by Ford, Lizzy
Stephanie didn’t answer. The logical side of her mind was working on rationalizing away the unusual display in the alley, which was hard when confronted with the colorful eyes of the man standing close enough for her to smell his faint musk. He was warm, his athletic frame a buffer against the cool ocean breeze. She had the sudden urge to be closer, to trace her fingertips along his chiseled jaw and across his full lips.
What the hell is wrong with me? My friend just died! Baffled, she pulled away from him and stepped back.
“You’re handling this well,” he said. “That’s good. We might be partnered up for the time being.”
Partnered up. As if they were working on a science project after school and not running from men with fangs.
Stephanie couldn’t muster a response. She watched him move a meter away before seating himself on the sand and drawing up a bloodied calf for inspection.
“Would you believe this is the first time in several dozen ages I’ve been nicked like this?” he asked, amusement and irritation in his tone. “The last time I was in a physical altercation, I was wrestling my sister into a cell in the Underworld. That was before your time. Waaaay before your time.”
I’m losing it. Nothing was making sense. Not the men from the alley, not Olivia’s lifeless body, not the enticing man chatting calmly about nonsense. How was this real?
Stephanie looked around for something to defend herself with. Since coming to Carmel, she’d been accosted by insanity.
“I have to ask you a few questions you’re going to find odd,” he said, oblivious to her internal struggle.
“Odd?” she echoed. “You’re talking about demons and you think anything about me is odd?”
“I hear a note of hysteria. Perhaps the questions can wait.”
“Ya think?” Stephanie retorted. “Is this … is this a prank? Is my roomie really lying in a puddle of her own blood or is this … a joke?” She choked on the words, eyes hot with tears. She swiped them away only for more to form and soon found herself near-choking as she tried to keep her head long enough to figure out what the fuck was going on.
“I’m afraid it’s real.” His voice was closer. The stranger with the amazing eyes had drawn nearer.
“W… what is real?” she stammered.
“This may not be the right time.”
“I need to know!” She glared at him through her tears. “I need to know if Olivia is … is really …” She swallowed the sob that wanted to escape, struggling to understand anything she’d seen tonight, including why one look from this man could make her forget watching her roommate die.
“I have a soft spot for humans in pain.” He lifted her chin once more and offered a small smile. His warm palms rested on her cheeks, and he gently wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. “But don’t tell anyone, okay?”
He’d been smiling, joking or entertained since their first meeting. She sensed an edge this time, something darker, buried beneath the faint smile and the natural charisma trying to usurp her anger and fear. She’d noticed it earlier, too, how he’d blatantly insulted Olivia then had her best friend eating out of his hand. She fought the strange charisma that made her want to sigh and trust whatever came out of his mouth next.
The stranger’s touch calmed her, though, and her fascination with his color changing eyes prevented her from sinking into her emotions. They stood in quiet long enough for her to grow uncomfortable with the tension stretched between them.
“Your friend is dead,” he said softly. “You made the mistake of helping me, which means you’re on the demons’ radar as well.”
Her brow furrowed at his mention of demons.
“Are you up for an explanation?” he asked. The dark edge sank beneath his surface once more, replaced by amusement. “I’ve got all the time in the world to wait. I’m working off a debt to Karma. Might be stuck here for a while.”
His words nudged her from her spell, and Stephanie shifted back, leaving his warmth. “This … no,” she said finally. “I’m done.” Turning, she started up the beach towards the road once more. “I’m going to my room and calling the police.”
“Steph, there’s no going back.”
“Whatever this is, I can’t handle it!”
“Look, I don’t exactly know what to do next either,” he said, trailing her. “But I know facing demons, when I’ve got no power and you’re … well, a human, the bottom of the food chain –”
“What the hell are you even talking about? What powers? Food chain?” she demanded, whirling. “Do you hear the level of crazy you’re at?”
He smiled, unruffled by her once more, as he had been earlier in the day when she called him an asshole. It was blunt, even by her standards, but his calmness managed to deflate the intensity behind her emotions. Like Olivia, he was non-confrontational, and his calm took the edge off her anger.
“I agree. It’s madness,” he admitted. “But it’s real, if you’d give me a chance to talk to you.”
She hesitated.
“I have a unique gift to see the Future,” he claimed.
“You and every other psychic Olivia’s dragged me to.”
“Clearly a human can’t see the Future. But I can.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Then what’s going to happen next?”
“That’s the problem. I seem to have temporarily lost my power.”
What the hell am I prolonging this? Because he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever met? Stephanie spun. “It doesn’t take a psychic to know I’m leaving your ass right here and going back to the hotel! You’re going back to the psych ward you escaped from.”
“Hear me out.” He circled her and held out his hands, not touching her but blocking her path. “You’re wondering why you’ve had more wackos in your life today than usual. You’ve run into more than me today, haven’t you?”
She eyed him.
“A blonde missing a hand maybe and an Asian gentleman with blue eyes?”
“How do you know that?” she asked. “Were you following me?”
