Betrayed: Breaking the Darkness Series Book Two

by Felicia Starr

  "Kasha you will figure it out. I will do whatever you need from me to help you. You just take your time. Maybe if you try to replicate what you did, then it would give you an opportunity to learn how to control it at will."

  "I just wish I had someone to teach me." There was emptiness in my heart and I longed for security my Gram always provided me with.

  "Well, I can't teach you how to throw fire balls or freeze water or whatever you might be able to do by wielding the elements. What I can teach you is about your ability to astral project. That is something I consider myself to be an expert on.

  "There are varying degrees to which people's abilities extend. For the regular humans that learn how to astral project, they usually can only do short travels and don't really have a grasp of what they see. Many of them think that they are just dreaming." He started to explain. We were stopped at another light and he took the opportunity to gaze in my direction. I tried to sit back up straight. I didn't want him to know how much I was hurting.

  "I have some abilities as a gargoyle that enhance what I can do in the astral plane. It would be a good idea if we could try and do some experimental traveling together. I would like to test the limits of what you can do as well as give you the opportunity to see what I can do."

  "I would really like that. Maybe we can find some time to work on it tomorrow." I would really like to have a better grasp on my abilities, I think it would help to give me some more confidence and acceptance of what I was becoming.

  I thought a thick sweatshirt would do the trick for tonight, but Graven insisted on purchasing me a thin down jacket. The tag said that it would keep you warm for temperatures as low as freezing.

  It was almost Summer, I didn't know why I needed a coat that warm, but it seemed to make him happy to purchase it for me. I think he was just being a little over protective. I really wanted to ask him if I could grab a pair of shoes, but he seemed to be in a rush. I guess it could wait until our shopping trip with Maritza. We got back to the house pretty quick even with the stop, that is once we got out of the downtown traffic.

  "When are we leaving? I think I would like to meditate for twenty minutes if we have the time." I hadn't done any yoga since my escape and I needed to connect to that part of who I was.

  "We are meeting Maritza in about an hour so that should be fine. You don't need to bring anything. Arrangements are being made for our arrival. I just got an email that said we might need to stay a few days. Things are moving a lot faster than I expected with the club. I can only imagine what favors have been called in. Are you hungry?" he asked.

  "No, not really. I think my stomach is still on the small side. Lunch is still holding me over."

  "Ok, I think it is best we don't eat before we leave anyway. As soon as the sun sets and the sky is dark, we will leave." Graven put his keys on the kitchen counter.

  Strange, he usually just left them in the truck.

  "Ok, I am going to go sit out by the fireplace if you need me or if I lose track of time." I don't know why he was being so cryptic. He was starting to make me nervous. Maybe I should say more nervous.

  Even though I knew it wouldn't make any sense for him to put me in harm's way, there was a part of me demanding that I take Gram's advice and not trust anyone.

  I grabbed one of the woven blankets from the couch and went out to the back. I debated between sitting on the concrete patio or sitting on one of the cushioned chaise lounge chairs. I thought that I could have better posture sitting on the hard ground, but with my eyes closed anything could crawl on me. The last thing I needed was a scorpion stinging me.

  I sat in a full lotus with my feet tucked into my thighs. I draped the blanket over my shoulders. I sat up straight and let my shoulders relax. I placed the backs of my hands in my lap and contacted my thumbs to create a dyhana mudra. I felt like it would help bring me a sense of tranquility.

  I let my eyelids gently close and began to focus on my breathing. I wanted to Om out loud, but felt a little silly about it so I Omed in my head, but the little bit of humming vibration that crept up to the surface helped to calm me.

  I counted my breaths, trying not to think about all of the things that worried me. I pictured Gram's face and thought of her love. I let those memories blanket me with comfort.

  I sat there breathing in and out for what felt like more than twenty minutes. I was careful not to let my astral self float away. I spent enough time trying to escape my body. I needed to be in the present moment. I needed to let my emotions come. I then pictured the waves of the beach crashing over them and taking them back out to sea, I did my best to let them go. Plenty of them came; I tried to turn them into positive thoughts before I let them drift away.

  Even though my eyes were closed I could tell that the sun was setting, if not completely set. There was no longer anything warming my skin or lighting the backs of my eyes. Even as I sat there and knew that my inner lids should be black, a white glow started to come into my field of vision.

  I found myself standing in what seemed like a white fuzzy room with no walls. It reminded me of the dream I had just before the one with Kaden at the coffee shop, the dream in which I woke up in his bed.

  "Kasha." I heard my name come in as a whisper, "It's Gram."

  I turned around and saw her standing there. She was dressed in a white cotton dress with green leaves embroidered around the bottom hem.

  "Did I fall asleep?" I asked her. I was a bit disoriented and confused on what state of consciousness I was in.

  "No, not exactly. This is what some call the in-between. It is where you can choose where to take your mind. Kasha you have many gifts inside of you. I don't know how or when you will learn to use or control them all. It is here in the white light where you can also charge the light within you.

