“Ashes to ashes,
flames to lightening,
Rise together and become one.
Banish this evil from all the harm it has done.”
Lily jumped when thunder crashed and a bolt of lightening hit the house. She saw a flicker of orange on the roof and soon flames poured out of the windows. She was in awe at how quickly the flames spread. They watched as the house burned to the ground, thankful it was secluded enough not to draw attention.
Jake felt the tension leave his body as the huge house crumbled to the ground. His whole life he had been running from these people and if this truly was the end of it, he’d be free. He quickly wiped a tear from his cheek.
“Let’s go home,” Sandra said to the group. She draped her arm over her daughter’s shoulder.
Lily looked up at her mother and mouthed the words. "Thank You."
She wondered what would happen now that everything was over. Would they go back to school? Would her parents send her to a new one or homeschool her? And what would happen with Jake? Her mind raced.
Camille looked over at her. "Child, you worry too much. Everything will be fine." Camille slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll be leaving now. Always a pleasure to see you, Sandra. Let's not let so much time pass before our next meeting."
"Hopefully, our next visit will be more pleasant."
"It ended well. What more could we ask for?"
"Can I ask where you are going? It wasn't easy to track you down."
"I have some loose ends to tie up here, and then who knows? Wherever the path takes me. If you need me, I'll be there."
They hugged and said their goodbyes.
Sandra watched as the most powerful woman she had ever known slid into a taxi and drove off into the night.
***
Adam stared at the gold key in his hand and twirled it in his fingers. Henry had left everything to him. A few words from a lawyer, and he'd gone from a homeless kid on the street to a man that held so much power. He had loved Henry like a father, but he had always known he was evil to the core. Henry had fought it on a daily basis, but the evil always won out. Adam could still hear the screams from the young girls, and cleaning up after. They lawyer had handed him a key to a safe deposit box with a note. ‘You are like a son to me. Continue the tradition.’
Adam sank back in the plush chair. Henry had wasted his whole life searching for the key to immortality. He never found happiness. He was driven to find something that was always out of his reach. Adam had been given a new lease on life. Did he really want to waste it chasing after a crazy dream? He hesitated briefly, tossed the key in the trashcan, and walked out of the room.
Camille was standing at the bottom of the step. "I knew you would make the right decision."
Chapter Twenty
It wasn’t until later that Lily really felt the ramifications of the past couple of weeks. She was sitting alone in her room when the tears started coming. She couldn’t stop them, they poured down her face. She had come close to killing a boy, been kidnapped, tracked down a mad man, and almost died.
Her body shook as she sobbed. She lay down on her bed and cried into her pillow. Images flashed through her mind as her emotions ran wild. She felt angry and sad.
There was a soft knock on her door. Lily didn’t even have the energy to call out.
The door opened, and Jake walked in. Seeing Lily lying there on the bed—her whole body shaking—broke his heart. He quickly went to her and sat down on the bed. Rubbing her back, he asked, “Are you okay?”
She responded by crying harder and gasping for air.
“Lily? Are you okay?” Jake asked concerned.
Lily rolled over. “No. I’m not! We were both almost killed! I am not okay with that…I…I…” she stammered.
Jake pulled Lily into his arms. “We’re safe now. I’m sorry…so sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in danger or worry you.”
Lily buried her face in his chest and soaked his shirt with her tears. “I can’t lose you. I just found you.”
He cradled her face in his palms. “I know. I’ve only known you for a short amount of time, and I know I want to be with you forever. And now we can be. Lily, it’s over. The fear of being caught is gone. We’re both safe and we can be together.”
The crying subsided as she looked into his eyes and realized he was right. They didn’t have anything to worry about anymore. She pressed her lips against his and drew him into a long, overdue kiss.
He could taste her salty tears as they kissed and he held her closer, running his hands down her back. What he would give to be alone with her right now. He wanted to show her they were safe and he loved her. But, he couldn’t do that in her parents’ house.
She bit his lip a little and pulled it back, then let it go with a smile.
“You’re a tease,” Jake said.
“I know.”
“I wish we were alone right now.”
“Me too.” She kept her eyes locked on his.
Jake brushed the hair out of Lily’s face. She was all blotchy from crying, but she was still as beautiful as ever. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I want you so bad.”
Lily couldn’t resist her own feelings. She pulled him down on the bed with her and began kissing his neck. Her body tingled as it always did when she felt this way. Her body knew what it wanted.
A strong voice from downstairs yelled, “Lily!”
Lily stopped kissing Jake and groaned. How did her parents always know when they were fooling around? “This has got to stop!”
Jake laughed, but immediately quieted when Lily shot him a look. He gave her a crooked grin. "It is your parents' house. Their rules."
