Symbiosis (Scintillate Series Book 2)

by Karen Tjebben

  “Of course,” Mom said. “How was your day?”

  Just another day in crazy town. “Fine.” I shrugged. “Same old, same old.”

  “Would you call your dad and Reese? It’s time for dinner.”

  “Sure.” I knocked on the French doors of Dad’s office. He was hunched over his laptop as he worked away on something. “Hey, Dad. It’s dinner.”

  Dad tore his hazel eyes away from the laptop and they landed on mine. “Be right there.”

  I walked over to the stairs and gripped the banister. “Reese! Dinner!” I yelled before heading back into the kitchen.

  “Kate, I could have yelled up the stairs.” Mom shook her head.

  “Yeah, but I saved your voice.” I shrugged and smiled.

  As we ate dinner, everyone rehashed their day. I excluded my trip to Jordan Lake since Dad had already forbidden me to go there. I used to be an honest person, but now I found it ironic that being part angel made honesty difficult. Instead, my angelic life required me to be deceptive and conniving.

  After dinner I went upstairs to begin my homework. As my textbook lay open before me, I grabbed a ponytail elastic to get my hair out of my way. As my fingers threaded through my hair, I thought about my conversations with Nick and Alex. Their reactions to the revelation of my dreams amazed me. Nick totally freaked, and Alex completely surprised me with his excitement. I hadn’t expected Alex to be so happy. I thought for sure that he would be upset. As I secured the elastic, I knew where I needed to go. There was one person who wasn’t emotionally involved in all of this. Perhaps she could shed some light on what was going on.

  The doorbell at Zoe’s house echoed through the halls. I traced my thumbnail along the tips of my fingers as I waited to see who would answer. What if she wasn’t home? What if she was out looking for Trevor? I needed her insight.

  The door opened and Alex smiled at me. Awkward, the man that wants me to dream about him is of course the one who opens the door. “Come in.” He motioned with his arm. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. Is everything okay?”

  “Oh yeah, everything is fine.” I stood in the entryway and peeked around to see if I could catch sight of Zoe. “Are you home alone or is Zoe around?”

  “She’s here. She’ll be watching over you tonight.” Alex shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his feet. “I was just leaving to look for Trevor.”

  “Great.” I nodded my head and tried not to prolong our eye contact. His smile didn’t waiver as I made my way around him. “Is she in her room?” I stepped towards the stairs and reached for the banister.

  “Yes. You can go on up.”

  My feet were quiet as I bounded up the carpeted stairs. I stopped halfway up and looked back at him and said, “Alex… be safe tonight.” You may be freakin’ me out, but I don’t want you dead.

  “I always am,” he said. Even though Alex’s voice was soft, I knew how dangerous he could be. I’d seen him fight in my dreams, but I’d also seen how easily death could come to an Asteri. Now I understood how worried he was for me. I felt that same sense of worry towards him and Nick. I didn’t want anything horrific to happen to either of them. “Nothing’s going to happen to me,” he said.

  “Don’t jinx yourself,” I said with a laugh. “Now go break a leg!” I jogged up the rest of the stairs and met Zoe in the hallway.

  “I thought I heard your voice,” Zoe said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” I tilted my head towards her bedroom. We walked in and sat on the edge of her bed.

  “Spill,” she said. “What’s up?” She crossed her legs at her ankles and leaned back on her hands.

  I leaned in close and whispered, “I need your help.”

  “Why are you whispering?” She smiled and locked her eyes on mine as if she was about to get a juicy bit of gossip.

  “Alex is probably listening.”

  She laughed. “You think he’s a snoop.”

  “Yes,” I nodded emphatically. “I think Asteri have this spooky spying on people trait in their DNA. You guys hunt and kill, spy and deceive. It’s a little over-the-top, or are you so used to it that you don’t even notice it anymore?”

  “We only do those things when we have to.” Zoe drummed her fingers on her knee. “Now what did you need my help with? What is so important that you don’t want Alex to hear?” she whispered.

