Chapter 48

Maradina stormed into the stable and hastily closed the door. She leaned against the door. In tears, she slid down until she felt the hay pricking her thighs. She hugged her legs and cried deeply.

"Maradina? Open up please. We want to talk to you," Sana called out to her after gently knocking on the door.

Sana stood back listening for any sounds indicating that she was opening the door. Unfortunately, no sound was heard except the calm neighs of the horses. Sana frowned back at Sanuika.

"I don't think she will open up, maybe we should leave her alone," Sanuika remarked.

Sana went back to the door and knocked again, "We know that you won't open the door Maradina but you should know that we are here for you."

Sanuika joined her sister at the door, "Considering his age, there were chances that Waxx was married. For what it's worth, you didn't know about his marital status when you were falling for him, so you haven't broken any marital law."

"You will get through this." Sana added.

Sana and Sanuika waited for Maradina to open the door but there were no signs that she was going to. Maradina just sat silently inside with her head buried in her arms.

"I think we should give her some space." Sanuika whispered to Sana.

"Yes, that is best for now." Sana agreed.

The twins stared longingly at the door before finally turning to leave. On their way back to the house, they saw Akirexer looking at them through the window. They waved at her and she waved back before getting away from the window.

I envy those two sometimes. They have what I thought I had with Britney. Akirexer thought with a sigh.

She sat on her bed lost in thought. What she thought was going to be a simple revenge spree turned out to be a sticky web of secrets far beyond her comprehension.

Whitney a faint disembodied hallow voice sounded.

Akirexer paused her thoughts and listened. After a moment of silence, she assumed that she was just hearing things. She laid on her bed to take a nap when she heard,

Whitney! Whitney! Can you hear me? The voice was louder this time. Akirexer sat up stunned.

Whitney! Whitney!

"Okay, this is annoying."

****

Steve walked back and forth in his living room. Asher stood away in a corner hiding behind a curtain in fear. Rose on the other hand sat confidently on the floor with her legs folded and her fingers making peace signs. Two lit orange candles were on her sides. She was sitting at the center of a circle made entirely of vampire dust.

All the furniture was pushed to the end of the room leaving nothing but an open area and an irritated Steve.

"Whitney! Can you hear me?" Rose said with her eyes closed.

"Rose, this is stupid. It isn't going to work. Knack it off, you are freaking the both of us out."

Rose opened one eye. "Be positive for once Steve. She will come. You told us that this is a summoning ritual for darkas gods and you mentioned that it works."

"I also told you that I wasn't completely sure because I never tried it."

"So you collected vampire dust as a teenager just to look at it?" Rose opened both her eyes.

"No I had plans to use it for summoning a darkas god one day but that day never came." Steve explained and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "Enough of this. We can clearly see that it doesn't work. You have been at it for over ten minutes."

"It will work as soon as you pipe down. All your negativity is getting in our way." Rose closed her eyes once more. "Whitney!"

"This is ridiculous!" Steve angrily insisted.

"Will you two shut up? You are going to wake my Catholic mother up. I don't want her to come down here and think that we are summoning a demon." Asher shushed them.

A portal sparked open in the middle of the room. The force of the portal stretching blew out the candles. Akirexer stepped out with her eyes beaming red. Asher ran into Steve's arms and he held her tight. Akirexer locked eyes with Rose and the terrifying glow left them. Rose got up and stretched her hands out to Akirexer with a big smile.

"I should have known it was you." Akirexer smiled back at Rose. "Do you know how annoying this is?"

"I'm sorry but we needed to talk to you." Rose hugged Akirexer.

Akirexer looked around and spotted Steve and Asher. "Hello you two?" She asked them.

Asher gave her a little wave and Steve cleared his throat. "How are you doing Whitney?"

"I am doing okay, I guess. I'm just wondering why you called me here."

"Take a seat and we'll tell you." Rose offered.

"I'm okay with standing, thanks." Akirexer said with a faint smile.

"Is Danny still out there?" Steve asked Akirexer.

Akirexer slowly shook her head. "He is dead."

"What caused the blast?" Rose fired her question next.

Akirexer dropped her gaze as tension slowly took over her. She closed her eyes at the vivid memory of what happened. Those cold eyes! "I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" Rose asked her again.

"Britney, is that you?"

"I wish it was."

"I just can't, okay!" Akirexer raised her voice at Rose and she backed away tensed. Noting what she had done, Akirexer relaxed her hardened face. "Please, just go on living your lives and stop thinking about this. Staying away from all of this is the best thing for all of you." she uttered in almost a whisper.

"How could you possibly know what is best for us, huh? Please enlighten us!" Steve vehemently said. His body was shaking in anger.

"Please, calm down Steve." Asher got hold of him. She looked up the stairs for her mother and shifted her tensed gaze back to Steve.

"No Asher, she has to answer our questions." Steve pulled away from Asher. Turning back to Akirexer, he continued. "You disappeared after my brothers attacked you. Over a year later, you murdered two of my brothers. Then before I knew it, you showed up at my wedding and attacked me! As if that wasn't bad enough, my oldest brother came as a crocodile snake thingy and attacked you! What did my brothers have against you? I want answers and I want them now."

A moment of silence ensued. Akirexer furrowed at Steve's anger. She understood his frustration all too well. It was in deed angering to be in a situation where you completely don't understand what's going on.

A lie. All of it was a lie.

"Steve, it's a long story filled with misunderstandings that I am trying to figure out. I can't answer your questions because I don't have the answers." Akirexer put her hands together. "Please forgive me for what happened at your wedding. I was driven by anger and blinded by hatred." Whitney glanced at Asher. "Not because you two were getting married. I have been over Steve for a very long time now."

