A Tiny Bit Mortal (23 page)

“Have you ever met your great grandfather?” I asked.

“No.” she said.  “I know nothing about my great grandparents on my mothers side.”

“Wow.” I said.  “Just wow.”

“All these years,” she said, “I thought I was crazy, seeing demons.  There are a lot of them in Portland.”

“You’re not crazy, Mom.” I said.  “So are you and dad…”

“He says I’m just as beautiful as the day we met.” she said, tilting her head and bouncing her hair with her hand.  “Though it is a little weird to be with a man that seems so young.  He’s still Nicholas though, through and through.”

“You look happy, Mom.” I said.

“I am happy.” she said.

She looked past me with a big grin, and I heard the footsteps of my dad approaching.

“Emily.” he said.  “Can we speak, alone?”

“Sure.” I said, loathing what I knew he would say.  He would try to convince me to stay, I was sure.  I followed him into his office and he closed the door behind him.  I sat down in the chair on the other side of his desk and watched him sit down in his.  I took a deep breath.

“Vidar wants me to shelter you two, but I can’t do this for more than a few days.”  he said.  “I will have to seek the guidance of the elders on this matter.”

“Have to?” I asked.  “Did you
have to
seek their guidance about mom?”

“They all agreed it was best for her to know, rather than go on thinking we were demons.” he said.  “She has inherited the ability to see us.”

Sighing, I placed my elbows on his desk and leaning my face on my hands.

“Are you okay, Emily?” he asked.

I looked into his eyes and said “Don’t you ever question any of it?”

“Any of what?” he asked.

“Other people are deciding what is best for you, for me, and for mom.” I said.

“They aren’t just other people.” he said.  “They have the wisdom of the ages.  We also get to have a say in matters.”

“Just words.” I said.  “Ultimately they decide.”

“Emily.” he said.  “It has to be this way.  There aren’t very many of us left.  They keep us close and do everything they can to make sure we are all stay pure, and safe.”

“There aren’t many of you left,” I said through my teeth, “because there are hundreds, maybe thousands locked away beneath the ground.”

He stared at me, blankly.

“No.” he said.  “That’s not true.”

I laughed and said “You didn’t know?”

“The others are dead.” he said. “or have turned to the other side.”

“They are immortals!” I shouted.

“There are ways to end an immortal.” he said.

“Dad.” I said.  “Vidar is living proof that what I’m saying is true.”

“It can’t be true.” he said, staring off into the distance.

“I sat in a cell for a month, listening to their weeping and echoing cries.” I said.  “Vidar says that it isn’t the only prison, that there are others.”

He gasped and leaned forward in his chair.  “You were in an underground prison for a month?  But we thought..”

“You thought right.” I said.  “The majority of my time there was spent partying, drinking human blood, and seeking more power.”

He looked sad and leaned back into his chair.  He was silent after that, sitting in his chair like a statue.  I waited for a bit and then left the room without saying a word.

In the living room I found my mom and Vidar sitting by the fire, throwing their heads back and laughing like they’d just shared a good joke.

I looked up at the wrought iron chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the center of the living room.  I noticed that the lights were subtly flickering and became aware of the sounds of my heart beating.  The flicker of the light was matching the beating of my heart.

Something about my dad’s ignorance overwhelmed my emotions.  I felt like a wildfire was raging through my body.  I crossed my arms under my chest and looked over at the family portrait painting hanging on the wall.

“Who am I?” I thought.  I remembered Vidar saying that my kind had the heart of a hero.  I didn’t feel like a hero.  I just wanted a simple life, with love and safety.

Looking over to the fire where my mom and Vidar sat together,  I remembered sitting in those same chairs talking late into the evening with Peter.  I could have had that simple life if only I had stayed.

After I inhaled, I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes.  I remembered looking out over the valley in Hollywood from the pool, next to Tim.  I watched us in slow motion, and the feelings washed over me like an ocean tide.  That ocean was inside me and wasn’t going anywhere.

“Emily.” said Vidar, breaking me from my vivid memory.  I looked up and nodded to him, and walked towards the fire where he sat with my mom.

Vidar got up and motioned to the chair he was sitting in.  He pulled the footstool away from the chair and sat on it.  I sat down in the chair, smiling and listening to their conversation.

I wanted to be there with them, but I could only play along.  In my mind I was with Tim, repeating the memories over and over in between the moments where I wondered how deep he was in now.  I cringed when I thought of the way I’d gutted my dad out from my heart once and turned my back on him.  I wondered if Tim had done that to me, and if I’d ever be able to see that same look in his eyes again.

