by Jane West
“I saved the best for last.” Jeffery smiled and opened the double-door closet.
I gaped as though I was gazing into a wonderland. Mom’s closet came to mind, but this closet was the mother of all. I turned to Jeffery. “You did this for me?”
“I sure did, boo. Of course I hope you’ll let me borrow some of this divine fashion?” Jeffery teased, or I think he was teasing.
I entered the closet with my hand brushing along every delicate item. The closet seemed endless. To top it off, it smelled of brand-new clothing with the tags still attached. Moving on, the built-in shelves contained rows of designer shoes such as Louis Vuitton, Manolo, Gucci and Christian Louboutin. The chiffonier was stocked full with scarves, jewelry, accessories and even Victoria’s Secrets apparel and PJs. Speechless, I didn’t know what to say. Did I fit the role of royalty? I came from rags, and now I lived in a home fit for a queen. This all seemed too good to be true.
Spinning on my heels, I glanced up at my dear friend. “You must’ve spent a fortune!” I whistled. “Why spend your money on me?”
“Chile, it’s not my money. You is the billionaire, and you need to look like one. Those rags,” Jeffery scrunched his nose, “are wretched. No offense.” His face soured at my choice of ensemble—prison clothes.
I looked down at my clothing and turned to the full-length mirror in the corner. One quick glance and I staggered. The girl staring back appeared broken. “I’m pretty pathetic, aren’t I?”
Jeffery’s eyes moistened, “Aw, boo, just give it time. Dom will fatten you up, and those green eyes of yours will sparkle again. Real soon! You’ll see.” He wrapped his golden arms around me and I melted into his chest and sobbed.
I was the ghost of a person who once lived. I’d lost weight, my eyes were dull, and my hair lacked luster. I pulled from Jeffery’s embrace, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
Then anger nipped. Aidan and his family had stripped me of my spirit. Now I had to put the pieces back together. I wasn’t sure I had the strength.
Jeffery spoke up, drawing me back to the present, which I gratefully appreciated. “You ain’t got nothin’ to fret about. Just think of me as your personal stylist.” Jeffery twirled like a high dollar model, strutting down the catwalk.
Oh lord, personal stylist! Jeff’s taste was, well, extreme. I had to admit he did a fabulous job picking out the new clothing, on the other hand, I had my reservations about him dressing me. “Huh! We’ll see.” One could say my taste teetered on the reserved side.
“What!” Jeffery shrieked as he placed his hands on his sassy hips. “Child, I know my skills!”
“Yes, you do. It just isn’t mine. I’m just saying.” I shrugged.
“My style is definitely a step up from yours, boo.” Jeffery eyed me like his bestie. “Gurrrlfriend, pffeaseeee! I’m gonna make you look good!” he snapped his fingers and twirled. “When I’m done, folks around ‘ere are gonna think you is royalty, as you rightfully should be. Hash-tag that, sistah!”
Oh, brother! I thought inwardly. I saw that we had a lot of lost time to make up.
Unwanted Guest
I glanced over at the alarm clock. Damn, two in the morning. My eyes wouldn’t close. How ironic. For the past three years, I’d slept like a baby on cold metal. Sleep was easy then. Of course, I had a constant cocktail of drugs pumped into me, twenty-four-seven.
But tonight, not even my Sealy mattress could subdue my spinning head. I flipped my lamp on and sat up, drawing my knees to my chest. I spotted Snowball at the end of the bed, curled up, sleeping. What the hell! Everyone, including the cat was sleeping but me.
I felt restless. Something I haven’t experienced in three years. My mom, Sara, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I’d had only a minute to process her death before my life had been jerked out from under me. Now accepting Sara’s death didn’t resonate with me. It was as if she’d merely moved to some tropical island, sitting on a white-sand beach drinking a Mai Tai. Any day, I’d hear from her.
Yet logic said otherwise. My heart ached with regret. We didn’t exactly have the best relationship. I was angry back then and now I didn’t know what I felt. How did one cope with the loss of an abusive parent? I reckoned I’d have to learn as I go.
Then I thought of Dad. The whole concept of Sara killing Dad shook my core. Could I come to terms, knowing that Sara’s selfishness cost my dad’s life? Did I have any other choice? I had to accept the truth and find a way to move on. Yet how did I do that when my heart wrung with pain.
