Juliet
The room spun as I was brought back to the present time after ten years with Marcus. Caleb rushed over, catching me before I could fall. I clung to him, desperately taking stock of what was real and what was now my past. My thoughts jumped to then and now, organizing and placing them at the right time. My body shook as I clutched my stomach and retched. "Should I call someone? Get something? Drugs?" I nodded frantically, my body shaking. Caleb sent Jessy a message and, a moment later, pierced the skin on my neck; it would only be for a little while.
Once I woke up, my emotions were next, and my body revolted and fought me at every turn. It was a flood of mixing my twenty-four years before I went and the ten years I was there. Ten whole years. Twenty-four hours every day for the entire time. I figured this was the consequence. Did I really think it would be easy? Michael told me how crazy Selena had been in that room when she went in. It was too much to know you could literally change time and have the whole world in your hands. Maybe another reason Ahasuerus never did it.
"Mom!"
"Caleb, leave! Give me a second. I don't want to hurt you," he hesitated, "Now!" He disappeared, and I laughed despite the craziness of the situation. Or the way I had to be with Marcus; how much I had to repress my emotions and my reactions and be subject to what others wanted for me. Marcus would be the most difficult. The most painstaking. I didn't know if I could do it for a thousand years. Here, Marcus was free to come and go as he pleased. One way our lives were better here than there… F— I'd go insane. My mind was an absolute mess. It's why I chose him first. My sacrifice for him would be the greatest, and why I fought so hard not to marry him and bend to the compound way.
"You keep forgetting we have abilities… Here, take this," Caleb handed me a drink. He walked to the door, picked something up, and brought me a beast. After I had blood, I felt a little better. "So, I'm dying to know!" Caleb urged.
"It was ten years," Caleb's eyes widened, "How long was I out here?"
"Ten minutes or so," my eyes jumped open, "You lived all that time?"
I nodded and left the room. I needed a walk to stretch my legs and ground myself in the present. "What happened here while I was out?"
Caleb laughed, "Nothing much. Michael had sent a report of what was going on with Charlene… Liv, someone is the wolves' representative, and she invited them for dinner. So far, no fights issued. Although he says the women are not inclined to allow the chadari to stay on Palmyra.
"This is good… It's helping," I said while we walked the halls. "Any place I can take a bathroom break?"
"Yes... I stayed for the ten minutes, but once you were back and after the drugs, I took a look around."
As we moved through the halls, I asked, "Any unauthorized travels? No reports of Jacklin or Soren?"
"Nothing. Jessy is checking in with everyone every hour, here with us every fifteen minutes. He is not leaving the control center on En-gannim… You don't have to worry. The vamps helping on Palmyra also check in."
"That is a relief… I guess I feel I was gone for much longer than I really was," we both chuckled and finally reached the public ablution area. After I was done, I said, "I still have that bad feeling."
"Do you want to call it quits? Was it worth it?"
"Right now, I don't know… The mental strain may be for someone older… Marcus would've been the best candidate. He could've done a hundred… and just go on."
"I think you were too long with the wrong Marcus." I turned to Caleb and took in his words, "The Marcus you were with is not the same anymore. He had grown so much of what Liam and Cindy shared with me… He feels as much as you do."
My eyes burned for too many reasons, "You're right… It's why I feel I have to make it better."
"You will… How long will you wait until the next one?"
"I won't wait any longer. How long was I asleep?"
"About two hours."
"What did you do in the meantime?"
"I looked around… I already told you this… Are you okay?"
"No, sorry… Found anything interesting?"
"Yes and no."
***
Michael
The dinner the werewolves put together was pleasant, yet very dull, and the atmosphere was a little stuck up. Too heavy-handed for me. The Mirach people loved it, and the gentle music in the corner lulled me to sleep. The alcohol was flowing, and everyone joined in with the festivities. Fahan was vigilant, and so was I. With the dheka's power to corrupt my desire, their ability to stop me from traveling, and the distance I was away from my people had put me on high alert, especially after what happened in my room. I had not seen the woman again, and I couldn't understand what their goal was.
