Awakening: The Elder Chronicles, Volume 1 Page 6

  "Wait a second, here," Katarin interjected, anger spilling from her lips. "Are you telling me you Daimones have been meddling in our lives since we adopted Elena?"

  "There have been three of us, and we all took active roles in your lives," he replied. To Elena, he said, "Many of us worked alongside your father in his laboratory."

  Katarin interrupted again, "Really? Who were they?"

  "Drs. Kotwas and Romanova," Alec replied, and Katarin raised her eyebrows in amazement. "Both of your father's supervisors were played by my parents. I took a more recent role as one of his research assistants. In fact," he said as his eyes slid to Katarin, "it's how I first met your mother and why she recognized me. We knew each other through your father's work."

  "Anyways," he said trying to restore his derailed explanation, "while working alongside him I tried as hard as I could to dissuade your father from testing your DNA. But, try as I did, he was determined to figure out if there were any latent medical issues he should be concerned about with you. You were adopted and he knew nothing of your medical history. He persisted and his concern for you spurred the most important discovery of his career. He found evidence of our DNA."

  Elena finally broke in, shaking as she spoke. "Wait a minute. You knew my father found my DNA. You knew I was different and you did nothing to protect him? You let him get killed?"

  "Your father's research uncovered evidence of our DNA. He told his discovery to a handful of people," he replied. "I was not one of them. If he had told me about it, I would have done anything to save him. Your father was a good man and a great friend. But, unfortunately, he didn't say anything. There was nothing I could do. His death was as much a shock to me as it was to you and your mother."

  "But if he discovered Daimones existed, why did they kill him?"

  "It's really quite simple," Alec responded. "Daimones have been in hiding for thousands of years. Long ago, many of the world's early cultures welcomed our kind, and in turn, many of our kind enjoyed helping humans. However, not all of our kind shared a desire to live in peace with humans. Some believed humans were an inferior race who should be forced into servitude. Because of these conflicting views, our kind is embroiled in a heated war lasting several millennia. If knowledge of the existence of Daimones, or the war, were to be publicized..."

  "Then the whole race would be in danger and their efforts at enslaving humanity would be lost," Elena finished the idea.

  Alec nodded.

  She glared at him, memories of the day her father died flooding back to her. A lump formed in her throat, and her eyes stung with emerging tears. But she'd had enough crying for today and wanted to move past it all. What Alec had told her made sense. She didn't like it, but it made perfect sense.

  She and her mom both knew he'd been working on a huge project having to do with some new and interesting genetic code he'd discovered. Elena had overheard him telling her mother about it one night. He'd told her it would shake the foundations of conventional science. She didn't understand what he'd meant by it, but knew he'd been so busy with the project she never saw him anymore. Working almost nonstop, he used to sleep at work on a cot the company provided him. Toward the end, he'd been gone an entire week.

  "You must believe me," Alec implored. "Your father was a good friend to me. I would have done anything to protect him and your family. And I will do anything I can to keep you safe now. It has been and will always be my sworn duty to protect you." Pride filled his voice as he spoke, but she also heard something more there also.

  Elena nodded. She believed him and understood he did what he could to keep them safe. She couldn't blame him for her father's death. The Opposition were to blame. They were the deserving targets of her anger.

  Alec paused for a few moments before continuing, "As I am sure you can guess, the Opposition is very well connected with a wide web of informants. Once your father began to spread his discovery to some of his older colleagues, it must have gotten back to an Opposition agent because not long after he started to broadcast his discovery I found him dead in his lab."

  Elena's jaw dropped to the floor. "Wait a minute! You found him?"

  Alec nodded, staring at his folded hands resting on the kitchen table. "I contacted your mother a few weeks afterwards and discussed his death with her."

  Katarin cut in. "I remember," she said. "You said you wanted to discuss some things with me. Then you told me you were the one who first arrived at the lab. You were so certain something devious was going on and kept asking me questions about his research."

