2 Months Later
One: Falling to Black Unknown
Julia:Everything was different now, nothing was the same. Every veil that covered my world was lifted. I was not Julia Vargas head cheerleader and Junior anymore.
I was something completely different.
My name is Julia Mubarak; I am a girl with immense power with a family that is deep and full of secrets.
You’re never quiet sure what will happen in my world, especially when everything is flipped. When your mind is not sure whether to believe murders or liars. Or when your apart of a legacy that is too great to believe.
When your identity is ripped from you; you become lost for some time. I was like that, for some time, maybe I still am, but I still have a firm grasp on what I am.
Yet, I still feel like I’m falling – not walking – on a path so dark that I won’t be able to go back.
Uncle Donny says that I have to go farther into my powers and family in order to feel whole again; to be myself again. Ever since Donny brought us back to his house in up state New York Donny has been explaining the world….my friend was apart of.
That my family is apart of.
I was apart of an ancient line called Mubarak; a family that was sworn in blood enemies of werewolves.
My Family was butchered because of them; they were not my friends. Not anymore.
“Julia, what are you thinking about?” Derek asked; leaning against my door hedge to my bedroom.
I sighed and closed the book that was between my knees and petted the black leather cover. I was sitting on the white window ledge, looking down at the pasture of my family’s land.
“Nothing.” I smiled and looked down at the book and the curve of threaded moon in the middle.
Derek sat down next to me, leaning his dark auburn ruby hair against the window, that’s when I noticed how straight his nose was.
He looked back at me, his dark emerald eyes smiled at me. “Nothing again, huh?” he placed his large tan hands on top of mine.
I shrugged, “Nothing important.”
He grabbed my old book and placed it on my oak stand, right below my oil lamp that flickered against my dark wooden walls.
Derek put his large hands around my tiny waist and sat me on his sturdy lap. I coiled under his dubious chin and curled my fingers around the hair on his neck.
We had become close over my couple months here. Derek seemed to be the only person that understood, that got me to be proud about my heritage. He was there even when I hated him so much that I threw him against a tree…twice. Yet, he came back, either out of stupidity or…well; I’m not sure what else.
But, I would be lying if I said Derek was the only person I cared for. There were lingering feelings in me; stirring in my dreams of poppy pastures.
I held tighter on to Derek.
“Nothing important as usual.” He kissed the top of my head with his soft pink supple lips.
I looked up at him. “Where were you last night? You missed dinner.”
He sighed and looked away from me, “Daniel had me pick some things for the celebration.” He cleared his throat.
I sighed and sat up, “I forgot about that.”
Derek grinned and played with one of my long braids, “Don’t worry, it’s not that bad, trust me.”
“Yeah, but –“
“It’ll be fine, Julie.” He said as he stroked a finger on my cheek.
I got up and went to my balcony to feel the cold air of a coming storm, “What about Kyle?” I asked, biting my fingernail.
Derek wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled against my neck. “Kyle will be okay, he seems to be capable of a lot more that you give him credit for.”
I leaned against Derek enjoying the smell of his fruity shampoo and soap.
“Derek, do you really believe that every werewolf is evil?” I whispered.
I had asked him this question a billion times and the answer was the same each time.
“Yes, darling.”
Jonathan:It was nothing but violent rampage for the months after Julia and Kyle left. Loup paced the floors for weeks calculating and imagining what could have made Julia leave so suddenly.
I was right, I had bought them time. Enough time for them to escape and be free.
Demetrio was furious with Loup; he thought him incompetent, or at least that was what he fed us.
I followed Edgar one night to see other guards preparing to take Loup. I might not like the man, but I knew for some reason Loup had honorable reasons in the end.
They were just going to take him, but I couldn’t let that happen, none of us could. Who knew Anastasia and Miranda would be so honorable?
Kidding, they sided with Demetrio as soon as they got the chance. I saw it a mile away.
We fought and we lost.
It wasn’t a fair fight anyway; each guard was too experienced and much bigger. I managed to out run them, until Demetrio cornered me in the woods. He was at least a foot larger and wider than me, his paw could crush my head in an instant. The only advantage I had over him was the fact I knew this land better than him
About two miles east was a 16ft ditch, and even farther than that you reached the back of Meadows Peak. Five or six miles west was an abandoned factory, a slaughter house factory that if you weren’t careful you could get trapped in, and even closer west was a burrow in a hallow tree that made it easy to hide in if you were vigilant. North was the highway and south led to a fallen tree and a dump full of sheet metal and broken down cars.
I was going to outrun him, but he attacked me before I got the chance. I still have his large teeth marks on my thigh and abdomen. It was sore, red, and stitched.
We were all beaten badly, but not as bad as Loup; not injury wise either.
Demetrio took us to Spain and threw us in a dark cellar. I’m still not sure why, but I think I know who.
Old Blood; Julia.
