The Prophecy
The Travel

Opening my eyes was all it took to pull me away from Michael. That, and a pretty bizarre dream. If only I could stay in the dream world, then the rest of my life would be perfect. Everything that happened just didn’t make sense. Why would I allow myself to fall in love with somebody I didn’t know? To be honest, falling in love with somebody who has somehow known me since I was born is a little creepy. I was still left with the question: why was Michael brought to me to tell me that?

I wanted to go back to sleep. My body told me I was still tired and very confused. The whole experience was draining. My dreams must have awoken Alex because he was already talking about leaving the house and moving forward on our journey. What time was it anyway?

Alex was standing at the side of the bed putting his clothes on and talking about something but I didn’t hear anything except the voices in my head. “We might as well leave now,” he said. “The darkness will shield our escape.”

I turned over to face him. God was he gorgeous. His shirt was off; he only had his jeans on. His chest was strong and defined. I could see every muscle as the moon shone on his porcelain white skin. His hair was hanging down behind his ears. I wanted to touch it, feel the silkiness between my fingers and pull it back behind his ears.

“Why’s that?” I said, hoping he wouldn’t notice that I was staring. He had told me that vampires were better at the chase at night and I could have endured lying in his arms a little while longer.

“We need to get a car and the humans are sleeping.”

“Ahh, I see.” I shook my head. I still couldn’t get over calling them humans considering it wasn’t that long ago I was one of them.

He turned his back and walked out of the room, leaving me lying in bed alone. I turned onto my back and looked up at the ceiling, pondering my thoughts. I could fall in love with him. Just as Michael said. The voices in my head said, I guess it wouldn’t be that hard or that creepy. Just to look at him… Anybody would fall in love with him.

I didn’t have anything to pack for our trip or journeyso it didn’t take me long to get ready. I jumped out of bed and put on my ‘fighting’ clothes and pulled back my hair. Man, I could still smell the dirt from when I was knocked to the ground by Mary. I needed to go clothes-shopping or at the very least find a washer and dryer. How could anybody be expected to wear the same clothes day in and day out? I gave myself one last look in the mirror. Well this will have to do, I thought.

I slowly walked downstairs. I didn’t want to seem too eager and I thought maybe I might catch them in another conversation. Alex was busy gathering swords and blades of different types, and shoving them into a black duffle bag. The others didn’t seem like they were happy to see us off. The room was silent except for the sound of the blades clinking together as Alex shoved them into the bag.

I stood at the bottom of the staircase, excited that I was actually going somewhere of importance for the first time. The place that we were headed was going to bring me answers; I was promised that it would make things clearer. I found it hard to stand still while I waited for Alex to get done. It felt like the night before Christmas!

Finally I got tired of waiting and walked into the living room. I sat down in the chair next to Marcus while Jimmie helped Alex pack. The mood, as always, was tense, but there was more anger than before. I could feel Marcus’ frustration; he had no problem making it known he didn’t want Alex and me to leave without him and his men. He told Alex it would be too dangerous without his presence. But Alex just gave him ‘the look’ and nothing else was said. I thought maybe my saying something would change Marcus’ mind.

“Hey, I figured that now that Mary was dead and me on the move… Maybe Daniel won’t be able to locate me. I mean, right? He can’t find me unless somebody tells him where I’m located. You guys are the only ones that’ll know.” Marcus still didn’t say a word.

For once, Alex agreed with me. I took satisfaction in that, considering we never agree on anything. I mean, every time I had an idea, he always fought against it, even when he would agree to it later. But this time, finally, I was right.

When Jimmie and Alex were done packing, they patted each other on the back and joined us in the living room. I thought it was to say our final goodbyes, but I thought wrong. I just wanted to leave; I wanted to find out the truth. I wanted to get this done as quickly as possible.

Alex sat down with a heavy heart. He looked like he was having a problem leaving all his muscle behind, and leaving us vulnerable. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t travel together, but Alex had his reasons. Regardless what I thought or how I felt, when Alex made a decision that was it and there was nothing else to be said on the matter, even if it didn’t make sense to me.

He rubbed his hands together and let out a sigh. “We will meet in ––– outside of –––– in seven days. Are we agreed?” Marcus hesitantly nodded his head in agreement; but he had anger in his eyes.

