by Nathan Parks
“Really? Did they give any hint?”
He shook his head.
Leah pushed the button that allowed the microphones to come alive and broadcast her voice globally in one instant. “I have already apologized to my team for being late, and I want to pass that apology on to everyone else. I understand, Evan, that you have something to ask me?”
One of the screens to her top left came alive as Evan spoke. “It seems that your little area of operation may be coming alive with some interesting activity.”
A smirk crossed her face at the remark about her “little area.” She knew that he was giving her a hard time out of jest. They had worked together before; and he had encouraged her to take the promotion to the higher echelon of the Host, but had understood when she did not.
“Why do you say that?”
She wondered to what he was alluding. Surely he didn’t mean Eve. No one really knew about her except for those who were there last night, and she had given strict orders for no one to say anything.
“It seems that an old nemesis of yours has returned, or at least we believe so. There seems to be movement in the Familiars of the Marduk Clan, and the murmuring is that their god has returned to take his assumed rightful place.”
Her eyes widened, and she was fully aware of all the heads within the room that had turned toward her. Everyone knew that she had played an important role in the events of the evening when Marduk was exposed, and she had been vital in getting Rephaim to Jerusalem. Ok, so this meeting wasn’t going to be like all the others. There had always been a question on what would happen if Marduk was released from the abyss, but it was thought it would never happen. There also had been previous sightings, but there was something in Evan’s voice that told her this was more than just rumor.
“What do you have? What does this have to do with us here?” Leah asked.
She felt like she was in a bad movie as all the heads turned in unison toward the screen to hear Evan’s answer. She knew once he spoke, they would all turn back to her. This was insane.
“Recently with the changes that are taking place here, we have seen a rise, once again, in Fallen activity. They are taking full advantage of the chaos here; and, with that, we have seen a new delving into the old pagan rituals that came out of Persia and Babylon. There has always been a small following that has never gone away, even though their god was no longer around. But now we are seeing the cells of the clan growing, and more and more their symbol is turning up.”
“Couldn’t this just be the growing of a trend of sorts? They can delve into it without persecution, and now they are able to resurrect the clan because they believe it to be ‘cool’ to do so?”
Evan shook his head. “We considered that, but I sent one of my best into the center of the clan activity to see what he could find out.”
He motioned for the camera to turn toward another at his right. Leah recognized this warrior, but had never met him personally.
“Leah, the best I could gather is that somehow Marduk was able to escape from the abyss,” the warrior explained. “We have not been able to find out how, but we are very sure he has. The Marduk Clan has started contacting each other through the underground cells of Familiars. There are very few of the bloodline left. To our understanding there may be only a few hundred left, and some of Marduk’s offspring have maybe only one or two survivors. The one thing that we can most likely consider going for us is that there are no more of Rephaim’s children left.”
Leah perked up with this.
“Why should we consider that fortunate? I would think that if there were some of Rephaim’s children left, it would be a good thing for us and even an advantage. Rephaim’s descendants have always worked for Jah and have been vital in holding this eternal struggle at bay. In fact, many of Rephaim’s children played very crucial roles in keeping the balance between the mortal and immortal realm.”
Evan spoke up, “We know you were a part of all of this originally, Leah, so your feelings are justified, but . . .”
“Originally? Evan, I was a part of guarding the Jerusalem Breed every step of the way. So, there is more than just emotion tied up in this!”
It was as if all others were just spectators in the taunting before a boxing match. Ki felt for Leah, because he knew what was going through her head. He also knew she would not let anything out about Eve, but this was almost too much.
“You are right,” Evan said calmly. “I am sorry, but please let me explain why I stated what I did. Along with this renewal of the Outcasts, there has come to light that there is a good chance this clan could hold the influence that is needed to bridge the gap between mortals and immortals. Together they could set up the bridge needed to bring about the dragon.”
This last statement sent a reaction throughout all those listening globally. There was not a single one of them who had entertained the thought that the dragon could come from the Marduk Clan. It had all but been destroyed; and, even within the Fallen, it had been thought that the Adremalech Clan would fulfill The Revelations prophecy of an Anti-Christ or immortal ruler, bringing the eternal battle into the mortal realm.
“What would the Jerusalem Breed have to do with any of this?” she asked.
She hoped that her questioning didn’t bring any questions her way.
“We don’t see how the clan could fully rise within the Family, unless they are fully represented. Why? Is there something you know that we may need to know?”
“I was just wondering if we should be concerned,” Leah countered.
Evan shook his head.
“As I said, we are fortunate, but I don’t know how fortunate you are. Back to the reason I brought this entire thing up: we have word that Marduk may have slipped into your area under the radar.”
“Here? Why?” she asked, although she started wondering if she already knew that answer.
“We don’t know. We had hoped that you might be able to answer that. Has there been any strange activity over there?”
She didn’t want to answer this question, so she paused for a moment, trying to figure out what she could say that wouldn’t be a lie.
