by Ivy Carter
“There was once a lonely girl. Her family hated everything that she was. But she had the love of her two best friends to rely on. So, she thought her world was full enough. Even if she suffered in silence most of the time.” I stop when Tristan tightens his embrace. I look over to Jaxx and see that he is listening raptly to what I am telling him. He has moved his position and is now leaning back against the deserted hallway wall.
“She met a boy. He came into her life out of nowhere. She wasn’t expecting him. But with one brush of his hand, her whole world was changed. Gone was the normal and mundane. It was now enlightened. Her eyes were opened to wonders that she never even dreamed could exist. He vowed to show it all to her. To guide her through her new life. To always be by her side.” I stop and take a shuddering breath.
Reliving memories of my time with this man standing not far from me is painful. And utterly saddening. It isn’t the loss of him that upsets me. It is the loss of what could have been. What should have been…If any of it had been real…?
“Always and forever.” I whisper out. “Those words were his vow to her. They spent a lot of time together. He helped her through one of the most difficult times in her life. When she thought that she had lost her best friend. Through him she met her new family. People that accepted her for all her differences and gifts. They didn’t detest her for being different.” When I pause to take a deep breath. Jaxx chimes in.
“Then where is he now? If he was so good to you…Then why aren’t you with him now?” His words are angry. But they are directed at the wrong person.
“I am getting there. Stop interrupting me.” I tell him harshly. Tristan has been silent so far through the story, so I turn to look at him and my eyes meet twin obsidian flames. I don’t know what has upset or angered him. But I want to get this over with, so I continue.
“It turned out that she would have to leave everything that she once knew in order to exist in her new world. So, the girl did just that. She was soon joined by her best friend that she once thought that she had lost. Her friend had been changed as well. Living in this new strangely wondrous world. But danger stalks the girl’s every step. Bringing utter chaos and misery. She did end up losing someone so very precious to her. Someone so innocent paid the price of her happiness. This girl could do nothing to stop this from happening. She witnessed the death of her dearest friend.” I stop once more wiping the tears from my eyes at the thought of Devon. And how his misery is still very evident. He continues to suffer because of me.
I force myself to end my sad little tale.
“One morning she woke, and her mate was gone. Things hadn’t been the same between them for a little while, but she thought it was just the after effects of the tragedy that they all had suffered. She was wrong. You see… it was all a game to him. He was never truly her mate. He excelled at playing games. And now he is gone and better off forgotten.”
“There Jaxx. Now you know where my true mate has gone. Why he isn’t with me. But if you ever speak basely of the man, I have chosen to spend my time with again. I will rip out your still pulsating heart and make you eat it until you choke. Just as I should have done to the bastard that liked to play pretend.” My voice is wrapped in distain.
The look of utter shock on Jaxx’s face is very satisfying. I pull out of Tristan’s arms and walk swiftly down the hallway toward the stairs. I hear Tristan curse before I hear him hot on my heels.
Sebastian shares a room with Jessa during the day in the basement. Well it isn’t really a basement is more of a guest quarters with a full eat in kitchen, living area, and a hugely gorgeous bedroom with an in-suite bathroom.
When I get halfway down the stairs, I hear moaning and groaning coming from the downstairs portion of the Cabin. Well, shit. Looks like Jessa has finally given up her V card. Good for them. But it really puts a damper on my plans. I don’t want to wait to decipher whether this was a nightmare or a vision. I don’t want to be delayed any longer.
I have never wanted anything to die. I have killed. I killed Moira without an afterthought because she had hurt someone that I love. But I crave this Demon’s death with everything in me.
I sit down on the stairs. Still halfway of up in the stairwell. Trying to block out the sexy sounds coming from what I think is the Living room. Gavin is going to be pissed if they leave any evidence behind. The thought of my brother in a temper is almost enough to make me smile.
