by Dove, Raquel
“Nothing really happened,” Alex said. “I just remember I couldn’t move.”
AnnaBeth stopped dead in her tracks, a look of pure terror coming over her face for a split second before she relaxed back into her carefully practiced, typical mask of kindness.
“Tell me more about it,” AnnaBeth said continuing to walk along the small path in the park. Alex could tell she was trying to remain calm. There was something she said that seemed to completely unnerve her.
“Um..Ok,” Alex said, thinking back for a moment before she answered, “I couldn’t see anything. Just darkness. I was trying to move my legs but I couldn’t. I remember trying to scream, but nothing came out. Then Sam woke me up, and I just felt so sick.”
“I see,” AnnaBeth said, hiding the worry from her face as best she could.
“What does it mean?” Alex asked.
“Oh, nothing,” AnnaBeth said, forcing a smile with a wave of her hand. She didn’t see any reason to alarm Alex. What was done was done and there was no use dwelling on such things.
“AnnaBeth,” Alex said firmly, stopping her and grabbing the her by the shoulders to look her in the eyes. “I don’t need you to keep secrets from me. Tell me what has you so upset.”
“Very well,” AnnaBeth said with a sigh. “I suppose you should know.”
Alex gave her a small nod, signaling for her to continue, despite the not so sure expression that had taken over her face.
“Come,” AnnaBeth said, grabbing Alex by the hand and pulling her over to a bench. “Sit, I will tell you about the history of your kind.”
“My kind?” Alex asked, her brows raised as she sat down on the bench. “You mean humans?”
“Not exactly,” AnnaBeth said, taking the seat next to her and pulling out the same small book that had the picture of the Hope Diamond drawn in it.
“Are you trying to tell me I’m not human?” Alex asked.
“Well, you are,” AnnaBeth said. “Sort of. You are a very special kind of human.”
“Ok,” Alex said, trying to process the information.
“There have been only a few of you born throughout history,” AnnaBeth said. She flipped through the pages of the small book until she came to a page with writings in a strange language, and a hand drawn picture of a man.
“This is the last one that lived,” AnnaBeth said, showing the picture to Alex, “do you recognize him?”
“No,” Alex said, shaking her head and looking up at AnnaBeth. “Am I supposed to?”
“Well,” AnnaBeth said with a smile, “perhaps not by his picture, but you should certainly recognize his name. He is Alexander. He lived nearly two thousand years ago.”
“You mean Alexander the Great?” Alex said, her brows raised even higher on her forehead.
“Exactly,” AnnaBeth said. “There is a reason he is known as great, Alexandra. And there is also a reason you share a name with him.”
“Alexander the Great was like me?” Alex asked, still shocked by the information.
“Yes,” AnnaBeth said casually, flipping through the pages of the book again. She stopped on a page of drawings containing some pictures that Alex definitely recognized. “Now, these are called the Magi.”
“I know,” Alex said, her face turning white as a piece of paper at the sight of them, “I had the displeasure of running into them.”
AnnaBeth’s eyes snapped up to Alex.
“You’ve met the Magi?” AnnaBeth asked as her eyes searched Alex.
“Yeah,” Alex said, holding out her arm to show AnnaBeth the scar that was there. “That’s how I got this.”
AnnaBeth’s face paled as her gaze fell to the puckered scar that was on Alexandra’s wrist.
“You didn’t,” AnnaBeth said, her voice was dry and barely more than a whisper. “Please tell me you did not freely give them your blood.”
“Well, I don’t know if I would say it was entirely freely,” Alex said, growing uncomfortable with AnnaBeth’s concern. “They had Sam, I had to do what they wanted.”
AnnaBeth stood from the bench and began to pace, muttering to herself in the strange language her sisters often spoke in.
“Is everything Ok?” Alex asked. AnnaBeth paused her pacing momentarily to look at Alex, but she said nothing and continued her nervous reaction.
“AnnaBeth,” Alex said, “seriously. What’s up?”
