by Kimbra Swain
“Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results,” Levi said.
“There’s my smart bard,” I smiled. A genuine grin spread across his face. The innocence was gone, but the smile was the same old Levi.
The next morning Levi and I loaded the kids up into my red truck. He insisted that we go see what the progress was on the house before looking at a rental house that Remy owned in Neverland Estates. The old gravel road leading to the homestead had been paved but was covered in dirt from the wheels of the large construction vehicles that had gone up and down it.
“Did Remy say how much more they had to do?” I asked.
“He said they were waiting on final instructions from you,” Levi responded.
“Is this the new house, Momma?” Winnie asked from the back seat. She had been put in charge of watching over Aydan while we were in the truck. She was taking the task seriously. She had watched him from the moment we left the parking lot at the clinic.
“Yes ma’am,” I replied. It felt good to be home.
As we approached the house, there were no construction vehicles. Just a very finished looking house.
“Oh wow,” Levi said.
“Is it finished?” I asked. Remy and Lachlan sat on the front steps. They looked out of place in their fancy suits sitting on the steps of a big farmhouse. Levi parked the truck as I got out. I heard him telling Winnie to stay with Aydan.
“Morning, Grace. You are looking better,” Lachlan said.
“Better? Hell, that woman has always looked fine,” Remy said.
I snorted, then shook my head at him.
“Good morning, Levi,” Lachlan said.
“Morning. Looks finished,” he said.
“It is,” Remy replied. He walked over to me, peeled open my hand, and placed a set of keys in my palm. “If there is anything you want to be changed, we can do it, but we wanted you to have somewhere to take your children. Nestor and Mable are inside waiting on you.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.
“Damn you, Remy,” I said, overwhelmed by his kindness. Lachlan smiled at me. “You too, Knight.”
“Speaking of knights, what did you do with Astor?” Lachlan asked.
“He’s in the bed of the truck,” Levi groaned. “I can’t convince him to leave her alone.”
“Good luck with that, Son. That man has been in love with her since this life began,” Lachlan said. “I’ll see if I can convince him to come with me.”
“I would appreciate that. I need some time with my family,” I said.
“Sure, but you have to know that now he’s been banished from the Otherworld and he swore the blood oath, that you won’t be rid of him,” Lachlan said.
“I don’t want to be rid of him,” I replied. The fact was that Astor was a good fighter, but most of all he was loyal. He told me the things that so many people had held back from me. I still hadn’t gotten the full story of how he survived the battle in the Otherworld. I knew I would in a matter of time.
Lachlan and Remy walked away from us. I stared at the home I had dreamed up for Dylan and our children. I thought I had cried all the tears that I could muster, but there were more. So many more. Covering my face with my hands, I wept. Levi’s strong arms enveloped me.
“He’s supposed to be here,” I muttered.
Levi didn’t pander to me. He knew what I needed.
I just needed to cry.
Lachlan and Remy convinced Astor to go with them while Levi and I stood in front of the house. I heard the window roll down in the truck.
“Momma?” Winnie called out to me.
I wiped tears with the palms of my hands. “What’s up, baby?”
“Is that a swing set?” she asked.
I laughed. “Yeah, it is. It’s yours.”
“I think I might need to try it out,” she said. “Just to make sure it’s okay.”
Levi helped her out of the car, while I grabbed Aydan. It was getting close to time for a feeding. Tabitha told me how to slow down his growth. It was just like doing my own glamour, only I was adjusting his backward almost. At some point, it became difficult for a fairy mother to keep her child small, but for now, I wanted him to be a tiny baby completely dependent upon me. He and Winnie were my purpose for living.
Of course, I didn’t have him out of the truck for ten seconds before Nestor appeared to take him away from me. He handed him off to Mable who admired him as if he was her own blood. Levi and Winnie ran to the swing set, as the rest of us walked toward them.