For some reason, I had trouble hearing some of what Alex said which struck me as strange. I could hear things miles upon miles away – I should be able to hear all the more clearer a few feet away. What was wrong with me? Was I losing my ‘Super Woman’ hearing? Was it only good when I really needed it? I tried to disguise my confusion and strained to hear better, hoping I wouldn’t be noticed. Alex looked over at me, but I just looked away.

At that moment, it occurred to me that Alex had said it would take seven days for us to get there. Where were we going? Wherever it was, they were making damn sure I couldn’t hear them talk about it. I tried harder to hear them but everything they were saying was foggy. I rubbed my ears, thinking it would help. But nothing worked. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Where are we going that could take that long?” I was tired of being silent.

“Trinity.” Alex paused. “It’s better if you don’t know. You said it yourself: if Daniel doesn’t know where you are, he can’t link himself to your mind.”

“But…” I tried to say.

He stood up. “If there’s a small chance that he’s still connected to you, then if you know where we’re going, it will make it faster and easier for him to kill you. I can’t protect you under those circumstances.”

“All the more reason we should go,” Marcus mumbled under his breath.

“Marcus, we’ve had this discussion,” Alex argued.

“Yeah. And I think it needs to be discussed further.” Marcus stood up.

I suppressed my curiosity, I didn’t want to be involved with the argument that was about to take place. Even I knew I didn’t want to be in the middle of the two men. I couldn’t say or do anything but agree – Alex, as always, was right. Before an all-out war between Alex and Marcus could start, Alex sent Jimmie and me outside to wait, probably so that he and Marcus could throw blows at each other or maybe plan things while I was out of sight.

I walked outside, hoping I might catch some of the conversation, but I couldn’t hear a thing. The night air was fresh and breezy. And the sounds around me – the whistling of the trees blowing in the wind, and the crickets chirping – could be heard for miles. The clouds had already formed in the sky, making shadows on the ground all around us, while the moon tried to peak out through them. I could smell the imminent rain, but it was waiting for just the right time to fall.

“You’ll be okay,” Jimmie said, trying to assure me.

I let out a sigh and looked up at the clouds. “I hope so.” I tried to sound genuine but deep in my thoughts I didn’t know what lay ahead of my journey, what I would find out when I got there, or how I would feel once I discovered it. I wanted to know the truth but did I really want to listen to it?

“Not everything is as it seems,” Jimmie mumbled.

I didn’t want to respond. I stared, motionless, looking up at the sky for I don’t know how long, when Alex walked out of the house with Marcus. They weren’t talking or laughing, just casually shaking each other’s hand. You could see the distressed look on Marcus’s face; I guessed Alex didn’t make him feel any better. I knew how that felt. I wished Alex would tell me why it wasn’t a good idea that they go with us.

Marcus walked up to me and shook my hand firmly. “We’ll be seeing you later, Trinity. Until then, please be careful.”

“I’ll try.” I smiled. I said my goodbyes to the four vampires – my teachers – hoping that I would see them again.

Alex took my hand and we started running. For the most part we ran in silence. Alex seemed deep in thought and I didn’t want to break his concentration. I, too, had a lot on my mind. I didn’t know where I was running to and I had no clue what I was going to find there. I had been brought up with a family whose morals and beliefs were completely different than what I was being taught now. My adopted mother would roll over in her grave if she knew I was being trained to kill. Occasionally, I would ask Alex a stupid random question that he couldn’t or wouldn’t answer; he just smiled and kept on track.

We sped through the darkness like ghosts, ones that couldn’t be seen, just barely heard. The trees swayed from our passing; our feet hardly hit the ground. We gradually slowed down as we came into a town. The winds seemed calmer than when we started. Alex released his grip and started to sniff his way through the streets. I found it quite humorous: watching him curl his nose up and try and smell. He smelled for the beating hearts that were still awake and the frozen hearts of the undead. Every now and then he could hear a faint laugh coming from me and in turn he couldn’t help but laugh back.

“Do you even realize how funny you look when you do that?” I asked. “You look like a bloodhound tracking somebody.” I laughed.

“I know it seems funny but this is what we have to do.” He smiled.

