Uniquely Unwelcome (The Shadow World)

by Brandy Nacole

  “You deserve respect in this world for you are unique. No one in this world has ever compared to how special you are. I’m going to make sure everyone sees that. Even if it means I have to become the monster.”

  Addie stands on her own feet, finally able to feel them once again. She starts backing away from the man who stands before us. “Don’t listen to him Racquel, he’s only after power. I’ve heard them talking about it. They just want to use you.”

  “While I do intend to get some gratification out of this, I am truly doing this for you Racquel. Whatever else Cerelia has planned, that is her own business.”

  The man takes his final step down off the stairs. He tries to slowly walk toward us. I put my hand in the air to stop him.

  “Don’t come any closer.”

  Addie continues to pull on my arm as she backs away from this man, toward the stairs we descended.

  But I’m stuck in place. I want to ensure Addie’s safety, but at the same time I want to know why this guy is so interested in how I’m treated.

  Shaking off Addie’s grasp, I square my shoulders, facing the man I have feared since all of this began. “Why do you care so much?”

  Instead of answering my question, he raises his hands to his hood, pulling it up and over his head. He raises his face so that I can see it.

  My breath catches as-all-too-familiar, coal black eyes look upon me. “Why wouldn’t I care?” he asks, while I stumble back in astonishment.

  This man who has brought pain and death to so many families, once held my family together with his care and love. After all this time not knowing where he went or why he left in the first place, the man I once loved and admired stands before me.

  “Grandfather?”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  I’ll admit, I didn’t see that one coming. When envisioning the villain behind the mask, I imagined a mad man with crazy eyes and a scowl. Instead I’m looking at the man I once admired.

  So this is why he left us. After the passing of my grandmother, he just took off, leaving only a note with bank account numbers, how to transfer the house to our names, how we were to share the car, but nothing about why he left.

  “Racquel. Racquel look at me.” Technically I was looking at him but I was looking through him, filled with disbelief.

  Is this why my grandmother wanted me to find the Shadows? My heart reaches out to her as I focus back on my grandfather. “How could you?”

  “I did this all for you, Racquel. For you and the family members that precede you. All those idiotic fools who treated you all so harshly will soon know what true powers lay within you. They will finally have something to be afraid of.”

  He points at the Elders standing behind me. “How can you trust them? They judged you without knowing you. They threw our family aside and treated us like rubbish.”

  “They’ve been helping find you,” I point out, although I know the idea has its holes.

  “Yes to save those they love. If it hadn’t been for that, would they have ever said anything to you?”

  He has a point there. When I arrived in town, Ethan lashed out at me, then the Witch attacked me. Before that no one had tried helping me understand who I was. They just wanted me out of their way.

  They’ve never cared for you, never tried to help our family.”

  Eldrida objects. “That is not true. We tried to save Lycia. She was a part of your family was she not?”

  Hearing my mother’s name makes me cringe. It’s hard enough thinking about her, but whenever someone else speaks of her, I feel shame at what I did to her.

  Eldrida has walked a few steps in front of the others, almost like she’s shielding them but also challenging my grandfather. “Come now Edwin, you must remember that.”

  “Oh I do remember that, I remember that very well. The point you’re missing my dear Eldrida, is that she was one of your own, a pure breed. Her family reigned highest within the Coven, at least until she married my son.” His voice raises as his anger flares, causing me to step back.

  “I do remember, but when my poor Clamena became sick, you offered no such help.” His fists are balls at his side. His anger flares making his eyes appear like they’re glowing.

  “We couldn’t. There was nothing we could do for her. We all must pass in our own given time. No one could save her, not even you. Your bite would have killed her. You both knew from the beginning that the day would come. Nature had to take its course.”

  I remember seeing my grandmother age-while my grandfather stayed young. His blonde hair never fading, his dark eyes never losing their luster, his features always staying sculptured and beautiful, not marred by wrinkles. My grandmother was touched by age but I always thought that it was part of the beauty of life, being able to blossom into new stages of life.

  “I don’t believe that for a second. She had more years within her. You didn’t even ask to see her. It was all because of her mixture, the disease tainting her blood, as you all called it, that kept you at bay.”

  Looking from the older Witch to me, my grandfather smiles. “But it’s not tainted, it uniqueness that holds power beyond anything. You have the power Racquel, the power to make it all stop.”

  “What do you mean?” I look back at Addie, who beckons me to back away, to get more distance between me and my grandfather. I shake my head, staying rooted where I am. I refuse to show any weakness.

  “Take your place beside me Racquel. We will show them. Your rightful place is here not out there with those that treat you with revulsion.”

  I stand there at a loss. I had come here expecting to bring some crazy psycho to an end, and bringing home those he tried to ruin. For a moment, I actually contemplate whether or not to join his ranks. To seek revenge on all those that brought harm to me and my family.

  Yet he tried killing me on my quest to find him. He took Addie away from me, for what reason I still haven’t found out yet. Really it doesn’t matter, the fact that he took her, knowing what she meant to me, bringing pain to her life, reminds me to question his motives.

