I Am Eve Read online

  Darius stood by the body with two hands on a sword eerily similar to my own. A thin streak of dark tar-like substance stained the blade.

  I stepped out from my hiding place and looked down at the vampire. “I….”

  “Don’t believe it?” Darius asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “I know, my dear. Believe me, I know.” Darius ran the flat of his blade across the vampire’s cloak to clean off the blood and then shoved the weapon in a scabbard dangling from his belt.

  “Do…do we have to put a stake through his heart or something?”

  Darius rolled his shoulders. “You can if you want. Although I’m pretty sure he’s dead so it’s not necessary.”

  “So…we don’t have…to do that?”

  “Not unless you want to add insult to injury. Contrary to popular belief, there are many ways to kill these wicked creatures. Sure, a stake through the heart is one way. And yes, garlic is a problem for them, although it requires a heavy dosage to be lethal. For the most part, garlic causes symptoms that look like an allergic reaction.”

  I raised a dubious eyebrow. “Allergic reaction?”

  “Yes. You know, hives, rashes, sinus congestion. In more serious cases, it produces vomiting, massive dehydration, that sort of thing, but like I said, give them enough of it and it will kill them.”

  I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. I shook my head, still trying to process it. Everything was happening so fast.

  “What…about crucifixes?”

  “That’s a myth. Many of them actually wear crucifixes around their necks.” He could see I was about to ask another question and so went on. “If you’re wondering why a being from the bowels of hell would wear the cross of our Lord and Savior, you need to understand that there is no hell. Second, Eliri and Setiri are not demons. They are created beings from a mutated lineage. Like in the human world, they have religious orders, some of which are fairly zealous. This one, Kaio, was one of their religious fanatics. He and others like him believe that it is time for the Eliri to rise and take what belongs to them in the realms of Earth.”

  It was a lot to take in. Vampires? Werewolves? The world really had gone to crap. “And here I thought my parents moved to the mountains to get away from all the problems. It seems the problems have come to our doorstep.”

  “Indeed,” Darius said with regret in his voice.

  “There’s something else bothering me,” I said. “How did this guy know my parents? Was he telling the truth about them leaving me here?”

  “No, Eve. He wasn’t. Your parents would never abandon you. He was merely trying to get under your skin, weaken you, fill you with doubt. What I told you about what happened to them was the truth. And I believe they may still be alive.”

  I looked down at the vampire’s body again. “The blue orb, the flash of light you just did, how….?”

  “It’s like I told you before, Eve. Magic is the term people use for things they don’t understand. Everything I do is through a power that is freely accessible to all mankind. It permeates the universe and exists as a constant gift to us.”

  “This power…I thought only certain people could wield it.”

  “No,” he said with a kind smile on his face. “It’s available to anyone. The great masters of the ancient past showed us that in their teachings, in their ministries, in their scriptures. And now, in this darkest of times for humanity, we need more people who are willing to learn the truth about that power and how to use it to make the world a better place once more.”

  There was no questioning what Darius was saying. He clearly wanted me to learn about this power and use it to help him fight the evil pressing in on the borders of mankind. He didn’t say that, but that’s what he wanted. An hour ago, I’d have told him to leave again and never return. When we talked in the house before, I’d thought he was crazy. Now, however, seeing the dead vampire in my field, having witnessed the power he wielded, almost all doubt vanished.

  The only doubt I had left revolved around me and whether or not I could do what he asked.

  I raised my head and brought my eyes level with his. “I thought I was safe here,” I said. “For three years, no one has bothered me or come around. Now these monsters are knocking on my door.”

  He nodded.

  I turned my head in all directions, gazing into the dark forest and up into the clear night sky. A waning moon crept up over the horizon above the mountains to the east. “There are more of them, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, you want to teach me how to kill them? Is that what you’re saying?”

  He stepped closer and put his hand on my shoulder like a caring grandfather. “I will teach you how to destroy creatures like this, but not just them. Our mission is to eradicate evil in all its forms, including wicked men who have made the world the horrible place it is.”

  I glanced down at the body one more time and then looked up at Darius. “Wouldn’t hurt to learn a thing or two, I guess.” I took a deep breath and sighed. “Show me.”

  5

  My back hit the ground with a thud. I didn’t have a second to lose. The sword flashed brightly in the sunlight on its way toward my neck. I reacted instantly, twisting my body enough to put my own blade in the other’s path. The swords clanked together loudly. My hands and forearms absorbed the impact like springs to cushion the blow. He’d been training me for two weeks now, sleeping on the couch at night and helping me become a better fighter during the day. He also did his best to teach me things about the universe I never knew before.

  “Good,” Darius said as he pulled back his weapon and stood up straight, hovering over me. He slid his sword back in its sheath and offered a hand. He pulled me up with almost no effort.

  I brushed the grass and debris off my backside while he continued talking.

  “One of the most important skills you can learn as a warrior is the ability to defend yourself—or to go on the attack when the odds are stacked against you.”

