Chapter 1
Orlando, Florida…2003
In the kitchen were three girls each taking on a duty. A young black woman stood at the stove cooking, she stood at 5’11 with long legs, short brown wavy hair, strange green eyes, another girl at 5’7 with light skin, long blonde hair with pink highlights in it, and strange green eyes, stood at the counter across from the stove chopping vegetables, and the third with mocha skin and shoulder length brown hair with blonde streaks running through it, sitting though usually stood at 5’6, hazel eyes sat at the table with a box of ‘Frosted Flakes’ staring out the window. “Where’s Frankie?” she asked stuffing another spoonful in her mouth.
The three of them continued their conversation, that echoed through the large European house, up the stairs, down the hall, but faded away as it entered a small room that was surrounded with dark music. The bed lay in the far corner with sheets that had moons and stars on them, the walls were blue with the ceiling coloured to look like the sky, the closet was slightly opened, and by the window with was on the West side of the house was a large mirror, and standing in front of it, was a young red head, that stood at 5’10 with curly red hair, and bright green eyes. Her lower full lip was pressed into her upper thin lip as she studied herself in the mirror, trying to figure out if she needed anything else. Red button up tank top, and blue jeans, black belt. Pretty simple, nothing special…if I’m lucky. She turned and sat down to put her boots on before grabbing her school bag and jacket then heading downstairs. “Is Lilith up yet?” she asked as she grabbed a piece of toast and took a seat by Rain.”
The other side of town…
He walked down the street looking around. The castles were one by the other, reaching toward the sky and shimmering like crystals, and the people that walked by gave him strange looks. He then remembered the words of his queen ‘Remember Aiden, this world you are about to enter is much different from ours. Machinery flys in the air as birds do, the streets are paved with cement and litter, there are no creatures like the griffin and the unicorn. No immortals are known by the mortal and remember it is hostile. Some may not except you, so remember to try stay out of site and find the chosen ones then come back here with them…don’t doddle.’ He then pulled out a scroll from his jacket and pulled it apart. Inside was a lot of money and an adress.
Frankie walked down the hall paying no attention to the place she was going, looking down at the papers she was making sure she had everything intended down. Suddenly she felt a hard object hit her and the next thing she knew she was on the floor with papers scattered around her and her head hurting immensely. She looked around and then focused on the male voice that came from a few feet in front of her “Shit!”
Lilith placed the last sword on the mantel and stepped back to look at it “What do you think?” she asked.
“Would you like some coffee or juice?” Rain asked the business man who had been eyeing her since she got in there.
Kabrina kneeled down and signed a cross on her before stepping into the pew. She pulled the black crucifix and wrapping it around her hand. She then bowed her head and began to pray with her heart. A few minutes later she heard a sound, the door opening. She turned to see a man standing there, he was wearing a long black coat, and a hat, with sunglasses. She watched as he walked along the pews and stopped before the large crucifix at the head of the church. He then kneeled down and began praying. She watched him almost in complete curiosity. She could tell there was something very…strange about him. She noticed that when he walked in. ‘It’s time to go’ something screamed in her mind. She immediately grabbed her bag and jumped up, she scotched out of the pew, suddenly her bag fell and the contents fell out. “Oh no” she groaned.
Aaliyah quickly wiped up the tables before walking back over to the bar and began checking every bottle of alchole. “Miss. Taylor.”
She ran out of the building and straight for her car, she knew…she knew that the blast she’d given him wouldn’t last long and most likely he was right behind her. She jumped into her car and started it. She turned to see Aiden running toward her, she immediately spun out of the parking lot and down the street.
Clouds darkened the sky to a different shades of grey, yet as the rain drops fell from the now unseen blue sky there could be heard a sigh of gratitude and even pleasure. The drops fell on the small dark town, upon roofs and streets, onto people and animals, only few enjoying it.
On the far east side, there sat a house, a European style house with a dark roof and white paint. It pattered against the windows, mainly the top window, leading into a dark room.
A figure lay in the dark, breathing steadily in peaceful slumber, not ready to face the world. Soft light brown hair lay across the pillow, leading off the bed, with one shapely tanned leg sticking out from under the covers, the other neatly tucked in the rolled sheets.
