Kimber (30 page)

“If
that’s all you have, than I over estimated your originality.”

Alexandria
shifts her weight from one leg to the other, reaches behind her back and pulls
forth the longest jagged knife I’ve ever seen. She traces the blade along
Lena’s quivering arm, over her shoulder and rests it between her collarbone and
neckline.

Lena
swallows hard as tears flee from under her fluttering eyelids.

“N—no!”
I scream. I’m trapped within myself, helpless. “Kill me! Please, please!” I
look to Leo who remains unresponsive. “Wake up!”

“He
won’t help you. He’s in transition. I thought we’d have a little mythological
fun in the mean time. You see, when the so-called founding families first
started their precious little clans, they were not the saints they’d have you
believe. They didn’t turn from temptation they just hid it better. But they
bred their descendents without the knowledge of their true power. We are the
offspring of Angels, for Christ’s sake!”

Her
outburst twitches the knife against Lena’s neck. Lena’s eyes widen with panic.

“I
don’t get it. What do you actually achieve in the end?”

She
smiles. “Everything. And it all starts with your contribution.” She glances
behind her and nods her head.

From
the dark, an average looking boy steps forward. The black trench coat he is
wearing is much too big.  His hair is snow white and hangs just above his
shoulders. He looks like a child barely over eighteen. The dark circles under
his green eyes give him an ominous look. His face is hard as stone as he walks
over to Leo gently touching him on the back of his neck. In response to the
boy’s touch, tremors pulsate through Leo’s body. He stretches his neck out
before bringing his hands up to meet his temples. The sound of his breathing
fills the room. As he slowly lifts his head, his empty hazel eyes rest upon my
face.

 “Oh,
no, Leo.” I sigh through heavy breath. Everything in the world suddenly feels
so wrong. Like a poison has spread and infected everything I’ve ever known.
“How can you be so evil?”

“It’s
in my blood. Bomani was a fool for walking away. Everyone wants to believe Olam
and Bomani died together but they didn’t. Olam killed his brother and from the
other side Bomani continues to punish us. Not anymore!” 

“Please
just let Lena go. I’ll do whatever you want, please.”

“I
don’t think so. Leo’s too close to completing the change and since it has to
involve an act of God, I’m going to need you both. Once Leo claims Lena’s life
you and I can have a little fun.” She arches her brow.

“Fine!
Kill me! Give it your best shot!” I lash out.

I
can’t take it anymore. She has everything she wants and I’m defenseless against
her. I won’t stick my tail between my legs and thank her for killing me
quickly.

“You’re
so afraid that you have to arm yourself and paralyze me.”

Abruptly
it occurs to me. If my synchronization with Leo’s heartbeat is legitimate and
not just a trance effect then Alexandria can’t kill me without killing Leo. And
while she saves him, I can escape with Lena. It’s not fool proof but it’s all I
have. I have to get on my feet.

“I’ll
show you fear.” She hisses. She passes the knife off to one of her lackeys and
stands in front of me. “Let’s see what you’re made of.” She says slapping my
face. I wince. “Let her down!”

I
expect the white haired boy to come over and do his mojo thing but he isn’t the
one who obeys.

Leo
pushes himself out of the chair. His empty eyes lock on to mine. With four
steps, we are face to face. One by one, he loosens the straps around my arms
and legs. My breath catches in my throat as he reaches his hand out and touches
on a pressure point behind my left ear. My nerves burst to life with a flush of
prickling pain. The sensation of his touch etches its way under my skin. I
savor the feeling.

Enabled
with the use of my body I slide off the wooden board and down to the dirt. 

Just
as Leo backs away, violent screams erupt from Lena’s gagged mouth. As I turn to
her, Alexandria’s boot comes down hard against my shoulder. I buckle and fall
back down.

“This
is what you wanted. Get up, mutt!”

