by Judi Calhoun
I knew there were horrid creatures lurking in the shadows that wanted me dead. I’d been purposely schooled in the hierarchy of ascendancy-Principalities, Powers, Rulers, and Nomadic Spirits from the lower order. I had dealt with many of these factions, but Familiar Spirits? Never. I wondered why Ariel hadn’t prepared me for this?
I was lost in these thoughts, trying to make sense of it all, and hadn’t even noticed that we were now sitting in my driveway. I glanced over at Jake. “I’m trying to figure out where Familiars fit in? I mean, could mom actually be dating a second-or third-level power?”
“Good question,” he said. “If both dreams are connected and Ian is even a third-level, then this guy’s assignment is to kill-” He stopped and glanced at me, a worried look on his face. “Sorry. Look, don’t worry; it might not be what we think it is. He could be harmless.”
“Maybe,” I said, yet I didn’t really think so.
His eyes were on me as I fished through my bag to find my keys. I became acutely conscious of every little move I made, and hoped that my stupid cheeks did not turn all rosy red again.
As he leaned over in front of me to open the door, I inhaled his clean-fresh smell. I wanted to bottle that scent and carry it with me forever. Somehow, I managed to snap out of my aromatic daze and gracefully exited the Mustang.
“Give me your cell?” he asked, reaching toward me.
I handed him my Droid and watched as he added his number to my contact list. “Just in case you need to call.”
“Thanks.” I dropped it in my bag.
He grinned. “See you Saturday night. Oh by the way, wear something comfortable.
Since I had no idea where Jake was taking me, I spent most of Saturday afternoon trying on different outfits. Nothing seemed right. What if he wanted to take me to a basketball game? That would be awkward, not understanding the game. A movie would be nice. It didn’t matter where he took me; my eyes would always be on him; because everything about Jake—his fawn-colored eyes, the way he smiled so effortlessly and even the nervous habit of running his fingers through his hair—was impossible to ignore.
I studied my reflection in the mirror. The green dress and heels looked amazing. I smiled. It was perfect but not for a basketball game. What did Jake mean by “dress comfortably?” I groaned, tearing off my dress and climbing into my new jeans and a white T-shirt. I threw on my black sweater just as the doorbell rang. I hurried downstairs. Mom had already answered the door.
Jake looked incredible, in his jeans, navy blue shirt, and black jacket.
“Am I dressed okay?” I asked.
His eyes did a slow scan of my body. He gave me one of those sideways smiles. “Perfect,” he said, reaching for my hand.
Mom flashed a smile. “You kids have fun.”
I gave her a half-hearted wave goodbye, and we were out of the house.
He opened the passenger side door and held it while I stepped in. His eyes locked on mine as he slowly slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Where are we going?” I asked, adjusting my seat belt.
He glanced over his shoulder and backed down the driveway. “LTX at the Fun Center. You ever play Laser tag?”
“Never,” I admitted. “It’s gun play with infrared lights, right?”
“You’re going to love.”
Now I understood why he wanted me to dress comfortably.
He gave me a long, searching look. “You cool with this?”
“It sounds like fun.” I smiled. Better than a basketball game anyway.
The dual exhaust on the Mustang rumbled loudly. As he made the corner fast, the tires broke free, and we barreled down a well-lit street before turning onto the freeway. We didn’t say much of anything until he took another exit ramp.
“Any more dreams?” he asked.
“Not the three-dimensional kind,” I said. Thankfully.
“So, that’s good, right?” said Jake.
“Yes.” I smiled, appreciating his concern.
“Here we are,” said Jake. The Fun Center loomed into view and Jake pulled into a nearly full parking lot.
Laser tag entailed tactical maneuvers, hiding in a fake jungle, attacking opponents, and loads of running and laughing, before tonight I had no clue what a magnification scope or a sonic grenade was, or what recoiling flashing hammers were, not to mention long-range accurate fire. This was better than fighting demons and way more fun and you didn’t have to get so close to tag your opponent. To my amazement, I discovered I loved laser tag.
After the Fun Center, Jake drove to a small restaurant, called The Coral Cave. We stepped inside and I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of muffins, and fresh-baked bread. My stomach rumbled. I was really hungry.
The atmosphere was almost a welcoming silence, compared to the riot of sound at the Fun Center. We sat in a secluded booth along the back wall. A tall waitress took our order and returned with burgers, french-fries, and onion rings.
“What was their name?” I asked. “Ralph and Barbara?”
Jake shook his head. “Her name was Betty.”
“That’s it,” I said. “Did you see the look on their faces when we cornered them?”
“That was so funny,” Jake laughed. “Yeah, they were all, like...how did they do that?”
