This Is Where I Want To Be

184. I Need You

Charlene

Juliet and I were having the time of our lives. We decided to lie on the beach of some watering hole and sunbathe in our underwear. Or Sirah-bathe… It was weird keeping track of the different stars. Not that it mattered. A sun was a sun no matter where you were. The little oasis was close to the camp and reminded me of the one Romero and I slept at on our marriage journey. Juliet and I could hunt our own food and afterward cool off in the water. We chatted away like we always did, having fun, and there was never a shortage of things to say or remember. At that moment, I missed everyone so much. It had been too long, and when I saw Juliet in that room, my little life was complete. It had not taken her years to find me. It also meant Kubra would come to me soon. It brought a smile to my lips. I missed him more than I wanted to admit. Still trying to hide it from Romero. The area we were in on their map wasn’t the prettiest of places. I wondered what the fuss was about. Juliet and I decided to behave and not do anything stupid. Stay put and enjoy the day.

At some point, we had fallen asleep. I woke up in spikes of piercing pains all over my body. I couldn’t manifest, and confused, I yelled for Juliet. Nothing but soft grunts passed over my dry lips. She wasn’t there. No one was there. I tried to open my throbbing eyes. A constant searing, stabbing pain filled every bone in my body, resonating from my ass that was on fire. I forced my eyes to open. The tattoos were going nuts. That golden glow that always appeared was coming off me in waves of agitation. It enveloped me and wrapped around every limb till it focused on my throat. I fruitlessly tried to grasp at the golden shadow choking me.

Romero… was too far away from me. He was really not lying about the space between us. The pain wasn’t at all like Juliet described it and was getting worse with every second. Suddenly, I couldn’t even move. My limbs were stiff and contorted like a person having a seizure. How was I going to do anything? Would he not feel it. Was Romero going through the same pain? Michael would have brought him back. I couldn’t think that the day had gone by. Juliet and I would never have slept for so long that it was already night. It was too dark. No moonlight. I had to be somewhere else. I didn’t want to think about it, but the only thing it could be was Raiders. That in the time we slept, they came up and dulled us, knocked us out with a shadow. If Juliet manifested, she would’ve been able to get away or hopefully disappear. The pain didn’t want to stop, and my eyes closed again. It was too much for my body. If I could only go into my vampire form. I had to wait for the voodoo to work out. The pressure around my throat was not giving me time to wait. My thoughts were consumed by the pressure. It became worse and worse until all I could do was beg.

***

Romero

We did not really have a plan to destroy Iku. No one ever could, and no one ever dared. Our goal was to keep it busy. My parents and I would search for the vault. Talk to the people working there and hopefully find it before Michael runs out of energy. I joined my father in talking to the locals. They were all on the ground, one knee bent. Once we released them, the congratulations for the mating and the baby came in waves from every Dheka. We sometimes traveled out that far. My father and I had to tour the whole planet to meet with the other districts’ rulers. We try to navigate the globe at least once every few decades. Something I looked forward to doing with Charlene.

At my side, I could hear my mother making more progress in getting the information we needed than my father and I could. The people complained about the raiders and the growth of attacks on all the villages. It would explain why the thing had gone so mad and frantic at our appearance. We didn’t even know they had moved that far out. My father met my eye. “Charlene.”

“We have to hurry, mother.”

“Come! There is only one place they know of that Iku guard with its life.”

“Where?”

My mother pointed to the other side of the valley. It was an opening into the mountain. “Will we even fit?”

“Michael, might.”

I blew on the horn. While he was fighting, he glanced up at the island we were floating on. We were so high off the ground that getting down and all the way to the wall would take us the whole day. He teleported up, leaving Iku confused and searching for him. My parents told him what to do. The monster shadow had put all its attention on the Dheka around it. Michael teleported to the other side of the valley and left us on the island. He was standing at the entrance, peering into the slightest sliver of a cavern. From where we were, he was nothing more than a faint figure against the dark backdrop of the mountain.

