Blood of the Skies and Shadows - Chapter Thirteen

Hey everyone, so happy I'm releasing! You guys are happier and I'm less anxious to release! Can you believe this? Things are REALLY only just settling into place and I'm already up to chapter thirteen, I'm a really 'must-put-everything-into-detail' author ha..ha. Anyway let's see how it pans out he..he! Please enjoy as usual and comment your thoughts! Thank you very much. Love all my readers and fans, seriously no bullshit! He..he, anyway here you all go!

Caelia.
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Lexi.
Lucas jumped out from his car as soon as he spotted me, his amiable childish grin spread across his mature handsome face, oddly the two combination's mixed well. Although his lively grin lit up his face, he seemed tired, not like Demetri, but his face looked as if he'd aged a couple of years, not to mention the bruise and small cuts on his forehead and cheeks. His tanned skin looked a little pale and his brilliant emerald-green eyes looked opaque with harried discomfort.

He enveloped me into his familiar bear hug. I hadn't had one since, well...ages. I actually missed it eminently. Like when you became distant with someone and then suddenly you remember all the good times you had with them. Lucas was a lot taller than me so it was like being hidden from everything when I was circled by his arms. I wrapped my good arm around his waist, while trying not to squirm because of my shoulder and took a moment to bury myself in his warmth. I sighed wistfully and pulled away, remembering he was here for a reason.

"Where're the wolves?" I asked, getting in the car. He shut my door and started the car. I tossed my backpack into the backseat while he answered.

"They're with Demetri and some other vamps at Cy's place. We're supposed to meet them there. When I was there they were forcibly getting alone but it didn't look like they were about to rip each other's heads off or anything. Demetri and Alec are actually pretty tight. I don't know, just seems like it." He said, shrugging nonchalantly. I smiled, imagining Lucas standing silently in the corner with some other vampires, his lightly tanned human skin contrasting against their unnatural pale skin but with the same scary blank faces and attentive eyes.

"Wait, Cy's place? Shouldn't they be at Lily an Alec's place or even my place?" I asked incredulously.

"Cy lives with his mentor actually. A mansion, on the outskirts of the city in the shadow world. Not as big as yours but its library is bigger than yours, much bigger. Cy and his mentor have collected a lot of ancient texts of the shadow and human world, and since Cy thought there might be some useful information on what we're facing in one of the books, we went looking there. Now they need you and me as well as the wolves to remember what we saw. Cy's mentor was cool with it though he's very, uh, discreet. No one but Cy has even seen him, even though he's at the mansion." Lucas explained, his voice cautious. Okay I guess he was just being extra careful after what happened. I nodded thinking there was more he wanted to say.

"It's weird, Lexi. When I was there the vamps all acted like they knew of him. Cy's mentor. They all seemed restless and actually worried." He concluded, explaining the angst on his face. I patted his shoulder reassuringly. I wondered what was so dismaying about Cyrus' mentor.

"So he's a wolf like Cy?" I asked halfheartedly. No one had seen him, but since it sounded like they all knew of him, his shadow status, or whatever you call it, must've been well-known. I gazed out at the city's street my mind starting to wander. It was late afternoon and the after school, after work crowds were flooding the streets. The growing angst in his voice made me turn my eyes to look straight at him.

"That's the thing Lexi. No one knows what shadow he is. Not even Cy." Lucas cast me a distraught sideways glance and quickly turned back to the road, as if he didn't want to meet my eyes and let me see the conflicting emotions inside him. With the following silence I absently stared out the window again, not really paying attention to the world outside. Trying to find words that would make sense and at the same time tell what I was feeling.

"We've been through so much together Lucas so we'll get through this as well. Whatever it is and whoever it has to do with." I murmured simply. I was temporarily surprise at the strength and comfort in my currently hoarse and normally blank voice. From the corner of my eye I saw him turn to me questioningly. I face him abruptly when he thought I wasn't watching. I smiled genially. His eyes were bright with surprise and warmth.

"I've always got your back, Lucas." I said steadily. The strength in my voice rose. I was pleased, knowing I could convey this to him with the actual strength and sureness behind those words. Slowly the corners of his lips pulled up into a stunned smile and then broke out into a fully astonished grin. He laughed, low and relaxing. I felt my own lips pull up into a full-fledged grin.

"You're the most surprising person I have ever met." He gasped between his laughter. He caught his breath, though a fervent grin still remained on his face. Relief and bliss sparked his emerald eyes blithely. Suddenly his face turned more serious than I'd ever seen him, except when we were fighting shadows, but that's different because our lives are on the line.

