Fate
Present Day
Lakyn was at a loss. With the convent destroyed, and no means of contact, he was beginning to think Rachael was lost forever. But strangely, something in the appearance of the mysterious young Nephilim girl at the convent ruins struck him as familiar. Could she be related to Rachael? He decided he had to find this girl again. She was the only possible link he had to Rachael.
Lakyn opened the door and ambled out of his room. David had left moments earlier to go hunting for dinner, though not before Lakyn had healed the arrow graze he had suffered.
“Lakyn, excellent. You’re up. Come look at the plans we devised,” said Zachariah, hunched over a table in the centre of the room and looking at a large sheet of paper. Abel, Abraham, and Peter were crowded around him.
“Tell me later,” Lakyn grumbled. “I’m going out.”
“Wait, son. What is with you lately? You haven’t been focused. Eyes on the prize, remember?” His father had risen from the table to stand beside his son. His hand came down heavily on Lakyn’s shoulder.
“I am focused… always have been. Right now, I have to do something.”
“Don’t go out alone, Lakyn. We have enemies, remember?”
“I’m fine, I’ll survive.” He shrugged away from his father and made his way towards the steps that led to the outside world. Zachariah didn’t bother to pursue the matter. He was at a loss with both of his sons, In fact, but more so with his eldest. Of the two, Lakyn had drifted the furthest off course.
“So… Jacob?” began Abel.
“Ah, yes. That’s where we were. Thanks for drawing me back. So I think Jacob’s next actions are rather predictable,” said Zachariah. Abel grinned in agreement.
“Predictable? Why?” asked Abraham.
“Love makes one do crazy things, but they are predictable things.”
“Ahh, yes. As in those sappy female films that are all are so cliché,” inserted Peter. Everyone turned to look at him.
“What? I’ve had girlfriends.”
“Back on track. Now all we have to do is wait,” said Zachariah, refilling his scotch glass.
Lakyn flew effortlessly out of the city. He couldn’t help but think of her and what the second occasion of their meeting had meant to him. Somehow, he knew for sure she was alive. He could feel it.
Fourteen Years Earlier
“So has your brother eased up?” Lakyn asked as he and Rachael walked together through the corridors of the hotel.
“What do you mean?” she inquired.
“Well, he’s here, isn’t he? If he hated my family, then he wouldn’t be here.”
“You’re right,” she said. “I think he’s trying to find out if the rumours are true.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?”
“If I did believe them, I still wouldn’t care.” Stopping mid-way to their destination, Rachael moved closer to him. “And I wouldn’t do this…” She twisted her fingers through his shaggy dark hair and kissed him passionately. Lakyn lost his breath in his need for air that he couldn’t help but let go. He melted under her touch. They leaned back against the wall.
“I think… I think we should find a room, you know… in case.”
“In case someone finds us… my brother? You’re right,” she continued.
“Or my father. He considers love as weakness.”
“But what do you think?” she asked gently.
“It’s the strongest, most powerful thing in the universe.” Rachael smiled at him and took his hand. He smiled back as she led him to a room.
“I think… it’s this way,” he said.
“You know where the empty rooms are?” she asked, surprised.
“Well, no. But I do know where the room I booked is.”
“You booked us a room? So, you planned this, didn’t you?” She smirked.
“Well yes… kind of,” he smiled sheepishly.
“You truly are a devil.” She kissed him again as he took a card from his pocket to unlock the door. Rachael entered first. Surprise met her. In the centre of the room was a candle-lit meal for two.
“Oh, my. This is the most romantic thing I’ve ever known.” She turned to face him. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her. “The sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do.”
“You are the sweetest guy ever. The angel of fate brought you to me,” she whispered as she kissed him again. She unzipped her glistening dress, letting it fall around her ankles. Lakyn’s blue eyes drank her in lovingly. Her slim legs and her hour-glass waist, her strapless black bra, her lips, and last, but not least, her glossy brown hair, almost the same shade at his.
“What’s wrong?” she laughed, catching his adoring expression.
“Sorry. It’s just that you’re the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” He stepped forward and held her to him, their bodies touching. Lakyn felt her fingers at his shirt unbuttoning it. He kissed her neck tenderly, then picked her up and carried her to the bed.
“Your brother will kill me.” He worried as they lay tangled in the king-sized bed.
“Let him try.” Her lips defiantly pressed his but in time she sat up.
“Something wrong?” he inquired, sitting up behind her. His lips found her shoulder blade, drawing a soft moan from her lips.
“I’m starving.”
“Let’s eat then.” They dressed and sat down to the Crème Brule.
Present Day
Lakyn shook away the memory. It had been the first time they had truly been together, but also, the last time he had seen her. Hers was the sweetest of memories, but also, the one that hurt the most. So he kept it locked in the vault of his head, vowing never to draw it out… until now. He didn’t know why the memory now came spilling out, but he did know that something pulled him back to where it all began. His heart seemed clasped to a thread of gold, the other end of which was his fate.
Circling around the immense Crown Casino, he landed on the rooftop and entered the door leading to the building’s elevators. He made his way to the first floor and along the corridor, until he found the place he was looking for. Inserting the card in the slot surfaced another memory for him, but it was a dream, as if he were dreaming while wide-awake.
Fourteen Years Earlier
“This is amazing, Lakyn. Did you do this?”
“Nah. I can’t really cook. My friend David made it for us.”
“Tell him thank you.” She met his gaze and smiled... a smile that Lakyn returned.
“I will.” There was a knock at the door. Lakyn was about to call out that they were busy but the door had already burst open. Rachael jumped up to face the intruder.
“Adam! What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? I should ask you the same question. What are you doing here with him?”
Lakyn stood to support her. He tried to step between Rachael and Adam but she blocked him. Rachael muttered the truth of her heart.
“I love him,” she declared to her brother. But Adam only snickered.
“You can’t love him. You’re a mere sixteen. You don’t know yet what love is.”
“I know more of love than you do,” she retorted, eyes glaring.
“Yeah, sure you do,” evading her truth.
“You haven’t found love yet, Adam, because your heart is so hard. Love can’t penetrate it.”
“I don’t need love,” he defended. “Now step away from that demon and come with me,” he commanded.
“No!” Rachael moved her body in front of Lakyn’s in defiance.
“Very well. You don’t want to leave him now, then you never will,” Adam declared, opening his palm, from which a bright blue light emulated.
“Adam, please. No!” pleaded Rachael.
“You asked for this.” Adam pushed the light towards them, engulfing them.
Chapter Twenty-Three