His demeanor changes a bit when he looks forward again and sees the stable is close. He looks back and forth from me to the stable, caught between deciding to just get to the stable or stopping the machine to deal with his new passenger. He throws it into the next gear, which propels the machine forward. It causes me to jerk back roughly and lose my footing, but luckily, I don’t release my grip on the handle. I’m able to reposition myself to face him at the door again, his attempt to get me to fall thwarted. His green eyes darken as he looks at me. The anger he never learned to keep in check spills out daggers aimed straight at my heart. His lip curls up sinisterly, like a rabid animal.
“Who the hell are you?” he asks furiously.
“I’m the girl that’s going to send you back to hell where you belong, asshole,” I answer as I reach out my hand and touch his face.
The moment my skin touches his, the red haired demon freezes in place and the familiar heat starts to run through my body. It starts in my fingers and moves up my arm as it fans out to include my neck and chest. But this time, I don’t mind the pain. It’s the least I can do to the man who just mercilessly killed four women. The shocked look on his pale face gives me satisfaction like I’ve never known. The last thought I have before my world explodes into a thousand white lights, is that justice is a dish not best served cold, but rather served toasty warm and with a hint of fireworks.
* * * *
“Wake up,” says a soft voice beside me. I can hear the order, but my body just won’t respond.
“Wake up, Aimee. It’s all over.”
I manage to open my eyes a bit and see the trees that grow lush and happy, their leaves fluttering in the wind. Somehow, I’m back in the park where I first saw Mary. But rather than sitting on the bench, I’m lying on the grass. I’m exhausted, but I use what little energy I have left to open my eyes fully. Mary’s face is above me and she’s smiling. I try to focus, but it seems impossible. All I want to do is sleep.
“Must. Sleep,” I say incoherently.
Mary laughs; it’s a deep wonderful sound that makes me happy. “And sleep you will, sweetie, but there’s something I have to do first.”
“What?” I ask feebly.
“I have to release you,” she explains as she leans down and kisses my forehead. The instant her lips touch my skin, everything in the park melts away—including Mary—and I begin to free fall into a white light. It’s a trip I’m happy to take since it’s such a stark contrast to most of my trips. I close my eyes and revel in the light, feeling happier than I have since all this started. As I free fall into oblivion all I can think is, I could get used to this.
Chapter Twenty-One
~ Lost But Not Found ~
The minute I come to, I know that I’m back in the hospital. The smell of ammonia fills the air and it’s colder than a meat locker. I want to open my eyes, but fatigue has me firm within its grasp. I hear voices muttering, but they’re far away and I can’t make out what they’re saying. As I slowly wake up more, I can hear what they’re discussing: me.
“Maybe this one was worse than the last, making it harder for her to wake up?” Brett asks, worry evident in his voice. I heard that loud and clear, so he must be close.
“I don’t think so,” responds Evans inquisitively. “I believe her mind is strong and can take almost any memory thrown at her. But she’s untrained, which means it probably takes her more energy than necessary to absorb them. Just give her a moment more.”
As I slowly open my eyes, I take in the scene before me. Brett’s face hovers before me, a mask of concern. The minute our eyes meet, he smiles devilishly.
“Hey there, you,” he says warmly.
I return his smile, genuinely happy to see him for reasons I can’t begin to understand. My head is resting on a pillow in his lap and he’s stroking my hair—something he seems to feel he has permission to do. If I had more energy, I’d yell at him for having the audacity to touch me whenever he wants and whenever it suits him. But sadly, I don’t. And even more surprising, the gesture soothes me and helps as I awaken, so I decide to let it go.
“How is it that I always end up on the damn floor and in your lap?” I ask Brett. My voice sounds scratchy and my throat is dry.
“Cause I’m the only one who’s not freaked out by your cloudy eyes. I think it’s beautiful when it happens actually. It’s like watching the clouds swirl around in the sea.”
Wow. Not the answer I was expecting. “Very poetic, Brett. But Poe was also poetic and you see how that worked for him. Watch it, or I’ll poison you and leave you on a park bench for the animals to find and feast on.”
Brett laughs heartily. “Well, I’m much more optimistic than Poe was and I have fewer enemies. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think your passing out is simply a ploy to get into my arms. It’s clearly working.”
I huff and move to sit up. The further I am from Brett, the better. He’s getting a little too comfy when it comes to me, and worse yet, I’m letting him.
“If you have to have a girl unconscious before she gets into your lap, then that’s your problem,” I spit at him, angry at Brett for making me feel comfortable around him while my boyfriend is unconscious and in pain. I turn to Dr. Evans, who is standing a distance away by the door. “So, what happened? Did it work?” I ask him anxiously.
“You tell me,” he states pointing to the other side of the room. I turn and just about collapse from happiness. Mary is sitting on the bed, confused, but awake. Two doctors are examining her, while a couple of nurses take her vitals. She’s obviously confused by how she ended up in a hospital, but she’s otherwise healthy. I walk over to the bed on wobbly legs and push aside the doctor. Rude or not, no one’s going to keep me from Mary anymore.
