Chapter Twenty-Two
The graveyard is almost completely dark, except for the light of the full moon as it hangs above us. I glance up at it, and am instantly reminded of a beacon of hope in the surrounding darkness. There’s a good chance this night has a semi-happy ending, and doesn’t end in death and fire.
I try to stay close to Andrea, but can’t unless I’m willing to be seen. She pulls farther and farther ahead until, finally, I lose her. I look around, peering in-between the rows of headstones, searching for her or Tara. But I come up empty-handed.
I weave in and out of the graves, calling softly for Tara. For a few minutes, I worry that Andrea was just passing through, until I see the headstone positioned in the direct center of the graveyard. Tara’s tied to it; her head is hanging down, and her ear is bleeding, probably from the blow to the head to knock her out.
I rush over, careful to look for Andrea, and kneel beside the headstone. “Tara, it’s me.”
She moans softly. “Kylie? Is it really you?” she asks, lifting her head.
Glad I snuck a knife from the training supplies, I take it out of the sheath on my belt, and cut her ties. She slumps forward, too weak to even hold herself up, and I catch her before she hits the ground. “Tara, are you alright?”
I massage her wrists, trying to work some feeling back into them. She finally starts to wake up a little more, and she looks up at me with amazement. “It really is you. Oh, Kylie! I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened,” Tara says, hugging me. “One minute Chloe and I were following Andrea to the gates, and the next we lost her. When I finally found her again, I called for Chloe, but she didn’t answer. When I found her, she was lying unconscious on the ground.”
“Tara–”
“When I bent down to check for a pulse, someone hit me over the head, and dragged me off Daray grounds. When I woke up, I was tied to this gravestone, and I kept waiting and waiting for Andrea to just finish me off, but she didn’t. I think she went back to Daray to bait you into doing something stupid.”
“And it worked,” Andrea says, stepping from behind a gravestone. “Your anger blinded you so badly that you were stupid enough to come here alone, weren’t you?”
I push Tara behind me, and tighten my grip on the knife. Andrea sees it and sneers. “You Protectors think you’re so deadly. You can all be beaten; it’s just a matter of getting the right instrument to your downfall. Travis’ was lust, yours is love. Your love of Tara puts you at a huge disadvantage.”
“No, it doesn’t. It gives me the greatest advantage there is.”
She glares. “And what advantage is that?”
I lunge at her, catching her off guard. She lands hard on the ground, and the knife flies from my hands. I grab a fistful of her shirt, and head butt her. Pain radiates down my eyes and nose, but I can’t let it stop me. She shakes her head to clear it, and I roll away, reaching for the knife.
Just as my fingers close around it, something sharp digs into my calves, and I yelp in pain. Looking back, I see Andrea digging her nails into my skin so hard my legs bleed. I wrestle my legs free, and kick her squarely in the chest.
She starts to cough, and I grab the knife before jumping to my feet. I circle her, looking for the perfect opportunity to end this fight. I don’t want to have to kill her, but I will if I have no other choice. Hopefully I can just knock her out long enough for Jillian and Carlos to get here.
Andrea gets to her feet, and I lunge in, slashing for her hands. She jumps aside, and turns to face me. “I’m not as helpless as you think I am. Travis taught me a few things.”
“You mean in-between your sexual encounters? Just so you know, only a ho has to use sex to get someone to help her do what she wants.”
She glares. “You’re not even the slightest bit curious why I’m doing this, are you?”
“I know why. You’re a power-hungry bitch that thinks she’ll get to rule the world when your goddess takes over. You’re stupid if you actually think that whatever bitch you made a deal with is going to share with you. She’ll dispose of you the first chance she gets.”
Andrea laughs, still circling me. “Achlys isn’t interested in ruling the world. She wants to destroy it. At least, until they all bow down and worship her. Vampires and humans alike. Amazing, isn’t it? She’s going to command respect everywhere she goes.”
“Are you crazy?”
“No, just helpful. When Achlys crosses over and succeeds in her goals, she’s going to make me a minor goddess. I’ll be worshipped alongside her, and everyone will tremble in fear rather than speak our names.”
“You’re insane!” I say, shifting the knife until it’s in the perfect position.
