Destined_The Immortal Defenses Series

by E. L. Davis

  “That’s beside the point,” Roman began. “We came here because we know Amar told you something about Alexia. If you want your daughter to survive, you have to tell us.”

  “I don’t know anything.” He looked away, avoiding looking them all in the eye.

  “Why are you lying to me?” Alexia had been under the impression that this man would do anything to help her. She thought he would be ecstatic to see her again, but truthfully, the man looked nothing more than sketchy and uninterested. “You should want to help me.”

  “I have nothing to say,” he maintained. “I don’t know anything.”

  “I know you’re lying. Don’t lie to me because I can make you tell me the truth,” Alexia threatened him, preparing to lock in on his eyes and make him tell her what she wanted to know.

  “Why do you think I know something?” he asked in annoyance.

  Roman answered for Alexia. “I remember Amarantos telling our father something about Alexia and I know he would have told you what it was.”

  Hector scoffed. “How could you remember something that happened so long ago?”

  “A good memory,” Roman responded.

  The room went silent and you could almost see the gears turning in Hector’s brain trying to think of a lie. “I… I never knew anything. Your father never told me anything.”

  Alexia was sick of it. She was sick of the man who had once upon a time played with her, watched her grow, and taught her how to swim in the salty ocean. He was lying to her face about the one thing that could give her a chance of beating Amarantos. This was no father figure; he was a monster. Trying not to lose control of her anger, she pushed the rage back down inside her chest.

  “Look at me.” Alexia would be ready as soon as he turned to face her. He turned her way but avoided her eyes completely. “I know you’re lying. Who are you protecting?”

  “I’m protecting you.” Finally, he looked her in the eyes and she reeled him in instantly.

  “Tell me what Amar told Demetri’s father.”

  “He told him that you were special and that you were a prophecy child.”

  Alexia felt Demetri tense up beside her, but had to ignore it. “What else did he tell you?”

  “That you would never be normal once the prophecy started to be fulfilled. You were supposed to be unlike anything we had ever seen before.”

  Her eyes were burning but she ignored it. Pushing through the pain, she asked, “How did he know I was a prophecy child?”

  “There were many prophecies contained in the Sapheneia and you fit the description.”

  “How?” Alexia asked, still holding his gaze.

  “You were born on the eighth month on the eighth day halfway through the sixteen thousandth year.”

  This news made Alexia lose all concentration and Hector snapped out of his trance. Demetri was ready for Alexia to scream in pain, but the pain didn't come. Instead, she was hit by the overwhelming realization that this prophecy was about her. In this life, she was born in the eighth month on the eighth day. The confidence and adrenaline that came with using the second defense welled up inside of her as so many thoughts crossed her mind.

  “I can’t believe it,” Hector said in amazement. “You can use the second defense on Immortals. I never wanted to believe it. You don’t know what this means; none of you understand. You think this will help you but in the end, it will destroy you.”

  “Tell me what else you know,” Alexia said, desperate for more answers. “What did he mean I would never be the same?”

  Hector sighed. “I never wanted things to be this way. It wasn’t until Amar had told Demetri and Roman’s father that I realized you were fulfilling the prophecy and I noticed that you weren’t the same girl anymore. You turned from innocent and shy, to confident and, well…” He didn’t want to hurt her by saying the words that were in his mind.

  “So, Alexia is part of a prophecy?” Demetri said, the color draining from his face.

  “Not just Alexia, but all of you. Everything that has happened to all of you has been laid out for thousands of years. Have you ever heard the saying that everything happens for a reason?”

  They all nodded.

  “The original Aionos had this planned from the beginning. They knew a time would come when our people would need a warrior unlike any other. You, Alexia.” He looked at her briefly before continuing. “They knew they would need a love stronger than any love before, which had been through the most trials.” Alexia turned to Demetri as Hector continued. “Finally, they would need the strong bonds of friendship to help the warrior win the battle.”

  “Okay, hold on, you’re losing me here,” Ellie said before he could get any further in the story. “You’re trying to tell us that everything that happened between Alexia, Demetri, and Roman happened because of a prophecy? And The Union ended The Punishment Games when they did because it was part of the same prophecy?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed.

  “Alright, and Alexia, Cheri, and myself became such good friends because of a prophecy? Because the very first Immortals knew that they would need a warrior with great friends and a strong love?”

  “Basically, that’s what I am saying.”

  Ellie continued to fire questions at him. “What about this battle? Who are we battling?”

  “Amarantos and his followers. You think that he wants you dead because he wants Demetri and Roman to be punished forever, but that’s wrong. He wants you dead because he knows it’s your destiny to stop him from taking over all supernatural beings. I hope these boys have told you that we are not the only supernatural species.”

  “I know that there are werewolves, vampires, and angels,” Alexia responded. “What else is there, and why would Amarantos want to govern them all?”

  “Fairies,” Demetri said.

  “Witches,” Roman added.

  “Demons,” Hector finished. “Amar is power crazy. He wants nothing more than to make Immortals the superior race, even over humans. If he governs us all, he can control and limit the powers each being has.”