I had trouble deciding whether I hated Sara, or pitied her. Placing all the blame on her didn’t seem fair. She had no control over her mental state. A human carrying a celestial fetus was a serious mistake. And her payment—Sara contracted a disease that altered her brain, turning her into a sociopath.
I blamed myself as if I’d committed the murder myself. I should’ve never been born. I was an experiment that should’ve never happened. A freak of the Illuminati’s creation would best describe me.
The Family created me in an undisclosed medical lab. How exactly did the scientist concoct an embryo between my dad’s DNA and a celestial creature’s DNA, blew my mind.
What kind of creepy monster did they create? I shuddered over the thought. I had no clue to the kind of powers they bestowed upon me. I once heard I had powers of mass destruction. I prayed the rumor was a lie. It only made me feel more of a freak.
Yet my creators called me a phenomenon a genetically altered angel.
I thought superheroes were invincible. I certainly wasn’t. Rather, a pathetic weakling fit my description more appropriately.
Powers? That was a joke on me. I scoffed. Where were my powers when they took me against my will? My captors, the Family, in the name of their cockeyed justice knew they had the upper hand, and I paid the price for their insidious sins.
That was when I came to stay at the lovely, Haven Hospital. After getting comfy, I accepted my lot in life. The drug-induced coma felt like a god send, anything to ease the misery. I was a dead person with a pulse. I had no family. No friends to call. I was utterly alone, facing a life sentence for crimes I didn’t commit.
The only thing that reminded me that I was alive was the deep-seeded tick that kept clawing at me. A memory lost? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember what. I eased out a wry sigh.
I glanced about at my new surroundings. The beauty and riches seemed like a dream—but it was real. I was home, surrounded by people who loved me.
Then why wasn’t I happy? Our material needs were more than plentiful. Yet not even an infinity of cash could fill the void in my gut. Facing the fact that my mother had sold me into slavery nearly destroyed me, but the treachery that shattered my heart had been dealt by the man I gave my heart to—Aidan Bane DuPont.
I get why the Family and Sally turned on me or at least sorta. What I didn’t get was what did Aidan have to gain? That night at the cottage, we entangled our spirits as one, infusing our magick forever. So by betraying me, didn’t Aidan betray himself? Nothing added up.
Then that following morning, the bottom fell out. Sally and her anonymous co-conspirator abducted me. Although I never got a glimpse at my abductor, I sensed it was Aidan. His touch, his scent, I knew without having to see his face that it was him. Now mind swirled in doubt. I reckoned there was a huge part of me that didn’t want to believe he’d stoop to such monstrosity.
I began to rub my temples, trying to ease a pounding headache.
The funny thing that I couldn’t figure out was that why did Aidan need to subdue me with an injection? Whoever held me, stuck me with a needle to knock me out. He could’ve just as easily used the angel dust or he could’ve used his Druid magick. But to use something that was so human like as a simple needle didn’t seem like him at all.
So much mystery plagued my mine. Another mystery, how did Aidan and the castle mysteriously disappear without a trace? How could a castle vanish in broad daylight? I shook my head, bewildered.
There was no rhyme or reason to this madness. Even the last words Aidan had spoken before he left my side that faint morning. I recalled his words as if it were yesterday believe only half of what you see and none of which you don’t. His riddle played in my mind like a broken tune. What did it mean?
The truth may never rear its ugly face. Despite my gut instincts, one piece of fact I couldn’t deny Aidan had abandoned me.
I threw my legs over the edge of the bed, aggravated. I thought maybe I’d grab something to drink and visit the garden. Wearing only a white-cotton gown, I threw on a shawl over my shoulders and tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to wake the house. I went straight for the subzero fridge and grabbed my favorite drink, Coke, before heading out back.
A soft breeze gently tousled my hair as I stepped outside onto the patio. The aroma of pine and cherry blossoms delighted my senses. I kicked off my slippers and wandered out to the garden. The grass beneath my toes felt cool and invigorating. I spotted a swing nestled under an old oak tree in the far corner, apart from the garden. I glimpsed high above the leafs and whistled. “Wow! An old fashion swing. What a quaint little spot.” A smile stretched across my face. It reminded me of my childhood. My father use to push me on a handmade swing he’d built from leftover wood. Gosh, I’d forgotten.
