From Eden.

“Are you taking me home?” I asked Zacky quietly, not so sure if he would want to be in the same car as me or not.

Zacky shrugged, looking at me. “Might as well.” He said. We quickly said our goodbyes to everyone and I for one was beyond ready to leave.

I followed him out of Brian’s house. The warm California sun was now setting against the horizon of the beach that outlined the world as I followed Zacky to his car, not saying one word. I knew that it would be better if I didn’t bring it up, because I had a feeling that he didn’t want to talk about what had happened earlier. Matt had left shortly after he came out of the bathroom, apologizing again before he left. I could still feel the anger radiating off Zacky. I was thankful for once that he kept his thoughts guarded, because I knew they weren’t pretty.

The ride home was nothing but silent. I had felt awkward before, but not so much to where I wanted to say something just to break this silence. I sighed uneasily, looking out the window as Zacky drove onto Liddell street. I knew we were getting closer to our homes.. The feeling of exhaustion took over me; the day had been longer and full of things I didn’t want to speak about again. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, hoping that time would go faster.

“Are you just gonna stay in here for the night?” Zacky asked, knocking me back into reality.

I looked at him, and then realized we were parked in his driveway. I looked across the street, to see that Christina and Jacob were home. I knew that this meant that I had to leave Zacky, which was probably for the best. It pained me to know that he would have to listen to his parents fight, and deal with what had happened at Brian’s house. I almost wanted to apologize, but I knew it would do no good. I got out of his car and made my way towards my house. I heard him doing the same, and I felt the urge to look back at him, but I wasn't going to, I had a feeling it would only make things worse.

“Delilah Faye Baybrook! Where the hell have you been?” Christina’s voice as shrill as I’ve ever heard it screeched as I walked through the front door.

I was a bit shocked that Christina was so worried about me. I looked over and saw Jacob standing in front of the kitchen archway, his arms crossed. Christina had a mixture of worry and anger across her face. I knew I was in for it.

“I was just with a few friends.” I muttered. Normally I would've been happy to call the guys my friends, but, considering I was in trouble, I wasn't as ecstatic as I normally would've been.

“Maybe we shouldn't have let you go over there in the first place. The minute I saw that Brian boy I knew he was trouble.” Christina said, taking on her “Mom” tone. I hated the fact that she was calling Brian trouble.

“Do you guys not want me to have friends?” I asked, throwing my hands up.

“We do Del, believe me, we do.” Jacob’s voice softened. I knew this routine. “But they just seem like bad news.”

“Especially that Baker boy,” Christina scowled, “his family has bad news written all over it. His father is a drunk, and he cheats on his mother constantly. Do you really want to be seen with that, Delilah?”

“And why do you care?!” I yelled. Both of their eyes widened, shocked at my outburst.
“You let Laura go off to some stranger’s house but I can’t even go hang out with my friends? Where in the fuck is that fair?!”

In the midst of my yelling, raising my hands, and everything, my shirt had rolled up, exposing my new tattoo. Jacob’s eyes were as big as dinner plates.

“What the hell is that doing there?!” he looked at Christina and then back at my tattoo.

“I-I was going to tell you, but it slipped my mind.” Christina stammered, looking over at her husband.

In the blink of an eye, the original reason as to why my parents were mad at me was forgotten. Jacob ushered me and Christina into their room and locked the door, so Laura and Henry wouldn't bother us.

“When did that happen?” Jacob asked, once the door was locked and he was certain no one could hear him.

“Y-yesterday morning.” I muttered, remembering the conversation between Zacky and I at the beach, and thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw the same symbol on his bicep.

“This is not good, this is not good…” Jacob muttered as he began pacing the room. Christina bit at her lip nervously as she sat down on the bed, twiddling her thumbs.

I stood there in silence, waiting for an answer or explanation. Jacob continued to pace, still muttering under his breath about something not being all that great.

“That mark,” he began, stopping for a second, then picking up his pace again, “that mark you have is dangerous. Do you know what it means?”

I nodded, remembering the conversation that Christina had with me.

“Because of what you are, that mark means that if anyone from your past can find it, they can find you. And whoever else you’re imprinted with. Have you found them yet?”

The tone in Jacob’s voice scared me, but I shook my head no. One moment, I was hopeful, thinking that it was Zacky that had imprinted on me, but upon hearing how dangerous my imprint mark could be, I didn’t want it to be him.

“What are we going to do?” Christina’s voice sounded weak. Her eyes were filled with tears, threatening to spill over.

