The Supremacy

by White, Megan

  “You’ve been out for about twelve hours.” Declan answered my unspoken question still watching me intently, seemingly afraid to move a muscle.

  “Were you singing?” The question left my lips while I continued to watch the brilliant sun rise into the morning sky.

  “Yes.” His answered warily, climbing from his four-poster bed, still wearing the same clothes he had yesterday. He came to stand behind me.

  “How do you know it?” My tone was flat, void of any emotion. My mind seemed to be working on autopilot, asking questions now, facing the consequences later.

  Placing his cool hands atop my shoulders he pulled me backwards to lean against his chest, “I know everything about you, Erin.”

  My breath left my lungs in a rush, “So everything that has happened up until this point was all a part of your little plan? Did you ever sit back and think about how it would affect me?”

  I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt me, but I had not the energy. Everything I knew had been pulled away from me. Nothing was real to me anymore. Nothing made sense to me anymore, “Did my Dad know what my mom was?”

  “Yes.” He breathed from behind me, “and he loved her more than life itself. We are not inherently evil, Erin.”

  “What am I?” I asked when I turned to face him.

  “You are one of a kind,” He smiled, cupping my face in his hands, “The only one of your kind.”

  “And you knew this. Tarant knew this.” I fell to my knees in front of the window, “Corina knew this.”

  “Corina thinks you are dead.” Declan’s voice came in a fury from behind me, “She ordered your death to be the first.”

  That was the only statement Declan had ever said to me that I instantly believed. Corina had always hated me. I thought it was from my father’s unending love for my mom, and maybe part of that was still true. I was a constant reminder of her, of the sister Corina murdered in cold blood. My father refused to allow her memory to die, forever reminding Corina of what she had done. I looked into Declan’s worried eyes, but finding a way to care was impossible. Staring back at him blankly, I spoke without feeling, “With me dead, her deeds would vanish with me.”

  “Who you are,” He kneeled before me and pulled my hands into his, “Has saved you. You are unique. When Tarant saw you for the first time, he could not deny himself a taste.” His fingers brushed down the side of my cheek, “You are strong, stronger than you believe.”

  “None of this makes sense.” I shook my head, trying to dislodge the surmounting ache that his declarations caused me.

  “It will,” He sighed, “In time.”

  That was Declan’s answer for everything, ‘time’. But not even time could heal my wounds. I didn’t feel strong, I felt broken. A fraction of the girl I once was. Lost in the discovery of what I really was. How could anyone expect me to be able to cope? Declan did.

  “If my father knew what I was, why didn’t he tell me?”

  “To protect you. To protect Claire.” He intertwined our fingers while we sat together on his bare floor. I did not pull away from him. His touch meant nothing to me. “Your mom ran. She wanted no part in what The Supremacy had in store for the human race. Your dad fell in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her.”

  “‘Our kind are easy to love.’” I repeated his words lifelessly.

  “Yes. Claire remained in hiding, living inconspicuously with a commoner, staying undetected until Max’s name grew in popularity as a rebel.”

  “And that’s when Corina showed.”

  “She thought seducing Max would be easy,” He chuckled distractedly, “That’s what she does. Men fall over her. When your father refused her, she…”

  “Killed the one holding her back.”

  “Yes. Corina didn’t know Max had a child. She had never seen you. It wasn’t known our species could breed with humans.”

  “Because being with one was against the law.”

  “At the time, it was an unspoken rule. Our kind are superior to humans,” He shrugged as if that fact was obvious, “There wasn’t many that wished to have relations with one anyway. The law stands now because we know interbreeding is possible. They want to keep our race pure.”

  “But it’s common knowledge that Keepers ‘have relations’ with female commoners from time to time. Unwilling female commoners, I might add.”

  “Yes, and those females soon go missing, don’t they?” He said somberly.

  Declan sat up and pulled a vial from his back packet, “Please take this.” He begged, placing the vial onto my shaking palm.

