Darkened Days (21 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When she walked into his dwelling, Ahmose felt her power immediately.  Koen had been right.  This woman had a connection to the earth like no one he had ever met. 

She was stunning.  Tiny, even as vampire.

The empath Cherise arrived with a first blood male, another child of the sun.  Koen hugged both of them and introduced them around.

When she came to Ahmose, he took her hand, bowed and showed his respect.   A power surge snapped between them.  He wanted to hold on and see what happened between them, but his eyes moved behind her to notice her companion staring at their clasped hands.  He smiled, released the hand and backed away.  He didn’t need another enemy.

“Refreshments for the end of your journey,” he said and showed them a table that offered cool drinks and cold sandwiches for th
is night that remained warm. 

“Thank you,” she said with a soft French accent. 

He was excited to sit with her and discover the truth of his destiny.  She was someone he wanted to add to his life so that his community may have access to her empathic power.  There was often great need to know the truth.

He watched Starla smile tremulously at Cherise.  He understood.  They would now know that he spoke true when he said she was his.   Through all of this, he
did
understand how she felt.  But this was not a time for caution.  It was a time to touch the future which he knew held so many wonderful things.  All he could do now was hope that when it was revealed that she was meant to be his lover and mother of his children, she would accept graciously, the asshole would disappear, and a new age would begin for the children of the moon.

Cherise touched every person in the room.  Ahmose did not know why, but he noticed her subtle hand movements that brushed against or bold
ly grasped, the hands or faces of his closest friends.  Was she reading them?  He thought she was.  Some vampires could read other people to tell if they were honorable.  She was definitely making a connection.

Koen tapped on a metal tabletop with a spoon to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, we’re going to get this started.  Most of you have met, but this is Cherise, a human empath who is now vampire.  We brought her here to clear up some confusion.  She has requested we have only the relevant parties in the room, so if everyone wouldn’t mind finding somewhere else to go for now, I’d appreciate it.”

Jacob and Henri stood their ground, arms crossed and didn’t move
. 

Starla grabbed Chione as she was starting to go to let her know she wanted her to stay.  With a smile, she settled at Starla’s side.

Ahmose watched the man David, who he had learned was Cherise’s mate, as he walked over to check the door, locked it and stood sentry.  He was very protective of his mate.  Ahmose approved and looked at Starla.  He would be the same, nothing would ever harm his woman.

Cherise addressed the remaining people in the room.

“Hi, everyone is familiar by now with what we are trying to accomplish here.  I will need each of you to be quiet and calm.  This should be a sacred place for my subjects.  So, if you will choose somewhere comfortable, we can begin.”

Cherise took a place on the
elaborately weaved floor mat in the center of Ahmose’s yurt.  With simple hand motions, she asked Ahmose and Starla to join her there.

“We will connect to find out what the stars have designed for you.  Ahmose, we honor your people’s
desire to satisfy destiny and faith as we all have our paths to walk in these lives we inhabit.  We must be aware of our place in the universe.  My gift touches the spirit that imbues every living creature, flora or fauna, and especially those super-naturals that carve out a different place in the order.  We know we design our own lives.  We are the sum of our choices.  But above us a vast cosmic machine places things where they need to be for life to continue and thrive.  We are not alone in this.  Nothing teaches us this more than the spirit amulets each first blood wears.  It is attached invisibly but inextricably to the order of life in the universe.  It is incontrovertible.  Destiny makes requests, and fate pays attention.”

She took a moment to get in position next to her subjects.

“Everyone, please stay silent until we are finished.  Starla, to my right please.  Ahmose, please, in front of me.  Take my hands.  Close your eyes and clear your minds.  I will do all the work.  I will move through you, but you will feel only a shadow as I pass.  You will feel connected to each other, though, on a spiritual level much deeper than anything physical.”

“Fuck that!”

Jacob stood up, and Koen stopped him.  Although Koen didn’t freeze him, his strong grip kept him in place.

“Let her do what we brought her here to do.”

Jacob considered pushing forward.

“You wouldn’t let some other man into
your
woman’s head.”

Koen thought about Alisa.  No, he wouldn’t.

“No,” he admitted. “Unless it was the only way I could keep her in my life.  Sit down, boy.  Trust Cherise.” 

Koen felt Jacob forcibly relax under his hand.

“Okay, proceed,” he said quietly.

Cherise took Ahmose and Starla’s hands and was almost immediately pulled out of self and into the merge.  It was like the forces of their spirits were yanking against chains to get to each other.
   She released her trapped breath slowly and took control, guiding them carefully.  She weaved herself between them and reached for the tiny part in each of them that knew its own destiny.  The struggle to get to each other continued, frantic and powerful, until their spirits broke free.  They moved forward almost at light-speed, tangling together, merging on this universal plane.  Cherise sighed.  It was clear.  They were meant to be together.

Now the tough part.  She had to disengage them from each other so they could flow back into their own
bodies.  It proved difficult.  The spirits did not want to separate.  With care, she used her own life force to slip between the twisted tethers and pull them away from each other so gently they let the strands slide and finally moved back where they belonged.  Cherise felt her body sigh as her spirit returned successfully, psychically exhausted.

Since becoming vampire, Cherise’s natural birthright as a connector between species, a functioning empath, had become more powerful and more intense.   There were times a merge almost overwhelmed her.  This was one of those times.

The three bodies became alert about the same time.  Jacob moved behind Starla to hold her as she shook off the lethargy that resulted from this type of empathic invasion.  She moaned and opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her and moved her arms to pull him closer.  Dropping her head against his chest, she stayed there for several minutes while her mind became fully alert again.

