The Blood and Light Series (Six Books Boxed Set)

by Rue Volley

  “Oh shit.”

  She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

  “What are you doing?” she asked him.

  “Trying to escape and you woke up… not good,” he said.

  She hit him in the chest and he lowered her to the ground, she swayed a little and looked at him.

  “What? You’re pissed that I woke up?

  Johnathan smiled and held onto her arm.

  “No, but if you are awake… they will be waking up too.” He said.

  “Oh shit.” She said.

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “The lake.” He said as he looked out across it.

  “Got a blade?” she asked him.

  He looked at her and smiled.

  “Why?... considering a romantic suicide with me?”

  “No you ass.”

  “Well… I stole this.” He said as he pulled a blade and starred at it.

  “Sweet… give it to me.” She said.

  “What?”

  “Seriously, don’t make me bitch slap you Johnathan… give me the blade.” Brooke said as she held her hand out.

  Johnathan placed it into her hand and she looked at it.

  “Brooke… why do you hate me so much?” Johnathan asked.

  Brooke stepped up to him and tore his shirt open. She starred at his chest and he grinned and leaned forward.

  “Ah.” Brooke said as she held her hand up and he crinkled his eyebrows.

  She lifted the blade and cut into his chest. He hissed and stepped back from her.

  “Damn it!” he said as he touched the wound,

  “Oh my god… you are such a baby! Come here.” She said.

  “That’s okay.” Johnathan said as he stood his ground.

  “I am not going to try to kill you! We need to portal… remember?” she said as she waved the blade towards the lake.

  “Oh! Rue portaled with Josh… I remember.” he said.

  Brooke grinned and nodded.

  “Yes… now come here, so that I can try to remember this symbol.”

  “Try to remember? You better get it right or we could end up nowhere.”

  Brooke looked up at him as he stepped up and she jabbed the tip of the blade into his skin and started to move it. She narrowed her eyes and put the finishing touches on it and Johnathan looked down to see the symbol completed. He looked at her and smiled.

  “My turn.” He said.

  Brooke sighed and then she unbuttoned her shirt and dropped it to the ground. Johnathan stood there, trying to focus on the task at hand but found himself staring at her chest.

  “Humm… umm.” Brooke said as she cleared her throat and leaned down to look in his eyes.

  “Look at your symbol and make mine the same.”

  Johnathan nodded and looked at his chest and moved up to her and looked down. His heart fluttered as he lifted the blade.

  “Umm, your bra is kind of in the way.” He said.

  Brooke rolled her eyes and had it off and dropped to the ground before he could re assure her that it really was.

  He stood there controlling his breathing and lifted the blade slowly to her skin. She looked up at him and he grinned.

  “It stings.” He said.

  “I would guess… its metal cutting skin.” She said.

  He touched the blade to her skin and she sucked her breath in as he barely pressed it into her skin and a small trace of blood welled up. He felt a vibration in his hand and it shook a little, causing the blade to cut her a little deeper. Brooke sucked in her breath and Johnathan stopped and looked at her face.

  “I do not want to hurt you.” He whispered.

  “To late for that.” She said as she looked into his eyes.

  “Okay… focus on me, I will be quick… I promise.”

  She gritted her teeth and he started to copy the symbol that she had cut into him. With the last flick of the blade she let out a sigh and he stepped back from her. She looked at his and then down at hers.

  “Oh for craps sake Johnathan… put a curly thing at the end of this line.” She said as he stared at her chest, blood slowly welling up from the thin cuts he had completed.

  “Johnathan!” Brooke yelled and Johnathan shook his head and stepped back up to her.

  “Okay… sorry, I just ah.”

  Brooke tilted her head and smiled.

  “You act like you have never seen me before.”

  “I umm.” He started to say.

  “Well, stop messing around, like you said… if I am up, so are they and I am sure they are pissed, we have to go.” She said.

  “Yes… yes you are right.” Johnathan said as he grabbed his shirt and so did she. They buttoned them up quickly and turned to the cliffs edge overlooking the lake.

  “Where the hell will we pop up?” Johnathan asked.

  “In your house.” She yelled as she jumped and Johnathan yelled out and jumped after her.

  They both hit the cold hard water seconds from each other. It churned underneath the surface as if a storm was brewing. The surface remained calm, like a perfectly still mirror… reflecting the sky above it. Johnathan reached out and grabbed Brooke’s hand and pulled him to her. Her eyes rolled in her head and the symbols on their chests started to glow bright as the sun. Johnathan looked up and saw the sun disappear from view… he knew they must be close. He kicked his legs and dragged Brooke’s limp body along with him until he broke the surface and they fell onto the dance floor in his house in Calvary. The hit knocked the wind into Brooke and she started to cough and wheeze. Johnathan rolled to her and pushed her onto her side, hitting her on the back. She spit up a mouthful of water and he hit her again. She held her hand up to him and he stopped, staring into her face. She smiled at him, the smile that he remembered from her so many years ago, not the angry look that she had been giving him these past many days. He touched her face and she shook her head as she continued to smile.

