SEVEN, TIME FOR HEAVEN!!!!
I loosened my hand from Colle's vice-like grip and let Rick take my hand as he shook it twice, his grasp like steel. His eyes were glinting wickedly, and it was starting to worry me. What was wrong with this guy? And why did he like creeping me out with his stares?
"Thank you." I said stiffly, pulling my hand away from his grip. There just seemed to be an unsettling edge to it, a wild, untamable roughness that I had never experienced before, and it freaked me out.
"So, now everything makes sense. No wonder why Mariosol wants her sons back, just being around this child is dangerous. And you, knowing how dangerous it is for you, and you still do it! It could get you killed son, then where would the rest of the world?" Rick said, exploding into a vicious anger. He straitened up then began to pace, looking much like a caged lion at the zoo. Not a bad comparison.
"This is bigger than myself. And Abe and Garett know, so they're not in any danger, because I told her, not them. And not everything is about my own safety. You have other sons than just me you know, and I'm pretty sure you'd be capable of breaking some other innocent girl's heart." Colle said, his voice calm. But there was a steel dagger behind the words, and I knew they were meant to be rude.
"Then think of her, think of Abrianna. They'll kill her for knowing, unless you plan to kill her or….but you're too pure to even think about that, aren't you?" Rick said, and I was once again thrown into the confusion that came with dating a member of a different species. What were they talking about?!!
"Actually, I have thought about that, and no, I refuse. The Court won't care about her knowing, I'm sure of it." Colle said. He was talking in pronouns, as if he didn't want me to understand what was going on. Well, if he wanted to be like that fine. I'd just ask him when we were alone tonight, or ask Abe.
"Really? But why take the chance?" Rick asked. The confusion swirled through my head, and all I really wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep. I closed my eyes and yawned, suddenly wishing I had a pillow. Yes, sleep sounded nice right about now….
"Alright, stop it. I don't need you and your stupid power wrecking the brain of my girlfriend, and magic is very deadly for humans." Colle said, and I immediately felt more…active. It was like someone had pulled a string that was attached to my lethargy, pulling it away completely.
"But we need to talk, privately, and I don't want some little human girl listening in to stuff she really shouldn't be sticking her nose into." Rick said, and I was immediately offended. Who did this guy think he was, telling me what to do? He was an idiot!
"I see your point, but you could have just told me. No need to take the risk." Colle said, shifting the way he was holding me. Then he stood up in one fluid motion, and I was in his arms, my head pressed against his shoulder as he held onto my back for support. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his stomach, finding that some of the lethargy was still in my system, pulling at my strength. Now I knew that I was definitely tired.
"Exactly my point." Rick said, and that was the last thing I heard before Colle walked me into the back room, and I could no longer hear the whispered conversation from the room next door.
Colle had to untangle my limbs from him, but once he got me loose I curled up in into his bed, pulling a pillow so I could use it like I was lying on his chest, even though he wouldn't be here tonight. But he'd be there later, and that was all that mattered.
* * * * *
I remember waking up alone, in the dark, with nobody with me. I was completely alone, which was surprising, because Colle usually slipped in with me, no matter how late he was. It was so unusual for him not to be here than for him to just randomly show up. Something was definitely wrong.
Untangling myself from the blankets, I walked into the living room, where Rick was there, sharpening what looked like a hunting knife. Wonderful. But he paid no attention to me as I walked over to him and sat down in an armchair, watching his movements with idle curiosity.
"Colle left." Rick said finally, putting the knife in his belt and the sharpening block on the little table close to the couch. Wait, I had seen that rock before. Colle had taken it out once, when he was leaving. That meant he….but I turned the thought aside, having more important things to focus on rather than what Colle might have or have not done.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"Gone." Rick said simply, and I sighed, wondering if I'd ever get a strait answer from him.
"Gone where?" I asked, trying to make my words as clear as possible, so that he'd have to tell me. Eventually.
"Underworld. Some demon soul got loose, and he went to clear up the problem." He answered, and I stared at him in shock. How could he just sit here, seemingly without a care in the world, while his youngest son battles the undead?