Michael disappeared, and I fell down to the ground. I swore as my nails dug into the soil at my feet. I knew the signs and what was going on. My mother’s hand rested on my shoulder, her other fighting the golden shadow moving into my midsection. My father took a horn to alert the others that we were retreating. They had to get me closer to Charlene… If we were even moving in the right direction. Back to camp was the only thing we could do.

***

Lyla

Carl and Caleb had left. I was glad to see them go. So angry and intrigued at the same time. My curiosity would get the better of me. In the back of my mind, I knew Lucy was dead. Carl wouldn’t have lied, and I knew she was gone. I picked up the tube and played the rest of the scene.

Marcus and Juliet were fighting in front of her house. When she hit him, I had to hold my breath. No son of Qadir would ever let a woman do that, not after just chopping off a servant’s hand. Marcus was angry. Regardless, all he did was hold her, and I got a taste of what her life was like. Bound to a house. No friends, no family. No talking and veils. I scrambled to find Marcus’s feed of the same scene. It ended with Cindy holding him, crying. It wasn’t easy to get involved in their story. Marcus was screaming at Liam, and the man took the boy aside to talk, and the feed cut out. Marcus was back at his house in the following footage. I scanned the room. “This is the editorial cut. There are secrets!” I shook my head. Carl was right… I should’ve gone home. Be with my family and help them through it. Looking at a screen the whole day, seemed like I would be wasting my time. But my parents were sitting around all day. If they never got over Lucy’s death, I would end up like that. Living in the past.

The woman who died that week was the only thing I could think about. If the vamps were killing humans when they wanted, according to some animalistic moral code. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave it. Someone had to fight for those who didn’t see it coming. It was just like any other crime… Why did it have to be different for them? I fell down on the loveseat. It was the only place to sit in that room. I took off the hat and tossed it on the floor. My gaze kept flickering over the millions of tubes. So many Vampires… so few Werewolves… I jumped up. If Sita had been the one who got this ball rolling… She was in the feed of the only Riphath. Where was the man that killed my sister? Quickly, I placed my hands on some of the buckets. None of them was hers… A few more until only one was left. I took hold of it. Sita Moore. “So much for not hiding anything.” For the rest of the day, I watched Sita’s life play out in front of me.

***

Carl

I rubbed my eyes. The sun was coming up. It had been a long night on the compound in front of a screen. Lyla was so determined and committed. She knew the feed was edited. I needed a break and asked the watcher next to me to take over for a few minutes. He was watching Chris. From there, I could keep a handle on everything going on with the war and know what was going on with everyone. I pushed my gun into its holster. The net gun was on my other leg. I kept myself fully geared up.

I went to talk to Cindy and her parents and have breakfast with them. Agatha was in the house with Marcus’s grandmother and had her hands full with other relatives. Soren’s parents were still on En-gannim. They had decided to stay. Whatever it was going to entail. All the children that went back didn’t want to return to Earth after being reunited with their families on En-gannim, surrounded by a species they could relate to. It was the revolution their parents had all fought for. What they were staying for.

Me [ We have to hide all evidence on the compound. What about Aries? ]

Marcus [ Where do you want to store it? The boy stays till his interim mother comes back ]

I thought long and hard about where the best place would be. Zoreah was an option. Juliet’s army was the safest option, and Ira wouldn’t mind. I could travel back and forth. It would take me two weeks alone. Move the Palmyra’s library and the edited feed. There was so much I could be doing to help. With my orders to watch Lyla, I couldn’t get up and do what I wanted anymore. Leave everything and protect my family. Those days were over. I should’ve left the watchers when my father died. I would’ve fallen under Juliet, and none of it would have been a problem. I could have joined Selena and Jamal. My training would have been better. I would be more prepared. As soon as the Lyla issue was over, I would hand in my resignation… or rather my transfer.” I chuckled, thinking about it. Juliet would have me close, and I would be one step closer to Charlene. My arm clutched at my stomach, and I bent over. All the mirth was pushed aside.

“What’s wrong, Carl?” Cindy asked worriedly.

