by Mary Ting
“Actually, I do.” I headed for the glass case. Jack followed and so did Goose and Lucky. “Where did you get these two swords?” Like Eli’s sword, in the middle of each gold handle was a cross. Both handles had an intricate design of intertwining black lines.
Jack looked at me, confused. “They were my grandfather’s. Since he had two, he gave one to Goose and one to me. He told me the seven swords were passed down to the heirs. Other Knights Templar swords were made later, but the Pope blessed the original seven. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s been said when these seven swords are united, something happens. Isn’t that crazy? Why are you asking about these swords all of sudden? Did you find anything new?”
I ran my finger along the length of one of the swords as though I could touch it, but it was still in the glass case. “Eli has a sword just like this one.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Is he one of the descendants too?”
“I don’t know. You know Eli, he doesn’t say much. Please don’t tell anyone I told you this.” I didn’t want to tell Jack what I’d seen. That was between Eli and me.
Jack placed his hand on my shoulder to reassure me. “Okay. Your secret is safe with me. I won’t say anything.”
“Me either,” Goose said.
“But do you think the reason why Cyrus wants Eli is because he has that sword? Jack questioned. You think Cyrus needs it for something? I mean, seems like he wants everything that belonged to the Knights Templar.”
I flicked my eyes to the kitchen, wondering if Lana would come out anytime soon. It was late and I needed to get back before my family became worried. “I don’t know. I actually came by to see if you were okay. Want to sit on the swing and talk for a bit?”
“Sure.”
“Goodnight, Goose. Goodnight, Lucky.” I stepped outside.
Goose frowned, knowing he couldn’t join us and headed toward his room, followed by Lucky. Jack stepped outside and sat beside me. The swing rocked us without any effort.
“Listen, Jack, I wanted to make sure you were okay with, you know, what my uncle said. He’s only looking out for you. It’s not that he thinks you wouldn’t be helpful. It’s just—”
Jack stuck out his hand to stop me. “It’s okay, Lucia. I get it. I’m only human. I would get my butt whipped. And frankly, I don’t want to die. I have a whole life ahead of me. But I have to say one thing: I do worry about you. It’s the only reason why I would want to be in a battle. I need to know you’re safe, though you don’t need my protection. I mean, you can take care of yourself. You’re pretty awesome, but only bad things can come of this.” He looked away, releasing a heavy sigh. “Also, for my own selfish reasons—I’m going to miss that dance you promised me.”
I slipped my hand into his. That made him give me the dorky grin he did so well. “When this is all over, I’ll keep that promise.”
“Really?” Jack beamed and then he shook his head. “I can’t believe how crazy my life is. It seems like I’m living in a book or a movie. Or...I’m this actor, playing the role of myself.” He laughed again. “But this is normal for you, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I don’t know any other life. I trained my whole life—well, seventeen years—to be who I am today. Fighting evil for humanity is my job, my life. We don’t get to go to college and find a job. We don’t get to get married and have children. Though it does happen, rarely. It did for my parents, but that’s a whole different story.”
Jack rubbed my hand and brought it up to his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Lucia. It must be difficult to be here and see what you can’t have. It’s like dangling something precious in front of you, and all you can do is admire it.” He kissed the back of my hand.
“It’s not as hard as you think. Sometimes I wish I could be human, to experience all the wonderful things in life. But you know how that saying goes, ‘the grass is not always greener on the other side.’ This is who I am. I have to accept this and move on. You can’t be anything else than who you were meant to be.”
Jack smiled in understanding, still holding my hand. “You’re so brave. I wish I had an ounce of your bravery.”
I shyly turned away and then looked up at him. I recalled the time he’d fought the best he could while wielding a pan. “My best friend, you are brave and so much more. I should buy you more pans.”
He lightly smacked his face with his hand. “I didn’t have a sword. And if I did, I don’t know if I could use it properly. My grandfather sort of taught us but….”
“I can teach you,” I interrupted.
