Lilith's Blessing 4.5

Night fell upon the city. The streets, empty, seemed eerie compared to when it teemed with life. Trevor wandered the neighborhood, finding a tree with a bench underneath it. He looked around the unfamiliar setting, then up at the tree. “At least it looked the same.”

His father’s voice forced its way to the front of his mind. “Suck it up, and figure it out.”

Figure what out? Trevor mouthed to the sky, hoping his words would find an answer. What can he do? Everyone he had ever known was gone; mana’s existence, a fragmented moon, and 2000-plus years passing all pressed on his heart. And he didn’t remember any of it.

Trevor’s heart tried to jump out his chest as it pounded, and his breath shortened. Trevor pressed his hand against his heart and took a deep breath. How long has it been? Trevor thought, as his heart calmed. He didn’t remember the last time he had a panic attack. He still had no clue how or why, but. “It is what it is.” At that moment, he desired a drink. A strong one. So he returned to the tavern. The only place he knew to go.

The crowd lessened, with a few sporadic tables filled with happy patrons as John and Meredith conversed with an older couple. The man next to John stood out with his pale skin and gray hair. Very different from the black and brown-skinned people of the city. But he seemed happy as his wife smiled alongside him. But they laughed and joked like old friends.

Trevor secluded himself at the end of the bar. Far away from anyone. Just the way he liked it. People frustrated him, and he preferred to be alone. Trevor’s head dipped into his hands and he didn’t realize Kira sat next to him. "Are you just going to sit there or pour us some drinks?"

Trevor raised his head as she pushed her hair past her ear, but it bounced back. If not for his dark skin, he’d blush. Everything she did made his heart skip. He caught the light scent of her perfume. It was sweet, but not overbearing. His brain went into overdrive, trying to suppress the butterflies swirling in his stomach. "Drinks?"

Kira pointed at the metallic blue bottle and the two glasses on the bar before him.

"Sorry, I called you a coward. That was uncalled for."

"Wow."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"No, just wasn't expecting that. You even old enough to drink?"

Kira glared at him with fire in her eyes. "I am 33 and can drink with the best."

“Wait, 33? You're 33? No way. I thought you were 20 something.”

"Awe. Thank you. You're handsome yourself." Kira hesitated as she locked eyes with Trevor. Something bothered him\. Her demeanor from their earlier encounter changed. Now she was more feminine and cheerful. The two versions of Kira did not add up.

"Why did you want to fight me?"

Kira looked down and clutched her hands together next to her heart. Her light brown skin flushed. She lifted her eyes to meet him. “I felt something when you looked at me. I thought it was because I wanted to fight you. But that was not it.”

Trevor’s heart began pounding as the blood rushed away from his head and feet. He tried to shake it off. Her subtle sweet smell to her mannerisms all displayed a charm only one woman showed him before.

Meredith clapped her hands, raising everyone's attention. She announced to the people; they needed to go home or to the bar down the street. Imani Tavern is now closed. Meredith pointed toward Kira and Trevor, snapping them back to reality. “Except you two.”

Groans erupted from the remaining patrons as they finished their drinks. “See you tomorrow.” One man stumbled as he exited the tavern.

Meredith locked the door and ordered the pair to the table. Meredith wanted to play a game. Kira suggested a game Trevor had never heard of, but Mere rejected it.

John placed four glasses and two bottles, one of clear liquid and the other light brown. “Hesitate.”

Trevor's intrigue grew as John poured two fingers of clear liquor into each glass and informed them of the game's rules. “Answer my question with a question. If you hesitate, drink, then tell the truth.”

Trevor and Kira look at each other as John and Meredith touch glasses, bounce them off the table, then drink. John poured the brown liquor into his and Meredith's cups. Then look at Trevor and Kira with anticipation of them joining. Trevor shrugged, "aight then," they lifted their glasses.

"Now, do you want more?"

"How long have you been married?"

“Do you like Trevor?”

Mere caught Kira off guard, and she hesitated to answer. John looked at Kira, showing she lost the round. She picked up the glass, hesitant to drink its contents. Mere’s eyes forced Kira to knock it back. Her face changed as the liquid hit her throat. It distorted and cringed as if she hated its taste. She nodded and hid her face behind her hair from Trevor.

Trevor felt out of place and sipped his drink. John asked Trevor pointed questions, which he turned back to John. But when he asked about Kira, Trevor stuttered, failing to have a question ready. He drank, and the cold liquid warmed his body.

The game was not over as John refilled everyone's glass. Then he looked at Kira. Her turn to ask a question to Trevor.

“Where are you from?”

“Seattle.”

Trevor, feeling cheerful, auto responded, losing the round. But Kira’s eyes twitched, then she looked at John. He smiled and sipped his liquor. Meredith looked off into the distance for Kira to figure it out herself.

Kira’s adoptive mother taught her about the American continent after the Taurid comet strike. Seattle did not survive the tsunami, but people in the surrounding high ground did. Most moved east to higher ground while the rest moved to new cities in Alkebulan. She stared a hole in Trevor as she tried to read him. Kira did not feel like playing anymore games. She wanted answers.

John severed the tension when he asked about Trevor’s heritage. Trevor looked at him. Strange question to ask an American black man. He shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m Black.”

Meredith bobbed her head. “You're more copper than black.”

Trevor dropped his head. “Semantics. It's just what we were called.”

“Is that why your hair? Different?” Kira reached out to touch his hair. Trevor ducked her. People always tried to touch his hair, for black people it was taboo to try. “Hands. Self.” There was an awkward pause as the tension rose. Meredith broke the silence and extended the game. She pushed him to ask anything he wanted to know.

“What happened to the moon?”

Meredith’s eyes lit up as she loved to talk about the Taurid comet and the strike in the Antarctic.

Before the strike, the comet broke apart and nicked the moon before it entered the atmosphere. The information glossed over Trevor, as he only cared about the aftermath. Why did Olivia tell him they exterminated black people?

John changed his tone and called Olivia a manipulator. She would say anything to get her way. Mere agreed with the assessment, adding that, most likely, she was lying. Most African descendants and others moved to Alkebulan. All confirmed the history and nodded in agreement.

“The fuck is Alkebulan?” Trevor, unaware of the name.

Meredith enlightened Trevor that they reverted to its original name before colonialism. But before they explored Antarctica, its name. “…Africa.”

"A mass exodus of black people to Africa? They left my black ass behind."

Kira rubbed Trevor’s back, but he stood up. "I don't feel so good. Is there somewhere I can lie down?"

"Yea, the second room on the right. Kira, can you show him?" Meredith pointed up the stairs.

Trevor declined, grabbing the bottle from the table. “I’ll take this with me, if you don’t mind.”