Music Recommendation: The Cheek of Night- Abel Korzeniowski

  —


  Julie noticed the crackling energy between the two men in the room. Knox, who claimed to be her real father, stared at Donovan with a grim expression on his face, while the Elder vampire had a look of curiosity in his eyes.

  "Did Opaline ask you to look after the girl, Knox?" questioned Donovan, his hand inching closer to Julie so that they could get out of this cursed town.

  Knox's hand was quick to pull Julie behind him, and her footsteps staggered slightly while being pulled away from Donovan.

  "Keep your hands off my daughter, Azazel," Knox didn't look like he was interested in discussing it, and his claim on Julie being his child was something that had Donovan raise his eyebrows.

  "Daughter?" Donovan looked more than intrigued now. The faint smile on his face faltered, and he asked, "If I am not wrong, I thought you had only one child, unless you have decided to claim that all of Opaline's children are yours. Taking them in and giving them shelter. How noble, but it is sad that they are all dead now."

  The Elder vampire's words didn't faze Knox, and he responded, "This one is also mine and Opaline's. The last child of hers and mine. I couldn't protect them at that unfortunate time, because I didn't have the powers back then to stop the humans. But that doesn't mean I won't protect my child."

  Donovan pulled his hand back that he had earlier stretched, a smile came to appear on his lips before he said, "I find it hard to map things, considering you died way before, but then you are a Corvin now. Hmm," he hummed in the end. His eyes shifted to look at Julie, who stood behind Knox. "I knew she was related to Opaline, but I would have never guessed that she was her direct child. A love child between the living and the dead. Interesting indeed."

  With the way Donovan phrased it, the reality sunk further in Julie's mind. Though outwardly, she looked calm, internally, she was freaking out with the amount of information she had received in just a short amount of time.

  First, she was pulled into the cursed town, and then she was attacked by an old vampire. Then she was told that her father was a dead person. Then what did it make her? Was she half dead and half alive? And the person, whom she believed to be her mother until now, whom she had loved and cherished all these years, was the same person who had turned her life into hell by pushing her into a corner?

  Her thoughts went back to when her mother smiled at her kindly and loved her dearly. There were times…… when Julie caught her mother staring at her with pain behind her eyes, but she had always brushed it off as if it was nothing but her imagination.

  All this time…… her mother knew the truth but had held it back from her. Julie felt her heartache, not knowing whom to believe anymore or whom to trust. The world was full of secrets that were kept away from her until now. She frowned, remembering Roman had mentioned his meeting with her mother before she ended up here. Did he meet her real mother? The witch, Opaline La Fay?

  Julie needed to sit down because she felt like everything she believed was now crashing, but it went up in flames.

  "Sit down, Julie," Knox instructed her, as if able to sense the turmoil in her mind. And she did what she was told to.

  "A Corvin as one of the parents, I wonder if you hold more abilities than the normal witches, Ms. Winters," remarked Donovan, a chuckle escaping from his lips, and he said, "I guess it is good that you have escaped death."

  Hearing this, Knox's eyebrows furrowed, and he demanded, "Keep your hands off my family, Azazel. Your kind had already done enough damage to not just me or Opaline, but the entire lineage of witches."

  "Don't blame the entire race just because of a few bad apples in there," replied Donovan. When Knox continued to stare as if his looks could kill the vampire, the vampire said, "Maybe a lot of them, but you should know well that I was good friends with your wife."

  Huh? Julie blinked, staring at Donovan, who caught her expression.

  "You were friends with the witch?" questioned Julie, it still felt strange to call Opaline her mother, as she had believed that her mother was Harriet…… who was Natalie. She felt a slight amount of headache appear in her head. "I thought you didn't like witches."

  "He doesn't like witches." It was Knox who replied to her, and Julie saw Donovan make his way on the other side of the room and take a seat on the couch of the living room.

  When Julie turned to look from Donovan to Knox, she noticed the slight irritation in the Corvin's eyes, a thought that he didn't like emerged from his memories.

  "Azazel once had something with Opaline," came the quiet but clear words from Knox and Julie's eyes almost bulged out of her eye-sockets.

  "I think I need some water," muttered Julie under her breath, and she wondered if she could find some.

  "Looks like you are still bitter about it, Knox," remarked Donovan, the pleasant smile on his lips not leaving him. He then said, "Opaline was a charming woman, and a woman I didn't know was a witch and you can tell sparks flew the instant we met. She was someone of great calibre and it took me several years before I was able to find someone. Your father is bitter that she was about to choose me. But then I should be the bitter one as in the end she chose her own kind. Witches tend to be like that, who like to betray others for their own kind."

  Julie wished Roman was here to handle this amount of crazy information.

