Apotheosis of the Immortal (49 page)

Chapter 102

He thought it
would have been much harder, but it was the easiest decision he had ever made. He would leave his vengeance unclaimed. There would be no reckoning, no retribution for the vicious murder and betrayal of his family. Emira was his choice. Her life for his vengeance was more than a fair trade.

She had already given him more than he had ever imagined possible, more than he ever believed existed, more than revenge ever could have granted him. She had given him hope. She had given him life. For a brief moment, she had allowed him to see himself as he had been so long ago, as a good man.

He suddenly understood the tree. He was the tree, the tree who lives for the flower. He lives for the flower, because no matter how much he gives her, she always gives him more. He gives her protection and allows her to live, but she gives him life and beauty and shows him how. Emira was his flower. She was his redemption. And now he would be her savior.

Painfully aware he could have only seconds remaining, Elijah turned to face her.

“Just take me away from this place,” she pleaded between sobs.

“I can’t go, but you must.”

“Please, just come with me! You will find another time, one better suited for revenge.” Her mind was racing. Why would he not just grab her and run? What could she say to make him listen?

“It’s not about revenge anymore, Emira. I’m losing my strength. I’m dying, and what I said about you was true. You are
The Key
, and if I don’t stop them now, you will be in danger for the rest of your life.” He framed her lovely face with his hands and gently stroked her cheeks as he spoke.

“I don’t understand,” she sobbed.

“Listen to me, Emira. When I handed my brother that piece of paper, my fate was sealed. The god who made me immortal warned me that if I did that, I would lose my power and quickly die. So you see, this is the only chance I have to make sure you are safe.” Elijah was pleading and trying to console her at the same time.

“You knew! And you still did it… for me. No, please tell me that’s not true.” Emira’s voice was sharp. “You miserable, selfish man,” she shrieked and slapped him across the face as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she had stopped crying and hugged Elijah as tightly as she could.

He wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked the back of her head.

Emira could sense the field of demons closing in around them, but still she wasn’t afraid; she was safe in Elijah’s arms. She knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and she believed in him—powerfully. His strength and tenderness made it easy for her. She could abide in his arms against this onslaught, as if in a sturdy lighthouse amid crashing waves.

Elijah slowly pulled away; he looked deep into her eyes and kissed her gently on her lips. He imagined in all of history, there had never been a kiss that meant so much. He knew it would be his last loving act in this world, and he was happy to have lived long enough to experience something truly divine.

“Elijah, your eyes!” Emira exclaimed.

Elijah could hear her shock. He could feel his eyes burning, but Emira had seen them do that before.

Elijah didn’t understand. He touched his eyes, then looked at her blankly.

“They are glowing bright white!” she gasped.

It didn’t matter to Elijah; his only focus was to make sure Emira would be safe after he was gone. All the tension left him. He could never have imagined dying a better death. He was truly happy.

“Run!” Elijah mouthed.

“Come with me!” she tried one more time; tears were again rolling down her face.

“I can’t, but I can hold them off. Run
now
!” His face was uncompromising and his voice scolding.

As his father’s men prepared to attack, Elijah gathered his composure and turned to meet them. His death might be certain, but his presence here tonight would be felt. He was ready.

Chapter 103

“I won’t leave
you!” The shrill voice echoing from behind him allowed a deep fear to crawl back into the depths of his soul.

“Please, Emira, I am not positive I can kill them all.” Elijah’s voice was shaky as he shouted over his shoulder.

He glanced at the tree line, hoping to see Khalid, before he turned back to Emira. He would give anything if his big bear of a friend was here to carry her away to safety.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Her voice was soft but uncompromising. Elijah dropped his head; he knew they only had seconds. “So,” she said, “what’s it going to be?”

Elijah knew what she wanted. She wanted him to run away with her, but he couldn’t. He would die anyway, and she would never be safe.

Elijah slowly raised his head and looked deep into her eyes. Tears were streaming from their corners. He stepped forward and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

“Don’t cry, please. I’m going to make sure you are safe. I’m going to kill them all.”

Elijah whirled and grabbed a vampire’s swinging sword hand just before he would have been parted from his head. Holding the vampire’s arm firmly with his left hand, he swung his short blade up and to the right, splitting the monster’s head in two.

Elijah tossed his short blade into his left hand and pulled the vampire’s sword loose with his right. He looked down at the dagger-like blade in his left hand and the short sword in his right.

He thought of Hassan. It had been ages since he had fought with sword and dagger. He thought about Hulagu and Ayda and how much each of them had taught him.

He realized now why it hadn’t worked, why he had never been able to understand what they were trying to teach him. He had been a tree growing alone in the desert with no reason to live. All he had was the hate he clung to with such desperation. He hadn’t been ready for what they wanted to teach him; he hadn’t deserved it, not until now. Not until he had found his flower.

The vampire before him seemed to fall in slow motion, revealing a wave of immortals hurtling towards him. He glanced back at Emira once more and smiled. His heart was finally at peace; there was no more room left for hate or vengeance. Protecting Emira was all that mattered.

Once again it seemed as if everyone was moving in slow motion. His mind was clear. With just a few swings of his sword and a number of rips and jabs with his dagger, the surrounding vampires fell with ease.

The only dangers left were William and Solomon. Solomon backed up and threw his hands in the air as William clumsily pulled his sword. They were both staring with confusion at the fire in his eyes.