  "And it's a good thing I did," Alec said. "I learned from your mother he had shared his discovery with her. She knew you were not human. And so I was able to be more open with her about who we are. I was also able to enlist her aid in trying to keep you safe and hidden."

  "Luckily," he continued, "your mother is the last human, aside from your father, to know it was your DNA he studied. On the day I found him, I was able to search his office more thoroughly. He had not left any information indicating the source of the blood sample. But my search revealed the sample itself was missing."

  "I was fairly confident the Opposition had taken it," Alec told them. "But I also knew it would take the Opposition quite a while to discover who the sample's source was. As a precaution, I followed you to school in order to watch over and protect you. For the past two years you never once saw me on campus. I don't understand why it was this year," he said, fidgeting, "you finally noticed me."

  Elena blushed, thinking of his stunning eyes.

  Inside she wondered, had he really been on campus the past few years? Those eyes, how could she have missed them? They were so beautiful!

  "I, uh..." Elena stammered. "I'm not quite sure. I think it had something to do with the book you were reading," she lied. "I think it piqued my curiosity and drew me in."

  She could feel herself blush harder; she had to change the subject, fast. "So, why me? Why not one of his colleagues?"

  "According to my informants, many of his colleagues have already been exhausted. You are next on their list to question to find out anything about your father's research. But..." He let the sentence trail off. When he spoke again, his voice had taken on a much more ominous tone. "But when they learn what you are, they will certainly try to kill you. They will try to kill you because you should not exist. You are a new Daimon in a world where none should exist. And you are on the verge of awakening."

  "Awakening? What do you mean?"

  "It is the term we use to describe the development of a newborn's abilities," Alec explained. "The abilities awaken within the newborn. During this time, there is no telling what the newborn will be capable of. They can be very dangerous."

  "Okay, but what I don't understand is who is this Opposition?"

  Alec leaned against his chair back for a few moments.

  "Who is the Opposition?" he repeated her question. He placed his forefinger against his lips. Another short pause, and then he began to explain. "There is a reason classical literature and art have portrayed images of angels and demons locked in mortal combat. It is because two groups of Daimones have been at war with each other for most of human history. If you remember when we spoke during the ride here from your school, I told you we were once viewed as humanity's advisors and guardians."

  Elena nodded.

  "Well," he continued, "then you will remember some of our kind want to enslave humans. There is a very strong faction among us who believe since we are stronger and immortal, we should be treated as gods. They want to enslave humanity. We view them as the Opposition to everything we have worked so hard to build. They are the opposition to freedom, to choice, to humanity."

  "The wars began," he said, "in the Mediterranean. And they became the stuff of legends, spreading over Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria, and all the way through the Middle East to Iran. Most of humanity's greatest epic tales, in fact, have stemmed from these battles. In time the legends of nearly all human history grew from these wars."r />
  "The fabled siege of Troy," Alec explained, "was, in fact, part of this war. One Daimon lord sought to destroy his nearest adversary and concocted a story about his human wife being kidnapped by a rival state. The humans rallied behind him and together they sought to destroy the other Daimon lord and his domain. The sad truth was he had no human wife."

  "The wars of Roman conquest, the Crusades, even the modern world wars were battles between Daimon lords—between those loyal to protecting our bonds with humanity and the Opposition. Of course, humans have become the unfortunate pawns in this great war of ours. They are often tricked into believing the blood they shed would be of great benefit to them. But it never is. Humans merely suffer the consequences. Daimon lords rarely ever perish in battle."

  "So how many Daimones exist?" Elena asked. "I mean, how many are there?"

  "An interesting question," Alec replied. "And, in fact, it is a very poignant one. As I mentioned, the Daimones live a very long time. For all intents and purposes, we are immortal. We do not age. We are not affected by common earthly illnesses. As you saw earlier from the gunshots, our bodies are very tough, and we heal very quickly when we are injured. However, it is not impossible to kill a Daimon. A well-placed missile or bomb could easily kill and incinerate one of our kind.

