Novels by Elizabeth Ukeh

I didn’t think much of it before I leaped for her windowsill. This town had mostly human occupants, I had to be careful. I caught hold and hoisted myself in, it was just like old times. When we were still madly in love. Her warm scent coated the room like a paint, it reminded me of the warmth she brought to me. I waited for her to walk in, for her to close the door behind her before I stepped out of the shadowy part I was camouflaged in.She gasped at my cold touch but she did not scream. I had expected her to at least put up a small fight but she didn’t resist when I pulled her closer to me. She stiffened for a little while, allowing me to wrack my brain in thought that it might not have worked, before she slowly whispered my name. Jhan had kept his word, she remembered me, the feeling of walking into her room to meet her vampire lover must have been all it took.The familiar warmth from her body seeped through my jacket, warming me up. She hugged me back

ONE WEEK LATER. FRIDAYWhen I wake up it is to the soft touch of someone's skin against my regrown arm. My eyelids flutter slower as dim lighters through my lashes. I saw several blurry figures looming above me. I couldn't make out any faces or sounds except for the darker skin of Jhan... Or Nicha.After a few more minutes of indistinct chatter and blurry vision, I finally made out Leya's face. She looked down at me, a concerned frown on her face."Le-Leya?" I muttered. "What happened?""Shush. He’s waking, he's waking..." I couldn't recognize to whom this voice belonged to but it sounded feminine."Where I'm I?" I tried raising my head but the blow from a strong migraine sent me back down."We won Kaldar, you helped defeat Hardaj..."“Tia? Who is Hardaj?""Oh, for hells sake. Cut us the slack Kaldar! You were only out one week." Jereum said in an irritated complaining manner.I tried recollecting how I had g

CONTINUATION…I heaved painfully with a croaked grunt as I killed the last one in the higher court. I had used the same move Jereum had used to get behind me to kill the second wolf. As it had bit at me, I jumped, planting a foot firmly to the walls and pushing myself forward. Driving the sharp silver blade into the back of the creature’s neck, dragging the blade along its spine and severing just about any vitals in its back.All the adjudicators lay in pieces on the floors. Their bodies slowly vapourizing away. I went through a door at the back of the large assembly hall, that's where the refuges were held. On walking down the stairs and getting to a lower floor I was roughly hit and then pinned down by something.The wolf snapped at my head repeatedly and I dodged to either side while still lying under it. It went straight to me this time and placed a hand on its snout and pushed back on it as it tried forcing its head down. It was winning, its op

SAME DAYEveryone who wore the red robed today we're considered the bravest and most loyal vampires and wolves. To fight in a battle so gruesome, death was assured to come to you, in the faith for the greater good.I had waited patiently, bearing the pulsating pain in my chest and hoping for the best for all of us. For the best that we would all survive and be together one last time as a clan before I set off on my own path to find out for myself the answers to my life. But the odds of that were slim and the chances of only one of us surviving was great.But I had hope. Hope on the fact that the adjudicators with the mind's-eye were to pair up with another fighter, either wolf or vampire. The one with mind manipulation would do their best to deceive the enemy into seeing mirages while the other defeats the opponent. But the wolves were no ordinary being, and the control they had over their minds was strong. It was left to a psychic battle between vampire and wol

FRIDAYI tried taking my mind off Dawn but it seemed impossible. I thought about her in everything that I did. She was pasted on my mind like before. Her beautiful face was all I could think about. I could only think about the times that we shared together. Those blessed moments that I would forever keep to myself. I removed the pendant and placed it inside a small box I got from Jhan. I couldn't let it damage on my neck.“It was for the best,” Tia told me.“She was getting more delicious with every passing day anyway,” Jereum said, giving me a consolatory pat to my shoulder. Leya had been silent ever since. The whole concept of the war and the possibilities of our deaths, she was not dealing well with.The arrow that struck night had gone through an artery in her body. She almost died but was now in an unconscious state in her village. Tia was still a bit sad about it. I had talked to her earlier when we were alone and she just br

THURSDAYNicha continued applying the medicine to my wound. It was the awkward quietness that came with it that was unbearable. She resorted to taking her time when she worked, doing it slowly and quickly apologizing anytime I winced or groaned in pain.My clan came to see how I was doing. I noticed glum expression but held back anything that had to do with her sister being a Lupine. I wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about it just yet. Jhan told me that the adjudicator was shortly knocked out by Jereum after she hit me down from the cliff. A dozen wolves had attacked the higher court, killing most of the adjudicators that were brave enough to fight. Alzaraq met with our higher court and cleared that the wolves were not from his clan.He had told them about Hardaj and his plans to dominate over the vampires. An official treaty was made that declared Lupine kind and vampire one and united but only to face the war ahead after which both species would go the

