by Laurèn Lee
Charlotte shivered with fear and anticipation. The high she had been riding from transporting through time and space faded faster and faster every second.
Adriel held her hand reassuringly.
“What do we do now?”
“We wait,” Adriel said.
Charlotte shuffled to lean on a worn and illegible tombstone. She wrapped her arms around herself as goosebumps traveled down her arms. She hadn’t thought about bringing a coat as the morning had provided some sun and warm 60’s.
Adriel stood erect in the direction where it seemed most of the fog originated. He appeared stiff as a statue and Charlotte desperately wished she knew what he was thinking at this very moment.
And then she remembered; if she concentrated hard enough, she might be able to tap into Adriel’s mind, just like when she saw the vision of Liam and his co-workers. After all, he seemed to abuse his power of reading her mind, it couldn’t hurt to return the favor.
So, she relaxed, took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. She focused on Adriel and envisioned herself seeing what he was seeing and feeling what he was feeling.
Charlotte felt the familiar, smooth transition of falling into a trance-like state. Her vision blurred, but she concentrated until the haze cleared. She felt a cool release of her own thoughts and realized she could now peer inside Adriel’s mind.
First, she saw Adriel looking over a cliff at a car wreck, smiling. She felt his satisfaction of the destruction deep in her bones.
She saw him dart down the cliff once a woman had called out for help. She transitioned from an outsider in the vision to embodying Adriel, himself. Charlotte looked at the woman through Adriel’s eyes and she found herself staring into her very own face. She felt an odd sensation while looking at herself, she felt emblazoned compassion.
Next, the scene faded away and she saw the casino in Downtown Buffalo. She saw herself, all dolled up in the red dress. She realized just how beautiful she had looked that night. It was strange to see herself through someone else’s eyes and to feel someone else’s feelings, but it helped her crawl deeper into the depths of Adriel’s thoughts.
Quickly, Charlotte’s sight swirled until another scenario revealed itself; they were in the spare bedroom and she watched as Charlie straddled her, wanting to kill her. Still, in tune with Adriel’s emotions, she felt enraged and leaped toward the man, preventing him from laying another finger on her.
Charlotte felt Adriel’s knuckles swell, as they were her own, after swiftly swinging, and connecting with Charlie’s face. She felt protective and an unspeakable desire to keep herself safe.
Charlotte witnessed the scene disappear again and now she and Adriel were in the bathroom, tangled together. She felt a deep longing she had never felt in her entire life, not even with Liam.
And now, the scene changed one last time and she was seeing the cemetery through Adriel’s eyes. She finally reached his current thoughts. Charlotte started to hear Adriel’s internal dialogue inside her own head. She could hear him repeating a singular phrase over and over again.
‘Please don’t hurt her, please don’t hurt her, please don’t hurt her.’
Charlotte opened her eyes and witnessed the cemetery through her own perspective; she finished invading Adriel’s mind. She looked up and saw Adriel glaring at her with piercing red eyes.
“Were you just inside my head?”
“Yes,” she admitted, sheepishly.
“So, I see you learned how to wield and control this little ability now,” he smirked.
Charlotte nodded her head.
“I guess my secret's out,” he said.
“You care about me,” Charlotte said, not sure if she was asking or telling.
Just as Adriel has opened his mouth to answer, the ground subtly began to shake.
“He’s coming,” Adriel whispered threateningly.
Charlotte pushed off the tombstone and rushed toward Adriel. She clung to his arm and put her head against his chest.
Adriel looked at Charlotte and for the first time ever, she saw his eyes were filled with fear instead of fortitude. His pupils were no longer surrounded by jubilant flames. Night had finally come. Charlotte hadn’t realized how much time had passed since they arrived.
“Charlotte, you need to get out of here,” Adriel urged suddenly.
“What are you talking about?”
“You can’t be here, it’s not safe for you,” Adriel pushed her away and she stumbled backward. “Go! Go to the Hairy Dog and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Run!”
Charlotte didn’t need any more convincing as a fissure violently broke through the ground, allowing hazy smoke to escape from the earth. She knew the Devil would arrive shortly and she turned on her heels to sprint away as fast as she possibly could.
She didn’t stop running until she reached the Hairy Dog’s front door. She wrenched it open, panting, and felt sweet relief wash over her once she was safely inside. As she crossed the threshold, the familiar smell of stale air and alcohol made itself known.
Charlotte couldn’t explain it, but she felt safe and protected inside the bar. She knew nothing bad could happen to her here. She supposed it was another piece of the puzzle she’d learn about later.
“Hey, it’s the pool table princess!” a patron called out.
Charlotte waved shyly and walked toward the bar.
“Hi Cyndy,” Charlotte spoke cautiously as she sat down.
Cyndy eyed her suspiciously.
“Where’s Adriel?”
“Um, handling some business, he’s going to meet me here soon,” Charlotte huffed.
“Okay. Well, do you want a drink?”
“I’ll have the strongest drink you have.”