The town was deserted; you could hear the weak wind and see the evidence in the flags that blew in the breeze over head. The few streetlights that were scattered around were still on. He was right: even the drunks that usually occupied the only bar around for miles, were all nestled in bed somewhere. Only empty cars in parking lots could be found. At least we would have our pick. I would have chosen the 99’ Mustang. Not just because it was a sporty car but because it was a convertible. I always wanted to ride in one but never had the opportunity before. It was pretty too. It was black with Spy black gloss rims and it shined brightly when the light from the streetlamp hit it.

Alex looked over at me and shook his head in disapproval. “Wait here.” Alex pointed at the spot where I was standing.

“Right here?” I mocked him. He just looked at me with a frown and ran off into the shadows leaving me under the street light in the middle of town.

I didn’t want to be left alone, not in a place that I didn’t know. But as I stood there, I focused on being completely aware of my surroundings. I heard the screen on the window of the hardware store was banging three buildings down. I listened to the swing swaying in the breeze at the school yard a half mile down the road. And the trash that danced through the streets. I listened for footsteps hinting at a sudden attack that might be made on my life, whether they be mortal or immortal. Nothing was coming. I let out a sigh of relief. I stood there for a few minutes tapping my foot as I got more and more annoyed that Alex was taking so long.

But then, out of nowhere, a rumbling noise broke the silence, getting louder as it got closer. It revved up every couple of seconds and as it turned corners I could hear screeching tires. Somebody was coming but I didn’t know if it was Alex or somebody out there who saw a lonely woman standing alone in the darkness. I panicked. I walked over to a broken streetlight, hoping that nobody could see my shadow. I wanted to hide from whatever was approaching.

Alex pulled up next to me on a large motorcycle with his duffle bag on his back trying to look suave, and pulling it off impeccably. I had to stand back and look at him, looking like he was born to sit on a bike, and I had to take a long look at the bike. It was all black and chrome with a raked front end, a ‘fists in the wind’ riding position and a low seat. It was fuel-injected with chrome dual exhaust. It had a wide 300 series rear tire and a chopper-inspired 21-inch front wheel.

Michael loved bikes and made me learn as much as I could about them so when he talked about them I would understand. But this bike was better than anything I had seen before. For a motorcycle, it was beautiful.

“Let’s go,” he demanded, like a greaser from some ’50s movie.

“Are you sure this is what you want to drive for our escape?” I asked sarcastically.

“What?” He asked, confused.

“I just… Never mind.” I didn’t want to ruin his excitement.

Although I knew a lot about motorcycles, I had never been on one, and I had often warned Sierra never to get on one. I’d seen too many accidents that killed people and I always thought they were dangerous. But seeing Alex on this beautiful machine, I couldn’t help but want to sit behind him and wrap my arms around him. Besides, I didn’t think an accident would kill me at this point.

I got on the back of the bike, scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist tightly. He revved the motor, startling me at first, but it just made me aware that I had to hold on tighter. He held down the clutch firmly as he twisted the throttle, revving the motor even more. He released the clutch and we squealed out of the parking lot, leaving a tire mark behind us.

I felt the roar of the bike underneath me, vibrating my legs. We took off faster than I had anticipated. The wind blew hard against my face pulling back my cheeks and my hair flowed in the breeze like a careless flag in the sky. The landscape passed by us so quickly it was just a blur of colors. I just closed my eyes and laid my head against his back while holding on for dear life.

The vibration must have put me to sleep – a dreamless sleep – but a sleep nonetheless, because I was awakened by the sudden stop of vibration. I opened my eyes slowly, still feeling the pulsating in my legs from the now motionless bike.

The sun was rising and I could feel the warmth of my energy returning. I heard the sound of airplanes rumble the earth beneath me from planes landing somewhere nearby. I looked around and saw parking lots full of empty cars and hundreds of people with luggage going somewhere. We were at an airport.

I looked over at Alex, lifting an eyebrow, surprised at where we were. He got off the bike quickly and flawlessly. “Hey.” Alex shrugged his shoulders. “It’s cheaper than driving.” He knew exactly what I was thinking. He brushed my hair off my surprised face and I could only smile at his touch. “And also easier to acquire clothing.” He lifted an eye brow and looked down on my clothes.

