Apotheosis of the Immortal (39 page)

Chapter 77

They made a
left out of the motel parking lot, but after that there were too many rights and lefts in the dark for Elijah to remember exactly how to get back. Then the white truck in front of him veered unexpectedly off the road to the left.

Elijah couldn’t see a road, or a trail. He wasn’t sure his little rear-wheel drive car would make the climb up the slick, grassy hill, but it did, and finally the truck came to a stop in front of a huge pond. Khalid got out of the truck and motioned Elijah to pull beside him.

“This is it?” he asked, parking his car where Khalid indicated.

“This is as far as your car goes, I’m afraid.” Khalid pointed to the pond in front of them that stretched far out into the darkness. Elijah realized Khalid was right. Emira and Elijah climbed out the car and the three of them took a moment to look around.

“Will you do the honors, or shall I?” Khalid smiled broadly. It reminded Elijah of the first time they met.

“You know, you were right,” Elijah said.

“Yeah, about what?”

“Your sense of humor is shit.” Elijah said. He retrieved his duffle, put his car in neutral and sent it swimming to the depths of the pond. “All right, now it’s your turn.” Elijah smiled with satisfaction. Khalid quickly turned to Emira in protest, but she nodded her agreement.

“Shit. You’re right.” Khalid shook his head ruefully as he opened the trunk and retrieved two large suitcases.

“You travel light,” Elijah teased.

“These are Emira’s.” Khalid laughed and dropped them at Elijah’s feet before walking around to the driver’s side of his truck and pulling out one small duffle bag. “I travel very light.” He grinned.

Emira leaned over and kissed Elijah on the cheek, as if to say thank you, and skipped ahead to walk with Khalid.

Kicking Khalid’s huge truck into the deep abyss of the pond, Elijah knew the big man had gotten the last laugh, but he didn’t care. Ayda was safe, and, for the moment, Emira was as well. The tide might not yet been turning, but it was at bay, and it was just good to be laughing at all. And after lifetimes of solitude, he was happy to part of something again.

Elijah picked up the bags and the trio walked in silence around the side of the pond and over a large hill. They were halfway down the other side of the hill before the small cabin came into view. Elijah couldn’t wait to have a few moments alone with Khalid; he wanted answers.

“And I thought we’d be roughing it.” A crooked smile broke across Elijah’s face.

“Well, I’ve been around for a long time, and I’ve learned it is always handy to have a few good hiding places.” Khalid’s laugh was just a façade. Elijah was learning quickly not to underestimate the beast of a man. He wondered just how long Khalid had been around, how long he had been protecting these ancient secrets, if there were any.

Walking into the dank and musty cabin, Elijah could hardly breathe. Emira sneezed as a breeze came in from the open door and blew dust everywhere. It was as if the door hadn’t been opened for months, or maybe years. Elijah thought for a moment it might be better to sleep outside on the grass.

Khalid chuckled as he pushed past the pair and walked over to what looked like a huge granite fireplace. He pressed against the giant stone and moved it about three feet to the right with ease, revealing a large opening and a stone staircase that descended a full story beneath the earth.

Chapter 78

Khalid ushered them
down the stairs and pushed the huge stone back into place. The underground section of the cabin, which was actually more like a compound, was intricately decorated and fully furnished. The air was fresh and clean, as though there was a circulation system filtering the air and pumping it in.

The place seemed to have every amenity. There was a large square stone in the center of the room that functioned as a coffee table. It was bracketed on two sides by antique-looking leather couches, both of them large enough to easily support Khalid’s massive frame.

On both sides of the stairs were large, fully furnished bedrooms, with desks, end tables, and even bathrooms. Across from the stairs, the living room opened into an impressive library. It was complete with books, a ladder, and five huge bookcases. Elijah was impressed; he greatly enjoyed the smells of aged leather and parchment.

“I’ll take the couch. The two of you can have the bedrooms… separate bedrooms.” Khalid glared threateningly at Elijah, who threw his duffle bag into one of the bedrooms and then very conspicuously placed Emira’s bags in the other. He threw up his hands to show his submission.

The big man before him was fiercely guarded. Elijah could rarely tell what he was thinking, and he gave no hints about when he was joking or being serious. This man was careful. The only chink Elijah had seen in his armored guise was in the way he dealt with Emira. He was attached to her; he was her ferocious guardian.

“Okay, Papa,” Emira smiled and laughed. Turning from Elijah, she looked at Khalid and pointed her finger at him as she narrowed her dark eyes at him playfully. He could be harsh at times, but it was easy to see how much he cared for the girl.

Earlier she said she had lived with him for the last ten years, since Khalid’s sister had found her. Elijah wondered how exactly that had come about, and what they wanted with the girl.

Elijah had heard her speak of her father; she remembered him as a man of principles. After losing him, Elijah imagined it had been easy for Emira to grow close to this beastly man, who also seemed to be principled. She had told Elijah he had been like a father to her since she had been under his care. Elijah imagined she would never have made it this far without him. It was obvious she loved him deeply.

