by Trina Bates
“Yeah, of course I know them, but that’s an easy one. They’ve been hounding us to bond properly for years now. A kid along with the already made promise of a bonding ceremony will only elate them more,” I quip back not knowing what the big deal is until Ebbin buts in.
“Yeah, that might be, but there are three other dudes with us now. I don’t think their Hollow mindsets are going to be too keen on that idea,” Ebbin grumbles and I blow out a breath.
My mind starts to swarm with thoughts of how they’re going to react. They’ll no doubt be appalled, fearful, and reserved. Their son that they raised as a Hollow is now the powerful son, in many rights as an Other, and the son of the Puissant of all Others.
“I think we tell them everything about us first, the guys, our daughter, and then we lay it on at the end about you finding your birth father. It’s going to be a lot to take, but the fact in all of this that you found your birth father is going to shock them more. I can’t wait to see the look on your mom's face. She loves you, truly loves you but could never fathom how someone could leave behind a child. She’s going to ream him a new one when they meet and I’m sorry beefcake, but I can’t wait to see that,” I laugh out imagining the scene in my head.
The small black haired firecracker of a woman, only five foot one, with her finger in his chest, poking him hard as she tears him a new one. He won’t be able to do a thing and she won't care. She might be a Hollow, and he a powerful Other, but if he doesn’t give her what she’s owed, respect and her own sense of dominance, the world better watch out!
“It’s not really his fault though, he had no idea I was even alive. I’m not going to keep that fact from them, but knowing my ma’ she will find a way to spin that too and yeah, it will be hilarious,” Ebbin concedes and he and I have our own private laugh while Merrick and Rhydian stare at us with disbelief.
“What?!” I nearly shout still trying to calm the laughter.
“How are you all so… so calm about this?”Merrick asks incredulously. I shrug my shoulders and try to find an answer for him. But none come.
“That, and do you know what this will all mean when our families find out about us and Alyria?” Rhydian whispers and my head snaps to him. The worry already seeping through me and into them. I pull back so they don’t get much and put another layer of magic around my feelings. I wish it were permanent but we can’t have everything we want.
“What do you mean?” I ask both of them, shifting my gaze between them, waiting.
“We’re all Others now. You have lives filled with Hollows. There is going to be major discord through them all,” Merrick answers and I see his point but what he doesn’t understand Ebbin soon tells him.
“The people in our lives, my parents and our friends? They don’t have any hate towards Others. They raised me to be kind and courteous, love everyone and always help. Why do you think I worked the job I did? Because Others didn’t bother my family, my family has Other friends that have been in our lives since the day I was brought home. The only thing that’s going to throw them now, is the fact I am one. They aren’t going to hate anyone,” Ebbin states and I pull his hand into mine and nod my head at them, agreeing with every word he says.
“Coraly and Edlund are kind people. They are going to thrown off, sure. But they aren’t going to spread hate,” I say with finality but see the looks of distress on Merrick and Rhydian’s face, and my eyes slit as I glare at them.
“What is it now?” I grit out, annoyed, but still trying to keep in the emotions.
“My family won’t care either, but Merrick's… well, that’s his story.” Rhydian lets on and my attention snaps to my sad faced brute of a man.
“My family, they will be cordial, but that’s the extent of their manners. They will answer questions asked but with a cold shoulder soon after. My parents hate Hollows. They can’t stand the weak minds of the people, as they see it that have without cause murdered out people since the Fall of the Veil. They don’t see the destruction Others have caused, they only see the pains that the Hollows have. They are small minded bigots, but they are my family and I do care for them. How can I not?” I can’t tell if Merrick is asking us the question or himself but my heart goes out to him.
I stand from my seat taking my tea with me and go to stand by him, laying my head on his shoulder and rubbing his massive arm. None of us say anything, whether that’s from having nothing to say of not knowing, it doesn’t matter. We will have to change the minds of each of his parents. It will tear him apart if he feels like he has to choose sides. I don’t want that for him.