"I'm so glad you saved my life that night. Thank you Lexi." With that his eyes turned back to the road for sure. I grimaced. Words slipped out of my mouth from guilt as I looked away.

"For what I've put you through and considering how many times you've saved my life I owe you more than I could pay back with my life." I muttered morosely. I'd gotten my share of scars and the recent battle was than enough proof of that. But since I'd saved Lucas from that vampire during freshman year in school, 'until now Lucas also had his fair share of wounds and scars. When he spoke, he sounded more urgent and fierce.

"It isn't your fault! I wanted to be a part of y.." He stopped curtly, cutting off his own words. Deciding to change what was coming out of his lips. I eyed him skeptically and wonderingly as we stopped at a red light. His eyes shifted to me. He smiled softly, it was a sad smile but I couldn't fathom the reason behind it.

"I chose to fight with you, Lexi. If you hadn't come to my rescue that night I'd probably be a drained corpse right now. I've survived this long because we've had each other's backs, because you've taught me to take care of myself from things I never imagined were possible. Ever scar I've got is proof I've fought to survive with not only weapons and skills, but also the knowledge you've given me, instead of being a naïve human who has to be saved and rescued at every turn. So..." He paused, his green eye telling me he was thinking of how to finish his speech. I smiled in defeat.

"It's just natural for us both to fight alongside each other in either world, with no words of explanation needed." I concluded, my voice tentative but still strong. He turned to smile brightly, which made me relax, and nodded.

"Exactly." He said. A roaring beep sound of the horn of a car sounded ungracefully which made me jump and Lucas laugh at my reaction. I rolled my eyes as Lucas changed gears and continued driving.

Lexi.
The mansion was right outside the city part of the shadow world, like Demetri's but closer and I never really noticed it. Maybe because the wrought dark silver iron gates, that actually resembled our mansion's own, were almost hidden behind swarms of thick black vines and thus the mansion scarcely hidden just out of view.

We walked up to the gates. No one else in the bleak dulls streets of shadow world daylight. Lucas flanked my right side, his warm expression gone and what replaced it was the black mask he used when we were on a job. The gates were closed bust just as my fingers were about to touch them the gates began creaking open. The dead vines moved with the dark silver gates without protest and actually with sort of flexibility, only sweeping lightly against the gravel of the driveway up towards the mansion. I stepped beyond the gates and the moment I did, I felt a large surge of power course through me like an electric current. The feeling ran through my blood warming every drop of it as it went. But the moment was short-lived, though not short-lived enough for me to doubt that it happened.

"Lexi!" I blinked and when I came to Lucas had a hold of my shoulders, while shaking me vigorously and calling my name, trying to grab my attention.

"Lexi!" He called again, sharper this time. His lips fell into a frown and his brows were furrowed with worry and confusion. I shook my head and blinked furiously. He relaxed his grip but didn't let go.

"You okay?" He asked, regarding me carefully. I shrugged off that strange powerful feeling but promised to find out more about it later. I smiled.

"Fine." I said and kept moving. The mansion was the size of a mansion but at first glance it looked plain, dull and looked more closely to a large house than to a mansion. But when I looked more closely its charm started rising from nowhere, like magic. It was made solely of beautiful blotchy buff-gray stone and edging the rims were pure white soft-looking limestone. The mansion looked as if it was welcoming. Then I noticed something strange. The grass surrounding the mansion was actually green! And not dark dead green, but fresh well-kept green. And on the green grass scattered perfectly following the lines of the gates were tall and long branched beech trees, with bright green leaves. These grounds were actually alive. But surrounding the entire mansion, including its lawns and yards were tall thick dark silver iron gates, all pointed like arrows at the top and all hiding the outside shadow world with thick walls of black vines.

"I know, it's amazing huh? How nothing can grow in the shadow world but this place actually has a garden that's alive. No one knows how it's possible though." Lucas said as he scanned the area. I nodded stiffly and kept walking up the wide driveway. Taller beech trees lined up along both sides of the drive and all branches closest to the driveway reached overhead and the leaves of those branches touched the opposite trees leaves, like a small walkway. It was pretty.

The double doors were as white as the edged rims of the mansion, with a two light golden knockers on the door handles, the same color. I started reaching for one of the knockers but this time decided to wait, knowing our presence was already known. As expected the door started opening smoothly and this time Cyrus, Cy for short, appeared behind the doorway.