“They’re different, like me. They’re in town, the demons are in town, I’m in town. It’s not a coincidence you’re here, too, a woman with no aura, with no destiny or karmic load. I’m different, but so are you. Your friend knew it.”
She listened, unable to shake the deep resonance left in the wake of his explanation.
“Olivia was a good person. Death is a gentleman. He’ll take good care of her,” he added.
The horror of seeing her friend killed replayed in her head. Sorrow replaced her anger. She’d never felt so much like exploding or losing control or flinging her arms around a sensual stranger.
“There’s a diner nearby. We can get pie and talk,” he offered.
“I don’t want pie,” she whispered. “I want Olivia back.”
“The demons are going to be waiting for you if you go back,” he warned her once more. “You saw what they did to her. They’ll do the same to you. My ability to protect you through conventional means is currently challenged. I’d rather sit with you and discuss this than risk your life confronting demons.” He backed away as he spoke, in the direction opposite that of the bed and breakfast. “Either way, it’s your choice. Fate is in your hands.”
He turned and began walking away. His madness held her ensnared. Had she ever spoken with half his confidence about anything in life let alone demons?
Stephanie stared after him, unable to wrap her head around anything that had happened or the man with the intriguing eyes. She wanted to block the existence of men with fangs from her memories but whenever the image of Olivia dying crossed her thoughts, she saw one of them again. Her gaze went to the hill, at the top of which ran the street leading to the bed and breakfast, and then to the athletic man with a natural spring in his step striding confidently down the street.
Her adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her shaking from the ocean chill and shock. She’d dropped her phone along the run from the alley; if no
thing else, the diner would have one she could borrow to call the police. Whatever was going on, there had to be a logical explanation, one that didn’t involve demons or her best friend dying. Maybe if she pushed, he’d break down and tell her the truth.
With reservations that shook her to the core, she forced her body to move finally and followed the mysterious man with the otherworldly eyes.
Instead of going into the diner at the end of the street, the stranger stopped and leaned against the railing overlooking the ocean.
She drew as near as she dared, all of two meters away, hugging herself.
“Where do you want me to start?” he asked, his low, soft voice soothing her jumping nerves.
She dwelt on the deceptively easy question for a moment. “Who are you?”
“I think we should start somewhere simpler,” he replied.
“What’s simpler than a name?”
“We’ll get to it.” He flashed her a smile. “The two people you met today, they’re Immortals. There are four main divisions of living beings that cross through the mortal realm: humans, Immortals, demons, and deities. At first glance, it’s difficult to tell everyone apart. Demons are the easiest to spot. They’re usually trying to make a meal out of you. The ruling race of Immortals are dead ringers for humans, except they tend to live thousands of years, if not forever. They coexist among humans in a subculture of their own. The other races of Immortals generally choose to remain hidden.”
Stephanie listened, too stunned by his claims to leave.
“So, basically, you had two Immortals and a handful of demons in town. It’s not infrequent, but I happen to know you being here isn’t a coincidence, either. Whatever you are, you’re unlike any creature I’ve met in any realm,” he added. “Every living being has a destiny. You don’t. I’m curious. What other sort of side effects have you experienced from being unusual?”
“A man with chameleon eyes is asking me what it’s like to be weird?” she murmured and shook her head.
“Humor me.” A smile tugged up the corner of his lips and sparkled in his eyes.
“Well.” She cleared her throat. Whether it was his charisma or the fact someone might actually have an explanation for her uniqueness, she found herself answering. “Animals hate me. People trust me with their secrets or overlook me completely. Like I can be walking down the street and someone will stare straight at me and still run into me. Psychics are afraid of me.” She shrugged. “Olivia always said I was really different but she couldn’t figure out why.”
He listened intently.
“That asshole drew my blood today,” she said and glanced down at her palm at the memory. “Then you and your sister showed up and life went downhill from there.”
“Interesting,” he said. “I’ve never heard of any of this. My sister asked if you were a zombie. A life with no future?” He was pensive. “I’ve never heard of zombies being real but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a new addition to the types of creatures in existence.”
“When you say shit like that, you really freak me out.” She was gripping the handrail of the boardwalk tightly enough for one knuckle to pop.
“My apologies.” His focus was elsewhere. His gaze sharpened, and his relaxed stance shifted. He moved closer to her, tense where he’d been at ease, the dark edge back and his intent gaze on something beside the diner. “You’ll adjust.”
“What’s wrong?” She held her breath, alarmed at the subtle change in him. “Adjust to what?”
“He means, we really don’t have any other choice but to tell you everything you shouldn’t know.”
She spun at the male voice. The Asian man with teal eyes – who had taken her blood earlier – and his blonde partner stood beside the diner. Stephanie backpedaled, her back meeting the railing. The enigmatic man shifted with deceptive casualness between her and the newcomers. He steadied her with a light touch, and another trickle of warm energy fluttered through her.
Why did she feel safe around someone who babbled about demons and immortals like they were real?
