THE KEEPERS
Part 5
By Elizabeth


    Rhea groaned as a massive lance of pain burned through her head.

    "Shh, don't try to move. You might be hurt."

    She blinked slowly, opening her eyes to see a strange man kneeling over 
her. He had deep red hair tied back from his face and clear, intelligent grey 
eyes that calmly assessed her condition.

    "What happened?" she managed to whisper. She couldn't bear to make a much 
louder sound, her head couldn't take it. Everything was so loud! If she 
didn't know any better, she would have sworn she could hear the pulse of 
blood in this young man's veins...

    "I was walking down the road and found you laying in the grass." he 
chuckled softly. The stranger's voice was soft but strong, pleasant to hear. 
Rhea spent a brief moment just admiring his soft, almost androgynous 
features. He was handsome, no question, but could have easily been mistaken 
for a girl if not for the decidedly strong cut of his jaw. "Are you okay to 
sit up?"

    Rhea thought for a moment. In the moments she'd been listening to this 
young man's even, soothing tones her head had ceased to cause her discomfort. 
With the pain gone, she felt absolutely fine.

    With a fluid, almost preternatural grace, Rhea got to her feet.

    The stranger slowly stood from where he had been kneeling. "Guess that's 
a yes."

    Rhea looked into those sharp, misty depths and smiled. She knew it was a 
smile that promised both violence and friendship...hellfire and heaven.

    She knew that it was terrifying.

    "Don't believe I caught your name, Mister." she growled softly, reaching 
out to touch the man's muscular shoulder.

    The stranger didn't even flinch, but Rhea could taste his discomfort on 
the back of her tongue like some strange wine. "Name's Michael. You?"

    Rhea let her hand slide invitingly up the long sleeve of his snug black 
shirt, then stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. She 
withdrew her hand and sighed. Shutting her eyes, she took several deep 
breaths to clear her head. Her blood was singing with life, her mind 
spinning. Power like she never even dreamed of filled her to overflowing, and 
she knew it was making her a little punchy.

      I'm teasing him, making him afraid. I can taste his fear and I like it.

    She recalled the events leading up to this moment with an almost 
frightening clarity, from the moment Chaim had crossed her path to the second 
she  had found herself locked in the embrace of a god. With a knowledge 
deeper than instinct, she knew that Chaim's ritual had been successful. The 
power of the Demon Lord was hers now.

    She was bound to the spirit entity for all time.

    "Rhea." she finally replied, extending a hand to Michael. "Nice to meet 
you, Mike."

    He took her hand, and she gripped it carefully. The power within her 
surged, but she fought to quell it...she knew that she was now capable of 
crushing his hand with less than a thought.

    Even with her effort to control this new strength, Mike still winced at 
the handshake. "Wow, that's some grip you got there, girl."

    "I know. Listen, could you tell me how to get to the city from here? I'm 
afraid I've gotten a bit turned around."

    "No problem. I'm actually headed for town myself...I have to find my 
brother."

    Rhea raised an eyebrow curiously. "Really? Interesting."

    Mike replied, but she barely heard it. She felt an almost tangible pull 
at her very soul, a call to her spirit and heart that made her skin tingle 
hotly.

    Beloved, I am waiting. I cannot leave this place alone, you must come for 
me.

    "Rhea? Rhea!"

    She shook herself, returning to the present. "Sorry...I was distracted."

    Mike snorted good naturedly. "Obviously. I said that my brother is a cop, 
so if you were assaulted you can talk to him."

    She shook her head. With an almost dismissive air, she realized that she 
was once again in her own clothing, and dry as a bone. It was as if nothing 
ever happened.

    "I wasn't assaulted, Mike. I just had a bit of a...a spell. Nothing to 
worry about. I just have to get to town, and soon." She paused. "I have to go 
to the morgue."

    "The what?!? Miss, are you sure you're okay?"

    She opened her mouth to deliver a rather disturbing reply when she 
paused. She walked up to Mike so that they stood nose to nose when she craned 
her neck up. Silently, she called to the power inside and felt it answer. 
Cautiously, she cast the power out towards Michael, and felt it recoil in 
horror.

    Rhea knew the gifts she now carried were rooted deeply in life. This mean 
that the man before her was dead. How was this possible?

    "I felt that." he whispered softly. "I felt that...lady, what are you?"

    "I could ask you the same question." she whispered.

    "I'm Risen...call it a sophisticated zombie."

    "Zombies have no souls, though. You...let's just say I can tell. You have 
a soul, how?"

    "Like I said, a sophisticated zombie. Look, can we discuss this later? I 
have to find my brother, and for some reason you have to get to the city 
morgue. I told you my brother's a cop, maybe he can get you in."

    Rhea reluctantly agreed, and soon the unlikely pair was headed down the 
dirt road once again. For a long time, they traveled in silence. Mike stared 
ahead blankly while Rhea tested the limits of her power. The trek was much 
easier now with her increased strength. The hike felt like nothing more than 
a casual stroll.

    As the time passed, a question came to Rhea, one she felt compelled to 
ask. "Out of curiosity, who is your brother?"

    Mike glanced over and smiled genially. "Well, he's a cop like I said...I 
was, too. We were partners, actually. His name's James...James Riley."