- Déjà vu -
Olivia's face burned as red as her fiery locks as she shook her head and slammed her cane adamantly on the floor. "You can't do this, Whitley!"
Whitley stood his ground, not at all moved by his mother's quickfire temper. "This isn't under negotiation, mother. I've had enough. Evelyn's had enough. We don't want this life for Brian. There's too much bloodshed, too much pain."
Olivia gripped the head of her cane. "You can't quit being what you are! You are a Selki. You and your ancestors before you are some of our race's most powerful warriors. Our race is growing extinct. This is no time for you to back away. You know that if you quit practicing your abilities, they will slowly fade away through time."
"How long must this last, mother? All the races have lost so much. When will this end?"
"Not. Now." Olivia responded with conviction. "I don't think it will ever end. Do you?"
He balled his fists and shook his head, and ignoring her question, he replied, "I'm sorry, mother, but if you can't support our decision, then I'm afraid we'd have to cut you out of our lives."
Olivia couldn't keep herself from slapping her own son square in the face, infuriated by his insolence. "No. Brian has a destiny to fulfill... you're not going to cut me out of my grandson's life."
Whitley flexed his jaw to recover from the sting of her powerful slap. He stared his mother down, unflinching. "Our son is not going to grow up a murderer. Neither Evelyn nor I will stand for it."
"This has something to do with that friend of yours, doesn't it? That man who deserted the Order?"
"Johnathan has nothing to do with this. He made his choice for himself. I'm making this choice for my wife and my son."
"You're making a mistake, Whitley. You can't just walk out on this war."
"Yes, mother. I can. And I will." Whitley turned on his heels and walked away. True to his word, he cut his own mother out of his life, out of his family's life. That was the last time she ever talked to him again, but it wasn't the last time that she saw him...
Olivia was there the night Evelyn died.
She stood hidden by the shadows as the Mai hunters, determined to end Serqet's race, approached Whitley and Evelyn on a dark alley, where they seemed to be having a fight. Whitley found himself helpless to save his wife. He tried to use his abilities as a Selki, but he was no longer strong enough to protect her.
Olivia was there and when the Selki who was with her motioned to help, she stopped them.
"He's your son, Olivia. They're about to kill his wife," her long-time friend, William, a trusted and experienced Selki, said the words that she already knew all too well.
Though her heart was breaking for her son, she stood her ground. "He made his choice. He has to deal with the consequences."
She watched as a Mai warrior swiftly broke Evelyn's neck. She listened to her son's pained cry upon seeing his beloved wife die. Olivia stood still, holding her breath, as another Mai warrior poised himself to kill Whitley, who was struggling with all the might he had left in him to get away from the two Mai hunters holding him back by the arms.
"You can't just stand here and let this happen, Olivia. He's your son," William insisted.
Olivia clenched her jaw, her love for her son finally winning out over her pride. "Save him."
At her word, the men sped toward the Mai before the final blow that would end Whitley's life could be dealt. Within minutes, the Mai warriors lied lifeless on the ground, but it seemed Whitley cared little to even bother finding out who saved his life. As far as he was concerned, he lost his reason to live that night. He lost Evelyn. He clutched his wife's lifeless body against his chest, tears streaming down his face. "Evelyn... no... Serqet, please... bring her back to me..." His pleas fell on deaf ears, because she was gone. Never to return again.
Olivia watched his son's pain and knew that she was just as responsible for Evelyn's death as the Mai were. Guilt gripped at her heart as Whitley raised his eyes to meet hers. Every night since then, Olivia's dreams were haunted by the expression on her son's face when he saw her. She knew that he knew what she did. She had just taught her son a lesson he would always remember. And she knew that he was determined to make her pay for it.
Upon realizing what Olivia had done - that she just stood there watching as Evelyn was killed - Whitley swore two things to himself that night. One, he would keep Brian away from Olivia at all costs. Two, he was going to make sure that the Mai would pay for what they did to Evelyn.
-oiOio-
"No... please..." Brian clutched the lifeless hand of his grandmother, blood soaking his clothes. "This can't be happening." Anger unlike anything he'd ever known before began to swell from the pit of his stomach, settling on his chest as he stood up and made his way to the door in search for the murderer who just took Olivia's life.
A soft wind blew past the vast front lawn of the lavish mansion that had been his home over the past few weeks. There wasn't a trace of anyone there. Whoever shot Olivia was gone and Brian found himself trembling with fury at the cold-blooded murderer who took the life of someone he deeply treasured and loved. As he stood by the door, clutching its posts, the deserted driveway and the largeness of the mansion made him feel so alone. It felt as if he had no one and the pain in his heart sought after one person, one refuge - Chloe.
