Outside the window the world had grown cold and desolate, and even though I could still feel the fire burn within me, the chill seeped into the empty spaces inside where my father and Orrin used to be. I didn’t know how to be me anymore.
We rode in silence. Mr. Reese seemed just as comfortable to exist in the quiet as I was. I watched road speed by below, most of the world was silhouetted by the night. The flat, barren land was illuminated by a bright full moon. Its light seemed to touch everything off in the distance, eluding me, leaving darkness as my new companion.
I stole a glance at Mr. Reese from the corner of my eye. He seemed to be smiling contentedly, unaffected by the events of the night.
He’s gotta have an agenda somehow. Nobody takes in a teenager at the drop of a hat just because.
I chewed my lip staring now, in earnest, learning his profile. I looked him over, searching for imperfections somewhere in his crisp shirt, perfectly-combed hair, and even his clean car- all devoid of individuality, which in itself was very telling.
Oh, God! I’m moving in with a clean freak.
I could see chores galore in my future, and sighed heavily.
Cooking, cleaning, and taking care of almost everything never bothered me before. My father worked strange hours, and I was home often by myself. It was just he and I, so I did my share- and sometimes his too, but I didn’t want to clean up after somebody else.
He has a daughter my age. What was her name? Mindy, Holly…something cute that ended in eee…
His eyes flashed quickly to mine and then back at the road. He was watching me too, only he managed to do it without taking his eyes off the road.
I wonder what he thinks of me. Wait…I’m not supposed to care about that, am I?
His smile broadened as my eyes narrowed. My face reddened with embarrassment at being caught staring, but he didn’t seem to mind. He breathed heavily and I knew our long bout of silence was about to come to an end.
He gripped and regripped the wheel, “You used to fall asleep on my shoulder, did you know that?”
What?
Whatever I thought he was going to say, it wasn’t that. “When you were a baby, you would always hold your arms out to anyone and everyone you could.” He smiled, remembering back and I was drawn in, “you had the darkest eyes, almost black, and you looked at people so intently, like you were sizing them up, seeing what they were made of. You were so small when I first saw you. I came out to visit James about three months after your mom passed…”
She never died. She isn’t dead. I wanted to tell him, but I knew it wasn’t a good idea. He didn’t need to know one of my mothers was an angel, and the other one was a daemon.
“Well,” he continued, “your dad didn’t really know what to do with you. He was hopeless at the time, really lost, you know? My wife wasn’t due with our daughter for another three months so I came out to see if I could help. Your dad practically launched you into my arms the moment I walked through the door,” he laughed. “He hadn’t slept in a week he told me. And that’s when I looked down at you, and you looked back up at me with an expression kind of like what you’re wearing right now. You were sizing me up then, just like you’re sizing me up right now. I knew what you were the moment I touched you.”
He stopped, but I wanted to hear more, worried that was the end of his story, “Oh yeah?”
“You were…the biggest blessing James could have ever had. And you stared at me for a long, long time. Quietly! Those eyes- they always knew too much. After our meeting, I walked into your father’s room and he was passed out on his bed with his shoes still on. I walked around the house with you, and you just put your head on my shoulder and laid there with me and we were inseparable that whole week.”
I was stunned. I’d never heard stories about me as a baby. My father never liked to talk about it much. Whenever I asked he would say he couldn’t remember or he would change the subject.
“I knew then that you were uncommonly special. I could see what James was trying to ignore, what he hope would go away.”
“What do you mean?” I said bringing my guard back up, hoping he wasn’t talking about what I knew he was talking about. Nobody said stuff like that without truly knowing something.
He smiled kindly but didn’t explain himself, “We can get to know each other later, hopefully. I’m sure you’re exhausted now. Daisy, my daughter, is home still sleeping. You can meet her tomorrow too.”
Oh yeah, that’s right. How did I forget that name? Daisy!