Whatever that was apparently was dangerous, so they threw us in here; a jail.
Or something much worse.
Loup calls it the place where shadows rule. You can’t see here, even with our werewolf eyes it’s still difficult. There is no fire light, anything, not even the sense of sunlight. There was no sound, except the sound of your leg chains moving and the heartbeat of your cell mate.
All I can do is count minutes and replay what I had done. Perhaps I made it even more obvious that Julia was involved, perhaps I didn’t save her. Maybe she’s dead.
My thoughts were my enemy here; all those sinister secrets and fears come to life when you’re left with hardly any senses.
I don’t even know how long I’ve been here; a year perhaps. Who knows?
A door would open ever so often with a rattling of shackles then metal bars would slide against each other twice. It was Loup coming back to the cell we shared after they tortured him for information, but Loup never told them anything.
They would come for me eventually; I knew that. Soon, I would be the one being thrown against a wall with blood in my mouth.
The only thought that kept from throwing myself off the edge, throwing myself into their hands was the thought that Julia was alive, somewhere with her Uncle. I was glad she didn’t tell me where.
I kept replaying our last talk together, the last words that were spoken to each other. She loved me for me.
It was torture knowing I could never be with her, never, but knowing she was alive numbed the pain.
I was lying against the cold metal bed, using my arm as a pillow. Loup lay against the firm raw smelling wall, his breathing slow.
I heard the doors open.
Loup’s heart beat became louder and more erratic as soon as the sound hit his ears.
But it wasn’t him they wanted.
I felt hot hands grab my arm roughly and forcibly putting me to my feet. I heard a click, and my ankles went limp. Someone’s arms were around me, dragging me to the door.
The light that exploded from the outside world made my nose bleed and made me go temporarily blind. At least I hope it was temporary.
Everything felt unnatural; the noises terrified me and the light scared me. I placed my hand over my eyes as I was dragged to another room and thrown on marble floor.
All I could see was the blurry picture of my bloody and mud capped hands against clean white floors. I held them to my eyes, but someone forced them away from my eyes. The blood was in my mouth now.
“Jonathan, do you know why you’re here?” A voice asked.
Someone lifted up my chin so I could look at the bench where a man sat. Or at least it looked like a man; my vision hadn’t completely returned.
I spit out the blood on the floor, “No, I don’t.” I muttered.
Then someone punched my stomach causing me to tumble over on the floor. The person picked me up again and shook me so I wouldn’t pass out.
“Would you like to answer that again?” He asked so casually.
I coughed and looked at the floor, “I’m here because….my leader betrayed you somehow in some way and I tried to protect him.”
“Not the answer I wanted, but it’s acceptable.” I saw his clean black boots pace.
“Now, Jonathan, tell me what you know about the Old Blood.” He ordered.
I chuckled harshly, “Old Blood? Sounds like a vampire movie to me, and I personally don’t like that crap, Sir.”
Then came another punch to the gut, harder this time.
“Be a tad more respectable, Mr. Jonathan.” He sighed. “Do you know anything about the Old Blood?”
I wheezed, “I don’t know what the hell this Old Blood is!”
“Alright.” I looked up at him, but that man pushed my head back down.
“Loup seems to be able to keep secrets fairly well.” He mused. “You see, Jonathan, us werewolves weren’t as free as we are today. We were controlled under the worse kind of tyranny. Or kind were their slaves; they told us how to live!” He said with anguish as if it happened a couple months ago.
“We took back our control and killed every last one of them. The people that controlled us are very powerful and not something you would want to come against, ever.”
I wiped my mouth, “If you killed them all then why are you asking me about them?”
“We have to be thorough with this kind of danger. If there was one still alive….we all could die.” He took a deep breath. “So, is this the first time you’ve heard about the Old Blood?”
“Yes.” I muttered.
“Do you know why your leader had your pack stay there?” He asked carefully.
“No, I don’t. Loup’s sort of mysterious in that way.” I said softly. I tightened my stomach in case, but another blow didn’t come to my shock.
“Yes, indeed. Who was this girl he was spending his daylight hours with?”
Miranda and Anastasia must’ve told them that part. Luckily they were out of the loop in most things, or were caught up in something else. They couldn’t have told him much.
“Some chick he had the hots for.” I grinned. That was the truth.
Instead of the stomach it was the face.
“Would you like to answer that again?” he asked.
“Can I buy a vowel instead?”
The man slammed his fist into the other side of my face, causing a cut below my eye, a broken rib, and a busted lip.
“This is your last chance, Jonathan.” He whispered; close.
“Oh, well then…” I swallowed.
“You can kiss my ass.” I grinned up at him with blood in my mouth.
The beating became too brutal for me then and I blacked out into sweet oblivion with poppy fields and dreams of Julia.
If this was death, than I’ll die peacefully.
