Blinded

When morning arrived I felt I had slept better than the last few months passed. I hadn’t had a single dream. No strange faces or faraway places. I had met only calm, peaceful silence. For more than a second after waking I forgotten where I was. The room I had taken residency over flooded my vision and everything came back to me in a rush. I didn’t have long to think things through before the door opened and my near constant companion was strolling in.

“Father thinks it would be a good idea to get you up and walking before you forget how to use your legs. Also, he has some tea for you to help keep up your energy and strength.”

All signs of Lucas’s upset form from the night before had vanished. He was smiling, widely, and gave me a once over, as he approached with his tray and placed it in my lap. Breakfast consisted of toast and butter along with oatmeal. I picked at it, truly trying to eat, except my stomach wasn’t feeling up to anything more than a few bites. I did down the tea easily enough. Lucas frowned when I said I was full. He said nothing as he took away the tray and then let a maid in.

I was assisted in dressing against my will. Clothes I did not recognized were pulled from the wardrobe. I tried to pick something more to my taste and in the end was dressed in a casual knee length blouse, belted at the waist, and a pair of tights. I found my way to the door after I was finished and moved into the hall. The maid had taken a right when she had left. I followed in that direction, having no idea where I was going. I only knew that I was not waiting to explore. I had to see where Lucas lived. I made it to a set of stairs and looked over the banister. I was four floors up. Only then did I realize the extent of my mistake. Just as I was debating turning back, or heading down, a voice spoke from behind.

“Lost?”

I turned to see Lucas with a smirk. “I’ve barely just got down the hall. How could I be lost already?”

“Can I still escort you?”

I nodded. Lucas should have known it wasn’t like me to get lost too easily. I couldn’t say it would be the same in the house of a god. He offered an arm and I graciously wrapped mine around his. When I looked up to take a step forward I wasn’t at the top of the stairs anymore. We had come to another hall. The ceiling was made entirely out of glass. I looked over and Lucas was still smirking. He had done something. His smile told me he was trying to impress. I played along, if only to get answers.

“What happened?”

“I moved us?”

“I thought I was supposed to walk?”

“You will be,” he insisted. “This part of the house is the most beautiful to walk through.”

“How am I going to learn to get around if I don’t walk from one part of the house to the other without you doing that?”

“There’s no way you could walk here anyway. It’s completely blocked off, accessible by only the most devote lesser immortals.”

I could feel another lesson coming on. I decided I would determine the direction of the conversation. “What do you mean by lesser immortals?”

Immortals were ranked by power and purity. The more human in your system tended to mean less power. Not in all cases. Immortals by marriage were ranked lower because they tended to have no power just a long life. I came to learn there were other worldly beings, entire nations of immortals that had their own realms and planets. Some were close to gods, others were not. Most immortals had some trace of one god or another in them that gave them their power.

“Did you know that when man was made my mother intended to put long life into them? You were to have more and it was robbed from you because you fell into the world before mother got the chance to add it. Instead she made it easier for you to reproduce. Only that seems to be damaging the planet more so I don’t know if that was a great idea or not.” Lucas grumbled. I didn’t take it personally. “I mean,” he cheered up, “of course it is great you can have large families... I don’t hold it against you or anything. Jeez this is hard.”

I laughed. “Lucas it takes more than a few months for you to change. You’re trying to understand. That’s what matters. Where does this endless hall lead to anyway?”

“These doors all go to various gardens. They were mother’s creations. Each one dedicated to a different ecosystem. Some found on earth today, some extinct, others haven’t made it to earth, and there are many based on other realms. The most important one, at least in your point of view, is a few doors down.”

Lucas guided me to a gray door. The handle was carved out of wood and it twisted itself, as if alive, along the gray of the door. He pushed the lever down releasing the latch and we stepped into a small garden. It looked ordinary. The bushes we a little higher than usual and climbed up the walls, or what I assumed were walls. They appeared to be made of glass as I could see into another room on my right. The left was still a far bit off and I couldn’t see where the room ended on the other side. I walked around and noticed that each bush seemed to carry fruit. Not just any fruit; berries. I could make out raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. With a little closer look to the ground I saw strawberries. Small wild ones and large plump ones the size of two of my thumbs all ripe and ready to pick. I released Lucas’s arm and bent over to pick one. Popping it into my mouth I was amazed at the perfect taste of them.

“Much better,” I heard Lucas mumbled as I grabbed another few and popped them into my mouth too.

“Hm?” I looked at him as a fourth one made it to my mouth.

“You didn’t eat much. I knew strawberries would help.”