My mom and Vidar laughed again, and I smiled again.  My dad joined our company, and settled into the chair with my mom, placing his arm around her.  She looked over at him affectionately, and he returned the same look.

We talked and laughed next to that fire until the night wore on.  I told myself to be sleepy and then produced a yawn.  My dad suggested we retire for the evening, and I slowly climbed the stairs to my room with my legs feeling heavy.

Opening my door, George followed me in, padding along with his dainty little paws.  Picking him up I held him close to my chest as I sat down on the bed.  Setting George down on my lap, I put my hand up to my chest and brushed my fingers over the diamond that rested there.

Remembered the echoing cries in Muriel’s prison, I wondered how many of them wept for the kind of love I felt for Tim.  “Some things aren’t just worth fighting for.” I thought.  “They
must
be fought for.”

Getting up from the bed I found my pack from the trip from Idaho.  I gutted out the dirty clothes and replaced them with a pair of black Mary Jane shoes, several pairs of undergarments, tights, skirts, and t-shirts.  I grabbed the tiniest nesting doll from the top of the dresser and placed it in a side pocket.

Walking across the hall, I brushed my teeth, making all the noises of getting ready for bed.  I gathered up my toothbrush, mascara, lip gloss and combs.  Listening to make sure the hall was empty, I then stepped across with an armload of my things.

After filling my pack with my items from the bathroom, I tightened down all the straps on it.  Sitting on the edge of the bed I watched the minutes pass by on the clock on my nightstand, staying as silent as a sleeping person.

The clock read “11:59 PM.”  I moved through the house as silent as a moth, fluttering with my pack on my back.  I quietly stepped from the porch to the yard and then spotted Vidar’s figure standing under a tree. 

He nodded to me and I nodded back.  We leaned forward, from the edge of the pathway in the yard, like racers at a starting line.  Taking a deep breath, I darted out into the night with Vidar at my side.

Freedom

We arrived a few miles out
from the Hall of Elders just as the sun began to rise.  We sat on a piece of drift wood and faced the beach.  I looked out at the calm water and the tiny waves that went
whoosh
out onto the sandy shore.  It was a rare day in winter, frigid, but calm and clear.

Light burst out of the tree line behind us, and the sky over the ocean lit up with a dusty blue smeared with a subtle violet.  I looked from the sky to Vidar sitting next to me.  He seemed as calm as the ocean.  I envied him.

My heart beat quickly, and nervously as I asked Vidar “So what is the plan?”

He kept his gaze upon the ocean and said “We step into this Hall of Elders and we speak.”

“What will we say?” I asked.

“Whatever needs to be said.” he said.

My long wavy hair flowed around me like a veil as I leaned forward to grab a smooth stick from the sand.  Sitting back up I held it in my right hand, spinning it between my thumb and index finger.  I had no idea what needed to be said.  “Okay.” I said.  “I will follow your lead.”

Vidar nodded and looked at me.  He grabbed a strand of my hair and wound it around his finger.  With a smile he said “Ready?”  I nodded and he let go of the strand of my hair.

We walked up a winding dirt path up a hillside sprinkled with tufts of tall grass.  We walked through a parking lot and then out to the highway, heading north.  We looked the picture of dirty wanderers with our beat up clothes and large packs on our backs.

“Emily.” said Vidar.

“Hmm?” I said, while I tried to match my left and right foot hitting the ground at the same time as his.

“If things get bad in there I want you to run.” he said.

I threw my head back and started laughing.  “Not a chance.” I said.

We walked on in silence for a while, and then Vidar broke the silence with “Okay.  If things get bad and I run, you run with me.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I said, and then pointed to a driveway to the left.  We hopped the gate at the end of the drive and then climbed a hill covered in ferns and moss covered trees.  We went over the hill, around a blind corner, and the Victorian style manor house came into view. 

Without stopping, Vidar increased his pace and stepped in front of me to approach the double doors beneath the archway.  He flung open both of the doors and stepped in.  I walked in behind him, and we quickly entered the hall.

The elders were all sitting in their chairs, but the nine chairs on the opposite side of the hall were the “children” sat were all empty.  All eyes turned to us. 

From the front of the hall sat Selene, then the brown curly haired athlete, the woman with four arms, Mikella with her white feathery wings, the little Chinese woman, the blond, the bearded man, and the two Egyptians.