Knowing he had a daughter made him seem slightly less creepy in my eyes. I knew my father trusted this man, but still! Who goes to live with a total stranger, a man at that, half way across the country?
Someone who got kicked out of their city.Someone who can never go home again.Someone utterly alone.
The car turned slowly and bumped up a driveway. We pulled up to a modest white house, a tiny front yard with the front porch light blaring in the dark morning hours.
I don’t remember walking inside, or lying down, but only waking that first morning to the annoying sound of a hair dryer, bright sunlight, and utter confusion.
Chapter 2
Do’s, Don’ts, and Daisy
Carrie Underwood’s voice blared from a small device somewhere nearby. Not my favorite way of waking up, coupled with the fact that I had no idea where I was, caused me to panic and fall off the narrow bed I collapsed on only hours before.
“Rrraaagh,” I moaned. My eyes rebelled against the morning light. The events of the past two days were beginning to catch up to me. The loud thud was a signal to whoever was in the bathroom to poke her curly blonde head around the corner and smile down at me.
“Hey there,” she beamed at me revealing a wide smile and stunning cheekbones underneath a mop of long untamed hair, “I’m Daisy.”
I rolled over and she reached out to me and helped me stand upright. I needed to stretch my wings, but it would have to wait.
“Uh, hi.” I looked down at my sleep-pressed clothes from the day before. I hadn’t even taken my shoes off before I collapsed.
Daisy.
I couldn’t imagine a name that would fit this girl any better. Daisy was almost my height, with an athletic build, and maybe even seventeen like me. Her hair was still wet from a shower but I could tell it was pretty long, and even curlier than mine. She had flawless skin and large cornflower blue eyes. There was no other word more fitting to describe Daisy Reese besides pretty.
I felt ungainly and plain standing next to her. I hadn’t showered or even brushed my hair in twenty-four hours. I ran my tongue over the front of my fuzzy teeth and tried to clear the sleep from my face. I had to salvage a small shred of myself for this first impression. I would be living in the house for the next three months. My stomach churned hungry for breakfast. My daemon complained within me, preferring the flesh off Daisy’s face.
Whoa! Cool it!
“I’m Layla Justus.” I rubbed my hand on my pants nervously and then offered it to her.
She bypassed my hand and wrapped her arms around me. “It’s so great to finally meet you. I have been waiting for ages to meet you. I’m so excited you’re finally here!”
“Wait, what do you mean? I only decided to come here yesterday.” I said over her shoulder since she was still hugging me.
“Well, Daddy has always told me stories about you and your dad, and we got yall’s cards and letters over the years. I feel like I’ve known you for ages, even though we are just getting to meet for the first time. When Daddy said you were coming to stay for a while and finish out your Senior year in Balmorhea, well...” I couldn’t be certain, but I think she started to tear up, “I was just so darn excited.”
“Letters?” I was confused, “You got letters? From my dad?”
“Sure. A couple of them every year. I guess he doesn’t do email, huh?” Daisy finally let go of me with a little giggle and turned back to mirror and finished drying her hair. I leaned on the door frame
letting her continue.
“Daddy used to tell me the craziest tales about how they would get into trouble when they were younger…” She faded away as the hair dryer took up drowned out most of her words.
“I think I’m gonna go grab some breakfast.” I smiled weakly, fighting the urge to take a bite out of her charming cheeks.
“Sure thing. Daddy’s in there already. He’s probably cooking up something. We eat big at breakfast. Hope you like Southern food.”
Oh, I did- just not right when I woke up. I needed a large cup of coffee to shake away the dregs of sleep and kick start my mind for the day. I needed to get moving. I needed to get out there, figure out the town I was living in, figure out my next move, and try to find Orrin- pronto.