I
push up from the ground, every muscle in me protesting. I stand as straight as
possible trying to anticipate her next move. I step forward and right into her
left jab, rocketing pain against my chin. I stumble backwards.

“Whose
pathetic now, maggot?” Alexandria hollers.

Being
my first real fight, just one significant blow to her would suffice.

I
gather myself and advance towards her. She comes up on me quick, grabs me by my
ponytail and introduces my face to her knee before pushing me back down. My
nose throbs as blood trickles down from the gash sliced across it. My eyes
sting with tears and I wince in pain.

I
turn around onto my knees and see Leo, sitting in the chair in front of me. He
looks down on me with distance in his eyes. His body relaxed and unfazed by my
beating.

As
foolish as it is I allow myself to believe some part of the man I know is still
behind his eyes. If he were, I’d imagine him snapping out of his trance and
saying something heroic before saving the day. But this is why I’m here. I
wanted to believe I could be great and save the man who has saved me countless
times. I wanted to think that for once something would work in my favor. That
bad things did not have to consistently happen. But even though I have failed,
at least I tried. And even if I die here, in this underground hell, it won’t be
in vain. I will have faced fear, learned some major life lessons and risked
everything on a single emotion. Nothing I wouldn’t do again.

As
I contemplate my fate a calming wave of release embraces me. I look up at Leo
and with every ounce of energy I have left I open my mind and reach out to him.

I’m
sorry I lost you. I’m sorry I failed.

A
flicker of emotion crosses his face. It’s so fast I can’t be sure I didn’t
imagine it. Was it anger, pain, sorrow? I smile at him, kneel on one knee and
rock back with my weight to stand up straight.

 “You’re
exhausting my kindness. How many more times do you think I’ll let you back up?
You know what, it doesn’t matter. I’m bored with you.” She dismisses me with an
arrogant wave of her hand.

“First
thing first child.” Akil says stepping out of the darkness.

Alexandria
rolls her eyes and turns back to Lena. With her guard down, I charge at her. I
make it three feet before the white haired boy encloses his arms around me. For
someone young, he is excessively strong. He pins my arms behind my back.

Lena
begins to thrash back and forth in the chair as Alexandria pulls her head back
by her hair. She screams through the gag in her mouth but I get the impression
it’s not because of Alexandria. She must have had a vision.

“Damn
it Leo! Do something!” I scream to him.

He
remains unconcerned; bored even. Like he’s at a party everyone would consider
cool, except for him.

 “Now
is the time, Leo.” Akil says handing Alexandria’s knife  over to Leo. Leo
stands and takes the knife.

“No!
Please! No!” I shriek and desperately try to break free of the boy’s hold. 

“Do
it!” Akil commands.

I
can’t bear to look at Lena’s terrified eyes. I wish so badly that I could look
away. For some reason I just can’t.

Leo
raises the knife. Just as he’s about to bring the blade down across my aunts
throat, a cool breeze rushes past me and I’m knocked to the ground. One by one
the torches are extinguished. In the dark, screams and commotion erupt. I hear footsteps
and the thud of bodies as they hit the dirt. Frightened I feel my way towards a
wall as fast as I can. I sit unable to do anything but listen.

Hands
scoop under me from out of the darkness. I swing my fists wildly but connect
with nothing. I’m lifted up into the air and cradled.

“Move!”
Leo’s voice commands.

I
have no idea what has happened but I’m overly relieved to be safe in his arms.
I bury my head against his chest, grateful neither of us is dead. I hold on
tight as he begins running though the tunnel. From behind I hear a second pair
of feet thumping against the dirt. I peek over Leo’s shoulder and by the dim
light of passing torches I see our pursuer. It’s the white haired boy from the
room. He runs behind us with Lena slung over his shoulder.

I’m
confused. Wasn’t he just Alexandria’s do boy? Isn’t he the one we’re running
from?

“He
has Lena!” I say fearing for my aunt.

“He’s
with us.” Leo retorts.

