Balance (The Balance Series Book 1)

by Janelle Stalder

  “Oh that,” I said cringing. “I fell.”

  “You fell? How did you fall, and where?”

  “On my way to the library. It was nothing really. I thought I saw a dog sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, so I went to go around him, and I fell.” I was glad he couldn’t see my face, since I could feel the heat on it.

  “A dog?” He went silent for a moment. “Did you trip?”

  “No,” I answered rolling my eyes. “I was kind of running at the time, so I just lost my balance when I tried to swerve around him. I can’t really explain it, it was a stupid move.” He fell quiet again. I snuggled in against him, figuring the conversation was over.

  I was disappointed.

  “What kind of dog was it?”

  “Uh, I don’t know. A big, black one? Honestly I’m not a dog person, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you. It kind of looked like a Rottweiler, but all black.”

  It didn’t end there. “Why were you running in the first place?”

  I squirmed uncomfortably under his arm. I didn’t want to tell him, because he’d think I was stupid for letting the whole Brian thing get to me. “I was just getting some exercise,” I fibbed.

  “Where did the dog go afterward?”

  “Good lord, Caleb,” I said, lifting my head to look at him. “What is this, twenty questions?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was bothering you,” he said.

  Damn it, my reaction probably tipped him off that there was more to the story than I was letting on. I quickly lowered my head back down and closed my eyes. We were both quiet and eventually I began to fall asleep. I felt him kiss me lightly on the forehead just before I lost consciousness.

  The little devil like creatures were all around me again as I walked through the alley. Their long, red fingers that were covered in blisters and warts reached out, grabbing at my ankles and thighs. I tried to kick them away, but they were too quick for me. Thankfully the figure that had once stood at the end of the alley was no longer there.

  I might possibly get out of here, I thought, relieved. I ran down to the end of the alley, only to find myself stuck in another one. There were no open streets, or people around.

  I watched in horror as the shadow at the end of the new alley began to slither along the ground, a large, inky mass of ominous blackness. I blinked, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. The shadow moved as though it were some sort of being.

  A low, menacing growl emanated from it as it drew closer. My heart picked up speed, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my temple. Move. I had to move. I glanced back down the alley I had just come from and could see the red eyes of the creatures there, staring at me from their shadows, daring me to come close again. They were waiting for me to make my decision.

  I spun around, noticing another alley behind me had appeared. It was empty of any visible threat. This was my best course of action.

  I started to take a step forward, but hesitated. What if this is what they wanted me to do? What if there was something even worse down that way? I couldn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something there. I looked back over my shoulder and saw that the shadow was significantly closer. Shit. I had to make a decision, and fast.

  I had no choice, so I went down the new alley. I found myself running, hoping that if I was quick, whatever was down here wouldn’t be able to get a hold of me. I also wanted to put as much distance between me and the shadow as possible.

  I was only halfway down the alley when a figure stepped out at the end. I skidded to a stop, realizing what a huge error I had made. This was not the way I should have gone. The shadow had stopped at the ‘T’ where the three alleys met, blocking my way out. I looked back at the figure and felt my whole body start to shake in terror.

  The thing was about seven feet tall, with huge arms and a massive chest. I could see all the muscles rippling under his red skin. His eyes were dark, black coals, his nose wide and flat to his face. Two large horns sprang up from his head. His wide mouth was set in a sneer, and he laughed in what I could only assume was anticipation. There was no doubt that the creature was male.

  I couldn’t move with my legs shaking as badly as they were. He slowly moved forward, his hoofed feet making loud noises that vibrated off the brick walls.

  “I have been waiting for you, Miss. French,” he said in a husky voice. He chuckled as he moved closer.

  My teeth began to chatter as I slowly started to back away. The shadow growled behind me, reminding me there was nowhere else to retreat to.

  “Oh, don’t go anywhere,” he warned, “we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other.”

  “P..p..please leave m..m..me,” I stuttered uncontrollably.

  He threw his head back, laughing at my weakness. In a flash he was there, standing only a few feet away from me. It felt as though my heart was beating so fast it was seconds away from exploding. Why wasn’t Caleb saving me? Where was everyone?

  He reached out to grab me and I screamed at the top of my lungs. He held my arms tight to my body, immediately bruising each arm. I struggled to move, but it was useless, he was too strong.

  “Let’s get started,” he said in a voice that made all consciousness slip away.

  Dermot watched as the girl’s dream unfolded. He could smell her fear through the other creatures, even from the comfort of his own home. She was shaking so badly her teeth were chattering. He knew that her body would really be shaking as she slept. It was perfect.

  His underling grabbed her arms and forced himself on her. She called out for Caleb in a feeble attempt to get help, but this was the one place Caleb wouldn’t be able to get to her. He could protect her all he wanted to when she was awake, but while she slept she was his, thought Dermot, smiling to himself.

  “This isn’t necessary,” came a voice from the corner of the room. He turned to see Collin standing against the wall, hidden by the shadows.

  “Don’t be weak,” he said.

  The girl would pay for turning his son against him.

