by Bette Maybee
She shook her head. “No, you won’t. You won’t even know I’m gone.” Crap. She wanted to break down crying right now. She wanted to run and check into the hospital and wait to die. Just get it over with. Going on like this was torture. But she couldn’t. She had to see this through. She had to make sure Eli made it to The Rising safely. At least he could live on.
The door creaked open, halting their conversation. Jack, the custodian, stuck his white-haired head in, his eyes going wide as he stared at the two teenagers. “Hate to break up the party, but I gotta clean.” He stepped inside and grabbed the trashcan by the door as Julie and Eli made their exit. “Hey, weren’t you two friends with that Winters girl?”
Julie looked from Eli to the custodian. “Yes. Why?”
The old man motioned to the radio zip-tied to the handle of his cart. “According to my police scanner, the cops were just in hot pursuit of a suspect.”
Julie felt the air suck out of the room. Eli spoke up. “Did they say who it was?”
Jack dumped the trash into his bin and shook his head. “Nope. Just identified the vehicle as a black Ford pickup driven by an alleged suspect in the Winters’s case. Said there was a passenger.”
“Wait.” Julie felt dizzy, like she was going to faint. “You said ‘were’. The cops ‘were’ in pursuit.”
The old man tossed the trash can back in the corner. “Yup. They just called an 11-80, Accident with Serious Injury. At least one of those sons-a-bitches is still alive.”
“Why do you say that?” Julie felt Eli’s arm encircle her waist.
“Because they also called an 11-44.” Jack slapped his mop against the floor. “Coroner Required.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Dan is dead.” Kas slammed his cell phone on the dashboard of his truck and turned to Lucy, who had to hide the smile she could feel brewing. Those three words were like music to her ears. “And Remy’s in a coma.” HOLY SHIT! Could this get any better? “Damn it! I knew I should have given him a ride home.”
“What? How?” Lucy could barely contain herself. She didn’t really care how, she was just glad that two of her rivals were out of commission. Now, if Kas would just fade from existence.
“The police know, Lucy. Someone turned in evidence fingering Dan. You better hope to God you didn’t leave any fingerprints in his truck, or you’ll be the next person they come after.”
Lucy pressed herself into the passenger door, her fingers settling on the handle. She knew she had nothing to worry about. She’d never been in enough trouble to be fingerprinted. “And what about you? They’ve suspected you from the beginning. It would probably be best if you just disappeared, don’t you think?”
She couldn’t have written this scenario much better. She just wished she hadn’t told Kas that The Rising was going to take place this weekend. Of course, it probably wouldn’t have mattered. It sounded like he already figured it out on his own. Maybe he wasn’t as dumb as she thought. Unfortunately, that also meant that he probably figured out that he would be fighting her for a chance at immortality. But, they’d both have to wait to make their moves. Everything depended on incapacitating the Fire-Child, and they’d probably need to work together to get that done.
Kas squeezed the steering wheel as he contemplated her words. “Get out. I’ll meet you at Mono Lake before sunrise on Sunday.”
Lucy nodded. “I’ll be there.”
As she opened the door and slid out, Kas grabbed her arm, sinking his fingers into her bicep. “One thing. I know only one of us will be able to claim our birthright. But the other can reap the benefits as well. We can both be winners in this, Lucy.”
Lucy stared down at her arm, imagining herself breaking each one his fingers. “Sure, I know.” She raised an eyebrow. “Do you mind? I can’t leave if you have your claws in my arm.”
Kas peeled his fingers off her arm, leaving deep, red welts in their place. By tomorrow morning, they’d turn into bruises. She sighed and smiled as she slammed the door shut and watched as the truck rolled down the road. Ah, well. Just another reason to kill the bastard.
****
The plan was simple. With Dan dead and Remy comatose, she had two less Nephilim to worry about, and she’d make sure the third would never leave Mono Lake alive, if he even made it there. Lucy tucked the small pistol and rounds of ammunition in the bottom of her backpack. The Fire-Child might not be able to succumb to a gunshot wound, but Kas was mostly human, and no one would blame her for shooting him.
