A memory of the intense reaction of her body to being pressed against his chest sent heat into her cheeks. Had he shared the awareness? Is that why he’s staying away from her and appears this uneasy?
"Okay, talk. I'll listen." Hesitantly, she sat in the chair opposite him, folded her arms across her chest and regarded him a nonchalance her trembling body didn't feel.
Chapter Nine
Gabe chewed on his lip as if searching for words. Lorelei narrowed her eyes. Was he thinking up lies?
"After tonight, I presume you believe in the supernatural? That what you saw in the room wasn't human." He fixed her with a questioning expression, and she closed her eyes, remembering the unexplained presence from her childhood.
"Yes." Lorelei felt crazy saying the word.
He nodded. “Supernatural creatures walk amongst you. A variety of different races who've evolved in this world. You’re around them every day, unaware. Some you can see, some you can't. Humans gave them many names– demons, witches, shape-shifters, vampires, fae… the list goes on. Some aren't as good at hiding themselves, and the ones people accidentally see created your myths and fairy tales."
He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, and she suspected this was his first time explaining to someone.
"There is a greater threat to the world than those creatures who live amongst you. The current races have accords to keep peace and no desire to conquer the world for themselves. But another realm holds people that do. Demons.”
“Hell?” asks Lorelei, stomach turning over.
“Hell is not what you think. It’s another world filled with multiple realms of demons and evil beyond comprehension.”
“Right.” Lorelei rubbed her head in confusion. “But demons want to come into the world from this Hell?”
“There is a Gateway they could enter through which is locked. A Key was created and hidden in this world beyond the reach of anybody capable of using it in order to stop the demons escaping. Once over, nobody in this world had the power to find and use the Key, but someone escaped into this world who has that ability and is looking for the Key.”
“Why would anybody want to open this gateway?”
“Because the person who does will hold immense power over the world. Lucifer once ruled but he no longer lives there. The demons are looking for a leader and if somebody powerful enough steps in, he or she will rule instead.”
“Someone like Caleb?” she asked cautiously.
“Yes. He is the one who found his way into the world and has enough power.”
"And he’ll open the Gateway?" Lorelei's head hurt even more, what was this fairy tale?
"Soon. He knows where the Key is, but he hasn't taken it yet." Gabe's expression hardened, and he rubbed his face, taking a deep breath. "I was chosen to come here to watch Caleb and to ensure he didn't find the Key."
Something in the hesitancy of Gabe's tone indicated he held back information, and the anger in his eyes held answers he wasn't giving to her.
"How does that involve me then? Do I have that Key or something? I don't understand." Lorelei racked her brain but couldn't think of anything; no heirlooms existed in her family.
Gabe shook his head. "No, it's not that simple. The Key is held within a living body.”
"The Key is inside a human?" asked Lorelei slowly.
Gabe nodded and the dizzy nausea of the evening intensified. She knew what he would say. Watched by Gabe. Strange dreams and nightmares. Now, Caleb pursuing her. The answer was obvious.
"The Key... it’s me, isn't it?" she whispered.
"Yes."
“How? I don’t have any special powers,” protested Lorelei, her mind struggling to keep up with what he told her.
“You're merely a Host for the Key, Lorelei. It's not part of you and nothing you can control so no, you don't have any special powers. The Key is merely attached to a human soul, and it passes randomly to another human when one Host dies.”
Lorelei stared at him in disbelief. "And that just happened to be me? There’s no reason why?"
"No. None at all."
She dragged her palms down her face as her heart raced. This was insane. "And you say Caleb wants this Key?"
“Correct. Until recently my job was fairly easy, but now, in your lifetime, Caleb has reached the point where he has many allies with differing abilities. He can take advantage of their power, and they’re helping him with his search. If he takes the Key, he will achieve his goal of opening the Gateway to the Hell realms. He’ll become more powerful than anybody else before him. That is why I've always watched you and kept you safe from threat.”
