Meeting with the clan leader/ Alpha wasn't really as amusing as meeting the president of the states. I was petrified, sweaty palms and thudding heart, although I had grandma Ruby with me but having to lie was never a trait I had, especially to the high ranging member of a mythical community, it was too intimidating
We took a long route, walking in silence for quiet some time before we reached the village. Since the day was practically over, just before sunset there wasn't much of activities. It didn't take us long passing by individuals throwing me a look, it felt interrogative. It was surprising how I didn't put my hand over the nape of my neck to make sure no one was actually looking at my mark. We reached the leaders mini palace after passing by a couple of houses.
We were led into the clan leader's conference room by a guard which was aware of our arrival. We waited a couple of minutes outside the room while everyone important to know of the new addition to his clan was present. The doors opened letting us in, I stalked behind Ruby feeling the goosebumps form on my skin as eyes were still on us in the silent room.
There in a chair directly facing the door, also the highest in the room I figured that was the clan leader, the position suits him in every way. His weight slightly shifted to a side, probably from sitting for a while or it was just his preference. All his features were build in authority down to his hazel hair and round face but there was an unusual calmness in his features unlike any other person with authority around his subjects. It was like he's been overdosing on camomile for a very long time, it should have make me ease up but somehow I was on the tipping point. Round the table were whom they referred to as elders; three men and two women.
"Leader kiba" Ruby said bowing a bit paying respects but I simply stood beside her watching, out of intimidation from his non moving gaze on me.
"Healer Rubïn" clan leader tilted his head forward too in respect glancing towards her
"Please proceed" he ushered us to come closer. As we came closer to the table, Ruby looked towards me in those looks that mother's give when you forget something important.
"My respects leader Kiba" I bowed
Knowing already my purpose of being I went straight ahead to introduce myself
"I'm Gianna Devans a daughter to Elisabeth and James Devans, great grandchild to Rubïn, I was brought back here to learn the ways of my tribe" Leader Kiba's eyes went a little wide making me think maybe I said what I shouldn't have, before suddenly they were getting bathed in pride.
"You kept your promise to Zion, Rubïn you are indeed a woman of your word" leader Kiba bowed to her.
"It was my honor leader"
"Where are Elisabeth and James?"
I glanced at Ruby confused as to why the clan leader was oblivious to the demise of his children. I know another lie was to come up but I couldn't just lie the second time again. I could see that Ruby didn't expect such a question from him and neither did she to tell me to give false information about it, so I didn't feel a significant reason to lie.
"They passed right before my stay here"
"Healer Rubïn! why am I hearing all this for the first time?" leader Kiba asked sounding a bit agitated and utterly surprised.
"Leader Kiba. As you know Elisabeth and James being mates, their marriage was sudden as I informed after I found out. But for the child they kept a secret, I found out just before their tragic passing" Ruby explained calmly but you could hear a little bit of fabrication in her voice or it was just I because I knew it was false.
"Tragic is the lost of Elisabeth to all of us" leader Kiba mourned
"Can I see it?"
I glanced back at Ruby whom was equally confused as I was
"See what?" I asked timidly
"Your mark. The paradox clan mark. Your father james was one, I've heard it's magnificent" he said amusingly.
"You are right. It is magnificent but—"
"There is not buts Rubïn. Let me have the honor" he pushed out of his chair his long robe falling over his height to the floor. I stuck in air rapidly as he came closer, my head pulsing from the amount of blood gushing to my head.
"I'm sorry but I removed it" I bit my lips slightly at his eyes bulging out.
"Removed it? Elisabeth would never have approved to that. Clan marks are identities, you can't remove your identity"
"I apologize leader Kiba, it was equally my fault for not stopping her"
"Yes and I believe you can rectify that action. You are the best healer here after all" Leader Kiba sounded very upset about it but his features of calm hardly shifted, he turned on his heels and back to his chair.
"Welcome to our clan, Gianna Devans"
I left the conference room immediately after leader Kiba requested speaking with grandma Ruby privately.
**Later that day**
"What was the reason the leader wanted me not in the room?"
"Very important issues to discuss"
"Are you sure something didn't flaunt because I decided to speak the truth about Elisabeth and James or my pack mark?"
