One corner of his mouth curled up. “Such language. So unbecoming of you, my love.” His hand reached for mine. “You see, there are things in this world that people know nothing about. All the myths, all the legends — they all have a glimmer of truth to them. I tried to tell you.” Handing the book to me, he asked, “Have you read any of this?”
“Some of it.”
“The history of the world lies within this book. The truth about all evil in this world.”
The fear I’d had gradually subsided. For some reason I believed he would never hurt me. “Please, Gavin, just tell me what’s going on.”
“The thing I couldn’t tell you about me is that not human, never have been.” His eyes narrowed as he waited to see what type of reaction I would have. “Immortal, Brooke. I’m immortal.”
I sat silently. My brows pulled in and I bit down on the inside of my cheek.
He continued, “I watched this world become what it is. At one time I walked the realms of heaven, watched over humans, but when I saw woman I lusted. Free will, I couldn’t control it and I seduced a mortal. Others followed me and we were banished, we became the Fallen. The offspring of our sins were purely evil, soulless creatures who fed on the blood of man.”
I stopped him. “You’re telling me vampires.” A nervous laugh escaped me. “You’re a vampire?”
His demeanor was unwavering. “No. Terms are not important. Just know that there are demons in this world and it is because of me that they exist. All evils have their roots in me. Shape shifters, vampires, witches, demons — they all possess traits of my kind. Long ago it was agreed that we would only take from those who are wicked, damned to hell. If we ever took the life, the soul of an innocent person the pact would be broken and man would hunt us down.”
I stared at him, in disbelief of what he was saying. He was absolutely crazy if he thought I was going to believe any of this for a minute. Book or not, this was ludicrous!
“Ashley was not marked for us to take. She was manipulative and she wanted to hurt you, to hurt us. Her jealousy was unrelenting and my love for you…” He shamefully hung his head. “I just wanted to protect you, but you made me so weak.”
I sat motionless, afraid to move. Looking at him, I tried to devise a way I could escape this place.
“I see I’m going to have to prove myself to you?”
He looked so serious, like he truly expected me to believe the nonsense that was pouring from his mouth.
I fought to pull my thoughts together. “You expect me to believe that demons and vampires and —” my mind raced to find a word, “and whatever you claim you are, exist?”
That familiar wicked, seductive smile formed his mouth as he whispered, “An angel, Brooke. I’m one of the fallen angels.”
The way he sounded when he said that sent shivers throughout my body. After thinking for a moment, I couldn’t help but laugh at the madness of the situation. My laughter quickly subsided as all of the events over the past weeks began to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. My dreams, that book, the pictures — horror welled inside of me.
“You’ve heard of the angel of death? Not all angels are inherently good. If you believe your religion then you know that Satan was a fallen angel.”
Gavin’s face came toward mine and I saw the green of his eyes disappear completely. The blackness of his pupils swallowed the brilliant coloring of his irises. “If you ask me, a creature who cannot die, who truly is immortal, who can walk in the presence of holy things — a creature that knows what awaits your soul. Powerful, beautiful, the epitome of temptation, a poison veiled by undeniable desires — ” His lips pressed against mine momentarily and I felt my reflexes relax from that intimate warmth rushing within my veins. “I do believe that is more terrifying than any monster myth could create, wouldn’t you agree, love?”
Grabbing my temples, Gavin rested his forehead against mine. “You want to know me, you want to know what I really am?”
I felt a chill rush across my skin and darkness painted itself across my mind. It was as though I’d left my own body. Within moments I saw visions flash in front of me. Visions so realistic I felt I could reach out and touch any of the images dancing in before me.
I witnessed emptiness and then a small glisten of light that illuminated to a brightness I can’t even begin to describe. The brightness dulled and I saw Gavin’s image emerge. He stood in the middle of a beautiful garden, large white wings stretched out behind him. He reached out and grabbed onto a woman’s hand, and in that moment the entire horizon turned pitch black. Thunder rumbled loudly and the earth ripped apart. A storm rained down and the water puddled beneath my feet, red like blood.
