Apotheosis of the Immortal (47 page)

Chapter 96

E
lijah stepped into
the
masjid
with less than an hour before dusk. He didn’t know why he had come. Perhaps somewhere deep inside he was still that little boy following in his big brother’s footsteps.

Long ago Solomon had recounted to Elijah how he found such peace in places of worship. He said it made him feel safe. Elijah had respected his brother so much he, too, began to frequent the stone shrine near their home built to honor Janus, the god of transitions.

Unlike his brother, Elijah had never learned how to do things in moderation. Where his brother seemed to be able to unload his burdens and absorb what he needed from his spiritual endeavors, Elijah always left feeling useless and condemned. Prone to obsession, it was hard for him to allow even the most remote insignificances slide by without careful consideration.

He knew this could be a good quality. It could help one through many challenges and in many facets of one’s life, but Elijah quickly learned, when it came to religion, this quality could become debilitating. He came to see sin in everything he did. He felt condemned when he laughed at jokes and awkward when he didn’t.

He soon realized religion would cost him everything. In his mind, religion left no room for all the imperfections that came with being human. If he followed every directive and steered clear of every sin he had read about or heard mentioned, he would soon be an invalid.

Solomon was quick to tell him not to be so hard on himself. He reminded him to take everything in moderation. But Elijah couldn’t live like that; in his mind things were either right or wrong, good or bad, there was no in between, no room for
salt
. He had no special way of deciding which directives to obey and which to ignore.

Eventually he began to hope none of it was true; that there were no gods, or god. He lived in an area where Christianity and Islam had been mixed in with Greek and Roman mythology. The constant condemnation continuously beating against him began to wear on the few beliefs he did have. These moments of weakness allowed his intellect to shine through and question his faith.

If a god made me exactly who I am
, he thought,
and placed me here in this life to have these experiences, how can he blame me for doing exactly what he knew I would do and made me to do?
With all the questions incessantly colliding in his mind, it hadn’t been hard for him to give up his faith altogether, and the sting of his brother’s betrayal caused him to lash out against everything that reminded him of Solomon.

Solomon had been the one who guided him into his faith and through the questions about his spirituality. So the faith he had in this brother’s beliefs and guidance died along with the faith he had in his brother—which turned out to be a much greater loss. He would have more easily imagined being betrayed by God himself than by his own big brother. The loss of religious faith had been insignificant, but the other nearly killed him.

Then why was he here, in this
masjid
, spending what might be the last hour of his life in the house of a God he didn’t believe in? Was he unconsciously hoping to find some sense of solace to prepare him for the chaos that lay ahead of him this night? Despite his qualms about religion, and the bitterness toward it that had grown in his heart, this was the closest thing to a home he knew.

He had spent most of his life running from temple to temple with only hate and vengeance in his heart. He had taken care to follow their rituals and customs, so as not to offend or gain unwanted attention, but he never allowed himself to empathize with the worshippers, to open his eyes and heart and try to experience things from their point of view. He thought them ignorant, and pitied them; he remembered what it was like to be shackled in those same hateful chains.

Or was that just a shield? Perhaps he was simply afraid of being let down or of being found wanting. He remembered the last time he tried to grapple with religion and how it had scarred him—as if the gods and his brother had all just walked away and left him to die.

Elijah slid off his shoes and ritually washed his body. He walked into the prayer room, and there on the floor was one lonely man, on his knees in prayer. For a moment Elijah considered running back out the door, but with his own mortality looming, he had no time to be afraid.

He found a place beside the old man. He took a deep breath and began the prayer he had recited thousands of times, in thousands of places around the world, but never in earnest—until now. His body and tongue seemed to move on their own. He didn’t even have to think about it. It was like walking. After praying for a number of minutes, he laid his forehead on the ground and closed his eyes.

As he stood up and walked out the door, he was met by what seemed for a moment to be a ghost from long past.

Sara?!
Speechless, Elijah couldn’t believe his eyes. The two were immediately pulled together by a force much like gravity. There was nothing to be said, no time or room for words. As they came face to face, everything else seemed to disappear. Elijah wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently on the lips.

After he kissed her, Elijah noticed her eyes were red and welling with tears. He closed his eyes as one tear fell from the corner of his eye and mixed with the rain. Opening them again, Elijah could tell there was something much different about her. She was no longer vampire, and she seemed to glow like Emira. He tucked his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to his chest.

To touch her after nearly a thousand years of yearning was too much. He was overcome. As his legs buckled beneath him, the pair slid to the ground, once again wrapped in each other’s arms beneath the pouring rain.