She pouted and threw a pillow at him. "Fine, let's go downstairs."
Jake laughed and snatched the pillow in the air. He stood up and extended his hand.
Her parents were sitting at the marble kitchen table looking somber. Uh oh, now what? Her mom looked up and patted the table for Lily to sit next to her.
Her father cleared his throat. "Lily, we want you to have as normal of a childhood as possible. You've been through a lot in a short amount of time. We have debated homeschooling you. It would probably be the safest for everyone involved.”
Sandra turned in her seat and touched Lily's arm. "We've decided to let you go back to school, if you want to. You shouldn't be locked away because of who you are. However, you are going to have to take extra precautions."
Lily's eyes lit up. She never thought she would miss school, but she had started to like Emerson Academy. Mainly, she missed Hannah. "Can I go back to the boarding school?"
Her parents glanced at each other. “Do you really want to?”
“Yes.”
"You seemed happier there than any others. So, if that is what you want, we can smooth things over with the school for the time missed."
"What about Jake?" She felt panic rise in her chest at the thought of being separated from him.
"That's up to him. I don't see a problem with him going back either. You only have one more year so his age won't be noticeable."
Lily clapped her hands together and smiled at Jake. Then she threw her arms around her mother. "Thank you! I promise I won't let you down."
"I know you won’t. Camille left you this." Sandra held out a multi-colored stone bracelet. “She said if you wear this, your powers would be greatly dampened. It will almost be like you are a human. Of course you are attractive so you will always attract attention. It will just stop boys from turning into complete fools around you. You won’t be able to compel anyone if you have this on."
Lily grabbed the bracelet and ran her fingers over it. It was beautiful. Almost normal. She had longed to be normal. A small part of her couldn't help but be worried if she put it on Jake would no longer be attracted to her. Maybe it really was her powers that he was drawn to.
Later that night, she lay in bed thinking about the bracelet and Jake. What if he wanted nothing more to d
o with her when she put it on? What if she became just an ordinary girl? Ordinary. No guys tripping over their own feet anymore. No boys fumbling over opening something for her. No one trying to kiss her when she didn’t want to.
Her thoughts wandered back to Jake. Would wearing the bracelet be worth it? There was only one way to find out. She’d have to put it on and see what happened. It wasn’t like she couldn’t take it off if she hated it. Would she want to be with Jake if she found out it was only her power he was drawn to?
She picked it up off her nightstand and slipped it on her wrist. Then she waited. “Ridiculous,” she muttered to herself. What was she waiting for? She didn’t feel any different. It wasn’t like some switch had been turned off. Rolling over, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
She got up early the next morning and made a cup of cocoa, which she took with her to the back patio. It was a nice morning, chilly, but the sun shone on her face and kept her warm.
“Lily?” Jake’s voice was soft.
This was the moment of truth. Very slowly she turned around and faced him. He was standing at the doorway looking out at her. Her eyes met his and she tried to read him, but she just couldn’t tell how he felt. Did he still feel the same way about her? Or was the connection gone when she wore the bracelet?
“Morning, Jake,” she said sweetly and took a step towards him.
Jake closed the distance between them with a couple of steps. He was standing right in front of her staring into her eyes. He smiled that perfect, heart-melting, lopsided grin of his, and Lily swayed.
Jake grabbed her by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yup.” Without another word, he cupped her face in his hands and leaned in to kiss her. His warm lips touched her soft, cocoa-tasting ones. She reached up and put her free arm around his neck. Running her hand through the back of his hair, she smiled inside. She could feel his body respond to her touch and she even felt her body tingle at the thought of being with him. The connection was still there.
When they pulled apart, she asked, “You still love me?”
“Of course I do. Why?”
She looked down at her wrist and fingered the bracelet. “I…I wasn’t sure you would.”
He followed her gaze. “Did you think that my feelings for you would change if you wore that?”
She nodded. Her eyes still focused on the bracelet. “I wasn’t sure…”
“Lily, look at me.”
She looked up into his blue eyes.
“I love you always and forever. Don’t ever doubt that. That bracelet doesn’t change how I feel. Do you understand? I still love you.”
Lily grinned from ear to ear. She had nothing to worry about. He really did love her. “I love you, too.”
It was actually a weight off her shoulders. It had always been in the back of her mind that he was only with her because she was a succubus, and he was unable to resist her. Now she knew he loved her for herself, and that was an amazing feeling. She felt like she was floating on clouds.
Lily thought it would be interesting to go out without the bracelet and see if really did have as much impact as Camille had said. "Let's go out to eat."
Jake grinned. "Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know somewhere with a lot of people."
