Ahe'ey - 2 Gravitational Pull (3 page)

As she stood on the rooftop looking over Central Park and the city skyline in the distance, she felt quite special. There she was at the centre of the world on a clear winter night with the sky illuminated by a full moon. The outside heaters made the environment welcoming, and although she usually paid no attention to fashion or celebrity, she could not help but enjoy a moment in awe of the way the beautiful dresses integrated perfectly with the design of the building and the vivacious light art installations that surrounded her. The vibrant and sparkling environment made her feel alive and grateful—she always remembered her humble beginnings and her journey through life. Morgan never took anything for granted, and today she wanted to experience this moment as if she were Alice in Wonderland.

She saw Gabriel walking towards her. He was stopped several times. Apparently, he was well known and respected by many of the guests. He was perfectly polite and charming. He always wore his cuffs unbuttoned, allowing his sleeves to cover most of his hands. He had the habit of gently squeezing the tips of his thumbs as he spoke, alternating one to the other.
A nervous gesture
, she thought.
Perhaps he is by nature quite shy.
And yet, shy or not, it seemed that the entire world was in line to greet him. He excused himself as he tried to make his way towards her.

"I'm sorry," he said as he finally reached her.

"You're clearly very popular, Gabriel."
 

"It's just another cheap privilege that took zero effort to attain," he repeated her words. She couldn't detect any hint of sarcasm in his tone. He lowered his eyes and took a blue silk box out of his pocket.

"I thought you may like to wear this tonight," he said, his voice trembling.

She panicked, hoping there were no precious stones in the box. She refused to wear diamonds or other precious stones that likely came from places where people were exploited.
But why would I ever doubt his impeccable ability to read my mind?
In the box, she found a necklace and a bracelet made of turquoise, her favourite crystal. They were beautiful, the exact tone she liked, the place where the blue sky met the green sea, the same place that lived in his eyes. The necklace was quite long, and the stones small. She could also see some chartreuse glass beads.
Precious
, she thought.

"I thought it would complement that wonderful dress very well."

"Thank you, it's stunning." Her eyes shined and expressed happiness. She felt spoiled and loved. Everything was perfect. "I'm honoured. But where did you find these?"

"We are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Everything is possible." He smiled. He took the necklace from the box and helped her put it around her neck. The necklace was designed so that most of its length would hang at the back; he touched her body as he positioned it at the middle of her spine. He was right; both pieces matched perfectly with the rest of her ensemble.

He looked at her face, which was lit by the full moon, and smiled. "Are you a child of the moon, Morgan?"

She looked at him, surprised and confused. "Yes. Yes, I guess I am. The full moon fills me with energy and a sense of well-being. It's usually when I'm at my best. It's like magic."

He became lost in her eyes for a second and then lowered his eyes. She felt he was fighting something. He nodded his head and eyes. "We should find our way downstairs and get some food."

The roof garden was now filled with people. Gabriel held Morgan's hand as he made his way through the crowd. He had strong hands and long fingers. Like the rest of his body, his hands walked the tightrope between elegance and strength. He seemed to be overprotective of her, not allowing any man close to her. His possessiveness unsettled her. It seemed contrary to his gentle nature. He used his body and arms as a barrier; she was so small compared to him that she felt engulfed by his body. Morgan was having a difficult time trying to ignore the sense of well-being, peace, and desire she experienced every time she came close to him. His glow, that glow he had, seemed to have an effect on her. In any other situation, with any other person, she would have kept her guard up and fought the feeling of wanting to submit to him, to love him. After all, she barely knew him. But it just felt so right. Everything felt so right. It was as if she had always known him.

Used

Ahe'ey

Scout walked alone that night along the forest road that connected the Yi'ingo and Hu'urei villages. The Hu'urei used the road at night to seek sexual partners. The builders of Ahe'ey weren't allowed to congregate outside their male-only village since Amalia and Sky had instated martial law. Thirty years of gender segregation imposed by the Royal family left the men isolated and sexually frustrated.
 

