The Unmaking (The Rayne Whitmore Series Book 1) (14 page)

            “I’m just so proud of you.
I didn’t know that you’d be tortured Rayne or else I never would have called on
Diana. Please believe me. I would never put you through that.” Selene spits out
her apologies, but I silence her with a finger.

            “None of that matters now.
That part is done. I can feel the power inside me and it feels incredible. I
pull aside the sheet that is wrapped around me and look at my body. No scars,
no pain, it’s amazing. I smile at Selene to show that I forgive her, that I
never even blamed her.

            “Lawrence healed you about
six hours ago and said that you’d probably be out for a couple days, but I
guess he underestimated your strength. They’ll want to start to ceremony
immediately then,” Selene says.

            “What ceremony?”

            “Apparently after someone
unlocks their power, there is a celebration and an introduction to the eldest
of the Immortals. I don’t know anything else about it.”

            “Well, okay then. Let’s
get this over with. I want to keep going with all this.”

            “Don’t be in such a hurry
for punishment Rayne. Lawrence is already excited about teaching you to fight
with weapons.”

            I laugh. “He probably just
wants payback for me choking him with the chains.”

            “Yeah, he’s told everyone
within hearing distance how you broke free and tried to choke him to death.
He’s very proud of you and wants to take you on as his lover,” Selene tells me,
extremely amused.

            “Oh really now? Well do
Immortals understand the concept of being a lesbian?”

            “No, they understand the
concept of bisexuality extremely well though, but exclusively attracted to only
one sex, or only one partner, it’s absolutely preposterous,” Selene laughs.
“Still, if you let him down gently, he’ll probably leave you alone. He sees
your willpower and it attracts him, that’s all.”

            “Well, I’m flattered, and
even though I have no interest in men, like that, maybe he can tell me more
about this more than one lover thing,” I joke.

            “Ha ha, very funny. You wouldn’t
know what to do with two women in your bed.”

            I raise my eyebrow at
Selene and smirk. “I’m sure I could find my way around just fine.”

            “Well, you’re just going
to keep imagining that, cuz this one right here does not share.”

            “I wouldn’t ask you to,” I
tell her, kissing her lips.

            “Good. Because if you did,
I’d find a spell to cut you in half and then tell
you
to share.”

            We both laugh as Selene
pulls me out of bed. “Come, let’s go find Diana. I’m sure she’s anxious to see
you now.”

            We walk down a long
corridor filled with beautiful marble columns that remind me of a Greek palace.
Everything is elegant, bright, and warm. I feel like royalty as I stroll
through and admire the tapestries of purple and gold, the elaborate paintings
depicting naked men and women, epic battles, elegant feasts, and the unmatched
architectural beauty that is this home. If I didn’t have a job to do, I could
get comfortable here for a long while and probably never have a care in the
world. If only the circumstances were different. I shake myself from my wishful
thinking as we reach a massive wooden door with gold trimmings. Selene knocks
purposefully and seconds later, a familiar melodic voice answers us.

            “You may enter.”

            Inside is a space that
looks like a bedroom, but is so large that even I, who grew up with much more
than most, have to do a double take. The bed itself can hold about four people
comfortably, not to mention the furniture that is not only large, but looks
soft and inviting in neutral colors. The art on the walls would make Da Vinci
look like macaroni art. Then, there’s Diana standing at the double glass doors
which are open, leaning against the frame with both hands, her golden dress
tied at her neck, but the back cut so low that I can almost see her ass. I have
to clear my throat in order not to drop my jaw at her beauty. What a sight it
is indeed.

            I glance over at Selene to
see if she’s watching me, but it seems as if she’s enjoying the vision in front
of us as well. I don’t feel as guilty. I take a couple more steps forward
before Diana finally turns around, her hair swinging seductively in her face
and I have to wonder if she’s doing it on purpose.

            “Rayne, it is a stunning
surprise to find that you have unlocked what was hidden inside of you. My mark
was the first part of the key and only by ridding yourself of fear and
believing in your strength were you able to put the rest of the pieces
together. Child, there are great things for you to achieve and here we will
make you a powerful weapon. Now that you have been un-made, I can teach you the
ways of the supernatural and extraordinary. Now, you will be able to see the
world as it has always been. You are one of the awakened,” Diana tells me,
delighted. She touches my shoulder gently and the mark on my chest comes to
life with a powerful glow. I feel excitement coursing through my veins and I
say a silent prayer to my family.

            Diana looks at Selene and
states, “You may now take your leave, witch. I have business with the child and
I have arranged for Kaede to go over some ancient writings with you that may be
useful in the future.” She dismisses Selene a little more rudely for my tastes,
but I decide to leave it alone for a while.

            Selene ignores her pride,
thanks Diana and kisses me on my cheek before leaving us alone.

            “I may not necessarily be
a mind reader child, but I have lived long enough to pick up on the slightest
hint of body language or facial expressions. If you do you not like how I treat
your witch then say so. Speak up for yourself young warrior or you will not be
heard,” Diana tells me as she lifts up my chin, examining me like a doctor
would a patient.

            “Fine. I don’t like how
you dismissed Selene as if she were a servant. She’s my girlfriend and if it
wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here,” I admit.

            “I will try to be more
kind in the future,” Diana says, with slight humor in her voice.

            “What is so funny?” I ask,
starting to get upset with her attitude.

            “You amuse me is all. It
has been too long since I’ve been in the company of humans. Lesson one then
Rayne. We are not human, you cannot expect us to always behave in the way that
your kind does. Remember that will be the truth with other types of
supernatural beings that you encounter as well. Many of us are more long lived
than your kind and your cultural expectations are not always relevant or
familiar to us.”

