Apotheosis of the Immortal (44 page)

Chapter 89

E
lijah turned to
Khalid and, without warning, slammed his fist into the big man’s chin, sending him stumbling to the ground.

“What were you th—” Before Elijah could finish speaking, the ground around them began to rumble and the world seemed to vanish behind a blinding light.

“Hear me now.” A voice thundered all around them. Elijah thought his head would explode. He looked over at Khalid who was also covering his ears. “I am Mikal.” The expression on Khalid’s face grew grim. Elijah looked up to see the glowing form of a huge man; he seemed to be made of pure energy. The brightness of his glow was so blinding Elijah had to shield his eyes and look away.

“I have empowered you to one end and one end alone, to take your revenge and end my brother’s most unrighteous quest for power. I chose you because I knew your hunger for vengeance would lead me to the truth about these rumors. If this rite does exist, if my brother has truly found a way to elevate a creation to a godlike level or beyond, then you cannot let it fall into the hands of Adol, or your father. I will not allow you to turn away from our righteous path, not for any reason, especially not for a mere creation, a girl.

“Your goal is now within reach,” the booming voice continued. “If you don’t seize it, if you let anything distract you, if you give your father what he wants, I will relieve you of your power. I will rob you of your vengeance forever, and you will wither and die. A thousand years of decomposition will catch up with your empowered corpse in just minutes, and you will be no more. There are no other options. You must press on towards your destiny; be not compromised.” The voice thundered so loudly Elijah could barely understand it. And then it was gone.

Everything was suddenly back to normal; the light was gone. Elijah’s thoughts raced, as if his mind couldn’t accept what had just happened and was searching for some alternate explanation.

Khalid studied his confused countenance for a moment, and then climbed to his feet to face Elijah.

“I knew you were different,” Khalid was in awe, and his tone was gentle. “But I never imagined. One family commissioned by two different gods; now it all makes sense.” Khalid reached out and grabbed Elijah by the shoulder as if to comfort him.

“What do you mean? Did you see that? What
was
that?” Elijah was staggering with one hand still over his ear.

“You were right. You are nothing like your father, or your brother. You are much, much different.” Khalid’s eyes were wide.

“What are you talking about? Who was that?” Elijah was still in shock.

“Listen to me, Elijah. As you well know, there are immortal beings on this earth—you being one of them. These immortals are the way they are because they have been empowered by the gods.” Khalid grabbed him by both arms as he spoke.

“Yes, yes, you told me all of this last night.” Elijah spoke frantically.

”Remember I told you of Adol? He is called the Lord of Death and Decay. The ancients described him as having no vestige of kindness or mercy. He was considered evil because he took what people held most dear—their lives.

“In some ways Mikal is the yang to Adol’s yin, if you will. He was worshipped as the God of Light, the bringer of life. He wears the visage of goodness and all kinds of creation spring from him.”

Khalid spoke so fast Elijah frowned, trying to keep up.

“I am Mikal.”
Elijah was taken back to only moments ago, when he heard that thundering voice. He had seemed more like a tyrant than the bringer of life.

“The vessels of Adol, like your father, their numbers are vast. Adol creates them and charges them with one purpose, to make chaos and to snuff out the life in his brother’s creations and increase his own power on this plane. Lately, his main concern has been finding this rite.” Khalid paused and took a deep breath and then continued.

“Adol can’t create life, but he can alter it. That is why vampires have to feed off of the living to stay alive, because Adol himself does not have the power of life. Instead, they have to steal their life from Mikal’s creations. You, on the other hand, are empowered by the god of life himself, that is why you are fully sustained and your body and power want for nothing.

“You told me the ME didn’t exist.” Elijah was brooding.

“I’m sorry, my friend. I lied to you. I had to. How was I to know the son of Adol’s vessel would be the hand of Mikal? It’s insane. The ME is dangerous and powerful. Mikal is right; we can’t let your father get his hands on it.”

“Hand of Mikal?” Elijah was still shocked and hadn’t put it all together.
”I am Mikal… I empowered you,”
the words echoed around his mind. “So you think I have been made immortal by Mikal?” Elijah still didn’t know if he believed any of this. He hadn’t believed in gods since he was a boy.

“Yes. It is the only thing that makes any sense. You are one of the most powerful immortals I have ever met, and you don’t feed on blood. That is exactly what you are.” Khalid seemed certain.

“It never occurred to me. I have never heard of such beings. It makes sense he would pick you, though, with the hate you already had for your family.” Khalid’s logic seemed solid.

“So, why isn’t Mikal concerned with getting this rite for himself?” Elijah inquired.

“Well, the legends say he never believed they existed, but I guess he does now.” Khalid looked around at the havoc created by Mikal’s outburst. “Like I told you before, the ME are said to have been made by Odam, the god of will and the spirit of the earth, to protect men from the gods.” Khalid turned away, running his fingers through his thick, black hair.

“To protect from the gods—plural—but you said Mikal was good.” Elijah frowned in confusion.