“You will?” His hazel eyes beamed with excitement. “When?”
“Sometime after school, okay? When this is all over.”
“Deal.” Then he paused and looked at the trees swaying with the breeze like the hula dancers. “They’re up there, aren’t they? The Lamias? I can hear their whispers at night. And their amber eyes creep me out.”
“They’re everywhere,” I sang as if it were something he should fear. He snorted at my comment. “I better go.” I stood up. “Uncle Davin will be looking for me if I don’t return, like, now.”
The sound of the door opening caught our attention. Lana walked out holding something. “I’m sorry it took me so long.” She placed it in my hands. “It’s for your family.”
“Thank you, Lana. I’ll make sure to tell Uncle Davin you made it just for him.”
Lana lightly smacked Jack on the back. “Well, don’t just stand there. Walk her home.”
“It’s fine. Jack can watch me from the porch.” With that I walked back home at human speed.
Chapter 28
In the beginning I’d glance at my classmates and wonder what their parents did for a living. I had been curious about each individual student, wanting to know what they did for fun or what they were feeling. But at this point the only question in my mind was whether each person was human or supernatural. And if supernatural, which category—or categories, if mixed blood.
“Lucia.” Vanessa appeared as I closed my locker. “I heard through the grapevine you need to go dress shopping. Would you like to go with me?” She gave me a puppy-dog-eye look, almost pleading.
I’d never gotten to know Vanessa well, but since she’d started being nice to Jack, and she was a Lamia, I didn’t mind being her friend. “Sure. It’s better than going with my uncle.” I snorted.
“Uh, yeah. I sort of have a dress, but one can never be sure until that day,” she sang. “Anyway, if it’s okay with Mr. President, maybe we can go this Saturday. Let me know. See you at lunch.” With that, she took off to find Zach.
The first half of the morning dragged. School wasn’t as fun and exciting as it had been the first week. Perhaps it wasn’t the school; maybe knowing we had to deal with Cyrus soon had put a damper on my spirits. The atmosphere at school had shifted as well. The supernatural beings appeared to be preparing themselves for a possible battle. Hopefully, it wouldn’t get that far.
Everyone seemed to be happier during lunch, laughing, talking, and acting more like themselves. Sitting among our group of friends lightened my mood too, but I couldn’t help eyeing Eli’s empty seat. I wondered where he was, along with his group. Had they ditched school?
About halfway through lunch, Eli and his group of friends came strutting in. The paper bags in their hands weren’t from the cafeteria, so I assumed that they’d gone off campus. Eli paid no attention to me. Even when he passed our table, he titled his head at Zach, but that was all. I was only a few seats away from my brother. Did he not see me? Was it because Abel sat next to me? Brody had waved at me, therefore Eli must have seen me too.
Abel and I were just friends. After he’d found out I was an angel, he knew there couldn’t be anything between us. Ever since then, the flirting had toned down. We were still going to homecoming together, but at this point it wasn’t about having fun. It was about saving lives.
My irritation toward Eli got worse when a parade of giggling girls and some guys trailed behind him and s
at around his table. Not that it mattered; we weren’t an item and never would be, but I felt used. He’d kissed me and thrown me away—at least that was how I felt. I needed air. I needed to get my mind clear on the reasons why I was there in the first place. Guys were complicated, and though I’d never been in a relationship before, obviously they were complicated as well.
“I’ll see you later,” I said to Abel before he could ask me where I was going. I had no idea.
I threw my trash away and headed for the door. Air whisked by me. Looking back to the table, I wondered which supernatural being had used their power. Everyone was still in their same spots. Then bam! I gasped as the air left my lungs. I’d smacked right into Eli’s chest. My hands landed right on his hard abs. Before I could bring them down, he grasped both of them. Heat zapped through my hands, traveled up my arms, and then spread to my face.
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
I tried to sound nice, but my tone didn’t come out quite the way I’d imagined, “Not that it’s any of your business, but far away from here. And why are you using your powers? You know the rules.”
