"Hey Adit?" I say about an hour into our walk to only who knows where.
"Yes it?"
"Is Jesus real?" I ask.
"Um, I don't know I never met the guy," she says. "I won't say he isn't real because of that fact but tell me. Does it really matter?"
"I mean, I guess not but it would be nice to know," I answer.
"People put their faith into the unknown everyday,"she says. "You pop a pill and hope it isn't your last. You get into your car to run to the store and hope it isn't your last trip. The unknown surrounds you. Why do you need to know? KNowing cigarettes can kill you, do you stop smoking them? Knowing the effects of drinking alcohol, do you stop consuming it? Knowing doesn't change a thing puppy."
I ponder her words as we walk. What she has said is true. We continue to do things knowing that it is bad for us.
"Will you tell me about your wife?" I quietly ask.
I see her falter in her steps, before she comes to a complete stop. I can feel her eyes on me, but I force mine to remain. She steps into my peripheral. Suddenly she is in my direct line of vision, standing in front of me. She raises a hand to my chin, lifting my face up.
"You will not be like me Imani, nor is Kaira like my wife," she says. "MayilArasi, Mayi for short, and Kaira share similar traits. They are both strong women. Both very beautiful. But main thing about Mayi is that she never judged me based on my past. As long as I was upfront with her about things. If she found out later that I wasn't there was hell to pay."
She resumes her walk, beginning to lead us again.
"Mayi came from a rough background. She had to fight her way through life. By time she and I met she was broken. And not broken because what was done to her. No she was broken long before that. Between the wars cast upon the people by Nerezza, the deaths of her family members and the travels. Her spirit just gave up. She was a prisoner of war when I came upon her. She wouldn't even look me in my eyes. Wouldn't raise her head."
She looks off into the distance. You can see her eyes taking in everything. Every dip and crease within borders. To the birds flying overhead. Her eyes miss nothing.
"But best believe when we got together even before we got married, she managed to check my ass and keep it in check. From her upbringing and the way her life was, she didn't like having people wait on her. She prefered to do the cooking and cleaning herself. And heavens knows that woman knew how to cook. She used to make this dish called sweet meat. Um, it was made with lamb. Oh my goodness, the best dish ever.
But um, I would go out everyday. Doing typical shit that was obligated to me and every night when I got home, there was a hot meal at the table. I used to tell her that she didn't need to bother herself with such things. That she should just be enjoying herself. She used to get so mad at me for saying that. Like she absolutely hated another woman doing what she felt was her job to do."
As she is talking I take in the gleam in her eyes. You can tell Adit loved her wife like no other. That her wife and her family was her all and everything. And I feel a pang in my heart because that is exactly how I feel about Kaira. And knowing she is pregnant with my child makes me soar. I don't like what is happening between us. I want it to end. I feel that if things continue as they are, I may just end up like Adit.
"I wasn't like this when I had my wife," she continues speaking. "I occasionally had a drink and I would occasionally smoke but I wasn't this bad. And heaven help me if I tried either after we begun to start our family. Not that I wanted to smoke, drink or anything after I found out she was pregnant. I wanted to be awake and coherent for every moment. I didn't turn into the person who stands before you today until after I lost them.
You know after all these years, I still remember how she felt next to me. I still remember her laughter and her smile. The meaning behind the looks that she would give me. I remember how beautiful she looked on our wedding day. And how absolutely radiate she looked giving birth."
She looks towards me and smirks. I won't deny listening to her talk about her wife makes me miss Kaira all the more. And it is making this walk to wherever seem not as long.
"You have to understand something puppy," mental eye roll, "the gift from my mother bestowed on you, is a shrewd speck of what was given to me. Multiply what you feel for Kaira by a billion then you may be blessed with a glimpse of what I felt for my wife. I'm not downplaying what you feel for Mizaru, not in the least. What you feel for her is everything you are capable of feeling for her and then some. But I come from my mother. Losing my wife is a direct hit to me. My person and my being. I was basically created to love her. And when I came into your life, you were given that ability to love like me. Not quite like me but close."
She stops and looks forward. I follow her gaze and see we are close to a mouth of a cave. Animals of every kind are around the cave. I don't know if they are lingering or protecting it. Two pillars stand on each side of the entrance.
"What is this place?" I ask.
"The mines." she answers. "On Mecca, the castle was set within the mountain. My father did that to protect the people. The foundation itself was the mountain. I thought of doing that here but people tend to be afraid of living within a mountain. Even our kind, because they started out with human limitations."
