Dance with the Devil

Now that Asia has escaped into our realm, what is she going to do?

Playlist for Dance with the Devil:

"Frozen" by Collide

"Dance With the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin

"Euphoria: Emirian Mix" by Collide

"Lies" by Evenscence

"Wings of Steel" by Collide

"Mad World" by Gary Jules

"Paths" by Robert Miles

"You Fight Me" by Breaking Benjamin

"Monochrome" by Collide

"Until the End" by Breaking Benjamin

"Too High" by Cirque du Soleil

"Pandora's Box" by Collide

 

 

Asia was walking between Shawn and Brent down the promenade. They were discussing how Asia was going to get through life, again, without any papers stating she was alive, not dead. Brent and Shawn were in a deep conversation about how they could claim she was a descendent of herself and get legal papers that way. Asia was nearly skipping with joy between the two men. Brent and Shawn were arguing so fiercly that they didn’t realize Asia was gone until a large crowd came at them and when they came together on the other side of it, she wasn’t there.

 

Shawn started looking around and Brent yelled into the crowd, “Asia!” and started running back the way they came from. Shawn quickly followed and they ran past a frozen Asia looking at a sign. Brent grabbed her arm and turned her around, “Asia what the f-.” He stopped himself before swearing at her. Shawn looked over her shoulder at the sign, “History teacher needed at Santa Monica High School.” He stopped and looked down at Asia, “You want to be a history teacher at a high school? Asia, you look like you just graduated from high school, there’s no way that you’d be hired as a teacher.” 

 

Asia looked into both Shawn and Brent’s eyes. “I know I could be a good teacher. I watched over the younger one’s when I was purely immortal. I could be a good history teacher since I’ve witnessed at least seventy years of recent history.” She looked pleading, “will you two help me become a teacher and get this job? I’ll do anything you two ask.”

 

Brent leaned forward and read the rest of the sign. “It says you need a teaching certificate. You already have the knowledge when it comes to history, but it wouldn’t hurt to get how much you know on paper.” He sighed and looked mischievous, “I have a friend who can get you everything you need. He can probably get you a birth certificate and everything you need to get a drivers license as well as a teaching certificate.” He looked at Asia wonderingly, “You do know how to drive, right?”  Asia looked offended, “Automatic and manual. Though that was over fifty years ago.” Brent pushed her away from the sign, “Yeah, we’re going to need a miracle to make her a modern girl.”

 

 

Brent was able to get the paperwork quickly enough and everything was actually legal, so Asia and Shawn both dropped any doubts that he’d do anything illegal. Asia applied for the teaching job and a week later she got a call to come in for an interview.

 

Asia walked into the school as Brent and Shawn waited outside in Brent’s car. When she approached the young woman sitting at the desk, the woman started lecturing her on skipping class. Asia corrected the woman that she was there to apply for the teaching position and the woman quickly pointed the way to the principal’s office. Asia found it in a heartbeat and a little over an hour later she was back in the car and Brent and Shawn were asking for details to the interview. Asia thought it had gone smoothly.

 

A month later, well into the summer, Asia got a call telling her that she got the job. Both Brent and Shawn were enthusiastic and kept trying to get Asia to celebrate. She refused and turned down all their attempts to get her to drink some of Shawn’s beer or wine that he kept in a closet. She made the argument that she was an immortal-mortal and had no idea what the effects of alcohol would do to her, so she would never put it into her system. That and her body was only twenty, so it was illegal for her to consume alcohol in the United States.

 

The rest of the summer pasted quickly for the three of the. Soon, the first day of school approached and Asia was anxious. She already knew how she was going to teach the students; she had witnessed so much history first-hand as an immortal and knew the entire truth of some important points in time. Her stories that she had modified to be more third-person and less descriptive would hopefully hold her students captive in the class.

 

On the first day of school, Asia was bombarded with the normal new-teacher-haters and ignored them as much as she could. There was a young boy of fifteen named Jack Vulcan that caught her interest. He had blue eyes similar to Seamus’s and black hair that was the color of pure onyx. He had come to class early and sat down in the front row and watched her the entire five minutes before class started. It had been unnerving, though he didn’t tease her about being a new teacher or try to make her angry. He took notes on what she said and didn’t whine when she announced that there would be homework that night. He intrigued her from the moment she looked into the eyes that brought back forty years of invisible memories.

 

“Miss Anderson?” A timid voice that was deep, yet still childish asked Asia after school one day. She had become a hit after two weeks. Though she assigned homework every evening, she didn’t expect it for three days and it tended to be fun. She has asked her students to go to the beach and talk to any people older than thirty about why they were there, find some of the older buildings in the area and ask any occupants living there what had appealed to them to choose to live there, and talk to family members about some of the key points in recent history. Asia had witnessed the war on terrorism, the most recent witch hunt, and another black plague. Most of the family members of her students could only vaguely remember the plague, and some of the much older members remembered their parents mentioning the outcome of the witch hunt. Asia turned to see Jack Vulcan gazing at her questionably. “Yes, Jack?” The young boy looked nervous and Asia smiled, hoping to ease whatever fear her had of her. “I was wondering if you could go over the earlier parts of the war on terrorism, I was still reeling from the movie you showed us of September 11, 2001, so I missed some stuff.” He looked down, embarrassed that he had missed some important information and was admitting it to her. She laughed and he looked up, wide-eyed. “Of course, Jack! Come on.” She walked over to the board in front of the class. She was one of the few teachers that still wrote out notes for the students to take on a board. As she wrote out notes and gave the information to Jack, who scribbled everything down as fast as he could, she realized that she liked Jack. He was a rare type that went to school to learn, not because it was required by law. He wanted to become a psychology major, though history was more of his strong point. Asia mentioned this as Jack packed up and he blushed. “Thank you, Miss Anderson.” He rushed out the door. Asia thought for a moment and quickly jotted down something on a piece of paper. She stuck her head out the door and saw Jack nearly out the door, “Jack!” She called and he whipped around. “Here.” She waved the paper at him. He ran back to her and grabbed the paper. When he opened it and looked at it, he looked at her confused. “My two best friends are photographers and their both exhibiting some of their best work there. Thought you’d might like it since some of their work coincides with some of the history of the town. I was thinking of giving out a class assignment to visit the exhibition and write a paper on the photograph that appeals to you the most, what do you think?” Jack looked startled and nodded enthusiastically. She smiled, “Go on now, you need to get home.” Jack ran out the door before she could register that he was gone. 

 

 

At home Asia thought about Jack. She had moved in with Shawn since Brent moved around too much and she wanted something of a permanent settlement to get used to her mortality before she went out to see more of the modern world. Bent had gone back to Vegas for a few weeks and Shawn wasn’t home yet. She looked at the wall covered in mirrors and was taken back to see that she wasn’t the only one looking at them. Melting ice met hardened emeralds in the closest mirror and Asia turned to confront Seamus.

 

“Hello, Asia,” Seamus said in his best Hannibal impression. Asia rolled her eyes, “What do you want, Seamus?” she asked in a bored tone. Seamus raised an eyebrow, “Come on, sweetie, it’s me. I just came to whisper sweet nothings in your ear and than leave to let you think them out.” He jumped up to the balcony and slide off it onto the couch that Asia loved to lie on and read any story Shawn or Brent gave her. Asia decided to do the mortal thing and walked slowly up the steps to the landing.  

 

Seamus watched her walk and rolled his eyes when she was eye level with him, “You know, you could have done the same thing as me and just flipped over the landing. Though I guess walking is so underrated that someone has to upgrade its rating to something better.” He leered at her. She tried to keep her emotions in check and not attack him the way she wanted to, though with it being Seamus that was a very hard thing to do. She looked at him and he looked back at her. After a few moments and the sound a police car came and went Seamus sighed, “Why don’t you marry him? He’s your type and he found you. He made you into this hybrid of the immortal-mortal thing that you are. At least get to know him better.” He grinned, “Maybe you can get him to try to find a way to get himself killed before his time and than I could turn him immortal so you two could be together forever.” Asia felt sick, “Shawn wouldn’t do that and neither would you. You just want him dead because you think that with him gone I’ll come back to you.” She rushed at him and grabbed his shirt front, “I’ll never be yours, Seamus! I don’t belong to you, Shawn, Brent or anybody. I am my own person and I could make it in this world without anyone’s help. Why don’t you leave me alone?”

