Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo 2015)

Sixty-Two

Groggy, I opened my heavy eyes and looked around. Where was I? What happened? The last thing I remembered was holding Damon, certain it was going to be our last moment together. Then a blinding rage and then nothing at all. Blackness. Well at least it was in my memory. Where I was now was not black at all. In fact it was white, blindly white.

It was like I was up in the clouds. I looked down, seeing that I was clothed in nothing but I white cotton dress. Plain and unadorned. It looked like something I could have found in Ancient Greece. What the hell? Was I dead? Was this Heaven?

I sat up and curiously flexed my leg. No pain. Weird, I distinctly remembered it breaking. I saw the bone break through the skin. I took a deep breath and nothing. No flare of pain. Yes, death was more and more certain with each passing moment. I was dead.

"Don't worry," said a voice. "You're safe now."

I knew that voice and I jumped up, bracing myself for whatever was coming. A woman in all white. Gold bangles adorned her milk-chocolate colored skin, her almond shaped eyes were lined with kohl, a warm smile played on her full cupid-bow lips and her hair was arranged into many small braids and held together with ivory beads. She looked so strange to me. I knew her face, but the old style of dressing threw me for a loop.

"Ife?" I asked, wondering if maybe this angel, grim reaper, ferryman or whatever other death guides there were was taking her shape to keep me comfortable.

She smiled at me and walked towards me, briskly now, collapsing my hands in hers. "That is the name you know me by. My children call me Zalam, but you may call me Ife. I like that name."

Zalam, fuck, Ife had been right. Wait Ife! She said that was the name I knew her by! "What are you talking about?" I demanded, tone sharp and I heard Zalam laugh.

"Never one to beat around the bush." She said smiling warmly at me and squeezing my hands. "I am referring to the form I took on Earth. The form of your vampire friend Ife. I am she and she is me. We are the same person we just different names."

"I don't understand."

She waved her hand and suddenly, out of nowhere a white bench sprung up. She sat down on it and patted the empty side. Like a ghost, I sat down, feeling weightless. "I suppose I should start at the beginning. Because of your lack of interest in faith and religion I was never able to make sure you were properly taught what I am capable of. You see, I am known for seeing flashes of the future, images and feelings mostly. I use those abilities to help set them on the right paths, as you've learned, I can warn you in your mind. You heard my voice Ember, 'bite and blood remember?" I nodded, the brief, hazy memory coming back. Toying with a bit of hair Ife/Zalam continued. "When Damon went to get blood that night I spoke to him as he passed by the room you were in. I told him that he could save you. To be exact I said 'save her' and thankfully, he followed my advice. I did not foresee what would happen to  you afterwards." She reached out and patted my hand, eyes shining with pity. "I did not know others would try to harm you. I only felt that you would be great help to Damon someday."

"I'm following you so far," I said, feeling a little dizzy. I wondered if I could puke in...whatever this was. My life had been saved by the intervention of a vampire goddess? "Go on."

"Long before that event, centuries before in fact, I foresaw darkness in my child Keith. How great it was I did not know for certain and it breaks my heart to see it as strong as it was. I never wanted him to be a murderer. I did not know he would become one, but I knew he should not be trusted with power. I warned his father, Johnathan Lockwood against appointing him as his successor once he knew Death was coming for him. He heeded me and the position fell to his youngest son, Damon. Do you need me to clarify anything thus far?"