“What?” I said, trying to see what he was looking at. I got off the bike hoping I wouldn’t knock it down. “Am I not dressed accordingly for a flight?” I had a bit of sarcasm in my voice.

“Not where we’re going,” he said with a smile. “You’re going to need to act cold if you’re going to try to blend in.”

Cold. A clue, I thought. Sounds like we were going someplace cold, someplace too far to drive or run. Not a good enough clue to guess precisely where we were headed, but a clue nonetheless.

We left the bike in a parking space far from the airport entrance. I hoped that the person who owned it would be able to get it back. It was a really nice bike. Somebody put a lot of love into it and I knew they would be very upset knowing it was gone. Hopefully they would get it back.

We walked hand in hand through the sliding doors, pushing ourselves through the throng of agitated travelers. Many seemed angry because their flight was running late or maybe their ride hadn’t shown up. I had no idea what state or which airport we were in. It wasn’t the airport I was familiar with – Sky Harbor – so I knew we weren’t in Phoenix.

We walked slowly by the luggage carousel. It was full of bags going around in circles, waiting for their owners to grab them. And still, Alex told me to wait. At least I had things and people to look at. At least I was in a crowded place and nobody could just jump out at me. It gave me a peaceful feeling.

I looked at the families getting ready to take their vacations, holding hands and smiling, lovers on their way to their honeymoons, sneaking a kiss when nobody was looking. There were businessmen waiting in the lounge, drinking their last shot before their flight. There were hostesses walking around asking if anybody needed help with anything before they boarded their flight. Nobody seemed to have a care in the world or at least no one seemed to have one greater than mine.

I looked at these people – these innocent people – around me, appearing so free and unaware of the things that were happening beneath their noses. They weren’t going to have to face what I was about to. They didn’t know the things I knew. To them, vampires were fantasies that Hollywood made up for box office hits, and portrayed as loveable, beautiful creatures. They did not see the reality: that they can be lethal. I stood in the middle of this airport watching them, unaware that it was going to be me that would save them.

I walked over to a small office that blended in with its surroundings. If it wasn’t for the little paper sign that said ‘Baggage Claim’ hanging on the side of the open door, I would have thought it was a waiting area. There was a lonely chair sitting next to the door waiting for somebody to occupy it. It just so happened that that person would be me.

I sat down heavily trying to put the puzzle pieces together in my head. I thought about the things that had already happened and the things that were about to happen. I thought about the things I already knew about my past, along with the clues that Alex had slipped up about. This was just too much for one person to handle in such a short amount of time. I started biting my nails in anticipation of what laid ahead of me, when I noticed two feet standing next to my chair.

I immediately stopped biting my nails and looked over and saw a pair of calf-length blue socks covered in brown sandals. I looked up slowly and saw a short, over-weight old man wearing a flowered button-down shirt with a boarding ticket hanging out of its shirt pocket, a pair of brown khaki shorts, and a brown straw hat. He looked like he was on his way to some tropic island on the opposite end of the world from where I am going.

“Are you okay, Miss?” His voice was worn and tired but his eyes were kind.

Before I could answer him, a familiar voice answered for me. “She’s fine.” Alex put his hand on my shoulder. He had returned with baggage of his own.

I loved how protective he was of me. He took pride being with me and you would be damned if you messed with me. I’d been told that he has been protecting me my whole life and now I get to see him in action. I felt loved.

“I’m sorry – I think I asked her, young man.” The old man knelt down to my eye level. “Are you okay?” He asked me again, smiling gently.

I wanted to laugh at the thought that this kind and gentle, grey-haired old man thought that I might be in trouble and he was the one who would try and protect me, when in reality the man beside me and I would end up protecting him against creatures he could never dream actually existed. I looked at the older man. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.” I tried to sound sincere. I hoped he would believe that I was really okay.

He got up, almost falling at first, and walked away, but not before turning back and smiling. Maybe he thought I might signal him somehow, asking for help. Honestly, I won’t ever want someone to take me away from Alex. When I am with him I feel completely safe. And that’s how I always want to feel.

Alex took my hand and led me to the elevators. “I can’t leave you alone for a second, can I?” He laughed.

“Can I help it if I look like a lost puppy?”

