The Alpha's Desire 3 (11 page)

I oddly found this mixing of light very easy to do, as the imagery formed in my head of the hole in my body. Like being uncorked, my breath faltered a minute, my world growing unstable, as I felt a rush of sudden energy, feeling I couldn’t control mine. The imaginary candle light added to it, made it burn stronger. Whether suggested by Nira or actually there, I did see two dark spots, one near my heart, and one in my stomach.

My power burned brighter around them until only ash seemed to move along the light, as if carried by the wind that had picked up around us. For a moment, all bright light, I got the sensation that I’d grown so light that the wind would pick me up and toss me off the balcony. I curled my toes in my shoes against the sensation, in a stupid attempt to anchor myself to the ground. Then, a second thought hit me, that I could fly away to him.

“You are fine, Christina. Don’t fear your gifts, the power inside of you. Embrace it. Let it work for you. No matter what you feel, you are safe here with me. I will not let anything happen to you, so give into whatever you are feeling. Your spirit must soar to him. You will not hurt anyone, not me or him, with this fierce power you have inside you,” she counseled me, obviously sensing my fear, more empathic than I’d thought. 

“Open your eyes again, Christina,” she coaxed. “Continue to stare at the flame, open yourself to a Cosmic light. Let the warmth of it flow through you, allowing it to dispel any remaining darkness. When you feel clear, bright, light as air even, as if your magic glows from inside you, sit back down and relax.”

It didn’t take long for that to happen, actually. The magic inside me burned, lit me up from within until no darkness could exist. At least, I didn’t believe it could. As I sat down slowly, my breathing slow and even, trying to maintain that, Nira pulled more items from a box she had slid from under the coffee table. By the white candle she’d set back down, she lit a purple one as well as a red. She added another stone, a clear one this time. Beyond that, a small bowl of dried herbs was placed on the table.

“Mugwort and clear quartz,” she said before I could ask. “These will help in getting your psychic centers to flow. We’ve opened them, so now we need his spirit, information, to flow through them, and for you to be able to read that information. So, keep holding the hematite, and with your other hand, place the quartz on your third eye, the space just above your eyebrows, for a minute.”

I will admit to feeling silly, but I let the light in me carry that away on the wind as well, for my Lex, for my blood relation, Vivian, and for Riker. While I had this connection to Lex to use, I’d not forgotten that I had an obligation to help find them all.  By blood, relation, or love, I was connected to all of them. They were my new family, a gift most don’t even get once, and I now had twice. I’d only to use what they’d given me to get them back now.

“Good,” Nira said after I assumed a minute had passed.  “Now, lower it so you can look through it to see the light of the flame. Concentrate now on Lex. You are opening yourself to him. Imagine there are tiny silver threads connecting you. Send your love, your desire to be with him over those threads. Then be still, quiet, and listen for him; leave yourself open to feel him,” she directed me.

I did as she said, losing everything around me but that rock and flame. Only the now gentler breeze, and distant noises of a city, kept me tethered to this place. I imagined my Lex, and I sent him all the energy in me over those threads. I forced out all of my love. In my mind, I set an intention to connect with him. I became unaware of time passing, as my body grew heavy and warm.

My thoughts faded to black, and if asked later, I’d have said that I’d fallen asleep. It felt just like that, the way the world slips away at the end of the day once you close your eyes. Only, mine were open and focused. While my power stirred, my body relaxed to the point of rest. I’d not have thought such a thing possible even minutes ago, but I’d happened upon it. I think I became just my spirit, born of magic, bright and fierce, powerful and seemingly capable of anything.

Again, not aware of time, at some point, I felt him, his spirit, I would say, combining with mine. I drew strength from it. The image of him grew clearer and clearer. Suddenly, like watching a movie in reverse at a fast speed, as his image began to fade, before I could panic about the fact, I saw a door, which then got swallowed by a building, which came to sit on a road, which merged into another and another and another until I came back to me.

I stood and pointed, saying, “South. He’s down the interstate, the turnpike, in a building in the old manufacturing district. I’d know the building if I saw it. I am sure I can lead us there.”

“That’s fantastic,” Nira exclaimed, rising and hugging me.

“I know,” I said, not arrogantly, but merely marveling at the miracle myself. I relaxed easily into her hug, took all she offered me while connected to her. Until my magic, until Lex, I’d not really known this sort of connection was possible. As close to Chloe as I’d always been, gaining comfort from her hugs, I’d not had this empathic connection of feelings that I did around other paranormals, like something of us lingered outside our bodies. I believed, though, that we offered it to each other simply because we could. I took a moment to marvel at this world which I was now a part of, still high on what I’d just done.

“I’ll let the Royals and the others know,” she said into my ear, still holding me in a bear hug. “They are already in the area, figuring him not far from the accident site. So, we will lay out a strategy, a time frame, and go from there. Before you know it, you will have him in your arms again. I truly believe that with all of my heart. You have a love, a connection, all the world will stop for.”