“I don’t know, Chris.” Jacob said, scratching his chin, “we can’t send her away, that makes her too easy of a target.”

My eyes widened in disbelief, they were talking as if I weren’t here.

“What am I, exactly?” I asked, interrupting their little conversation.

Jacob’s face looked grim, as he sighed and opened his mouth to speak, “you know the legends of Nephilims?”

I shook my head yes, remembering the tales of half-human, half-angel hybrids. The feeling of dread was sitting in the pit of my stomach, and I was afraid I’d puke at any second.

“That is what you are,” Jacob said in a sorrowful tone, “that is why we moved here, too many people were asking too many questions.”

“We thought we would be safe here,” Christina interjected, a tear rolling down her cheek, “but I suppose not.”

The room suddenly became blurry and I felt myself falling to the floor. My head hit the bedpost with a thunk and the back of my eyelids was all I saw.

----

When I came to, I was in my room. In my own bed. I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, but the room spun around me, and the task I was trying to accomplish was forgotten.

“Mom? Dad?” I called out, my voice hoarse.

“I’m right here, Del,” Christina’s said. I felt her hand take mine as she rubbed thumb over the bones.

“W-what happened?” I asked, closing my eyes and leaning back into my pillows. And before Christina had a chance to answer, the memories of the conversation we had earlier came rushing back to me. My head felt heavy and dizzy, my throat was scratchy and dry, and my eyelids felt like they couldn’t be held open. I lifted my hand and felt a bandage on my temple where I had hit the bedpost.

I felt Christina’s fingers on my mouth as she forced my lips open, I wanted to push her away, but I couldn’t. I tasted salt on her fingertips as she pushed the two small pills in my mouth. I knew what they were, and as much as I tried to turn my head to spit them out, her hand was there. She held my jaw as they slithered down my throat. I felt a cup being pressed to my lips as water trickled down after the sleeping pills.

It didn’t them very long to take their effect. Within minutes, my head seemed to fill with fog and before I knew it, I had fallen back into the deep pit that was known as a dreamless sleep.

----

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know Christina, I really don’t.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

In my sleep disoriented mind, I recognized these voices but could not put a name to them. The sleeping pills that Christina had given me so many times before when I would have sleepless nights really did their job this time around. My head felt thick with fog, and as much as I wanted to open my eyes, it seemed as if my eyelids were glued shut.

“We always knew what she was deep down Christina, we just didn’t want to believe it.”

Ja...cob. It’s Jacob my brain told me. The deep voice belonged to the man I had called father for over seventeen years.

“But her kind hasn't been heard of for thousands of years! We’re not even sure if they exist! They’re supposed to be legends! Myths! Bedtime stories!”

Christina my brain made the connection with the shrill voice that belonged to the woman I called mother.

Jacob shushed her, muttering something about waking me up. I wondered where Lauren and Amber were, and if they were worried about me.

“We can’t just get rid of her.” Christina sobbed, her voice sounding muffled as if she had a hand over her mouth.

“We’ll take her to the Council.”

“But James Baker is on the Council.” Christina muttered, I knew at that moment she was regretting what she had said earlier about Zacky’s father.

“So is Gary Sanders,” Jacob told her, “they’ll protect her.”

“How do you know?”

Jacob sighed, “I don’t Chris, but we can’t just keep her here. She’s a danger to all of us.”

Hearing those words leave Jacob’s mouth, I wanted to cry. I finally had an answer to one of the many questions of my past, but all I could taste was bitterness and anger. What should have been a joyous moment to find out what I was, was instead a disaster unfolding right before my eyes.

I opened my eyes, showing them both that I was conscious and that I had heard every word of their conversation. Christina looked almost twenty years older, her cheeks streaked with tears.

“Go get the Baker boy.” she muttered to Jacob, her eyes threatening to spill over with more tears as she looked from him to me. Jacob did as he was told, shutting the door to my bedroom behind him.

“W-what’s going on?” I asked, looking around my room. It was bare; all of my posters and photos had been striped from the walls. The curtains were drawn shut, allowing no light in. I couldn’t tell if it was night or day.

Christina sighed as tears rolled down her cheeks, she quickly brushed them away, and began to talk, her voice quivering with every word she spoke.
“Jacob and I have always known what you are. But Nephilims are only legends, their species hasn't been seen for thousands of years, we honestly thought it was some old wives tale, so we just ignored it. Brushed it off like it didn’t matter; you're just as much as our child as Laura and Henry are, but deep down, I knew, that ever since you were Imprinted - before then, really - , it would be trouble.”