"That was sorted out in the moment. Different matters were discussed"
Ruby's answers were short and straight. It was clear she didn't want to go into the details with me, I knew I was to stop pushing if I were to know of it they would have let me participate.
So I decided to ask about something I have had on mind for the whole day
"Something the leader said about keeping your promise to Zion, who is that?"
"Zion was a good friend of mine, also a healer. He was Elisabeth's father, they only had each other since her mother and two bothers passed. Sometime after that he was attacked by a group of rouge vampires, he was badly injured. I was late to reach him too, so he died in Elisabeth's arms" I could see the guilt on her face but from what I know from a live as a sixteen year old, Ruby couldn't have done a thing to save him even if she got to him on time.
"There I made a declaration, I would always protect his family and take them as my own" Ruby's voice cracked in the end.
"And I caused her death," although there was no tears falling from her eyes, her red turned face showed how much it pained inside. I stood on my feet and went over to her side. Since we've started talking we had no eye contact. She has been absent and dejected since she came back from the meeting with leader Kiba, although she tried to keep on a deadpan expression it was clear something was getting her grim. Ruby isn't the type to always laugh but she'd never be that dull.
"I am the reason you lost them both and your grand daughter too, I took them away" I also felt that guilt too coming up my throat as I tried not to cry
"Absurd!" Ruby said sniveling with a face a little less tightened. I didn't understand the sudden change of her mood, I knew it wasn't from my obvious confession to ease my own guilt.
"They are all inside of you. You didn't take them away, you are keeping them safe" She said placing a hand over my chest. I looked down at my necklace, that I have got from both my parents James and Elisabeth; they are indeed always with me even of I couldn't see them.
"You're right" I said taking the hand she placed over my chest in mine.
"You will pick extra from the garden too, we have to make offerings to the dead"
****
As vibrant as it seems living in a cabin surrounded by vegetation of green and colorful wild flowers, the tree tops gently singing to the wind every morning would have been breath taking in a different scenario but I was just waking up to a half-wake half-nightmare kind of sleep.
My night was as shitty as it has been, even worst. The dream kept repeating itself in agonizing order of blood pools, screams and then her. Waiting for me at the edge of the cliff to watch her die every single time but not before I hear the faint cry of a baby; me. The dreams were some how getting more vivid with huge werewolves and blood suckers following after the poor deranged woman in a bloody dress. It's been horrifying to know it wasn't juts a dream but a part of my reality, a welcome I had from my people after I was born. I don't blame them for their actions it was my bad luck coming as a daughter of an evil deity.
I sat up slowly in the bed with the face of the woman who's allegedly my birth mother buried deep under my lids. I could still see her standing at the edge of the cliff before glancing back, her crystal blue eyes so magical in them fear, love and peace before it was just gone.
I threw my legs to the side of the bed sighing deeply, hearing a slight jingle of my necklace that had always calmed me but my body felt strained almost to say beaten up. I went over to the mirror looking at myself in an old fashioned raggy night dress probably from the early ninety's fashion. Ruby didn't have clothes of mine to fit, that was all she had for me to change into. I looked closely at my own two blue eyes, it was the only radiant part of my body at the moment. I have always wandered where I have got them from. Neither my parents or grandparents had them, I guess now I know.
I went out the corridor into the opposite door, the bathroom was quite alright and clean. I took a shower and put myself in her old green bath robe, I got dressed in my two days' before going for breakfast.
Grandma Ruby was almost done making some grilled bread and milk to wash it down.
I took my usual seat, waiting as she served me.
"Why do you live out here?" I have been curious why she could want to live in the middle of a forest alone while there is a whole community of her kind out there.
"I like it here. My Mate and I lived out here, have our little family although the war was pretty much part of us at that time. And I am much more closer to the plants" She said before grabbing a seat across me.
"What does it mean?"
"I'm good with plants, herbs. You can address me as a herbalist" That explains the exotic flowers around her yard of none I recognized and too of my healed wounds. She must have healed me
"Thank you" she nodded and continued bitting on the crisp bread.
"I won't be long, I will be getting you some clothes and necessities" she said getting up, I definitely wasn't going to tag around here until another emotionally challenged guy walks up to me trying to pick a fight.
