Chapter two

I finally got home at around 5:00 pm. It was hot out, and my head was filled with questions. Why was Nalenniun so easy to talk to? And how did she totally decompose that body? I had forgotten about that until now, as if she had hypnotized the concept out of my mind to avoid discussion. It seemed to me that I was making much more out this than there really was--but it was all just too weird to be a dream.

As soon as I got home, my hand still on the knob from closing the door, Amaranth called as if on cue.

And so the interrogation began.

“What happened?” she chimed. “I thought she hated you!”
“Well… she does. As far as I know.” I sighed.

“It didn’t seem like it. We saw you two at Terry’s, having breakfast together. You both looked pretty happy. Even Nalenniun.”

“Really?” I was openly surprised. “Well… I don’t know. It’s all pretty weird.”

“Well then. What are you doing?”

“I just got back.”

“Okay, you’re coming over. We’ll be there to pick you up.”

“Um… okay. Do you need an address?”

“No, Meriwether knows where Felix lives.”

“Then… bye.”

“See ya!”

Felix asked no questions, just waved me off with a grin. I appreciated this, for the only honest answer was that I was going to be questioned by a bunch of urgent teenagers.

“Hi, Cole.” Lilith greeted me calmly.

“Hey.”

It was Meriwether, Amaranth, Lilith, and someone else that I couldn’t make out. They each greeted me—everyone except for the mystery person—and pulled me into the passenger seat, beside Amaranth. “Who’s in the back?” I asked under my breath.

“Winter,” Amaranth replied solemnly. “He hangs out with Nalenniun and Talon. He’s Raven’s—Nalenniun’s best friend—brother. You know, he’s the youngest one, we saw him at the club last night…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah… Meriwether and Lilith like him.”

We drove in silence, except for the occasional giggling of Lilith, Meriwether, and Winter in the backseat. When we finally go to Amaranth’s, I was humbly surprised.

It was huge—large, perfect windows sculpted into marble walls, a huge, brilliant door surrounded by various bushes, trees, and flowers, the rich foliage glowing with healthy leaves.

As we entered the house, I became even more engrossed in the expensive, new, clean furnishings that surrounded the large room before me. One wall, to the left of the door, was covered completely in bookshelves that reached all the way up to the ceiling. To the right there were couches and chairs of all sorts, and a large fireplace in the center. Pianos, violins, cellos, violas, and basses were hung on porcelain hooks that looked to be ancient, and very, very expensive.

“Wow.” I heard myself mutter pitifully.

Meriwether smiled. “I know.”

Amaranth sighed. “Come on.”

She led us into a door that was up three stories, and to the back of the house. The first thing that I noticed was how big it—her room—was. It seemed as big as Felix’s house. The second thing about it was how empty it was—there was a red futon near the back, tons of book and CD shelves, a table, and a piano. One wall, the one facing the backyard, was covered with one big window, which showed the greenest of grass, tons of sycamores and oaks, and some horses grazing contentedly.

Meriwether seemed the most comfortable here, taking a seat on her bed and laying back. Lilith was next, taking a seat and the table, and Winter followed. This left me. As Amaranth went to join Meriwether, I decided to just take a seat where I was. I leaned back against the wall and sighed.

“It,” Winter groaned, looking out the window. “is going to rain. Seriously.”

“You don’t like rain?” Lilith asked him calmly.

“Nope.”

“And yet you like snow.”

“Yup.”

“Huh.”

“Where’s Belladonna and Salem?” I asked Amaranth.

She grinned. “They’re at dinner.”

“They’re dating?”

“Married, actually.” She replied casually. Amaranth sighed, smiling at my surprised face. “They‘re from the same orphanage.”

“Orphanage?” I muttered

Lilith sighed, narrowing her eyes frankly at Amaranth. “New kids don‘t know everyone‘s biography, remember, Am?” Turning to me she smiled. “Belladonna and Salem are both orphans. They were adopted a couple years apart, but ended up being next door neighbors. When they turned eighteen, they decided they would get married.”

“Oh.” It seemed weird to me, that kind of devotion. That kind of bond. Truthfully, I didn’t remember how Mom and Dad had interacted. It was just one of the many things that I had forced myself to forget.

“What about you, Cole? What about your family?” Winter’s eyes, as they turned to meet my own, held some sort of intensity. I shuddered.