I slipped into the swing and pushed off. I felt like a child again, toes touching the starry sky. I didn’t want to be anywhere but here. I was happy.
Suddenly I heard a rustle, obscured behind the tree line. A chill snaked down my spine. I stopped as I searched among the trees nothing. Then a shadow moved. I sighed. “Whew!” it was Snowball scurrying from under the hydrangeas. Paranoid much? I laughed as I watched my cat scamper off.
Then abruptly, I heard footsteps approaching fast. I leaped from the swing, scanning the garden and the thicket lining the fence.
Nothing.
Out of nowhere, echoes of footfalls pierced the air. Leaves crunching under someone’s feet. I pulled the shawl tighter over my shoulders. My eyes raked over the stand of trees once more. Nil, no one. “I should go back in the house,” I whispered to myself.
I took three steps and halted. There under the moonlight, stepping from the shadows, an outline of a person in a cloak, tall and very beautiful. My blood iced.
“Hello. Let me introduce myself.” She slipped the crimson hood down, though, not extending her hand. Without warning, the air became chilly. “I’m Aidan’s sister, Helen. And my brother lost his life because of you.” Arrogance resonated in the way she tilted her sharp chin. The mark of a true Illuminati.
But all that flew past me. I was stuck on “Aidan’s d-d-dead?” I gawked at his sister as a strong mistrust squeezed my lungs.
“Of course, how rude of me. You didn’t know.” Enmity coated her words with sweet honey. “You must forgive me, you were away.” She gave pause. “I hope you enjoyed your stay.” She smiled, but it wasn’t your usual Southern-hospitality smile. There was wickedness behind those cherry lips—a flurry that I didn’t want to tangle with.
“I didn’t kill your brother.”
“I’m sorry. I must have not made myself clear. I didn’t say he died by your hands. I said you were the reason!” She hissed like a serpent ready to strike.
“I dearly love chatting about family, but let’s cut to the chase. How does an immortal die?”
“Why should I divulge any information to you?” she snorted.
If it involved a heart, I doubted she would’ve understood, but I tossed the dog a bone anyway. “I once loved your brother.”
She sniffed haughtily. “Do you think my brother loved you?” The tall beauty snickered under her breath. “You stupid girl! That night at the party, he only intended to fulfill his duty, his promise to the Family. My brother couldn’t wait to be rid of you.”
Her words burned like acid, but I swallowed the angry vile down. I refused to show weakness. After all, that was what she wanted. So I replied with my own special brand of venom. “It doesn’t matter now. He’s gone. Another one bites the dust. Next.” I shrugged, smugly.
The vixen blonde clenched her teeth. “My brother was clever. He fooled you, didn’t he?”
I wanted to stomp the smirk right off her elegant-but-wicked face. Rather instead, I threw a little shade with a smile. “Apparently, he wasn’t clever enough. He’s dead.”
“Shut up!” The blonde beauty roared, cornering me against the fence. “Say that again and I’ll end your pathetic life right now!”
A smile tipped the corner of my lip. I’d struck a chord, all right. I knew mocking the dead was not in good taste, but with all the shade-throwing, I figured a little mudslinging at her hind-ass was well deserved.
Still there had to be more to her coming here than flaunting my past. “Why are you here, Helen?” I eyed her suspiciously.
The blonde assumed a posture of superiority. “Are you bothered by me?”
I laughed. “Bothered like a cockroach, but that’s an easy fix.” A deep, seedy grin played upon my face.
“Careful what you say, hybrid!”
Her idol threat didn’t frighten me. She couldn’t do anything to me that hadn’t already been done. “So, are you here to announce Aidan’s death? You’re really starting to bore me.” I feigned a yawn.
“Not exactly.” Her eyes filled with dark portents.
“Why are you here at this ungodly hour, then? I have nothing else to give.”
“You’re right! Now that my brother’s gone, our long-awaited goal is null and void. We made a mistake relying on a useless human.”
I was done with this futile squabble. “Well, Helen, it’s been lovely, but I’m leaving. I’m sure you can find your way back to the rock you crawled out from under.”