"I want to come with" I said quickly getting up too. Her demeanor hardly even shifts, that lady is a hardcore. She stared at me for a while
"I killed a vampire in transition in my holding cell, it should count right?" she paused for a moment probably thinking of not letting me come seeing the incident that happened but instead she nodded 'yes'
"But you have to stay close, locals get anxious around new faces and keep that mark hidden" Ruby warned before we set out to the village. Gia wouldn't quite call it one because surprisingly for a hidden community off the radar they were basically equipped. They have houses some were made of stones, blocks, logs and dirt road and even convenient stores, they've got quite an active town market.
I walked closely behind grandma Ruby stopping only when she does. I saw the looks on people's faces looking at me like I'm some kind of strange being walking on two legs. Ruby made three stops actually, one at the green vegetables stands and spices, one at a meat cure and the other on a half busted clothing shop.
I was standing there as she begun looking around the clothes, she handed me over some sort of gown that she yanked out from a pile of clothes in a huge basket that smelled like it was pulled over a corpse. I nodded no at it, she went farther inside the store to find me some more fitting clothes when I saw Phoenix through the showcasing glass.
I waved at the kid but he somehow didn't see me and grandma was busy trying to select some clothes for me, I just wanted to check. I went out the door the bell hanging on the door post jingling as I did so almost giving me away, it was a good thing that the shop keeper didn't care to stop me or alert grandma Ruby.
I followed the kid running off farther out of the market, he led me to a back town with more trees clutched together and more scattered houses with people minding their own business. I lost him for a moment, looking around as I stood near a tree, I saw him again running, he sure loves to exercise. I ran forward too calling out his name.
"Phoenix! Stop" he finally noticed me yelling his name getting the attention of half the population standing there as I pant slowing down as he stopped completely.
"You are an incredible runner" I said brushing my finger in his hair. He smiled sweetly at me.
"You're here?!" he asked like he was kind of dreaming. I answered with an "uhmm" sound from the back of my throat.
"All alone? How did you know your way here" he asked with a little bit of an Italian accent in his voice, I never noticed it maybe because he hasn't talked much on our first meeting.
"No, not alone. I came with family" I just remembered she warned me not to get out of sight. Jesus I'm not good at keeping my words now, am l? She's never going to let me out of the house again.
"Nice meeting you again, we'll meet again but don't sneak up on me when you come visiting" I said quickly turning on my heels jogging off the direction I came from. I wasn't such a good runner so I started walking again after my stomach tightened into knots. I walked silently the people either noticing and moving away or not at all, I wasn't into that but admiring the beauty of their community. The closeness, the tradition, sharing, laughter and interaction was just something you don't see in my world. Every at home was cooped up to their phones and lost track of what's important besides the internet. It was something refreshing
My attention was caught by a group of people a little bit far away from the point I was standing making some kind of paint art on a shirtless guy, ladies giggling and adoring the well kept muscles of that man. In that group I saw something–a familiar face standing a little out of the ground with his hands buried in his pants pockets he was looking away from the body art and must focused on something else he was staring at a far.
"Jake?!" I muttered to myself, it was fucking unbelievable. How could he be here, what the shit! I was freaking out as I was anxious, happy and sad at thesame time. He glanced my way only for a second barely even noticing me standing there before he started moving away, fast.
"No, wait. Jake!" I ran forward trying to meet up with him, but he was far and couldn't have heard me scream his name. I kept running pushing my way through people as he was just sliding in-between them like a slick worm while I kept bumping into the weirdly and having to apologize each time. The distance kept increasing as he was way faster than I was and with all those people on the ground. It wasn't easy tracking him.
I know me and Jake barely ever spoke but I felt happy seeing someone I knew, some one that I had shared same school with, someone that know my existence from the other world!
I excused myself, apologized to the people I was unintentionally bumping into trying to not lose on that string of normality from my life before. I continued not until I was far from the market and chunked in a massive wolf parade or something. That was quite a crowd of men smelling wolves that I squeeze my way into barely even breathing.