Alex grew increasingly concerned when AnnaBeth completely ignored the second question. The woman had been the pinnacle of calm and collected since Alex had met her, but now she was completely freaking out. Alex was on the brink of freaking out herself when finally AnnaBeth stopped pacing and turned to look at her. The fear was clear on her face.
“Things are much worse than I thought,” AnnaBeth said quietly, still avoiding Alexandra’s eyes, as if the grass of the park had suddenly become extremely interesting.
“Why? What are they going to do with my blood?” Alex asked.
“It’s what they have already done with it, Alexandra,” AnnaBeth said, her voice still low and soft.
“Ok,” Alex said, tossing her hands up, “What have they done?”
“They have resurrected their master,” AnnaBeth said, “the Ancient. We are all in a lot of trouble.”
#
“We must change our plans,” AnnaBeth said as she and Alex entered the hotel room where Sam and Balthazar were waiting for them to return. There was an urgent unsettledness in her voice that Sam immediately picked up on.
“So, we aren’t stealing the Hope Diamond?” Sam asked a little hopeful. He’d had his misgivings about this line of action, though he hadn’t wanted to say anything for fear of looking wimpy to AnnaBeth.
“Of course we are,” AnnaBeth said. “But Alexandra needs significant training before we return.”
“Ok,” Sam said, “so, what? A couple more days?”
“No,” AnnaBeth said. Sam was becoming uncomfortable with the sudden seriousness that had overcome the once perpetually cheery woman that he was developing some pretty heavy feelings for. “The kind of training she requires will take years. Many, many years.”
“Years?” Alex said, her voice raised a couple of octaves. “We don’t have that kind of time. We need to get back now.”
“Alexandra,” AnnaBeth said sharply, “you are nowhere near prepared to face the darkness that awaits you there.”
“Well,” Alexandra shot back, “I’ve faced them before, and I think this time around I can do much better.”
“You do not understand,” AnnaBeth said, “the Magi are the least of our problems. They have resurrected their master, Alexandra. Even if you had been training since birth, as you should have been, you would be no match for him.”
“How do you even know they have resurrected him?” Alex said, hoping AnnaBeth was somehow wrong.
“The dream,” AnnaBeth said. “The one you told me about. It was him. Calling out to you, reaching for you.”
Chapter Eighteen
The silence was deafening. Alexandra’s heart thumped rapidly in her chest. The only thought in her head was how she was way under qualified to be doing this. They were also terribly underprepared. Sure, they had managed to get a hold of the museum blueprint, and knew where all the pertinent security measures were, cameras, guards and the like. But still, she had never stolen anything in her life, and Balthazar’s reasoning that the diamond truly belonged to him anyway did nothing to ease her anxiety. She followed behind Balthazar, keeping close to him and trying as best she could to not make a sound. He seemed to be far more comfortable doing this and Alex couldn’t help but feel a slight jealousy of him for that. He was always so confident, in even the most stressful situations.
They hid in the shadows around the particular museum building they were about to break into, dressed in all black to help them blend into the night. They crept along the long side of the front of the museum, coming right up the front steps. Balthazar could smell Alexandra’s fear, could feel her looking wildly around a
s if they were about to get caught. She was so busy looking around she nearly ran into him when he stopped to turn around. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his body. He bent his neck, bringing his lips to her ear.
“Calm down,” he said softly, “there is no one around. I would smell them if they approached.”
He pulled back to look down at her and she nodded her understanding. He could hear her heart beat already calming and he felt rather pleased with himself. There was a beautiful stained glass window that sat high above the columned entrance to the museum that was to be their entry point. Even though Alex was prepared for the leap, it still nearly took her breath away as Balthazar used his demonic abilities to jump up on the small ledge that ran under the window. Alex clung tightly to him, praying that she wouldn’t fall. Balthazar tightened his grip on her, sensing her fear of falling. His concentration was split between the task at hand and his overall concern for Alex.