Grotesque creatures crawled up from dark pools, the strong smell of sulfur surrounded me and my skin felt like it was on fire. Death stretched out in front of me and then vanished as a sun rose over a hill of lush grass and vegetation.
An overwhelming sense of sadness washed over me and all the images of paradise were sucked out of my sight. Another breathtakingly beautiful figure whose outstretched wings were black appeared. His face writhed with anger and he released a scream that pierced my ears. There were pyramids and my feet walked over hills of sand. The sand vanished into dirt paths that turned into cobblestoned streets. A heavy fog rolled in over a crowded village. I made my way through an alleyway and stumbled upon a man looming in a doorway. I passed by him slowly and his eyes turned black, blood oozing from the sides of his mouth.
Pulling my wrist up, I saw puncture wounds, blood flowing from the holes. A surge of colors rushed by and I felt as though I were spinning. The blurred images slowed down and I came to a city on fire. The fire blazed on while shadows watched from the distance. Water rushed by. It was as though I was flying at a speed unimaginable to the mind without having experienced it. The reflection of the sun glinted across the water’s surface like embers from a dying fire.
Darkness fell over me and the pace of the images infesting my mind slowed. I saw myself, standing in the middle of the atrium on the day of my interview. It was at this moment I realized I was looking through Gavin’s eyes, reliving his memories. My movements seemed to be in slow motion and Gavin’s gaze focused in on my eyes. Moments later I saw myself naked. I couldn’t hear Gavin’s voice but his thoughts were apparent to me. The way he felt about me, the way he needed me, the way he loved me. His emotions overwhelmed me.
The warmth crept back into my body and the brilliant images faded. My sight went completely dark again and when I opened my eyes I found Gavin’s face inches in front of mine.
Gripping the base of my skull, Gavin said, “You may never be certain of what I am, but you should never doubt that I love you in a way that is indescribable. Do you trust me?”
Inhaling deeply, I reached up and grabbed the back of his head. I pressed my lips against his and my tongue found its way inside his mouth, my lips locked to his in an immoral embrace, a damning promise. Then, his hands frantically pulled my body in close to his.
My mind was unable to understand everything. How could I expect it to? The reality I had lived in was a lie. Things I thought could never touch me, things I’d been told were not real — those myths stood before me, his mouth crushing against mine.
I no longer knew what to believe.
Gavin’s hands felt their way up my spine to my neck. His fingers ran through my hair and he pulled me in more tightly as he kissed me with a wantonness, a need I was certain no other woman had ever felt. His lips closed and he gave me one last tender kiss before pulling himself away. He lowered his face down, his hands slid to my jaw, and he held loosely onto the sides of my face.
“I promise you, I won’t allow anything to hurt you,” he whispered. “I’ll save you, Brooke. Let me save you.”
The door opened and a tall, thin man walked in. The sound of the heavy door slamming closed made me jump. Gavin’s hold around my body tightened and I desperately clung to him.
; The man’s rough face remained expressionless. His eyes wandered from Gavin’s face down to mine buried in Gavin’s chest. As the man came closer I noticed he was a police officer. My breathing became shallow as fear rose inside my chest.
The policeman’s eyes shot back up to Gavin. “They’ve made it all look like a murder, but you know as well as I do this only buys you a little time. They always follow up and when they realize what really happened to her – to the two of you,” he swallowed, “you know what’ll happen.”
Gavin nodded. The policeman focused his stare on me. A look of disdain formed on his face as he glared at me. Gavin’s hand rubbed across my back and the man’s eyes widened.
“She’s marked!” He quickly approached me and swatted Gavin’s hand away from my skin.
The man’s finger traced over my flesh. “Marked, not by us, and you still pursued her? Damn it, Gavin, have you no fucking control?” the man screamed. “You have damned us all — I don’t know how much clearer it could have been.”