I sat there in silence, listening to her speak.

“The Council will protect you. They'll keep you safe from those who want to harm you.”

“Why does anyone want to hurt me?” I asked, a little fearful of the answer I would receive.

“Because you are what you are,” Christina said, looking around my naked room, “your kind hasn't been seen since Biblical times, and all we have of them are legends, myths, folklore. Things like the Bible. People want you, so they can study you. Jacob and I swore we’d keep you safe.”

“Is that why you’re sending me away?”

The look on Christina’s face was one of absolute shame. The woman I had known for all of my seventeen years of life as “mother” was broken. Every wrinkle shown, and she looked as if she had not slept for days. Her cheeks were puffy, her eyes rimmed with red. She nodded, my only answer was the sound of her cries; deep, sorrowful cries of a mother who was giving up her child.

My bedroom door opened and in walked Jacob and Zacky. Zacky’s eyes immediately went to the bandage on my forehead. His brows furrowed with concern.

“Delilah, pack a bag. And be quick about it.” Jacob told me, walking over to his sobbing wife. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to soothe her, but it did zero good. I quickly got up, my legs shaky from however long I had spent in bed. Zacky stood by the door, watching my every move. I grabbed my book-bag and emptied the contents, my pencils rolled across the floor and my books sat in an awkward pile, the thought of school ran across my mind, but something told me that right now wouldn't be the greatest time to ask. I rummaged through my closet, grabbing as many clothes as I could shove in, I didn’t count how many outfits I had, I just focused on getting as many clothes as I could into the bag.

I zipped up the bag and looked at my parents. Christina had collapsed into Jacob’s chest, her sobs seemed to echo in my room, making them that much worse.

“Go. Leave.” Jacob said coldly as Christina clutched at his shirt. He shushed her, rubbing a hand over her back to calm her down.

Zacky took my hand and led me out of my room. I turned one last time, to see the people I had always known as my parents, look more broken than ever. Jacob didn’t even look up to see me off, and Christina was too inconsolable to leave Jacob’s chest.

As Zacky led me out of my house and across the street, into the woods behind his house, I knew the seemingly normal life I used to live was now gone forever, for reasons unbeknownst to me.

“You'll learn the truth soon.” Zacky muttered as we walked further into the woods.

I could only hope he was right, and that whatever this truth was, it wouldn’t get me killed.

----

I didn’t know what to think of the place that Zacky had taken me to. It was small, but it was filled up to the roof with books, maps, paintings, everything a mansion would usually contain. It looked sort of like a headquarters for something, and I had a feeling that this place was close to it. There were people walking around, and they would all greet Zacky as they passed him, and stare at me in confusion - and sometimes, a look of horror would cross their face - as they passed me. I would give Zacky worried looks, and he would smile, telling me I had nothing to worry about, and had to trust him. I began to believe that I would have to trust everything told me, even if it was the truth or not.

Zacky led me to a small room that was filled with bookshelves. The room was small, smaller than my bedroom, even, but it was tall. The bookshelves reached from floor to ceiling. I scanned the room, looking at various book spines, reading their titles. They all looked older than time itself.

“Wait here.” Zacky whispered, giving me a small smile. I nodded, looking around the room once more. One book caught my eye. I waited until Zacky had walked into yet another room before I went over and retrieved it from the tight space it had been in. The spine was cracked and faded, but the title was still readable. The Legends of Hybrids. The name itself made me drawn to it for some reason, and I really couldn’t help myself from the curiousity. I flipped through a few pages, skimming various words, until I came to one page that was titled ‘Nephilims’.

Child of an angel and human, Nephilims are conceived with either a human male, and an angel female or vice versa. Nephilims have angelic beauty once they grow older and can be cunning, using their beauty to get what they want. Due to their angel parentage, they usually have well meaning tendences.
The majority of Nephilims are of angel and human production. There has not been one seen since Before Christ, although many speculate and have claimed sightings of one. This rumor goes unfounded, but the most popular rumor is that the child was handed off to a couple in Minnesota.
Speculations of the this rumored child’s name have been made too, the three most popular being Eve, Eden, and Delilah.

The book made a large thumping noise as it hit the ground from the height that I was holding it. My hands stayed in the position as if I was still holding the book, but that couldn’t be true. I was facing straight forward, my mouth agape, and my eyes as wide as they could ever be. The words ran through my head over and over again. They knew.