I could only nod, suddenly exhausted. Releasing me, she blew out the candles, and then motioned for me to follow her inside. Before she began to speak to the others and went to make a phone call to the Royals, she bypassed the great room for the kitchen, offering me a cup of coffee which I greedily accepted. I let the warm liquid give me courage as well as energy, at least in my mind. I knew I would go, regardless of courage. I just had to. But, some of it and a little less trembling would be nice.

“That’s decaf, by the way,” Nira said with the hint of a smile as my last gulp burned in a good way down my throat. “We’re vampires. We sleep during the day and work by night, adjusting jobs accordingly. Lots of night shift workers here, and those that work out of their homes, making their own schedules. Though, a few do have to adjust, working days, and at times, when we have missions, waiting to sleep. Anyway, we drink our caffeine when the sun goes down. It’s decaf for these occasional early morning meetings before we go back to sleep. Sorry, human.”

She winked, and I shrugged. I figured that before a big mission they would make an exception and do some caffeine in the morning, but with super speed and strength, I guessed it wasn’t as necessary for them as it was for me. I was sure my nerves and anticipation would keep me plenty awake on the mission.

“I’ll adjust,” I mumbled with as much conviction as I could.

“I know you will. I just saw you do so, and the outcome of that. Come, and let’s fill the group in.”

Chapter Fourteen

I followed Nira back into the main room. As I walked, my body felt lighter, easier to move, like a weight had been lifted not only from my shoulders, but that literally a plug had been undone inside of me, setting me free.  Not that the full intensity of the situation, the trials that still lay ahead were not there, but I felt closer to Lex, like I carried part of him inside me now, rather than just being connected to him. This not only helped to reassure me, but it went a long way to building my confidence, given what I’d just witnessed myself do. 

Still starry eyed that I’d just helped locate him, had changed the course of our rescue in a significant way, it all made me feel like a part of the plan, rather than someone who had thrown a fit and insisted she be taken along. I now stood, not equal but worthy, beside this vampire to speak with the others. This accomplishment also aided my confidence in the fact that I could use the gifts inside of me successfully, and now better than before. Nothing was left to stifle me. I had free use of my powers.

I still might be dangerous, unable to check the full force of the energy stirring within, but aimed at the right person, one under our attack, the criminals in my mind that were torturing Lex, who cared if it went a bit overboard? I’d just have to ensure that the good guys, like this group around me now, were out of my range. Although, I didn’t exactly know what that range was just yet. Of course, before, back in my apartment, I had managed to toss the guy in the black suit back without injuring anyone else. My living room wasn’t all that big either.

“We have located Lex,” Nira began once the group of vampires stopped talking. Seeing her walk in, they’d turned their undivided attention to us. “Christina was able to use her connection to him to give us a general area to go to. He’s south of here, in the old manufacturing district. It’s not a great area anymore, as most has been rebuilt. The one she saw was dilapidated and abandoned. She believes she will recognize the building she saw once we get there. So, we need to come up with our plan, our layout of bodies to best fight the true werewolves we will encounter who are guarding them.”

“I need to make a call to the Royals, but of course, as usual, they will handle the magic issues, whatever the sorcerer they’ve captured has done to protect Lex, Vivian, and Riker. So, let me go make my phone call, and we shall hammer out the details so everyone knows their posts.”

Nira excused herself to go make her phone call, while I stood there clutching my mug. Before I could take another gulp, though, one of the vampires stood, moved to me in a few steps, and put her arm around me. A chorus of ‘well done’ and ‘congratulations’ went up. I couldn’t help but to smile and blush at the attention. Having the admiration of such a powerful group was not lost on me. I’d never had such accolades on any job before.

The high of this made my heart, already beating hard in anticipation of getting Lex back, now flutter in my chest, as well. It may have actually skipped a few beats, in fact. I felt a little lightheaded, and like I could use a nap already. These vampires apparently followed different hours, but I hadn’t been aware of time as I’d healed, waking and sleeping so much that I’d lost over a day, anyway. With all that had already happened since I’d woken, it was still only morning according to the clock and daylight.

“Come. Sit. You look a bit tired still. Your body, even if aided to heal by blood and magic, still has been through a lot.”

“Thank you. I think the ritual took more out of me than I thought it would. Well, I didn’t realize actually what it would be like as this is all so new to me. I can barely wrap my head around it, let alone know what kind of energy it will require.”

“Exactly. Sit,” she coaxed as one of the male vampires, a guy who appeared to have paler skin than the others due to his sexy, shiny black hair that reminded me of Lex.

“No. I couldn’t take your seat,” I stumbled, though unable to stop the motion of the female vampire guiding me into the newly vacated seat.

“It would be my honor, Christina,” he said.

