Once they were outside, Noir released Keirah so she could slip into an alley and she struggled to change into jeans with her hands still bound. To ensure her identity was secret, she threw the red wig in a nearby dumpster and pulled her dark hair up into a baseball cap before emerging from the alley and onto the street. She called a cab easily. She had the driver drop her off a couple of blocks from the border of the Zone and walked to the apartment. She knew she wouldn’t be harmed in the slightest. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours, but everyone seemed to know she was under Noir’s protection.
Keirah should have realized he would arrive before she did, but she was surprised to see him so relaxed. He smiled when he saw her, still wearing the blue postman’s uniform, and got up from his position on the couch.
“I see he tied your knots looser than he usually does,” Noir said. When he reached her, he took her hands in his, bringing them up to inspect her wrists. He slowly untied the cord and, seeing an indentation on her left wrist from the cord, brought it up to his lips and kissed it. Keirah felt the pain lessen. Maybe it was because she now had something to focus on. It didn’t matter. She had gotten away with being Noir’s accomplice. She hadn’t run away even though she had the opportunity to do so. She was the only survivor.
Keirah looked at him and blinked. “You trust me,” she stated in a soft voice, amazed.
Noir stared at her for a long moment. Instead of answering, he pulled her close to him and removed the baseball cap from her hair. He watched as her long dark hair tumbled down her back. Using his fingertips, he gently pushed aside errant curls before placing a kiss on her temple.
27
Reese
The weekend went by without another vision for Reese, something she was secretly grateful for. Monday morning came and, knowing she’d be training with Ollo after soccer practice, she threw on a simple white baby tee and sky blue boot-cut jeans. Her hair was placed in a stylish ponytail, a few strands of hair framing her face. Her mother let her drive to school that morning in order to help her prepare for her driver’s test over winter break.
“I’ll be home around eight,” Reese said as she got out of the car. “Piper and I are going to hang out.”
“Oh good, darling,” her mother said. “You need more shopping after the weekend this city has had. Be careful, though. I’ll see you later.”
When Reese got to class, Andie looked nothing short of frazzled. She shot Carey a questioning look as she took a seat, but the blonde pixie shrugged her shoulders. It seemed that Andie had been waiting for Reese because she started talking about her weekend: Keirah was kidnapped at Jack Phillip’s party, her mother blamed Andie so she kicked her out until further notice, and none other than Jack had taken her in.
“And now,” Andie finished, her fingers gripping her short strawberry locks, “all anyone can talk about is this bank robbery on Saturday and the fact that there might be another criminal terrorizing the streets of Onyx. It's like everybody forgot about Keirah..”
“How are you even at school right now?” Carey asked.
“If I stayed at the manor, I’d go crazy thinking and analyzing and worrying,” she replied.
“Be careful with your hair, Andie,” Reese said. “You’ll get the locks greasy and pull out more strands than normal.” She paused, surprised that Andie actually listened to her without giving one of her patented retorts. “Do we know who robbed the bank?”
Andie paused, and judging by the way her pale green eyes narrowed, Reese knew what she was thinking. “I don’t know,” she replied, her lips curling into a smirk. “But I’m going to find out.”
Reese took her time changing, promising Piper she would meet her on the field in a few minutes. She hated to admit it, but she was nervous knowing she would see Gabe.
He’s the Devil’s son.
How was she supposed to act around him? Was she supposed to be afraid? Even now, knowing who he was, she couldn’t conjure up any fear of him. He was still the jerk who thought he could get into her pants simply by batting his eyelashes. Maybe that was why she wasn’t afraid of him. She had to make the conscious choice to give herself—and subsequently her power—to him, and she knew that would never happen. Ever. He couldn’t hurt her. If anything, now that she knew who she was, what she was capable of, and why he wanted her, she felt as though she had more power over him than he had over her. It was that thought that gave her the push she needed to emerge from the locker room.
He was waiting for her.
She wasn’t surprised.
“What do you want?” she asked as the two began to make their way down the slope to the field. From the corner of her eye, she noticed how tall he really was.
“You know what I want,” he replied, his voice low.
Reese rolled her eyes. “That’s never going to happen, Gabe,” she told him, “especially now that I know what it means to me, to you, and to this world.”
Without warning, Gabe grabbed Reese’s upper arm and tugged her so she faced him. His grip was firm but gentle, and when her grey eyes clashed with his blue ones, she was surprised to see an inkling of vulnerability in them. It was the only thing that stopped her from going off on him.
“I did love you,” he said, dropping his voice so it was nothing more than a whisper.
For a moment, Reese almost believed him. Almost.
“You didn’t love me,” she said, yanking her arm out of his grasp. “You don’t even know me. You loved a different girl with a different soul who happened to have the same power I do. Power, Gabe. You love power, not me.”
Something flashed in his eyes, like the tip of an iceberg, but she couldn’t figure out what was underneath, what it meant. He didn’t argue, however, so she headed to the field, leaving him behind.
“So if you don’t need a ride home,” Piper said as the two headed to the student parking lot, “where are you going?”