 

Seamus looked unconcerned at her outburst, “Asia, my pet. I can’t leave you alone. You are mine and will be as long as the world exists. Who knows, maybe when a giant meteor comes to Earth and makes the planet explode, we’ll be able to survive is space.” Asia took a step back, “I am not yours, Seamus.” Seamus leaned back on the couch and grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Than why do you always come back to me? You’ve traveled to Chicago on long weekends and stop by the MacDonald’s for an hour or two. We all go out when we see you coming. I normally stay and watch you through Katie’s peep-hole in the ventilation shaft. You always seem to be waiting.” His grin got bigger and that irritated Asia to no end. “See, my pet. The curse of immortality is making you pay a high price. The question is what goes on in your head that makes you come back?” He looked around and motioned to the photograph’s Shawn had taken on one wall and the opposite wall covered in multiple diverse mirrors. “You have everything a young woman your,” he chuckled, “body’s age would want.”

 

Asia sat down on the couch. She reached for Seamus’s hand. Seamus looked wary, though he let Asia hold his hand. This was a very different turn of events and when he looked up from their hands to her face he saw tears there. He leaned forward and stroked them away with his free hand. They both realized how close they were to each other, though neither made any move. Asia’s breathe ruffled Seamus’s hair and the stillness coming from him forced her to relax. He had been right; she had to be around him. She couldn’t leave him alone. She had felt sick after not seeing him for a week, and as each day passed without seeing him she felt worse. The immortality that he gave to her and the others was a curse. As much as she wanted to stay away from him, he was the energy that kept her alive.

 

Seamus swallowed and moved forward a little bit. Asia didn’t resist him. As much as she hated him, she still felt something towards him. It was like being told she was in love with a rapist, yet she couldn’t get enough of the rape. She felt soft room-temperature lips touch hers gently. She was in no mood for gentle. She grabbed his head and pulled him to her. He made a muffled confused sound and tried to pull back, but she stuck her tongue in his mouth and he gave up on everything. She moaned with happiness. He hesitated, but than pulled back a little bit and murmured her name against her lips. He brushed his lips from her chin to her neck and nuzzled the hollow at the base. Asia felt something wild begin to build up. Seamus had no idea what was about to happen to him.

 

Asia felt around for Seamus’s shirt front and mentally cursed him for wearing a button-down shirt. She found a button and reached inside the shirt to just pull her hand down and rip the damned piece of clothing off of him. Seamus looked up at her with a shocked expression. She raised an eyebrow, “You know I love backs and abs so don’t spoil any of my fun.” She looked him over when he sat up and nodded, “Yep, immortality sure agrees with you.” Seamus absently reached up to touch his scar and gave a faint smile. The smile grew into a devilish grin and he pushed her down on the couch. He bent down to whisper something in her ear when the front door opened and a cheerful voice floated up to the immortals, “Hey, Asia! I got potato skins for dinner tonight!” Seamus swore and disappeared out the still open front door before Shawn finished his sentence.

 

Asia stayed lying down on the couch and willed her breath to come out slower and her heartbeat to stop hammering. She had down something totally unexpected by herself and she was probably going to be kicking herself for the rest of her unnatural life for doing so. “Asia?” Shawn walked up the stairs and stopped when he saw her. “Hey, sweetie, you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.” His lips thinned a bit, “Did you see, uh, did another immortal come for a visit?” Asia sat up, “Yes and no I don’t want to talk about it. I’m hungry and more than ready to hear about your very exciting day, so tell me all about it.” She started to go down the stairs, but Shawn stopped her. “Asia, please tell me. Regardless from what you’ve seen since becoming mortal, we do communicate.” Asia looked down and then back up, “Seamus stopped by.” Shawn took a deep breathe and swore just like Seamus had not moments before. Asia had told both Shawn and Brent her entire history starting from her death to the present and they both had hated Seamus from day one.

 

Shawn slowly started going down the stairs and Asia could her him swear every time his foot came down on a step. She followed cautiously and reached the base of the steps just as the doorbell rang. She hesitated about answering the door since this wasn’t technically her house. Shawn had told her she could answer the door anytime and liked it when she worked up enough courage to do so. She sighed and went over to the door to have it open and hit her in the face and a very cheerful voice yell, “Hey Shawn! Door was open so I thought I could just come on in!” Asia muttered curses to herself for having her nose begin to bleed and than heal itself before she blinked and peered around the door. Some young man who she had never seen before was holding a box with one hand and reaching behind him with the other to close the door. The fact that he was so cheerful made Asia’s mood turn sour and she slammed the door before he could touch it. The man jumped and turned to look behind him. Asia gave a false cheerful grin and scouted around him.

 

The man stared Asia down and she felt the blood from her nose trickle down her chin. She hoped it gave more than an illusion that she was pissed and that if he didn’t explain what he was doing there, she’d toss him out of the apartment. “Shawn?” The man called nervously. Asia rose an eyebrow menacing. The man took a step back, “Uh… Shawn?!” The man called again. Asia had enough of him and not caring if the he was really there to see Shawn or not, she opened the door and nodded towards it. With a hiss from Asia, the man squeaked, dropped the box and bolted out the door. Asia slammed it with enough force to send cracks to form by the hinges. Shawn came out of the kitchen at the moment with two drinks in his hands. He looked surprised at Asia’s face. “Uh, what happened? Didn’t I just hear someone here? Asia, what’s wrong?”

 

Asia pointed at the box, “Some… bloke just barraged in here, broke my nose, dropped that on the floor and took off!” She sounded pissed and Shawn took a step back and put his hands up. It took a lot to get Asia pissed and a lot more to calm her down when it happened. For the moment it was best to just back off and let her burn out before trying anything. She looked up into his eyes and he noticed that the normal green of a raw emerald was bristling with flames of a Christmas fire. She wasn’t going to be calming down any time soon. “Where were you? He called your name three times and you didn’t answer him at all. He also just waltzed in here like he owned the place and hurt me! Shawn!”

 

Shawn looked at the box on the floor and his face lit up. “Oh! I’ve been waiting for these! Justin must have just got them today and decided to drop by here to…” He trailed off when Asia growled threateningly. The doorbell rang again and once again the door flew open and hit Asia in the back. She tripped forward and turned around before landing on the floor and Shawn’s feet. A smiling Brent entered the apartment unknowingly while Asia looked up at him and Shawn dived for cover.

 

Brent’s narrative

 

Okay, so the door hit something solid when I opened it. What I didn’t know was that it was darling little Anastasia until I walked through the threshold and came upon the sight of Shawn running into the kitchen and the raven-haired, underage immortal was on the floor staring up at me with emerald eyes bent on killing. I thought I’d heard voices when I rang the doorbell.

 

The young girl who had danced around me so many times eyes softened when she saw me. Her anger seemed to dissipate and she stood up and wrapped me into a hug that proved how strong her delicate frame really was. I gave her a hug back and kissed the top of her head in a sibling greeting. She pulled back and looked into the kitchen. Shawn’s eyes peered over the counter top and his highlighted hair looked like the spikes were from fear and not the gel he used. I couldn’t help but laugh. Shawn stood up and narrowed his eyes. “Okay, how the hell did you do it? I swear that she was just about to punch me through the building and well into Death Valley.” He walked into the living area and sniffed the air. “What type of cologne do you use, and can I borrow some in case of an emergency?” I laughed at my adopted sons antics and looked down at the innocent young girl that was still in my arms. Thirty plus years my senior and she still looked gorgeous.

 

Shawn looked at Anastasia and gave me a look I knew too well. He used it whenever I asked if I could borrow some of his equipment while I was in town. It was a look that said “you better give me back what’s mine in excellent condition…” and something clicked in my head. I let the sweet goddess flow out of my arms and she twirled up the stairs in a movement too fast for my mortal eyes. Shawn noticed it too, “Asia…” He started and she stopped on the landing and looked down at him. She looked puzzled, “What?” she asked in an innocent voice belonging to a child much younger than herself. Shawn pointed at the stairs, “Mortals walk.” She looked down at the stairs and gulped. “Sorry, Shawn, I promise I’ll remember next time.” She zipped into her room and closed the door.

 

A sigh escaped both Shawn and my lips. We looked at each other and laughed. He led me into the kitchen and poured me a dark red wine. Though Anastasia was more of a prohibitionist than the woman of the 1900’s were, she didn’t push Shawn to get rid of the alcohol he kept around the house; she just forbid him from buying anymore and from consuming it in her presence. I slowly sipped at my glass as Shawn sat down at the small table in the kitchen. I choose to lean back against the counter.