Her chest was rising and falling slowly, her neck stretched out in order to reach the pillow, her face was contorted in peace. Two deep pink lips parted as she breathed, her small nose flaring out once in a while, and her two eyes shielded by their lids but didn’t stop the rapid movement that took place underneath.
Music enveloped the room with sinister sounds and voices, almost as if spirits were whirling around the room.
Suddenly a sharp beep could be heart, over and over again, summoning the peaceful girl to raise her eyelids to reveal two hazel eyes. She looked around and then reached over to the alarm clock to turn it off. She then sat up and stretched her arms as far as they would go, before cracking her back and neck.
“Lilith!” A voice called from the floor below her “Get up it’s 7!”
She looks around, then jumps up and heads down the stairs and into the bathroom to take a shower.
“You’ve been asking that for the past five minutes Rain” Aaliyah said from the place she was chopping vegetables “and the answer hasn’t changed. She’s getting ready for school.”
“And Lilith’s just getting up” Kabira said from the stove “That woman could sleep through a hurricane if she wanted.”
“It’s the pills” Aaliyah told her “She couldn’t sleep before.”
“Insomnia’s such a bitch” Rain said “So Kabbie are you going to join us for lunch?”
“I don’t know” Kabira replied “I’ll see.”
“Where are you working?” Aaliyah asked Rain.
“Rock Records” Rain replied “I’m a…I don’t know…I serve drinks and all that.”
“Oh…and Lilith’s the receptionist.”
“Yeah…Wait…didn’t she quit?”v
Rain shook her head and laughed “Oh yeah!” she said “I remember that, she got in a fight with the president over a meeting that was booked wrong and she told him to go fuck himself…then she quit.”
“What is she going to do for money?”
“You know Lilith, she’s probably got something major up her sleeve.”
“She’s designing clothes, jewellery, and gothic furniture online with a friend who helps her make them” Kabira told them.
They both looked to her “Are you serious?” Rain asked.
Kabira gave them looks “Don’t you remember she was telling us last week today is the grand opening?”
“No” they both replied.
A light hit Kabira’s eyes and she laughed “Oh yeah! She told me to tell you! I…guess I forgot.”
The two shook their heads and went back to what they were doing.
“Nope” Rain replied with a smile “She was still sleeping, I think Kabira called her like ten times before she finally answered.”
“Must be the pills”
“That’s what I was saying” Aaliyah said “She still has to get used to them.”
“Don’t worry, she should be down in a few minutes” Kabira said as she put down plates in front of each girl and the one empty seat “She probably gets ready the fastest.”
“Fifteen minutes is all she needs” Frankie said “I hate her.”
“It’s because she doesn’t wear much makeup, just eyeliner” Aaliyah replied.
“Anyways, are we going out tonight?” Rain asked.
“We just went out!” Aaliyah told her.
“Two weeks ago!” Rain said “Come one woman, let’s get our part on!”
“You do realize I could hear you from my room.”
They all turned and saw Lilith standing at the entrance of the room in dress pants and a blue blazer over a black tank top. She walked down the stairs and took her place to the right of Rain “So you going out tonight?” she asked.
“I am” Rain smiled “I don’t care if no one’s coming with me.”
“I’ll go with you” Lilith said as she took the plate filled with Eggo’s from Aaliyah “Hey did you girls ever notice that the four of you have names that end with an ‘a’ sound?”
They all gave her blank looks “Okay look. Rain, Aaliyah, Francesca and Kabira. I mean thank god my parent’s didn’t name me ‘Satinka’ and Frankie is her nickname because I would hate it.”
“You think of the weirdest things I swear if I didn’t know you I wouldn’t want to” Rain told her.
Lilith laughed before taking a bite of her toast “So exactly what is the point to that one?” she asked.
Rain gave her a weird look before shaking her head and turning away and eating. “So we’re going out tonight?” Lilith asked.
They all nodded in agreement.
High above the city on the tallest tower sat two men, on the edge of a building with their feet dangling off the edge, each reaching into a lunch bag.
“Tuna” he grumbled under his breath taking a miserable bite of his sandwich “I hate tuna.”
“Then stop telling her you like it” another man beside him said.
“I can’t” he said “It’s her favorite.”