  A mixture of emotions filled me. I truly hoped she wouldn’t surprise me with her reaction. I wanted help and some good advice, not another surprise reaction from a friend. “I’ve been having these dreams.”

  She nodded her head and raised her eyebrows. “This sounds promising,” she teased.

  “Dreams that show Nick’s and Alex’s past.”

  Her light-hearted teasing was replaced with a deep breath and a bit lip. “What have you seen?”

  “I know about Sarah.” I stood up from the bed and played with the jewelry on her dresser. “I know how Sarah died and how Netra tried to bring her back.” I toyed with a pearl earring. Iridescent shades of pink and ivory glimmered from the perfect sphere.

  “You saw all of that?” She crossed her legs and hugged a pillow close to her chest. “That’s a lot to take in.”

  I paced the room and rolled the perfect pearl between two fingers. “Yeah. It was pretty gruesome stuff. But what surprised me is Alex’s reaction when I told him about it.” I dragged my teeth across my bottom lip. “He actually seemed happy that I’m experiencing these dreams. Why would he be happy about this?”

  A smile crossed Zoe’s face and she set the pillow aside. She drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Alex always believed Sarah would return to him. He had this fantasy that they’d be together again. No one else believed it. Nothing like that has ever happened before.” She shook her head and gave a quick shrug. “When Asteri die, they die. We don’t come back to life any more than humans do. I guess he’s holding out hope that you’re Sarah.”

  “I’m not Sarah,” I scoffed. I set the pearl back on her dresser and looked at her through the reflection in the mirror. “Sometimes I feel like this is too much to handle. I’m just a girl. I’m not ready for all of this.”

  “No, you’re not just a girl.” Zoe got up and stepped beside me. She placed her hands on my arms and turned my body towards her. “You’re a strong, kind, beautiful young lady who is taking all of this very well.” She squeezed my hand. “You need to give yourself credit. Look at what you’ve already overcome. All these minor difficulties are simply shaping you. You’ll get through this, and you’ll be stronger than ever.”

  I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my legs up to my chest. This situation with Nick and Alex was so confusing. Nick abandoned me out of loyalty to Alex, and Alex was ultimately loyal to Sarah, even after all this time. Right now Alex looked at me with hope and perhaps even love, but once he realized I was never going to become Sarah would he just abandon me? Would he stop looking at me with those tender eyes and mourn the loss of his one true love? “My heart feels like it’s a confused mess,” I said.

  Zoe nodded. “I know. Right now it all seems so complicated, but soon it will all work out. It always does. Then you’ll be happy and you’ll understand. Just give it time.” She gave me a crooked smile. “This stuff with Sarah is just a phase. You can’t change who you are. Whoever loves you, must love you for who you are. You cannot try to be someone else in order to make other people happy. You must be yourself. And the sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be.”

  “I know.” Her words resonated with me. I was an Asteri. I needed to fully embrace this life. I couldn’t waiver or look back at the life I lived before Nick and Alex entered my life. The time for that was over. Spinning my wheels on past regrets or “what could’ve beens” if I’d been a normal person would only make me miserable. The only direction for me to go was forward.

  “And don’t forget,” Zoe added, “we are your family. We love you for you, even Nick. I know he’s
hurt you, but he’s trying to do the right thing. He’s probably just as confused and overwhelmed by all of this as you are. Nick wasn’t playing you. He cared about you, and he still does.” I stared at the carpet as I thought about Nick fighting Ramel and the cerberi at Jordan Lake. He’d risked his life for me. “And for Nick,” she continued, “that means he wants what’s best for you. If he feels that he should step away, he’ll step away.”

  I flopped back on the bed and rested one arm across my forehead. “Nick was my first true love. He actually returned my feelings.” I stared at the ceiling and watched the blades on the fan slowly spin around. “I didn’t know it at the time, but Matt was a placeholder. Being obsessed with him was safe. My heart and body felt the excitement of the crush without the potential for loss. I craved the safety of my crush for Matt so much that I forgot to live my life. I was stuck on him and didn’t see the other options that were in front of me. I don’t want to do that again. I don’t want to obsess over losing Nick and miss out on what I could have.”

