Behind Amethyst Eyes

Chapter 7- Failing Her

Daniel's POV

I sit here in my Jeep with my sunglasses and black baseball cap on like I have for the past few hours. On the outside, the house looks perfectly cookie cutter. Two-story colonial house complete with a garden and some well-groomed hedges. There are kids' toys littering the yard; wiffleball bats, baseball gloves, soccer balls, plastic swords. It's just after three o'clock when a minivan pulls into the driveway. I shrink down into my seat to avoid being seen as I stalk my prey. A short, slightly bustier woman hops out with four kids in tow.

"Y’all get your homework done before playin. Oscar, it's your turn to help with supper so make sure you're in by six!" She yells in a southern accent at the boys. They all obey her and run inside. This must be Jessica Porter, the unknowing wife. Either she's unknowing, or she's simply as evil as he is. The r****t doesn't exit the car, signaling I have to wait even longer before he returns home.

I shouldn't be here. I know this, but I can't help myself. Knowing what he did to Kara, my Kara, I just can't let this man live. At the very least, I need to make sure she's safe. I need to make sure he won't come after her. I will find a way to get rid of him, permanently. Until then, I stalk my prey, taking note of his life so I know the perfect way to end it.

Ring Ring. My phone goes off, ending my inner rant. I look on my screen to see my dad's contact picture show up on my phone. I slide the button and put the phone to my ear.

"Daniel, where the hell are you? I thought you were bringing her here today so we could explain?" My dad's gruff voice immediately begins to question me. I roughly rub my hand down my face and through my hair, trying to silence the rage that has been building inside me since Kara told me everything last night.

"Dad, I can't talk right now. Kara told me things...disturbing things about her past. I can’t think straight right now. I can't calmly sit her down and explain everything we need to explain until I deal with this first." I do my best to keep the anger out of my voice, but I know I fail.

"What kind of disturbing things? Son, what are you doing?" He threatens in his fatherly tone, telling me I don't have the option to disobey. If I didn't love and respect him right now, his number would have already been blocked. I take a deep breath, making sure to exaggerate it so he knows I am trying to talk this out as calmly as I can.

"You already know her parents died. She was sent to a foster home in Charleston. Her foster dad...well...h-he r***d her and abused her, repeatedly for more than a year. I have to kill this evil son of a b-"

"Daniel, you stop that nonsense and get your ass home right now. We can figure this out together, but you are not going to avenge her this way. Not without her knowing everything first, or making the decision herself. I will not let you become a murderer if you don't have to. Get home. Now." He yells through the phone before cutting the connection. I sigh and take a few deep breaths. I know he's right in my heart but my mind isn't listening. I contemplate staying but I know I shouldn't, at least not yet. I turn on my jeep and pull away, leaving Charleston in my rearview.

...

After I had arrived home, dad and I talked for another hour or two. We came up with a plan I could live with: I would wait until we explained everything to Kara and she understood before asking her. With her permission, and only after she gave her permission, would he let me end the sad existence that is Marshal Porter's life. I could agree to that. I would never hurt Kara in anyway and this was the only way to ensure that.

I nervously sit in my jeep in front of Kara's apartment. She'll probably be too pissed at me to even open the door. It was stupid to just walk out, but I told her I would be back and here I am back. She can't be too pissed right? Well, here goes nothing, I think to myself as I get out of the car. I make my way over to her door and knock. I wait a few seconds and knock again when the door doesn't open. I bring my ear to the door and hear music softly playing. I try the door knob, hoping she has enough sense to keep it locked at all times. It seems she does not because the door opens easily.

"Kara?" I yell out before I hear her voice flowing from the kitchen, into the hall, and right to my ears. I swear she is sent from the heavens to have a voice as magical as this. Her soft melody flows around me, entombing me with the taunting sound. I take a second and enjoy her soft serenade to Nickelback's famous song before walking in. I lean up against the wall and watch her work as she absentmindedly sings. Her eyes are closed as she twirls around from the fridge to the stove and back again. She turns again and meets my eyes before the singing ceases.

"I'm sorry. I knocked and waited but then I heard you singing so I figure you couldn't hear me. I tried the handle, and it was unlocked. I yelled a few times, but you just continued singing and I couldn't help myself, so I just walked in." I ramble in my nervousness. I don't think I've ever felt so nervous in front of another person before. I stand there waiting as she simply stares at me with her beautiful mouth held open in shock. The seconds tick by agonizingly slowly as I wipe my sweaty palms down the sides of my jeans.

"Are you hungry?" She asks me as she points to the dinner she's been working on. "I'm making dinner and there's plenty for two."

