“It was nice tah meet ya’r gramma and sis,” he said between bites. His back was against the fallen log that borders the creek. “Is that it for ya’r siblin’s or do ya have a big, menacin’ brother I should look out for?”
I nodded and took a swig of my soda before answering. “I have a brother. But don’t pull a muscle glancing over your shoulder for him. He’s too hung up on his new girlfriend to worry about anything or anyone else.”
“He still worries. It’s his job.” If only Caleb knew how much truth that statement held…
“Yeah, I guess.”
“’Course he does.” Caleb polished off his sandwich, then plucked a handful of grapes. As he popped them in his mouth, he scooted down until he was leaning back on one elbow with his legs stretched out. “Tha’s as it should be. So, where are ya’r mum and da? How come they weren’t there tah give ya’r date the once over?”
There it was. The painful topic that cut its way in every time I met someone new. Next would come the look of sadness and pity as I revealed the awful truth. He would tell me he was sorry, although I never understood why people say that. It wasn’t their fault, what do they have to apologize for?
Hoping to skip out on the sympathetic look part, I cast my gaze down to the ground. “My mom’s in Michigan. She’s gonna move here soon. But my dad…he died in an accident almost two years ago.”
Silence.
Then, “I lost both me parents when I was four.”
My head whipped up. Written plainly on his face was the same pain I wrestled with every single day. “I’m so sorry!”
Hmmm, what do you know? It’s a reflex.
“Right af’er that I was taken out of Ir’land and haven’t been back since.”
“You lost your family and your home at the same time?”
A strand of hair tangled with his lashes as he hung his head and nodded.
“That’s terrible.” I wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him in some way. But I didn’t know quite how, or if it would make him feel worse rather than better. Instead, I folded my hands and mashed them into my lap.
His smile didn’t quite match the pain in his eyes. I knew that look well. I often wore it myself. “I din’t tell ya this tah gain ya’r pity. I just wanted ya tah know that it gets easier with time.” He laid his hand over mine. “The pain ne’er goes away, but after a while ya build up a tolerance to it. It gets easier tah think—tah breathe.”
His frankness and understanding unlocked an emotional floodgate I didn’t even know I harbored. My mouth opened and pent up feelings gushed out. “Once in a while I wake up and forget what happened. There’s a split second when everything’s okay. Dad’s downstairs sipping his coffee. His jacket is thrown over the back of his chair like always and he’s getting ready to leave for work. Then I remember.” My voice cracked. Without a word, Caleb sat up and moved beside me. He brushed the hair off my face, and softly ran his hand down my back. “It all comes crushing back. I relive the whole thing. The phone call. The hospital. The funeral. The days that followed. Dad was gone, and we were shattered. Broken.” I glanced at Caleb. His concern etched deep creases between his brows. “The hope that it will get better is all that gets me through those moments.”
He curled his index finger under my chin and tipped my face up toward his. The understanding in his eyes comforted my soul. “Sweet, Celeste. Ya’r young heart already bears so many scars.”
He leaned in so slowly it almost hurt. In seconds, I would delight in the touch of those perfect lips. I felt the warmth of his breath on my face and closed my eyes.
“Promise you won’t cause another one?” I knew I had spoken those words, but had no idea why. Perhaps my long suppressed vulnerability decided it was done being ignored? I pulled my eyes open, almost afraid to see how he would react.
Caleb hesitated. Being this close to him I could see flecks of amber weaved into his emerald eyes. I didn’t want him to stop. I wanted him to bridge the gap between us and press his lips to mine. As he pulled away, it become obvious that wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I don’t know where that came from. I’m not some clingy co-dependant chick. Promise. It was just kind of a heavy moment and it got to me, ya know?”
“Ya have nothin’ to apologize for.” Caleb’s jaw tensed and his nostrils flared. He sprang up and put a few feet between us. “This is on me. I just…I can’t do this. Do ya’rself a favor, Celeste. Stay far, far away from me.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked with a nervous laugh. I wanted to think he was kidding, but his change in demeanor argued otherwise.
