Deathwalker, p.8
Deathwalker, page 8
“Darling, how lovely to see you!” he said, wrapping her in a hug that oozed warmth and familiarity. Priya seems to know everyone, and they all greet her like she’s a breath of fresh air, which is exactly how I feel when I’m around her too.
“You must be Lincoln, nice to meet you.” He extended his hand towards me. He was dressed in a professional three-piece navy suit, which stretched over his broad shoulders and tall frame.
“Thank you for having me,” I said, shaking his hand firmly.
“Please sit.” He motioned towards the couches, all facing inward around a fireplace, almost a carbon copy of Emir’s office. Damn, the heads of the branches sit nice and cozy during working hours. Just like before, there was coffee, tea, and water in the middle of a glass table nestled in between the sofas.
“I was very interested to see who our new deathwalker is. Especially since you have not experienced the sight,” he commented, his dark eyes connecting to mine. There was no judgment in the words, simply curiosity. Priya had mentioned that Emir and everyone else was trying to play it cool with me. They didn’t want to overwhelm me by poking and prodding too much. Taeler’s response was no different. But I wanted answers just as much as they did. I was ready to finally take steps to understand what, exactly, my story is.
I had no idea how to dress for my first day so I opted for black jeans, a red silk shirt, and black velvet knee-high boots paired with a long white coat, and I wrestled my dark wavy hair into a low bun. I felt fine about it when I had met Priya, but felt underdressed when I saw Taeler wearing a suit. I tried not to fidget under his gaze or let my anxiety settle in my chest.
“Hope I’m not a disappointment,” I teased. Priya gently caressed my hand.
“Not at all. So first things first, I just want to confirm some information, then we can get started!” He took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, placing his arms across his chest. “You haven’t seen any demons, wraiths, souls, spirits, or ghosts before?” he questioned.
My mind went blank.
“Uh, no. I mean, I don’t think so? I actually don’t really know what the differences are between any of those.” Emir had said I would learn, but I was still ignorant about what those labels genuinely meant.
“Ah, of course. Well, let’s start there, shall we? When a human is born, they have a pure soul. It’s the most uncontaminated form of being. Think of a soul as the middle ground. It’s often a white or transparent illusion, which can look partly human, or more like a smoky ball of energy. Ghosts are more corporeal; they’re stuck in between here and the afterlife, so they maintain a human shape without a physical body. Spirits are the other side of souls. You become a spirit right before you’re ready to find eternal rest.”
I nodded, making mental notes of all the details.
“Wraiths are ghosts that have been trapped too long and can become violent. You can tell because they have dark tendrils around them, as if they’re partly light but mostly dark. Demons are what become of corrupted souls that cannot be saved, healed, or find peace. The mortal realm has caused too much irreparable harm for them to find peace.” He sighed loudly then, like this topic truly saddened him.
“They can be deformed and monster-like or as human-looking as anyone else. They’re inherently dangerous due to the fact that they cannot rest. They feed off the fear and torment of those on Earth. There’s a special prison in the afterlife to contain them so they don’t destroy the other souls during their eternal rest. But, occasionally, they cross over to the mortal realm and they must be sent back because we cannot kill them. They are bound to eternal restlessness and suffering due to their malicious nature,” he said seriously.
“So the hierarchy of good beings to scary beings would be: spirits, souls, ghosts, wraiths, then demons?” I asked, trying to make sure I had all the details straight.
“Precisely.” He smiled at me.
“When you have your sight trained, you will inherently know which is which, almost like the knowledge is a part of you,” Priya explained further.
“But I thought you said most things could be saved and find peace? Isn’t it sort of unfair that demons aren’t saved, since they were originally a pure soul? Is there no way for them to be redeemed?” I asked.
“You have to want to find harmony and balance at the end of your life. Demons are those who don’t. They have chosen to live this way because they refuse to do the work to return to their pure form. They don’t think they have committed any wrongdoings, or they think that their actions on Earth were justified,” Priya said softly.
