them to do so, seeming to have his own purpose behind it? Rav sometimes complained that his best friend must have been in love with his wife but it had never disturbed their friendship. Yasmeen was certain that in Ettrian’s eyes there was only pure and honest friendship for her but as Alyssa had turned into a young woman, Ettrian somehow started to avoid her daughter’s company at all cost which was... puzzling for Yasmeen. She would notice that when Ettrian came back from his voyages and Alyssa fell into his arms to welcome him, the Elf seemed uncomfortable. The glances that he sometimes sent to Alyssa, thinking that nobody was around, were the glances of a man attracted to a woman.

  “Iluna’s son asked why you and Dad are not aging. I told him that we are like the Elves,” Alyssa said. She had been talking about Felicia’s second grandson. He was ten now. They visited the castle twice a year. Felicia’s daughter watched Yasmeen with growing confusion and suspicion each time. Yasmeen and Rav seemed to look as though they were merely Alyssa’s older siblings. This was another good reason for living with the immortal and forever young Elves.

  Alyssa would be about eighteen in a few months’ time. Time among the Elves did not matter. Yasmeen had stopped counting a long time ago. She planned that after Alyssa had started her own family she and Rav would travel to different magical locations in Iioliv.

  The wood was getting darker and darker. Yasmeen thought that they should have hurried on. Her heartbeat accelerated. She sped up, fighting her way through the dense bush. They had been very reckless this time and she suspected that Rav would be furious. He had never been happy with her and Alyssa hunting in the woods, always moaning about the dangers of their escapades. She had to admit, though that the arguments in their marriage were caused by her temper not Rav’s. Over time, she had had to teach him to engage into providing a stable income for their family and gathering some luxurious goods as well as ensuring the proper education for Alyssa in the Alyssum Forest that included arranging an educated elf teacher coming to their house three days a week. Yasmeen worked on Alyssa’s English and maths, herself. Rav was a quick learner, willing to meet her expectations, sometimes only questioning why people needed so much stuff in life. Exploring the far borders of Iioliv with Ettrian and bringing back the marvellous items to trade with people, Rav made their life safe and stable. He also loved to be surrounded by all sorts of plants, a trait only natural for a Varuh, as he explained.

  Yasmeen passed a massive tree, stumbling on its slippery roots and suddenly realised that Alyssa was not following her. She came to an abrupt stop and turned back. Her heart stopped beating for a few seconds. She could not move as she was petrified. A few metres in front of her stood an Opyri, holding Alyssa in a tight embrace. The vampire was very tall and stared at Yasmeen with her blazing crimson eyes. Her white hair cascaded down to the ground, beautiful and unearthly in the dim glow of the scarlet mist slithering among the trees. And then Yasmeen’s nostrils fished the rot and fear emanating from her aura. There was something else; a fruity and spicy allure which was addictive, tempting, and dangerous. The Opyri’s charm was ageless and inhuman. Her face was slightly longer and appealing but it woke a blurry memory in Yasmeen’s head. It was impossible! Yasmeen refused to believe her suspicions.

  The vampire exposed her long fangs and bit into Alyssa’s neck, making her cry out. Yasmeen watched her daughter’s chest making a rapid effort. She grabbed her bow and prepared the arrow.

  “Leave my daughter alone, you abomination,” Yasmeen said in a firm and cold voice. The vampire stopped feeding. Alyssa’s blood contaminated the attacker’s blue tunic as the girl’s eyes widened with fear. The teenager trembled and took one deep breath. And all of the sudden, she vanished. It had all happened in the fraction of a second. Yasmeen blinked but could not sense her daughter anymore.

  The vampire swayed, embracing the air.

  “What have you done to my daughter,” Yasmeen yelled, her brain not entirely comprehending the meaning of what had just happened.

  “I did not want to hurt her,” the vampire said. “I’m not a beast. She has escaped to a different dimension. I was hungry! I’m sorry.”

