The Unmaking (The Rayne Whitmore Series Book 1) (12 page)

            I look back one more time
at their resting place and whisper another goodbye, knowing that I won’t be
able to come back here for a while and I don’t want to forget where to go or
how at peace the world looks from my vantage point at the moment. I have to
hold on to the love that they had for me or else I will destroy myself with
grief. I have a purpose now and I’m not allowed to break down anymore. I feel
that; I understand that. Life would never be fair, easy, or simple. This is a
truth that I need to hold fast to as well. Bottom line, regardless of what
happens in this life, we must go on. My father taught me that.

            “You look a lot better than
you did going in,” Damien observes as he opens my door for me.

            “I feel a hell of a lot
better too,” I say as I slide in and he closes the door behind me.

            When he goes around to the
other side and hops in, Tanner immediately starts the car, but this time, I see
him give me a little smile through his mirror. He was worried about me and now
that my demeanor’s changed, a sense of relief has washed itself through the
entire SUV. I give him a nod in acknowledgement and he pulls off. It will be a
battle with my pain, but now, I feel as if it’s a battle that I can actually
win.

            “I need you to make a stop
for me. Damien, can you make arrangements at another safe house that’s close to
here?”

            Damien turns to me
confused, trying to figure out what’s on my mind. “Well, sure, but we can’t
stay long, I have a couple meetings,” he answers.

            “It won’t be long. I just
need you to grab a few things first.”

◊◊◊

            When Damien drops me back
off to our original safe house, it’s about seven hours later. Damien and I hug
one last time, tightly, before he stretches our embrace out to arm’s length and
takes a long look at me. I watch one lonely tear fall from his eye, and I catch
it and wipe it away.

            “I know what you’re
thinking D, and I’m going to tell you not to worry about me. I will make it
through this and I will be much stronger. I know I’m going to be gone a long
time and won’t be able to contact you, but the minute, no, the second that I
can, you know I’m going to call. I love you,” I try to assure him.

            “Ray Ray, you’ve had to
grow up really quickly and I’m so proud of you. I know you’re who Selene says
you are, because you’ve been that all along. You’ve always been brave and kind
and protective. I just don’t want this to change you into something you’re not.
You hold on to who you are. Do not let any power that you obtain corrupt you.
Do you hear me? Don’t seek out revenge, get strong so you can protect
yourself,” Damien speaks, his voice shaky. “I don’t want to lose you too.” I
know he isn’t just speaking in terms of death.

            “I can only try,” I tell
him, not willing to promise him anything yet.

            “You are your father’s
daughter,” he responds after one final embrace. “I will see you later. No
goodbyes.” He waves at me and walks away, not turning back once as if I won’t
be there anymore if he does.

            “Later.” I call back, too
late because the SUV is already driving off. I don’t even stand there alone for
two seconds because Selene is at the door trying extremely hard not to run to
me.

            “I was worried. It’s been
hours,” she says instead.

            “I know. I’m sorry, but I
had to get some type of closure,” I respond levelly.

            Selene waves me in the
house, then, really gets a good look at me. After about twenty seconds of
staring, she smiles. “So, you decided to chop all your hair off and color it
like Jasmine.”

            “Yeah,” I smile back. “She
would’ve loved to see me like this. I think I read somewhere that in some
cultures when a family member dies, you cut your hair. Well, this is my version
of it. It’s so every day when I see myself in the mirror, I see her too. Not to
mention when I train, it’ll be more manageable.”

            “Well, you certainly look
even more like twins now. I love it.”

            We smile simultaneously.

            Then, I get serious. “So,
this is the final evening we have together alone for a while and I don’t want
to spend it sad and afraid of what’s next, but I do have some questions.”

            “Okay. Well come sit and
I’ll see if I can help you out,” Selene says, sounding studious.

            She pats the spot next to
her on the couch and I sit close to her, collecting my thoughts. I don’t know
how much she’ll be able to answer, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. “So, what do you
know about the training that I’m going to have to go through?”

            Selene shrugs her
shoulders. “Nothing really. I’ve never met someone who has gone through it, I
just know the stories and that those who are successful went through hell.”
Selene sees my face turn up into a frown and changes tactics. “But don’t worry.
I would never ever in a million years have summoned Diana if I thought that you
wouldn’t be able to handle this. I’ve had my suspicions about your potential
for a while now, but after the Devourer, I knew you were different.”

            “But, why? What have I
done or shown you to make you even think that I could be eligible to have this
‘mysterious’ power that humans thousands of years ago negotiated with the
Immortals?” Oh my God, saying it out aloud truly makes this sound like a
sitcom. I put my hands over my face, bracing myself for her response, and
expect to magically hear clapping from an invisible studio audience.

            “Baby, listen to me. You
have this force about you that you don’t even see. Do you remember the time
that we were out at the club and that poor guy was getting pushed around
because that dude thought he was looking at him sexually? What did you do? You
picked the guy up off the floor, wiped him off, marched up to that asshole and
maced him all in his face.”

            I laugh. “Don’t forget,
then I kicked him in his nuts,” I say as I remember the situation and how angry
I was that no one else did anything to help him even though about one hundred
people had seen what was going on.

            “Right! You didn’t even
know that man, but you wanted to protect him. Seriously, even though you
could’ve gotten hurt.”

            “Because what’s wrong is
wrong. That man had no right to do that to him just because he thought he was
hitting on him. Shit like that just pisses me off.”

