"You SUCK!"

Elicia:

Drifting in the warm, sandy breeze as my body flashed through the swirling golden dunes of sand, coming to a stop in the familiar smooth stoned hall. The shadowy blanket of muted ambers gave the majestic hall of hieroglyphics a haunting feeling. Recognizing the shimmering gold dust along my exposed flesh as the eerie Egyptian music, prickled at my spine.

“Welcome, Elicia DeWalt.” A husky voice spoke from the dimly lit stairs as the soft flickering of the two torches behind him, ghosted along the silky material draped over the steps. The shadowy silhouette was poised lazily with his legs crossed out in front of his leaning torso; elbows propped against the stone step in a reclining stance.

“Am I in the right place? Last time I remember being here, the Goddess Hathor was present.” Pursing my lips at the vociferous laughter that echoed from his chest as he dropped his head back in amusement.

“And what’s with the creepy Egyptian music?” Pointing to the ceiling with a twirling finger as he sat forward, clapping his hands like a belly dancer as the stone walls illuminated with the fiery wisps of the torches flickering ambers.

The music switched to a livelier tempo as his dark reddish locks flicked out over his eyes, brushing his fingers through them as his piercing jade eyes stared back at me with a boyish smirk of amusement.

“Definitely not a God.” Laughing lightly at his untucked black button-up with the top two buttons undone, allowing just enough tan flesh to peek out, pulling back his black pant legs to wiggle his bare toes like a child.

“Are you sure about that statement, because from where I sit, I see otherwise.” Lifting his draped hands from his knees in mockery, sparking a strange anger to boil over my body.

“Conceited much?” Scoffing at his remark and posture as those piercing jade eyes, blazed with a hidden challenge, and maybe, a little curiosity.

“Bold words for a Bold woman. If I’m not a God, then what am I?” He stood gracefully, tucking his hands into his pockets as his bare feet glided across the smoothed sandstone flooring. He seemed familiar in presence like he held a place of power, very commanding in his relaxed display of playful audaciousness.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe someone who wants to disturb my peaceful sleep. It hasn’t been the greatest this past week or so.” Huffing out in annoyance that my blissful slumber has been invaded by a strange man, but I can’t complain too much about his boyish charm as he walked slowly around me with a sly smirk.

“Yes, I know all about your awakening.” He hummed delighted, closing his eyes as he paced around me blindly, dropping his head back in light laughter.

“I wouldn’t call it an ‘awakening’, more like a nightmare on supernatural steroids.” Laughing nervously against the panicky sensation that tickled along my flesh, exhaling through the sudden rush of swirling heat as it crept slowly from my toes.

“Give yourself more credit young lady. You handled it perfectly, but a fair warning, don’t get too cocky because we all have limitations when our abilities manifest. Yours just took longer than most because you are the vessel of the Goddess, and your mates, The Watchmen, just happen to be Phoenix’s or Bennu’s. Mythical creatures that rise from the ashes, rebirth. Are you familiar with them?” His amused tone lightened the atmosphere as I scrolled back through my memories of Egyptian mythology, remembering their significance to the Sun-God Ra, who happened to be connected to the Goddess Hathor.

“Only what I have read in textbooks, and some online research on the side. Hathor was said to be the mother or consort to Ra and Horus, becoming the symbolic mother to the pharaohs, who were the earthly representatives of the Sky and Sun God. The Bennu would build a nest of cinnamon sticks then ignite, burning to ash so that it could be reborn into a new, younger phoenix. The old ashes then would be buried at Heliopolis, which is associated with the rising sun or the Sun-God Ra. What does that have to do with me?” Feeling giddy remembering all those old texts, while feeling like this was going someplace freaky in context.

“Right you are, but did you know that Phoenix’s are only male, and are immortal. Nothing can hurt them, well, almost. Iron has a nasty effect on them. A lot of captive phoenix’s died because iron is used for many things, like torture and captivity.” His words rattled my nerves, thinking about the way the guys were raised and what I had experienced.