  “Why did you try to kill me? You sent your minions after me, to stop me from finding you. Why would you do that if you wanted me to join you?”

  “I wasn’t ready for you yet. I wanted to complete a few things before your arrival.”

  “So trying to kill me was your strategy in keeping me away? Really?” I’m not buying it. I know he kept giving warnings to me but those minions of his could have made one false move, chopping my head off or something, then it would be adios to Unique Racquel.

  “I ordered them not to kill you. I had no intention of killing you; I just wanted to scare you away.”

  “What about Addie? You know how much she means to me. Why would you take her away from me?” Tears are burning my eyes, knowing I had been moments away from losing Addie forever, at my grandfather’s hands.

  “I took her so I could keep you two together forever. I only had the best of intentions for her.”

  Glancing back at Addie, I can see her tears falling; the pain of what she has endured evident all over her body. How was this best for Addie, or any of them for that matter? “Exactly how were you planning on doing that? Turning her into a Vampire would have killed her.”

  “A Vampire? We were planning something much bigger than all that, my dear.” I look up to see Cerelia standing at the top of the steps, looking down imperiously, as if standing high on a throne. I know it’s her from the power boost within the room. She also emanates a sense of authority, gained from walking this earth for so long.

  I still see a shadow within the room that overlooks the laboratory. A part of me was thinking it was Cerelia lying in wait until she felt it was appropriate to enter. Who is it?

  “Glad to see my hard work is paying off. You look exquisite, Dear.”

  “What do you mean exactly?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Why you see-”

  Grandpa turns, scowling at Cerelia about whatever inform
ation she was going to give away. “Let’s not dwell on that just yet. We will explain it to her later, once she’s taken her place with us.”

  “No, I want to hear what she has to say.” No way am I going to be joining any evil mastermind and his all-powerful sidekick without knowing all the facts.

  “I don’t think now is the appropriate time, Racquel.” My grandfather takes a step toward me, I take two steps back.

  “I said I want to hear what she has to say.”

  Cerelia’s scarlet red lips hold a satisfied smile. Her beady eyes are glowing with wickedness. Her beautiful shimmering black curls framing her wicked beauty.

  “You see my dear Racquel, all of this wouldn’t have been possible without you. And you wouldn’t be possible without me. When I heard of your great grandmother and grandfather coming together, I began to conceive this great dream.

  And once I met your dear sweet grandmother, my dream started coming true. I helped create your father, you see. It wasn’t easy but with determination and some binding spells, it came to be.

  I had great plans for your father too but that all went to waste once he took his life. But I can be a kind person, so I forgave him of his transgression because of the greater gift he gave me. You.

  When your mother came to me, I knew what she was asking of me was even more difficult than what your grandmother asked of me. I knew it would take a great toll on her body, and I told her that, but she was determined.

  It wasn’t easy. I don’t know if anyone has told you or not but there was more than one attempt.”

  She pauses to see my reaction but I give her nothing. I will not give this woman any more power than she already has.

  “Well with due time, the miracle of life was accomplished, bringing you into this world. It was a shame that your mother couldn’t pull through but she knew what the price might be. And now here you are, the biggest piece in the puzzle.”

  All this is interesting, especially since I never knew who or why did what they did for my family. Now I know it was all about power, but what kind of power? That is still undetermined.

  “Okay, I get all that. But what I don’t know is why? Why did you do all that? And what does Addie have to do with all this?”

  Cerelia slowly descends the steps, reaching the cold laboratory floor. She looks like she’s going out to some dinner party, rather than bringing destruction to innocent people’s lives. I notice she has no shoes on under her lovely black dress. “Addie really wasn’t in my plans, but Edwin insisted on uniting you two forever. All I wanted was your DNA, which I received years ago. Edwin was kind enough to bring me some of your blood and hair when he found me. I must say he’s very thorough.”

  Eldrida has walked up behind me, and places her hands on my shoulders. I can feel her calm power coursing through my body. “So that’s how you were able to manipulate and terrorize Racquel, isn’t it?”

  “Why hello Eldrida, I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve even seen your unyielding desire to get rid of me.” Cerelia gives Eldrida a tight smile, continuing on in her silky voice that leaves you wanting more.

  “To answer your question, yes, that’s exactly how I tormented Racquel but only on Edwin’s orders. I was ready for her arrival years ago. I believed she would more than willingly accept what we have been trying to create.” Cerelia gives Eldrida a menacing smile.

  I take a step forward, Eldrida’s hands slip from my shoulders. I want to show Cerelia she does not frighten me. “What exactly are you trying to create?”

  “An army, one unlike anything before. The world will submit to their rule as we show them that uniqueness is not only a gift but something that should be respected. You, my dear, will reign over a vast and powerful army.”

  An army? Why does everyone have this insane need to take over the world? It’s an impossible feat.

  I’m about to tell her where she can shove her so-called dream of power, when Eldrida steps up beside me. I have a feeling things are fixing to go bad.

  “What type of army are you speaking of Cerelia?” Eldrida’s voice is controlled and stern.

