by Garr, Amber
His words barely registered before I saw him jab the fiery tip of the stick at my face. Jason yelled out the second I felt the skin in the middle of my forehead burn with agonizing pain. Sani dragged the flaming torch in a pattern along my nose and cheeks before the throbbing ache became too much and I fell.
…Knocked out cold.
A few seconds later, I woke up. Wet dirt pressed against my face, smelling like the early morning dew. Water dripped on my cheek, forcing me to open my eyes. At first I noticed the trees, bright green and full of summer leaves. Then…I heard the water, and knew where I was.
Terrified and curious at the same time, I forced myself to stand, needing to confirm the suspicion growing in my gut. To my left was a dirt trail which I knew led to the parking lot I always used to hitchhike to, and on my left was the waterfall. One of my favorite places to visit until my death day.
Not having much money, I’d turned to nature for my enjoyment. This particular creek began in a lake on top of the mountains and dropped a thousand feet in less than a mile, producing breathtaking waterfalls and peaceful scenery. Near the middle of the run, the creek turned sharply to the right and created a deep, calm pool of water that I frequented in the summer. A part of me really missed this place.
A branch snapped nearby and someone swore under their breath. Goosebumps rose on my arms as I recognized the voice and the person now trudging up the path. It was me. Before I died. I watched my image step out of the woods and stand on the edge of the waterfall. With hands on hips and sweat on my brow, I remembered the feeling of accomplishment I’d have every time I made the hike.
The living me dropped her backpack and kicked off her shoes. Shimmying out of the shorts and long-sleeve top, she adjusted her black bikini to make sure everything was covered. Completely focused on the task, she never noticed the air shimmer behind her at the foot of the path where a Soul Hunter had just emerged.
The weight of what this all meant pushed against me like one of the mountain boulders. I remembered this guy. Gorgeous and funny. He was taller than me and looked to be a few years older. I thought it would be cool to have a college guy notice me, so I’d ignored the dark feeling swirling in my stomach. Besides, he was cute and I had on a bikini.
“Going for a swim?” he asked. Brown hair hid under his ball cap and his teeth sparkled in the sun, the deep dimples fit his face perfectly.
The living me blushed. “Yeah. I was going to.”
The guy whipped off his shirt and used it to dry the sweat from his face. Both versions of me stared. No wonder why I never suspected anything. I was too caught up in his perfect body and charming smile. Guys had never really paid that much attention to me before, which increased the thrill I felt to my very bones. “Mind if I join you?”
My image shook her head, unable to speak. She shoved her clothes into her backpack and lifted it onto a nearby rock. The guy followed suit, and soon the two of them stood at the edge of the pool with wide smiles. I knew what she was feeling—I’d never forgotten. Moving closer, I climbed up a small embankment that would give me a better view.
“On three?” The guy asked with a gleaming smile.
“Okay,” she replied.
He grabbed her hand. “One. Two. Three!”
The living me squealed, as they both plunged into the freezing creek together. Beads of water splashed my face from where I had a front row seat to witness what I knew was coming next.
“Whoa,” the guy said, shaking his head. “That’s . . . refreshing.”
My image laughed. “Too cold for you?” I hadn’t remembered flirting with the Hunter, but I guess the situation had made me bolder than usual.
“A little,” he smiled. “But I can think of a few ways to stay warm.” He closed the gap between us and my heart fluttered like I was the one in the water. His intense, dark gaze had captured my attention and I couldn’t wait to feel those lips on mine. When he leaned in, I closed my eyes and waited.
A tear slid down my cheek as I watched the event, suddenly remembering…everything. Just as he was about to press his skin to mine, he shattered into a black mist and pulled me under the water. I screamed, both on land and in the creek, trying to figure out if this was some kind of trick. With arms passing through the weight of the creature holding me under water, my chest started to burn. Water seeped into my nose, my ears, my eyes…searching for a way into my lungs. Terror pulsed through my fingers and toes and I had a moment of clarity where I knew I needed to get air or I was going to drown.
