“Kale…”
“You are part human, Chelsea. But you’re part demon as well. You’re unique because my people have never heard of this before. This has to be rare. Demons are not capable of procreating here on Earth.”
I think he said more afterward, but I could care less on how demons procreated. Did he just say I was part devil? Like a pitchfork wielding, red-horned, and bad-teeth evil creature?
Maybe a part of me was evil, and my wicked side gave me my special ability? That made no sense. I was a good person, I knew that, deep down. I never used my influence in a negative way.
Anger replaced the fear, and I could feel my arms heat with irritation. Pressure tightened in my chest. Kale pissed me off.
“Get out,” I said, through clenched teeth. I thought hearing Kale’s explanation would reveal a miscommunication. Instead, he told nothing but a horror story. His aura stayed calm and even, while I stood horrified to my bones.
Kale stood over me and put his hand on my shoulder. His warm hand made me shiver.
“Listen, I know you must be overwhelmed right now, but you needed to know the truth. Can I do anything for you?” Kale asked.
“You need to leave, now,” I said again. I needed alone time. Kale dropped this life changing bomb in my lap, and he needed to leave before it exploded.
“I’ll leave, but I’m not going anywhere, Chelsea. Call me if you need anything, okay?”
After he left the apartment, I crumpled. I sank to the floor against the couch and hugged my legs to my chest. My mind reeled from everything he said. I forced myself to focus. Crying isn’t going to help you now, Chelsea Danika. Think. This doesn’t make sense.
The pahana prophecy disturbed me…but part demon? That part scared me more than anything.
Shallow breaths made me dizzy, and I cradled my head in my hands. Should I call Meredith to ask her what she knew about my lineage? But Meredith didn’t take these things well, as evidenced by her reaction several years ago when I first started sensing auras. Calling Meredith would be a bad idea.
Dan’s name was at the top of my list to call, but I was too angry with him. He decided I should find out from Kale, this secret he must have known since we met five years ago? Dan probably knew more than Kale, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him yet.
The great thing about the internet is the knowledge online is as finite as the humans who created the wonderful world wide web. In a haze, I stumbled through the darkness of my mind to the computer lab.
Demon.
Google spewed out 105 million hits in less than a third of a second, I felt like a ship’s captain in the depths of space without a compass. Cyberspace sucked. Learning nothing besides I was probably malevolent and evil, bent on wreaking havoc on the poor humans of Earth, I closed my eyes and forced myself to take a deep breath. Only my steadfast belief in my inherent non-evilness kept me from giving too much credit to the fact I might be half-demon.
You can’t believe everything you read on the internet, right?
Thank goodness I didn’t run into Gabe during my research. His conspiracy theories combined with Kale’s incredible fables would have pushed me over the edge.
And how did one become only half-demon? Did that mean my mother was a demon? My father couldn’t have been demon- he was my Aunt’s brother, and Meredith wasn’t a demon. She could be strict, and a ruthless real estate agent, but not evil. Maybe they weren’t brother and sister? Maybe one of them was adopted?
I shook my head.
There’s no way.
Leaving the smell of electric wires, I yanked my iPod from my purse. Craving a brain rest, I needed another run. Zone out and not think about any of this craziness? Yes, please.
Despite my irritable mood, I waved briefly at the night guard before sprinting away. The guard stood and pointed at his watch, but I ignored him. At 6:30, I could at least get a few miles in before sunset.
The path grew more difficult to follow as the sun began to set, slowly sinking below the horizon. I lost the path. Panting, I stopped, gazing at the foothills of First Mesa. I sat on the dusty ground with my hands behind me, taking in the last shadows of the day. The valley spread before me, blue-green grasses and puffs of green trees dotted the landscape. Timeless and breathtaking, with no houses, no telephone wires, not one piece of evidence I existed in the twenty-first century.
A step fall behind me made me jump to my feet.
“Who’s there?” I said, unable to cover the tremor in my voice. I was a powerful demon? Right. Nonchalantly, I tried to brush the dust from my shorts, leaving muddy streaks.
“It’s me.” Kale Naha surprised me for the second time that night. “Don’t freak out. I didn’t want you running by yourself.”
