Common Ground (The Common Ground Trilogy Book 1)

by Barry Chaison

  He waited for a moment before he spoke again. “Once angels and demons started becoming mortal, those of us who remained pure started to study how the process worked. We discovered that even though they were mortal, angels and demons were still resistant to death in a strange way. Some of our subjects actually reported to us that they’d been involved in accidents that would easily have killed normal human beings and were able to walk away from it practically unscathed.”

  “I don’t get it,” I said shortly.

  Professor Woodward leaned forward in his seat and looked much more intense than before. “What I’m saying is that even though they technically lost their immortality, they were all still unable to be killed. They aged and lost some powers, but they were still resistant to physical injury.”

  “How could that be?”

  “We quickly noticed that when angels and demons began aging, they disbanded from their groups and settled in with humans. When this happened, the relationships they formed with humans became close and very strong. For hundreds of years, those of us that remained immortal studied these relationships and ended up finding some bizarre correlations between the humans and our mortal people.”

  I didn’t say a word, but instead sat there and stared at Professor Woodward. He glanced back at me for a moment before continuing.

  “Angels and demons were dying at almost the exact same time as their close human friends. We discovered that the mortality of our people was linked specifically to their closest, most important human companion. When the human died, the angel or demon died with them. So in actuality, being intimate erases our immortality and ties our fate with humans. The moment an angel or demon becomes mortal, their life is directly linked to a human somewhere on earth. That human becomes what is known to our world as a link.”

  All of the talk about death and human links made me think about my family again. With his comments about procreation and hearing about human links, I couldn’t wait any longer to find out the truth.

  “Professor, how does this relate to my family?” I asked bluntly.

  Professor Woodward’s shoulders dropped immediately. I could see that he knew there was no more getting around it. He took a few deep breaths and stared directly into my eyes.

  “Zoe, your situation is unique. Even though many angels and demons chose the path of life and death, there were still many unwritten rules that nobody dared to challenge. One of those rules was, for lack of a better term, cross breeding. Angels and demons never had relations with the other race, or with humans. It always stayed inside the circles. That belief continued on into the current day until-” he stopped suddenly.

  “My parents?” I whispered.

  He nodded once. “They were in love and everyone knew it. Remember when I told you a few weeks ago how all of their friends were against their relationship? Now you know why. It was unheard of for an angel and demon to be together.”

  I couldn’t speak. It was hard enough to hear about my parents’ true past, let alone be reminded of their friends’ lack of loyalty.

  “They believed that it wasn’t against the rules and that they had to stand up for true love. I’d never seen two beings more adamant about their love for one another than your parents and in the end, their love was too strong and they followed their hearts. That eventually led to not only their marriage, which was a first, but also…”

  “Are you telling me that my parents were the first angels and demons ever to procreate?”

  “They were the first and the only. That is the reason all of our friends abandoned them when you were conceived, because it was the first time it had ever happened. For ages, children were only conceived by either all angel or all demon families. Nobody knew what the consequences would be from such an act.”

  I started to feel angry. The betrayal of my parents by their so called friends just because they loved each other was too much to handle.

  “I think that’s stupid,” I shot back hotly. “You knew my parents, they were wonderful people. Everyone just ditched them because they wanted to have a baby?”

  “Zoe, you must understand that it had never happened before. I told you that over the course of our history, which spans all the way back to the very beginning, nobody tested that idea. I think mostly because no one knew what the end result would be. There was no telling what would happen if one of our race possessed both angel and demon traits. The power that being could potentially possess would be immense. You were the first and only one to come from such lineage, which makes you more special, powerful and unique than any of our kind. Because of that, you’ve been watched and studied more than you know,” he finished.

  My throat closed up and I swallowed hard. I didn’t care about being special or powerful. The idea that someone was watching my every move scared me. All other thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind in that moment and only one remained.

  “Who’s been watching me?” I asked with great effort, my voice cracking slightly.

  I hadn’t noticed but Professor Woodward all of the sudden looked very tired. His eyes had deep bags under them and he looked paler than normal. It looked like the conversation had taken a massive toll on his psyche.

  He took another deep breath. “When the intimacy rule was broken, it made the other two rules insignificant. If angels and demons could violate one rule, the ones who remained immortal realized that the other rules held no more value. That led to angels and demons everywhere using their powers in front of humans and thus, separating our race even further. Since demons believed our purpose was to use our abilities to control humans; that’s what they did. They became much more violent and self-interested over time, which led to the stereotypes that are attached to demons today.”

  It started to feel like he was delaying. Even though I was scared to death that someone had been watching me, I had to know as much as possible. I sat up a little straighter and leaned forward a little bit, waiting for him to get to the point.

  “In particular, there was a demon, the most powerful demon I’ve ever known, who was vehemently against anything that would ruin the status quo. For as long as I can remember, he’d always despised humans and viewed them as weak creatures that were below us. They had no power and no special abilities. To him, anyone who was mortal was weak and anyone who chose mortality was a traitor in his opinion and he took it upon himself to let them know it.”