Jade and Charlene were very chatty in a group with the men we knew. The three werewolves with Jack and Francis were Bryle's other sons. Kubra was in a corner with Carl, keeping an eye on their lady while Romero worked the room. Miné had passed out a long time ago on a rug at my feet; I didn't mind watching her. Fahan was not really a talkative person or dragon, whatever, and neither of us was drinking or able to let us relax enough to enjoy the night, so we had very little to help with the conversation. I also figured he'd be thinking and planning what would happen once this whole lot decided to go back to Palmyra. "What would happen if they do not come back? If I do not let them come back."
"Not here… I have to focus."
"Why?"
I scanned the room, and my eyes landed on the dark-skinned woman who was next to my bed, whispering into Liv's ear. "Protect Charlene," I stood to my feet, bent down, and picked up Miné. I disappeared and traveled with her to our last location. Sara's palace and Charlene's room. Their guards and the maids didn't get frightened when I suddenly appeared in a room anymore. I scanned the space and checked the cribs. Fia was sound asleep. Jaali would need a feeding soon. I walked to Aries, who was snoring. "Should I take her?"
"I'm taking the kids back to Yazen. I will take them one at a time." The maid nodded and turned to get the kids ready. I traveled with Miné to Romero's home; I traveled right back and didn't know what to do. A stampede of wolves was coming down the corridor towards us and all the kids. You could hear the jingle of their familiar army token hanging around their waist, "Get up. Ready for battle."
The guards drew swords and manifested, creating a wall of shadow around me. One pulled a bell on the wall, and the alarm resounded. "Ready, the kids! A satchel each, quickly now!" The maids had three kids hanging in leather. I stretched out my arm. They couldn't reach so high or could get it around my horns. One woman manifested, ripped the material, and tied it around my neck over my chest. They were waking up one by one, fussing. I bent down for the little dragon. She tested the knots and nodded. I left and, in the blink of an eye, was in front of Liam. He jumped to his feet with a bundle of his own in his arm. "What happened?"
"I wanted to take them to the village… As soon as I was in Romero's home, the house was in havoc… Outside, Iku and his wife were fighting an onslaught of wolves… I have to go." I hurriedly returned to human and placed Miné on the floor and the other kids next to her.
I first traveled to help Yazen and Imani. I landed in the middle of the room. "Will you take the kids out, please, Yazen pleaded. There were at least ten of them. I held out my arms, and the two largest jumped in. "Have the younger ones in satchels when I come back."
That time, I took them to our new home. It would be easier and safer for me; I felt stupid not taking everyone there in the first place. On planet was quicker than inter freaking galactic. I appeared in the mess hall or tent. No one was there, "Selena! Jack! Another few feet came running through the flap. "Stay here, Selena, with me." Every time I made a trip, I took another adult to the village. Once I was done with the ten kids, I stopped and focused on Chris. He was in the city with Ira. I traveled, appeared in front of him, and held open my arms. He jumped, "I hope we make it."
"No, wait," Chris jumped down manifested, wrapped his arms around my chest, and held on. I looked down into his eyes and cocked an eyebrow, "She would've loved this… On three."
"One, two, three."
"Wow! Yeah! That was so easy and—
"Why didn't you let me put my armor on?" Chris dodged as a wolf swung its spear over his head, parried and stabbed. I teleported before I got one stuck in my back. "Swords!"
Two dheka tossed us each one. Iku and his wife were working together, never letting the other out of their sites. "Maybe we should try back to back."
Chris moved his feet and joined me, "Sure, but won't we need more help?" Both of us sliced into the air, killed a wolf, and regrouped with Selena and Jamal.
"Silvanus?" I offered and flung away a spear and stabbed into a throat.
"No, he's on a date," Chris grunted as he swung several times.
"Really? Who?"
"I don't know her… Ira and I were spying when you came to get me… The two were at the bar… I've never seen her in all my life."
The story amped me up, "Is she beautiful? Does she like him? Come on, man." I killed two more so Chris could go on.
"Yes, we'd also like to know," Iku said as he struck out and impaled three wolves in one long, black, solid shadow.
"Impressive."
"Thank You," said his wife.
"She speaks? Is she still angry with me?"
Iku laughed. "No, he has teaching me english. I understand most."
Chris and I laughed as we tossed wolves at one another, slicing them as they came down. "Will we ever not kill werewolves? What is it with their race?"
"The women are crazy," Iku's wife said, and we laughed again.