  “So why did they choose me?” Alexia asked. “How is anyone capable of planning that far ahead?”

  “That has always remained a mystery and it doesn’t matter why. It’s what you were created for; everything that has happened in your life gave you the tools to keep the peace between Immortals and everybody else. You’re destined to stop Amarantos from taking over.”

  None of this made any sense to Alexia; so many things did not fit together. “So, if Amar knew about this prophecy, why wouldn’t he have killed me as a child?”

  “He didn’t want to believe it; he thought he could change your path. There were things about the prophecy he never told anybody, but he believed that he would be able to prevent you from fulfilling the prophecy.”

  Nobody else spoke for a long time. All eyes were on Alexia, as if she didn’t have enough burdens on her shoulders. Now the peace between Immortals and every other supernatural being was lying in her hands.

  “How many people know about this?” Ellie asked, breaking the silence.

  “Very few. Amar didn’t want word to spread around that Alexia was a prophecy child. It’s not something you want to brag about, as it causes too much attention. Alexia,” he turned to her, “your natural instinct will be to use your special defenses, but it’s not a good idea. The feeling you get from using them can destroy who you truly are.”

  “There is still one thing we don’t know,” Demetri questioned. “What can she do that we can’t with the third defense?”

  “I thought it would be obvious. Not only can she track those she loves the most, she can track anyone she wants.”

  “How will that benefit her?”

  “She can track down Amarantos’ followers, taking them out one by one. Then, when it’s time, she can track down Amarantos and fulfill the prophecy.”

  Everyone else seemed to be taking this all in easily. Alexia, on the other hand, was three steps behin
d; her brain couldn’t take in all this information at once. Her whole life had been planned out thousands of years before she was even born.

  Nobody besides the man she had to eliminate knew the answers to all the questions she had about the prophecy. Dizziness took over and she felt like she was going to be sick. She ran from the cramped kitchen and out the door, trying not to slam it for fear it would bring the whole house down. She retched over and over again, puking more than she ever had in her life. Demetri was at her side in an instant, rubbing her back and holding her hair out of harm’s way.

  “I’m sorry. This is too much for you to take in at once.” His voice was full of concern and guilt. “This is my fault, I should have told him to stop putting so much pressure on you.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, please; it’s not your fault that I am so weak.”

  “You’re not weak, Alexia.” Hector was standing in the small doorway. “Remember what I said, everything happens for a reason, and if you have to take things slow, then that’s the way the originals wanted it done. I am sorry you have been through so much in the past week, but I have to tell you, this is far from over and you need to be properly prepared. Trust me when I say using the three basic defenses will not harm you, but the way you can use them might end up hurting you in the end.”

  “Demetri, I need a moment alone with Hector. Do you want to tell the others that it’s time to go? I need to rest.” Hesitantly Demetri went back inside the house, leaving Alexia and Hector alone on the old doorstep. “How do you know all this?” she asked, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

  “I don’t know much about the prophecy, or what is supposed to happen after this, but the one thing Amar knew without a doubt was that your special defenses could possibly be your downfall. The feeling you get when you use them will become like a drug to you, and you will start to crave it intensely. In order for you to defeat Amarantos, you will have to overcome the confidence it gives you. That confidence can lead you right to your death.”

  “I thought I am supposed to win this,” Alexia said in confusion. “Isn’t that the point of the prophecy?”

  “A prophecy does not clarify who lives or dies, Alexia.”

  At that, the conversation was over. Alexia felt fatigued and worn out, and gladly made her way back to the beach house with her friends.

  ∞

  Alexia spent the rest of that day sleeping off the stress that plagued her body. Everything Hector had said to her was so confusing and many-sided that she didn’t want to try discussing it with anyone until she slept. While she slept, strange dreams filled her mind. Some were about her plunging off a cliff to save Ellie and Cheri, and others were about her chasing Hector through the forest to get answers from him and when she finally caught up to him he turned out to be Amar. Perhaps the strangest of all was the one she had about Demetri and Roman.

  They were sitting on the beach, watching the sunset. Roman had Cheri in his arms and Alexia was folded into Demetri’s. As peaceful as the scene was, it made the real Alexia twitch in her sleep. As soon as the sun disappeared, Roman threw Cheri off him and started yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs.

  He screamed about Alexia being a slut in her first life, he yelled at Cheri for being so beautiful and easy to like, and then he yelled at himself for letting Demetri take Alexia from him. Alexia had tried to calm him, telling him that Cheri and he were meant to be together and that it was all part of the prophecy. He wouldn’t calm down, but kept screaming that it didn’t make sense and that everything he had ever thought to be true was a lie. Then she awoke.

  Demetri was tiptoeing across the room trying not to wake her. It took a moment for her to realize that, in her stressed state, she had bee-lined right for the room Demetri was using. She watched him while he searched through one of the many shopping bags that littered the floor. Then Roman walked in, too.

  “Demetri, we need to talk about what Hector said.” Alexia shut her eyes quickly, hoping they wouldn’t notice that she was awake.