He snatched his backpack off the ground and flung it over his shoulder. All the while he kept his head down and wouldn’t look at me. “Ya’r a good girl. The last thing I want is tah bring more pain in tah ya’r life.”
“So, don’t,” I shrugged. “It’s just that simple.”
His turned his back to me but paused as if contemplating that statement. “Nothin’ is that simple.”
Without even a backward glance, he strode in the direction of the path.
That brought me to my feet in a hurry. “Whoa, hey! Where are you going? Look, I have no idea what just happened here. But maybe we could talk about it, and you could clue me in?”
“Thar’s nothin’ tah talk about,” he tossed back, but didn’t break gait. “Bad weather’s movin’ in. I gotta get my bike home.” With that he picked up his pace. He trotted down the path and quickly vanished from sight.
I stood there, staring up at the gray clouds that were moving in fast. Maybe they could offer an explanation. He had to get his motorcycle home? But it was okay to abandon me in the mountains? Seriously?!
My confusion rapidly transformed into white-hot anger. “CAN I AT LEAST HAVE A RIDE HOME, YOU BIG JERK?!”
Mother Nature answered, but Caleb stayed silent. The clouds brought with them a violent windstorm. Towering trees snapped and creaked in protest as torrential winds kicked up and forced them to bow in half. My feet were blown out from under me. I pinwheeled through the air. Leaves, sticks, and the remnants of our lunch cycloned around me and lashed at my skin. My hair whipped my face raw. With frantic hands I reached out for something I could latch onto to anchor myself. My nails scrapped across the bark of a sapling. But just as I closed my hand around it, the wind claimed it. It was ripped from the ground, roots and all. I flew backward through the heavy branches of a pine tree. The needles sliced at my skin until I slammed into the tree’s trunk. I wrapped my bloodied and battered arms around it and clung tight. Tears and snot streamed down my face. I tried to reassure myself that it was from the crushing wind and not the crappy turn the evening had taken. But that was a line even I wasn’t buying.
CHAPTER 16
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re back to dragging us out to patrol in the middle of the night.” Keni yawned and scratched her shoulder through her tropical fruit pjs. I’d barely given her time to put on shoes before I forced her into the truck. It was a two-piece cotton set with a button-up shirt and long pants, so at least she wouldn’t freeze. “Really, sleep is highly overrated.”
“Did you two defeat the entire Dark Army while I was out tonight?” I snapped. With as hard as my hands gripped the steering wheel it’s surprising I didn’t snap it in half.
“Uh, no.” Keni’s sleepy eyes widened at my harsh tone.
“Then we need to patrol. Plus, it’s not the middle of the night. It’s only eleven-thirty.” I knew exactly what time it was because staring at my watch was really all I could do for the two hours I spent cowered under the shelter of a huge pine tree waiting for the downpour that had hit to let up. When it finally eased up I walked all the way home soaking wet and chilled to the bone. I couldn’t even use my souped up speed because too many people were still outside milling about. Three hours of being soaked and frozen. That didn’t improve my foul mood at all. As soon as I got home I stood under the shower until the water tur
ned cold, layered on as much flannel and denim as I could find, and roused my brother and sister. I needed the release of kicking a little demon butt.
“Ya know, some of us actually have lives,” Keni grumbled and ran her fingers through her wicked case of bed-head. “Gabe’s team is prepping for the play offs.” Gabe grunted a confirmation. He’s the assistant coach for the Gainesboro High football team. “And the rehearsals for the school production of South Pacific started today. I’m trying out for Nellie Forbush and sang Honey Bun enough times to make my throat raw. All I wanted tonight was to get a good night’s sleep so I could be rested and prepared for the dance portion tomorrow.”
“I’ll talk to the forces of darkness and ask them to work any evil plans they may have around your busy schedules.” I glowered.
“Can you do that?” she asked, with genuine interest. My sarcasm escaped her.
Gabe’s buzzed head appeared between us. His meaty arms draped over the seat. “Date sucked, huh?”
“No!” I lied. “ I just take upholding my sacred duty very seriously. You should, too.”