She shrugs. “Perhaps. But I know that I’ll be alive after tonight, and you won’t. That much I can promise you.”
I lunge at her again, aiming directly for her chest this time. Andrea’s completely gone; there’s no saving her now.
She moves aside surprisingly fast, and slams her hands into my back, sending me flying forward and head-first into a headstone. There’s a loud crack, and I’m so woozy I’m not sure if it’s from my skull or the headstone.
“What’s going on over here?”
My vision is hazy and I’m seeing double, but I can clearly see the man in overalls. He’s probably a graveyard attendant or something. He’s holding up a large flashlight, and his eyes widen when he sees Tara. He immediately bends down to help her, and Andrea comes up from behind him with a knife in her hands.
She draws it quickly across his throat, and Tara screams as blood begins to pour from his throat and into the dirt at their feet. His eyes roll back into his head, and he slumps to the ground in a lifeless pile. Andrea laughs, and I get shakily to my feet.
“That’s three,” she says, laughing hysterically.
Before I can move, she takes the knife and slits her palm, freeing her own blood and completing the ritual.
“No!” I scream, darting forward.
The night explodes, and a bright silver light appears in the middle of the graveyard. It’s directly in-between me and Andrea, and I crouch down low, not sure what’s going to happen next.
A horrifying figure steps from the light, and I’m tempted to either scream or throw up. Even knowing she’s a goddess, she is truly the ugliest being I’ve ever seen.
Achlys is over six feet tall with skin so pale it looks like paper. Her entire body is emaciated, and her bare knees are swollen and bruised looking. She’s wearing a thigh-length black robe that’s covered in dust and old blood. Her hair is dingy and black, and she tucks it behind an ear, sneering at me.
Her nails are long, curved, dirty, and deadly looking. Her gaunt cheeks are bloody from scratches probably self inflicted by her razor-sharp nails. Her eyes are crazed, wild, and black. Her teeth are chattering, and she looks sick, confused, and mostly angry.
My wrist instantly begins to burn worse than ever before, and I don’t have to look at it to know the silver crescent moon is there, warning me of danger. This goddess is a threat; I don’t need a gift to tell me that.
She looks me over. “Well, aren’t you a precious little daughter of Selene? Is she nearby?”
Her voice is like torture to my ears, but I grit my teeth and force myself to stay in place. My strongest instincts are screaming at me to run away and never look back, but I can’t leave Tara, and I can’t leave Achlys to wreak havoc on the world, so I stand my ground and shift the knife in my hand.
She laughs when she sees it. “You don’t honestly believe you can kill a goddess, do you?”
I look at her without flinching. “No, I don’t. But I can’t let you pass, no matter what happens to me in the process.”
She considers that for a minute, before smiling. “If you leave this graveyard now, I will let you go from here unharmed.”
Andrea steps forward. “What? You can’t be serious. She needs to die!”
Achlys turns and, without blinking, slashes her nails across And
rea’s throat. Andrea gasps once, before choking on her own blood. She holds her throat, as if trying to stop the spray of blood, and collapses face-first to the ground at Tara’s feet.
I don’t have time to consider my mixed feelings over Andrea’s death, because Achlys spots Tara, and her smile grows. “Is this the person you’ve sworn to Protect? I’ve always considered that to be a stupid thing for Selene to want. She’s basically telling some of her chosen that they’re not as important. That it’s alright if they die for others.”
“I’ve sworn no oath to Tara yet, but that doesn’t make me any less willing to die for her.”
Achlys claps her hands and laughs. “Lovely. I do believe I’ll be having a little fun before the burning starts.”
She flies at me so fast I don’t even see it coming. When she slams into me, I’m lifted off my feet and thrown across the graveyard. When she lets go of me, I fall to the ground, and my arm is trapped beneath me at an odd angle.
I cry out in pain, and struggle to right myself. Achlys’ laughter rings out through the graveyard and, when I look up through the tears, she’s nowhere to be seen. Probably watching and waiting for her next move. She wants to enjoy this before she sets to work destroying the world.
I force myself to my feet. I’m a good thirty yards from where Tara’s still crouched, and she gets up. “Tara, don’t move!” I shout, motioning for her to back up. “Let me handle this.”
The last thing I need is for Tara to get hurt because I can’t protect her.