He couldn’t believe, after more than eight hundred years of longing, he had finally found the woman who had consumed his thoughts. Everything about her brought back the most wonderful memories and powerful emotions. They also brought back memories of Ayda and of Emira, his love for them both, and of how much Emira needed him, right now.

“Is it really you?” Elijah spoke between muffled sobs as Sara remained firmly pressed against his chest but didn’t say a word. As Elijah gently eased her away, he could see she was smiling. She reached forward and brushed the rain and tears from beneath his eyes. “How is it you are here?” he asked.

Still she didn’t speak. A million thoughts raced through his mind; there was so much he wanted to say.

“You have to let me go, Elijah,” Sara said softly. Elijah extended his hand as he stood; he helped her up and pulled her back into his arms.

“I don’t want to,” he whispered.

“You still have that old thing,” Sara smiled as she looked at the bracelet on his wrist, then turned around, wiping a tear from her eye.

“I have missed you so much,” he said, trying to get her to talk, to explain why, how his Sara was here. “I am so sorry.”

“For what? You were the good in my short life, my one true love.”

Elijah didn’t know how to respond.

“It is okay, Elijah. I know you have lived and loved. Elijah, remember? I once urged you to find your princess; and said you were destined for great things.” Sara’s voice was calm and soothing. “I love you, and I always will, but you have much work to do. You have to let me go. Emira needs you now. You must protect her; she is more important than you know. Not just for the world, but for you.” Sara stepped closer as she spoke and the moonlight fully illuminated the soft curves of her face. Elijah was familiar with every beloved curve and hollow. She looked exactly the same; her beauty was paralyzing.

“Sara, I’m so sorry; I didn’t know what to do. Please forgive me.” Elijah’s face contorted with his inner pain as he rubbed his hands across his face. “I can take you away from this place. I will deal with Solomon and my father; you will never have to see them again. I will protect you; I am stronger now than you could believe.” Elijah stepped forward, arms outstretched again.

“Still my prince, I see.” Sara gently caressed the side of his face. “Don’t be sad, Elijah. I’m free now. I’m happy, and you did nothing wrong. I asked you not to bear the guilt of my death because it’s not yours to bear. Please go now. Emira needs you, and you need her,” Sara insisted.

“I don’t think I can. I don’t know how to defeat my father.” Elijah lowered his head.

“Yes, you do. You are the strongest and bravest man I have ever known, and, whether you believe it or not, you are a good man.” She gently forced his head up and looked deeply into his tired eyes.

“You must forget about your father and what he did to me and the rest of your family. You have to find something you care about more than revenge, Elijah.” She placed a hand on each side of his face. “I have to go.”

“No, please stay! I can’t do this without you.” Elijah gently placed his hands on top of hers.

“I can’t, Elijah. You have finally found your destiny, but before you can grasp it, you have to let go of the past. You have to let go of your guilt, and you must believe you deserve a new life. Believe in yourself Elijah; everyone else does.” After she spoke, she kissed him gently on the cheek; she looked into his eyes for a moment as a single tear graced her face.

“This is a dream, isn’t it?” he was almost too afraid to ask.

“Yes, and you need to wake up now.”

Leaning into her embrace, Elijah held her tight and, for a brief moment, they were once again dancing in the rain.

Elijah opened his eyes and saw he was still on the floor of the
masjid
. It was nearly dusk now, and Elijah knew it was time to go, but he was grateful and glad to have finally found a small portion of what came so easily to his brother, the true value of spirituality. As he got up to leave, the man beside him grasped Elijah’s arm. His grip was firm for such a frail-looking man.

“Peace be with you, my son,” he said softly in English.

“And with you,” Elijah replied solemnly as he turned and walked to the door. Stepping outside the
masjid
, Elijah could feel the foreboding darkness creep in around him, falling down with the rain.

The time for reflection was over. He needed to be ice cold if he was going to save Emira.

Chapter 97

“Wait!” Arhan shouted
as he jumped to his feet. Pressure immediately eased in Khalid’s core and his limbs as the council members turned to listen to Arhan. “Ubaram might be right, but this matter—the execution of one of our own brothers—cannot be decided without the presence of the entire council.” His voice was uncompromising.

Khalid’s aching limbs were dropped one by one as everyone backed away. “Besides, Khalid is right. If a blood-letter already has
The Key
and is about to come into possession of the rite, then there are infinitely more pressing matters at hand. This is a matter for tomorrow. Tonight we must fight,” Arhan inspired the council members with vigor and enthusiasm.

Khalid looked around and saw almost everyone nodding in agreement.