Gavin knocked the man’s hand away from me. “It’s only a tattoo.”
“Only a tattoo?” The man leaned his face down to bring his gaze even with mine. My hands clenched onto Gavin’s back. “It’s the pattern on the wings. Did you not notice the damned pattern? The language? Where did you see that pattern?” he asked.
Gavin’s chest stilled. His hand continued to rub across my back and he hung his head. I knew from their reactions that whatever the pattern on my tattoo signified meant something terrible. Closing my eyes, I buried my face further in Gavin’s arms.
Gavin lowered his head and softly said, “Please, tell me where you saw the pattern.”
Raising my head up from Gavin’s chest, I glanced over at the policeman. My tongue wet my dried lips as I prepared to answer the question. I stumbled over my words. “I — I just — I don’t know, I’ve just always known it.”
“You see,” the policeman’s face contorted with anger. “You see! Always known it. Damn it!”
“What do you mean you’ve always known it? You must have seen it somewhere.” Gavin pleaded for me to give him some different answer.
“No, I’ve always just had it in my head. I used to draw it when I was little.”
“She’s been marked since birth. She is the prophecy.” The man’s voice softened and sounded guilt-stricken. “And now she’s your responsibility. The hell that is about to be unleashed…” The man hung his head, shaking it slowly. Sighing, he turned to exit the room and said, “Desires of the heart shall flame the sins of the fallen and the innocent shall be taken. The mark of the departed shall be marred on mortal skin. The weakness of one shall shed the blood of many.” He took one last look at us before shutting the door.
That phrase resonated within my ears.
Releasing his hold on me, Gavin walked to the opposite side of the room. His hands felt through his hair and down to the base of his neck. I saw his shoulders drop and then he quickly rose up and punched the wall. A loud thud echoed within the room.
I stood staring at him, afraid to speak.
He turned and swiftly walked to the end of the couch, placing his hand on the handles of the suitcases brought in by one of the men.
“We must leave. Now.” Picking up the luggage, he walked to the door.
“Gavin —”
He immediately cut me off. “We don’t have time, Brooke. We’ve got to get you out of here. We’ll have plenty of time for explanations later.” Setting the suitcases down, he turned to me. “Turn around.”
Before I had a chance to do as requested, he had placed his hands on my shoulders and gently spun me around. He brought his face close to my back; his warm breath crept across my tattooed flesh. Letting out a deep breath, he rose up. His hands reached down to the bottom of his shirt, lifting it over his head. His pendant caught in the shirt and he yanked it free, the thud against his chest bouncing from the concrete walls.
“Raise your arms up.”
Without question I lifted my arms and he tugged his shirt over my head. His hand pulled my hair free from the neck and he looked at me. “You must keep that covered up from now on. Understood?”
I nodded. Gavin smoothed out his undershirt and tucked his pendant underneath the collar. As he reached for the handle of the door, he kept his back to me and spoke. “You mustn’t question anything I tell you to do. Just do what I say at all times, don’t even think about it. My directions must process as your own thoughts. You can’t hesitate for even a moment. Do you understand, love?”
“I do.”
He slowly nodded, letting me know that he’d heard me. His foot propped the door open while he reached back down and lifted the suitcases up. Kicking the door all the way opened, we walked through the doorway.
We hurried down the corridor and I saw a large number of people assembled at the opposite end. I could feel their eyes burning into me and it sent chills down my spine.
“Don’t look at them,” Gavin said sternly.
Continuing to walk down the hallway, I kept my eyes locked onto the heels of his boots, making sure I didn’t look at any of the creatures at the end of the hallway. We turned to exit the building and Gavin’s steps halted.
I saw Raven’s high heels in front of Gavin’s feet. My eyes wandered up no further than her waist. Her arms were crossed in front of her, her fingers tapping nervously across her skin. I shot my gaze back down to the floor, fearing to look any further.