THE DAYLily"Are we there yet?" I asked. My butt is burning for sitting in one place for too long. I am sandwiched between Precious and James. Joseph and Jacob are sitting behind while Luc is sitting in front with the driver.When Luc had announced she would be throwing me a birthday party at Ibeno beach resort, my first instinct was to laugh, sure that Luc will not go out of her way like that. When I saw the invitation cards she was printing and giving out to people I went to school with, go to school with and don't talk to anymore. I was even more shocked when she told me that she would hiring a DJ and a caterer. She later told me that the party was an apology to me, for all the bad things she had been doing to me. I sobbed on her shoulder."Here," James said handing a banana and a cone of roasted groundnut over to me."We will get there soon!" The driver told me. Lily is paying him t

AFTERDear Luc,Today is your birthday. You would have turned nineteen today. We would have thrown a party for you. The love of your life would have been invited, Jacob and James would have come, Precious would have worn something sexy and I would have snuck Esther in.Dad would have bought vanilla cake with resins and cherries. The icing would be thick and so sweet it would be almost bitter, just the way you liked it. Mum would have cooked fried rice and fried chicken for the party. We would have been allowed to take lite beer and diluted sips of vodka and whiskey. Cartons of fruit juice and soft drinks would have been in abundance. And our parents would have excused us and retired to their rooms.We would have played music from the stereo. Not too loud to wake Krystal from sleep but loud enough to get ourselves hyped.I might had danced. Let myself go and get tipsy. I

BEFORELucIt has been one month since I last spoke to my soulmate. He would not take my calls. And neither will be reply my messages. He is never at home when I go to check on him. His sister would give me some excuse like he went for basketball practice or went shopping with his mother or sleeping at a friend's house.I become more and more frustrated and desperate as the days turn into weeks. I have no one to talk to about this. Lily will not understand. What the hell does she know about love? And Precious will ask him to forget him and move on but how can I when he is the only boy I truly love?I drank more often, draining my flask quickly in big, gulps. I could barely sleep at night, staring at the ceiling until daybreak. I rarely went for my lectures, staying back home after my parents, Lily and Krystal had left for school.When I told Precious how lowly I had sank, she

AFTERLilyI am still trying to recover from the shock from discovering that my parent's relationship was not as rosy as it seemed. It is weird that they almost did not build a family together and after three kids and eighteen years together, they are still not at peace with each other. I am not sure what I would have done if I was in their shoes. Call it quits and try co-parenting? Or to couples counselling and try to iron things out for the sake of the children and the almost-two-decades of relationship. Maybe even go further and get married?I try to forgive Mum. I don't leave the living room whenever she enters and I do not cough up an excuse when she wakes me up for Mass on Sunday morning. In church, I kneel down and gaze at the statue of Jesus Christ at the altar and pray for the Josephle to forgive my Mum. And for God's forgiveness.I do not talk to her either, I just nod or shake my head wh

BEFORE Lily"Lily, Lily—"Someone was shaking me gently, interrupting the walk I was taking down an unwinding road. Birds were gossiping from sickly tree branches, cocking their heads from head to side as if they are warning me. Tell me 'do not go any further! Stop!'I opened my eyes a bit, peering through the cracks. Dad was bare-chested, shorts ridding low on his hips. His eyes were bloodshot, his face marred with deep lines of fatigue."Dad," I said in a yawn, "what's wrong?""Do you know where your sister when to?" He asked me, staring pointedly at me.His words did not make sense to. Gibberish floating around, bumping against themselves. Until I arrange them, absorb them. "She is in her room." Is that not where she should be at night?"She is not there," Dad said, frowning like I should know that, "did she

AFTERLilyI wake up at six AM. Groggy and damp with sweat. I had another nightmare featuring Luc. We were arguing on a shore, foamy waves lapping at our ankles. Strong winds hoisted us up in the air, somehow when we were flung at the middle of the ocean Luc could swim perfectly, floating weightlessly on the dark, angry waters. But I was sinking fast like a heavy boulder. My mouth like an open cave, calling out for Luc, water infiltrated my lungs and the wiry hands of the ocean pulled me into its belly.A cock crowed at a distance, making me sit up with a start. The mattress in Dad's house is much firmer than the one at home. It is almost uncomfortable to sleep on.I reach for Luc's flask in my backpack and take a dainty, tentative sip. It tastes sharp like a combustion in my mouth, sliding down my throat igniting as it goes. It is clear why Luc is addicted to this stuff, I see stars behind my eyes, form

Chapter SixteenI do not speak to Cleo after our atrocious exchange and she did not speak to me either. When our eyes meet from across the room, we quickly look away like the eye contact burnt us. She is always in Adam’s arms; laughing and talking about something interesting with their heads lowered together and their lips p

Chapter FifteenWhen we reach the school building, I am reluctant to go in. I do not think that I can face Cleo and Adam. Even if I do not talk to them, there is no escaping seeing them. I wonder what everyone thinks now that they are a couple days after I was strutting down the hallway hand-in-hand with Adam. I must be a laughingstock! The thought of taking a break and going home becomes palatable to me once again. But then the image of my Mum’s smiling face fills my mind. She would not have run away when faced with such challenges at ballet school. She would have faced it head on.