I grab my knife from its place in the grass. I’ve barely taken three steps when she hits me again, sending me flying a second time. This time, I slam into an iron fence that surrounds a crypt, and the force of the impact bends the metal and snaps a few of my ribs.
When I land, there’s an odd pressure on my left side, and white hot stabs of pain shoot up my entire body. Groaning, I roll over, and one look at my stomach shows my knife buried up to the hilt in my left side. It’s just missed my kidney, but I’m afraid to pull it out and cause more damage than it already has.
The pain is unbearable, but I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. Trying to calm my racing heart is the only thing I can do right now. If I get up, Achlys will just attack me again and cause more damage. At least this way I get a momentary break from fighting.
After a few seconds, I grip the handle of the knife, and take a few deep, steady breaths. Without a second of hesitation, I rip the knife from my side, crying out as it tears through the flesh. It only takes a few seconds for my entire left side to become soaked in blood, and I wonder how much I can afford to lose.
Before I can get to my feet, Achlys is there, standing in front of me. She grabs the front of my shirt, and lifts me up over her head. My blood is dripping down my leg and onto her sandal-clad feet, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
She takes the knife from my hand, and takes aim at my stomach. “I’m gonna enjoy this,” she hisses, inching closer. “When I’m done with you, your friend is next. Then I’m gonna burn that stupid little home of yours. But after all that is done, do you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to torture your soul for all of eternity.”
“Step away from my chosen daughters!”
I know who it is even before I open my eyes. Her voice is so wonderful and hauntingly beautiful that she’d be impossible to ever mistake for anyone else. When I look over, I see the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen; she’s even more beautiful than her daughter, Pandia.
She’s a few inches shorter than Achlys, but she’s not as disgustingly thin. Selene’s eyes are a fierce and bright blue that seems to shine in the darkness of the graveyard. Her hair is long and silvery, and it flows behind her like a halo of light. Tucked into her back are large, beautiful white wings that look perfectly capable of sustaining her in flight.
Selene unfurls her wings, and Tara gasps in amazement. “Unhand my chosen daughter. I will not tell you again, Achlys.”
I can feel the goddess’ hesitation. Achlys is perfectly capable of taking me on in a fight, but she’s not sure of her ability to best Selene. She looks back at me, and I can already see the decision in her eyes. I take a deep breath as she plunges the knife into my stomach.
Tara screams, and Selene rushes forward. Achlys drops me, and I land in an unmoving heap on the ground. Tara crawls over on her stomach. When she reaches me, at first she just stares at all the blood with a helpless expression on her face. She then pulls me into her lap, and applies pressure to the wounds in my stomach. “Oh, goddess, Kylie. There’s so much blood!”
She strips off her jacket, balls it up, and presses it tightly against my stomach. I gasp, and grit my teeth against the pain. It flares up each time my heart beats but, thankfully, I can feel my heartbeat slowing, which means less pain.
“Tara, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she cries, pulling me closer. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid while following Andrea–”
“Don’t blame yourself, Tara. This is not your fault. I’m just sorry I couldn’t protect you from all of this. It was my duty to keep you safe, and I let you follow a suspected killer. If you wanna blame anyone, blame me.”
She starts to object, but cuts off when I turn my head and cough up a mouthful of blood. She takes her sleeve and wipes the corner of my mouth. “Kylie, don’t speak.”
“Is it that bad?”
She doesn’t answer, and I can see the pain on her face. Thankfully I can’t feel anything anymore, just the cold. It’s spreading throughout my entire body, and it numbs everything else. It’s getting hard to breathe, to think, and to speak.
I force myself to lean forward, and I see Achlys and Selene locked in battle with one another. I can’t be sure, but it looks like Selene has the upper hand. She’s using her wings to keep Achlys at arms length, while using a silver spear to inflict damage. As I’m watching, Selene lunges with the spear, and stabs Achlys right through the chest.
Achlys rips herself away, clutching at the gaping hold in her chest, and glares at Selene. She bares her teeth in a snarl, then howls in anger at the moon, and disappears in a flash of silver light. Selene snaps her fingers, and the spear fades. When she turns toward us, she has a sad frown on her face, and I already know that there is no hope for me.