“Your intentions?” His tone was friendly yet cautious.
“To take her home,” the blonde woman replied. “Where she belongs.”
“She’s one of you.”
“Yes.”
“Who the fuck are you?” the man asked with a frown.
The stranger turned to gaze down at her. “Stephanie, meet Kiki and Ileana,” he said. “They’ll protect you.”
She moved away from his touch, overly conscious of the warmth in her cheeks. Did he notice the spark at all when their skin met?
“Immortals,” Stephanie said before she could stop herself. She studied the two people. How was she almost believing the outrageous story about them being immortal? They looked every bit as normal as she did.
They, however, were staring with varying levels of unease at the man she was with.
“Seriously. Who the fuck are you?” Ileana asked again, addressing the stranger.
“That’s a story for another time,” he replied smoothly. He turned Stephanie to face him. “Rest assured I’ll make certain your friend is taken care of in the most respectful way possible. You’ll be safer with these two than anyone else.”
“I’m not going with them,” Stephanie said. “I’m not going with any of you.”
“I’m afraid you have to,” Kiki replied to her before shifting his focus back to the stranger. “But seriously, why are you involved?”
How were they more interested in the stranger than her? The only person not surprised by anything happening was the stranger who refused to give his name. The two parties exchanged looks over her head, one amused and the other wary.
“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked.
“Sorry.” Ileana offered a smile. “What’s going on is you have a meeting to attend.”
“Meeting?”
“With your father.” Kiki spoke the words reluctantly.
“Ah, and there’s the reason everyone is in town,” the stranger said with satisfaction. “It’s an honor, Stephanie. Our paths aren’t likely to cross again, though. But I wish you well and much luck with that lot.”
She found herself starting to wish him farewell before it clicked what Kiki had said.
“My father?” she echoed. “The man who left my mom when she was two months pregnant and never sent child support or called in twenty one years?”
The two exchanged a look.
“Trust me. You’re better off for not having him in your life before now,” the stranger spoke first. “But my good deed is done. I’m off to find some balance. Take care, gorgeous.” He started away with a wink.
She watched him go before turning to the remaining two strangers. “You’re seriously taking me to my father?”
“Did he tell you who he was?” Kiki’s focus was once more on the man walking down the street.
“What? No. Why?”
“He’s a deity,” Ileana said with a shake of her head. “You can’t trust those bastards. They’re shady and shifty and more interested in personal achievement than anything else.”
“Deity. Like a god?” Stephanie echoed. “He’s a god?”
“Open a portal. We lost the element of surprise,” Kiki said to his partner, the reserved note in his voice once more.
Ileana nodded and moved away, into the shadows of the restaurant.
“There’s no good way to say this,” Kiki said, facing Stephanie. “Welcome to the family. I’m sorry you’re involved and even sorrier we found you. Just know you’re not the only one our father is tormenting.”
“Um, thanks.” Stephanie peered more closely up at him. The trim man seemed too serious to smile. His eyes were similar in color to hers but otherwise, she saw no resemblance. “You and I are … what?”
“Brother-sister. Half brother, half sister,” he replied. “None of us share the same mother.”
“How many of us are there?”
“There were seven boys
and you. Three are dead, one exiled, one in training to become a death dealer and one …” He drifted off. “Basically, I’m the only one living at home right now.”
The insanity was falling harder upon her, but she somehow managed to block it from reaching her emotions and instead, found herself numbed and attentive, especially after the mention of the father she’d tried to find three times since she turned eighteen.
“You’re doing good.” He patted her shoulder awkwardly and then moved away. “It’s time to go.”
She watched him join his partner in the shadows of the restaurant on the side opposite the parking lot. They just stood there. Morbid curiosity got the best of her, and she ventured closer, waiting in borderline hysteria to see if they had a spaceship or something.
What she saw was worse. A hole in the world yawned open. On the other side weren’t the hedges lining the boardwalk, but a cavern with glowing, yellow doors.
Ileana stepped through first, while Kiki stood aside, waiting for Stephanie.
Maybe I died in the alley. She inched closer, unable to comprehend how there was a hole in the world.
“It’s the place-between-places,” Kiki explained. “You can go anywhere from inside.”
“That makes no sense.”
“You get used to it. Better than driving or flying somewhere.” He motioned her inside.
Ileana had already crossed the cavern, headed towards one of the glowing doors.
Her nerves were near the breaking point, but she was also acutely aware of something else, an instinct deep inside her stirring with increasing insistence the longer the night progressed.
She wasn’t surprised by the mode of travel the purported Immortals had or even that Immortals existed. If anything, the news seemed supported by a newfound feeling that this was the way things were supposed to be, after a lifetime of not fitting in anywhere.
She stepped into the cavern. It was cool, and a mist coated the ground. It didn’t feel like leaving the beach.
“That answers that question,” Ileana called from the portal she stood in front of.
“Normal humans can’t go through here without dying,” Kiki explained. “But we already knew you’d be fine.”