Incapacitating the Fire-Child in her weakest moment shouldn’t be too tough, either. Lucy looked at the two prescription bottles full of heart medication she found in her grandmother’s medicine cabinet, and her own stash of valium Liana’s doctor had so sweetly prescribed for her anxiety brought on by her grandmother’s death. A hefty combination of the two should make a deadly little cocktail for Julie ... at least it would be deadly if Julie were a normal human. In her weakened state, it should still have a pretty drastic effect, and if Lucy lucked out, it would actually “kill” her for a bit. Decapitation was her second choice, but that would be a little tougher to hide from Eli. Of course, if she had to do it, she would.
Lucy smiled to herself. Why she hadn’t thought of drugging Julie earlier was a mystery to her. If she timed it right, before Julie would have time to recuperate from the effects of the drugs, Lucy would be reborn as the new Fire-Child and in the protective custody of Eli, if she could convince him to be her Protector.
Protector. Why did she think of that word? Lucy shrugged. Of course, all he’d have to do would be to witness The Rising. That would be proof enough that the story of the Fire-Child was much more than a legend. He’d claim her as his daughter and when she was old enough, she’d claim him as her lover. That is, as long as she was reborn again as a female. Lucy shook her head at the thought of coming back as a male. That was a chance she’d have to take for a shot at immortality.
Lucy placed the bottles in the front pocket of her book bag, right beside the stinky medicine pouch she inherited from Liana. Shit. She’d totally forgotten that she promised Eli she’d wear it. Grabbing a bottle of body spray, she spritzed it twice, then stuffed it in a different part of her bag. She’d deal with that later. First, she needed to set the other part of her plan in motion.
****
Lucy plopped down on Eli’s bed as Eli stared at the ten o’clock news. Damn it! He should have trusted his instincts. Dan Penemue’s face filled half the screen, with the word “Suspect” written under it. Remy’s picture sat on the other half, with the word “Passenger” scripted beneath it. What it should have said for both of them in bold red letters was NEPHILIM.
“I can’t believe it. Remy and his cousin could possibly be responsible for your friend’s death! That is totally freaky! And it looks like Kas might be involved, too. The police want him for questioning, and I haven’t been able to contact him since he dropped me off. Where do you suppose he is?”
“The coward probably fled.” Eli flipped the TV off, sat on the bed beside her, and rubbed his eyes. Liana had warned him that he would experience a period of physical weakness prior to his transformation into the Phoenix just before The Rising. Maybe this was the start of it. His eyes burned like fire.
Lucy hugged her knees to her body. “Well, I’m worried that he’s going to show up at Yosemite tomorrow, or at Mono Lake tomorrow night. He knows exactly what our plans are. Right now, I’m just about his only friend. He may come looking for me and,” Lucy blew out a long stream of air, as if she were finding the courage to finish her sentence, “this may sound silly, but what if the legend is true? What if the Penemues really are Nephilim? Julie could seriously be in danger if they suspect her of being the Fire-Child. I’m thinking maybe we should adjust our plans a bit.”
Lucy was right. All indications were that Kas was indeed a Nephilim, and with immortality at stake, that made him extremely dangerous. Julie could end up dead, and Lucy might end up as collateral damage. It was
best if they changed their plans, even if it meant they would have to split up.
“What did you have in mind?”
Lucy folded her hands together. “I think that we could skip the hike, go stay at some secluded motel off the beaten path, and then head to Mono Lake before dawn. Watching the sunrise from Paoha should be fantastic, and it may be our last chance before the first snow. If we aren’t at our homes, and we don’t show up at either of the times or places we planned on with him, then there’s no way Kas would stick around all night. He has to keep moving so the police don’t catch up with him. I’ll ask Simon if I can use his pickup to haul the canoe. Kas will never recognize it, even if he passes it on the way up there.”
Everything Lucy said made sense. Her desire to protect Julie and her insistence on going to Paoha, even in the middle of all this danger, only cemented the fact that she instinctually knew more about this than she even realized.