“Well…their your taste buds.”
The man rolled his eyes and took another bite. Suddenly a electrical current appeared briefly before disappearing, “What was that?” the first man asked.
The second man shook his head. Suddenly a huge electrical portal opened before them and they saw a beautiful land on the other side, then a man suddenly flew from the portal. And landed on his feet beside them. His eyes looked around in awe at the sight of the city around him. He then looked down at the workers who were frozen stiff in awe of what they had just seen.
He then looked around once more before running to the other side of the small building and jumping off. The second worker looked to the first one, and was surprised to see him dumping his tuna off the building. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“I swear this tuna’s doing something to me, because I just saw a man jump out of thin air” he replied.
He looked around the buildings before he walked into one.
She groaned “Dito.”
He looked up at the girl and immediately jumped to his feet “Oh, I’m sorry” he apologized “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Did I hurt you? Here let me help you up.”
He picked her up before leaning down to pick up her papers. “Thank-you” she said as she picked up her things “I wasn’t really watching where I was going, I was in such a rush.”
He finished and stood up then looked at her realizing how beautiful she was.
He handed the papers to her “Um…here you go.”
She looked into his blue eyes, staring at a familiar yet unknown sight. She almost gasped when she saw a man with a sword in his eyes, plunging it down to an unseen creature. “Uh…thank-you” she said taking her papers and gasped when a shock passed from his hands to hers “see you.”
She walked away quickly in shock of what she’d seen and felt. “Wait!” she silently prayed she’d only forgot something.
“You forgot your purse.”
She spun around “Oh, I’m so forgetful today. Thank you Mr…”
”No need for the Mr.” He said “My names Brian Littrel.”
“Oh…well I’m Francesca Daycorion…Frankie.”
“That’s quite the name” Brian smiled “Um…actually…would you like to have a drink…your going to class right?”
“You could tell by the papers?”
“And the school…so what do you say?”
She smiled and was about to say ‘yes’ when his necklace caught her eye. She looked down and saw the small man on the cross look up at her. She gasped and stepped back “What is it?” Brian asked.
“I…I can’t” she said before turning and running away.
Brian stood there completely confused, as he watched the girl run away quickly. As he watched her leaving he could feel something like he knew he’d see her again.
He looked up from the magazine he was reading “Good” he said “I still think it would have gone faster if you’d let me help.”
“I don’t need help” she said.
“Of course you do, you’re just too proud to admit it.”
“What are you reading anyways? More about yourself.”
He grinned and lifted up the magazine “Actually about Roy Jones Jr. But close enough.”
She smiled and walked over to the counter “You know Nick you are a world famous All American millionaire…the dream of every woman out there…why are you hanging around a Gothic shop in the middle of the day.”
Nick smirked “Oh, so I can’t hang out with my girlfriend?”
“No it’s not that…I mean we met here…”
“So you’re wondering why I wasn’t looking on Rodeo Drive?”
“Well your clothes kind of answer that question but yeah.”
“I like to look around, what’s the sense of buying a $200 dollar sweater that you can get for $30 dollars else wear?”
“Good point.”
“I’ve got a question for you…”
“Shoot”
“When are you going to tell your friends about me?”
She shrugged “I don’t know.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“I know it isn’t, at least not to us…but it will be to them.”
“Because of who I am.”
“Yeah…plus…”
“What?”
“I’m a private person. And I kind of like having you all to myself.”
She straddled his legs and he slipped his hands around her waist.
She leaned down and kissed him on the lips. “You always taste like chocolate” he murmured against her.
She smiled. Her and Nick had met one day while she was working at JIVE a few months before, he was late for a meeting and she told him it was on the sixth floor, then told him he would have to take the stairs because the elevator was broken. She had been only joking and he caught on quickly. After that they met up a few more times and decided to go on a date. She smiled brighter when she remembered the first date, they had to disguise Nick so they dressed as complete Goths then walked around having the time of their lives until Nick decided he wanted to go bungee jumping…she’d never heard a man scream so loud. “What’s so funny” Nick asked.
She looked at him and realised she’d been laughing “Remember our first date.”
Nick groaned almost in agony “Yes…I’d rather not though.”
“You were so loud! It’s amazing we got out of there after the crowd recognised your voice” she leaned on his shoulder laughing harder.