  Caleb felt helpless as he watched Vivian toss and turn in her bed. He didn’t understand what was happening. He had never seen anyone dream like this before. She continuously moaned, even calling out his name a number of times.

  He wanted to help, but no matter how hard he shook her, or said her name, she wouldn’t wake up. It was impossible. All he could do was hold her and wait for it to be over. The dream would have to end at some point, and then she’d be fine. He wouldn’t even mention what he had seen once she was awake.

  It was five in the morning now and she was still trapped in the dream that had been torturing her all night. He continued to watch from the real world as she occasionally would cry out. She had soaked her pillow and t-shirt, her skin flushed. He felt her head and realized she was feverish.

  “This is not right,” he whispered to himself. People didn’t get fevered from a dream. Dreams weren’t real.

  The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt sick, reaching out to brace himself on the bedpost. There was only one person that could accomplish something as appalling as this. Only one person who would actually have the audacity. He watched the love of his life writhe under his father’s evil influence.

  He had gone too far.

  This was all because of Brian Connor. Caleb knew he had overstepped his boundaries when he had walked into that cell. His father had underestimated his power, and it had come back to bite him. Dermot knew that Caleb could kill and torture people with expert precision, barely leaving a mark.

  What he didn’t realize was that Caleb could destroy someone to the point where they completely disintegrated. Nothing was left of the person. No one would find Brian Connor anymore, because he no longer existed. Caleb made sure the punishment he wreaked on Brian would be the worst.

  His father must have realized something more had happened to him than just foul play, since he could no longer feel his presence. When someone gave themselves over to Der
mot Banks, he had a hold on them forever. His hold was broken the minute Caleb sucked the very last strand of life from Brian’s body. It wouldn’t have taken Dermot long to suspect who would have been capable of achieving such an act.

  His obvious choice of Vivian over his father would have made his father go mad. It would have pushed him to react in extreme measures, but he would fear Caleb’s position in it all. He would have known that Caleb would protect her no matter what.

  That is, unless he attacked her where Caleb couldn’t protect her – in her own head. His father was still the stronger of the two, no matter how strong Caleb was. Caleb could do considerable damage to his brothers, but his father had more tricks up his sleeves than Caleb could even fathom.

  Vivian let out another moan. Caleb watched as a single tear escape from the corner of her eye, running down her temple into her damp hair. It was his fault that his father was doing this to her. He sat down and buried his head in his hands. He had never felt so weak and powerless in his entire life.

  As he sat and watched her, he could see a large bruise start to form on each of her arms. He could almost make out actual finger marks. He needed to know who his father had sent to her. The anger that burned in his stomach now made him want to rip his father’s heart out.

  Caleb doubted very much his father even had one.

  He got up and paced the room, trying to calm his nerves down. He wanted to go see his father immediately, but couldn’t leave Vivian. Caleb never wanted to leave her, if it meant she was in the least bit of danger. Her fever was intensifying, but he knew his father couldn’t keep her locked in the dream forever. There had to be a limit to his power.

  At seven her alarm went off, signalling it was time for work, but she didn’t stir. She wouldn’t be able to work that day anyway. Hopefully her parents would think she was ill. The fever would help with that pretence, he decided.

  Caleb waited by her side until she woke up. As he watched her troubled face, he swore that he would not let her be hurt again, even if it killed him.

  He stared down laughing at me as I lay helpless on the alley floor. I closed my eyes and could feel my body still feverishly hot from his touch. It was as if his body were made of fire. It was at that point that I heard Caleb’s clear voice calling for me to open my eyes.

  Finally, I thought, he had come to rescue me.

  When I opened them again I was in my bedroom. The clock said it was seven-thirty in the morning.

  “It was a dream,” I breathed out.

  Caleb was kneeling beside my bed with a look on his face as if I’d just risen from the dead. The circles under his eyes showed me that he hadn’t slept, and I wondered what I had been doing in my sleep to keep him up. My cheeks flamed as I reached up to touch my skin. My head felt sweaty and all my muscles ached.

  “I need some water,” I croaked through parched lips.

  “Of course,” he answered quickly, jumping to his feet and leaving the room.

  I pressed my palm to my forehead and could tell I had a fever. I tried not to reflect back to the dream, but I couldn’t help but think how real it had been. Every touch, every smell, had felt as though I had really been in the alley.

  The man, or thing, had been so incredibly vivid, his voice still echoed in my head. I glanced down my body, shocked to see two, clear bruises on both my arms where he had first grabbed me. His touch had left traces on my skin. How could something I dreamt, manifest itself in real life? My mouth dropped open as I traced the perfect outlines of his long fingers.

  Caleb walked in then, faltering to a stop as he watched me beneath lowered brows.

  “How?” was all I managed, my voice cracking as tears burned the backs of my eyes and throat.

  “I don’t know.” He sounded defeated, his shoulders slumping as he closed the distance between us, sitting on the edge of the bed. “It doesn’t make any sense, but I could see them slowly develop, and worsen as the night wore on.” He reached out and grazed the now blue and black skin, his lips flattening into a thin line. With a deep sigh, he handed me a glass and some Tylenol.

  “Thanks,” I said, swallowing the two pills in one gulp.

