Chapter 2: Not so New, New Beginnings!
2018
I'd have never in my right mind booked that flight to attend that long passed family dinner.
I'd not be forced to miss three whole days of letures and with my exams coming up in month's time, my Masters Degree was officially going to be jeopardized because of one little flight to see mum and dad.
"Okay! Okay! I will spend the evening with your buddies and get some... 'hot ass heart wrecking peachseed cracking freaking unforgettable loviñ from a not so familiar stranger' happy?" I asked my ever enthusiastic twin who surprisingly hasn't stopped, not even for a minute for the past three hours, trying to convince me to go hang out with Ella and Marco, my former high school friends, if I got the last part right.
"Yep. So Mernisa will be here in twenty, make sure you're done by then so that we can drop you off." He finally decided to leave my room after three straight hours of lecturing me about my sexless and love lacking life.
Speaking of friends, not sure where we stand on that familiarity after cutting all forms of communication with my past for over six years, except my family of course.
Why?
I don't know. Maybe it's because during my last week in highschool I started having weird dreams about places I've never been to.
And doing things like accidentally switching the sprinklers on our lawn without tempering with the time or a manual switch,
understanding what the cracking flames were discussing as they lost their form and oh yes, reading almost everyone's minds and seeing weird stuff like their immediate past.
Creepy? Extremely!
Awesome? Absolutely NOT.
Thankfully, it stopped just as suddenly as it came.
And I knew better than to keep people around who felt the need to not tell me that they liked each other and were dating since two summers ago.
A few months later I immediately moved to California for college and worked for a great firm for a while.
Fortunately for my patents they always rented out the guest room, so they always had company all year round.
A good two years after being done with college am back home for five straight days and forced to hang out with my ex-buddies, how fictious can this get.
Well not enough for it to stop, I believe.
★★★
"Have a blast you guys!" I bid farewell to Lucian as he and Mernisa went off on their way to some fancy restaurant in Upstate Manhattan far away from my spot.
Here we go!
"Hey!" I waved Ella over after failing to get into the overly packed reception area of the restaurant. Spotting her was no harder, getting in to reach her was.
And I knew I would not convince the receptionist who it was exactly I came to meet now that Ella is sporting a different man with a ring on as her social media page entails.
The Resturant was new on the block so I had no idea how great their services were.
But from the looks of things, getting in was absolutely strict.
Luckily she immediately came over and whispered into one of the valet's ears and the stoic man's expression softened. Without sparing me another glance she motioned that I follow him and with that she disappeared again. He moved to where I was and led me away to a more private area.
The place was amazing to say the least. Not only did it have a VIP section of the restaurant but a cinema underground that we'll later have to visit for the movie we're to watch.
The color scheme was simple and elegant too, some beige napkins and vases here and there, clear glasses and cream colored plates as well as a silver and pale rose pink toned center theme from the fancy table clothes to the long draped curtains.
The floors were a shiny pure white, reflecting the abundance of life and color of the carefully displayed scentless plants of assorted colors all around the tables and in the corners of the seemily huge pentagon structure.
"This way ma'am." He gestured to the door he was holding open for me and I stepped into the most beautifully candle lit, rose covered and overlooking a small artificial garden, balcony setting.
Wait! Aren't we having a get together sorta thing? What's with the roses and candles and...
"It's a date!" Someone called from behind and I have no idea why that voice was so familiar but I knew him. I just did.
I was startled and curious, instead, I took my time turning around. Likely preparing myself for the truth I've been running from for a long time.
Question was, what truth? And why was I feeling like I've been hiding all this while from it.
In front of me stood the most ravishing man I'd ever set my sight on. A freaking 6'5 or is it 6'4 on my shallow 5'9. Skin glowing like the candle light around me and his eyes, oh those eyes were like swirls of darkness I will never want to be delivered from.
He was dressed in a tailored Ash grey tux with a turquoise turtle neck elegantly tucked and encasing his Adams apple from my view. Not entirely though.