“My… My mom is dead, my dad’s in Europe on a business trip, and my two brothers--Gregory and Nicolas--are in college. I‘m living with Felix, my uncle, right now.”

I blinked. They all turned to face me, eyes wide and sympathetic. I choked back a gasp. Had I just…?

“I… I’m so sorry, Cole. I didn’t know…” Amaranth struggled. I smiled sheepishly.

“Um… so… well,” Meriwether grimaced, meeting my gaze timidly. I nodded and smiled his permission, thankful for his interruption. “I have a slutty sister named Cassidy and two nice, loving, strict parents. Bor-ing.”

Winter laughed. “I don’t remember my parents. For as long as I can remember, Raven--my sister--has been taking care of me.”

“My parents are both… well… uber rich. I have a sister, Aphrodite… she’s twelve. My brother, Kelith, is five.” Amaranth announced, grinning softly. “They’re not home right now, thank God.”

“Aw, I think you’re lucky!” Lilith giggled. “I’m an only child, spawn of a single mom.” She frowned dramatically, fingering her sleeve. “Besides, your siblings are really sweet.”

The conversation droned on, Amaranth and Lilith aguing passionately about what sounded like “the perfect family.” I felt strangely at ease in their company, at ease in the delicate house and by the sides of these wonderful, friendly people. I examined Winter and Lilith’s body language curiously. They moved at the exact same time, as if their minds worked as one. However, they sat a safe distance apart, nervously situated to suit that awkward stage on the border between friends and more than friends.

Amaranth and Meriwether were completely different. They didn’t have that intense chemistry--they had only each other, and that was enough. They both leaned back easily, smiling, laughing, patting each other on the shoulders, each gesture playful and kind. It was weird, how two relationships that had the same intention could be so obscurely different.

It made me wonder. Would I ever have something like that?

Amaranth groaned as she checked her watch, smacking Meriwether on the arm as if to end to conversation. He smiled. “We’re late,” Am announced. “Shall we go?”

Lilith, Meriwether, and Winter stood automatically, smiling mischievously to themselves, and headed for the door. “Where are we going?” I questioned.

“Nalenniun’s,” Amaranth said. She chuckled, met my gaze, and guided me out of the house.

They were plotting.

We drove in Winter’s Toyota Land Cruiser, and… Wow. They have a lot of money.

By the third turn, I found out that Winter and Nalenniun lived together. Apparently, Talon, Nalenniun, Winter, and Raven were all very close friends. For some reason, this wasn’t much of a surprise. They were all so much… alike, with that majestic beauty of theirs.

We started towards a nicer section of the town, and as the houses grew bigger and bigger, I got anxious. We were going to Nalenniun’s house! Were her friends supposed to know about the man that she had killed? Would she avoid me again, or befriend me? And Talon… he made me nervous. He had that annoyed, fatherly feel to him. Or maybe it was just plain big-brotherish. He had, after all, played a large part in Nalenniun’s life, raising her as she did the same for him. Maybe he was the reason that Nalenniun had avoided me…?

I scowled at myself. Where was the old Cole? The Cole that would break into houses and get rich on bets and be fearless? I felt the fire of my old life rise in my gut. Talon would not intimidate me. I was Cole. I had two daggers and a gun strapped securely to my body. Why was I being such a coward? If Nalenniun wanted to hate me… so be it. It was her choice, her life. I could go on without understanding her and that arrogant family.

I blinked, snapping out of my trance. I glanced sideways at the seats around me, to make sure that nobody saw me shaking.

Winter was staring at me. His gray eyes were deep with emotion. Fear, joy, intelligence… so many emotions, colliding into each other with anxious and exuberant thrills.

It was like he could see right through me…

The car stopped. I looked up to see a large, white house towering over us. It had black shutters and a black roof. The house was three stories tall, mounted gallantly on a hill, gargoyles and roses encircling it. There was a stone pathway up to the door, which was large and black with a strange shaped knocker. It was like a human, though having cat-like features, long fangs, looking as if thriving in pain. Wings looked as if they were cutting themselves out from within the figure, and the eyes were haunting, though only stone. The details were so real, so obscure and original, that it was hard to look away. When I touched it, I was struck with a strong and sudden chill, waves of power running through my veins.

Winter was watching me again.

The thrills were still racing through me. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest, as if beating its way out. It hurt, but… it was a good hurt. A strange hurt… a powerful hurt.