Brian barely noticed when the servants came flocking around him and his grandmother's lifeless body - some screaming, some shocked silent, some crying. Their panicked questions about what happened fell on deaf ears. He couldn't bear standing there. He had just lost another woman whom he loved. He wasn't about to lose another. Not if he could help it.
It was as if everything froze when it happened, because Brian, without as much as a word of explanation to anyone, disappeared into thin air, leaving everyone in horror.
Within seconds after Brian's disappearance from the mansion, Whitley, who was on the phone speaking to one of the private investigators whom he hired to keep an eye out for his son, raised his head to find Brian standing in front of him.
Calm and collected as usual, Whitley didn't even flinch. He eased back on the recliner, his eyes set on his only child. "Never mind," he said through the phone. "He's here." He then placed the receiver down, his eyes never leaving his son. "So I see that you already know what you are, what you can do."
"Yes," Brian said, unconcealed anger still evident in his tone of voice, "and you're about to tell me everything else I don't know. Whether you want to or not, you are going to help me do what I need to do."
-oiOio-
The strong, experienced Mai watched from a rooftop as Alek walked past the busy sidewalk, an agitated expression on his face. Quentin looked around, trying to spot if anyone was following their leader. Quentin had been instructed by the Oracle herself to watch after the Guardian, but it wasn't just the Oracle's summons that caused him to make it a goal to protect Alek. There was someone else whose bidding Quentin was heeding to.
"Are you sure that he saw Whitley's boy?" the voice from the other end of the line inquired.
Quentin nodded. "I'm positive. He saw the Selki."
"Okay then. I think it's time. Thank you, Quentin." The line went dead.
Quentin stared at the young man who was now their revered leader. He's about to go through far more than I think he can handle. We can only hope that his bond with the Uniter is strong enough to get him through what's coming.
Meanwhile, the person Quentin was conversing with sank into a wooden chair in a corner of the large warehouse apartment he was living in. He ran his hand through his hair and blew out a sigh.
"Are you sure it's time?" a familiar voice asked him.
He looked up and nodded at the young man he had just recently saved from certain death. "Yes, Zane. It's time."
"They're after Alek now, aren't they? They know he's the Guardian?" Zane asked, leaning on the edge of the wooden table across the man who was the mastermind of more Mai rescue attempts than Zane could keep track of.
The man cast him a meaningful glance. "That's correct."
"He hates me."
"Can you blame him?"
"How do I help save someone who would most likely kill me the moment he lays his eyes on me?"
"It's not Alek you have to worry about, Zane. It's Jasmine." The look on his face told Zane that he'd been at this for more years than Zane could know and that fact was both a source of comfort and unease on Zane's part. "The Guardian's fate is in the Uniter's hands just as much as her fate is in his. There's nothing you can do right now to save your brother. What you need to do now is focus on getting back on the Mai's good graces. That won't be possible until Jasmine accepts you."
Zane frowned. He was well aware of what he did to Jasmine. He played her, used her, broke her heart. He killed Valentina and left Jasmine for dead. How on earth was he going to get back on Jasmine's good graces?
As if reading the young Mai's mind, the famed mastermind smiled. "I was once an assassin too, Zane. If I could find redemption, so can you. Love will always be stronger than hate."
-oiOio-
Jasmine burst into the apartment, her face creased by frustration. She dumped the large black duffel bag over the kitchen counter and blew out a sigh through gritted teeth. Clutching the edge of the granite counter tightly, she shut her eyes. One face graced her mind. Zane's. The image of the smile on his face - a smile that had charmed her like no other guy was able to do before - only served to sicken her, infuriate her. And he was still nowhere to be found. She let out a controlled scream to vent out her agitation, slamming one hand against the counter top.
"I take it you still haven't found him." Alek's baritone voice came from behind her, startling her.
Not in the mood for her cousin's arrogant jibes, Jasmine spun around to face him, a cold glare pasted on her face - a glare that quickly faded away, replaced by concern, when she saw his appearance. There was no amusement, no playful glint of arrogance on his handsome face. His clothes and hair were disheveled, his face pale, his shoulders unable to conceal a slight tremble. "Alek? What happened?"
Alek opened his mouth to explain, but simply settled with, "Nothing." He began to walk away, headed for his room.
Jasmine shook her head, refusing to be ignored. She caught up with him, grabbing his arm and moving to face him. "What's wrong?"
They never said it out loud to each other before, but she was his best friend and he was hers. For so long, they only had each other to rely on. Jasmine knew what Alek was like when something was really bothering him and just by the look on his face, she knew that something was very wrong.