“So what’s the breakdown here? Do most people rest peacefully, or do we have a ton of demons, wraiths, and ghosts hanging around?” I inquired.
“Most of the ones we see are souls, ghosts, or the occasional wraith. We try to get to the ghosts before they become wraiths, and souls usually just need some help, as they can sometimes get confused and disoriented. Few have ever dealt with a demon, and that was a long time ago. Spirits aren’t in the mortal realm because they are so close to eternal rest in the afterlife,” Priya said, looking down as if hiding some sort of pain the memories brought up. Her eyes flickered to Taeler, who kept a neutral expression. I made a mental note to ask her about it later.
“I was told that, most of the time, they aren’t violent. Is that true? Or is it because there aren’t that many demons and wraiths running around, so violence isn’t usually needed?” I asked.
“Yes. Most of the time they aren’t violent. But wraiths and demons can be dangerous, which is why all gatekeepers are equipped with spelled weapons. You’ll get to choose one that you can easily conceal or wear, like I wear my chains.” She waved toward the chains wrapped around her body.
“We hope you won’t ever need to actually fight, but it’s become customary to teach combat and weaponry now, since things have gotten more aggressive in the last decade. There are special task forces deployed to deal with particularly egregious demons,” she said quietly, averting her eyes from mine.
“I’m on one of those task forces, but I haven’t been called in a while. Usually, it depends on where they appear and who is closest.” Priya crossed her legs and sat back on the dark leather couch.
“Your chains are actually weapons? I thought they were just, like, your signature style or something. And why am I not surprised that you’re on the special ops team?” I flashed her a wicked smile. How is it possible that Priya keeps getting even more extraordinary?
“You will learn all of the ins and outs of the GK in time, Lincoln. Now that you know a little more, let’s see about this sight.” Taeler moved over on the couch and patted the space next to him.
“Come sit.”
I settled next to him and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I was a bit nervous. Things would be different after this. In fact there was truly no going back now.
“Please, close your eyes. I’m going to rest my fingers on your temples. Is that all right?” He looked at me gently and I nodded, glancing over at Priya who had moved a little closer to us. She winked at me.
My eyes fluttered shut, and I felt his fingertips rest on my skin.
“Okay Lincoln, I’m going to send some magic through your mind. You might feel tingling or warming, but it shouldn’t be painful. In three…two…one…” Heat spread through my forehead and I heard a whoosh as magic slammed into my brain and my eyes flew open, but I didn’t see Taeler.
I saw my life.
It rolled by me like a movie at super speed. At my birth, a cloaked figure pressed their hands to my forehead and whispered something incoherent. Light erupted around me, then everything settled. Things moved quickly and I felt all of the moments like I was reliving them once again. Some happy, some painful, and in each one I saw them.
Ghosts, souls, spirits, even the occasional demon. They followed me around like lost pets. Sometimes they tried to communicate, but I never actually saw them. It was like I had a weird buffer around me that prevented them from actually making true contact. My eyes seemed to look right through them, as if they didn’t exist at all.
One day there, the next gone—a constant ebb and flow of undetectable energy. A few tried to hurt me, and some managed to break through the invisible shield that encompassed me. I gathered that a demon or two might have been responsible for my accidental deaths throughout the years. The time in Hawaii and the child with the metal baseball bat, like they were trying to get rid of me but couldn’t. Sometimes there was another entity there, almost human but fuzzy and faded, like an eerily familiar extension of myself.
A paradox of feelings and emotions assaulted my senses. Isaac, Mara, my parents, my sister, and old friends. It all swam in front of me until I felt an audible pop and a crack. I gasped for air as I slammed back into my physical body. I was back in the Canadian office, sprawled out on the couch, shaking, and covered in sweat.
Everything glowed bright white as the color oozed back in.
Then I felt it.
My sight wrapped around my brain and my vision, like it had been waiting for its invitation to come out and play. It seared along my skull until it settled into a dull ache.
