Equinox Academy: Dark Prophecy

Chapter 2

    Have you ever seen those movies where the world is ending and usually there a group of people or just a single person depicted in the scene as it unfolds? The movie usually shows a variety of s**t that in real life you would piss your pant over but most of the time the reactions vary depending on the person or people. But most commonly the initial reaction is for a moment they freeze to take in the sheer magnitude of what is about to happen. As soon as reality kicks back in and the solar flare, tsunami, or earthquake is basically ready to snuff out anything its path. There are typically two main responses to the inevitable ruination that is upon them.

     The first, in my opinion, is the most senseless but understandable response to a life-threatening situation. I say understandable in the sense of every living creature has a fight or flight response. In the face of one's demise especially of a certain caliber, your instinct is to preserve your life. So, in those scenes, I understand the need to run and try to preserve what little time you have left on the earth. It would be admirable going out fighting if it were not half-witted. I say it foolish simply because even with supernatural powers the odds are insurmountable at best that you survive. So, when the people running in the scene ultimately meet their demise it is almost laughable as to why they even attempt to cheat fate in the first place.

    For me, it's those people that stay rooted in the place that I admire most. It's as if they come to a mutual understanding with nature that it has won the war before the battle has even taken place. I don't see it as complacency more like comprehension that there is nowhere to run or hide. You can almost see on their face the acceptance that they are going to die and rather than go with their instincts they embrace the reality of the situation. Almost as if they are marveling at the beauty that nature is not simply capable of creating life but has the means to be a powerful force of destruction. The beauty of it all is that nature does not discriminate. It doesn't care if you are too young, too old, too rich, too poor, too light, or too dark. There is no bias in the ways of death and it is simply what it is... inevitable.

    The countdown leading to the midnight hour would bring forth my 18th birthday and ultimately give me an inkling of who I am and what I am felt like that frozen moment in time as you watch the catastrophe unfold. My gaze wanders to the clock and sees that it was now 11:55 pm. I finish pouring the expensive scotch into the tumbler adding a couple of cubes of ice and a tiny black straw. The power surge (the best way I could describe it) had not presented itself again so I felt relatively normal but that underlying panic still rested in the back of my mind.

    Seeing that most of the waitresses were swamped with customers I sashayed my way from around the bar and headed towards the lone patron who I spotted during my mini breakdown to deliver his drink. As I approached a tingle started at the base of my skull, but I brushed it off as the remnants of my panic attack from earlier. I approached the table and gently placed the napkin down and then the drink. Sensing his eye on me, mine flash up and meet peridot-colored eyes. The color immediately throws me off balance because it's like one of the colors in my own eyes. And yes, I did say colors. I have what many people call unusual or unique eyes. But scientifically I have an exceedingly rare form of mutation which makes my eyes different colors called heterochromia.  It's rare because normally it causes one eye to be a single color and the other to be another color but, in my case, I have two prominent colors in each eye. The outer ring of my left eye is almost a sky blue that transitions into a crystal teal-like shade that darkens depending on my mood. My right eye has an emerald outer ring that transitions into peridot which is why this stranger's eyes have me transfixed.

    We both simply stare at each other for a moment and I'm at a loss for words. I scan his face drinking in every detail because "great buckets of owl s**t this man is f*****g stunning." I mean not just your typical Damn he's fine... but a holy throw my ovaries at your feet stunning. His face reminds me of a younger bulkier Joel Kinnaman. He has high cheekbones with a jaw that could cut diamonds. Not to mention the sexy five o'clock shadows that matches his glossy black hair that's faded on the sides and slick back on the top. His pale skin hinting at a Lamia heritage does nothing to deter from his flirtatious lips and regal nose. And the smirk he's sporting hints that he knows that he's s*x on a stick. I raise my eyes back up to his and realize that his peridot color has darkened a bit and his pupils have grown slightly during my perusal, but the quirked eyebrow suggests I've been staring for too long and my cheeks flare in embarrassment for basically eye banging this guy for a whole minute. Before I can slip away in the crowd I hear "Thank you printesa mea" his rough gravelly voice that has my core clenching because f**k me of course, he has a sexy accent. I'm not up to speed on foreign accents but it seems to be a watered-down Romanian accent. I mean as if life wasn't fair enough with this lickable specimen already existing in the flesh lets just ruin the female population and give him a growly accent to top it all off. The guy probably makes a girls uterus explode from a simple phrase I mean just four words and I'm damn near a puddle on the floor.