"Let it go, Jasmine," he responded, sounding authoritative and commanding. He was attempting to pull the leader of the Mai card, attempting to intimidate his cousin into submission.
She was unrelenting. "Tell me, Alek. You don't have to deal with all of this alone."
"You obviously have a lot to deal with yourself, Jasmine." He bit his lip, keeping himself from saying some rude remark about her failure to find her lost lover. He knew that this was no time to pick a fight with her. Zane was a topic he didn't want to have to discuss with Jasmine. "Just let this go, Jas..."
"No." Her grip on his arm tightened.
Alek sighed. He knew how stubborn she could get. His shoulders sagged in surrender. "He's alive. Brian... I saw him."
"What?" Jasmine creased her brows. "But... how is that possible? Does that mean the Uniter's kiss can't kill humans?"
Alek smiled bitterly. "No... It means that Chloe's human isn't human at all."
Jasmine slit her eyes at him, waiting for an explanation.
"He's Selki, Jasmine. Brian is a Selki."
"That's not possible. Selkis are extinct."
"Apparently not," Alek replied confidently, "because I saw him. I saw him disappear. Only Selkis can teleport. And I'm pretty sure I saw him do just that."
Jasmine gulped. "Have you told Chloe?"
"Do you take me for a fool, Jasmine? This is Brian we're talking about! She would run to his arms as soon as she finds out he's alive..." Alek choked as he finished saying the words. He hated to admit out loud - even just through mere implication - that he feared losing Chloe.
"Alek... you said it yourself. You don't want her to choose you just because you're the only option. Besides, if Brian is a Selki, you may need to protect her from him." Jasmine trembled even as she said it. Of all the ancient races, the Selkis have proven to be their most formidable opponent. It was the Serqet's race and their alliance with the Order that had played such a great hand in exterminating so many Mai... this included Jasmine's father and Alek's family.
"He loves her. He wouldn't harm a hair on her head," Alek responded resolutely, though doubts were now assailing his thoughts.
"You're seriously telling me that you won't tell Chloe?"
Alek looked her straight in the eye, a deadpan expression on his face. "Like I said, Jas. Let this go."
He was about to walk away, but Jasmine's grip on his arm tightened. This time, he clenched his jaw and gave her a warning glare, indicating that he was done talking.
Jasmine's face paled as a new sense of realization dawned on her. She was still holding his arm, but this time, she was holding on for support. "Not all Selkis can teleport..."
Alek's jaw tightened and his cheekbone slightly twitched with recognition. He nodded slowly. "Just the most powerful ones."
-oiOio-
She didn't know what force caused her to step out of the house that night and walk down the front stoop that led to their home, but there she was, head bowed down, mind and emotions reeling, hands tucked inside her pockets, walking down those familiar stone steps. The only explanation that Chloe gave her mother was that she needed to clear her thoughts and just wanted to have a quick evening walk. Meredith hesitantly allowed her to go, finding comfort in the knowledge that Alek had a handful of Mai constantly watching her daughter.
Apparently, Chloe wouldn't get very far, because when Chloe lifted her eyes from the stone steps to find a shadowy figure standing at the bottom step of their front stoop, all blood drained from her face at who she saw. Her steps slowed down as she stared, blinking her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't just seeing things.
"Brian?"
Unable to say anything beyond just his name, her heart skipped a beat as she moved closer, wondering to herself if she was imagining him.
"Chloe…" he spoke, his voice choked with emotion.
She stood in front of him and looked into those gorgeous eyes of his, eyes that had caused her to go weak in the knees so many times before, but for some reason was having no effect on her at the moment. She raised her hand hesitantly and brushed it against his cheek as if to check if he was indeed there… real… standing before her.
Brian looked down at those lovely blue eyes of hers. The feel of her fingers on his skin made his spine tingle. Before he could keep himself from doing it, he gave in to his longing for her and kissed those sweet pink lips.
Frozen with astonishment, Chloe stood still, unresponsive to his advances, reasoning to herself that she was too overwhelmed by shock to respond to the passionate kiss he was throwing her way. When their lips parted, Chloe bit her bottom lip and wondered why she felt so numb, so empty. The lack of emotion was short-lived, however, because within seconds, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the familiar form of her Guardian standing nearby. An anguished sense of guilt came crashing down on her as her breath hitched.
Alek found himself clenching his fists as she slowly glanced his way. It made him feel sick to see a Selki touching her the way Brian was. And the fact that it was him… the fact that anyone, any man other than himself was touching Chloe…
"Alek…" she croaked, pushing the Selki's hand, laid on her waist, aside.