Lorelei struggled to find a response. “Where are you from?” she asked hoarsely. “Who are you?”
Gabe opened his mouth to continue, but the sound of wood cracking, joined by a large thud stopped him.
Chapter Ten
Gabe jumped to his feet, instinctively putting himself between Lorelei and the huge, snarling dog that forced its way through the door. Lorelei peered tentatively around Gabe. An oversized bull mastiff, hackles raised, bared huge serrated teeth at them. The creature tried to charge at Gabe but thrashed its head from side to side, muscles straining against an invisible force. In the darkness outside someone laughed softly.
As Lorelei tried to take in the sight of the monstrous dog, a second dog padded slowly to the side of the first and stood shoulder to shoulder, mirroring the other dog’s snarling stance. Bigger than any dogs she'd ever seen, their heads alone were twice the size of hers.
Without any warning, the second dog launched itself at her. She screamed as the weight of the hound pinned her to the floor.
“His eyes... get its eyes,” Gabe hissed as he held his palm outwards “I can’t keep them both off us. I can barely hold this one. Something's weakening my power over it.”
Lorelei watched as Gabe created the same barrier he used to keep Caleb away from them as sharp teeth constricted her throat. Choking for breath, she flailed her arms as she tried to grab the dog's face. Sharp incisors pierced her skin, and she cried out in pain.
Gabe stopped his focus on the dog in front of him to turn to help her. This gave the other dog the split second it needed to leap onto Gabe’s back and throw him onto the floor. Gabe's head hit the corner of the table as he landed, breath forced out in a gasp as his chest hit the floor. He touched his head, looking at the blood on his hand. The dog stood on his back, the weight holding him down.
“That’s enough!” growled a voice as someone entered the room.
The dog with Lorelei released its grip on her throat and lay down submissively next to her, hot breath by her ear. The dog standing on Gabe didn’t move.
A young man with dishevelled, sandy brown hair leered at them from the doorway, a smug smile on his face. He shared the same black pupils set into amber irises as the dogs.
The other dog still held Gabe down, its eyes looking to the man for a command.
“How are you doing that?” groaned Gabe.
“Doing what?” asked the man with fake innocence, smirking at Gabe.
“I can’t...do anything."
“Oh, that.” The man shrugged. “Not sure really. I guess I’m more powerful than I thought. Hmm...”
He tapped the side of his face. A woman pushed past the man, storming into the middle of the room. Lorelei stared, with a hand at her neck, the blood sticky on her fingers. The woman's face reminded Lorelei of a painted porcelain doll. Thick ebony hair cascaded down her back, and cold violet eyes narrowed at her and Gabe. The room turned cooler as the warmth was sucked out of the place by the malevolence she carried.
“You stupid mutt!” yelled the woman, eyes blazing with fury. She kicked the dog closest to Lorelei, and it whined. “I said restrain her not rip her bloody throat out.”
The woman’s empty eyes rested on Lorelei for a moment, sending an unwelcome shudder through her body. She walked over to Gabe who lay still, eyes closed. Her small red lips curled into a smile.
“So here he is. Hello, Gabriel.” She stretched out his name in a musical voice, and his eyes flicked open.
“Who the hell are you? How are you doing this?”
"I'm a friend of Caleb's. A powerful friend." She looked around at the man. "Get the Host. I'll deal with him."
He nodded and whistled at the dog sat on Gabe. It padded towards him, leaving Gabe struggling to sit up.
The woman flicked her fingers casually in his direction. “Chains.”
A shimmering black circle appeared around Gabe’s shoulders.
The man laughed. “How cool is that?”
Gabe's eyes widened, and he muttered something under his breath, casting his eyes down. The woman screamed in pain and put her hand to her head.
“Stop that!” she shrieked at him. “Cross me, and I’ll do more than chain you.”
Gabe looked up, his pale blue eyes now dark as he fixed them on the woman in front of him. Her legs buckled under her, slender figure crumpling and her scream turned into a choke.