  “I don’t think you should go to work today,” he said, his eyes roaming over me. I could only imagine what I looked like. “You feel warm, and you don’t look well. I can tell everyone you’re sick.” He lightly stroked the tangled hair from my brow.

  “I feel fine,” I lied. I felt like shit, but what was I going to do at home all day by myself? The silence and solitude would drive me nuts, and leave too much opportunity for me to think back on my night. There was no way I was going back to sleep, I thought with a sense of panic.

  “Vivian, you are not fine, you are sick. Stay in bed today and rest,” he said in a tone that offered no argument. “I will stay with you, don’t worry, but you’re not going to work.”

  “You’re going to stay?” I asked quickly.

  He looked me over with concern, and tried to smile. “I will stay here as long as you need me to.”

  “Thank you,” I said, sinking back into the pillow.

  The two of us spent the day hanging out in my family room and watching television. I had gone down shortly after I’d woken up and told my parents I wasn’t feeling well. They took one look at me and were immediately concerned. My father said I looked like hell, which was probably the most accurate description. They tried to make me go and see a doctor, but I assured them it was just a fever, and that I would rest it off.

  Dad had left for work, and my mother had made prior commitments to go help a neighbour with something, so luckily we had the house to ourselves.

  Caleb had tried numerous times to suggest I sleep a bit, but I flat out refused. The images were waiting just behind my eyelids, and I wouldn’t give in.

  At around four my mother came back home, and was surprised to see Caleb there. She expressed her gratitude for him looking after me throughout the afternoon, and went off to make us both some supper.

  Caleb was oddly quiet for most of the day. He never once asked me about the dream, which I was thankful for. He seemed just as edgy as I felt, but did everything in his power to act otherwise. I wasn’t stupid though, I felt how tense he was.

  I ate very little at dinner, having no appetite at all. My mother said I needed to get some sleep, but I told her I was fine. It occurred to me that night time was indeed approaching, and sleep was the normal thing to do. I vowed to myself that I would stay awake though. I couldn’t go back to that place. I wouldn’t.

  “I should probably go home for a little bit,” Caleb said as we sat in my room. “I’ll come back later when your parents are asleep, since I’m sure you don’t want them knowing I spend the night.”

  Reluctantly I agreed, and walked him downstairs so my parents would see him leave. I told them I was going to bed, and headed back to my room. I looked at my bed wearily, and decided that sitting outside would be better. I needed fresh air, and I had to try my best to stay awake.

  I climbed over the edge of my window and lowered myself carefully onto the garage roof. The night air felt cold on my face. As I lay back, staring up at the sky, I started to think back to my conversation with Artem the night before.

  My dream was probably related to that exchange, I thought to myself. It made sense that a conversation about the Devil and demons right before I’d gone to bed would have my subconscious mind creating all sorts of images. What baffled me was the reality of it all. The sights and sounds had been so clear, I could have sworn I was really there. I slowly found myself rubbing my arms where the mysterious bruises were. Those didn’t make any logical sense either.

  My mind started to go over everything we had talked about at the library, and the events leading up to it. Maybe I had bruised my arms when I fell, I reasoned. The clear shape of a hand could just be a coincidence. I knew I was fooling myself, but any other possible explanation at this point was escaping me.

  It dawned on me then that Artem had never t
old me why he felt the need to tell me all that. Now that I thought about it, he conveniently eluded the question all together.

  “Damn him,” I muttered to myself. The next time I saw him I would make sure to ask. There had to be a reason why he thought any of that knowledge would be of some relevance to me, unless he just liked to discuss his hobbies. There was no way demons were really walking around the earth, interfering with people’s daily affairs, I laughed to myself.

  Feeling suddenly anxious sitting out in the open by myself, I sat up and glanced around my empty street. I didn’t know when Caleb would return, but it wouldn’t be soon enough.

  My eyes felt heavy with fatigue, so I decided it was time to take measures in order to stay awake. I climbed back into my room and went down to the kitchen to grab a pop. My dad ignored me as I made my return trip back up to my room.

  Trying to buy some time before Caleb returned, I decided to call Amanda and catch up on everything I had probably missed since the last time I had seen her. I didn’t even know how she’d enjoyed the charity ball. It also felt nice to do something that felt familiar to me, as though I was returning from the fantasy land I lived in when I was with Caleb.

  I got comfy as the other end rang.

  Caleb hurried home from Vivian’s house, wanting nothing more than to return to her as soon as he could. He had tried his best the whole afternoon to remain calm, but he could tell by the way she jumped at tiny sounds, and how taut her shoulders felt, that the dream had done its damage.

  He wanted to know exactly what had happened, but he wouldn’t dare ask Vivian until she was willing to bring it up herself. It pained him more than he could comprehend to see her in distress. Knowing it would only be worse for her once she was alone was more than enough reason to want to hurry back.

  As the elevator climbed the floors to their condo, he tried to work out what he would say to his father. He didn’t want to come out and accuse him of anything unfounded, and yet he knew there was no other explanation. The anger that he had worked so hard to suppress all day began to work its way to the surface again. He could feel his eyes darkening as the numbers increased.