It was already starting to get warm as the sun moved overhead as Levi pushed Winnie on a swing. She giggled and played. It was so good to hear her little voice. I didn’t want to think about how I could have lost her. As she played, two sparkling darts floated around her. Bramble and Briar were happy to see her too.
Levi and I had talked through most of the night at the clinic. Taking precautions with her and Aydan in the future was a priority. Things would not get easier from here on out, and we wanted them to be protected.
I sat down on a bench near the outdoor playset next to a row of bright pink rose bushes. Nestor handed Aydan to me because he had started to fuss.
“My little man is hungry,” I said, smiling at him. I fed him until he passed out in a momma’s milk-induced coma. He slept soundly as we sat watching Winnie enjoy the new play equipment. We would have to go inside soon because the heat of the day was upon us.
The crunching of tires on the dirty road drew our attention. The bright silver vehicle approaching reflected the sunlight. I didn’t recognize the fancy car. The monochrome license plate on the front of the car indicated it was registered in Texas. I could make out the lone star from where I stood.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“Levi, Mable and I are going to take the kids inside,” Nestor said. “Grace, why don’t you come with us?”
“No, but get my children behind the wards of the house,” I instructed. I had looked at the house with my sight. It glowed a brilliant blue much like my own aura. It was protected with royal winter fairy magic. I wanted to hope that my father had something to do with it, but I wasn’t sure until I got a chance to talk to him.
“You cannot be too cautious,” Levi said, as the car came to a stop next to my truck.
A tall dark-haired man exited the car. His sleek frame wore a deep charcoal-colored suit. He buttoned the jacket after he rose from the car. As he walked toward us, Levi stepped slightly in front of me to block me partially from the man.
“Howdy folks,” he said.
“Hi,” I responded, shielding my eyes from the sun. I couldn’t see him because of its brightness bearing down on us.
“How can we help you, friend?” Levi asked.
“I’m looking for Levi Rearden,” he said.
“Whatcha want with Levi?” I asked, slipping my hand under Levi’s shirt to send power to him if needed. The tingle of power between us hit immediately. I felt him shudder with my touch.
“I’ve been looking for him for almost a year now,” he said, stepping into the shaded area of the front yard.
“Holy moly,” I said when I could see his features clearly. Dark blue brooding eyes and a handsome face. His fairy form flashed above his head in a neon blue when using my sight. “Levi.”
“I see him,” he said.
“Do you know who he is?” I asked.
“Yes,” he whispered.
“Levi, thank the gods below that I found you. I’ve been so worried after I heard that the Sanhedrin took you. Son, you are a sight for sore eyes,” William Glencanach said.
SNEAK PEEK
NOTE: On July 20th, I will be relaunching my debut novel, Abomination, with a complete rewrite. The story will essentially be the same, but developed to my current writing style. Also in July, there will be a new historical novella in the series, as well as the launch of the third book, Reincarnation. Abigail and Tadeas have a long story to tell. This is the new chapter one.
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ABOMINATION, SECOND EDITION
BY: KIMBRA SWAIN
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ABIGAIL
For years I struggled with balance. As a child, balancing the changing world without a parental figure to lean on proved to be a baseline for the rest of my life. When I came into my magic, I struggled with balancing how much power to use when it seemed I had a wealth of it at my disposal. For decades, I struggled with balancing my work and private life. Too many lines crossed. Those crossed lines set me back twenty years. However, as I stood in the underground bunker which belonged to the Agency, I felt the power to create that balance. Above my hand, four floating orbs twirled in a delicate dance. An orb of cold iron to strike at the heart of fairy and human alike. A ball of hollow steel to shape into whatever weapon I chose. A solid sphere of quarts to amply any spell. And a molten sun to represent the core of my power.
