Licth series snippet: Book One : sphex

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"Hello."Namira answered her friend instantly chatting away on the other end.

"I know Akira,I'm on my way over now."she cut her off and hung up quickly. 

She looked up at the clock above her head and wondered if she would make it to Akira's house before it rained this evening. She removed herself from her thoughts and retired to her room happy she would be leaving her silent and empty house. Nothing about her childhood had been warm and fuzzy. No one was there to help her through the hazy and surreal nightmares that still plagued her nights. Her adopted parents were never home and stuck her with a nanny since she was four until she was old enough to be alone. Of course this was only what she was told because she has no memory of the first 6 years of her life. She’d been told she was in a coma and her parents were doctors who adopted her out of pity.She had just finished her second year of high school  in Tokyo and had it not been for Akira and her twin brother Aki, Nami would have spent the year alone. They'd transferred in at the beginning of fall and Akira immediately befriended Namira. Namira had always been the outcast in her class. Not that her ashy brown hair with red tips and grey eyes helped. The twins however, shared the same black hair as everyone else ,but they were extremely beautiful and had mesmerizing golden eyes. Aki’s friend Noda called them the “Divine Three”, which Namira preferred to foreigner plastic doll.

Nami peered at herself in the mirror in pair of light blue-jean high waisted shorts and white long sleeve turtle neck that fit snug and slipped on her black converse. She took her bike hoping to get there before to started to rain, as she made a mental note to herself to buy an umbrella.

She got two blocks away from her house and it started to pour. She cursed under her breath pedaling faster through the quiet residential area.  She finally arrived at the gate, “Ambrose” on the nameplate. She pulled out her phone a text from Akira gliding across the screen.

“Went to the store, be right back.” 

It read and Nami sighed ringing the doorbell,another text popped up.

”Sorry,doorbell is broken.Call Aki.”she texted again. 

Pulling out her phone she dialed Aki number his phone going straight to voicemail. She tried again and after receiving the same result five more times she concluded his phone was either dead or on do not disturb. With no options left she resorted to knocking. She knocked as loud as she could only producing little to no sound at all against their large wooden door. She gave up her knuckles bruised and red, but to her surprise the door swung open. She stumbled back over the edge of the step but an arm wrapped around her waist catching her just in time. Her eyes adjusted through the rain and she was surprised to see another pair of grey eyes staring back at her. In her 16 years of life she’d never been rendered speechless but now she was at a complete loss as she stared into the face of one of the most beautiful person she’d ever seen . She convinced herself that it wasn’t love at first sight the way her heart was throbbing in her chest since  she’d always had immunity for beautiful people. When nightmares didn’t plague her sleep, dreams offered her nights a sense of comfort. In these dreams there was nothing but beautiful people, people so beautiful they held a godly aura around them making them seem untouchable. Her eyes searched every inch of his face her mind blank in awe. 

“I’m sure we could keep this up all night, but I don’t think that’s what your here for.” He said unblinking,his eyes amused.

“You aren’t wrong.”she said pulling away from him. He watched her carefully as she nervously wrapped her fingers around themselves,her eyes desperate to look anyone else but his. She shivered the immense warmth provided by a large fireplace. The flames licked up disappearing into the chimney and Nami found herself looking around the grand house she now stood inside.

Dark cherry wood floors spread as far as she could see, and every room held a new and more eccentric earthy toned wallpaper. Her eyes looked around trying to imagine Akira and her brothers casually hanging around the monstrosity of a house, but given there was nothing casual about the house she couldn’t.  She shivered again as the boy gently brush passed her opening a cabinet. He pulled out a green wool blanket and stalked over her. His eyes searched every inch of her face, his lips set in a hard line as he placed the blanket around her shoulders like a swaddle.

“You’ll catch a cold if you keep standing there, sit by the fire.” he said and she mutely nodded unable to think of a response. She took a seat in front of the fireplace wrapping the blanket around her shoulder tighter,  and fidgets with a stray string. Her heart was restless in her chest, her mind desperate to break the immense block of ice between her and the boy in front of her. She hated awkward situations and more than bizarre, and nostalgic she felt awkward in this moment. She open her mouth to speak, his gaze instantly taking hers and she found  herself unable to speak, she closed it trying again and this time she succeeded. 

“My name is Namira.”she said and given he was a stranger, she found it the most natural thing to say.

“ I know.” he said the left side of his mouth lifted slightly. She blanched his response unexpected for more than one reason.She picked the one that bothered her the most.