“Crap, you didn’t read it, did you?” I jumped at Zacky’s voice that knocked me out of my thoughts. I watched as he quickly picked up the fallen book and placed it back into its proper bookshelf, wriggling a little bit to get it back in place. He looked back at me, looking at my hands that were still frozen in the state of holding an invisible book, and sighed. “I shouldn't have left you in here.” He looked up at me, and smiled slightly at my frozen facial expression that was pure shock. “Are you alright?” he asked, waving his hand in my face, causing me to look at him.

I wasn’t sure if I could say anything, but that didn’t stop me from trying. I made some type of noise and pointed at the book that was recently on the floor. “Wha…” was all I could come up with at the time.

Zacky took my hands, which made my arms turn to jelly, and smiled sweetly. “Jaed will explain everything.” He told me, and began to lead me down the very same hallway that I had last seen him head toward.

“W-who’s Jaed?” I managed to ask.

“She’s the one who made up this whole alliance. She’s kinda like our guide, and she’s a Council member.” Zacky shrugged, keeping a tight grip on both of my hands as we continued to walk down the long hallway. “She'll be much better at explaining this whole thing than I would be.”

I kept my mouth shut. I knew that Zacky was telling the truth, but I couldn’t help but wonder what this all meant. What was going on with me? Was I some type of monster? Why didn’t any of this bother Zacky?

“In here.” Zacky whispered, pulling me closer to him as he opened a door into an unfamiliar room. He gently snaked his arm around my waist as we both walked into the room.

I tried not to look at the woman staring at me. There were more books and maps and paintings just like the rest of this place, only they seemed to have more of a meaning in this room than anywhere else. Zacky let go of my waist and walked over to the other side of the room. Whatever this woman - Jaed - was going to tell me, he wasn’t allowed to be a distraction. I looked over at Zacky, and he mouthed the words ‘trust me’. I was starting to think that I was going to hear that a lot from him.

“Delilah, please look at me.” Jaed said kindly. I looked up, and our eyes met. I could see sympathy shining in them, like she wanted to help me and answer any questions I might have. I was surprised at her striking features. She had white-blonde hair like mine, and violet colored eyes. She held her hand out, gesturing me to take it. I was shocked at how cold she was. She pulled me closer to her, and when we were an arms length apart, she pulled up my shirt, revealing the symbol on my back.

She nodded, a satisfied look across her face as she pulled the tail of my shirt back down. “I can only imagine how confused you are.” I nodded, and Jaed smiled. “Well, Delilah, if there are any questions that you may have, just ask.”

“Uhm, where am I?” I asked wanting to get to the basic questions first and get them out of the way.

“You are in the only place that Hybrids are safe.” Jaed said softly, her voice as smooth as velvet.
“There is trouble brewing. We fear there may be a war between the Lycans and Undead. There has been tension between the two species for over four hundred years, causing the other Supernatural species to take sides. You do know of the Kingdom?”

I shook my head slowly, trying to take all of this in. Jaed’s eyes widened at my answer.

“Well then,” she muttered, “sit down, please,” she gestured towards a chair I hadn't seen when I first came in. I quickly sat down, trying to figure out what to do with my hands before I finally sat on them.

“Ever since the dawn of Humans, there have been Supernatural species that live among them,” Jaed began, “do you know of Lilith? She was the first Vampire.”

I shook my head yes.

“Lycans have been around since the beginning as well, and there have been feuds for the last four hundred years. I am surprised the Baybrook’s never told you about the Kingdom.” She paused for a moment to look at me, to make sure I was listening.

“The Kingdom, is ruled by a Lycan king. Of course, your adoptive family doesn't live within the Kingdom so they do not have to follow his rules and laws. There is also a Vampire king. There are stories of the Lycan Princess and the Vampire Prince running off, but they were unfounded.”

“What does this have to do with me?” I asked, interrupting her.

“Delilah,” Jaed squeezed my hands, “you are the most wanted Hybrid in the entire world. You could make the strongest man fall to their knees by just the sight of you. You are the most valuable Hybrids to ever live.”

“Your mother was Human, that much we know, we believe her name was Jael.” Jaed said, looking over to Zacky and then back at me, “but we live your father was a Hybrid of his own. One part Angel, one part Demon, one part Vampire. The day you were born, someone - we don't know who, truthfully - left you on the doorsteps of the Baybrook’s. The ideas have changed, nonetheless, the Lycans want you, because you are something so different. The Demons and Vampires and even some Angels want to use you to mate with other Vampires, Demons and Angels, so they can create more of your kind.” Jaed finished, leaving me with my mind filling with questions and my mouth gaped open until it hit the floor.

