Symbiosis (Scintillate Series Book 2)

by Karen Tjebben

  Sean placed his hands on her hips and brought her against him. “I am your home. Your father is a grown man. He knows this day is coming. Let us give him grandchildren that he can enjoy.” She giggled and pulled his mouth to hers.

  Nick stared at the scene, clearly wanting to intercede. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he watched Hayden and Sean exchange kisses.

  “Let’s go,” whispered Sarah as she stood to leave. “Give them privacy.”

  “What?” Nick replied. He faced off with Sarah. “We need to stop this.”

  Sarah placed her hand on Nick’s arm. “Jealousy is not attractive.”

  “That,” Nick pointed to Hayden and Sean, “is not going to happen. They will not have a happily ever after. We should end it before it goes any further.”

  “Her world is about to end,” Sarah said. “Let her have happiness tonight. Let us watch over the party.”

  “Did you get a message that I do not know about? Is there a reason you are willing to risk so many lives so she can enjoy kisses with her lover?”

  Sarah remained quiet with her eyes fixed on Nick.

  Nick leaned towards Alex. “We should take Hayden now. This is madness. The entire village is in jeopardy. If we take her now, we can be gone before Molloy even knows that she is missing. This is our opportunity.”

  “Nikolas, I see your point,” Alex said. “But I also see Sarah’s. This is not easy for anyone. It never has been. She is about to lose everything.”

  “I understand,” Nick said. “You agree with me, but Sarah is your lover, so you go along with her.”

  “Watch yourself.” Alex narrowed his eyes.

  “If Sarah were any other woman, would you still side with her in this decision?” Nick huffed. He glanced one last time at Hayden and Sean and then stalked away.

  “Wait,” Alex whispered to Sarah, and his fingers trailed down her arm. “Why run off? Perhaps we should enjoy the night too.” Alex’s fingertips brushed along her jawline. Moonbeams cut through the trees and cast a faint glow upon them. “Let us take advantage of the quiet.”

  “Yes, for the quiet moments are fleeting,” Sarah said. They walked hand-in-hand to a patch of grass nestled in the bushes. The full moon threw shadows along the ground. Alex laid his tiger skin cloak on the forest floor. Sarah placed her bow and quiver along the trunk of a tree. Then she settled herself on the tiger skin. She unfastened her zebra skin and laid it across her legs. Alex sat beside her, one knee bent upwards and the other leg stretched straight. “Do you think we should take her tonight?” Sarah asked.

  Alex chewed his lip and looked up at the moon. “There is no telling.” He grasped Sarah’s hand and ran his thumb along the tips of her fingers. “Hayden is about to lose everything. Why not let her enjoy tonight? To be sure, it sounds harmless, but will enjoying tonight cause others to lose everything? If we take her now, perhaps the Reapers will bypass the village and we can save everyone. Or, if we take her, perhaps they will get angry and kill everyone here when they discover her absence. I do not know the answer to this riddle.”

  Sarah placed her hand on Alex’s cheek. “If you knew the future, would it impact your decision?”

  The corners of Alex’s lips turned up as he smiled. “Of course. If I knew the future I would know exactly what to do. But no one knows the future. We must do the best with what little knowledge we have.”

  “You know that I love you,” Sarah said.

  “Yes, and I, you,” Alex replied. “What troubles you?” He held her chin gently between his fingers. “Whatever happens here, we will get through it.”

  “I know,” Sarah said softly. “You must be careful when the battle comes. You have to protect the others. I will take care of myself.” She gripped Alex’s hand and kissed it. “Promise me that you will not be foolish.”

  “I am never foolish,” Alex said; his eyebrows pulled together. “You are tense.” He brushed his fingers along the ornate chain that encircled her neck and traced the elaborate butterfly charm that rested on her chest. “Perhaps I can help you with that.”

  Sarah’s smile brightened her cheeks. “Yes, perhaps you can show me what you mean.”

