by Jared Stone
With the painful sting of loss in his heart, Lucian glared into the golden bird’s emerald eyes. The animal looked at the boy for only a second, as if he was entirely inconsequential, and immediately beat its powerful wings to lift up off the ground. Lucian was blown back by a forceful gust of wind and landed hard upon the dusty path. From his place on the ground, he watched helplessly as the golden bird swooped back down and grabbed Gus in its talons. The dog barked, whined, and struggled, but it was no use. Without hesitation, the great bird flew away into the horizon, leaving Lucian alone and with nothing.
The boy wept for a moment on the ground, then pushed himself up and started marching in the direction the beast had flown. Surely he would be able to find it eventually. He had to save Gus.
The path that Lucian now traveled sloped upward slightly and led the boy over a hill. As he came to the crest, he could see, below him, a vast green field atop a line of cliffs which bordered a raging sea. On this field, wandering here and there in the grass, were countless wild boars. They loitered about, grazing and staring around blankly, seemingly with no direction or purpose.
Lucian was so confused. Why were they here? What were they doing? What was their significance? Why did they all seem so ignorant? What did it mean?
Just then, there was a bright explosion of light from the center of Lucian’s body. All the boars looked up at him in terror, their eyes wide with shock. Without thinking, they all charged in the opposite direction, wildly attempting to escape the light. When they ran out of field upon which to flee, they dove directly off of the cliff and into the stormy waters to drown.
Lucian cried out in alarm, racked with guilt over what he had unwittingly done. “Wait!” he screamed in desperation.
Among the frenzied group of swine, there was one boar which stood out, with a coat that was pure white and shining. He, alone, stopped running and looked back toward Lucian. His tired hazel eyes held a deep yearning that even the boy could feel.
“Lucian…,” he whispered.
“What??” Lucian yelled out, hoping desperately to find an answer to his questions.
“Lucian….”
“Huh?”
“Lucian, wake up!” Blake whispered more audibly this time.
Lucian sat up with a start. “Huh?” he sputtered, still dazed from having been torn from his slumber.
“You were dreaming, man,” Blake said in a hushed tone, crouching down next to his bed. All around them was dark, and they were still in the large bedroom of Dareia’s estate that they were sharing for the night.
“Oh, sorry…,” Lucian mumbled.
“No problem,” Blake responded as he crawled back into his own bed. “At least you weren’t floating….”
Lucian let out a short chuckle before he rolled over to fall back to sleep. The disturbingly vivid images from his dream stayed planted in his mind’s eye, and he desperately wondered in vain what secrets they might hold.
* * *
Thursday, December 18th
After making it through a restless night fraught with dreams and tossing and turning, Lucian arose from bed and joined the others downstairs. Breakfast had already been prepared for them, and Gino waited at the ready by the kitchen table to serve them when they sat. Lucian saw that the meal consisted, as it had before in Rome, entirely of meat, which he could now understand in a different light, having seen Dareia’s startling transformation the night before. But Lucian certainly wasn’t complaining; they hadn’t had anything to eat before bed, and he woke up ravenously hungry. Filling his stomach with eggs, ham, bacon, and several types of sausage was much preferable over the sugar spike and crash that would have accompanied a spread of cereal and pastries. He did notice, however, that Willow was not eating anything.
“What’s wrong with you?” Blake asked abrasively, noticing the same peculiar behavior.
Willow shot a quick, almost embarrassed glance at Dareia before dropping her eyes again. “It’s just…, I’m vegetarian. That’s all.”
Lucian was, for some reason, taken aback by this revelation. He had eaten with Willow on numerous occasions before, and he had never once even keyed into the fact that she didn’t eat meat. In hindsight, though, he supposed that it made sense; the girls’ affinity for animals, combined with her desire to go against the grain of popular society, made her a most likely candidate for such a lifestyle choice.
For a moment, Dareia even appeared unprepared for how to handle such a situation. She swallowed her mouthful of food and motioned for Gino to come to her side.