"Does that bother you?" I ask. She tilts her head. "That they have limitations."
"No, not at all. I don't expect any of you to be like me." Her eyes move down before she speaks again. "I have zero fucks in this existence. You all do and there is nothing wrong with that. Come."
We enter the dwelling and I am shocked. It is a computer geeks wet dream. The walls are lined up with monitors that show every aspect of the reserve. They aren't just any kind of monitors 3D. There are about 20 people sitting in front of them watching the screens. Each with little devices connected to their hands, to control the view of the monitor. Or to change the quality of the footage.
A woman comes out of nowhere and approaches Adit.
"Thank you for getting here so quickly," she starts. "Alexsi Pierce has been demanding your attention since sunrise."
"He actually been demanding it?" Adit asks smiling.
"Yes, he has been demanding it. And the reserve board want to pitch a notion to you about opening more of the land to humans." She says walking along with us now.
"That's a negative. Go ahead if you please and schedule a meeting with them. The sooner the better." Adit sounds a little peeved and agitated about this bit of news. She looks over at me and quirks an eyebrow. "Questions?"
"What the hell is all this?"
"Come," she sighs. "This is the mines. Essentially base control of the reserve. But also where I do meetings with other pack heads." I squint in her direction. "Yes puppy there are other packs out there. Some prefer to stick to their own kind of weres. I am open to any and all. Again dear puppy, I am not omnipotent, I can't not be everywhere at once."
"No not just that," I say, "it's almost like you're running a business here."
Adit stops walking and blinks at me. The woman beside her tries to hide a smile.
"Puppy did you honestly think that I just sat pretty and did nothing but fuck until a fight came my way?"
"I won't lie yes, yes I did." I answer truthfully.
"Come," she says turning her head to the woman. "Beatrice, please be a doll and bring Alexsi up to the first meeting room." The woman, Beatrice nods and trotts off. Adit turns to face me again. "I personally hate this guy. He always come across as feeling entitled to everything. And then gets butt hurt when I tell him no. He rides a fine line between being loyal to me and succumbing to Nerezza."
We into a room. It is obviously a boardroom. There is an extra long desk with chairs placed around. Adit of course waves her hand and some of the chairs scatter. She props herself up on the desk and looks out the window. Looking through it myself I see that it overlooks the room that we entered at the mouth of the mountain.
"How big is this place?" I ask.
"We have four floors up top. All dug into the mountain. And then there are two floors under the main floor we walked in on."
"What's down there?" I ask when she doesn't elaborate more.
"Cells and things. This place is also a prison." She answers her head rocking to some beat that only she can hear.
"I thought you were judge, jury and executioner."
"Not everyone deserves to die puppy," she says smiling. "But I can't let them free to roam on the human world either. So they are reprimanded here."
"Ahem." I turn to the sound and see a man. "Ahem." He does again.
He is trying to get Adit's attention but she is too busy or maybe too content to sit there cleaning her fingernails to acknowledge him. The woman, Beatrice, standing behind him smiles and steps forward.
"Adit, would you be needing anything else?" she asks.
"Can you make the puppy and I those little frap things that only you can do so perfectly pretty please?" Adit smiles her way. Her eyes completely ignoring the man who is turning red in the face.
"Coming right up."
"Thank you Be," Adit says watching the woman walk away.
The man steps into Adit line of vision and I swear it's almost as if Adit doesn't see him. She turns back to look out of the window at the people below. Patting her pockets she pulls out a pack of cigarettes but inside are neatly rolled up joints. Waving her hand the door to the room closes. Sealing the three of us in. The man looks over at me and snarls.
"This is a private meeting," he tells me. "WHy are you still in here?"
"Watch yourself Alexsi," Adit sings to him lighting her joint. She still hasn't bothered to look at him. "You do not come in my area making demands."
I look over at him as he gasps. "I simply made a request Adit."
"Sure you did. Now what can I do for you?" She asks as he makes his way to a seat.
"There has been a lot of talk circulating that Ezzy has betrayed you and everyone to Nerezza," he says. "It has also been voiced that you are in need of a second."
"Aw are you applying for the position?" Adit asks. She quirks her eyebrow at me indicating to the joint. I decline. She stands up and turns, finally gracing Alexsi with her glowing gold eyes. "I have no need for a second, third, forth so on and so on."
"But is shows weakness that you were so easily betrayed," he begins. Ah hell. Before he can even finish his sentence, his body is raised slammed against the wall behind him. His feet dangling a good two feet above the ground.
