Memento Mori -- Chapter 13
#5 of Eben Black Series -- Memento Mori
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
Donovan was moved. Basil had some of his soldiers move him into the bedroom we'd shared earlier that evening. Kane had disappeared somewhere else, and from what I understood Maximillian had moved Nirvana so she could rest up. Aleksander and the others had followed me to the main lounge where I was sat, huddled on a three-piece couch alone. I had a feeling no one wanted to leave me on my own for too long. Aleksander sat on an armchair opposite me, his body at ease as he stared into the flickering flames of the fireplace. Sawyer was stood, leaning against a bookcase, his eyes watched me with such gentle patience, as if at any moment he expected me to explode. I didn't want to explode though. I didn't even feel angry that he was dead. I just felt hollow inside. Since I'd realised he was dead, Adelheid had howled, it was a distant sound now, distant like some sad dream. She howled for her King. She howled for the beast she loved and adored. I'd never really thought beasts like her even possessed emotions, but they roiled inside me like dull flames, saddened from the loss of her mate, her equal.
Fresh tears spilled from my eyes as I huddled around my knees like some frightened child. I'd changed when Donovan had been moved. For whatever reason I was numb, and I thought a shower and clean clothes would help but all it had done was opened the floodgates and I'd ended up sat in the shower, sobbing. Now I was sat dressed in a pair of black pyjama bottoms, a black fitted vest and a large hoodie that I had zipped and drawn up around me. I'd thought the thick material would warm me, but still I was freezing cold.
I had a thought. "Where is Kane?" I asked, even my voice sounded hollow.
Aleksander looked back at Sawyer and the two exchanged a look.
"What's wrong?" I demanded, looking up at them both.
"He's trashed a wing of the manor house. Basil has offered him the gymnasium to ruin. Kane's grieving," Sawyer explained with a gentle smile.
"He trashed a wing?" I repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"We all cope different in times of...sadness, Eben. You've taken to staying quiet and closed off, and Kane's taken to slashing up anything he can out of anger, more than anything."
"And Basil is fine with this?"
"Basil understands. He's keeping an eye on him though," Aleksander explained.
"Ah, that's good then," I replied. I sank back into the thick material of the hoodie and gazed back across at the fireplace.
"Eben?" Aleksander asked, his voice sounded cautious.
I continued staring into the flames, wishing they would swallow me up whole.
Aleksander leaned forward and asked again, "Eben?"
"Hmm?"
"I know this isn't the time, but you do realise what Donovan's...death means, right?"
His words made me turn and look at him. "What?" I demanded.
Aleksander frowned and looked almost conflicted. He then explained, "Donovan's death means he's no longer the alpha of the wolves. Which means the next level of the heirarchy takes over."
I considered what he'd said and then realised what he was getting at. "Me?"
"Your the new alpha. You and Kane need to take control before things get out of control," he explained.
"What do you mean?"
"The wolves were never the strongest, or the most powerful, and their numbers are the lowest amongst all wereanimal groups. If you and Kane remain silent for too long, the wolves will lose faith in you."
"You sound like the voice of experience?" Sawyer asked, as he pushed from the bookcase and stepped forward.
Aleksander smirked, his eyes had an almost lost look to them.
I frowned and then asked, "What happened?"
"Before I ascended and became the King of our tribe, the previous King went mad and ended up dead. No one was powerful enough to take up the throne, and one by one we started leaving, abandoning the tribe. I came into my title soon after and took the throne, bringing the tribe back together as best I could. I had to bargain and fight for the cheetahs to reform and bolster their strengths, and managed to keep them contained. But I have heard of what happens if the group isn't united," Aleksander looked at me, his eyes focused and he looked determined as he watched me. "In the past groups have lost control and have been seen as weak, and sometimes killed."
"Killed?" I repeated.
"Other groups recognise them as weak, and the more traditional-based group will attack, like animals in the wild attack their weaker prey," he explained.
"That's...lethal."
