by Candy Crum
“Anything we should know about?” Aeric asked Sayen, wanting to know if there were any dangers they should know about.
“I think everything will be okay, though I will say that my vision of Kailah is sometimes fuzzy. I’m not sure why. Most of the time I see her clear as day, just like I did the day Khia attacked her at work. Other times, there is a fog. The only thing that’s ever blocked me out is a Reaper, but that’s impossible. Honestly, I think it’s just a combination of her abilities and what’s left of the binding.”
Aeric nodded. “We’ll approach with caution, just in case.”
“I really hope this goes well,” Khanae said.
Aeric laughed. “You’re not the only one.”
The brothers turned and made their way toward the door, and Aeric grabbed the keys to his Dodge Challenger on the way out. Even with Brett’s optimism and Sayen’s confidence everything would be okay, Aeric couldn’t shake the feeling that this night was not going to go well.
***
Kailah stepped out of the shower and dried off. She placed a towel around her hair and another around her body. Clanging from the next room over could be heard. “What the actual fuck?” she heard Rachel say.
Laughing, Kailah made her way to the next room over and walked in. Rachel was naked and running across the bed. She hopped off and went to the dresser, popping open a drawer and moving things about with little care.
“What is this? Naked Olympics?” Kailah asked.
Rachel looked up, not caring that she was standing there completely nude. “Have you seen that shirt I had over here? God, I stay over here so often that my clothes float from your house, back to mom’s, and then back here again. I can’t ever keep things straight. I really thought it was here!”
“You have lots of shirts here, so shirt isn’t the best description. Have you seen my painted wall? Have you seen my window?”
“Smart ass,” Rachel replied. “The black and white halter.”
“Ah! That one. Yeah, I think it’s in the basement. I had a basket of your laundry down there. I washed and folded them. That one should be hanging above the dryer. I didn’t want to wrinkle it.”
Rachel’s face lit up. “Thanks! You’re the best.”
She walked past Kailah and headed for the basement. “No shame, eh?” Kailah asked.
Rachel laughed from the stairwell across the hall. “No shame in my game.”
Rolling her eyes, though her friend couldn’t see, Kailah said, “You’re fired. We can’t be friends anymore after that comment.”
They spent the majority of their time together acting like children, which included picking on one another at every opportunity.
Kailah went back to her room to get dressed. She went to the closet and grabbed a pair of black leggings, a white tank top, and a short black jacket to wear over it. She completed the look with black knee-high boots.
Once she finished her makeup and hair, she quickly dressed and exited her personal bathroom to put her discarded laundry in the hamper. The air was noticeably warmer, and a feeling of peace washed over her. As she rounded the corner into her room, she stopped short.
“Taima!” she said with obvious shock upon seeing him. She realized then that the change in temperature had been him.
He stood only a few feet away from her, smiling. There seemed to be mixed emotions on his face, and she had a feeling she knew why. But even so, he still seemed happy to see her.
His dark brown eyes shone, and his long dark hair was once again in braids. He wore pants, but no shirt. At first, she wondered why, but then she saw a large scar across his chest, directly over his heart.
Just like before, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. It visibly frustrated him, but it didn’t stop him from trying. Unlike before, trying didn’t cause him to fade away.
“You’re not fading out this time. Is it because you’re stronger? Or is it me?” she asked.
He pointed at her, his smile turning sad.
“I see,” she said, taking a deep breath and sighing heavily. “I don’t understand what’s going on. What role in this do I have to play?”
The door opened behind her. “Who are you talking to?” Rachel asked.
Taima nodded to his great-great-granddaughter, giving her what she took as permission to tell her friend. “Taima,” Kailah replied.
“Holy shit. Crap. I mean poop. Damn it.”
Kailah laughed and looked back to her friend. “Relax, you’re fine. I just need a few minutes. If he’s here, it’s for a reason.”
Rachel nodded. “I’ll be out here if you need me, trying not to think you’ve gone insane. Or maybe it’s me that has. After all, I totally believe you’re in here talking to your dead ancestor, when I can’t see anything at all.”
She turned and left the room, and Kailah stepped toward Taima, her eyes focused on the scar over his heart. “My uncle sent over some old documents and files. We found something that might have been a diary of Sayen’s. It mentioned a ceremony, a ritual.” She pointed to his chest and looked back into his eyes. “Was that part of it? Or were you wounded in battle?”
Without warning, he reached out to touch her face, warmth washing through her. She could smell an open field and feel the sun on her shoulders and face. The sounds of birds began to echo around her.
She stepped back, the illusion falling as her breaths increased. Her heart was suddenly racing, and she felt scared for the first time in his presence.
“What was that?” she asked. “I feel like I need a damned Ouija board!”
He held up his hands and took another slow step forward. He was much taller than her. Her paternal grandfather was six-feet-four, and if she had to guess, Taima was about the same height.
A gentle breeze blew through the room, moving the curtains. Kailah swallowed hard as he took another slow step forward, the look on his face innocent. He seemed to be trying to communicate through his actions.
Taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to slow her heart. If I don’t do this, he will keep trying. If I don’t do this, I might never know what kind of danger I’m in.