“So be it, let them act kind in front of the Hollows, but who’s to even say they will be in the same room with them, ever? We don’t know what’s going to happen and I can’t really see us all gathering together for a family barbeque and having a jolly good time. That’s actually really scary to think about,” I say and we all have a laugh.
Grateful that the mood in room has calmed, I think about Rhett and where he is. It’s been longer than I thought and I start to get worried.
Mira:
“Rhett should be back by now,” I say to no one in particular and let go of Merrick, opening my mind to Rhett and trying to find him.
-Mira!- Rhett’s cracked and frightened voice slams into me and without knowing I have done it, I teleport away and right to where my bloodied man is.
Looking around quickly, I haul him to his feet, not taking in a single thing around us other than the fact that we’re alone and teleport us back to the apartment where I know we will be safe.
“What the fuck!?” Merrick shouts rushing to us on the floor.
“What happened?!” Ebbin howls doing the same as Merrick, darting to the ground where I hold on quickly to Rhett.
-Why did you leave us all, you know you should not have done that.- As much as I love my little Agathion, her words fill me with anger.
“Cynide, he’s my mate! I didn’t even know it was happening. I felt his fear, heard his cries and before I knew what was happening, I was already with him. I don’t even know where we were. I just saw we were alone and then I tore us back here,” I shout for not only her, but everyone else in the room.
“It’s fine, none of us are mad. You’re powers are still growing.” Merrick thankfully chimes in.
I look over Rhett and find the head wound that is still pouring blood. I don’t know if I can heal him, not with my powers and with how much fear and worry is racing through me, I doubt my emotions would let me get very far. My Hellfire is right at the surface and I don’t want them too close if it decides to make an appearance.
“Move!” A familiar voice from behind my shouts and with the power laced in it, I do. I scuttle away and watch Grun and Alyria, my ancestor, race forward and take Rhett into their arms. Their eyes lock and with a gentle touch to his forehead, Grun’s hand lights up and he and Alyria all but vanish from our sight as the light grows brighter.
“Where did they come from!?” Rhydian questions with my little Alyria in his arms happily sucking on her binky.
“Grun is tied to me, like Cynide. He can feel me when I am in trouble and I guess he felt everything else that was just going on and decided, to come to us,” I tell him, but more to everyone else in the room.
Merrick is watching over Rhett as best he can through the light with agony etched on his beautiful, strong features. He’s chewing wildly on his full lips, his silver eyes never leaving the scene before him. Ebbin puts his arm on Merrick's shoulder, giving him comfort and I finally stand, taking Alyria out of Rhydian’s arms so he too can join his brothers. They need each other in a way I can’t give. I might be their mate, but they all share a bond with one another that I can’t understand and don’t want to. This is how things are supposed to be. A love so great, it encaptures us all and makes us a true family.
“It is done,” Alyria’s honey voice states and she rises from the ground and walks over to me.
“May I?” she asks with both of her arms outstr
etched and I give over my daughter with a smile.
Alyria’s face alights with all the joy in the world and she turns away singing a song in a language I can’t understand under her breath to my little one. They’re safe and I take that time to rush down once again to the ground and take Rhett into my arms.
I run my fingers through his hair, kissing the side of his head and trying to hold back the tears.
“What happened? Please be okay,” I whisper and kiss him again.
“Run!” Rhett croaks loud enough for all of us to hear and we all look down at him in disbelief.
“We aren’t going anywhere, man.” Ebbin laughs awkwardly.
“Run, not...alone!” Rhett stammers out and we all snap our head looking to our small family and that of the other two powerful being with us.
“Show yourself,” Alyria shouts with so much power that my body feels queasy and my head dizzy.
“Why must you alway shout? In all this time that you've been away, you haven't changed.” The torturous voice of my father comes from right beside me and in a matter of seconds, his large form appears from the ground and I crane my neck to see him.
