Worlds Collide

Chapter 16: A month ago …

Clouse POV

“RING! RING!”

“Good evening. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“Uncle?”

Silence …

“He’s in New York on the docks. We are about to land and make haste to the very same spot. If you want him, this is as close as you’re going to get. Another opportunity like this won’t happen again.”

(Deep sigh) CLICK. Dial tone.

Fifteen minutes later …

We arrived and within the time of landing on the tar mat and exiting the jet we were again stepping into chaos. The High Lord of the East was now engaging and trying to kill us. Zach and I wasted no time in slicing and dicing through everyone. We glanced back to check on Esmeralda and she was illuminated in a teal glow. Her hair whipped around her and her eyes were black as night. Her make-up and features matched her eyes and she floated as before. Vampires fell before her magic. She turned them into ash and stone. She was a Mexican Medusa. All three of us reached the High Lord of the East. Before Zach or I could engage, Esmeralda was chanting and waving her arms around until one of them extended in front of her with fingers stretched out towards the High Lord. Her other arm was angled behind her head. Her chanting became Ethereal and her outstretched arm pointed at the High Lord, opened up, and then squeezed. The whole time he was mesmerized like a moth to a flame and not once did he budge. He was completely transfixed. We watched as he slowly started to inflate like a balloon until he literally popped the same time that Esmeralda had squeezed her hand.

The Uncle POV

Evenings are typically spent enjoying the company with my beloved and our family. We tell tales of old, wine and dine. Sometimes, I am tending to a fresh dozen or two of the red roses from my garden. The air is different tonight. It is unsettling. My beloved comes to hug me and I kiss her gently on the forehead. My cellphone rings and she hands it to me with that ever-so-loving smile that gets me every time. She pats me on my shoulder because when my phone rings it’s always business. I answer as I normally do and hear a familiar voice. My King is calling. He fills me in with the most enticing information. He is giving me a gift I cannot refuse. I sigh deeply and hang up. I mind-link with my family and within minutes we are on our way to the port near LaGuardia Airport.

Just as my King has said there is a boat that is docking. There are wolves coming out. Some of them are mercenaries. To my great surprise, there are also familiar vampires emerging too. They belong to the coven of the High Lord of the East. Interesting … We all see our future Queen being carried out. We can all hear what is being said. I have one of my family members recording everything. I have another that is affording a distraction. Everything is perfect.

Our Queen escapes and we see her run and never look back. We cannot help her now. We have scores to settle. By the time we are done massacring the boat members, a Beta is all that is left for me. I stare at him, admiring him, sizing him up and I smile at him. I lift his chin to look at me as best as he can with his swollen eyes.

“I could not afford to miss this grandiose opportunity. You were the puppeteer to the High Lord of the East and had the witch from Mexico spell cast me. She just happens to be the King’s Lieutenant’s Beloved. I can’t very well kill her. Had her circumstance been different I would have, but you see you did something to her family. My family and I … well, we are close you see and family is really important to us.” I watch him try to feel. I watch him try to cry. I tilt my head to get a good look at this pathetic excuse for a male. I sigh because I don’t care what species he is he, not someone to be trusted. I kneel down next to him as my family members hold him down.

“P-Please! Don’t kill me! I have a wife and a newborn! I was doing this for them!” I watch him plea with swollen lips and missing teeth. He’s coughing up blood. My bloodlust isn’t even triggered because he is disgusting and vile. His cries fall on deaf ears.

“You are disgusting. You are a poor excuse for a husband and a father. I feel nothing for you. I feel for your wife and child; however, I feel content with the notion that your child will not have to learn toxic habits from his biological father. If they were that important then you wouldn’t be here.” I slice his throat with a silver knife dipped in wolfsbane. I watch him as he bleeds out. I stand up and walk away. As I walk away I toss to him a wilted rose for a sorry excuse of a husband, father, and wolf.

Clouse POV

Time is of the essence and I don’t have much essence left after the airport. Zach carries his Beloved and follows me on foot because it is faster than driving or a cab to the port. We arrive and it’s indescribably calming to know that the fight has been fought for us. I see Uncle handling a wolf. One can only assume that is the wolf I pointed him to. He said something to the wolf before slicing his throat, walking away, and tossing what looked to be a wilted rose. He looks in my direction. He looks the other way, nods, and walks with his family. They all get into their cars and SUVs. They drive off and leave me to handle the rest. I go in the direction Uncle was looking at. We see a cargo ship leaving and I keep trying to reach out to her only for our link to be blocked. I am almost to jump the dock and make headway for the ship when it waves like a mirage and disappears in front of our eyes. I halt and look on in disbelief.

“She and her baby are finally safe. My apologies your highness, but I cannot permit you passage. Any paranormals that come to kidnap her or attack her and the baby will die. We simply cannot allow her any more stress. I’m sure you understand. Yakon youma tayba largel.” A shipmate had appeared from the shadows to tell me this and just as quickly as he had appeared he disappeared.

“Clouse …. Was that a …. Djinn?” Zach sounded as perplexed as I was.

“Yes. Fuck.” I ran my hands through my hair. She was on her way to Iran or India. She was utterly cut off from me and she is going to figure it out. I exhaled in aggravation. Djinn are the equivalent to Angels and from the looks of it, she is amongst neutral ones. “f**k!” I stomped down knowing that wouldn’t do s**t, but it helped me momentarily.

“We have to regroup Clouse. We have to do damage control and clean up the council here. We or even just you cannot just waltz up into the Middle East. Djinn are powerful and some are on the same playing fields as Deities. I know you don’t want to hear that, but Clouse she just escaped from danger and if she is with neutral Djinn they won’t hurt her or your baby. She will be protected. That I am absolutely certain of. Come on we need to figure this s**t out with her parents now.” Zach pulled me away from the dock as I stared into the night.

“I won’t stop Zach. I have to get to my Queen and baby. I can’t stop.” I fought Zach pulling me away.

“Clouse, my King, you can’t go into the water. You know what lurks beneath the water and it’s not safe. We’ve gotten through a lot of s**t and over time I even know better. You won’t last if you try to be foolhardy. Come on man. We can’t be in the sun and sunrise is in an hour. We have to come at this new situation in a different way and it will have to be another day. Please.” Zach was begging me. He never begs, but he’s right. I take one more look in the direction the ship was in and follow Zach and Esmeralda back to shelter in for the day, regroup and figure out a way to convince the Djinn to allow me access to my life.