by Tara Brown
I shake my head. “Dude. You sound like a creepy old man luring him with candy. I'm pretty sure you're going to Hell. That was so evil.”
She laughs. “Rayne, girl. I met my Christian. Now I am talking Advil and a cold bath. Not even kidding. But oh my God. Fabulous. Now that was a religious experience, let me tell you.”
I laugh and Mona looks like she is about to either cry or rock in the fetal position.
I frown. “What about Benny?”
She looks offended. “I was on a mission from God, Rayne.”
I point. “God is ashamed of you. I'm ashamed. Totes ashamed. You're going to Hell. You know that, right?”
She smiles wickedly. “I'll be in good company. Since when do you say totes?”
I stick my tongue out at Michelle and then look at Mona. “Drama?”
She shakes her head. “I got B's in almost all my classes. So that sucked. My mom wrote me an email, and said not only did her and Dick break up, but that she wants me to move home and go to school there.”
She looks upset.
I grimace. “It's all my fault.”
She smiles. “No, it isn’t. I told her to go eff herself and that Dick was a perve and that he totally perved on me like twice.”
Rage takes over. “What?”
She nods. “Yeah. Twice. He let me know if I needed help with becoming a woman, he would be more than happy to help me out. Barf. I kicked him in the balls and told him to get lost. Anyway, she cried and said she was sorry. She's sending me a bunch of money for Christmas.” She rolls her eyes.
I'm sickened. “I'm probably going to eat him, if you're cool with it?”
She nods. “Oh yeah. No issues here.”
Michelle wrinkles her nose. “Nasty.”
I rub my belly and smile. “No, the meaner, nastier, more evil ones taste better.”
Michelle pulls up a bag of candy and throws it on the bed. “Wanna watch Christmas movies?”
I frown. “What day is it?” I feel like Scrooge.
“December 18th. You've been a busy little bunny these last couple weeks, dude.” Mona grabs the remote for the TV and presses a button on the wall. A huge TV spins around.
My jaw drops. “Oh my God.”
She turns on the TV and Michelle opens the snack bag. I curl up with them and we watch The Grinch, with Jim Carey. Michelle twirls my hair while Mona and I play scrabble on her iPad.
The movie ends and they are both asleep. I realize the dead can't take me in this room. I'll never sleep.
I slip from the bed and out the door.
My feet pad along the hardwood.
I creep to the dark door. I touch it and know the memories are real.
I turn the knob and creep into the dark room. I smile when I see my chest, for the real reason. I kneel before the chest and look back at the door. I push into the wooden carvings and push in the right handle on the side. I lift the lid and smile down.
I pull down the hidden compartment and pull out the letter. The red wax seal is still intact.
I hold the paper to my chest and hug it tightly. If I smell hard enough, the chest has a lingering scent of her.
I trace my fingers along the seal. I crack it and open the letter.
In the dark my eyes can see every word perfectly. Her writing is stunning. Flowery and beautiful.
Tears leak from my eyes. I remember her face. I remember her love. I try to make it more important to me than the look she gave me when she left me. She left me to die.
I fold the letter and feel the love she expressed in it. Love and a plan.
I close the secret compartment and turn around. He's standing in the dark watching me. “Keeping secrets?”
I shake my head and hand it to him. “Read it, if you like.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t need to. I know you. You'll be blathering on about it in no time.”
I laugh bitterly. “I'm sorry.”
He shakes his head. “Keeping you in the dark was the only way to keep the guards and protection upon you. It was a gamble we had to take. I just never imagined you would fall in love so easily.”
I shake my head. “I never. He weaseled his way in there, trust me. Thank you for saving him and bringing him here.”
He gives me his business-only face. I've seen if before, when he was angry with me. “What's the plan?”
I shrug. “She wants me to kill the devils and then come for her. It's pretty simple.”
He laughs. “Nothing with your family is simple, Rayne. Nothing. The devils’ deaths should have been simple, and yet they are still alive.”
“Then we leave now and go find them.”
He smirks; it's sexy and makes my knees weak. “Just us?”
I shake my head. “No. We need the team of us. A one-man show has never gotten any of us anywhere.”
He looks annoyed at the shot.
I walk past him but stop before leaving the room. “Why did you make it so the dead can't get to me in my room?”
He turns. “The ring of fire that protected you did this.” He holds out his hand. I see an ugly scar on his skin. He never marks for longer than a second. I've seen him pull out stakes and the hole fills almost instantly.
“What is it?”
He smiles. “The dead can do nasty things when they want to, Rayne. They have their own special magic.”
“Will that heal?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I've never been wounded by hellfire before. I've only heard about it in legend.”
I shake my head. “What am I to the dead?”
He leans over and brushes his lips against mine. “Their savior.” He is smoke, and I am alone with my questions.
“You're an ass. We leave in the morning.” I storm to a guest room and let the dead take me.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“You're dead, Rayne. You were born dead and every night when you sleep, you are dead again. You've always been dead, and I just forgot to tell you. You're dead because I killed you.”