It angered me a little that Daisy seemed to know who I was and I had never heard mention of her in my entire life. My dad was good at keeping secrets- he was great at it actually. I guess Kevin and Daisy Reese were a part of a past he wanted to keep hidden from me until I was ready. Daisy seemed nice, but ordinary, in a human sort of way. I knew Mr. Reese was an ex-daemonologist, like my dad. I wasn’t sure if he was going to hold the whole daemon-thing against me, but then why would he take me in, let me live in his home if he thought I was some a danger. I wondered how much about me he actually knew. Did he know I was daemon and human and angel?
When I found out about being a daemon, I was a little resistant to the truth. I knew something otherworldly was happening, but I had no clue what it would be. I acclimated quickly with Orrin’s help, but it took me a while to master my birthright. I guess after learning I was pyrokinetic, floating in the air and then sprouting wings wasn’t so far out there.
I opened my suitcase, threw on clean clothes and fished my favorite pair of flip flops out of the side pocket. Living in Providence, I put all of my flip flops away, and traded them in for a sturdy set of boots. I had no problem leaving the boots behind. The only thing I would miss in Providence was the water. It was the first time I had ever lived on the coast, and I loved it. And the lighthouse…
Our lighthouse…
In the kitchen, Mr. Reese had made three plates of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I sat down wordlessly and began to fill my plate. He eyed me over the rim of his coffee mug. I felt my palms warm, wanting ripping it out of his hands, but that wouldn’t have been very nice. He saw my hungry eyes and turned to make a mug for me as well.
“You’re a coffee drinker, huh?”
I nodded, shoving the last of the bacon into my mouth and then gulped down the scalding liquid.
Black. Yuck. It’ll do.
Breakfast was quick. I was relegated to guest-status as I watched Mr. Reese take my plate and put it in the dishwasher. I didn’t know what was expected of me at this point. Was I supposed to go to school today? Could I just go back to sleep? Did he have something special in mind for the two of us to talk about?
I explored the small house. The walls were white, like the carpet beneath my feet. The living room, kitchen, and dining room basically formed one small space. To the left was the one and only hallway that led to three bedrooms and a bathroom that I would be sharing with Daisy. My room was at the far end of the hall, so standing where I was in the kitchen-living-dining room, I could see my large duffel bag thrown haphazardly onto the floor. Everything was neat and orderly.
And dated.
Frozen in time since 1988.
To my astonishment, Mr. Reese didn’t rush me off to school that day. Instead of hurrying out the door with Daisy, I took my cup of coffee back to what would be my new room for the next few months. I didn’t know how long I would be staying in Balmorhea, but I knew I didn’t want to make myself too comfortable, or stay too long. It was impossible for me to forget my purpose, my judgment, or the prophecy. Besides finding Orrin, which was my first priority, I wasn’t on Neutral territory, and I didn’t know what that meant. Was I in danger? Could I be putting these people in danger?
Orias said Orrin and I would always find each other. That’s what being soul mates meant- that we became two halves of the same life force. I had a hard time grasping the concept of the soul tie. The only thing it made me think of was a betrothal, but Orias said it was much more. The pledge we made to one another went deeper than any promise one can ever make. We became a part of one another, our future’s bound- one never complete without the other.
I felt Orrin’s absence to my core.
Orias had also warned me about the essence of time. We would both be weakened left vulnerable to our own daemon souls or anything else looking to use us.
I opened my laptop and the website for Balmorhea high school. I started looking for Orrin in obvious places- on the internet. I wasn’t sure if he would look like the Orrin I knew or not. I felt I would recognize him no matter what. My heart lurched every time I thought about his absence in my life. It felt as if it was beating a hole through my chest, with every thump it grew ever closer to breaking through my chest and leaving me behind.
The tiny Texas high school looked like a lively spirited bunch. Their mascot was a Bear and it seemed with the amount of pictures that were on their website they were pretty focused on sports. The high school’s website was littered with page after page of football photos, players in sliver and bright blue uniforms, hometown fans with flags and painted faces, and even a six foot tall fuzzy mascot dancing for the crowd. The slide show went on and on, and I was transfixed by the normality of it all. I had a life like that once upon a time. Up until my senior year, I was just a face in the crowd. Layla Justus was no one special, and now my destiny would bring nightfall to mankind, whatever that meant.