Winter was keeping the others’ attention away from me, chattering and pointing at some gargoyles. He knew what was happening to me.

I felt the doors of my mind, the ones that I had kept locked for so long, slowly open. Thoughts, tears, screams, fury, grief, and depression flooded out of them, filling my blood with a feeling that I had tried so hard to abandon, forget… Love.

It filled my body, the same warm, excited, bright feeling that I had felt once before. And then came the pain. My silent mourning took over. My knees buckled. I tried to scream, but as soon as I took in a breath to do so, Winter waved his hand towards me, and it came out silent.

I screamed again, grey tears flooding out of my eyes.

And then it stopped.

The knocker released my hand, and I crashed onto the ground, my head hitting hard stone. At first, I could still feel the pain. But then, I closed my eyes to look at what was filling my mind, and I saw a sun. A bright, multicolored sun. It healed my scars, inside and out, making them no longer painful, but just there. I could finally piece together all that I had learned, through the years, about death, and life, and hate, and love… It was, finally, all coming together. I could finally understand.

I felt wonderful.

I stood quickly, as Winter turned around and smiled slightly at me. He nodded in respect, then led us all into the house.

The first thing that I noticed when we stepped in was that Nalenniun, Raven, and Talon were all sitting in the front room, their faces paler than usual--grey, almost. They looked haunted, as if they had seen a ghost. Though, each carried their own specific emotion, also. Talon looked angry. Raven looked thoughtful, and Nalenniun… Nalenniun looked happy, almost. A brilliant shade of it.

Talon narrowed his eyes and stood and Winter entered the room, his fists clenched in disgust. “What have you done?” he demanded, his white teeth gritted with pure fury.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Winter replied calmly, though I could hear the warning in his voice.

Lilith stepped in beside him, Amaranth and Meriwether trailing behind. Talon glared at them mercilessly, his fists shaking. I shivered under his sharp dark blue gaze.

“They are well enough involved themselves! There is no reason not to tell them.” He growled. “If they keep it up, they will find out soon enough…”

Winter shook his head, and I could feel the waves of heat rushing off of him like angry tides. “We don’t need to involve them, Talon. You can either sit down and shut up, or leave.”

Lilith covered her mouth with her hand, fighting to hide her grin from the angry Talon. Amaranth giggled openly, afraid of neither Talon nor Winter. I shuddered, fighting to remain completely still. I grimaced. I didn’t understand how they could just blurt out their emotions. It was about as bad as walking up to Talon and laughing. But, then I got the mental image in my head of what Talon was capable of, and raised an eyebrow.

Talon snapped his head towards me, his glare sharp and harsh. But then he grinned. It was a dark grin, a furious one, but he seemed to know what I was thinking. I smirked back, taking it as a confirmation that he really could make them pay.

So now I was hopelessly confused. Number one, what was with people hating me here? I mean, hating me at first sight is one thing, but… It’s like neither Talon nor Nalenniun really did—as if they were following orders or something. Both of them had shown some sort of friendliness towards me—it made absolutely no sense.

Second: how had Talon even known what I was thinking. Usually, I had a pretty unreadable face. Maybe these people were just really good at face reading? Or maybe they had some sort of psychic power?

I raised my head reluctantly to view Talon’s face. He met my eyes, the depth of them wry. I guess I had hit pretty close to home.

Raven stood, her long legs graceful and threatening. She took a few strides forward, placing her thin hand on Talon’s shoulder. “Stop it, Talon,” she warned, her velvet voice sharp. “You’re not helping anything.” She leaned in, her lips softly brushing his ear. “The newborn ascendant is here, Talon. Don’t kill us all.”

I blinked when I realized that Amaranth, Meriwether, and Lilith thought that it was merely some sign of affection. Winter, Nalenniun, and I were the only ones who acknowledged it. And yet each of them, whether they had heard what Raven had been saying or not, directed their gaze towards me as Raven said the word “ascendant.”

Talon met Raven’s gaze flatly, nodded, and stalked back towards where his sister was seated. They stared at each other for a few moments, until Nalenniun nodded and stood. She smiled blankly at me, nodded her respects, and disappeared down the corridor.