  “I hate you so much.” She whispered as she started to cry.

  “I hate you too Brooke.” He whispered as he leaned in and kissed her… long overdue and much needed.

  Chapter 16

  In The Wrong Direction

  “I don’t like it.” Kai said as he stood there with his arms folded on his chest like a child not willing to budge.

  Sam stopped packing her clothes and looked at him.

  “Listen…I know that you are all attached to this house, and trust me…I like it here too…but this is an opportunity for all of us Kai, too start over.” She said.

  “I don’t think we have to start over.” Kai said as he walked to the window and looked out towards the forest.

  “Kai…please.” Sam said.

  He turned and tried to smile, but something deep inside of him told him that leaving was wrong, walking away from this house and Calvary was wrong. He didn’t want to do it and knew that it would be a battle that may not be won with Sam and Theo.

  “Sam… this is my home, our home. I have lived here all of my life. My parents lived here… I know the forest like the back of my hand, I know the streets and I thought about leaving at one time but since you and Theo came I have felt like I had a family again…” he said as he waited, hoping that by being honest it would make her think. Sam turned back to the closet and grabbed more clothing and tossed it behind her on the bed.

  “I love you Kai, I do… but I hate this place.” She said.

  Kai sighed and looked back out the window. This was going to be a war that he could never win… and he started to feel a blackness entering him. Something that he had not felt since he had buried his parents after the accident. Sam stopped pulling her clothes off the hangers and looked at the back of his head as he stared out the window silent.

  “Kai… please come with us. I don’t want to go without you.” She said.

  Kai turned and tried to grin saying the only thing that he thought may sway her.

  “Home to me is wherever you
are Sam… this is my home and I wanted to share it with you.”

  Sam stood there feeling the words and letting them sink into her as Theo came running into the room with a huge smile on his face.

  “North!” he said.

  Sam and Kai looked at him and said nothing.

  Theo tilted his head.

  “North!... I think we should travel north first, there is a fabulous train that will allow us to travel as long as we wish too and as we move north we can discuss where we want to go first.” He said.

  “North.” Kai muttered.

  Sam glanced at him and started to fold her clothing again.

  “North sounds cool, doesn’t it Kai?” she said as she looked down and shoved more pants into her already bulging suitcase.

  “Not really… it’s colder than here.” Kai said.

  Theo sat down on the bed and looked at Sam.

  “Are we having second thoughts?” he asked as Sam shook her head and peeked up at him, nodding in Kais direction. Theo raised his eyebrows and looked at him.

  “You wish to stay here?” he asked.

  Kai squared his shoulders and looked at him.

  “I am not that excited about leaving… no.,” he said.

  “And why?” Sam said as she threw her clothes down and stared at him.

  “I told you already Sam.” Kai said.

  “Really?... well, it was all romantic Kai, but this town sucks. The people suck and they treat us like lepers.” She said.

  Kai shook his head at her.

  “No they don’t.” he said.

  “Oh I see that you have a selective memory… well, no one talks to me without being rude. I think they think that I am a child molester… since I am older than you and Theo… good god! You would think that they didn’t even know that there were any gays in the world!” she said.

  Kai looked at Theo and raised his eyebrows.

  “You have been treated bad here too?” he asked him.

  Theo grinned and stood up.

  “I tend to ignore ignorance; I find that it does better to calm the mind.” He said.

  “Well why the hell didn’t either of you tell me?” he said.

  Sam sighed and looked at Theo.

  “Because you love this place Kai, and I guess because you have been here your whole life they accept you, but Theo and I are outsiders and every day is just another reminder of that.” She said.

  Kai started for the door. Sam followed him.

  “Kai… what the hell are you doing?”

  “I am going to give this town a piece of my mind.”

  “No.” Sam said as he touched his arm and he looked at her.

  “Let’s just take this gift, and leave Kai… please, please do it for me.” She whispered.

  Kai looked at her and touched her face, if he had known that they had both been treated so badly he would have suggested to leave much sooner, or done the one thing he shouldn’t and go out looking for a fight.

  “What about the coffee shop Sam?... what about school for me?” he asked.

  “I got fired today Kai, and school can be anywhere for you… in fact we can afford something better than community college for you now.” She said.

  Theo stepped up to the open doorway of the bedroom and looked out at the two of them. Kai looked up at him and sighed.

  “How much money did they offer you Theo?” he asked.

  “Too much to mention Kai… enough to never worry about much ever again.” Theo said.

  “God damn it.” Kai muttered as he fought the strong urge to say no, he looked at Theo and then back to Sam.

  “Why did you get fired?” he asked.

  Sam grinned.

  “Slammed a girls head into the counter after she called me a bitch and you and Theo freaks.” She said.

  Kai looked at his hands and then back to Theo.

  “North, huh?” he said.

  Theo grinned.

  “North.” He said as he sighed.

  “Fine… take the money.” Kai said.

  Sam jumped up and laid a long and thankful kiss on Kai that rocked him back and she giggled and hugged him hard.

  “Thank you.” She whispered, so relieved that he had been swayed.