He raised one eyebrow and snorted. “Yeah. Sacred duty. Sure.”
I tilted my rearview mirror so I could see him, and—more importantly—so he could see the glare meant just for him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Down girl. Breathe,” he said, with his palms raised. “It’s pretty obvious what happened. You went out with a dude. Then a few hours later you stormed into the house, dripping wet with chattering teeth. Sucky date is the only answer to that equation. Now you’re looking to take your nastiness out on the Dark Army, but until then we get to bear the brunt of it.”
I turned onto Dole, the main road that led through the heart of Gainesboro. All the businesses were closed. Old fashion black streets lights provided the only light for the sleeping town. I sighed. Gabe had hit close enough to the mark to deflate my anger a bit. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault things with Caleb went beyond terrible.”
“What happened?” Keni asked. Her head tilted like an inquisitive little puppy.
“I have no idea!” I erupted. “Things seemed to be going great! Great conversation, great setting, great connection. Everything seemed great, great, GREAT!”
“Seems like a whole lot of great.”
“See, that’s just it!” I jabbed a finger at Keni. I couldn’t blame her when she winced. “It was great. Which is why I have no idea what happened! One second we’re about to kiss, the next he’s running out of the mountains like someone lit him on fire.”
Worry creased Kendall’s forehead and her hand fluttered up to her mouth. “Oh-no! Is that why we’re going up there? Do you think he got lost?”
I let go of the steering long enough to throw my hands in the air. “No, he didn’t get lost! He said bad weather was coming and he had to get his stupid motorcycle home. Then he left me in the clearing—alone—in the middle of a friggin’ storm!”
Gabe laid a “comforting” hand on my shoulder. “I saw that bike, Cee. I would’ve left you for it, too.”
I shot him a look over my shoulder. “You’d abandon me for a Vespa.”
“Probably.”
Kendall could always be counted on to give people the benefit of the doubt. Even if they didn’t deserve it. “Maybe he got sick and had to get home quick.”
“If you get sick, you drop your date off at home with an explanation! You don’t hightail it out of the woods and leave her to fend for herself. I could’ve been eaten by a bear!”
My sister folded her arms and gave me a look of disbelief. “No, you couldn’t. You could, like, totally take a bear.”
“You know that, and I know that, but Caleb didn’t know that! For all he knows I was dinner to a whole family of bears.”
“I still think he must’ve had a good reason.” She shrugged.
“There is no good reason to turn your date into bear food!”
I was looking at Keni, not the road, so it came as a complete surprise to me when Gabe screamed, “Celeste! Look out!”
I whipped my head toward the road and slammed on the brakes. A shadowy figure was standing in the middle of the street. I swerved to miss it, the wheel cranked hard to the right. The truck thumped over the curb and narrowly missed taking out a light pole by mere inches.
Gabe’s hands gripped the front seat to steady himself. “What’s that dude’s problem? Does he want to get hit by a car?”
I zeroed in on the form in the road. Hunched over. Elongated arms. And there seemed to be something wrong with its head. “That’s no ordinary dude.”
As if to prove me right, the figure leapt off the ground. With one jump it crossed the near fifteen feet between us and landed on the hood of my truck. It shuttered under the impact. Suction-cupped fingers adhered to my windshield.
“Demon!” Keni shrieked. Fabric tore as her wings jotted out behind her. She kept them pulled in close, but curled the ends around her.
“What was your first clue?” Gabe’s voice dropped octaves. His features became more feline than human. “The bright blue skin with festive yellow spots? Or the creepy frog face?”
With his wide, down turned mouth, bug eyes and slimy looking skin this guy didn’t just resemble a frog, he was one. A man-sized frog walking on two legs and wearing clothes from Old Navy’s new fall line. There was a time in my life when I would’ve found this sight shocking. Now it was just another day on the job.
Keni cast an annoyed look over her wing. “I really don’t think that tone is helping matters, do you?”
Before Gabe could answer, Frog Boy used his suction cup fingers to jerk my windshield right off my truck. It broke free with a loud pop.