“Gino, I am certain that you are resourceful enough to gather together some things for Willow here to eat, no?” she ordered her servant in the form of a question.
“Absolutely, my lady,” Gino affirmed with a nod. After disappearing for only a few minutes, he soon returned with a bowl full of fresh salad. Where and how the young man had procured vegetables within Dareia’s estate, Lucian couldn’t guess, but Willow thanked him politely and hungrily scarfed down all that had been given to her.
Finishing their breakfast quickly, they then walked outside to the limousine waiting in the driveway. Everyone appeared to be in unspoken agreement that it would be best to leave the area as expediently as possible, as each passing minute seemed to be plagued by the foreboding of unseen dangers. The plan had been decided the night before: drive back to campus and take Lucian’s new car – courtesy of Gus – out to Willow’s parents’ house. As such, they all piled into Dareia’s limousine to return. Before climbing into the backseat himself, Lucian turned to Dareia.
“Thanks for letting us stay here last night,” he said sincerely. “It was nice to have some reliable shelter from danger for once.”
Dareia smiled lightly. “Certainly,” she replied. “I only wish that I could better guarantee the girl’s safety under my roof. But, alas, I believe it best for all of us if she is hidden far from here, where Ini-herit may not easily determine her location.”
Lucian nodded in agreement and turned to climb into the backseat, when he felt the priestess’ hand grip his shoulder.
“And Lucian,” she added, pulling the boy gently around again, “communication could at times be difficult, as I have many things to which I must attend in disparate locations in the upcoming days. However, we should be able to maintain contact on these.”
At this, she held up something clutched in her left hand. It took Lucian a moment to see what it was, but he soon determined that it was a clear crystal pendant hanging from a long golden chain. His eyes grew wide.
“So, you DO have one!” he exclaimed. “I wasn’t sure whether or not you were actually a Kílán at all, but I guess that answers that!”
Dareia shook her head. “No,” she countered, her emerald eyes locking onto the boy’s own. “I am not a Kílán. I would not be able to serve both Hera and the duties of a Kílán simultaneously, and so I have chosen to remain faithful to my position as High Priestess. I have simply come into possession of this crystal in much the same way as you: having had it bestowed upon me by its previous owner. But you may still consider me an ally for as long as our interests align.”
Lucian furrowed his brow. “And what if they ever don’t?” he asked hesitantly.
Dareia grew serious. “I have sworn a sacred oath to serve the Great Goddess Hera above all others,” she stated without apology.
That seemed to be all she was willing to say on the matter. Lucian swallowed nervously before nodding his head in comprehension and slipping into the backseat of the car. Dareia shut the door behind him and lightly tapped on the roof twice with her fingers to signal Gino to go. With this, the car pulled out of the circular drive and onto the road.
It didn’t take them long to get back to campus, and Lucian estimated that they had gone between 10 and 20 miles west the night before to get to Dareia’s estate. He had never previously been out in that specific area, but it seemed much more sparsely populated than the neighborhoods closer to the city, which undoubtedly contributed to
Dareia’s choice of a property purchase there. In hindsight, though, Lucian was actually unsure of whether or not the city had even existed in such a state at the time Dareia had been there in the past. The boy found himself lost in thought, mulling over the numerous possibilities stretching the priestess’ thousands of years on the earth. As they neared the outskirts of campus, Lucian had to snap out of his daze and lean forward to give Gino directions to the Religion Department. Following each instruction silently, Gino successfully navigated them to the parking space adjacent to Lucian’s black sports car.
“Thanks so much, Gino,” Lucian said as he climbed out of the car.
“My pleasure, Master Lucian,” Gino said with a handsome smile of perfectly white teeth. Despite the fact that the servant boy was actually several hundred years old and probably not even human, Lucian could easily see himself being wooed by such a good looking guy in different circumstances.
As Gino drove away, Lucian waved to him once more in gratitude, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the key to the car. He had thankfully possessed enough foresight to attach it to his key ring when Schuntz had originally given it to him, and he was relieved that they wouldn’t all have to make the extra trip back to his dorm before leaving.