  “An army created from Racquel. The binding was tricky at first, so many good candidates rejected the transformation. That poor young Witch, Cate was it? Yes I believe it was. She was a fighter but I’m afraid I didn’t quite have the binding down correctly.”

  I can feel Eldrida tense beside me. For Cerelia to speak so lightly about what she did and the lives she took, it’s no wonder she’s able to take life so easily, she has no heart.

  “So you were planning to put my sister through this torture. What if she didn’t make it? You had to know that if she died, I would do nothing but seek revenge for her death.”

  “That is why Edwin made me wait until now, until I had everything perfected.” Does that mean she figured out how to bind them all together? Was she successful with someone else?

  “It was difficult, more difficult than even your birth, Racquel. Binding all those DNA strands to a full grown adult was difficult. I had asked Edwin to bring me some children but he refused. Nevertheless, we have prevailed and now have the ingredients to make all this happen.”

  During Cerelia’s rant, I hadn’t noticed my grandfather moving, but now he stands before me, worry lacing his face as he tries to explain.

  “I know all this is overwhelming but we can get through all this. Join me Racquel, together we will show all those that tormented our family that we can have our revenge.”

  I look back at Addie, fear is written on her face. I know she doesn’t want this. I could never force her into a life she doesn’t want. But does that mean I should turn away from it? Should I give up the chance to seek out revenge, to be with my grandfather, who has done all this because he loved his family?

  “We can still change her, Racquel. I know how much your sister means to you, I would never put her in danger of death. I know we would be successful, we already have one lucky specimen.” He turns, signaling to the shadow within the room above. Looks like the mystery person is about to be revealed.

  Just as the door creaks open, I hear someone shouting at the top of the stairwell we descended. Coy comes running down, shouting my name. Once he reaches the bottom, his body becomes rigid. He’s looking past me, past my grandfather, up to the figure at the top of the stairs.

  He softly whispers, “Micah?”

  As I follow his gaze, my mind flashes back to the innocent boy who cared for me when I was injured. The boy that would have been killed if anyone found out he was taking care of me.

  The same boy stands before me but his features are not the same. His beautiful green eyes that had shown so much compassion for me before, are now tinged with red. His hair is longer now, still wavy and blond, but now it reaches to his shoulders. His muscles are more defined, his stance more animal like. He’s appears to be in pain, whether from seeing his brother or from the battle that’s raging inside his body. I can tell he’s afraid of what’s happened to him.

  “You see, his body has accepted the transformation. Cerelia finally found the answer she needed to complete the binding. Addie can be with you forever too, if you will just join me.”

  My eyes never leave Micah. He’s staring at his brother but then his gaze falls upon me. A stray bloody tear leaks down his cheek.

  And that’s when I make my choice. I could never put Addie through this. I can’t even be a part of doing this to anyone let alone someone I love. How can someone think they’re doing the right thing once they have seen the results of this? Only a mad person would think it was right.

  I turn back to those that truly care about me, those that would fight to the ends for those they love. I try giving them a signal that things are about to get hairy, then turn back to my grandfather. Looking upon the man I once admired, that admiration turned to disgust, I simply say, “No.” I back away, shaking my head.

  “What?” He looks stunned.

  “You heard me, I said no. How could you do this? How could you bec
ome the bigger monster?”

  His anger grows at my words. “Monster! Me? What about those Vampires that tied you up, stoning you, biting you, whipping you with a lash, you don’t consider them monsters? What about those shifters who would shift in and out of their forms, taunting you, biting you, spitting on you, never letting you go? You don’t consider them monsters but you consider me one?”

  Wait, what? “How do you know about all that?” My heart races as he describes the experiences. If he was there, why didn’t he stop them? How could he just stand by and watch?

  “I saw it happen through Cerelia. I had her keep tabs on you while we worked on our plan.” He knows he has hurt me by confessing to witnessing of my pain, and not doing anything to stop it.

  “Instead of creating some so-called army, a true grandfather would have come and saved me. He wouldn’t have stood by while I was being tormented to no end, just to wreak havoc later.”

  That is the last painful straw I’m able to take. Without even thinking about my actions, I walk up and slap him in the face. Tears fall down my cheeks, staining my face.

  When he turns back around, his eyes are glowing red. “You will not disrespect me in such a manner.” Grabbing me by the arm, he yanks me into his embrace. “You will join me whether it’s of your own free will or not.”

  Wrong move there buddy.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Edwin. That’s what I think of him now: a mindless monster with a name, not the great caring grandfather I once knew. He has a tight hold on me. Yet, not tight enough.

  I shove my hands up between our bodies, shoving my shoulders back to get some momentum. I put all my energy into shoving him away from me. Edwin stumbles back but keeps an unyielding grip on my arm.

  Cerelia unleashes her power upon the Elders. A red glow fills the room as she tries pushing them back. I can feel her power, beckoning me to yield, weakening my resolve to continue fighting. Then a bright blue glow pushes back against the red.

  I’m surrounded by the blue light, while Edwin still stands within the red. The room looks like fire and ice, and where it meets in the middle it sizzles and burns. That happens to be where my forearm is located.