Awakening

by Warneke, A. C.

  His grin grew as realization dawned: if he had enough blood, he wouldn’t need to figure out how it worked. With easy access to the blood, he would be able to infect the Apocritum directly. And by providing the Queen with the cause of the wrinkle, he would get Gloria back. “That’s why we need to tread carefully.”

  “Of course,” Roger agreed, distrustful of the unholy gleam in the other man’s eyes. He was going to put in a request for a transfer; it was simply too stressful working with someone so fanatical and insane. As soon as this project was done, he was going to put in the request because the thought of working with blood that apparently created DNA was simply too thrilling; well worth putting up with a nut job for a few weeks. At least until he discovered the donor. “Who do you want working with us on this?”

  “Just us; for now just us,” Stephen said quickly, trying to figure out a way to get Roger off the trials as well. It would do no good for any of his co-workers to figure out what the significance of this find could be. He slid the vial into the pocket of his lab coat, wrapping his fingers around the thin glass bottle, an enigmatic smile on his lips and a feverish gleam in his tired eyes. “Now, I have some work to do if you would excuse me.”

  Standing, he made his way to the Queen’s chambers. He was going to tell her that the wrinkle may have been found and then he was going to request his wife in exchange for the information about how the wrinkle came into existence. Feeling light on his feet, he hummed an off-key tune.

  *****

  With her stomach in revolt, Celeste took a deep breath: her skin felt too tight for the heart that was racing around inside of her chest all because she was going to meet her mother. On top of the terror of seeing what had become of the woman who gave birth to her, of receiving her mother’s final gift, whatever that meant, she was finally going to see the inside of an Adytum. From the outside it looked like a high end apartment complex, all shiny and new; something that would be found in a prosperous metropolitan area. Or perhaps the pages of a Gothic comic book before the villains came and blew it up.

  She followed Adam and Auberon as the three of them walked through the front doors. Celeste had to hide her disappointment: it looked like the main lobby of any apartment building, though one of the highest quality. Famous art reproductions hung on the cream colored walls and green plants sat of the tops of short pillars. Sumptuous furniture was arranged in various groupings, though no one occupied the chairs. In fact, the entire reception area was strangely bereft and it was eerie in its emptiness. Celeste shivered as unease rolled through her belly. She was barely coping with everything the Goddess had told her the evening before, her best friend was still passed out or unconscious or whatever and now she was going to be meeting her mom.

  If it weren't for the support of Adam and Auberon she would have bolted twenty seconds after Beck, Shaw and the Goddess left yesterday.

  An attractive man stood behind the reception desk and looked up to see the newcomers. His smile deepened when he saw the Vespari twins, revealing his elongated canines, and Celeste saw his black eyes. A Calix. His auburn hair was pulled back into a low pony tail emphasizing his chiseled face and the unnatural obsidian eyes. A brown brocade silk tunic covered his torso and a pair of loose, paler brown silk pants hung from hips. It was strangely out of place, more Eastern in aesthetics than Midwestern.

  “Mr. Vespari,” he murmured, nodding his head towards Adam. Facing Auberon, he bowed his head again. “Mr. Vespari.”

  Adam and Auberon ignored the greeting, walking determinedly across the lobby to a set of highly decorative doors. Celeste bit her lower lip to keep from smiling as she followed the Vespari twins. But then, all thoughts of humor fled as she realized that behind those doors was the Adytum and that meant… Mom. Placing her palm against her chest, she concentrated solely on breathing. In… out… in… out.

  Adam stood by one door, Auberon by the other, both looking at her for a sign. Was she really prepared to face her mother, knowing what the woman had become? Celeste had only seen one picture of her mom, a picture taken on her wedding day as she smiled at the camera and her father smiled at her. Her mom had been so young in that photo and less than three years later she was dead.

  No, she wasn’t dead; she hadn’t died. Her mom became a Calix on the day Celeste came into the world and this whole thing was set into motion. Whatever doubts, whatever fears she had, were meaningless; everything was moving forwards and she owed it to her mom to see her one final time. The first time. Celeste nodded her head and the men pushed the doors open, welcoming her to their alien world.

