by A. C. Heller
My eyes slide up the front of a black suited stranger. This man looks tired, sick maybe. There are dark circles around his eyes and his skin is very pale. He's not far off from what I imagine a corpse would look like, but the force of the hand at my chest tells me he's not as weak as he looks. He wears an annoyed expression, like I'm interrupting something. But when he speaks, I hear something familiar. The rasp. The same rasp as the man who kidnapped me. Coincidence?
“What are you doing out here, girl?”
“I'm sorry. I was just going for a walk... Is this private property or something?”
I immediately dummy up and twirl my hair around my finger. Cute works, right?
“What's your name?”
Eh. Guess not. I'm so not giving this guy my real name. Doing my best to think on the fly, I come up with the most generic sounding name possible. Great job, Chas... Not!
“Sera... Sera Smith...”
“Sera huh? Well Sera, this is private property and I have a mind to report you to the authorities.”
The one thing that is very different about this man is he has an accent. I think it's Italian, but I'm honestly just guessing. When he says 'Sera' the R comes out sounding like a D. I'd say it was a very nice accent if this guy wasn't so damn creepy.
“I'm really very sorry, sir. I'll leave right away.”
Turning away from him I hug myself tighter, and I make it about ten feet from him before he yells back to me.
“Figlia d'Oro!”
I keep my head down and silently ask myself what the hell that means. But before I can dwell on it too much, Angelo bursts through the door I exited. My eyes connect with his and he opens his mouth as if to speak. Suddenly an arm latches itself around my middle in a vice like grip and another hand is splayed over my throat pushing my head back into the man’s chest.
“Come closer and we'll see if she can heal through a broken neck”
Angelo takes a step forward anyway, as if testing him. Which causes the man holding me to jerk my head to the side at an odd angle. Ow... Okay this isn't cool. Angelo's eyes flare and he stops moving. He looks absolutely pissed as he extends his right arm to his waist, grips the hilt, and unsheathes his sword.
“You already know you're not going to make it out of this, so let her go, cut the shit, and let’s do this.”
The man holding me laughs and I can tell he's shaking his head.
“Typical member of the Order of the Fallen. Arrogant. Whether I make it out of this or not is irrelevant. What matters is how much damage I can inflict on your precious, Figlia d'Oro.”
Suddenly a loud terrifying growl splits the air, and the man holding me jerks. Even though I jerk with him I still manage to keep my eyes on Angelo, whose eyes have gone wide. He doesn't look afraid, he looks surprised. The hand at my throat begins to heat until its literally burning into my flesh. Whimpering I try to suffer through the pain but much sooner then I expected I find I can't take it anymore and cry out. The pain is intense but the worst part is all I can smell is sulfur.
The sun is starting to set, drifting lower and lower behind the trees. My vision fades to black for a moment only to come back a second later. Blinking several times I see a dark form fade in and out, and it's coming directly toward us. The shadow is moving faster then anything I have ever seen before, and I could be wrong but it looks like it's circling around us. The hand at my throat tightens but I can no longer feel the pain. My whole body feels warm, too warm, and I know what's coming next.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I don't know what I'm doing but I have to try something. Focusing as much as I can I imagine myself as a star progressively growing hotter. The hand at my throat flinches but doesn't pull away and the man behind me only pulls me tighter against him. There's a pinch at my side and I try to look down but I can't the man still has me by the throat. My head might not be able to move but my eyes do, and I see the end of a syringe. The really strange thing is he's not pushing the plunger in, he's pulling it out. He's taking my blood!
The shadow comes to a halt in front of us just as a shiny object passes through it, hitting the man holding me directly in the hand he has splayed over my throat. He cries out and releases me. When I try to take a step forward my knees give out on me. I try to stand but I can't. I'm too hot, too numb, and surprisingly very angry. I never get angry, I can usually deal with things, but this. This is too much. Still kneeling on the cold hard ground, I let my head hang and I begin imagining a star once again, growing even hotter then I had before. My pulse is beating in my ears and I know my adrenaline is through the roof but I still vaguely hear someone yelling. But it sounds so far away.
“Chas, Stop!”
Aiden steps from behind the shadowed figure but no closer. Angelo is instantly at his side and their mouths are moving but I can't hear a thing except my pulse pounding in my ears. Angelo lunges forward and grabs my arm to pull me to him but he immediately rips his hand back. I can see the blisters starting to form on his skin but he doesn't make a sound as he steps back to his place next to Aiden. Aiden looks torn, as if he wants to do something but can't. It's then I notice that the man who grabbed me and the shadow are both gone.
No longer thinking of the star that helps me trigger my abilities, I try to calm down but I can't. My heart is pounding in my chest and I can't seem to take a deep breath. The raw power surging through me is too strong. And I can tell, no, I can feel that it's going to come out whether I want it to or not. Unknowing as to whether I'll even be able to hear my own words, I choke out a warning to my protectors.
“Get...away...from me!”
