by AJ Salem
“I do.” I was still avoiding the telltale look of desire in his eyes.
There is no way this could be real. What does he see in me?
He led me down the walkway and around a small hill to a small cabin that stood like a gem amongst the black rock and mist. The glass-mirrored exterior reflected the landscape and amplified the light and gray white colors of the sky. Each mirror was framed by beams of dark oak and the pitched roof melted seamlessly into the sides.
I freed myself from Ian’s hold and ran up to the structure, amazed at its sheer beauty. I was met with my own reflections and didn’t recognize the person who looked back at me. She had flawless porcelain skin and bright, wild eyes. I turned my head to the side and she followed without delay. I picked up one hand and moved to meet hers but all that was there was the cold slick material of the house’s exterior.
“You’re beautiful.” Ian walked up behind me and leaned his body over me, wrapping his strong arms around my body.
“At least you think so,” I answered, meeting his reflection.
“And you’re special.” He turned his head to me and gently sucked on the thin layer of skin on my neck. The sensation sent pulsating feelings through my body. “Let’s go inside. You’re shivering.”
“I’m not cold. It’s you.”
He lifted me off my feet and scooped me into his arms as he backed into the wall, pushing open a hinged door to reveal the candle-lit interior. The room was sparse yet luxurious. Minimalist. What little furniture decorated the space had clean lines and monochromatic tones. Two gray leather club chairs sat in front of a long narrow table that held two large silver candelabra and was spattered with dozens of tea lights. A well- made mattress rested atop a low gray stained wooden platform. The headboard nearly reached the ceiling and was the only thing blocking the view of outside. The sheets were bluish in hue and the comforter was black, echoing the scenery.
“This is home,” he said, setting me down on the plush rug at the base of his bed.
“Really? In the Drifts?”
“Yeah. I may not get to come here that often anymore but it’ll always be the only place I can relax. I’ve moved around so much this is the only constant I have.”
I hugged my knees as he sat down beside me. He took my hand and placed a kiss on my wrist.
“This one’s new,” he said.
“Yeah.” I pulled my hand back and tucked it behind me.
“Gemma. You really need to stop.” His words brought back to me my brother’s warning.
Is that what he meant? Stop the magic?
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” he said.
I winced at the realization that I wasn’t going to be able to keep it from Ian much longer. “He needs my help. He says he can’t do it without me.”
“It’s dangerous. One day you’re going to summon a monster and you won’t be able to control it.”
“I can’t stop. The Dybbuk. They’re everywhere now if you haven’t noticed. I know we go about our day like nothing is really happening but my dad is slowly going crazy and Allison is stalking me. There are ones floating out there that follow me wherever I go and I feel like they’re just biding their time before they all decide to attack.”
He cupped my cheeks with his warm hands. My breath hitched by the concern that lined his face.
“Gemma, you…”
“Thom thinks I’m right. He thinks if we can figure out who sent the Dybbuk to Harrisport then we have a good chance of kicking them out.”
“Mr. Flynn?” he asked.
“Yeah. He has a grimoire. He’s been teaching me about demons. How to summon them. Negotiate with them.” There was a measure of relief that followed my confession. I didn’t feel like I was hiding a part of me from Ian anymore.
“Then we need to go see Sam. He needs to know what Mr. Flynn is making you do. He’ll tell you what to do to protect yourself.”
“He’s not making me do anything. I’m good at it and it feels right. For some reason, I can’t put my finger on it, when I let my mind grow quiet and draw the sigils, I feel like myself. The real me. Not the Gemma that goes to school every day and puts on a normal face.” I turned my head, unable to face him as I let the last words spill out. “It’s like the way I feel when I’m with you.”
“Gem. Promise me you’ll see Sam with me.”
I knew that Thom wouldn’t want me divulging any of his secrets but it’s not like I was sharing any details. Besides, I couldn’t lie to Ian, and the amount of concern he was showing made me tingle.
He cares about me.
“Fine,” I replied. “I promise.”
“I guess I killed the mood, huh?” Ian said, nodding towards the bed.
“It’s alright. I don’t think I’m as ready as I thought I was.” I smiled, bracing myself for some sort of rejection or smooth-talking convincing.
“It’s okay. I’ll wait as long as you want.”
That’s when I decided that maybe I didn’t know when I would feel ready to give up my last shred of innocence but it was for sure going to be with Ian.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The blaring noise of a car horn woke me. My body was still warm and relaxed after my night in the ethereal lagoon Ian had called his home. I stretched my arms over my head and languished in the after effects of a restful sleep. After Ian had brought me back home, I had gone out like a light. I hadn’t even gotten up for water.
Whiiiiine.
There it was again. Like the driver was leaning against the entire steering wheel, letting out one long stretch of a drone. I sat up and peeked out the window. Charlotte’s car was running in the driveway. I looked at my clock and saw the time.
Shit. I forgot about today.
I practically jumped into my sweats and gave a quick stroke of deodorant after doing a fast rendition of the ABCs as I brushed my teeth. I doubt it took the two minutes recommended by dentists nationwide.