"I thought I was done with fighting… I asked you to set me up, Chris," Jack said, warding off his own wolf. "Now Silvanus will have someone before I even get there." The human men were struggling. They could at least keep them busy until we could give crushing blows.
"I asked Ira; he has a few in mind," Chris killed the last of the front line who lay dead around our feet. I looked up in the distance; the wolves kept coming over the hill in a run.. We took stock quickly and walked forward toward the incoming wave in a small cluster of people. All the adults in the village were fighting; we were a few, but the thousands coming at us made me doubt. "Should we make a run for the rec center? We can travel to the island?" Iku gave me a look. "Fine, you guys and your honor."
"It's not about honor... We'd rather die than give up the gate! Why did you think I stayed so long? I was waiting for this."
"Why didn't you say something?"
He shrugged, "I was not sure."
"Next time, reinforce!"
"Can you go get Marcus? Fahan? Someone?" Iku pleaded.
"We can do both—together. Hold them off." Chris grabbed my chest, and I put my arms around his shoulders. We both laughed. I counted, and we were at Marcus. We pulled him up, and his book went flying. I turned to Agatha, "Will you please go help Cindy. She looks tired." Agatha waved, and we disappeared.
"Sword," Marcus yelled.
"Hold them off," he seemed incredulous as we disappeared again. It was fun doing this together. It was easier, and Chris was well on his way to interplanetary jumps.
We dropped down in the hall where we had the feast. Romero, Charlene, and Kubra were in the middle of the hall manifested, and the wolves coming at them were piling up in agony. The rest climbed over the bodies of the ones on the floor, trying to get to the group. The three were sending out wave after wave as they held hands, forcing the wolves down. Fahan, Jade, and Carl, each with a sword in hand, were stabbing the writhing wolves in the head. Chris and I teleported into the middle. "Get us out of here, Michael," Charlene begged, "I don't know how much longer I can last. I reached for my plate.
***
Lyla
After Jacklin and I talked about what her device did, we decided to take a moment; we took a nap, got cleaned up, and ate a proper meal before making a life-altering decision. Early in the evening, we built a fire and sat around it with a drink in hand. The button lying on a table between us. We discussed every little detail, how we thought the situation could play out, and if we would be able to live with whatever happened.
"I saw Juliet."
Jacklin turned to me, "You did… where?"
"Here… She and Caleb came for that," I pointed at the stone structure Louis had erected.
"What did he hide?"
"One sentence or rather a lyric of a song?"
"Why didn't you go with her?"
"She didn't offer… I was only happy she didn't kill me."
"Why didn't she?"
"Caleb seems to have a conscience."
"Who is Caleb?"
"Her son… Don't ask me. He is like sixteen or almost seventeen about now."
"Oh, our lives are so different. If she had grown up on En-gannim, she would've ended up in a factory chained for manual labor."
I took a moment before I asked, "Did you also fall in love with him?"
"Louis?"
"No, Ahasuerus?"
She laughed, "No! I… figured that was why I ended up here."
"Tell me the story, please. If only to humor me."
Jacklin stared at the drink in her hand, "Ahasuerus was heavy on populating En-gannim… It was time for another wife. Every few years, he would add one… Sex to him was like a part of his job. Spread his seed, sow his oats, and if something happened to his first wife's children… one of his sons would be strong enough to fight for the throne… Keep it in the family once he dies."
"It is also why we have to make the decision," I pointed at the device. "He wanted no one else on the throne."
"Yes… the Ahmeds felt justified in all they'd accomplished in the last five thousand years… I sometimes wondered how Ahasuerus grew up… How did his father treat him? If their customs and small things were passed down from generation to generation because the first night, I sat on a bed while he worked in the room for hours and hours without giving me a second thought… A reminder of how low I was on the hierarchy… I must have fallen asleep and fumbled forward because I jerked awake, and he was staring at me. He didn't believe in seeing any of his wives, so my face was completely covered, and my body… I didn't say a word and lowered my eyes… He continued with his work, and the next time I jolted, he was next to me. I will never forget how my heart raced with him so close. He looked down at me for a long time… Everyone had said it would be quick and every time would be the same… We were on rotation with several women per day. When he reached for the hem of my skirt, I wanted to lie down. He told me to sit still and bunched up the material, slowly exposing my legs… Then he sat and stared at my legs for the longest time… I was so tired, and on the other hand, the adrenaline was messing with me. I can still remember how anxious and afraid I was when he bent over and stretched out his hand to touch me. He didn't, though, and only hovered over my skin all the way up to my waist—never taking the plunge to actually touch me… He told me to take off my clothes. I wanted to get up. He told me to sit still… as if my getting up would make him change his mind. I fumbled my way through. He did the same with my exposed body… When he reached for my veil, the doors opened, and another man came in and said, "Sire, this is not the way."