  Alex leaned in and pressed his lips against Sarah’s. His hand worked at the laces on her bodice. She leaned back and her mahogany hair splayed across the tiger skin. Alex’s lips traveled over the curve of her chin and down her neck. As his lips brushed across her butterfly necklace, something flipped. I was no longer an observer in this dream from the past, now I was a participant. With each breath, the bonfires and Alex’s scent enveloped me. The breath of his kiss and the touch of his fingers warmed my skin. I didn’t want this dream to end, but it was growing too intense too quickly. The feelings, sensations, and emotions were too real. His touch ignited a burning throughout my core. His muscles twitched as my hands grazed over his body. I felt desire for Alex, a pure desire to know him and be known by him. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered about wildly, stirring up excitement and desire. As my body was exposed to the cold of the night and the warmth of his kisses, I awoke in bed.

  A thin sweat coated my body. I threw back the covers and raced to the bathroom. I grabbed a washcloth, ran it under cold water, and wiped the sweat from my face and neck. As I stared in the mirror, the butterfly necklace stared back at me. I recognized it now. How deep was my denial that I hadn’t realized it sooner? It was the exact one that Sarah wore. The same one that Alex kissed and touched.

  The necklace caused these dreams and these confusing emotions. I traced the ornate chain as it lay upon my chest. The metal felt warm against my skin. The intricate filigree and gemstones on the butterfly were bumpy, like tiny Braille letters. These Braille letters told a story — Sarah’s story. But now her story was blending with my own. I was beginning to see Sarah’s story in my life. I was seeing way too much of Sarah’s life. The magical spell that protected the wearer of the necklace must also capture significant events in the necklace, like a memory stick.

  I quickly unclasped the necklace and set it on the bathroom counter. I couldn’t wear it. I couldn’t wear it and continue to trespass in Alex’s life… in his memories. What would he think if he knew I was dreaming about him like that? Catching glimpses of intimate moments in his past? I shook my head in disgust and fingered the chain as it lay on the counter. What was I going to do? Tension and anxiety began to roil in my stomach.

  A soft sound from my bedroom alerted me to his presence. “What are you doing?” Alex strode over and picked up the necklace. His reflection stared at me in the mirror. The butterfly hung in the air, over my chest, as he quickly attached it again. “You can’t take that off.” The butterfly landed on my chest and a peace soothed me.

  “It was just for a moment,” I whispered and averted my eyes from his gaze. His look of disapproval confirmed my suspicion that the length of time was irrelevant.

  “That doesn’t matter. I immediately saw your glow. You’ll signal the Dolum or Nephilim and cause all sorts of trouble.” Alex gave a quick shake of his head; his green eyes were full of worry and concern. “Don’t take it off. Ever.”

  I nodded and remembered the taste of his kiss and the feel of his body. Where was Sarah? What happened to her? “I had a weird dream. It felt like the necklace was choking me.”

  “That’s ridiculous. The necklace won’t give you bad dreams. It won’t choke you. It protects you.” He breathed deeply and slow let the air escape over his lips. “Kate, you can never take it off.”

  “I know.” My fingers brushed along the butterfly and images of Sarah filled my head. She wore this, and now she isn’t wearing it. Did the necklace not protect her? Maybe she didn’t just leave Alex. Maybe she’s dead.

  “Come on.” Alex turned and walked over to my bed. “You should go back to sleep.” He sat at the foot of my bed.

  I slipped under the sheets, pulled the covers over my bent knees, and hugged my legs close to my chest. “Alex, the necklace protects us, masks our scintillating glow, but
it doesn’t make us immortal. How easy is it for us to die?”

  Alex swiped his hand through his dark, wavy hair. “You’re probably not going to die in a car accident, be murdered by a human, or die of old age. Your body is just too strong,” he said. He smiled and looked a little more relaxed. “You’ll be able to heal yourself and fight off an attacker. You don’t deteriorate with age. But you can be murdered by a supernatural creature, someone whose powers are stronger than yours.”

  I interlocked my fingers and rested my head on them. “Oh.” What happened to Sarah?

  “That must have been a really bad dream.”

  I chewed my bottom lip as I thought about how jealous Nick was of Hayden kissing Sean when he had no claim on her at all. He must be really irritated by Alex’s interest in me. How would he react if he saw Alex and me kiss? “Super intense.”

