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Within the Cards

Page 25

by Donna Altman


  Lauren and Dee left the small room. Ellie still had her head on my chest. She didn’t want to look at me. I pulled her chin up to look in my direction. Her eyes were full of fear and shame. I brushed the sprigs of hair away from her face. She was breathtaking. I lightly kissed her lips, but she didn’t return my kiss.

  “Ellie, we need to talk.” I spoke.

  “I know Daught, but.” Ellie tried to make her argument, but I stopped her in mid-comment.

  “No buts Ellie, please know that you are the key.” I stopped and stared ahead. My thought ran wild through my mind. “The key, that's it, the key.” Ellie looked at me with a strange expression on her face. I had forgotten about the key to the box that we now had. I couldn’t believe I had overlooked this.

  “Ellie, I have to talk to Ultress.” I headed for the door. Ellie looked at me like I was crazy. I rushed back and kissed her then started for the door.

  As I was leaving the hut, Elizabeth was walking toward it. She could tell I was in a hurry. Her look was of interest.

  “I’m sorry Elizabeth, but I must see Ultress. Where is he?” I asked looking at her as I passed her at the door. Not stopping to hear her answer because I knew I could focus on his location.

  “He and Graylee are at the shore line with Dee and Lauren.” She shouted as I ran out of the door.

  “I’m sorry I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to go.” I yelled back toward Elizabeth. I ran as fast as I could to the place where the four were standing. They saw me coming toward them. They searched my thoughts. They were in fear that something had happened that I hadn’t seen coming.

  “I know what has to be done.” I shouted.

  Ultress and the three others listened to my words. I could hardly get the words out of my mouth. My thoughts were passing so fast they couldn’t keep up with them. Ultress finally understood. He agreed with my plan that would keep Ellie safe and my attention on the war.

  “The girls also have a suggestion, Daught.” He told me. I looked at Dee and Lauren. Dee had an evil smile on her face.

  “Ok what is it?” I asked hesitantly.

  Ultress told me Dee and Lauren as well as he agreed. The one in the most danger and the one that could put us all in danger was Ellie. The Lords wanted her. They knew Ellie's freedom was what kept us a force against them. He told me of a plan that she wouldn’t be happy with, but I too agree with their intentions. I didn't like what had to be done, but I knew it was the only way to keep her safe. I feared she would be listening to our thoughts. Dee assured me she wasn’t paying attention. Elizabeth had gone to keep her mind occupied while we discussed our plan. Elizabeth was in on our deceit.

  “She’s going to be pissed.” I stated with a half-hearted smile. My thoughts centered on the reaction Ellie would have if I survived the war. I wasn’t sure if my annihilation by the Lords would be quicker than my annihilation by Ellie after the fact.

  “Yes, she'll be upset, but it’s for her own good.” Lauren assured. She touched my arm, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

  “Upset isn’t the word for it. Daught’s right; she’s going to be pissed.” Dee replied. I looked at Dee and smirked. Her comments didn’t’ make this any easier. She laughed at my reaction.

  “Yay, I get to see her get mad again.” Graylee clapped her hands. We laughed at her statements, but we all knew the truth. Ellie wasn’t going to like us after this war. It was a chance I knew I had to take. We made our final plans. I needed Dee to help me, so Lauren was going to have to keep Ellie busy while we worked. Ultress would go with Elizabeth to see the witches to finalize our intended plan.

  “I pity you after this is over.” Dee spoke as she hit my arm. I looked at her, and my thoughts sounded loud to her. “Me too.”

  “This has to work.” I thought. Dee touched my shoulder.

  “Well if it doesn’t Ellie will never know, and you won’t have to worry about her being mad at you.” Dee’s words were not settling. Her look turned seriously. We all knew what the outcome would be if our plan didn’t work.

  “It’ll be alright. She likes you too much to kill you.” The tiny voice of Graylee spoke as she giggled.

  I looked down at the child and smiled at her innocents. I knew if it didn’t work, this little girl would not be so innocent after the war. Everyone would be dead. Ellie would be made to extinguish me, and she would live a life of never remembering what happen on these grounds. These thoughts were ones I wanted to push from my mind. I couldn’t think of Ellie alone again nor could I think of her in the arms of another.