  "There are not many of us remaining in this world," he continued. "Right now, I would guess not many more than two hundred of us, and our numbers dwindle more each day. You see, we cannot reproduce."

  Alec stopped speaking, his face frozen in a mask of fear. Elena had seen this reaction before, there was something wrong. Elena and Katarin turned from Alec to each other, then back to Alec again. As she opened her mouth to ask what had happened, the buzzing cocktail-party din she'd earlier heard filled her ears. She and Alec exchanged glances and she instantly knew this did not bode well.

  Alec spoke at last. "Sorry," he said with a distinct note of concern, "but we need to stop right there." Rising from his chair, he held his hand out to Elena. "We have to leave," he told her. "Now."

  Elena didn't question or protest. She knew it, too. Their time had run out, the Opposition had found them. They needed to run again.

  Alec turned to Katarin as Elena stood from her chair. "Katarin," he said, "you have to go into hiding. Somewhere nobody would ever think to find you. Don't tell your job. Don't tell anyone. Disappear."

  Turning back to Elena, Alec said, "Elena, you need to come with me." Another bout of the din invaded her mind, much louder this time.

  "We need to get you as far from here as possible," he said. "We need to keep you safe."

  Elena began to protest. She couldn't leave her mother by herself; not with some society of ancient immortal beasts chasing after her. Alec had anticipated her objection and told her, "Don't worry. They want you. I'll be able to get in touch with her. She'll be all right."

  Alec walked over to the counter beneath the telephone. There were several pens and a notepad kept there for taking messages. He tore off a sheet of paper, wrote down a name and address, and then handed it to Katarin. "Go here," he told her pointing to the paper. "Contact this person. He'll be able to keep you safe."

  He turned back to Elena, placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked her square in the eye. "Don't worry, Elena," he told her. "She'll be in good hands. You have to trust me."

  Elena nodded. She trusted Alec but couldn't help worrying about her mother. Even after everything she'd been through tonight, she still loved and cared for the woman who had been the center of her world for so much of her life.

  My God! Elena wondered, Who am I? Why is this happening? She wanted to cry.

  Alec grabbed her hand. The same hands, which had earlier been soft and comforting, were now hard and strong. "They will be here soon." To Katarin he said, "You have to go."

  Elena turned to her mother. Both women had tears welling in their eyes. "Mom," she said suppressing a sob, "promise me you will stay safe."

  "I promise," Katarin said. "Now hurry!"

  Chapter Eight

  Elena's Camry sped through the darkness of night, its speedometer pinned as far as it would go. Alec's control over the hurtling mass of steel and plastic amazed her. She tried to watch the world speed by, but found it impossible to focus her eyes fast enough to discern patterns in the inky blur.

  "Is my mother really going to be okay?" Elena asked. It had been over an hour since they had parted ways, and she'd refrained from asking the question out of concern it would distract Alec too much. But her concern for her mother trumped her concern for Alec's control of the speeding car.

  "Yes," he replied matter-of-factly, "your mother will be fine." Elena heard a light buzzing again and froze. Alec turned his head.

  A gasp escaped from Elena's lips. "Keep your eyes on the road," she exclaimed. "God! Are you trying to kill us or something?"

  He chuckled under his breath. After a few seconds, he turned his focus back to the road ahead of them.

  Nearly another half hour passed before Elena could no longer stand the silence in the car. Her head started throbbing. Conversation should at least get her mind off the oncoming headache. "Where are we going?" she asked

  "I can't tell you."

  "Oh?" she asked. "Why?"

  "Because," he replied, "I'm not sure if your thoughts are being..."

  Alec's mouth moved, but she couldn't hear the words as a thousand white-hot needles of pain tore into her head.

  She rubbed her forehead fiercely. "Ouch!" she groaned. "Oh God, what the hell is this?"