“Everyone ready?” Lucian asked, looking around at Willow, Blake, and Lilly. They all nodded their heads in silent affirmation. On the ground, beside Willow, Gus sensed the mood of the moment and let out an excited “Ruf!”
“Okay then!” Lucian exclaimed in false excitement, trying to boost the morale of the group. “Let’s go!”
The boy pushed the unlock button on his new key, causing the doors to make a popping sound and the lights to come on. Lucian opened his door and carefully climbed into the driver’s seat, though it took a bit more coordination to get both of the girls in the back so Blake could return his seat to its normal position and sit as well. When everyone was in, both Blake and Lucian had to slide their seats forward to give Willow and Lilly adequate leg room, though this was also difficult for the two taller boys in front. Gus stepped around clumsily for a moment, trying in vain to find an empty spot in which to lie, before finally lying down on top of Willow’s lap. In effect, everyone felt squished.
“Okay, everyone in?” Lucian inquired aloud, more in jest than anything.
“This is awfully… cozy,” Willow stated, clearly unenthused.
“Yeah, man, this is a tight squeeze,” Blake added.
Lucian’s face dropped. “Listen, it’s all we’ve got, okay?” he said. “It’s not like I specifically chose this car for you guys! We’re just gonna have to make do.”
“I’m sure this will be fine,” Lilly said with a light smile. “It’s only for a few hours.”
Lucian could tell by Blake’s and Willow’s faces that Lilly had not helped the situation. With a sigh, he reached out to turn the key and start the car. But nothing happened.
“Hmmm…,” Lucian said, puzzled. He leaned over to inspect the keys in the ignition before reaching out and trying again. Still, nothing.
“I don’t know what’s wrong…,” Lucian admitted nervously. “The car won’t start.”
“Well, do you have your foot on the clutch?” Blake asked.
“The wha-?” Lucian started to inquire before a realization dawned on him. He glanced down in horror at the center console. Staring up at him was the dastardly face of the stick shift… the stick shift he had no idea how to operate. It was as if the evil little white lines on top were actively laughing at his misfortune.
“Dude, do you know how to drive stick?” Blake asked him, seemingly astonished by his ineptitude.
“Pfffffft, of course,” Lucian said dismissively. “Just didn’t realize this car had one, that’s all!” He chuckled forcefully, afraid that they could all sense his fear and trepidation.
“It’s okay if you don’t, Golden Boy,” Willow said, trying in vain to hide her judgment. “Some people were never taught, for whatever reason….”
“No, it’s really fine,” Lucian asserted with greater conviction, looking down to see if he could find the clutch. He guessed that it was the extra pedal over to the left, so he put his left foot down on it while he kept his right foot on the brake. Twisting the key again, the car finally turned on.
“See!?” Lucian exclaimed in triumphant jubilation. “Told you I knew!”
Once again confident in his ability to pull off the charade, Lucian looked down at the stick shift. Nestled among the devious, crisscrossing lines, he could see an R. Hoping that it stood for “Reverse,” he performed the L-shaped shifting to that position.
“And off we go!” Lucian said as he let both feet off the pedals. Immediately, the car shot back violently, sending everyone in it jolting forward in their seats, after which the poor vehicle seemed to just give up on life and stop moving altogether, silently stalled.
“What. The. Hell?” Willow snarled, seething with suppressed rage as she rubbed her forehead, which had collided with the leather headrest in front of her. Gus, who had thankfully remained in her lap (or perhaps ricocheted back there after bouncing off the seat in front of her; Lucian couldn’t be sure), looked shook up and traumatized.
“You really don’t know how to drive a stick shift, do you?” Lilly said, seemingly with disappointment in her voice.
Lucian sat quietly for a moment, ashamed to admit the truth. “My parents only had automatics…,” he finally said.
There was a resounding “Ugh” that came from all parties in the car. Blake sighed and opened his door. “Forget it; I’ll drive.”