  He nodded. “I actually like super intense dreams.” A blush filled his cheeks, a rarity for him. I recognized the smile, the same smile he gave Sarah before kissing her. I felt a little guilty for knowing things I shouldn’t, knowing intimate details that weren’t mine to know.

  “Where’s Nick?” I asked in a hushed voice as I tried to lighten the mood. I felt too close to Alex, and I recognized the desire in his eyes; it mirrored the desire that was building in my heart.

  The tiny muscles around his eyes twitched slightly at the mention of Nick’s name. “He’s hunting the Dolum. So are the others.”

  “Did you volunteer for the job to watch over me?” I turned my head in the direction of the tree they scouted from.

  “Yes,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to leave you.”

  He didn’t want to leave me. Why? “Oh.” I nodded and gave him a quick smile.

  He opened his mouth to talk and then closed it again. He smiled awkwardly at me and then said, “You should go sleep.”

  “Yeah,” I snuggled under the covers and rolled onto my side. “You’ll let yourself out?”

  “Of course.” Alex knelt beside me and rested his hand on my arm. “Sleep well, Kate.”

  The sound of his voice and the pressure of his hand on my arm stirred the butterflies in my soul, but I just stared at him. His presence confused everything. Everything about him messed with my head. He’d always been kind and respectful… almost loving in his manner towards me, but I was with Nick. The last thing I wanted was to confuse the situation. I didn’t want to make this already difficult situation even worse by leading him on. “Good night, Alex,” I said as indifferently as I could.

  He walked to the window and raised it. He easily slipped through the window opening and onto the roof of the screened porch. “Don’t forget to rearm the alarm system,” I said as he lowered the window.

  He poked his head back through the window, his eyes lit with joy. “Don’t you trust me by now?” he teased.

  “I do.”

  9. Tuesday

  I don’t remember what I dreamed the rest of the night; it was all just darkness. I showered quickly and headed down the stairs for breakfast.

  As I walked into the kitchen, I could tell right away something was wrong. Everyone was quiet. There was no talking or teasing going on. Mom stood at the island pouring cereal into her bowl, and Dad and Reese were already eating at the table. “Morning, Katie Bug,” Mom said.

  “Good morning,” I said. I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and found my favorite cereal. “What’s up?” The clusters tapped against the sides of the bowl as they tumbled in.

  “Did you hear the news?” Dad pointed at the television in the family room.

  I looked over at the news reporter who stood in front of a sign that read Kelly Road Park. “No. I had the iPod on this morning.” The news ticker along the bottom of the television screen ran the message: Apex teens attacked in park. One still missing. Search underway.

  The news reporter spoke fluidly into a microphone. “The teens were hanging out at this family park when the attack occurred. Our source says that the teens scattered and went in different directions as they fled from their attacker. One of the teens is still unaccounted for. Local friends and well-wishers have joined in the search for Trevor Marshall.” The picture of a handsome African-American teen flashed on the screen. His name filled the space under the picture. My stomach churned as I looked at the way his friendly smile brightened his face. Was he still alive? If he was alive, would he ever smile like that again after his time with the Dolum? What was the Dolum doing to him right now?

  I focused on the cereal clusters swimming in the milk as I replayed the Dolum’s gruesome words to me. Perhaps by some miracle we could change the grim future that awaits Trevor. Hopefully it’s not too late for him already.

  “Man,” Reese said, “I can’t believe Trevor’s missing. We played against him in our last game.”

  “He plays for Washington High?” I remembered that game. That was the night I was first attacked. The night Nick rescued me from Ramel.

  “Yeah.” Reese rested his forehead on his hand. “I know him from football camp. We scrimmaged against each other.”

  “I’m sorry, Reese. Maybe they’ll find him. It’s still early.” I sat down at the kitchen table. “Do the police have any leads?”

  “No.” Dad shook his head. “According to the news, the teens’ descriptions of their attacker have not been helpful. It sounds like they were using drugs. They each claim some sort of demon monster came at them. They must have been as high as kites.” Dad’s cereal crunched between his teeth as he returned his spoon to the bowl to reload.