“I don’t know. I feel funny.”

“Are you sick?” Cindy put her hand against my forehead. “You don’t have a fever… Is it your stomach?”

“No… Yes… The whole night… My chest, my arms, and my head.” I rubbed over my forehead, standing up. I pushed the communications plate into my pants. “Cindy…” I struggled to get the words out. “There is a….” I wanted to tell her about Lyla… Tell her that she needs to be watched. I stumbled and staggered. I glanced back over my shoulder at the swimming pool. I was falling towards the water. Cindy stretched out a hand to me. I tried to take hold of her. She went right through me. I also didn’t feel wet when I went into the water. The next moment, I stood across from Juliet, tied up and gagged. There were dusty tear marks running down her cheeks. I heard someone behind me, pulled out my gun, and took the shot. The guy fell to the ground. The next one came through the flap of a tent. I killed as many as I could and netted two. I refilled my clip when the wave stopped. There was movement, but no one was coming. I rushed over and ripped the cloth out of Juliet’s mouth. “Carl, go out the back, underneath the tent. They want Charlene. She is in danger. You have to find her.” Juliet’s voice was hoarse.

“Jules, what am I going to do?”

“I’m not the one that brought you here. She needs you.”

“How is that even possible?” Juliet’s shoulders shook as I untied her. “Come on. We can do this together. I’m not leaving you.”

“I’m drugged or something.” Her words slurred.

“You’ll just have to wake up.” I pushed her out through the sand. I pulled up the next tent’s side, and we climbed in. I kept her close to my body and removed the glass plate from my pants.

“It’s too far.”

“Maybe for you.” I took out an enhancer and hooked the plate into it.

“What would it help? They don’t know where we are.”

“Maybe for you.”

“Is that all you can say?” Her head was resting against my shoulder. I put a finger to my mouth. The footsteps in the sand were soft, and I held my breath, hoping another wave wouldn’t find us. The treads ran past and drifted away with soft voices. “We have to keep moving.” I pushed the plate into her hand and walked over to the flap. I slowly stuck my head out. It was a maze of tents. I turned back. Juliet was face down in the sand. I rushed over and read the message she had sent. I chuckled.

Juliet [ I need my other half and my Riphaths ]

I sent out the signal and buried the plate into the sand. Earth was tired of taking forever to figure out a specific location. When you had an open planet. It needed to be more sufficient. More accessible to send one from where you were rather than trying to figure out where you were going. Juliet had set up a whole division on Earth, working with the top scientist on En-gannim. Hackers had worked round the clock and together with physicists… They had done it. It was one of the reasons they allowed us to come back after Michael killed that girl. Marcus had jumped at the information. It meant they could drop one man anywhere on En-gannim, and if he had long enough, they would be able to send people to attack Ian’s bases from other angles.

I gently slapped Juliet’s cheek. “Jules, wake up.”

“I found Charlene.”

I spun around at the sudden voice next to me. “Caleb! No! How!” My shoulders fell. “That’s why I didn’t hit the water. That’s why I could come at all!”

He shrugged. “Charlene’s in bad shape, and four men are in there. I have my gun and my net.”

“They die just like us. I don’t know when they’re manifested.”

Caleb touched my shoulder and placed his hand on Juliet. The men came in, glanced around, and left quickly. “We’ll have to carry her.”

We both took an end and moved freely around the base. Caleb led me out of the settlement. “I’m going to stay with my mom.” A few gunshots resonated in the air. Caleb and I jumped up. I grabbed for the hilt of the sword I had picked up. “Don’t leave so I know where you are. If I don’t come back. Stay hidden.”

A string of rapid shots echoed through the camp. Assault rifles. Men were running in different directions. It was easy to see who was who. The natives wore capes. It was “Jessy!” The commands were loud. Some were in English, and the other men were shouting in a different language. I grabbed my radio and started talking, hoping our frequencies would work. “We have Juliet. I’m going for Charlene.”