When the doors to the elevators closed, he pressed the button to take us to the fifth floor. Geesh. How many floors are there to this airport? It was the biggest airport I had ever seen.

“What’s with the luggage?” I nudged his arm. The ground shook a little as the elevator went up. It told me that it must be old and need some work. I hated being in elevators. I always thought that I would get stuck in one. And after watching the movie Speed I thought I might fall to my death in one. But again, I guessed I didn’t have to worry about that kind of death anymore either.

Alex looked at me and smiled. “Well, it’s ours now. We’ll need to change.” He smiled. “We don’t look like travelers.” He shrugged.

The elevator doors opened slowly. People walked into us to get into the elevator. It didn’t seem to bother Alex as much as it bothered me. He just smiled and stepped to the side. I, on the other hand, wanted to tell them how rude they were. But I knew Alex didn’t want us to bring attention to ourselves, so I let it go.

I followed Alex to Terminal Nine. A sign hung overhead. As we got closer to it, I could read what it said: To Greece. Finally, I knew where we were going. What could be waiting for me in Greece? Why would any of my family put something for me there? sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Alex gave me a Louis Vuitton Keepall bag and told me to change before we boarded our flight. He pointed to the woman’s bathroom and said he would wait for me across the hall. I grabbed my bag reluctantly and walked toward the bathroom. When I walked in, it was crowded and noisy. Women talked about where they were going and what they would do when they got there. How excited they were to get away from their everyday life and relax.

One girl said to another that she was using the poor man she was with just for his money. He was taking her to the Bahamas and they were going to stay at a five star hotel. And when they got back, she might think about letting him go. I wanted to find the man she was talking about and inform him of what she was doing but I knew I didn’t have time. Hopefully, he would find out before she could take all of his money. I almost laughed, thinking about when Michael and I talked about taking Sierra away to a beach or amusement park, and here I was traveling with a vampire, not to get away and have fun, but to learn about my past.

I found an open stall, closed the door quickly and locked it behind me. The bag wasn’t very big. It was brown and gold with the unmistakable LVwritten everywhere and a cowhide trim. For its size, it was very full and would have easily been heavy to lift for most people. I put the bag on the floor and opened it slowly. Clothes popped out from being smashed into it.

I looked through my new belongings and found a pair of dark brown leather pants, a cream, tight fitting, long-sleeve blouse, and a pair of brown leather biker boots to go with it. But judging from the type of bag and the clothes, this woman wouldn’t miss it anyway. I changed my clothes as quickly as I could, hoping everything was on right. I didn’t know when my flight would leave.

I walked out of the stall and stood in front of the mirror to make sure everything was on right. Of course it was. When I bent down to close the bag I noticed something furry still in it. I grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a long, heavy brown jacket with a fur collar. I swung it around and slipped my arms into it, grabbed my now empty bag and threw it in the trash and walked out, leaving the gossip of the other girls behind me.

I found Alex leaning against the wall next to the airline gate with one knee up, tapping it against the wall almost impatiently. I couldn’t have been in the bathroom that long. He had on a pair of blue jeans and a black pullover shirt, black boots, and a black leather jacket. He had pulled his hair back into a low ponytail, letting everybody see his facial features. I stood back and stared. He was more beautiful than before. He looked like a model waiting to take the runway, and he was all mine.

I walked up to him and we shared a smile. There was silence between us for a brief moment while we stared at each other, admiring one another’s beauty. Nothing was happening around us, all of the people might as well have disappeared. I didn’t hear the chattering or the walking and I didn’t see the neon colors of signs, it was just him and me. Then suddenly the voice of the flight clerk broke through the silence announcing that it was time to board our flight.

Alex grabbed my hand and held it tight as we walked up to the boarding counter as if we were a newly married couple taking our honeymoon. When we approached the counter, he released my hand, put his arm around my neck, leaned in and kissed my cheek. He took me by surprise, but I didn’t complain. Alex handed the woman our tickets but kept looking at me. The flight clerk brushed her hair behind her ears and smiled warmly at Alex, trying to catch his eye.

She checked our tickets, but didn’t bother to look at me. She shuffled through the tickets slowly, stalling, so she could stare at Alex some more. Of course, I couldn’t blame her. But Alex kept looking at me, unimpressed at her attempts. He even went as far as to bring up my hand and kiss it. She handed the tickets back to Alex, disappointed, pointing us to the gate and turned to the next passenger in line.