  Alec's smile faded. "What's wrong?" he asked with no humor. Did she hear concern in his voice, too? No. It sounded like fear.

  "I'm not sure," she told him. "I think it's a headache, but..."

  "Crap," Alec mumbled as he pressed the accelerator even harder to the floor. Elena never imagined it would be possible for her car to go any faster, but somehow Alec had managed to squeeze a few more horses from the already screaming engine. "They're coming," he said. "I can hear their din. We need to find somewhere to hide out. And quick." The Camry hurtled down the empty highway.

  She is near, Elena heard a voice say with unusual clarity, and he is with her. The speaker had an unfamiliar voice. She couldn't explain why, but the sound of it scared her. Her body began to tremble.

  Do not worry about him, a second voice said. We can deal with the youngling easily.

  Do not underestimate the youngling, replied the first voice. He understands far more than you think.

  "Alec," she asked, turning to face him, "who is the youngling?" Elena's simple act of speaking banished the voices from her mind.

  "Where did you hear it mentioned?" he asked. A slight crack in Alec's voice signaled his obvious concern.

  "I heard them say it," she replied. "Two voices, talking in my head. They said they could deal with the youngling easily."

  He turned and stared her in the face again. The emotion painted in his eyes scared her. "What do you mean you heard them say it?" he asked.

  Elena never figured Alec would be so easy to scare.

  "Two voices were talking," she responded. "They were louder than all of the others I've been hearing since this morning. The others had been more like being at a cocktail party. Lots of voices, but you can't really make out what any one is saying. But these two were different. They were clear—almost like they were seated right here in the car with us. I heard them talking to each other in my head." After a pause she added, "Why do you ask?"

  "Because," he told her, "I didn't hear a thing. I haven't heard them since I sped up." He turned his attention away from the road again and studied her face. "You shouldn't be able to hear them if they aren't projecting their thoughts to you purposely. We can control our thoughts and project them into other people's minds. But they ordinarily shouldn't be heard."

  "Well, I heard them," she replied crossing her arms across her chest, "and it's what they said." She couldn't believe he was going to debate this with her. She paused and then decided
to change the subject, "So now, who is the youngling?"

  Alec sighed, turning his attention back to the road before him. "It's me," he said. "I am the youngling."

  "Wait," Elena replied, "aren't you like more than three thousand years old? Why do they call you the youngling?"

  "Because I am, or rather was, the youngest of my kind," he told her. "Until you came along."

  The words struck her like a weighted boxing glove. "What do you mean you were the youngest?" she asked.

  "Like I said," he replied. "I was the last born of my kind. I was born more than three thousand years ago in a place called Mycenae. A few months after my birth, a terrible plague decimated our numbers across the world. There are almost no records of this epidemic ever happening, but mainly because it didn't affect humans as severely as it did our kind. You see, it mutated some of our kind into strange aberrations and made the remainder of us sterile. Neither our females nor our males could produce any more offspring. For the past few thousand years, our numbers have dwindled through a host of causes. And as this war continues to rage on, more of us die each day."

  "This is why they all want me?" she asked. "For my DNA?"

  "Close," he responded, "but there's more. You see, you are the first of Daimon blood born in many millennia. As far as anyone can tell, you are not sterile like the rest of us. In terms of your potential for the future of our race, you alone could produce a whole new generation of Daimones."

  She was stunned into silence. Was this the reason he protected her? To be bred? To spawn a litter of Daimon puppies?

  She narrowed her eyes and studied Alec. "Why are you helping me?" she asked.

  "No," he told her. "I am trying to help you because I swore to protect you. And…"

  The silence between them stretched on, but Alec never finished his idea. Alone with her thoughts, she realized she no longer heard the voices in her head. She tried not to think about the words Alec left unspoken, but they kept creeping into her mind. When they did, she tried to banish them by staring at the trees whipping by at alarming speed in the darkness.