NADIA

Tomas took five strides toward me and I took five back, keeping my gaze on the knife in his hand. He pointed at an opening near the altar before a woman, around her mid-twenties, entered and closed the door to the sacristy behind her. “Allow me to introduce my sister, Sophia.”

Her long platinum hair, ivory complexion, and rose-red lips. As she approached the marble slab, the train of her white corseted dress swished with every step.

Her silky was entrancing, and unlike her brother’s English accent, hers was American. “Hi. Nadia, is it?" She flipped her hair to one side. "I'm kind of in a hurry, so if we can skip the whole 'what's-happening-I'm-so-scared-please-help-help-help' portion, that'd be great.” Sophia stared at me, expecting a response.

I pointed to Tomas and backed away. “Screw. This. Screw all of this. You cute and all, Tomas, but I not into whatever kind of role-playing this is.” I shuddered with disgust and kept the exit doors in my peripheral.

Tomas laughed as he twirled the knife. “Oh, leaving is no longer an option. You see, this cathedral exists outside of space. It goes wherever we go. You only perceived the cathedral because we allowed it. Anyone passing by will see it as a regular empty building. So, feel free to scream all you like.”

I took a deep breath and sprinted for the side door. I pushed with all my strength, but it wouldn’t budge.

Sophia sighed while checking her nails. “Damn it. Just once, I’d like you to find us a girl using your head and not your dick. Is her brain as big as her bra size, at least? It is so hard to get dumb whore out of white silk.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Hurry up, Tomas. Mother wants us to get this over with quickly so we can help retrieve the Nexus."

Tomas smirked. “Told you my sister can be a handful.” He slammed a fist into my stomach, grabbed my ponytail, and dragged me down the aisle.

I dug my nails into his hands and screamed at the top of my lungs. "No! Stop! Let go of me!" Once at the altar, Tomas picked me up and threw me onto the cold stone. I tried to sit up, but my body felt weighed down by something invisible.

Sophia smiled while studying my face. “Seriously though, can you even remember the last time we found a nymph? I’ve, honestly, gotten so disgusted with water-downed fay.”

Tomas practically drooled as he stared at me. “Right? It’s lucky mother felt her energy appear before we left.”

Sophia’s tone became joyful. “Oh, my god. How long has it been since the two of us had a chance to sacrifice someone together? And bonus, she’s not powerful enough to beg for mercy or call for help. I mean, god, that’s all sacrifices ever do. It’s like if you’re not going to contribute to the conversation, don’t say anything at all.”

Tomas chuckled and handed Sophia the dagger. "Speak for yourself. I love a good soundtrack, but it is nice to spend some quality time with my little sister.”

Her eyes blackened as she held the knife over my heart and whispered in another language. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a nightmare. I just needed to wake up. The blade vibrated with a hum before Sophia raised it above her head. Even though it was pointless, I still got ready to scream.

Sophia brought the knife down but stopped when the tip was only an inch away. I hyperventilated while staring at Sophia and Tomas. Neither of them moved or said anything. It was as if time had paused. I was safe. However, my moment of hope ended when my vision spun into a dizzying blur and everything disappeared in a flash.

It took me a second to regain sight. When the fog lifted from my eyes, the cathedral was gone. I blinked a few times to confirm I wasn't hallucinating. Instead of pews and sconces, I was surrounded by trees and foliage. "What the hell?"

A few yards away, a woman with fiery hair came running through the trees. Behind her, a pair of nasty grey monsters chased after her. The beasts were shaped like humans but their limbs bent in unnatural ways as they pursued her. I surveyed the forest, but it blurred in and out of focus like a dream. The running lady turned in my direction. "Oh, god, no!" I was about to duck behind a tree, but the woman stopped short of me and spun around. She raised her hands and tree roots sprang up from the ground. They wrapped around the first monster and then the second, crushing them both.

The woods spun around me until I was back in the creepy cathedral again. Standing on the marble slab, the red-haired chick was surrounded by black-hooded figures. She waved her hands in their direction and wind rushed through the building. It circled the sanctuary and threw the robed figures against the walls. The woman’s eyes crackled with lightning before spreading her arms. Lightning erupted from her body, electrifying the room.

The scene around me spun once more, reshaping to a lush forest grove. The woman was caught in yet another battle. Her attacker was a sinewy man with armor consisting of vines, branches, and tree bark. From my vantage, I could see she was having trouble striking the man with fire from her hands. Was I hallucinating? It was possible Tomas had drugged the wine at lunch. Deep in thought, I was barely paying attention when a stream of fire hit the ground two inches from me. “Hey! These are new sho--.” They were no longer in front of me. “Wait. Where'd y'all go?” Fire rained down from above. Both individuals flew through the air attacking one another.

I couldn't stop staring at the woman's gossamer wings. Before she could shoot any more flames, the man opened his hand to reveal a tiny glowing seed. It shot from his palm and pierced the woman's heart. Her face froze in shock and she fell. After hitting the ground, she didn’t try to get up or resume the fight.