    Not to completely lose my badass reputation I recover the last shred of dignity I have left, flash what I hope is a sexy smirk, and wink before I slowly turn away and sashay my way back to the bar being sure to sway my hips a little. Before I disappear from his sight a turn my head and sure enough, I witness his eyes flash from what was definitely my ass to meet my eyes. I wink again and wipe at my chin giving him the universal sign to watch the drool which has him smirking back at me. Not bad Kass, at least he seems to be just as affected by your presence as you are his. A slight pull tugs at my chest and I swear I see him shift his focus to the middle of my back but then he shakes his head and resumes his work. Feeling slightly pleased with myself I turn my head back and resume my walk wondering what that weird tug was. 

    Just as the triumph fades, I'm reminded of the weird tingling that is still happening in the back of my skull but what I notice is the further from my beautiful stranger I get the more it intensifies. The best way to describe is the same sensation you get when you listen to ASMR noises except the focal point is right near the base of my skull. My natural reaction is to slap the back of my neck to see if maybe I was being stung by a mosquito. Just because we were inside doesn’t mean those fuckers don’t sneak in when they get the chance. However, when I pull my hand away the feeling persists. Despite my rising dread I bypass the surge of panic and continue my trek back to the bar jostling a couple of drunk college students as I try to slide past. They flash me a look but then realize it me. Just as quickly as they were about to talk s**t they all back off and return their attention to their drinks. My reputation kinda proceeds me here and despite what I look like on the outside most people don't cross me for sheer purpose that I'm an anomaly and not to mention I'm Lee and Nick's daughter. However, most people are intimidated by me in general even before they find out I’m the cities favorite gossip topic.

    My eyes tend to be the first thing that people notice because of their distinctiveness. I  have always been aware I am part of the lucky group that can say I'm good-looking but I’m not completely egotistical about it. I'm extremely tall like Lee. I run just shy of 6'0 which of course Lee loves rubbing in my face because by sheer chance she's exactly 6'0. She however is super envious that I have caramel honey colored skin that makes me look like I tan every day when I spend more time training and reading than sunbathing. My hair is black but shimmers silver in the moonlight and blue in the sun. I was blessed with hair that is wavy and reaches the small of my back. I spend most days with it braided or in a topknot. I’ve always had a nice figure. I was malnourished when I was growing up, but I never really lost my shape and once everything filled in I gain that hourglass figure that seems to attract every asshole's grubby hands. My face is heart-shaped with smooth skin except for the smattering of freckles that cover my nose and cheek bones. My lips are a dusty rose color naturally and are pouty even though they are more likely smirking or frowning. I have a great RBF or resting b***h face which usually wards people off and I’m known around the bar as the ice queen for my attitude. However, those close to me know I have a good heart, but it takes a lot for me to open to others. Blame it on my upbringing, I guess.

    Just as I'm approaching the bar, I spot Lee slink around the corner towards the back, and I pass Kali to get back into the position close to the register and in front of the two-way mirror. I grab the vodka from the shelf to start the next order when the weird tingle starts to crawl down my spine. I shiver and place my hands on the back counter to help steady myself as the sensation travels from the top of my neck all the way to my tailbone. I glance over my shoulder and spot Kali eyeing my curiously. Kali is Nick's oldest friend and Lycan. When she sees me, she slides over and places her hand on the middle of my back causing me to flinch. She snatches her hand back realizing her overstep and instead opts to voice her concern.

"Aye yo Kass you, okay?"

    I nod my head while closing my eyes as the tingling pulses and I arch my back feigning ignorance to what she saw by simply grumbling the words "headache." To my relief she seems to buy it and goes back to taking orders and I realize I may need to go find Lee and let her know what's happening. Just as I've made up my mind Lee and Nick walk around the corner carrying a stunning 3 tier cake with Ombre frosting and white gardenias. I suck in a breath as Nick lights the sparkler on top and in my peripheral sparklers begin igniting throughout the bar and all the patrons begin singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs. It’s a gorgeous sight witnessing all the smiles, the flickers of light, and the awful harmony of drunk people. I snap my eyes to the clock and realize it is indeed officially my birthday. My brief glimpse of happiness is short lived when the sensation in my back begins to spread outward traveling through all my nerve endings. My body begins to tingle, and my heart begins to thrash in panic at the foreign sensation. Lee and Nick seem unaware of my inner turmoil and begin hugging and kissing my head as they announce cake to those who want some. The tingling sensation pushes to a weird place right behind my heart and a pulse of pain courses through my blood stream making me gasp. Nick and Lee both snap their heads in my direction and I meet their eyes as I begin to full on panic. This is it my power is manifesting. I whisper in a small voice laced with panic.

 "It's happening." 

    Just like in the movies everything seems to freeze as I meet their eyes. I see my reflection and notice bright lights where my eye are suppose to be. I finally register the emotion flashing in both of their expression. Fear...