"Not all animal groups are as reasonable as these ones have been, Eben. Some are more..." he struggled to find a word.
Someone else answered for him. "...wild." I looked up and found Leon leaning against the door frame, his hands buried in his pockets and a gentle smile over his face.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
"I came to pay my respects. I know what's it like to lose someone you love," he replied. He ignored the harsh tone I had. Maybe it was a pardon on his part? I didn't ask. "I was also asked to tell you Kane is asking after you."
"He is?" I replied with a distant smile. I spilled from the couch and padded across the lounge. "Whereabouts is he?" I asked.
"Still in the gymnasium with Basil."
"Good." I passed Leon and left the three of them alone in the lounge while I went to deal with Kane. Aleksander was right. We needed to pick up and help the wolves out. Not to mention the coalition.
I heard the distant sounds of steel breaking wood and metal as I neared the gymnasium. Basil was standing outside the door, leaning against the opposite wall, arms folded as he watched me walk up the corridor toward him. He had that sad look in his beautiful lavender eyes again. He pushed from the wall and walked a little to meet me.
"How are you doing?" Basil asked. I looked at him and he raised his hands apologetically. "Bad question."
"How's Kane?"
"Still furious. But there's something you should know about. He's kind of...changed somewhat," Basil explained, "Hence the reason I'm outside the gym and not in there with him."
"What do you mean by "changed"?" I replied.
"He's hit Level Three," Basil said in the most blunt tone he could manage.
I raised my eyebrows and then asked, "What's his abilities?"
Basil shrugged. "I get the impression something is surrounding him. Whenever I got close something cut me," he explained.
"Something cut you?"
"Look," he turned and revealed his forearm, three slender gashes were cut across his arm. I recognised the kind of marking that had been made. Blades.
"I'll calm him down. He's had his tantrum, now I need him back at my side," I replied as I walked passed the black tiger and touched a hand to the door handle. I called out, "Kane! I'm coming in!"
The sounds died and eventually stopped.
I took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind me.
Basil's gymnasium was much like the one we'd had back at the penthouse. Except all the equipment was in pieces, and the glass mirrors were shattered and spattered the ground. Kane was standing in the middle of the gym. He'd dressed in a pair of denim three-quarter lengths, his eyes a deep crimson, that katana held in his hand at his side, while something shimmered around him. It was invisible, but it moved like heatwaves moved through the air off of a radiator. A deep growl escaped his throat as he took a step forward. Was he about to attack me?
Kane was a blur as he launched at me, blade in hand and that shimmering force around him. I stared wide-eyed and hardly moved as Kane neared me. I closed my eyes and expected death to swallow me, but a distant sound like steel hitting stone echoed around me. I slowly opened my eyes and stared at what surrounded me. Some pale, pinkish-coloured substance rose and hardened like steel. Kane's blade rooted into the surface, his eyes fierce with anger as he glared at me from inches away. Ice. Ice had forged a shield around me. I looked down and saw that my fur hadn't changed whatsoever, but my breath did cloud in front of me like I was standing in a freezer. The sensation was new to me. Kane snapped the blade from the ice and it shattered as he launched backwards, another growl escaped his lips as he skidded on the ground and stopped himself with his free claw. That shimmering force rippled around him once again.
The door sprang open and Basil stepped inside, he reached for me and grabbed my hand.
"What happened in here?" Basil demanded.
"Somethings wrong. He doesn't recognise me," I replied as I let Basil pull me from the room. Basil stepped in front of me as Kane lunged again, blade held horizontal. The door frame buckled as he stepped through. Basil turned and wrapped his arms around me. The world swam and the next moment we were standing just down the corridor.
"You alright?" Basil asked as he let me go.
"Yeah, I'm fine, but what's happening?" I breathed as I peered around Basil's taller form.
Kane was standing where we'd been, he plucked his blade from the carpet and swung it wide, slashing the wall as he took a step forward.