“What are you doing? What’s wrong with your eyes?” William babbled as Elijah dropped both of his blades and continued forward.

“I’m coming for my sword,” Elijah said. William’s eyes widened as he looked down at the sword he was holding. Indeed, it was the sword of the Great Khan, the sword he had taken from Elijah, the sword Hassan had given to him. William smiled and slashed down at Elijah’s neck. Elijah maneuvered out of the way with ease.

“Elijah, remember our brother, please,” Solomon begged as William thrust his sword. Elijah quickly turned to the side to escape his blow, then grabbed William’s extended arm with one hand and curled the other around the back of his neck, flipping him over his shoulder and onto the ground.

“Get up!” Elijah bellowed, and William quickly jumped to his feet, lunging forward with his sword extended, but Elijah spun out of the way and backhanded him hard across the jaw. William stumbled backwards but didn’t fall.

Regaining his composure, William slashed at Elijah’s neck. He jerked backward, barely avoiding the blow. Having anticipated Elijah’s move, William immediately swung his sword back. Elijah quickly stepped forward and, with his right hand, he grabbed the back of William’s sword hand. Holding it tight, Elijah hammered his left hand forward into William’s elbow and watched the bones burst through the skin as the sword fell from William’s grasp.

Elijah slowly reached down and picked up the Spartan sword. “I told you, Father, these things always seem to find their way into deserving hands.” Elijah smiled as his father moaned and snapped his elbow back into place.

Elijah looked around for Solomon, but he was gone. “You’re all alone, Father.” William had crawled over to the old oak and propped himself up.

“Just get it over with,” William groaned as Elijah approached. As he pressed the sword to his father’s neck he began to feel awkward and uneasy. He felt something run from his eyes and nose, and when he touched it, his hand came away bloody. The blade in his hand began to feel like a lead weight. He couldn’t hold it any longer; he was dying and he knew it.

“Run!” He turned and shouted to Emira as he fell to his knees. The smug grin returned to William’s face as he picked up the sword and pressed it against Elijah’s temple.

“They really do, don’t they?” William’s smile grew broad as he looked down at the sword in his hand. “Elijah, haven’t you realized yet, you will never be better than me? The universe itself will not allow it,” he boasted.

Elijah wasn’t paying any attention; his focus was on Emira. “Run!” he tried to shout, but blood spewed from his mouth instead.

She wasn’t running; their eyes locked while William raised the sword above his head.

“Don’t worry, I will make it quick for both of you.”

Chapter 104

Khalid saw the
multitude of bodies scattered across the field. He was relieved when he saw Emira still alive and Elijah holding a sword to William’s chest. He had actually done it.

Suddenly, the situation changed radically. He saw Elijah fall to his knees and William take his sword.

There was no time left. Khalid hoped his brothers would make it in time to help, but either way he had to act now or watch his friends die. He didn’t hesitate. Stalking forward, he released a deep and vicious growl.

Chapter 105

“Grrrr!” Out of
the blackness behind him, Elijah heard and felt a deep, forbidding rumble, as if hell itself had burst open and was spilling out into the night. William froze. The hairs on the back of Elijah’s neck stood on end as the stentorian, almost subsonic vibration behind him grew louder and closer. Glancing back, all he could see were two gleaming black specks sunk in the vast darkness.

Under the faint light of the moon a massive beast stepped forward. Elijah couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the largest, most vicious-looking beast he could ever remember seeing, and it was growling thunder. The beast reminded him of the dogs he had seen on the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, but this thing was much bigger.

It was the size of a small horse, and its muscles bulged in every direction. It was solid black and its jaws looked like they could tear even an immortal in half with one bite. Fearing the beast’s intentions, Elijah rolled over onto his stomach, trying to crawl to Emira’s side.

Elijah could feel William’s sword in his back as the beast walked to Elijah’s side and remained there. It looked at Elijah for a moment before raising its huge head and looking William directly in the eye. The beast was ferocious, but there was something very familiar about its eyes.

Elijah had heard of lycans, or werewolves, as they were called in the west, but he had never seen one. They were creatures of myth, said to be the rarest and most ancient of creatures, created by the spirit of the earth to protect mankind.

They were rumored to be vicious, and easily more powerful than the average immortal. The creature lowered its ears and growled fiercely at William; its teeth glimmered in the moonlight as its eyes began to glow bright red.

Heartened by the beast’s presence. Elijah drew a deep breath. Surely William would not risk an attack now that he was faced by a beast clearly determined to protect him and Emira. Still, he knew better than to underestimate his father’s stubbornness.

“One wolf, you think this changes anything?” William was trying to act strong, but Elijah could feel the blade twitching against his back; William was afraid.

Fearlessly, the beast took a huge stride towards William, who stood his ground. As if to settle this uneasy stalemate once and for all, the lycan threw his huge head to the sky and belted out a bone-shaking howl. One by one, deep, chilling howls came rolling down from the hills around them.

He’s not alone!
Elijah was elated when he heard at least three more. Now, William surely would know he was outmatched. Having attained what he came for, William turned and ran, disappearing back into the night from whence he came. Elijah wanted to give chase, but he couldn’t even sit up.

Elijah suddenly heard thunder behind him. He turned his head to see a throng of beasts race past him, the big black one in the lead. They were going after William! Elijah hoped they would tear him to shreds.