As the rest of us stood dumbly, Raven strode over to me, taking my hand and pulling me towards the next room. I followed sluggishly, weak with her hand upon mine. Unlike Nalenniun, Raven had a more… motherly air to her. I felt safe in her company, under her wise protection.

She led me into a room furnished in only white, sitting gracefully on a couch and motioning for me to sit beside her. I did as she said, but only because I had, virtually, no other choice. Could vaguely hear the anxious discussion that Talon was taking care of back with my friends.

Silence.

“Cole…” Raven’s voice was deep and mature, calming, like stubborn silk. I met her gaze timidly. “You do know that Nalenniun is… different?”

It seemed like more of a statement as a question. But she waited for my answer, nevertheless. I nodded.

“Do you have any… notions?”

I shook my head.

“And tell me, Cole… Do you believe that humans are alone on this earth?”

The intensity of the raven-haired beauty shook me, and I dropped my gaze. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

“What of I told you that we are vampires? Talon, Winter, Nalenniun, and I?” She leaned closer to me, and I could feel the cold, shallow breathing upon my neck. I shuddered flinching as she placed her hand firmly to my shoulders.

“You… You’re… you’re crazy.” The words fought to remain in the back of my throat. I coughed. Raven’s grip tightened.

In a lightning-quick motion, she snapped forward, placing her lips to my neck. I fought to jump away, to get out of here, but her hands were unstoppable. Two sharp points pierced my skin, and I screamed, the sound crackly and strangled. I could feel the warm liquid that I assumed was my blood spill against my skin.

Raven pulled away, a thin line of blood along her chin. I watched, trembling slightly, as her fangs sunk back into her gums. She licked the blood away, narrowing her eyes.

“Do you believe me now?”

“Yes.” I spat. A lump grew in my throat. “But why are you showing me this?”

Silence. Raven fingered her sleeve and bit her lip. I relaxed my back a bit, leaning against the delicate fabric of the snow-white couch, and waited. When she finally looked up, her eyes held an emotion that I had not expected. They were eager, respectful, and dripping with hope.

“You have the power, Cole,” she began. Her voice was gently urgent, and that both scared and comforted me. “To destroy us or help us. There are thousands of vampires, angels, werewolves, demons, elves, humane-tannerins, and whatever else, living among people. You couldn’t imagine how hard it is to hide what you are. We… we hope for a place, one day, where Creatures of the Night, Creatures of the Morning, and humans can live together peacefully…

“…And we’ve called only the most respectable to Madison.”

“Are you saying that I’m a ‘Creature of the Night’ or whatever? And am I going to turn into a Vampire, now that you’ve bitten me?” I scratched the wound on my neck, scowling at the blood on my fingers. I held them up for her to see.

“No, that’s not how it works, Cole. You will not turn into a vampire,” Raven informed me bluntly. I grimaced. “And… no, Cole. You are the Ascendant. You have an influence over Us that I could never begin to describe to you. We--meaning the Creatures and humans who are willing to help with our dream--hold meetings, every year, in Madison. We would like you to attend, Cole, and… decide if you will help us or not.”

It was too weird for me. The New Cole was struggling to comprehend the situation that had thrown itself at me. The New Cole had never been very good at handling people. The New Cole was pitiful.

The Old Cole wanted out.

“I will attend your meeting,” The door released itself, my voice thickening, making its words indefinite. I narrowed my eyes. “But I will not say that I fully believe all that you are telling me, or that I will not work against you.” Reaching back, I felt for my prized dagger that I kept strapped to the small of my back. I fingered the point threateningly, letting it prick my finger. I breathed in the scent of my blood, biting my finger and clearing the warm red liquid away with my tongue.

Raven watched my threat with an unreadable face, her posture stiff. She nodded, stood, and stalked out of the room with me in tow.

“Take him home, Talon,” she announced softly. “Take the boy home.”

I shuddered against the cold leather of Talon’s car. Amaranth, Lilith, Meriwether, and Winter were nowhere to be found. But I was the Old Cole now. I was undefeatable.

The soft home of the car tore its way into my mind, and I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against the cold glass of the window. Talon brought his hand to the radio, playing a strange rock CD that had a variety of strings instruments and sharp male vocals. The blue sky thundered past, the white clouds threatening in their exuberance.

“Cole… Do you understand the importance of who you are?”

I sat up, tilting my head to the side a bit. “No. I guess I don’t.”

