“What happened to you?” she whispered.
Warmth wrapped around her, like a comforting blanket on a cold morning. A soft voice spoke, stilling her and halting her tears. “My sweet, little angel, what troubles you?”
Chapter Six
Kale?
Pain settled into every pore, seeping into Kale’s bones. He felt as if he had been tossed into the darkness, ripped open by the devils lurking there. One word––one voice saying his name and he was destroyed. How could he ever forgive himself for treating Ariel so coldly?
His head throbbed when he raked his hands through his hair. This discomfort was physical; the two wounds still fresh. Who knew something that wasn’t real would hurt so much when they were yanked out?
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he straightened up, and clenched his hands. He was here to do a job, to influence James. There was no time for anything else in his life. Ariel didn’t matter, not even as a rival.
She appeared in his mind the moment he thought of her. Wide eyes staring at him like she didn’t recognize him, and her voice a trembling whisper. Had there been tears in her eyes when she ran? Was she horrified at the image he presented her, the façade he forced himself to follow when all he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and see what her lips tasted like? He pushed her image away, shoving the feelings to the back of his mind.
The resolve he had been trying to muster crumbled. He didn’t care about James or the towering sandwich he was assembling or the fact Kale was supposed to encourage him to add more mayonnaise. The wrath of the Dark was insignificant. All Kale had was the agitation rolling in the pit of his stomach, a storm rising up his throat until…
“I don’t care. I just don’t care anymore! Why does this matter? How does one mortal make any difference?” His voice rose, growing louder and louder until he was screaming. “Maybe if you told me that. Explain to me the grand scheme of making me sit here day in and day out! I’m your puppet, your lackey, doing your bidding! Is it too much to ask why?”
He fell silent, his breath held, waiting for the heat to grab him and whisk him towards punishment for continued defiance. The only sound that answered him was James, devouring his food with massive bites. Kale slumped down, sprawling out on his back to look at the ceiling now.
“Will you tell me the point of this?” he murmured. “Someone has to know. Why put me here with these feelings if I have to deny them?”
Again no answer. He sighed, not moving from his spot, wishing he could shut his emotions off. He wanted to forget his feelings, and never feel again.
He tensed when warmth washed over him, but this felt different. It wasn’t the crush heat of Darkness. No, this was comforting, like being wrapped in a blanket while kittens played nearby.
“Poor, little devil,” a soft voice sighed. “Wondering what every mortal does. Why? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Kale demanded. “I mean, what’s one mortal really worth?”
“Life. Every mortal is the reason for life. For me. For you. Without the mortal whose shoulder you sit on, neither of us would have a reason to exist.”
Kale snorted. “Great, so the only reason I’m alive is to sit here and whisper in mortals’ ears?”
“No, life is much more than what you believe you were made to do,” the voice chided gently. “There is a balance we all must find, a dance that needs a partner.”
“What does that mean?”
“Telling you would keep you from understanding and learning.”
Kale grumbled and the voice laughed softly.
“You already know the answer, the reason for you. And for her. It is waiting for you to accept and embrace it.”
“Ariel’s a part of it?” Kale asked curiously.
The voice did not answer and the warmth lifted from him. He sighed, laying back and continuing to stare at the ceiling. The answer for his existence wasn’t just to influence mortals. So what was it? And what part of it involved Ariel? Nothing came to mind, and he silently cursed both the Dark and the Light for sticking him in the mortal world with no answers.
Chapter Seven
Again, Ariel replayed the soft words in her head, trying to get a grasp on their meaning. Little angel, one is born into life with a duty, but there is more to life than just duty. If you only open your eyes, you will see how he can help you.
She sighed as she paced back and forth. Vaguely, she was aware that James needed her. Had needed her influence all week, but she couldn’t find the motivation to care, too busy mulling the riddle dangling before her. Ariel’s duty was influencing. Her future was influencing. It was what she was created to do, and would do for all her life. What else was there? Multiple times she had asked for clarification out loud, but the voice refused to answer.
The biggest riddle was Kale. The voice hinted that he was important, but from what Ariel had seen recently, he seemed fully devoted to ignoring her and doing his job. Her gaze drifted his way. She could still see that horrible image of him. His face impassive, and eyes boring into her like a drill. Goosebumps spread across her every time she remembered.
“What is going on? Is it too much to speak plainly?” she murmured for the hundredth time.
Slipping off James’ shoulder, she glided over to Kale’s side, and stopped just out of sight. Making sure her feet were planted firmly, she peeked around James’ head. Kale’s back was to her again, but he was seated; his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, and head resting on his arms. The sight made the ache in her heart ache.
She stepped away from her hiding spot, fighting a knot of uncertainty. “Kale, are you okay?”
Kale’s head snapped up, shock flashing across his face before a blank mask wiped it away. He scrambled to his feet, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m fine. Why?”
Ariel shrugged, keeping her voice casual. “I don’t know. You just looked––”
“Don’t you have a job to do instead of bothering me?”