  “We can wait until Alexia wakes up. Until then, let’s all just keep our thoughts to ourselves.” Demetri had been whispering but Alexia could still detect a slight trace of panic in his voice.

  “It’s not a good idea to ignore it, Demetri. You know how confusing and many-sided prophecies can be. If Alexia is a prophecy child, we have to know exactly what the prophecy says. Amar may have had it all wrong.”

  “Roman, this is hardly the time or place! Let her sleep and we can discuss this all in the morning. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that she is going to sleep right through until morning.” Alexia heard the floorboards outside the room creak, meaning Roman had walked away. Still with her eyes shut she tried to figure out if Demetri was still in the room with her, then she felt the weight of somebody getting into the bed beside her.

  When he wrapped his arms around her, her whole body went hot. He pulled her close to him without being too careful about waking her. His bare chest was flat against her back and she could feel his heart beating fast; no doubt he was trying to send her a message about how happy he was to be there with her. Ever since she had realized that Demetri was the guy she wanted to be with for all eternity, his every touch felt so right. It was something she now knew was meant to be for over a thousand years. Pretending to wake up, Alexia stretched and turned to face him.

  “Oh no, I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry.” He didn’t look sorry; in fact, Alexia was pretty sure he was trying to wake her on purpose. “Go back to sleep.” The look on his face told Alexia he wasn’t in one of his abnormally sweet moods. He was in his badass-I’m-sexy mood, and it was strange how easily she could tell which was which now. His voice sounded much more devious when he was putting up his bad ass front.

  “No, I think I have slept enough.” She leaned in to kiss him while tangling their legs together. “How long have I been out for?”

  He pointed to the window, and it was pitch black outside. “A while, but I can tell you’re still exhausted. You have that tired look in your eyes.”

  “Really, I’m not tired anymore.”

  “Alexia, I have been your guy more than a dozen times over the past three hundred fifty years, and I can tell when you are tired, hyper, sad, mad, anxious, and curious. You can’t hide anything from me. I know you too well. So let’s just curl up together and go to bed, okay?”

  “How are my girls?” It wasn’t what she had meant to say. She wanted to say something witty about him not really knowing her at all, but clearly her heart had other things on its mind.

  “Cheri and Ellie? They are fine. I overheard them talking about whether Cheri should go sleep in Roman’s room again.” He laughed. “I think it’s a little weird for both of them right now.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, your father said that everything happens for a reason and that the way things are playing out have been planned for thousands of years. They are both having a hard time deciding whether them hooking up is part of the prophecy or if it was just a drunken mistake.”

  “That’s awful. I can imagine Roman is feeling really confused.” She recalled the dream she had been having. “I mean, for the past three hundred and fifty years he thought it was me he loved, when all along I was just leading him to the one that he would love. One thing I don’t get is why I didn’t always choose you during The Punishment Games.”

  “It was always decided by The Union, as it was part of the games. They always controlled the outcome, and when it was decided that they were going to end them, it was going to be a fair fight and you would choose for yourself whom you truly loved. There were always these stupid rules that made it more interesting for The Union. Sometimes we had to avoid meeting your parents or had to try to get you to hate a friend or sibling. It was stupid, really; this time around they told me that it was going to be the last games but decided not to tell Roman. They gave me the rules and not Roman. Like, do you remember at Stacy’s party when you saw Roman’s eyes turning black?�
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  Alexia thought for a moment. She had been drunk that night and couldn’t remember all the details. “I kind of remember that.”

  “Well anyways, I covered for him that night, and told you that you were seeing things. By me covering up for him like that, he had to do me a favor. That’s why…”

  “You said ‘do me a favor and go home’,” Alexia finished, remembering the conversation now. “So, if you revealed what you were and the other covered it up for you, then you had to do them a favor?”

  “Pretty much. Stupid, isn’t it? They were obviously running out of stupid rules, and they just kept getting lamer and lamer.”

  “What were the other rules before they ended the games completely because of Amar?”

  “Whomever you chose had to tell you everything about the past three hundred and fifty years. The one who lost had to stick around for three years watching in pain as the winner lived happily ever after. I found that one just cruel. Anyways, I am just glad it’s over. After three hundred and fifty years of the worst pain, I finally have you all to myself.”

  He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. When he saw the look on her face, his smile disappeared. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m feeling guilty. I just wish there was something I could have done to stop this all from happening.”

  “There was nothing anyone could have done. It was all planned out for thousands of years, Alexia. You, growing up where and how you did, me and Roman being your brother’s friends, you being reincarnated over and over, and you finally being mine again has all been planned out since the beginning of the Immortals.”

  “Every time I come back, am I born on the same day?”

  “No,” Demetri replied, “Why do you ask?”

  “The prophecy is about someone who was born in the eighth month on the eighth day, that was my birthdate in my first life. I was born on August eighth in this life to, that means I am who the prophecy is talking about.”

  Demetri smiled at Alexia, “That’s quite the coincidence isn’t it? I don’t think we can deny that this prophecy is about you.”

  “Hector said that a prophecy doesn’t clarify who lives or dies.” Alexia sighed.