Shaking my head, I jogged away. He kept a steady pace in place and eyed me. “Crazy endurance for a white girl, by the way. Not many can run so far at this altitude.”
I nodded, wiping the sweat from my eyes. “Try running in one hundred percent humidity. I guess running is a little more of a challenge up here,” I said, cocking my head at him. “So, you go from avoiding me to stalking me, Naha?”
“Not stalking, just doing my job. I stopped by to chat with a buddy of mine before I went home, and saw you leave. It gets’ pitch black out here. I didn’t want you to get lost, when I only just found you.” His words sounded teasing, yet I could hear the sincerity in them. He really thought I was a pahana. Shit.
“Up for the run back?” he said with challenge. “I’ll race you.”
Sensing our conversation veered too close to coo-coo town, I nodded. “You’re on.”
We ran competitively at first, then settled into a comfortable jog side by side. As we approached the compound, Kale sprinted towards the gate and declared his win.
Smiling with wink, he waved goodbye. I waved back and without a word jogged towards my apartment. It was thoughtful of him to join me on a run. Weird, but thoughtful. He must have been a cross country runner at one point because he barely broke a sweat after the three-mile run, even in his uniform. At my apartment door, I watched as he chatted with the night guard before getting into his police cruiser and driving away.
The next morning I ate breakfast with Gabe. He wore his usual khaki and polo uniform, and I dressed in a lavender pair of scrubs. My stomach tended to get acidic when anxiety set in. The oatmeal tasted like wet cement, and my orange juice made my heartburn worse. After struggling to engage me in small talk, Gabe finally focused on his phone and let me eat in silence.
In the inpatient pharmacy, I watched Gabe make Ray’s IV antibiotics under the supervision of the pharmacist. I should have been paying attention, but my mind wandered elsewhere. The pharmacist droned on about United States Pharmacopeial standards of sterile preparation, and made zoning out a cinch. Plenty of time to dwell on my questionable humanity.
Later, Gabe and I hauled our suitcases to his car. Our plan was to stop by Ray’s and set up the IV then make the drive back to Flag. I couldn’t focus on anything, though.
“So, did you find out anymore on the pahana deal?” Gabe asked.
My eyes quickly found something to focus on outside of the vehicle. A house with a green roof caught my eye, and I bit my lower lip. I hated lying. “No, I think it was a miscommunication. I don't think they were saying pahana. Must have been a similar sounding word.”
Gabe looked at me like he wanted to argue, but then he nodded. “Sure, like banana. They were probably angry you didn’t bring them a banana, right? Must be a cultural protocol we missed.”
I forced a weak laugh.
When we pulled into the dirt lot of Ray’s property, I made a lame excuse about not wanting to go inside because I felt dizzy. Gabe looked concerned, but let me stay in the car without argument. He had training on how to run IV’s as well. Ray’s daughter was home, and could disconnect the IV bag when the antibiotics was empty.
The trip back to Flag felt somber. My crappy mood rubbed off on Gabe, and he cranked up the pop music.<
br />
Seema and Meredith both texted me, and to both, I replied:
Busy, I’ll check in later.
I texted Dan.
Meet me at my place at 2pm.
You got it, SG.
My mind reeled with the bomb Kale had dropped. Could the brain explode from too much information? Deep down, his words filled in the missing link. About the origin of my empath antenna.
His sincerity rang true. That’s what shook me. The theory that I was the prophesied pahana, that made no sense. Why would a demon save humans and bring them to a new world? None of this made any sense. But I knew the actual reason the news hit me so hard. Deep down, I believed it.
When the mind becomes numb, it retreats to what it understands. My brain craved the truth. I closed my eyes and daydreamed about the perfect couple- Will and Grace. I dreamed someday, somewhere, I would find my true gay better half.
Fitful dreams eliminated any possibility of a restful sleep in the car. Fork-tailed devils threw fire and attacked lethal, yet statue like angels. The angel statuary fell one by one from the towering mesas into a bottomless fiery pit below. I watched in terror from above- was I on a ladder? A skywalk? A large form flew towards me, brandishing fire from its hands, another figure moved to block the onslaught.