Caleb pointed in a direction. One of the tents was off to the side and made my bristles stand up. Multiple men were going into the tent. I started shooting them one by one as I moved closer. The men left began scattering, some stumbling to the ground.

***

Kubra

We were in formation and pushing back a wave of vamps. The fighting was tedious. It had only been a few days, and we were all exhausted. The Earth cleared out its prisons, sending us humans to dry out. After the release of the information, Earth wanted to set an example of how serious they were about creating a better future. Child molesters were sent first. Murderers and rapists. To us who were used to sucking people dry. It didn’t matter either way. We needed the boost, and Palmyra’s stock of creatures we usually waited on would not come. For a year, we would have no help from Zoreah. Ian had strategically taken over the farming Islands. The prisons on Earth were overpopulated, and feeding almost a million soldiers would help.

I was talking to our general after sucking some guy dry. It was strange for them to see us so easily bite into a man that was freaking out. All it took was one whiff of the blood. “Take the advantage and push.” He nodded and started giving out orders.

I had been feeling strange that whole day like my insides were being pulled into different directions. It had been almost three weeks since I saw Charlene last. It was a relief when she found us. Whenever she came to my bed, I had the same strange feeling. Even so, she didn’t come back with Miné. It was hard to make peace with not seeing her for a while. And then, a few days later, I sensed someone else. It was Romero. That feeling of knowing Charlene and I were connected doubled. She was branded to someone else. We were joined in a life-and-death bond with someone else. She was pregnant, and I wasn’t there. I was going to be a father.

“Are you feeling well?” The general asked me when I didn’t join the men. I was usually on the front lines, fighting. Didn’t like sending the men out and sitting back like a king on his horse.

The corner of my lip lifted. “The missus is calling me. Hold the fort.” I didn’t know how long it would take or why she could do it. Charlene needed me, and if it was that bad. My heart beat faster. I grabbed another soldier’s chest sling and pulled it over my head. He handed me more clips. I pushed an extra net gun into my pants. “Do you have any drugs?”

One of the watchers fished out two tubes. “One is for waking up, the other for knocking out.” I chuckled. Like I didn’t know. I held out my hand. He handed me a packet of cigarettes, and I pushed it into my pocket.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back. Find Jessy and regroup with Marcus.”

The burning got worse. My chest was on fire, and my knees were on the ground. I don’t think I had ever been that angry. Dragged out into a scene I hoped I’d never have to witness. Charlene was bound and convulsing on the ground, gagged, and her eyes tilted back into her skull. Men were hovering over her. In an instant rage but with controlled breaths, I let loose and started shooting them one by one. I plunged Juliet’s drugs into Charlene when there was a window. The golden chain around her neck subsided, like a meat-eating vine retreating back to its source. I didn’t know what was going on. There were noises outside the tent, and I heard the flap open.

I stood and turned to a few manifested shadows. I tried shooting, but the bullet went right through. “Interesting.” They were yelling in some foreign language. I had nothing left but the nets. I pointed and shot. The man thought I was stupid for trying again until he was secured and staring back at me. Not hesitating, I took my knife and pushed it into his neck. Close combat seemed to be the only universal thing. A blade or spear seemed to kill anyone. The others came at me. It was like fighting in the ring but against multiple assailants. The war had prepared me for it. Some were boys, and not all of them knew all the tricks I had picked up in the last four hundred years. If I died, Charlene would die. I fought harder.

The wave didn’t want to stop, and I was getting tired. I got close to the next one and fought hand to hand, relieving him of his sword, grabbing him around the shoulders, and holding the sword at his neck. The other men at the entrance coming at me abruptly stopped moving. It wasn’t because they cared what I did to the man in my arms. Shots were being fired all over the encampment. The men in front of me started dropping one by one. I pressed the blade deeper against the guy’s neck. Carl walked around the corner with his gun pointed, and I sliced through his throat and let go of him. “Who is in the camp?”

“Jessy.”

I turned back to Charlene. “Get me something to ride. Quickly.”