But the darkness held me down against the bottom, back crushed between the invisible force and a small boulder. The loud roar of the waterfall masked my screams as I fought against the inevitable. But my survival instincts wouldn’t let me give up. I’d come through too much to let this be the end of my beginning. My feet dug into the pebbles lining the bottom of the pool as I tried to maneuver them underneath me. If I could just get some traction…
I blacked out. Just for a second. But it was enough that the frigid water surged down my throat. I felt every inch of its journey. Every cell that screamed out in terror exploded in my chest. Fire tore through my lungs, forcing me to take another unwanted gasp. My body needed to cough, but with each inhalation I filled my lungs with the icy fingers of death. Shuddering with the last bit of strength I had, the darkness held me tight.
Soon the pain subsided and numbness settled in my limbs. I knew I would die. Today. In this creek. For no reason at all.
The living me trembled one last time and closed her eyes. The fight was over.
I screamed out in pain. Not pain from my death, but the pain of learning how it had happened. I’d been murdered. Taken before my time by an imposter. A Soul Hunter. Why?
I didn’t have time to focus on any one thought before a brilliant white streak flew out of the woods and dove into the pool. The splashing water overpowered my racing mind as I watched, stunned by the sight in front of me.
My lifeless body had floated to the surface and now bobbed between the rocks, inching closer and closer to the waterfall. Mouth gaping and eyes staring into the sky, emptiness filled my face. Dark hair stuck to my cheek and forehead, almost covering the haunted look of death. Almost.
As I continued to watch, my human head and shoulder slammed into a rock and the water forced my feet downstream so that they would be first over the falls. Then, in slow motion, the water took my soulless body plummeting over the edge.
“No!” I screamed, not really knowing why. I couldn’t change the outcome but logic had long since disappeared.
“She’s mine!” A voice growled beneath me. Water sprayed in all directions and my fractured soul was tossed on the bank of the creek. I could barely turn my eyes away until I heard a familiar voice.
“You do not get to have this one,” Sani spat through gritted teeth. “She belongs with us.”
The college guy was back, standing in the shallows and spitting water from his mouth. Dark blue veins covered his skin and sinister, empty orbs glowered at his challenger. “I found her and I’m taking her.” He lunged forward but Sani dissipated in a cloud of pinkish fog. The Hunter landed in the water and slipped beneath the surface. Before he recovered, Sani reappeared by my soul’s side and lifted me into his arms.
“Hang on, Yanaha. Be brave.” His whispers pierced through me and somewhere deep inside, I remembered hearing them. “Theron!” Sani yelled in a panic.
Out of thin air, Theron appeared in his Death Warden outfit with blue eyes glowing like the sky. “What happened?” he gasped, looking at Sani and then at me sprawled in his arms.
“Take her.”
Sani raised his arms and passed me to Theron. A second later he attacked the Hunter again. Jumping forward, he reached for the guy’s neck, but just as he made contact, they both disappeared to another place.
In the silence, I watched in disbelief as Theron wiped the hair from my face and spoke to me in his native Croatian. I knew some of those words now, and I let out a gasp as th
e pain of what he said squeezed my still broken heart.
Suddenly, he looked up and focused…on me. The deep blue of his eyes held me in a trance while he stood still, carrying my new soul in his arms. Protecting me from the Hunters.
“Theron?” I breathed. He didn’t move. “Theron?” I spoke a little louder. His form started to fade, my image along with it. The pain of losing him again slammed into my body and I screamed out through my sobs. “Theron!”
But he was gone. In his place I saw golden specks in brown eyes and a man hovering over my face in concern.
“Nora! Nora!” He tilted my head side to side. “Are you back?” The voice softened when he turned away from me. “What did you do to her?” Lips brushed against my forehead and slowly I regained focus.
“Jason?” I croaked, throat sore from screaming. Or, maybe from drowning all over again.
“Nora? Oh, thank God.” Jason lifted my shoulders and pulled me into his lap. My head rested against his stomach while he continued to stroke my hair. “Jesus, Sani. What did you do to her?”