The bunker deep underground near Boulder, Colorado housed the training facilities and main offices of Kenward, Blake and Shanahan, Inc. Otherwise known as the Agency. Standing behind a two-sided glass, I watched the latest group of recruits training in our facility. The students stood in a large gymnasium with floor mats walking through the steps of a martial arts form or kata. The instructor paced between the rows of students calling out each step. He was the reason I’d made the trip to the bottom floor of the facility where you would rarely find any of the administrative staff of KBS. However, I wasn’t the typical staff member, and I was looking for a partner.
Tadeas Nahuel Duarte could correct a limp hand or false move with the intensity of his eyes. The student in his classes strove for excellence out of fear and respect of their instructor. His dark green eyes were keen to each precise movement of the kata. Rarely did Mr. Duarte have a student that washed out of his classes. Most of his students proved to be the best Canvas Crew members that we had in the field. Once they passed his training, they would be thrust out into the real world where a kata might calm your mind, but it wouldn’t save your life.
Standing next to my boss and mentor, I watched intently each move that he made. The way he focused on each student and how he carried himself with them. The Agency adopted Mr. Duarte as a teenager and raised him within our facilities. He was born in Guatemala and was the best natural fighter I had ever seen. Since I’d lived over one hundred years, it was a compliment that I wouldn’t bestow lightly. I found him most interesting because of his instincts. I had studied him over the past two years. At first, it was a general curiosity of his teaching methods. As I watched him, my goals changed for myself and for Mr. Duarte.
He wore a black moisture wick t-shirt, black cargo fatigues, and heavy combat boots. Each of the students was dressed in the same manner, but with a varying color scheme. His dark skin and black hair glistened with sweat from this class session. As a teacher, he believed in being as or more active in class than his students. It inspired the trainees to push harder for him. His natural leadership skills drew the students to him in a solid loyalty and trust. His treatment of his students and fellow instructors garnered him the highest respect. Occasionally he came across a student who was more hard-headed than usual, but eventually, the stubborn teenager would find some inspiration in Mr. Duarte. He could tame even the wildest of recruits.
Training to be part of a Canvas Crew was a painful process, but absolutely necessary. Most of the students were orphans or teens we picked up off the streets. They came from all walks of life but had one thing in common, no future. We tried to give them one by giving them a purpose for the greater good of the world.
However, overall the system that the Agency had built was failing. I had to admit my own failure in it because I had built it from scratch. The world was changing more rapidly than the Agency could handle. The world had become increasingly deadly and violent. Technology spurred forward intelligence and infiltrated all of our lives. You could not walk the sidewalk these days without bumping into someone texting or taking some self-absorbed picture to post on social media. We, as a company, needed to adapt to the times. I decided to take it upon myself to start making changes in our organization, as I had in the past. But lately, we were lagging behind and many changes still needed to be made.
Recently, I had started a whole new recruitment force for the Agency which focused solely on intelligence and technical warfare. The next world war wouldn’t be fought on battlegrounds but through our ever-increasing digital world. I needed to make personal changes as well. I sat on the sidelines for close to twenty years. Still doing my job, but pretending that the way I did it was enough. Sadly, it wasn’t and it had taken me too long to realize that my involvement had to be more than observation. If I didn’t make a personal change outside of my carefully crafted comfort zone, the Agency would suffer for it. In fact, it might even cease to exist.
Kenward, Blake, and Shanahan, Inc. was a multi-tiered global network established by Gregory Theodoard to monitor world financial, political, and social events focusing on the supernatural elements that may be involved. Theodoard, who was the Greek Titan Hyperion, started the network to complete his divine duties which included ensuring that the sun rose and set each day. In essence, his job was to keep the world turning. The Agency morphed with the ages, and its latest restructuring started in 1918 when I set out to revamp it to modern times. I took the responsibility for adapting the network as the society and technology became more advanced.
