The guard raised his hand at them, signalling not to go any further, and said something into his radio. Luci sighed and drummed her fingers against her thigh.
‘Glass eye. He must have a glass eye. This is rare. It doesn’t happen often.’ She sighed at the expression on Sebastian’s face. ‘I used to struggle a lot with pirates, back in the day when eye patches were all the rage. This thing I do is useless unless both of my eyes focus on both of theirs.’
What? Was she for real?
This was it. He was going to be arrested and, as he was still officially on British soil, he’d be dragged back to England and charged for the things Ella had accused him of. The police already had all the evidence they needed to put him away for a very long time. He pulled his damp shirt away from his chest again and tried to steady his breathing while the guard continued to talk into the radio. The queue of people behind them was getting restless as two more Spanish guards joined them, hands hovering over the guns at their hips.
‘Start walking,’ Luci hissed to Sebastian.
‘What? No way! They’re armed.’
Luci was already heading toward the border into Spain. Sebastian quickly followed.
‘Alto!’
All three guards pointed their guns at Luci’s head, but she didn’t slow down. Neither did Sebastian; he knew better than to disobey her orders. The Spanish police continued shouting, but they were already on the other side.
Shit! The guards were running toward them now, but Luci carried on walking, unconcerned by the danger they were both in. What the hell was she doing? He was going to have to give himself up. Prison was better than a bullet to the head. He glanced to his side, but Luci was still staring straight ahead as she marched on, her fingers twitching beside her. There was a yell. He quickly looked back and saw all three policemen tumble into a heap on the pavement. Luci smiled. Had she done that?
‘Stop or we’ll shoot!’ one of the guards shouted from his position on the ground.
‘Keep walking,’ she murmured. ‘They can’t hurt us.’
Cars had begun to slow down to let the woman in a bright red ballgown and her scruffy companion cross the road. The armed guards were now back on their feet. Outside the fast food chains in the Spanish border town of La Línea, crowds of people began to form, chatting in a mix of English and Spanish—asking each other who the ‘loca’ was.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack and a woman screamed; a shot had been fired, sending the people in the street running for cover. Sebastian had never heard a gun being fired before. It never sounded that loud in the movies.
‘They’re shooting at us!’ he shouted.
‘I know.’
‘We’re going to die. Oh my God, they’re shooting again. Luci, they’re going to kill us!’
‘No, they won’t,’ she replied, a smile flickering on her lips. ‘Keep walking. We’re the bad guys, remember—the baddies never run.’
Sebastian’s legs buckled beneath him as he felt a sharp punch in the back of his calf. A dark red stain bloomed on his light cotton trousers. Had he been shot? He’d expected it to hurt more than that.
‘Luci, slow down! They got me. I’m going to bleed to death!’ he shouted, hobbling behind her.
‘No, you won’t.’
The sound of footsteps gaining on them got louder. Luci finally stopped, gave another loud sigh, and turned around to face a team of armed police running at them, their weapons ready to fire again. She raised her hands up in the air slowly, as if she was conducting a sermon, and then brought them down in one fast, fluid movement.
A shadow formed at their feet. Growing darker and darker, the sky was suddenly filled with hundreds of seagulls squawking so loudly it was as if the air itself was screaming. Sebastian ducked as hundreds of birds launched themselves at the guards.
‘It’s a cheap trick, but it always works,’ Luci shouted over the commotion. She opened the door of a nearby car and instructed the driver to get out.
Sebastian couldn’t move, transfixed by the grisly scene playing out before him. The gulls were relentless, a flurry of feathers and beaks. Three guards lay on the ground, their heads a bloody mess as the birds pecked where their eyes had once been. The gulls’ wings beat their way through the hysterical crowd of people now curled up in balls on the pavement.
Luci leant out of the car window and pointed at some children nearby, her magic forcing them to the ground and rolling them beneath parked cars to safety. Then with a shake of her head, as if clearing her mind of the hell she’d just created, she turned to Sebastian, who was still looking on in horror.
