Aura

by Rebecca Lynn Talley

  "If it helps, you're doing the right thing to help a lot of people, even if they never know about it. And you can save your parents." He gave me a tight smile.

  "I hope so." I wanted to believe I'd be able to help them, but doubt nibbled at the back of my mind.

  "I'll be with you through it all." His words brought a strange sense of safety and security. Like I could trust him. That he meant what he said. He'd be with me, helping and protecting me.

  "When do I begin my training?"

  "As soon as possible. They're on the move."

  "Why?" I tried to imagine monsters with fangs and glowing red eyes running down the road after people, but then remembered that the demons inhabited human bodies like Nate and Erin. Ms. Neal. And whoever else was possessed. How many more in Silver City? The idea that demons surrounded me sent a glacier of ice down my back.

  "They have plans." Alec interrupted my fear-laced thoughts. "Demons are organized. They have groups with leaders who report to other leaders. Word is that there's a big meeting coming up between leaders of different demon armies. Our guess is that the leader over this area is trying to take over more operations and armies. The demons are methodical and let nothing get in their way. Nothing." His voice broke on the last word.

  I was grateful I hadn't known about this all along. It would've totally traumatized me. How does Alec get up each morning knowing there's so much evil everywhere?

  "You sure know a lot about them."

  "Yeah," he said.

  "Would you be here if your mom wasn't?"

  "Honestly?"

  I gave a slight nod as we kept walking. The earthen scent mixed with pine floated around us.

  He hesitated and then said, "Probably not."

  "Do you ever think about doing something different?"

  "Sometimes I wish I could walk away and never look back. Go to college, date, work for minimum wage, fix up a junker car, have a regular life like I see other guys have. But . . ."

  Was it regret or resignation that I saw in his eyes?

  "What?" I asked. Why couldn't he walk away?

  "I have a job to do. For the demons to win, we just have to do nothing." He set his jaw in determination. "I can't let that happen."

  He'd sacrificed so much in this fight against the demons that I couldn't help but feel small and selfish. Even guilty. "All this time there's been an invisible war going on and I didn't even know it. It's not so invisible anymore."

  "It will never be invisible to you again."

  We walked a bit farther. The rising morning sunlight peeked through the tree branches, casting jagged shadows across the ground. I glanced at my feet and then quickly sidestepped a lifeless chipmunk. "Oh, no." I dropped to my knees next to the cute, but dead, animal. "Poor little thing."

  Alec said nothing. He knelt next to the chipmunk and rested his hand on it, drawing his brows together and closing his eyes. An amber glow emanated from his fingers and surrounded the chipmunk. Suddenly, it jumped to its feet and ran off.

  I stared at Alec, stunned. My skin erupted in goose bumps, and it wasn't because I was cold. I slowly stood, trying to take in what I'd seen. "You can . . ."

  He glanced at me quickly. "Only if it hasn't been dead for too long."

  "How do you do it?" I watched him, waiting for his answer, still astonished at what I'd seen.

  He shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure."

  "How long have you been able to do this?"

  "Not long. A few months ago, I found a dying cat by a house we were staying in. I wanted to pick it up to help it. When I touched it, a warm, almost stinging sensation flowed out of me and into the cat. It moved and then ran off. I had to sit down for a minute because I was so weak. And shocked. Since then, I've worked on controlling the power with my thoughts, focusing on it, and I've been able to revive a dog, a couple of birds, and a deer. And I'm not as weak afterwards. I don't know anyone else who has this gift."

  "Wow." I blinked a few times. "This is huge. You can heal animals—bring them back from the dead." I saw him in a different way.

  "I guess so." He seemed uneasy.

  "What about humans?"

  "I don't know." He shook his head. "I've never tried."

  "Can you cure sick people? Make them better?"

  He raked his fingers through his hair, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know."

  "You could do so much."

  He straightened. "Or my gift could be exploited."

  "Does your mom know?"