  “I think that’s smart. Alex is a good man.”

  I lifted my head slightly in order to make eye contact with Zoe. “Is that your recommendation? Alex?”

  “I’m just saying.” She gave a little shrug.

  “I already know Alex is a good man. I also know that he is in love with another woman. It’s not me that he wants.” I sat up and dropped my feet to the carpet. “Thanks for talking to me about this.” I headed for the door and stopped with my hand on the doorknob. “I’m glad you and Evan are together. You give me hope. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m glad I have you.”

  “Kate, you’ll always have us.” Zoe wrapped her arms around me. I absorbed her peace and soaked in her tranquility. Does anyone feel that mystical peace when they hug me? “Just remember, no one’s life is perfect, no matter what they show you on the outside. If you’re looking for perfection, you’ll be chasing a fantasy that doesn’t exist and you’ll guarantee yourself misery.”

  “Hmm. I think you’re right. And I’m not interested in misery. I’m going to choose to be happy.” I closed the door behind me and jogged down the stairs. Alex sat at the foot of the stairs, tying his shoes. My heart pounded in my chest. He hadn’t left. I knew he’d wait until I’d finished talking with Zoe. I also knew in my gut that he’d eavesdropped on every word Zoe and I had said.

  Alex stood up and faced me. “I’m just on my way out,” he said, his face completely unreadable. “Are you okay?”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. I didn’t like that he eavesdropped on my conversation, but I understood how anxious he was to know what was happening to me. He’d waited a long time for a sign regarding Sarah, and now he finally felt he had one in me. I wanted to be a true friend, and I believe that true friends are there for you when you need them. As I searched his face, my heart softened when I noticed the lines of worry between his eyebrows. “I’m going to be,” I said. “We all will.”

  He tilted his head towards the door and smiled. “I’ll walk you out.”

  14. Crossing the Line

  The school halls bustled with students. Rylee’s shoulder repeatedly knocked into mine as we attempted to wade through the traffic on our way to the assembly. “I’m coming over tonight,” she said. “We need some serious girl time.”

  “Sounds good,” I said. “You do know that Reese won’t be home.” I pressed against the push bar on the door and we entered the stairwell.

  “I’m offended. Reese can’t capitalize all my attention.” She gave me a quick wink. Our steps sounded lightly against the metal stairs that had once been stained with Ramel’s blood. “Does it feel weird to be in here?”

  I shrugged. “No, it’s fine,” I lied. Each time I entered the stairwell I could feel his hands around my neck, smell the sulfuric blood and his sour breath. “Nothing much happened.” That’s it; downplay the attack by a raving, demonic Nephilim whose sole purpose was to kill you. “Alex showed up and scared him away.”

  “Talk about good timing. I’m glad you don’t have any permanent damage.” She gave a lighthearted chuckle. “Let’s watch a movie tonight.”

  “Sure.” I glanced out the window on the landing and froze. My heart thundered in my chest. I could literally hear the blood pounding through my veins. A Nephilim stood on the field. His glassy black eyes and blood red pupils glared up at me. His slow smile revealed razor sharp teeth. We stared at each other through the window. The distance between us provided nominal safety since he could unleash death and devastation in seconds.

  “Who’s that?” Rylee asked indifferently as she peeked over my shoulder. She clearly didn’t see the Nephilim aspects of him. Just like the people of Hayden’s village didn’t see the true aspects of the Reapers.

  “I don’t know. Some man.” I shrugged. Did I signal him when I took off my necklace the other night? It had just been for a moment. Maybe it was long enough for him to discover my location. “Come on. Let’s get to the assembly.”

  During the assembly I was sandwiched between Zoe and Rylee. I told Zoe about the Nephilim that was standing on the field. “We have to tell Nick and Alex,” she said as she took out her phone. Her fingers flew over the touchscreen as she tapped out the text. “One of them will be with you tonight. I’ll look for Trevor.”

  “Rylee is coming over,” I whispered to Zoe.

  “You’ll be safe.” Zoe quickly glanced at Rylee. “He’s probably just going to watch you, wait for a good opportunity. One of us will be there the whole time. There’s no way he’ll try anything.”