Stars danced in front of me and I heard my name being called from somewhere far away. I felt someone’s hands in my own, gripping my fingertips. My whole body tingled viciously, then the sensation faded and my eyes adjusted.
“Linc, love. Lincoln, I need you to come back to me,” Priya’s face wobbled into view. She sat on the floor next to me holding my hands. Taeler and someone I didn't recognize stood behind her.
I shot up too fast and nausea rocked through me. God, I hate being nauseous, and I really hate throwing up.
“That was like a bad trip on shrooms,” I said, laughing shakily.
“I think she’s fine,” she said, looking at me and examining my eyes as if she could make me better with her touch.
“What the hell happened?” I asked, looking first at Taeler, then the woman next to him. She wore scrubs and a lab coat, her glasses perched on her light brown nose, and her mahogany hair was tucked behind her ears.
“Lincoln, I’m Dr. Parker. It seems like the magic Taeler used to activate your sight induced a hypnotic state where your body began to shut down and seize in order to cope. It seems like everything is okay now, but I’m going to suggest you take the next few days to rest and recuperate, as it looks like your sight has been activated. Your body might take some time to get used to all the new information and sensations. You may experience some headaches and eye soreness for the next few days or so. Regular Advil and cooling patches on your eyes will help,” she said smoothly. Her smile emitted a calm comfort. It was one of the first times I felt like a doctor was actually seeing me.
“Thank you, Dr. Parker.”
She nodded. “If you need me, here’s my number. Call anytime.” She handed me her card and I took it as she left the room.
“Thank you, Lora,” Taeler replied.
Priya still looked uncertain.
“Were you scared?” I whispered to Priya, our noses only a few inches apart. The look on her face when our eyes finally met seemed almost devastated, which was unexpected.
“I’m not ready to lose you yet, Lincoln,” she said seriously.
I didn’t know what to say to that so I just gave a little nod and a smile.
“I’m glad you’re okay. But I think we should take you home. We can figure out how to proceed tomorrow, okay?” She held out her hand and I took it, letting her pull me up. I stumbled a little and my head swam as she wrapped her strong arms around my shoulders to steady my feet.
“How many times is this now that you’ve literally had to physically help me up,” I grumbled, a little self-consciously, but as I sank into her side I didn’t feel her waver. I took a deep breath, feeling her clean scent wrap around me, and exhaled slowly.
My belly did a weird little flip-flop, and I looked up to see laughter dancing in Priya’s eyes. The flip-flop sank lower, turning into a warm pool in my stomach.
Uhh….
“I don’t mind. I’ll hold you up anytime, love.” She winked at me and I bit my lower lip. Things were getting flirty between us. That couldn’t be right. Surely she was just teasing me like friends do.
“It’ll take time, Lincoln. We’ll schedule another meeting after you’ve had some time to recover,” Taeler said, snapping my attention away from Priya and the strange fluttering in my belly.
“Thank you. I feel like a veil has been lifted. And I don’t want to be in the dark anymore,” I said genuinely as a door appeared behind him. He placed his hands on it, murmuring in the language I didn't understand, and I saw glowing light blue letters. The door said “GK Directory Hall” on it.
I squealed, scaring Priya slightly so her arm tightened around me.
“I can see it!” I gasped.
“She’s going to be fine, Taeler. Thanks for having us,” Priya said, chuckling and guiding us through the now-open door. “I hope you won’t scream like that when you see your first ghost,” she teased again as we wandered through the hall.
I could read all the doors now. Each one was labeled with locations from all over the world. A floating directory seemed to follow us, hanging in the air as a guide back to the bar.
“I think I’m allowed some squeals and screams, okay?” I said playfully, shoving away from her. She giggled, grabbing on to my forearms and pulling me close so she was bending over me with her minty breath in my face, her eyes glowing.
I swallowed and looked at her lips like I had the other night.
Damn it. Why do I keep doing that?