  “You mean fight my way out of a corner.”

  “In a manner of speaking, yes. Things will not always go according to plan in a fight or in life. Sometimes, elements are introduced that create challenges for us, challenges that often seem insurmountable.”

  “Yeah, I’ve had my fair share of that kind of stuff.”

  “True,” he said. “Losing your parents at a fairly young age is certainly a trial. There are others, though, that will come your way, and you must be ready to accept and push through them.”

  “I’m good with that,” I said, brimming with confidence.

  “Are you?”

  I didn’t know what he was getting at, so I just went with it. “Yeah, I mean, sure. Life’s hard. I get that.”

  “I wonder,” he said, “what you would do if you were surrounded by ten armed men who were moving in to kill you.”

  “I guess I’ll try to never be in that position.”

  He grinned and remained patient. “Obviously, avoiding confrontations where we are at a disadvantage is a good strategy; however, it isn’t always an option. Someday soon, you will find yourself in a battle where the numbers aren’t in your favor. When that day comes, you must be ready. You must be faster than you’ve ever been. And you must take the lives of others to save both your own and the lives of people you care about.”

  That last part was a little heavy, which is why I immediately tried to push it out of my mind.

  “You can’t ignore it, Eve. We are in a war, a war with many sides. The people of the different kingdoms in this realm do not like each other. Hatred has been bubbling for some time, and now I fear it is about to boil over.”

  “Boil over?”

  “Kaio was only the first vampire to come your way. There will be more, and especially now that he’s dead they’ll be more cautious next time. When they find out you are here, they will send legions to kill you. And that’s just the vampires.”

  I still didn’t understand why all this was h
appening—and why now? I’d been here for three years, living peacefully, doing my best to let the outside world just slip by.

  I turned and started walking back to the house.

  “Eve? Where are you going?” Darius asked. I didn’t turn around to see the bewildered look on his face.

  “Back to my house. You said more of those…things were coming. You said I’m safe in the house.”

  “From vampires and werewolves, yes.”

  I stopped abruptly and twisted my head slightly to the side, only looking over my shoulder from the corner of my eye.

  “What?”

  “The blessing on your home—it protects you from creatures like this one, but it can’t protect you from men. And you can’t stay in there forever. Sooner or later, you’ll have to come outside again, and when you do they’ll pounce.”

  I spun around and put my arms out wide. “What am I supposed to do, then? I can’t fight off armies with nothing but a sword.”

  Darius’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Your sword work is good, especially for someone so young. I think it’s time to teach you what you were meant to learn.”

  I pinched my eyebrows together and tilted my head to the side. “What?”

  He grinned. “Walk with me.”

  The two of us trudged up the sloped path to the top of the meadow. It was an incredible view and one that I still enjoyed every day despite having been there for three years. There were majestic mountains surrounding us, there were the valley and plains below, and several lakes off to the west.

  Darius turned to face me and folded his arms across his chest.

  “Do you know the story of the Teacher?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah…I mean, everyone knows that story.”

  “How well do you know it?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess pretty well. My parents taught it to me when I was young, but I don’t read old scriptures or fairy tales, for that matter. I don’t have time.”

  The expression on Darius’s face remained kind and patient. “In the story of the Teacher, there was a point in his ministry when he told his followers that they could move mountains.”

  “I’ve heard that quote before.”

  Darius spread his arms out wide like a bird. “Look around you,” he said and spun around in a circle, pointing at the scenery. “Do you see how incredibly massive these mountains are?”

  I took a quick glance around, wondering what he was getting at.

  “Under our very feet,” he said, “these mountains contain billions of tons of matter. Rock, dirt, and who knows what else compose these massive hills. It’s kind of staggering to think about just how much material makes up a mountain.”

  I nodded, still waiting for him to get to the point.

  “Yet in spite of the staggering volume of stuff that goes into making a mountain, he said that we could move them.”

  “Back when humankind was harnessing technology and fossil fuels, they moved huge amounts of dirt and rock all the time with their vehicles,” I said.

  He shook his head. “No. That’s not what he meant. And they didn’t have those things back then. And he wasn’t prophesying the coming of machinery.”

  “So, maybe it was a metaphor,” I said. “Those spiritual guides used parables and metaphors all the time to illustrate life lessons. Maybe he was saying that we have mountainous problems in our lives and that we can move those out of our way.”

  “Very good,” he said. “They certainly did. This one, however, wasn’t a metaphor. The Teacher said to tell the mountain to move, and it will move. And he meant it quite literally.”

  “Yeah, okay. Good talk.” I patted him on the shoulder. “Unfortunately, that’s impossible.”

  He shook his head. “Remember, through God all things are possible. Through the quantum science of the universe, all things exist as potentials. Those statements are one and the same.”

  “There is no way I can tell that mountain over there to move and it will move,” I said, pointing at a nearby peak.