Light emanated from her skin and bathed the forest until finally dying down. A seed hovered over the spot where the woman had been. It glowed a few times and then planted itself into the earth. The man laughed as black leaves encircled him and then he was gone.

Expecting the scene to blur out again, I was surprised at how the trees and flowers rapidly aged and re-grew. Time sped around the grove until a giant rosebud bloomed. The fast-forwarding slowed when a young boy with golden hair, no more than nine, appeared. He stepped in from the trees with small strides towards the overgrown plant. He considered the large bud, and the seasons fast-forwarded, again. Years passed by with the boy continuing to visit the growing flower.

The boy, now a handsome man adorned with gold armor, was reading to the rosebud when the earth trembled and cracked. The man stood with inhuman speed and watched the rose blossom. Petal after petal unfolded, revealing the fiery-haired woman inside covered only by her gossamer wings. A naked lady and a handsome dude. I crossed my arms and nodded. “Mmhmm. I know where this is going.”

The forest grove spun around and faded into endless black. "Oh, lord. Where the floor at?" Standing in an empty void, my anxiety rose until the fiery-haired woman appeared in front of me. Her rigid posture and hard stare were intimidating as hell. She rippled and reshaped into a reflection of myself with the same look in her eyes. Then, again, she transformed. This time, the left half of her body resembled her original self while the right half was me.

"Okay. I’m done.” I waved my hands around the black empty void. “Hello? Is this crazy white chick supposed to be me, or I’m her? What is this nonsense?” The floor dropped and I free fell into nothingness. My eyes shot open, but my panic was far from over. I was back on the marble slab and still restrained. Sophia slowly regained mobility as she brought the knife down.

My body felt like it was vibrating and every inch of my skin tingled. Something deep inside of me wanted to come out. It was a long shot, but still better than waiting to get stabbed. I took a deep breath and remembered the scene of the red-haired woman in the cathedral. I couldn’t lift my arms, but maybe my body could still manage something. The tingle grew into a crackle and coalesced over my heart.

When the blade’s tip touched my skin, electricity traveled through the metal toward Sophia. Her black eyes widened before she flew up and smashed onto the organ. The feeling of restraint finally faded, allowing me to move.

Tomas was in shock as he stared at his sister’s crumpled body. I got off the marble slab and grabbed the bastard by his throat. His head jerked in my direction, giving me a chance to see the fear spread across his face.

I squeezed his neck and focused the electricity through my palms. “Sorry, Tomas. I just didn’t feel a spark.” Tomas screamed and tried to pull my hands off. But I was mad as hell and wanted him dead. If not for my rage, I would've puked, or at least gagged at his burning flesh. After a minute, my body was overwhelmed with fatigue. Just. A little. Longer. I could feel myself passing out. Unable to hold him any longer, Tomas dropped to his knees, still conscious and still alive.

My eyelids became too heavy to keep open and my body sagged. Tomas started to move towards me, until something threw him across the cathedral. As my vision faded, I saw him get impaled on a wall-mounted flagpole. Nearby, Sophia screamed, probably from seeing her brother. I was almost unconscious when the last thing I felt were icy hands on my shoulders.

***

I sprang forward, head pounding like crazy while propping myself up on something cushiony. Rubbing my eyes clear, I waited for them to adjust to the dimly lit room. I was on my hotel bed. Sunlight poured in through an open window, filling a third of my room. Near the farthest window, a man stood in the shadows. I couldn't see his face, but every hair on my body stood on end. My fingers crackled the way they had in the cathedral. Was my gut telling me I was in danger?

His voice was low and calm. “If I wanted you dead, I would've left you alone at the cathedral, Nadia.”

I narrowed my gaze at his dark silhouette. “Who are you and how do you know my name?”

“Knowing my name is insignificant. However, I know a lot about you.” He stepped out from the shadows and threw my passport onto the bed. “Especially when that’s lying around.”

"You still didn't answer my other question?” I frustrated myself for sounding more sensual than serious. Unfortunately, I was a sucker for brunettes with dark eyes and full lips. It was also hard not to admire his designer suit.

His gaze rested on me. “I’m surprised you're not grateful after being rescued. You're lucky to be alive. Tomas was lethal by his own merit, but Sophia is far more treacherous. They planned on sacrificing you as they have countless other girls.”

“Yeah, I was there for the traumatic cirque-du-psycho.”

He stepped closer. “Then, perhaps we should discuss what happened right before Sophia attempted to kill you. When your mind opened and you found what you needed to fight back. I'd say the timing was a little more than coincidental.”

I was pissed at the intrusion of not only my personal space but my thoughts. “And how do you know what I saw?” My voice finally mirrored my hostility. I considered getting up, but my body ached.

