Divine Descent

Chapter Five

                                        Cairo, Egypt

The hustling streets of Cairo have a strenuously vibrant energy to them, a unique chaos. Elijah leads the way on foot, and despite the lack of open affection we see, he has his hand firmly in my own, guiding me through crowded alleyways, the bustling markets. There is a thickness in the dry air, a haze brought on by pollution. I've lived in New York for most of my life, and yet, this place exceeds it certainly regarding crowds.

Home to nearly ten million souls, my brain is frantic, jumping from person to person, discovering details about randoms without the need or want for them. Elijah pulls me towards a vendor with a display of vast assortment of fruits and vegetables, all eagerness to expand my knowledge of the world.

He gives a few Egyptian pounds to the man, who hands over an odd-looking fruit.

"Caramelized fig," Elijah says, offering it to me while the man regards my companion's bulk and height with a wide-eyed expression. We've never been out in public like this, always lurking in shadows. Elijah is not so pressed about it now, probably because the dangers that once threatened us have lessened to damn near nothing.

He and I are unstoppable together. We know that. The world now knows that.

While I have no need for food, I'm glad to know I can still appreciate it, unlike my vampire friend. I let the sweetness linger on my tongue, smiling as he pulls me back into the slender walkway, continuing on our excursion.

It's the final leg of December, nearly the beginning of a new year. While the air is thick, it is not necessarily warm. To blend in, and to abide by customs, we're clothed tastefully, and as usual, shrouded in black.

"How was the fig?" he asks as we shift through the mess of carts, taxis, even donkeys, on our way to the church. I tug on his hand, strong enough to jar him back to me.

I kiss him, deeply, thoroughly enough that Elijah pulls back, glancing around for offended watchers. There are a few.

"You tell me."

He feigns deep disapproval but while he turns around to usher us forward, he's beginning to smirk. We are utterly indecent.

"You're unbelievable," he scoffs, knowing I can hear him.

"I couldn't help myself."

He huffs, pulling me closer, watchful of our surroundings. Tourists are very welcome here, unless they are like us... lustful creatures. Elijah has more restraint than I do, a higher regard for the humans and their ways of life.

"How far are we?"

"Nearly there."

While completely unlike New York, the city of Cairo is also made up of overcrowded buildings, many lined with storefronts and vendors. Almost everyone in the city lives in these buildings. Homes are scarcely seen. My eyes drink in the culture in Egypt, recognizing a foreign place when I see one.

Children dangle from car windows exuberantly, selling jasmine necklaces while sitting in stopped traffic. While the air does seem congesting, it's still possible to smell the delightful perfume markets, the strong Egyptian coffee brewing and bubbling from a café nearby. Families gather with love and businessmen work, hollering invitations to visit their shops. It is another world I am unaccustomed to, but no less eager to investigate.

The looks I receive from men have always been eerily watchful, my experiences poor from the very start of my life. Those looks have not changed here, as men can spot the darkness in a woman from a mile away.