When the kids quieted down, she continued. “However, this week, we’re going to do something different. We’re gonna talk.” She hopped up and sat on her desk. Laughing at their confused looks, she decided to clarify. “You’re going to tell me about your summer, your favorite thing to do, favorite food, things you hate, and so on. By learning about each other, we will also learn what type of aesthetic you might lean more towards when taking your pictures. We’re going to be taking all types in the class, but will have freestyle projects a lot. This will help to tell you what type you might want to gravitate towards.”
The students started to visibly relax and smile in her direction. Mentally, she gave herself a pat on the back. Now all she had to do was get through four more classes and go home to relax, eat some dinner, then go to bed.
Hmm…bed…
Trinity mentally shook herself to get her mind out of the gutter. This is ridiculous, it was just a dream, she thought. Ridiculous or not, she found herself actually looking forward to tonight in hopes that she would have the same dream. Not likely since her dreams were never reoccurring, but she could still hope. Who knows, maybe she’ll even retire the Plain Jane pajamas she usually wore to bed.
She brought her focus to the class once again. First we work, she told herself…then maybe we play.
Chapter 2
Malachi Starkman liked to jog in the early hours of the morning. There was something about the cool crisp air that made all the objectionable stuff around him transparent. He always liked to think that when you live in this rough world, you have to take all the good things you can get, no matter how small. He didn’t even mind a little rain here and there as he ran.
Needing to clear his head, he had been jogging for a couple hours now, crossing the same pathways for the third time. It wasn’t working like he had hoped.
Sometimes he just gets sick of all the bullshit! This is what happens after being around for 328 years. It’s a long time to deal with all the crap he goes through, and he’s still considered a baby for his kind. He just needs to feel normal sometimes; well as normal as he can, and not be a coveted “exalted one.”
His strides got quicker as the bitterness crept up inside him. Did he ask for his life? “No!” he ground out. Did he want this to be all his life was about? “Hell No!!”
Just his luck, he was born the great-grandson of the fallen angel Azazel. Azazel, who was told that spending time on earth would cause his evil inclination to overpower him. Of course he would ignore the warnings, stubborn shit. He got to be related to the one that fought his way out of heaven to come down and be with the beautiful “daughter of man”. Pretty soon, he began to start trouble, more than any of the others that fell with him. Leave it to Great Granddaddy to never do anything half ass. It is said that when he fell, he fell hard and still to this day, thrives off the misery of others. Malachi had gotten the honor of witnessing some of his work.
Malachi’s teeth began to ache from clenching them. He always got wound up every time he thought of his well-known and long lost relative.
Azazel was the one that taught men how to battle with supreme skill. He took the secrets of the heavens and passed them onto man. Wars were fought and battles started, people killed others just because they could. It was a huge setback in the war between good and evil. If that wasn’t enough, he taught the women more ways to allure men. His art of beautifying oneself to seduce men was really an act of deception. Because of him, the morals of decent people were turned to nothing. He lead the humans to a path of wickedness and impurity, bringing them over to the side of Satan. This world would have been so different without Azazel, and Malachi was ashamed that he had to be tied to him.
He always laughed a little when people would complain how bad their relatives were. When people would say how ashamed they were that their ancestors were bank robbers or slave traders, he would just think to himself, you have no idea!
Once in a while he liked to push himself when he went running. After so many hours, he could finally feel the slight burn in his chest and legs. It made him feel more human than he actually was. It made him feel a little more vulnerable than what he was. He is, what people would call, a nephilim.
The fact still remained though, that he was not fully human; far from it in fact. He had more angel blood in his veins than human. People would know how much of a freak he was if they had met his grandpa. Even standing twenty five feet tall, he had superior strength and speed. If that didn’t make someone run and hide, the double rows of teeth on top and bottom did. By that time though, it was too late. Rumor has it; human was one of “Pappy’s” favorite things to eat.
Thank the heavens that as generations passed, the descendants got less freakish looking with more humanity settling in. In fact, he was now only slightly taller than the average male human. He could possibly feel normal at times, if he didn’t have the same superior abilities as his ancestors.
He had to admit, the powers were kind of cool. Every nephilim had special abilities but one stood out above the rest. He was an empath, occasionally had a way of feeling the past and future, and could heal anything living. The empathy part came in handy a lot in his professional…and his personal life, he thought with a smirk on his face. The power that he excelled the most at was healing. There was a certain thrill that went through his body when he used this power. He was the best in the area with it, and it just came naturally to him.
Malachi! Get your ass home, I’m getting bored.
Malachi rolls his eyes, bitterly thinking about the telepathy he shared with anyone he was closely connected to. There was no privacy! Can’t a guy just get away for a while?
This was definitely not going to help the mood he was in. Of course Gemariah would come over to his place today. He’s going to know something’s up, he always does.
Fine! I’ll be right there. If you drink the last of my coffee, MAKE MORE! My eta’s 10 minutes.