“All right, I’m going out to build a fire.” Khalid said sheepishly. Emira obviously held sway over the man, but Elijah couldn’t blame him. Her playful innocence had softened Elijah’s skin, allowing her to get underneath it much faster than anyone ever had before.

The girl was something of a siren, it seemed, but it didn’t matter. It was too late, at this point, to be concerned with her intentions. Elijah knew resistance was futile. He had tried to fight it, but she had somehow stolen his heart; it was hers, as if it had been waiting for her all these years. His only hope was not to be eaten alive, at least not yet.

“Are you sure that’s the best idea? What if someone sees?” Elijah asked.

“We are in the middle of nowhere; surrounded on all sides by hills. Trust me, no one will see anything,” Khalid replied. He seemed certain, but Elijah still wasn’t convinced.

“I just think we should be a little more cautious,” Elijah suggested. He didn’t like the idea of having Emira out in the open while they were being hunted, especially with a large fire pointing out their exact location like a neon sign.

Khalid just stared at him. Clearly he didn’t appreciate being questioned about his ability to care for Emira. He was a dangerously stubborn man.

Khalid huffed threateningly before turning and stomping up the steps. The noise from his breath echoed down the stairwell in a deep growl.

Elijah got the message. He realized there was no way to change the man’s mind, especially not with words. Still, he wasn’t going to sit by and watch while anyone, including Khalid, put Emira’s life in danger.

It might have been hard for anyone else to understand how a couple of old coins could mean so much, but he was certain they were a sign. They had pointed Emira out to him; they had brought the two of them together. And he wasn’t about to let anything tear them apart, at least not until someone could give him a better explanation for his feelings and the staggering number of seemingly random events that had needed to unfold in order to bring him here, to this very moment… as if they were pawns, no more able to change their fates than all the men who had fallen beneath Elijah’s blade.

Watching Khalid storm up the steps, Elijah could feel his own anger and stubbornness rising to match Khalid’s. He started for the stairwell with every intention of stopping the man, who seemed now to think just like the beast he appeared to be. Suddenly, a soft hand resting against Elijah’s forearm forced him to stop.

He turned to face the small woman holding his arm. It was as if she were a lioness, able to sway his purpose with just a swipe of her beautiful paw. The only difference was her touch; it carried infinitely more power than any beast. Elijah looked into her eyes; her stare was condemning and sympathetic at the same time.

He knew what she wanted, but he also knew his first thought in this moment must be for her safety. Elijah knew his face and body were visibly tense, and most people would back away at the threat. Emira tugged on his arm and drew him in close, as if she knew he wasn’t going to let go easily.

Every nerve in his body was warmed and softened, as if he had been drugged. He knew it was the wrong decision, but there was nothing he could do. Her hold over him was growing with every touch; it now seemed impenetrable and inexhaustible.

He understood her silent plea and relinquished his obstinacy.

Chapter 79

“I’ll just go
out and have a look around, then. Will you come?” Elijah was hopeful.

“You two go ahead; I’ll have a bath.” Emira twirled her hair as she spoke.

“It’s fine. I’ll just stay in and read for a while.” Elijah said. After the night’s occurrences, Elijah didn’t want to let her out of his sight.

“No, go ahead. I would like for you and Khalid to have a chance to get to know each other better. I’ll be fine. You’ll be just outside.” She seemed comfortable enough, and besides, Elijah was anxious to talk to the big man alone. He knew anyone coming in would be drawn to the fire first, and Elijah trusted deeply in his acute senses; nothing would sneak past him, not tonight.

Reaching the patio, Elijah could see Khalid in the distance. He was hunkered down in front of a pile of twigs and leaves. Soon, he piled on larger sticks. He stuffed a crumpled piece of paper under the wood and lit it with a silver Zippo lighter. Walking into the flickering firelight, Elijah dropped an enormous log right next to the fire.

The smell of burning wood lit his nose and his imagination. He was immediately transported hundreds of years back in time, to the night his mother had died. It was a memory that had never before surfaced. His subconscious must have noticed and remembered more than he realized in the terrible fury of that night.

*

He was back in his childhood bed. He was asleep, or mostly asleep.

“
Tell me Esmeralda, or, I swear to God, I will cut your throat right now. I know your family. I know the stories, and I know now they are not just stories. It’s all real, isn’t it?” His father’s voice had been furious.

“I can’t tell you anything, because it is not real; they are just stories, legends. You have gone mad,” his mother had protested.

“You can’t lie to me Esmeralda. I have heard it from a source who is unimpeachable, and I know you are a part of it.” His father’s tone had transformed. He no longer sounded angry, but devoid of emotion altogether.

“If what you say is true, then what does it matter? If I were really part of some secret society bound to protect hidden truths, would I reveal them to you, even at the expense of my life?” Her voice lacked fear. It was ferocious and stubborn. Elijah had never heard her speak in that manner his entire life.

“Maybe not yours, but your children’s, perhaps? Roman, go get the small boy, now!” William shouted.