Despite my warning, neither of them move. I want to curse and scream at them but I can't will my mouth to move. The grass around me has been scorched and my body feels as if it's vibrating. A luminous golden light begins to emanate from me, growing brighter by the second. It's at that moment that I remember the light bulb in the kitchen. What happened when it got too hot? Oh shit! Aiden takes a step back and grabs Angelo by his shirt, trying to pull him with him, but still, Angelo doesn't move. His expression is tortured, guilty even.
The light that surrounds me pulses once, sending a shock wave of radiant heat in all directions around my body. I watch in horror as Aiden and Angelo are both pushed to the ground violently. They look shocked but instantly jump to their feet and finally begin to back away, their eyes never leaving me. The light pulses again and they are thrown through the air and slammed into the compound wall. Hard. Tears slide down my face because I can't stop it. And if this continues, I could really hurt them, or worse.
I can feel it inside me, the light is going to pulse a third time and Aiden and Angelo lie unmoving on the ground. As I open my mouth to scream, I'm knocked to my back by an unseen force. Shadowy limbs envelop me, holding me so tight I can barely breath. The light pulses a third time but it seems to be consumed by the shadow around me. Another growl pierces the night sky but this one sounds different. This one sounds like the word 'Please'. Exhaustion and sorrow slowly consume me, but as they do I hear Takeo's voice in my head simply saying, 'Sleep'.
Tossing and turning for several minutes I finally decide to open my eyes, and when I do I can't see a thing. It's pitch black but I can feel that I'm not alone. Reaching around I manage to find a light and switch it on, and what I see brings tears to my eyes. Aiden is sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, feet crossed at the ankles. His chin is resting against his chest and I can tell by his breathing that he's asleep. To his left is Angelo. His head is tilted back against the air chair he is sitting in and he has his feet propped up on a coffee table. He is also asleep but his face still looks pained. Maybe he's having a bad dream...
Moments later Liza comes into the room. It's very strange how she always seems to know when I'm awake. She smiles at me and places a finger against her lips. With her other hand she motions for me to come to her. As quietly as I can, I tip-toe over to her and take her hand as she leads me out of the room. We stop outside of Ta
keo's room and she cracks the door open. Peeking my head around the door I see that he is asleep as well. His throat and chest are burned but his face is content. He looks at peace, which is something I've never seen before. How can anyone be content with burns like that?
Liza takes my hand, pulling me gently out of the room and slowly closes the door. We make our way into the kitchen where there is already a cup of tea waiting for me. Still hot. See? Weird. Sitting down, I pick up my tea and sip it several times before putting it back down.
“Thirsty, dear?”
“Mm. Very. After everything that happened yesterday, I could use a shot to go with this.”
Liza raises an eyebrow at me and shakes her head. “Chasca. That terrible night was five days ago.”
“Five days? I've been asleep for five freaking days?!”
She nods her head as a slight frown appears on her face.
“My boys have not left your side. From the very moment they found you and Takeo on the ground outside.”
She shakes her head disapprovingly. For the first time since I've come to live at the compound Liza looks upset. But I know that she has every right to be, I almost killed her boys...
“What on earth were you doing outside anyway, dear?”
Guilt washes over me, and tears pool in my eyes. My bottom lip trembles as I somehow manage to choke out words.
“I'm so sorry. I just wanted to go outside. I never thought…I didn't... I.”
Liza moves to sit beside me and wraps her arms around me in a comforting hug. It's a side hug because of the bench style seats, but still, it helps.
“Shh. I know you didn't intend for any of this to happen. You must learn to be more careful.”
Nodding, I wipe my eyes with my hands. She hands me a washcloth and a large bowl of warm water. Which only makes me look up at her confused. I could just take a shower. Why do I need this? But before I can ask she answers that for me.
“Take this to Takeo's room. Wipe down his chest and face. He's used to it being much colder in his room but with his injuries, that wouldn't be wise.”
Standing up I take the items she gave me and head towards Takeo's room. The last time I went in there and he was home it didn't go very well, but this is something I have to do. In a way he needs me, and as insane as it is I know he was the shadow figure. Logic tells me that it's impossible, but me being 'of the angels' isn't exactly logical either.
When I enter his room he is still asleep on his back. The covers are pushed down to his hips, exposing his massive upper body. I want to note how sexy he is but the burns over his chest and throat take my mind out of the gutter. Walking over to his bed, I set the bowl down on his nightstand. I wet the cloth and ring it out, hesitating only a moment before putting my knee on the bed and scooting up next to him. Takeo doesn't even flinch.
Folding the cloth into a square I run it over his forehead. Before moving on I wait, holding my body perfectly still. I'm genuinely concerned he's going to wake up and lose his shit on me so I wait for some kind of reaction. His brow furrows slightly but his lips twitch like he wants to smile. The thought that he's enjoying this makes me smile and gives me the courage to continue on. As gently as I can I run the cloth down his temple until I reach his chin, repeating the process on the other side of his face. Takeo sighs softly when the cloth passes once over his neck. Biting my lip, I stare at his sleeping face. This is probably the only time I'll ever get to be this close to him...