Cyndy’s mouth maliciously broke into a smile and she accepted the challenge graciously. She pulled a few bottles off the shelves and made long pours into a tall glass. Lastly, she plopped a few pieces of fruit into the glass and slid it toward Charlotte. Charlotte held her breath and gulped the drink in its entirety.
Cyndy looked shocked and somewhat impressed. “Bad night?”
“You have absolutely no idea,” Charlotte answered.
“If it has anything to do with Adriel, I’m sure I have some kind of idea,” Cyndy said, losing some of the venom in her voice.
“Why don’t you like me?” Charlotte asked suddenly.
“What makes you think I don’t like you?”
“Well, for starters, you look at me like I’m a rodent you’d like to stomp out of existence.”
“That’s how I look at all of my customers,” she paused, noticing something happening across the bar. “Hey, Joe, you can’t use the chair for that! Sorry, what were you saying?”
“Never mind. Can I have another drink?”
Cyndy began to snicker, “Oh honey, you have no idea what you’re mixed up in.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“How about we take a couple shots and I’ll tell you what I know,” Cyndy offered.
“Deal.”
Cyndy poured out four whiskey shots, two for each of them. They held up their glasses and finished both simultaneously.
“Here’s what I know, kid,” she began. “I know Adriel is a demon and he brings a little slice of Hell with him wherever he goes. I know once upon a time I fell for him and I fell hard. I got mixed up in some crazy shit and almost lost my life.”
Charlotte’s jaw dropped.
“Just be careful is all I’m saying,” Cyndy said and poured Charlotte one more shot.
Charlotte felt woozy and inebriated. “Did you love him?”
“I never stopped,” Cyndy admitted coldly.
Just then, Adriel burst through the doors looking weary and exhausted.
“Addy!” Cyndy called, regaining her typical sass.
“Drink. Please.”
“Rough day at the office, boss?” Cyndy teased.
“Always,” he said as he sat down beside Charlotte. “Are you okay, Charlotte?”<
br />
“I’m not really sure. All I know is I’m drunk,” she slurred.
“That was fast,” he replied dryly.
Cyndy handed Adriel his usual drink and went down the bar to serve her other patrons waiting for their turn. Charlotte could see the longing out of the corner of Cyndy’s eyes and felt a pang of guilt. She couldn’t imagine seeing a man she loved with another woman, she couldn’t imagine loving a man and not being able to be with him.
Adriel turned to Charlotte, pulled her close and kissed her feverishly. She let him hold her in his embrace; she never wanted him to let her go.
The entire bar gawked at the two of them, wolf-whistling and cheering. Everyone except Cyndy, who darted into the backroom mumbling about needing more ice.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Okay,” Charlotte said, still gasping for breath.
32
Present
Charlotte and Adriel sped through space and time and arrived at a lookout tower on the water near the condo. Without a word, Adriel took Charlotte’s hand and they walked up the stone steps to the top.
Dawn was near, and the horizon began to morph into soft blues and grays. They had survived the night even though it felt as though it lasted a lifetime.
Reaching the top of the tower and looking across the placid Lake Erie, Adriel spoke up, “Charlotte, we have to talk.”
She nuzzled into his arms, “Can it wait? I just want to watch the sunrise with you and try to forget about all the bull shit.”
“Charlotte, I care about you.”
She looked up into Adriel’s face, “I care about you, too.” She attempted to kiss him, but Adriel pulled away.
“Charlotte, we are in trouble,” Adriel announced, panicked.
“What do you mean?”
Adriel’s eyebrows dripped sweat and his hands shook. The fear had returned to his eyes. “When I met with my boss last night, he wasn’t… He wasn’t happy with me.”
“What are you talking about? We did everything right! I did everything you asked of me! What did he say?”
Adriel remained silent, not wanting to answer her. He touched Charlotte’s forehead and closed his eyes. Charlotte felt a sudden rush of calming and climbed back into Adriel’s thoughts, this time, involuntarily.
She could see the cemetery and the fire along with the smoke rising from the ground. This had to have been after she sprinted away to the Dog’s Hair. Only Adriel and the dead bodies remained before the crack in the earth.
A figure rose out of the flames into the darkness of the night. Charlotte couldn’t see his face, but she certainly felt his presence within Adriel’s thoughts. The air chilled despite the flames and warned of divine evil emerging.
“Adriel,” the figure croaked. “Why did you let this happen?”
“I’m sorry, I never meant to let it go this far. Please forgive me!” Adriel pleaded.
“You know there will be severe, severe consequences,” it said.
“Please, I have been your most loyal servant, you can’t do this to me!”
“It’s already been done, Adriel. You can go now.”
And with that, the bodies disappeared, the figure descended and only Adriel remained in the darkness of the night.
Snapping back to reality, Charlotte asked, “What happened? What are the consequences?”
“Look into my eyes,” Adriel requested of Charlotte.
Charlotte gazed into them, trying with difficulty, to see what may be different. And then, she saw it; his eyes no longer carried the fiery tint as they always had before. Now, his eyes were simply chestnut brown, and only brown.