  Her breath caught in her throat as she looked around the room. It was how she imagined a Turkish harem would look: rich, opulent tapestries hanging from the walls, pillows and cushions embroidered with jeweled threads littering the floors, and the most beautiful bodies she had ever seen in a single place, lying about in hedonistic excess. The metallic smell of blood and the musky scent of sex hung in the air.

  Men and women, Calices and Apocritae alike, wore clothing which was little more than jewelry and swatches of sheer material that did more to emphasize their hard planes and lush curves rather than hide their nakedness. If she weren’t so nervous about meeting her mother, she might have been a little more embarrassed and uncomfortable. And she might have understood the danger of the attention she drew.

  Starting with those closest to the door, silence descended in waves, rolling over the Calices as a new power moved amongst them. Three male Apocritae and a fourth female Apocritum rose to their feet, their slender, perfect bodies tense with hostility toward the human walking within their hallowed halls. Black, fathomless eyes bore into Celeste, no whites to lessen their alien-ness and for the first time she feared the Apocritae. Animosity crackled in the air surrounding them but they held their anger in check while in the presence of the Vespari twins. The volatile Apocritae were oblivious to her effect on the Calices throughout the room.

  The Apocritae were quietly being abandoned as the Calices inched towards this new power, the male Calices becoming painfully aroused, the females softening, opening. None of them paid the least amount of attention to the Vespari twins standing there; the entirety of their attention was focused on Celeste, whose eyes tried to look anywhere other than at the naked bodies that continued to slink closer.

  As her eyes landed on one erection after another, on heaven knew how many pairs of breasts, her cheeks burst into flames and she wondered if closing her eyes would be an acceptable alternative. The hot, sickly sweet flavor of lust filled her mouth as the Calices melted in her presence and the coppery tang of hatred flooded her nostrils as the Apocritae glared at her.

  She looked up at Adam but he wasn't affected at all. Of course, he was used to seeing this kind of thing…. Oh, man, this is what he was used to, what he expected. Did he keep a harem like this in his homes? Well, as Queen, she was going to have to make a rule about keeping harems. Trying to keep her eyes open, she focused on the intricate pattern on the carpet below her feet; it was better than seeing the naked bodies or listening to her naked thoughts.

  She was wringing her hands, twisting them and kneading them together as if trying to stop the nerves from getting out of control. She moved closer to Adam, an unconscious gesture seeking his protection. The innocent movement blackened Auberon’s mood even further, though he kept his head clear enough to sense the potential consequences of Adam’s involvement with the new Queen. He knew what he would have to do, in spite of the protestations his brother would make.

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Celeste murmured, taking another step towards Adam, her hazel eyes huge and fathomless in her face, her color pale.

  “We could leave,” Adam whispered, his hand coming to rest protectively on Celeste’s shoulder. He was about to pull her back into him, shelter her with his body, but Auberon grabbed her by the hand.

  NO! Auberon hissed in Adam’s head, not looking at his brother. Auberon’s arm curled around Celeste as he pulled her int
o his body; The Apocritae have to believe that I am the one who brought her into the Adytum. She melted into his embrace and he knew that she was simply grateful for any support and didn't care which brother gave it to her. His thoughts continued to fill Adam’s head. We’ve come too far to go back, Adam. Mother will learn of this visit and if we retreat now we will not get another chance.

  It won’t make any difference, Adam protested, wanting to protect Celeste, hold her as they walked through the Adytum. Celeste is mine….

  You're thinking with you cock, Auberon chastened. Not your brain. The Council trusts you; do not break that trust when I am here to take care of the girl.

  Auberon.

  Don't question me on this, Adam; everything I do from here on out I do for Celeste, Auberon said firmly, tightening his hold on Celeste. Adam was too close to see the repercussions if it became known who was responsible for bringing the new Queen into existence. If history wasn't to be repeated, they were going to need all of their defenses in place; that included keeping Adam above reproach, keeping him in Mother’s good grace. No doubt could or would befall him; these self-important Apocritae would never learn that it was Adam who had discovered the new Queen. Bending down, he smiled seductively as she leaned into him and he he whispered in her ear, “Come along, sweetheart.”

