Kimber (25 page)

“Step
any closer to her and you’ll bleed on your way out.” Leo snarls. He’s tense and
prepared to make good on his threat.

The
way he defends me is as sweet as it is stupid. There is no way someone as
cunning as Alexandria would have bought his earlier plan of a faux
relationship. Not after this. She sits back down with a twitch of her eyebrow
and a devilish grin. Leo turns to me and nods, implying I should also sit.

“I
guess they weren’t rumors after all.” 

“The
Grigori knows why I left. I could care less what you or anyone else suspects.” 

“Leo,
there’s no need for us to quarrel.” Quarrel? Where did she resurrect that word?
“I wish to be allies with you. I ask that you come with me, see our forces
for yourself. Meet my father and let us show you what the three of us are
capable of achieving.”

            As Leo
considers Alexandria offer, Lena sits with her eyes closed probably searching past
visions for answers.

            As a silent
moment falls between the four of us something occurs to me. Even knowing how
important Leo is to the Grigori and the purity of his family’s blood, I didn’t
stop to think that Leo could be superior to other Nephs. And here Alexandria
talks as if he is the key to something. Making her way to the front of the ‘theoretical’
recruitment line. It makes me think. What else have I been completely oblivious
to and what does Alexandria hope to accomplish in finding an ally in Leo,
taking down the Grigori? Now that is something I could get on board with.

            “Alexandria.”
Leo starts. I look to Lena, who watches Alexandria, who looks elated with
victory. “By resisting the Grigori, I’ve taken control of my fate. I have no
interest in giving that up so soon, if at all.  I won’t side allegiance but I
will meet with your father.”

            She
clenches and unclenches her jaw. “You realize how suspicious this looks?”

            “Yes,
that’s why it requires a little trust.” 

            “And if not
your allegiance, what do we receive?” 

            “Present me
with evidence I can’t refute. Show me the making of a future that’s better than
the one already offered. If you can do that, I will present it to my family
council.”

            “The
Chambers council?” Her eyes widen. “You’d swear?”

            “I swear
that if you provide me with what I ask for, then yes, I will do as promised.”

            Alexandria
stands and extends her hand to Leo. He takes it and they shake. “I’ll arrange
the details and be in contact soon.” And just like that she’s gone.

WITH
ALEXANDRIA GONE I feel I can relax. Everything about the girl gave off a bitchy
feel. Her, I’ll stop at no means to get what I want
,
attitude doesn’t
sit right with me. Mostly because it’s Leo and access to his family council she
wants.

Busily
Lena walks through the house opening the windows and letting the salty air in
as Leo walks into the kitchen. I hear the fridge open and close followed by the
silverware drawer. Are they really being this mundane? Going about everyday
things like Leo hadn’t just struck a deal with the Devil’s daughter.

“Lena.”
I stand and stop her mid stride as she walks into the living room. “Explain to me
what’s happening?” I plead. She takes my hand and leads me out back.

 Outside
the sky is overcast with swollen gray clouds and single strands of sunlight. We
walk down the beach until our sandal clad feet cross paths with the water. To
me it’s just a simple walk on the beach but when I look at Lena, it’s a whole
new world seen through her eyes.

The
wind off the ocean is warm and refreshing. I pull my hair to the side in an
attempt to keep control of it. Lena allows her chestnut hair to fly free. She
drags her feet in the water. 

“Individually
they’re so simple. Sand, water and air. When you put them all together, look at
what they make.”

I
remember once thinking the same thing. Enjoying the endlessness of the ocean
and the soothing sound of it rolling in. I think as the years have passed the
beach just became the beach and I lost sight of its beauty.

“Lena.”
I touch her arm, gaining her attention. “What’s the deal with Alexandria?” I
ask recalling the importance she placed on herself.

“Her
family claims to be one of the first but because of their heritage the family
was denounced, stripped of the title and shunned from council meetings.”  

“When
you say founding families, you’re talking about the ones that formed clans to
maintain pure bloodlines?”

Lena
nods. “Did Leo ever tell you about Mastema?”

“Yeah,
he’s seriously bad and responsible for the Watchers falling to the earth.”

“Stories
written about Mastema are so old they’re considered folklore. They’re
untraceable and horrifying. But certain people who believe them also believe
there is a link between Mastema and Alexandria.”

 “Like,
family?” I ask furrowing my brow at the thought.

“Once
Nephilims were created Mastema sought to control and rule them. In one of the
folklores there’s a story of Egyptian twin boys born to a woman impregnated by
a Watcher. The story can’t be dated but it’s said that the twins, Olam and
Bomani, entered the army of their Pharaoh pledging allegiance to serve their
God. Then Mastema came and called to them. Eventually they became Mastema’s
right and left hand of destruction. It was power fueled by hate.

“Sometime
later Bomani received word that his mother lay ill and dying. He thought it was
a trap at first but the evil born inside him could not kill what he felt for
his mother. He returned to her without Olam. Once his mother died, he did not
rejoin Mastema and Olam.”

“So
what happened?”

“Olam
was outraged by his brother’s abandonment. Bomani turned from Mastema and in
doing so, turned from his brother. Eventually Olam found Bomani and in the end,
they killed one another. The story says that before Bomani died he had become
part of the first Nephilim council.”

As
we start to walk, I just can’t wrap my head around what Lena says. Why, if
Alexandria is a descendent to Olam and Bomani, would she expect Leo to pledge
allegiance with her? Even if she walks the reformed line of Bomani, there are
still traces of Olam in her blood. I do understand her eagerness to get in
front of Leo’s family council but it’s her process of getting there that has me
worried and this bright future she wants Leo to invest in. And where the heck
does the Grigori fall into all this?