  He shook his head. "Just you."

  His admission warmed me, but left me confused. "Why?"

  "I'm only now learning how to control it—when it works, when it doesn't. Once I'm confident how to use it, I'll tell my mom." He paused. "When the time is right."

  We headed back to the cabin in silence. I didn't know what to say. He had the gift of healing and bringing something back from the dead. And he'd chosen to share it with me.

  Me.

  When we neared the cabin, Melinda stood on the porch. "Have you made your decision?"

  My parents' lives were on the line. Whether I believed I could take on a demon army didn't matter much. I needed to do whatever it took to save them. Then I'd figure out the rest of my life.

  If I had any life left to figure out.

  "When do we start?"

  The air conditioning kicked on with a hum to combat the late-morning sun blazing through the window, but it wasn't the sunlight that made Vincent burn as he sat at his computer perusing one of his favorite sites. Photos of various women ignited intense feelings of desire. Image after image whetted his appetite as he scrolled through the tantalizing pictures.

  His cell phone vibrated, yanking him from his reverie. He wiped perspiration from his forehead then retrieved his phone from his coat pocket. "Jack, this better be good news."

  "Well . . ."

  "Jack?"

  "As instructed, we sent the operatives to her house—the boyfriend and best friend hosts."

  "And?"

  "And we have her parents like you wanted. But—"

  "But, what?" Vincent's blood pressure rose.

  "The girl hasn't returned. She's . . ."

  "What?"

  "Vanished."

  Vincent swore under his breath. He didn't have time for this.

  "Your orders, sir?"

  Vincent slammed his fist to the desk. "We'll have to wait for her to show up so we can make the deal."

  "Yes, sir."

  Vincent glanced at his Rolex and cursed. He needed to attend the city council meeting in less than thirty minutes to make sure they voted in favor of the organization's newest project.

  "Anything else, sir?"

  If Vincent wanted this done properly, he'd have to do it himself before the summit. He couldn't have any of the other area lords thinking he was weak or unable to push the plan forward. He'd use this situation to prove that he was, in fact, the one to head the entire organization in the United States. "I'll be in Colorado this afternoon."

  It wouldn't be enough to extinguish her Light. He was determined to harness her Light for himself. His mouth watered at the prospect of such power. This girl would be his crowning jewel. Once he broke her, he'd own her and all those like her. "Pick me up at the airport." He ended the call.

  All he wanted would be his. Except . . . He pushed that thought to the back of his mind, ready to pounce on it when this situation, and the summit, were over.

  Vincent took a long, last look at the women on his screen before shutting his computer off. He rushed out of his office and headed toward the parking garage and his silver Lamborghini.

  He pushed the pedal to the floor, darting through traffic. He pulled out his phone and gave the voice command to call his private pilot. "Have the jet ready. I'm leaving for Colorado in three hours." The sooner he could land there and take care of this, the better.

  Melinda led me into the bedroom and shut the door behind us. She sat on the bed and motioned for me to sit next to her
.

  "Tell me more about your experience with freezing the young man."

  I rolled the fabric of my shirt between my fingers while I remembered. "Leading up to prom Nate was so nice. He'd never tried to do anything but kiss me."

  "And that night?"

  I cleared my throat, trying not to let the emotions building up inside me affect my voice. "He was different. The way he acted. And . . ."

  "What?"

  "His eyes. They weren't the same." I gazed at her. "They were dull, like he wasn't behind them or something." The memory still haunted me.

  "And his face?" She stared at me intently.

  I wasn't sure how to explain it. "Like it was under a shadow."

  Melinda nodded as if she understood my weak explanation. "The eyes are the window to the soul. When the eyes are dull, it's a sign that the soul is in bondage. A shadow across the face indicates that the demon is overcoming the Light in that person."

  "So the demon is taking over Nate?" The idea made me sad. Underneath it all, I still believed that Nate was a good guy. He didn't deserve a demon as a permanent resident. No one does.

