by BJ Sheldon
“When was this?” I asked as I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Sam grasped his elbows and held his arms close.
“That was three days ago. I’ve been watching this spot ever since. Waiting to see if they’d come back. I thought you were with them.”
“No. We are definitely not with them. In fact, we’re the opposite of what they are. If they’re dark, we’re light. Do you understand?”
Sam nodded. “So exactly who are you then?”
* * * *
The entire last half-mile, Lillith swore about her wet clothes and boots. She stormed off to her tent upon arriving at the campsite to change into something dry. Sean was waiting impatiently for us in a lawn chair with his ankle resting on his opposite knee.
“It’s about time! I’ve been waiting here for hours. You guys just sent me into town to get rid of me, didn’t you?” His arms were crossed defiantly across his chest, and he didn’t look happy. “Who’s that?” he asked, eyeing the boy standing between us.
“Sean. This is Sam. Sam. Sean.”
Sam strode over to Sean and put out his hand. Sean glared at the boy for a split second, then put out his hand, and they shook on it.
“So. Are you a Hybrid, too?” Sam asked.
I began to laugh. We had tried to fill the boy in as best we could about who we were and why we were there. He didn’t seem too shocked by it all. But considering what he’d seen—people appearing out of thin air and a girl with wings—he would probably believe just about anything at that point.
“No. He’s no Hybrid. He isn’t pretty enough,” I said.
Sean threw me a dirty look.
“Are you calling me pretty?” asked Dorian.
I felt my cheeks grow warm.
“Maybe,” I said. I quickly thought of a way to change the subject and directed my attention back toward Sean. “So, what did you pick up in town?”
Sean made a grunting noise.
“Please. Like you care. You don’t eat,” he said. He pushed himself up and walked over toward the ice chest. “Besides. Do you have any idea how hard it was to lug all this stuff here from the car? I had to make two trips!”
“She may not have to eat, but we do,” said Dorian. He crossed the campground and stopped at Sean’s side. His hand slapped Sean’s back playfully. “So, what’d you get?”
While the boys discussed supper, I grabbed a chair for Sam and had him sit.
“Isn’t someone missing you at home?” I asked him.
“Naw. My mom died when I was little, and my dad doesn’t come around much. I live with my grandmother, but she’s off visiting my aunt in Rapid City for a week.”
“And she leaves you alone like that?”
“I’m very responsible,” he said convincingly, sitting up as straight as he could in his chair, puffing out his chest.
I smiled. He seemed like a good kid, even for a human.
“I bet you are.” I chuckled.
“So, can I ask you something?” Sam hooked his thumbs in his front pockets and began to stare at his feet.
“Shoot.”
“If giants really existed, how come no evidence has ever been found? Like bones and stuff?” His eyes shot over, waiting for my reply.
“Still not a believer, I take it?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I’m not really sure,” he replied.
“You did see the feathers attached to my shoulder blades, right?”
He shrugged again.
Teenagers.
To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer his question myself. My face contorted with confusion, and I glanced over at Dorian for some help.
But it was Lillith who jumped in. She’d exited her tent and had changed into something drier.
“The bones of giants have been discovered plenty of times. Over the years, about one thousand five hundred sets of giant bones have been found. But every time someone finds one of the gravesites, something happens to cover it up.”
“Like what?” Sam leaned forward, eager to hear what Lillith had to say.
“The bones will somehow go missing. Any proof, like video or film, vanishes. Whispers into the right person’s ear will start an avalanche of doubt that can quickly discredit people. Or in the worst cases, people just disappear. Kind of like what you witnessed a few days ago. Azazel’s Hybrids will typically kill and dispose of whomever discovered the bones.”
Lillith strolled toward Sam.
“Besides, there are enough skeptics among your kind that question everything—regardless of the proof—that it doesn’t take much convincing to get people to believe that giants aren’t real. But with your modern technology, it’s gotten harder to hide any evidence before it goes public. That’s why it seems like the attacks have grown more vicious in recent years. They’re desperate to hide the ancient secrets of the Watchers and the Nephilim.”
“My kind?” Sam asked defensively.
“Oh, don’t take that tone with me. I meant mortals. Humans are always so quick to turn everything into something personal.”
Sam nodded his head, showing that he understood, but the expression around his eyes indicated he didn’t care for Lillith’s tone. He sat quietly, staring anxiously at his fingers. His feet shuffled on the ground below him, the dust rolling about his shoes.
I turned my head and saw Dorian and Sean still rifling through the cooler. Sean no longer looked upset. Dorian appeared to have a kind of calming effect on Sean even though he hadn’t trusted the newcomer from the moment they met. I was certain my best friend had been made to feel valuable for sacrificing his day to feed his companions. Dorian had the gift of influence and persuasion; even I would have never been able to change Sean’s attitude so quickly or so effectively.
“You know what I still don’t get?” Lillith began, her hands on her hips. “Why I can’t get into your mind. You’re certain you’re human?” Her tall, lean frame and dramatic makeup created quite an imposing figure. She was beautifully scary. But it didn’t deter the boy. He leaned back once more and looked her squarely in the eye.