  Ellie was waiting on me when I returned to the hut. She knew I was up to something, but she was unable to hear my thoughts because Elizabeth continued to talk to her about her worries that Ultress would not be able to remove his sons. When I entered the hut, Elizabeth excused herself to find Ultress. Ellie looked in my eyes searching for my thoughts, but I tried to think of all the love I felt for her. Once she realized I wasn’t up to anything she told me about her conversation with Elizabeth.

  She told me Elizabeth had asked the witches to create a spell to subdue Ultress until we needed him to act. This spell wouldn’t render him unconscious, but he wouldn’t be able to break its bonds unless the witches allowed it to be broken. I knew Elizabeth was keeping Ellie’s mind busy so she wouldn’t hear the thought and plan we were making to keep her safe.

  “Ellie, if you were Ultress would this make you mad?” I asked as I looked at her and caught her eyes.

  “Of course it would, but Daught don’t you think he’ll understand after it was over? If we don’t have him to remove the Lords, our fight will be for nothing. They will use his compassion against us.” She reminded me.

  “I hope you remember this,” my thoughts conveyed.

  “What did you say?” She asked. I knew she heard my thoughts.

  “I didn’t say anything.” I responded. I wasn’t lying. I didn’t say anything; I thought it. Ellie looked at me and rolled her eyes. I changed the subject back to our conversation of Elizabeth’s plans for Ultress.

  “I just don’t think he will go for this plan.” I told her.

  “If he knew what was going to happen he wouldn’t, but if he doesn’t know it’s going to happen.” Ellie stopped and looked at me as if she were questioning my loyalty. I raised the brow of one eye and looked at her. She hesitated, but continued on with her story.

  “Elizabeth asked me to take him to the large water fall before the war begins. The water will hide his thoughts from our enemy. The witches will meet us there and cast the spell,” she told me. She was proud Elizabeth asked her to help.

  “What reason will you use to get him there?” I asked looking in her direction. She walked over to me and touched my nose.

  “I have my ways of convincing him,” she said proudly.

  I kept my thoughts from her only thinking of the spell the witches would cast on Ultress, and my attempts to retrieve the key from the Lords.

  When Dee arrived at the hut to help me, Ellie told her of Elizabeth’s plan. Dee looked at me, and I confirmed this was true. She shook her head not sure of what to believe anymore, but she knew we must start working on the key.

  I told Ellie of the plan to get the key from the Lords. Dee and I needed to work hard on my ability to concentrate on retrieving the key. Ellie looked at me and shook her head. She stopped me from talking because she wanted to know what Dee thought of her plan for Ultress.

  “What do you think Dee?”

  “I think he’s going to be pissed.” Dee said as she looked in my direction and grinned. Ellie again shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “Well he’ll just have to get over it.” Ellie proclaimed. She placed her hands on her hips. “Remember what you told me to put my big girl panties on, well he’s going to have to get his boxers out of his crack.” Dee and I started laughing at the thought of Ultress’s underwear. Ellie didn’t see the humor. She threw her hands up and rolled her eyes once more. Dee and I tried to stop snickering, but
the sounds of withheld laugher broke through our tightly held lips.

  “I’ll remember you said that.” Dee replied to Ellie and looked in my direction. Again, we began to laugh. Ellie stood looking at us with her hands on her hips.

  “Ok Daught, we need to work on your powers.” Dee stated as she tried to clear her throat and remove the smirk from her face.

  Dee and I worked on my concentration. Ellie knew she needed to leave us alone to give us time to work. She knew I couldn’t concentrate on anything but her when she was around.

  “I’ll see you two later. Dee, you better leave him the way you found him.” She said playfully.

  “Little sister you’re the only one that can stand the smell of a rat, besides I wasn’t going to hurt him. At least not fatally,” Dee laughed an evil laugh. Ellie rolled her eyes at her and then kissed me.

  Ellie left the hut. Dee looked at me with questions. I winked at her so she would know I was referring to Ellie when I was talking about Ultress.

  “Yes, they’re going to put a spell on him to keep him restrained.” I winked again.