“Honey, we’re home.”
I rubbed my eyes. We had arrived at my apartment. Gabe, ever the gentleman, already had opened my car door and unloaded my suitcase. I gave him a small smile as I stepped out of the car. Gabe leaned forward and gave me a quick hug.
“Hey Chels, can I offer some advice?”
“Sure Gabe. Sorry I’ve been a zombie the last couple of hours.”
He patted me on the arm. “Is that what you were dreaming about? You kept whisper-yelling ‘it burns’ and calling out for a dude named Dan. Were you being eaten by a zombie named Dan?”
I laughed out loud this time. Gabe could lighten any mood. He laughed with me.
As he walked me to the door of my building, Gabe cleared his throat.
“Listen, I remember how crazy hard it was to move to a new town. And right now you’re dealing with, let’s call it an ‘eclectic’ crowd. Remember, regardless of what anyone else calls you or tells you, follow your own compass. It’ll never steer you false. That’s what my grandma always said, anyway,” Gabe said.
Follow your heart. Simple words, but Gabe’s advice solidified my resolve.
“Thanks,” I said. My throat squeezed.
Don’t cry.
Afraid tears would spill if I talked, I gave Gabe a quick hug, then waved goodbye.
Despite the perfect 70 degrees weather, I shivered. The piney scent I already loved filled me with courage, and I climbed the stairs of my apartment building, towards explanations. Towards answers. My heart raced.
Dan would disclose more answers than Kale could give me. If I was not human, then neither was Dan. We both had abilities normal humans did not. Ironic how Dan may have been lying to me since the day I met him, but he also had told me more truth about my abilities than anyone else. Would I be able to trust what he told me? My heart swelled at the thought of seeing him again.
How could I not?
He called me silver girl. A demonic reference? My panicked laughter echoed through the stairway. I had always thought the nickname stemmed from the time we listened to “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the first time we had met. But maybe it meant something more sinister?
Geez, paranoia much? Freaky revelations screwed with my thought processes. Would my concept of face value ever be the same?
I unlocked the door to the apartment as Fia stood ready to leave. A flowery punch of Juicy Couture perfume filled the air.
“Oh my lord, you should have heard Carmen a minute ago,” Fia said in greeting, leaning against the door jamb. She slipped on hot pink pumps. “She threatened to pull me from the internship. For being sick! I told her I felt awful Monday. And obviously I wasn’t going to travel all the way to the rez by myself on Tuesday.”
“Poor thing,” I muttered with as much sympathy as a person in a coma could offer. Fia didn’t notice.
“She said if I didn’t make it to the health fair tomorrow, then she’d kick my ass out of the PHN internship. ‘Now I don’t want to hear any excuses.’ Ugghhh, totally lame.”
My eyes darted to the closed door of my bedroom as I nodded again.
“Whatever, I’m going to get a mani-pedi. Want to go with?” she asked.
“No, I’m pretty beat. Next time though.” A shadow caught my attention under the door. Never before had I wanted someone to leave so bad in my life.
“Okay, then, see you later,” Fia said, and I watched her close the door behind her, vaguely wondering how a pedicure in a skirt that short could be ethical.
I walked to my bedroom and saw the shadow I anticipated behind the blinds of the sliding glass door. Angling the blinds open, I saw Dan. Dressed in a short-sleeved black shirt with low hanging dark denim jeans and black work boots, he looked like one of those romance book cover models Seema read. His hands were in his pockets, but his shoulders pulled back straight. His expression spoke more than any words could say. To me, his expression said, “I’m sorry. I tried to tell you, but I didn’t want to hurt you,” and more to the same effect.
I opened the sliding glass door and walked out to the balcony. “Are you a demon?” I whispered.
His amber eyes looked at me with love/sympathy/regret. “Yes.”
“You and I, we have the same ability, because we are demons?”
“Not exactly… I’m a Vahiy. I can see auras, but as a rule, I can’t manipulate them like you. There are different sorts of powers we all have. The colors and shades of auras that I see help me decipher truth from-“
“From lies,” I said. Dan nodded and took my hand. I flinched and took my hand back. This was not the time for comfort and touching. I needed the truth.