The older man eyed me a few moments before sighing, drumming his thick fingers against the steering wheel as he fought to choose his words.

“Generations have been waiting for the ascendant to come. If you help… the world could be a much better place. Vampires could express their intellect freely, werewolves could take part in athletics like they’ve wanted to. Angels could help the people, demons could be artistic without being thought crazy. You could never understand ho much this means to me--to Us,” He sighed again, biting his lip, before carrying on gentler and more cautious. “Please, Cole. we‘ve been waiting for so long…”

Abruptly, I snapped my glare to view the supposed vampire’s face. His profile was sad, lost, desperate. Despicable creatures--and I thought humans were supposed to be the worthless ones. I rested my elbow against the window-ledge, leaning the side of my head into my hand. “Don’t talk like that, Talon. You sound like a whiny little boy.”

Talon snapped both hands to the wheel, flexing his muscles, a strange growl escaping his throat. “Rotten ascendant,” he muttered under breath. Glancing my way with a vile gaze, he spoke up. “Don’t take matters like this lightly, Cole. Your beloved brothers are caught up in this, too. Your uncle is part of it, Cole. You’re surrounded.”

I narrowed my eyes. My nails dug into my other arm. I drew blood, grimacing as I wiped it onto my pants. “Asshole.”

Talon wrinkled his brow, staring intently at the road before us. “What’s wrong with you, Cole? What the hell has screwed you up so fucking bad?”

“You did. You and your filthy creatures. Your filthy world with all of your filthy twists and turns, and those goddamned illnesses and the goddamned therapists and… and… and…”

“Stop trying to sound tough, Cole.”

Wet, grey liquid dropped into my hands. I was crying. I wiped them away, but with each harsh jerk more came. I tried harder, and faster, to keep them from coming, but they were invincible. My sadness had waited far too long, and it was going to make itself known. “You… you… you…”

“You’re not fooling anyone, Cole. Not anyone.”

I glanced up at Talon. He smiled sympathetically as our gazes locked. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a pack of tissues, setting them in my lap. Silently, I took them, nodding my thanks, as I expressed my pain as freely as I had before.

The rest of the drive passed in silence. I kept the tissues close at hand, biting my lip until it bled, making sure as not to look at Talon. He had turned off the music shortly after my episode had begun. He murmured a few inaudible things every once in a while, but other than that, remained wordless.

We pulled into my driveway sometime around 8:00 pm. I nodded my thanks to Talon, and he smiled gruffly back. I thudded up the porch stairs and into the house, waving to Felix and racing for my room.

“Wait, Cole--hold on,” Felix’s voice surprised me. Curious, I walked backwards and focused on tracing my steps.

“What is it, Unc--Felix?” My voice came out thin and alien to my sensitive ears. I coughed.

“Cole… sit down,” He gestured to the chair across from him. I obeyed timidly. He met my gaze. “I’m very sorry that… your father couldn’t realize what he was leaving behind when he left for Europe. When my sister died… she told me to make sure that he didn’t lose himself, and… Well, I did the only thing I could…” He paused, and met my black gaze. I fought to capture the emotions that were convulsing through my thoughts. He looked back down at his thumbs, and carried on.

“At first… I didn’t think much of it. It was just a death wish, just like the one my wife had given me. But, as it slowly sunk in, I realized that it was my… duty, I guess. I visited more frequently, trying to find some habit that Michael took joy in. But there was… nothing.

“I became nervous and withdrawn. I actually studied human nature, in hopes that I’d find something to bring him back with, something to get his mind off of his--our--loss. I would do anything to make sure that I didn’t fail to carry out my sister’s wishes, to help you boys, to help Michael.

“That’s when I noticed how work took his mind off of things.

“He could go about his business without recognizing his troubles. He could submit his soul into the paperwork and campaigns and not hurt anymore. So I encouraged him.

“I spoke with his boss. I offered to stay at the house while he traveled. I supported him as he worked, brought him coffee and food. I did everything I could to get him to forget everything else and focus on work,” Felix’s voice grew pressured thick. His easygoing, light hearted eyes glistened with tears. He cleared his throat, and started again.

“But never before had I noticed how troubled you boys were. Especially you, Cole. I noticed how much you… changed. I thought that I could help you, to deal with… your mother’s death. I remember when Olivia died. It was… the hardest period of my life. I knew how to… deal with it, Cole. I knew how to help you. So I… offered to house you while your father went away. I… I’m responsible for your father… not looking at you.” His voice squeezed shut as he choked back tears.