Kailah opened her eyes and extended her hand slowly. He gave a soft reassuring smile as he reached for her hand. As soon as they touched, she once again smelled the grass, flowers, and trees. She felt warmed by the sun, and the birds were chirping loudly.
He guided her hand to his chest, and she looked into his eyes with curiosity. He nodded, and she laid her hand on his chest. The world around her began to get fuzzy as the smells and sounds became stronger. Within moments, she was blinded by light and had to shield her eyes.
“Don’t worry. The discomfort will pass soon,” said a deep, accented voice.
Keeping her hand flattened over her eyes, wishing she had sunglasses or a hat, she looked over to see Taima. But he was different. He was young. His posture was taller, stronger. His hair was the same black-brown color of hers, and his skin was dark with a slightly red tint to it.
It reminded her of her dad, Gary, in the summer. In the warm months of the year, he was always outside mowing, gardening, and working on vehicles. He always tanned very dark, but he had the warm, red undertones that had been passed down from Taima.
His dark brown eyes were even darker, and his skin was smooth. He looked no older than her. “Is that you, Taima?”
He nodded. “Yes, child. Thanks to Sayen, I learned that I could speak to you this way. Your powers are weak, so this makes use of a couple different abilities you have.”
Kailah stared at him slightly slack-jawed. She shook her head. “I don’t want it. I don’t want any of it.”
“I know. Sayen never wanted it for you. The story is long, far longer than we have time for here today. I’m not very good at this, and your strengths are only now awakening, so you won’t be very good at it either. I never wanted this for any of you. Not because I didn’t love Sayen for who and what she was—I did. And had we had several gifted babies, I would have b
een happy with that, too. But because of her fear and worry, I knew it would be the worst thing for you.”
Kailah nodded. “That was the ritual. The baby she was afraid to have. The pages were burned, so we couldn’t get much from them.”
“She burned that journal when she began her new life with me. This scar is from the ritual. It ended her old life—and bound her powers—while linking her life to mine so she could start a brand-new life. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that my death would reactivate her powers, though we should have given the way we did the ceremony.”
“This is insane,” Kailah said, shaking her head.
She turned and saw a woman wearing long, flowing white robes standing out in the field. Long, white hair billowed in the wind, and her cerulean blue eyes almost glowed. She was stunning—and definitely not Khia, though Khia was quite the beauty as well.
“Who is that?” Kailah asked.
“That’s her. Sayen. It’s how she looked when we first met,” he responded, love and adoration leaking into his voice. He stepped up beside Kailah, staring at Sayen. His smile never faded.
“She’s beautiful. She looks way different than she did in the pictures I found, though.”
He nodded. “When she became mortal, she took on mortal Egyptian features. Her eyes turned dark brown, and her hair turned black. As she grew older, her hair grayed. It was a deep charcoal color with silvery wisps. When I died, she slowly began to turn back into a young woman. Day after day she changed, but the changes were so small they were hardly noticeable. It took decades to make her look like she was fifty again. But the day you were born, all that changed.”
“What happened?” Kailah asked as she watched the illusion Sayen reach down and pick a flower.
“Immortals are rare. That’s what Sayen is, and that’s what you are. They are rarely born, but when they are, any Immortal within several hundred miles can feel it. When you were born, Sayen felt it all the way in California. Khia felt it all the way from Egypt. Your birth was an explosion of energy the world has never seen.”
Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. “Well, that’s not foreboding or anything.”
He laughed. “I know it’s scary. But there really is no choice now. The war between Vampires and Immortals has been going on for millennia. Sayen was supposed to give birth to the fated child hundreds of years ago, but she fled. And when we bound her powers, she was mortal, so all her children were as well.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain how I exist and why I have all this power. Especially if you guys were having human babies,” Kailah said. “Vampires. Immortals. What else is there?”
“The Shadow Realm is a very large place. I never understood just how big it was until I died,” he responded.
“The Shadow Realm? That’s what it’s called? Also, not foreboding.” She sighed. “Alright. I’ll bite. Why do I exist and what is my purpose?”
“We don’t know for sure, but we think Sayen’s bound powers passed on to one or more of our children. The binding stayed, so the power grew as the child grew to an adult. When he had a child, it was passed on to your grandfather. The spell stayed again, so the power grew and passed to your father. It’s been passed on, growing and growing between every generation until you. You were born on the one-hundred-year anniversary of my death. I believe it was always destined to be you. That is why you are called the Elysian, or the fated one.”
“Sweet baby Moses,” Kailah said. “Do you have any idea how much that is to take in?”
He nodded. “I do. Remember, I’m human. I once had to learn all this, too. I just never thought I’d have to explain it. I’m sorry, Kailah. There is no running. There is no hiding. This is your life now. The world depends on you. If Khia catches you, she will find a way to turn you. She would have you destroy every Vampire on the planet. You met Sydney. Not all Vampires are evil. And while some truly deserve punishment, Khia wants them destroyed so they can’t stop her once she decides to take over humankind. She will rule the world with an iron fist, and if you believe it can’t happen, that the militaries and governments could stop her, you are dead wrong. There is only one person in the world who can. And I’m sorry, sweet child, but that is you.”