I closed my eyes at what Jaed had told me. I shook my head side to side, my blonde hair shaking as I did so. “N-n-no.…” was all I could manage to spit out in all of this mass hysteria that was going on in my head. I wasn’t going to believe what Jaed had told me. I couldn’t. I wasn’t going to let myself believe it. I was just Delilah Faye…well, whatever my real last name may be, that’s what I am. I’m just a normal teenage girl that only has to worry about periods, math tests, and boys. I was too young for all of this, too inexperienced, too much of a coward to have all of this weight dropped upon my shoulders.

“Delilah, I understand that this is a lot for you to think about, but it is nothing but truth.”
Jaed said softly. “You could very well be the reason why a war starts, just because a Lycan imprinted on you.”

My mind immediately went to Zacky. Our conversation on the beach seemed like a million years ago, when his shirt sleeve rolled up and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I opened my eyes and stared into Jaed’s violet orbs, and saw nothing but the truth in them.

“Why do you think you moved to Huntington Beach?” she asked in a soft tone.

“Huh?”

“The Lycans and Vampires had heard of your existence. When the word began to spread, they became frightened. Do you remember Jacob’s ‘promotion’?” She asked, quoting the word “promotion” with her fingers.

I nodded, the memory all too clear.

“Christina and Jacob didn’t want any harm to come, so they moved there as soon as they heard it,” Jaed continued, “Huntington Beach kept you safe, for a little while. It was no mistake you're neighbors with the Bakers, they were there to protect you.” she motioned toward Zacky.
“But when the Lycan imprinted on you, we knew there would be trouble. Had it not been for Jacob finding out and letting Zachary know, it could have ended in disaster.”

Jaed may have tried to sugar coat that sentence, but I knew what she meant by it. I was going to have to run for the rest of my life from an unknown power that I didn’t even know of what was capable of doing if they found me. I was screwed, figuratively and literally, for the rest of my life. I felt the weariness of sleep weigh down on my eyes, and I remembered I had school tomorrow. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to.

“You cannot go back to your old home.” Jaed told me, causing me to give her a confused look. “You will risk putting those closest to you in danger. You may stay with us, where you will be protected from any type of Lycan, Angel, Demon, or Vampire that may cross your path or, you may stay with Zachary.” She said, gesturing towards Zacky, who was still leaning against the wall. “He will protect you to the best of his ability.” “Which sounds best for you, Delilah?” Jaed asked, causing me to look at her, then back at Zacky.

I wanted to stay with Zacky, to be honest, because I wanted to say that the god had to protect me. Everything was beginning to make sense, and I now understand why his parents fought the way they did - he was sent to look after me, and they didn’t know how to handle it. A wave of guilt suddenly washed over me, the realization that it was my fault was too much to handle.

Despite all of the thoughts running through my head, I knew I had to make a decision. Staying with Zacky would allow me to grow closer to this boy, the one I adored so much. But staying with Jaed would offer me security and protection. But if I stayed here, I would have to leave everything behind, including my dreams to go to a good college and change the world somehow. I looked at Jaed after I had made up my mind.

“I want to stay with Zacky.”

Jaed smirked, as if she had already known the answer to my question. Which was probably true, considering I didn’t have my thoughts well guarded at the moment.

“Very well then, but you'll have to live with Brian.” She told me, causing my eyes to widen.
“You cannot live with Zachary, too much risk. Brian has his own place, and he will be more than happy to take you in,” she said, certain of it, as if she already knew he'd say yes.

“You both will have to come up with a reason as to why you’re staying with him, and you will no longer attend public high school. We will send you the books and materials you need, along with clothing, food, whatever else.” Jaed smiled a sickly sweet smile.

I nodded, telling her I understood, but then I couldn’t hold it in any longer, all of this information and all of this talk about me being the most wanted and dangerous Hybrid ever was making my eyes weigh down more from the exhaustion of sleep. I yawned, not bothering to cover my mouth, and Jaed laughed under her breath.

“Perhaps you two should get going,” she motioned for Zacky to come over and I felt his arm slither around my waist as he helped me up. Jaed followed us to the door that led us to the room where the book about Hybrids had been.

“I wish you nothing but good fortune, Delilah,” Jaed smiled politely, “We will do everything in our power to make sure you are safe. We will follow you wherever you go.”

I nodded, knowing that it was true. For the rest of my life, I would be followed around, constantly checking over my shoulder for some shadowy figure. I would always be a danger, and I would always be in danger.

And to think I could have been doing math homework instead. The thought was enough to almost make me laugh.

Notes

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