‘Come on, let’s go!’ she shouted.
He scrambled in beside her and fastened his seat belt. As if the seat belt made any difference. Sebastian would only ever be safe if Luci decided he was.
IT DIDN’T TAKE long for them to get out onto the open road and head northwest for Tarifa. Sebastian turned around in his seat for the tenth time that minute and looked out the back window. They weren’t being followed; they’d got away with it. Of course they had.
‘What the hell was all that about?’ he said, his breathing slowly returning to normal.
Luci laughed but kept her eyes on the road. She didn’t have a hair out of place.
‘Oh, just a little bird magic. It came in very useful during the seventeenth century when I was accused of witchcraft. Never fails. Luckily for us, it’s not only the minds of people that I can control.’
‘You talk to animals?’
‘Of course.’
‘You’re unbelievable. You’re like the villain from every film ever.’
‘Where do you think Walt and Alfred got their ideas?’
‘Who?’
‘Disney and Hitchcock. The bird thing, the evil mothers and beautiful princesses talking to animals—I gave them all those ideas. I’ve been the muse for many great minds over the years.’
Sebastian rolled his eyes but said nothing.
The scenery was getting greener now, and to his left the mountains gave way to a ravine where below the Mediterranean shone a deep turquoise. It was nice to be back in the sunshine after dreary London. Sebastian had never ventured this far west of the Costa del Sol. Giant wind turbines loomed up over the hills before them, doing nothing to take his mind off the new, fantastical supernatural life he appeared to be living. He liked it here. He could easily settle in southern Spain. Maybe he would.
Turning to Luci, he marvelled at how her beautiful face glowed with such serenity. The crazy bitch had just killed and maimed dozens of people at the click of her fingers and yet there she was, dressed like a 1950s movie star and driving calmly, seemingly without a care in the world. What the fuck had he got himself into? Fallen angel or not, Luci was the Devil—she was impulsive and heartless, and she’d nearly got him killed. He’d even been shot!
He rolled up his left trouser leg, the fabric crusty and dark red with a round hole in the back, and braced himself for the mess that lay beneath. He touched it gingerly, but it didn’t hurt. Spitting on his fingers, he rubbed at where the bullet had entered—there was nothing there but a smudge of dried blood. It didn’t make sense. Had he been scratched by a flying bullet? Would it have bled that much?
‘What you did back there was reckless,’ he said to Luci.
She didn’t answer.
‘You could have got me killed!’
‘I didn’t take any risks.’
‘Of course you did! Maybe you can’t die, but I can.’
‘No, you can’t.’
She overtook the car in front of them on a blind bend, turning the wheel at the last moment as a lorry hurtled toward them. Sebastian closed his eyes and then opened them again slowly.
‘What did you say?’
‘You can’t die.’
Her eyes were fixed on the road, and her long hair flowed in waves over her bare shoulders, blowing in the breeze from the window. She was mesmerising, and he hated her.
‘You’re not making any sense
.’
‘You’re immortal, Sebastian. You drank my blood. I had to make sure nothing happened to you before we found Ella. You can’t die at the hands of anyone but me now.’
Immortal? He was immortal?
They sat in silence for the rest of the journey.
ZAC PULLED UP outside the old, converted monastery and took in its ornate architecture and majestic turret dating back to the time of the Moors. He remembered that era in Spain’s history well. It had been exciting in terms of science and architecture, but the battles had been bloody.
So this was Ella’s new hotel. It was impressive. A long balcony ran around its perimeter with arched stone doorways and windows looking out over the dozens of orange trees dotted around the cobbled entrance. Zac had seen many Spanish monasteries in his time, but this one was exceptionally pretty. Just one wall stood between him and Ella. She was inside that building, and it was taking all his strength not to break into a run and smash his way in.