“Hey!” In a fit of anger I fumbled to unhook my seatbelt. “You better be able to fix that or I’m taking it out of your slime covered hide!” He tossed the glass over his shoulder. It crashed to the ground in a million piece. “Bad move, Kermie. Now I’m kickin’ your…gaahh!”
He cut of my threat by flicking his insanely long tongue in my direction. I brought my arm up to shield my face. The wriggly pink appendage wrapped around my forearm and yanked me out of the truck. With the twist of his head, he flung me through the air. I slammed into the front of Angel Cakes Bakery and took out their plastic winged-cake sign with my foot. The red brick face of the building scraped a layer of skin off my back as I slide to the sidewalk below. Before I could gather my footing, Frog Boy sprung through the air. He suctioned his hands and feet on either side of me to pin me in. His wide mouth, absent of teeth, hung open. Spittle dripped from his tongue—that was still around my arm—and landed on my jeans. As if that wasn’t cringe-worthy enough I could see a thick layer of mucus that covered his electric blue skin. I pulled my arms and legs as far out of “potential frog goo” range as I possibly could. He stared down at me with vacant, black eyes. I didn’t see threatening intentions. I saw—well—nothing.
Keni climbed out of the truck with her ivory wings arched up behind her. Gabe dove through the vacant windshield and morphed in mid-air. He landed as the majestic tawny lion. His russet mane danced in the night breeze as he threw his head back to unleash an impressive roar. Frog legs were on the menu tonight.
He made it two strides before a voice behind interjected, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Gabe came to an abrupt halt. His head whipped around. I could’ve sworn he rolled his eyes. I sat up a little straighter trying to see around Frog Boy without touching him and his grossness. Striding across the deserted street like they were doing a slow-mo dramatic entrance in an action movie came the Glee Club. They all wore black jeans, black T-shirts and black trench coats that hung off their scrawny frames. They halted out of striking distance from our giant cat and struck what looked like pre-rehearsed poses. Boil Face went with hands on the hips. Red kept his down at his sides. Eddie folded his across his chest. The lone twin faltered, glanced sideways at his friends, and raised his pinkie to his lips.
�
�So, Conduit, we meet at last,” Eddie declared in a forced deep voice whilst doing some odd eyebrow movements.
“Meet at last?” I leaned forward and got a sickening dose of Frog Boy’s fly breath as he hissed at me. “Oh, hush,” I said to the frog, then went back to Eddie. “What are you talking about? I just saw you…”
“Spare me your lies vixen!” Eddie snapped. Was that panic that flashed in his eyes? “And there’s no use for you or your comrades to fight against our friend, Dendro, here. His DNA has been meshed with that of a Dart Frog. The toxic secretions oozing off his skin are the same that are used to coat the tips of blow darts. Direct contact will result in a very painful death.”
I pressed myself up against the wall and as far away from Dendro as I could. Without a trace of emotion or apparent thought, he gaped down at me.
“So call him off,” Keni bubbled with a shrug. “Nice coats by the way.”
His tough exterior crumbled momentarily under the weight of Keni’s beaming grin. “Thanks,” Eddie gushed. Red elbowed him in the ribs and he quickly returned to posturing, “We won’t call him off because you are now our prisoners with no way to escape. Dendro only has one weak spot and you will never find it.” Boil Face reached his arms back like he was stretching and pointed to the back of Eddie’s head. Red’s eyes flicked from me to the back of Twin’s head and then pointedly back to me.
Gabe’s bones snapped and shifted him back into his human form. He hid himself behind the fallen Angel Cakes sign. “All right. Enough.” His pecs rose and fell as he emitted a low growl. “You’re gonna make your frog friend release my sister or I’m gonna tear you apart one by one.”
“Silence beast!” Eddie demanded.
Boil Face spun on him. “Du-ude!”
The mohawked demon fell out of character. “I know,” he squeaked to his friend. “I got caught up in the moment.”
Lucky for him, Red picked up his slack. “We will not release her! She will accompany us to the Underworld unless you ill-kay the og-fray.”
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