Carl had taken one look at Charlene and ran out. I dropped down next to her and took her vitals. She was burning up like me. We were having the same symptoms. Hers were only a hundred times worse. Sweat fell down from my brow as I picked her up and carried her in my arms. Our men were clearing all the tents, orders being given over radio’s going crazy. “Don’t let one get away.” I heard Jessy order. It was a bloodbath. The men were getting nowhere as soon as the shadows manifested.

I couldn’t wait to help. I was struggling through the sand. Carl was just outside, struggling to get the beasts to listen to him. The boy was having all the feelings I had. How long had she been seizing? How long could anyone go on like that before their heart gave in? He gave me the reins, and he took her from me. I vaulted on, and Carl handed Charlene back to me. All I could do was press her against my chest. I didn’t even want to look down at her, too scared to see the branding hue draining the life out of her. My beast was already galloping when I saw Carl jump onto another one and heard him ask. “Which way?” I was steering in a direction towards the moon on the horizon. It had to be where Romero was. I knew where he was.

We were galloping for a long time. The mountain had seemed closer than it was. The terrain there wasn’t as easy as the sandy dunes we had been crossing. The things under us slowed down by themselves after stumbling too many times over large rocks. I gave mine the reins, and it stretched its head low.

“How is she?”

I finally took a moment and looked at her, scared I would see what I saw in that tent. She was already better; my eyes flickered to Carl’s, and I bobbed my head. “You know. Charlene’s birthday is soon. Have you decided?”

“It’s not for me to decide, is it?” I shrugged. Carl still didn’t understand what it meant. “Weird that you would be asking me that question.”

“After everything that just happened… It seems the more men in a woman’s life. The more she is protected… Cared for.”

“You’re right about that… And I do want to push myself in there, but I was kinda busy with other things. Charlene was here. You didn’t even know where she was until a few hours ago.”

Maybe he did understand. I wondered if the boy had changed. Carl seemed to have grown up in the last few months… I thought about it. “Sucks being a watcher, doesn’t it? Always glued to a screen. Gives you such a different perspective on life.”

“I hate it. I don’t know how you guys did it.”

“Who is the girl?”

“The sister of the one Michael ate. Before I got pulled out, she was watching everyone’s feed… I wanted to start moving the buckets in the tunnels. There is too much on there.”

Carl was worried about Charlene and what would happen if the world found out about her. I frowned, looking down at her. Charlene had stopped shaking. “We’re getting closer. She’s better, and I don’t have that burning in my chest anymore.”

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Carl asked.

“None.”

“How did she pull us both here?”

“Did she pull you here?” He nodded. “I don’t know… I’m just glad she could.”

The mountain I was aiming for came into view. “I don’t see a way around? We will have to find a path.”

“But which way? If we take the wrong route, she might get worse again.”

I manifested and handed Charlene to him. I was going to have to focus. Now that the feelings were less, my inner compass was confusing to get a hold of. “Give me a minute.”

I ran in one direction, and it yielded no stirred-up emotions. I tried the other way. There was a small ridge I had to climb. Over the edge was another camp, hidden in an enclosed area. Small. No one was inside, but the pressure on my chest was gone. “Carl, come to my location.” I was walking around to see where we would have to go to get there. He had a difficult time managing the two beasts and Charlene. I skidded down and jumped up onto my beast. “That way.” We both kicked again. The sensation was back and so profound, and all the pain was gone. I knew Romero had to be close.

Carl pulled back on the reins as the tents came into view and slid off his beast. The tents were different from the ones where we came from. Luxurious big tents in the middle and smaller ones circled three in the middle. Silence drifted over us and the camp. Nothing. I slid down as well, and we walked into the center. A pitch-black shadow rushed out of the tent towards us. Carl lifted his hands in the air. The woman stopped hovering and covering the distance toward us. She came back to human. At the same time, her shadow had not caught up and drifted into the air around her face. Angry eyes widened and softened. “In there.”