“Are you not listening to me? I said he was light, I said he was creation, but I only said he puts on the visage—the face, the pretense—of goodness. In the end he is just as arrogant and power-hungry as Adol; just as careless towards the sufferings of man. Tell me, Elijah, what do you imagine causes more pain, to live or to die? What causes more suffering—life or death? Neither cares about us; their only concern is for power. That is why they have been locked in battle for millennia.”

Khalid’s words resonated deep in Elijah’s mind. Life
had
caused him much pain. He hadn’t known death, but he had longed for it many times. He couldn’t imagine death being any worse than life, at least the life he had known.

“Then what about the other brother?” Elijah was desperate. He hoped there was goodness somewhere in the heavens.

“Odam, the god of will. Like I said, he is called the spirit of the earth or the breath of man, that’s what the ancients called him. He left us long ago. He was the only vestige of righteousness in the heavens. He tried to protect man, but he loved his brothers too much to harm them, and finally their tireless quarrelling drove him away, far away.” The tone in Khalid’s voice had changed drastically. Before, it had been as if he was reading out of a book on mythology, but now he was angry, even personally invested. Elijah didn’t understand.

“But before he left, as I told you before, he made his own race of immortals. Their only charge was to hold the planet together, and to fight the very gods above them, it seems.” Now Khalid seemed bitter and sarcastic as he threw up his hands in defeat.

“The truth is, I think he is weak and afraid,” Khalid admitted. Bitterness colored every word he spoke, and Elijah was beginning to believe Khalid was either crazy, or hurt.

“So there’s not much difference between him and the others?” Elijah said with disappointment.

“No, there is. I’m sorry. I was just being emotional and dramatic. Odam has a deep respect for mankind. He sees us as sacred and beautiful. Gods know little if any suffering, which is why he so admires us and carries us through our most difficult times. He sees much beauty and strength in our perseverance in the face of pain and suffering, tragedy and loss, and eventually death.” Khalid’s tone had once again changed; his voice was now filled with love and admiration.

“Gods do not know death, and Odam believes the way we live and love, with the knowledge of our mortality, and in the face of our damnation, is very romantic. We have an ending, an eventual finality that will come as surely as the sun will rise and set; that is what makes everything count, every moment meaningful, every breath a gift, every kiss a precious flower that withers and fades, only remaining in the vastness of what was and will never again be. Odam’s eternity of experience and wisdom has led him to the conclusion that nothing lasting can be beautiful, because beauty comes in the passion of moments and lives that fade.” Khalid’s voice shook with emotion.

“Death is what allows us to live. Death is what makes us alive. He envies us and he respects us.” Khalid’s tone grew strong, but gentle, like a heavy load had been lifted from his shoulders. “He does not see himself as above us, or better than us, as his brothers do. That is the difference.”

“That is all well and good, but how can you say Mikal is right? If we don’t give my father what he wants, Emira will die.” Elijah spoke with absolute conviction.

“Elijah, Odam has empowered me for longer than you could imagine. My only charge has been to protect the ME.” Khalid rubbed his chin and looked at the ground. “I love Emira with all my heart, but I can’t risk the balance of the universe to save her.”

Elijah could see he was sincere, but…”That’s not good enough, Khalid. You can’t just let her die!” Elijah shouted.

“What exactly would you have me do?” Khalid asked.

“I say fuck the gods! Fuck the balance of the fucking universe—fuck the universe altogether! You are worried about a universe out there that doesn’t care shit for you. What about Emira’s universe? It’s going to disappear. I’m willing to sacrifice my universe to save her, since, when I hand over that rite, I’m a dead man.”

Elijah threw up his hands. “I’m tired of seeing the people I care about die. What is the fucking universe without the people we love?” Elijah could see his words weighing on Khalid’s mind as he stared blankly at the ground, rubbing his forehead.

“Elijah, there is something else you should know about Emira.” Khalid looked up at him, his eyes burdened with pain. “She is
The Key
to the rite. Your father has her. If we also give him the rite, then he will have everything he needs,” he sighed.

“So the rite itself is useless without Emira?” Elijah asked as he stepped forward and placed his hands on Khalid’s shoulders. A faint smile quirked his mouth.

“Yes. She doesn’t even know yet, but she is the only one who can read it.” Khalid admitted.

“Then the decision is easy. We can save Emira and maintain the balance; we just have to make sure we save her. My father doesn’t know anything about her. He has no idea she is special.” Elijah smacked his palms victoriously against Khalid’s chest, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

“That’s right! Vampires can’t see her light. That
is
the only way we are able to protect her. They know nothing of
The Key
,” Khalid mused.

“Well, let’s do it, then. Let’s get her back.” As he spoke, Elijah searched Khalid’s face for consensus.

“You heard what Mikal said. Are you truly willing to give up your life for a girl you scarcely know?” Khalid asked.

Elijah nodded firmly; he could see Khalid was inspired by his willingness. “I am a wretched being; her life is worth infinitely more than mine. As long as I take my father with me, I will die smiling. I’ll have to do it immediately after we make the trade, since I don’t know if I will have minutes or seconds… but either way, I will have to be very quick. My life is of little consequence to me; it’s definitely not worth hers. I live only for vengeance; she sees so much more.” Elijah gazed at Khalid, his eyes pleading and bleeding hope at the same time.