Balthazar lifted a claw to the beautifully colored glass and began to slice easily through it. The grating sound made Alexandra’s skin crawl and she clenched even tighter to Balthazar, trying to block the sound out. Once he had made a large enough cut in the glass, he gave it a light push, using his speed to catch the pane before it shattered on the floor inside. He set Alexandra down inside and was glad when his senses picked up that her fears were once again lessened.
Once inside the building, they were only a short distance away from the room that held the Hope Diamond.
#
As Gary turned the corner of the first floor of the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian he let out a wide, lazy yawn. He was two weeks away from retirement and he was more than ready to leave this job behind. It was quite possibly the most dreadfully boring assignment he had ever had. At first, he thought it would be the ideal job. After a lifetime of serving with the FBI and other special police task forces, he was offered this position to ease him into his retirement. He had always loved museums, and the Smithsonian, being a top-notch place, was one of his favorites. So he had signed on without a second thought. One month into the job he had realized his mistake. There was never any action, the only sounds throughout the wide halls were his footsteps echoing as he made his rounds. The exhibits had lost their luster after only a couple days. The one exhibit he still enjoyed visiting was the Hope Diamond. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry he had ever seen. The sparkle it gave off was unlike any other, and he was one of the few people to be lucky enough to see it without any others interrupting his view. It was never more beautiful than when it twinkled in the case spotlight in the middle of the night. He wasn’t supposed to go see it, except for during his regularly scheduled course that was laid out by the director of the museum security, but nobody would ever know the difference. They never did. Most people thought the room would be cloaked in some sort of elaborate laser based security measures, but that was far from the truth. All the security was located within the small pedestal glass case that held the diamond.
#
“Wait,” Alex said in a harsh whisper, grabbing Balthazar’s arm as he reached for the glass case. His brows shifted inward, in a silent question as he looked back at her.
“I’m sure there is some sort of an alarm,” Alex whispered. “Be careful.”
Balthazar nearly rolled his eyes. Alexandra was actually telling him to be careful. Alexandra. The most clumsy, unrefined, careless person he had ever met. She picked up on his imaginary eye roll and shot him back a scowl.
“There is no need to instruct me, girl,” Balthazar said. Alex’s lips tightened and she put a hand on her hips, silently stomping her foot. Balthazar gave her the slightest of smirks and reached once again for the glass case. As soon as his claw touched the glass, he froze. Alexandra watched him for a tense moment before she realized he wasn’t moving. Her eyes followed his gaze to the entrance of the room, where an old man dressed in a security outfit stood staring at them, jaw slacked. They all stood there for a sliver of a moment, staring in shock at each other.
Chapter Nineteen
Gary blinked his eyes a couple of times, unsure of whether what he was seeing was real, or just his boredom getting the better of his imagination. When the realization finally hit that there were actually two people trying to steal the Hope Diamond his training kicked in. He reached for the gun at his hips but was shocked when a clawed hand wrapped around his throat before he had even put his hands on the hilt.
“Balthazar,” Alex shouted at the demon lord from across the room, “don’t hurt him!”
“His intentions were to harm us,” he said, his voice as cold as the North Pole, while his eyes burned a whole through Gary’s face. Gary’s hands came up, wrapping around the wrist of his attacker. His eyes were wide as he tried to pull free. He choked out an unintelligible word as Balthazar’s grip tightened on him.
“Balthazar,” Alex screamed at him again, as if she thought he was ever going to take a command from anyone. “Put him down, please.”
That word got him. Well, that word and the pleading in Alexandra’s voice. He never wanted to harm or disappoint her, and now was no exception. Besides that, he really did not want to listen to her berating him for killing this inconsequential human for the next who knows how long until she got over it. He opened his hand and Gary fell to the ground, gasping for his breath.
“What are you?” was all he could manage to choke out as he looked up at Balthazar. He scrambled away from the imposing demon lord, scooting back on the floor. Balthazar cracked his knuckles as he glared down his nose at the guard, flashing his fangs for added impact.