"Hey Lexi. Lucas." He nodded to us and stepped back to let us in, but didn't smile. Cy was the type of guy that rarely smiled and always neutral about anything. He patted me on the head as we walked in and I beamed a small smile at him. He quirked a small smile back but when he turned his back, naturally it was gone. The inside was as old-fashioned as the outside looked. When we walked in there was a white arched hallway, brightened with the light outside, leading to another room. Next to the hallway were curving elaborate brown wooden stairs that led to the second floor. The wooden floor boards were covered with unique pale colored rugs. On my right was a large room with a pale cream fire-place that looked as if it had come from the eighteen hundreds, the floor was matching pale cream carpet with tall windows facing the front yard of the mansion, there were two elegant pale yellow armchairs facing the fireplace and behind the two chairs was a grand piano.

On the far side of the room was an open doorway leading to further rooms which I couldn't quite make out. On the left side was another hallway leading somewhere else, occasionally a dignified yet delicate table or bookshelf filled with books would be pushed up against the wall decoratively. All along down the hallway like the one I was facing were tall windows, the light cream curtains pulled open for the light to stream in like normal sunlight. It was so light and open, unlike any other place I'd been in the shadow world. Unknowingly I smiled. It felt nostalgic and welcoming. It felt familiar. Cy's voice brought me back to reality.

"Up this way." Cy said blankly and started up the steps. We followed, Lucas looking blankly ahead, while my eyes continued flying around the area. The second floor resembled the first, it was as open, bright and elegant. Though the floor's light brown floor boards were not covered by any rugs or carpet. The walls were painted a gentle beige, the bottom edges were white and the ceilings of each hallway were arched. There were many hallways that branched off from the main hallway we were heading down.

"Lucas, you know where the library is. Go meet Alec and Lily down there. Lexi, you on the other hand need to follow me to see someone." Lucas looked at Cyrus hard, his blank and cold look grew fierce.

"Go." I said, not facing him. Something was calling me. No, someone. There was a feeling inside me, making me feel pulled towards someone. There were sounds of footsteps and murmuring of words but it felt worlds away. My feet began to move by themselves. Suddenly I stopped, I'd lost that pull I felt but I kept walking as if I knew this place all my life. At the end of the hallway was a tall window that spread across like a wall leading to two doors on either side. Daylight of the shadow world shone on to my face as I turned left and found a delicate white wooden door with a thin swirled golden handle. Without knocking I opened the door and stepped inside. It was a small cozy study. A large desk with different stacks of paper were on top of the smooth wooden surface, an old-fashioned pale cream lamp, the floor was creamy white plush carpet, against the dark pine green walls on the far side of the room were multiple book shelves, filled with thick leather-bound books and above on the same dark pine green ceiling hung a small but airily beautiful chandelier with black iron rims.

But opposite the desk were two glass doors framed with white wood that led to a spacious vanilla marble balcony. The balcony led to an overview of the backyard. One of the glass doors was open slightly and let a warm breeze brush into the room. It all felt so familiar, as if I were merely retracing my steps of a past day. But I never even knew this mansion was here until today. I slipped on to the beautiful balcony, with a small white iron leaf detailed glass table and two matching chairs. On the right side of the balcony the marble railing continued lower instead of making a rectangle to complete the balcony. They led to same colored marble stairs, reaching the backyard. My hand brushing against steps' marble railing I went down the stairs. When I turned I faced the backyard.

The backyard couldn't be called a backyard, it was more like a personal garden of Eden. I stood just outside the garden. There was a wide straight cream bricked path leading to a bigger space of the garden, following the pathway closely were waist-high white rose bushes. Overhead the pathway arched with metal were deftly weaved vines with its many leaves as well. I smiled daintily and followed the pathway. Further inside the garden was a place filled with four different species of flowers, snowdrops, light pink roses, star of Bethlehem and almond flowering. The whites mixed with the pinks seeming no different though all beautiful. The edges of the garden was sprinkled with tall elm trees but leaving the ground enough space to run around it.

Under a tree, still in view from the balcony, but still under shade was a long white wooden swing seat, padded with thin cushions and leaning against the arm rests were actually two circle pale yellow cushions. Nearby were beds of flowers and small pathways in between to walk around on. Standing at one of the snowdrop flower beds was a man in a pure white cloak. His side was facing me, his arms folded behind him, as his attention seemed to be held by the flowers below him. The profile of his face looked handsome, in a middle-aged kind of way. Hold on. I'd seen him before. The one who had whispered French words to me. For a second I recalled those words. "Listen to the voice of your soul, child of the vessel. You will need it for what lies ahead." I'd been called that by him and those monsters I'd fought three nights back. What did it mean? I hadn't even tried to decipher it because, well, I honestly hadn't had the time or attention to.