“I agree. I think it’s best if we get the two of you out of here. I don’t think Kas would dare come around tonight, but tomorrow night’s a different story. I’ll call Julie and let her know what’s going on. You find a motel. Make sure it’s not on the main highway. I’ll talk to Simon about using his pickup. I’m used to getting my way with him.” Eli worked up a little smile, trying to convince Lucy of his intent. In fact, he dreaded speaking with Simon, knowing that he would also be saying good-bye to the man who had considered him a son for the past fifty years. But, he had to do it. This was probably going to be his only chance.
Lucy flung her arms around Eli’s neck. “Sounds like a plan.” She twiddled her thumbs through the hair on the nape of his neck. Eli crinkled his shoulders at the tickle. Maybe Julie was right. Maybe Lucy felt more for Eli than a “cousin” should.
“Umm ... I’m thinking that maybe you should reserve two rooms. I might spend most of the night up watching out for Penemue.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm ... I think that is a perfect plan. Julie and I could take some time to get to know each other a bit more.” She smiled and winked as she dropped her hands from his neck. “But don’t be surprised if you have a visitor in the middle of the night. I’m getting pretty used to our three a.m. talks!”
Eli smiled in response. That could actually work. That would be the perfect time to reveal the secret of the medicine pouch. “So am I, Lucy.”
Lucy brushed her lips across his cheek, narrowly missing his lips. The kind of peck two good friends would share. “I’ll see you in the morning, Eli! Gotta pack!”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Julie bolted upright in bed, her eyes wild with terror. It had been chasing her again. The first time she had the dream almost two months earlier, the creature was faceless, but not this time. This time it had a face ... and a name.
“Kas?” Julie barely breathed the name out loud.
A figure stepped out of the shadows of her bedroom. “No, it’s me. Eli.”
“Eli?” Julie pulled the covers up to her chin, not wanting Eli to see the amount of damage the leukemia was already doing to her body. “What are you doing here?” She watched in horror as he flicked on the lamp beside her bed. “No!” Her arm shot out, and she fumbled with the switch, her fingers too weak to turn it. Eli grasped her wrist and stared silently at the mottled bruises running the length of her arm.
“I came to make sure you were okay. Kas is on the loose, you know.” Eli’s eyes moved from her arm to her face. Without makeup on, she looked exactly like she felt: like she was dying. It was evident that Eli could see that.
Julie tugged her arm out of Eli’s hand and hid it under her quilt, even though the damage was done. “You explained that on the phone earlier.”
Eli nodded his head, then retrieved the bottle of Vicodin she left setting on her nightstand. His eyes glistened in the moonlight. “It’s back.”
It was a statement of fact, not a question. This was exactly what she had feared would happen when she let him into her heart. Her impending death was going to hurt him. It didn’t matter that he was only going to be Eli Sullivan for a few hours more. She wanted him to experience The Rising with the hope that they might have a future together in his new life. Now, he was going into this broken-hearted. And it was her fault.
With a lift of her chin, Julie attempted to acknowledge his statement with a bit of humor. “You weren’t supposed to find out. But, here you are, doing your stealth ninja, slip in the Mason mansion without being seen or heard act.” Julie smoothed the covers across her lap. “I just hope in your next life, you learn to knock.”
“My next life will be meaningless without you.” He sat next to her, his fingers entwining with hers. She raised his hands to her lips and kissed them.
“Like I said before, you won’t even know I’m missing. I just wish that we could have had more time together.” She raised her eyes to the ceiling as bitter tears brewed. “This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I was supposed to be your wife. It’s not fair.”
“You’re already my wife in my heart, Julie,” Eli whispered.
“But I’ll never experience it.” Julie shook her head as her tears fell. “You said once that I should save myself for the man I’m going to spend my life with. Well, this is our time, Eli. I’m spending the rest of my life with you, even if it is just one day.” She searched his eyes for understanding. “Will you take me as your wife, Eli? Tonight?”
Silence.