"Sure" I say as I make my way to the table. I sit down unceremoniously as I begin to explain my earlier actions. "Listen about earlier-"

"I'm making some pasta and salad. Do you like chicken? I was trying to decide between red or white sauce but I have some white sauce so I could do chicken with white sauce." She interrupts me and begins rambling, not taking a breath as she goes to the fridge to look for something. "What kind of salad dressing do you like? I'm not huge on salad, but we're low on groceries because I haven't been to the store yet. I was going to go today, but I was too distracted to remember." I internally wince at that, knowing I was probably the reason she was distracted. "We have ranch and Caesar. I think we have a bit of Italian too if you like that." She rambles on and tries to busy herself with minute things. She avoids looking at me directly. I want to run over to her and take her in my arms and tell her everything is going to be okay. I want to let my touch soothe and calm her the way hers does to me. But after what she told me last night, I force myself to stay rooted in my seat and take this as slow as she wants to. After a while of watching her move about the kitchen, clanking her heavy cast on everything, I decide to try to reason with her.

"Kara, please" I say, willing her to spin around and look at me. But she ignores me and continues on with preparing dinner. "So did you decide on a dressing? Ranch, Caesar, or Italian?" She asks again. I watch her take the ranch out and toss it in her salad so I decide to make it easy for her.

"Ranch is fine" I sigh. She brings over the bowls, plates, and two glasses of water. We sit and eat in silence. Well, I eat. Kara tosses her salad back and forth with her fork while her casted hand found something interesting in the table. It's an uncomfortable silence that builds the tension in the room. It forces me to slouch in a defeated manor with my shoulders slumped and my head hung low. Sadness and despair creep into me as I can't help to wonder if I've ruined this before it could even begin. Maybe she isn't who I think she is. Maybe her eyes are just some weird, human genetic trait. I don't see how she can let this eat at us this way. We're suppose to make each other stronger, not let one misunderstanding dwindle us down to this.

"Say what you have to say," she says in a barely audible whisper. She sits there, looking empty and it breaks my heart knowing that I did this to her. But I have to explain. I have to tell her without frightening her.

"I'm sorry for leaving earlier. I needed time to think things through and understand what is going on before we talked. I needed to get my head straight." I take a second to try to read her. To see if anything I said helps her in some way. Her face doesn't reveal any emotions, so I sigh and continue. "Last night, when you told me all of that, I was mad. I was so d**n mad that I could barely see straight. I wanted to hurt that man. I wanted to leave and hunt him down, but you asked me to stay. I pushed down that anger and stayed because that's what you needed and, in that moment, all I wanted to do was give you what you needed. When I woke up this morning, all that anger came flooding back. When I ran into you again, all I saw was the pain and torture you endured, and I couldn't take it. So, I left." I stopped again, taking a deep breath before searching her eyes. Her gorgeous purple eyes were filled with tears that hadn't yet spilled over. "I'm sorry for leaving you. I shouldn't have left like that, especially after you trusted me with your secret." I reach over and wipe the single shed tear from her cheek. She continues to stare at me and I will her to understand and forgive me. I would do anything for this woman, anything at all. I just need her to understand first. "Kara, please say something...anything." I plead. She stands up and starts washing her dishes.

"What did you mean last night when you said, 'you'd know those eyes anywhere'? What does that mean?" She asks. s**t, I thought she was asleep. I curse to myself. I wouldn't have open those flood gates had I known she was awake. I sit there dumbfounded because I have no idea how to get myself out of this situation.

"I thought you were asleep." Is all I say because I'm an i***t of massive proportions.

"Well, I wasn't so what did you mean by it?" I sit in silence because I still have no clue as to how to fix this. She goes back to angrily washing the dishes, completely soaking her cast, but she doesn't seem to care. I watch her do the simple act with such frustration it unnerves my heart.

"s**t" She hisses as she awkwardly holds her good hand on top of her cast. I watch as blood begins to trickle down her wrist, dripping from her elbow to the floor. I immediately stand up and grab the kitchen towel. I gently grab her elbow with one hand as I put the towel on her wound, holding steady pressure, with the other. Kara sighs into me as I let my comforting touch soothe her. We're standing there staring into each other's eyes for what feels like forever. I break the contact with a slight shake of my hand and move the towel to take a look at her hand. I let out a small inaudible gasp as I don't find any cut. There is nothing but a thin line where the cut was just a moment before.