Leah didn’t have to come up with anything; because, just then, Isaiah walked in and whispered something in her ear. Ki watched as Leah’s face went white. He thought there was no worse news than what she had just heard, but evidently he was wrong. She looked as if she would pass out.
Leah looked up at everyone and toward the monitors.
“I am sorry, but I must leave. I have just been given some news that I must act upon now. I will answer your question later, Evan. I am sorry.”
She didn’t even wait for any of them to tell her they understood. She was out the door, and everyone was left behind wondering what in the world was going on. Things were truly starting to get interesting around here.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Leah burst into the smaller room where she, Eve, and the others had been the night before and threw her hands up in the air. Isaiah had been a few steps in front of her, but no words had passed between them as they walked quickly toward the room. Had she really just been thinking about hanging it all up?
“When?” she asked, fear and anger rushing through her. “When, Isaiah?”
She was shaking. This was too much.
“I am not sure, Leah. Sometime this morning. We know that he made it to his place this morning, but there must have been scouts there waiting for him.”
“Is he . . . ?”
“There is no sign that he is dead or any reason to believe it, but somehow they knew. It is clear that they knew. The Watcher insignia was imprinted into the rug with a big ‘X’ burned through it.”
“Where’s, Eve?”
“She left about 30 minutes ago. I think she went home to get cleaned up and just get away for a little while. She doesn’t know. I found out after she left.”
“We have to send a Guardian with her.”
“Gideon?”
“No.” She
paused for a moment. “Forget it! I am going. She doesn’t need to know I am there, but I am doing this!”
Isaiah didn’t saying anything for a moment as he watched her pace back and forth with her hands interlaced on top of her head. He had never seen her like this.
“There is one more thing, Leah.”
“What?”
“The Arch Council wants to speak to you.”
“Oh, come on!”
*****
She woke up, simply and uneventfully–she just woke up. She looked around where she was lying. The room was decorated in a manner that gave it the feel of a museum. It had several items that looked liked antiques from different eras of time, and yet they all seemed to flow together.
There was a knock on the door. The handle turned, and Arioch walked in. He was dressed in stressed jeans and a linen, button-up shirt. The outfit captured the dark tones of his skin, and his smile topped it all off.
“Well, you finally are awake, although I will say that after such a night you had, I am surprised you didn’t sleep longer.”
Megan sat up. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so refreshed. She felt as if all the worries and burdens of life had left.
“What is going on? What am I doing here?”
Even though she felt refreshed, she felt somewhat disoriented. The last thing she remembered was prepping herself for a fix. But then, hadn’t she gotten into a fight with Eve? How did she get here?
Arioch motioned toward the end of the bed with his open hand. “May I sit?”
She nodded her head in agreement.
“Well, you are in my condo. You are here for several reasons, and yet none of them I am sure you can remember right now. However, if you will allow me, perhaps I can help you recall.”
His condo? Ok, so now she really knew she had forgotten something. It felt eerie.
“Sure,” she laughed nervously.
She wondered if she had done anything worth remembering. Hadn’t she had reservations about him before? Why did she feel that there was a connection now?
“Now, I need you to trust me, ok? It will seem strange for a second, but then as your memory returns, it will all make sense.”
She looked puzzled, but was still smiling, although somewhat forcefully.
“Ok.” Her voice cracked with nervousness.
Arioch reached out and turned her hand over. He began to trace an invisible image upon her palm in the shape of an “L.” As he did this, she relaxed herself. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to just focus on his touch. He smelled like a mixture of vanilla and bamboo. The mixture of his closeness, smell, and touch began to draw her into a void, and she felt her spirit begin to rush backwards.
“Don’t fight it,” he whispered peacefully. “I told you that you would have to trust me.”
She didn’t know why, but she did. Images began to flood into her conscience of a party going on at The Vortex and of she and Arioch dancing. She was looking into his eyes, and he was whispering something in her ear. There were several other dancers on the fringes looking at them with jealousy, and she was eating it up.
The vision moved throughout the night. There were more moments of partying and then of both of them leaving the club in his sports car. Intermixed with all of this were scenes that seemed confusing, but yet seemed right. There was Arioch standing bare-chested with what looked like wings unfurled behind him, and he wrapped them around her as he told her that he would keep her safe. Even though it was a vision, she could feel strength and safety within his wings that she had not felt in a lifetime. Megan heard his voice again coming through the haze of the vision.
“Return to me here. Come back slowly, and just concentrate on my voice.”
She could start making out the smells of the room again and feel his finger upon her palm. She opened her eyes to see him, once again, there beside her. She just stopped and breathed. She wasn’t sure how he had been able to do that, but she did know that she had seen enough with him to know there was something that more than met the eye, and then there was the vision with him standing there with wings. She looked up at him, and their eyes locked. She didn’t want to think of what she had seen that night at The Vortex when Sedit had been killed, but maybe it was a necessary evil. She looked up at Arioch with an inquisitive look.