If only we were all touching! I could get us out of here.
“How did you come here?” Alyria growls handing my daughter over to me and pulling a bow and arrow from her back that I hadn’t noticed before and aiming right at my father's head.
“I hitched a ride with this stain of the realms. He’s so malleable after he opened his other gifts that the Devil himself granted his mother, which she in turn, granted to him,” Alastor sneers and spits on the ground almost hitting Rhett and I.
Doing something I never thought I would be able to before, I lay Alyria on Rhett’s chest and open my mind to the men above me.
-I need to try this and I am so sorry if it does or doesn’t work. Alyria is in danger and so is Rhett with how much he still needs to heal. Rhett, take care of Alyria. I know you have that much in you.-
-What are you...?!- before Rhett or the others could finish that sentence that was said in unison, I push with all I have envisioning the large estate where Ebbin’s father, Warlen, the Puissant, resides. Rhett and Alyria will be safe there. I pull more magic to me and let go of Rhett and Alyria right before they vanish from our sight.
-I hate it when you do that, but yes, needed and right,- Merrick says into my mind and the other chime in with their agreeance.
-I can’t risk them. They are with the Puissant. They will be safe there and that’s where we will go next. It’s time to bring in Apollyon and find out why he let this go on and happen,- I growl to them and stand with the help of my mates.
“Quick thinking daughter of mine. They can’t get far with the blood I now have of your mate’s. Once I’m finished with you, I will get them as well,” Alastor states so matter of fact it takes me a moment to recover.
“Come here, father,” I spit the last word and let go of my men, reaching my hands out as the Hellfire takes over my entire body his eyes widen knowing I can end him with a touch and he vanishes from sight only to appear right behind us, leaning on the counter with a smug, satisfied look on his face.
“I am more powerful than anything you can wish to be combined, you are no match for me.”
“Unless I touch you, then it’s all over!” I scream, lunging forward and trying to get a single finger on him before he once again winks away leaving me hunched over and seething.
“Again, too powerful. You will never get the…” he stops talking and disappears again and then shouts, “Chance!” And after that, my world goes dark and a pain so immense rushes through my head and I fall to the ground in a heap.
* * *
Sleep is a strange thing. I know in the far recesses of my mind that something is terribly wrong, but I can’t pull myself from this and get up. I wander in the darkness of my mind, searching for something familiar and just ahead of me, I can hear someone’s voice calling to me, the large frame of a man far off. He’s running and I can feel his worry for… me. I know him, and I take off, running as fast as I can to get to him.
“Jeremy!” I scream when his boyish looks come into view. His brown eyes scanning every inch of me. His own body radiating with untapped malice, not at me, but something else. My relief at seeing him pushes me into his arms and I stand there, holding onto him while my breaths even out and then peer into his eyes waiting for him to tell me what’s going on.
“Mira, wake up. I’m coming to you now. Wake up, Mira!” he yells and it jolts me awake. I’m no longer on the ground of the apartment but in the freezing snow. Alyria, Grun, Merrick, Ebbin, and Rhydian are standing around Alastor with shifts taking over those that can. The rest, standing with weapons drawn. Ebbin is shifting in Rigar, Rhydian into Kigiree, and Merrick's skin turning a deep blue, his veins taking on the bright silver of his eyes.
I try to get up, but my head is throbbing and whimper falls from my lips when I touch the sore spot on the back of my head.
“Here,” Jeremy’s familiar voice says and I think I’m still dreaming but when I look up, there he is, standing to my side with a hand outstretched.
“Wha? I mean how?!” I exclaim and his face lights up with that knowing smile of his and he says, “Told you I could find you in your dreams.” And then he pulls my confused butt up.
I had totally forgotten about his gifts, but in this moment, I’m glad and terrified of them. He doesn’t need to be here and I plan to tell him as much.