The words would have hurt, but after seeing him curled up in despair, she only felt a pang of pity. He was troubled and trying to hide it. How long, she wondered. Since she last saw him a week ago? Had that been an act as well?
“James is napping, I doubt I’m at risk of missing the opportunity to influence him.”
She wandered closer, settling on James’ shoulder. Glancing up, she patted the spot next to her, smiling at Kale. He sat next to her, arms still folded against his chest, and lips frozen into a tight line.
“Ever wonder if there’s a bigger reason to this than we thought?” she asked.
Kale stiffened next to her. he spoke, his voice was low with a slight shake to it. “Why would there be any other reason?”
Replaying the voice’s words again, Ariel picked out her answer. “Maybe there is something else we are supposed to do. Something that needs two instead of one.” She glanced up at Kale from under her lashes, chewing on her lip.
He stared at her, his eyes wide and mouth agape. In the next instant, he was on his face, back to her. “James is going to wake soon. Shouldn’t you get back to your side?”
When he refused to acknowledge her further, she climbed to her feet. Her steps felt heavy as she moved to leave. Failure had never felt so crushing.
“Ariel.”
Kale had turned, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips, his voice soft. “You look weird without your wings and halo.” Then he faced away, acting like she wasn’t there.
Over on James’ left shoulder, Ariel craned her neck to glance at her wingless back. She had gotten rid of them. After all, she wasn’t a real angel. It was silly of her to pretend she had realized after seeing Kale without his horns. Now she felt naked, not sure why she had decided to stop pretending. It had never bothered her before. The wings easily erupted from her shoulder blades and the halo glowed into place. A smile filled her face. She felt like herself again.
&nb
sp; Chapter Eight
Kale rubbed his hands over his face, letting out a slow sigh. His nerves were frayed, on the verge of snapping. Ariel had showed up without warning, throwing him completely off guard. Each question that left her lips was like a sledgehammer. Every second, he feared he would break, the walls he shoved his emotions behind threatening to topple.
Where did those questions come from?
He blew out another sigh, trying to calm himself. He was overreacting. What Ariel said and what the voice told him didn’t matter. He and Ariel had one purpose: to influence mortals.
But those questions!
Tension coiled tighter, making his stomach hurt. He couldn’t get Ariel out of his head, couldn’t stop wondering about what the voice told him. If those words didn’t mean anything, then why couldn’t he stop thinking about them?
The answer is there… It is waiting for you to accept and embrace it.
“What am I supposed to realize?” Kale shouted. What? What was waiting for him, waiting to be accepted?
Love.
The word was like a whisper on the wind, and Kale wasn’t even sure he had heard it. His heart thumped in his chest. No, no way that was the answer. It was ridiculous and insane. He had it explained to him in great detail by the devil responsible for his creation how, as a Dark Influencer, he had no time for emotions. He was lucky to be granted his own thoughts.
But he felt. Happiness, sadness, anguish, and anger. All of them filled him until he burst. He laughed, smiled, frowned, and cried. Never had he his emotions before. Yet, now he was told to ignore them?
“Why let me feel in the first place?” he murmured.
He sank down, leaning his elbows on his knees. A glint of silver caught his attention, a small plaque hanging in the kitchen of James’ home. Kale had seen it hundreds of time, but never paid attention to the words. Now, they shouted at him, an answer right before him.
Without the dark, there can be no light.
He jumped to his feet. That was it! Influencers were always in pairs. One Light and one Dark. But they weren’t put there to tip the scales toward one or the other. They were there to create balance. That is what the voice meant. Kale balanced James with Ariel, and his soul meant nothing to the battle the angels and devils waged. The voice knew that, knew if the Light sent someone to the mortals, the Dark would send their own to counter it. The voice tricked the Dark to create the balance the mortal world thrived on.
Kale laughed out loud, not sure why this realization made him giddy. A little concentration and the horns were back on his head, a red tail added for good measure. He zipped to Ariel’s side, stopping just out of sight to compose himself before sauntering into view.
Ariel blinked in confusion when she saw him. He sat, patting the spot next to him, and plastering a grin on his face. “James is eating. Again. Sit with me. He won’t choke if you take a break.”
Slowly, Ariel joined him tucking her wings against her back as she sat. She watched him warily, her hair falling in her face. When Kale reached to brush them away, she froze. Her cheeks turned pink as he tucked a lock behind her ear, and then trailed his fingers down her chin. Gently, he brushed his thumb over her lips. They felt soft, like he knew they would.
“I figured something out.”
“Yes?” The single word trembled.
Kale leaned in closer, tilting his head. He paused with a few inches between their lips. “I figured out the answer. Want to know what it is?”
Ariel nodded.
In the background, Kale noticed James moving, heading back to the living room. He resumed the game he had paused, the sound of a crowd cheering filling the air. Then there was silence, the crowd going still as they waited for something. A kick off? A pitch? Maybe they were waiting for Kale to answer. He didn’t know. All he knew was he had finally figured out the answer. It was sitting right before him, waiting for him to accept and embrace her.