“Leo’s
mother will be visiting today. You’ve met her?”

I
turn to Lena, skirt blowing in the wind, hair wrapped and whipping around her
face.

“Yeah.”

I
remember the handful of times Cybil, or Mrs. Chambers, and I met. She’s old
time nineteen twenties beautiful. Porcelain white skin, hazel eyes, rose red
lips, and caramel blond hair. She always keeps it off her neck, pulled back and
up into an intricate hairdo. I remember her love for pencil skirts and how she
genuinely approved of my relationship with Leo.

It
seems a little strange now that I think about it. Every time someone opened
their mouth about Nephs, all that seemed to come out was bloodline this and
bloodline that. Everything revolves around Pure families and insuring they stay
entwined. So why would Cybil consent to my relationship with Leo? My cheerful
personality and a dozen half decent home baked velvet cupcakes wouldn’t make it
easier. You do not simply end countless centuries of meticulously matching
bloodlines. I had witnessed her pride and affection for Leo. She wanted the
best for her only child and by Neph accounts that should not be me.

“Leo
will inform Cybil of his meeting with Alexandria. She won’t be happy.”

“Not
that it matters. I mean, what can Cybil do about it?”

 “She’s
the matriarch of the family and head of Chambers Council. She’ll expect him to
take what she says in deep consideration and he will.”

“What
about his father?”

“Cybil’s
family bloodline precedes Donovan’s. Even though they are married and she
carries his last name, Nephilim culture is ruled and organized by blood. Still,
she’s considerate and leads with Donovan’s influence.”

 Well
that breaks down the complexity of it. Though I doubt I’ll get a grip on the
inner order of things any time soon.

As
Lena and I walk in silence I can’t shake the feeling that I don’t fully belong
to myself. Ever since yesterday during the cook out, something weird is
happening. Maybe it’s the blood thing with Leo and I but I feel as though a
piece of me was purchased and all sales are final. Every breath I breathe seems
stolen and every step is the wrong way. It makes my skin pop up with goose
bumps. In July!

“Ow!
Shit! Shit, shitty, shit!” A man’s voice shrieks.

I
look up from the sand and see a man thirty yards up the beach hopping on one
foot.

 “Oooow!”
He hollers again as he grabs his shin and falls to the sand. 

“Go,
I’ll call for help.” Lena yells as I take off running towards the injured man.

“Hey,
what’s wrong?” I fall to my knees beside him. I can’t get a good look at his
shin with his hands covering it.

“Something
got me in the water. It’s burning, bad!” He hisses through clenched teeth. His
body trembles ever so slightly. I reach for his hands but he flinches. “
No
!
Don’t touch it!”

I
look behind me. No help yet. I hope Lena found a phone.

“Ok,
um, move your hands. I need to see it before I can help.”

His
terrified brown eyes question me. I nod, reassuring him. Slowly he pulls his
hands away. I cover my mouth, hiding my silent gasp. Once the gruesome shock
passes I pull myself together.

 “Ok,
you’ve been stung by a stingray.”

“Are
you sure?” He asks in a slightly calmer voice. “It really fricken hurts.”

His
brow creases in pain. His short dark curly brown hair sticks to the sides of
his face. He might have a day’s worth of stubble on his face but he does not
look more than a couple years older than me.

I
point to his shin. “The barb is still in your leg.”

“Pull
it out!” He yells retreating into panic mode.

“No!
Are you not from around here? Pulling it injects more poison. Do you like the pain?”

“No.”
He whispers.

I
don’t know what color his skin normally is, but I don’t think it’s deathly pale.
His breathing becomes an erratic pattern of shallow gasps. Crap, where is Lena?
Just as I think help won’t make it, I hear the sweet sound of sirens.

“You’re
gonna be ok. Just…hold on a little longer.”

“Don’t
leave me alone, please.”

“I
won’t. Help is coming.”

I
look up to see two paramedics jogging towards us. I raise my arms in the air
flagging them down. As they reach us I move aside. While one paramedic assesses
the injury the other takes notes and calls ahead to the hospital.

“Do
you know this man?” The paramedic asks glancing up at me.

In
that fraction of a second we recognize each other. It’s Max, one of the
paramedics called to my house the day of my mother’s memorial. Small world, or
town. I’m relieved to see his normal partner Nicole must have the day off,
replaced with by an older gray haired man.

 “No,
I was walking with my aunt when we heard him scream.”

“Manly—it
was a manly scream.” The stranger clarifies through clenched teeth then smiles
meagerly at me.

Max
pulls out a needle and with not a moment to spare, I turn away. I swallow down
the vomit rising in my throat. I can tolerate them once they’re in but
generally I
hate
needles. Next, they load the man onto a stretcher. I
stand back looking down at the spot where he laid, white sand stained with
speckles of red.

“Hey!”
Max calls out waving me down. I jog up to him, his partner and the unknown
injured man.

As
I approach, the injured man tilts his head gesturing for me to come closer. As
the paramedics resume transporting him toward the waiting ambulance the man
speaks. “I know I don’t have a right to ask, since you just saved me, but could
you help me with one last thing?”

I
look at Max who eyes me in a curious way.

“What?”
I ask looking back down to the man. His brown eyes look softly upon me. His
face and bare torso, which I hadn’t really noticed before, is covered in sweat
and sand.

He
swallows hard and answers, “If this is my ride to the hospital, I’ll need one
out. My black Jeep is in the public area. You’ll find the keys under the seat.”

“You
want me to drive it to the hospital?” I ask biting on my lip, hesitant to
answer my own question.

“Please?”
He asks as Max and his partner lift the stretcher up into the ambulance.