“Too bad I can’t do that, tell truth from lies. Might come in handy.” My half-hearted laugh made Dan’s mouth set in a hard line.
“Chelsea, I never lied to you. I didn’t even know what you were at first when we first met. I’d never met a human who could influence others metaphysically. A human Ikna. I didn’t think it was possible.”
“So you didn’t know I was a demon when you first met me? Why not?”
“It’s complicated, but… It’s more complicated than being part demon. The thing is, no one ever heard of demons procreating on Earth. Once we fall, well for all intents and purposes, we’re sterile.”
I sat on a wicker chair and slouched back, staring at the sky. A single cirrus cloud partially blocked the sun, otherwise the late afternoon sky was clear. Unlike my mind.
“What do you mean- fall? Don’t you mean ‘rise out of the gates of hell’? Demons don’t come from the sky. And you’re not evil, are you? Hippie surfer dudes are hardly the scary type. You don’t see anyone saying - ‘Hey, I’m gonna be a surfer for Halloween- it’s gonna be freaky!’” I giggled, then clutched my stomach as uncontrollable laughter bubbled out of me.
Dan squatted in front of me, hands on the armrests of the chair, watching me laugh. My breath became ragged gasps. As my hysteria abated, I looked into Dan’s eyes. His golden honey eyes grounded my thoughts back to reality. I felt calm, and at ease. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“We are called demons when we fall. One of Sabbathiel’s punishments.”
He opened his eyes and then his hands held mine. His thumbs stroked the backs of my hands. I held my breath, waiting for the next revelation.
“Breathe, Chelsea,” Dan commanded. I complied, filling my chest with air. Waiting for his next words.
“Exhale,” Dan said with a gentle smile.
“Keep talking,” I breathed out.
Dan squeezed my hands, the pressure giving me the assurance I needed. My world had gone to hell (literally) and no longer made sense. Like a guardian angel, my long haired surfer/meta-physical confidante had appeared at
both junctures in my life exactly when I had needed him. First, when my empath antenna threatened to drive me insane, and now, when I discovered another impossible facet of my life. His presence alone comforted me more than I admitted to myself, but the touch of his hands filled me with security and hope.
“I recall the ideal,” he said. “It’s now…difficult to remember specifics. It’s like a dream now, so long ago. But there are many of us here, and between us we can conjure up the basics. It’s… difficult to discuss. Thinking of home is painful, Chelsea.”
“Where are you from?”
“Humans call it Heaven. Only another dimension, but it’s as good a name as any.”
“So you were an angel?”
“In Earthly vocab, yes.”
“So you really are my guardian angel,” I said. He smiled and moved a lock of hair in front of my eyes behind my ear.
“You think far too highly of me, silver girl.”
“But we’re not evil? I don’t understand, why are you and I called demons if we, well, you, used to be an angel?”
“Before exiting our dimension became forbidden, angels would visit Earth, interacting with humans. Angels appeared in an ethereal form on Earth, able to observe and communicate verbally, but they couldn’t manipulate anything physically. These angels that visited first- they had the power of apparition. There are the different abilities, you see. Those that apparated were veritable travel agents for the Earthly dimension. They returned to Heaven and spoke of the fascination humanity held for everything. The stories they told captivated those of us who could not apparate. You see, our kind lacked the wonder that cascaded from humans with every step they took, every discovery they made. And to hear of such a vitality of spirit, a sense of possibility we had lost long ago- we coveted the intrigue. Lit us up with a fire of intrigue within ourselves, ironically. We wanted to experience life like the humans did. Even if vicariously.
Of course, not all of us had the power to apparate. There’s a pathway, what humans call a wormhole, through space-time. We were able to journey to Earth in our corporeal bodies. Once the Prince discovered what was happening, he immediately declared it illegal to travel to Earth. Punishable by death. When this didn’t stop angels curiosity, he declared all apparition to other dimensions illegal. Then he developed a way to block the wormhole. Ever since then, angels can no longer fall to Earth. And can’t get back to Heaven, either.”
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