We boarded our flight; it was my first time sitting in first class. I felt like royalty. We were the only ones there, which was a relief. I didn’t think I would have been able to handle people staring or commenting about us. We just didn’t look like a normal couple. At least, I didn’t feel like I looked like a normal passenger. My nerves felt like they showed through my skin and I was naked for all to see.

I had only been seated on the plane for a moment, but I was already anxious. The flight attendant walked up and down the aisles, helping the coach passengers put away their bags and telling them how to put their seatbelts on. But Alex and I just sat there holding hands, not speaking. The plane was idling, waiting for its clearance. Finally, after about ten minutes, the captain’s voice came on the intercom to let everyone know we would be on our way. Those felt like the longest ten minutes I ever had to sit through.

The plane accelerated slowly, gradually gaining speed. My head bounced with its movements. With Alex sitting next to me, I had forgotten that I was afraid of flying. Last time I rode in an airplane, I remember my stomach dropping to my feet when the airplane took off, like it did on some carnival ride. But this time I felt nothing. We floated through the air like a feather in the breeze, shooting through the clouds smoothly. The seat belt sign turned off and we were free to walk about the plane as needed.

After a few minutes in the air I looked over through the windows to see what was outside. At that time the world below us seemed so small, like a miniature Barbie play set. I wished that’s how life really was. That way I would be able to fight Daniel easily and the stress would be off my shoulders. Until Alex put his hands on mine I didn’t notice that I was clinching the armrest with my hands so tight that if he hadn’t grabbed my fingers, they would have ripped it off.

“Something troubling you?” Alex turned his body in his chair to look at me.

“Huh, oh…err…I’m just nervous about flying.” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want him to know my true thoughts.

“No. Something else. Something that’s been troubling you since we left the house.”

“I don’t know what you mean?” I tried to act ignorant in the face of his question.

“I think you completely understand what I mean.”

I sighed. “Oh, yeah, well I’ve been thinking about a dream I had.” I lied about my real fear. He was right it had nothing to do with flying but I didn’t want him to know how scared I was to land in a place that I’ve never been to and find out answers to things that might hurt me. So I thought this would be a good time to question him about my dreams.

“Tell me about it. Really. I want to know,” he said, persisting.

I hesitated telling him about the last dream I had considering it had to do with him and I would likely feel a little embarrassed. But if I didn’t talk to him, who would I talk to? He had now not only taken on the role of my protector, but of my best friend. “It was of Michael…” My sentence trailed off.

“Oh.” He looked down, disappointed.

“He told me to move on.”

I saw his eyes light up. “Move on?”

“But what’s bothering me is that he told me to move on – with you.” I said trying to distract him from whatever I said that left him frowning.

He suddenly looked up at me. “He did?” His eyes narrowed.

I realized that I was leaning towards him now. “Is that true? Is there something that I don’t know?”

“Yes.” He said without hesitation. I don’t think he meant to say that but now he had to proceed.

I looked intensely at him as he spoke. “Go on.”

“Well, things happen for a reason.” He cleared his throat. “I was meant to deliver you that night, Trinity. I was meant to be your protector, and above all else I was meant to love you. It’s as simple as that.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Why didn’t you say anything then? I mean why all the secrets? Why didn’t you find me before I met Michael and had a daughter?” I didn’t want to show him I was angry at this new information. But it was hard for me to understand why, if he loved me so much, he let me love someone else. Why put me through having a daughter, and then losing her and my husband? All of this could have been stopped if he had told me the truth.

“I think you know why.” He let go of my hand. “You needed to have a life outside of this. Remember, this wasn’t supposed to happen to you. Besides, would you have believed me if I told you right away? Or would you have just dismissed me as some lunatic off the street?” He slowly folded his pale hands together and placed them on his lap. His eyes sparkled up at me with a hint of a smirk on his face.

“So if none of this happened would you have kept on loving me from afar? Hiding in my shadows?” I now knew how deep his love really was for me.

A flight attendant interrupted our conversation, asking us if we wanted a beverage.

“Yes, two champagnes, please.” He said, without looking away from me. I looked up at the flight attendant and she smiled a crooked smile.