“Are you . . . ?”
“An angel?” he filled in the blank.
“Actually I was going to say a vampire,” she stated with mixed visions from what she had just felt while remembering the scene with Sedit.
“You can say I am, or at least of sorts. I am a part of something so much larger than humanity, and yet every day becoming larger. Now you are a part of it all.”
Arioch looked down as he turned Megan’s hand over; and there on the back of the hand he had been tracing was a pattern, a unique pattern of cultic and ancient blends. It made her catch her breath. She quickly tried to rub it off futilely with her other hand and then looked back up at him.
“Don’t worry; it is a skin dye. It will come off if you want it to. You could also choose to join us.”
He took a breath and then looked right at her. “I want you to stand beside me.”
“Why me?”
“Megan, there is a terrible riff between humanity and a very real, supernatural world--a world that desires to overtake humanity. Yet, there must be a way to bring them together. What better way than if someone from each world would join together to show both sides how it can work?”
“Huh? You lost me. What about what I saw in The Vortex the other night? That was horrid and hardly bringing two sides together.”
Arioch stood up and walked to the windows where he opened up the drapes. That is when she realized for the first time she was sitting at the top of a very large skyscraper. He turned and smiled.
“Megan, there is so much more to everything around you than what you know. You caught my attention awhile ago, and I have watched over you and even have supplied your addiction; but I want you to step out of all of that and rise up to the top. I want to offer you a life beyond imagination.”
She got up and reached for a shirt that she pulled on over her head. Something wasn’t right. She started feeling like she was now coming out of a trance. She had learned in a dancer’s world that you trust your instincts, and her instincts were pinging loudly. She could not shake the nausea that was returning from the memories of that horrible night with Sedit; yet now, there were flashes of something else--flashes of horror, and she was a part of it.
She was starting to feel really anxious and the need to get out of there. Maybe Eve had been right about this guy. She looked up at him as she finished dressing.
“A world where darkness puts down the weak and lords over its subjects? Arioch, you have never paid any attention to me until recently. What has changed? In fact, you haven’t even known I really existed except for a snide, cutting remark here and there or, as you put it, ‘supplying my addiction.’ Why am I really here?”
There was a long pause where no words were spoken, and then Arioch turned. His eyes looked colder than they had been just a moment before. They were nowhere near what she remembered them being the night that he had attacked Sedit, but they were cold.
“So not only are you a whore, but an ungrateful one, too? You are nothing but an addict, a dancer that exposes her body to every whim of every pervert out there for a few tips; yet, there is no one really there for you when you go home. You lock yourself up in the darkness of your soul, and you have even forgotten what it means to exist. You died several years ago, and you just haven’t realized it yet. What do you have? I am here offering you the world! I am offering you strength, wealth, and even life beyond anything you could ever have, and you are questioning it?”
His voice was rising, decimal upon decimal. He was starting to pace back and forth in front of the window, his hands clenching and unclenching.
The fantasy feeling was suddenly gone. She had seen too many moments like
this. Out of instinct she kept the bed between her and this creature. She dug deep within her and pulled out all of the mental and emotional protection she could find. Maybe he was right, but one thing she did have was her defenses.
“I have people who care! I don’t need affirmation from you, Arioch. I don’t need your power and riches to get me places in life. I can get where I desire on my own.”
“By your body? What happens, Sweetie, when that body is so trashed that the only thing left for you is a deserted street corner? You don’t get it, do you?” Arioch’s voice was rising, and he was leaning now with both hands upon the mattress. “You have nothing!” he yelled at her. “What do you have? An old man? A man who has lied to you! He isn’t even what you think he is. He is no different than any of your nightly clients. They are one thing in front of you and another at home. Do you have any other friends? Oh, and don’t get me started with the ‘wanna-be’ hero that was going to save you from the clutches of evil last night. She will turn on you before you even realize it. She has hers coming, too. Megan, open your eyes and look at yourself! I stand here offering you everything! I can give you years--no, centuries--of anything you can imagine!”
She was angry now. “What do you know about Alfonso? What do you know about me or even Eve?”
Megan shuddered as the coldness in his eyes began to turn to the purest of evil.
“Eve? Is that her name?” Arioch started chuckling and helplessly crescendoed into a full, evil laugh. “Oh, how fitting! Eve, the mother of all. How ironic. Maybe we should change your name to Jezebel.”
His laugh became almost a growl. She felt like she was going to explode. She looked back at the door and realized it was time to go.
“Leave me alone, Arioch. Don’t come near me. I don’t need you. Do you hear me? In fact, you have lost a dancer.”
He didn’t saying anything at first. He walked over to a desk and picked up several photos; and, with a flick of his wrist, he sent them spinning through the air onto the bed in front of her.
“You may not think you need me, Megan; but, in fact, you just may be wrong. I do know that we need you.”