  The trio stopped in front of a curtained-off alcove. The rich purples and forest greens shot through with copper threads hinted at the value of the Calix who resided in the room. Auberon tilted his head until his mouth was next to her ear, his breath fanning out across her skin, “Are you ready?”

  Swallowing hard, she nodded and Adam pushed the curtain aside revealing a woman reclining on a luxurious bed. More extravagant pillows and throws were scattered across the bed offering debauchery and decadence. The beautiful Calix unfolded herself and stood, a smile brightening her polished onyx eyes as she looked at Celeste. The sheer gown covering her body was bound at the waist with a golden ribbon and her hair was elaborately piled on her head. She was a being created for sex, for pleasure.

  “Celeste,” the woman’s breathy voice added to her allure. It was difficult to believe that this woman, this Calix, was her mother; her mother who should be near her mid-fifties, not her mid-twenties. The woman held out her slender arms, her blood red lips curved upwards in a smile. “You’ve come, just like you promised so many years ago.”

  Obviously being a Calix screwed with one’s mental abilities since the first words out of Gloria’s mouth made no sense to Celeste. She wasn’t even born when her mom became what she was now, so how was she able to tell her anything? Still, Celeste took a hesitant step forward. “I didn’t know you were alive, er, you became a, uh, um, a Calix.”

  Her mother’s smile widened and a dreamy expression came over her face as she gazed upon Auberon. Celeste felt the tightening of his muscles as Gloria continued her blatantly sexual perusal of him. Before she could get her bearings, Gloria took her hand and led her to the bed she had just vacated. Sitting down, Gloria patted the space next to her, “Come, my darling girl, sit with me for a while before I give to you what you requested I keep and forget myself altogether.”

  Celeste’s brows pulled together at her mother’s peculiar words but she sat on the offered cushions, sinking into the opulent depths. The scent of spice filled her nostrils as she studied her mother’s beautiful face. Having always dreamt of being able to talk to the woman who brought her into the world, she was at a loss for words; inexplicable tears glistened in her eyes. “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “Come, give your mother a hug,” Gloria purred, wrapping her arms around her child for the first time in twenty-three some odd years. As Celeste’s tears fell against her skin, Gloria looked up at the Vespari twins through her lashes, “Gentlemen, we need a moment; please stand outside and make sure no one interrupts us.”

  They looked towards Celeste, who glanced up at them with shimmering hazel eyes. She offered a tentative smile, letting them know that it was all right. Bowing their heads, Adam and Auberon stepped from the alcove, putting a shield up to protect the girl and her mother. Neither questioned Gloria’s audacity; she had always been a little different and they knew the mother had just a short time with her daughter; a daughter for whom she had sold her soul.

  “You’ve already won their loyalty without the gifts you asked me to hold for you,” Gloria smiled, stroking Celeste’s hair from her brow, wanting the moment to last a life time, knowing time was quickly running out. "I have so much to tell you and so little time."

  Gloria sighed, her smile turning miserable as she drank in the sight of her daughter. Reaching up, she brushed a strand of hair from Celeste's face, letting her fingers linger on her child's smooth cheek. "When I was sixteen I was told that it was very unlikely that I would ever have children but I always hoped that the doctors were wrong." She huffed out a fatalistic laugh, "They hadn't been wrong."

  Celeste's forehead crinkled in understandable confusion and Gloria laughed, sliding her hand down Celeste's arm and taking her daughter's hand in her own. "We tried to adopt but our work at BioGenesis prevented the necessary scrutiny of being accepted and so I resigned myself to being childless. But when I was twenty-five a man with the most beautiful amethyst eyes appeared in my dream, or what I thought was a dream; I have never been sure. He asked me what I would be willing to give in order to have a child of my own."

  Celeste sucked in a breath, murmuring under her breath, "Amethyst eyes."

