by Candy Crum
I laughed. They would probably buy it. It was a good enough reason for Wendy to be coming to steal me away. With a quick will do response, I finished getting ready and headed downstairs. Aeric was in the kitchen, looking through the fridge.
My heart involuntarily jumped as I saw him standing there, shirtless, rummaging for food. By his aura, I could tell that he was hungry for more than human food. There was a dark red edge to it that seemed to wave a bit. Something about him standing there like that, truly hungry, seemed to resonate within me, and I felt unwanted stirrings of emotions. I quickly shut myself down, looking away.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, my gaze darting back to meet his emerald green eyes. They were darker then, another sign of hunger. “Would you like for me to make you something?”
I smiled. Regardless of his feelings for another woman, he truly treated me well. If I couldn’t have him as my own, at the very least I was happy to have his amazing friendship.
“No, Aeric, but thank you,” I said, smiling again. “I’m just going to grab a cereal bar or something. Wendy is coming to get me. She’s going to take me shopping as a ‘congratulations! You’re not dead!’ kind of thing.” We both laughed.
He closed the refrigerator door and stepped closer, only leaving a foot between us. He brushed a stray lock of hair from my face before narrowing his eyes. “You know, anyone else in the house would have believed that,” he whispered, shaking his head lightly. “But not me.”
My smile faded as I looked into his serious eyes. I saw worry in them, and it broke my heart. “Aeric…” I began.
He shook his head again, quieting me. “What’s really going on? Are you okay? You know that you can talk to me… Right?” He was right. Somehow, he’d come to learn and understand me. He knew me better than anyone.
Abandoning all plans of lying, I decided to tell the truth. “You’re right. But right now, I need to keep this to myself. I’m still not exactly sure what any of this means.”
“Are you in danger?” he asked, gently placing his large hands on my arms. His green eyes a half-shade darker more.
I half-smiled and shrugged. “I still don’t know, though, I have a pretty good idea. Whether this turns out for the good or bad, please know that I’m trying to prevent hurting you. That’s why I can’t tell you until I know for sure. If you interfered, and you would, I may never find the truth. And to ask for your help, and for you to want to give it, I would need every bit of evidence that I could get.”
“I will always want to help you. I never want anything bad to happen to you. Please, talk to me.”
His long dark hair fell from behind his shoulders, framing his face and intensifying his perfect features. God, he was beautiful, and I hated everything in the world that kept me from being able to tell him so. Just then, the front door opened and Wendy walked through.
“Aeric, dear, please let go of my cousin. She and I have a lot to talk about. She will be with me; you have nothing to worry about.”
I smirked and looked back into his eyes. “Haven’t you learned yet not to hold me to make your points? You always get in trouble.”
He smiled and moved his face a little closer, our noses only an inch or two apart. “Well, if I’d known that I’d be getting in trouble for touching you, I would have made it worth it and pinned you again.”
My breath caught at the implication, and I wasn’t exactly sure how to react. It suddenly seemed that Aeric was surprised by his own behavior. His eyes closed for a moment in apparent shame before I heard his voice flow through my mind.
Kailah, I shouldn’t have said that, and I’m sorry. I get a little on edge when I haven’t been eating properly. It seems that around you, I have an issue with saying things that I shouldn’t.
I smiled sadly, realizing that his slip wasn’t because he was interested, but because his bloodlust made him not think so clearly.
It’s okay, I thought.
“Well, if you’re quite finished treating Kailah like lunch, we’ll be on our way.”
“What’s gotten into you? Usually you and I are best friends. Did I do something to offend you?” Aeric asked, genuinely concerned.
“No, I’m fine. Kailah and I just have things to discuss,” she said, voice strong and defiant. Aeric growled and gripped the side of his head. “You know better than to sneak into a lady’s mind. Especially mine. Kailah?”
My eyes widened. What the hell was wrong with her?
Aeric’s pain was beginning to subside it seemed, and he used the opportunity to speak. “You should probably go. But I expect some kind of an explanation soon because I don’t want to worry, especially with everything that happened to you. You died. Regardless of the status of our friendship or what you think of me, I don’t want to lose you like that again.”
“How chivalrous of you,” Wendy spat. “Let’s go Kailah.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but Aeric lightly shook his head. Closing my mouth, confused, I walked out with Wendy. Once we got out on the road, I let loose.
“What the hell was that back there? I have never seen any of you argue. Not even a little. Why were you so angry with him? And what did you do to cause him so much pain?”
Wendy sighed and shook her head. “I love that boy. God knows I absolutely love that boy. But you are my family. I don’t have a lot of family. Well—not good family anyway. I had Sayen and that was it. When you came into the picture, I was so happy because I had someone else to love and protect. So, when I saw Aeric—who I truly believed to be in love with you—basically snap your heart in two for that bitch, I lost some respect.”
She knew? “Wait… you know about Analynn?”