  “Oh, I bet he’s going to be mad.” She smiled almost laughing. We both knew Ellie was listening to our thoughts. She hadn’t gone far. I knew she was still wondering what I was doing.

  “Ok Daught, think about the key.” Dee ordered. All Ellie could see in both of our minds was a key. She got tired of ease dropping, so she went to find her mother.

  We worked for many hours. The moon reached its highest point in the sky before starting its descent and replacement by the sun. My efforts were worthless. I couldn’t make the key appear. It was as if it were behind a shield that wouldn’t let my mind entice it into my hand.

  “Dee it’s not going to work. I can’t get it to move. I see it, but it won’t move from its resting place.” I was beat. I ran my fingers through my hair. Dee sat in the chair near the window. She slapped her thighs with her hands.

  “I guess we’ll have to hope our other plan works. We’ll have to fight hard to keep our freedom,” she replied.

  “I don’t understand. Why can’t I make the damn key move?” I asked. I walked to the door and looked out at the water. Dee got up from the chair and joined me at the door.

  “Maybe, you’re not supposed to move it.” Dee replied. I turned to look at Dee with question in my eyes. What did she mean by I wasn’t supposed to move it. Of course, I'm supposed to move the damn thing. It had to move. There was no other way. Ellie could never be in harm’s way. I wouldn’t allow this to happen. I pulled at my hair as I dropped my head in my hands. Dee came over to me and touched my shoulder. Her touch was gentle. It shocked me that she could be consoling. I looked at her.

  “Listen Daught, that’s not what I meant. Maybe it’s not supposed to be that easy. Maybe you must learn something before you can harness this power. Don’t worry about it. It’ll come to you,” she said as she slapped me on the back.

  I listened to her words, but I could not understand what I needed to learn. What else was this immortality going to throw in my direction?

  “I must go and talk with mother. I’ll send Ellie back to you.” Dee said as she walked out of the hut.

  My thoughts were alone. I knew I had to find a way to move the key, and I knew I had to keep my thoughts of our other plan to myself. Ellie wouldn’t understand my secret. She would be furious, but I had to keep her safe. Even if she hated me, I wouldn’t spend eternity knowing another male enslaved her. I loved her too much to allow this.

  My thoughts kept returning to what Dee said. What else could I need to learn? I decided to go down to the water to swim while I waited for Ellie to return. I knew she would find me. She would always find me.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  ONE LAST NIGHT

  It was the Eve of the Great War. Ellie and I were together for what could be the last day of our existence, and the last peaceful night on earth together. The next moon to rise would be the new moon. Its black face would show no mercy. It was clear that neither side would see the other coming. We would only know of their arrival through our thoughts. They would come to take what was mine and to remove the rest of my newly formed family. This wasn’t acceptable to me.

  My thoughts were heavy. Ellie lay in my arms. It reminded me of the abandoned building we shared over one hundred years ago where we hid our immortality from humans, as well as other immortals. We only came out at night to hunt. Ellie protected me as a new immortal, and now I would protect her with all my might. The night was silent. The only sounds were the mortal creatures that naturally wondered the thick jungle. They were the ones that would witness the annihilation of one side or the other in the immortal war. They would witness the annihilation of the old world thinkers of the witchyre clan or the new world thinkers of this same clan. This clan began from the love of two hybrids of different races, but ended by holding hostages with hatred. Tomorrow night the world we have come to know would change for the good or the bad.

  Tonight I was with Ellie. She was the one thing in my existence that made sense. I loved her, and she loved me. We were finally one again even if it ended with the new moon.

  “Daught, promise me tomorrow you’ll take care of yourself,” she begged. Her eyes were fearful.

  “Ellie, we’ll both be alright. I can’t think of a time in the future that I will not be with you.” I assured her and smiled.

  She knew my thoughts were not so sure. Her thoughts were the same. She feared she would become a slave to her uncles. She knew if they caught her she would have to extinguish me and live an eternity in a world that wouldn’t be kind. Her mind showed me a picture of her fears. I couldn’t stand her thoughts. If I were human my stomach would turn, and I would expel the food I digested. The Lords were sick and evil. My Ellie couldn’t be enslaved to them.