  Yasmeen hesitated, the shock and disbelief impairing her reasoning and decision making abilities.

  “Do you know Drasa?” Yasmeen asked quietly, but then something violent and outrageous welled up inside her. “I don’t care. Die, you abomination,” Yasmeen added coldly and shot at her but the arrow crossed the air and lodged into a tree. The Opyri had disappeared, leaving a ripple of air behind and a strange telepathic message in Yasmeen’s head that was received by her subconscious. The vampire’s name was Portia and she was Drasa’s wife. Portia cared for Cherry’s whole family. Yasmeen blinked and the message subsided.

  She fell to her knees and started screaming. What had just happened finally caught up with her. She screamed for a long time unable to move, unable to think. She screamed until her throat was a dry desert and her voice was so hoarse that it started to fade. She suddenly felt warm arms raising her from the ground.

  “What’s happened?” Rav asked with a shaky voice. “I can’t sense Alyssa. It’s as though she isn’t on this plane anymore. Yasmeen, what’s happened? I heard your screams and felt your pain!”

  But she was not able to respond. Her eyes were dry and she was empty and heavy inside. The pain of helplessness started in her heart and attacked every tissue within her, growing and overwhelming like fire. She felt her throat tighten, her chest stiffening like a concrete block. Her limp body descended and positioned itself in Rav’s arms.

  “She is gone,” Yasmeen’s voice squeaked. “She is gone. She did the only thing she could do. She jumped somewhere very far away from here.”

  “We will find her,” Rav promised. “We will find the way.” He stood up, holding his wife in his strong embrace. Yasmeen wanted to die. She knew she would probably never see Alyssa again.

  They returned to their house in the Elves’ kingdom and Yasmeen could not recall any details of the journey back. She was numb and paralysed, unable to think clearly, her body shaken. The following days passed like a blurry nightmare and there was a constant feeling of suffocating heaviness pressed against her chest. She just lay in bed and waited, refusing to take part in the search as to her, those attempts were futile. Rav searched the woods every day, unstoppable in his desire to find Alyssa as well as to keep himself occupied. He was strong for Yasmeen, giving her a lot of support, but she just did not care.

  And then one day, something broke inside her and she started thinking.

  For a few days, she seemed to drift in her despair only to come back to her timid plans, unable to make a final decision.

  On
e day it was different. Yasmeen lay in her blue and silver baldachin bed. She was still hidden in the soundproof space of her suffering but something desperate had started to flourish inside her, blooming and taking shape. It was an idea which grew into a crazy and scary plan. The plan would be extremely dangerous and risky. She had thought intensely about it for a few days, even made some preparations, but the decision was now made.

  She elevated the upper part of her body and took a deep breath. The certainty grew inside her. Her muscles tightened up. She decided to have hope. She decided to fight and look for her Alyssa.

  She sat on the edge of her bed, summoning Ettrian in her mind. She had learnt a few things from Rav. Her telepathic skills, however, were nothing in comparison to her husband’s abilities; just enough for some simple tricks.

  She did not want to see Rav because he would have stopped her and she did not want to be stopped. She had tried to talk to him about her suspicions before, but each time they had ended up arguing. Rav was scared of losing her as well.

  She moved towards the silver door and stepped out of her wooden house. Its facade was rich in curly shapes and inhabited by colourful plants. The Elves loved beautiful things and they loved nature. Yasmeen had loved the Alyssum Forest since she had first sunk into its deep beauty and magic. It was as if time did not exist when they stayed among the Elves.

  Yasmeen moved towards a narrow wooden bridge and crossed it, heading towards the thick wall of trees. She realised how weak she was. Her breath was wheezing; her muscles contracted with dull aches, her mind twirling. As she moved forward, she was almost blind and on the edge of collapse. When she reached a small glade filled with white Alyssum flowers she stopped, her impaired eyes recognizing a figure standing four steps away from her.