I stared at my hands. The strange convulsions in my chest continued as I wrestled my thumbs. Sighing, I looked up and smiled. “It’s okay, Felix. I’m fine, I really am.”

He narrowed his eyes and frowned. “Cole, don’t play that game with me. I can see how much you’re hurting. I can hear your sobs at night. I’ve seen that weary somber in your eyes.”

“Just leave me alone, Felix. I’m fine. I swear to God.”

“God doesn’t mean anything if your Atheist.”

I stood rapidly. How did he know? How, why, was he able to read me so well? I stomped down the dark hall, my arm extended, waiting for that familiar wood to hit my palm. It never did. I carried on, violently, desperately. I fought to open my eyes. I could feel the world spinning around me. Then there it was: I hit the wood with a bang.

My consciousness gave way.

“Open your eyes.”

A thin, mischievous voice invaded my peace. I obeyed, however, jumping back as a bright-eyed face stared curiously. Muttering profanities, I felt for my knife.

“Relax, relax,” the boy waved a hand dramatically, chuckling. “you’re dreaming, dumb-ass. I can’t hurt you. Not that you couldn’t stop me.” Blue eyes narrowed, pale skin pure and soft. I blinked at the exaggerated clothes--skin-tight leather, revealing only the head, hands, and feet. The talk figure squatted, smiling toothily. “I’m Jaslierre. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Cole--”

“Pfft, I know who you are.”

Offended, I stood, looking for the first time at my surroundings. The blank white that I had woken up to had faded into the scenery of a brilliant mansion room. The walls were a deep maroon, the couches and chairs thick, black, luxurious leather. The windows were tall and gallant, the medieval stained glass cruel to the naked eye.

The boy, Jaslierre, took a seat in front of me. “Like it?” he hissed. “My mother insists upon gothic fashion. I, myself, am an earthy fan. I often sleep in the wood.”

There was a pause as he looked me over, raising a thin eyebrow.

“Why the hell did you bring me here? Where’s Felix?” The words were out before I could control them. But that was the Old Cole, and I had once been used to it. He didn’t need to think to prove right.

Jaslierre, much to my surprise, did little more than giggle at my displeasure. A low growl emitted from my throat. “Cole, you’re the ascendant. I’m an alp, and I was curious.”

“So why do you have the right to bring me here?”

“I don’t, Cole. You could go back if you wanted. Don’t complain to me.” he rolled his eyes mockingly, waving his hands through the air. I felt the Old Cole raging inside of me. He wanted to beat this insolent boy so badly. But he didn’t.

“What the hell are you talking about, bastard?”

Jaslierre laughed at my hostile tone, standing and walking towards the window, peeking out. There was nothing but still night air. “You are the ascendant. I never remembered it being that hard to understand,” He stalked towards me, bending down in front of where I sat, raising a mocking eyebrow. He jabbed a finger into my chest. “Cole equals Ascendant.”

I gripped his finger in my fist and flung it away angrily. He raised a thin eyebrow, biting his tongue to hide his smirk. “Angry, are we?” he muttered.

“Look,” he winced as I spat the words, fighting to keep my social balance. “I never asked to be caught up in this. I never asked to meet Nalenniun and her group of freaks. I never asked for my father to freak out, for him to send me here, for my brothers to go to college and leave me at home, for my friends to frown whenever they saw me, for me to become the bad guy, for my mom to fucking die. I didn’t ask for any of this. I don’t want any of this. If I don’t want to comprehend the situation at hand, I don’t have to.

Jaslierre’s face had grown solemn as I spoke. He frowned, the glaze in those icy eyes somber. He shook his head, meeting my eyes under those melancholy, dark lashes. “It’s not that simple, Cole. We don’t plan our fate. I wish we did, but we don’t. Everyone is depending on you. You have weight on above your head, and if you don’t learn to recognize it, you can’t shoulder it.”

My eyes began to sting. The Old Cole didn’t like that. He clenched his fists and fought the lump in my throat, sharp tongue tensing in preparation. But, as I met Jaslierre’s desperate gaze, something in me cooled. The anger resided to it’s place behind the door, allowing me to utter one rational sentence throughout a plague of nonsense.