“Okay. Let the gods fight their own war. Let’s save Emira,” Khalid agreed. “If we see an opportunity to save her without giving up the rite, we’ll take it. Otherwise, we just have to make sure we save Emira.”

Hope was now ready to burst from Elijah’s chest. This was the best death he could imagine… to save Emira and have his vengeance before Mikal took his power and his life.

“I’ll take care of my father, but it will be on you to get Emira out of harm’s way.” If the course of tonight’s events unfolded as he envisioned, he would be dead and his loved ones avenged by morning.

Chapter 90

“What are you
doing?” Elijah yelled when he saw Khalid walking back into the cabin.

“I’ll be right back.” Khalid shouted over his shoulder. Standing out in the middle of nowhere, Elijah surveyed the landscape around him.

How serene and lovely.
It was a shame he had been on such a beautiful planet for so long and never cared to notice its majesty, all the beautiful life and color.
Textures
, he thought of Emira and her smooth skin; the way her soft lips had felt against his cheek, her warm breath on his chest, and how her heartbeat had echoed through his mind and into eternity. She set him free.

He also couldn’t help thinking of Ayda. He still loved her, and the thought he might never see her again saddened him; but knowing she was out there in the world, somewhere safe, gave him comfort. He wished he could have seen her one last time, to embrace her, and to apologize for the life they never had.

It confounded him that his love for Emira began with a couple of old coins. He wondered what would have happened if Ayda had found those coins, if he had seen that necklace lying on her collarbone instead. He imagined it would have changed everything.

Elijah slowly turned his head as he heard Khalid’s thundering footsteps emerge from the cabin. In his hand was a tiny piece of parchment. As he reached Elijah, he extended his hand with the piece of parchment clenched tightly in his fist.

“I have never known nor trusted one of your kind. You may not be one of Adol’s immortals, but you are still the vessel of an unholy god. I am not trusting what you are, but who you have proven yourself to be.” The gravity of his voice was daunting, and Elijah still didn’t understand. Khalid opened his hand and thrust the parchment closer to Elijah’s chest.

“Take it, now. I must go.” Khalid spoke quickly as Elijah accepted the parchment and read the small inscription on the top,

Apotheosis
, it read. Elijah was still confused for a moment, and then clarity washed over him like rain as he remembered their conversation last night.

“This is it? This little piece of paper is what immortals and even gods have been searching for, for ages?” Elijah asked. It seemed incredible. It seemed so insignificant.

“Yes, that is it; it’s not the paper that’s important, it’s what’s on it.” Khalid’s tone was condescending. Elijah knew the paper itself wasn’t important, but he had expected the thing to be a little more impressive-looking.

“That’s great! We can negotiate with my father now.” Elijah was bubbling with enthusiasm.

“It’s not that simple,” Khalid said slowly. Elijah could hear his concern. “This is only part of it; there is a council of my kind. I must go and meet with them; I must convince them to give me the other piece.” Khalid’s worried face told Elijah the task was unlikely to be easy.

“I’m ready. Where are we going?” Elijah asked.

“
We
are not going anywhere; the council doesn’t like outsiders,” Khalid shifted away after speaking as if to close the subject.

“I’m coming with you. What if they won’t give it to you? What if you have to take it? You will need me,” Elijah demanded urgently.

“It won’t come to that,” Khalid waved his hand sharply and dismissively.

From the look on his face, Elijah guessed he found the thought of fighting his own people very disturbing. “But what if it does?” Elijah stepped close enough to be almost literally in his face.

“Okay,” Khalid responded after pacing and muttering for a few moments, “I hate this, but you’re right. Saving Emira is the most important thing. But we must not tell them about her light. If they learn William already has
The Key
, there is no way they will help us.”

“Why don’t they know?” Elijah frowned in confusion.

“Her light just started a few days ago.
The Key
is always reborn into a human family in one of our bloodlines. We watch over the children of our descendants until one of them is revealed to be
The Key
. With all the vampire problems of late and… well, you, I just haven’t had time to tell the others yet. Also, once they find out, she will be taken away, moved around, better protected. I guess I just wasn’t ready for that. Only Ayda knows, fortunately.” Khalid raised his busy brows and looked challengingly at Elijah. “How fast are you on your feet?” he asked, smiling.

Elijah knew he’d just thrown down a friendly, competitive gauntlet. “Fast enough to keep up with you,” Elijah grinned back. Khalid shook his head doubtfully. “Where are we going, anyway?” Elijah asked.

“Kentucky.” Khalid spoke as if it were just across the street.

“Kentucky? How will we get back in time to meet my father?” Maybe this wasn’t the best plan.

“As long as you can keep up, we shouldn’t have a problem.” Khalid smiled again, tauntingly, and then took off toward the woods. “Are you coming or not?” he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared into the tree line. Elijah heard thunder, the sound of heavy footfalls and then nothing.

Elijah quickly took off after him. He couldn’t see Khalid ahead, but the path left by the huge man would have been hard for anyone to miss. He seemed to tear through everything in the forest. But Elijah was fast; he knew he would soon catch up.