  “Remember Elizabeth’s promise to me?” She asked. I pulled her tight.

  “I remember my love.” I replied. I didn’t want to think of Ellie being removed from this earth. She was a lovely, peaceful being that all immortals needed to guide them. I pulled her close to my body. I felt the warmth of her skin next to mine. The candle flickered and made her skin glow in the dark. This flickering took me back to my meeting with Anesidora. She told me that only I could end this war and that my powers were greater than I knew. This was true, but I hadn’t been able to make them work. Again, her words rang out in my mind. With my makers help, together we would win. Her thoughts rang in my mind. What was Anesidora trying to say?

  “She’s right. Together we can do anything.” Ellie broke my thoughts.

  “She first said only I could end this war, and then she told me we had to unite to protect each other. I don’t understand how only I can do this.” I stated. I stared at the ceiling of the hut. I felt Ellie’s warm breath at the nape of my neck.

  “You’ve perfected your new powers, Daught. You can use them to help.” She reminded me.

  “Yes Ellie, but the one I need I can’t get to work. The key will not come to me,” I reminded her of this fact. I rubbed her arm. Ellie tucked her head under my chin. I loved the feeling of her body lying against my skin. Her scent was sweet: the rose, lilac, and lavender concoction. Only Ellie could wear this scent with such grace. I breathed in deep and pulled every molecule of the scent into my body. The candle continued to flicker and again my thoughts were on Anesidora.

  The Great War spoken of was now impending, but she spoke of something else she referred to as the prophet, Ellie’s and my child. Would this creature ever come into existence? Would I ever have the pleasure of seeing Ellie hold our child in her arms? The one that was the prophecy, I couldn’t imagine a world where all immortal beings unite. Could this possibility come about?

  “Daught, you’re thinking of our child again.” Ellie smiled, and I heard a slight giggle.

  “Yes my dear, our child.” I stated and squeezed her in my arms.

  I remembered another time when this thought came into my mind. Ellie laughed in my face.
She swore we would never have a child together. Could she be right? Would this war end our future of being parents to a child we made together? Ellie tightened her grip around me. She didn’t want to hear the thoughts of this being never coming to us.

  “I’ll have your child, Daught.” She assured me.

  “I know Ellie. I wait for the day you give birth to our creation.” I smiled at the thought, and I kissed the top of her head.

  We lay still holding each other as if we were scared to let the other go for fear we would wake, and it would have been just a dream. I thought about the possibility that I would still be looking for Ellie, and she would still not remember my existence. I couldn’t bear these thoughts. I couldn’t dream so this was our reality, and our fate.

  My thoughts carried me to tomorrow. How I wished tomorrow was just a nightmare that would startle me awake. A nightmare I would wake from and find my Ellie in my arms with no harm to her or our family. If I could only sleep, I would wipe this nightmare away and dream of only peace and beauty. I smiled through my thoughts. A great play writer named Shakespeare begged ‘To sleep perchance to dream’, how I wish I could do the same. In my reality, there was no chance to dream or to have a nightmare. No chance to wake and realize everything was as I left it before I drifted away to rest.

  “Daught, clear your mind of this sadness. We’re together now, and you’re not dreaming me. I’m real. Please love me as if we will never make love again.” Her request was strong. She pulled herself up with part of her body covering my chest. Her face was directly in front of mine.

  “I love you, Daught.” She spoke in a voice that sounded like a child. Her breath was of the sweet aroma I craved.

  “I love you too.” I pulled her tighter in my arms and wanted to hold her there and forget about this reality that would soon be revealed.

  Our bodies entwined. We made love as if this act of our affection would never happen again. Her kisses were sweet. Her scent was erotic to my nose. If this were the end, I would gladly welcome my extinction. If I could make sure Ellie wasn’t in harm’s way. Ellie pulled my thoughts to hers. Our bodies were in perfect timing. We made love for hours. I didn’t want this to end. I wanted to spend the rest of my eternity in her arms. I begged for a nightmare that I couldn’t wake from so my Ellie wouldn’t be harmed.

 

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