 

Shawn twirled his glass and little and looked into it. I cleared my throat and clear-brown-citrine eyes rose to meet mine. I looked into the living room quickly and then looked back at my son. “How is she doing, adjusting to mortal life and everything?” Shawn set his glass down and stood up. He started pacing; something I had known him to do whenever he had an entire list of rants that he was going to explain in detail. I settled back to hear his mantra.

 

“She is so intelligent, yet she knows absolutely nothing. In reality, she is still a freshman in college. She’s not ready to teach these high school students that she sees on a daily basis. She may as well be one of them! I come home and she’ll be on the couch upstairs, laying down, reading, napping, or be in her room with papers scattered everywhere and be grading them. She hasn’t gotten the grasp of operating a car; let alone how to cook dinner. It’s like teaching an old dog new tricks.” He stopped for a moment to take a sip of wine before continuing in a whisper. “She was a virgin when she died and she thinks she still is one, so she refuses to sleep with me. She still doesn’t want anything to do with men and I think the only reason she tolerates me is because I was the first mortal to see her in over forty years.” His voice dropped even more. “I think I’m in love with her and she’d rather spend time at the school with the children who are not even a quarter her age than with me, a man willing to be with her. I don’t know what to do with her. She has no other place to go, no one else to turn to.”

 

I finished my wine and looked at my mourning son. “She’ll come around sometime. She lives with you and if that doesn’t help her begin to love you in a while, well I don’t know what will.”

 

I stood up and gave Shawn a pat on the back, “I’ll be back later. I was just in town to say hi to you two. Give my love to Anastasia when she comes out.” I walked through the front door in time to hear a mumbled response of, “She goes by Asia, I don’t know why he insists on calling her by her full name.”

 

 

Two weeks later Asia woke up late and had to rush to school. While she was pulling a shirt on and looking around for something to pull her hair back with, Shawn looked out the window, contentedly sipping at tea Asia had made the night before. Asia rushed past him and moved out of the way as Seamus came up the steps. “Asia—“ he started but she ignored him. She rushed out the door but before it could close Seamus yelled, “HE IS GOING TO DIE!” and Asia paused before turning around.

 

Seamus was leaning over the railing and when Asia stepped back into the apartment he pulled himself up and smiled grimly. “Look.” He said softly and pointed behind himself at the window Shawn was looking out of. Asia couldn’t see much, but Seamus’s tone alerted her to something. She sensed more than saw the glass in the window start to crack. She used her immortal gifts to rush up the stairs, grab Shawn, and rush back down the steps to shove both of their bodies into the small alcove under the steps. The glass window imploded into the apartment.

 

“Oh, and I wonder how much it is going to cost out of your salary.” Seamus commented sarcastically from above Asia’s head. Not caring that Shawn was there and that pummeling Seamus would cause further damage to the apartment, Asia let it all out on the other immortal.

 

“SEAMUS KIRNEY! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE YOU IMMORTAL PSYCHO!” she bellowed at him and Seamus just smiled. He jumped down from the stairs and landed gracefully in front of her. “My sweet, forever innocent Asia, have you just lost your temper?” He grinned demonically and snapped his fingers. Asia wondered what was to happen when Isabel appeared in front of her. Isabel looked up at her aunt and Asia was lost for words. “That’s low Seamus.” She whispered. Shawn coughed from the alcove, “Asia, how come I can see a child in front of you and a man with a scar?”

 

Seamus licked his lips, “Isabel, enjoy the company of the man that took your aunt from you while I knock some sense back into her” Isabel looked at Shawn and her eyes flashed. Before Asia could react, the child had pounced onto Shawn and had both her small hands around his throat. He started choking and Asia knew that she’d have to make Seamus’s provoked attack end in minutes or else she’d be back on the streets.

 

“What is it that you want, Seamus? You said it yourself, all you have to do is wait out Shawn’s death and I coming back to you will be intended.” Seamus’s eyes flashed a dark blue before he rushed at her. His reflexes were faster than hers and she had no time to move out of the way. Seamus had her flying against the wall with mirrors on it and she landed smack in the middle of one and a shard pierced her spinal cord. She was out of the action before she could have landed a punch on him. As she lay on the ground, she remembered something a friend of hers had said back before she became immortal. Why it popped into her head at the moment, she didn’t know or care. The words were what made something spark inside. [i]Everyone has a power inside themselves. What that power is may bubble to the surface on accident and become a curse to the beholder, or it may stay dormant in their mind for their entire lives. Those who wish to draw upon that power may do so if they really want to in times that they may think it’s desperately needed.[/i]

 

Seamus walked slowly towards her and she raised her eyes, hoping to deceive him. She looked over at Isabel and Shawn. Shawn had stopped choking, but Isabel hadn’t taken her hands off his throat. She knew she wanted whatever power lay dormant in her and she knew that it was desperately needed. She looked up at Seamus and raising both hands, she [i]pushed[/i] him away from her. It was his turn to go flying across the room and hit the wall. Using one hand to try to keep him down, she used the other to pry the shard out of her body. Isabel looked scared. Asia used her free hand to throw her niece away from Shawn and her body had completely healed by that time. She stood up and looked down at the immortals. Seamus’s eyes were burning with fury and Isabel’s with curiosity. “Get. Out. Of my. House.” Asia gritted out and removed her new powers that were holding them down. They both flew out the door as she knelt down next to Shawn’s limp body. A knock on the door and a deep breathe followed by running steps and a hug around her shoulders announced Brent’s presence.

 

Brent’s narrative

 

Shawn looked dead, but he couldn’t be. I held Asia for a few moments before she pushed away from me and gathered Shawn to her. She looked up at me “Call an ambulance. Hurry.” The way she said it, in such a dead tone, made me wonder that maybe Shawn was already dead and Asia didn’t want to be around his body. But the way she clutched him, pushing his hair out of his face and gently rocking him made me think differently. I ran into the kitchen and called an ambulance. When I hung up, I grabbed the counter top closest to me and started to cry.

 

My son was possibly dead or may be dead in a matter of moments. I had noticed the window had been blown out from the second floor, but it didn’t look like that was what had killed him. I couldn’t tell what had killed him. Maybe he had been facing away from the window and the visible injuries were on his back. 

 

I collected myself together and stepped back into the room. Asia had brushed off the couch and had laid Shawn’s body on it. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. She drew in a deep breathe and took Shawn’s hand. “I’m going to try something.” She whispered. She went still and started breathing slower. Suddenly a small spark flew from her hand into Shawn’s and traveled across his body and settled over his heart. It rested there and slowly melted into his body.

 

Shawn took a deep breath and gave a small cough. My gaze jumped to his neck to see it move with a slight beat. Asia jumped up and turned to me. Before I knew what was happening, she gave me a quick kiss. She pulled back and bit her lip. “That was only because I was happy.” She said seriously and sat back down to take Shawn’s hand again. I sat next to her and reached out to feel Shawn’s pulse. It was there, faint, but there.

 

A knock on the door announced the presence of the medical staff. I let them in and Asia and I backed off so they could take care of Shawn. After a few minutes they said they’d need to take him back to the hospital, but he’d live. He just needed some tests to make sure that nothing was permanently damaged.

 

Asia insisted that we go to the hospital and stay there until Shawn was able to leave. I agreed with her. Five hours later we were still in the waiting area waiting for news of how Shawn was doing. Finally, Asia gave a big yawn, curled out on three chairs, put her head in my lap and promptly fell asleep. I patted her hair and started combing it with my fingers. It was so soft. It was when I saw the bruises on her neck that I felt like crying again. Though she was an immortal and had been granted the gift of never aging, the fingerprints of her killer would forever be on her skin.

 

It was around 1pm when I realized that Asia probably hadn’t had the time to call herself in at the school. I gently set Asia’s head down on the chair I had been sitting in and found a phone to call the school. The man on the other side of the line didn’t sound too happy, but was very understanding. Asia was given two more days off of work and had the chance of a week if Shawn didn’t recover. I knew what the man meant by recover and didn’t want to think about it.

 

Two hours later, a boy no more than seventeen burst through the doors and came to a halt when he saw Asia. His blue eyes blinked uncontrollably and he hissed at me, “Is she alright? What happened?.”

 

I sized the kid up before gently brushing the hair away from Asia’s ear and bending down slightly to whisper into her ear. “Asia. Asia, someone is here to see you.” I leaned back in the chair and looked back at the kid. He looked between me and Asia a few times before asking, “Are you her lover?”

 

I was about to respond when Asia stirred and sat up quickly. Her hair was a mess from lying down and my playing with it. She locked eyes with the kid and looked startled. “Jack!” she said and blinked a little. “What are you doing here, boy?”

