Catalyst

by Shelly Crane

  I was in and out of sleep all night. So was Cain. He woke several times in a fit of dreams. I'd wake him and he'd grab me as if checking to make sure he wasn't still dreaming. He kept me against him all night and once again, I felt bad for putting him through all that.

  "I love you," I whispered into his chest, my fingers dancing lightly over his skin, after he'd gone back to sleep. "I'm sorry for everything. I’m not sorry I saved you though and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But I love you, so much."

  I let me eyes drift closed and then heard his rumble, "Ditto that last part." I smiled and snuggled in, hearing him continue to tell me what I already knew. "I love you too, lovely."

  Going Out Swinging

  Chapter 36- Sherry

  I leaned my neck back and let Merrick's lips move against and graze my skin there. I couldn't think of anything that felt better than his kisses on my neck. The tingles and shocks they induced… But then he found my mouth again and I knew I was wrong.

  I loved Merrick like that; rough and possessive and commanding. He was always like that after a fight, or a battle, or when he'd been away from me. We'd had all three of those in the past couple days. So, needless to say, I was thoroughly enjoying the session.

  As he kissed me over and over, I told him things with my hands while my mouth was occupied. With my fingers in the flesh of his arms, I told him that I loved him and loved what he was doing. With my hand in his hair, I told him that I'd missed him. With my legs wrapped around him, I told him to never leave me again, though that was a request that neither of us could fill.

  Afterwards, I was probably the most exhausted I ever remember being. I pondered the events of the day as he traced circles into my back with his fingers. Racine had eventually gotten up and even eaten a small bowl of noodles, albeit silently. Then she went to bed. Daniel never came out of his room and that was probably a good thing considering he was on Cain's hit list. We'd talked briefly about the food crisis, but the end of the night, everyone was just tired and had enough so we decided to have a meeting tomorrow. Ryan has stayed with Ellie all night. I'd checked on them and he was content to sit on the end of her bed with her feet in his lap. Billings took some pills from Miguel, even after the pills I had given him, but apparently those had more kick. He started singing and asking everyone to dance, eventually passing out on the sofa. Marissa told us about the hospital, how Billings must be sensitive to medicine and we all have a good, needed laugh at his unconscious expense. And Jeff. Good old Jeff was going to be a daddy, and had passed out in front of everyone like a grandma at a P. Diddy concert.

  I smiled at that thought.

  "Hmm. Grinning in the dark is always a good sign," he murmured against my hair.

  "How do you know what I'm up to, Keeper?"

  "Because I know you. And I could feel it. Thank you for…that, wife."

  "Gah, I love it when you call me that," I said and moved my hand against his chest.

  "I know," he rumbled.

  "I know that you know," I replied and giggled.

  "So, are you going to tell me what Lily did? Or are you going to try to bargain?" he asked and sat up to look at me.

  "No. I don't think I want to know what happened to you out there. Not anymore." I shook my head. "It's too hard to let you go when I know exactly what can happen." I sighed and once again felt torn about the whole thing. Lily had this amazing gift, but it could also be a curse. I told him everything.

  He listened and nodded, his fist ramming through his hair a few times when I told him about what she did for Daniel.

  "Wow. I've never heard of anything like that before. She's…"

  "I know," I agreed, knowing he'd say that. "It's all unprecedented."

  "I'm sorry I wasn't here." He pulled my back closer to his chest. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that by yourself."

  "It's ok," I answered and turned to kiss his jaw. "It'll all be ok."

  "So…are you tired?" he asked me low and nipped my earlobe.

  "Merrick!" I scoffed. "We've been up for hours already."

  "So. What's another hour? Come on, wife."

  I groaned and laughed. "So I go from being cut-off to non-stop?"

  "Husband's prerogative."

  I laughed and just as I gave in and let him brace himself over me, his kisses replacing all humor with want, we heard a noise outside our room. We stilled.

  "It's probably one of the kids walking around or something," Merrick whispered against my lips.

  Then we heard it again, and it was grunting like fighting. Then yelling.

  Merrick scrambled up and threw on his discarded jeans. He peeked out the door, told me to stay, and then blurred away. I pulled on his shirt quickly and peeked out too. They were a couple others peeking as well and we all shrugged at each other.