I feel Tristan sit down close behind me. Then he lifts me by my arms until I am resting sideways across his lap. I lay my head on his shoulder. Feeling so utterly miserable and tired. I am exhausted. Every part of me is crying out for sleep. Just for me to close my eyes for a little while. But I am afraid of what I will see.
“Angel. You are worn down. Please shut your eyes. Give me permission to guard your dreams. I will wake you again when they have finished their bed play.” He whispers to me in his growly voice. But there is a sweet edge to it. Something that hasn’t been there before.
“You are welcome to guard any part of me that you want, Tristan. It doesn’t mean that I will sleep. This last dream has scared me.”
“Will you tell me?” He asks in concern.
“I only want to relive the telling of it once. Is that okay?” I ask tentatively. I don’t want to hurt his feelings by not telling him what is haunting me.
“More than okay.” He breathes in my scent.
Then I feel the press of a single finger on my forehead. This isn’t supposed to work anymore. But I am so utterly gone that it knocks me out before I can curse the man for using his sleepy touch on me.
Morpheus embraces me within is infinite blackness. No dreams or new terrors wait for me this time. I sleep soundly. So deeply that I doubt a tornado ripping through the house would wake my ass up.
But I was wrong because that is precisely what wakes me. The quaking of the house. At first, I think I am trapped by something. Coming out of a dead sleep while feeling the house shaking around you. Then being held down by something frankly freaks you the fuck out.
I finally realize that it’s Tristan holding me. He is sleeping also. I guess we both fell asleep on the stairs. Listening to Sebastian and Jessa make whoopee. My struggling wakes him.
“What the fuck was that?” I gasp out.
“You are going to have to clarify exactly what you are talking about, angel.” Tristan responds with confusion.
“It felt like the whole damn house was going come down around our ears.” I tell him while moving out of his embrace. Stretching once I get to my feet. Trying to work the kinks that seem to have formed everywhere.
“I didn’t feel anything.” He responds while looking around for what I think are signs of damage. Then a kind of knowing lights up his eyes. I know that look. It’s the one that says. ‘I know something that you don’t.’
“What? Tell me!” I half plead. Half demand him to tell me what is going on. I hate being left out in the dark. Especially things involving this new world I am living in. Things are still so new. Yet I have experienced so much. But in many ways, I have so much left to learn. Then I remember I am literally a fountain of knowledge now.
What was that? I think to myself.
Then I smirk at Tristan as the answer comes to me. He doesn’t understand why I am smirking when just a moment ago I was demanding him tell me what was going on.
“So, Jessa and Sebastian finally made it official. Yeah?” I laugh at his disgruntled face.
“Damn old tome. You will have all answers at a mere thought from now on.” He grunts out.
“Yes. But that won’t always be a bad thing will it, handsome?” I feel my face color when I realize what I just called him.
“No, angel. Not a bad thing at all.” He chuckles as he pulls me back into my lap. Then proceeds to tickle this shit out of my sides. I am in a fit of giggles when Jessa comes marching around the corner. Not wearing a stitch of clothing.
“Look I don’t care what you are up too. I am actually getting a
piece of that hot rock hard Vamp in there. Stop being so intrusive!” She stomps her bare foot then proceeds to sashays back toward the front room.
“Gavin is going to kick your asses if you stain his couch or leave a sticky mess behind!” I yell after her and receive a very loud hiss in response.
“Let’s go back to bed, angel. It is still in the middle of the night. I could use some more sleep. They are going to be at it for a while.” He chuckles as he pulls me up and after him up the stairs.
“I really need to find a way to keep my gifts from outright draining the life out of me. This sleeping all the time is getting damned annoying.” I grouse to myself.
I groan as he continues to pull me behind him.
Chapter 20.
Being pulled by someone much stronger physically than you are sucks. Let me just tell you that. You are bouncing along behind him like a little rag doll, hanging on for the duration of the journey.
Tristan suddenly pulls to a stop.
“What is going on?” I ask Tristan in confusion.