The moment she sees me, her eyes fill with tears. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I didn’t want you to ever have to see that.”
“I know. But I’m stronger than you think. It can’t hurt me like it hurt you.”
“It was never about me, baby. It was always about protecting you as much as I could from the evil in this world. I didn’t realize until today that I had it backwards. You were always the one protecting me.”
I hug Mary with all the love I never thought I was capable of while tears flow down my face. I wish I had something awesome to say back to her, but words fail me. All I can do is hug her.
Behind us, Dr. Evans clears his throat. “I’m sorry to break this up, but Mary needs to go for some final tests before they can release her to go home.”
A nurse rolls a wheelchair into the room and I reluctantly let go of Mary so the nurses can assist her. “I’ll see you soon,” I tell Mary as the nurses help her into the wheelchair. She kisses my gloved hand before the nurses wheel her away. My heart hurts less knowing that she’s going to be alright. I plop down in a nearby chair, incapable of doing much more than sitting.
Dr. Evans regards me stoically from across the room. “I know this sounds awkward coming from me, but…I’m proud of you, Aimee. You did well and with such little direction from me.”
Since I don’t trust my emotions at the moment, I simply nod my head in acceptance and gratitude.
“When you’re feeling better, I want you to document every single portion of the memory you just eradicated within Mary. Not because I’m morbid you see, but for prosperity’s sake. Knowing what you did will help in my research.”
Since I have no idea what research he’s talking about, I almost say no. But since I would never have gotten this far without him, I decide to be accommodating.
“Okay,” I answer reluctantly. “But only as long as no one else ever sees what I write.”
“Deal. Now rest, young lady, while I go see about getting your friends transferred to this hospital. I know you’ll want to start with them as soon as you are feeling up to it.”
“Yes, thank you doctor.”
Evans nods his head, grabs Mary’s chart, and leaves the room to fill out paperwork that will doom my friends t
o a stint somewhere in this awful hospital. I put my head in my hands to clear my mind. As each second passes, I feel stronger, more alert, and less exhausted than I did when I entered Julia’s consciousness. Maybe that means I’m stronger than I was yesterday? Or maybe practice helps me build a resistance to the exhaustion? Whatever the reason, I’m grateful.
The room is so quiet that I don’t realize Brett didn’t go with Dr. Evans until I hear movement to my left and see him drag a chair over to mine. He sits down and puts his elbows on his knees as he leans in and regards me with those beautiful blue eyes. Those are the eyes of a boy used to getting what he wants. I close mine as he stares at me, for fear that I might fall under his spell and do exactly that—give him whatever he wants. I’m an idiot for even considering it.
Brett clears his throat, reminding me that he’s still here and has no intention of going anywhere.
“If I asked you to leave, would you?” I say hopefully.
“Nope, so get used to it. As long as you're going through this, I’ll be here to bug you with my devilish smile and manly body.”
I laugh, despite trying my best not to. “Manly body, huh? That’s what you call those measly things that barely pass for arms?”
“They were strong enough to catch you, ya know,” he points out.
My traitorous heart speeds up at the sexy way he reminded me whose arms I’ve awoken in twice now. I take deep breaths to calm myself, but it isn’t working. The room I just thought was freezing has warmed up considerably. I open my eyes to tell him he’s gone too far, only to realize that in the time I’ve tried to ignore him, he’s moved very close to me. So close that I can feel his breath on my face. Those blue eyes regard me with something I can’t quite put my finger on, but whatever it is, I don’t want to find out.
“What are you doing?” I ask him, trying my best to steady my breathing. I wonder fleetingly if he can hear my heart beating fast within my chest, or if he realizes exactly how much his nearness is affecting me.
“I’m wondering what you taste like.”
Well, that wasn’t the answer I was expecting. My cheeks flush, but I’m not sure if it’s from his boldness or the heat from Brett’s body so close to mine. On the verge of chastising him for saying something like that, my treasonous mind is now wondering the same thing about him. He moves in slowly, like he’s approaching a wild animal. I want to turn my head away, but I can’t move. Though ever fiber in my being is screaming how wrong this is, my body won’t listen. I want to think about Logan, want to see his face moving toward me, but all I see is Brett. His breath is sweet and his eyes are full of yearning as his lips near mine.
Just as I realize this kiss is really going to happen, fate intervenes. Just as Brett’s lips are on the verge of touching mine, Dr. Evans runs into the room screaming my name. The moment is as lost as I am.
Disoriented and flustered at getting caught almost kissing Brett, I look up at Dr. Evans wondering what’s wrong. His face is flushed and his hair is disheveled. It’s easy to tell he ran all the way here.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as I jump out of my chair.
“They’re gone. Both of them. An orderly went to check on them and their beds were empty. No one has seen them. They’re just missing without a trace.”
“Who’s missing?” I ask, even though the pain gripping my heart indicates I already know.
“Logan and Dejana. They’ve disappeared and I have no idea what happened to them.”
I stand in the center of the room as my world comes crashing down around me. All hope I had moments ago after saving Mary is gone. It slipped through my fingers like water. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to hold on to the ones I love, at least not for very long.