  I made my way to the end of the hall and saw Daniel locked in a fight with a Lighter, right there in the middle of the commons room. How the heck had he gotten in here? Merrick searched and I knew what he was looking for. I saw a stake on the TV stand, yelled for him and tossed it to him. It was dark, but he could see it.

  As there was a pile of people on both sides of the commons room watching I wondered how the Lighter had gotten in. Daniel and Jeff dragged him outside, so as not to destroy our house with its lightning, and expelled him quickly. They blurred back in and locked the trap door back.

  "Who opened this door for him?" Merrick barked.

  "I did!" Polly said and appeared from the kitchen. "Had to. Made me."

  What was she babbling about? But Merrick's face twisted and he went to her. We'd never found Polly before when we looked for her. We assumed she'd ran away to escape punishment or went on a preemptive banishment. But there she was and something was clearly wrong with her.

  "Piper gave me to them. Had to, made me."

  Merrick lifted her shirt and there was a patch on her ribs. I covered my mouth. It was the first time I was sorry for Polly. Wait a minute….

  "Did you say Piper gave you to them?" I asked, my voice shrill.

  "Piper…gave me to them. I had to…made me…"

  "She must have done it when they were down here earlier." Merrick shook his head. 'Why would she do this?" he groaned. "To her own charge? She knows she'll die now."

  "Cause she a heartless b-"

  "Celeste," Danny cut her off and looked at us. "She's in the commons room and she's seen us all. She was walking around outside and led one of them to us. It's over. We have to leave here."

  "You're right," Merrick grunted unhappily. "You are right." He let out a slew of curse words along with Piper's name and I winced because he never talked that like, but I didn't blame him.

  "What are we going to do now?" Kay asked and put an arm around Celeste. "Where will we go?"

  "Wait," Max said and shook his head, always the skeptic. "Piper couldn’t have done this. To her own charge? No. No way. Maybe Polly is mistaken."

  "Not a chance, Max," Jeff said. "She did this and you know it as well as I do. She won't be a prisoner anymore either. I'll take care of her myself," he ground out. He glanced around at us all, he reached back for Marissa, but his gaze landed on Merrick. "We've had a good run, brother, but we better get a move on."

  "Polly…" Merrick said and sighed, fisting his hair into an unruly spike.

  "I'll do it, Merrick. I'll get it over with," Miguel said and Celeste whimpered behind him. Her eyes watered and Danny pulled her into his side. "Sorry, Celeste. I didn't mean to sound so callous about it…with your mom only been gone for...."

  "It's ok. It has to be done." She sniffed and then gasped and looked out into the hall passed the stairwell. "Josh?"

  "No," Josh's voice said. Then he appeared and I felt an urge to hug the crap out of him like he always did me. Josh. He was no longer mangled and in the training room on the floor, waiting a burial. He was walking, talking, right there in front of us, alive and the cause of our gasps. But then he said, "I'm not Josh."

  Merrick and Jeff went t
o him, but before anything was done or said, another guest made an appearance. Ellie emerged from the hall in a stumbling run, yelling. Ryan chased after her. Just as he made it to her, she collapsed on him. "They're coming. I sense them, but if you kill them all, you'll be safe."

  "What are you-"

  "It'll be Lighters," Marissa said and squinted as if looking at something, "and Markers and something we've never seen before. No one else will know we're here, so Ellie is right. If we destroy them all we'll be safe. But they are coming and there are many of them. Soon." She looked at Ellie and said softly, "What are you?"

  "I'm some kind of wall for their senses."

  "That's what the Lighter was going on about?" Danny asked. "My gift wouldn’t work on him when he was holding you in the yard."

  She nodded, breathing hard and fast. She must've still been in pain from the wound. "He knew what I was then. I suspected something was wrong with me for a while. But when the Lighters took me, they never sensed or said anything so I just thought I was imagining it. But I wasn't. I feel it…"

  "You're a Shield," Merrick said and cocked his head. "Funny. I can't sense a gift on you either. I guess it works against all of us." He clucked his tongue. "But you're right. If we can get the ones that are coming, then none of the others will find us. They won't sense or be able to be directed here by Lighter senses because you'll shield all that. But you also make it where we can't sense them either, so we need to stay on our toes."