Nick couldn’t help but join in, her laughter was contagious. “As I recall you weren’t too graceful, I had to keep picking you up while we ran for my car.”
She hit him playfully “Those boots were designed for fashion, not exorcise!”
Nick laughed again before leaning up to kiss her again.
“Got anything else” he asked smoothly.
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him she replied “No” bluntly.
He looked a little shocked before asking for coffee, she served him his drink and walked out. “Can this be a more revolting job?” she asked herself while placing more cups on the tray she was strolling “I can only take so many old, bald men staring at me like they have a chance.”
“I’m sure you’ll eventually get a real come on by someone a little more werthy” she heard a deep voice say.
She slowly turned her head up and realised she was looking straight at Kevin Richardson. “Oh…I didn’t realise anyone was here…I was just…just…”
“Just talking to yourself. No need to apologise miss, I do it all the time” he told her with a smile.
She looked up and smiled at him “I’m sorry, I’m Rain Ralston” she extended her hand.
“Good morning Ms. Ralston I’m Kevin Richardson…and I’m lost.”
She laughed “I understand, when I began working here I didn’t understand where anything was.”
“Well that’s good for you, I’ve been working here for the past 2 years and I still don’t know where everything is.”
Rain laughed again “What are you looking for?”
“I’m late for a meeting with Mr. Benson.”
“Oh…well you’re in luck…they’re right in here, in fact they’ve just started” Rain smiled “Would you like anything to drink before going in.”
“Um…no thank-you,” Kevin smiled “I’m glad I found you Ms. Ralston, thank-you for the directions.”
She nodded before waving and watching him go into the room. When he walked in she giggled before shaking her head and walking away with her tray. “Damn, if he’s a sign of things to come next time I’m signing a five year contract” she laughed.
Her cell suddenly went off, she quickly picked it up “Hello?” she spoke into it.
“Rain?” Aaliyah asked “Are you going to join us for lunch?”
“Yeah…it’s my lunch break any ways.”
“Good…because Lilith wants to talk to us…”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. But it’s supposed to be important.”
“Maybe it’s a man.”
“From Lily?” her laughter rang from the phone “Please, hell would fire over when that happens.”
Rain giggled “It does seem unlikely but one can hope.”
“Hope all you want…but like I said…when hell fires over.”
She heard footsteps approaching “Okay I have to go, we’re not allowed to have our cell phones on…later.”
She hung up quickly but when she went to put it away she hit a cup and it fell to the floor. She sighed and leaned down to pick it up. Once she got up she didn’t look at the person obviously in front of her. Not until she heard him speak. “Excuse me…”
She looked up to see Kevin in front of her. “Oh…hi.”
She kneeled down and began to pick up everything when two hands reached down and began to pick things up as well. “Oh…um…thank-you” she said.
“It’s no problem” a raspy voice replied.
She looked up at him, immediately noticing his brown eyes…they were stunning. She smiled before picking up the rest of her things. “Thank-you so much, I’m kind of in a rush” she told him.
“No problem miss, I hate it when things like that happen to me. And what kind of a gentleman would I be if I left you like this in the house of God.”
She smiled warmly at him “I’m Kabrina Smith.”
He extended his hand and took hers in his. “Alex McLean” he smiled “Um…is this yours.”
He lifted the small product in his hand. Her eyes widened in terror ‘How did that get in my purse! I don’t own any of those! What did…Lilith! Frankie! If I wasn’t a Christen I would kill them!’ “I…um…I don’t…I-I-I mean…it’s…that doesn’t…. “ She stuttered.
A hearty laugh escaped from his throat and he put the condom in his pocket, “Don’t worry miss…I have friends like that too” he smiled.
Her face was burning red and she knew the red carpet they were standing on had nothing on her right now “I um…I have to go…thank you Mr. McLean.”
As she walked away she heard him call after her “It’s Alex…see you Ms. Smith!”
She practically ran out of the church to her car, she sat in it and let her humiliation sink in… ‘How could they do that to me! How humiliating! Oh my god I’ll never get over that!’ She then started her vehicle and pulled out. Just then her cell rang. She read the callers ID ‘Rain’ it read. She then clicked it on “Rain!” she said stopping at a red light “Do you have any idea what the girls did to me! Oh my god they put a condom in my purse! Can you believe that! Just while I was talking to some man in the church! Oh my god I’ve never been more mortified in my life!”