“You should thank the girl for your life,” Balthazar said. As he turned around he noticed the scowl marring Alexandra’s face as she glared at him from beside the jewel case.
“Stop calling me that,” she bit out. Of all the times, Balthazar was choosing now to irritate her, and she was not going to stand for it.
“That’s what you are,” he said, appearing just beside her. “But we do not have time to argue about such things. That human is likely going to raise an alarm.”
Alex looked over his shoulder in the direction the security guard had occupied just moments before, and seeing him now gone, her heart sank into her stomach.
“We’re going to jail,” she whimpered, her face devoid of all color and her eyes wide as the realization hit that they were in deep trouble now. Her innocent fear made Balthazar want to laugh.
“Have you learned nothing?” he said, as he looked down at her with a smirk. His arm wrapped around her waist as his fist busted through the glass case of the Hope Diamond display and grabbed the jewel.
A screeching alarm rang out through the room. Balthazar was not prepared for the assault to his overly sensitive ears and dropped the necklace, his lips curling into a snarl as his hands flew up to cover his ears. Footsteps sounded from just outside the room, signaling the arrival of the security team that would be taking them away to jail.
Alexandra’s eyes darted around the room, her mind working frantically to find an escape. She saw the glittering chunk of diamond on the floor by her feet and she knew there was only one way out of this sticky situation. If they were caught, it wasn’t just her life and freedom that would be forfeited. Balthazar was something not of this world, not human. He would be a scientific oddity, no doubt kept in some lab and tortured with endless experimentations. She could not let that happen to him. There was only one course of action that could save them from such a fate, but she had no idea how she was going to pull it off.
Balthazar could do nothing but try helplessly to shield his delicate senses. He had no idea what was going on, but through the haze of pain he felt, he could sense Alexandra’s heavy distress, and he knew he was the cause of it. He tried to push the unbearable squealing in his ears aside and concentrate on helping Alexandra, on getting them safely out of here with the diamond. He could see a plan forming in her mind, and when her eyes fell on the diamond he knew what she was thinking. He saw th
e hesitation and fear on her face. She was afraid she could not do it, but he knew she could. He had seen the strength that lay beneath the surface of her clumsy, unsure exterior. She only needed a little encouragement.
“Do it,” he growled out. Her eyes snapped up to him and her mouth opened as if she was about to say something.
“You can do it,” he interrupted her protest prematurely, anticipating her fears. “I have faith in you, Alexandra.”
That was all she needed to hear. She snatched up the diamond and closed her eyes, holding the necklace tight to her chest. Her mind was racing, with fear and doubt, but she forced it clear. She concentrated on only one thing, pushing the chaos unfolding around her aside. A slight tickle grew from her core and began to radiate out from her. The diamond began to heat in her hand. There was a brilliant flash of blue light and then nothing but darkness.
Chapter Twenty
Alex could hear muffled voices somewhere in the background of her hazy mind. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like they were weighed down with bricks. Her hands reached out, feeling silk beneath her fingertips.
“She is waking,” Alex heard a very familiar voice saying, “fetch my son.”
“But my lady,” another familiar voice said, “the Lord Sultan…”
“I am aware of the decree,” the familiar voice cut in, “do as I say.”
“Yes, my lady,” the other voice said before Alex heard footsteps echoing off the walls in the growing distance.
Alex tried again to open her eyes, prying her lids up with all the force she could muster. The light in the room made her immediately shut them again, but the spell of deep sleep had been broken. When her eyes finally focused she saw the beautiful face of Lady Carolina, looking down at her with concern, her crystal blue eyes. She was in the massive private apartment of the harem. Pink marble lined the walls that reached to the high, wood beam ceiling. Lengths of fine silk were draped strategically to decorate and separate the apartment into various sections. Thick multi-colored feather stuffed cushions littered the floor around low tables perfect for light conversation.