 

Jack shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “I was curious about where you were since you haven’t taken a sick day and on the first day of school you said that only death would keep you from teaching so I thought that you had died or something. Sorry that I was so presumptuous.” He looked up at her and his eyes widened, “Why [i]are[/i] you here anyway?”

 

Asia sighed, “My roommate got injured just as I was about to leave for school, so Mr. Waver and I had to come with him here to make sure he was okay.” I didn’t like how she used my name formally, though I guess it was probably to show Jack to show respect for his elders.

 

Jack was nodding and he sat on a chair near Asia. Then he got up and made some excuse about needing to get home. He tried to walk causally and coolly out the door just as a doctor approached us. The doctor was a woman in her late forties and she shook both of our hands. “Shawn is doing fine and he should be able to go home in a few hours. He just woke up and if you want to see him, you can. He may not be able to talk for a few days, but other than that, he’s in perfect condition.”

 

Asia knocked on the door to Shawn’s room and his eyes went to hers instantly. He saw me and held up a fist. I gently smacked it with my own and sat down next to him. Asia went around to the other side and took his hand. Shawn looked at her curiously. Asia sighed, and looked at me. “It was Seamus.” I sucked in my breath and tried not to growl. She looked back at Shawn, “Don’t worry. I got him.” She said in a child’s innocent voice. For some reason, I felt a chill go down my spine.

 

 

The next few days, Asia stayed at home and didn’t let Shawn leave his bed. Shawn kept grumbling about that he was fit, but Asia wasn’t going to take any chances. She brought him his meals in bed, and stayed away from anything harder than bread or made him chew a lot. Shawn continued to grumble that he was sick of something barely solid, but Asia was so persistent.

 

On the third morning, the morning Asia was going back to school, she insisted helping Shawn take a shower. Shawn had gasped and instantly started coughing, “You little siren!” he shouted and started coughing while spilling out the words. “If there is anything in this world I would hate you for doing to me that would be it!” He had sat up in bed, gotten out and stripped while moving towards the bathroom. He slammed the door shut in her face and screamed at her through the door, “Women! Just because I got strangled by your niece, nearly died, couldn’t talk for a day, and your forcing non-solid foods down my throat, doesn’t mean I need any more help from you! God damn immortal! AH!” The scream was when Asia ripped open the door and pushed him into the shower. “Wash yourself toughly, you God damn mortal, or I will help you.” Shawn balked, “I walked into that one, didn’t I?” Asia scratched her throat and tried to ignore Shawn’s naked body with water running down it. “Yeah. Hurry up, I need to take a shower too.” She turned around and was about to walk out when Shawn whispered, “You could join me?”

 

Asia turned around, “Only if you wear a blindfold.” Shawn blinked, “You have to wear one, too then.” Asia ran with immortal speed to grab two scraps of cloth from downstairs and was back in a blink of Shawn’s eye. She handed one to Shawn and once he had it secured over his eyes, she stripped and put her own blind fold on. She stumbled into the shower. After a few moments she felt stupid and immature. She was almost 70 years old and she still refused to see a mans naked body or let a man see her own naked body. She ripped her blindfold off and quickly removed Shawn’s. He looked over his shoulder at her face and smiled. The fact that he didn’t let himself look lower made Asia’s heart ache. He respected her. She wasn’t sure if she could say the same about herself towards him. She couldn’t help but admire his back muscles. She wanted to touch them so she instantly grabbed the body wash and started lathering his back. Shawn stiffened and looked over his shoulder at her again. “What are you doing?” She raised her eyes to meet his, “The ‘I wash your back, you wash mine’ thing. Okay?” Shawn looked incredulous for a moment but than turned back to washing his hair and somewhat ignoring her. She reached around him to shake the bottle of body wash in front of him before he took it from her and she turned her back to him. When nothing happened for a few moments, she chanced a look behind her. Shawn was looking at her back and his eyes were wide. His jaw had dropped as well. Suddenly, he traced a finger on a weird path down her back. His voice broke as he whispered softly, “Where... What part of the pool did you die in?”

 

Asia thought for a moment “By a wall in the deep end.”  She thought harder, “I had gotten tangled up in a lane line at my other pool a week before. Owner said it was a miracle that I survived. There were a few cuts, but I didn’t notice them since they didn’t hurt my performance. I can’t believe their still there.” She paused and realized that Shawn was still looking at her back and touching it in a fashion she found uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and moved away from him. A few seconds later she felt soothing fingers gently brushing body wash on her back.

 

 

Brent had to leave to go back to Las Vegas. With the Spring Break rapidly approaching and Shawn doing much better, Brent offered to Asia to take her back with him for some time. She did miss all the lights and amount of busyness of the city, so she agreed.

 

A few days later and a short plane trip, Asia was back in the valley where she had felt most comfortable. She remembered the voice from her past had mentioned coming here for a Spring Break her first year in college. Asia wondered how much had changed, but thought better of herself. The oldest building still standing on The Strip was Wynn. Brent had gotten her a room there and that’s where she was currently. She looked out a window and thought about how the place must have looked fifty years ago. One finger traced lazily on the window in the same curve The Strip went and she started humming.

 

The gorgeous monstrosity right on the curve wavered and turned into the old Treasure Island. Asia blinked a bit, but it didn’t disappear. She looked onto The Strip to see if anyone else had noticed the giant “ti” sign suddenly appear. No one did; in fact, some people were walking through it. She realized that she was the only one who could see it. She looked at different hotels and casinos lining The Strip and watched as they transferred back into the buildings they were about forty years ago. The Mirage glistened and the fountains outside of Bellagio went off unexpectedly.  Asia smiled as she looked upon the Las Vegas of her mortality. She stopped humming, not realizing that she’d been doing it along, and the buildings of the turn of the 21 century slowly disappeared to make way for younger generation.

 

A slow knock on her door brought the daydreaming Asia back to reality. She opened the door to see Brent there. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me?” He asked it so softly and hesitantly that Asia felt she couldn’t refuse. She grabbed a small jacket and they both headed out the door.

 

Brent led her down The Strip and Asia couldn’t help but stop and stare at some of the bigger hotels and casinos. Sure, she’d been here before, but she’d never taken the chance to stop and smell the roses, in sense that she hadn’t cared what the buildings were. Brent suddenly covered her eyes and slowly pushed her into a casino. She started to pull away, but he kept her eyes covered and told her which way to go. Finally he uncovered her eyes and she gasped. She than felt herself begin to cry. The restaurant she’d been led into was an Italian one modeled after her favorite restaurant when she was mortal. With more emotion and strength then she intended, Asia threw her arms around Brent and squeezed him. Brent just held her as she cried. When she finally composed herself, Brent led her over to a somewhat private table. A waiter came over and offered them a wine list. Brent cut the poor man off before Asia ripped his eyes out with her fork. Brent ordered for them and Asia just sat back taking everything in. Chicago didn’t have the sense of urgency as this restaurant did and everyone’s accent was off. She couldn’t help but think that the atmosphere would have been better if they’d hired people born and raised in the Chicago area.

 

Brent leaned forward and for that first time that evening, Asia noticed he had slightly dressed himself up. He was wearing a pale-blue button-down shirt that accented his own blue eyes and some somewhat formal black pants. A silver chain glinting in the dim light of the restaurant completed the ensemble. She studied him for a bit, wondering why she had never done so before. Brent was a handsome man. He took care of himself and took care of those close to him. He hadn’t married yet since most women took him to be gay or bi with his sensitive and caring attitude. He had the blue eyes, dark hair that had always increased Asia’s heart rate when she was mortal. Immortality and years with Seamus hadn’t changed that. She had already felt her heart jump a few times since she entered the restaurant. She continued to study Brent. His shoulders were somewhat broad, but not so much that most people would notice. She knew from memory that his waist was narrower than his shoulders, giving him a swimmer like build. She also recalled from memory that he most certainly had a swimmers chest and abs. She tried not to squirm in her seat as dormant hormones that she had thought to have been killed at the same time she was wiggled into life and started doing an uncomfortable chant to just jump on Brent and the rest of the universe be damned.