Deja Vu! This feels like deja Vu
"Sorry? I think you're mistaken. I am here to meet with my friends. Well am not so sure about that anymore." I muttered the last part to myself but from the smirk he had on was a clear indication that he heard it all.
"With Marco Fargos and Ellain Morris? You can say that again! Shall we?" He moved to pull out a seat for me which I gladly declined.
"No thank you. I was here for a hang out with people I am well acquainted with. Sorry for the trouble. You can put the tab on my card. Excuse me, have a great evening." I turned away from the beautiful setting to the door when a laughter stopped me in my tracks.
"So you seriously don't know me? I must say, I am still quite disappointed, I mean for a descendant of Eve, you are the most predictable Tauré. How long has it been since you left purgatory? What? A hundred and fourteen-fifteen earth years? Or don't you remember?" He asked between chuckles which was starting get on my nerves and the flames agreed. They blew more fiercely than normal candles are supposed to.
And for some reason I found it comforting.
"What are you talking about? I don't you know or whatever a Tauré is. And if you think going around calling a lady a descendant of Eve might get you a date? Think again. You'll just get a kick in the jewels. And from the looks of things, you my dear, are insane, please get yourself checked. Have a good night!" I fumed and immediately rushed out of the place as my mind went in circles processing whatever nonsense he just put in my head and I knew one thing, he didn't lie but that doesn't mean it's true either.
The very moment I got home, I packed my lugagge, booked an early morning flight for Carlifonia and passed out while having my Chinese takeout.
★★★
"My baby! Please Soél wake her!"
..."You must find your Mark and get his claim on you. It's the only way."
..."I curse you! You will die but slowly and painfully. Each last breath will take away a piece of your worthless soul!
Every tear you shed will bring me joy and you more sorrow.
No one will be safe in your wake.
The day you are claimed will be the time of your end.
Happiness will elude you till your demise. I curse you and your blood!"
..."Your majesty, the king is dead!"
..."No, Carian stop hurting them! You need to listen to me!"
..."The sheikh demands your presence in the ballroom at seven tonight."
"May I?" ..."since when do you get what you want?"...what a beautiful creature... Anger I felt come raging against my better judgement... Hungry...I was starving.
Screams, fear of someone whose time has come, death and darkness was all I could sense that entire night.
Dawn came and still I could smell the fear around me but it wasn't mine and it wasn't Dawn... Heat... Too much heat...I can't breath
Luc turn down the heater... I thought to myself. "Carian! Somebody Help! Cari" I heard my brother's cry but I didn't want to open my eyes. I was enjoying the suffocating heated smoke.
Smoke, heat, luc? Isn't he supposed to be in Manhattan?
Wait? luc is crying. Why is he yelling? He's in Manhattan. Right? Right...?
Flames. Is see flames but none are enveloping me. The house is on fire and I'm not panicking, burning along with it or choking from the smoke anymore.
What is happening to me?
No no. It's all a dream just go back to sleep and everything will be ok.
So I close my eyes again but every other sense tells me am not.
When I finally opened my eyes and this time someone just broke down the door but I don't think they can see me with all the flames and thick.
Scream you freak! Yell, shout just do something.
Make it all go away!
And it did. I thought I did.
The flames died down just as he took another step towards me.
I knew him... I just couldn't remember where from.
As he neared I could hear his pounding heart, see the sweat dripping from his nose till it's evaporated by the heat that's been left behind.
He's the man from the restaurant, but how did he ge- did he follow me back here?
The air is clear like nothing even happened. Like I wasn't about to be roasted beef steak or is it pork?
What the? Ahhh!
I yell as my mind feels like it's being ripped from the inside. I feel anger, am enraged and I know why.
I feel pain, a loss I can't seem to outrun.
Fear, so scared that this time things have changed.
I was awake now.
I know now. I understand now.
And I can feel that this is just the beginning of the war now.
Find Sage!
And
Leaving the stranger behind like he didn't just occupy my thoughts few seconds ago.
And that's how I rose from my sleep, drenched in sweat and a hint of smoke slightly took me aback.
It was all a dream.
It was only my mind playing tricks on me or was it?