 After
ten minutes, it feels like we’ve gone in circles, back tracking our steps.
Apparently Leo thinks so too. He slows down to a stop and places me on my feet.

 “Stand
against the wall and focus on your breath.” Leo says to the white haired boy as
he does the same.

 As
soon as the boy sets Lena down, she storms angrily over to me. “What the hell
is wrong with you? Were you trying to get yourself killed?” She screams.
“‘Cause I could kill you myself.”

I
stare at her, dumbfounded. “Are you kidding me? She was going to kill us!”

 “Jesus
Kimber, have you no sense?”

“Excuse
me but I was the only one able to do anything.”

“I
didn’t get her.” The white haired boy speaks out.“She was too fast. She slipped
right through my hands.”

“Damn
it Wes! Now that Akil is dead there’s no telling how far Alexandria will go!”
Leo slams his fist against the stone.

“Why
couldn’t you have just kept your mouth shut and stayed where you were?” The
boy, now named Wes, scolds me. 

 “Like
I’m supposed to
read
your mind and automatically
know
there’s a
plan.” I stand with a hand on my hip. I don’t know what it is with him and Lena
but I’m not taking all the blame.

Wes
steps right up into my face. The toes of our shoes nearly touching. He looks
older up close. I don’t flinch though I know he would have liked me to.

“Why
don’t you go sit back in your castle, princess.”

“Back
off!” Leo says shoving Wes back. “It’s done. We’ll get out of here and worry
about the rest later.”

As
Leo navigates us out of the tunnels no one speaks to each other. Tension is too
high. We hurry back to the hotel where Lena and I grab what little things we’ve
brought. The goal is to escape from Giza before Alexandria has time to
retaliate.

We
hail a cab to bring us to Cairo and because I had requested earlier that the
pilot stick around, we jump on the Learjet and head home.

I
TRIED TO sit alone and collect my thoughts on the plane but Leo wouldn’t have
it. He insisted I remain in sight. Even after doing a sweep of the plane,
twice, he acted as if Alexandria could materialize in mid air. The mere thought
that she might actually scared me.

I
learned a little about Wes, whose dislike for me seemingly grew with each
glare. He is nineteen and comes from Indiana. At sixteen, he almost drowned in
his family’s pool. Soon after, his family sat him down and opened his world.
Before that day he knew nothing of his family’s heritage. Much like Leo, he
studied trance meditation and the art of pressure points.

I
should have tried harder to stay awake but my energy was waning and  I couldn’t
keep my eyes open. I fell asleep to the sound of  the three of them comparing
abilities.

I
woke up once when the plane hit turbulence. I became acutely aware that my head
was resting in Leo’s lap and his arm lay gently across my stomach.

He
had been whispering about Alexandria and right in the middle of warning Wes and
Lena to not let me out of their sight. I wanted to protest but I kept quiet and
listened.

Since
Leo had killed Akil, they expected Alexandria to be on a rapid rampage. They
didn’t know when, how, or where it would happen but they all agreed on who. I
was the most likely. I was the loose cannon that would end up doing something
stupid.

Leo
proclaimed his plan as simple. He would go back to the Grigori and strike a
deal to insure my safety. A deal like that would cost us both a whole hell of a
lot. Leo would undoubtedly return to working for the Grigori and I would end up
owing someone somehow. I didn’t like any of it so, just like they predicted, I
came up with my own plan.

Our first week back had
gone by without sight or word from Alexandria. But the silence would not last
for long. I was healing quickly from my last run in with Alexandria, thanks to
Leo’s blood donation, and I wanted to stay that way. If Alexandria is coming
for me, I have to be prepared. The last thing I want is another ass kicking and
since I couldn’t ask Leo or Mike for help I turned to the only other person I
could.

            Wyler
agreed to take me to the gym he uses on campus and even though I did not follow
up the request with an explanation, he agreed to teach me how to defend myself.