His voice was a whisper, but it filled my head. “I only saw flashes from the surface of your mind, but I am the least of your problems.” He moved to the window, looking out the opening. “Unfortunately, I don't have the time to soften this revelation. At every turn, there are more questions than answers and I'm afraid the time for tact has long expired. The unprecedented circumstance you are now caught in will have you dead if left ignorant of your role.” He seemed uneasy about his words which was something we had in common. “The events of this afternoon transpired due to you being a nymph. I realize this is news to you, but please try to come to terms with it quickly.”

I pulled my focus from his hypnotizing voice. “What drugs are you on? That is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. And I'm from New Orleans. Also, I’m pretty sure I would know if I was some kind of nature chick. And even if I didn't, I think my doctor would have had a few questions during my last twenty check-ups.”

The mysterious man crossed his arms and tapped his chin. “You need to find a way to process this information because you're not just any nymph. The images and scenes you saw were memories belonging to the deadliest nymph to ever exist. A nymph who died many centuries ago.”

My head was still hurting, but the hallucinations came flooding back, reminding me of what I had seen. “I’m not saying I believe this psychotic break one of us is having, but I will say the last thing I remember seeing was the woman change into me. Then she looked like half her and half me. And yes, maybe it meant she was me, or I was her. But, lord, I don't know what that was.”

“Your soul was trying to reveal who you were and are in a way that might make sense to you. I have no idea how or why, but I do know you, Melinoe,” he pointed at me, “have reincarnated."

I cocked my head back. "First off, creepy, my name is Nadia. Secondly, do you see any wings on me? Cause she had wings.”

He moved away from the sunlight and pulled hand sanitizer out from his pants pocket. “Nymphs are part of the Fay Kingdom, and fay, like any other supernatural species, can hide their true form. However, you are far deadlier than the average fay.”

I was still a few steps behind in the conversation. “So, when you say nymph, do you mean those nature chicks from the Hercules movie?”

He rubbed the sanitizing gel over his hands. “I have no idea what that means. Nymphs are similar in species to those in mythology but their stories are exaggerations of events. Almost to the point of complete falsity. More importantly, I need to move you somewhere safe. Gather your things.”

I widened my eyes and blinked. “You must really be out of your mind. I’m not going anywhere with you, crazy. Over here talking about Nymphs and reincarnation like that means anything to me.”

The strange man sighed and ran his hands down his face. “It should since you are the last true nymph and Queen of the Fay Kingdome.”

My ears perked up. “Run that by me one more time.”

He pulled a chair forward and sat down. “Eons ago, this world was overrun by malevolent entities. By vibrating at a different frequency, kingdoms like the fay’s resided in dimensions parallel to our own. They were safe until an ancient evil broke in and decimated the kingdom, including your parents, the king and queen. You, alone, survived and came to this world to exact revenge."

I could only blink at him because I hadn't even processed the nymph revelation. "You're making my head hurt worse."

"More like your hippocampus is filling with buried memories."

I raised my hand to stop him. "That was one messed up bedtime story, my dude. How do you know all of that?”

He crossed his arms and leaned back. “There aren’t many supernatural species left after the dimensions were decimated. The few that remain are hunted by dark witches like Sophia to boost their power."

I had somehow managed to sidestep the issue. “Wait, what happened to Sophia and Tomas?”

“Sophia created a vortex to escape.”

I clenched my fists at the thought of that psychotic skank still alive. It would’ve been nice if he had killed her too. “What about Tomas? Because my sister knew about my date and a bunch of people saw us together.”

“As far as you know, Tomas never arrived for your date. Your sister and every witness have had their minds altered to forget they saw you. Your alibi will be a bellhop who brought you room service around the time Tomas was spotted at the cathedral.”

I took a deep breath to keep from getting creeped out. “Right, well, thanks for saving me and invading my sister’s mind, but how’d you even know about the date? Have you been following me? And more importantly, is anyone else following me?”

He stood from the chair and paced the room. “Therein lies a perplexing detail. I was tracking a signal that led me to you. Your nymph essence was strong and I recognized Tomas the moment the two of you exited the hotel. After that, I simply followed you to the cathedral, but I wasn’t able to enter until you knocked Sophia unconscious.” He picked up my passport and held it out to me. “Now, we need to leave Italy immediately, before word of Tomas’ death spreads amongst Sophia's coven. I’ve chartered a jet to take you back to The States. Though, someone or something will likely be waiting at your home to attack you.”

I snatched my passport from him. “Oh, good. A nice warm welcome to kill me when I get there.”

After grabbing one of my suitcases, the man threw it onto the bed and opened it. "There is another who I believe may be connected to your resurrection. You will stay with him until it is safe for you to return home."

Everything in my head came to a screeching halt. “Holy sh--my best friend lives with me and he’s there right now!”

The man pulled out a phone from the inside of his breast pocket. “What is his name and address?”

“His name is Aidan.”