She nodded. “I’ve ran into her before, stalking Aeric. I know the story, and I know what kind of person she was in life, but that is not who she is now. She nearly killed you, and he completely forgot all about you once he knew you were capable of talking to her. It broke my heart for you, Kailah, and I’m not very happy with him. I understand that he wanted closure, but not at the cost to you. You were basically in a coma. As much as you could have been, anyway, and he damn well knew it would drain you. Maybe not to the extent that it should have, but he should have known that channeling a spirit like that would drain more of your energy. You got lucky when you pulled it back. It made me even more angry how he made it sound as though he was finally telling her that he was in love with you only to tell you right after that the two of you could never be together.”
We were silent for a moment as I thought about what she’d said. “I want to hate him for it. I do. But, unfortunately for me, I can’t. All I can do is try to turn it off and move on. He can’t help how he feels, and it wasn’t his fault that Analynn hijacked someone’s body and is now threatening to end me.”
She nodded. “Very true. But he could have hesitated longer than a heartbeat when you mentioned her name. He could have told you that he wanted to talk to her for closure, but that your health was too important to do that right at that very moment. That he would wait until you were healed and then do it. You know—show even an ounce of compassion to the woman he knows loves him and knows just damn near died. He was being a stupid man. He’s old. Way too old for that shit. He knows better than that. I feel like I’m the angry mother of you, but then I also feel like I’m an disappointed mother of him. Like I’m angry that I taught him better, but he still behaved that way.”
A tear involuntarily slid down my face, and she gripped my hand as she pulled into the empty parking lot at the local park. It was about to rain, and everyone had cleared out.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, I’m just incredibly upset. And when he tried to read my thoughts to find out why I was so upset with him, I put a spiritual block on my mind which immediately burned his. I didn’t want him to know what I knew. Anyway, let’s talk about what Death said. I know you talked to him because I was the only one who saw Analynn kill you.”
“Okay, but can we walk and talk?” I asked.<
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“It’s about to rain,” she said. I couldn’t help the incredulous look that I gave her. She giggled. “Right.”
We exited the car and headed for the nearest concrete path. As we walked, the thunder began to rumble overhead. I felt the chill of the rain in the air, and I felt my stress level drop significantly. Whatever my relationship with the element was, I was very grateful for it.
As we walked, I told Wendy about summoning Death and about everything he told me regarding Analynn. She wasn’t aware the situation was as bad as it was. In the end, I had an idea of who may be behind it.
“What if it’s Khia? I mean, if what you say is true, and a spirit can’t bind that completely to a living body with an occupying soul, then it has to be an Immortal assisting right? Khia is the only one that we know of after me.”
Wendy thought for a moment before replying. “Back in the 1800’s, the war was back in full swing. Sayen was staying in Louisiana with Khanae and the boys when Khia found them. Instead of attacking directly, Khia decided to create an army. An Immortal is incapable of compulsion, though they have ways of controlling memories once the victim is incapacitated. The only way to truly control a human is by killing them, allowing their soul to pass, and thrusting a willing soul inside; one the Immortal has dominated. In the early 1800’s this was what Khia did to prepare for war. Humans are valuable against us because we don’t want to kill them, even if they are only zombies, because purifying them typically banishes the spirit within. She attacked a plantation and murdered one after another, raising them from the dead and then turning them against one another to do her dirty work for her. Eventually, Sayen and Khanae discovered what had transpired and showed to stop it, though, they were too late to completely end it.”
“So, zombies are real? They’re just created by Immortals?”
She nodded. “The human is dead, and after a few weeks in the heat, their bodies rot quickly, though they will crave raw flesh and bones until the day they disintegrate completely. Khia was smart enough to do this during the winter, when a zombie can last for months if properly fed. A zombie can only be created within twelve hours of death. The reason I’m telling you this little story is because when a zombie is created, the spiritual energy of the Immortal who created it is bound to the soul as well—kind of like the glue holding the abomination together. I saw Ana in that vision and there was no Immortal energy resonating from her. In fact, she isn’t a zombie at all, though, I’m sure you knew that. There was another soul inside, so someone has shown her how to bind herself and push the living soul out in order to keep the body alive.”
“What does that mean?”
She shook her head. “It means that it’s not Khia, but past that, I haven’t a clue. Things get worse, Kailah.” The rain began to gently fall then, seeming to purposely miss me as I looked into Wendy’s worried eyes.
“What is it?” I asked, worry evident in my own voice.
“Rogue Wolves called the Forsaken have been pulled into the war. We aren’t exactly sure why yet, but we know it has something to do with the Immortals. Once again, I don’t think Khia has anything to do with it, but there is obviously a new player.”
A new player? “Other Immortals are coming for me now?”
“There are two breeds of Werewolves, just as there are two breeds of Vampire. Anubis himself created the Werewolf as a way to balance the evil of the Immortals and the good that resided within the Vampires. Anubis spent a lot of time trying to prevent the creation of the shadow world, but it unraveled, and Khanae died and came back a Vampire. Anubis had seen her future when she was still a child and believed that she would be a dangerous force that would destroy humankind. So, as a way to keep the balance, Werewolves were created. It wasn’t until afterward that he realized Khanae’s strength and ability to control her dark desires. That she was still the same kind woman that he’d known before her death. So, he focused on the Rogues that had come into existence. His Wolves would keep them in check as well as the dark Immortals. The Wolves that abandoned Anubis’ spiritual path for neutral goodness, were forced to remain in the in-between.”