 

Their food arrived and Asia looked at hers and looked over at Brent. “Uh, what is it? I don’t remember Chicago having… whatever this is.” What appeared to be pieces of meat, vegetables, egg and fish seemed to have been literally strung onto lengths of spaghetti and cooked in the same fashion as the spaghetti was. Brent picked up her fork and spoon and slowly spun a section of the spaghetti onto her fork and held it in front of her mouth. When she just stared at him, he slightly shook the fork and slowly smiled. Asia opened her mouth and Brent placed the fork in it. A rainbow of sensations swirled in her mouth as the saltiness of the egg, the tenderness of the fish, the somewhat sweet taste of the meat, and the slipperiness of the vegetable mashed together to make her wonder why she’d never had anything like it before. She swallowed and looked at Brent. “Wow, that was strange and yet good!” She finished her plate and leaned back with a content look on her face. Brent took more time eating and every once in a while stole a glance in her direction.

 

After dinner, Brent talked quickly to one of the waiters in some brisk Italian and a few moments later, a large dish of a milky brown cold substance was placed in front of Asia. Two spoons were placed into it and Brent grabbed one with some of the substance on it and contently licked it off the spoon. Asia picked her spoon up and looked at it. Following Brent’s example, she flicked her tongue out to get a bit of the substance on her tongue. It was cold, sweet, and creamy. She looked over and Brent and whispered, “What is it?” Brent choked and looked at her with wide eyes. “You’ve never had ice cream?” Without waiting for an answer, “Well, it’s not ice cream, its gelato. It’s made with a heavier cream.” Asia tried the new word out. “Gelato.” She liked it.

 

 

When Asia and Brent left the restaurant, Brent covered her eyes again and led her to someplace strangely quiet. When he uncovered her eyes, she was in what appeared to be a spa like place. “Brent, what is this?” Brent smiled and gave a small low chuckle. “Come on. You died when you were barely 20, you were living in a [i]MacDonald’s[/i] for the past forty some years, and you don’t think you deserve to be pampered?” Asia looked sharply at him. “The fact that I haven’t done anything to deserve this makes me think I don’t deserve it. Now I know that no matter what I do or say, you’re still going to treat me to this, so I must ask, what’s the catch?”

 

 Brent had turned his back to her and turned around with two glasses in his hand with sparkling liquid. Asia started to protest when Brent cut in, “It’s sparkling grape juice. I know you’d kick me through this building and all the way to D.C. if I tried to serve you some actual alcohol. And to answer your previous question, there is no catch. I have the money, I have the time, and you,” he set down the glasses and swept her off her feet, “you, my little immortal Anastasia, need to relax.” He laid her down on a couch that had to have been made from the finest silk and knelt down in front of her. “Tonight, as long as you wish, I am going to pamper you in every way you can imagine. What do you want me to do first?”

 

Asia tapped her chin thoughtfully, “First, call me Asia, not Anastasia. Second, that hot tub looks very tempting.” Brent smiled at her and went to fill the hot tub. When it was full, he turned around to give Asia some privacy as she slipped out of her clothes and into the tub. She couldn’t help but give a moan of delight as the warm water washed away all the stress she didn’t know she had pent up. Muscles she never knew to be so tense just relaxed and she gave a small purr of delight. A soft caress on her hair pulled it away from her body and she felt a brush gently run through it. She closed her eyes in contentment and let Brent brush her hair while she started to float off to dreamland.

 

A slight tugging on her hair and the feeling of it being piled on top of her head brought her back slightly. The gentle strokes of a few fingers from the base of her skull to her shoulders made her shiver. Brent pulled away, but she whispered, “No, don’t stop,” and his fingers started to tenderly massage her shoulders. After a few minutes, Asia felt him hesitate. She lay as still as she could, hoping that his hesitance would disappear. It did as his hands moved down her arms in circles. When they reached the water level, he pulled away completely and Asia felt herself missing his touch. A hand appeared in front of her holding one of the glasses of sparkling grape juice he’d poured out earlier. She took it and heard him moving behind her.

 

A whisper of his hand brushed her ear and she wasn’t sure what to expect next. Nothing else happened and silence began to roar in her ears, but she ignored it. Minutes passed and still no sound. Asia began to suspect something was wrong. She took a sip of the juice and set it on the side of the tub. She slightly turned her head, hoping to catch a glimpse of Brent out of the corner of her eye, but she didn’t see him. She turned the other direction and still didn’t see him.

 

She turned all the way around and whispered, “Brent, where’d you—“ and stopped. Brent wasn’t in the room. No one was. No one alive and mortal, that is.

 

Seamus was sitting on the couch with crossed legs. He took one look at her and smiled, “How’s it going, Asia? Or, should I say, [i]Anastasia[/i]?”

 

 

“It’s [i]Asia[/i] to you, Seamus.” Asia whispered. She was trying not to panic, but with Seamus so close it was nearly impossible. Knowing that Seamus wouldn’t give her any privacy no matter how much she begged him, she stood up and grabbed a towel to wrap around herself.

 

Seamus raised an eyebrow and looked her over, “You’ve been working out.” He muttered mostly to himself. Asia turned to look at him, the towel firmed wrapped around her figure. “And you look like you’ve been dead for fifty years. Oh wait, you have been so I guess that’s a compliment. How’s the scar? It’s gotten bigger since I last saw you.”

 

Seamus stood up faster and had his hand around her throat and had thrust her into the air in less time it took for her to blink. She didn’t need to breathe, but it still hurt and she wasn’t sure if she would live if he snapped her neck. He looked pissed and hissed between his teeth, “What do you mean by ‘it’s gotten bigger’?”

 

Asia looked down at him, “Oh, like I haven’t noticed the witch’s price to pay for immortality. I’m guessing that you got cut by something during your transformation.” She leered at him, “Maybe you should find your own little mortal to give you the ability to heal yourself.”

 

Seamus threw her across the room and she hit the wall hard enough to make it shudder and her spine tingle. She gritted her teeth at him, “Okay, buddy. Now I’m pissed.” She used her power to slam him against the wall opposite her. He smirked at her. “I wonder what else you can do with this gift you’ve discovered. Kill someone, catch some criminals for the cops, move furniture. The list of possibilities is endless.”

 

“I wonder how one could kill an immortal. I wonder how one could hurt an immortal. I wonder if it’s even possible.” Asia whispered deadly. She whipped one hand down in a slashing motion and Seamus gave a shriek that shocked both the immortals. The scar on his cheek was ripped open and had grown larger with Asia’s lash of power. His ice blue eyes locked onto her emerald ones. Shock, anger, fear, and revenge were passed between them. Blood ran down Seamus’s cheek and dripped onto his shirt. It healed as suddenly as it occurred. Asia released her hold on him and he slid to the floor. He slowly got up, shook his head and walked out the door.

 

Brent walked into the room and saw Asia out of the tub. “Hey, feeling pruny?” He whispered and went over to her. She looked up at him and saw herself in the light brown depth. Sometimes he wore blue contacts, but today he had left them out. Asia wondered what it meant. “Brent, where are your contacts?”

 

Brent licked his lips, and looked down at her. “I was hoping you’d let me spend the night at your place. One of my neighbor’s apartments was so disgusting that they had to kick us out for a few days to fumigate the place. I promise it’s only one night.”

 

Back at Asia’s apartment, they ran into a problem. “Uh, one bed, two of us. Not going to work out.” Asia muttered and turned to Brent. “I’ll take the floor. It’s not like I need sleep anyway and your mortal so your more fragile than I am.”

 

Chuckling, Brent pulled Asia towards him. She turned in his arms to look at him. He raised a hand to trace her hairline. She felt confused and just stared at him. She felt what like her womb give a small jump and release a small amount of pleasure when his hand went from her hairline to her cheek.

 

To quick for even her immortal sense of time to measure, Brent kissed her. He kissed her the way she had kissed Seamus. Sudden, possessive, and almost selfish. She felt him moving forward and the back of her knees hit the bed. He didn’t stop. His tongue moved into her mouth and her womb was fluttering in anticipation. His hands grabbed at her back and pulled her as close as he could to her. In her mind, she felt the innocent Asia crawl behind a wall and start whimpering. The Asia who wanted this revealed herself and Asia could almost see her smile. She felt her hands move all over his body and with immortal speed and strength, she ripped his shirt off. She felt Brent hesitate, but she was full steam ahead. She was raking his back with her hands, feeling every crevice of every muscle, and oh yeah, she was liking what she was feeling. Her hands moved to his front to feel his abs and she couldn’t help but moan into his mouth. 

 

Brent pushed her down onto the bed and when he climbed over her, the innocent Asia tried to take over. Trying to make a compromise, Asia put a finger to Brent’s lips. “No.” She said. “I don’t want that. Not now.” Brent pulled back and rolled over to lie next to her. He was breathing hard, “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I didn’t want to take it that far. I guess both our hormones got a little crazy.”