“Thank you,” Willow added with derision.
Embarrassed, Lucian crawled out of his seat again, walked around the back of the car, and slipped into the passenger side. He slowly pulled his seatbelt across his chest and clinked it into the buckle. He kept his eyes fixed on the dashboard in front of him, too afraid and self-conscious to look around at the judging stares of his friends. Blake, fortunately, had much greater skill at operating a stick shift than he had, and the car was alive and running again in less than a minute.
“Okay, everyone, get your seatbelts on…,” Blake commanded parentally. Lucian and Willow stared at him.
“That was a frightening impression of my mother,” Willow stated, flummoxed by the boy’s responsible mandate. She was the only one in the car who had not yet fastened her belt.
“Listen: no seatbelts, no driving,” Blake insisted. “That’s the rule in my family, and I enforce it.”
There was a brief moment of silence after this, in which Lucian could tell Willow needed to process exactly what was happening. She stared at Blake. Blake stared back at her unwaveringly. “Fine…,” she finally conceded with reluctance, reaching up and grabbing the silver buckle.
“Thanks,” Blake said, turning back around to look ahead.
After hearing the seatbelt click from the backseat and adjusting the mirrors to ensure that they were good to go, Blake shifted into reverse and pulled them out of the spot. Lucian watched out of his peripheral vision in amazement as his roommate effortlessly worked the stick and pedals to subject the rebellious vehicle to his will and change the direction to drive. Lucian vowed that, one day, he would have to master such arcane secrets as well.
After the car had left the campus and traveled down the road a ways, Lucian began to feel better about his mishap earlier, and it seemed to him that the atmosphere within the car had begun to lighten up again. It was at this point that Lilly’s soft voice was suddenly heard from the backseat. “Lucian…,” she said, leaning forward and addressing the boy.
“Yeah?” he responded, turning his head back to look at the girl.
“I was just thinking…,” she continued sheepishly, “last night and this morning…. Why us?”
Lucian was confused by Lilly’s lack of clarification. “Why us what?” he asked.
“Well, I mean…,” the girl said. “Why are these bad people chasing us? Why do you have these powers? Why does Blake? Wh
y does…,” she paused and looked at Willow.
“Nope, I got nothing,” the dark girl stated in a mix of relief and slight disappointment. “Seems like I’m the only ‘normal’ one in this circus….”
Lilly didn’t comment on that, but instead turned back to Lucian. “I was just wondering why. You told me the story of what is happening…, but you never told me why.”
Lucian shook his head. He truly wished he knew enough to give an answer about that, but he was just as much in the dark as the rest of them. “I honestly have no clue,” he admitted apologetically. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out, I guess….”
“Makes our lives interesting at least,” Willow added with a shrug of her shoulder.
Lilly turned to her. “Yes, I do imagine,” she stated gently. “How long have you two been together?”
Lucian’s mouth dropped. “Oh, no, I…, We…,” he stammered. Willow and Lilly remained staring at him, waiting for any kind of response, but there was none. Lucian had frozen. He really hadn’t wanted to broach this subject.
“No, it’s fine, honey,” Willow said after a moment with a mischievous grin creeping across her face. “There’s no need to hide it if she already knows….”
Lucian just glared at the dark haired girl, who was clearly enjoying this opportunity far too much to stop, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to curtail the damage already done without launching into a much more awkward conversation than he would like to have while stuck in a car for hours; though he wondered whether such an uncomfortable situation was perhaps Willow’s intent all along. Either way, Lucian proceeded to turn back around and slump his head against the headrest in exasperation. He could see Blake’s stifled snickering out of the corner of his eye.
“I met him in the first week of school,” Willow continued smugly. “Saw him sitting there in our Comparative Religions lecture hall and thought, ‘Wow. Isn’t he a hottie?’ So I went over and wooed him with my words, and we’ve been attached at the hip ever since.” She reached up and began rubbing Lucian’s shoulder lovingly, causing him to shrink away in his seat.