  And during this, Knox stayed quiet, his lips set themselves in a thin line. He then finally said, "Opaline might have chosen me, but she cared about you. The vampires had risen to the point that they stubbed the witches."

  "I care less about it now, Knox," Donovan put his hand in his pocket, and he pulled the cigar case before placing it in between his lips and lighting the end of it. "It was good that she chose you and I got to work on my abilities. When she gave me the ruby stone, along with another stone to make use of my abilities as a vampire," he dragged the smoke between his teeth before blowing the smoke into the air.

  Julie took note of the way Donovan words seemed nonchalant, but the look in his eyes, it held something that quite didn't reach his lips.

  "Is that why you kept lurking around her?" questioned Knox, and this was the first time where Julie saw someone equal to Donovan, where he stared at Knox.

  "My dislike for the witches stems far before and after I met Opaline, Knox. Witches in general are a race that I don't trust. People might think that we vampires drove the witches into a corner, but do you think there haven't been witches who tried to pull a stunt by using vampires?" Donovan calmly questioned Knox, and he brought the cigar back to his lips. "It was all about survival of the fittest and we chose our own kind in the end, after all it was safer. Opaline knew what was awaiting her, and she probably deserved it."

  Knox, standing near Julie, was quick to leave the spot and appeared right in front of Donovan, his hands wrapping around the vampire's neck, but the vampire didn't move an inch, staring back at the Corvin.

  "You could have saved her, and the rest of them," Knox's words were sharp, and his brown eyes looked like burning coal.

  Both of them stared at each other. Julie wondered how Knox was able to get a grip on Donovan and not on the other vampire she had earlier come across. Were there some sort of limitations? The atmosphere in the room turned so thick that one could cut it with a knife.

  "I didn't know Enoch was tracking and trying to kill her and the others," Donovan's words were calm as he said it.

  "You were always with him, you wanted to see her die," retorted Knox, and Julie saw how his fingers tried to squeeze Donovan's neck.

  "I came to Willow Creek again only to find her, while Enoch came to find the witch's jewels, to acquire more abilities. My orders were clear and she had blended too well in the town in order to make it impossible for one to know she was here, Knox. You know better than anyone, I wouldn't have let any harm come to her if I knew that her life was in danger," there was an icy atmosphere in the room, and Knox's hand slowly uncurled from Donovan's neck.

  Donovan knew how much Knox despised him…… Even though Opaline had chosen Knox, the Corvin who now stood in front of him, he was well aware that the witch and himself shared something deeper than other people. Even though they didn't stay in touch with each other, they had decided to remain friends, or at least neutral against each other without trying to bring harm to the other.

  Opaline had been a silent ally to Donovan, and as much as he had been upset with the witch in the beginning, he had let go of it, looking out for her and her family. And the truth was that he had tried to look out for her during his last visit to Willow Creek, but Enoch had got to her sooner than he had.

  "So… is there a way we can get out of this place? The only witch here is Ms. Winters and you, Knox, are dead so there's no point in asking for your assistance," came Donovan's words where the smile had returned to his lips.

  "I think it would make more sense to know how you were able to walk through the bridge without being blocked," said Knox, moving away from Donovan. He went near the cupboard, and his hand reached for the handle pulling it to open the cupboard as he tried to go through the empty vials stacked in there.

  "Are we the first ones to ever be able to pass through?" questioned Julie, leaning against the wall, and she held her hands together.

  "There once was a young boy, who by mistake must have stumbled in here, but he died out of hunger," stated Knox.

  "Did you eat him up later?" questioned Donovan, his eyes burning into Knox, while the smile on his face stayed intact.

  Julie's eyes widened, and it was quick to look at Knox's back, that looked stiff now. She might have been slow in a few things, but that didn't mean she didn't understand what Donovan's words meant. The Corvins used to eat the dead, didn't they?

  She cleared her throat, not knowing how to react to it.

  "Uh, there is something I would like to ask you," said Julie to Knox, and the man nodded his head. To think he was her father…? This was going to take some time for her to adjust to the idea of it all. Her eyes shifted to look at Donovan, who stared at them with curiosity in his eyes.

  "Don't stop your family discussions on my accord, please feel free to speak," said Donovan and Julie wondered why out of everyone, he had to be the one who ended up with her. Though he was now all nice, he was also the person who had snapped Reese's head without a second thought.

  Knowing it would be hard to get the vampire away from them, Julie asked, "Do you know what abilities mother had? Or what abilities did you have before you turned into a Corvin?"

  "The abilities of the witches don't pass down to their children? because they are related. Most of the time it is different, and Opaline… She liked to lock away all her other children's abilities to make them seem more human. If you want to know, she had the ability to waver," said Knox, pulling one of the empty vials, which were empty, and he closed the cupboard shut. "Maybe that was the only thing you both shared in common."

  "Waver?" asked Julie, and the man nodded his head.

