Authors: Laura Hawks
“No. I’m innocent. No.
NO! NO!
NO!
” Mel screamed as the creature invaded his body, tearing and clawing its way into the sinews of muscles, down his spine and into Mel’s very soul. The pain tore through him as he felt every shred of decency, love, peace and good be torn into such small pieces it was beyond recognition.
A part of him still remembered Coyote pulling Nokomis away and she willingly let him. How could she betray him like that? After everything they had shared, he thought she would stand by him, clear his name. What had she told Nana that sealed his fate for something he was innocent of? He died that day, or at least whatever humanity or soul he had perished.
“I will never see you suffer such a fate, my son. You will never carry such a despicable beast within you. You will never have to fight the battles I have or suffer as I have done. This is my promise to you, Logan. Your parents, unlike mine, will fight to protect you from everything that would hurt you. You are safe from ever having a demon within,” Mel concluded before kissing his son on the forehead and shutting the door as he left.
Now, Clarissa stared into her son’s eyes. She couldn’t believe twenty-four years had gone by since she gave birth to him. Even as a babe, Clarissa was astounded by the color of his orbs. Logan’s eyes mixed his parents’ eye color for a very unique turquoise blue, which shimmered like the Caribbean Sea. His powers from his parentage began to show up after puberty, although he did not seem to have his mother’s propensity to change into the form of a wolf. His father was a Native American god and Logan’s magical abilities reflected that part of his heritage.
Unlike the demi-god status Logan now had, his mother was a werewolf, able to shift when needed or wanted. She rarely talked about her family, other than to state they all died by an attack from a neighboring pack of wolves. Whenever Clarissa did talk about her family, she always mentioned how grateful she had been to have had so many siblings. Her parents were loving and protective. As a result, she grew up with an open and loving heart. It was only after her family had been killed she became untrusting and suspicious of all around her.
By the time she met Azamel, who was hunting an escaped demon named Xon, she had a huge chip on her shoulder and no trust in anything or anyone, least of all any male who seemed to know so much about her and what she guarded. It took a lot of time together, Mel training her in her new powers and how to better protect the Gem of Avarice, of which she was the guardian. The time they spent together enabled her to trust him and he to trust her. He couldn’t believe the kind, loving heart she seemed to have. And it took her time to believe Mel was actually there to help her and not take the gem for himself. Through many trials and tribulations, they ended up together with a love so deep it made up for the years of duplicity and deceptions they both endured throughout their lifetimes.
Clarissa reached for Logan’s hands and held them as she pulled him to sit on the couch in his room. “You have not experienced much of the world, my son. Not the one I was raised in. Not the one of light and humans and a wonder which exists in that world. You have been trapped down here with us for pretty much all your life. I know there were exceptions to the rule. Your father taking you on trips to the Human Realm, showing you some things, but, it’s not the same as living there and meeting people, good and bad. There is always good and bad in everything.”
Clarissa paused and looked down at their hands linked together. Since she has been with Mel, her aging has stopped and she looked only slightly older than her son did at that moment. “I want you to experience the world, but your father is rather against it. He fears you will not be able to handle the deceptiveness of humans or the web of lies they create so effortlessly. However, I believe we have taught you well enough for you to not put your trust in everyone. Trust must be earned, not given away readily.”
“Are you telling me to go out into the world? To explore on my own? Dad agreed to this?”
“He doesn’t know. I’ll break the news to him at a later date. But you need to live life and learn about the world and the others in it. You are old enough to handle anything which comes your way and I have taught you to control and use your powers, so if something out of the ordinary comes after you, I know you could handle it. Besides, if you find yourself in any real trouble, all you would have to do is call and your father would be there in an instant with reinforcements.”
Logan thought about what this meant, what it would mean. He would be able to see Jasmine in the light of day. No more hiding. No more waiting for her to sneak away to visit him. He tried to steal away to meet her a couple of times, but it almost appeared as if they knew he was up to something as extra guards would arrive and man the portals. However, his mother was giving him permission to live on the surface and be with Jasmine, even though Clarissa was unaware of actually achieving such an objective for him. He tried to hide his excitement so she wouldn’t become overtly suspicious.
Before he could respond in any way, there was another frantic knock on his door and, without waiting for permission, Shara entered. Her eyes were red with worry and concern. Without any preamble, she blurted out, “Trinity is gone. She was taken!”
Clarissa stood up, her face drained of all color. “Are you sure she is not just hiding? How do you know?”
“Zenthus. She wanted to go into the garden, so he and Jakome went with her, as per orders. They were waiting for her and jumped the guards. Jakome is dead and Zenthus is very badly hurt.”
“Where is Zenthus?”
“In the infirmary.”
“And Mel?”
Shara wrung her hands in consternation. “He had a meeting with Nana.”
Clarissa frowned. A meeting with this particular god was rarely a good sign, but it was worse if Nana came to see Azamel instead of just calling for a conference.
Chapter 3
Nanaboojoo was the eldest Native American god, the protector of humanity and forests. When he called a session, none dared to refuse. If he came to them, it was usually worse. Whatever he had to discuss would be of utmost importance, usually time sensitive, and very rarely would it be something good. Whatever he decreed, regardless of other’s desires, was adhered to. Nana once told Azamel he could not be with Clarissa because Mel ruled the Nether Realm and Clarissa was a child of the human world and that was where she had to be. Mel was to train her and then send her back, away from him, forever. As much as Mel hated the idea, he obeyed Nana’s wishes.