Hu'urei men couldn't socialise in groups with members of the other tribes. They were permitted to work outside of their village as long as they walked alone to and from their destination. Some of the men had managed to establish relationships with women when they visited Ange'el or Yi'ingo for work during the day. But most roamed the roads alone at night, looking for company. The Yi'ingo and Ange'el women preferred the charms of the Ma'asai farmers, so only a few visited the road at night looking for sex or looking to make a baby.

"Your name Hu'urei?" Scout shouted with her hand on the grip of her sword. She gritted her teeth, swung her purple crest of hair from side to side and stamped her feet on the ground. She attempted to look menacing as she faced a man much larger than her. The Hu'urei was unarmed; he leaned against a tree smoking a long wooden pipe. His rust-red hair was pulled back into one single braid that reached the middle of his back. His face, half hidden under a long beard, expressed glimpses of amusement and disdain.

"What do you want, child?" There was the shadow of a knowing smile underneath his beard. He wetted his lips as he appreciated her body. They both knew there was only one reason why Yi'ingo and Hu'urei visited this road at night.

"Your name?" Scout screamed once again, doing a terrible job of attempting to hide her terror.

He offered his credentials swiftly, without apprehension. "Joshua, son of Iblis and Gráinne. Grandson of Sathian, Amalia and Michael, and your equal Scout. Half my blood is royal, just like yours." Joshua's recognition of the young Warrior only caused her distress to grow.

"You are not my equal you scum. You are the son of rape and hate. The descendent of evil himself." She couldn't help her anger as she recognised the leader of the Hu'urei.

He rolled his eyes. "And yet, here you are for my seed. Are you not?" He murmured, looking into the young woman's eyes, reaching his hand over his oversized gut and placing it between his legs. He squeezed the visibly growing bulge that showcased his lust for her.

"Rapist and murderers. All of you."

Joshua grew still as the nervous girl barked at him. "I haven't killed or raped anyone. I'm an honest working man, like the rest of my men. The culprits are long dead. Killed by your warriors."

"Filth of the Earth."

"You treat us like dogs with rabies. Sky takes our rights and our children. When is it going to stop? Why do I pay for the crimes of my forefathers?" He took one step toward her, his eyebrows were bunched in frustration even as his eyes continued to wander down her body. "Want my seed? I promise I won't disappoint." Scout put her hand on the grip of her sword. Her heart raced so fast she forgot to breathe. "No? Then leave me be. Off you go young rascal."

Scout ran from the man, unable to fulfil Amalia's command. She was angry with herself. Joshua was a Hu'urei, but he was one of the highest ranking Ahe'ey in the land. His blood was not pure, but it was as far up the chain as Scout could hope for. Above Joshua, only Gabriel and Bastian—the first was the devil incarnated and the second, Sky's lover. Every single woman in the land relentlessly pursued the two Royal men; women with sexual prowess and desire that she lacked with the opposite sex.
 

Scout slowed down, sighing, and turned back to find Joshua, but he was no longer there.

Submission

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Thousands of fairy lights illuminated the Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing. In front of it, a band was playing Latin jazz. Many couples were already dancing at the centre of the room on an elevated area where the temple stood. Down at the sides of the platform, people talked and enjoyed extravagant canapés and cocktails. All-light sculptures glowed in different shades of blue, casting a blue tint on their surroundings.

Gabriel scanned the room, looking for any signs of danger, while his companion took a sip of her second glass of Taittinger. She touched the wall of the temple and closed her eyes for a moment.

"It's remarkable what the Egyptians were able to build thousands of years ago. I wish I had a time machine so I could go back in history and explore the great ancient civilisations of the world."

"This is actually a Roman copy of the original Egyptian temple, a model built by Emperor Augustus around 15 BC," Gabriel replied. "It is indeed a shame that so much has been lost, although …" He paused for a second, contemplating if he should continue. "I can assure you that humanity is not ready to unveil its full history."

Morgan's eyebrows jumped at the statement and she opened her mouth to ask what he meant.