“Yep. Positive.”
“Huh.” It was clear that not being able to read Sam’s thoughts really made her uneasy. “Well, there has to be a reason.” Clearly frustrated, Lillith grabbed her armor and headed for her tent.
“Why don’t you head over to the guys and find something to eat. I bet you’re hungry,” I said.
Sam, without saying a word, complied and left his chair to see what was in the cooler.
I walked to the edge of our campground and looked out at the view before me.
The scenery was drastic and uninviting, and yet it was oddly beautiful. The landscape was jagged, each formation more menacing than the last. But the colors, intertwined throughout, looked like someone had taken a paintbrush and invented colors that only nature could create. Pinks and yellows all blended together to create a visual so amazing that I could hardly look away.
“Can you really fly?”
Sam was suddenly at my side, chowing down on a large ham sandwich.
“You’re pretty good at sneaking up on people. How do you do that?”
“Easy. I just don’t stomp when I walk.” He took another large bite of his food and chewed quickly. “So, can you?”
“Fly?” I began. “Yep. The wings are one hundred percent functional.”
“Cool.”
Sam seemed to take everything in stride. I may have freaked him out at first, but he’d quickly acclimated to my existence.
“I’m sorry I called you a freak back there.”
“It’s okay. I call myself a freak all the time.”
“You know, my grandmother used to tell me stories when I was younger about the supernatural beings that created and control our universe. She’d talk about how some were good and some were evil, and that they had no beginning or end. I never really believed any of her stories. I just thought they were interesting legends from my people’s pasts. But I’m beginning t
o think that maybe there’s a hint of truth to them now.” Sam finished his sandwich and shoved the cellophane into his pocket. “The Inyan, or the Rock, was a superior being whose associate was the Wakinyan, or the Winged. They were considered ‘the sacred’ and had a big part in creating the universe and mankind. Together, they had a son named Iya. He was known as the Glutton and sometimes the Giant. It was said that he would consume people during the winter months but was finally defeated by fire, causing him to vomit out the people he’d eaten.”
The story had a hint of familiarity to it. I began to realize that with everything I’d heard in the past twenty-four hours, there was no such thing as coincidence.
“My grandmother would tell me these stories over and over, about how our people’s youth were losing touch with their pasts and where we came from. She said it was important to hang on to the stories of old, because one never knew how it might affect our futures.”
“Your grandmother sounds like a smart woman,” I said.
Sam scrunched up his nose. “Actually, she’s on the verge of senile.” He smiled. I could tell by the sparkle in his eyes that he adored his grandmother. “But I think maybe she was right. Maybe these stories have been handed down through the generations so that one day, when the end was near, we would know what to do.”
“So, based on her stories, what do you think we’re supposed to do?” I asked.
Sam shot me a sideways glance, and said, “Dig.”
Chapter 9
Sean went out of his way to be as friendly as possible to Lillith, still hoping to get her to like him on some level—any level. I watched with amusement as he tried to ingratiate himself any way he could. He pulled a chair out for her near the fire. He put together a plate of food for her at dinnertime. He even attempted to chit-chat with her, asking her questions about herself and then spilling some details about his own life. But she sat, stoic, not allowing him to affect her whatsoever, either oblivious or completely apathetic to his efforts.
But I knew Sean—none of that would deter him one bit. He’d done the same thing to me when we first met, trying to gain my trust and friendship. He eventually grew on me like mold.
As everyone ate supper, we decided it would be best to see what the professor had possibly uncovered during his research of the Badlands. We agreed to get up early and head back to the site we’d discovered the day before. Everyone finished up as quickly as they could so they could hit the sack early.
Dorian and I sat on the far side of the campfire, exchanging glances from time to time, unsure of what to say to each other. I wanted to get to know him better, but I was a complete moron when it came to having conversations. Sean was the only person I’d talked to in over fifteen years, and even those conversations weren’t anything to brag about. Instead, we tended to make fun of one another whenever possible. So, I wasn’t sure it was even possible for me to have a normal conversation with someone like Dorian without coming across like a huge asshole.
“Interesting day, huh?” asked Dorian.
“Um, yeah. Definitely interesting. It’s a good thing we came across Sam,” I replied.
“It’s a good thing you kept him from shooting us.”
“Actually, I would’ve been okay with it if he’d shot Lillith. I probably would’ve been upset if he’d shot you, though.” From the moment those words slipped from my lips, I wanted to retract them.
“Are you flirting with me?” he asked, trying to feign surprise. He could barely contain his boyish smile, causing my heart to flutter for a quick second.
I didn’t know what to say. I think I was trying to flirt, but how would I know really? My experience with the opposite sex had been primarily centered around fatherly figure types and Sean. And I liked Dorian. I mean, I liked having him close by. Or was it that I preferred to have him around more than not? One could say I was more than a little confused.
And I’d seemingly also forgotten he could hear my thoughts.
“You sound conflicted,” he said, covering his mouth with his hands in an attempt to hide a knowing smile. But his eyes gave him away.