  I spun the tiny tube over and over in my hand, watching the contents dip back and forth, “How could you poison me?” I asked while watching his anti-venom bob inside the clear vial.

  “You remain a mystery.” He crooned close to my ear, “I wasn’t sure that I could. It took a lot, much more than it would have taken the average human.”

  “Am I venomous?” I smiled up at him, baring a toothy grin.

  His immediate cathartic laughter shook my entire body, “I’m not sure. Would you like to find out?”

  I was afraid of what he might have meant by that. Did he want me to infect another human? No. Even if I were venomous, the half-breed of a Supreme, I would never live as one of them, or feed as they fed. “No.” I spat harshly, and pulled my hands free of his.

  “No.” He pulled me back, “That’s not what I meant. I have a chemist that has been studying your cells.”

  “So I’m a science project now?” I interrupted.

  “You’re unique.” He corrected as he pulled my stiff body to his chest.

  Needing the distance, I pushed away from him and stood, then downed the vial that still rested in my hand. “My turn,” I chimed once I made it to the door.

  “Your turn for what?”

  Riffling through the drawer in the kitchen, I found what I needed. Popping the cap as Declan walked through the entryway, I smiled the moment the needle slowly pierced my skin.

  “You really don’t have to do that.” He protested, coming to stand in front of me.

  Ignoring him, I filled three tubes, popped the cap on the syringe and hopped on the counter, and kicked my legs in front of him, “So, when you drink from me.” I smiled at him once he reached for the tubes, “Is that like some form of cannibalism?”

  “I’m not sure,” He grinned as he brought the first vial to his lips, “But I wouldn’t care either way,” He downed it without taking his eyes off me, “Because you taste so good.”

  I had to fight the urge to vomit as I sat there and watched him drink.

  “Are you hungry?” A smile took over his lips before he turned pointed toward the fridge, “There’s plenty of food in there for you.”

  “Not after watching that.”

  “Well, then, if you won’t eat why don’t you go relax in the bath, you have to be tight after last night.” He grinned once he finished off the last vial. “There are more clothes for you in the closet. A friend of mine will be here shortly, and he’s dying to meet you.”

  I cut my eyes at him as I hopped from the counter, “Will I be the main course or the appetizer?”

  “Neither,” His arms wrapped around my waist, “You are all mine.”

  It felt strange, his touch, and even more-so that I was becoming accustomed to it. Even when all my senses told me I should run from him, that I should hate him. And sometimes I did hate him. But it seemed the more time I spent with Declan, the harder denying him became, “‘Our kind are easy to love.’” His words flitted through my mind.

  Was that what was happening, was Declan putting me under his spell? I never had anyone look at me the way he did, touch me the way he did, and a small part of me never wanted him to stop. And at the same time, a part of me revolted at the thought of him being so close to me. It was wrong, I knew it was wrong, but I could not stop myself from wanting more.

  I found myself debating the feelings that were welling up i
nside of me as I made my way to the washroom, “‘We aren’t that different, You and I.’” His words rang clear, holding some truth. We both knew what loss felt like; both of us grew up without the touch of a mother. We were the same… on the inside.

  I dialed the water in the bath to a soothing temperature, my muscles craving the warmth of the water. My entire body was tight, but sleeping in the arms of a Keeper for twelve hours would do that to a person.

  As I sat, I allowed my mind to wander. Every time I thought I was close to the brink of my sanity, Declan found a way to bring me back, even to smile when all I felt like was crying, “‘I know everything about you.’” How he could know anything about me seemed odd. I couldn’t imagine Corina giving her stepson a play-by-play of my life. Other than what I was genetically, I was unable to see how anything else mattered.

  I don’t know how long I soaked in that bath, time ceased to exist as I bathed in the warmth of the pool that never seemed to chill. It was hard denying that feeling of ecstasy.

  I laid my head against the brim of the tub and began humming my mother’s lullaby.

