Cult of the Hexad (Afterlife saga Book 6) by Stephanie Hudson
When Keira had heard but a slice of my anger back in the hotel room I was more ashamed of myself than ever before. I never wanted her to know my inner feelings as she deserved better than that. But it didn’t detract from the facts and the reality of our situation. Keira’s powers were obviously getting stronger but without her years of self-control it was like giving a child a gun, praying they control their urge to use it.
First the incident in the marble dining room and then more worryingly in the plane. They were nearly uncontrollable and dictated more by strong emotions rather than rational thought. In this new mind of hers she merely hadn’t had the time to develop them in such a short space of time, whereas the Keira I knew had years of control behind her. Which meant that her life had been shaped and formed from a young age in order to deal with this transition. Memories and fears, self-doubt and each new experience faced all added to what the Gods would one day ask of her. Every single thing, the good, the bad and unfortunately the ugly had all happened for a reason. Appearing from the shadows like stepping stones taking you closer to the destination life had planned for you…that life had planned for us.
But now that had all been erased and my biggest fear was what if by making my choice I had somehow put her life at risk? What if the next path she had to face was something she was only supposed to face as Keira, not Katie? This was what I couldn’t explain to her. This was the fear I wouldn’t allow myself to admit to her.
The insane notion that my issues stemmed from lost memories on how we met, or time shared, or any other selfish reason was just not something that should be entertained by anyone, let alone feeding Keira’s new form of self-doubt. Yes, I was sad and mourning the loss of the Keira I knew but she was still in there. She was still my girl no matter what, nothing could take that heavenly soul away from her. Nothing would change her and nothing and no one had the power to ever do so.
But what if in those precious seconds she’d had left on that plane she couldn’t have woken me? What if a memory hits her again and her mind destroys itself trying to find its way back? There were so many ‘what ifs’ and I feared for them all. I couldn’t let anything happen to her again, I couldn’t have her taken from me. I knew this time I wasn’t strong enough to survive it!
I walked the empty halls still in need of greater solace to calm the storm that I could feel brewing. I pulled out the phone I had tucked in my jeans and rang Sophia.
“You’re going out again and want me to keep an eye on Keira.” She told me, knowing my need to escape my own madness.
“I won’t be gone long. I just need…”
“I know, Brother. Time they say can heal all wounds but what happens to those wounds when time is stolen from you.” It wasn’t a question so I had no need to answer but if there had been a need then my answer would have been the wrong one. Because I had killed all chances of getting that stolen time back. And although everyone involved thought it the best decision, in most cases the only one in fact, in truth only time was going to tell us if that was true or not.
“Have no fear, I will watch over her.”
“Thank you, Sophia.” I told her before hanging up the phone. One of the biggest gratitudes I had in this life was that I never faced it alone, not with Vincent and Sophia by my side. We stood united on most things and in that came great strength. In fact, the only time our differences ever clashed was when love was involved. For Sophia it was Zagan, brought into her life no doubt quickly for a reason. The struggle Vincent and I had in the beginning reining in our temperamental sister was not an easy feat, not when the world was your playground.
Zagan changed all that and after they met, we as brothers, felt as though our job was done…or at least the hard part. Because no matter how much I loved my sister, it did sometimes feel like being a parent, or at least what I could only imagine it to feel like. We both catered to our sister’s charms and fanciful whims, like most adoring siblings do and that sometimes had its price but when it came to Keira, I never realised the levels Sophia went to in catering to my needs. In a word I would say that she had definitely ‘grown up’ since Keira came into our lives.
Thinking these thought calmed me somewhat as I made my way down to the garage level. Not that I had as much time for it now and thankfully so but during Keira’s disappearance I would often lose myself down here building engines and customising projects. Anything really just to keep me sane enough ready for her return. For this was what I was eventually told and not by whom it should have come from, Pythia the Oracle. No, it was the Gods themselves that had to intervene when I not only searched the globe for her but the other worlds as well. They told me that the fates had foreseen, that like the first time, the power of the Electus will seek me out and all I was left with was the helplessness of time.
I didn’t need to think about which car I wanted to drive because right now it was all about the memories. So I grabbed the key fob for the one seven seven Aston Martin and walked up to it allowing the keyless entry to work. Then I lowered myself into the sculptured bucket seat and started her up. I looked to my right thinking back to that night I drove her home and what her honesty meant to me. The way she gave me a taste of the spirited creature I would come to love and adore when chastising me on scaring her when I first drove us out of here. I watched the hidden door slide up and laughed to myself remembering her face, doubting me on my sanity.
“Let me ask you, do you really believe I would have driven us both through a stone wall?” Her response had been the first time I had glimpsed a life with someone who wouldn’t be afraid to challenge me and strangely, the thought had never excited me more.