“Jeremy, it’s not safe for you…” Cut off by the sudden change that takes over him in a matter of seconds, his gorgeous beast stands tall and proud before me. The body of a lion, but the markings and agility of a leopard. His black mane gorgeous enough to pull me close and run my fingers through it.
-Hi Joltune,- I whisper into the kind mind of Jeremy’s beast. I know I can, but I doubt be thought I was going to be able. And from the shifting of the feet and the wide eyed look he’s giving me, he for sure had no idea.
-Mira, I have wanted to speak to you for so long. All those years of going back and forth with Jeremy, being in interpreter was infuriating!- Joltune says with a light laugh.
-We have a lot of time for that later now. You shouldn’t be here. That’s Alastor, the Death Demon that rules Hell, you two need to get out of here.-
I look back to the standstill fight, thanks to the fact that I’m now awake and Joltune is here.
-We aren’t leaving. That’s not how either of us work and you know that. This might be my first time of being the second to another, having a Doyen, but I know honor, I know loyalty and I know courage. We are not leaving,- he states and leaves no room for rebuttal. I roll my eyes and shake my head steadying myself as I pull my magic to me and heal the broken, or pain filled parts of myself. When I feel better, I stand and smile, thankful for the armor I still wear and pull my swords from its sheath and unfurl my wings. -Jeremy wants you to know you look like and avenging, yet badass, angel I have to agree,- Joltune says invading my mind with a lightning comment.
-Both of you apparently never stop with your jokes, huh?- I ask twirling the blade in my hands and walking forward to stand between Merrick and Ebbin.
“Bringing me a Pard as sacrifice… what a wonderful treat. It won't get you out of the inevitable though. Surely you know that. You have defied me for far too long,” Alastor’s disgusting voice says and it’s not me this time with the witty retort.
“Your daughter, in all of your infinite wisdom, was born for the benefit of the realms. Surely… you know that by now. You heard the mother’s Forseeance, you didn’t wait to make the deal, half was struck with the father for my curse, which meant you couldn’t back out. Her end was that a child, of light and dark, the purest form of neutrality would be born. Their bond with my own mate sealing your fate. In your ignorance and bliss filled life full of hunger and hate, you bore your own demise. She is the bringer of death, and life. Alastor, with her being here, your end is near,” Alyria says saccharinely to the now pa
le man.
Realizing all the things she said to be true, he can’t seem to move or say a thing. I stand with my sword ready and wait for him to move an inch. He might not be able to kill Alyria, but the rest of us, he can. If he so much as lifts a finger, I will be there to take him down.
“That might be, but I made deals other than that of your curse, Alyria.” His eyes alight with fury and glee. They shift from us to something around us and when I turn, I can see through the veil that has been erected. Hellhounds, Others, all Conclave members waiting to take us down. We’re trapped.
-Ready up! We’re surrounded and I don’t think I can do much with my flames here! Not now with my magics being used for too many other things!- I scream into everyone's heads and we all ready ourselves for the battle that is to come.
With a cry so wicked tearing through us all, we know that before we can get to Alastor, we have to get through the Conclave. An egregious affair in itself. We will never be welcome in this realm for the atrocities that we are about to partake in. Killing is a thing of the past and if an Other kills another Other, that offense is punishable by death. They might be here at the behest of a Demon, not their own leaders, but they are still a part of the governing body that keeps our kind in check. This will not lightly be swept under the rug. I can only hope that the Puissant will be there to clear us on all of this. I may not like the man, and hate the fact that I am hoping he will be there for us after I have stated my feelings, but we need him.
Racing forward, my sword easily slices through the meaty flesh of a hound readying itself to jump. The poor thing’s dying breath blown on my skin. I could see it in his eyes right before he made his move that he knew he was doing wrong. But he can't defy he orders of his master. These are the trapped hounds, slaves to the men that trapped them for their own offenses against the realms. Once their debt is paid, they can go back to living the life as a normal shifter, but those debts are usually hundreds of years.