The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  I seemed to have stunned the man in black, as he didn’t move. He just stood in front of the couch with that bloody hood covering every revealing feature on his face. Thinking back I wasn’t even sure why I had called him handsome, I mean it’s not like I had even seen most of his face. He could look like good old Quasimodo for all I knew.

  “Have you finished?” He said folding his arms making the leather groan around his impressive biceps.

  “Yes!” I said with plenty of attitude.

  “Good, now we will eat and you can answer my questions.” I was about to reply with some witty response about the food not even being here yet, but the sound of knocking shut me up…how did they do that?

  “Good hearing.” He answered my unspoken question and motioned me to get the door with an out stretched hand. I rolled my eyes and got the door, muttering about how chivalry was clearly dead and buried.

  We both ate in silence… well he ate while I, on the other hand, just picked crumbs off a sweet pastry and nibbled like a mouse. I guess that analogy worked better than any other, given it felt like I was eating breakfast with a frustrated panther.

  “Soo…” I started to break the tension while brushing the flakes of buttery goodness from my hands and lap.

  “So?” He mocked after swallowing what looked like a whole piece of bacon.

  “So, are you going to tell me what is going on and what it was you did to me with that damn book?!” I snapped.

  “Watch your mouth, human. That ‘Damn’ book holds a piece of my ‘damned’ soul, one you are now bound to…you get it now sweetheart?” He said in a growl, twisting the endearment into something sour.

  “Yeah well this ‘Sweetheart’ didn’t exactly buy what you were selling now did she...? Hey wait a minute…let’s rewind here… what do you mean bound to?” I forgot about the insulting tone he had now switched to and homed in on the words he used.

  “What part are you finding difficult?” He asked not dropping the attitude for a second.

  “Hello! Human here remember, I don’t exactly have a supernatural degree in all this, so let’s play a game should we, let’s play the ‘I am obviously talking to a human who doesn’t know shit about that book and need to use layman’s terms’ game…is that cool with you, big guy?!” I was losing my rag quickly and it wasn’t helping knowing I was only going to get my answers from Mr Clueless Human communicator over there!

  He growled in response and that was when my last thread of patience snapped. I stood up and walked over to him to point in his hidden face.

  “Now that’s not exactly going to help us now is it? So here’s what you’re going to do, you’re going to man up, put down the bacon butties and explain to me, in detail just what the Hell that book has to do with this!” I motioned between us with my hand but didn’t get very far as he grabbed my wrist to shackle. Even sat down with me stood up, he was large enough to put us at the same height. “Butties?” He said cocking his head to the side and I huffed out my frustration when pulling from his hold.

  “God, what is wrong with you people? All this time on the Earth and you don’t even know Northern slang for a sandwich. It’s hopeless!” I said going to sit back down in my chair and it was nice to hear his laughter for a change, rather than him growling at me.

  “Ok, so I know this isn’t easy for you and I am not helping as I am clearly over-estimating your knowledge on this.”

  “Gee, you think?” I said and I just knew that if his hood had been back, he would have been raising an eyebrow at my sarcasm.

  “Look, let’s start over shall we?” He nodded his head slowly at my suggestion and then rubbed his stubble chin with his hefty hand.

  “Explain…”

  “Tell me…”

  We both spoke at the same time and it became very apparent that we both had more than our fair share of questions for each other.

  “Ladies first.” He motioned and I smiled as I realised that chivalry had just been resurrected.

  “Tell me about the book and why you think the Oracle gave it to me…I mean if it belongs to you or your soul or whatever, then how did she even get it in the first place, did you just leave it hanging about on the coffee table or something, ‘cause I gotta tell ya, if it held a piece of my soul it would be in nothing short of a Bank Safe and…” He cleared his throat to stop me and I blushed when I realised I had been a runaway train with my thoughts.

  “He told me you were always so full of questions, I thought it was just a human thing…how wrong I was.” He muttered looking to the side as if trying to weigh up the best way of dealing with me.

  “Who told you that?”

  “That’s five questions in total, so tell me lille øjesten, which one would you like me to answer first?” Ok, so I had to give him that, I had already been told it was an annoying trait of mine. One that given circumstances like this, it was near to impossible to control. When I finally kept my mouth shut I think he took this as his cue to start talking.

  “To your last question, that you will never know, so stop asking me about my employer as it is none of your concern…understood?” The only answer he would get from me about that was an eye roll and a little shake of my head. If he thought for one minute that I would let something like that go then he was hugely mistaken.

  “Good enough. Now for the Ouroboros, Book of the Blood Bound. The book was given to me as a tool of information that I would need to do my job. This is something I will not be going into detail about as you wouldn’t likely understand, even if I did.” I was about to call him on that but he held up one hand to silence me.

  “Just know that I have a job to do as my place among my people and to do this job I need certain guidelines from higher powers, that book gives me them. I have been bound to that book from my rebirth and a piece of my soul resides within its bindings…now along with a piece of yours.” I was calm until he said this last bit.

  “What!” I said standing once again.