Thoroughly enjoying myself I re-wet the cloth and gently wipe down his neck. Scooting a little closer, I begin wiping down his chest. He's much larger then me so I have to lean over him to reach his other shoulder. As I do my hair shifts and falls from where it was tucked behind my ear, hitting him directly in the face. Crap, crap, crap!
Pulling my hands back I watch him closely. I’m ready to high tail it out of there at any second. Surprisingly though, he only mumbles in his sleep. Replaying it several times in my mind I finally settle on the word 'Lavender'. He's talking about lavender in his sleep? How weird. Wiping his chest once more I stop mid-stroke as it dawns on me. My perfume... I wear lavender perfume.
Grinning down at his sleeping form, I continue wiping his chest. He can smell my perfume in his sleep. If he can subconsciously identify fragrances, maybe he can hear me. Still on my knees next to him, I lean in placing my lips close to his ear and whisper 'Thank you'.
Takeo's brows pull together but he doesn't stir, so I continue talking.
“I know you don't like me and you don't want to have to protect me, but thank you. Thank you saving me, for saving them.”
Once I finish speaking, I place a soft kiss on his cheek. Turning around, I gently slide off the bed, pick up the bowl, and head out of his room, not looking back. Little did I know, had I looked back, I would have seen Takeo's eyes were open. And I would have seen what was in them.
Chapter Six
The next morning I wake up lying on my stomach with my face pressed into my pillow. Lifting my head and blinking sleepily I wince as loud snoring fills my ears. Who the hell? Glancing to my left I see Angelo sprawled out, arm slung over his face, and as I said, snoring loud as hell. Laughing softly to myself I look to my other side where Aiden is dead to the world. He's barely got any bed to sleep on but he's pulling it off by sleeping on his stomach while one of his arms hangs off the edge of the bed.
Still silently laughing I reach under the pillow Angelo is lying on and pull out my useless cell phone. It might be useless but this is going to be priceless. Pulling my knees up, I shift from under my blanket and stand up on the bed, taking careful steps not to wake them. Once I reach the end of the bed, I turn and snap several photos of their sleeping forms. I'll teach them to crawl into my bed while I'm sleeping. I hit record on my phone and take three big jumps on the springy mattress screaming 'Morning Princesses!' at the top of my lungs.
Aiden jerks and promptly falls off the bed, face-planting into the floor. Angelo knifes to a sitting position and gives me a look that tells me I need to run. He lunges at me across the bed, but I'm just out of his reach. I let out a playful scream and flee from my room. Rounding the corner into the hallway I turn to look back in time to see that both of them are coming after me, a playful determination in their eyes. This might not have been the best idea ever, but it was totally worth it. I regret nothing!
I don't make it very far before I feel an arm wrap around my abdomen and I'm lifting off my feet. A door slams and I'm dropped to the floor and spun around. Breathing hard, I look up into the pissed off eyes of Takeo. Shit. He doesn't say anything, he just walks over to his desk and takes a seat. I open my mouth to ask him why the hell he grabbed me, but he turns in his chair towards me and the look in his eyes keeps the words from forming.
“How much have they told you?”
His voice is low, lower then usual, but I can still tell he sounds exasperated, like he doesn't want to be dealing with me at all. Which only puts me immediately on edge.
“About what?”
“Everything.”
“They told me I'm the last of my bloodline and some bad people are after me. Oh, and that I can heal. That's it.”
Takeo's big chest rises and falls as he takes a deep breath and sighs it out. His eyes meet mine and for the first time I notice that they're the color of jade. With his darker skin his eyes stand out so beautifully. I don't know how I didn't notice it before. Oh, that's right. He doesn't want me around.
“Come here, Chasca.”
Part of me wants to turn and leave now but the majority is so interested it takes effort to not run over to him. Slowly I walk over to him and when I'm about a foot away from him he places his hands on my hips and lifts me, setting me on the edge of the desk in front of him. I allow this, mainly because I don't have any choice in the matter. He acts as if I weigh nothing. Looking down at him I watch as he scrubs a hand over his handsome face.
“Just... Ask me.”
“Ask you what?”
“Any
thing.”
This guy really needs to work on his social skills. I've held more coherent conversations with Squish!
“Okay… Um. Who are the bad people?”
“They were once called the Pharisees, the Savant, but we know them as the Sapient. They have been around longer then the Order. Who do you think put the concept of genocide into human minds? Over all these years their goals have only changed slightly. First and foremost eradicate the Nephilim race. Their secondary goal has always been to find a way to become like... like you.”
“Become like me? I thought you had to be born like this...”
“You do. However, introducing even the smallest amount of Nephilim blood into their systems makes them stronger, live longer. If this is done properly they can live for a very long time. But as you saw yesterday, this is also how the Sapient keep their people loyal. The man who attacked you, he looked as if he was dying, right?”