  “Don’t do this,” Ettrian said sharply, shaking his head.”It’s too risky.”

  Chapter 13

  Yasmeen locked her burning hyacinth eyes on his, stepping towards him. His expression was tense and concerned. He knew. He must have looked into the future.

  “Don’t do this,” he repeated. “We will find another way.”

  "Bullshit," she said harshly. "This is the only way. You know this, Ettrian. I could feel my mum touching my skin when the Opyri nearly killed Rav and me after we met Mora. It will work. I have to return back to my home as my mum is the only person capable of finding Alyssa. I might have died in the car accident and I nearly died during the attack. If I die now I will be able to return. My death is the key to my inter-dimensional travel. "

  Ettrian smiled. He had learnt her language a long time ago. The shiny shade of his friendship appeared on his face but his eye remained sad and concerned.

  “How did you manage to block your mind from Rav?” he asked.

  “Yes, he’s been very interested in my mood recently,” Yasmeen said as if to herself. “I asked him to search the woods once more. He is far from me and with Saleh’s two incantations he would not sense what I am up to.”

  “You should have asked me.”

  “Ettrian, I have just asked you for much more,” Yasmeen said and as she glanced at him, she saw how torn he was. She had mentioned to him her suspicions and ideas before, but he must have just now realised that she was going to proceed with her plan. “I must find my daughter. Who knows where she is now or what dangers she has to face.”

  “You are asking for a lot from me,” he said coldly. “I will lose my best friend.”

  “I must find my daughter.” Yasmeen hissed. “I have nobody else to ask. And I know that you will... do this quickly.”

  Ettrian approached Yasmeen and cupped her face, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. He then stepped back.

  “Bring her back. Bring Alyssa back home,” he said. His voice was firm and dry.

  “Tell Rav that I love him and help him. He has to stay and wait for Alyssa in case she somehow manages to come back. He will sense her.” She looked into his eyes and for a second wondered which of them wanted Alyssa to come back more, her or him. He was so heartbroken with what had happened to her daughter.

  The Elf nodded and his expression sharpened with a strong tension.

  Yasmeen felt dizzy. Every cell in her body trembled and screamed but she did not want to listen. She took a golden flask out of the pocket in her black gown, her other hand smoothing the wrinkles of the fabric. She had thought that the gown was a perfect garment for the occasion. The black bodice with lace details and the long train attached to the back was an ideal mourning outfit.

  Yasmeen brought the flask closer to her lips and took a small sip. The strong taste of alcohol mixed with a pinch of the Elves’ magic relaxed and calmed. It enhanced her courage yet she would have proceeded with her plan even without it.

  The glade was bright and the air was still and warm as if the Sun at that very moment looked only upon Yasmeen and Ettrian.

  “Do it,” Yasmeen ordered and closed her eyes. She took a rapid and deep breath. Her teeth clenched, her nails biting into her flesh as she balled up her fists. She knew that she had pierced her palms but the pain could not go through the cold wall building around her mind. Yasmeen detached from all her emotions and focused on her target and cold reasoning. She then opened her eyes and nodded. She tilted her head and looked up at the sky.

  The Elf took out his long and sharp, ornate knife and extended his armed hand towards Yasmeen’s throat. He made a precise cut across Yasmeen’s neck. The blade left a thin red line and after a few seconds the blood appeared, thick, dark and red. A gurgling sigh freed from Yasmeen’s mouth and her body wobbled and started descending. Her last thought was that Kate had not appeared to save her this time as the cat had wandered off somewhere after what had happened to Alyssa and never came back as though it felt ashamed of not being able to rescue its beloved girl.

  Ettrian held Yasmeen’s limp corpse in his caring arms and sat on the carpet of white flowers. Yasmeen’s blood stained the perfect whiteness of the Alyssum blossoms. Unexpectedly, the sky darkened and released its drizzling tears to the earth. The world stopped for a second as if to say its goodbye and sob. The sun repossessed the glade again after a few minutes.