My eyes must have shown confusion at the thought of drinking champagne, because Alex spoke without hesitation. “We can still taste, Trinity. We just can’t survive on it. You have a lot to learn.” A side grin spread across his lips.

“Well all that’s interesting, but you didn’t answer my question, Alex.” I needed to know the truth.

He let out a long breath. “Yes.” His eyes were strained. “I would have loved you from afar. I would have no right to break what you had.”

“That would have been torture for you, you know that, right?” I was sincere.

“But that’s the way it is, Trinity.”

The flight attendant hurried back with our drinks. Condensation was dripping from the chilled champagne glasses. The flight attendant paused a second at Alex’s side, waiting for him to look up at her, with no luck. He took my hand in his and told her that that would be all. She frowned and walked away.

I brought the glass up to my lips and took a small sip, not knowing how it would taste. As bad as it sounds, I thirsted for blood not champagne. He was right, yet again. I could still taste, but it was bland and unrefreshing, just liquid going down my throat. It wasn’t how I remembered champagne tasting. I put the glass down and moved it to the side of my opened tray.

“Why am I having these dreams? Every time I close my eyes there’s something new, something to help me on this journey, or something to confuse me.” I reached out and unintentionally touched his hand.

He seemed indecisive, torn by some problem he didn’t want to share with me. He looked at me deeply. I guessed he was deciding whether to tell me the truth or something else to bide his time. “You want to know about this last the dream you had or about all of them?”

How did I guess he would answer a question with a question? “All of them, Alexander!” I knew that by speaking his full name I would get a better reaction.

“Have you ever had a dream that was so realistic that you woke up and thought it actually happened? That’s what’s happening to you now. You’re crossing from the dream world to reality. You think it’s a dream but it’s not.

“You have powers that are unimaginable because of your bloodline. You have the power to speak to the heavens and command the devil himself if you chose to. Anybody can get into contact with you; it just depends on who desires your company.”

“That’s still not a good enough answer.”

“Again, you’ll understand it all the more when we reach our destination.”

My eyes were heavy. “And my answers are waiting for me in Greece?”

His smile widened. “Yes. It’s a long flight and you need to sleep.” I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

The plane was shaking and I could hear the wheels bearing down on the ground below me. We were there, already? I slept the whole way? I didn’t dream! It was nice to have a dreamless sleep for once.

I felt Alex grab my arm and lead me off the plane. My body was tired and weak, and my veins were throbbing. It was hard to keep my eyes open as I walked out of the terminal. I could see my surroundings but it was like looking through a cloud of smoke; everything was foggy. And my usually-clear hearing was muffled; everything just echoed.

My arm draped over Alex’s shoulder as he walked me through the airport; I was tripping over my own feet. I don’t remember much of those moments that led me to the stolen car I was now sitting in. I don’t remember walking through the airport or out the doors, I don’t remember waiting for Alex to steal a car or getting into it. I wanted to take in all the beauty that Greece had to offer, but all I could do was close my eyes and sleep. The last thing I remember was Alex leaning toward me, telling me that I would be okay, that I was drugged, and just to close my eyes.

Rain was falling hard all around me, but I was untouched. The trees blew in the breeze but my loose hair lay still. Leaves flew around my feet but they never touched me. There was a house in front of me. It was old and worn but not falling apart yet. The red paint looked new as did the steps I was walking up. Fresh flowers were everywhere and beautiful green grass glistened from the rain. Although there was nothing covering the windows, I couldn’t see inside.

I heard thunder crack in the sky. Was it a sign for me not to go in? I didn’t care. I looked to my left and saw nothing and nobody while everything to the right of me looked deserted.I didn’t feel any danger. I walked into the doorless entry. I stood under the eve for a minute waiting for something to jump out at me, but nothing happened. The single story house was empty; I saw no possessions or furniture. The windows had soft white curtains that reached the floor and flew in the breeze from the wind. Why was I in an empty house?

The thunder clapped again, shaking the house and making me jump. That’s when I became scared, more scared than I ever was. The house was dark and gloomy with a cold feel to it. There was something different about this house though; there was something different about this dream.