Tears welled in Kailah’s eyes. It was every child’s dream to grow up and be extraordinary. To do great things in the world. Some kids wanted to be firemen or astronauts. Some wanted to be actors or architects. She wanted to be a nurse. That’s all she’d ever wanted. She just wanted to help people, heal them. Make them better so they could go back out into the world and live their best lives.
Never once had she ever wished for anything like this.
But she had never once given up—even when life’s challenges were too great. She always seemed to find a way.
“Tell me what I need to do,” she said.
He reached out, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. She calmed at the touch. He reminded her so much of her grandfather, Russel—or Papaw Fruit, as they called him.
“We don’t have much time. But right now, you can see spirits. You can also see premonitions. It will take a while to practice and hone, but once you do, you can look into the future or the past. You can also see things happening real-time. That’s how I was able to bring you here; your ability to speak to the dead and see things. This is my past, the day I met Sayen.
“You will learn so much more. Trust Sayen and trust those she has with her. They will help you and guide you. Just remember: Khia can find you when you use mental power. Right now, some part of the binding still holds, which is why you are still safe. It will lessen over time, and as it does, your powers will act as a map. It’ll put a large red pin directly on your location. You’ll learn how to cloak yourself, but for now, be very careful.”
She nodded. “Thank you. This is all so overwhelming and confusing. But if this is what I have to do to keep my sister safe, I’ll do it.”
“You’re just like your grandmother. Sayen can’t wait to meet you. Go. Have your fun tonight. I have a feeling your life will drastically change soon, and you might not have many opportunities,” he said.
She laughed. “I thought the very same thing earlier.”
He smiled. “We will see each other again soon. I am always with you. Soon, you’ll be able to call on the power I possess—as well as other spirits—and we will be able to help you fight when the time comes.”
She opened her mouth to ask another question, but the world around her spun so fast that she nearly passed out. Inhaling deeply, she opened her eyes to see that she was once again inside her room.
Rachel stood in front of her, eyes wide and lips parted. “What. The fuck. Was that?” she asked, every word punctuated with a pause. “Your entire body… I don’t know how to explain it. You were almost glowing. What was that?”
Another tear fell down Kailah’s cheek. “That was my life—changing forever.”
Chapter Seven
Khia had just sat down on the oversized king bed in her very expensive room when she received a text message. She ignored it for a moment, waiting for Janet, the middle-aged woman delivering food service, to arrange her food on the bed for her.
Not a sound was made as Khia sat there expectantly. Though she’d had to convince Janet that working for a queen was far more important than working for some asshole in an office, it wasn’t quite the spectacle it had been with poor Robby. She’d only had to induce a heart attack, and the woman caved.
It had bored Khia, but she got what she wanted, so she didn’t mind.
The woman shook with fear as Khia watched her place the expensive plates on the bed in front of her and pull the silver covers away. One plate had an assortment of fruit, all kept in separate bowls. Khia hated it when fresh pineapple juice tainted the taste of her watermelon.
The woman set Khia’s chilled wine on the table next to the bed—five bottles. It took quite a lot to do the trick in an Immortal, especially one as old as she was. She could drink hard liquor, but she con
sidered it undignified.
Janet unrolled the silverware next to the plate of chicken and vegetables and slowly stood. She gave an awkward smile. “Is everything to your liking, Your Highness?”
“Everything looks wonderful,” Khia said. “All these pieces of pineapple are extra yellow. Did you do that just for me?”
Janet nodded quickly. “It took a while, but I knew it would make you happy. Those are the sweetest.”
Khia smiled. “Indeed, they are. Thank you for the extra work. I didn’t even have to ask for it. You’re dismissed.”
The woman bowed and quickly scurried toward the door.
“Oh, Janet!” Khia called.
The older woman quickly stopped and turned, her eyes toward the floor. “Yes, my Queen?”
“What is on the dessert menu tonight?”
“I believe they’ve made beautiful chocolate cakes. I know your taste is far better than mine, but I do enjoy it.”
Khia thought for a moment. “Hmm. As long as it isn’t dry, I’m sure I’ll love it. I’m a lover of all things chocolate, especially when it’s cold. Though, I don’t like cold chocolate cake. Room temperature or slightly warmed is fine.”
Janet nodded. “I’ll get some right away. If it’s dry, I’ll have them make a new one just for you.”
Khia smiled again. “Such a sweet girl. Thank you, Janet. Okay. Bye now.”
Janet didn’t waste time getting out of there, but Khia didn’t mind. She hated it when they lingered longer than necessary.
She picked up her phone and saw the message had been from Casi, a Rogue Vampire she’d met in the area and forced to work for her. She’d found Casi by accident.
Robby had been more than helpful finding information about Kailah and Rachel. It turned out that Rachel had been dating someone by the name of Jeff. When Khia went hunting further, she discovered Jeff had been recently turned. That was how she stumbled upon Casi.
While Khia despised Vampires more than humans, she loathed losing even more. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and she planned to get to Kailah one way or another.