My mind is a whirlwind of emotions. Vertigo hits me full force as the pressure of the last two days, mixed with my friends being kidnapped, bears down upon me. I’m in a fight with consciousness and losing badly. My mind needs time to heal, but it’s time I just can’t afford right now. I wish my mind would listen, but it stubbornly continues to shut down. My last thought before passing out is that I’m running out of time to save Dejana and Logan. The hourglass is almost empty and I have no idea where to begin.
Chapter Twenty-Two
~ Bloodties ~
David lies on his bed with his arms fanned out beside him. He’s uncomfortable and in dire need of rest, but he’s incapable of moving for the moment. Though the pain in his mind has eased some, his body is sore and exhausted from moving Aimee’s friends to the secret location. The room is set and he has the gun loaded and ready. All he needs now is his mind to hold on a bit longer. Though he dumped as many memories as he could, his mind still feels like it’s been hacked up by ice picks. It’s nearly impossible to think. All around him, he sees things that aren’t really there. Or at least he thinks they’re imagined, he can’t be certain with his mind battling itself.
Suddenly there’s a knock on the door. Despite his fatigue, David jumps up, grabs his gun, and positions himself beside the door to face the possible intruder. He quickly moves to look through the peephole and instantly relaxes. He stows his gun in the back of his jeans and unlinks the chain to let his brother into the apartment. He wastes no time with pleasantries.
“What are you doing here?” he asks his brother impatiently. “I’ve got things to do and I’m exhausted.”
His brother passes the threshold of the threadbare apartment and closes the door behind him. Before responding to his brother’s rude comments, he takes a look around the apartment, noting the broken pieces of who knows what that still litter the floor. He notices the large gashes in the wall and shakes his head, disgusted with David’s lack of discipline. He crosses his arms in front of him, clearly agitated as he faces his brother.
“What do you think you’re doing, David?” he asks, barely able to disguise the disgust he feels for his weak-minded brother. “You aren’t well enough to finish this and you could ruin everything. Father gave you specific instructions, and by taking those people, you’ve defied a direct order. He sent me here to set you straight. Though looking at the state of this apartment, I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“Who cares what you think,” David spits back. “You’ve already ascended, oh perfect brother of mine. It’s my turn now and I won’t let you ruin it for me!” yells David as he lunges at his brother, fists ready.
His brother easily deflects David’s pathetic attempt at a fight and throws him forcefully against the wall, never even breaking a sweat. He smiles as he watches David crumble to the floor. “You should know better than to make father angry, David. He’s stronger than both of us and you know what he’s capable of.”
David wipes away the blood from his mouth as he regards his brother with contempt. “Screw you and him. I don’t need either of you. I can do this on my own.”
David’s brother laughs heartily at his attempt to do something as important as his ascension without help. “She’s stronger than we thought, David. She’s a fast learner, and already strong enough to defeat you.”
“That bitch will never defeat me!” David screams so forcefully it shakes the thin walls of the apartment.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see then, won’t we?” taunts his brother.
“I’ll show you and father how great I am. I’ll cut her into tiny pieces and send you her head just to prove it.”
David’s brother says nothing, his fury and disgust evident in his stance and his clenched fists. He turns to leave, clearly not believing a word David says. Just as his brother’s hand touches the doorknob, David’s next words stop him cold.
“Your pitiful attempt to help her won’t work. And even if it did, she’ll never forgive you for what you did.” David pushes on despite the look of unadulterated rage pouring out his brother’s eyes. “And if you tell father anything about my plan, I’ll tell her who you really are, Brett. Then, I’ll kill her right in front of you.”
“Then may the best brother win,”
Brett challenges as he steps out into the hall and lets the door fall shut behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
~ Race Against Time ~
Feeling groggy, like I haven’t slept in days, I open my eyes and immediately wish I hadn’t bothered. The white moldy tiles and the smell of ammonia tell me that I’m still at the hospital and that the nightmares that plagued my dreams last night are indeed real. The tornado that brings evil after evil to my doorstep taunts me as it jumps from person to person, devouring all that I love in this life. My measly attempts to stop it seem to have done nothing but piss it off.
I know the guy that has haunted me since I was six is waiting for me. And some prophecy about two becoming one, that makes no sense at all, looms above my head. The world has ceased to make sense.
I dreamed such horrible dreams last night of buried bodies, blood spewed corn, and exploding cars that I had convinced myself none of it was real. It can’t be. Such evil can’t possibly exist in this world. But it does. And the memories of those deeds now live in the minds of those I love. Minds that were never meant to harbor such horrible visions of hell. Suddenly, everything that happened last night before my mind shut down, comes back.
“Logan!” I yell, panic starting to squeeze my heart as I sit up in the hospital bed and throw off the old white blanket. I swing my legs down, wanting to run to see if he and Dejana are truly gone, but I’m frozen in place as the room spins around me. My mind is still fragile from absorbing the memories within Mary. I hold my head in my hands, willing it to go away. There’s so much I have to do now to try to save the ones I love, before it is too late. The silence in the room, once overpowering, is suddenly lost as the door to the hospital room opens and Mary comes walking in with a tray full of food.
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