Julie held her breath, waiting to be rejected once again. Then, without a word, Eli switched the light off. Moonlight bathed the room as he pulled her to him, his body boldly revealing the answer to her request. She would be his tonight, and he would be hers. There was no denying themselves now.
Eli’s eyes darkened with desire as they stood. A brush of his thumbs sent the straps of her camisole over her shoulders. It dropped to the floor as his hands traced the curves of her body, catching the band of her panties and releasing them to join the camisole at her feet. Eli swept her into his arms and laid her gently on her bed, his eyes caressing every inch of her body. He tugged his t-shirt over his head and knelt beside her as she struggled to unbutton his jeans. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Why did she have to be so weak at a time like this? As if he heard her unspoken plea, his hands suddenly covered hers, and in the blink of an eye, his clothes joined hers next to the bed. Julie’s breath hitched in her throat. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. He was an angel in human form. And he was hers.
Julie watched as her hands seemed to move on their own, reaching for him. Her fingers spread across the muscular expanse of his chest, then traveled down the hard ripples of his abdomen. She drowned herself in his beauty, her eyes and her hands exploring every curve, every muscle. Then, she pulled him to her.
Julie moaned in ecstasy as Eli pushed himself deep inside her, branding her as his over and over again with the exquisite searing passion known only to them. Faltering in her inexperience, Julie lost control of herself briefly, then met his rhythm once again. She was rewarded as her body responded in heated abandon, building to a crescendo until the colors Eli’s lovemaking elicited exploded in front of her eyes and his own body shook in waves of release.
Spent and content, Julie tucked herself into Eli’s waiting arms and closed her eyes. Even with the bruises of her illness and the knowledge that this would be the only night they would spend together, Julie had never felt so beautiful, or so loved, or so alive.
Eli nuzzled the back of her neck, his breath warm ... intoxicating ... irresistible. She wriggled back against him.
“Besa Soobedda,” Eli whispered, his voice already ragged with desire as he reached for her again, pulling her on top of him.
“Besa Soobedda.” Julie smiled to herself, letting Eli’s hands guide her movements. This is how it was meant to be.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“Did you bring a warm jacket?” Eli asked as the girls loaded their bags into the back of the truck next to the canoe. “It’s going to be pretty cool
up on the lake this time of year.” He saw Lucy tuck her book bag into the cab of the truck and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that it contained the sacred medicine bag that would explain everything to her. She had to get that information tonight.
Lucy and Julie looked at each other, rolled their eyes and responded simultaneously. “Yes, Dad!”
Eli chuckled. Except for last night with Julie, he had never seen either of them so happy. Lucy was clueless about what was really going on and was just happy that they were doing something fun together. Julie was another story. Her happiness came from knowing that the two of them had become one, and nothing—not even death—could take that away from them. When they weren’t making love, they spent the rest of last night holding each other and accepting the fact that after sunrise Sunday morning, they would never be together again. Yes, she was happy, but she was also putting on a brave face. She was, in fact, the bravest person Eli had ever met.
Eli checked the canoe once again to make sure it was locked down tight, then fished the keys out of his pocket and twirled them on his finger. “Ready, ladies?”
Julie nodded and hopped in the cab, securing her spot in the middle. Eli’s heart seemed to flip in his chest. Even after last night, after spending hours making love, Julie still had that bit of jealousy in her. Of course, how could he blame her? After The Rising, Lucy would be his companion for at least the next seventeen years, until he came of age, and Julie would be just a memory. To Lucy. Not to him. Life wasn’t fair.
Lucy sauntered over to him and then snatched the keys off his finger. “I’m driving, Sullivan.”
Eli was tempted to snatch them back, but the exhaustion he was feeling held him back. He’d never felt so tired or so weak. He knew that this was just another indication that The Rising was about to take place, but this made him vulnerable ... and vulnerable was dangerous. In this state, he had to be especially careful to keep Julie, Lucy, and himself out of danger. Something as simple as falling asleep at the wheel would be inexcusable. He yawned and bowed to Lucy. “Be my guest. I’m exhausted. Think I’ll take a nap.”