  "I told him I would give anything," Gloria continued, her voice subdued as tears welled in her black eyes. "He told me the bargain, explaining everything that it would entail, that he would combine the blood of a long dead Apocritum Queen, the blood of an angel and my egg to create a child that would change the world. I did not hesitate before I accepted. Unfortunately, a human body cannot handle the demands of a baby with Apocritum and angel blood and I developed cancer."

  "Father told me your placenta tore…."

  "Stephen never understood my choices," Gloria said with a smile, shaking her head in fondness.

  Celeste's tongue darted out as she struggled with what her mother told her. After a moment, she looked into her mother's black eyes and whispered, "Why did you do it?"

  Taking her daughter's face in her two hands, Gloria smiled a brilliant smile, "For you, my daughter; I did it all for you and I would do it again a million times over."

  “But dad….” Celeste tried to protest. Celeste tilted her head back and looked at her mother’s young face, her dark eyes dancing with amusement.

  “Hush,” Gloria ordered softly, placing a slender finger over Celeste’s mouth to silence her daughter. “I was created to bring you into this world; everything that happened, everything that will happen, was necessary for your birth, your survival. That was my destiny and I would not change anything.”

  “Mmm,” she tried to speak, but her mother kept her finger on her lips. Celeste’s eyes widened as the black color of Gloria’s eyes began to change and swirl together; greens and golds and browns and blues. A little jolt of electricity buzzed her lips where her mother’s finger touched; she tried to move but her body refused to obey her commands. “What’s hap….”

  “Shhh,” Gloria smiled, closing her brilliantly colored eyes and putting her hands on Celeste’s throat, her thumbs on her chin. Using a gentle pressure, she forced Celeste’s mouth open. "This is going to hurt but it is the only way."

  Frozen in shock, frightened of the pain she knew was coming, Celeste watched as her mother leaned forward until her mouth was a fraction of an inch away from hers; she could feel her mother’s breath against her skin.

  Gloria pursed her lips and began to blow a stream of colorful light into Celeste’s mouth. The current increased, sending energy down her throat, into her bloodstream. Swirling, whirling torrents of power surged into Celeste’s body, her soul, until her head was spinning. Until the room was spinning. Dizzying, confusing, images invaded her head, of white cathedrals and
elegant cities; ancient and timeless, a world unlike her own but painfully familiar. Her blood pounded in her veins, thrumming, drumming, filling her spinning head with its rhythm.

  Gloria continued to blow, quicker now, filling Celeste’s body with heat, with power. But it was too much; she wasn’t ready. Celeste struggled to break her mother’s hold over her, trying to twist her head away. But her mother’s grip was too strong and power continued to fill her; over-fill her. Tears leaked from her eyes, red tears. Celeste squeezed her eyes shut, crying out in silence as the world fell away.

  A majestic woman sat upon a gleaming white throne, her long, silky black hair hung to her waist as she surveyed her Hive with a serene smile upon her lush lips. She could never let her smile falter, could never show weakness; her vast empire depended upon her calmness, her strength. It was a monumental burden to bear but she bore it with grace and pride; only a select few Apocritae could handle the pressure and none were as capable as she was.

  One of her subjects approached, a Queen-initiate who showed great promise but also great unpredictability. The youngling's smile was zealous and cold and she held something behind her back as she approached the throne. "My Queen; the time has come to relinquish your throne."

  The Queen stiffened at the words but did not flinch, offering a dismissive smile, "Come, Azaerlyn, you're still a child; you will have your own realm to rule when you are of age."

  "I wish to have this kingdom," Azaerlyn pouted, her black eyes burning. She pulled the hidden object out from behind her back and everyone within the court gasped in disbelief when they saw the black box in her hands. "You see, I have the power to take it by force."

  The Queen signaled for everyone to leave, to escape if they could, and caught the amethyst eyes of her lover and confidante. He nodded his head and vanished in a whirl of purple smoke; he would do what was necessary when the time came. Cautiously, she stood up and slowly approached the girl. "If you press that button you will destroy our entire realm, our entire existence; everything will be lost: our art, our technology, everything."