Ahasuerus didn't look away from me, answering, 'I know; leave now, Jabin.'
Urrgh, I was mortified, sitting there naked and being used as a breeding mule. I didn't really know what to feel… Feelings were beaten out of you… Especially if you wanted to be married off to a man with more influence.
After the doors closed, he took off my veil and stood, staring down at me again. I might not have had a lot of words to express my feelings, but I'd never felt so exposed in my life. He said, "Look at me."
I couldn't. I just couldn't… It was not the way. I was afraid of dying or ending up in a prison. His tone changed, "If you don't look at me, I will pluck out your eyes."
In that moment, I didn't know what he wanted to see there or why it was so important to him… Now—I think he wanted to be seen… When I looked at him… and there was nothing there… He saw what every other man does. Conquer—win at all costs—make her mine—I am worthy and important... You will worship me… He forced me to look at him while he… you know. And every time afterward… I could never look at him the way he wanted me to… I never got pregnant either, and the last time I saw him, he touched me. Every part of me as I sat there… The sex I could handle… The slow fondling and the noises…" Jacklin shuddered at the remembrance.
"I must have flinched and overcorrected out of fear… By the time he touched my lips and I had to look at him, I was trembling, cold to the bone… Dry as sandpaper… My body did not betray me, and in a way, I guess he took it personally because when he felt me … and I had no response to him… He stood and left without a word."
"How long?"
"A hundred f—ing years… every day, the same thing over and over. If it was like five minutes, I would've understood… Every day for an hour! No, it was like his porn… I figured—once I got here and saw what men had to do… Maybe at his advanced age, he needed more to… you know."
"And here?"
"Qadir met me, traveled me to a penthouse away from the compound, and gave me ten years to find my feet, figure things out, and show him I could be an asset."
"Samuel took pity on me… If he didn't, I don't know what Ahasuerus would've done with me… Sam also told me I was being watched by a human in a cubicle somewhere in the desert. It was the worst news for me because I knew Ahasuerus still watched me in every way, only then on a freaking screen."
"Jeez Jacklin, it was like being stalked, only you could do nothing about it."
"No… because even if I was free, I was more controlled than ever, so I did work myself up, and then I ran so many brothels and clubs and studios to make money for Qadir. I was surrounded by sex without the ability to indulge in even one conversation… I had no one… Not allowed to talk."
Jacklin smiled, "Samuel called and gave me a phone number. After a hundred years on Earth, I met Louis. I knew who he was, and even my mind was protected from the man… Fifty years later, after Louis slept with so many women, I made a mistake… He had asked me to get him in a room with multiple people… I organized many such events for higher-up clients. Louis… was one of them… I introduced everyone, and we had a drink… when it was time for me to leave so they could… partake… Louis held me back and ordered me to sit down… I was so disgusted with the words… So uncomfortable for what seemed an age of them fornicating in front of me… It was also when I saw actual mutual sex. Women having orgasms… That night, my body did betray me. Louis must have known… I don't really know how… He nicked someone's throat. I manifested uncontrollably… We had no choice. I suddenly had an outlet for every repressed feeling. An open opportunity to get rid of so many pent-up frustrations… Before—I wasn't even allowed to feed myself like the rest of the creatures on Earth. Constantly fed blood from a beast and my food sent from home… It was the first time I had killed at all; the act in itself satisfies some animalistic urge… Louis let me kill all of them… The blood sent me into a cliché-frenzy; I couldn't repress the lust anymore… Louis was there. Naked. Waiting… I felt everything… So I kissed him and undressed myself… He had me crying out and begging for it… I never felt so free—sated."
"How did he not find out?"