I focused my thoughts back on this man. Though his hood was not over his head unlike the time I'd passed him. He had short but thick dark auburn brown hair that glistened on its own with traces of silver appearing at his temples. There was a solemn smile on his face as he stared at the flowers. He turned to face me, his solemn smile growing much sadder. The moment I laid eyes on his face I fell into a pit of despair. I was relieved at the same time and I had no idea why. I'd never seen this man in my life before but I wanted to throw my arms around him and cry. I drove away my choked tears and kept my knees holding underneath me. I knew him, but I didn't. It was that other me I felt in those weird memory-like dreams. I clenched my fists tight, ordered my feet to move one in front of the other and tried to figure it out. Who was he? Who was I? No, I was still Alexia. I knew that much. I pushed my feet -well stomped- towards the wooden swing seats, sat down, pulled my legs up and crossed them Like the pleasant summer breeze that man cowled in the white cloak was beside me in less than an instant. My blank eyes shifted to his form, my face fell blank as my eyes were.

"Have you not listened to my words, child? Do you not remember our encounters?" His strong but gentle voice felt as if he'd touched my mind with memory. His smile vanished and in its stead was a granite hard mask. Child? I'd heard that word been used by his voice before. His granite mouth also looked familiar. Then I had an answer for him, but not truly for myself.

"You're the man I passed on the street and the man who saved me a few nights ago." I whispered airily. I racked my brain for a name, I know he'd mentioned one when he left the night of the battle but everything felt so fuzzy. I pushed my memory further, doing so lazily but unable to do better at that moment.

"Lucian. You're Cy's mentor." I provided absently. Flashes of those dreams I had from when I woke up ran through my mind. That familiar man's strong voice. The desperate sobbing. Hamaliel. Gabriel. Cassiel. Luce. The slicing pain of my eyes. The strong warm hands restraining me. The white-hot agony of burning. The familiar warm man holding me. How I felt like flying. Pure white wings tinged with gentle silver. Tanned smooth skin and silky golden blonde hair at the touch of my fingers. I shook my head, brought my teeth down brutally on my lip and my nails dug heavily into the palms of my skin. I felt as if I were balancing on the edge of hysteria and sanity. But I kept quiet.

He folded his hands in his lap and looked straight into my eyes. His pale face held few wrinkles, and his features would have been gentle and beautiful if it weren't for the hard edge of his unfathomable cryptic expression. His sky blue eyes were pale and like crystal, but clear as they were, they appeared conflicted with hidden emotions and thoughts. This was difficult for him, that much I could understand. The depths of my soul felt a part of tearing and ripping at the sight. Though the reason behind this was what my mind craved to know.

"You're right. And though I wish I knew, I don't have all the answers you want." He murmured, his pale eyes truly sorry. I stood abruptly, unreasonable anger sparking in my chest. I glared down at him ruefully.

"Then tell me what you do know!" I spat. He didn't seem taken aback or surprised, just sincerely apologetic. I pointed my gaze at the grass around my feet and closed my eyes. I exhaled a breath of fury away and looked back at him. My fingers unfolding and loosening their strength by my sides.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm just frustrated. Sorry." I mumbled miserably, feeling horribly chagrined at my outburst. He smiled, the granite edge to his face softening.

"It's alright. After what you've been through, it's lucid. Alexia" I cut him off.

"Lexi. Call me, Lexi." I said sheepishly. I felt kind of awkward standing up by myself as I faced this strange man. He smiled lightly, looking rather nostalgic. He rose to his feet and headed over to stand in the cross-section of all the flower beds. I followed silently, listening to what he had to say.

"Lexi," he began, smiling to me. I smiled back, a little abashed but relaxed. Like times after a teacher praises you. "it's not a coincidence that's there's only two colors of flowers in this garden. And there's a reason these flowers were planted as well. I had a daughter, Lucia. She was a lot like you actually, human and otherwise. Anyhow, I created this garden for her in mind. Do you know what these flowers mean?" He turned away from the fully bloomed rose he was caressing in his fingers, to look at me expectantly. I nodded, sort of grateful Annelise had made me study even the simplest things of biology -and basically everything-.

"Almond flowering means: hope. Light pink roses mean: grace, gladness, joy, perfect happiness, gratitude, admiration and gentility. Snowdrops mean: hope, as well. And stars of Bethlehem mean: purity." I replied, feeling as if I were in a classroom of a class I was actually interested in. He nodded in approval and he glided over to the exit of the garden. Enchanted, I followed his steps.