  "Most people can do this while they are meditating at a minute level. They don't realize what they are doing. For them it happens at the subconscious level. All they know is that they feel recharged after meditating. It always keeps them coming back for more." She winked at me and let her lips curl up into a soft smile.

  "So I am just meditating? I am confused." I wasn't sure I understood what she was explaining to me at the time.

  "You're mind is awake where most others are asleep. There are many planes of existence. Most of which we cannot even begin to experience or explain. I am able to communicate with you here because I have not yet passed through to the other side. I am kind of like what you would think of as a ghost. I just can't go until I know you are safe."

  "I am safe, Gram. I am no longer being held prisoner." I didn't want her to suffer for me. Even though I wanted to grab a hold of her and tell her to never let me go.

  "I know. There is not much time, I know you have to go soon too."

  "Can you tell me what is happening to me? Why didn't you tell me about this world? Why didn't you tell me that I wasn't human?" I had so much I wanted to ask her.

  "There are many reasons and our time is limited, I will tell you for now that I was planning on telling you everything when you got home from school. You have to go through my strong box and find the books. We shared many special stories when you were a young child. Please take the time to read the Nancy Drew stories again," she instructed me.

  "What am I? What is mom? Why are these people so bad? How many kinds of supernatural creatures are there?" I couldn't ask her enough questions fast enough.

  "I don't have all the answers. I think that you are the most unique of all the Uni's. Your DNA is the most unique, an anomaly really, where all the DNA of our bloodline has collided and combined to create something magnificent. You are Kasha Alexander, my granddaughter and you are loved very much, that is what you are. Whatever abilities or traits you possess do not define you. Your actions in life and how you choose to use them will define you as a person."

  "But, Gram..."

  "I will try to come to you again," she said before everything faded back to black.

  I could hear Gr
aven's voice in the distant background. I knew it was time to get ready anyway. I took a few more long and slow cleansing breaths and slowly opened my eyes to the night sky.

  Chapter Eight

  I WALKED BACK INTO THE house. Graven was on the phone so I just gave him a wave. I didn't want to interrupt. Not to mention, I figured he didn't want to explain who I was to whomever he was speaking with.

  He grabbed two bottles of water from the cooler drawer. He pointed to one asking if I wanted it. He shook his head insisting I have it before I even answered. He held it out to me. I grabbed a stool and sat at the counter.

  "See you in a few then," he said and stuck his phone in his pocket.

  "That was my brother. He said he is going to stop by. He wanted to drop off a case of tee shirts and tell me about that kid, Nate, that he wants me to have work at the club."

  "Oh ok, is it ok for me to meet him?" My stomach swirled at the thought of meeting anyone else, especially his brother. Graven had told me that he never had company, would his brother question why I was there?

  "It is more than ok, it is essential that you know who is in my life. We may have a long road ahead of us, but we are going to walk it together. I will be by your side. I will do what I can in my power to not let you fall." His stance was strong and proud. He believed what he said.

  Speechless; again. So I took a sip of water.

  "He said he was in the area taking a cruise on his bike. He usually invites himself over without asking if it is a good time."

  "He rides a motorcycle?" I asked.

  "Yes, he has a few; he is a little spoiled, or I should say he spoils himself. We are very different. I like to be more modest; I like things in my life to be on the simple side. He is way more showy than I am."

  I could hear the bike approaching the driveway. Either that bike was massively loud or my hearing was improving.

  The front doors were open so I had a prime view of him cruising up and parking his bike right by the front doors. He was dressed in all black. He had on fitted black jeans, but not tight like that punk, Nate. He had on a pair of black Frye boots, I was no expert, but I could always spot them. He was also wearing a full frontal black helmet that hid his face away.

  Hot! was all I could think. After he dismounted the bike and he started to walk into the house the closer he got the more my heartbeat increased. I was glad I had the bottle of water to cool me off. I was dying for him to take his helmet off. The anticipation was nerve wracking.

  Instead he took the black leather jacket off and tossed it on a chair on the front porch. What was he waiting for? He walked into the house and turned his back to us. He lifted his arms up and I could see his fancy white gold or platinum watch poking out of his sleeve. I had seen a watch like that before.

  I held my breath as he lifted the helmet and out from underneath a short ponytail of kinky dirty blond hair sat at that rear of his head. A tightness began to squeeze the air out of my lungs.

  He turned around and there was no mistaking who he was. It was him. It was...

  "Kaden, brother, come in. I want you to meet someone."

  Kaden froze for a minute and just stared at me. What else could I do, but stare back. I could feel the sexual energy spewing from him.

  Graven looked at each of us. "Did I miss something?"

  Kaden walked over and put out his hand to me as if this was our first meeting. I really wasn't sure, maybe it was. But how did I know his name?

  "This is your brother?" I asked Graven.

  "Yeah, the one and only. Do you know each other?"

  "No." I was way too blunt. "But I might have seen him...you around. You do look very familiar." I directed my statement to Kaden. I had to say something to justify my weird behavior.