            “Well, maybe you shouldn’t
have given up on us,” I say before thinking.

            A flash of anger and
something more deadly crosses Diana’s expression, and then her calm demeanor
returns. She ignores my statement and says, “So, Lawrence tells me that you
have the spirit of a true warrior. He is quite taken with you.”

            “I can’t say that I’m too
fond of him yet, since I know more about the sword he carries than the man
himself.”

            Diana laughs and motions
for me to follow her through the double glass doors. We step out into a
beautiful field of green, purple, blue, and pink, headed towards a small body
of water. I breathe in the crisp air and realize that I can hear birds in the
distance and voices farther down the way. A new found talent no doubt.

            “Lawrence is one of the
best warriors we have to offer. It is an honor to be held in such high regard
by the likes of him. He even believes you will be a suitable lover.” She
glances back at me as we cross the sand near the water.

            “Hmm, so I’ve heard. I
think I’m suitable enough without his help thank you very much. This human has
only one lover at a time,” I tell her firmly, hoping she gets the hint.

            “You are young yet. You
will seek more hands,” Diana tells me as if saying that the sky is blue.

            I laugh. “Well, Lawrence
doesn’t have the right set of hands that I like,” I respond.

            Diana frowns. “This I do
not understand.”

            “I have no interest in
men,” I say honestly.

            “Oh, so you are waiting
for my favor then.” Diana nods.

            I laugh uncomfortably.
“Um, no, Diana. With all due respect, I need no one’s favor. Selene is enough
for me.”

            “Well, I can accept that,
for now. But later, you may want to learn what a true lover is or maybe even
both of you will reach out to me. After all, your witch is a beauty and force
all her own as well. She will be a great high priestess if she chooses to work
hard.”

            I stand there for a few
seconds, my eyes going to her hard nipples and I try not to groan. It’s hard
not to be attracted to someone who literally radiates beauty, but I can be
attracted to her and still be in love and faithful to Selene. That is what I’m
going to do.

            “Diana, if we ever have
this conversation again, let it be on my terms,” I plead, trying to tear my
eyes away from her body. My senses are heightened right now and I really need
to learn how to keep them in check. That is the only explanation as to why I am
acting like this.

            “Fine. You will see though
that the power awakened inside of you will rouse different desires. With the
flames of power, the flames of passion so too arises. You will seek it, crave
it,” Diana warns.

            I will take my chances.
For now, I am just passionate about ending this conversation. I change the
subject as we continue to walk into a breeze, adjacent the shimmering water.
“Diana, what kind of powers did I unlock? I want to understand what this all
means.”

            “The amount of power may
differ among humans, but it is obvious that you have a lot of strength inside
you. For some people, even without the help of the mark and the un-making, a
small amount of power comes through. Those are people who excel in the arts of
fighting, are extremely fast, or even feel as if they can sense things that
others cannot. If they were ever marked, they’d have remarkable power. You, are
somewhere in between. You may not have exceeded the way some whose power had
slightly manifested, but as your urge to protect grew, your power began to
leak. I believe that is why your witch was able to recognize what you could be
in the first place. She may not realize it, but she felt your power,” Diana
explains.

            We stop at the edge of the
water and it’s so clear that I can see straight to the bottom. I reach down and
touch the water. The temperature is perfect.

            “So, how much power you
have, I do not know, but I can guess that it’s enough to make you not only a
force, but a threat. You may become a target back in your world if you’re not
careful. Still, when you are through with this training, you will be more than
able to protect yourself and those you hold dear. Depending on how hard you
train, you powers can only grow. They are not at a set limit. What I can say
assuredly is that your physical strength has improved, your reflexes are
sharper, your speed has increased, and your emotions are now heightened. If you
were of normal intelligence then your intelligence has just grown slightly, but
if your mental abilities before were exceptional, then they are now even more
so. Any assets that you used a great deal before will be even better now.”

            “I nod in understanding.
Well, I was a fast swimmer before, so I should be even faster now. All those
muscles that I’m used to working will work better then.”

            “Precisely, child. Would
you like to try it out?”

            I look out at the water
and smile. “There aren’t any sharks or some mythical creature out there that
will eat me right?”

            “Not to worry. There are
no merpeople or shapeshifters in these lands. They dwell in the lands of the
west,” Diana responds seriously.

            “Oh,” I say. “Good to
know.” After all, I didn’t want to be attacked by a mermaid on a Friday night.
That would just ruin the rest of my evening. I wipe my face as I try to get
used to hearing about all these things I never believed existed. This is my
world now. The rest of the human race may have turned their backs on it a long
time ago, but I am going to embrace it as much as I can, especially if it will
help me find justice for my family.

            I strip off my outer layer
and stand there in my bra and panties that I received from them. Everything fit
so perfectly. I’d have to thank the local tailor. Normally, I’m used to tying
my hair back, but now that it’s cut short, I don’t have to worry about it which
feels a little strange. Still, I walk out into the water until I can sort of
dive in and I start to swim with long even strides.

            I feel so free and normal
that I don’t even notice how far I’ve gone so quickly until I realize that I
can’t even see Diana anymore. Still, I don’t turn around. I keep swimming,
pushing my limits, faster and faster, until I reach about four small
waterfalls. The water is pounding down loudly against the rocks below. I take
in the hills on either side of me, the green contrasting so boldly with the
blue of the water that I almost cry. There are hundreds of different types of
fish swimming along with me. I can even see their colors clearly through my
watery paradise. For a few minutes, I simply float on my back, admiring the
beauty of this world.