When I ran out the door, I rammed right into Charlotte, sending the two of us onto the wet grass.
“I’m so sorry, Char. I was rushing to get out. I kind of overslept. Do you think the roads will be open?”
She took great care getting back up on her black platform wedge booties.
“Wow. You must have had some night. Let’s get in the car and you can tell me all about it. The highway is clear and I think I can swing back around the way I came. I called the salon before I left the house. They said they’ll be open but might be a few minutes late in case of traffic.” She giggled and ran to the driver’s side of the car.
I was about to get in when I realized what it was I was about to do. I had woken up to the sight of her car and completely expected to get right in and go off with her, as if I did that sort of thing every day. I stood by the door as Charlotte gave me a questioning look.
Can I do it?
I hopped from one foot to the next as I tried to decide whether or not I could get in the car again. I had read about treating phobias with something called exposure therapy. If the person with the phobia is slowly introduced to the thing they are most afraid of, they can start to control their biological reactions and avoid freaking out.
Just think of this as a continuation of the ride on Thom’s bike. I can get through this.
I heard Charlotte’s Bluetooth pick up a phone call. It was her mother.
Good. Now I can think without any pressure.
Thom’s voice echoed through my thoughts, telling me that I was stronger than anything. I imagined myself once again clutching to his body and relishing the road and the freedom of the ride.
I opened the passenger door, sat down and clicked my seatbelt shut. Charlotte put the car into drive and we pulled away from my house, listening to the esteemed Mrs. Harris yap away about dresses for the upcoming fundraiser while I tried very hard to ignore the throbbing sigils at my wrist.
Charlotte bombarded me with questions as soon as my fingers were soaking in a tiny bowl of lemon-scented water.<
br />
“Tell me everything,” she said as she pulled off the stacks of rings she wore on her right hand. More good luck charms, she claimed.
“He took me to his house.” Just fudging a little bit.
“So does he have an indoor pool or what?”
I tried to think of a real world equivalent to the lagoon.
“Nah. Outdoor jacuzzi.”
“Wow, Gem. That’s like Bachelorette behavior.”
“You should have seen him. I’m still drooling.”
“So did you do it?”
“Shush,” I said, eyeballing the manicurists who were filing away at our nails. “No. But I really wanted to,” I whispered.
“Squee!”
“Char, quiet.”
“Yeah but it’s a good thing you’re holding off. Makes it better.”
“You think?”
“Totally. Did he care?”
“He was pretty cool about waiting.”
“Which of course made you want him even more,” she answered.
“Too true.” I sighed.
“Oh I forgot. I got you a ticket for Saturday. It’s opening night of the revue. And I want to squeeze in another practice tomorrow during gym. There’s a pep rally Thursday night and Friday is the game so we don’t really have much time.”
“I’m so excited for you. Will the Senator be making an appearance?”
“We’ll see. If he can find a way to make it worth his while, I’m sure he’ll be there.”
“This is nice. I’m happy we’re normal again.”
“Yeah it is,” Charlotte said and leaned her face against my arm.
After a quick bite at McCloone’s, Charlotte dropped me back home. I was surprised to see Ian sitting on the couch with my father, who seemed more relaxed than I had seen in him in a long time. The two of them were laughing.
“Hey pumpkin,” my dad said as he saw me coming from the coat closet.
“Hey. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Ian here was just filling me in on the Knights. Thought maybe I’d come to the game this week. You’re cheering again, right?”
“Yeah.” I was dumbfounded but excited to see that someone was getting through to him. Thom might have been able to settle the Dybbuk down a bit but Ian was the one who was drawing him out of whatever downward spiral the accident had set him off on.
“Thought we could go out,” Ian said. He was looking even yummier in a soft blue shirt. He grabbed his leather jacket from the armchair and headed straight towards me, not even giving me the option of answering. “I’ll bring her home soon, Dr. Pope.”
“You kids have fun,” he said and raised the volume back on the television.
Ian ushered me out the door and thrust his jacket at me.
“Put that on. We need to be quick.”
“What’s going on?” I said, pulling on the jacket that held the distinct smell of Ian that had me almost begging to go somewhere alone.
“Sam. He said he has some news. I told him about Thom. He said it’s not good.”
“What is it?”
“He wouldn’t say. Said we needed to head back to the club now.”
“He didn’t give you any hints?”
“Nope. If he needs to tell us in person that means it’s big. It means he can’t trust outsiders hearing what he has to say.”
Our pace went from speed walking to a brisk jog. I expected some kind of post-storm clean-up effort by the city but there were no woodchoppers or garbage trucks to be found. Lots of people were milling about, looking lost and bored, until we reached the knee-high grass of the abandoned lot. When the gold handle came up, I shivered with excitement.
Traveling through the Drifts was feeling like second nature now. There was where I started and within a few heartbeats, I was in the familiar frozen lake. It was as if I had always been here. We trekked together, side by side, dropping into the ice and coming out into the pulsating room.