Jason’s anger made me smile. If he was mad at Sani, maybe he wasn’t mad at me anymore. Something red kept flashing in front of my face, and I started to giggle. My arm felt too heavy to lift and swat it away, so I started blowing air through my lips.
“What’s…what’s wrong with her?” Jason asked.
“She’s perfectly fine,” Sani replied. His dark braids fell against my face, tickling me more than that odd reddish thing. Using his thumb and forefinger, he opened my eyelids and stared at my pupils. I tried to turn my head, but Jason’s hands acted like a vice.
“Go away,” I said, trying to move my arm again. My fingers tingled but my muscles wouldn’t obey my commands.
“Nora, hold still,” Jason said.
I lifted my eyes to meet his and when I did, his face relaxed enough for a small grin to appear. “I’m glad you’re here,” I said without thinking.
He chuckled. “Yeah, me too.” He kissed my forehead and shifted so that he cradled me in his lap. Whispering in my ear, he added, “Your Advisor is crazy.”
We both laughed together and several minutes later I’d recovered enough to stand. Even though I didn’t see them, I sensed my ancestors nearby. They gave me strength to face the world, and right now they gave me the strength I needed to face the truth.
“You saved me,” I said to Sani’s back. Jason tensed behind me.
Sani had returned to his bed, flipping through the mess like he meant for it to be that way. Slowly and methodically he piled the books and papers on one side before moving them into a different pile on the other side.
When it was obvious he wasn’t going to respond, I walked up to his back and threw my arms around his waist. “Thank you.”
He stopped moving, finally patting my arms. “You belong with us, Nora. I couldn’t let them have you.”
Thinking about our first meeting, I asked, “But where did you go? Forty years ago after you gave me over to Theron’s keeping…where did you go?”
He stiffened. “I’m afraid that’s a story for another day.” Untangling my arms, he turned me around and escorted me back to Jason. “Take her home and let her rest.”
“But—”
“You will learn,” Sani cut him off.
My head was still a little too foggy to understand the exchange, so when we left the old building, I asked, “What was that about?”
“Huh?” Jason looked down at me like he’d been deep in thought. “Oh, I just wanted to know what happened.” He paused, something else balancing on the tip of his tongue. “Did you say Sani and Theron saved you?”
I shivered with the memory, and Jason held me tighter. His heavy arm felt like an iron clamp, gluing me to his side forever. “Yes. They did.”
We walked slowly back to my house without saying much more. Despite not needing sleep, I felt tired, and the promise of my mattress was one of the only things that kept me moving forward. At some point I must have slipped, because by the time we reached the front door Jason was carrying me.
I’ll take care of you.
I heard the words as clearly as if he’d spoken them out loud. A smile grew on my lips. Thank you, I replied, wondering just how strong our bond was now.
“Hey!” Jason stopped just inside the door. “I heard you!”
“Good,” I said, nestling my head against his chest.
He set me down and pulled back the covers on the bed. “You look tired.”
“Gee, thanks,” I groaned.
“You’re still beautiful, though.”
He didn’t see me stop breathing for a second because he was too preoccupied with making the covers perfect. It wasn’t that his comment bothered me, it was just…there was something I needed to tell him, and I couldn’t quite remember …
“There,” he said. “Why don’t you lay down and rest for a little bit?”
I nodded and fell into the bed. The comfort of the mattress never felt so good. Like sleeping on a cloud. In the summer. On a beach. Jason tucked me in and started to leave my side. Willing my arm to listen, I reached out and grabbed him. “Stay here with me,” I said.
Grinning, he gave me a wink. “I was just going to put our shoes by the door.”
He had my shoes? I didn’t even remember his touch as he took them off.
A moment later, the bed sank when he sat down on the edge. I scooted back to give him enough room to lay beside me. Once comfortably on his back, he slid his arm underneath my head and I tuned on my side. Resting my arm across his chest, he started to gently rub my back.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked after several minutes of silence.
