Indignation (18 page)

His eyes stay lock on his hand. She turns around before her tears fall silently down her face. She walks across the room to the stair case. On the first step she takes a deep breath to calm herself. She tilts her head to say her silent goodbye. He still doesn’t raise his eyes from the hand that holds her necklace. She nods at nothing and turns back around to face her reality. A reality without Julian.

Pull Release

“Hey. How are you feeling?” Jim asks Alyssa when her eyes finally open from her hours of sleep.

She sits up with a new smile. It’s a smile of acceptance towards the future she will be leading from now on. “I feel guiltless.”

He scrunches his eyebrows at her. “What?”

“Ignore me.” She says before she admits why she feels guiltless. Her eyes widen when she really sees Jim. With everything that has been happening to her lately, she didn’t notice his recovery. “You look new.” She states with excitement raising her voice.

He chuckles. “It has taken you long enough.”

“I’m sorry. I feel so lost now.”

“You should. That physco looked like he was going to kill you three days ago.”

She frowns. “Three days ago?”

“Your Dad came here with some IV and put you to sleep. I’m not sure what he gave you, but he said that you needed your rest. He actually took out the IV a few hours ago. He was going to stay when you woke up, but he had an emergency at the hospital.”

“Oh.”

“Look I know that you might not want to hear this, but Brandon and I don’t want you to ever see Julian again. Not after what we witnessed.”

“You don’t understand Jim. It’s not his fault.”

“He had a sword against your neck.” He argues.

“If you only knew.”

“Then tell me.”

“I can’t. All I can tell you is that Julian isn’t who we thought he was. Everything is my fault.”

“You’re not making sense.”

“I know.” She nods. An idea starts forming in her head. “Remember that pool party we were talking about?”

“Yes, I do.”

“We should have it tonight.” She really needs a distraction for at least one night.

“Actually remember the day you had that important talk you had with your parents?”

“Yeah? You left with Brandon to do some guy stuff and then get ice cream, which you both never brought me.”

He ignores her whining. “We went to talk to Vince, Daniel, and Joey.” He’s talking about the band members, who share the same last name, of his old band before he left for the military. “We set up a date for the pool party performance and it’s actually tonight. Brandon commented on it to Dev when he was here and Dev pushed us to have it tonight. That’s why he took out the IV. He said that you needed the distraction so… house party tonight!” He faked a cheer.

“Wow, a lot has happened since my Dad knocked me out with his medicine stuff.”

“Not a lot has happened. The decorations still need to be put, but-”

“No, no, and no. You and Brandon can go play while I do the decorations. Remember last time you both planned that surprise party for me?” She remembers how excited they were at hiding the surprise from her. It was sweet, but when she saw the decorations in her yard she wanted to cry. They had set up everything in pink. The entire theme was Barbie. She never saw so much pink in her life. What was ridiculous about it was that she was sixteen. She left the Barbie doll stage at the age of seven. It just didn’t make sense.

“We thought you liked it.”

“I lied. I wanted to make you both idiots feel like you did something good.” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you both did that to me. I still have nightmares because of it.” She says with great exaggeration.

“Fine. You set up the decorations while I go buy the drinks.”

“Where’s Brandon?”

“He’s outside tanning for tonight.” He rolls his eyes. “If it wasn’t for him sleeping around so much, I would think he’s playing for the other tea-” She throws a pillow at him. “What was that for?”

“He doesn’t sleep around. He’s also not gay.” She argues.

He raises his eyebrows at her while crossing his arms. “Do you seriously believe that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Brandon’s a player.”

“No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Jim extends his hand to her. “I’ll prove it.” Jim leads her downstairs to the back yard. Brandon is lying down on top of a grey towel on the floor. He’s completely and utterly naked.

“Ew! Brady!” Alyssa covers her eyes with Jim’s arm. She can hear her best friend’s amused chuckle.

“You can look now, Aly.”

She slowly removes Jim’s arm from her eyes. She breathes a sigh of relief when she notices the tightly wrapped towel now on Brandon’s waist. “What the hell Brady? Why would you tan naked in my house?”