Chapter Fourteen“What school do you attend?” I ask when my body functions have returned to a small semblance of normal (unfortunately, my body forgets how to work normally around Malik). “Apex State University,” he says with a ghost of a smile on his lips. He seems amused that I have finally found my voice after a sip of energising coffee.

Chapter ThirteenI miss his face completely and the ball goes flying over his shoulder. The large dog barks and goes chasing after the ball. He looks at me with his head tilted at an angle and a shy smile on his face. That is all it takes to make me a sobbing mess. “Hey, hey, hey,” he says in a low, comforting voice, coming closer to me. “I am so sorry you missed me, should I give you the ball so you will try again?&

Chapter TwelveOn Monday, after classes, I go to the park to see if I will find Malik there. I sit on the bench I danced on, nursing a Styrofoam cup of coffee and watching the high variety of people walk past. After two hours of waiting, I decide to head back to school. As I pass the coffee shop, the delicious aroma makes me duck in to buy another cup for the road. Cleo wanted us to go on a shopping spree together but I made her cancel the

Chapter ElevenStill intoxicated by the cheers and applause, I rush backstage with an armful of flowers and Adam’s hand resting on my lower back. “Well-done!” Ms. Azizen gushes; she pulls us both into her arms, grinning like a child on Christmas morning. “You made me very proud!”

EPILOGUE: THE SUNYear of the BougainvilleaFrigid SeasonThe PalaceAltsasIslaI AM SO EXCITED. Today, I'm expecting mother and father's visit as well as Mavli's. It's been ages since I saw them.Throwing off my blanket, I jump off the bed and to my feet. A shiver runs down my spine the second my feet touches the cold ground. I slip my feet into slippers and huff out a breath which floats as a thick cloud of fog in front of my face.I'm not surprised to see that Kyan isn't on the bed, he has always been an early riser. I'm sure he is already getting the orchard ready for my parents' arrival breakfast.

The Sound of the WindYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe HighlandsAltsasKyanIT'S BEEN A WEEK since my marriage to the woman of my dreams. To the woman who's thoughts move the Earth. A whole week was kept aside for the wedding feast before I was permitted to take my bride away on the honeymoon.Now, I sit under our favourite tree weaving a flower crown for my bride. The cold pendant, a gift from Isla which also happens to be the heirloom of her family is pressed to my chest underneath my shirt on a gold chain.Osar flashes me a wide grin. "I have finished, Kyan. Let's see how Lyza will like it."It wasn't

The EndYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe HutKintilIslaI'M OUTSIDE WITH MOTHER and Mavli plucking pumpkin leaves for soup when a deafening thumping of hooves against the Earth is heard. Frightened, we rush inside and hide only peeping out through the windows."It could be them again!" Mavli's lower lip starts to quaver.Mother's lips move wordlessly with silent prayer.Carriages come in view, hundreds of them. Some of the carriages speed by and some stop near our hut. Valri is bleating with fright outside, Mother is whimpering with tears and Mavli clutches my arm, her nails digging into my flesh.

The ReturnYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe MarketKintilIslaIT'S BEEN HOURS.It's been hours since we laid Nadhat to rest among the reeds but still Mavli hasn't said a single word. I'm afraid for her but I know better than to say anything that might upset her more. Let her grieve, she deserves some time to grieve.Our mares trot carefully into the extensive land that was once our market. I take in all the destruction, the broken and burnt stalls. And far away,,I see a rotting corpse, I shut my eyes and turn away not wanting to see another body having seen Nadhat's.Nadhat.

The ArrowYear of the RosesFloral SeasonRoad to KintilRoad to KintilMavliTHE SUN HAS RISEN.We are almost there.Almost.We have been riding all night and day. The sun rays are peering through the clouds and threatening to end the cover of night, we dismount the horses and trot side by side with them. The smell of livestock and vegetables is over powering as we enter the Altsas market. Even if it is so early in the morning, the market is already as bustling as a bee hive. We have to elbow, duck and push our way through. My stomach churns loudly when my eyes dart to a stall of a fruit seller; the pyramid

The GirlYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe throne roomAltsasKyanMY FATHER'S EYES grows dark with ire. A large vein throbs frantically at his temple, his large hands form fists on the arms of the throne and he snarls bestially. Lyza chokes a sob, large tears pooling in her eyes. My mother doesn't say a word, she is the most collected of us. My Aunt and Rakar pace up and down the throne room. It is Rakar that breaks the silence with a growl."That harlot left you? You let that harlot escape?" He walks towards me with a glare, "I don't believe that you let a mere woman outsmart you!" He yells pointing a finger at me.I'm not angry, not at all. I'm heartbroken, for