The orbs continued to swirl above my palm as Mr. Duarte made his final remarks to the students, then released them for the day. Even though most of them left to show and rest, several approached him requesting further instruction on fighting techniques. The program demanded of the students physical and mental acuity. Along with the physical training, we put them through rigorous weapons and computer training. Mr. Duarte spoke each of them sternly but remained open to their inquiries to better themselves. I noticed a woman entering the classroom. Mr. Duarte didn’t acknowledge her, but she stood waiting for him to finish.
At this point, the grey-haired man standing next to me asked, “Are you sure about this, Abby?”
“No. But at this point, I can no longer stand on this side of the glass simply watching him. I needed to interact to get a feel for who he really is. I cannot take this lightly,” I replied to Gregory Theodoard, President, and CEO of KBS, Inc.
“It’s been twenty years. Why now?” he asked. It was not an authoritative question, but a question of concern. Mainly because he was my grandfather. Well, not my grandfather immediate, but more like great, great, great, and so on grandfather. He’s existed from the beginning of time. He’s gone by many names, but his task has always been the same. He watches the world and makes sure in some existential way that it keeps turning. There have been threats to the world beyond the human wars and pestilence that have broken out over the centuries. It’s our job to prevent those things from happening. Recently he confided in me that he could feel the tension escalating again. We haven’t had a global threat since the vampire uprising in 1964.
“You gave me this task and I….”
“You volunteered. Don’t put this on me,” he cut me off.
“Yes, I volunteered. I even brought the whole thing up, but you know as well as I do that it needs to be done. And this is how I’ve chosen to proceed,” I stated, yet still unsure this was the right approach.
His brow furrowed because he knew I was just as stubborn as he was. I had very little family in this world, and he was one of them. He had plenty of offspring floating around the globe. Most of them didn’t even realize their bloodline would trace back to a Greek Titan, but nonetheless, he and his fellow gods had seeded the earth with their offspring in order to fill it not only with the plain human population, but also to create those exceptional beings. Great artists, scientists, charismatic leaders, religious inspirations, great warriors not just on battlefields but on fields of play, each of them a bit of that special something.
He turned to face me. Ignoring him, I continued to fa
ce toward the two-sided glass. Mr. Duarte talked to the final student as one of the other instructors entered the training room and waited on the back wall. I sighed when I saw her there. Then I turned to meet my grandfather’s bright blue eyes. He had waited for my full attention, well, as much of it as he could get at any given moment. I tilted my head waiting for his response.
“Abigail, I trust your judgment, as I always have. But I won’t lie to you that I’m concerned about your approach. There has to be an easier more truthful way.” I started to retort, but the look in his eye and a slight raise of his hand at his waist caused me to clamp my mouth shut and just listen. It was rare that he showed any sort of emotion. Especially concern or even love. “You are my greatest child.”
Those words struck me. In recent years, he hadn’t shown that much pride or love in me. I knew he loved me, but it was never a spoken thing. He always pushed me harder and harder. To be better, to see more, to discern between the light and the darkness. He made me who I was.
“I never want to see harm come to you, but this world is changing. I need you more than ever to help keep it safe, but I will admit some selfishness in that for the past twenty years you have been by my side here. You have been safely hidden from our enemies. I don’t like the idea of you going back out into the fray. However, I know it is necessary. Do this as you will, but remember that I warned you that this was the wrong approach.” And with that, he turned and left the room.
Somewhere in the middle of his admission, I had crossed one of my arms in front of my body, an involuntary reaction to his outpouring of concern, but maintained the balance of the orbs in the other. It made me uncomfortable and peaceful all at the same time. I was Abigail Davenport, a daughter of Hyperion, a descendant of Helios, and a wielder of magic. It was time I got off my ass and used my talents as they were meant to be used.
Turing back to the window, I watched Mr. Duarte walking to the door of the training room with the woman. They spoke, and she smiled at him. He reached to flip out all the lights in the room and held the door open for her to exit. And as the door shut and the room went completely dark, I resolved myself at that moment to continue with my plan. The time had arrived for me to step out from behind the mirror and act. I closed my palm, and the orbs disappeared.