I turned away to pick one more and frowned. Lucas knew so much about me. He had all those months to study me. I knew him to some extent only it didn’t seem the same. “What’s your favorite food?” I asked as I rose to my feet.

“I don’t have to eat, aside from boredom eating.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t have a favorite.” I walked further into the garden and Lucas followed a short distance behind. I was noticing other berries now. A gooseberry, mulberry, choke cherry and a few I didn’t recognize too. I picked a raspberry and then a purple one that resembled a tiny grape.

“I am very much a meat eater when I do eat.”

That didn’t shock me. “Is there a reason for that?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps it has to relate to that which I pull my power from.”

“What is that by the way? Where do you draw power from?”

“There’s a reason my father placed me in the form of a dog. I am like him; I helped him create the canines found on Earth. Originally there were wolves, that was one of father’s many creations , eventually I created a guardian. They evolved and adapted like all other creatures and different forms bred into what we now call the domesticated dog. Mother had need of keeping balance between the populations of all other animals. The peacekeepers father had made were growing too abundant. Wolves and other carnivores were needed to keep their populations down.”

“What are guardians?”

“A mix breed I created to assist my followers.”

“Your followers?”

“The canine damons.”

I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. “Damons? Do you mean demons?”

“Nope, damons. That’s another story. Let’s go back to how you didn’t say anything when I said I created the canine.”

“Are you expecting me to be surprised? At this point you could tell me you are ten feet tall and made of some stardust and I wouldn’t be flabbergasted.”

“I could make myself ten feet tall if I had to,” Lucas mused with a chuckle.

We reached the other end of the garden. The wall here was glass as well. I could see out to the vast greenery. A lush glassy field and bright sunlight shone everywhere. In the distance a mountain and a green tinged sky that seemed to be fading to purple. “We aren’t on earth.”

“We are in father’s realm. This is the immortal realm that is connected to Earth and yet connected to all the other immortal realms, which in turn connect to their attached worlds. Think of it like a heaven. We can look upon earth, watch it, participate at will, leave at will, or move to other realms as needed. It can also be expanded as needed.

“One day at a time,” I mumbled. I was starting to get overwhelmed. I truly had no idea what I was getting into. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. A picture of a girl, the same girl who asked for help in my dreams, came to the surface.

“Maybe we should go back to your room.”

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

“It’s a lot to take in. Even for those who are devote.”

“The damons?”

“Most, there are some humans, or other species, I guess you would call them alien. You don’t have to learn everything at once. There’s plenty of time.”

Lucas was compressing his lips. He was worried. Yesterday’s outbreak was remembered and I knew why he was on edge. I wouldn’t push it. Not now. I’d let him calm down. Ike had given me a lot to think about. “The woman who poison me...”

“Shazi,” Lucas filled in.

“How big of a threat are we talking?”

Lucas turned to go back. He picked a different path and I followed silently. “I can’t find her,” Lucas admitted moments later. I’ve no clue where she moved her base and that infuriating woman is searching for you as desperately as I am her.” He was getting angrier the more he spoke about her.

“How do you know she’s looking for me?”

“She had a spy posted outside of your apartment. I’ve also taken to putting up barriers around your friends and family.” My heart sunk. Lucas whirled on his feet and he put his hands on each of my shoulders. “I won’t let anything happen to you or them. I promise. You don’t have to be afraid.” My eyes went wide and I knew that Lucas somehow felt how I was feeling. “What’s wrong? Now you aren’t afraid.”

“How are you doing that?”

“Good hearing... I can hear your heart beat.”

I took a deep breath and sighed in relief. That I could handle. I didn’t want to share my emotions with him in a mental capacity, something like that I wasn’t ready for. If he was picking it up by other means that seemed okay. I would just have to learn to control those other means. “Is Shazi usually like this? I mean is there sides or something?”

“The immortals as of late are dividing up. We aren’t quite sure of the reasoning. Teams are developing and that is sure to play in some big plan in a couple decades. Watching is about the most Father will do until he knows more. If I were to put Shazi on a side I would say she is typically on my side, but she and I have had a few falling outs. Most recently being everything you related. I no longer seek to end humanity. She is pro-human extinction. She’s not too bright so it is easy to thwart her plans.”

I thought about this a moment before making a big mistake. Talking out loud was a bad habit I was going to have to break now that Lucas wasn’t just a companion of the furry sort. “If you can’t find Shazi then make her come to you.”

Luca beamed and kissed my head and then each cheek before jumping back and clapping his hands. “Beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman I love you, and I love how your mind works. That might just work.”