“Well, how was I supposed to know you had your very own bat cave? And considering it didn't look like a bloody door and I've had a knock to the head, maybe you could cut me some slack?” I had tried to keep my grin to myself but instead of giving into to laughter I simply ended up repeating her words,
“Bat cave?” I shook my head thinking about her humour and how much I enjoyed every aspect of it. I think if I was to add up the amount I had laughed in all my lifetimes combined it still wouldn’t be halfthe amount that I had done so around Keira.
By the Gods how I had wanted her back, going nearly out of my mind battling with myself between what was right and what I wanted. Which was why seeing Vincent stood by those church doors with the fate of his world held in my hand, weighed against the memory of my world held in the other I knew I had to do right by the people I loved not what I wanted.
Because I had made that wrong decision once and it took Keira all the way to Hell and back twice to make me see that.
I drove the Aston hard and with little care this night. The twisted roads forced me to concentrate on something other than what I left behind. I knew the type of road I travelled wasn’t suited to such a beauty but she surprised me, like the other beauty in my life was constantly doing. And like that beauty I pushed her to her limits but she never let me down. She knew what I needed and her strength got me there, just as it would this time.
I found the turning easily as this was always where I came. It had been since she was taken and even before that. Whenever we were miles apart, due to other influences or to our own senseless reasons, this was where I came. Because the first time I saw it, the first time I was here, I found Keira saying goodbye to me. She hadn’t known I was there at the time that she ripped up the image of me and let the elements take me off her hands. This seemed to be the place we usually said goodbye to each other and carrying on that sad tradition, I had come to do the same.
I got out of my car after turning her side on to the cliff’s edge and took in the vast space blanketed above by stars. I thought about tomorrow and the first day of the rest of our lives but I couldn’t say what was to come and once this night was through I would no longer care. Because as long as we were together we could face anything. I knew that now. I had faith in that…the fates, the Gods and Keira herself had proven it time and time again. Through the storms a
Hope was a powerful thing.
I leaned back against the side of the hood and focusing all my thoughts on the item Sophia had retrieved for me I let it materialise in my hand. Seeing it for the first time since I had placed it on her finger hurt enough to close my eyes against the mental torture. Our wedding night and our joining had been one of the most perfect memories I had with her and at first I had thought of nothing but putting this ring back where it belonged.
But the truth was it had belonged on the girl I married that night, not the girl I am going to remarry shortly. It wouldn’t feel right giving it to a Keira that didn’t remember when I slipped it on her the first time. So I would find her a new ring, ready for a new memory.
So this was going to be my goodbye and when I heard her cry I knew I wasn’t to do it alone. I looked up at my Ava and told her,
“My Queen is home.” She responded by crying out into the night, creating that magnificent sound I always found comfort in.
I looked down, taking one last look at the ring and then said,
“I loved you then as I love you now but with a heavy heart, I…I must say… goodbye my Keira.”
Then I threw the ring as far as I could, turned around and didn’t look back. I got back in the Aston and drove…
Back to my Queen.
After pulling into my ‘Bat cave’ I cut the engine and left the garage, this time using a different door, knowing this took me to the VIP of my club. I needed to check on things before returning back to my sleeping beauty, who no doubt was snoring her pretty little head off. I smirked knowing she didn’t just snort when she laughed but this was my own treasured secret to keep and I revelled in the fact that only I knew this.
I walked through the doors knowing it would be quiet with the main part of the club closed for the night. The VIP however never really closed as there was always something that needed to be discussed between the higher ranking members of my kingdom. Without them as my eyes and ears over the world then chaos would be inevitable. Because in the end you could be as powerful as they come and it would still mean nothing without the men you lead standing tall at your back.
I continued on past my top table, walking close to the balcony when something caught my eye. I turned and looked down into the empty club to see a lone figure sat at the bar. It was easy to know who it was when looking at those trademark boots tapping a steel plated toe on the foot rest.
“Now what do you want this time.” I muttered to myself before I descended the stairs. I crossed the dark vast open space of the club that always held a kind of lost aura to it without all those souls filling it each night. As I approached I saw him tip the rest of the amber liquid down his throat and look down to the side as I stepped up to the bar.
“Quiet place you got here.” He said stepping from his seat and turning round to take in the empty room. I raised an eyebrow at this, knowing this wasn’t exactly his type of place. He took one look at my face and said,
“Well, being the honest man I am, it’s not much to my likin’ to be true with ya, as it wasn’t the Shindig I was expecting.”
“We’re closed. What are you doing here Bill?” I came right out, cutting any bullshit I wasn’t in the mood for. Bill leaned back, resting his elbows to the bar and then casually lifted the rim of his grey hat, informing me,
“I wanna buy you a drink.” Again I raised an eyebrow at him, this time in confusion. What was this old cowboy up to?
“I’m busy Bill, this isn’t really the time.” I told him gaining a raised eyebrow in return.
“The place is empty and your little lady I’m thinking gotta be sleeping. You don’t look like you got much to be troubling yourself with.” I looked around the place I called home and had done for many years knowing that for once, he was right. There was nothing in this moment for me to do but get back to Keira and lie awake thinking about what the future now held for us.