  "They'll be here within the hour," Marissa announced, causing everyone to take a breath.

  "Ok," Merrick replied, looking at me then at Ellie. "Thank you, Ellie. It's ok. We'll take care of it."

  She nodded and exhaled, like she was glad that they believed her. She let Ryan wrap his arms around her to help hold her up and she sagged against him. He kissed her forehead and whispered things to her, but I focused on Merrick.

  "So," Merrick started, "we need to get together a plan for when they come. Get some more grenades and things ready."

  "Ah," I groaned. "Really, how much more can happen to us in one day?"

  Then my whole world shifted. My whole life changed in a heartbeat. A painful and gut wrenching heartbeat.

  A Lighter had planted and hid himself at the back of the stairwell and emerged from the darkness…ramming a switchblade right into the back of the love of my life.

  I screamed.

  My feet moved faster than I thought possible and though Danny and even Cain tried to pull me back as Jeff and Max wrestled the Lighter, nothing could do the job. I knelt and a sob that hurt my stomach and throat let loose.

  "No, no, no," I murmured and leaned down into Merrick's face. "Baby, we talked about this."

  But my Keeper didn't answer me. My fingers shaking, I reached for his neck, for his pulse. There was none and I collapsed on him. I couldn't think or hear or feel except to scream. The tears were extra hot, like they knew the burn in my chest was worse at this loss.

  It couldn't be…it wasn't true…please no…

  Then I felt a rub on my shoulder. I glanced up to see Cain. He was grimacing and biting on his lip ring. He nodded his head towards the hall and I saw Lily coming down the hall. I hated what popped into my head: Ask her to save him. Was she going to be forced to save every person who got hurt for now on? But Merrick wasn't hurt. He was dead. And he was her daddy.

  I tried to speak, but could find no words. Cain braced me from behind so I wouldn’t fall over. I must have swayed.

  I wanted to tell Lily to come to me, to let me hold her, but instead, I watched as she walked with purpose.

  "Don't hurt him, Uncle Jeff. I need him," she said of the Lighter.

  "Lily, I don’t-" Jeff tried.

  "I need him."

  She knelt down next to Merrick and looked at him sweetly and touched his cheek. Then she looked up at Jeff, who was still wrestling the Lighter, and held her hand out.

  "What? What Lily?"

  "I have to touch him."

  He glanced at me and I have no idea what I did; nodded, shook my head, just sat there. I was devoid again, but for good reason this time.

  But then Lily…she touched them both at the same time and an arc of white light leapt from the Lighter's body to Merrick's, which jumped at the intrusion. It lasted all of ten seconds.

  Was this a dream? Was it too much to hope that Lily had saved him even though he was gone? What was she? She could take life from one creature and give it to another? She looked at me and said, "Evil taketh away, good giveth another day. Mrs. Twudy told me that."

  Lillian had said something about an old lady talking to Lily… and I had been having those dreams of Mrs. Trudy. What was going on?

  I was shocked, confused and hysterical as I waited to see if Lily was going to bring him back. With my fingers fisted into his shirt to ground myself, I watched his face to see if he'd open those green eyes and tell my heart to beat again. I waited.

  And then….and then…

  The end for now...

  The thank you's could go on for miles.

  First of all, my God and my family. The readers who have picked up this book and my others as well are the reason I do this. It’s been SO much fun getting to know all different kinds of people from all over the world who have read something of mine. It’s humbling in every sense of the word and I thank you for allowing me to be a little piece of your world. You guys are the best and I love to hear from you! You rock!