I was suddenly left alone and discovered one other thing. Lucas temper was quick like a teenager and so was his excitement. I looked around the room and grumbled as I remembered Lucas telling me the area was blocked off. “Seriously, you couldn’t take me with you or drop me off somewhere else.” I sighed at my stupidity. “Why am I speaking to nothing?”

“You create peace in a mind full of rage,” a voice dropped in. I looked around and saw Ike standing beside one of the only trees.

“Thank g...” I stopped as I realized who was in attendance.

“That’d be suiting, do continue.” There was a smirk on Ike’s, it matched the one Lucas wore. I knew where Lucas got it from.

“I don’t suppose you’re here to help me find my way back to my room or something.”

“I thought you might like the use of a phone.”

“I can call my family from here?”

“I’m an all-powerful god I am sure if I can make machines work without electricity I can make a phone work too.”

“Then please, after you.”

Ike offered me an arm and I shook my head at the similarities between father and son. We were suddenly in a small library. All four walls were lined with books, there was room only for a large bay window. A circle of large armchairs occupied the space in the center of the room and a phone was placed on a small table between two of the chairs.

“I assume I don’t have to tell you that you can’t tell everyone the real reason you are here.” I nodded. “We made contact with your family and came up with a cover story. Over the weekend your cold, we thought to be a small case of pneumonia, worsened and it was later determined to be respiratory syncytial virus. It is highly contagious and you have odd symptoms of the virus not seen before. Therefore for your well-being, and that of your family, you are under quarantine until further notice.”

“Respiratory sync...”

“A virus of your lungs and respiratory tract,” Ike simplified.

“You told this to my mother?” Ike nodded, I took a deep breath. “I can just breeze over the details and claim I am so tired I didn’t ask many question. What matters the most is I am on the mend.” Ike smiled and I took a seat in the chair. “Do I dial any special numbers?”

“Area code and the phone number.”

I pulled the phone into my lap. It looked ancient compared to the cells everyone had these days. I picked up the receiver and noticed there was no cord attaching it to its base. There was no dial tone when I held it to my ear either. I looked up but Ike was gone. The base wasn’t attached to anything. I pushed the button to test it and heard a satisfying beep. I continued with the area code and debated who to call first. Mother would be more difficult. Best to start there. I was bombarded with questions with each call. How was I really? When could I receive visitors? How much longer till they knew anything? Only Skylar avoided asking those questions. We aim the conversation on how work was handling my absence. Skylar insisted I take my time to recover and I wasn’t allowed to needlessly worry.

“Kale, do you need anything?” he asked when I mentioned I was tired.

“They’re taking good care of me here.”

“If you need to talk, about anything...”

“I will give you a call,” I finished.

There was always something about Skylar. Like he knew when I was lying or hiding something. It wasn’t the first time in the last few months I thought this. I wanted to believe it was nerves, or I was seeing signs not really there. Only that hadn’t proved to be the case with Lucas so how could I feel at ease with Skylar? I said my goodbyes and hung up the phone. I wanted to call Samantha, only I really was beginning to feel tired. Looking to the window I could see the sun still high in the sky. Along the horizon another sun was setting. I frowned. Two suns?

“Something is puzzling you?” Ike was back at the door. I was being watched closely it seemed. Not a moment without someone beside me. They had given me privacy to call my family so it could have been worse. “I could sense the connection to earth being cut off and figured you had finished with your calls. You missed your afternoon meal would you care to join me for supper?”

“There are two suns?”

“One is a replica of Earth’s. It gives off no heat or light to affect this world. I use it solely to trace the days that pass there. Otherwise I will be gone for days without realizing it.”

“Time passes differently here?”

“My days are long. The sun has set only once since you arrived.”

“I was asleep for six days.”

“Six earth days. I don’t suppose you mind sharing whatever idea you placed in my son’s head. He’s left the premise without a word and returned to Earth. Not that I mind having you as my dinner companion.”

“You don’t have to babysit me. I can eat on my own.”

“I enjoy a nice meal every once in a while. Lucas hasn’t left your side for more than a few minutes and so I haven’t much time to speak with you.”

“I told him that if he couldn’t find Shazi perhaps he could make her come to him. I am beginning to think my presence here is a nuisance. Perhaps it would be best for me to leave now.”

“I can’t risk harm to you after all you have done for my family. I will however expand on your idea. If you would allow us to use you as bait I could guarantee your safety and help Lucas catch Shazi.”