"What the hell just happened?" Kara asks. I shake my head back and forth, out of shock. I had resigned myself to thinking she wasn't who I thought she was. But here is the proof, right in front of my eyes. I just can't believe it. And a healer at that! I do my best to cover up the feeling inside as my Kara utters my name, but I cannot seem to answer. I have to get home. I think of nothing else as I grab my coat and walk out the front door. It isn't until I'm lying in bed that night, after having a lengthy talk with dad, that I realize not once, but twice in one day did I walk out of her apartment with no explanation as to why. I'm so screwed, I think to myself as I fall into a restless sleep.

...

I spend the next week researching, learning as much as I can about Kara's ability. I already know the basics, each one of us has a special ability that will help us in our fight. These abilities are based off of our respective astrological sign. Kara is an Aquarian, even if I didn't know her birthday I could have guessed based on her eyes. They resemble the amethyst stone perfectly, right down to its shine and luster. From my research, I have found a few properties that the amethyst stone bestows upon its wearer. It gives the wearer courage, strengthens relationships of those close to the wearer, and it also guards the wearer from intoxication, which I saw the effects of the stones protection the night I found Kara at the bar. She had taken too many shots to be able to sober up completely in an hour.

I spend numerous days researching about her sign so I can better understand what she needs in order to fully control her ability. The water bearer is the symbol for Aquarius. I research this in as many texts, languages, and myths as I can find. Though the details of the story slightly differ from myth to myth, it essentially is all the same. Ganymede was a beautiful man from Troy. He was an intelligent young man, some depict him as a boy no older than 15, graceful and modest but kept to himself. Zeus took notice of Ganymede and sought out his father to make a trade. He offered the father many horses in exchange for the boy. The father eagerly accepted, never having been too fond of Ganymede. Zeus transformed into a magnificent bird and approached Ganymede. Ganymede could feel something was different about the bird, but he enjoyed admiring something much more beautiful than himself so he climbed upon his back. The bird took off and flew straight to Mount Olympus, where it transformed back into Zeus. Zeus noticed the graceful way of Ganymede and thought to make him the water bearer for all of Olympus. Ganymede was then to pour wine, ambrosia, and water into all the cups. He did this without remark or hesitation and enjoyed his leisure life talking with the other gods and goddesses.

One day, he noticed land from below, with many horses, thriving. He quickly recognized the land as his fathers and Ganymede became outraged. He poured every liquid Mount Olympus had from his amphora to the land below. The force of the water caused the gates to buckle, allowing the horses to run free. When all the wine, ambrosia, and water from Olympus had been emptied, Ganymede sat in the middle of all his amphora, weeping at what he had done. Zeus found him in this state and realized the wrong he had done in taking the boy. Instead of striking him down in rage, as was accustomed to him, he decided to make Ganymede the Aquarius constellation, so he could look down on the Earth, and pour life and grace unto it. In these days, the water bearer is the symbol of giving life, so it makes perfect sense that Kara's ability to heal coincides with that of the water bearer.

I spend the last few days coming up with a plan as to how to explain all of this to Kara without her freaking out. I know she'll understand. She has to, it is in her destiny to aid in this fight. I only hope that she can forgive me for being a complete d**k to her. Running away from her, twice in one day might I add, was easily the stupidest thing I have ever done.

Having built up enough courage, I head over to her apartment late in the afternoon on Sunday. The weather is warming up so I drive with the windows down, allowing the cool breeze and fresh air fill my senses. It's a short drive, but I'm filled with so much angst at the upcoming conversation. I park in front of her building and walk up to the door. I give three sturdy raps on the door and shove my hands in my pockets as I wait. I hear rustling from the other side as the lock switches and the door swings open, revealing a very pissed off Katie.

"What do you want?" She says as she crosses her arms over her chest. She c***s her hip and clenches her jaw in contempt.

"Is Kara home? I really need to speak to her. It's important" I ask, trying to sound as humbling as possible.

"No she isn't home. She stormed out of here a few hours ago, leaving her phone here," she states. Her eyes narrow as she takes a single step towards me. If she were taller, it probably would have intimidated me, but I hold the smirk back as it will only piss her off more. "I don't know what you did to her last weekend, and frankly, I don't care, but you need to fix it. She has been so moody and edgy since the club last weekend and hasn't said a word to me about any of it. I only know it has something to do with you since she texted me that night saying you were going to take her home. Since then, she has tried to pick fight after fight with me and we don't fight. At ALL. So do whatever you have to do, but fix MY best friend." She finishes her yell by slamming the door in my face.

I got back to my Jeep and sit there for a while, waiting for her to come back. The sky turns dark with ominous clouds in the sky. I sigh, feeling defeated, and pull out of the parking lot. Thunderous booms vibrate through the air as crackles of white lightening accompanying the heavy drops of rain. The wind picks up, throwing branches side to side in anger. It's well past dinner time so I go to the nearest gas station to pick up something small to hold me over. The downpour has me completely soaked by the time I get inside.