“I am being summoned. I must go.” He tells me with an urgency in his voice.
“Then take me with you, Tristan. Let me know this part of you.” The way he looks at me makes me thing that this is going to be one of those hell no moments. But he just nods silently.
I quickly will simple but comfortable clothing onto both of us. Black track pants, trainers, and white t-shirts.
“Damn, angel we match.” Tristan looks down at himself then at me. I just shake my head and giggle at him. Silly man.
“Are you ready?” He asks me then pauses before he reaches for my hand. “This isn’t going to be pretty. These things never are. So please be sure.” He beseeches me with his eyes to be sure. But I have already made my decision. I want to know this part of him. I want to know every part of him. So, I tell him so. No secrets.
“I want to know every part of you, Tristan. This is a major part of who and what you are.” I smile as I walk up and wrap my arms around his neck.
“I just don’t want you to regret anything with me.” He tells me in a gruff voice.
“I wouldn’t agree to it, if I was going to regret it. I promise.” I smile sweetly at his nervousness.
Tristan then wraps his arms around me pulling me tightly against him. His shadows are soon wrapped around us in a cool embrace. I shiver from the change of temperature. Then close my eyes for the trip through the shadows. Always afraid of what I might see if I ever looked at the eerie places the shadows can transport us.
We land on what feels like a cement street under my feet. My feelings are confirmed when the shadows wrapped tightly around use disperse. We are standing in a middle-class neighborhood in the middle of the night. There are streetlamps shining merrily on every street corner. The houses all look the same. The same cookie cutter homes that are found in these kinds of neighborhoods. The home I grew up in looked much like these.
“What are we doing here, Tristan?” I ask in a whisper. Afraid someone might hear us.
“I don’t know yet. These trips are never the same. I just respond to the call of a soul seeking their final peace. Wishing to make the trip back to where they came from.” He whispers back in his gruff voice.
Tristan suddenly turns his head to the left then starts to walk very quickly in that same direction.
“Remember we are here in spirit form. No one can see or hear us but the soul I am being sent here to reap.” I just nod and follow behind his fast clip.
We stop in front of a house with bright lights blazing in every window. I can hear a girl crying and whimpering coming from within the little home. I follow closely behind Tristan as he walks up the front walk and right through the door, like a ghost. Or a spirit. I hesitate for a moment then do as he did and step directly through the door. I can see the grains of wood pass through me as I literally pass through it. Freaky!
The scene we walk into makes me want weep and retch at the same time. Tristan is standing to the side surveying the scene with an impassive look upon his face.
There is a young teen sobbing uncontrollably leaning over her very dead mother. There is blood soaking the carpet under her mother’s body. Half of the mother’s face is beaten so badly that you can’t tell what she once looked like. The poor girl is trying to staunch the still sluggishly bleeding hole in the middle of her mother’s stomach. The mother’s lips are blue. Her skin has taken on a greyish parlor.
I look past the scene of utter devastation and see a man dressed in black from head to foot. Breathing his last breath. Then I get what has happened here. A burglary gone bad.
“I tried to stop him momma. I shot him just like you taught me to do! You can’t leave me, you just can’t!!” The girl starts to sob harder while rocking back and forth on her knees.
I look to Tristan with tears I my eyes. He is already on the move. Walking over the dead man dressed in black. Tristan bends down over the prone body and what I see him do next will stay with me for the rest of my days.
Tristan bends down and shoves his semi-invisible hand into the man’s chest. Then rips a glowing orb with shadowed edges from his body. As soon as the orb is free from the now dead and cooling body it takes on the shape of the person it belonged too.
The souls start to struggle with Tristan kicking its limbs. Begging... For what I have no idea. Everything coming from the soul sounds like static noise to my ears. With a flick of his wrists the evil man’s spirit is sent to Goddess knows where in a black poof of smoke.
I look away and back to the teenaged girl weeping and rocking rapidly over her mother’s cooling body.