Alek slowly backed away from them, knowing for certain that if he didn't get away, he would definitely not be able to keep himself from ripping Brian's pretty little face off. He turned his back on the gnawing sight and began walking away, unsure what to do. He almost sighed with relief when he heard Chloe calling his name, ignoring Brian's plea to let him go. He soon felt Chloe's fingers wrap around his arm, coaxing him to turn around and face her.
"Alek, please…" her soft voice pleaded. When Alek turned to look at her, Chloe felt his pain grip at her heart, because for the first time since she met him, she saw a tear running down Alek's cheek. "Alek…"
"Please tell me that was nothing…" was all he could manage to say, his voice broken with a slight quiver, the deep hurt overshadowing the anger in his tone.
Chloe looked back at the form of Brian standing at the bottom step of their front stoop. How can I say that having Brian here – alive and well – is nothing? I was in love with Brian and I thought that I killed him and he's here… He came back to me. That isn't nothing…
Her hesitation was more than enough to answer his question.
Alek shook his head forlornly. "I'm in love with you, Chloe," he finally admitted, the words coming out of his mouth like a rushing wave before he could stop it from doing so.
Chloe felt her throat begin to choke with tears at the sight of how hurt he was. What he said didn't come as a surprise to her. He didn't need to say it. It showed in the way he was with her, in the way he cared for her. She just didn't know how to respond, because she was still torn up by the frustrating love triangle she found herself entangled in. She deeply cared for Alek, but was that really all that she felt for him?
"I've been in love with you for some time now…" Alek gripped her shoulders and looked Brian's way. He then quickly returned a tearful gaze at her before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, holding her tightly against him as if he were afraid that she would somehow disappear if he loosened his hold. His warm breath whispered into her ear, "I love you, Chloe, but I just... I don't know... I don't think I can do this... I'm sorry."
Chloe's heart began to double its speed. She knew Alek quite well now and he was not one to back down from anything - if only to maintain his stupid pride - so to hear him seemingly admit defeat... Chloe bit her lip and she began to tremble as he pulled away from her. "Alek… what are you saying?" A sense of dread began to fill her entire being. "What do you m-" her voice broke.
He lovingly brushed a hand against her long blonde curls and looked at her as if he would never see her again. "Goodbye, Chloe."
Upon hearing those words, it felt like her world came crashing down on her. When he turned his back on her and began walking away, she started gasping for breath, the pain in her chest making it difficult to breathe. As she watched Alek's form fading from her view, blurred by her tears, she felt as if the air she needed to breathe was slowly being taken from her.
"Let him go," Brian's voice spoke from behind her.
It was at that exact moment that Chloe finally understood the reason behind why what she felt for Alek was nothing like what she felt for Brian. It was a truth she could no longer deny. She had been deeply infatuated with Brian, but it was Alek, her Guardian and protector, that she was truly in love with.
She liked how Brian made her feel. Being around him, everything felt carefree and casual. Brian made her feel like her help and assistance were needed. It was fun being around him. There was just this ease, this sense of relaxation when she was with Brian, but digging deeper, Chloe wasn't certain if she felt anything solid and lasting in what she felt for the human. All of it... it was just fun.
With Alek, things always felt intense and overwhelming, sometimes even intimidating. He always came on strong, challenging her on every level. She realized how they were a match in every way. They evened out each other's strengths and weaknesses, making one formidable whole as a team. Unlike Brian, Alek made it clear to her that he could do well on his own, without her assistance, but she could sense his need for her and now that he was walking away from her, she was fully aware of her need for him. Alek wanted and accepted her. And she felt the exact same way about him. She knew Alek – imperfections and all, no pretenses, nothing about his personality hidden from her – and she accepted him. She needed him. She wanted him. She loved him.
And she was about to lose him.
She felt Brian's strong grip hold her arm, coaxing her to face him. "Let him go," was his repeated plea.
Looking into his eyes, Chloe began to acknowledge the truth that was now dawning on her. She lived through the past few weeks without Brian and she survived, but the thought of going through even just a day without Alek felt sickeningly unbearable. "Brian… I don't know how I feel about all this, about you…" she managed to say in between her sobs, "but I know how I feel about him. I can't lose him. I can't lose Alek."
Brian's jaw tightened and he shook his head. "Chloe…"
"I'm sorry, Brian." She backed away from him making it very clear to Brian and to herself that she had finally made her choice. She would rather lose Brian than lose Alek. Determined to chase her Guardian, she turned around only to find another surprise coming her way, because she found herself face to face with the last person she would ever expect to find standing before her.
"Hello, Chloe."
"Dad?"