  The Elf cried. His grey, sparkly tears flowed from his sad eyes. His body trembled. Yasmeen’s blood contaminated his shirt and skin as he kept her in his arms, cradling her gently as if he wanted to protect the body at all cost.

  ***

  Her first breath was shallow, rapid and noisy. It was as if with that breath she was catching her life back. She sat up in an abrupt movement, extending her arms forward. She could not see anything. She felt somebody’s hot and calming body blanketing her back and a caring hand stroking her hair.

  “Everything is ok, Yasmeen. Breathe, Honey. Breathe nice and slowly. Everything is fine,” this was Cherry’s voice.

  Yasmeen blinked. There was blinding light all around. She blinked again and tried to focus on her surroundings. The world spun around her.

  “Breathe, Yasmeen, breathe. You are safe now,” her mum continued, her voice was soft and tired.

  The shapes in the room started to emerge from the crazy swirling ride and Yasmeen realised that she was in her bedroom.

  Drasa stood at the foot of her bed. His face was tense and dark. However, this was also an expression showing his deep love and care. He wore an awful jumper that reminded Yasmeen of some old horror movies with a villain called Freddy Krueger; Drasa’s favourite series. She had fond memories of watching those films with him since she was nine. It was a strange first thought after just returning home. Yasmeen moved on her bed and turned to face her mum.

  “Mum! Mum!” she started. Her mind was blurry, her voice dull as if not hers. “Alyssa is gone. Have you found her? She jumped and I don’t know where she is!”

  “Who is Alyssa?” Cherry asked. Her voice was full of surprise and dread.

  “My little girl, my sweet beautiful daughter,” Yasmeen cried. “She is lost somewhere in the Universe. Mum, you have to find her!”

 
; “Poor little Third Flower,” Drasa murmured.

  “What did you say, you old Fogey,” Yasmeen asked sharply as her mind spun. “I’ve heard this before, from you!” She was trying to come back fully to her new reality as her hands grabbed her dizzy head in order to prevent the sickening spinning.

  Cherry stood up and turned her head towards Drasa.

  “What are you talking about? “Cherry asked coldly. “What is going on? Speak now. After all these years I’m fed up with your poor memory.”

  “Something is coming,” Drasa said. “This is all I know.”

  “You are lying, Drasa. But we will talk about this later,” Cherry said and sat on the edge of the bed, her hand touching Yasmeen’s cheek. “My daughter is back and this is all that counts at the moment. Tell me everything, Yasmeen.”

  “Where is Dad? Is he ok?” Yasmeen asked and froze when she saw Cherry’s face sharpen and turn greyish. There was something desperate and sad in her mum’s eyes. She could have sworn that there had been a red spark flickering for a second in Cherry’s pupils. “Mum? Something is wrong. Is Dad ok?”

  “No, he is not,” Cherry said in a dry and hoarse voice. “He died in the car accident. I’m sorry, Yasmeen.”

  Yasmeen felt as if she were falling down into something sticky and black causing her excruciating pain. Thousand knives stabbed her chest at the same time. Her soul died and then died again. Her mind whirled and her body went numb. She turned hollow and was unable to cry. It was as if her brain was unable to process the tragic information.

  “How...how long ago?” she asked. Her speech stuttered as the shock surged through her body.

  “Ten weeks ago. The accident was ten weeks ago,” Cherry explained and Yasmeen noticed that her mum’s eyes were circled with black and a little purple shadows and her expression was as stiff as a mask. “The paramedics thought that you had been dead as well but when I went to see you in the morgue, you were not dead, just frozen like an anchor, waiting for your soul to come back. We had to compel half of the staff there to take you home. I mean Drasa compelled them. I still don’t understand my Varuh, Yasmeen. I could not help you. I’m learning and learning and it’s still not enough...”