Basil looked back and frowned. "I'd take us further from him, but I'm worried he'll start looking for us and hurt someone," Basil explained.
"He's definitely Level Three, but why is he trying to kill us?"
"Its possible his power came in because of his anger and sadness, so its feeding on that and making him feral," Basil said.
"Feral?"
"His beast has taken over, his human mind isn't even conscious right now."
"Don't you remember? Snow was the same," a deep growl said from behind us. I turned and found Maximillian standing there, his muscular frame naked from the waist up, while he wore those pyjama bottoms again.
"Did we wake you up?" Basil asked.
"Nirvana and I are staying here a few doors down. I figured I'd come out and put a stop to this before things got out of hand," Maximillian explained, he padded passed us and faced Kane alone.
"Don't hurt him, Max!" I pleaded.
Maximillian raised his hands and cracked his knuckles. "Don't panic. I'll restrain him, nothing more," he growled deep in his chest. Kane glared at me again, then focused upon Maximillian, he raised his blade one-handed and the walls seemed to buckle again. That invisible force around him had pulsated and expanded like some kind of sphere that was surrounding him. How was Maximillian going to get close enough with that thing around Kane? I suppose all I could do now was watch.
Maximillian dropped to a crouch and launched with amazing speed, I had never seen him fight before. He crossed the corridor in seconds and reared his clenched fist back. He swung forward and thrust his fist forward. Kane raised his hand and blocked the blow, then hopped up onto the extended arm with amazing skill. He flipped over the hulking lion, turned and swung his blade. A cut blossomed across Maximillian's back, and a second later three more burst from him at once. Something else had struck him after Kane. Maximillian rolled forward and turned, crouched on the floor as blood seeped from his wounded back. He growled and then straightened up. Kane rushed him and jumped, he was midair and swung his blade downward. Maximillian raised an arm and blocked the steel katana, as it sank into his flesh and bit into the bone beneath. Kane made to remove the blade, but Maximillian reached out and wrapped his large hand around Kane's throat. He pulled and Kane staggered into him. Maximillian drew his knee up and smashed the wolf's abdomen. Kane sputtered as Maximillian wrenched the blade from his forearm, and then dropped his elbow to the back of Kane's neck. Kane gasped as the crimson faded from his eyes and he collapsed forwards. Maximillian caught him as the blade hit the floor with a dull thump. Maximillian lowered Kane to the floor and lay him on his back as Basil and I ran to his side.
"Is he okay?" I asked as I kneeled beside the unconscious wolf.
"He's unconscious, but I'd leave him to rest for a while," Maximillian explained.
"This is bad. This is real bad." Tears spilled again as I gripped Kane's hand and shuddered. "Donovan's dead. Snow won't wake up. And now Kane's losing his mind."
Basil and Maximillian watched me for a moment, and then Basil said, "Things will get better, Eben."
I shuddered and swallowed back the sadness that was threatening to cripple me.
"Come on, we'll move him to his room and let him get some sleep," Maximillian said as he lifted Kane up in his arms.
"Thank you, Max."
"Don't mention it," he replied with a gentle smile.
"Eben?" Basil took me by the hand as Maximillian carried Kane back to his bedroom.
"What's up?" I asked.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what happened with Donovan, and Snow, and now Kane," he explained. He squeezed my hand in his and smiled almost apologetically.
"You won't leave me to do this alone will you?" I asked, looking almost frightened now.
Basil looked at me for a moment and then smiled. "I promise, I'll do my best to help you out any way I can," he replied. He drew me into his arms and he hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head.
I shuddered again and the pain seared through me. Tears swelled and spilled down my face as I cuddled against the towering tiger. Maximillian glanced back at us, and then left us alone as Basil held me against him.
"You need some sleep, Eben, come on. I'll put you to bed for a bit," Basil said as he drew me back from him. I looked up at him and realised he was right. Exhaustion swam over me and for the first time in ages I wanted to sleep on my own. It would be wierd, but right now I had a feeling it was what I needed.