First he needed to figure out what was going on with his head, now, before Gemariah could pick his brain. It was on overdrive; that had to be it. The last 24 hours had been pretty nerve racking for him.
His squad, all nephilims as well, work for an organization that helps banish or kill, depending on the situation, demons on earth and the souls they corrupt. They have people scattered all over the world, but his team’s home base was in Chicago, including the surrounding areas. Basically he was the company’s lapdog that risks his life while they sit on their asses. The bitterness started creeping back up into his thoughts.
The call about the possible possession yesterday shook him. When they went to the call, the possibility was confirmed, and they had to banish the demon before any more damage could be done. All of this is everyday stuff, except for the part where it was a ten year old boy. Women and children were the hardest for him. There’s always a lot of violence in a banishing, and it’s no fun throwing punches at the body of a young boy. Luckily there was no lasting damage, but it still didn’t sit well with him.
After that, he started to wonder if this was all there was going to be to his life. When you are someone that, if careful, could live indefinably, the prospect of that is a little frightening. Sometimes he just feels used for what he is.
This feeling’s been in the back of his head for a while now. It was just the mission yesterday that kicked it into overdrive. He probably would have gone off the deep end if it hadn’t been for….
“Ahh Shit! Don’t think about it…don’t…” He warned himself, but it was too late. The memory of his dream had already snuck back into his head.
Her creamy skin.
Her beautiful auburn hair that fanned the bed.
Those sinful violet eyes that narrowed with pleasure.
The most perfect breasts he ever saw, that fit just right in his h…
“Laundry, golf, reality TV.” He was trying to think of anything else. Malachi shut his eyes trying to will away the vision, but, at the same time…hoped he didn’t run into a tree.
It wasn’t helping, and when he shut his eyes, different thoughts came to mind.
The little mewling sounds when he ran his hands along her soft skin.
Her moans getting louder as he licked his way around her body.
Her crying out when he stabbed his tongue inside her ope…
“Hell’s Fire!” His eyes flew open and he increased his speed. If he couldn’t stop his imagination, there was no use letting everyone see how much he enjoyed the dream. As he ran, he was still aware enough to know he couldn’t go as fast as he wanted. He didn’t feel like drawing unwanted attention to himself, but at the same time, just wanted to be home. He quickly started to sweat more than usual. Malachi was trying to convince himself that it was just because of the over excursion but was failing miserably.
Just then, his chest started to feel…full, and his heart was pumping a mile a minute. It startled him at first until he realized what was happening. The memories brought onto him the same feeling he had in the dream. The feeling when she opened herself up to him, accepting him.
A groan was pushed forth from his chest. Need to get home, need to get home, he repeated to himself.
He rounded the corner to his street and thanked whoever that he was almost there.
It’s about damn time! My grandmother could have gotten here faster.
Dammit!!! He completely forgot about Gemariah. Malachi jogged up to his house, slowing down as he got closer. Once outside his door, he put one arm above his head and leaned into the door. As he held himself up, he concentrated on a spot located on the floor. To anyone watching, it looked as if he was taking a breather but in actuality, he was using all the inner strength he had, willing himself to calm down.
After a few minutes, he reined in his emotions and opened the front door to walk in. The smell was always the first thing he noticed because it smelled of freshly cut wood. There had been a lot of remodeling in the process to make the place his and the aroma kind of stuck. The house seemed to have a calming effect on him.
He had lived in many different places, but this one was his favorite. It was a simple ranch style house in a quaint suburb. Sitting on one acre of land, it was built in the shape of a letter L. The outside looked classy with its brick covering, the inside was spacious, and the house was…all his. Because it was located in a small town north of the city, he was separated from the major crime when he finally got home. There were many things he loved about the city of Chicago, but he needed an out now and then.
Walking in farther, he noticed his friend in the living room and he grinned. “Of course your grandmother could get here faster. She was 20 feet tall, two strides and she would have been done with one block.” He responded to Gemariah’s earlier jest.
“Okay, fine, you got me there.” Gemariah said with a smirk. “But really, what took you so long? When I saw you, you were only a minute or so away. It’s been close to ten.”
Malachi turned to walk to the kitchen, shielding his face. “I just had to wind down after my run. I was on the porch for a few minutes.”
“You never have to “wind down” after a run.”
He was grasping for an answer when Gemariah started walking toward the kitchen table, a paper under his arm, a coffee cup in one hand and…
Scowling, Malachi snapped. “Is that the last of my pull-apart?” At Gemariah’s smirk, he knew the answer. “Dammit, I was going to eat that!”
Doing a quick check through the cabinets, he realized two things. One, he really needed to go grocery shopping, and two, unless he wanted a tuna sandwich for breakfast, he had nothing to eat this morning.
That’s not happening…
“What’s not happening?” Gemariah popped his head up from the paper.
“Grrr! That thought was just for me, not you!” Frustrated, Malachi shut the cabinet a little more forcefully than normal and decided to settle for a cup of coffee.