  “Keira, sit down.” He ordered softly and I only complied because of his gentle tone.

  “I believe this was the Oracle’s plan, as it seems my employer isn’t the only one trying to keep you safe, although with you that is becoming a full time job in itself.” He commented dryly.

  “But we will get back to that shortly, won’t we my bound one?” I could only nod as I knew I also had some explaining to do.

  “The book was taken from me while I was watching over you and I gather the Oracle not only foresaw my involvement, but also made walking away from protecting you impossible”

  “You what? But you said…” I asked, utterly shocked that he was planning on walking away.

  “Try and understand, after last night, after what was needed to heal you…well, it became too much for both of us and this was one situation…umm…person… I didn’t think wise to continue to grow attached to, am I making myself clear?” I frowned at him in confusion. No, he wasn’t making sense and one look at my face was all it took for him to continue.

  “Keira, I take it for a fact that knowing the trouble you find, that you are more than familiar with being healed, am I correct?”

  “So?” I questioned his point.

  “Then you will know that a part of my essence has found home in your veins and although it will fade in time, for the moment I will be drawn to that part of you, the darker side of you.” He whispered the last part like it was shameful to him.

  “And that’s why I saw those nightmares when your…your black stuff touched me?” He nodded and then held the lower part of his face with his hand.

  “That is why I was going to leave and trust me when I say it, I did not make this decision lightly, when I give my word, I give it with my life, but after the new circumstances I would do you more harm than good, as no one wants to relive their nightmares daily.” My mouth dropped slightly with the thought of being attacked by that vision every day.

  “But I am afraid that option no longer is available for me, as now we are bou
nd by the book and until that bond is broken, then I must remain by your side. This is why the Oracle has intervened, it seems it is in both of our destinies to see this through, which brings us back to what it is I am facing…what are you doing here, Keira?” Now this was the part that I was dreading. How was I ever going to explain this crazy quest to someone who obviously wanted me to make their job easier and stay tucked up safely in a small town like Evergreen?

  I remained silent and tight lipped as I gathered my thoughts. And that in itself was the main problem. With the people I dealt with being immortal, then time wasn’t a massive issue for someone who grew patience like other people grew tomatoes! This was proven after ten minutes of silence and him obviously still waiting for an answer.

  “I take it you would not believe me if I told you I was just taking a vacation for my Birthday?” I said in a quiet voice.

  “I am afraid not, øjesten, but what if I started by telling you what I do know.”

  “I…” He rose from his chair and plucked a lush apple from the breakfast fruit bowl, stopping my excuses as he flipped the fruit along the top of his arm. Seeing this move reminded me of some orphaned, cocky street kid in years gone by, surviving by pick pocketing and stealing from market vendors.

  “Here’s what I know.” He started, catching the bouncing apple with his free hand before taking a crunching bite of its flesh, talking with his mouth full.

  “The King goes underground and goes to extreme lengths in trying to keep you safe by giving you a life free from our existence, so what do you do…? Go looking for it anyway!” He snapped at me taking another vicious bite to chew.

  “But I…”

  “I haven’t finished. So, after your little expedition to the warehouse, which thankfully Leivic was around to keep you out of trouble as I am forbidden to go there, I find you about to get kidnapped at Afterlife.”

  “Why were you forbidden to go to the warehouse?” I asked and was surprised when I got his humourless grunted laughter.

  “Of course, that would be the part you focus on.” He laughed again and turned round before wiping a hand down his hooded head and over his face. I gathered it would have gone through his hair if his hood hadn’t been concealing it.

  “Why do you still hide your face from me?”

  “No! No, no, no…” He started spinning round to face me (well sort of).

  “No?”

  “Yes no! As in NO more questions!” He shouted and then took another bite of the apple that had been forgotten during his little outburst.

  “So where was I…oh yeah, but of course, you being kidnapped. But was this a clue for you to stay safe, oh no…not my blood bound little human, pain in my ass…no, you just hop on a plane to London and I find you just in time after trying to get into the Devil’s Ring…”

  “But I don’t…” He quickly showed me his palm to stop me in my tracks.

  “And of course when you obviously weren’t admitted, you were then pursued by two Warlock lackeys and dragged into an alley way.” He shook his head as he obviously played out the scene in his head but then he smiled before saying,

  “Well, at least you’re not afraid of fighting dirty, lille øjesten, I will give ya that”

  “Well that’s something that comes from dating a bad ass, over-protective half Angel/Demon King like Draven. He kind of rubs off on you.” I said without thinking about the pain saying something like that would bring me. And one look at my face told Sigurd all about that pain.

  “Keira…I…”

  “Just forget about it, big guy.” I waved off his concern and reburied the memory of me and Draven down in his training room with him throwing me down on the mats, showing me some self-defence moves. Of course, it turned into a different kind of work-out pretty quickly after Draven tossed me to the floor gently and commenting on how good I looked down there. I felt the tears mist up and that little burn you get in your nose when you try to hold them off, reminded me about trying to stay strong.