Did it affect them being around all that iron in those facilities?

Did they even notice, or were they so fixated on their ‘pleasurable pain’ that they would even care?

“Easy, Elicia. Those are dangerous thoughts even at this stage in awakening. Hathor was not only known for music, sexuality, and maternal care, but vengeful. She was said to strike down enemies for Ra, because she was protective over him like any mother would be with their children or child. You may not admit it now, but you have a nasty temper when triggered, especially if a child or loved one is involved. Am I right?” Exhaling a shaky breath, recalling the few times I completely blacked-out while protecting one of the kids from the orphanage. LC and Derek had me examined by a specialist but found nothing wrong physically. They suggested I was faking it to stay out of trouble, but they knew something was wrong and very out of character for me.

“Okay, so I have a nasty temper, it doesn’t mean I’m the Goddess Hathor. Thyra mentioned I was bear, but an Egyptian Goddess is a far reach, even for me.” Laughing lightly, shaking my head at the thought I was that powerful. Yeah right.

The guys on the other hand, I could see being Phoenix’s. They have this presence about them, almost like a raging fire of life.

“Are you calling the King of the Dead, a liar? Hathor guided the dead to the afterlife, and I know for a fact, she chose you as her vessel in this life. You’re more than a Bear; a special creation of supernatural existence. One that still baffles me, because you should have never survived birth.” Shocked speechless at his revelations as he stood proud, frowning at my silent turbulence as everything crashed in on itself.

“Do you think so little of yourself that such a ‘gift’ couldn’t be given to you? I’m truly saddened by that, because you are a raging fire in the darkness. Rising from the ashes like that of a Phoenix, but brighter, more powerful. You rise above it all, finding an inner strength within yourself to make the darkest days brighter. That’s why the guys are drawn to you, because you bring out their strengths and forgotten hopes. You are their rebirth.” Staring at him with questioning eyes as he sauntered back to his original location, swiftly resuming his lazed poise along the steps.

“B-but it makes no sense. Why would the Goddess choose me as her vessel? I’m a confused, emotionally distraught weirdo, who likes fantasy novels, music, and dance. I’m a nobody; abandoned, forgotten, and ignored with the only exception to that being LC and Derek taking me in as their own, along with the other children at the orphanage. For Fuck Sakes, my only friend was their daughter. Like I asked, why me? Why now?” Feeling the swirling heat creep back in over my body as he leaned forward with a tilted smirk.

“That is not for me to divulge, only you can figure that out. A little advise from an ancient deity as me; trust in yourself, believe in the unknown because that’s your truest power. There are no road maps as to why the supernatural exists, only that it does and you my ‘precious’ Elicia are smack-dap in the center of it all, mated to four powerful men. You are their protector from evil as they are to you in the same aspect. Now, Go. I have an underworld to manage.” Laughing at his dramatic eye roll as he swiped his hand, thrusting me back through the sandy dunes into darkness.

“One more thing: you can’t speak about your dream. The guys have their own destined path.” His voice echoed out over the silky blackness as my bedroom door clicked open.

“E! Jesus woman, wake that sexy ass up. It’s Moving Day.” Randi sung happily, snapping open the heavy drapes with a snapping clap of material. Blinding my groggy ass back under the covers with a growling grunt as the blanket ripped from body in a swirling breeze of coolness. Shivering, realizing I was only in my panties, quickly covering my exposed chest with the tangled sheet as Randi chuckled brightly, disappearing into my closet.

“You SUCK!” Shouting out in annoyance, realizing I left myself open for a classic Randi comeback.

“All the Time, girlie.” Randi sauntered out of my closet, motioning with his fist as his tongue pushed his cheek outwards with the in and out gesture. Ugh! Flopping back into my plushy pillows as he worked on packing my clothes into boxes for the movers.

Chuckling at his chipper mood as he danced around the room, grabbing my little mementos, wrapping them up for transport.

Which wasn’t much.