Lightning struck and lit up the inside of the house, giving me a second to glimpse the things around me. I saw someone walking slowly toward me. It was a woman with a slender frame and medium-length brown hair. She was glowing a luminous white that seemed to follow her as she walked. She looked like an angel without wings or halo. Was I dead? Was this my angel to finally come and take me away? I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

I started to feel a sense of serenity run through me. It calmed my pulsating veins and put me at ease. I juggled thoughts in my mind, trying to distract myself from her beauty, but nothing seemed to work.

“Don’t be scared, my darling.” Her voice was musical.

She looked at me anxiously and I realized my body had frozen. I tried to speak but the words didn’t want to come out. What could you say to an angel?

“I don’t have a lot of time, but I had to see you. I had to hear your voice in person.”

“Wh…who are you?” I said quietly, hoping she would hear me across the distance between us. I was dazed; my thoughts were incoherent.

She smiled. Even her smile was angelic. “You don’t see the resemblance?” She looked down on herself.

I gasped and took a step back in shock. “You…you’re my…my Mother!?” It couldn’t have been her!

Her smiled widened. “Yes.” She took two graceful steps forward.

“But…” She didn’t let me finish.

“I had to see you, talk to you, remember you.” Her voice lowered as she got closer. I could see her whole being and she took my breath away.

She was tall and thin, with thick, flowing brown hair. I would have mistaken her for somebody famous if I had just seen her on the street somewhere. She was more beautiful than Alex had described.

“All these years, why haven’t you come to me before? Maybe warned me?” I took a step toward her.

“Would you have believed your dream? Or would you have forgotten about it or blamed your subconscious?” She tilted her head questioning me.

“Alex and you think the same way. But you know what? At least it would have given me something to think about.”

“Perhaps.” She smiled again.

“Perhaps.” I mumbled under my breath.

There was a short silence. She looked at me, taking in all she could in what little time she had. I tried to do the same. This was the first time I had seen my mother. Even when I asked Mother Rose about her, she never told what she looked like. I never had even the slightest image to go on and now she was right here in front of me.

“I came here to apologize to you.”

I was confused. “For what?” I raised an eyebrow.

“For leaving you all these years. I never meant for all this to happen to you. I wanted to shield you from all this chaos. Your father and I wanted you to live a mortal life.”

She paused thoughtfully, letting me comprehend all she was saying. “That didn’t work out too well, did it?” I said sarcastically.

“No. But I have learned, as you can so painfully see, that you can’t change what has been written. Do you understand?”

“What do you want me to say? That it’s alright? That I’ll adapt? I don’t think I can.”

“Trinity, you have the fire in you. It burns with rage within your veins, and it’s in your blood. You’re like me. I didn’t think I could adapt either and then I saw you and my thinking changed.”

“I don’t have someone to change my thinking, not like you did. You were prepared for this. You had your family with you. I had nothing.”

She stepped closer to me. Close enough to raise her hands to my cheeks. “You can do anything you set your mind to.” She lowered her hands to her side. “You were a born fighter; it’s in your blood line. You will win this battle and you will win it for all that came before you.”

I looked down in despair. “I’m scared… Mom.” That was the first time I had said Mom.

She pressed your lips and smiled. “If you weren’t scared, you wouldn’t be normal, or as normal as can be expected. But you have to remember that you’re special. You have what none of the other women in our family have: something we only dreamt of having.” She turned to the side.

“And what is that?” My eyes lit up.

She looked over her shoulder. “You’ll have to find that out on your own.” I heard the sadness in her voice.

“Another challenge.” I looked away.

“Not so much. You just have to look within yourself.”

I was afraid that I would never have this opportunity with her again. I found myself walking closer to her, but her words stopped me.

“I have to go my darling.”

“No, please don’t go. There’s so much I want to know from you first.” I said, frantically.

She smiled. “I have to. You’ll find out everything you need to. I promise.” She paused and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so very proud of you.” She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I’m watching over you every day. I love you.”

She let go of me and turned away. My feet wouldn’t move. I wanted to run after her, to embrace her for a little while longer. I wanted to say more to her. I wanted to say that even though I didn’t know her I still loved her too. I wanted to say that I would try and fight like I was born to do, but I never had the chance. The glow that seemed to follow her was beginning to fade. Then all of a sudden I was alone. The lightning stopped and all was black.

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