  Nausea percolated through my core as I thought about him watching and waiting for me. Would he be as brazen as Ramel and try to kill me while I was surrounded by innocent people? Zoe had missed that dazzling spectacle, but she knew about the fire at church. She couldn’t truly be naïve enough to think that that presence of other people would stop a determined homicidal maniac. If this Nephilim followed me home, then my family could get hurt. What about the students at school? How could Zoe be so calm? We had no idea what this Nephilim was capable of. School couldn’t end soon enough.

  Relief flooded my body when Mom and Reese left for the evening. The farther they were from me, the safer they would be. As soon as their car rounded the curve in the street, a knocked sounded on the front door. I unlocked the bolt and my hand gripped the cold metal as I opened the door. “Hi, Alex,” I said.

  His jaw was tight and the muscles in his arms and around his eyes seemed to twitch as he looked around. “Hey.” He closed the door behind him. “I’ll be in the lookout in the backyard all night. If he approaches the house, I’ll see him. He won’t be a problem. And if he tries anything, I’ll take care of him.” Seeing Alex like this was weird. He’d always been so mellow and calm when we were together. I’d never pictured him as a fighter, but since the dreams began, I’d seen a different side of him. Now I realized that Alex was just as capable of fighting the Nephilim as Nick was. “Do you have the Talon?” he asked.

  I lifted the black breakaway chain from around my neck. “Yes. I put it on as soon as I got home.”

  “Good.” He gave a quick nod.

  The doorbell rang. I put a smile on my face and opened the door. “Hi, Rylee,” I said.

  Rylee eyed Alex as she walked in. A smile washed over his face as he gazed at me. Gone was the intensity that rolled off of him just moments before. “Hi, Alex. Are you joining us?” she asked as her eyes darted between me and him.

  “No,” we both answered simultaneously.

  “I just stopped by for a minute.” Alex placed his hand on the doorknob. “You two have fun.” He gave me a flirtatious wink and walked out the door.

  I knew I was in trouble as soon as my mind processed his wink. My heart fluttered because I enjoyed his flirtation, but I also knew I was in trouble because there was no way Rylee missed it. “Bye,” I said. The deadbolt clicked as I locked the door.

  “That didn’t take long,” Rylee said, her voice light and cheery as she fol
lowed me to the alarm pad.

  “What do you mean?” I pressed the stay button. I knew the alarm system was useless against the Nephilim, but my dad had drilled the use of the alarm system into us. We always had it armed. It was just a fact of life in our household.

  “Alex isn’t even giving Nick and you time to work things out.”

  “It’s complicated.” I headed to the kitchen. She isn’t going to let this go.

  “Not really. Alex wants you. He sees an opportunity, and now he’s seizing it. Go Alex,” she said with a wicked smile. “His assertiveness is kinda hot.” She twirled her auburn hair around her finger.

  I opened the fridge and tried to ignore the direction of the conversation. “What do you want to drink?”

  Rylee grabbed a soda. “In fact, I’m impressed. You’ve gone from lusting after a guy who didn’t like you, to having two incredibly hot guys fight over you. Bravo, Kate.” Her soda can popped as she lifted the tab.

  “Not really,” I sighed. “I now have two guys that I used to like who don’t like me, and one that mystifies me who likes me. It’s not all that great.” I grabbed a bag of chips. “Should we watch a movie?” I headed towards the living room.

  “I’d rather talk about your love life.”

  “I’d rather not.” I picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “Do you feel like a romantic comedy or a thriller?”

  “Eh.” Rylee shrugged as she plopped on the sofa. “Which one most resembles your life?” She giggled and placed the soda can on the coffee table in front of her.

  I inhaled deeply and thought about her question. Depending on how you looked at my life would greatly impact one’s answer to that question.

  The French doors in the kitchen burst open. Rylee’s body tensed as the loud shrill sound of the alarm pierced our ears. A kitchen chair crashed to the floor as the Nephilim I saw earlier at school charged into the kitchen.