“I didn’t think so,” he grinned, getting up off the bed. “Can I get you anything?”
“Yeah a tea or coffee would be nice.”
“Sorry, we don't have that here.”
“Water?”
“That I can do; back in a moment,” he said as he walked out of the room.
I climbed off the bed and slowly made my way towards one of the large windows. I was so stiff it hurt me to walk; I felt as though I’d pulled every muscle in my body. When I finally got to the window I held on to the slate window ledge for support and looked outside. Everything was so different. Whatever building I was in, it was big; I looked down and saw I was a few hundred feet above the ground. When I looked out, it was as though I could see the air; it wasn’t transparent like it was back home, where you knew it was there but couldn’t see it. It looked hazy and had a very slight reddish tint to it; it caused everything else to look hazy too. I could see a high wall surrounding the building, but the edges of it were blurry. I could see other buildings in the distance but they weren’t very clear; they were blurred shadows. When I looked up I saw the sky was a swirling mass of colors –reds, purples and blues. In the distance I could see lightning, but not like the lightning I was used to seeing or creating; this was extreme – the forks that came down were thick, not the thin lines of electricity I’d seen back home.
“Different, isn’t it?” Eligos commented as he walked back into the room.
“It’s crazy, everything is so…”
“Blurry? You get used to it. When you go outside and get closer to the other buildings you will be able to see them clearly. Here, drink this,” he said, passing me the water.
“Thanks.”
I carried on looking out of the window as I drank the water. When I turned around Eligos was sitting on one of the sofas on the other side of the room, watching me.
“So they buried me then?” I enquired.
“Yeah, they had too.”
“How did you get me out? Surely they’ll notice that I’ve been dug up?”
“I didn’t dig you out of your grave, Keira.”
“How then?”
“How do you think?” he frowned, before raising one eyebrow. “Magic.”
I didn’t say anything; I just stood there looking at him.
“What, did you think that because I fight with a sword that I didn’t have power? I healed you remember, that takes power.”
“I knew you had some power because you healed me, but as for other power, I didn’t know what to think; you never told me anything,” I answered.
“I’m not as powerful as you, but I’m not too far off,” he told me.
“Oh.”
I started making my way over to him. When he saw how painful it was for me to move, he came over and picked me up, as though he was about to carry me over a threshold, and took me over to the sofa.
“So what now then, is this where I spend eternity?” I asked.
“I doubt it; you’re needed on Earth.”
“Where exactly is Hell? I mean we know it’s not in the center of the Earth and…”
“It’s another realm,” he told me. “There are lots of realms – your world, Heaven and Hell are just three of them.”
“I sacrificed myself for someone so why aren’t I in Heaven?”
“You can’t go there.”
“Why?”
“Keira, you’re part demon.”
“I know, but what if I don't want to be,” I snapped.
He couldn’t answer me; I knew it was because the answer was “tough”.
“I’m sorry, I don't mean to be nasty with you,” I said sincerely, “this is just a lot to take in.”
“I understand.”
“So is this your home?” I asked.
“No, this is the Palace.”
“The Palace?”
“Yeah, home of the King and Queen.”
“Lilith!” I gasped.
“Yeah, she wants to see you; she wanted to be here when you woke up but she knew you would need to see a face you recognized first; she didn’t want you to panic too much.”
“Where is she?”
“I’ll go and get her if you want,” he offered.
“Yes, please.”
“OK, stay there. Do not move! You’re too weak to be walking around on your own.”
I started to get really nervous; I had wanted to meet her since I learned she was part of me, but now that I was here and had the chance, part of me didn’t want to. What if she was disappointed in me or didn’t like me for some reason? I guess there was only one way to find out.
A few minutes later the door opened, Eligos walked in first, followed by Lilith. She was beautiful, her long straight black hair running down her back; her skin was perfect, pale, but without a blemish. She had the same figure as I did, and chiseled facial features, also the same as me. When she got closer to me I noticed her eyes; they were green, exactly the same shade as mine. She was wearing a beautiful long black dress; so long you couldn’t see her feet. She sat on the sofa next to me and then Eligos left the room. I couldn’t talk; all I could do was stare at her.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since the day you were born,” she said softly. “I was so excited when Eligos told me he’d brought you here.”
She held her arms out and I moved closer to her, laying my head on her chest and wrapping my arms around her and at the same time she wrapped hers around me. I don’t know why, but I started crying.
“I’m so sorry it’s taken so long for me to see you,” she said.
“Why did you wait all these years?” I asked, moving so I could see her.
“I can’t come to Earth for long…”
“I know, Eligos told me.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to spend time with you, and I didn’t want to simply tell you who I was and then have to leave.”
“I understand,” I nodded, trying to smile.
“You’re more like me than I thought; I’ve been watching you all your life but to see you in person, well, you look slightly different.”
“Eligos said I reminded him of you.”