"Will he need help?" I asked, trying to understand the depth of the problem. Maybe I was just overreacting, like I've done in the past.
"Yes. Garett and Abe went with him, but Abe came back a little while ago to report that it's not going well, and to get some shut eye. He was a dead man walking, pardon the pun." He said, not bothering to look at me. How nice, he wouldn't even tell me strait if Colle was going to die or not. I doubted he even cared.
"Then why aren't you down there?" I asked, and Rick laughed, a short, chilling sound.
"Because, Abrianna, I am an old man, older than I look, and I am tired of searching after dead things, and spending all my time in the cold, freezing waters of the River Styx. I want a normal life, child, one where I can raise children, human children, with a human wife." Rick said. The words took longer to register in my head than it took for me to understand their meaning. He wanted to be human, to be normal.
"But you're so powerful, immortal. Why would you want to give that up?" I asked. Every time Colle had spoke of his father, he had said what a soulless, power crazed man he was. The words just uttered by the same man were not what would have been expected.
"Immortality means nothing if you don't have anyone to share it with." That was really deep.
"So you want to be human, so you can find love." It wasn't a question, but a statement, because I finally felt like I understood what Rick was trying to get at despite how much I disliked the man.
"Ah, but I've already found my love, Mariosol, Abe and Garett's mother. She meant more to me than life itself, but in order to keep her, and the universe, safe, I needed to produce a warrior, like Colle. And he had to be strong, so I left to help train him into what he needed to become." Rick said. So, he had never loved Colle's mother, she was just the needed person to create the perfect warrior. How horrible.
"Then why were you so hard on Colle about loving me?" I asked, and a quick expression flickered across Rick's face, one I could only assume was pain.
"Because, you are human. And as a human, you were never meant to learn about the Underworld, or the Alunai." He said, and I finally heard the oldness, the wisdom in his voice that betrayed his true age.
"Yes, but so what? I won't tell." I said assertively. Never would I betray Colle's trust and tell anyone his biggest, darkest secret. I would die before I did.
"But, little human, the Court will only see you as a threat to them and whatever the Court feels threatened by, they exterminate." Rick said. My mouth went dry then, and I froze in shock.
"Wait...they'd kill me? Just because I'm human?" I asked, and Rick nodded, his eyes grave and solemn. I finally understood why Colle was always careful with me in public, making sure no one suspected I knew anything about the Underworld.
"Yes. But don't worry little human, it is not all bad. There is hope." Rick said, patting my shoulder gently. The move seemed awkward and self-conscious, as if he wasn't really used to doing it. Probably wasn't, seeing he's been alone a lot.
And suddenly I felt apathy for him, not pity, but a real understanding of where he came from. He was only hard on Colle because that was what it took for him to become a great warrior, and what it took for him to survive. And he was not soulless, but filled with wisdom and truth and…light. He was….human, in the only way that made sense. He was human in spirit.
"What hope is there, if just being around Colle puts both him and me in danger?" I asked, unable to keep the misery from filling my words with despair. There was truly nothing I could do.
"Because I can let you lead the life you want, at the same time allowing myself to gain the life that had always been denied to me." Rick said, standing up. He motioned for me to do the same, and I did, until I was standing right in front of the hulking man.
"You mean….you can turn me into…and you…." The words were tumbling out of my mouth faster than I could understand them, while Rick just stood there patiently, smiling. I was overjoyed at the thought of being with Colle, finally as his equal.
"But be warned, this is not taken lightly. You must take my role as a warrior, and live like all of us, in secret. And this can never, never be undone. Will you take this responsibility?" Rick asked. I started to nod, then realized a verbal answer would be better, because you can never take words back.
"I am willing." I said, and Rick nodded. I closed my eyes, ready for my dream to finally become a reality.
"Then brace yourself, little human." Rick said, just before I felt a sharp pain in my heart, like I was just stabbed. I let out a shriek but refused to open my eyes, too afraid of what I would see. I heard another yell, louder than mine then everything, sound, light, everything, was gone, and it felt like I was floating.
* * * * *