Her grip on my arm were firm as she pulled me closer.
“I’ll do my best to help you control that, love.” Her words almost sounded like a purr. I could only blink in response as she laughed again and turned toward the door. I exhaled, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.
The low pooling in my belly returned, expanding straight towards my thighs, and I shook off the thought. I followed Priya up the stairs, wondering what exactly I was supposed to do about that.
11
My second day on the job was spent telling Emir all about my vision of my creepy protector.
“It sounds like your sight has been bound by magic, so you were unable to use it until now, which is a bit odd because, usually, it would help a deathwalker or a GK. I’m not sure why this mysterious figure would bind it. But now I can tell that you’re a deathwalker. You have the touch of the afterworld now. It’s not surprising that afterworld beings have found you before now. However, the buffer is an enigma,” Emir said thoughtfully.
We were in the fancy office again, the fire roaring nearby, which is what I was attributing the constant heat low in my belly to, even though it only seemed to pop up whenever Priya was around.
“Does that mean I smell, or something? Like, what’s the touch of the afterworld?” I scrunched up my face. Priya laughed, and Emir smiled broadly.
“No, it means your energy is different now.”
“You smell lovely, Linc. Don’t worry.” Priya winked from where she sat, her long legs stretched out on the coffee table. She was doing a lot of winking lately.
“I will ask some of our elders and oracles if there were any sort of whispers of a reason someone would have their sight concealed. I’ve never heard of it before, but nothing is really normal these days anyway. Now that you have it, you can start training. After you take a week to rest, of course,” Emir said, nursing a cup of tea.
I opened my mouth to protest that I was fine, then a stabbing pain shot through my temple. I closed my eyes and rubbed at it with my fingers. A week seemed like forever, but I’d rather not have my eyeballs fall out of my head.
“The headaches will subside, but there’s no reason to push yourself. Your body is adjusting and so is your mind. You’ve learned a lot in the last month,” Priya said smoothly.
So much had happened: breaking off my engagement, meeting Priya, dying, finding out that I’m a deathwalker, and getting my new job. But, genuinely, I was fine.
For the most part, at least.
Did I sometimes cry at night over the loss of a partner? Yes. Was it because I missed Isaac? No. But did I miss having someone like him in my life? Absolutely.
“You are on bed rest for the rest of the week. I will allow you some reading if you’d like, as long as you don’t have any more eye soreness, but let’s hold off on any additional physical training. We can start that next week. Priya will answer any questions you have in the meantime,” Emir said, standing and looking at the watch on his left arm. “I’ve got to head off to a meeting, but you’re more than welcome to hang out here for a while. I’ll email you some materials. We’ll continue to unravel this mystery and keep you protected, Lincoln. We’re so glad to have you,” he said as he strutted out of the office.
“Do you not have better things to do than babysit me?” I asked playfully, standing and stretching out my legs.
“I do. But this is part of my job too. I’m happy to help you, love,” she said, teeth flashing.
My heart warmed a little with that damn word.
More like something else warmed a lot when she said it.
I should figure that out. But it’s probably just the fire in here. It is very…hot.
And Priya is sensational. Like a stunning intelligent warrior. I just admire her and her overall prowess, like a cute little girl crush that other people have on celebrities.
I’m glad to have her as a friend and mentor. No need to take anything further than that. I just broke off an engagement, and I have no business exploring a relationship with her that’s anything besides friendship. Additionally, I’ve literally never been in a relationship with anyone except Isaac. I’ve barely ever thought of anyone except Isaac, and that wound’s still fresh so it’s best to shut down whatever’s happening inside me.
Plus, I have no idea if I like women, or if she likes women.
Aren’t you supposed to have your sexuality figured out by the age of twenty-five? Am I just curious? Intoxicated by the amazement that is Priya? Just a horny gal who had sex regularly for a while, then suddenly wasn’t getting any? I mean, I’d barely touched my vibrator since the breakup. Maybe I should pull it out and release some of this tension.