“He told me that too, how are you two getting along?”
“OK.”
“Just OK?”
“I like him, he says it as it is and I prefer people to be like that.”
“I’m glad you like him, I didn’t want anyone else getting close to you. I would trust Eligos with my life, so I knew I could trust him with yours. He will always look after you.”
“Because you tell him too.”
“I asked him if he would watch over you, yes. But I didn’t tell him he had to,” she told me, “and I never told him to go and see you; he wanted to meet you himself. It was nice to see him take an interest in someone; he’s never done that before.”
“He saved my life; well, he’s done it twice now.”
“I know!” She cupped my face and looked at me for a moment before running her fingers through my hair.
“Who am I Lilith?” I asked. “I know I have your blood in me, I know about Elizabeth…”
“You’re not like Elizabeth.”
“She came to see me and…”
“Keira, what she told you, well, some of it was true; she did drink my blood, but you’re not the same as her. You…you are my daughter!”
Chapter Three
Questions
I sat on the sofa looking at the guys; all of them were staring at me wide-eyed.
“What did she mean?” Tyler finally asked.
“She meant exactly that. You see, my mom, Carla, couldn’t have children. She knew and she never told my father; of course she didn’t know about his power then and how he needed a child to pass it down too. Carla had always wanted a family and so when she found out she couldn’t she was devastated. Lilith knew my dad needed a child and Lilith wanted him to have a girl, so she worked her magic, and one night while my dad thought they were trying for a baby, she intervened.”
; “And hey presto Carla was pregnant with you,” Danny said.
“Yeah, but it was Lilith’s egg that was fertilized. I don't fully understand it, but that's how it was. She kept her eye on Carla all the way through the pregnancy.”
“So, basically, Carla was a surrogate mother” Lily confirmed.
“Yes,” I told her.
“Does Carla know?”
“No, although she thought it was very strange how she suddenly became pregnant and, when she found out about my dad’s power, she became suspicious.”
“But of course your dad didn’t know anything about it either, did he?” Jake said.
“No.”
All of them sat there in amazement.
“Can we take a break now, please,” I pleaded. “I’m sick of the sound of my own voice.”
“Course we can,” Lily said.
I walked out of the living room and into the back garden. I wanted to sit on my swing, but before I got there I saw my gravestone. I walked over to it and stared at it, it read:
Keira Jameson
Aged 22
Forever In Our Hearts
And Loved Always
Our Guardian Angel
“I bet that feels strange,” Tyler said as he came and stood next to me.
“Just a little,” I agreed.
He was right; it did feel strange. How many people get to stand in front of their grave? It wasn’t nice to know that for a short amount of time I was buried there.
“The words are beautiful,” I told him.
“I can’t explain how hard it was for us all.”
“It wasn’t easy for me either.”
“Don't ever leave us again,” he said sadly.
“Tyler, I won’t be here all the time, I told you that.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m different now. I died.”
“Yeah but your back.”
“I know that, but I need to go back from time to time,” I told him.
“How can you want to be somewhere where people are being ripped to shreds over and over?”
“Tyler, it’s not like that,” I explained, walking towards my swing. “It’s not all about torture; there are people there, people who know how to love and feel, who have paid for the crimes they committed on Earth or wherever they were from. Now they live there forever, most of them happily. It’s not how it’s portrayed in the movies.”
“I don't understand.”
“You might in the end, once I’ve told you everything,” I said, sitting down. “Just trust me, Hell isn’t what you think it is.”
“OK,” he nodded, walking away from the grave. “Do you want us to get rid of this?”
“Yes I do.”
“We’ll sort it out tomorrow. Do you want to be left alone for a while?
“Please.”
He walked into the house and I was alone. I sat there staring into space, my mind working overtime. I knew it was going to be hard for them all to understand what Hell was like, after all, they only believed what they had read in fantasy books or saw on the TV. I myself wouldn’t have believed Hell could be an OK place if I hadn't experienced it for myself. It was such a different way of life. I was happy knowing that I would spend eternity there, once life left my body again. How crazy would people think I was if they heard me say that? But it’s the truth. Life in this realm was so limited, not to mention hard. People in Hell, or should I say some of them, can come and go as they please between all the realms except Heaven. As long as they don't cause problems or harm any living person or animal. Dukes, Lords, Ladies, they could spend as much time here as they wanted to; they could make friends and live normal lives. They wouldn’t be able to stay in the same place very long because they wouldn’t age, but they could have a few years in different places. Others, just general people, they could come back, but they wouldn’t be seen by people. People may sense them, or I suppose psychics may be able to see them, but they were what we call ghosts. That was something I wouldn’t want to be, I wouldn’t want to come back and see my friends, but not be able to talk to them. Luckily for me, it wouldn’t happen that way – I get to keep a physical form no matter where I go.