“It’s settled, then. The matter of Khalid can wait. For now we must hurry to save
The Key
and retrieve the ME.” Arhan spoke quickly as he turned and took off through the forest at a speed that surprised Khalid. He quickly followed, and one by one, the others fell in line.

Khalid was somewhat relieved, but it was getting very late. He was afraid they might not make it in time. His concern for Emira, and the hope he might still be able to save her, gave him a newfound strength as he powered past Arhan with tremendous speed.

He was soon so far ahead he could no longer hear the thundering footfalls behind him.

Chapter 98

Arriving at Khalid’s
house, Elijah dropped his duffle bag on the ground in front of the concrete porch steps. Opening it, he pulled out his small
kopis
, still encased in its leather holster. He hung the
kopis
beneath his left arm and slipped on his burgundy leather coat to cover it.

As he straightened, a cloud of thoughts drifted through his head. Twilight was the most mesmerizing part of the day. Darkness and light danced together like two old lovers; they kissed like a couple who had been long separated. The lines between right and wrong seemed to disintegrate as the two energies moved in unison to the harmonious duet played by life and death.

He could smell the flowers in the minimal landscaping around Khalid’s house. He noticed their colors, how vivid and beautiful. His hate and guilt had caused him to miss out on so much over the years, but seeing Sara, even if it had been a dream, had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders. Beauty seemed to fill and surround him, but none more than his memories of Emira and the certainty he would do anything to save her.

Looking out across the field, he saw a lonely, moss-covered tree. It was somehow passionate, even romantic, like the Greek tragedies his mother had told him and his brothers in their youth. It was alone in the large expanse, separate from the fold, from the comfort and protection of the forest. All it knew was the company of a small wildflower enjoying comfort and protection beneath its large canopy, but the tiny companion, too, would fade with the season, and once again the tree would be completely alone.

He thought of Emira and how, if he survived the night, her entire life would be only a matter of moments compared to the infinite expanse of his cursed immortality. Just like the tree, he would be left with only the desperate hope that the sun would rise again tomorrow and warm his sturdy frame. The tree’s branches began to look like arms and hands as it seemed to ignite with life, a life Elijah had never noticed before, both enduring and unyielding.

How old are you, tree?
Elijah wondered, feeling empathy, as if he was somehow connected to the hopeless giant. It was by far the largest oak Elijah had ever seen. Its frame was massive, but more than that, this tree had mettle. It had grown strong and tall in a field where no other tree dared to sprout. It wasn’t concerned with the world around it, only the small but beautiful flower resting safely at its side. The tree reminded Elijah of himself.

Are you older than I am, tree?
Elijah wondered. He doubted it. White oaks generally lived no more than four hundred years, less than half as long as Elijah had walked the earth. Still, this tree was different; he was definitely much older than any oak Elijah had seen. The tree’s tenacious spirit and stalwart will had kept him going all these years, but for what purpose? Elijah knew his own purpose, and once he had completed it, he would be happy to finally meet his end.

What does this tree have? What secret did he refuse to share that was so special? So special it would cause him to push on with such determination, and against all odds? Elijah was vexed as his attention turned to the small white flower at the base of the tree.

It was the tree’s opposite, young and frail. Its existence would be only a blink, a fleeting moment in the long life of the enduring tree. The flower was radiant and bursting with life, completely oblivious to the fact it would soon wither away. Even in the twilight hour, the flower seemed to glow beneath the dark shadow of the tree.

She would be sure to return every year with the ides of March. The tree gave her protection from the elements, the harsh tides of life that erode the spirit without hesitation; the winds, the rains, and the heat. She received much from the giant tree, but what, if anything, did she give back?

Elijah forgot himself in this moment. Even the world around him, the world he had known for almost a millennium, seemed so foreign, and made such little sense. Elijah had simple aspirations. The covetous nature that only seemed to increase throughout mankind confounded him, and his father was the worst of all.

The contradiction between this and the simple nature of revenge, his terrible purpose, which had driven him for hundreds of years, forced him to the edge of oblivion, where he questioned nearly everything he thought he knew.

There were now only two certainties in his life: his father and Emira. Knowing the danger of being distracted at such a time, Elijah turned back to the task at hand.

Carefully walking around the house, he was more than happy to see the place presently deserted. He hoped his father would arrive late, giving Khalid more time. He needed the big man at his side tonight.

Elijah’s usual look of calm indifference was gone. He was growing anxious. He hoped the big man was okay.

The grassy expanse behind Khalid’s house disappeared into a dense forest. Elijah heard footsteps coming towards him from beneath the forest canopy. He hoped it was Khalid, but feared it was not.