Leaving his motorbike parked beneath the shade of a tree, he headed for the entrance and pushed at the hotel door. It was locked. He peered through the glass, but no lights were on and there was no one behind the desk. His stomach curled up into a tight ball—where was she? Five times he’d called her the day before, but no one had answered and there had been no answerphone. Sending an email had been an option, of course, but what would he have said? After three years of being absent, finding the right words had been impossible—he just wanted to see her and explain everything face-to-face. He hadn’t even considered that she may not be home. The idea of not seeing her today made his head swim.
He placed his hand over the lock. It gave a satisfying click and swung open. His shoes didn’t make a sound on the stone floor as he peered in each of the downstairs rooms. They were all empty, although there was a light on in the library. A pair of slippers lay beside an armchair where a book and some reading glasses sat. The hotel may have been closed to the public, but someone was there.
He wondered where Ella’s room would be. Would she have chosen the penthouse apartment at the top with the best view or something around the back and out of sight? He thought back to her home in London; her room had been in the extension hidden away from the rest of the house. He walked down the stairs and noticed a sign reading ‘Staff Only.’ He was on the right track. As he neared a door at the far end of the corridor, he could hear three excited voices. He didn’t recognise two of them, but Ella’s voice hit him like a punch to the guts.
He was so close. All he had to do was walk in, and he would be with her. This was it. He turned the door handle slowly, opening it a crack so he could see who she was with before making an entrance, but of all the scenarios he’d been dreaming of on his flight over, he hadn’t thought for a moment he’d be greeted with this.
Ella was standing before a full-length mirror with her back to him—and she was wearing a wedding dress.
‘The veil or the hair piece?’ she asked a couple of identically dressed girls beside her, whom he recognised as her friends Mai Li and Kerry. ‘Josh gave me the hair clip for my birthday yesterday, before he proposed, but I think the veil is more appropriate for a church wedding. What do you two think? Oh God, this is crazy. Twenty-four hours isn’t long enough to plan a wedding!’
‘Don’t worry, it’s fine,’ Mai Li said, placing a hand on her arm. ‘Wear the veil for the ceremony now, and then this afternoon I’ll do your hair for dinner and we can pin it up with the clip. How’s that?’
‘Errr, no!’ Kerry said. ‘I think I will do her hair. I trained in beauty before my degree, remember? Honestly, Mai Li! I mean, like, you hate fashion and I live for it. I’m doing hair and make-up, and you can take the photos or something.’
Zac watched the girls bicker, unable to move from the crack in the doorway. Ella was getting married to Josh? Had fate worked that quickly? But Gabriel was meant to have delivered his message to her yesterday. The only reason he wouldn’t have was if…Ella was already on her path. He was too late.
Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Zac gazed on at the only woman he’d ever loved. She looked so beautiful. He wanted to walk right in and kiss her, pick her up and run away with her as fast as he could. Her simple dress was tight and fitted with a lace sash and a long train fanning out behind her. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, and on her left hand she wore a large pink diamond ring. She really was getting married…and it wasn’t to him.
‘Ella, come into the bathroom where I have my curling tongs,’ Kerry said, pulling her by the hand. ‘I think romantic waves will suit you better than just boring blah hair. Come on, we only have ten minutes before we have to meet your mum in her room.’
‘Where’s my dad?’ Ella said.
‘I think he’s already in the chapel with Josh. Mai Li, get in here. I need someone to hold the bobby pins.’
Ella’s parents were here too? Zac bit down on his lower lip. His confidant, Leonardo, was aware of the wedding and hadn’t urged his daughter to wait for Zac to return? Had none of them had any faith in his plan? Or did they think Josh was a better match for Ella?
Zac had told her to get back onto her path because he hadn’t wanted her to grieve or spend her life waiting in vain, especially as he knew she would only live until she was thirty-four. But he hadn’t imagined he’d return so fast or that she’d marry Josh so quickly. Marry! Maybe Ella was simply doing what Zac had told her to. If so, did it mean she didn’t really love Josh? Was she marrying him because she thought Zac was dead and was never coming back? Or was Josh the better man, the true love of her life? He ran his hands through his short hair, his head heavy and spinning with questions.