“No, please! Those are your children too.” Elijah could hear the fear pierce his mother’s voice.

“Then tell me. I know you know something,” William’s voice was dark and lacked any empathy whatsoever.

*

“Elijah, Elijah, are you okay?” Elijah was yanked back into the present; he could see a hulking figure standing before him, snapping his fingers.

“I’m fine, I was just thinking about some things from my past.” Elijah said. His face felt parched and cold, as if it were lifeless and drained of color, and, from the way Khalid was looking at him, Elijah could see it was.

“You know, I’m starting to like having you around to do all the grunt work,” Khalid joked as he sat on the bench-sized log Elijah had just dropped next to the fire. “What exactly is your story? How did you come to meet Ayda?” Khalid looked up from the fire and stared at Elijah with suspicion.

“I was an Assassin at Alamut in Northern Iran. Ayda was with Hulagu Khan’s army when they forced us to surrender. I made a deal with the Khan and stayed around; eventually Ayda and I became close.” Elijah stepped over the log and sat down beside Khalid.

“And just how long of a story do you have?”

“What do you mean?” Elijah stalled, but knew exactly what the big man wanted to know.

“I mean, just how long ago did your past actually begin? How long have you been consorting with blood-letters?” His tone was patronizing.

“I’m not what you think I am. I do want to kill my brother and my father. I have never fed on human blood, or any other kind. I know Ayda would have told you that; and if Emira told you what she overheard at the motel, I’m sure she would have mentioned that part, too.” Elijah’s voice got louder as his impatience with Khalid’s ignorant assumptions grew.

“Then what exactly are you?” Khalid asked.

“I believe it’s your turn to answer a few questions,” Elijah replied. The conversation had gotten a bit heated. “Tell me what the girl is, and why you try to hide it.” Elijah’s question was a not-so-subtle accusation.

“That is none of your concern. In fact, she is none of your concern,” Khalid stated with finality.

Elijah closed his eyes and rubbed the palms of his hands against his temples. He was becoming more and more agitated.

“It is my business. It’s no coincidence she is here in the midst of all this madness, right where my father is looking for some object Ayda told me long ago will make him even more powerful. I need to know what’s going on. I need to know what you are and what your plans are for the girl.” He could see Khalid was growing anxious, because he began to shift positions nervously.

“I love that girl. You need to know that, but it is not the only reason I watch over her. She is very special. All I can tell you is, if the vampires found out what she is and got their hands on her, it would be disastrous, even catastrophic. Beyond that, I can tell you nothing,” Khalid admitted.

Elijah could see concern in his eyes, and he could also see he wasn’t getting any more from the man, at least not now. “I wonder why, then, my father did not notice anything different about her when he was holding her in his arms?” The question had been troubling Elijah since his father had disappeared.

“Luckily, vampires can’t see her light. If they could, we wouldn’t have a chance.” Khalid leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, dropping his forehead into his hands.

“Yes, I forgot; she told me that much. Does she know anything more?” Elijah asked. “About her importance I mean.”

“She knows enough, what she needs to know.” Khalid replied. “What would be the point in telling her more? So she can spend her life in paranoia, always looking over her shoulder, even more afraid than she already is? Would that be better?” Khalid’s voice got louder as he became more defensive. Elijah didn’t like it, but he understood the man’s feelings. “Now, let’s get back to you,” Khalid shoved his face close to Elijah’s.

“I don’t know what I am. I woke up this way,” Elijah shrugged. “There was no instruction manual or teacher to tell me who I was or to help me adapt. One minute I was lying helpless on the ground watching my family be brutally murdered by men I cherished most dearly. And the next thing I remember was waking with a strength and speed that defied everything I knew; everything about me had intensified, including my desire and my determination. You don’t have to worry about me; I’m not your enemy.”

“I hope you are right, but you understand it just doesn’t make any sense. I have been around a long time and have never heard of anything like that, anything like you. You and your father carry the same power and were birthed on the same day; you must carry the same curse. I don’t know what has come between you and your family, but when a family becomes immortal, it’s usually as a family. I’m willing to guess you had a hand in it.” Khalid’s words were a terrible accusation. His tone was condemning.

Elijah nearly flew through the air, and he was at Khalid’s throat in a split second. As they landed hard on the ground, Elijah’s grip tightened around Khalid’s neck. With tremendous force, Khalid thrust his body upwards and slung Elijah over his head.

By the time they hit the ground Khalid was already on top of him. Elijah could feel razor-like claws at his throat. With all his might, he pressed in on Khalid’s right elbow, just releasing the tension enough to get his hands beneath the big man’s torso. Pushing forward, Elijah slammed his palms hard against Khalid’s chest, lifting him a few feet into the air above him. Lifting his powerful thigh, Elijah thrust the heel of his shoe underneath Khalid’s chin and flung him backwards.

Khalid flipped over in midair and landed on his feet. Letting out a deep, bone-chilling growl, he turned around and ripped off his shirt. The two seemed equally matched and neither knew fear; their dark pasts had robbed them of it.