It had taken a great deal of effort to make her way from the Yellow Springs to Stygia, and now, finally, she founds herself staring at the desolate Phoenix landscape in front of her. It was home to her, yet also alien, as things that both belonged and did not belong in the cityscape stood present. She took her time, moving through the city, taking in the familiar and unfamiliar; places where the past merged with the present.
She’d kept to the outskirts for a while, before braving the inner city. How long she’d been in the city, she wasn’t certain — some days, by this point. Staking a claim outside a VFW hall, she watched and waited. It was a week before what she was hoping for came to fruition. A group of people were headed in for a meeting, and she followed them inside.
She stood near the refreshment table, looking at the GBC sign she’d helped create. Her heart ached as she looked around at her friends. There were people she didn’t know there, but not many. Waiting as patiently as she could until everyone had sat down, she moved toward a couple of people, crouching in front of them. Reaching out a hand, she tried to caress a cheek, only for it to pass through.
Frustrated and feeling empty, she sat on the floor, and began to tear up. It wasn’t until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she looked up.
“Kayla?” Declan asked, trying to make sure of what he was seeing.
Nodding as she stared at home a moment, she stood. “How can you see me?”
“I’m not that different from you.” he replied after a moment of thought.
“But you exist in the Skinlands.” she protested. Her eyes widened slightly. “You’re not a Giovanni, are you?” she said, taking a step back. She’d heard horrors about them from some minor allies she had been able to make as she learned her way around the land of the dead.
“I’m not a vampire, but I am dead.” he declared. “How are you here? Didn’t you die in Japan?”
“It took a lot of effort.” she said. “I could have been here sooner, but I tried looking for Liam first.” she said, biting her lower lip.
“I tried looking as well, after we got the news. No one has seen him, that I’ve been able to determine.” he clarified.
Kayla looked behind her at Sierra and Jim. “Have they been alright?”
“As far as I know.” he said. “You’re missed.” he added.
She looked around at the assembled people before looking back to Declan. “How do you do it? Do you just constantly use Embody?”
“No.” Declan said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“Then how? How are you present, how are you able to be about in the Skinlands constantly, and I can’t?” she cried.
Declan sighed at seeing her tears. “It’s a harrowing process, and it isolates you. Puts a mark on you. It’s not easy, and I won’t say anything further about it.”
“But -“ she began.
“No.” Declan says. “I don’t want you to have to go through the things I did to end up like this. I won’t help you, out of respect for Liam.”
Kayla put her head in her hands, and tried not to cry. For a moment, there was hope that she could return to her loved ones, and now, with one little word, that hope had been dashed.
“Can you at least tell them I love and miss them?” she said, gesturing to Sierra and Jim.
“It won’t help their healing.” Declan told her.
Angrily, she lashed out, and began hitting him, focusing all her pain and anguish on the man who dashed her hopes.
Declan let her, though he didn’t have to put up with it, and he didn’t for long. After a few moments, he grabbed her arms, preventing her from hitting him.
“That’s enough of that.” he said, and pushed her away, letting go as he did so. “Learn how to survive here, forget about the Skinlands. Better still, f orget about Phoenix. Find somewhere else to call your own.”
With a cry of frustration, she ran toward him to lash out more, but he had disappeared. Angry and not sure how to let out her frustrations, she kicked at a chair and stomped off. If Declan wouldn’t help her, she’d find somebody who would.