The sound of metal hitting the stone floor alerted Lorelei to Gabe's car keys, now lying almost in her reach. She shuffled towards them, watching to see how the dog next to her reacted. It rested its head on its paws, eyes looking sideways to the man in the doorway and made no response to her movement. Lorelei curled her palm around the keys, pushing them into her jacket sleeve. The dog's eyes remained on his master, waiting for a command that never came.
The whole room filled with light thousands of times brighter than floodlights, and seared Lorelei's eyes. She squeezed them shut.
“Run!” yelled Gabe
The woman on the floor began to writhe, her scream as deafening as the light was blinding. Lorelei opened one eye, trying to see through the glaring white. Gabe stood in the middle of the room, the light emanating from and melding with his body, blurring his image. A humming sound grew, sounding like the electricity generator Lorelei would walk by on the way home from school. She needed to get out, the assault on her eyes and ears too much to contain.
Gabe's voice came again from the strange figure. “I said run. I can’t keep this up forever...”
Lorelei took the chance, jumped to her feet and launched herself at the man in the doorway. He stumbled backwards before scrabbling to get hold of her as she pushed through the door. The dog behind him yelped as she kicked it in the chest, praying the other dog wouldn't move before she got out of the door.
“Stop her," screeched the woman, face contorted by pain.
“I can’t move,” whimpered the man over the humming, holding his head in his hands.
"Yes, you can," muttered Lorelei and struck him across the jaw, feeling her knuckles smart as he fell against the door frame.
Holding his jaw, the man swept his arm towards Lorelei, but she ducked beneath his arm, stumbling away from the noise and light, and outside towards the car.
Lorelei yanked open the car door, pulled herself inside and fumbled to get the key in the ignition. The car roared to life, and she flicked on the headlights, illuminating a rough track leading through the thick woods around her.
Rubbing her eyes, she couldn't focus properly. Her vision shimmered behind a white light as if she'd been staring at a light bulb too long and the path in front of her glowed in and out of focus.
She slammed her foot on the accelerator and hoped the track led to a road—and that it was short. Unused to the car she swerved, trying to control the powerful engine. Trees jumped from the shadows in front of her, and each time she steered away from one another appeared.
Someone or something dropped onto the car roof with a dull thud and the adrenalin roaring through her body spiked. She swerved side to side, attempting to loosen whatever it was.
Another thud. A second body landed on the car.
A dog howled from above her and rolled over the car bonnet, landing in a crumpled heap at the edge of the track next to her. Momentarily distracted by this sight, she lost control of the car's steering and careered from side to side. There was another massive thud as Lorelei drove straight into a tree.
Through the blackness, Lorelei heard a woman’s voice in the distance, chastising a child. Lorelei's thoughts scrambled to catch up to where she was, and she groaned.
“If you hadn’t leapt on the car, this wouldn’t have happened!” cried the woman’s angry voice.
The response was a low growl, and Lorelei tensed, remembering the dogs and the cottage. Opening one eye, Lorelei found herself lying against a tree. Her head pounded and a dull ache sat behind her eyes.
In front of her stood Gabe, a petite woman and a large black cat. Or panther. Lorelei put her hand to her head; she must be hallucinating now. The woman continued her scolding of the cat, and the cat flattened its ears, hissing. The huge panther dwarfed the tiny woman, and if it were in its hind legs, the panther would be taller than Gabe. What was it doing with them?
“Cut that out! Nobody is scared of you!” said the woman to the snarling cat.
Lorelei wanted to tell them she was but didn’t have the power of speech back. Gabe watched the woman and animal, his skin glowing with a luminescent sheen, casting light around him in the pitch darkness of the wood.
“I had the situation under control,” Gabe said.
The woman snorted. “Sure, you did, that’s why she was careening madly down the lane with demons in hot pursuit.”
"I can manage, Erin."
"He's getting stronger, Gabe. It's worrying when his followers can find her so easily. We need to do something to stop that. The situation affects us all now. Recently I've seen demons I've only read about in the Teachings." She paused. "I don't know how Caleb has managed to find them, but if he gets the Key too..."