The helmets obscured the faces of the players, so I clicked on a few links and found the number to the high school. I would have to enroll soon if I didn’t want any trouble from Mr. Reese or my dad. I saved the number in my phone for later. I wanted to talk to Mr. Reese before he left for whatever it was a priest did all day. But before I could close the computer I saw the fading outline of a guy jumping up, touching his fingertips to the bottom of a basketball. It was part of a slide show on the BHS’s athletics page. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Orrin.
I made some kind of whimpering noise and gripped either side of the keyboard. I couldn’t rewind the pictures, so I watched them all again, all the while trying to calm my breakneck pulse. I let go of the computer when I could feel my hands begin to heat up. My nature warring within me, my patience was wearing so thin, I didn’t know how I would control myself without Orrin’s help. If this was the first test and I was failing miserably. The urge to throw the laptop on the floor and ignite it with a fireball was very tempting. After an eternity, or merely a minute, that basketball photo reappeared on the screen. The tug on my heart was painful.
It was Orrin.
How? What? So soon?
I couldn’t believe it had been so easy- hoping it wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me. His hair was longer and a little lighter, but it was him. He had that same serious look of determination plastered on his face. It was his jaw, his shoulders, his hands, and those eyes- there was no mistaking the person in that picture. I was Orrin. I wanted to cry.
This is what Orias meant. Fate would always bring us together. It wasn’t my father who sent me here. It was fate.
I liked to think of it as Divine Providence, since I don’t believe in fate.
I was reminded of the story Orrin had told me about building the city Providence. Over two hundred years ago, he and his friend Roger Williams found the land with seven hills, a sign of Neutral territory. Williams had looked to Orrin and told him, This is God’s divine providence.
It wasn’t luck that led me here- it was providence.
“My Orrin,” I whispered.
His teeth were barred the same way they had been when he was trying to kill Lillith, but in this photo he was facing an opponent on a basketball court. He was inches higher than the other guy in a different red and black uniform. They were chest to chest, but it was clear
that Orrin was the better athlete even in the stillness of the photo.
My mind raced while I waited another minute to see the photo pop up on the slide show again. It was springtime, which meant basketball season was either happening or was just finishing up. I never kept up with basketball, and I didn’t know how Orrin ended up in a picture that was taken weeks before he actually died.
I was learning that I really didn’t know anything about this judgment process, where anything was possible and nothing was absolute. What was I really in control of- my journey, my destiny, or especially my soul mate who was evading my grasp? I needed to finally gain control over my life, and it would begin with finding Orrin. Without him I had no future.
I watched the slide show two more times, memorizing the face so familiar and foreign to my eyes. He was mine and yet I knew that he wouldn’t know me. I would be a stranger to him. In his mind he was somewhere that I didn’t exist. He had lived a long human life without me. I wasn’t in his life anymore, but I prayed I was still in his heart.
I stood so quickly my chair flew back banging against the wall. Mr. Reese was quick to show up in the doorway. He looked tense, fierce, like he was expecting something other than just me. I face was tense as he walked towards me.
“Layla,” he sounded like he was talking me down from a ledge, “is there something I can help you with?”
“I need to get to the high school,” the words were mine, but the voice wasn’t. I had heard it months before as my daemon threatened my control.
Mr. Reese smiled, but his stance and rigid back belied his peaceful exterior. He was poised for a fight with me. I was after all a daemon, living in his house. He didn’t know what I was capable of, which made me more dangerous in his eyes. He hid his agility and strength behind his priestly façade. I hoped the caring was genuine, because I really could have used someone to talk to, lean on, someone that hadn’t picked sides in this war.
The Porter Page 2