  “You have a beautiful voice,” Declan’s voice sounded next to my ear, “I hate to disturb you,” He grinned as he took in my shocked expression, “But we will be having company soon.” Grabbing the black silk robe that hung from the door, he held it up for me, “Come on. It’s time to get dressed.”

  “All men are the same.” I grumbled, splashing water at him, “No matter the species.”

  With quick fingers, he wiped the water from his face and bent over the tub, leaning in close. My heart started to race as his piercing blue eyes pierced mine. His nose rested on mine and I watched his hand disappear between my legs, “Can you blame me?” He breathed shallowly, his nose rubbing against mine, causing my breath to hitch. His smile was infectious as he unplugged the drain and stood up, “Stand up.”

  Shaking my head, I stood in front of him naked without a care to what he thought. Slowly, he wrapped the robe around me, kissing my bare shoulder as he pulled the garment tight, “What are you doing to me?” He sighed once our eyes met.

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  He led the way to his bedroom, his hand at the small of my back, “You have everything you’ll need in the closet and your underwear is in the top drawer of the dresser.”

  As we came to a stop at the threshold, I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, wanting to see them, to read what they could tell me, “Are you doing all this,” I waved my hand dismissively around the room and up my body, “because I’m the key to your plan?”

  “No.” He exhaled in a rush as his fingers brushed down the sides of my face. His right hand moved to the small of my back, his eyes never leaving mine as he pulled me into him. His fingers lightly traced the outline of my bottom lip, causing my breath to hitch as his fingers curled into my back. Holding me tight against his chest, his soft lips caressed in feather light strokes over mine, coaxing me to open up to him, and against all my better judgment, I did. I melted into his hold as his tongue explored my mouth, moaning when he deepened the kiss.

  All too soon he pulled away panting, “I’m doing this because I have loved you for longer than you could ever imagine.”

  Startled by his admission, I backed away from his hold, “No”

  The bell rang, signaling that his guest had arrived, “Yes.” He smiled; leaning down to lightly kissed my forehead before he left me frozen at the entry of his bedroom.

  My stomach was in knots as I watched him walk down the hall. Unable to process his words, I padded to the closet, grabbing the first item I saw. It was hard to imagine a supreme loving a human, but my mother had done it. I remembered my parents and the way they fell over each other. They adored one another, loved with the passion of the gods. But neither had killed. Neither had murdered innocent people, not as Declan had. Both my mother and my father’s hands were clean, leaving only an untainted love to consume them. Declan’s hands were saturated in the blood of his victims. I wasn’t sure if I was capable of loving anyone unconditionally the way my parents loved one another. I wasn’t sure if I could look past everything Declan had done.

  There was still too much I didn’t know. Too much I still had to process. I couldn’t deny that I was starting to feel for the Keeper that claimed he saved me, but those feelings were still in their infancy. The wounds he had created remained too raw. I feared my mind so desperately wanted to hold on to Declan, because if I had him, if he loved me, than I wasn’t left to face the world alone. Whatever I felt in the end, I wanted it to be real.

  I dressed like a zombie; my thoughts too clouded to concentrate on the mundane task.

  Tiptoeing down the hall, I heard the sound of laughter of familiar friends echoing through the great room. Glasses tinked together as the two talked boisterously. My eyes caught on the unmistakable flowing black cloak of the Keeper that stood in the middle of Declan’s living room. His eyes twinkled in delight once he spotted me standing in the shadows of the hall, “Is this her?” The six-foot tall gorilla of a Keeper asked as he stepped closer to me.

  Declan turned to me and with his eyes sparkling, a smile of his own playing on his lips, “That’s her,” He answered, stretching his hand out to me, “Come, Erin, there’s someone I would like you to meet.”

  I found myself unable to deny him. As I stopped in front of him, he wrapped his arms around my waist and in the most feather like touch, he lightly brushed his lips over mine, “Kellan,” He motioned to the Keeper that stood next to the couch, his mouth gaping as he watched us, “This is Erin.”