He slowly leaned into me, taking every bit of my breath away. I hated when he did that. Unwanted tingles raced through every fiber of my being.
“I made up that rule,” he whispered. “Don’t forget, at least half of our peers are supernatural beings. I think they’ll understand when a guy needs to move at the speed of light so he can catch the girl who wants to slip away.”
“I—” Knowing he could feel my heart drum like I had run a mile, I took a deep breath.
“Can you do me a favor?” he asked.
I pulled back, expecting him to say something smooth, but his face was deadpan. “What is it?”
“I heard you were going dress shopping with Vanessa. Do you think you can take Milani? She doesn’t have many friends, and I don’t think she wants me to take her. I feel bad asking you, but I don’t think anyone is nice enough to be her friend.”
“Doesn’t she have her Elementum friends?”
“Yes, but I don’t trust them. I mean, it’s not like they’re going to hurt her, but I don’t know them well enough to feel comfortable.”
What could I say? In a way I felt privileged that he trusted me. Eli didn’t trust anyone. And he cared enough for Milani to ask me. That said a lot about his character.
“Okay, but I can’t be responsible if she takes off on me. And we’re meeting at the mall this Saturday at ten. Vanessa texted me during lunch.”
He arched a brow. “But you sit at the same table. I don’t get it.”
I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. He was right. It seemed as though everyone texted instead of talking, even if they were sitting at the same table.
“I’ll tell Vanessa to be nice, and I’ll make sure Milani is comfortable,” I assured.
“Thanks,” he cooed softly, so softly I felt the sincerity in it. “You’re amazing.”
Dumbfounded, I took a step toward Milani. I needed space. “I’ll go ask her.”
Milani sat in the same spot as usual, only I couldn’t move. My body was yanked back and Eli had his arms around my waist so tight his chest moved against mine. Oh, dizzy...gloriously dizzy. It became worse when his thumb idly caressed the small of my back where my shirt had lifted, and I found my hands on his biceps. They were firm and strong, and I couldn’t believe what I was doing, moving my fingers like his. Oh, he was smooth, and I was falling.
“I didn’t say right this minute, Lucia.” He gave me a sexy smirk, enjoying this way too much. His tone came off playful, and I liked it. “She’ll know I put you up to it.”
“Oh,” was all I could say, hypnotized by his deep brown eyes pulling me into his world. “Then I should go.”
“Where’re you going?”
I didn’t answer, but like an idiot something else flew out of my mouth, “You shouldn’t touch me like that.”
“But I am. And you shouldn’t touch me like that either. A guy can get mixed signals, you know?”
I pulled myself out of my stupor and dropped my hands. “Um. Thanks. I should go.” I had no idea what I had said or why I had thanked him.
“Come with me,” he urged, begging me with his eyes.
Before I could answer, he tugged me out of the cafeteria.
“What are you doing?” I laughed as we ran down the hallway.
“Kidnapping you. You’ve never ditched school before, have you?”
“Nooo. My uncle is going to kill me.”
“There’s always a first.” He wore a wicked grin. “Don’t worry about your uncle. I’ll protect you.”
There were a lot of firsts for me with Eli. “You don’t know my uncle. Where are we going?”
Eli started walking backward, smiling at me and still holding my hand. “Going for a ride on my bike. I know you want to. And your uncle is as goofy as Brody. I just need to find a weak spot with him.” He turned around and I was almost certain we had moved at the speed of light, faster than I’d ever moved before. And I loved every second of it.
Chapter 29
“Here. Put this on.” Eli placed a black helmet on my head and strapped the bottom. Then he wiggled it against my hair. “Seems fine to me.” He got on the bike and put up the kickstand. “Hop on. I promise I’ll give you the ride of your life.”
You are the ride of my life, I wanted to say, but didn’t. “You don’t have a helmet?”
“Nah, I really don’t need one. If you fall, you can’t whip out your...you know. But at least I can ditch my bike and become a mere black spot or something in human eyes. I won’t have a scratch on my body.