Hurried footsteps race for us, and I can hear Jillian’s gasp. I look up, and notice Carlos holding her tightly to his chest, as if protecting her from the sight of my bleeding body.
Selene leans down and touches my heart. “Kylie, it’s time.”
“Can you heal her?” Tara asks, staring at the goddess that is so close to us. “You can make her all better, right? After everything she did for you, you have too!”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, my daughter. It’s Kylie’s time, and she knows it. I can do nothing but help her along. Don’t worry; her passing will not be painful any longer.”
I grab Tara’s hand with my own. “You’re my sister, remember that. No matter what happens, I’ll always be watching over you. It’s what I was born to do, and nothing will keep me from doing it. Not this life or the next.”
She hiccups once, and wipes her eyes with the back of her free hand. She’s crying so hard there’s snot and her breathing comes in quick little gasps. “Kylie, please don’t leave me,” she begs.
I struggle to breathe. “I’m sorry, Tara. You know I would stay if I could. Don’t forget I love you, and that you’re the most important person in my life. Always have been, and always will.”
I close my eyes, just wanting to relax. Slowly, the strength leaves my body, and my hand goes limp in hers.
“Kylie!”
Epilogue
“Tara,” Jillian says gently. “You have to let her go. She’s not there anymore. Her soul has departed to the Eternal Gardens in Selene’s realm. She’ll be at peace there. Selene will take good care of her.”
Tara looks up at her. “I c-cant. I d-don’t know how to live without h-her.”
Jillian kneels and places her hand on Tara’s back. “I will help you, I promise. I know that things seem pointless and hard now, but it won’t stay that way. You have friends up at Daray that will be glad to know you’re alright.”
“But–”
“Tara, who else but you can set the record straight? Nobody else knows what truly happened these last few days. You won’t let everyone besmirch Kylie’s good name, will you?”
Tara glares. “They won’t dare!”
It takes a few more minutes, but Jillian finally convinces Tara to let go. When she does, Selene takes my body, and stands. “Tara, I promise you that I will take the utmost care of Kylie’s soul. She will be at peace in my Gardens, home to all of my children that die in my service.”
Tara nods, and wipes her face. “Will I ever see her again?”
“I know you will. Someday, when it’s your time to return to my Gardens, you will be reunited. Until then, you’ll just have to learn to put your grief and pain aside enough to carry on with day-to-day life. It is important very that you recover from tonight’s happenings.”
“Why? That other goddess is gone now.”
“But she won’t stay that way for long. She’ll return, probably more powerful than before. You’ll need to make sure that you’re ready for the upcoming war that I have no doubt will happen.”
“War?” Carlos asks, taking a step forward. He bows respectfully, trying not to stare at my body in Selene’s arms. “What would you have me do, my goddess? Increase the training regimen?”
Selene nods. “That will do for now, my son. Just be as prepared as possible for the inevitable fight. And fear not, I will be around when you need me. I’m always just a prayer away.”
Selene holds my body tightly and, with one last sad look at Tara, vanishes in a burst of silver light.
I close my eyes, not wanting to watch Tara’s pain any longer. I recline further back against a willow tree, feeling the green tendrils brush gently across my skin. It’s amazing to think how beautiful a place for dead people can be, but this place is truly wondrous.
Everywhere I look there are gardens full of beautiful flowers and trees. Rivers run through the grounds, meeting up and ending at a large waterfall that’s just to my left. The sound of the water crashing over the rocks causes my mind to ease, and I can feel myself relaxing.
And why shouldn’t I be able to relax?
Even though I’m no longer among Tara and my friends, I’ve done my duty. I managed to save the life of the girl that’s always been like a sister to me. It doesn’t matter that I’ll never be with her again; I can watch over her from Selene’s Eternal Gardens now.
Tara will never be without my protection.
I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle, feeling completely at peace with myself. I know in my heart that it’ll be a very long time before meeting Tara again, but this place is so beautiful that I don’t mind waiting.
For a few minutes, I just lounge against the tree, listening to the sounds of nature.
“Enjoying yourself?”
I open an eye, and smile. “Selene, what are you doing here?”
She smiles, and motions for me to join her. “These are my gardens. Don’t you think it makes sense that I would frequent them?”
I stand and dust off my pants. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound disrespectful.”