The bearded man bolted up from his chair. 

“Brother?” he asked.

“It is I, Vidar.” he said.

Several of the men and women gasped.

Selene sat up in her chair, looking furious and pointing at me.  “Why is
she
in here?”

Vidar stepped in front of me as if to shield me.  Mikella darted out of her chair and stood behind me with a protective stance, her wings spread out behind her.

“She is one of The Corrupt.”  she said, venomously.  “She is a traitor, and a breaker of hearts.”

“Why are
you
in here?” said Vidar, to Selene.

She put her hand to her chest and stared at Vidar with an insulted look.  “Who are you?” she said to Vidar.

“Be respectful.” said the brown curly haired athlete to Selene.

“I am Vidar, son of Tyr.” said Vidar.

Selene’s eyes grew wide, her mouth hung open, and then she quickly shut it.  She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms under her chest.

“So you’ve come to claim your seat?” she asked Vidar.  “I am the youngest here and there can only be nine.”

“Don’t worry, woman.” said Vidar.  “I don’t want your
throne
.”

“Brother.” said the bearded man, gesturing to the chairs around him.  “These are no thrones here.  Look at the chairs we sit in.”

“Do you all live here together?” asked Vidar.  He already knew the answer to his question, and I had to hold back the urge to raise an eyebrow.

“Yes, brother.” replied the bearded man.  “Let us show you our hospitality.  You look ragged from your journey.”

“I would love to see how you live here.” said Vidar.

Everyone seemed to settle down, aside from Selene.  She stood up and said “What about the girl?”

“What about her?” asked Vidar.

“She is your prisoner, is she not?” said Selene.

Vidar threw back his head and burst into laughter.  “My prisoner?” he asked.  “No, no, no.  She is my liberator!”

Vidar put his arm around me, and Mikella still stood behind us.  “No harm comes to this woman, you hear?” 

He looked at each face, started from the left and received a nod.  His eyes met with Selene’s, and she kept her chin up in defiance.  She then swiftly turned and walked out of the hall.

“Don’t worry about her, brother.”  said the bearded man.  “She will just hang around another house she keeps a few miles from here and sulk.  It’s happened before.”

“Emily.” said Mikella from behind me. 

Whipping around I saw her smiling face.  “I’ve missed you.” she said.  “I was wondering when you’d come home to me.”

I looked over at Vidar and he gave me a questioning look.  I smiled and said “It’s okay Vidar.  She has adopted me as her daughter.”

“So many mothers.” said Vidar, with a laugh.

Mikella looked confused for a moment and then said “Come with me.  I will get you cleaned up.”

Vidar looked concerned, and I said “I trust her, Vidar.”  Vidar nodded, and I followed Mikella.  She took me down beneath the house, and I shuddered as I remembered the last time I’d descended under a house. 

Setting my pack off to the side I took off my clothes.  I approached one of the steamy rectangular tubs inset into the floor, and sunk into it.  It smelled like pretty flowers, and I could feel the oils in the water moisturizing my skin.

Mikella sat beside the tub and looked down at me.  Her wings were extended behind her and slowly moving back and forth.  She still looked like an angel.

“I heard some terrible things said about you.” she said.

“All of them are true.” I said.

“You don’t even know what has been said.” she said.

I inhaled deeply and then exhaled.  “One of the first nights with The Corrupt, I cheated on Peter with some stranger while drunk at a party.  I didn’t even remember it.  I felt ashamed and decided that there was no turning back.  I began drinking human blood and got a taste for power.  I basically wanted to rule the world.”

“Oh.” she said, in her sing-song voice.  “All true then.”

“Then,” I said, “I fell in love with one of them, and he fell in love with me.  His name is Tim.  We were going to run away together, but Muriel, my corrupt mother caught us and threw me in an underground prison cell.”

“Your corrupt mother?” she asked.

“Yes.” I said.  “She swore an oath to be my mother and protect me.”

“She doesn’t sound like a good mother.” she said.

I laughed and looked over to see Mikella smile.

“How did you get out of prison?” she asked.

“I was released after a month,” I said, “but vowed to return to save Vidar.”

“How did you free him?” she asked.

“I threw a party and got everyone drunk.” I said.  “Then I opened his cell, and we ran.”