  "Yes, it's the ability to send people or themselves to a certain place in time. You have it too, don't you?"

  "Sending the person into the portal?" asked Julie, feeling her palms sweat. Natalie… "Do you know how to work with these abilities? I don't think I know how to use them."

  "I can teach you," replied Knox, and he suggested, "Take a seat at the table," and they moved there, sitting next to each other. "Bring your right hand forward, open your palm."

  Julie did as she was told, and she noticed his hand looked fragile because of the lack of life in him. Or was it because the person in front of her was dead.

  "This might feel a little odd, but try not to flinch," came Knox's words, and Julie wondered what he meant by it while he placed his hand on top of her hand, that felt ice cold.

  For a moment, Julie felt nothing but cold before suddenly she felt something pierce through her chest that started to spread across her body. Her vision started to blur, and in a slight panic, she asked him,

  "W-what is going on?"

  "It is the fastest way for you to be able to access and use, instead of waiting for weeks and months," came the patient voice of Knox, which could make one question if he was truly her father.

  Her vision continued to blur until everything around her turned dark, but as her vision adjusted, she realized it wasn't dark.

  "What do you see, Julie?" She heard Knox's words even though she couldn't see him.

  "A dark room," replied Julie, turning around and seeing no exit. "Where am I?" she asked him.

  "You have to figure that out yourself. Most of the witches spend years to find their abilities by relying mostly on the potions and spells. Because finding the ability within yourself is hard, and if it comes, it is usually in sudden, unexpected bursts which is never stable," Julie heard Knox's words. "Your mother's ability was precise, and so was mine, I can only believe that you are the same. Try to find your way back."

  Saying this, Knox pulled his hand away from Julie, noticing her eyes that turned slightly dazed as if she was lost and not in the room now.

  Donovan tapped the end of the cigar before dropping it down and trampling on it, "Do you think it is a good idea? Sending her to tap the energy soon? I thought some witches get stuck in there and fail to return."

  "I don't have much time with her," murmured Knox, his eyes serious. "I have stayed here long, hoping she would one day return to where she belongs. So that I can fulfill the promise that I made with Opaline before my time ends."

  "For a father you sure lack emotions, apart from stopping me to get to her," came the casual words from Donovan and Knox's eyes sent a light glare to the Elder vampire.

  "You seem to be familiar with my daughter. Is there something I need to be aware of, Azazel?" questioned Knox and Donovan, stood up from where he had been sitting until now, and walked around the living room.

  "Your daughter is in love with someone, someone who is quite important to me. I almost killed her once," said Donovan, the smile on his face had disappeared, but his appearance was one where he looked unbothered.

  "You have the nerve to tell it with a straight face," stated Knox, without looking too ruffled, but his eyes narrowed, whilst he glanced at Julie, who appeared to be in a trance state. "If I could I would burn you right this instance."

  "Lucky me then," said Donovan, bringing his hand up and checking his nails. "I am sure there have been instances when you wanted to kill me and maybe you could… but sad that you ended up dead before it."

  Knox brushed off Donovan's words, and he asked, "Who is this person you mentioned with whom my daughter is in love with?"

  Donovan's lips twisted, "What if I said it was a vampire? History is trying to repeat itself."

  Knox looked unhappy by this information. The love of his life had once been too close to this vampire, and though they had later settled on being helpful acquaintances, he still didn't trust Donovan.

  "You know the person, don't you," asked Knox, somewhere not liking the fact with the way Donovan was smiling. Nothing ever good came when the vampire who stood near him smiled, and Knox held a dry look on his face.

  Though Knox had been alive in his Corvin form all these years, where he had watched the woman, the love of his life, die right in front of his eyes, he couldn't step out from this place to follow his daughter. His first daughter had been burnt, and he couldn't do anything because he didn't hold powers like the witches. Opaline had taken away the powers of the Corvins, sealing them away so that they would not turn into vengeful spirits and harm the living.

  His eyes moved to look at Julie, and he noticed how they shared some similar physical characteristics. He knew the joy of raising his child with his wife, but to think that Julie had to grow up in a place where she didn't belong, it brought slight discomfort in his chest.

  He was happy to see her, and the rare smile that had graced her lips, it reminded him of Opaline's smile. He wanted to hug Julie, but at the same time, he didn't know if he should refrain himself as he wasn't going to be there with her for a long time. His time was scarce, and it was quickly ticking away. Growing bonds right now which was going to end, it would only end up causing heartache.

  "I do. He loves her and threatened me to keep my fangs and claws away from her," responded Donovan, dropping his hand to his side while the Corvin stared at him. "I am not sure if you would like him though."

  "Why?" came the simple question, and a smile spread on Donovan's lips.