  “Well… North might be cool. There is a school up there that is known for getting you into good jobs.” He said.

  Sam smiled at him.

  “You don’t have to worry about school right now Kai… we could travel for a while before you even think about that.”

  “You just want me to quit?” he asked her as she hugged him.

  “Nooo, I just want you to consider a break… for a little while.” She said as she backed away from him.

  “Well, it might be nice to take a vacation… but I am going back to school, okay?” he said to her.

  “Uh huh.” She said as she nodded, knowing in her heart that she didn’t care if he ever did again.

  “Fine… I guess I need to pack then.” He said as he headed towards the bedroom. Sam turned and smiled at Theo.

  “Well, looks like we are leaving.” She said.

  “Good job Samantha.” Theo said as he grinned and walked towards his room, ready to pack and leave this place, once and for all.

  Sam dragged two large bags and a large shoulder bag out the front door and got the bag on her shoulder caught on the handle. It slipped off and slammed to the porch and she sighed. Kai stepped up behind her and grinned as he picked it up and slipped it off of her shoulder and through it over his own.

  “In a hurry?” he asked her.

  She laughed and dragged her other two bags from the porch and then stopped as she looked back at the house.

  “You wouldn’t even believe me if I told you.” She said as she laughed. Kai stood there and turned and Theo stepped out, two bags and a third on his shoulder too.

  “Well… the money has been wired into the account. I am officially free of the library.” He said as he let the door close behind him and stepped down and looked at both of them.

  “So.” Kai said as he stood there and let his eyes look over the house.

  “So.” Sam said as she looked at it too.

  “Oh fantastic!” Theo said as a long black car rolled up and stopped in front of the house. Sam and Kai turned to look and raised their eyebrows.

  “A limousine?” Kai asked.

  “Why yes! I figured why not start to enjoy the benefits of the money now.” He said as he rolled his bags towards the car. A driver jumped out and grabbed his bags and Theo smiled. He glanced back at Sam and Kai and nodded as they watched the driver open the trunk and start to put Theo’s bags into it. The driver walked to Sam and took her bags next and Kai followed him to the trunk. Theo walked back up to Sam and smiled.

  “We are leaving this place… finally.” He said as he grinned.

  “Thank god.” Sam said as she took one last look at the house.

  “Did they buy the house too?” Sam asked almost in a whisper.

  Theo nodded and glanced at Kai.

  “I feel it best to avoid that little fact with Kai… perhaps in time I will tell him.”

  “Yeah… good idea.” Sam said as she stopped and looked at the forest.

  “Samantha?” Theo asked, as she looked sad for a moment.

  “Yeah?” Sam asked as she looked back at him.

  “What is it?” Theo asked.

  “Nothing… nothing at all.” Sam said as she shrugged off a strange feeling. She had to guess that it was nerves, change causes that…the nerve thing that is. Kai stepped up and looked at both of them.

  “Well… we are packed. Can you give me a second?” he asked.

  Sam and Theo nodded as they stepped to the car and the driver opened the back door up. Theo slipped in first and then Sam did. She sat down and leaned forward, watching Kai stand there…staring at the house. Theo leaned up too and then looked at her.

  “He has to say goodbye love… it means more to him than to us.” He said.

  Sam le
aned back and sighed.

  Kai stood there and relaxed his hands. He looked up at the house and starred at the windows and the cracked paint on the surface of the walls. It may look kind of old, but it had always been home to him and now that he stood here looking at it, he remembered life here, when his parents were alive… happier times… normal. He remembered skinning his knee on the concrete steps, he remembered sitting on the porch swing at night, looking out into the open sky and counting stars and then his memory glitched and he stumbled. A memory echoed in his head that made no sense to him, it flashed and then just as quickly as it came he lost it altogether. Like he knew something and then it was gone. He took a deep breath and looked at the house again and turned to the car and ready to start another chapter in his life, with the two people that he knew as family now.

  Away from hideaway drive… away from Calvary… away from home.

  ***

  Von fluttered his eyes and rolled onto his side, coughing up a small amount of blood… spitting it onto the white stone. Cali stumbled up to him and leaned down… holding out her hand to him. He hit her hand out of the way and pushed himself up and coughed again, rising slowly and standing on his own.

  “Would you like to explain to me what has happened.” Von said as he starred her down and lowered his head.

  “It would seem that the monkeys cast a spell.” She said as she stood there, no fear in her face…just patiently waiting for Von to tell her what he would like her to do.

  “And how would that have happened Cali?” he asked her.

  “I do not know.” She said.

  “Well this is an unexpected game that has fallen into our laps then.” He said.

  “Would you like for me to pursue them and bring them back to you?” she asked him.

  He flashed to her face and lifted her from the ground by her throat. She wheezed as she dropped her blade and grabbed at his hand. She kicked her feet and Von grinned as he pulled her toward his face.

  “Pathetic.” He muttered as he dropped her and she slumped to the ground. The other angels flashed up to him and starred at Cali on the floor. She sat there and sucked in her air, rubbing her throat. They looked to Von and waited.