  “I know about the pain there, øjesten and I am sorry for it, but maybe it is time to just go home and try to live a normal life.” He said softly and I found I couldn’t conjure up my anger as I wanted to with hearing that idea being voiced.

  “But that’s just the thing Sigurd, I never had a normal life and wouldn’t know how to start living one even if I had the damn handbook. Besides, that life you talk about just doesn’t exist for me without Draven. So you want to know my plan, here it is, I am going to Hell and I am not coming back again without bringing Draven back with me.” I stated standing up and folding my arms over my chest.

  I saw him take a staggered step back as the truth of my mission came to light. His lips got tight and he looked so taken aback that it stunned him to silence.

  “So there you have it and before you do something pointless and stupid like trying to talk me out of this plan, I will just remind you that the Oracle not only knows about the reasons I am here, but she is also the one backing up this plan. She gave me the book to communicate the steps I must take in reaching my goal and neither you nor every bloody supernatural being is going to stop me!” I tried to storm past him to get myself to a place I could freely cry without him seeing me, as I clearly wasn’t as strong as I made out. However, this didn’t happen the way I wanted, as a solid arm snaked out and pulled my body back to his.

  He held my back firmly to his chest and whispered for me to stop struggling against him.

  “Just think Keira, just…just take a minute to think about what you’re saying. You want to try to get into Hell for a man who has made it clear he wants you to get on with your life. Why would you darken the memory of him by going against his last wish for you?” He asked this question in hushed tones by my ear and I could almost hear the crack in my armoured resolve his words caused.

  “Because I knew if it was the other way around, he would stop at nothing in trying to get me back, no matter what I asked of him.” I counteracted and I felt him stiffen behind me. Then he took a deep breath and delivered the final blow,

  “Yes, but what if he doesn’t want to be rescued, Keira?” I let the tears roll down as I slammed my eyes shut at what that sentence did to me.

  “That’s…that is not true, he…my Drav…he wouldn’t feel like that…I…” I stammered out my argument but even coming from my lips it sounded like a far cry from what I truly believed. I mean how could I be sure? What if he was right, what if Draven just wanted me to move on and forget him in his new resting place. I mean, what was Hell like for him anyway, was he down there partying with the big red boss man?

  “NO! That’s not true, get off me!” I shouted twisting out of his hold, killing all thoughts like that. No, Draven just wanted me to be safe and that was the only reason he wanted me to move on. No other thought was worth the wasted time thinking about.

  I whirled round and faced the mask of material, but I could swear I could see a flash of something looking up into the shadows, where his eyes should be.

  “Now you listen to me and listen good. I don’t care if you have to protect me or if you walk out that door right now, but nothing you say will stop this from happening, do you understand me? I am going to find a way into Hell, one way or…or the dead way…you get me?! Now you can rather help me or get the Hell out of my way, either of those choices I won’t lose sleep over, no matter what type of darkness you say will inflict my mind, because Sigurd, if there is one thing this ‘Little Human’ is used to, it’s living with seeing the worst type of nightmares…so trust me, anything you show me will just be a walk in the damn park when it comes to the demons in my dreams.” I said walking away from him.

  “Wait…where are you going?” He said in a gruff tone that was clearly affected by my little speech.

  “I have to go and get ready.” I stopped on the way through the sitting room after looking at the clock, to notice the afternoon had come and gone. I looked at him one more time, pausing at the door wondering if this wasn’t the last time that I
would see him. I mean I wouldn’t have blamed him after what I had just said, but I needed him to be on my side. If not, then there was just no point having someone around who kept on trying to stop me all the time. After all, I had a job to do, just as he had his. So with this in mind I said the one thing that would seal his decision, which was the truth and a sure glimpse of things to come.

  “I’ve got a pub to go to and a Devil’s Ring to find.”

  Chapter 25

  Bands of Bone

  I spent a long time getting ready and must have changed my outfit choice ten different times. It was just too tempting to go with jeans and a dark top, clearly ignoring all the revealing clothes RJ had given me. But then I knew the mistake I would be making as I remembered the Oracle’s words about having to disguise myself. And after a night playing victim in an alleyway, I could now see her point.

  It was obvious the new hair was not enough, so it was time to play little Goth girl to the fullest. I ended up grabbing a mixture of stuff, having no idea if it went together or not. But I didn’t really care what people thought, just so long as they didn’t think, ‘Oh look, there goes the Chosen One’.

  I stood in front of the ornate mirror for a long time staring at the me that was no longer there, as in my place was the girl I had to become to get the job done. So I took in the multiple holes in black rose pattern tights, the short black combat skirt that had straps hanging lower than the hem. I tucked the long sleeved dark red top in so that the thick belt buckle was showing and to prevent the brushed copper skull cross bone from digging in my belly.

  The front of the top had a faded grey skull that looked half decayed. The sleeves not only had thumb holes but also crude stitch work in thick black cord that crisscrossed up the arm. This continued along the neck, pulling it in different angles that gave it a plunging neckline. I decided that I didn’t think it wise to show my necklace as I wasn’t sure if people would use it as a tool to recognise who I was or not.