Asher tucked her lips and silently nodded her head. Akirexer sighed and rubbed her forehead in thought. She met with Steve's eyes and for a moment, they just looked into each other's eyes.

"On the night I died, a vampire that beared your appearance ordered your brothers to kill me." Akirexer swallowed as the memory kept pouring out. "And possibly rape me."

"I have always wondered what you taste like but you and I are of the same origin." she remembered what Steve the vampire said to her. Akirexer clenched her jaw and swallowed.

Same origin. She wondered to herself.

"Oh, Whitney." Rose beckoned.

"I fought back but because of my head injury that I sustained during my abduction, I was slow so they overpowered me."

Steve went up to Akirexer and gave her a warm hug. She tensed up at the sudden contact. Akirexer partially closed her eyes at his scent. He still smelled the same like she remembered. She closed her eyes and hugged Steve back.

"You don't have to say anymore. We can all see that you are hurting because our questions are reopening wounds." Akirexer pulled away and Steve smiled at her. I'm happy that you are okay Whitney. You didn't deserve to suffer so much." Steve softly said to her.

"I'm happier that you have forgiven me." Akirexer remarked with a smile of her own.

"There is nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault." Steve reassured her.

"Thank you. Well I must be leaving now. I don't want you to get into anymore trouble because of me."

Akirexer tore open a portal. "Don't you ever do this summoning shit again, Rose. I mean it." she said to Rose.

Rose held her hips and stretched her lips. "How else I'm I to get your attention? You don't have a phone."

Akirexer chuckled. "I'll come to you when time allows it. You don't have to worry about contacting me." With a wink, Akirexer disappeared into the portal leaving Steve, Rose and Asher at peace.

****

It was finally nighttime in Texas. The full moon was out and it illuminated the farm house perfectly. All the lights in the house were off except for Waxx's room. Waxx and Melonina cuddled naked in bed. He sniffed her hair as she dozed off on his chest.

Melonina opened her eyes and a look of worry crossed her face. She turned to face the opposite direction and Waxx cuddled her from behind. Melonina broke away from him and sat upright. She pulled the bed sheet to cover her nakedness, leaving only her back facing Waxx.

Concerned, Waxx asked "What's wrong, Melonina?"

Melonina felt her tears falling and she wiped them with a painful lump in her throat. Waxx heard her sniff and he too sat upright. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Babe, please talk to me." he pushed.

"I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I am married but I feel so lonely and alone. You are hardly there for me when I need you. When I supported your decision to leave the military to pursue a life on Earth, I didn't know that it would cost our marriage greatly."

"I know that I am not the best husband in the world but believe me when I tell you that I love you. I have been faithful to you. Not once have I betrayed your love."

"I am not worried about you cheating." Melonina picked a tissue from the head board and wiped her nose. She turned to look Waxx in the eyes. "My fear is that you aren't happy with me. If you were, you would have been at least making an effort to call and visit me as often as you could. I mean we are both busy but I make an effort to see you. Every time we see each other we just end up having sex as if everything is okay and afterwards you go back to ignoring me. I fucking hate it, Waxx."

Waxx slumped and pressed his lips together. He reached out for her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Please stop crying. I am sorry for causing you so much pain. I always thought of you as a strong woman so I foolishly took you for granted."

"We should get a divorce."

"Don't say that. I know that I am wrong, Melonina. I'm willing to change and be a better husband to you."

Melonina felt herself getting weak with his words and she got off the bed. "I have thought long and hard about this. It is for the best." she wiped her tears.

Waxx wrapped a bedsheet around his waist and walked up to her. He held her chin up and looked into her teary eyes which reflected her pain perfectly. "Tell me that you don't love me anymore and I'll agree to this divorce." He strongly said to her and she broke down crying again. "Tell me Melonina."

"I can't do this anymore." Melonina pushed him away.

"Say it." Waxx pressed her. "Tell me that you don't love me anymore."

Melonina got down to her knees and cried deeply. Waxx sat down on the floor and watched her cry. He moved closer to her, put her in between his legs and hugged her. Melonina held his chest as she wet it with her tears.

"I love you, Melonina. You know that no one can take your place."

"The only reason I wanted this divorce was because I thought that I was setting you free." Melonina said in between her sobs.

"I promise that I will be considerate towards your feelings from now on." Waxx hugged her tighter.

****

Akirexer sat alone on the roof enjoying the evening breeze. She lit a cigarette and took a long pull while she admired the beautiful full moon. Maradina joined her on the roof and sat beside her. She stretched her hand out to Akirexer and Akirexer jerked her eyebrow. She took one last pull and handed the cigarette over to Maradina.

"I didn't know that you smoke." Akirexer said but her words were met with coughs. "Okay, now that I can believe."

Maradina gave the cigarette back to Akirexer. She covered her mouth and coughed uncontrollably. Akirexer laughed and gave her a pat on the back. "It is like this when you try it for the first time. You get a hang of it with time." Akirexer held out the cigarette. "Would you like to try again?"

Maradina nodded her head and took it. She puffed out smoke and Akirexer encouraged her to take another pull. Maradina took a pull and returned the cigarette to Akirexer. Akirexer took the last long pull and put it out.

"Beautiful night isn't it?" Akirexer asked Maradina and she nodded her head. "You still don't talk much, huh? That's cool." Akirexer smiled at Maradina and set her eyes on the moon once more.

"It is pointless for me to continue with my silence." Maradina's soft voice sounded.

Akirexer gasped, "Did you just talk?"