"Jake" I called out to him again when I caught a glimpse of his shirt, I pushed out of the crowd noticing him by some group of four teens. I literally ran over there as quickly as I can with my heart in-between my throat thrashing in my ears as I was coated with sweat. I was thinking of what to say or was I to hug him or something.
As soon as I was at arm's reach I put my hand on his shoulder turning him around quickly
"Jake" To my surprise he was nothing like Jake. I just chased down some guy that my brain showed me to be Jake, sure he had his thick brown hair and somehow their physique was a match but the face was a total difference. I stood practically in shock and utter embarrassment, the other four of the group also noticed me; two of which I recognized.
The guy that attacked me looking peeved and displeased after seeing me and the lady that came in between us then two other male that I was seeing for the first time
"I'm so sorry, I thought you were–never mind" I said disappointed
"Hey, you are thesame girl" the female said with a smile breaking through the middle of their small circle to stand in front of me. I laughed nervously glancing back to the guy that was staring at me like a crazy woman, I really thought he was Jake–I saw Jake!
He and his girlfriend should be the last people I should think of at a time like this, yeah! It was just a hiccup and a game my mind was playing.
"I hope you accept the apology for my friend's behavior" she said breaking me away from staring at the kid.
I nodded smiling awkwardly as I knew they were more than friends before answering "Yes it's not big a deal, if only your friend accepts my apology" I said knowing I still haven't apologized yet just like his stare was promising me a better run off next time.
"I should be leaving now" I said quickly to lower down the level of awkwardness in the air, turning on my heels but I wasn't so sure if I should leave without just looking a little bit more. It was a strange feeling of confusion and certainty, of hurt and disappointment. A stray tear make it's way down my cheek as I was leaving the neighborhood into the market again my mind still in wonder before I was suddenly grabbed by the forearm.
"Calling unnecessary attention to yourself dear?" Ruby said pulling me away from the increasing audience around us.
"You have to Know the value of promises made" Ruby said along our way through the forest and that's not what I was paying attention to. I just run off on impulse to the guy I thought it was Jake whom I don't even bother to glance at in school, whom I never cared of he noticed me or not. Why did I run off towards him? What would I have done if it was really Jake out there?
"I need to know, why I'm even here if everyone wants to kill me. I just want to leave!" I don't know from which part of me that outburst came from but it did, deep down I wanted to get the fuck away from all this shit life. I want everything to be back to normal again. I yelled stumping my way passed her into the cabin straight to my room. I slammed the door shut making the doorpost shake, I was heaving with anger as more tears leaves my eyes.
She came through the door slowly coming to the foot of the bed, my head was down tears dripping to the floor. Everything was just crashing back on my chest again, I can't take any of this.
"I don't want to talk" I said snivelling because there was nothing in this world that would make me feel better at the moment.
"And you certainly cannot leave now, there is nothing that could prepare you for what's coming. But I can be of help, you need learn your powers and it's just the beginning of it" She said placing a hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off getting on my feet.
"I don't want any of this, the vampires and all you creatures can keep your damn life as it is. You can rest assure I'll never come at you or see my face again when I walk out of that door" my ears rang for a second with the lingering sting on my cheek, she struck me with such a smack across the face.
"We never walk out on family, I will help you with everything you need to know. Calm down now" I was staring at her my rage quite unchecked as my fist clentched. She looked down at them and I saw the I made some kind of electric bulb in them. I quickly release shoving back in fear
"It's ok, I'll teach you to control that" she said going out my door closing it behind her. This cannot be any worse than, running away isn't an option here.
Closing the door I felt a striking pain in my head, like I had been knocked hard. I supported my head with my hand and wheeze in air as the pain was still pretty sharp. I turned around towards my bed spinning in my own axis o didn't try to move any further or I would fall. Then I noticed another pain in my abdomen, I winced a bit clenching my eyes and fist breathing deeply but it wasn't working and then suddenly feeling a sense of being pulled out of my body, unable to hold my stand I fell to the floor heaving as my breath drag painfully in my chest.
I tried to call out to grandma Ruby but my throat was overflowed with blood. It's happening again
"Ruby!" I managed to call as I get to my feet instantly crashing back down with a thud as my vision swayed before slowing blurring out when Ruby came by my side promising I would be fine.
The darkness welcomed.