  Reese shook his head at me. He looked defeated and discouraged. “Be on the look-out for a glowing naked man covered in tattoos with hypnotic, jewel-like eyes.”

  Mom scooted in next to Dad at the table. “Clearly those kids were doing drugs. Nothing they’ve said so far has been helpful.” She loaded up her spoon with cereal and held it mid-air. “I hate to think how this may have turned out differently if they hadn’t been high when they were attacked. Perhaps they all would’ve escaped.” She put the spoon in her mouth and began to slowly chew.

  Pain poured out of Mom’s eyes. Red rimmed the whites of her eyes, so it was obvious that she’d been fighting back the tears. She quickly stole a glance at me. I knew she was thinking about my attack and the fire at the church. I could tell that she was imagining the pain Trevor’s mother was feeling. I wanted to explain to them that the teens’ descriptions of their attacker were right on, that drugs may not be an issue. However, if they had been taking drugs, perhaps the drugs could shield them from the terrible reality that the monster that attacked them actually existed. Perhaps they could be convinced that what they saw was a delusion and not reality. Perhaps they could be convinced that their attacker was just a depraved human.

  Dad looked up at Reese and me. “You two are not to go into the parks, trails, or greenways alone.” Dad pointed to the TV. “After this, I’m not sure I want you going to Jordan Lake with Nick or Alex. Apparently you’re not even safe in a group.”

  “Dad, don’t freak out because of one event,” I said. I needed to downplay the seriousness of the situation. I couldn’t delay my training or stop going to the other side regardless of what Dad said. I had a lot to learn.

  “One event?” Dad’s hazel eyes cut through me. “Have you been paying attention? Your life for the last few months has been precarious at best. Now this happens. If someone has become a magnet for trouble, it’s you.” His finger pointed at me like a laser, slicing through any response or denial I could come up with. “Don’t tell me not to freak out because of one event. You’ve had a series of bad events. If some psycho could take a healthy young man, a football player, he could certainly take you.”

  I shoved a spoonful of crunchy clusters into my mouth. There was no way I could argue with Dad’s logic. I knew better than to try. I crunched loudly as I demolished the cereal clusters. I guess my trips to the other side would have to be done covertly.

  Mom set her spoon beside her bowl. “I can�
��t eat.” She shook her head and frowned. “When I got online this morning, Mr. Parker posted that he knows this young man. He says the Marshalls are a wonderful family. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.” Mom pushed her chair away from the table and headed towards the sink. “Hopefully the police will find Trevor before it’s too late.” She dumped her cereal into the garbage disposal. “If it is the ‘Soul Stealer’ who took him, who knows how long Trevor has before this maniac kills him.” The garbage disposal roared and grated Mom’s uneaten breakfast. She stared out the window above the kitchen sink looking afraid and confused.

  Mom was right to be so concerned. Trevor was either dead or a host for the Dolum. Neither scenario was good, but as a host, perhaps Trevor would survive. Perhaps he could have a normal life again. I needed to talk to Nick or Alex. We had to find Trevor before it was too late.

  After breakfast, I went upstairs to brush my teeth. A knock sounded on my door. I leaned against the doorjamb with my toothbrush in my mouth. Reese stood in my room. His shaggy brown hair was gelled into submission. His backpack hung over his right shoulder and one hand was shoved in his pocket. “Do you need a ride to school?” he asked.

  I quickly spit in the sink and then returned to the doorjamb. I turned off my electric toothbrush and rolled the handle loosely between my fingers. “No. I’ll go in with Nick.” Reese’s eyes had that red-rimmed look. His hands twitched, and he kept switching his weight from one foot to the other foot. He was clearly upset, and I had no words of comfort. The truth wouldn’t make Reese feel any better. Was this how Nick felt when he had to deal with me in Asheville? He knew the reality of the situation, but he couldn’t tell me. He had to pretend the truth was something other than what it really was. That must have been frustrating.

  “Be careful today.” Reese stared at me and then looked down at the carpet. He shuffled his weight again and then switched his backpack from one shoulder to the other. “A lot of weird stuff has been happening lately. Stuff that makes me wonder if those kids were really doing drugs, or if they were telling the truth.”