He shrugs. “I usually hear you come out. Must have been distracted I guess.” He grins.

“Usually? You’ve done this before?”

“Well, you can’t tan fully well with shorts.”

“Okay, never again.” She sits down on one of the law chairs. “I need a minute to take this image out of my mind.”

“It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before.” He comments.

“We were kids back then, Brady. We both didn’t have anything to show.”

He snickers. “
You
had nothing to show.” He points out. “Plus you dress in front of me.”

“Um, it’s not like you haven’t seen me in a bikini before. I’m never completely naked in front of you.”

“You have a point there.”

“You think?” She sarcastically says.

Jim laughs. “Now I’m here to prove something.” He turns to Brandon his arms crossed. “How many girls did have sex with in the past week?”

“Whoa, personal dude.”

“Just answer it.”

“Not including the Asian girl, whose name I didn’t know, I would say four? Two in the same night, different times. Why are you asking?”

“BRADY!” Alyssa yells in shock.

“What?” He looks at her like a crazy woman.

“You slept with four girls in the past week?”

“Yeah. What do you think? I don’t spend every day here with you Aly. I have a life.” He rolls his eyes like it’s something she should know by now.

She rubs her temple with the tips of her fingers. “It’s like I don’t know you.”

“You’re being dramatic. It was just sex.”

“There you go.” Jim smiles proudly. “Told you he’s a player.”

“I’m not a player. I’m the game. They have to play to win.” Brandon argues.

“Okay, I’m done listening to both of you. Leave so I can get started on the decorations.”

“Want me to help, Aly?”

“Brady, I’ve seen enough of you. Just go help Jim-Jam get the drinks.”

The men left to shop, but not before throwing her in the pool. She runs her fingers through her wet hair back and runs inside to put on her purple bikini and some shorts just in case Jim and Brandon throw her into the pool before the party again.  She narrows her eyes at the yard. How will she decorate when she has nothing to use as decoration? The only thing she can do is move things around and then go out to shop.

“I was wondering when the Keeper would take you out of your sleeping beauty state. I was surprised that he gave me call to say you were going to have a party tonight.”

Alyssa turns around to find Miranda standing in a white summer dress and a baby blue bikini underneath.

“Miranda.” She hugs the Elim. “After what happened with Julian, I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“What would make you think that?”

“Just a thought I guess.”

“Well, take that thought out of your mind.” The Adviser Elim orders. “The God has made me your Elim.”

“What?”

“Your father has made me your Elim. I won’t be leaving you for a while.”

“It means you’re my guardian angel, right?” Alyssa asks to make sure what having an Elim can mean to her.

“Yes, that’s one way of putting it.”

“Miranda, I really meant what I said. That fight made it over for me. I want to stay away from all the immortal stuff you keep talking about. I want to be able to be me. At least the human me that I thought I was before. I don’t need an Elim or any help from the God.” She says with resentment. “He’s not a father to me, Dev is.”

“I understand why you would want that, but Dias is your father. This life, an eternity of immortality is who you are now. You will never escape it. You will only hurt yourself if you ignore it.”

“I just don’t want any of it. I want to move on. That’s my goal.”

“You can still do that. You just need to accept who you are.”

“I can’t accept something that I don’t want.”

“We don’t want a lot of things involving the world we live in. You think I wanted my immortality in the hands of Dias’s realm? I didn’t. I was forced into being an Elim. I accepted my fate. It’s time you accept yours.”

“How were you forced into this?”

“Everyone has secrets Alyssa. The less you know the better. Just come to terms with this. This is your fate. You were born to live as an immortal. There’s no going back, just forward. Everything will be okay.” Her Elim assures her.

“How can you be so sure that everything will be fine?”

“Because I’ve lived through your fears. It’s hard now because you have your friends and your human life that you’ve built. In a few decades, every one of those people you love so much will die. You will bury them and then you will love others. The cycle will continue on and on. You will always have something that they don’t have though. You have centuries in front of you, while they barely have one. That’s how it will always be. It’s the cycle of being a creation.”