Damn.
“Seriously? Knock that off, would ya?”
“Sorry.” Dorian chuckled quietly.
“No, you’re not,” I said, shoving him in the arm. “How do you do that anyway? I hear you in my head when we’re having a two-way conversation, but I’ve never actually been able to hear your thoughts.”
“You want me to teach you how to get inside my head?”
“It sounds stupid when you say it that way.”
“Let’s just say you can learn a lot about a person by listening to what they’re thinking. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s not.”
I nodded. On the one hand, I liked not knowing what he was thinking. What if I managed to listen to his thoughts and I didn’t like what I learned? What if I found out that my attraction was one-sided? My heart was too inexperienced, I feared, to handle it all.
I couldn’t fathom how mortals dealt with the issue of love and heartbreak, requited and unrequited love. The only emotions I’d ever truly had to deal with were grief and pain and, on the rare occasion, joy. But romantic love? Never.
I glanced over at Dorian. His head was bowed slightly as he stared into his bottled water. I leaned down a bit and saw he had a smirk on his face.
“You’re doing it again, aren’t you?” I said matter-of-factly, sitting back in my chair.
He nodded, lifting his gaze to meet mine.
“Oh God,” I moaned, covering my face with my hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Sorry. Sorry.” He chuckled. He placed his hand on my upper arm. “I’ll stay out of your head.”
From across the fire, I watched Sam yawn. He stretched his arms up over his head and yawned again. He finally said goodnight to everyone, got up, and crawled into the guys’ tent. A few minutes later, Sean yawned, too, and followed Sam into the tent for the night.
Lillith stared at me from across the campfire, her eyes squinting as if she was trying to make some kind of decision about me. I still hadn’t quite figured out why she didn’t like me, but I was getting to the point where I no longer cared. It was hard to believe she and Dorian were related, let alone siblings.
After staring me down for a few moments longer, she finally stood and headed to her tent, zipping up the doorway behind her.
Dorian and I were left to sit quietly side-by-side in the middle of the Badlands. His presence both soothed me and made me nervous. My heart fluttered in my chest, just thinking about the fact that we were finally alone. I think he sensed my nervousness. He stood and stretched his arms over his head.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk,” he said, lowering his arms and motioning into the darkness with a tilt of his head.
“Now? It’s pitch dark out here,” I said.
“No it’s not. We have the moon and stars to light our way. Come on.”
He reached out his hand, quietly inviting me to take it. I unwrapped myself from my wings which were still curled around me and placed my hand in his. He pulled me out of the chair, but we didn’t move right way. Instead, he stood there and looked deep into my eyes. I felt my pulse quicken, afraid that if he could hear my thoughts right then and there, I’d be completely mortified. He tightened his grip on my hand and led me away from the campground.
I’d never held hands with a guy before, but I quickly found that I rather liked it. It was an innocent enough connection, but a connection nonetheless. We strolled along, silently enjoying each other’s company.
About fifteen minutes later, we found ourselves atop a particular rock formation, looking at the vast terrain laid before us. Then, before I could think of anything to say about the view, Dorian’s lips were on mine.
Startled, I pulled back, not quite sure what to make of the sensation. My fingers immediately traced my mouth as I tried to wrap my head around what he’d just done.
“Why did you do that?”
“Hasn’
t anyone kissed you before?” he asked, inching closer.
“No. Never.” With every small step he took toward me, my breathing became heavier. My pulse was racing, and my thoughts began to cloud.
“That’s a shame.” Dorian drew even closer until he was standing mere inches from me.
“Why do you say that?” My voice cracked, barely able to get out the words.
His hands found their way to my shoulders and moved slowly down my arms until they reached my hands, which had begun to tremble at his touch. His fingers intertwined with mine, and he held my hands in his.
“You should be kissed.” Dorian leaned in and gently kissed me again. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I went with it. He reached up with one hand and cradled the back of my neck, causing me to become a bit dizzy.
I felt different—weak. My knees buckled a bit, my heart raced, and I had a difficult time catching my breath. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling.
But I liked it.
Our lips parted, and he stepped back.
“You have your answer now,” he said.
We stood speechless for a while, simply gazing into one another’s eyes. It was all new to me, and I wondered if that was what love felt like. I had nothing to compare it to, so how would I know?
He led me back to the campground, and we stopped at the campfire, still holding hands. I didn’t want him to ever let go.
I had barely known him for a day. Everything was happening too fast, so fast that I didn’t have time to understand any of it. Dorian, Azazel, the Fallen. My thoughts were spinning, and I wasn’t sure how to wrap my head around it.
Dorian brushed the hair away from my face as we stood gazing into one another’s eyes. Then, he leaned in, kissed me gently on the cheek, and quietly crawled into his tent for the night, leaving me to figure out what the hell had just happened.
Chapter 10
“When you said dig, I didn’t think you meant literally,” I said as I chucked another shovel full of dirt off to the side.
“What did you think I meant?” Sam laughed, placing his foot on the top edge of his spade, shoving it deep into the earth.