Lorelei shivered in the cool summer's night. They were talking about her.
"I won't let him," said Gabe in a firm voice.
"Whatever it takes?" The edge to the woman's voice prickled Lorelei's skin.
"He won't take the Key."
"Have you told her what she is?" Erin lowered her voice, but she was close enough for Lorelei to hear.
"Some. Not everything. We got interrupted."
"Did you tell her about the Prophecy?"
"No." Gabe sounded irritated. "It's not relevant."
"Of course, it is! How long do you think you can keep this up on your own? I offered you my place as a sanctuary if you needed the cottage and look what happened—how long did it take Caleb’s followers to find her? Hours. Caleb found her twice in a week, Gabe. Ask the Council for help."
There was a heavy silence, broken by Gabe. "I can take things from here. Thank you."
"Gabe..." The exasperation in Erin's voice was clear. "Look at her! You’re not coping. It’s time you allowed the Council to involve themselves."
"No. No-one else can know who the Host is. It's bad enough that you know. I don't need the Council."
Another long pause followed, and tension filled the atmosphere around the group.
“What were you doing here; I thought you were away?” Gabe asked.
“He was spotted again,” said the woman, pointing at the cat. “We needed to leave. I’m sure he does these things on purpose.”
The cat stretched forward on its front paws and lifted its head back in a yawn, exposing a set of bright white teeth. The cat's features began to change, face and body morphing into those of human. Seconds later, a tall, muscular and very naked man stood near Lorelei. She didn't realise she made a noise in reaction to what she witnessed, but all three of them turned to look at her.
“Hi,” she said weakly.
They continued to stare at Lorelei—the woman with curiosity, Gabe with concern, and the naked man grinned. Lorelei was mortified when he winked at her.
“For heaven’s sake, here...” Erin opened her backpack, pulled out a pair of trousers, and threw them at the man. “Nobody is interested in you running around naked!”
He pulled on the trousers and deftly buttoned them around his w
aist. “It’s a good thing we were here,” he said in a faint Mediterranean accent.
“The situation was under control,” repeated Gabe.
“Look at her! She needs to go to the hospital—is that a situation under control?” The woman approached Lorelei and examined her forehead. Erin's wide eyes looked kindly at her. Her small, sharp features made her look like a pixie. She shook the thought from her mind—not everything in her new world could be supernatural.
“Hi, I’m Erin, and he’s a pain the backside,” she said indicating the man.
“Marius.”
The strange glowing creature who was Gabe crossed his arms. “Is she okay?"
Erin stood. “She needs to get checked out by a doctor. What happened inside the cottage?”
Gabe gave a brief account of the intrusion. “I did what I needed to. I had to get Lorelei out. There were few options."
“They must have been dangerous if you performed your human firework display,” said Marius with a smile.
Gabe stared at him wearily. “It is not something I do lightly.”
Marius broke out in a huge laugh. “Lightly...”
“Not amusing. This has weakened me."
"Good thing we were here to help," said Marius.
"I don’t understand how they knew where I was," continued Gabe, ignoring him.
"Which is why you need the Council," pressed Erin.
"And I said I didn't."
"Because you are doing such a great job on your own!" snorted Marius. Erin nudged him hard in the ribs.
"You think this is easy?" said Gabe, voice harsh. "Can you imagine how much more complicated it is this time?"
Marius smirked at Gabe. "Oh yes, I can see how things could be complicated." He winked at Lorelei again.
Erin tutted, turning back to Lorelei. “Did you bang your head hard?”
“I’m not sure. I feel sick. And dizzy."
“That could be the magic or—” began Gabe
“Or the fact she is a human girl who just had a car accident!” Lorelei decided never to get on the wrong side of Erin who smiled down at Lorelei. “Is your vision okay? You were unconscious for a few minutes."
Hidden (Her Immortal Guardians Book 1) Page 6