THORN IN MY FLESH

HELP ME!

Alexis got home in the evening and set down her bag. Her travelling bags had been sent directly to her home in the morning, and her housekeeper had put everything in place.

She found a hot plate of food with a handwritten note welcoming her back from Mrs. Fisher, her housekeeper. She smiled at the sight and went upstairs to bathe.

As she lay alone in the bathtub, memories of him came back to her. His face, his smile, his laugh, his touch, his kiss, his strength, his passion, and his final words of betrayal. All of the memories came back to haunt her. She wiped her tears, determined never to cry for him again.

She soon fell asleep in the tub and dreamt of a baby crawling up a staircase leading towards three thrones. One had the insignia for shifters, the middle throne had the insignia of the night walkers, and the last throne was carved out of the sacred tree of magic.

Upon reaching the middle of the staircase, the staircase forked out three ways, each leading to a different throne. The baby looked at all three staircases and started crawling up. However, three babies began crawling up the three stair cases and sat at the foot of the thrones. The babies turned around, and she realised that it was not three babies but one child taking three forms. Beneath the lycan throne, his pupils shined a brilliant gold. Beneath the vampire throne, his eyes were black with red pupils, while beneath the sacred tree, his eyes shined white with no pupils.

'Mama', all three babies called out to her in unison with their arms out stretched. She stretched her arms to them, and they smiled before disappearing. She looked down at her belly and discovered it had grown. She touched it lovingly but was distracted by the sound of growling around her. Soon, she was surrounded by shifters and vampires hissing and growling around her until one of them attacked.

She woke up from her sleep in the tub to the sound of a breaking plate. She quickly got out of the tub and wore a robe, She quietly snuck down her staircase to the lower floor of her apartment, holding a baseball bat, listening carefully for movements but not hearing any. The lights in the house began to flicker until the entire house was enveloped in darkness, the temperature in the room dropped, and fog formed upon the windows. On one of her windows, she saw the words 'HELP ME', written.

'SAVE THEM' was written on another.

'I am the daughter of the night! I am the doorkeeper between the realms. I know deaths name for I am his decendant, He has shown me his secrets, for I have feasted at his table! Who dares to scare me with death? Show yourself!', she ordered.

The ghost of the recently murdered vampire aristocrat stood before her. He was in a dishevelled state with his long hair matted with blood and part of his throat missing. His eyes were gaunt and sad.

'You were murdered today?', she asked, and he nodded

'Who killed you? Was it Reginald?', she asked again. He tried to speak, but the hole in his throat didn't allow him to form words. In frustration, he shook his head at her question.

'Then who did?', she asked again, but before he could answer her, several ghosts began knocking on her doors and walls, wailing to have her audience. The ghost looked around in panic, not knowing what to do while she held her head in pain, trying to keep them out.

She heard someone bursting through her door, and the smell of sage filled the room. All of the ghosts left her house, and the lights came back on.

'ALEXIS!'Alonso called in a panic voice as he searched for her around the house.

'I'm in here', she answered weakly as she continued holding her head. He rushes into the room and lifts her from the floor, cradling her as he sits on a single sofa.

'I told you to be careful', he whispered as he hugged her close to him

'I'm sorry, I just wanted to help him', she whispered back.

'You could've been stuck between planes, Alexis. Or killed by a malevolent spirit. That is why you don't open the gates alone, even if you have the key', he continued scolding

'Please don't he angry Alonso', she responded hugging him. He exhaled loudly, trying to calm his anxiety and anger.

'Are you alright?', he asked after a few minutes of silence, and she nodded against his chest.

'Was it a sexy naked ghost, at least?', he teased, making them both laugh.

'Is that all you think about?', she asked, standing up

'I am a handsome male in my prime. That's all my life is about. Except from mama, you, the business, the council, then there is that, "he said, lifting her off her feet and taking her upstairs.

'Alonso, where are we going? Put me down?', she asked

'To the bedroom of course', he said in a mocking Italian accent.

'But I'm not tired', she groaned

'Even better', he responded

Neither of them noticed a pair of golden eyes cloaked in darkness, watching them. The beast growled angrily before turning around and running away.

Alonso sat her on the bed and sat beside her, watching her.

'What?', she asked

'You said you aren't tired, so tell me who or what you saw', he said to her.

'It was the vampire in the news, he asked me to help him', she responded

"Help him how? To cross over?' Alonso asked

'I think is more than that, he said, help me save them', she continued

'Who's them?'

'I don't know, there was too much interference, and I couldn't focus anymore, but he did say it wasn't the lycan prince that killed him,' she said back to him.

'So who did?', he asked

'I don't know that either', she responded in frustration.

'So what do you know?!', he asked in frustration, but she remained silent.

'Are you telling me you almost died for nothing?', he snapped at her.

'Alonso?'

'We just buried ougrandfather Alexis! He died because his mind was stuck between realms and couldn't get out. He was a grand master of necromancy, and we had to watch his body shut down one organ after another because the realm refused to release his soul from limbo. The realm of the dead is not a playground you just whisk in and out off, if you disrespect it, it will kill you, just like it killed him!'

'I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Alonso. Please stop!', she begged. He's stopped talking and held his nose bridge for a few minutes before pointing a finger at her, saying.

'You are never to cross the realms again. If I as much as feel you scratching on that door, I swear I will bind your powers myself. Is that clear?'

She nodded in response.

'I will be sleeping in the guest room', he sai, standing up and walking out

'And I'm raiding your fridge in the morning!', he screamed behind the door, making her smile.