Her words slip from her lips as tears flow around them.
She looks up at me and smiles. “I killed you Rayne and I will kill you again.”
Her eyes are gray like mine and filled with light. She is sitting on a lily pad in a white gown like the nixie. Her long dark hair flows around and moves, like it's part of the air.
I reach for her. “Mother,” I call out but I'm falling away. She puts her head back down and chants some more.
“You're dead and I will kill you again.”
I wake calmly and remember the feeling of falling.
I blink and look around. I can still hear the chanting and the whispers. It feels like I'm being watched.
I haven’t slept that good, since I was in my dorm room. I stretch and relax for a moment. I grab the letter from under my pillow and hug it. My dream was weird, as always.
I get up and leave my room.
The hallway is silent.
I creep down the hall to my room. Mona and Michelle aren’t there. It isn’t that I don’t trust Constantine. It's that he's mad at me. I recall that resulting in dead friends before. I race down the stairs. I hear something. I stop and listen. It's laughing. Wyatt, Mona, and Michelle.
I turn and follow it. The house looks like a Christmas movie. Decorations are everywhere. It's elegant and overwhelming. I remember our Christmases together.
I smell bacon and eggs. My mouth waters. I walk in to find them sitting around the small kitchen table. Food is everywhere. I glance at Maria and smile. I rush and hug her.
She pulls me back. “I think you forget me, Miss Ellie.” Her Spanish accent is just as strong, six hundred years later.
I shake my head. “No, never.” She is my maid from before. I hug her again.
I look up to see Michelle, Wyatt, and Mona eating.
I kiss her on the cheek and walk to the table.
Wyatt grins. “Those are some PJs, Rayne.”
I blush and tuck my hair behind my ears. “Yeah
, well, it's morning. I'm not one for mornings.”
Michelle chews a piece of maple bacon and raises her eyebrows at me. “Where did you sleep last night?”
My eyes dart to Wyatt. I gulp. He grins. “She slept in the guest room next to mine.”
I frown. “You checked on me?”
He nods. “Of course. I was worried. How are your wounds?”
I hold my arms out for them to inspect. “Looks good, huh?”
I glance over at his. “You?”
“I heal fast.”
“Faster when someone gives you some of his magical blood.” I turn to see Constantine strolling into the kitchen.
Wyatt forces a smile across his lips. “Yeah, and I've been itching like a heroin addict all morning.”
Constantine snorts and looks at me. “Did you break the news to them yet?”
I look at them. Wyatt's eyes fill with fear.
“We leave today. To kill the five devils.” Wyatt looks relieved but confused. I can see he's about to speak up. I continue before he can, “So pack light. Bring only essentials and no cell phones.” I look at Michelle mostly. She looks insulted.
Mona tilts her head. “Dude.”
Michelle twirls her hair and watches Constantine. “What counts as essentials?”
I sigh. “I'll pack your crap.”
Mona looks upset. “What about Christmas?”
I look back at Constantine who thinks for a moment. “We can do it in Switzerland; I have a house in the Alps. A chateau.” He glances at Maria who nods. “Si. I will prepare the house. I will leave tomorrow.”
Constantine nods. “Expect us the twenty-fourth.” He looks at Mona. “One day, maybe two.”
She smiles brightly. “Okay.”
Wyatt looks conflicted.
“First holiday without your family?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah. It's going to be weird.” He stretches and rubs his hands through his dark hair. I want to touch it. I want to pull it a little.
He looks at us and takes a deep breath. “I've made my choice. I think we are on the right path. I think the best thing for the world is ending your parents. My mother is driven by revenge, not her duty to God.”
He glances at Constantine. I feel like I'm missing something.
“Okay, well, let’s eat and then we'll head out.” I look at Constantine as I sit next to Wyatt and start putting food on my plate. “You have a private jet?”
Constantine cocks an eyebrow. “Of course, my love. I'll call to have it put on standby. New Orleans and then Rio de Janeiro.”
I frown. “What about Caracas?”
He shakes his head. “No. Willow isn’t the only one who has people searching. I have had some of my people searching. None of the five devils live there. New Orleans, Rio, Cape Town, Karachi, and Ciudad Juarez. We will go to Rio first and then hit Ciudad on the way out.”
I frown. “You think that we can kill three devils in a week?”
He smiles. “The location was the issue, not the killing. I have addresses, lovers, favorite restaurants, everything. Modern-day technology has basically made it impossible for them to hide. Tracking them down this time was a snap.”
“When did you get all this?” I ask.
He looks hurt. It's an act. “You think I would keep something important from you?”
I nod.
He laughs. “I got the majority of it in the last few days. My people followed the witches. Tom and the car will be leaving here in an hour.” He turns and leaves. I know he's off to have his own breakfast. When we get to New Orleans, I'll have to find my own special snack.
Wyatt passes me the orange juice. I smile at him. I can't help myself. I know I look like a moron around him.