I grab a sub sandwich complete with ham, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise, and mustard. Then I grab two energy drinks for my next two shifts at work and head to the cash register to pay. I'm walking to the car, trying to shield my face from being pelted by the rain when I see something move from the corner of my eye. I put my things in the passenger seat and head back into the storm to figure out what it is. As I get closer, I see someone leaning against the wall, thinking it's just a beggar looking for some change, I go back into my Jeep to find any cash I can. I bring it back out and approach the beggar again. This time I hear a voice. "Help" spoken in the tiniest of whispers. Just as I approach, the beggar starts to slump to their side. I quickly rush over to catch their head before it slams on the concrete. The dark shadows and raging storm hides the beggars face. As my hand connects with their cheek, sparks fly up my fingers, through my hands, and rush right to my heart. This isn't a beggar, it's my Kara.

My heart pounds in my chest as I check her over. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is erratic. Short, shallow breaths come and go quickly as her chest rises and falls in a heady fashion. Her lips are tinged blue, either from the lack of air or from being soaked in the cold storm. I use my ability and send a warm air to her, trying to surround her and ease her discomfort, but it doesn't seem to work. I frantically check to the rest of her. Cuts and scrapes litter her arms and face. I look lower and check her legs. Her pant leg has a hole the size of a softball. I quickly tear the remaining shred of her jeans off to find her shin and calf are burnt, seared to the bone. Blood and puss ooze out as the burnt flesh is blackened and crisp. A string of expletives flies from my mouth as my brows furrow in confusion and despair. I quickly pick her up as carefully as I can and rush her to the Jeep. I set her down and prop her leg up as best I can.

"Kara?" I try to get her to answer me, to stay awake, but she makes no noises and doesn't move. I slightly shake her, trying to get through to her. "Kara, stay with me. Listen to my voice. I'm here Kara, stay with me." I rush to the driver's side and slide in, starting the ignition and peeling out of the parking lot. I slam my foot on the accelerator, pushing the Jeep as fast as it can go. When I finally reach my house, I quickly gather her close to my chest and sprint to the door. With her light frame clutched safely and tightly to me, I throw the door open and run upstairs. "Kara, I can't lose you. Please stay with me." I whisper to her, tears clouding my vision as rage and sorrow simultaneously fill my heart.

"DAD!" I scream as loud as I can. Screaming probably isn't the right word, I more like roar so loud it makes the walls shake. Dad rushes in with confusion evident on his face until he sees Kara laying on the bed. "Please help, I think they got to her and I wasn't there. I wasn't there to protect her. They hit her leg." I point to the massive burn on her shin. My dad's eyes widen as he rushes out the room to get his medical bag. He quickly gets to work, cleaning the wound and dressing it. He sets up an IV and sticks her hand with the needle. I'm a blubbering mess at this point. Tears are in a free fall down my cheeks as I hold her hand and smooth the locks of light brown hair out of her face.

"I started her with fluids and antibiotics. The wound is clean, but it will take much longer for it to heal than any normal wound. Their dark power prevents your powers from working at full strength." He says calmly to me. I simply nod my head.

"I failed her, dad. I was stupid and reckless to leave her alone. Please just tell me she'll make it. I can't lose her. I just found her and she doesn't even know she's mine yet. I can't lose her. I can't-" I cut myself off before my voice breaks completely. I feel so weak and helpless looking at my love in this state.

"You couldn't have known son. She'll be out for a few days. The infection is already coursing through her blood so it'll be rough for a while, but I have hope. You need to as well. Go get yourself cleaned up and I'll watch her." I nod and head to the bathroom. I mindlessly shower, quickly washing off the smears of her blood from her wounds. I quickly dress and come back a few minutes later. My father leaves telling me he'll check in on her in the morning.

I grab my favorite t-shirt from my closet and go to undress her. I get her out of her torn, wet clothes and quickly put the shirt on her. I lay her back and cover her with the thick comforter. I grab the armchair and bring it as close as it will go to the bed. I sit there, holding her hand, pelting it with a million soft kisses as soft tears slide down my face.

"Come back to me baby. I need you more than you know. Fight for me. Fight for us, my love. Just wake up and I'll promise to protect you always. You are my heart, my world, my everything. Just wake up." I whisper to her. I spend the night that way, whispering promises and confessing my love, only to have it fall on deaf ears. One thing I know for certain, I will never let her leave my sight again. Kara Jacobs is my world and I will stop at nothing to protect her, even if it means with my last breath.