Before Reese could answer, Henry appeared, seemingly from nowhere, to stand in front of the pair. He was dressed in his usual black outfit—today’s tie was lavender silk—and Converses, his hands behind his back as he looked between the two. Reese watched Henry closely, trying to take a cue from him on how to answer because she knew he had heard Piper’s question. Her heart stopped when she noticed the way he was looking at Piper and she had to clench her jaw to keep it from dropping. Those dark eyes softened and there was a glint of … was that longing?
Piper didn’t even notice. Her brown eyes were on Reese, waiting for her answer.
“Henry actually offered to teach me how to drive a stick,” she replied, forcing her eyes away from Henry to look at her friend. “My dad wants to make sure I know how to drive both ways, just in case I have to drive his car.”
“Offered?” Piper asked, her tone disbelieving. “Are you going to be okay?”
Reese knew what she was really asking: Was Henry forcing her to do something she wasn’t comfortable with, and if so, did she need her to come with?
“I’ll be fine,” Reese said, making sure her smile was genuine. “Henry was way super sweet about it.”
Piper didn’t believe her but she kept quiet. Instead, she nodded her head and said, “Call me after so we can go over the plays we went over today.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” he said once she was gone. He made sure to avoid looking at Reese as the two headed over to his Rolls Royce, parked in the vice principal’s space. “And so is she. I take it you didn’t go over any plays at practice?”
“So are you,” Reese said, ignoring his question. “It’s her, isn’t it? Piper?” She didn’t have to elaborate on what she meant by the question. Piper was his unrequited love, the girl he gave up Heaven for.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.
Once Reese slid in the passenger seat and clicked her seatbelt in place, she turned to face him. “Why don’t you ask her out?” she asked.
“I’d really like to not speak about—”
“I mean, she
doesn’t trust you. Like, at all. But one time, I got my best friend to go to prom with Billy Murphy. He was a total jock and she was more of an artsy type, but they totally work. In fact, they celebrated their two-year anniversary last June during senior prom …” She let her voice trail off as her eyes accumulated unexpected tears, and she blinked furiously to get rid of them. Senior prom. It was supposed to be her senior prom before—but that was the past. This wasn’t about her, this was about Piper and Henry. “Anyway, I can help.”
“I don’t need help,” Henry snapped. He glanced at her, his eyes cutting. “There’s no point in trying. It won’t work.”
“Not with that attitude,” Reese said. “It’s obvious you care about her. I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at Piper. We’re supposed to be friends, right? Like you help me figure out who I’m supposed to be through every lifetime, right? Let me help you now.”
“No.” His voice turned dark and she couldn’t stop herself from flinching if she tried.
Reese pressed her lips together. She knew she should keep her mouth shut. She shouldn’t say anything, but couldn’t help it. “Everyone deserves happiness, Henry,” she murmured. “Even you.”
They were silent for a moment. Traffic wasn’t too bad, but that was probably because Henry drove like they were in a racecar, though the ride was smooth rather than jerky.
“Did you read the Onyx Times on Saturday?” he asked. His hair covered the majority of his face so she couldn’t see his eyes.
“About the Kane guy?” Reese asked, arching a brow.
“He’s an Excom.” He continued to not look at her.
“Like Noir? How do you know?”
She could see a dimple etch into his cheek. A soft smirk. “The burn on the right side of his face,” he explained. “When a soul refuses to adhere to God’s law, He refuses the soul entrance to Heaven until he or she seeks redemption. Instead, the soul is sent to Hell for however long redemption takes. Satan, of course, welcomes every soul because each new soul gives him power to rule, just feeding into his pride. Believe it or not, God’s laws are much more lenient than Satan’s. Satan wants to rule over an army, and while he offers anything a soul could want, he demands the strictest loyalty. Souls are required to train for Satan’s army as compensation for the fulfillment of those desires. When a soul is sent from Heaven to Hell and chooses to align with neither place, Satan punishes the soul by burning the right side of a soul’s face so the soul is scarred. A reminder they aren’t wanted anywhere.”
“Where do Excoms go?” Reese asked.
“There’s no other place for them to go but Earth,” Henry replied, slowing the car as they hit a red light. “God made sure they’re put somewhere where the population is nonexistent. The desert. The souls may not be able to die, but they cannot escape the desert without assistance.”
“So in order to start this war, Satan took Noir from the desert and put him in Onyx,” Reese said, remembering her conversation with Henry from last Saturday. “But I thought Noir didn’t want to be ruled by either Heaven or Hell.”
“He didn’t. Still doesn’t.” He pulled in front of Bacchus’s Brewery. “Luckily for them, they both want the same thing; they both want Noir terrorizing Onyx. Of course, Satan has motives for that, but since they’re on the same side, Noir doesn’t mind.”
“Then where did Kane come from?” Reese asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
“That’s the question,” Henry said, tilting his head so he was finally looking at her. “Noir’s focus has shifted from solely corrupting the citizens of Onyx to this girl. Keirah, was it? Noir will still terrorize the city, but it’s different now. This young woman is different. He hasn’t killed her yet. He’s getting distracted. Satan, to ensure his investment is maintained, plucked Kane from the desert and let him loose on Onyx. It’s fascinating what the desert can do to Excoms. It breaks them down, but not enough to die. Kane wanted out and would do anything to get out, even if it means serving the Devil.”