“The in-between?”
“Anubian Werewolves are incredibly spiritual creatures. They are capable of dream walking, reading auras, communing with the dead, and communing with nature. They have some of the same abilities that we have, but with all the physical strength—and more—of a Vampire. They are powerful enough to render either species useless. They look like the wolves that are indigenous to the area of the world they come from. It was Anubis’ way of allowing them to blend in with their area until their powers grew, and they could shield themselves better. And like wolf pups, when they are born, their Wolf form is smaller, only a little bit larger than whatever native wolf they resemble. However, as they age, they become bigger—much bigger.”
“So, what are the Rogues like?”
Wendy’s face grew grim as she looked around. “The Forsaken are incapable of fully shifting into a human or wolf. They remain a nine-feet-tall model of Anubis, standing on two legs. Their hair is short and sleek like a Great Dane or Doberman, their muzzles are long and thick, or long and pointed to match with tall, pointed ears. Their upper bodies are massive and muscular with large, clawed hands big enough to easily wrap only one around your head and pop it off as quickly as you’d twist the lid from a soda. Their legs are thick and powerful, enabling them to run at incredible speeds and put unbelievable force behind their attacks.
“Though they don’t have the spiritual power an Anubian possesses, they are still strong enough to bring down an Immortal or Vampire without touching them, then they attack and finish them off. This is why Immortals have used them for a very long time as guardians. They are just as dark and cruel and make excellent guard dogs.”
That was fantastic news. The entire world was full of mysterious unknowns, and they were all coming for me. When Vampires were the only ones that I had to worry about, I died. I didn’t even survive. I failed. What the hell was I supposed to do with those things coming? I just counted myself lucky that I’d made it that far.
“I know it’s a lot to digest, but we have to be vigilant. The Wolves are not to be taken lightly. This, along with your problems with Analynn, means we have a very real situation. If Analynn truly possessed that body on her own, she is packing power that I’ve not seen a spirit have single-handedly. The fact that she was still able to tap into her power over water even with a soul battling her for control is something incredible. If she decides to do something, with the family’s love of her, it will be very hard for you to stop her. It’s likely that they will try to stop you instead.”
“So, what do we do now?” I asked.
Wendy turned, heading back to the car and I followed. “Right now, we are going to go back to tell them about the Wolves gathering. Everything else I want you to keep quiet. They won’t believe that Analynn is capable of something so terrible, and if she shows up, they will believe anything she says. It’s not that they like her more than you, it’s the fact that they have an emotional connection to her, and she more than likely knows how to twist that against them to make them believe anything she wants.”
“This is getting better and better.”
“I have an old journal that you should look through. You’ll have to ignore all the scientific ramblings throughout, but you will find it useful. I keep one on the supernatural species that I get to study. There is one on us, Vampires, Demons, and Werewolves. The Queen, Nicole, was kind enough to allow me to study her blood as well as tell me the story of her rebirth. You’ll find all the information that you need in there. I’ll grab it when I leave, and I’ll bring it back later this evening.”
“The almighty Wolf Queen’s name is Nicole?” I asked. “I imagined it would be something old and ancient.”
She smiled. “Her birthname is Aneski, but she has since changed it, just as Sayen did.”
“Oh! Well, I suppose that makes sense.”
We headed b
ack and prepared to break the news to the family that another chapter was unfolding. I wasn’t looking forward to it because that would mean increased surveillance and that meant that my Ana-vestigation was going to be stalled. That wasn’t the way I’d hoped that conversation would go, but at the very least, I had an ally—and that was priceless.
Chapter Three
When we returned home to tell the family the news about the Wolves, all hell broke loose. Khanae immediately wanted to go to the Queen and ask for her aide, Sayen wanted to wrap me in bubble-wrap and lock me away, Aeric wanted to help her, I was screaming for someone—anyone—to pay attention to me, Wendy was fighting for me, Rachel was screaming for everyone to calm down, and Brett was sitting off to the side laughing his ass off at everyone.
“Kailah, you cannot go unprotected anymore. You absolutely have to have someone guarding you at all times,” Khanae said. I could see the worry on her face. “I’m very old and very powerful, but having the Wolves involved now means far more than you could even imagine. They are brutal, ruthless murderers. They will slaughter countless lives if they think there is a chance to find your location. Humans everywhere are in danger now, and I don’t know how to save them all.”
“Well, then we need a plan of attack, not one of hiding. If we hide, they will kill until they find me. But if you help me learn to fight, if we all worked together instead of arguing, then we could attack them first and save the day,” I replied.
Sayen half-smiled as she shook her head. “Is this all just a superhero mission to you? This is real, and they are coming. This won’t have a picture-perfect ending where we all swoop in and save the day. There is a lot of power packed into this room, but it means absolutely nothing if you are dead. If you die, they won’t stop, and even more people will die. I hate this, but we have to do everything in our power to ensure that you live, for the greater good.”