“Yes. But there’s something I need to tell you first.”
His hand stopped on my back and I felt him hold his breath. “Does it have something to do with Theron?”
“Yes.” I lifted my gaze and watched his jaw tighten. “And you.”
“Me?”
I sighed, willing myself to find the strength to tell him the truth. “Do you remember anything about the day you died?”
“No.” His eyes narrowed in concentration and he looked up at the ceiling. “I told you. I remember helping my friend, then being shot at, and then I was at the Elder headquarters waiting for you.” He continued to think. “I guess I’m missing a little bit of time if I didn’t see my light or meet my Warden when it all happened.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t have either of them.”
“Huh?”
“Theron collected you,” I said quietly. “That’s why you didn’t have a Warden and I’m guessing that’s also why you don’t remember anything.” I thought back to my death. I hadn’t been awake during my transition to this realm either. I didn’t remember seeing anyone until Theron woke me in this house and explained what my new life would be like.
Jason shifted and rolled on his side to face me. “But, Theron’s a Soul Hunter. He collects souls for the dark.” I nodded. “And feeds on them.”
I cringed. “Yes, but there’s something else going on. I don’t think…” How could I tell him that I didn’t think Theron had completely abandoned me without it all coming out wrong? “I think he’s still on our side.”
Jason laughed but not in a pleasant way. “Nora,” he sighed. “Charles warned me about this.”
“About what?” I snapped, suddenly finding a wave of energy.
“That you still love him, despite the fact that he’s pure evil.”
I sat up, pushing Jason’s arm off of me. “He’s not evil. He saved you! Doesn’t that count for something?”
“But why did he save me, Nora?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did he explain himself? Did he tell you why he chose me out of everyone to drop off at your doorstep?”
I tried to remember the conversation at the castle ruins. Had he explained? Theron’s words had been all over the place, but I knew he’d said something…
“He said you’re a p
art of this.”
“Of what?”
“All of this. What’s happening to the Wardens? He said that he couldn’t let them have you.”
Jason sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “So, you’re telling me that your evil ex-boyfriend defied his superiors and brought me here so I…what? Wouldn’t be used as some type of weapon?”
I thought about his words and shrugged. “That actually sounds like a pretty good explanation.” Except Theron isn’t evil.
“He is, Nora. Charles told me what he’s been doing to your charges. There’s a reason he keeps stalking you.”
I slapped his arm. “Stay out of my head.”
He smiled. “I’m trying, but it’s kind of hard when you’re screaming at me.”
“Can you hear me all the time?” I asked, nestling back down against his side, hoping he’d calm down.
“No, but it’s definitely getting stronger. It’s like I’ve known you my whole life.” He started to rub my back again. “I can’t really explain it. I just feel so…connected to you.”
“I understand,” I whispered. Not because of my bond with Jason, but because that was exactly how I’d felt with Theron after the first week I’d spent with him. Our bond had been instantaneous, too. Jason tensed and I knew he’d heard that thought, but I didn’t have the energy to fight with him about Theron anymore.
I needed to save my strength for the battle I feared was brewing outside the walls of our little home. …Just outside.
A week later, I found myself walking through the realms trying to find Jason’s ranch in Montana. I finally crossed into the living world at the foot of a massive, rolling hill. The sun had just set, leaving a mix of oranges, reds and yellows that lit up the sky, offering a stunning backdrop for the mountain peaks silhouetted in the distance. Cool, crisp air surrounded me, and the silence of the landscape soothed my soul. I’d never been to this part of the country before, and smiled when I thought about Jason growing up here.
For the past several days we’d only left my cottage twice. Once for a collection, and once to help celebrate Charles’ ‘birthday’. Charles found it amusing to remember the day he died, so several years ago I started giving him little gifts. Like a keychain with his name on it or a wizard hat and a miniature matching staff. He pretended that he didn’t like it, but I knew he marked that day on his calendar every year, secretly excited about receiving the fun gifts.