Once Clarissa was properly trained in using her powers and not letting her past get in the way of her fighting, he let her walk out of his realm and his life. It had been hard for both of them to adapt to a life without the other in it, but they managed. Azamel kept watch over Clarissa from afar, but didn’t truly interfere. Clarissa continued to battle the demon hordes, which seemed to be thrown at her in search of the stone. It was only later discovered that Mel’s brother was behind the innumerable attacks on Clarissa in hopes of finding a weakness in the young woman in order to achieve access to the Gem of Avarice, her charge to protect. With the power it would bestow upon him, Jes wanted to use the stone to overthrow Nana and take over the Elders Council.
It was only because of Clarissa’s ultimate sacrifice in protecting the stone in the midst of an all-out war between the gods that Nana revoked his earlier decree and allowed the two of them to be together.
If Mel was with Nana, there was no way Clarissa or anyone would be able to get in touch with him until he returned. Normally, Clarissa would just let Shara deal with whatever the news was, but this was not just any tidbit of information; this was her daughter.
Logan blanched as he listened to the two women speak. He knew this was his onus: the possible result of an omission with his younger sister, Trinity, might have contributed to her being taken. His thoughts went back to a conversation they had just a couple of weeks ago.
He had just returned into the house and back up to his room, shutting the door after his visit with Jasmine. He took his shirt off just as Trinity entered his room, shutting the door behind her.
The youthful girl was sixteen, but still childish in many ways as far as Logan was concerned, even if he did adore her most of the time.
“Get out brat!”
Instead, Trinity continued farther into the room, acting cocky as she strutted about, tossing her dark hair behind her. As she did so, her soft-green eyes, paler than her mother’s, shone brightly.
“You know Dad won’t take me to Faefardom.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re too young in the first place and they don’t like those of us related to Demonkin in their domain. Besides, why tell me this anyway?” Logan pulled on a fresh t-shirt as he watched his sibling saunter about, her nose arrogantly lifted in the air.
“I want you to take me.”
Logan bust out laughing heartily. “And why would I want to do that, you little runt?”
“So I don’t tell Mom and Papa about you doing kissy-face things in the garden with that girl.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “You scheming feral monkey-beast. I’ll get you.” He started to chase her but she ran to the other side of his bed, keeping it between them. Logan scuttled over it and grabbed the back of her shirt as she tried to get away. Trinity spun, the shirt twisting in his hands. She slapped at his fingers as she tried to get free, then stopped her struggling and glared up at him.
“Go ahead and hurt me. I’ll tell Papa immediately. Then you’ll be in big trouble.”
Logan hesitated just before he released her. “What are you going to do? Keep blackmailing me for years?”
“Maybe.”
“It’s not going to work that way. I was going to talk to them about going to live on the surface for a while anyways. I am older now; it’s time I get on my own. Once that happens, there won’t be anything you can hold over my head to use.”
“But until then, I have this. Just take me to Faedardom. A couple of hours. No one would know.” Trinity knew from his hesitation she had won the argument and they would be going to the realm she was dying to visit. “Who is she? The girl in the garden? How do you know her?”
Logan sat on the edge of his bed, his face taking on a different, softer countenance as he thought about the woman his sister saw. “Her name is Jasmine. She came into the garden a few years ago to see Mom’s roses. She comes every couple of weeks to see them and I get to see her. I don’t know much about her, other than she lives in the world of the humans and she has to sneak away to visit.”
In a sing song voice, Trinity teased him, dragging out the word love for a couple of octave changes. “You love her. Logan is in love. Logan is in love.”
Logan, however, didn’t buy into her teasing. Just the opposite, he stoically agreed. “I think I am. I mean, I don’t know much about it and she is the only girl not related or part of this place I have met and gotten to know, but yeah. I think I am in love with her. She is sweet, kind, gentle. There is something about her that draws me to her. It’s hard to explain, but one day you will understand.”
Trinity watched him closely. She had never seen such a look of bliss on her brother’s face. She could tell he was totally serious about this woman.
“And you don’t know anything else about her? Why hasn’t she told you more of who she is?”
“She is afraid of others finding out she comes here. She says if they knew, they would come for her here and she could die as a result. You can’t tell anyone, Trin. If anyone found out, if Mom or Dad learned she came here, it would be bad. Very, very bad.”
“I understand, Logan. I am not stupid. Besides, if I tell others about her, like Mom or Papa, you won’t take me to Faedardom. I won’t say anything. I promise.”
“Fine then. I’ll take you to the realm when it’s safe to go. You know, when Dad is at a meeting and Mom is busy with the garden or some other chore.”
“Fair enough,” she said as she skipped out of his room, content she had gotten her way.
Now, Trinity has been taken from the same garden where he had his trysts with Jasmine. If someone else saw Jasmine there, someone other than Trinity, they could have assumed she would be on her way today. This would have been the right amount of time and, in actuality, Jasmine was supposed to arrive today for another clandestine visit. He knew from their previous meeting her plans today would be later than normal. She thought she might be delayed due to not being able to get away without notice, although she didn’t specify why. He could only assume Trinity headed out to the garden at their normal rendezvous time to meet her, only to be taken.
Looking up, Logan realized the two women were still talking and his mother was becoming extremely anxious. He had to tell her the truth. He had to let her know about Jasmine, yet honestly he was terrified to do so. His little sister was gone, taken, and Jasmine could be, would be, next. As he gathered up the courage to, Clarissa and Shara sped out of his room and down the corridors to the infirmary. He rushed after the two women, his adrenaline high, his nerves taut. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do and he was not sure he was going to be able to do so to their satisfaction. Especially since, despite how much time over the past five years he had spent with Jasmine, he really didn’t know anything personal about her: no last name, no family relations, no mutual associations. Hell, he wasn’t even sure what kind of being she truly was.