  I shuddered slightly. He hadn’t said anything directly related to me but I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up. For some reason, my hands slowly started shaking. I put one hand over the other and placed them both in my lap so Professor Woodward wouldn’t see. But his eyes were focused directly on my hands and he frowned even more.

  “He led the charge to ignore the other rules once angels and demons gave up their eternal life. He used the changes as an opportunity to exact revenge on any traitor who turned their back on our people. Since those angels and demons chose to live like humans, the moment he discovered how to kill them, he went on a rampage. He sought out any angel or demon he felt betrayed us, and their human, and destroyed them both. To him, it was a game and because our rules no longer applied, nobody stood in his way. Even if they did, I’m not sure anyone would have succeeded because the power he possesses is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. The worst part was that he had many supporters who started to help him along the way. Our world has grown darker and more dangerous ever since he came to power.”

  “So, is this who has been watching me?” I swallowed, knowing the answer before he said it.

  He nodded. “His name is Ignacious and he’s more dangerous than you can imagine. He has spies scattered everywhere and it’s impossible to find him. Nobody I know has seen him for a very long time, but I know he’s still out there. Too many angels and demons are still dying suspiciously,” he said, trailing off slightly.

  We sat there for another minute in silence while his latest words sank in. I immediately regretted asking him about who had been watching me. Kn
owing that there was a brutal killer on the loose that was watching my every move made me more scared than I’d ever been before.

  “Professor, am I-?” I started to ask, but he just held up a hand, stopping me dead in my tracks.

  “Zoe, I hate to do this, but it’s about ten minutes to ten and your Yoga class will be over soon. You need to get back before it ends, or else we’ll have two of you walking around campus,” he smiled weakly. “Consider this your first lesson in time travel.”

  All of the questions I’d had about Common Ground had vanished, only to be replaced with complete fear. I didn’t want to leave, especially after hearing about Ignacious. He could be watching me anytime, anywhere and I wouldn’t know it. Being with Professor Woodward was the only way I felt safe now. I stayed in my seat and continued to stare at him.

  “Zoe,” he said apologetically. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. It wasn’t my intention. Ignacious may have his spies everywhere, but so do I. If anyone were to attack you here, I’d know long before anything happened. This is the safest place in the world to be. It’s easier said than done, but please try to relax. Once you get back to Yoga, you’ll feel better, I promise.”

  “But-” I started to say, but he had already turned his back to me and walked back behind his desk. The conversation was over.

  It was then I realized that I had no idea how to get back to the yoga studio. I didn’t even know for sure exactly how I got there in the first place.

  “But how?” I asked dumbfounded. Professor Woodward smiled lightly, threw his grey wool coat over his shoulders and headed towards the door.

  He stopped right before he opened it and turned to face me. “It’s the same process as before; just recreate the scene with your yoga mat. Think about getting back to your class at that moment you left and you’ll be surprised how simple and easy it can be. I’ll leave you alone in here to give you a quiet arena. But before I go, I think it’s imperative you go home and digest all you’ve heard today. We accomplished quite a bit and even though your mind is stronger than a human’s, you can still only take so much. Once things have settled down, and all of this sinks in, I guarantee that everything will become much more transparent. Good luck.”

  With that, he shut the door softly behind him, leaving me alone in his large and shaded office. It was one of the more uncomfortable situations I’d ever been in, and I felt ridiculous trying to figure out how exactly to do what I needed to do.

  I took my yoga mat and laid it out across a big open space on his carpet, feeling extremely awkward. Part of me wanted to just run out of the door and get back to the yoga studio right when class was over. The lights would be off and if I arrived at the right time, nobody would notice my absence. But, remembering that Professor Woodward seemed to make it an unofficial assignment, I slowly closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I did everything imaginable to push our discussion to the side in order to get me back where I needed to be. Thoughts of snapping out of that nightmare and getting back to Steph sounded nice. The entire morning had been so crazy that seeing Steph’s friendly face was enough of a connection to ease my thoughts. Each breath entered and exited my body slower and slower until the comfortable air conditioning of Professor Woodward’s office disappeared in an instant.

  I was shooting upwards in a dark, barely lit space. A miniscule white light shined far above my head, and it started to quickly approach my reach. The same massive wind that had struck me earlier was now underneath me, guiding me upwards at a blazing pace. As the light continued to get closer, different voices started sounding off in the darkness. The light was almost within my reach when everything went completely white.

  My eyes shot open in a flash and the bright lights of the yoga studio burned my vision. Girls were scampering all around, packing up bags and leaving the room. I slowly looked over to Steph, who was rolling up her mat with precision.

  “Have a good rest?” she asked casually.

  “Wha?” I asked in a hoarse voice, hardly able to speak. “Is class over?”

  “Yeah, Himani just turned the lights on. I looked over and you were out cold, it was pretty funny,” she chuckled.

  “So I was lying here sleeping? That’s it?” I asked.