Mikella studied my face, and we sat in silence for a while.  I got up out of the oily water and approached the large pool.  I dove in, hands first, and swam across the pool. Being in the water made me think of Tim, and my body felt heavy.  I felt a wave of sadness and cried my tears under the water.  By the time I came up for breath on the other side of the pool I’d pushed it all out of my mind, though I could still feel it lingering on my heart.

With my hands on the edge of the pool, I lifted myself out with my arms into a crouch.  Looking around I spotted a towel rack.  I stood up and grabbed a towel, drying off my hair and then my body.

Wrapping the towel around my body like a little dress, I walked over to my pack.  I put on my underwear and then stepped into a skirt, pulling it up.  I tossed my black t-shirt up into the air, catching it with my outstretched arms and pulling it over my head.

Muriel stood by, waiting for me.  After I wiggled into my tights and stepped into my shoes, she beckoned to me with her hand.  I followed her up the stairs, and then into the large dining room with the long table.  All the Elders, except for Selene, were sitting around the table.  Vidar was sitting with them.

Mikella motioned for me to take a seat across the table from Vidar, and I complied.  She sat next to me, placing herself between me and the others.

“Sorry this isn’t much.” said the bearded man.  “We would give you a feast in your honor, brother, but with such short notice…”

I looked around and the feast that was spread across the table.  It looked to me like a feast fit for royalty.  There was ham, a whole chicken, loaves of bread, grapes, and dish after dish of fancy looking concoctions that I didn’t recognize.  Everything was presented with decoration and flair, with silver platters, silvers bowls, and crystal wine glasses.

Anticipating Vidar’s laugh, I smiled when he began the laugh that emerged deep in his belly.  I waited for him to begin the same lecture he gave my dad, but he went on to say “This is wonderful.  I am famished.”

“Well then.” said the bearded man.  “Let’s eat!”

Food was passed around the table and I filled my plate with a little bit of everything.  I kept shooting Vidar looks to say “what are you doing?” but he only responded with winks and smiles.

My stomach grumbled, I shrugged to myself, and then I dug in.  The food was exquisite, and I felt more and more alive with every bite.  By the time my plate was empty, I felt clean and full.  I felt almost human again, not the muddy, ragged creature I had become on the way over.

Finally Vidar spoke up and said “I enjoyed the tour of your royal palace…”

The room went silent.  I stifled a laugh.

“The sleeping chambers here are exquisite.” he said.  “The baths are comparable to the old ones in Rome.  I’m impressed.”  He held up his glass and smiled.  “A toast, to everything you’ve built!”

There were loud gasps, and no one raised a glass.

“How could you say that, brother?” said the bearded man, loudly dropping his fork on his empty plate.

“It’s not like that.” said the Egyptian woman.  “We are humble here.”

“She’s right.” said the Egyptian man.  “This is a place of purity, and we desire good and the divine above all things.”

There were murmurs of agreement echoing through the room. 

“But you all rule from this house, do you not?” asked Vidar, in an innocent voice.

“We do not rule.” said the little Chinese woman.  “We are peaceful.  We only serve the divine.”

“I have heard that you make decisions in all of the affairs of the immortals.” said Vidar.  “Do they not all live under your command and your watchful eye?”

The woman with four arms lifted two of her arms in defense.  The other two she placed gently on the table.  She said “We serve the divine by maintaining order among our people.”

“Oh.” said Vidar.  “I thought that it was common knowledge that the divine order involves free will and that the divine cannot be forced.”

“If we did not choose for them,” said the blond woman, “they could fall to The Corrupt.  They need us.  There are not many of us left.”

“So I hear.” said Vidar, turning to the bearded man.  “Brother?  Where are our other brothers?  Last time I checked there were four of us.  Where is my wife?”

The bearded man looked down at the table, clearly ashamed.  “They are all lost.” he said.

“Lost, like I was?” asked Vidar.

The bearded man nodded.

“They are all in the underworld, yet here you sit feasting at a table.” said Vidar.

The whole room grew silent and unmoving.  The bearded man shifted in his chair and then looked up to Vidar and said “There was nothing I could do.  If I had tried to save you I would be among those captured.  There would be no hope.”

“Is that what you do?” asked Vidar.  “Hope?”

“I’ve never given up hope.” said the bearded man.

Vidar leaned back his head and grabbed his belly as it roared with laughter.  Everyone at the table, the bearded man included, looked confused.  Vidar slammed his fist down on the table as his laughter abruptly stopped.

“My warrior brother, sits in a chair, while this little woman that sits across from me came to my rescue.  This woman that you all love to call a child and a traitor.”