“So anything I say or do won’t make it all go away? I’m stuck in this life?”

“You have no choice.”

“I really wish I was like normal American girls. You know, worrying about the perfect dress for prom instead of having a God as a father, a psychopathic ex-boyfriend who was a king, or having a blonde guardian angel.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Well, if I can’t have the normal life I wanted, then I’ll settle for a normal night. Want to help me decorate for the pool party?”

“I’d love to.”

<><><>

The God sits on his gold throne. His dark hair is neatly cut just as his beard. His warrior armor covers his body. “Gabriel.” His voice, full of authority, booms through the Heavens.

The Authority Elim kneels to the God in front of him. “Yes, my God?” He keeps his head down as a sign of respect and loyalty.

“I have only had one simple request for you recently.”

“To protect your daughter from any harm.” Gabriel states like a script he’s memorized for years.

“Yes. I am not satisfied with the outcome of recent events. My daughter has been in the hands of Julian twice. She was seconds away from her own death and you did nothing on both times.”

“He would never hurt her, even if he wants to otherwise. You know Julian more than I do.” The Authority Elim explains.

“That is why I say this. I know Julian well enough to never expect anything from him. Around Julian, always expect a surprise. When he attacks, he attacks with clarity. I saw danger in my daughter’s life. You will pay for that.” Gabriel nods hesitantly. “As my form of punishment, you will take Caillech to the Underworld to my brother Hades. He is waiting for her.”

“Yes, my God.”

“Do not fail me again. When it comes to my daughters, I will do anything, or kill anyone, who endangers them.”

“I understand.” The Elim stands up to leave.

“Before you go, I named Miranda as Alyssa’s Elim. You warn her of the consequences she will face if Julian ever intends to hurt my daughter again. I want all Elim Guards watching her with caution, which will be your duty. You are released with a warning; I will not be so kind in our next encounter.”

“I will do just that, my God.”

“Caillech!”

The goddess appears in front of him with fear in her gold eyes that match her goddess robes. “Y-yes, Dias?”

“You were treated as another goddess in my realm. I have opened the doors of the Heavens for you. You are very ungrateful, Caillech.”

“What will you do to me, Dias?”

“The same as I do to those who intend to bring danger into any of one my daughters’ life. I will not strip you of your godship.” She sighs of relief. “You are here forth banned from the Heavens. You will be escorted to Hades by my Authority Elim.”

“Dias, think of what Hades will do to me. Have mercy on me.” She begs him as Gabriel tries to sustain her.

“You had no mercy on my daughter. You wanted her blood for jealousy. I had warned you before about involving yourself with the enemy. Your loyalty to Julian and your jealousy has led you back to Hades. Gabriel will escort you to the gates of the Underworld. That is my final declaration.”

Gabriel grabs her from behind. She struggles, but under Dias’s command she grows weaker. Her strength to obey is stronger than her will to disobey and fight. “Dias! Julian will kill her. He will kill her!” She hysterically yells before the flames consume her and Gabriel as they transport to the Underworld.

The God smirks at the disappearing flames. “Do what you will to her, Hades, my sinister brother.”

<><><>

Julian hides in the shadows. For him, it’s second nature to observe before attacking. The element of surprise has always been on his side since no one can really predict his next move. Hans is across the street, waiting for his king’s signal.

Julian waits patiently for the guest to finish arriving. His men are surrounding the outer perimeter of where each Elim Guard stands. They don’t know just how far he will go to get what he wants. His mind is filling with many more ideas; each one is more pleasing then the next. Alyssa might have wanted it to be over at The Jag, but to him it’s far from over. He will never give up that easily. Not now, or ever.

More teenagers gather around to enter as a group. He finds the action familiar. His men would do that to protect him, but Julian would always be covered at all times. He is their king after all. Their duty as his Loyals is to protect the king above all, even the Gods they betrayed to follow him. Most of his Loyals come from the Underworld. Other immortals are his Loyals as well, but he prefers the Underworlders since they have a good sense of sin, something he commits every day.