  Back where Julie was, she was still in the dark, and she wondered how to get out of this place. Though Knox has sent her here, she didn't know how to get out of this place to the present. Was she supposed to draw out her ability from this place?

  "Julie!"

  She heard someone call her from behind and when she turned around, she noticed it was her mother… or the person she thought was her mother until now. She knew this wasn't real, and it was only part of her imagination.

  She felt a sting in her heart, and she said, "I don't think I am ready to talk to you yet."

  "Are you upset with me?" asked the woman, and Julie pursed her lips.

  The word upset couldn't cover the emotions she felt. "What are you doing here?" asked Julie. "I must be imagining things."

  The woman shook her head, a tender smile on her lips, and she said, "I am a piece, a part of soul that has been hidden deep within you. I have carried you with me for years, and that is the piece that I gave you as we parted. To help you with the key to unlock your abilities," said the person.

  "You aren't a witch… you have always been a human," whispered Julie. It was a bitter yet sweet moment, as she had never got to say goodbye to this woman, a surrogate mother. The shock had been too much. "You could have told me… you could have protected me."

  A sad smile came to settle on her lips, and she said, "Believe me when I say that I have wanted to tell you the truth, and it has always been at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't. I was not supposed to speak about it. Your mother made sure I didn't."

  Julie clenched her hands, clenching her jaw before releasing it, "Why?…… Why did you do that to me?"

  Natalie lowered her gaze. As if slightly dazed, she replied, "Take it to be my insecurities that acted upon you… the foolishness of my young age. I wish I could take them back, the things I did to you and I can only tell that I have repented it. Everything I was, and everything I did… I know it's late and time has passed…"

  Julie didn't know if she had it in her to forgive. The humiliation and pain… Natalie had made sure to break her down, and it had taken months before she stood up for herself.

  "As much as we didn't start on the right foot, I wanted to let you know that you have been the most precious person I could ever come to love and know. And it was truly an honour. I know I cannot call you my daughter… not when you know the truth now, but I loved you with all my heart, Julie," Natalie stared at Julie while Julie took a deep breath.

  If it was possible, the existing silence only made her emotions more profound.

  "Okay…" whispered Julie after some time, meeting the woman's gaze. "I forgive you…"

  But the woman's face turned sad as if sensing Julie didn't mean it.

  Julie looked around the place before she asked, "You spoke about abilities, do you know how to gain them?"

  The woman nodded her head, "I think I do. You will find it within yourself," she said. "You seem upset with me."

  "How can I not be," whispered Julie to the person. "I feel like my entire life has been a lie. You lied to me. You aren't my true mother, and the person who is trying to hunt me down now isn't my father. My parents are completely different people, whom I never knew until today. I don't even know how much was the truth. How can I not be upset about it?"

  "I am sorry that you feel betrayed," murmured the woman.

  Seeing Natalie's face, Julie bit the inside of her cheek because she sensed the pain, and she looked away. Closing her eyes, she tried to contain her emotions. As angry as she was after finding the truth, at the same time, she couldn't help but empathize with the other person's situation.

  Was there a point in holding something against a person who was gone and was only part of her deepest memory? Julie asked herself.

  Turning back to the woman, who stared back at her, Julie said, "You have loved me, and been there when I needed you as I grew up… and that means something. I won't hold it against you."

  And just when she said this, the dark atmosphere around her started to change from black to white. Light emitted beneath the ground where she stood, and Julie's eyes widened. She heard Natalie say,

  "Opaline said that magic comes within you and only the ones who hold compassion deep within their heart and have the ability to forgive, deserve to hold those abilities. You have passed your test, Julie…"

  Julie saw the woman's body starting to fragment into little crumbs before it started to disperse upwards, and she offered her a smile.

  Back in Willow Creek, the bridge had appeared once again and Roman and Evans made their way there. Roman took the opportunity to run past the bridge without thinking about the consequences to reach where Julie was.

  Evans was soon to follow him, and while making their way into the town, Evans felt something move from the corner of his eyes, and he turned his gaze, but not finding anything, he followed Roman.

  By the time Roman found where Julie was, he noticed her sitting on the chair, and her body swayed as if she was losing consciousness. Both Knox and Donovan were talking to each other when Roman barged inside the house along with Evans, who closely followed him.

  Roman went to Julie, while Evans, on noticing Knox in there along with Donovan, bowed his head in greetings.

  "Is the town accommodating more people now?" hummed Donovan. "At least it will be less boring here."

  Knox's eyes shifted to where his daughter was, noticing a young vampire next to her.

  "Winters?" Roman checked Julie's pulse, relieved that she was alright.

  Knox's eyebrows furrowed, and his expression only turned grimmer. It was too evident, but his eyes picked up the subtle details. His lips parted to murmur, "He's yours."

  Donovan didn't respond to Knox's words, and his eyes watched Roman take care of the girl.