Jessica
There are books all around me as I sit next to a bookshelf one book in particular is in front of me I stare at the pages on the book and it feels like I'm reading a fictional novel but all this isn't fiction, it's all real and it's all so fascinating.
While I do my research, I eat my bacon and sausages and drink some milk.
The Nytheri race has a fascinating back story, one that I wish were taught in schools, but the Nytheris are hidden from humans, they protect humans from evil and there are a lot of supernatural creatures that exist.
Apart from witches, nocturnes and the nytheri, there are also demons, evil fae, sirens and even werewolves. And from what I gather, werewolves and Nytheris don't see eye to eye. Which is no surprise there.
But the werewolves aren't necessarily evil. They were cursed to be slaves of the moon centuries ago because they were bullying humans and causing unnecessary havoc and destruction. And now they've been forced to protect humans as well. They just don't do around the nytheris.
What's so fascinating is the story of Bastet. She's an Egyptian Goddess who fell for a human, mated with that human and that's how the nytheri race was born, they all came from Africa and they spread all over the world.
Their inner wildcat connects with them under the crescent moon when they turn sixteen. There are several wildcats over here: the lion, the leopard, the cheetah, the tiger, and the panther. The panther's so beautiful.
I don't know what my wildcat is going to be, but I sure do know that I am a part of the nytheri race.
And with being a nytheri comes with super speed, agility, strength, the ability to see in the dark, the ability to see darkness within the light and to catch evil, super hearing, hypnotism and all nytheris are naturally confident.
A shy nytheri does not exist.
That explains why I say whatever is on my mind and why I look people straight in the eye.
For years, I have been battling with shyness, and I have always wanted to destroy this side of me, let my alter ego out. Because there are no shy fashion designers.
But I can't believe all it took to get rid of this shy side of me was dying.
But at least that shy, weak side of me is gone. I do feel confident; I feel like I can do anything. I can be anyone.
And then there's also something else that I want to find out.
Do I have nine lives, how does the process of turning a human into a nytheri work actually? I know Miles told me that he kissed me but I really want to know more about this and the process behind it.
So I go through pages and pages and I flip through more facts about the nytheri and then I land on a page and it's exactly what I wanted. Turning a human into a nytheri.
I sigh.
Okay, firstly, the human has to be dead for it to walk. When a nytheri kisses a living human, they don't turn because they're alive, but when a nytheri kisses a dead human, the living venom automatically wants to bring that human back to life. But the venom doesn't just give the human life, it transforms the human, turning them into a nytheri.
The human gets all the abilities the Nytheri has. All the abilities, including nine lives.
So, to answer my question. Yes, I do have nine lives.
"Whoa."
The origin of turning a human into a nytheri dates back to 500 BC when a nytheri's human lover was murdered by her father. Adebola Ifabunmi was heartbroken, so he wept and, in saying goodbye to her, he kissed her.
And then she awoke.
The humans thought this was sorcery, so Adebola and his lover, Bimpe, fled the scene, and they made it into the Nytheri civilisation. That's the first ever record of a human turning into a nytheri.
But the thing is, Nytheri venom can only bring back those who have died an unjustly death; it cannot cure diseases or viruses. So anyone who dies from cancer will not be brought back to life.
The Goddess Bastet can only bring back those who died an unjust death.
Which is mostly accidents or murder. But if it's a natural death, the Goddess can only do so much.
Damn, so that means my mom still wouldn't have been saved by a nytheri venom.
Speaking of mom.
"Oh shit!"
I quickly rise from the floor and I run into the room to look for my phone. And there it is charging on a table next to the bed. I pick it up and my eyes widen at the several missed calls and messages left by my father and Sofia.
Poor Sofia I shouldn't have left her like that, but I just had to. I didn't understand how all this was happening. How do I even explain this to her, do I even explain this to her, am I even supposed to tell her anything?
Shit, shit, shit, shit. I am fucked.
I call my dad first because I'm sure he's on his way to the police station right now as we speak.
"Hello."
"Jessica Amelia Amaka Humphrey you have got a lot of explaining to do!" Dad shouts through the phone and I feel like I'm going to go deaf.
When he calls my full name it means he's pissed, super pissed.
"I'm sorry, Dad, I know I should have called, I just forgot."
"You forgot? You forgot? What the hell does that mean, Jessica? I couldn't sleep because I have been worried about you."
"But you don't have to worry about me, Dadd, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm fine, I'm at a friend's house."
"What friend? Because your true friend has also been worried about you, and you owe Sofia a huge apology."
Oh shit, I'm fucked.
"I know, Dad, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"Look, I know what happened to you was traumatic, but you have to consider others, please."
"I know, I'm sorry."
Then he hangs up, damn he's super pissed. I don't think I can handle Sofia's yelling right now. So I'm going to call her later. I already know that my dad is disappointed in me. I don't want to hear another disappointed voice so soon. So I place my phone in my pocket and I head out of the room. I gasp and I jump when I see someone who's not Miles sitting on the couch.
"Hello, you must be Jessica." The lady before me sits cross-legged wearing a red dress, looking at me from head to toe.
She is so hot, she looks like Naomi Campbell and even has the same mannerisms as her.
Her hair is in a puffy afro, her brown skin is glowing, her lips are stained with the colour red, and her legs are so long and sexy.
She looks like a Goddess, could this be the Goddess Bastet?
"And you must be the Goddess Bastet." I tell her and she laughs loudly and her laugh makes me smile. I love her confidence. In the past I would have been intimidated by it, but I'm not.
"I like you." she says standing up from the couch and is headed toward me. "But no I'm not, I'm Miles' older sister Pilar." she hugs me and I hug her back. She smells nice too.
In the past, I would also wish that I could be her, but I don't. I want to be myself; I only admire her confidence.
"Hmm, you are beautiful. I know why my brother is obsessed with you now."
I furrow my brows.
"What?"
"My twin sister Raina won't like you though she's very protective of our little brother." she looks me up and down and she plays with my hair and then she has a grimace on her face.
"Why the hell is your hair straight?" she asks, and I look at my hair and back at her.
"I don't-I I don't know."
"You don't really like your hair straight do you?" she asks with a smile on her face as she traces my cheek with her finger.
And I open my mouth to answer her but I pause, and I do a little thinking. And…
"No, I don't." I've always wanted a more sophisticated and confident hairstyle. A hairstyle that would make me stand out. But my shyness didn't allow me to do that. So I didn't even bother.
"Of course you don't." she looks me up and down again. "We are going to change your hairstyle and we're going shopping." she says with a smile then she walks away. I follow her.
"Oh-uhm… right now?"
"Of course, right now."
"Oh."
And we're already in the elevator going down.