Ariel’s eyes widened to saucers when he finally answered, “You.”
He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She melted against him, arms going around his neck, and clicking into place like they were made to surround him. Their lips locked together like two puzzle pieces. The crowd erupted into a roar of approval and James jumped to his feet and shouted a cheer full of obscenities.
Two opposites had found balance.
####
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About the Author
Patricia Lynne loves writing stories about paranormal creatures. If it’s not vampires, then it’s werewolves, magic, or angels and demons she thinking up tales about. You can find her lurking on the web at Twitter, GoodReads and her website. She writes New Adult under the name Patricia Josephine.
Bonus Content from Being Human, Part One: Brothers
It is said vampires forget their human lives. As soon as they are turned, the memories start fading. One theory is because of need. The need to sate the hunger and thirst overtakes their senses. It consumes their thoughts and washes every little bit of humanity away until they no longer remember their human life. Another theory is that their mind changes too much. They no longer know how to think, move, talk or feel like a human. The final theory is that they simply let it go. They aren't human anymore, so what’s the point of remembering?
Maybe it's a combination of the three.
What I do know is that vampires forget being human. I forgot being human. Can't even remember the biggest details. Did I get along with my parents or was I a bad seed? Was I good in school? Did I enjoy sports? Did I have lots of friends? Or maybe even a girlfriend?
I don’t know any more or care. Why should I? That human life is behind me, forgotten with the first taste of blood.
Guess the first theory is accurate. Wake up in the evening with thirst burning in my throat and lay down at dawn with it simmering in my stomach. Sometimes I feel like a junkie, always looking for my next hit, my next meal––a victim, according to humans.
There are some things from my human life that matter a lot. Events, places and one human in particular I can’t forget. I know these things because they happened after I was turned.
The first thing that came to me, when I woke in a small clearing in the woods, was the darkness. It was dark, but at the same time… not. I could see everything, every tiny detail was clear as if illuminated by light. But there was no light, not even moonlight. I stumbled around the small clearing, disoriented as the world bombarded me with sensations.
A gentle breeze howled in my ears and felt like talons ripping across my cheeks. The world beneath me felt unstable, as if it slowly rotated. When I reached to touch the ground, the grass beneath my fingers felt uneven and sharp, biting into my skin. I jerked my hand away, drawing a breath, and the smells hit me like a hammer. Dirt, grass, rocks, trees and animals that were no longer there. Hundreds of scents hung in the air; my nose twitching as it took every scent in and my mind distinguished everything.
As I stood in this familiar––yet alien––world, I felt my memories start to fade away. What had happened in the clearing was the first to disappear. I didn’t try to hold onto it. Just a dream, I told myself. That couldn't have happened to me. I needed to get home before I was grounded.
Maybe I had been a bad seed.
The journey home felt like it took forever, but in reality, took a matter of minutes. I stopped often. First because my new sight had me stumbling, but, as I grew accustomed to it, my stops became ones of confusion. Where was I going? The answer was home, but I grasped for a reason why. Did I need something there? A drink? Could it be that simple? After all, my throat burned as if I had swallowed a mouthful of hot coals. A need to quench that fire burned in my mind, driving me forward.
When I reached home, only a sliver of human denial persisted. It’s a bad dream, get a glass of water and go to bed, it whispered. But a much more insistent part of me screamed, Get inside and satisfy your thirst!
Welcomed home,
my parents fussed over me. My mother sighed I needed to get to bed and my father scowled and scolded me for being irresponsible. Why had I disappeared without telling them where I was going? Didn’t I know vampires were waiting in the shadows to feed on the unsuspecting?
Humans knew that vampires existed. It had been an accident, an unintentional slip on the old vampire's part. Tired of existing, she sat outside to wait for the sun. The rays washed over her and her body burst into flame while a tourist bus witnessed the event. The tourist company called the news stations, a few reporters investigated and found all that remained of the vampire–a pile of ashes. The ashes were sent to some scientists for testing. The scientists discovered the ashes used to be human, but there was something not quite right–not quite human–about them. Then a video taken by one of tourists surfaced on the Internet, next national news and it became open season on vampires.
After that, any vampire discovered was caught, bound and left to greet the morning sun. Or set on fire. Anything to make the vampire burn until nothing remained but a pile of ash. Scientists gathered the ashes to study and figure out how to best destroy a vampire. It was, of course, an approved genocide. Who would protest the killing of a creature so evil?
Now comes the part in the story where I’m expected to say everything turned out okay. My family was horrified I had been turned, but accepted me as a vampire and we hid it well.
That's not what happened. What happened was I hid in my room, huddled in the corner, as the overwhelming vampiric instinct washed away the last remnants of my human life. There was only one thought and it consumed me: Hunger.
The hunger devoured every thought, dominating my mind with its heat. It drove me out of my room and into the dark hallway. Rhythms echoed in my ears, sounding like a drum set that beat just for me. Maybe the rhythm was instinct, telling me what to do and where to go. At the time, all that mattered was the overwhelming hunger and how I knew exactly what would quench it.