“Luuucky.” I extended the word. When I got on, Eli guided my arms around his waist. Having his arms on top of mine felt so intimate, and I liked that feeling. He patted them as if to confirm I was actually there. The way our bodies were pressed against each other felt so natural, so right, as if we had done this many times before.
Vroom! The engine roared and I quivered with excitement. Eli turned sideways to give me a grin. “Ready?”
I didn’t get to respond because he took off. We rode for miles in silence with my head on his back and my body molded to his. Hawaii had breathtaking scenery. I didn’t know the names of the trees and plants we passed, but certainly all the beautiful ones existed there. At one point, we passed a highway lined with trees for miles, sheltering it from the sun and creating a tunnel. Then we came upon a path bearing orchids of different colors.
Besides when I flew, I couldn’t recall feeling peace the way I did at that moment. No wonder he’d chosen the bike instead of a car as his means of transportation. And I could understand his love for his horse. I didn’t know how long it had been, but when we rode on the curve of the path to the mountain, I knew where we were going. I was confident in my sense of direction until we stopped.
Eli helped me off the bike and with the helmet. “Where are we?” I asked. Though I heard the soft sounds of a waterfall, I couldn’t tell where they were coming from. The trees and bushes blocked the view.
“There are many waterfalls in Hawaii, mostly on the Kona side. Some are on the map for the tourists, but other small ones that are difficult to get to from the road are not. This happens to be my favorite. I call it Eli’s Waterfall. To me, this waterfall is mine.” He chuckled, slipping his hand in mine. “Let me take you there.”
I thought we were going to hike up some unpaved road, but instead, in the blink of an eye we were standing on a ginormous boulder, facing a gentle but spectacular waterfall. We were surrounded by a landscape of colorful plants, bushes, and trees. If I could picture paradise, this would be it. Eli was right. It would be difficult to hike here. It was secluded, impossible to find.
“It’s beautiful,” I glanced at the spot where the sun’s rays hit the water, making it glow like Heaven’s light. It was even more marvelous when the light reflected off Eli coming out of the water. When he tossed his head back, I could see every single drop of water splash
ing around him. Only supernatural beings could see water in motion like that. Wait—Eli had been standing next to me a second ago. Now he was in the water?
“Come in and join me.” He gave me that sexy grin.
I flashed my eyes to the ground. His T-shirt and shorts were by my feet. He had left my sight without me even knowing. He was so sly.
“I don’t have a swimsuit.” I shook my head.
“Neither do I.” He patted the water, trying to tempt me.
“That’s different. You only have one place to cover. I have two.” My face turned red as I said the words.
“Who says I’m covering anything?”
My whole body turned blood red.
Eli continued, “If you don’t come, I’ll carry you myself. It’s your choice. And you know I’ll do it. I’ve done it before.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but secretly I enjoyed it. Two could play at this game. He’d made me blush, so it was my turn. I didn’t know where this side of me came from, but I slowly and seductively wiggled my shorts down. My T-shirt hung past my thighs, so he couldn’t see my undies. Then just before I crossed my arms to pull up my shirt, I gingerly opened up my wings, taking my time, loving the stretch.
The whole time, Eli’s eyes were glowing with lust and he couldn’t peel them away. He tried to act cool, even though he blushed and looked down at the water at times and then back up again.
Just before I pulled off my shirt, I closed my wings, wrapping myself as if in a cocoon. All he could see was the plush white feathers. When I jumped into the water, he never caught a glimpse.
I came up to see Eli next to me. Then his lips curled, followed by a chuckle. “I didn’t think you had it in you, girl with wings.”
I pushed the water with my hands, making sure to splash some at him. “What do you mean? I can be bold.”
His boisterous laugh echoed around us. It bounced off the boulders where the water streamed down. From the shore, I didn’t have to tilt my head back far to see the top of the waterfall, but in the water, I had to.