  Kaden's hand was still stretched out in front of me.

  I offered him my hand to shake, but instead he took it and raised it to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

  I almost passed out when his soft, full lips pressed against my skin. I could have gotten lost in the sensation. He let them linger there just long enough for me to notice Graven's shift in demeanor.

  We could pretend all day that we didn't know each other, but how else would I know his name? How did I know his name? It was crazy how I was so over the top lusting for him. There was something strange going on there.

  I wondered if maybe we had met at that coffee house before I disappeared and just didn't remember. I decided to go along with whatever happened. He probably would not have said nice to meet you if we met previously. Would he?

  "So I thought you were bringing over a box of tee shirts or something?" Graven sounded annoyed.

  "Not a box, I wanted to show you the new design I worked up yesterday first. If you like it I will make the new flyers to match and order the shirts."

  He lifted a sweatshirt off over his head. It pulled his shirt up enough for me to admire his six-pack abs that looked just like they did in my dreams. He was even more sumptuous in person.

  Once he got the sweatshirt off, he fixed his tee. It was black to match the rest of his outfit. The front looked a lot like Graven's tee shirts with the Reign Enterprises stretched across his bulky chest.

  He turned around and the back of the shirt had a silhouette of two people dancing with spotlights behind them. Under the graphic logo it read:

  Get taken away with the music...dance your heart out

  Black Reign

  Purple Reign

  Red Reign coming soon

  "What do you think?" Kaden asked us both.

  I stayed silent, while Graven nodded his head at Kaden. "Not bad. What is up with that kid you sent to the club today?"

  "Oh, Nate? He's alright. You think you can get him in there? His mother asked me to help him get a job. He lives in Santa Fe, I thought he could train here and work at the new location."

  "Kid has a real problem with authority, I can tell already." Graven tilted his head with a slightly raised brow "Sound familiar?"

  "Sure, Graven. So I didn't realize you had company."

  "Indeed I do, we are actually getting ready to head out." Graven stood between us.

  "So how did the two of you meet? You don't usually have company here."

  "It is a long story. Kasha is going to be working for me. She will be assisting Maritza at the club for the time being."

  "Will you both excuse me, I need to grab a few things and use the powder room before we go," I excused myself. I couldn't take it anymore. I think my hair was starting to dampen on the back of my neck.

  I went into the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water. I grabbed a rag and wrapped it around the back of my neck to cool off my sex drive that was kicked into over drive. I couldn't believe how I felt when Kaden walked thorough those doors.

  If we weren't about to leave, I would have taken a shower. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind and regain my composure. I couldn't let either of them see me like that. I hoped I wasn't acting noticeably weird out there.

  I put my back to the bathroom door and slid down to the floor. I hugged my knees and just tried to not over think everything.

  The longer I sat there, the louder their voices sounded. Not that they were yelling, but my hearing again seemed heightened.

  "What is she doing here?" Kaden asked Graven.

  "What do you mean, Kaden?"

  "The girl that just went to the bathroom. Why is she really here?" Kaden was a real smart ass.

  "What do you mean what is she doing here? Do you know her?" Graven demanded.

  I could hear how stern his words were. He wasn't raising his voice, it sounded more like he was trying to keep his cool.

  "Where do you think I have been the past month?" Kaden's sarcasm grew.

  I did not grow up with any siblings, but I heard friends fight with their siblings and this was the start of something that was deeply rooted.

  "How would I know? You disappear whenever you think you have
an opportunity to find something better. You are always looking for the next best thing or more respect. Will you ever learn that your self-serving ways are not how you are going to get respect?

  "That is something you just still can't seem to get to sink into your thick skull. Even after all these years, after all that we have lost." Graven huffed.

  I could almost feel his breath that he forced out.

  "Like you are mister perfect. You have been working for The Taker long before I got mixed up in anything that had anything to do with him." Kaden didn't back down from his brother, I thought that he was probably making things worse by goading Graven.

  "Except the difference is that I went into working for him with a purpose and have always been very careful about what I did and didn't get myself into. I work a legit business that provides him with plenty of funding and locations to have his secret meetings."

  "Oh yeah, right, because some old lady two hundred years ago told you that you needed to work with him to save some chick that doesn't even exist. Even if she did or does what makes you think she would want anything to do with you. If she knew what you have done all these years to help the Taker find her; why would she trust you?"

  "You have a lot of nerve, Kaden. Since you were young you always thought you had something to prove. You are always trying to impress people and you get yourself into worlds of trouble. One day I am not going to be able to help you. Or worse, you are going to do something you can't take back," Graven spouted.

  "Sounds like your guilt is bubbling to the surface, Graven. How does it sit with you, all those lives you have helped ruin over the years? That was ok though." It sounded like Kaden picked up his helmet off the counter.

  "Don't think you are going anywhere until you tell me what you know about Kasha." Graven's voice got further away, signifying that he probably was closer to the front doors, maybe blocking Kaden's way out.