Cherise, accustomed to these sessions, came around more quickly, and watched Ahmose as he became aware again and noticed Starla in Jacob’s arms.  She could feel the anger roll off him, so she touched him with her hand and sent a calming “impression” to him.  He looked at her, smiled, and squeezed her hand lightly in acknowledgement of the aid.

Cherise scanned those gathered in the large room of Ahmose’s yurt.  Jacob, Koen, Henri, and Chione waited for the results of Cherise’s talent.

She stood, smoothing down her dress and asked for something cold to drink.

Chione brought her  an ice cold wine and stepped back next to her leader to listen to this empath from the other side of the world tell them what she thought was their destiny.

They were divided by factions, Ahmose and Chione on one side of the seating area, Jacob, Koen and Henri on the other side.  Starla had stayed next to Jacob.

Cherise cleared her throat.

“Look at you all here. 
Beautiful faces of good people.  There is a design here.  A destiny.”  She paused.  “These souls reached for each other on the spiritual plane.  They needed to be together.  I couldn’t keep them apart.  That is destiny.  When something is meant to be, against all odds, that is destiny.  These two were meant to be together.”

An immediate collective gasp of awe and anger went up as Cherise tried to interrupt.

“No, you must let me finish.  These souls were meant to be together, that I cannot dispute.  But as parents.  Not as lovers.” 

Now the room went silent.

Koen leaned in eventually.  “What?  How can that work?”

Cherise lifted her eyebrows.  “You don’t know how babies are made, Koen?”

“Bullshit!”  Jacob yelled, and stepped forward to take Starla into his arms.  “Bullshit!  No way will I allow this man near Starla!”

Ahmose looked thunderstruck.  He finally spoke.

“Babies are made on more than a spiritual level.”  He looked at Starla.  “You see we are meant to be lovers.  Please come to me.  You have the word of your own clansman that we are to be parents and raise these children.”  He pinned Jacob with his eyes.  “You need to let her go now.  Don’t make me come and take her.”

Jacob pulled her behind him.

“This happens over my dead body,” he answered.

“
I don’t see a problem with that.” Ahmose replied.

“Wait!”  Starla screamed and yanked free of Jacob’s embrace.

“Nobody tells me how to live my life or who I live it with.  This was strictly to try to untangle this mess.”

She turned to Jacob.

“You.  Shut up.  No one’s killing anyone here.”

Then she turned on Ahmose, who stood ready to fight.

“And you.  Mighty king of this nation.  Stand down.”

He hesitated, facing the small vampire with fiery eyes and wild hair. 

“But you know now that…”

“Just, please, step back.  Please, Ahmose.”

One glance to Jacob, another at Cherise, he gave Starla a slight bow and stepped back.

“Okay.  Cherise,” Starla turned to the small vampire empath.  “What the hell was that?  Koen assured me you really know this, that you have a real connection beyond our mundane lives.  What kind of prognostication is that?  What are we supposed to do with this information?”

Cherise sat down on the huge couch, pulling her legs up under her.  She looked up at Chione.

“This wine is very good, thank you.  Everyone. Sit.  Listen.”

Those in the room did as they were asked.  Everyone was curious what else the empath would say.

“This connection that you have.  It is real.  You cannot refuse to fulfill this destiny.  The children you were meant to have would haunt you.  I have felt a wave in the air for some time now.  Something is happening that is wonderful and must be attended.  When Park carried a first blood child, I thought it was because she herself was a new first blood. But then Eillia, barren for a thousand years, found Daniel and became with child right away.  Now this
.  You.  An ancient first blood and a new vampire.  There is no doubt.” 

She paused and looked from
Starla’s dark eyes to Ahmose’s darker ones.

“
You will produce three children.  A boy.  And then two girls.  If you allow.  Destiny has chosen this time in history to bring forth children for the new generation.  There will be another later this year.”

She looked at Koen with a smile.

“Our darling Cairine will not be alone.”

Koen looked from Starla to Ahmose.

“This woman knew my granddaughter within three days of conception.  She can communicate with them even when they are that young.  Because their souls are old.  They are waiting to be born.  You two must listen.”

“And what happens if Starla wants to be with me?  Do we forget what we feel?  I never will,” Jacob said, all the fight gone from him.  He just wanted this to be over with and
to take his girl home.

Suddenly, Starla stood.  “It’s my choice.”

She closed her eyes and just sat still for long minutes.  When she opened them moments later, she walked over to Ahmose, kissed his cheek and took his hands. 

Koen prepared to grab Jacob, but it wasn’t necessary.  Jacob stood still as a stone as Starla touched Ahmose.

She didn’t take her eyes off him as she spoke.

“Could everyone please give us some privacy?”

It took a few moments, but all the people in the room filed out, leaving just the two of them.

“I meant it when I told you I could fall in love with you.  Meant it when I said I wished I could be
ar your children.  But I know my heart.  I’m in love with Jacob.  Deeply crazy about him.  I think you know that.  It’s not a surprise, it’s a hard choice.  You were right when you said our children would be amazing.  But I can’t.  I realize how special this is, but I can’t.  I love him, Ahmose.  You must understand that.”

He nodded but he couldn’t speak.  He’d lost her.  He’d lost the children of the moon.  Unless he forced her, which was the last thing he wanted to do, he would not see his children born.  He turned away, his mind racing on his options.  She’d once told him she knew he would never slay Jacob, but a demon idea formed.  He had to go from here before he acted against his own nature.