Raven let out a short sigh. “You know you can’t let anyone know where you go.”
“I know. We have no allies in this,” Gavin said.
She held the door open. “If anyone can stop this. It would be you. You’re the one who started it. You can end it,” she said as we walked out into the night.
Gavin’s car was parked in front of the building. We quickly walked over to it and he opened his trunk. He shoved the bags inside and came back to the passenger side of the car. He held the door open and I immediately climbed inside. Glancing out the window, I saw his gaze lock onto something across the street. He ran to the driver’s side of the car and jumped in. His keys instantly found the ignition.
“Put your seat belt on.”
Before I had a chance to reach for the strap Gavin had floored the accelerator and the car fishtailed. I fumbled to pull the strap and secure it in the holder.
We approached a red light and Gavin slowed down but then punched the accelerator, passing through the light. My eyes shut and I heard tires screeching as a car swerved to miss us. My adrenaline kicked in. Opening my mouth to ask him questions, I quickly shut it because I had no idea where to begin.
The only noise was the purr of his engine and the hum of his tires pounding against the pavement. He pulled onto the ramp leading to the interstate. After he merged he pushed the accelerator even harder. My body jerked from side to side as Gavin weaved in and out of traffic. I heard horns blaring loudly as we passed cars. The loud noise from his tires flying over the reflectors on the side of the road caused my fingers to dig into my leg. I kept my eyes focused in my lap because I knew I would scream if I looked out the window and saw how fast we were going and how close we were to ramming into another car.
The tires of his car screamed as he sharply turned the wheel, barreling across all five lanes to make the exit. Looking out the window, I saw the sign for the airport fly by.
The silence was broken by the sound of Gavin’s voice. “You will most likely never see this place again. You cannot have contact with anyone aside from me. No one can know where you are.”
My mind hadn’t had time to process half of what had occurred over the past two hours. I most certainly hadn’t had time to think about how my disappearance was going to be explained. “My parents?”
“No. No one!” Gavin snapped back at me. “I told you not to question anything I said.”
“I wasn’t questioning. I – I just.” My voice became strained as I fought to hold back te
ars.
“I’m sorry, Brooke. We can’t trust anyone.” He pulled into the airport parking deck, shoving the gear into park. “They must believe your dead.”
“Dead? What? Gavin, that will— my mother?”
Cutting me off again, he growled, “You don’t understand the seriousness of this, Brooke.”
Gavin released his trunk and climbed out of the car. The trunk slammed and then my door opened. Reaching down, he grabbed onto my hand, clutching it tightly in his sweaty palm as he pulled me from the car.
He peered down at me. “You look at the floor. Do not look at anyone, do not make eye contact with anyone, do not speak to anyone. I will speak for you. Understood, aye?”
I shook my head. Gavin leaned down and kissed my forehead gently. “Come on, then.”
“Where are we going?”
He drew in a deep breath, glancing down at me as he said, “I’m not exactly sure yet.”
Fallen
Angel Wings and serpent tongue,
The allure of evil to the young.
Pale shown skin and tranquil eyes,
Conceal the creature he is inside.
The ambience smoothed by the devil’s touch
Initiated the fall, caused her conscious to rust.
Halo dimmed and grace succumb; she trembles as she wakes.
She’s drowned within the brimstone and forced inside hell’s iron gates.
Desolation, a dark desert of fear
The rapture of death took her here.
She sees a movement, swift and light,
A flash of teeth and crooked smile.
Sulphurous laughter and he hisses her name,
A rush of stale air and the brush of his fang.
He scales a rock and waits nearby,
Close enough to hear her muffled cry.
The pale shown skin she once caressed now gleams with sharpened scales,
The tranquil waters of his eyes grew torrid and blazed with the flames of hell.
“Child, oh my love, why do you now fear my wanton hands?
Bound to the Fallen (Prophecy #2) Page 47