Sadly my alone time didn’t last longer than ten minutes. Jake stood on the doorstep and called over that Lily had made sandwiches for everyone, and asked if I was ready to have some more questions thrown at me. I walked back inside and grabbed one of the sandwiches before sitting back on the sofa.
“Go on then, what do you want to know?” I smiled.
“Did you spend a lot of time with Lilith?” Lucian asked.
“Quite a bit yeah, but she’s a very busy woman; she’s got a whole realm to help take care of.”
“Did you meet the big guy?” Lily asked.
“Yes.”
“What was he like?”
“Quite handsome, charming, very pleasant; he made me feel welcome there. He kinda looks at me as his daughter too…you know, since his wife is my mother.”
“So he isn’t a monster?” Danny said.
“No he is a man.”
“Did you go anywhere other than the Palace?” Tyler asked.
“Yes, I went to the shopping mall and to the movies…oh and to the beach.”
“Are you serious?” Jake responded with wide eyes.
“No, I’m not, but I did leave the Palace.”
Jake gave me a funny look while the others laughed at him.
“Where did you go?” Lily enquired.
“I went on a tour of the lands close to the Palace. I met some of the Lords and Ladies, and I spent quite a lot of time at Eligos’s place.”
“What’s his place like? Is it a house like this?”
“No, none of them are like the houses we have here. For starters they’re all made from stone, most of them are only one story, and they are very beautiful. Eligos is a very important person there, everyone respects him and his home reflects that. You see he doesn’t live in a house; he has his own castle.”
“Wow!” Lily and Danny said.
“It’s beautiful, big stone walls, massive windows, beautiful furniture and décor,” I told them.
“Did you stay with him?” Jake asked.
“No, I stayed at the Palace, but when I wasn’t with Lilith I was nearly always with him.”
“You seem to get on well,” Lucian said.
“We do, I guess,” I smiled. “Is this all you want to know, about Eligos I mean?”
“No, we want to understand everything.”
“Me and Eligos are friends, Lilith is my mother, I was in Hell for three weeks as far as your concerned and three months as far as I’m concerned, and I enjoyed spending time with the people there. Yes of course it has its bad part; that’s why it’s called Hell; it’s where the damned go. But not everyone suffers an eternity of torture. Some of the people join their army and some help out at the Palace; others grow foods and run farms similar to what we have here. It’s just a different atmosphere and a different way of life.”
“So they have jobs?” Danny asked.
“Yes, but not like people here do. There are no banks because they don't use money; everyone just pitches in. There are no clothes stores; you basically tell the clothes makers what you want and they go away and put it together for you. There are no lawyers and no realtors…I could go on about this for days and you still wouldn’t understand it all completely.”
“You have to experience it for yourself,” Lucian suggested.
“Exactly.”
“Could we?” Jake asked me.
“Are you dead? Is the Queen of Hell your mother?”
“Err no.”
“Well, then the answer is no.”
I was getting fed up now and they noticed; they all stopped asking me questions and silence filled the room again. I got up and walked back outside into the garden. A moment later, Lily was with me.
“I’m sorry about all the questions,” she said.
“It’s OK, you don't nee
d to apologize,” I told her. “I’m sorry for being snappy; I’m just a little tired.”
“I can’t believe that for you it was three months.”
“It’s really hard to get your head around, isn’t it?”
“Just a little bit,” she frowned.
“The easiest way to look at it is this; everything is four times longer. One week here is a month there, so three weeks here is three months there.”
We both walked over to the swing and sat down.
“So come on then, since it’s just us girls, what’s Eligos really like?” she asked, smiling.
“He’s nice.”
“That’s all.”
“Well, he’s also sarcastic, annoying sometimes, blunt…”
“Oh! So you mean he’s like you then?” she giggled.
“Yeah!” I smiled.
“But he’s also good-looking, a great fighter, he protects you and looks after you, and you like him.”
“Yeah, I do, but I need to stop liking him.”
“Why?” she asked, frowning.
“He’s not interested, Lily.”
“How do you know? Have you asked him?”
“No but I can tell. He rarely gets close to me, he doesn’t like to touch me and he doesn’t stay with me too long.”
“I thought you said you spent a lot of time with him.”
“I did, but once we’d been together an hour or so he would leave me for a while, and then come back.”
“Maybe he’s worried about getting too close to you,” she suggested.
“I doubt it. I think it’s more a case that I’m not his type.”
“I don't believe that for one minute, I saw how he looked at you last night, and the night he healed you. I think he does like you.”
“You think who likes her?” Danny asked as he walked over to us.
“Eligos,” Lily answered.
“Well, that much is obvious. You should see how he looks at you,” he teased.
“You’re both seeing something that isn’t there. Now can we change the subject, please?” I sighed.
“OK,” they both said.
“I’m going to go for a drive,” I told them, standing up.
“Do you want some company?” Lily asked.
“Not really, I just want some time to myself and I don't get it here.”