            “Rayne, that’s not all.
What about when we were at the swimming pool and you dove in, swam faster than
the lifeguard and saved that little kid who was running, slipped, and fell into
the deep end?”

            “But, he was drowning, I
just-” I try to diminish what I had done, but Selene abruptly cuts me off with
a wave of her hand.

            “But, there was a
lifeguard who was right there. Someone who was trained to save people, someone
who was more than capable to save the kid, but you couldn’t handle it. You had
to save that kid, because you knew that you would succeed and someone else
might fail. And if that lifeguard would have failed you would have never forgiven
yourself, so you put it all on yourself. You know I’m right Rayne. I know you,
I know how you think. Don’t you see? You have the qualities of someone who has
the potential to do great things. You didn’t let fear consume you then or with
that demon. You
are
the prophesy Rayne and now the Immortals are going
to equip you with the tools to be a force. Embrace it and don’t second guess
yourself,” Selene tells me in a compelling way that makes me believe because
she truly believes what she is telling me as well.

            “Am I really that
awesome?” I smile.

            Selene leans in and kisses
my forehead. “You saved my life when you had no idea what you were facing. I
think you’re pretty fucking awesome meu amor.”

            “Okay. I’ll believe you
then. But, what do you know that will be able to help me when all this goes
down?”

            “Well, you just have to
keep believing that you can pass all the tests. You can’t defeat yourself
before whatever they throw at you has a chance to. So you have to go in there
believing you are meant to do this, that this is who you have always been.
Next, time does not run the same here as it does there. One month there could
be about three months here. That’s partly why the immortals chose to leave this
plane. Eventually, they start to age and there it slows the process. Still,
they only age about every couple hundred years give or take, so if you see an
Immortal that looks like a child, do not treat them as such. They are probably
thousands of years older than you.”

            “Wow. So they’re not truly
Immortal are they?”

            “Yes and no. They will not
die of old age, they ascend.”

            “Okay, explain. And what
the hell is ascending?”

            “It means that they reach
the end of their lifespan and then go through a ritual where they are drained
of their aura and then are reborn. It is almost like reincarnation, into
yourself.”

            “Ok, wow, I don’t think I
want to know anymore about what that entails. Moving on. What else do I need to
know?”

            “Well, um. Let’s just say,
Immortals are not shy about their sexual needs and will take and share lovers
with no problems,” Selene says hesitantly, but still trying to hide a grin.

            “Well, they can just count
me out. I don’t want a ten-year-old-looking-but-actually-thousand-year-old
trying to take my goodies,” I say.

            “You say that now, but the
Immortals are like uber sugar daddies. They shower their lovers with lots of
gifts and rewards,” Selene says as if to test my reaction.

            “Ha. I think I’ll pass. I
will try to be as respectful as possible about it,” I tell her.

            Selene lifts an eyebrow.
“Who said I was talking about you?”

            I punch Selene softly and
she chuckles making me feel relaxed. “I’m kidding Rayne. If I did that, they
might forget all about training you,” Selene shoots back.

            “Don’t make me leave you
here Selene,” I warn jokingly.

            “Okay, okay. I couldn’t
deal with that. I’ll stop,” Selene promises, crossing her heart while her
accent makes me shiver. “There’s something else too. Although I’m not sure what
other awakened groups live on that plane, you can be certain that the immortals
are not the only inhabitants. So, we must be cautious because they may not all
be kind.”

            “I understand, I’ll be
careful. Now come here. There’s something much more important than talking that
our lips could be doing.” I pull her into a slow meaningful kiss that she
gladly reciprocates.

Chapter Eleven

           
B
efore we realize it, it’s dark outside. Both of us
unwillingly peel ourselves off of each other, still locked in our embrace. I
give Selene a quick kiss on her now swollen lips before I stretch and yawn.  Judgment
time.

            “So, what’s next?” I ask,
feeling butterflies in my stomach.

            “Take a quick shower and
I’ll get everything ready. I won’t summon Diana until you’re absolutely
prepared,” Selene assures me, putting a hand firmly on my shoulder, her naked
body still calling to me. I mentally shake myself and touch my scarred arm so
that I can remember why I’m getting ready to do this.

            “Alright. I won’t be
long.”

            After I shower, I throw on
a black tank top and some green yoga pants, since I’m a little short on a
wardrobe right now. Besides, I don’t know how I’m supposed to dress to go to
the realm of the Immortals. I laugh a little inside at the thought that not
only am I doing this, but I’m concerned about what kind of clothes I should be
wearing to go to another dimension in. What in the hell am I getting myself
into?

            Finally, I bring myself to
take the steps into the living room where Selene is standing, waiting patiently
for me. She turns to face me and smiles and I can’t help but do the same
because of how sure she is about me. “Are you ready, Rayne?” she asks.

            I nod, then say, “I’m
ready. What do I need to do?” I close the gap between us and catch Selene with
my gaze.

            “Nothing. The candles are
all lit and in place and we are already standing in the circle. I will just say
the incantation, cut my hand for three drops of blood, and then call out to
Diana. A gate will open and she will come for us,” Selene explains as if she
does this sort of thing every day.

            “No,” I tell her. “I will
cut my hand. It’s the least I can do. I’m the one marked so it should be my
blood. You said that last time you didn’t know what Immortal would show up, but
if I do it, it will surely be Diana who comes,” I say insistently.

            “Hmm,” Selene responds,
studying me. “You might be right. We can try it your way then.”