“Plus I’m a’reckonin’ you’re gonna want to hear what I gotta say…so how abouts you and I, we get ourselves a table?” He said pushing himself off the bar. I grabbed him by the arm and said,
“And tell me, what makes you think that?”
“Because when it’s something to do with that sweet girl of yours, you won’t just want to know, this is something you will need to know.” I let him go, knowing I had no choice but to let this play out. He turned and grabbed the two rocks glasses, clinking them together between his thumb and fingers and with his other hand he grabbed the bottle of forty-year-old Glenfiddich single malt scotch, that he must have helped himself to from the top shelf before I arrived.
The sound of his snakeskin boots echoed in the open space and he looked back to me expectantly. When I took a moment too long for him he said,
“Got my hands full here, Big Bug.” Then he lifted his small burdens to emphasise his point and I rolled my eyes having little patience for what the two of us could have to talk about. But there was a part of me intrigued enough, so I moved both my hands at the same time into the centre, using my powers to drag a table from one side and two chairs from the other.
Bill placed the bottle in the middle and nodded for me to take the seat opposite him. As soon as I did he slid the unused glass my way and pulled off the cork with an echoing pop. I decided to shed a little light our way, so with just a thought the chandelier directly above illuminated the space around us in a soft glow. Then I watched Bill pour the forty year old scotch into our glasses. Then he lifted his up and before he took a drink he said,
“To lost time.” Hearing this was like someone was pulling on that damn thread again and my heart tore a little bit further. However, no matter what my inner thoughts were, I drank to the same notion.
“That’s mighty good stuff.” He said after whistling.
“And so it should be for over four thousand dollars a bottle.” I told him calmly. This time his whistle got louder.
“A man can’t have all his saddle bags in the right place to be spending that amount of coin on some whiskey…now on a horse I would understand.”
“That depends on the horse.” I said thinking back to those times.
“And from what I heard, you paid much more for such a horse, in blood more than coin.” Hearing this I was quick to frown and let my patience slip. I banged my glass on the table and said,
“I gather you didn’t come here to talk about damaged souls, so cut the bullshit Bill and tell me what you did come here to talk about.” He gave me a one side grin and took out his trademark pack of cards from his grey suit pocket. I had to say he certainly looked the part of the famous lawman gambler he was renowned for the world over. Of course it was just his memory that survived not what he lived for now and being shot in the back of the head by some nobody out to make a name for himself, certainly wasn’t the way any great gun fighter wanted to go down.
That was like a warrior winning every battle, coming home only to die from the common cold. There was never any victory found in death but when you sell your soul to the highest bidder there is even less victory found in the life you feel has been extended. Because you never really cheat death, you merely just end up handing it over. Which is precisely what Bill did just before he died and he did so to a man named Jared Cerberus. Yet another King brought into the fold of the Prophecy by my Electus. Our flame in the dark, where one by one the moths travelled closer, drawn in to the power it held.
He started shuffling and the sight was hypnotic, he did so with such speed and precision.
“I don’t have time for cards.” I told him knowing quickly where this was headed. It was rumoured the guy only ever lost once and that was to the man who now owned his soul.
“Time, it’s a funny thing.” He said now cutting the deck over and over with just one hand before putting the pack down in the middle of the table between us. Then he lifted h
“When you want it to slow down love is usually found on your side of the door, when you’re trying to get out of that door, now that’s when you want time to speed up.” It didn’t take a scholar to recognise he was referring to when he was imprisoned.
“You broke the law, Bill.” I told him, leaning back in my chair readying myself for what I expected was to come but then he surprised me.
“Everything in this life and the next has a plan, some we choose, some we don’t. It would do you well to remember that.” I was about to speak but he held up a hand to stop me and added,
“But think for a moment on what would have happened to that little bean of yours if you had never sent me down there for crimes you believed committed…ah yes, time’s a funny thing indeed.” So this was why he was here.
“At last we come to it…You want compensating for saving Keira?” I asked him outright.
“Don’t insult a man buying you a drink in your own establishment.” He said affronted at the thought.
“Then what? You already have my thanks and my pardon, and from what Jared told me you accepted no reward, so what more is there for you to ask of me.”
“I simply want your time.”
“My time for what?” I asked getting frustrated and taking a long swig of my drink knowing that would help. The smooth rich flavours warmed my throat as it went down and I took a deep knowing breath when he told me,
“I want three games of chance.” I looked down at the deck and said,
“And what are we playing for?”
“You’re playing for the information you seek.” My eyes widened in surprise. What did he know of Keira’s future?
“And you?”
“Whatever is in your pocket.” I was about to tell him there wasn’t anything in my pocket other than my phone but when I put my hand into the fabric I realised in my emotional state I had left my phone in the garage and kept the key fob to the Aston in my trouser pocket.