I look over at Adit as she stands there looking bored. She starts to walk slowly around the table towards Alexsi, as his body seems to float towards her, meeting her halfway. Just then the door opens and Beatrice comes in, halting her footsteps. She looks over at Alexsi floating there and then at Adit standing there.
"Your frappes," she says putting the drinks on the table. "Anything else?"
"No, thanks Be." Adit says bending and reaching over to take a drink. Picking up a straw, she inserts it and drinks. "Amazing, thanks Be."
"No problem Adit," Beatrice says exiting the room.
"Puppy?" I look at Adit holding out the other frosty drink to me. Taking the drink, I sit down. "Now where were we? Ah yes, Alexsi you were calling me weak." Adit sits down sipping her drink and nodding her head. "Possibly so, but that doesn't change the order of the food chain here. Do you think that you are powerful enough to take me?"
Alexsi doesn't even seem to have any fight in him. He is statue still just floating around. His eyes are looking around frantically. He is looking at me, silently pleading with me to intervene.
"I'm waiting." Adit says before her head snaps up and she is gone before I can blink.
Alexsi is still floating there. His eyes searching along with my own for Adit. Going to the window I see her at the entrance, talking to a very upset looking girl. I look back at Alexsi and shrug before finding my way downstairs to Adit.
"They killed her Adi," the girl is saying. "The things that were done to her and then they killed her."
"Ssshhhh," Adit tells her, pushing her back slightly, she brings her hand up to the girls temple, her eyes blanking out for a moment, before her body tenses up. She blinks and looks at the girl. "I can erase these memories if you want me to. I am so sorry Bell. I promise you though I will avenge her." She bends down and kiss the girl's forehead before sending her to sleep.
"Jacques you and Frank her Bell to her mother." she calls out. "Do not leave her unprotected for any reason."
The anger and rage coming off of Adit is unspeakable. The pain beneath it all makes me want to cry. Her eyes find mine before the mist covers her and a condor takes flight. Just as it reaches the mouth of the cave and disappears, the guys appear and stand there watching it then turning to me.
"Imani, what the hell has happened?" Hot Fry asks with orange remnants of the Cheeto around her nose.
Pointing to the girl still lying on the floor, I don't even know what to say. Michael approaches her and kneels.
"It's Bell," he tells the rest of them. "She is in great distress."
Styles looks at Jacques standing there. "Tell us what happened."
Jacques goes to open his mouth but Beatrice coming down the stairs interrupts him.
"Adit was having a meeting with Alexsi," At the mention of Alexsi I look up through the window and still see him floating there. "When Bell come through the way. She was hysterical, she kept going on about how someone hurt Raelynn."
"Adit tapped into her memories and order Frank and I to take Bell to her mother's and protect her at all costs. Then Adit left and you guys showed up." Jacques says.
Styles is looking from Michael to Hot Fry doing a double take on Hot Fry. "Michael can you tap into her memories? We need to know what happened and where Adit is going."
"She is calmer now I believe that I can," Michael says. "See is Raven and Joel can track Adit."
He moves up to Bell's head and places his hands against it. Closing his eyes he breathes in deeply before the snap open glowing green. The stare out into nothing but appear to be seeing everything. Moving rapidly across the unknown. His body seizes up before relaxing. His eyes closing once more before opening to their normal color.
"Tanjir," is all he says hanging his head.
As the sharp intake of breath that is received from the group I look around. Almost everyone has a shocked or pained expression. Even Hot Fry seems down and beaten.
"Who, who is Tanjir?" I ask.
They all look at each other.
"Adit's brother." Michael says. "This was a personal strike against Adit."
A cat runs over my grave.
"Don't worry Imani, Kaira is safe. We promise." Pixie says looking my way.
"Adit is more than likely going over to Raelynn;s apartment. We should start there," Michaels interjects.
They all look at me. "I'll bring the pup, you all go on over." Hot Fry says. "You don't know how to change yet. We will drive over there." she explains. Beatrice can we borrow a car?"
"Of course," Beatrice answers walking to a wall of keys, grabbing a set, she throws them to Hot Fry. "White Land Rover out back."
The mist start to surround the guys as their bodies start to contort. Hot Fry and I run out and around the mountain. Jumping into the vehicle.I look at Hot Fry.
"How is the a personal strike to Adit?" I ask her.
She pauses a moment looking out of the window before turning to me. "Tanjir raped Adit's wife. Along with his friends back on Mecca. That is how Mayi came into Adit's life. And it would seem he has raped Raelynn and killed her. Both girls are special to Adit for personal reasons."