There was no answer “Rain…are you okay.”
Suddenly she heard a chuckle, that turned into a giggle, that turned into a full blown laugh. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this” she said.
Rain still didn’t answer because she was laughing so hard “Okay I see this is going no where, I’ll meet you at the resturaunt.”
Rain continued to giggle but got it under control “Wait!…Wait. Okay so…so they put…put a condom in your purse!” she began to laugh again.
“Yes! And it fell out while I was in church!” Rina exclaimed.
Rain giggled “Okay, I haven’t a doubt in my mind that it was all in good humor…just try to remember ‘Thou shalt not kill’.”
“I haven’t committed a sin in my lifetime” Rina sneered “But when I get home I’m throwing that all to hell.”
“What about ‘lust’?”
Rina hung up the phone and continued to fume as she drove.
She spun around to see the manager standing there “Yes?” she asked.
He smiled looking around at the spotless bar “Miss. Taylor I wish all my employee’s were as dedicated as you. But you need to get some rest, why don’t you go eat…”
“Oh I will but I just…”
He held his hand up “I insist…I doubt there is much left to do until tonight anyways.”
She nodded “Very well…I will be back at 1.”
He nodded then walked away. She walked outside and looked up into the sky, clouds had somehow covered the sky, this morning it was perfectly clear. She walked to her car and looked around, the rush was still on, horns beeped in the distance.
Suddenly a arm wrapped around her neck and she felt a sharp object sticking into her side. “Don’t move, don’t scream” a gruff voice told her “Where’s you money.”
“In my ass” she told him “Why don’t you kiss it while your down there?”
She could feel his anger begin to rise “Don’t push me bitch…give me all your money.”
“Get your own job and make your own money. Instead of just walking around feeling sorry for yourself and being a pussy by mugging women.”
The object stuck further into her and began to penetrate her skin, but there was no way in HELL she was going to let it get the best of her “Go ahead…stab me, kill me in broad daylight and let that officer get a clear shot of you.”
When she felt the object on her back loosen and his head turn she immediately swung her elbow back and connected with his nose, she heard a crack! then felt him let go, she swung around and saw him stumble back with his hand on his nose. He looked up as blood started gushing from it “You bitch! You broke my nose!”
“Well you just tried to mug me so I’d say we’re even” she replied.
He ran at her, she then reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of pepper spray and sprayed him, he screamed out in pain, she flung the knife from his hand and tripped him.
He fell onto his back and lay there in complete shock. “Miss!” she spun around to see a man running towards her with two officers behind him.
He ran up to her “Are you okay? I saw you from across the street.”
She nodded “I’m fine, thank god I took those self-defence classes.”
The officers picked up the man and handcuffed him “His knife’s over there” Aaliyah told them.
“Miss you are one lucky woman” one of the officers told her.
She smiled “I know.”
“Would you like to sit down?” the man asked her.
“No…actually I was just going to go get some lunch with some friends” she replied taking her keys from her bag.
“Would you like me to take you?” the man asked.
She gave him a curious look, wondering if he was being genuine or trying to take advantage of her ‘state’. “Um…no thank-you…I’ll be fine Mr…”
“Dorough” he replied “Call me Howie.”
“Well Howie thank you for your help, and concern but I’ll be fine…”
She got in her car and tried to start it, but when she looked at the gas gage she realised…it was on empty “This isn’t happening” she sighed.
Howie smiled still standing there “Problem?”
She shook her head “Okay, it’s called the Peking Palace in China town” she told him getting out.
“My car is right over here” he told her.
She locked the doors, swung her purse over her shoulder then followed him fuming over her car. She looked up to see him open the door of a dark purple corvette. “Nice” she said admiring it.
Aiden stopped and watched her leave…the vehicle, an amazing contraption. He should get one…but how do you operate it? “This is a strange world” he said “Contraptions that move without power and horses, structures that reach into the sky…I must learn about this.”
He turned back to the street and watched the cars go by. “Yes I must learn fast…or Eden is doomed.”