“But I don’t understand. I’m so confused. How can I fight if I’m blind against it?”

“Cole… there is something that you must, before you move any further, understand. Throughout my life, I have learned one thing. And I swear to you that, when all of this is said and done--when you are free to make your own decisions again, when you have experienced the unthinkable and feared for your life most certainly more than once; when you have hated, and questioned yourself, pondered what is righteous, doubted everything you‘ve ever believed in… when you have loved, and been loved, with a passion that both hurts and soothes… You must remember what I tell you hear, in order to accept the outcome, in order to accept your fate… in order to live on.

“We expect to be happy when everything can be explained, when we are not left hanging in our confusion. But if everything could be explained, we would have no purpose, and nothing to look forward to fulfilling.”

I stared at him, incredulous. The words ran through my head, and I understood none of it. However, I could not stop the phrase from repeating itself, over and over, like when I was studying math or science, the information having been just read completely penetrating my mind, but unable to stop trying.

Abruptly, the scene faded. As I flicked my gaze upwards, looking around frantically for Jaslierre, I saw only a moment’s worth of him. He stood by the window, his head in his hands, and cried.

Black whiteness wrapped itself around me, and I found myself suddenly thrust into nothingness. Jaslierre was gone, his words fresh in my mind, a lump left in my throat. Why had he been crying? He would have been the last man to have been tagged as a sentimental. I could feel the Old and New Cole clashing together inside me, in their own little argument. Who should take charge now, Cole? How do you handle this?

“Hello, ascendant. Had fun with the alp?”

A sharp, familiar voice purred from behind me. I spun around to face a tall, black-haired man, his white teeth smirking sarcastically. He rolled his neck as if to crack it, circling me in a stalling loll, looking me over with threatening eyes.

“You can’t run from me, Cole. can’t run from responsibility anymore.”

And then I remembered. His face, lit only by the moonlight, his snarling voice, those lightning-quick reflexes--the bullets running through his skin. Draven, the man from the day I met Nalenniun.

“What are you doing here? Where am I? You--you’re dead,” I sputtered my tongue suddenly seeming to crowd my mouth. But I could not shake the anger from my skin, could not rid myself of it until I allowed the words that I had kept subconsciously in my heart to escape and set their wrath. “You revolting bastard, cowardly rapist, weak insolent, asshole, desperate shitbag!”

Draven laughed, scratching the bag of his neck, perfectly relaxed. He smiled at me, he walked toward me. He lay a hand on my shoulder. He glared into my eyes.

“Don’t walk on volcanic ground right before an explosion, Cole. You might get hurt.”

The words an like fire through my senses. The two Coles battled inside me, as one wanted to press for an answer and the other wanted to punch him in the face. This man, with raven black hair and sinfully harsh eyes that burned my skin under his gaze.

I took a deep breath.

“You are going to have to accept things, sometime, Cole--the world, your family, your friends, yourself.”

I tried to speak. Nothing came out. I tried to yell, to curse, to threaten, but nothing came out. Never had I felt so helpless than on that busy day, when I was thrown into a purpose without any preparation, any warning. Never had I felt so naked as when I was covered with the truth.

“You know, Cole, if you were the ascendant, you’d be able to force me to stop the silence. But you’re not the ascendant, are you? Not until you accept your fate. Not until you suck it up and stop running like a scared little boy.” Draven growled. He paused, timidly, as he thought of the words to shape his thought. He turned away, pacing towards the other direction, gently refusing to face me as he spoke.

“I can teach you all about our world. I… I can teach you about the ascendant, and vampires, and alps, and humane-tannerins, and werewolves, and elves, and fairies, and… so many things, Cole. So many things.”

My stomach felt as if it were filled with boiling water. My hands closed against my arms. I could feel the veins pulsing under my skin as I tensed, sickeningly aware of the Old Cole flaring at full rage.

But something was different.

The New Cole was just as pissed. I was standing side by side with myself as I shoved against the silence, as if breaking down a door. I could feel the two forces fighting with all their might about that force, tracing down the Draven on the other side and doing everything in their power to overthrow him.

Me. I, Cole McKinnon, was the one trapped. I was getting myself out. Me, myself, and fucking I.

“Then teach me.”

The words were out before I realized what had happened. Draven grinned.

“Yes, Cole,” the man beckoned, grinning ear to ear. “Whatever the ascendant wishes.”