"Gabriel, how are you?" interrupted a large and loud man walking in their direction.

"Sir William, it's been far too long. I'm well, thank you. How are you? Has your knee recovered fully from surgery?" Gabriel extended his hand to the older man. Sir William's white hair and soft, well-groomed beard reflected the blue hue of the lights. He placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and embraced him with affection.

"Fine, I'm walking, but my marathon running days are over before they even began." He had the most effusive belly laugh.

"Let me introduce you to my friend Morgan. She's visiting us from London and is the world leader when it comes to girl's empowerment." Morgan smiled and extended her hand.

"Morgan, Sir William is a dear friend of mine. He is the CEO of an innovative biofuel business. He's also my partner in a vital and groundbreaking research project that'll be completed next week. I'm forever grateful for his brilliant mind and friendship."

"We couldn't have done it without the support and scientific insights of the Ange'el Foundation, my friend. How long are you going to be in town, Morgan?"

"Just until the end of the week."

"That's a shame. Next time you visit New York, you are invited to visit our home to have dinner together with our friend here. We miss him, especially my youngest daughter, Karen."

"How is the little one?" Gabriel asked.

"She's great, but she's had little time for me since you introduced her to archery and martial arts."

Gabriel smiled and looked at Morgan. "Karen is eight years old and plans to conquer the world by the age of eleven and a half. She is the poster child for girl power. You two should meet."

"I must go and have a seat. My knee is starting to complain. It was excellent to see you both. Gabriel, please do visit us soon. We miss you, and I do need to give you an update on our shared endeavour."

As he walked away, Morgan began to move her body to the sound of the music that was playing in the background. The band was playing "Águas de Março," a song by Tom Jobim. Gabriel smiled as she mumbled some of the lyrics in Portuguese. He looked at her, held her hand, and led her to the dance floor. There they stood holding each other, her hair whispering against his chin, no words, just a deep appreciation for that moment. She hid her head between his neck and shoulder and let her body move with his.
 

For the first time in a very long time, Gabriel closed his eyes, smelled her hair, and became lost in the moment, a moment where he allowed himself to be just a man falling in love, a moment he would soon regret.

The Attack

New York

Morgan couldn't quite figure out what was happening. First she saw a man with a knife come straight at them. Although the attacker approached from Gabriel's back, he turned around just at the right moment. In milliseconds, Gabriel turned the knife to face the attacker. It went straight into the attacker's heart. The man fell to the floor instantly.

Four others came running towards them with knives. She saw Gabriel dance in the air. He used his right elbow to hit one of the men in the face while his left leg hit the head of another attacker. The way he moved—it was incredible. He was graceful and yet strong. Morgan soon realised that the men were trying to attack her. The only thing preventing the success of the attack was Gabriel, who seemed to be a master of some martial art.

The two security guards finally came running. Gabriel looked back and shouted, "Protect her! Stay with her!" and as he did, one of the attackers wounded his right arm with a knife. Gabriel was now fighting four men simultaneously. He kicked one of his attackers in the head, killing him instantly. The same kick disarmed another attacker; he picked up the knife and threw it at the attacker, who fell to the floor, motionless. The two other men stopped, looked at each other and ran away, disappearing amongst the crowd. Gabriel ran towards Morgan and embraced her.

"Are you all right?" asked Morgan.

Gabriel nodded. He turned to face the two guards. "Sam! Pursue the attackers and call for backup. I'll follow you as soon as Morgan is safe. Manuel, I want at least six extra security guards at the hotel by the time we get there—two inside Morgan's suite, two at the door, and two downstairs. Sir William," he spoke loudly as he walked in the direction of the older man, "I need to borrow your car. Please do not worry. You are all safe. The attackers aren't coming back."

"I'll call my driver now. He'll meet you with the car at the front entrance …"

"Thank you."

He held Morgan's hand as they both ran down the stairs as fast as they could. Morgan abandoned her shoes to try to keep up with her long-legged companion. James and Carl were running up the stairs. "What happened?" James asked.