  "The longer the demon is inside of him, the more likely it is that they will become one."

  She peered at me. "What else happened that night?"

  Forcing myself to relive it one more time, I said, "When Nate tried to . . . anyway, I focused on stopping him. With everything I had."

  "And?"

  I shrugged. "He couldn't move."

  "Hmm."

  "It happened again outside the school. And . . ."

  "Yes?"

  "My teacher and my best friend—they've both had those dull eyes."

  She nodded.

  "And they both have this sketchy tattoo too." The memory of it scared me almost as much as the tattoo itself did.

  Again, she nodded. "He likes to mark his followers."

  "The leader?"

  "Yes. Vincent Crandall." She stood. "He is the head of the demons in this area. We believe he has plans to rule the region and then go on until he rules the world. He's always been . . ." She looked away from me.

  I studied her. "You know him?"

  Melinda took a few steps toward the window, her back toward me. She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth slightly.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

  "It's fine." She turned around, facing me with sorrow in her eyes. "Yes, I know him. Ever since he allowed a demon to inhabit him, Vincent has become one of the most ruthless and cruel hosts we have ever encountered. He's addicted to power, and nothing gets in his way. Nothing." Her voice cracked like Alec's had before.

  Did they know Vincent before he let the demon in?

  "Can we stop him?" I asked. It almost sounded like he was too powerful.

  "Yes." She sat on the bed again. With conviction, she said, "As powerful as he is, we can still stop him with enough Light. We can stop him. And save him."

  I jerked my head back. "Save him?" Why would she want to save him?

  "We can save the human part of him." She arched her left eyebrow and seemed to look through me. "If any of it still exists."

  "You mean casting the demon out?"

  She nodded.

  "Alec said most humans don't survive that."

  "True enough. But if we can stop the demon from its evil path, then the sacrifice of the human host is a price we must be willing to pay. Of course, when possible, we try to save the human—if the demon hasn't completely integrated into the host. If we don't succeed in saving the host, at least the human can die and no longer be forced to do the demon's bidding." She pursed her trembling lips.

  "This is all so—"

  "Overwhelming? Hard to believe?" She gazed at me, her eyes filled with sympathy. "I used to be unaware of all of this until I was compelled to face it. I once had a fairy tale life until . . ."

  Until what? Did a demon kill her family? Destroy her town? Hurt her? A thick silence filled the room while I waited for her to continue. No way would I ask any personal details.

  After several moments, Melinda shook her head and said, "Enough. I must teach you to use your gifts. It appears you can see the demons hiding within the hosts and then render them immovable. If we are very lucky, you can learn to cast them out."

  "I don't know if I can," I said. "I don't know if I can do any of this. But I'm willing to find out."

  "That's all I ask."

  "How long will this take?" Time was the one thing I didn't have.

  "We'll have to stick to the basics. We must hurry if we are to save your parents."

  "Let's start, then."

  Melinda stepped over to the window and pulled the curtains closed, making the room dim. She turned to me and said, "Have you ever been hypnotized before?"

  "No." Some guy came to one of my schools and did a performance where he supposedly hypnotized some students, but I figured they were faking. That was the only experience I'd had with hypnotism.

  "For this to work, you'll need to be willing to let yourself be hypnotized."

  "Okay."

  "If you trust me, I can teach you to control your Light." Her voice was soft. Soothing. "But you must be willing to listen and to concentrate on my words."

  I nodded. If it meant saving my parents, I'd try it. "I will."

  "Lie back and close your eyes. Imagine a peaceful, happy place."

  I tried to find a place in my mind—somewhere peaceful and happy. Anywhere. But images of Nate kept popping in, and my body tensed with each memory.

  "Can you find that place?"

  Again, I searched my mind, but all I found were memories assaulting me. Ms. Neal's dead eyes. That scary tattoo. Erin telling me to give Nate another chance. Nate giving me the ring then grabbing me and ripping my dress. Black creatures with claws trying to shred me. My mind felt like cooked oatmeal.