“There’s no need to apologize, Kylie. I know that you could never be disrespectful on purpose.”
I join her by the main river that connects to the waterfall, and she puts her arm around my shoulder. “So, um, did you need something?”
“Yes, I did. I wanted you to know that Tara will be protected, even if I have to return to Earth and do it myself. It’s the least I can offer after the sacrifice you were willing to make.”
“Thank you,” I say, touched she would offer. “I’m glad Tara’s as important to you as she is to me.”
Selene smiles. “Yes, Tara is quite special, isn’t she?”
I nod. “She always has been.”
“Kylie, there is a war coming.”
I stop, and she turns to face me. “What? What war, what are you talking about?”
“A war involving Earth. I have tried to reason with Achlys, but she is insatiable. Nothing I offer her has any affect. She means to have control of the moon and those that worship it, and she isn’t willing to share.”
“You just beat her. Can’t you just do it again?”
“It will not be just Achlys. She also roped in Artemis, who is young and impressionable compared to the rest of the gods. Also on her side are Bendis and Achelois, two other minor moon goddesses. With the four of them banded together, Pandia and I are not a match.”
“Aren’t there other gods or goddesses that could help you? Surely you can’t be the only goddesses there are!”
“We’re not, but few are willing to get involved. I may have convinced Hecate, the crone goddess, to join our cause, but I’m not sure yet. She may very well back out, or even join Achlys and Artemis. Nothing is certain yet, but for the fight to come. I fear that Achlys will stop at nothing until those on Earth are under her control.”
“She’s crazy.”
“Yes, she is. She is also one of the oldest being alive. Older even than Chaos. She is not the most powerful, but when she speaks, people listen to her. I just hope I can persuade Zeus to intervene on my behalf. While I wait for his judgment though, Tara will be my most valuable asset.”
“Why?”
“I have gifted her with the ability to read minds. She is the only person that can truly tell if someone is a friend or an enemy. It will be up to her to decide if someone is capable of being trusted. She might be able to help me keep watch for others that have turned away from me.”
I clench my hands at my sides, and Selene gives me an amused look. “Don’t you think she’s been through enough for now? Doesn’t she deserve a little time to–”
“To what? Mourn your passing? Once Tara calms down, she’ll realize that she hasn’t truly lost you, and the pain will become manageable. Don’t worry, Kylie, I will not burden her with more than she can handle. You have my word on that.”
I sigh. “I’m sorry, I’m just–”
“Trying to protect her. I know. That’s why I chose you.”
“Can you read my mind or what?”
She laughs. “No, my daughter, you are just an incredibly simple person to understand.”
I gape at her. “You’re joking, right? I’m bisexual. I’m unsure of whether or not I’m Protector material. I let what others say get to me, and I have a temper problem that leads me to challenge others to fights, like when I shoved Travis, or beat up McKenzie. I almost killed Guy that day in the park, and I didn’t see that Andrea was evil until it was too late. You call that simple to understand?”
Selene smiles. “Is that what you truly think? Kylie, the fact that you are attracted to both men and women says nothing about your character. It’s simply a part of you. One that you can’t change, no matter how hard you may want to.
“You’re unsure of yourself because nobody other than Tara has ever believed in you before arriving at Daray. Your temper stems from the life you were raised in, and with time it can be tamed. Your bloodlust will fall under control with time as well, and it’s in your nature to believe the best of your friends.
“That’s why you didn’t know about Andrea. You want to think that the people you get to know are all good, even if they’re not.”
“I don’t have to worry about taming my temper or bloodlust anymore, do I? If I had just figured out sooner that Andrea was evil, I might have a future as Tara’s Protector. Now she’s going to have to spend the rest of her life without me. I know Tara better than anyone else. No amount of time is going to stop her from blaming herself.”
“I think she might surprise you.”
I cross my arms stubbornly over my chest. “She won’t. I know Tara better than she does.”
>
“I’m sure you do.”
We both stand in silence, just staring at the beautiful landscape around us. This place is lovely, and everything I ever imagined heaven to be. But, as wonderful as it is, I can’t help but feel that it would be better if Tara were here with me.
“All in time, Kylie. I promise the two of you will find each other again someday.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
She chuckles. “I’m sure you will.”
The End.
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