"Samuel was there the next day… He drugged Louis and locked him up after his little stunt… How Samuel covered up all those people dying… What a nightmare. He slid the black tube over to me and asked me if I wanted to die? I begged again and told him I wanted Louis and me to work out… Samuel never came back to me and told me Louis was going back to France… I never saw him again… I don't know how I got through the next fifty years… And then one night, out of the blue, he sat on my couch in a dingy motel, absolutely going crazy about a young girl… a freaking child… I mistakenly thought Marcus would put an end to it. He was Qadir's freaking son, after all! Ahasuerus's grandson! How could I have known he would apologize to her… or about their history… I thought Marcus would force her back to the compound, and Louis would never see her again. Boy, how wrong I was… I was, in the end, only a pity-f—… When Marcus took over the compound, I begged Samuel to disconnect me… I disappeared and was really free for the first time in my entire life."
I leaned over and pressed the button.
***
Louis
Before I opened my eyes, I knew Juliet had left, and she had not taken me anywhere. I had pissed myself, and the smell was too much for my new nose. It had also not stopped raining, and the wind gusted through the broken windows; I could almost feel the spray of rain on my face. I came up wondering how many days I was out. I took in the room, fell onto my hands on the floor, and puked my guts out; the contents looked like I felt... I didn't even care about getting cleaned up, so I sat on the bed. The room was disgusting… After so long apart, this is where I took her—to sleep with me—on a dirty old mattress. Revulsion ate at me. My insides rebelling at all I'd become… Juliet had not been herself and kept a lot from me… She was all there, but there was a hesitation in her manner I've never seen… Even more cold and controlled than after Fahan took Chris's ability.
I reached for the packet of cigarettes and felt paper; my hand stilled. A note. I turned quickly and opened it.
Louis
I'm going back. Figured out a way.
Soren knows what the other stone does, and Romero and Iku gave me their blessing. Together, we think the consequences are worth it.
I do blame myself for what you're going through, seeing you like this… It's all because of me. I can't help but feel it.
I'm going to prove to you that no matter who I choose, you will find your way to me. I will live four lifetimes, and I will leave you for last. Because I know it's the one that will end up being all I need. And maybe even all we need… I at least owe it to all of them to try. I have a nagging suspicion I will be right in this regard. You will make your presence known in all my stories no matter how hard I try to stay away.
And in the end, I will make one permanent choice.
This is where I want to be. I love you so very much. You are right for me, and I will prove it to you. Before you took that formula, I didn't even have to lift a finger. You will not be infected. You will not be hurt or have to fight anymore.
I am sorry I pushed you into it. Begged you to mark me. This time… I will let you take the lead. If I can… Anyway… I'm rambling…
I had to laugh… Juliet was still in there… She just couldn't be there with me without guarding herself against me. My laughter died between the tears and my clenched hands. The anger beat down the happiness. The shame and guilt of how I spoke to her—dragged my conscience to an uncomfortable place.
You have all of me
I had to get out of there! I had to stop her! I turned to my plate and typed a message for Jessy. I waited… No reply. She wouldn't leave me there? Juliet already did… I asked her to. I tried Jessy again and again. No answer. It wasn't like I would see two grey ticks turn blue. Did something happen? Why had I come there? To the middle of nowhere? I didn't have food. The water in the area was contaminated, and nothing else was left. It was a wonder their house was still standing.
The reason Michael couldn't find me was because I had blocked him supernaturally from finding me… Every time I saw him, I knew he could find me if he honed in on my presence. He had practiced and was getting really good at knowing where I would be. I also practiced and found a way to sever the connection. Juliet's letter lay on the bed—mocking me. It was too big an issue to leave, and now that I had a reason to go back, I couldn't or was being denied entry… What she said in the letter is why she had kept so much control over her thoughts… Why she never came to look for me… Juliet's been planning on fixing everything—all by herself… Because I wasn't there. Did I not promise I would be by her side?
There was only one way to get back. My body strained against the idea. My demon didn't want to allow me to reason. Alone was better. Away from everyone who would force me to take away this drug... What if Juliet went back before I could fix things? After the other night, would she change her mind about me? I sat down again and closed my eyes. I would have no blood and no drugs to get me out or through my spell. I dug my nails into my thighs, giving my animal something else to think about, and at the same time nudged—concentrated on Michael. He would be the only one who could come. Nothing. I tried again. Not even a tiny reply.