He took a mug out of the cupboard then picked up the pot. The weight of it startled him, or better yet, the lack of. Looking down, he realized with more than enough frustration, there was no coffee. He shoved the pot back into the coffee maker a little too rough and the pot shattered all over the place. He took a deep breath before turning on Gemariah. “I thought I told you to make more if you took the last of the coffee!”
Without looking up from the paper, he answered, not concerned at all with the show of destruction. “Oh yeah, you were out of coffee grounds, so I didn’t.” He finally looked up. “Looks like you wouldn’t be making any if you did have some, now would you?”
All Malachi could do was rub his forehead and slightly pace the house. He knew he was being irrational and needed to control it.
Finally he realized there was only one thing to do. “Get your keys, we’re leaving!”
“Really, and where, may I ask, are we going?”
Malachi didn’t even look at his friend as he walked to his bedroom. “I’m going to change clothes while you clean up the glass in the kitchen. Then you’re going to buy me breakfast…and more damn coffee.”
******
“I don’t know why we need to come here. You got your precious breakfast…with a coffee I might add.” Gemariah grumbled as they stood amongst the crowd of customers. “Who in hell names a place “Java Lava” anyway?”
Malachi didn’t even look in his friend’s direction. “Because, I need to get more coffee. Someone likes to come over and drink all of mine.”
“You really should have someone look into that problem.” Gemariah answered distractedly. He had been looking around nonchalantly, but Malachi noticed Gemariah’s gaze had zeroed in on something. When he gave his million dollar smile, Malachi knew it was someone and not something. The suspicion was confirmed when the wink shortly followed. Turning his head to follow his friend’s gaze, Malachi saw the object of his interest; a tall, thin, ebony haired super model. Same old, same old. Gemariah’s taste in women never wavered. The only thing that ever changed was the hair color. This woman would grab Gemariah’s interest for the time being, but not for long. He was a good friend and all, but when it came to women, Gemariah just wanted to have fun.
Malachi rolled his eyes. “Can’t you give it a rest for one day? Wasn’t it just two days ago, you hooked up with that redhead at the library? He looked up at Gemariah with a confused look. “What were you doing at a library anyway? Did you get lost?”
That brought on a smile from his friend before he said, “No, a little birdie told me that there was something worth checking out there.” Laughing at his own joke, he added, “Plus, that was two days ago. Live in the now, Malachi.”
Malachi shut his eyes and shook his head in exasperation. He probably would have to admit soon that there was no help for the rake. If he hadn’t changed in the last three centuries, he probably wasn’t going to now.
“What is taking so long, shouldn’t the line be moving?” Gemariah eyed the counter suspiciously.
It wasn’t his fault that he was on edge. Nephilims don’t blend in that well, and therefore get a little on edge when trapped in crowded spaces.
“Just relax and flirt with your model of the day.” Malachi soothed. “It’s just a busy morning.”
Gemariah scowled at Malachi, which brought a chuckle out of him.
Ignoring his laugh, Gemariah did eventually draw his attention back to the ebony haired woman. From the looks of things, it seemed that she hadn’t given up on him either.
Gemariah always had that effect on women. It seemed that all he had to do was smile and crook his finger, and then they all come running, sometimes literally. He’s the tall, well built, blond shaggy haired golden boy.
Malachi didn’t mind that his friend got the majority of the attention. He knew he put out a “back off” vibe, but that’s how he liked it. People took one look at his height plus build, and became wary. Then add the trimmed black hair, goatee, and the grim look he always wore. It’s no wonder his social life was nonexistent, unless you count his dreams.
Don’t go where? Gemariah projected back telepathically.
Stop! That was my own thought again, not for you!!
Don’t get bent out of shape. Keep your thoughts to yourself better and stop projecting them. Not my fault, dude!
Looking contrite, Malachi answered back.
Sorry, I’ve just been a litt..
The conversation was cut off when they both got jarred while standing in line.
“What the fuck…” Gemariah yelled a little too loudly for the comfort of the people in the coffee shop.
Looking over, Malachi spotted the culprit. He looked around fifteen years old, brown hair that covered his face, and pants two sizes too big that looked like they were held up by the forces that be.
“Watch where you’re going kid!” Gemariah shouted, finally figuring out what happened.
The kid then turned around and threw his middle finger in the air. “Make me Goliath!”
Malachi couldn’t help but be amused by that statement considering Goliath was one of the original nephilims. Gemariah on the other hand, broke out of line and started walking toward the kid.
Obviously, by the shocked look on his face, the boy did not expect this and turned to run away. The only problem was that all the people in front of the exit were hindering his escape.
In no time at all, Gemariah had the kid by his arm and was all but dragging him out the doors.
Malachi watched and knew he should intervene, but then looked back at the counter, then backwards to see how many people were behind him. He was in a dilemma. He knew he needed to get golden boy under control, but he would lose his spot in line, and he really needed his coffee.
Celestial Beginnings (Nephilim Series) Page 3