“Are you going to tell me yours.” she said and his slight smile turned into a full one, flustering her in all but one second. 

“I see you definitely have your priorities in order.” he quipped the flames beside them dancing across his pupils. 

“ I’d like to think so. How else should I address you then.”

“Fair enough.” he said holding out his hand. She watched has he extend his gracefully long and slender hand towards her. “Yuzu Seh Ambrose. Call me Seh.” he said and his hand engulfed hers in a warm embrace that her mind and body seemed to share. The most euphoric sensation pulled through her along with an overwhelming calm. For the first time in her life she felt warm. Not just a warmth that grazed the surface of her skin but one that seem to intertwined itself around the center of her soul. When he removed his hand she gasped and he looked at her with an unmistakable tenderness. 

“Well Seh, I suppose I should now ask you how exactly you know me and what the hell just happened when you touched me.”

“ I’ll bet the chain around my neck, that you’re  not prepared for either of those answers.” he said his eyes challenging her in a way that made her blood rush in her ears.

“And how do I know that necklace is of any importance or it’s not just a 50 cent plastic chain you won from a claw machine.”

“My great grandfather gave it to me on his deathbed. If you know anything about my siblings and I, I assume you know we don’t bother to lie.” he replied quickly. From what she knew Blunt and Unfiltered was the twins middle name.

“Fine, I’m ready, tell me.” she said meeting his eyes bravely. She wasn’t prepared for what would happen next or any of the events that would follow but at that moment she was only concerned with proving him wrong.

What should I tell you first. he spoke but his lips remained unmoving. She flinched shaking her head as if she’d only hallucinated or imagined it.

Hiimeesamaa. The voice drawled in her head unmistakably his yet his lips were set in a soft knowing smile.

“You must be a ventriloquist.” She laughed nervously faltering when she saw the set look in his eyes.

I suppose I win then.

“I disagree. I’m still fully conscious and you’ve yet to explain anything mind blowing. Beside this little trick, well not little, it has an explanation I’m sure.”

Of course.

“Then talk.” She said rubbing absently at the middle of her palm.

Well as far how I know you’re name it’s nothing so simple as to the fact of your companionship with my sibling and more in the interest of our relationship. To no surprise despite your ignorant and weakened state you nor my siblings and I are human. 

He paused watching her briefly but upon realizing she was unmoved he continued.

However you are Yousei, an ancient race of fae people who no longer found Earth suitable after humans began destroying it. It also didn’t help Yokai,commonly called demons, weren’t getting along with humans to well either. So while both leaders were amicable they created a world together called Sphex where both races of people and more could live out from under the destructive influence of humans. 

“You singled me out,as if only I am Yousei.” She said not allowing his earlier statement to slide.

“My siblings and I are different. We share Yousei and Yokai blood which is more or less abominations however given my our position, no one has the balls to speak of it.”he said his face unamused at the mention of his blood.

“I see.”she nodded hoping to return to the conversation at hand. “I suppose that answers a few question however you did not answer my first two directly.”she said and for the first time he avoided her gaze his eyes sat I’m on the fire beside them. After a minute he sighed reaching his hand to her. She observed it cautiously before taking it.  Again upon contact she felt immediately calm and warm. Her will seemed to slip from mind along with any inhibition and she found herself being pulled closer to the boy in front of her. His eyes were steady his pupils wide and dark. 

“What is this?” She asked thankful her mind has not completely melted. “It’s stronger than before.” She said looking up at him.

“Every Yousei has a Litch. A gift of sorts from the earth and energy of the world around them. Yokai as well are gifted with while not unique, useful gifts.” He dodged answering her directly again.

“What is this?” She asked again emphasis behind each word. They were way closer than before. She could smell a light hint of citrus and ginger. His lips were not far from her, only a breath away. She wondered in the back of her mind why she was getting this close to someone she barely knew but the rest of her mind took over trapping itself in his eyes which now seemed golden. Didn’t she know him? The air around her ceased to exist and in a half of a second her lips found his. They were soft, feverish,his lips as well as his kisses. In between she found there was not enough air to fill her lungs and she became delirious. Her  fingers were intertwined in the subtle curls of his hair and his hand rested gently on her cheek like a whisper against her skin. She hadn’t wanted to stop but he pulled away releasing her, the warmth abruptly leaving her body, while her desire remained. 

He smiled at her softly making her already pounding heart stop.

“As much as I enjoyed that, it be better if we didn’t create any attachment. Nonetheless that kiss will answer your questions more or less.” He said and before she could ask him what she meant she found herself falling sideways her vision going black.