 

 

Asia was back in Las Angeles, and Shawn wasn’t the only one to greet her back home. Seamus was lounging on Shawn’s railing when she walked into the apartment. He turned his head towards her and blew her a small kiss before putting his hands behind his head and muttering, “This better be good. I can [i]not[/i] wait to see what the youthful immortal has to say to the drowned immortal.”

 

Since Shawn had no idea that Seamus was on his railing and talking, he pulled Asia into the apartment, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek to welcome her back and shut the door. “How was Las Vegas? See any good shows? I heard that new Cirque Du Soleil show was pretty interesting. What about magic shows? I also heard that a lot of magicians were in town while you were there.”

Asia placed a finger on Shawn’s lip. “Calm down, buddy boy. I’ll tell you everything once I’ve settled down and have had a glass of cold sparkling water. How was your time without me?” Shawn shuffled his feet a little as Asia took her bag upstairs and unpacked everything. The door remained open and sound carried well in the apartment so he muttered, “Well, I did miss you. Once you’ve had a roommate for a while, it gets lonely when they leave. It wasn’t like everything was quieter, because I think this place has gotten quieter since you moved in, it was just empty.”

 

Asia poked her head out and jumped over the railing to land in front of him. He winced, “Doesn’t that hurt at all? I sware, if I tried that, you’d be rushing me back to the ER. Oh, and don’t do it anymore! This is a normal mortal house and I won’t have some of my friends thinking I live with a crazy woman.”

 

Seamus snorted from the railing, “Normal mortal house? If [i]only[/i] he knew how many immortals stopped by on a daily basis.” He raised his eyebrows at Asia, “Crazy woman? Nah. More like crazy dead person. I’m surprised that when he saw you for the first time he didn’t yell ‘I SEE DEAD PEOPLE!’ and run the opposite direction.” He paused and muttered, “Surprised your little brown-eyed man w***e didn’t do the same thing.”

 

A small rumble shook the room. Seamus flew up the steps and looked out the window. “Ooo, earthquake!” He sounded like a little kid who had just gotten his favorite piece of candy. Asia pushed Shawn into the doorframe to the kitchen. Seamus was muttering words she couldn’t hear so she choose to ignore him. The rumbling stopped, but neither Shawn nor Asia left the doorframe.

 

A crack, followed by a loud explosion roared in Asia’s ears. She fell to the ground, holding her hands over her ears. Suddenly, blue eyes were looking up at her from the floor. Seamus raised his eyebrows at her and mouthed something. Asia had started teaching herself to read lips when she’d become immortal, but she’d never been that great at it. Seamus repeated what he had said and Asia suddenly made out what he said. She grabbed Shawn and threw him on her back and ran out the building. Seamus was close behind her. Neither of them stopped running until they were outside the city limits. Asia gently put Shawn down, but he had passed out while she was running. “Okay Seamus. What volcano were you talking about?” She whispered to him.

 

Seamus had lain down and was looking back into the city. He blinked a few times and silence started to fill Asia’s ears. His mouth twitched and what sounded like a roaring train and gunshot went off and suddenly and red-orange spray erupted towards the coast. Though they were miles away, she still felt the heat from it and her hair whipped behind her from the heat wave.  “That volcano.” Seamus whispered. He turned to her and Asia noticed something different about him. He didn’t have a scar.

 

Asia woke up in a sweat. She turned to where Brent was laying and put her head on his chest. He muttered something in his sleep and put his arm around her. She felt herself drifting back to sleep and wondered why her dream had seemed so real.

 

 

The next morning, Asia was woken up with a small pair of emerald eyes peering down at her. She muttered something and rolled over. Brent was gone and the eyes followed her vision. When she realized she wasn’t dreaming, she sat up straight and glared into her niece’s eyes.

 

Isabel looked uncomfortable and shifted on the bed. She swallowed and bit her lip. “Seamus needs your help back in Chicago. Something’s happened.”

 

Asia ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She was too tired for this. She was supposed to go back to Las Angeles the next day and school started the day after that. She wasn’t up for a day trip to Chicago for something as small as Seamus asking her.

 

“Tell Seamus he can kiss my mortal a*s back into immortality before I go across the Rockys twice in one day.” Asia growled and flopped back on the bed to fall promptly back asleep. Isabel watched her aunt for a bit before heading back to Chicago to help Seamus out, if he was still there.

 

~~

 

Seamus was hiding. A small child had seen him and Katie sitting at one of the tables by the window and had asked about his scar. A small child. Why the hell would a [i]kid[/i] no older than Isabel’s body see an immortal? His reign over immortals was drawing to a close. Soon, everyone would be able to see the immortals and than what would the point of being immortal be? Sure, all he had asked of the witch was to make him immortal, but the not being seen had come as a bonus. He had created his own world. No one ever complained and no one had left for long.

 

Isabel appeared and slid behind him. He turned to her and whispered angrily, “Where is she?” Isabel blinked and shook her head, “To simply put it, she’s not coming.” Seamus peeked out from his spot back into the restaurant; the child was still there with his parents. “This is not good. We need to find some place more discrete. We need to separate. We need to survive.” He turned to look at her, “Once the child is gone, get everyone to meet at the courtroom after it closes. No one is to go anywhere during daylight.” He looked over his shoulder at the child, “Maintain a no contact system. No one goes anywhere where they’re may be some form of life needing oxygen. This may be the end for us, and we need to be ready for the worse and beyond. Now go.”

 

The child left just as Isabel disappeared and Seamus let out a sigh of relief. Two firm believers in less than a year. What were people watching this decade?

 

 

It was the Monday after Spring Break and Jack stayed after class to talk to Asia. He looked worried and Asia asked him what was wrong.

 

Blue eyes so much like Seamus’s, yet so different when it came to emotions looked into hers. “I don’t know, Miss Anderson. Lately I’ve been having these weird dreams. End of the world scenarios, and I’m the only one who can stop them. It’s enough to put me on edge and get thinking.” He paused and got up from his desk and started walking around the room, “They’re all different, but they’re the same. People are dying, being killed, or things just get worse. Then all I have to do is remember something that I can’t remember and the world gets better. I don’t know what to make of them.”

 

Asia looked down at the floor. “Jack, it’s probably just anxiety. Now that the break is over, you only have two months until the end of school. You’re just worried about your grades.”

 

Jack had stopped pacing and he looked back at Asia, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He then smirked, “Besides, why am I talking to you about this? You’re just a history teacher.” His smirk fell off his face and he looked at her with wide eyes, “Dear Lord of all creation, why did I say that? I didn’t mean it that way.” He started to stutter and Asia gave a smile to show that she wasn’t hurt. He was right anyway. She was just a history teacher and didn’t understand the meaning of dreams or anything psychological. “It’s okay Jack. It’s getting late, so why don’t you get going home so I can go and make my roommate dinner.”

 

Jack walked briskly out the room and Asia sighed. She had just started packing up to leave when Seamus slid into the room. He looked worried and collapsed at Asia’s feet. She knelt down and pulled him into her arms. “Seamus?” She whispered quietly, hoping no one else would come into the room and see her holding nothing in her arms and think she was crazy. “Seamus, what happened?”

 

Seamus looked up at her and smiled weakly, “I guess there’s still a bit of humanity left in me. I just left Chicago a blink before I got here. I’m just tired, that’s all.” His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and Asia felt a gasp escape her lips.

 

She set Seamus down and looked at him for a bit. He blinked a little and quickly sat up. His eyes were back to normal and he didn’t look as fatigued as he had a moment ago. “So sorry about that, I guess even an immortal’s body has its limits. I came to ask for you to come back. We need you back home. Another firm believer like your Shawn saw me and Katie.” He stood up and started pacing like Jack had not moments before. He was silent and Asia knew better than to ask what was wrong. “We don’t want to become what you are. I created my world and I want to keep it.”

 

Asia stood up so fast and was suddenly in front of Seamus, “You know how selfish you are to say that? That witch that turned you into what you are probably never planned for any of this. You’re just a scared little boy right now trying to hide from the world he’s watched go by him for the past forty some years. Just get over it. I’m not going back to Chicago. I drowned there, I had a life there, and I met a niece that I never knew existed there. I want to start over and here, in Las Angeles. With Shawn.”

 

Seamus looked down into the bristling emerald eyes staring up at him. “You love him don’t you? You kiss me and Brent, and yet the one guy in your life that hasn’t made a move on you or you on him you love. That is just plain weird and so like you.” He pushed her away, “Go. Go be with him. I don’t want to ever see you again.”