“Thank you, ahhh… I’m sorry, I can’t remember all of your names,” I apologized. “Actually, I can’t remember any of them. I was just too out of it, and there are so many of you. My apologies again.”

“We would not expect you to,” he said, his smile winning me over despite his intimidating good looks, model-worthy really, as many of them seemed to be. Maybe it had something to do with the being reborn in a way thing, a paranormal perk to being part of the walking dead, your body improved in all sorts of ways.

As I sank into the soft, white leather recliner, I felt a tad uneasy with putting my feet up as another male vampire moved the lever on the side of the seat to make the foot rest go up and the back recline. Apparently, expensive chairs cradled the body differently than the inexpensive ones I was used to. Or maybe I was more tired than I even felt, as I began to fight my eyes to stay open as the cushions of the chairs seemed to envelope me like a full-body memory foam pillow.

“Good?” the lever assistant asked.

“Beyond good,” I said with a smile soon accompanied by crimson cheeks.

“We want you to feel comfortable here,” he continued, his blond hair and chocolate brown eyes a striking combination on him with his chiseled features.

I was now a one-man woman, but I still had eyes to appreciate those around me. Not to say that they all were model-like. They did come in all shapes and sizes, all with different looks, just something about each of them bordered on a sort of perfection, a rounding out of features that made them more symmetrical. Isn’t that what they said made peoples’ faces appealing?

“I appreciate all of your hospitality. I mean, you rescued me, helped heal me, and are now training me and helping me to save the man I love, along with my newly discovered family. It is all a bit mind blowing for me still, so I hope I am conveying my true appreciation for it all. Plus, I was a mere human, as far as I knew, just a week ago, really, so this is all so new to me, and the way you treat me, like…” I stumbled for a word to describe the way they made me feel so special without sounding silly.

“Like you are a Royal?” he said with a laugh and a bow.

“I’m not to you, though,” I stumbled over the words, confusion setting in as to how that would make a difference to them.

“The Royals are a great people to all of us. They have assisted almost all of the paranormal beings in one way or another. We all would do anything for them, even if we were not created to serve by protecting them and others.”

“Well, thank you. I hope I don’t seem ungrateful, but the title is so new to me. I fear I don’t know how to carry it. ”

“No, you are sweet, and obviously care deeply for Lex. That is a Royal. They love each other deeply and are respected for that. In our world, money matters little, as does your job or clothes, all the things humans mostly seem to dwell on. You are different already. We can all see and appreciate that. Plus, you are fast becoming a new legend in these parts, so we are grateful, as well, to get the chance to work with you.”

“And, you are not afraid of my yet-untrained powers going into battle?” I half joked, half feared the answer.

“Well, there is that, but every mission comes with dangers for us. It is a lifestyle,” the black haired vampire chimed back in.

Nira walked back into the room then, and I found myself grateful for the interruption, feeling more and more out of my element with the way the conversation had been going. Plus, as each moment passed since connecting with Lex, I grew more and more anxious to get to him, to get this plan underway.

“Okay,” Nira began. “I have talked to the Royals, and they are in agreement to meet tonight in the manufacturing district.”

“Tonight?” I said, my own voice surprising me with the high pitch of surprise bursting in my ear.

“I know it is hard to wait, Christina, but they agreed, as well, that our best chance of saving the three of them is to go under the cover of night. Plus, they know that all paranormal beings are at an advantage, their skills, like ours of stealth and speed, are best when we are rested. We are used to night. To go now would put us at a disadvantage, and run the risk of being seen, too.”

I just shook my head. They had to know best. I was just going on my emotions, fear for each moment Lex and the rest of them suffered.

“We know they are alive, and will be kept alive. They are stronger than you think, can bear much, and will heal once we get them out,” she said to me before turning back to the group. “So, we need to make arrangements as to who will go with whom. We have our usual groupings, so I will designate each of you with a Royal to accompany in our search. I’d rather assign now, and save us the time once we get there.”

I sat, sipped my cooling cup of coffee, and listened as they ironed out plans. My heart went in rounds of beating faster, pounding out my fear in my chest. My rib cage seemed to ache, though I knew that to just be psychosomatic. It was being decided that I would go with Nira and a few other vampires as we searched. Our Royal to be matched up with just an unfamiliar name to me. Apparently, though, this Royal would be there to help direct me if need be, to assist with my magic. It made me a little less of a loose cannon that way.

Listening, I assumed I was on the most elite team, though. It meant they not only had faith in me, but that they wanted to utilize my powers. It seemed, here, that fiction had gotten it right, in that newly tapped powers, while dangerous, were sometimes more powerful if directed by someone with knowledge. I wanted to be useful, and I had found in these past days not only a place, but a purpose among family and friends who were still mostly strangers to me. My life was changing so fast, and once I got my Lex back with me, I could luxuriate in the fact again.