The three girls headed into the bathroom. As soon as they shut the door, Zac entered the apartment. He had to find out more information before he made himself known. As much as he wanted to announce himself and stop the wedding, he wasn’t going to. He’d ruined Ella’s life enough times. He had to make sure she still wanted him—but first he had to find somewhere to hide.
Silently, he used his powers to open the wardrobe and cupboard doors and peeked inside, but they were all too full or too small to squeeze into. The curtains weren’t long enough to stand behind either. This was farcical! If he wasn’t so shocked by the unforeseen turn of events, he’d be laughing at the absurdity of the situation right now.
Then he spotted Ella’s bed. It was old, wooden, and it was raised high above the ground; there was plenty of room under there. He slipped under and strained to listen. The bathroom door wasn’t shut properly. He pointed at it and made it creak as he opened it a little wider so the voices of the three girls could still be heard.
‘Are you nervous, Ella?’ Mai Li asked.
‘Not really, it feels…I don’t know…natural.’
‘I’m not surprised!’ Kerry screeched. ‘I have no frigging idea how you bagged the hottest guy in the universe in under a week. No offence. So, what’s he like in the sack? I’m not going to pretend I haven’t thought about him when I’ve been…’
‘Kerry! That’s Ella’s future husband you’re fantasising about. You can’t say that!’
‘It’s fine.’ Ella laughed. ‘It all happened really fast. I get it.’
‘I was just saying I bet he’s good in bed, that’s all,’ Kerry mumbled.
‘I wouldn’t know,’ Ella replied. ‘We haven’t slept together yet.’
‘What?’ both friends shouted.
‘He was only here for a couple of days. Then he came back after a week and proposed yesterday. I don’t want to rush into anything.’
‘Says the girl who’s getting married the day after getting a ring put on her finger,’ Kerry said.
‘Well, I think it’s really romantic,’ Mai Li said, passing Kerry another bobby pin. ‘True love can’t be planned.’
‘Mai Li’s right, Ella. Josh is so frigging crazy about you, but then he always was. Remember that night in Indigo, like years ago, when I first pointed him out to you? He was obsessed with
you even then. It’s rare for me to get turned down you know, but he wasn’t interested one bit. You two match. I always said you two matched.’
Zac closed his eyes, ignoring the growing ache in his chest, and tried to piece together the sequence of events. If Josh had just appeared on the scene then Gabriel hadn’t been mistaken. Ella had only recently stepped back onto her path. But did it mean she really loved Josh? Could she fall in love that quickly? He knew the answer—everything was easier when it was preordained.
It was dusty under the bed. He moved his head away from the ground to avoid sneezing and felt something dig into his stomach. Shifting to the side he pulled the object out from under him; it was a large frame and inside, between two pieces of glass, was a huge feather. Not just any feather. His feather. How many of his feathers had he scattered to the wind that night on the Spanish mountains? If Ella had kept it all this time, why was it now under her bed? He turned to his left and looked up at a wall filled with dozens of framed paintings and photos. In the centre was a big square space. She must have had it hanging up in her room and then hid it for some reason. Or did she no longer want a reminder of Zac now that Josh was in her life?
He turned his attention back to the bathroom again. The door was wide enough to just about see the three girls inside. Ella’s hair now hung in large waves down her back, and Kerry was adding extra blusher to her cheeks. Kerry cleared her throat.
‘Ella, I know it’s your wedding day and everything, but…Mai Li and I were talking about it last night and we have to ask. What about Zac?’
‘Kerry! We agreed not to mention him!’
Zac held his breath, his body as heavy as stone.
‘Oh shut up, Mai Li. You were the one who was worried. Ella’s done nothing but talk about that hot barman we met years ago, someone she dated for about five minutes, since we’ve known her. Honestly, no offence, Ella, but it was getting a bit full-on. Then, suddenly, you’re getting married to Josh, a guy you were never interested in? In fact, back in our uni days, you used to laugh at how vain and boring he was. It’s weird.’
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