“But if Noir can’t die …” Reese felt her voice drift off as her face paled. “Is Kane here to kill Keirah? To rid Noir of his distraction?” Henry’s silence was confirmation enough. “That’s Andie’s sister. We have to stop him!”
“You can do nothing,” Henry said, his voice firm. “And you can tell no one. Kane doesn’t have her yet and you can barely shoot an arrow. Wait until the right moment.” His eyes hardened, emphasizing his point. More gently, he repeated, “Wait.” He leaned back in his chair and loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Go on. You’re going to be late.”
Just as Reese hopped out of the car, he called her name. She paused, looking at him expectantly, ready to shut the door. “Try his apartment,” Henry advised. “He doesn’t lock the door.”
Reese had no idea why she was taking the steps up to Ollo’s apartment rather than the stairs down to the basement in the bar. When her fingers curled around the doorknob, she hesitated. She never barged into a room without knocking first, unless the occupant of said room knew she’d be making an appearance.
“Technically speaking,” she murmured to herself, “he is expecting me for training.”
With that thought, she opened the door, bracing herself, for what, she didn’t know. Why was Ollo still in his apartment? The first and most obvious idea was that he was passed out from being drunk. Or he could be conscious and drunk, completely breaking his promise to her. Maybe it had nothing to do with alcohol. Maybe he just overslept. Maybe he was with a girl. The thought caused Reese to snort. Ollo with a girl? Not that he wasn’t attractive in a “disheveled bloke from the wild forest” way, but his personality was downright abrasive. Although, she’d be quick to admit that there were girls who liked that, especially the kind who just wanted to do the deed and didn’t care about romantic stuff.
That might be more his speed, she allowed.
When she stepped into the dimly-lit apartment, her nostrils were assaulted by the strong scent of alcohol. Alcohol and something else, something that made her brow furrow, her nose wrinkle, her gag reflex to react—
Vomit. She smelled vomit. And judging by its potency, it was ripe.
And then, the sound of gagging pierced her ears. It was coming from the bathroom.
Maybe her first thought was right; maybe Ollo was still drunk.
As the person threw up, Reese felt her blood begin to boil. How dare he? He promised he would try and stay sober enough to train her. Apparently it was too much for him to lay off the bottle for one day. If she was supposed to save her parents, she needed to know how to fight. Hell, if she was supposed to help save Keirah, she needed to know how to fight. Ollo was the way to achieve her goal, but he didn’t care about anything except his booze. This was the very reason she dumped Harvey back when she was a freshman in high school; he drank too much and tried to feel her up at a party. She considered those three weeks a huge waste of her time, and she wasn’t going to repeat the mistake by spending any more time with drunk assholes, especially lying drunk assholes.
In fact, just to show him how furious she was, she planned to dump out all of his alcohol. Sure, he lived above and worked at a bar and could get more at any time, but this would make her feel better and hopefully teach him a lesson.
Reese whipped the fridge door open and paused. There was no alcohol in the fridge. Furrowing her brow, she stood on her toes and reached up to open the cabinets where his liquor was stored. Except there was none. The more Reese’s eyes scoured the apartment, the more she realized there was no actual alcohol in the apartment. Unless she counted the empty beer bottles.
Interesting. He didn’t favor cans.
Ollo’s puking interrupted Reese’s train of thought and guilt started gnawing at her. Why was he puking then? Food poisoning? It wasn’t likely Ollo was a huge eater, given the empty fridge. Which meant—
Her eyes sprung open and she dashed to the bathroom. He was going through withdrawal.
When she pushed the bathroom doo
r open, the scent of vomit overrode the scent of alcohol and she had to place her hand over her mouth to keep from gagging. Her grey eyes found Ollo’s crumpled form clinging onto the toilet bowl for dear life. His head hung forward, done vomiting for now. Groaning, his eyes were closed, obviously in pain. He was wearing another pair of brown slacks and his brown jacket. His dark brown hair was tangled and greasy, gathering at the base of his neck, his feet bare.
She had to help him.
Sliding down to kneel next to him, she reached out, hesitating only a second before she placed her hand gently on his back. Faster than she could blink, she found herself on her back with the majority of Ollo’s weight on her frame, his big hand squeezing her throat.
“It’s me,” she gasper out. “Reese.”
His eyes softened, now more blue than brown. He released his hold on her throat but couldn’t get up. His head fell forward so his forehead hit her shoulder. He smelled awful and he looked worse.
“What are you doing here, darl?” he murmured.
“I’m here to help,” she told him, and was surprised her words were was genuine.
“You’re here to help me?” She couldn’t fault him for the disbelieving tone.
“Someone has to,” she said. Reaching up, she patted his shoulder. “You have to get up, Ollo.”
Awaken: Book 1 in The Dark Paradise Chronicles Page 22