Extended family. We all have them. It's when your parents have really close friends that they consider family, so we start calling them Auntie and Uncle when we are young. Eventually, you find out that your cousins aren't actually your cousins, but simply your close friends. That's when new problems arise.
"What did you want to talk about, Ezekiel?" I ask after following him upstairs into the game room. "It's not like you to ask me for help unless it's to cover for you."
Thinking nothing about the situation, I take a seat on the couch while I wait for Ezekiel to answer. That was my mistake because I let my guard down. Ezekiel stands in front of me then slams his hands against the chair, trapping between him and the couch.
"What's this?" I laugh. "You trying to scare me or something?"
"Are you scared?" he asks as he stares me straight in the eyes. His dark brown eyes nearly suck me in before attempt to push him away.
[Huh? He's not budging...] I try to push him a little harder this time, but he still won't move. "Zek, what's going on? This isn't funny anymore."
"What's going on with you?" he questions as he inches closer to my face. "Why do you have that thing with you?"
Confused, I look down at myself but don't see anything odd. "What thing, Zek? There's nothing different about me than there usually is."
Ezekiel points at my shadow without looking away from me. "You know that I can see things. Things that no one else can see. Why do you have some sort of being living in your shadow?"
[Shit! I completely forgot. Ezekiel has his third eye open already.]
In my culture, there is a legend that everyone is born with a third eye. It may open for some or stay closed forever for others. It is said that when the third eye is open, the owner can see the world in an undisrupted view. Spirits, ghosts, demons, other supernatural beings. Things that normal people can't see, those with an open third eye can, and Ezekiel is one of the other people I know that has his third eye open. You can say he's something like a medium or the like.
"You have a keen eye," comments Zaku from my shadow.
"Zaku! You're back already?" I ask as I look at my shadow.
Sliding out from my shadow and onto the couch, Zaku takes on his human form and sits next to me. "People like you are very rare," Zaku says before flicking Ezekiel's hand away from me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
"What are you doing attaching yourself to Lillian?" Ezekiel begins to interrogate, rubbing sore hand from Zaku's flick.
Shifting my legs across his, Zaku pulls me closer to him. "Isn't it natural that a fiancé is close to his bride-to-be?" he sarcastically answers with a fake confused expression.
"Fiancé?!" Ezekiel shouts. This alerts the cousins who are downstairs, so they start to ask if we are okay.
"What's going on up there?" my little brother asks as he starts to come upstairs.
"Nothing is going on," I quickly respond. "Zek and I are just have a private conversation. We'll be done in a few minutes. Stay downstairs, okay?"
"Aight!" my brother replies before heading back down the stairs and closing the door.
I turn back to Ezekiel who appears flustered by how comfortable I am in Zaku's lap. "It's kind of hard to explain, but long story short, I made a deal with Zaku to become his wife when I turn 18 next year in exchange for his power and knowledge."
"But... why? Why would you make a deal with such a dark entity?" Ezekiel paces back and forth, scratching his head and trying to make sense of the situation.
"I'm not a dark entity," Zaku pouts as he nuzzles his head into my neck. "I'm a good prince. Right, Lillian?"
I giggle to myself and gently pet Zaku's lowered head. "Yes, yes, you are a good prince."
"Prince?!" Ezekiel shouts again, stopping mid-pace from the shock.
"You really need to stop shouting," Zaku grumbles, piercing Ezekiel with his sharp gaze.
[That's kind of odd. Zaku doesn't really react like this to people who aren't doing anything to me. What's going on?]
Ezekiel freezes up momentarily when he catches sight of Zaku's gaze. "Lily, I'm going to need you to explain to me how this happened so that I can understand. Please."
With a long sigh, I sit up on the chair properly and explain how I met Zaku and the reason behind it. As I explain everything, including what happened at school and at home, Ezekiel's eyes grow more and more conflicted. As if he couldn't tell whether to be happy or upset. After explaining, Ezekiel sits on the floor in front of me, processing what I just said.
Finally, after a moment to think, Ezekiel finally says, "I want to become a citizen of darkness."
"No," Zaku swiftly replies, crossing his arms.
"Why not?" Ezekiel questions as he stands up. "I'm already aware of your existence, and I'm Lily's close friend. Why can't I be a citizen?"
Zaku doesn't say anything at first but turns to look at me. "Do you mind if I cover your ears, Lillian?" he asks with a gentler look in his eyes.
"Go ahead," I answer without hesitation. I trust Zaku, so there's nothing for me to hesitate about. Plus, it seems as if Zaku wants to have a talk with Zek.
With a slight twirl of his finger, Zaku creates something like earmuffs to cover my ears with, and I sit quietly next to him as I watch their lips move. Although I'm not good at it, I can sort of read lips. Sadly, I couldn't catch much of their conversation because I never had to read Zek's lips before, so I'm not familiar with how they move when he talks.
The only words I could pick up were "protect", "love", "guard", and "queen".
After maybe a minute or two of them talking, Zaku removes the pseudo-earmuffs, and Ezekiel kneels down before me.
"Zek..." I utter out of confusion.
Lowering his head, Ezekiel vows, "I, Ezekiel Ramos, pledge loyalty and allegiance to the darkness and will obey only the prince and princess's command."
'Those who find comfort in the dark eventually find others who do the same.'
The same words from when Sienna swore loyalty echo through my head again.