"Lucia was one of all those things. But at the same time she was strong and brave. Her strong emotions were one of the best things about her but also one of the most problematic. This garden was made for when she was confused or her feelings were all over the place, that she could remind herself to relax and see the answers she sought for, were right around the corner." He smiled, a shadow passing over his smile. Melancholy clouded over his pale sky blue eyes like dark clouds. I remained silent and stared straight ahead as we left the garden. There were windows at the back of the mansion, showing the large kitchen and dining room of the mansion. The kitchen was mainly surfaced with polished bright brown wood. Floorboards, smooth wooden cabinets, draws, etc. He slowed down to match his pace with mine instead of leaving me to follow him. He continued walking without even a glance to me, but spoke to me directly.

"You're not asking why I'm using past tense for describing Lucia." He stated candidly. His strides were light and elegant and the air around him seemed to crackle with power and wisdom. I lifted my shoulders and dropped them, keeping my face blank.

"I don't pry into others' business unless I'm needed to, even then I don't enjoy it. If you wanted to tell me you would." I said just as plainly as he did. We began climbing the stairs swiftly. He smiled with amusement. Sorrow still passing through his eyes, it blanketed his amusement with quite some dominance. Leaving his amusement at bottom of what I thought of was on his expression.

"Lucia died for her love for someone. They both mutually loved each other but to others their love should not have been. Those people were very powerful, even I could not protect her. I tried to talk her out of being with him for fear for her life. But she would not listen to a word I had to say. So until the end, when they took the person she loved away, she stayed brave and true to her love though she couldn't survive her punishment for loving him." He had stopped on the midst of the vanilla stairs. I turned around to face him. His face was whirled away from me to the garden. His distant eyes were filled with sorrow and depth that I couldn't understand. His pale blue eyes seemed empty and lonely. The breeze around him seemed to freeze and brim with the air of death. I looked out to where he gazed, fearing that I would fall to my knees and cry and apologize. Why did I want to apologize? I stared at the alleviated garden Lucian had created for his daughter. It was truly beautiful. Even though I wasn't a person of summer and spring, I would've loved to sit there and read every day, seeing how Lucian had filled it would so much beauty and life.

"I'm sorry..." I paused, reluctantly prolonging that moment with sadness and unbidden memories. "No parent should have to bury their own child." Was all I said. I'd never lost a child so his pain, I could never really understand. My vision blurred slowly until the image changed entirely from an innocent garden to another set of chaotic flashes of different pictures. A girl with waist length wavy blonde hair flowing freely behind her, the sides braided delicately to the back of her head to make a half pony tail, she was dressed in an eighteen hundreds sort of dress. She was petite and slender but had womanly curves. With her back to me she ran freely among the flower beds while a man followed closely, watching over her.

Though his back was facing me, I knew who it was. It was the same man I'd seen in my other flashes, the man with boundless warmth fleeting from his body, the man with wings. Cassiel. Another flash, this time I saw the white iron leaf detailed glass table and chairs. There were two cups and a teapot sitting on the glass table as well as a small crimson leather-bound book. In one of the chairs was Lucian. He was looking out over the marble railing to where the flower beds were, at the girl and that mysterious beautiful man. His face was alleviated with happiness and yet a sadness crept into the depths of his sky blue eyes, still he was happy. Of course he would, that he was his daughter. He could only be happy for her while she was so happy when this was her choice.

More and more images flooded my mind. Lucian was walking with his daughter hanging on to his arm gently while they strolled around the edges of the garden which were filled with more flowers. Lucian's daughter, her face, as her lover's always blurred or distant, sleeping on her lover's shoulder while they sat under the shade of a tall elms tree on the white wooden swing seat. Lucian's daughter playing piano in the room next to the front door while the two men sat in the arm chairs listening intently and gladly. Lucian and his daughter sitting in the study behind the balcony both reading, the lying on the floor and Lucian in his chair. His face completely content. Lucian's daughter and the beautiful man standing amidst a sea of pink and white flowers, holding each other. The man's wings spread open entirely, the beauty of them glistening under the daylight. Their lips sparsely meeting. The images halted and came to a stop, what filled my vision was a blanket of black. What appeared next was the sound of my own voice.

"Father?" My voice called out quietly.

"Yes?" Lucian's voice replied, sounding busy.

"I love you just as much as him. You do know that, right?" My voice asked, worried. A low chuckle.

"Of course, dear Luce." Lucian answered, euphoric at the words.

I gasped as I was pulled back into reality.

"Thank you, Lexi." Lucian murmured, his eyes swiveling back to my face. He started up the stairs as I stood stunned. On instinct I followed as my mind continued going in circles to find out why I continued having dreams and flashes of pictures of Lucian's daughter and her lover. But as usual I hit a blank wall, which made me irritated. What was going on?