Adriel held out his hands to Charlotte and she took them desperately. She noticed they were ice cold, not alarmingly hot as they should have been.
“What does this mean?” Charlotte’s voice quivered.
“It means I am human. It means I am mortal.”
Charlotte stood in awe, totally unaware of how this was possible. How could a being start off as a human, become an angel, abandon Heaven to become a demon, and then be returned to their human form?
“Wait,” Charlotte began. “So, how will I get my soul back?”
“I’m so sorry, Charlotte,” Adriel said, his head hanging low.
Charlotte realized now, she was not going to regain her humanity. Adriel was powerless.
“What about Liam?” she whispered. “Will he wake up?”
“Yes. Once I wake him up, I will lose the remainder of my powers.”
“Oh, Adriel,” Charlotte whined, wrapping her arms around his neck. “This happened because of me?”
He nodded, breaking her heart.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried.
Adriel pulled her closer, held her tighter and whispered into her ear, “It’s not your fault, but we should go to the hospital now before he punishes us even further.”
“I guess this means I’ll drive us?”
Adriel let go of her and motioned for her to lead the way as the sun began to rise on a new day.
33
Present
Charlotte dug her keys out of her purse and started the car. She noticed Adriel had already begun to look and act differently. He appeared more human and less god-like. Still handsome, but not quite the same.
“Ready?” she asked.
“I guess,” he said, defeated and surrendering to human transportation.
“Safety first!” Charlotte chirped, trying to lighten the mood by eyeing his seatbelt.
Adriel nodded and put on his seat belt, his face sullen and sad. He couldn’t risk getting into a car accident before he had a chance to take back his powers. Although, it would certainly be the ultimate karmic intervention seeing as how he almost killed Charlotte and Liam by running them off the road.
The drive didn’t take long and before they knew it, Charlotte and Adriel strode into the hospital and toward the elevator.
“How does it feel having to use effort to get from one place to another?” Charlotte asked, nudging him playfully.
Adriel rolled his eyes, “Not good,” he muttered.
Charlotte could feel the vulnerability deep within Adriel. He hadn’t been this powerless in many, many years. The irony had not been lost on her, though. They had essentially switched roles; she surged with power while he cowered with weakness.
The elevator stuttered as it reached Liam’s floor, causing Adriel to swiftly grasp the wall for balance. Charlotte tried not to laugh, but it was beyond her control. She chuckled despite Adriel’s disgusted glare.
“Don’t even,” he said, blushing.
“I’m not saying a word,” Charlotte smiled.
They silently trotted down the end of the hall toward Liam’s room.
“Ready?” Charlotte asked.
“To lose all my powers and become a worthless human? Sure.”
Charlotte punched him playfully in the arm, “Get over yourself, being human isn’t all that bad.”
“Yeah, says the girl with superhuman powers,” Adriel pouted.
They stepped into the room and realized they were not the only visitors. In fact, several doctors and nurses stood around Liam’s bed craning to get a better look at the patient.
Charlotte dashed forward, leaving Adriel behind.
“What’s going on? What’s happening to him?”
“Ah, Charlotte, I believe?” a doctor asked.
“Yes, I’m his fiancé, what’s going on?”
“Well, it appears Liam is waking up,” the doctor said, accomplished.
Aghast, Charlotte pushed the other doctors and nurses aside and saw Liam was coming out of his coma. He wriggled and stirred like a baby bird being born.
He opened his eyes and Charlotte shrieked unexpectedly.
Adriel rushed forward to see what had caused Charlotte to yelp. He looked down at Liam and Liam looked up at him.
Liam’s eyes shone crimson with flames dancing around his pupils just as Adriel’s had done for hundreds of year
s previously, up until this morning. Both Charlotte and Adriel could feel the unspeakable heat radiating off of Liam and his features appeared handsomely distorted, almost non-human, almost god-like.
“Hello,” Liam said, beaming.
TO BE CONTINUED....
***Liam Rising Coming Spring of 2018***
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Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank YOU for taking the time to read Charlotte’s Pact. I began writing this book during a very confusing and unhappy time in my life, but I knew writing was my dream and I just had to pursue it. Seeing my characters come to life on the page has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I sincerely appreciate my readers and hope you will enjoy my future books as Charlotte’s story is just beginning!
Next, I would like to thank my boyfriend, Mike. He is my rock, my best friend and my everything. He is my champion and my biggest fan. I absolutely couldn’t have finished this book without him. He proofread my first draft and took my author photos. I love you, Mike!
I also want to thank my Dad for always being there for me through thick and thin. He was the first man I ever looked up to and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Thanks, Big Penguin!
Thank you to my wonderful friend, Amy, for designing my cover and capturing my vision beautifully. You worked hard and brought my ideas to life. You’re amazing!
A HUGE thank you to those in my Indie Author group on Facebook. I could not have published this book without all of you!
Thank you to @Pete716 for allowing me to use his beautiful cityscape of Buffalo for my cover.
Becoming an author is my dream, and I am truly lucky to have such wonderful people in my life who continue to inspire and motivate me every single day.