Damien’s death was the beginning of a new age. The War of Marriages finally came to a close, and the Liberals, alongside the Leviacs, conquered all of North America. Some of the Holy Men converted, like Deacon, but most of them flew abroad, seeking a place where their beliefs had value. After one beautiful year of marriage, Elizabeth made the most amazing discovery about our Beth.
“The term commonly used by the Holy Men for this type of thing was demonic possession, but not every Spirit that possesses a living host is evil and means to do harm.” Elizabeth explained, “In this case, the Spirit was the mixture of your and Jesse’s mystical energies that were released at your ceremony. It escaped into the Void and broke through a wall in the space-time continuum that led to the exact moment where Beth, or Sophia, back then, died in that car accident. The spirit repaired her, like an old clunker, slowed down her aging rate a tad, and took over her body, so, technically, Beth is biologically your daughter.”
Elizabeth explained many things to me about nature and the mystic universe. She even explained how I became what I am.
“Magdalene was my best friend, though her husband, your father, hated me, as you can imagine.” Elizabeth told me, “She was the kindest woman I had ever known. She never wanted to outlive any of her sons, including you. One day, she asked me to make them all invincible by human and Leviac means. I did.”
“What about Raul?” I asked, “If you gave all three of us immortality, what happened to him?”
Elizabeth stared at me awhile. Her heartbeat quickened at the sound of Raul's name. The look in her eye was deciding.
"He's fine." Elizabeth sighed, "He only left the country when the war broke out with his family."
"He had a family?" I asked, teary-eyed.
"A husband, Lyle, and two kids, Juliette and Oliver."
"So he was..."
"Like you? Yep."
"That's why he was so kind." I whispered, "He knew how I felt."
"He changed his name to Emerson, Emerson Nightingale. When he married, he became Emerson Ford, but I digress."
"Lyle Ford." I rolled from my tongue, instantly detecting its familiarity, "Lyle Ford...he was the only one to ever survive the-"
"Sworn's Kiss." Elizabeth finished, "I'm familiar with the story. I was present for some of it."
"How did he survive?"
"Raul, I mean Emerson, saved him." Elizabeth responded, "He always kept a vile of Gatlin's blood handy since he was Chosen."
"Gatlin?"
"One half of the Sworn. The other half went by Samuel Graves."
"Which one did the deed?"
"Gatlin." Elizabeth said, "He was my first son with my fifth husband. Gatlin was the sweetest little boy on this side of the Mississippi."
"And Jesse is your..."
"Third son with my seventh husband."
I nodded. Something in her eye told me there was more to this story than a deadly kiss.
"How did Raul, I mean Emerson, get involved in this?"
Elizabeth was quiet for a few moments. I could hear the sound of chirping birds in the trees. Her heart was racing at the speed of light.
"It's a long story."
"I like long stories."
It was then that she told me the story of Emerson Nightingale, the Guardian of the Sworn, and how he fell in love with the Sworn's worst enemy. It is a story of love, betrayal, friendship, and forgiveness. Elizabeth told me the story of the Nightingale Code.
YOU ARE READING
Unkillable (Monsters Series #1) (Wattys2014)
RomanceIn an alternate future in America, when his parents throw him over the Border River, Jesse Salvatier is rescued by Colonel Angel Harper of Liberal Ground, who can never die, and falls instantly in love with him. When his family comes knocking on the...