  “I’ve heard so much about you.” He beamed and made his way toward us, “It’s an honor to finally meet you.” He gushed, taking my hand in his, he kissing the top.

  “It’s a pleasure.” I lied.

  “Kellan is the chemist I told you about.” Declan clarified as he pulled me free of Kellan’s hold and led the way to the dining table, “The one that has been studying your cells.”

  “And they are remarkable!” He announced, taking a seat next to me, “Unique in every way.”

  “Erin is unique in every way.”

  “It seems she shares much with us, yet has her own genetic make-up that differs both as a supreme and human.”

  I watched, stunned, as the cloaked Keeper scratched his head and then turned to meet Declan’s confused eyes head-on, “We have all been told that mating with a human would taint our species. That has never been farther from the truth.” Kellan’s eyes flashed to me, his gaze moving from my head down to my toes, “She is actually stronger than we are. Her cells are resistant to every known illness humans face, resistant to our venom; she even has antibodies that fight our weaknesses.” He shook his head as if to clear it, “It’s remarkable.” He breathed out in a rush and grabbed Declan’s hand, “She is the most toxic creature I have ever studied. Her cells fight and destroy any invader.”

  “I know.” Declan laughed before he stood from the table, “It took ten times the venom to affect her, and even then it didn’t do more than give her some tremors and a little burn.”

  “What?” I spat as he turned for the kitchen, “It was more than a ‘little burn’, and if that’s true, why have you been force feeding me your ‘anti-venom’?”

  “That’s simple,” He answered with a smile, “I wanted you to build up a tolerance, I didn’t know if you were venomous or not, and...”

  “Oh, she’s venomous all right.” Kellan cut him off midsentence, draining the glass Declan had handed him, “Even to us.”

  “Really.” Declan’s hand went to his chin, his fingers taping his lips.

  “It seems there is more to the Erin mystery than I ever thought.”

  His admission broke me out of my reverie, “But I’ve never poisoned anyone, and from what I’ve been told.” I rested my hands on the table, “I was a biter as a kid.”

  I watched, stunned as they both leaned away from the table and began to laugh. “It doesn’t w
ork quite like that, Erin.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him as he continued to laugh at me, “Then how does it work?”

  “Oh, no.” His head shook, his hand still resting on mine, “After he just tells me that you are toxic to me? Not a chance will I tell you how to secrete venom.”

  I smiled a toothy grin, “Scared?”

  “Very.”

  “It may be beneficial to our plans to teach her.” Kellan added with a wink, “One dose of her venom would drop Tarant where he stands.”

  “Too detectable.” Declan shook his head dismissively, “We want his death slow, as to no one becoming the wiser. He’s already beginning to show signs. It won’t be long now.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I sat at the table, speechless as the two fought back and forth on the best possible way to dispose of their leader. Kellan was hell bent on any means of elimination that would provide instant results. Declan, on the other hand, did not see it quite that black and white, “And how would that help us? Please tell me, Kellan. Because all I foresee is an uproar of angry Supremes. My first order of business would have to be to locate and execute Tarant’s assassin.”

  “Your point?” Kellan scoffed, “We accuse one of his minions. Two birds, one stone.”

  “My point is that I am tired of killing!” Declan’s eyes blazed at the Keeper that slowly pushed away from the table, “We can get others to follow a new way of life without killing off everyone that kneels at Tarant’s feet. We would have to kill off half of our damn species!”

  “Okay,” Kellan’s hands shot up in surrender, “We’ll do it slowly, but up the poison if you’re administering it through Erin’s cells.”

  “Why?” Declan sighed, exasperated by his friends provisos.

  “Because Erin’s blood has medicinal properties, I told you it fights invaders,” He cut his eyes as if annoyed by Declan’s inability to follow simple scientific conjectures. “It also heals. You cannot kill someone if you are healing them at the same time.”

  “Double negative.” He breathed out in a rush, “We’ll up the dosage. Tarant will be around soon to pick up his next batch.”