I had a feeling this would crop up at some point. The woman was after me. It made sense she would come to me if I looked to be unguarded. It was something I couldn’t decline. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without looking over my shoulder if Shazi was on the loose. I wouldn’t be able to let go of Lucas so he could move on. I felt my heart sink. This was going to bring my departure about sooner. I whispered a soft approval and listened to my heart break. The things one would do for someone they cared about.

We were half way through a supper of vegetables when the doors to the dining room flew open. I swallowed the peas in my mouth out of shock and to hide the cough from them I hastily reached for my water glass. There was wine on the table as well, though it didn’t taste like wine. Skylar said the most deadly of alcoholic drinks were the ones you couldn’t taste the alcohol in. I took only small sips here and there and refused a refill. Lucas plucked a path to the table and flung himself in a seat. His eyes didn’t bother to look at the table. I remembered what he had said about meat. Ike seemed to be on the vegetarian side of things. Despite their similarities they had vast differences.

“Are you okay?” I whispered when I trusted I wouldn’t cough.

“I’m fine,” Lucas grumbled. He didn’t look up at me or his father. His eyes were on the place setting. There was also two other place settings. One brother had come. He spoke with his father silently and took with him a glass a wine upon his retreat. He hadn’t even looked over at me to smile or introduce himself. With brown hair and the palest of brown eyes he was a complete contrast to Lucas. Ike told me to never mind him. His oldest son was something of an antisocial character. Later Ike added he would assist in the plan to draw out Shazi. The other brother had not made an appearance yet. Before Lucas had arrived Ike was telling me his oldest boys were polar opposites. One a flirt, the other near shy.

“Lucas, Ike was telling me that we haven’t missed the festival going on in the park. If it’s alright with you I would like to attend.”

“Isn’t that for kids?”

“I guess,” I mumbled. “There are other attractions too. The boat rides on the lake and all the local artisans will be displaying their products.”

It was the doctor’s idea to go to the park. Shazi wouldn’t wander far from the area I frequented. If she wasn’t watching the park personally, someone close to her would be. I had suggested leaving Lucas out of the loop. He would be too protective to let me be a part of the plan. Even if he let me go, his guard would be up. If there were people around I wouldn’t be a risk to an open attack.

“No need to rush things Kale,” Ike replied. Lucas didn’t like to listen to his father too often. It would push him to agree to let me go.

“I’ll be fine,” I said confidently.

Lucas said nothing. I watched him, his eyes were observing his place setting. I was almost certain Lucas could tell I was hiding something. He would refuse me and just know I was planning something with his father. After a moment his eyes rose up and he stared at me. They held no enthusiasm. He agreed and I knew he was doing this for me and not for himself.

Ike rose suddenly and declared he had a war in another realm to investigate. I didn’t ask. I already had enough on my plate. I took Lucas’s hand and gave him a weak smile. “You can’t fix everything in one day, or a week for that matter.”

“Are you sure you want to go to the park?”

“You said you checked there. I am sure we will be safe for a couple hours. You need to think about something else before your brain turns to mush.”

“My brain isn’t going to turn to mush, that’s below me. I don’t even think that is possible for any immortal.”

I chuckled and noticed Lucas was being serious. “It was metaphorical.”

“What did you and my father discuss?” he asked suddenly.

It caught me off guard at first; I recovered with a shrug. “Mostly my family and how they are doing. I called them today to update them on my condition. Ik...” Lucas raised his fingers to my lips. His name meant I would be calling him to attention. Apparently Lucas didn’t want his father knowing we were talking about him. He wasn’t about to risk a nickname either. “He’s going to write a letter for my workplace, informing them that I will be out a while yet as I have only just begun to respond to medication.”

Lucas leaned back in his chair again and stared at me. Finally he shared his thoughts. “Shazi didn’t show. If she had any respect she would have responded to my challenge. Stupid woman, too modern to follow tradition.”

“Please stop fretting over petty things. It might take time but I have confidence you will catch her.”

Lucas was suddenly inches from my face. I couldn’t lean back or I risked falling out of my chair. His fingers stroked the side of my face then entangled in my hair. He seemed to study every cell of my face before he finally spoke. “Don’t leave me,” he said so quietly I could only hear him because he was sitting so close to me. “Don’t let him talk you into leaving.”

I couldn’t respond. No one was making me leave except myself. I knew it was the right thing. Or I thought it was. Only I was questioning my every decision. I was coming to understand I didn’t know what was right or wrong. The little girl in my head came to me again. I shook my head to clear it and tried to focus on Lucas but my eyesight ran blurry. Lucas seemed to think I was tired and he was on his feet with me in his arms. I felt my head being cradled against his shoulder and that was the last I remembered before morning.