  I needed some type of confirmation that everything was back to normal. It felt right but until Steph confirmed it, I didn’t know what to believe.

  “Yeah,” she said with a suspicious glance. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” I breathed. “Just struggling to wake up.”

  “Well, why don’t you get up so we can grab some breakfast? I’m starving!” she responded, lowering her gaze.

  Mirroring Steph, I rolled up my mat for the second time that day and jammed it into my bag, which had reappeared back in its regular place. Slowly, I started to feel normal again, but in the back of my mind, there was a growing fear. Within the course of an hour, Professor Woodward had revealed not only the origins and history of an entire secret world, but also told me that I was being watched… or hunted by some ancient, murderous demon just because of my parents. If what he said was true, and I really was some unique hybrid of angel and demon, everything in my life was about to change.

  Chapter 12: Confrontation

  The walk home found me shifting my thoughts and priorities. My abilities, and even all of the questions I hadn’t asked about Liam, took a back seat to the connection my parents and I had to Common Ground. The three rules Professor Woodward described clearly applied to them and their actions, which made me start to wonder how significant I really was in the world. While I gazed around at the growing crowds bustling into campus, the eerie feeling that some of them might be angels or demons swept over me.

  After such a rough and longer than usual morning, the only place I really wanted to be was home. Luckily, the small break I had between classes would give me enough time to regroup at home before my busy afternoon. Steph walked along in silence, continually glancing over at me with a concerned look on her face. When we approached the large fountain that gave the option of either heading back to our apartments or into the heart of campus, Steph reached out and grabbed my arm.

  “Don’t you have that meeting with your Professor now?” she asked with a penetrating gaze.

  “Oh, yeah,” I stuttered, trying to think of any believable excuses. “I just remembered that he said if it would be cutting things too close, I could just come by in the afternoon. We did get out a little late and I’m not sure we’d have enough time to go over all my questions.”

  ‘You just remembered that?” she responded suspiciously. “That’s not like you.”

  “I told you earlier this morning that it was a long weekend. I’m still trying to recoup from it.”

  “Yeah, I know, but you dominated in Yoga. I thought that would maybe give you a pick-me-up. It usually does for me when I’m feeling down.”

  “So did I,” I said lazily, feigning a yawn. “But I’m still pretty tired. I think I’m just going to go home and get a small nap in before classes this afternoon.”

  Her face finally relaxed a little before she replied. “Ok, but you’re sure everything else is alright?”

  “Positive,” I smiled. “I need a quick cat nap and everything will be fine. Trust me.”

  With that, I gave her a reassuring hug and continued on in the opposite direction, back towards the apartment. Steph’s concern was a welcomed distraction from the burdens that were quickly piling onto my shoulders. Knowing that there was still an innocent and oblivious world that existed calmed me down a little bit. My friends were lucky to be clueless about my unnatural path. It shook me to the core to think about any of them possibly being hurt because of me.

  The sun continued to race higher in the sky when I finally reached the front door. I took out my keys and attempted to unlock it, only to find that the door was already open. Slowly I walked inside and looked around. It was quiet and deserted, with no signs of Annie anywhere. Right when I started down the hallway, a dark figured ap
peared at the corner of my eye in the living room.

  “What are you doing here?” I sneered, narrowing my eyes.

  “Oh, just enjoying the view,” Liam said with a smile, glaring out of the sliding glass door. The TV was off and he was lying on the futon, feet up, staring blankly outside.

  “Could you please take your feet off my futon?” I said angrily.

  “Our futon,” a shrill voice came from the kitchen.

  My gaze shifted to the kitchen door and fell upon Annie, who glared back at me with a look of agitation. It was the first time we’d seen each other since the mugging, and her expression was not what I expected.

  “Oh, hey,” I said timidly.

  “We just stopped by so I can get a few things and then we’re out of here,” Annie said shortly, walking straight past me towards her bedroom.

  “Um, okay,” I mumbled.

  Annie’s bitterness brought me back to reality while the dreamlike state that consumed me from the intense morning quickly dissolved. Her boorish behavior caught me off guard and I stood there feeling uneasy. I glanced down at the only possible source of Annie’s discontent, who looked utterly pleased.

  “What are you smiling at?”

  Liam stood up briskly and walked towards the glass door that overlooked campus. He stared out for a moment and started shaking his head. He then turned and gave me a very pitiful look.

  “Don’t you remember what I told you?” he finally asked me.

  A sinking feeling brewed in my gut while the memory of that night came back to me. Liam’s actions that night had caught me off guard, but I finally understood exactly how he did what he did. He was a demon. I just didn’t know his role in it all, or the extent of his powers.

  “Yes,” I said sharply. “What about it?”

  Liam slowly started to glide towards me, moving in perfect rhythm. There was something about the way he walked that made my skin tingle. Butterflies floated in my stomach as he slowly approached me. For a split second, I felt frozen, attuned to every movement his perfect body made. His eyes were locked onto mine and I helplessly stared back.