 

Asia turned to walk out the door and she couldn’t help but adding, “Then, stop believing that [i]you[/i] exist.”

 

 

Shawn’s narrative

 

The ring was something special. When Brent and Sara had adopted me and Sara had died, Brent had given me her ring and told me to give it to the woman who I intended to marry. I had found out Asia’s finger size a few weeks ago and had the ring sized for her. Unlike the traditional wedding ring, it had a blue moonstone in the center with three tiny diamonds surrounding it. When I had asked Brent why he hadn’t bought a diamond, he told me the story of the stones.

 

When Brent and Sara had met, they knew they perfect for each other in every way. Neither of them gave in to the other without a fight, though they always settled for second best. Sara’s birthstone was moonstone and Brent’s was emerald. Sara’s favorite stone was smoky quartz and she wore a shard of the deep brown stone around her neck on a silver chain that Brent had found. Brent’s favorite stone was Petoskey stone and he had many scattered around the house. Sara collected different stones and she had pieces of moonstone and emerald around, but no Petoskey or smoky quartz pieces small enough to fit onto a ring. She decided that since she could always settle for second best, she crafted two rings, one the one I was holding the other it’s exact opposite, with an emerald in the center and moonstones around it. The day after Sara’s death, the emerald ring had disappeared and though I sometimes looked for it around the house while I was still living with Brent, I never found it.

 

Though Asia and I had never extended our relationship into anything remotely like a relationship, I still realized that I loved her and wanted to marry her.

 

Around the time that school normally got out, I started pacing in the kitchen. I decided to call Brent to tell him that Sara’s ring would finally have a new home.

 

Brent picked up on the third ring. I was so nervous that I instantly blurted out, “I’m going to ask Asia to marry me!” and waited for my adoptive father to say something. For a few minutes there was nothing on the other end of the line and then I heard a cough, “What? I think I just heard you say that you were going to ask Asia to marry you? How long have you two been dating? How long have you known her?”

 

I hesitated at the barrage of questions. “Yes, we aren’t, and it can’t be more than a year.” I wondered for a moment why Brent had hesitated himself before asking. He coughed again I wondered if he was coming down with a cold, “You alright, dad? You’re coughing a lot.” He coughed again, “No, I’m fine. I just choked on some water. I’m wondering why your asking Anastasia to marry you if you don’t even know her that well. It wasn’t even a few months ago that you were saying that she was prude. You sure you want to live the rest of your life with a prude person? Have you even thought about how she’d react to that news? She may run back to Seamus.”

 

The last part caught me off my guard and I barked, “What do you mean by ‘run back to Seamus’? She doesn’t even like the guy.”  My father cleared his throat before answering, “He’s her own kind. He’s going to live forever, just like her. Asking her to do something that is a life commitment for [i]you[/i] and not for [i]her[/i] may make her change her mind about Seamus. You may have her start thinking about what it’s like to be immortal. She was still alive and mortal before either of us was born. You may start her thinking, and not about marriage.”

 

I grunted and Brent stopped talking. We both waited for each other to say something, but than Brent sighed, “Look, I’m in town right now, how about I stop by and we talk about this in person? How about all three of us go out someplace? You and I can talk and Asia can see a bit more of how society has changed since the time she was a pure mortal.” I nodded and then remembered that I didn’t have the new video phone so I grumbled, “Okay.”

 

Asia walked through the door right then. “Yeah, I’ll see you soon. Think of a place we can go while you’re on your way over.” I hung up as Asia walked into the kitchen. I quickly stuffed the ring into my back pocket and hoped that she didn’t ask me to sit down before Brent got there.

 

~

 

Asia noticed how uncomfortable Shawn looked when she walked into the kitchen. “Hey there, you. Who was on the phone?” Shawn looked down and shuffled his feet a bit. “Just Brent. He’s in town and he was coming over to take us out someplace. Said it was going to be a surprise.”

 

“I don’t know. I’m feeling tired and I don’t think I’m up to going anywhere today.” Asia sighed and gave Shawn and tired look. Shawn was amazed at how she could easily just go from looking to be in perfect order to falling apart. He hoped it had nothing to do with how old she was. “I’ll give him a call to say we can’t go anywhere.”

 

Asia walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. “Don’t do that. You two can go out and I’ll stay home.” Shawn tried not to wince at that. He had a feeling that if he were to talk to his father about Asia, one of them would erupt and the other would end up in the ER. “I had a feeling that Brent wanted to do something special for you.”

 

“Oh.” She sat up and instantly looked wide awake and ready for action. “In that case, let’s go.” Brent came through the door just then and both Asia and Shawn gave him smiles.

 

“Good afternoon. Who is up for a small trip to a small holo club? They have one close to here, and I was thinking it was time we exposed Asia to bit of the later 21^st century.”

 

The club was silent when the three adults walked in. Asia looked around, trying to figure out what the hell the place was, but it looked like a windowless café with a big open area in the middle and floating platform to one side. Brent pushed her into a seat and tapped the table they were sitting at twice. A holographic menu appeared and Brent touched his thumb to the hologram. A few moments later, a cup appeared in front of him, full of steaming coffee. Asia just stared. Shawn noticed and started laughing, with Brent joining in moments later.

 

Shawn put in his own order and showed Asia how to do it herself. Soon the three of them were laughing and enjoying themselves over the steaming cups. Brent became silent very suddenly and when Asia and Brent noticed, he nodded to the floating platform. They both turned and Asia nearly dropped her cup. On the platform was someone who was supposed to be dead. A singer that Asia couldn’t remember very well, but enjoyed the music of indefinitely. The music started up and Asia closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was like to listen to her music when she was mortal. She kept her eyes closed for an entire song. She opened them to notice that both Brent and Shawn were gone. Fingers brushed the hair away from her neck and she felt someone lean over her shoulder to whisper in her ear, “Dance with me, my little Asia.”

 

Asia stood up and walked away from Seamus. She was in no mood to be around him. Instead, she walked into the crowd that had formed in the middle of the club. She found Brent and Shawn, talking to some other women. They saw her and excused themselves and went over to her. She smiled up at the two men. They smiled down at her, and then Shawn bent down and whispered in her ear, “Please, Asia, will you dance with me?” She nodded and Brent melted away into the crowd as a new song started. It was soft and gentle and Asia shivered all over in pleasure.

 

Shawn gently took her hands and held them loosely, giving her the chance to pull away without a struggle. She just swayed with the music and let her body do what it felt was right as it held onto Shawn, her anchor to the present, as her mind went to the past. The song was doing that to her. Having her not sure what time she was in, and needing that reminder that she was in a time that was not her own. Shawn kept whispering to her in her ear, sweet nothings that began to swamp her senses. She grasped onto Shawn’s hands so tightly that there was no way he could get away from her, even if he wanted to.

 

 

Brent’s narrative

 

She looked so in her element as she danced with Shawn. I had been shocked when he told me that his intent was to ask her to marry him, but as I watched her dance with him, I understood perfectly. She was something of beauty, something of great power. She just wasn’t his. I didn’t want her to be his. She could be mine just as easily, but I doubted either of them would have liked that.

 

Asia moved as if she was in a dream. She wasn’t the Asia I knew. She was the Asia who had been a college student, had parents, and had a life where she was normal. She was mortal as she danced; more mortal then anyone else in the room. I wanted to be with her, though I couldn’t figure out how I could be. She didn’t love me or Shawn. Shawn was the one who had brought her out of the hell Seamus had introduced her to, and I was the one who had brought her back to Shawn after Seamus had gotten rid of her.

 

I wanted her, so I decided to go up to her when the next song started. It was strange music, but Asia seemed to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed techrap.

 

Seamus’s narrative

 

 

Katie and Isabel walked into the club and spotted Asia on the dance floor instantly. She was the only one out there who looked to be at ease, to have known the music when it first came out, to be one with the songs instead of clumsily moving along. I turned to Isabel and Katie, their eyes shining in the darkness of the club. “Flank her.” I spat out and they moved at once. Isabel moved to be in sight of her aunt and Katie moved to be behind her. She reached out and touched Asia’s shoulder. Asia spun to look at her and whispered something. Katie’s head snapped up and she pointed back at me. I moved into the shadows, but not fast enough.

 

“Get out of my life.” Asia had defied her own mortal ethics and had rushed over to me. She had slammed her hand against my throat and lifted me into the air. I looked down at her. “You can’t me, I’m already dead. But you can be killed. It’s something I know I can do.” I grabbed her hand and forced it off of me. “Come back to Chicago and straighten up the mess that started here.”