  Darius glanced at the mountain and then turned back to me. “It’s a big ask, isn’t it? I mean, how in the world could a human move that humongous mass with nothing more than words?”

  “Exactly,” I said. “All those stories from the scriptures are just that…stories.”

  I started to turn back and head down the hill, but he stopped me.

  “Have you ever witnessed a miracle?” he asked.

  I froze and thought for a second. Anger filled my mind. “No,” I said, staring down at the ground. “I haven’t. I prayed for a long time that my parents would be brought back, but that never happened. I’ve never seen a miracle, and if there’s a god out there, I think he’s got some explaining because my parents never did anything wrong. They were good people.” I fought back the tears I’d already cried a thousand times over the years. “I don’t know how you did your little light show in the cabin, but whatever trick you’re trying to pull, I don’t appreciate it.”

  “It was no trick, Eve,” he said in a kind voice. “Your parents live. And you can get them back.”

  “How? I don’t even know where they are.”

  He held up a finger to emphasize his point. “That, my dear, is a metaphorical mountain, and one that we can move. There is someone in the city who can help. If anyone knows where your parents are, it’s him.”

  I slowly turned around and faced Darius again. “This guy…who is he? How do you know him? Why would he know how to find my parents?”

  “That’s a lot of questions, my dear. Let’s just say that not all of my contacts are of a pure nature.”

  My frown deepened. “Sounds shady.”

  “Some of the most helpful people in the world are.”

  “The city,” I said, “I don’t want to go back there.”

  Memories flooded my mind. I remembered what I’d seen the last time I ventured down there. I looked off into the distance and stared at the skyline to the south. It was a hulking, gigantic silhouette of old skyscrapers, apartment buildings, and churches. Most of the big structures were empty or being used as makeshift homes for people brave enough to venture in. Some of the buildings had been converted into bases of operations by bandits and warlords.

  “I know,” Darius said. “But if you want to find your parents, it’s necessary.” He paused for a moment. “First, though, you have much to learn.”

  My eyes narrowed as I waited for what he had to say next.

  “You never tried to move the mountain.”

  A short laugh escaped my throat. I shook my head. “You’re crazy; you know that, right?”

  He bent down and ran his hand along a patch of dirt. Then he scooped up a little of it in his palm and held it out for me. “Get down here for a second,” he said, holding out the dust like it was some kind of gift.

  I let out an annoyed sigh. I knelt down next to him and waited.

  “This earth—the dirt, the rocks, all of it—is composed of matter. I explained the double-slit experiment to you.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “This matter is made up of atoms.”

  “Yeah, everything is made of atoms. Thanks, third-grade science.”

  He ticked his head to the side at my sarcasm and snorted a quick laugh. Then he went on. “Do you know what makes up an atom?”

  I rolled my shoulders. “Protons, electrons, subatomic particles.”

  “Yes,” he said with a nod. “That’s all true; however, most of an atom is nothing but empty space.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Between all those little particles…is nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “Yes. So, when you look at these particles of dirt, that rock over there”—he pointed to a rock by a fire pit I’d built years ago—“even this entire mountain, all of them are composed mostly of empty space.”

  “What’s your point?” I asked. I heard the tone of my voice and realized I probably came off a little rude.
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  “My point is that once you understand that, you realize that moving a mountain isn’t so difficult.”

  “Okay,” I said, “so, move that mountain over there.” I pointed to the nearest peak a few thousand feet away.

  He glanced over at the mountain and smiled kindly. “The secret to altering the physical world lies in one’s belief.”

  “Yeah, you said something about that before.”

  “Indeed. Belief comes from two places. The first is simple. It comes from our life experiences. You touch a hot iron when you’re a child, and it burns your finger. Instantly, you believe that hot things will burn.”

  He was talking about some pretty basic stuff, and I wondered how long it was going to take him to get to the point.

  “And the second place we get our beliefs?”

  “Your cells.”

  “My cells?”

  “Cells are capable of storing vast amounts of information in your DNA. Not only do they keep the programming for what your hair will look like—and your eye color, your skin, all of that stuff—cells can also store memories.”

  “Memories? Like the burning finger thing.”

  He shook his head slowly, back and forth. “No. Your cells contain the memories of your ancestors.”

  He was going off the deep end again. “Um…okay.”

  “Think about it, Eve. When medicine was at its peak in this world, they believed that our health, our mortality, almost everything about our medical conditions could be linked to heredity.”

  “That’s fact.”

  “Yes, it is. The problem, however, is that no one in the medical field could explain what heredity actually was, where it came from, why it existed.”

  “Traits are passed down genetically,” I said. I felt like I was teaching a small child.

  “Yes, but where did the first traits come from? Nutrition and fitness experts could alter people’s life expectancy by changing diet and adding exercise. In the end, however, something from their heredity killed them. Why is it that one family has a history of heart disease, another has a history of cancer, another has history of something else? Where did those things originate?”