I rushed through the flap the woman was holding up, pointing to an unconscious man lying on thick pillows on the ground. Romero. I recognized his smell and placed Charlene at his side. As carefully as possible, I took Romero’s arm and draped it over her waist. It was a significant moment for me. Acceptance of our new way of life. “What is going on?”

“You must be Kubra.” I looked at her in surprise. The woman was back in their shadow form. She was beautiful like that. The golden veins flowed diagonally over her cheekbones. Even the tip of her nose was gold, with a golden vein disappearing into her hairline. Her eyes were solid gold and turned white. She was using her ability. The dark, shadowy hair vanished behind her. She crouched down and placed one hand on each. The shadow flowed over the two, and their bodies relaxed even more. “My name is Imani. Romero is my son… that makes you my son.” My mother had died in childbirth. I never even knew her. I had an instant family. People who knew about me before I even knew they existed.

She stretched out a hand. I shook it, smiling slightly. “Where is Miné?”

“At our home with my other daughters. She is safe there.”

“Will this have hurt the baby?”

“Babies, you mean.”

A frown played on my brow. “Charlene is carrying both your children.”

“One each?” Carl asked, sitting down next to me in the sand. He stretched out his arm to her. “Carl. It’s nice to meet you.”

Imani regarded him for a long time, holding his hand. “Another Ittoqure in the family… Hmmm… I do not know if that is such a good idea.”

Carl smiled sheepishly. “She still hasn’t asked. It might not happen. Her birthday is soon.”

Imani chortled softly… “Here, her birth date does not matter. Romero is five hundred years old… You being pulled out from somewhere so far away… It means she does love you.” Carl glanced at me and dropped his head. The corners of his eyes crinkled. “On our planet… it is painless and whenever you want.” Carl met my eyes on him. In time, I had to gotten used to the idea of Romero. Carl would also join Charlene’s harem? Charlene’s harem… It was so strange thinking about it. I didn’t know how I felt about it. Marcus couldn’t handle more than three others… Before we slept together, I had the idea of putting down my own boundaries. How stupid I had been. To think that I could tame her. This life was one of supernatural mysteries and consequences. “You never know with Charlene,” Carl said. He looked at Imani. “In the past, it would have taken her years to make a choice. Now… I’m rather scared of her.”

Imani and I laughed. “Yes, how long she waited to sit on my lap.”

Carl chuckled. “She wouldn’t even kiss me. She has changed so much. Got everything she wanted. It set her free in a way.”

The boy had grown up. Carl and I had become close when Charlene was missing and after I woke up from the branding. Spent as much time together as we could. There was no more animosity. We had let the anger go, fighting for her instead of fighting about her. She had made the choice for us. Romero had changed everything.

“Where is Juliet?” Imani asked.

Carl jumped up. He radioed Jessy and Caleb, walking out of the tent.

I glanced at the two sleeping on the cushions. “Three children.” I stroked Charlene’s hair out of her face.

“You seem happy.”

“I couldn’t be happier… I have been alone for so long. I never thought I would have… what she is so willing to give me…” My voice was strained as the words left my lips. I could not remember when I had last shed one tear. Too many emotions. “It’s been a long journey. It was never easy between us. Too many outside forces and decisions… And all I want is for her to be happy.”

“Did you feel the pain?”

I nodded.

“We had wondered how it would affect you. My husband and I. We were trying to find the vault, and Romero collapsed. We had left the two girls here. It was so far away. Michael was doing well, and we had to go. We brought Romero back. It took all of us to stop the pain. He was better in the camp; we thought she couldn’t be that far. I was waiting for them to come back. They had turned around immediately. Michael is all alone there.”

“Show me.” Why Romero and Charlene were like that had to wait.

Imani stood to her feet. A hand gripped my arm before I could push up. We both glanced down. Romero’s eyes were shut, and his fingers barely closed around my arm. “Thank You.” He croaked out.

“I would do anything for her.” His hand fell limply on Charlene’s body. “I’ll be right back.”

Carl and I mounted our beasts. “Men will be jogging past chanting. Point them in the right direction.”

Imani smiled, and we kicked our beasts into a gallop.