The room was even more crowded than usual, both on the dance floor and the balcony above us. All the tables were filled and whatever the capacity was for, it was definitely maxed out.
I couldn’t resist the pull in the room, grabbed Ian by the waist of his jeans and dragged him into the undulating mass of people.
“We don’t have time.”
I gave him puppy dog eyes and a big pout. “Just one dance,” I yelled over the thrumming bass.
He stood still amidst the throngs of people.
“Please,” I begged.
He held up his index finger and replied, “Just one.” He smirked and rocked his hips to the music until he was firmly planted up against my body. He spun me around and set me on his thigh.
Power filled every cell in my body. The pulsating music filled my mind as my chest swelled, taking in more of the energy that lay thick in the air. Our bodies moved as one and I could feel the heat of desire rushing up like a deluge, threatening to drown me.
I was reluctant to meet with Sam just yet. I didn’t want to know what he had to tell me. I wanted to stay clutched within Ian’s strong hold until I lost myself but when he stopped on a dime at the transition of the next song, it was hard to ignore what had now become my responsibility.
We walked past the bar towards Sam’s office. Mr. Muscle, as I now referred to him, was guarding the door again. His sigils had now crept up his neck and if the strobe lights hadn’t been flicking on and off, I could have sworn the tattoos were moving across his skin like they had a life of their own.
“Good. You’re here,” Sam said when we walked in. “You. Sit.”
As Ian and I sat down, Sam walked around us and closed the door, shutting out the noise. When he came back, he sat on the desk in front of my chair and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“I need to know that whatever I tell you stays between us.”
“Um. Sure.” I gulped.
“I’m serious. No one can find out about this. I’m in hot water just asking around about it.”
“Yeah. I get it.” I shifted, trying to loosen his hold on me but he stayed firm.
He brought his face closer to mine and looked into my eyes, checking for something. When he appeared satisfied by what he saw, he let go.
“I did a little background check on your Mr. Flynn. Seems he’s not what he appears.”
“I figured that much.” I scoffed at the lack of credit I was getting in the intelligence department.
“There is much subterfuge about who he actually is so my hands are tied for now.”
“That doesn’t help me much.”
“True. But patience is a virtue. Is it not?”
“What now?” Ian interjected.
“I’ll keep digging. But Gemma, you need to keep going along with whatever Mr. Flynn wants. We don’t want him thinking you don’t trust him anymore.”
But I do trust him. I think.
“So you want me to keep going along with Thom’s ideas and really just listen to you.”
“That’s the idea, sugar.”
“And why should I do that? I barely know you.”
“I’m trying to look out for you.”
“Why?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure but that’s not getting me to jump onto your bandwagon.”
“The necklace. Have you tried it?” he asked.
I put my finger to the stone.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Feels good, right?” His smile revealed a pair of super sharp canines. “Coming here also helps.”
“It does?”
“Sure. You think all that energy out there is just for show? People pay good money to sit up on the rafters and indulge in a bit of soul sucking. Literally.”
“Is that safe?” I thought about all those people dancing their hearts out to no end.
“Don’t worry about them. They belong here. They chose it. It was better than any other alternative they had. They get to stay here under my protection and, in exchange, they provide rejuve
nating energy for the paying clientele you saw out there.”
It sounded awful and I had to ignore my conscious at the knowledge of how much I enjoyed feeding on the masses myself.
“Is that how my scar went away?”
He nodded.
“So when you find out more about Thom, you’ll let me know, right?” I asked.
“You have my word. And do me a small favor, will you?”
“What’s that?”
“Try using your powers. Practice makes perfect and all that jazz. You might surprise yourself and see how much Thom has been withholding from you.” Sam’s parting words left me more confused than ever.
When we left Sam, I had a newfound appreciation for the club. I saw everything now with new eyes and watched the interplay between the two factions of people.
“Wanna stay longer?” Ian asked.
“No. I think we should head back.”
“Sure.”
We rode the elevator back up.
“Are you going to try them? Like Sam said?” Ian said, tracing his finger along Ronwe’s curlicued sigil.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I think you should. You need to watch out for yourself. Don’t ever rely on anyone else to keep you safe.”
When the doors opened up onto my front lawn, Ghosty was waiting for me at the front door.
“What about him?” I asked.
“You’ll figure it out.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. You’re the smartest person I know.” Ian brushed his lips against mine and I could feel his smile widen. I thought I could feel Ghosty’s tendrils sweeping in between us.
“See you tomorrow,” I said, uncomfortable at the thought that we had an audience.
“Yeah,” Ian said. “Call me if you need me.”
I watched Ian walk away until his silhouette turned the corner and I could no longer follow him. Ghosty still hovered on the top stair like a faithful guard dog as the trees rustled in the strong wind that brought in the cooler autumn air. The rumbling in my stomach had me throwing an egg and cheese on a biscuit into the toaster oven. When the timer dinged, I coaxed the sandwich out with the tips of my fingers onto a paper towel. I sat down on one of the breakfast stools and flipped through the pages of the paper already laid out in a haphazard mess.