  "Crystal?"

  "Yes?" My arms and legs were rigid.

  "Try to relax. Think of somewhere safe. Somewhere happy."

  "I'm trying." I said it louder than I meant. Why couldn't I shut my mind off?

  After a few minutes, she tugged at my shoulder, and I opened my eyes. "You aren't ready."

  "Yes I am. I want to do this." I closed my eyes. "Try again."

  "Your mind is distracted. Cluttered."

  I opened my eyes, and looked at her. "All these memories keep swirling around. I'm trying to get them out of my head. But . . ."

  "Yes?"

  I sat up. "I'm afraid."

  She put her hand on my arm. "I know. That's perfectly normal."

  "But I don't want to be afraid. I want to be ready to train." I didn't have time to waste on being afraid.

  "I know you do, but you aren't ready and I cannot train you until you are." Her eyes were sad, disappointed.

  Feeling frustrated, I asked, "What do I need to do to be ready?"

  "Release any toxic thoughts from your mind—memories and fears that distract you."

  "That's easy to say, not so easy to do."

  "You are right, but unless you can purge those things from your mind, you will not be able to learn how to capture and use your Light."

  I let out an aggravated sigh, the pressure of trying to do what I needed to do sitting heavily on my shoulders. Why does it have to be so hard? "Then I'll get them out of my head. I have to save my parents."

  Melinda placed her hand on my shoulder. "Perhaps, you need to face your fears and the memories that are haunting you."

  "How?" The idea terrified me, but if that's what I had to do, I would.

  "That's for you to discover. Listen to your heart. It will tell you."

  I lay back down.

  She walked out of the room, leaving me with my fractured thoughts. What if I can't do this?

  I stared at the ceiling, frustrated and angry that memories and fears were getting in my way of training with Melinda. I rolled to my side, willing myself to forget all the memories and ignore my fears. Clear your mind. Think of a happy pla
ce.

  For a long time, I lay there, making myself think of chocolate chip cookies, dancing to my favorite songs, and reading one of my new books, My Unfair Godmother. I wished I had a fairy godmother to zap me so I'd be ready to train. Or even better, to zap my parents back and send us to a safe place far away from here.

  I moved to my back and sang a few Christmas songs and then recited The Gettysburg Address, which I'd memorized for my government class last year. I tried to think of fluffy kittens, the smell of rain, and eating watermelon on a hot summer day. The more happy thoughts I could gather, the better.

  The door finally opened, and I lifted myself onto one elbow. Melinda walked in. "Shall we try again?"

  "Yes, I think I'm ready this time." I lay down again, eager to begin.

  She asked me to close my eyes, breathe deeply, and focus on a safe, happy place. I thought of a time when Mom and I were baking a birthday cake for Dad, and I was covered in flour. Suddenly, Nate's face appeared. Mocking me. Laughing. His hands pawing at my dress. I tried to shut him out, but my mind kept replaying prom night—over and over and over again. Then it shot to visions of demons chasing me. Scratching me. Trying to slice me with their long, sharp nails.

  "Crystal, you must relax. Let the memories and fear go."

  "I want to, but I can't." I opened my moist eyes. "Why can't I do this?"

  Melinda reached over and caressed my arm. "I'm sorry. I don't think we can continue." She stood and walked out of the room.

  I pulled at my hair, knots of frustration multiplying in my stomach. I hated Nate. For what he'd done. For how he'd made me feel. For invading my thoughts and making me remember it all.

  Deciding I needed some fresh air, I walked toward the door. Voices sounded on the other side.

  "I told you this wouldn't work. We're wasting time." I recognized Luke's voice.

  "We can't give up yet," Melinda said.

  "We're going to miss this opportunity if we wait too long," Luke said.

  "Please, give me a little more time. She can do this."