  Be sure to check out the other books in the Collide Series

  Be sure to follow Shelly on one of these venues for updates, sneak peeks, information, new releases and giveaways.

  www.facebook.com/shellycranefanpage

  www.twitter.com/authshellycrane

  www.shellycrane.blogspot.com

  Playlist

  Song Artist

  1. The End Is Where We Begin : Our Lady Peace

  2: Song For A Waitress : Jason Reeves (Cain & L's Song)

  3. Called Out In The Dark : Snow Patrol

  4. Angel : Jack Johnson (Sherry's Song)

  5. Soul Meets Body : Death Cab For Cutie (Ryan's Song)

  6. The City And The River : The Rescues

  7. Room @ The End Of The World : Matt Nathanson

  8. Hope You Found It : Jason Walker

  9. In My Arms : Plumb (Lily's Song)

  10. Edge Of Desire : John Mayer

  111. So Close, So Far : Hoobastank

  12. Lights : Ellie Goulding

  13. Echo : Jason Walker

  14. Many Shades Of Black : The Raconteurs

  15. Chasing Cars : Snow Patrol (Merrick & Sherry's Song)

  16. Hold You In My Arms : Ray Lamontagne

  17. The Sound Of Winter : Bush

  18. Everything : Tyler Ward

  19. Rainy Day : Plain White T's

  20. Shelter : Jars Of Clay (The Bunker Family's Song)

  21. Something To Die For : The Sounds (Jeff's Song)

  22. While We Wait : Jack Johnson

  23. Lose Control : House Of Heroes (Miguel's Song)

  24. We Won't Give Up : The Afters

  25. In No Time : Mutemath

  26. All The Same To Me : Anya Marina

  27. Everlasting Light : The Black Keyes

  28. Angel In Disguise : The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Merrick's Song)

  29. Back Against The Wall : Cage The Elephant

  30. Hero - Jars Of Clay (Cain's Song)

  31. Destroyer : David Gray

  - A group of independent Young Adult authors who are dedicated to their craft -

  Tiffany King, author of The Saving Angels Trilogy

  Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and Existence

  M. Leighton, author of the Blood Like Poison Series

  Michelle Muto, author of The Book of Lost Souls and Don’t Fear the Reaper

  Fisher Amelie, author of The Leaving Series

  Nichole Chase, author of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy

  Laura A. H. Elliott, author of 13 on Halloween

>   Amy Maurer Jones, author of the Soul Quest Trilogy

  Wren Emerson, author of I Wish

  Shelly Crane, author of the Significance and Devoured Series

  Courtney Cole, author of The Bloodstone Saga

  C.A. Kunz, mother and son author duo of The Childe Series

  Please enjoy an exclusive excerpt of Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis, available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

  Jacque Pierce sat in the window seat in her bedroom looking across the street at her neighbors house; she wasn’t really being nosy she thought to herself, just curious. “Yeah,” she snorted, “only if you call curious sitting in your window seat eyes glued to your neighbor’s house like a hound on the hunt at ten o’clock at night. I can call a spade, a spade tomorrow morning,” she told her conscience.

  The Henry’s were having a foreign exchange student stay with them this year. They didn’t have any children of their own, though Jacque didn’t know if that was by choice or because they weren’t able to have children. She had promised Sally and Jen she would get the nitty-gritty on the situation and call them.

  So here she sat in her window, scoping out the neighbors house with her lights turned off and blinds cracked just enough to see and to top off her “James Bond” experience, she even had binoculars! Now if she only had the nifty back ground music to go with her shenanigans. She had been sitting there for an hour already and was just about to give up when a black stretch limo pulled to the curb. Now isn’t this strange, she thought, a foreign exchange student arriving in a limo? She put the binoculars to her face and adjusted them to get a better look, settling them over the passenger door to see just who would emerge. She knew this was a little much but honestly in a town of 700 there just isn’t a whole lot of excitement and Jacque would take it where she could get it.

  The driver got out of the limo to go around and open the back passenger door, but before he could get there the door was already opening, and the boy who stepped out of that limo had to be the most beautiful guy Jacque had ever seen, and that was only his profile. Wow, I mean wow, is all Jacque could think. Jacque couldn’t even imagine what his entire face must look like. He was tall, probably six foot one or so, his hair was jet black, it was longer on top and she could tell that he had bangs that fell across his face sweeping to the left partially covering that eye. He had broad shoulders and from what she could see of his profile, high cheek bones, a straight nose and full lips. She quickly realized her mouth had dropped open and she was all but drooling over the handsome human being who had emerged from the vehicle. She watched as he and his driver conversed, it all seemed very formal until the driver suddenly hugged the boy with obvious deep affection. He must be more than just his driver Jacque thought.