We land in New Orleans, and I am immediately hungry. I climb off the jet and let the air lead me. The dead whisper to me, and they lead me to the left. I walk away from everyone else. The man at the back of the plane smiles at me. I grab him by the collar of his huge jacket and pull him into my face. The dead don't come with me. They don’t like him. I suck him fast and hard. I remember how to do it so fast no one even notices me when I do it. He will look like he had a heart attack. They always do.
I prop him against the wheel and walk back to the group. Constantine looks annoyed. He and Wyatt both caught me. Mona and Michelle are oblivious.
“Seriously? That couldn’t wait?” Wyatt's dark eyes burn down on me.
I shake my head. “Really evil. Breaks into old people's houses. Duct tapes them and does bad stuff to them. He kills them and lives in their houses.”
Wyatt looks over. “Wow. All that from a kiss, huh?”
Constantine snarls. “You obviously haven’t fallen victim to her kiss of death.”
Wyatt stands up taller, towering over Constantine. “I have. I just don’t let her win the battle. Makes her fight harder for it.” He winks and walks past us.
Constantine's hands turn to fists. I grab his arm and point. “Best behavior.”
His nostrils flare. “If only you could see the man you make me and the monster you make him.” He rips his arm from my hand and stalks away.
I hate hurting him. I also hate when he says cryptic crap.
I grab my bag and follow them inside the airport.
When we leave the airport, Tom is waiting for us in a black SUV Constantine rented. We drive with Wyatt's head out the window. I almost had to duct tape Constantine's face shut, when he noticed the dog-like skill Wyatt has for tracking monsters.
Wyatt laughs. “I imagine this was far more attractive when done on a horse. Left, Tom.”
I frown. “I thought you had addresses?”
Constantine gives me an annoyed look. “He left and went on the bus. They followed the bus and lost him.”
I sigh. Mona passes me the iPad. I have nothing but vowels.
“Aioli,” Constantine whispers and points to the L in the corner. “Triple word score.”
I pass it to him. He takes it, grinning.
Wyatt screams, “STOP!” Tom slams on the brakes just as I feel it. It's a sickening feeling inside of me. He's been gathering sin again. I can smell him in the air. It's not one man's sin—it's hundreds.
I grab my sword and jump from the SUV.
I sprint. My body is being pulled. It's the weirdest feeling. I want him. I want to eat the sin.
He doesn’t see me. His sweater is the same. I realize it isn’t a sweater. It hides his wings. It's camouflage.
He turns and instantly he is something I have never imagined. His black wings shoot out of his back and spread. He hisses at me. His teeth are sharp and jagged.
He points. “You dare to challenge me?”
I stand ready with my sword. His arms and legs are longer than before. His hands are claws. The beauty of his face is worn down and gnarled. He's full of sickness.
He charges me like a bull.
I leap into the air and feel my back ripping. I float back down to the ground.
Shock covers his face. “No. No. It's not possible. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!” He looks up to the sky. “YOU HAVE BETRAYED ME, FATHER!”
He charges and I slide my sword into him. He screams and claws my arms up. I remember the way it's supposed to be. I'm supposed to behead him. I've wounded him and the sin is seeping out slowly. I can feel it in the air around me. I pull my sword and spin. I hear the slicing sound as his head tumbles onto the ground.
I glance back at them. “Did that get a little Luke Skywalker for anyone else?” They don’t move or speak. I frown. “What? I know I let a bit get away, but I think he took the rest.” I smack my lips and taste the air. “There is very little here. He took the rest. I'm sure.”
Wyatt points at me. “Your back.”
I look behind me. The light is so bright, I drop my sword. My eyes squint. They're huge. They glisten in the dim light of the night. I drop to my knees on the cold cement.
“You're an angel. Real angel,” Mona whispers.
I reach behind and touch
the white feathery wings extending from my back. They're huge.
“How do I make them go back in? What do I do?” I hear the panic in my voice. I'm in an alley, in a well-populated city, with huge white wings.
Constantine is suddenly in front of me. He holds my face. “Just breathe. Calm. When you're calm, they’ll go away. I've seen them once before. Not on you, on another angel.”
Tears are blinding me. I should be celebrating. I killed a devil. His body has turned to black feathers. They're blowing down the dark alleyway and getting stuck in the wetness on the street. Puddles of black feathers are everywhere.
“He was like me.” I am shaking. Seeing his feathers makes me sick. I wonder if one day, I will be nothing more than a puddle of white feathers.
Constantine looks scared. Wyatt looks lost. Michelle looks slightly envious and Mona is in awe.
I try to calm myself. I try taking breaths. Nothing is happening.
Wyatt walks toward me. His footsteps are soft. He kneels and leans in and kisses me. I wince into his kiss as my back burns where the wings conceal themselves again.
Constantine growls.
I lean back and look at them both, “What am I?”
Wyatt looks back at him and makes a face. Constantine nods. “You're the real daughter of Lillith and Lucifer. No human birthed you. Not this time.”
The End
The Four Horsemen is available now on Amazon, here