Tristan walks into my line of sight. Then does what he did before. But this time he is much gentler. The look of torment on his face is even more heartbreaking to me than the sight of the weeping girl.
He gently pulls her soul free from her body. The glow of the orb is starkly white. There is no shadowing surrounding this soul. She takes on the shake of a woman. She is holding Tristan’s gentle hand. The glowing coming from her shadowing his face. He truly looks likes death’s angel in this moment.
“I know you don’t want to leave her. But you must. It is time for you to find peace. For you to return to the beginning.” Tristan is explaining in a gentle voice to the spirit whose hand he holds.
She looks longingly at her weeping and grieving daughter. Then nods once. A bright white light shines from Tristan’s hand. It takes the shape of a key. He then touches the shining key to the far wall of the room and a door appears out of nowhere. The door is lined with gold. It slowly swings open and even brighter light shines from behind the golden door than shines from the key that brought it to life.
“Yes. That is the way to your peace. Blessed be, dear lady.” Tristan replies to something that she spirit has asked of him.
Once the spirit has passed through the light of the golden door, it closes and seals itself once more. Then utterly disappears from sight.
Tristan walks over to the still weeping girl and touches her forehead gently. She falls to her side into a deep sleep.
“Sleep sweet, child.” He whispers then turns to me with fear in his eyes.
“Why do you look as if you fear me, Tristan?”
“You just saw me in my rawest form. Ripping souls from bodies. It is not a pretty existence. Especially for one such as yourself. You are so far above all of this death and tragedy.” He shakes his head. Then runs both hands through his hair in frustration.
I look around at the carnage left behind because of one sick human male decided to rob a house full of woman. Then I look to the man who brought peace to the mother and daughter caught during that tragedy.
“You are miracle. Not a curse, Tristan.” I walk to him and lay my head on his chest as I wrap my arms around his waist.
“You are my choice. Isn’t that good enough for you? I know what is good enough for me. And after what I just saw. I wonder if I am the one that truly doesn’t deserve to have someone such as yourself in
her life.” I look up at him. Watching as his eyes lighten. As if my words have lightened his burden just a bit. And if I have done this. Then I have truly done something wonderful this night.
Tristan wraps me in a tight embrace, then I feel the cool embrace of his shadows. This time I do not shut my eyes. Afraid of what I might miss seeing on the journey home.
Passing through the shadow realm is like nothing I have ever experienced before. It isn’t pitch black like you would think. It is like a barren wasteland of ash like sand. Smoke and shadow fill the air. The air isn’t hot as you would assume from all the smoke shrouding the plane. The air is crisp and cold. But dry also. Almost like touching wood in the middle of a winter’s day.
Before I can blink my eyes, the shadow plane is gone and I am back inside my room. Once again corporeal. I didn’t even notice when my body transformed into the spirit form when we first traveled. But now being back in solid form. I feel dizzy and weighed down by the world.
I wobble away from Tristan trying to catch my balance. I end up crashing sideways into the dresser.
“Well that’s going to leave a mark.” I sigh out. Trying to keep the turbulent sensations that my body is going through at bay. I breathe deep. It feels like I might be sick.
“You are looking a little green angel. Do you need to lay down?” He chuckles at me.
“Go ahead and yack it up.” I snarl playfully at him. “No. Just let me stand here for a minute.” I tell him while holding myself up with the help of my trusty dresser.
“Can you go and see if Sebastian and Jessa are doing playing jungle kingdom?” I ask Tristan with a raised eyebrow. “I need to discuss the dream or vision that woke me last night with Sebastian.” I smile weakly at him trying to keep from vomiting all over the wood floor.
“Of Course.” Tristan tells me then turns on his heel and quits the room.
Chapter 21.
I bow my head breathing deeply through my nose and the slowly out my mouth. How in the hell does he do that every time he is called to Reap a soul? It literally feels like you are being set on by an elephant while being shaken and while being stirred.