“What was that thing they were doing?” I asked.
“Running and screaming,” he said.
We both burst out laughing.
“You were brilliant!” I said, “Your idea for tracking them...watching their movement. No way, they could hide from us. No matter where they ran, we were on top of them.”
“I’ll bet Ralph and Betty will give up Laser tag for good,” Jake laughed.
Somehow, the conversation switched to future plans and school.
“Dad wants me to go to Michigan State to study veterinary medicine, like him. He talked me into filling out applications for Mount Holyoke, and North Dakota State.”
Sadness washed over me. I should have known that Jake would go away after graduation. I hadn’t thought about it until now. I decided that this was a good enough reason not to get too attached to him.
“What do you want to do?” I found myself asking.
“Trust me, you won’t like it any better than my dad.” His expression turned serious. “I want to go into the Air Force. My goal is to fly FA-18 fighter jets. I’ve already applied for an appointment to the Academy. I tried to tell my dad; so much of what I want to do involves saving people, not animals. He just doesn’t get it.”
“You already do help people,” I said, “And besides, there are other things you can do without going into the military.”
“Now you sound like my father.” He glanced down at his fries. “The education’s free. I guess dad had started a fund when... mom died.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to be a burden on him.” He ran his hands through his hair.
There was a brief, awkward moment of silence.
“How about you?” Jake asked, “What are your future plans?”
“Its kind of like that for me, too. Dad always wanted me to go to Harvard,” I said. “Honestly, I love history, but I really wish I could attend the Art Institute in Boston. It will never happen. In the end, I’ll do what my dad wanted.”
My thoughts were spiraling downward...six feet under, to dad. I did not want to ruin this evening because I was having so much fun. So, I changed the subject. “What’s up with Gauge?” I asked, smiling “…you always hang with that old guy?”
He started laughing, “Gauge isn’t old.”
“Isn’t he my mom’s age?” I asked.
“Yeah, he went to high school with your mom. The guys been a Slayer since he was younger than me,” said Jake. “When I need answers...I talk with him.”
“He seems like the type of guy that would be perfect for my mom.” I looked down at my hands for a moment. Something had been gnawing at me since that night we first met. I leaned across the table. “All this time, you knew I was a Sl
ayer. You saw me at school everyday for the past five years. Why did it take you so long to approach me?”
His eyes squinted slightly as he studied me. “You knew I was gifted with discernment, right?”
“No. I had no idea,” I said, which made it all the more confusing.
“Sorry. I just assumed. The truth is I didn’t know for sure until two years ago at the school harvest fair. You were running the haunted house. I brushed by, and just like that, I knew. Sometimes my gift works best with personal contact.”
“So you’ve known for two years and still never approached me.”
“I thought you needed some more time to heal from the loss of your dad.”
I frowned and sat back. “So, it was pity. You felt sorry for me?”
“No, no,” he said, “That’s not true. I wasn’t feeling sorry for you. I was afraid for myself.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“I know this is going to sound selfish, but it’s the truth. I was afraid your grief would cause me even more pain,” he said. “Because of my mom’s death...” He glanced away for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. “It hurt to see you suffering, like I was. Everyone tried to push me back into a normal life. You and I know, there’s no such thing.” He made a slight disgusted snort. “Did you know that I killed more demons that year than ever. I went looking for them. I wanted revenge. I made them pay and it felt good.” His eyes met mine and he hung his head. “I’m so sorry. Lets talk about something else, anything else. This is depressing.”
I watched him run his fingers through his hair, again. A nervous habit Jake just could not break.
“Okay,” I said. “Let me ask you something. What are you going to do with your hands, Jake, once the Air Force cuts all your hair off?”
That brought Jake’s smile back. He leaned back in his seat and studied me. “You know, you’re beautiful.”
I smiled feeling my face growing hot. “Are you flirting with me Jake Hannaford?”
“Absolutely,” he said, and leaned closer taking my hands.
When we left the restaurant, we lingered on the sidewalk next to Jake’s car. His fingers brushed strands of my hair from my cheek. His lips swept gently over mine and suddenly we were kissing. Awkwardly, I wrapped my arms around his back and the space between us closed. When his lips finally pulled from mine, I opened my eyes and stared breathlessly into his smiling face, wondering if he was experiencing this same rush of heat that was consuming me with crazy desire.
His hand pressed firmly into the small of my back. I gasped and shuddered lightly, closing my eyes and feeling his lips parting mine as he kissed me harder and deeper until the sidewalk beneath my feet seemed to dissolve.
At that exact moment, I knew we would always be a part of each other’s lives. Perhaps we were matched for eternity… or perhaps my thoughts were completely irrational because I was falling in love.
* * *
Chapter 8