“Stupid hybrid,” she sneered. “I didn’t come to revel in your release from prison or your very generous cash flow, courtesy of my dead brother. I’ve been sent by the Family to give you a message.”
I shook my head, exasperated. “There’s nothing you or your family can say that will interest me. Go home!” I demanded. I understood the Family’s powerful reach better than anyone, and I knew when to pull out of a game that I was no match for.
“I’m more than happy to leave, but first, I have to deliver a word of warning.”
“Go home!” I gushed, side stepping the blonde. I had one intent leaving this bitch to wallow in her own spurious threats. I was done. “You have nothing to say that’s worth my time.” I threw over my shoulder as I headed straight for the house.
“They’ll send someone far more dangerous than me!” The blonde called out. “I think, for your sake, you should listen.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and slowly turned, facing Aidan’s sister. I narrowed my eyes not caring that she saw my disdain. “Then get on with it,” I snapped, “So I can be done with you and your damn family forever.” I hated her and everything she stood for.
The blonde’s face twisted as if she’d bitten into a rotten apple. “The Family sent me here to tell you,” she paused. “Don’t go sticking your nose into things that is none of your affair. If you don’t heed to our warning, your life,” she hesitated, “And the life of the ones you care about will suffer. I hope we have an understanding?” The frost in her voice sent chills over my body. I fully understood between the unspoken lines.
I stood there thinking of the different ways I could snap her neck but my curiosity slammed into first place. It seemed suspicious all this much trouble for little old-hybrid me. I tossed an amused smile. “It sounds like your family is a little paranoid.”
The blonde’s lips curled in disgust. “Paranoia is not our forte. You should be mindful of where you step. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to find yourself back in that hospital.” Without another word, the blonde beauty in the scarlet cloak disappeared from sight. My gut told me chances of becoming bosom buddies with Aidan’s sister were slim. Suddenly a cold breeze swept through me. I quickly gathered my shawl tighter around my shoulders
. It was time to head back inside —the sooner the better too.
See No Evil
When morning arrived, I needed a U-Haul to drag myself out of bed. After the encounter with Aidan’s sister, my mind kept repeating questions like a bad rerun. Suddenly the sting of tears threatened. If only I knew how Aidan died. What if he’d fallen victim to his family as I did? I shook my head, feeling the weight of guilt. Could I’d been wrong about Aidan? It wasn’t a stretch suspecting Sally and bag of tricks. Then who was helping her? The man who held me felt like Aidan and he smelled like Aidan. I recognized his hands. It was Aidan who held me captive.
One truth I couldn’t deny as I lay here alive—it proved that Aidan’s theory was incorrect that one couldn’t live without the other. My breathing was proof he had been mistaken. Strange though, Aidan was never wrong. He didn’t make careless mistakes.
I raked my fingers through my hair. I didn’t know what to believe and the thought of his death seemed unbelievable. Frustration, pain, and rage smothered me. All I could do was lay my face into my palms and sob.
After a long good cry, I wiped the tears from my face and pulled myself together. I decided to go downstairs while the house remained quiet. Once I reached the kitchen, to my surprise, the aroma of piping hot coffee filled the air. Dom had set the coffee maker for 6 a.m. I wondered if he’d overheard my conversation with Helen. I worried I might be bringing mayhem to the house.
I got a nagging feeling this wasn’t the last I’d hear from the Family. Helen’s threat rode on my shoulders like a heavy feed sack. I had to do something. I couldn’t let her or that despicable Family harm my family. Yet the Illuminati had the strength of gods. They were everywhere—no escaping their clenches if they wanted you.
Somehow I had to figure out a way to keep them at bay. My family meant everything to me.
***
It was a nice morning regardless of my run-in earlier. I stepped out into the lawn. Right away, I spotted the vegetable garden roped off. I padded over to it as an admiring smile crept across my face. The leafy patch left me breathless. Everything was in a nice neat row. Assorted vines covered the soil in thick blooms. The garden diffidently had Dom’s marvelous touch. There were onions, spinach, tomatoes, rosemary, and ginseng root. How odd, I thought. Ginseng was a magickal plant used in certain rituals. Ms. Noel kept a supply of it all the time. I learned of its use by watching her prepare it for her customers. I wondered if Dom knew of its properties.