Julia: I was swinging on the porch with the white cotton cushions, my feet brushed against the dead leaves that Donny refused to sweep up. The wind was blowing softly; the storm had passed hours ago, so now the moon was shining with full force.
I liked this house, a lot. It was so big, so beautiful as well. There were pillars to hold up the balcony above, it had windows with graceful sapphire fringe, two stories, and two wings. In the center between the two wings was the courtyard and green house which connected with the two wings as a sort of hallway.
The courtyard was magnificent with statues of a Moon Goddess and stone fountains. It had tall trees with delicious juicy fruits and wonderful cherry blossoms. If you went past the house grounds there was a magnificent poppy field; hills and hills of poppies that were cut off by the forest; but that’s wonderful too.
I was wearing shorts, my feet bare, and a skinny strapped top. It was warm here, but not too balmy. Everything seemed perfect, almost.
I looked up at the full moon.
“Julia, what are you doing out here? You remember what Uncle said; it’s a dangerous night tonight.” Kyle said, standing in the large doorway, his dark eyes timid.
“He didn’t say it was dangerous he just said it was powerful.” I sighed.
Kyle combed his black hair back with his fingers, “It’s still dangerous, especially with our enemies looking for us.”
Kyle has become the little foot soldier since we found out about our odd family. He was a loyal warrior too with fierce anger in his powerful fist. He had turned so quickly; there was no doubt in his mind as well as mine.
“I can’t believe we have enemies.” I said with some spite in my voice.
Kyle sat next to me, looking at the moon with a sort of hatred beaming in his eyes; like a fire flickering around in a black hole. “We do.” His nose snarled the tiniest bit. “After what they did…. I just can’t believe Jonathan.”
I hate this.
“How do we know that he had any part in it; how could he have known?” I asked. I closed my eyes at what I knew he was going to say.
He stood up, his hands in fist. “You heard what Donny said…he was probably tricking us, that it was all apart of Loup’s master plan to get us, to find out who we are. That bastard.” He said it as if Jonathan stood right in front of us.
“I know, it’s just –“
Kyle grabbed my hands, “I know, he was our friend; he tricked me too.” He looked down at our hands. “Sis, he’s not Jonathan anymore…he’s a monster. You and I both know that.”
I smiled down at him to give him some reinsurance, “I know, Kyle, trust me I know.”
Kyle patted my shoulder, “He hurt you the most, and for that he’s going to pay.” He said determined; the fire was back taking away my old Brother.
“I know.” Was all I could say.
“Don’t stay out here all night, okay?” he said, messing with my hair.
“Okay.” I muttered.
I followed after him shortly. I climbed the large pristine white sitars with the velvety indigo rug to my room. I closed my door and immediately felt exhausted.
I had a large wooden frame with what looked like tree roots at the head and white drapes. I climbed into my white cloud blankets, not even removing my jean shorts. I felt utter exhaustion, like every drop of blood in me was drained.
I needed sleep, desperately, I needed dreams.
The warm breeze was blowing, the sun was glaring down at me, and I could feel grass beneath me. I sat up and looked around and relaxed once I saw the familiar scene. Poppies were everywhere, surrounding me with their caresses.
I leaned on my elbows and bathed in the sun. My heart jumped once that familiar voice said my name.
“Julia, you’re here!”
I got up immediately and ran into his arms, “Of course, I am, silly.” I kissed his warm cheek.
He put his large hands in my hair, “It’s good to see you.” His soft delectable lips kissed my forehead.
“It’s always good to see you too, Johnny.” I snuggled closer to the saltiness of his scent.
His large hands cradled me against him, his chin rested on my head, and his body heat surrounded me in a sweet bubble. We stood there for whatever long amount a dream can have. It could have been seconds or hours; all I knew was that I was happy.
Somehow Jonathan and I ended up lying on a patch of grass next to a massive tree. My hand rested on his chest; the beating of his heart was comforting; it made it more real.
“Where are you?” I barely heard Jonathan’s voice.
I sighed with a smile, “Here, its nice, isn’t?”
Jonathan squeezed me closer, “It is.”
“What about you?”
“Somewhere not so nice, but at least the foods descent.” He softly chuckled, but he was missing that lightness when he laughed.
“Can you leave there?” I asked all the sudden feeling very depressed and deprived.
“No, but I’m trying.” He sat up, his hand in mine, and his chocolate eyes were filled with a murky sincerity, “I’ll find my way back to you, no matter what.”
I jumped up, like there was a spider crawling on my back. “You promise?” I demanded, landing on my knees and placing my hands on his biceps.
He cradled my face gently, “Always.” He slowly pressed those soft lips against my forehead with a sigh.
“We’re meant to be, Julia, we have to be.”
I leaped up, clutching the blanket close to my body with tears streaking against my cheek. The morning light blinded me, making me angry.
“You’re wrong, Jonathan.”