 

Asia shook her head, “That’s your mess. You’re the one who made us all into what we are. You made it that we would be seen if certain limitations were applied. The world has changed from when we were alive. Find a way to adapt.” She cracked her neck. “I have.” With a defiant walk, she went back to the dance floor to the man that could have been her grandson.

 

Katie and Isabel were at my side the second she left. “She’s immortal; she’ll have to come back to you.”

 

I touched my cheek and felt the open wound there. “She is my immortal. She can never forget that.” An idea struck my mind and I knew it was something that Asia would never think of.

 

Shawn’s narrative

 

“Asia, I want to ask you something.” I whispered into her ear after the song ended. She looked up at me and her hands loosened their grip.

“What is it, Shawn?”

 

“Will you marry me?”

 

~

 

Asia stared at Shawn as Brent walked up behind them. She took a step back and stumbled into Brent’s arms—and disappeared. Brent stared down at his arms and moved them around. After a few moments he looked up at Shawn with a face full of disbelief. “She’s… gone.”

 

It took a few moments for Asia to catch her breath. She was in a completely black space, yet she could see as if it was daylight. “Brent?” she called out fearfully. “Shawn!” she screamed into the darkness, not even hearing an echo. “Seamus Kirney! If this is your doing, I will have your head on a chrome platter and serve it to Hannibal Lector!”

 

“Seamus Kirney? Kirney, Kirney, Kirney. Haven’t heard that name in some time. Yes, some time. Winds change, yet that name still blow straight. Straight? No, no, no. Time moves in circle, name remains frozen. Oh look, circle passed him again, and again, and again. Where’d it go, where’d it go?” A mousey figure with wide violet eyes appeared in Asia’s vision. “You are a child, nothing more. You are Seamus’s doing. Why are you here? Has he sent you to take more from me? I have nothing more to give, as I have told him in the past. Yet, yet” the figure paused and looked up at Asia, “you are different. Child no more, Seamus’s no more. Who do you belong to? Higher being no control you. I no control you. Seamus… No… this is a power greater then Seamus’s” the figure snorted “This is love. The one thing Seamus has no control over. Young boy he was when I first came to him. Sent him visions of his death. He came to my prodigy, found her, used her, and she survived. Strange thing it did to her. Turned her into energy that I ate and now look at me. Living in a place that is pure darkness and now you, something familiar in the sense that you Seamus’s fingerprints on you, you have come to me.” The figure moved enough into Asia’s vision that she was able to make out that it was in fact a woman who was talking to her.

 

“Who are you?” Asia bent down to peer into the violet depths that instantly captured her. “I am Anastasia Anderson.”

 

The figure panted at her and stared up intently. “Anderson… Name rings many bells, yet that is because there are so many. But you ask who I am. I am an essence of Magick, an essence that has been finely corrupted by the young and handsome Seamus Kirney. Stole my beloved Katherine from me. Who in turn gave me the mortal Jake Thornton.” A gray eyed figure emerged from out of no where to stare at Asia.

 

“Okay, so a better question would be where am I?” Asia huffed.

 

Jake looked at her, “You are between realms that have no space between them. This is purely Katherine’s creation. We are in a realm that should not exist. These,” he indicted each side of him “are the barriers of the mortal realm and the realm Seamus lives in. Seamus was pushed into the other realm about 50 years ago. The fact that he can pull mortals into it is that he can walk either realm at will.” He jumped up. “The little murderer doesn’t even know he’s doing it! The other thing is that mortals can glimpse into the other realm. Firm believer’s my a*s! It’s a genetic thing. Ancient forgotten magick.” He started moving around Asia like a predator stalking his prey. “Magick my dear Katherine tapped into and forced into Seamus. You have a bit of it in yourself as well. You are mortal, but you are still Seamus’s creation. You can see into the realm he possesses and see all that he has made it. Yet look where you are!” He stopped behind her and grabbed her. “You choose to be between the mortal realm and Seamus’s stolen property.” He released her and moved to be in front of her. “Why are you here?”

 

Asia blinked a few times. “A man that I am not sure about asked me to marry him. I wanted to escape, but I didn’t know how to get out of the place.” Jake and the essence exchanged looks. “Then, we will send you back. We will also make the decision for you.” The essence whispered. “We advise that you say yes to him. It would be the smart choice.” She flicked her hand in Asia’s direction and Asia blinked to be looking up into Shawn’s eyes and feel Brent’s arms around her. “Yes.” She whispered and fainted.

 

Seamus’s narrative

 

I watched her blink out of existence. She wasn’t there at all. Both Katie and Isabel gasped behind me and Isabel shrieked, “Aunt Asia!” and ran to stand in the space where she had disappeared. I noticed that the mortal men that had been with her looked just as shocked as Isabel. It wasn’t just the immortals that couldn’t see her. She had disappeared from this plane of existence. I couldn’t think of anyplace that she could have disappeared off to. She was mortal, so she existed within the sight of mortals. She was immortal, so she was able to see other immortals. What else was she that would allow her to disappear? Isabel came back over to us and Katie held her. That was when Asia popped back into sight. The older mortal man held her while the younger leaned over her. She whispered something and then fainted.

 

Isabel tried to get back to aunt. “Let’s go.” I whispered and walked out. Katie followed, dragging Isabel as quickly as she could just to keep up. We ran to Chicago without exchanging any words. The second we got there, Isabel came up to me and slapped me. “She could have been hurt! She could have needed one of us!” I grabbed Isabel’s tiny hands in my own, “She left us. She wouldn’t have wanted our help even if she needed it!” Isabel took off and Katie started to follow her. “No.” I said, “Let her go. If Asia wants her, she won’t tell her to leave. If not, she’ll be back soon.”

 

~

 

Asia was still unconscious when Brent and Shawn got back to Shawn’s apartment. Shawn all but pushed his dad out of the door as soon as Asia was comfortable on the couch. “She is my fiancée, you don’t need to bother with her!” He shouted with a slam of the door. Everything was too quiet then and Shawn looked down at Asia. He realized that it was the first time he had actually taken the time to study her. The room grew too stuffy and he felt himself grow cold when he watched her pulse beat in her neck. There would be a small amount of movement in her neck and then a few minutes would pass before it beat again. Her breathing was the same. She would take in a breath, a few minutes would pass before he exhaled and then the pattern started again. “My sweet…Oh my beautiful sweet Asia… What has happened to you?”

 

“Yeah, that is weird to see. I mean, not even a year ago did she even have to breathe. She has turned into a freak of nature thanks to you.” Shawn started to see a young girl with Asia’s eyes looking up at him from the landing. “What do you mean by thanks to me?” he demanded in a hoarse whisper, “and… who are you anyway?” The girl jumped up to perch on the railing and looked at Shawn. “I’m Isabel, Asia’s niece. Ironically, we both died from neck injuries, but that is a different story. What I meant was that Asia has now regained her soul because she fell in love with you. Ever heard of the term soul mate? Yeah, that’s what happened. When Seamus takes us under his wing, our soul remains in this realm, but our bodies cross over to his realm. Since my darling aunt’s soul mate is your soul, her soul pulled her back across the realms so that you two could be together. The thing is, there are more realms between Seamus’s realm and this one then there were when Asia’s soul and body were separated. Her body was dragged through more…gunk then it had originally been. She is a true freak of nature.”

 

Shawn swallowed hard. “How is it that I can see you?” Isabel bent down and wiggled her fingers, “oooo, witchy. Opps, did I say witch?” and stood back up and Shawn’s raised eyebrows, “did I just date myself? Cause that was totally before my time as well. Anyway, this isn’t really me? This is my soul.” Her eyes darkened to green marble, “Now, get away from my aunt so I can take care of her without having you interfere.”

Author's Note

unfinished chapter... will add more when time allows

Reviews

[Jazlean]

I am loving the story still, but I was going to point out that you made a few errors here and there, a missing letter or word I do believe and a lot of you code where you wanted something in italics didn't seems to work.... which is a shame. I had copy and pasted all the points where you needed to fix but last night during a good reading my evil computer randomly turned off so I lost it all... which was annoying for now I it was after midnight and I was cut off mid conversations and sentence. Not fun. But enough of my rant, please keep writing this and let me know when you up date it! (perhaps email? if you wouldn't mind: [email protected]) Because I really want to hear more!!
hats off to ye, may all be well where you reside!
~Jazlean