"IHOP?" Jake knew she wanted to try out the bracelet and he had to admit he was curious if it worked or not. He still thought she was the most stunning girl he had ever seen. The bracelet didn't damper any feelings he had for her.
"That sounds perfect. Let me grab my sweater."
Lily tensed as she pushed open the door and the bell went off over their head announcing their arrival. Several heads turned in their direction, and a couple of the men gave her the once over. Great it didn't work. Now she would never truly know if Jake loved her. Camille was probably just trying to make her feel better and gave her a placebo bracelet.
Jake leaned down and whispered in her ear. "See if you can cut the line."
Lily glanced around there were several people waiting to be seated. She walked up to the young man behind the counter. She made eye contact with him and he smiled nervously. "We would like a seat."
"So would everyone else in line. Take a number. You'll be called when it's your turn." He titled his head in the direction of the machine that spit out numbers.
Lily took a number and turned to Jake. Her face lit up the room. She was so excited a guy had told her ‘no’. There really was a first for everything.
"Did you see that?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"I saw the way he checked you out when you walked away."
"He told me no!"
"I guess the bracelet worked. Don't worry. You still turn heads."
"I'm not worried. Well, I guess I was a little worried. But as long as I have your attention, that is all I need." Lily rested her head on his shoulder.
Their number was called and they sat down at the table. They had a waiter and he paid no extra attention to her whatsoever. She was elated. She could really go around like a normal person now! She stared out the window while they were waiting for the food. Normal. Was that what she wanted? To be normal? She always thought it was. But, what if she was so used to being supernatural that normal was boring to her?
“What are you thinking about?” Jake asked.
She shifted her gaze back to him. “Being with you.”
He smiled. “Soon.”
“You sound like you have something in mind.”
“Maybe I do.” His eyes twinkled.
Lily smiled. She liked surprises, and she couldn’t wait to find out what Jake had in store for her.
When they got back to the house, Lily and Jake found the living room full of boxes. “What’s going on?” Lily asked.
“Christmas.” Her dad grinned. He was like a big kid on Christmas—loved every part of it. They had boxes and boxes of decorations that had been collected over the year. Her father thought it was a contest to have the best-decorated house in the neighborhood.
Lily looked at the calendar and realized how close to Christmas it was. Time had flown by since Thanksgiving. “What about going back to school?”
“You can return after the break.”
Lily looked over at Jake. “What about Jake? He doesn’t have family or anywhere to go.”
Gregory stood up. “Of course he does. He has us and he can stay right here with us for the holidays.”
Lily lit up. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
She threw her arms around her father’s neck. “Thanks, Daddy.”
Jake shook Gregory’s hand when Lily finally let go and also thanked him.
“You’re welcome. Now dig in and let’s get this place decorated.”
They opened boxes and pulled out lights, garland, and a village. Lily told Jake what to do with the stuff and they got the house decorated in not time.
“Ready to go get a tree?” Gregory asked.
“A real one?” Jake asked surprised.
“Of course! Sandra, let’s go get the tree,” he hollered to his wife.
“Coming!”
Jake stood at the tree farm looking baffled. Lily slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just been so long since I’ve been part of a family like this.”
“Do you like this kind of thing?”
He looked into her eyes. “Yeah I do, especially when it’s with you.”
"You might change your mind tomorrow when my dad drags you up on the roof to decorate."
Jake laughed. "That sounds like fun. At least it's not cold in Texas."
"My dad is over the top about decorating. You might have noticed."
"I think it's cool."
They spent at least an hour looking for the perfect tree. Finally Sandra exclaimed, "This one!"
Lily hurried over to see what she had found. Her mom was right. It was perfect. It was at least seven feet t
all and so fat and fluffy. Her mother always insisted they needed a big tree. "I love it." Lily walked over to her mom and rested her head on her shoulder. She really was lucky to have such an amazing family.
Her father and Jake tied the tree down on top of the SUV. Lily loved how at ease Jake was with her family. When they got home, her mother put milk on the stove for hot chocolate, even though it was quite warm outside. She insisted cocoa was necessary when decorating a tree.
***
Lily awoke bright and early. She remembered immediately that it was Christmas morning and jumped out of bed. She practically ran down the stairs yelling, “Wake up!” in the process. She skidded to a stop in front of the lit Christmas tree. She reached up and touched an ornament she had made when she was little. She grinned at the crooked snowflake made out of Popsicle sticks. It was cute that her mom had kept it all these years.
Within minutes Lily’s parents and Jake were in front of the tree dressed in their PJs. Lily was excited at the sight of all the presents. She couldn’t wait to tear in and open them. She glanced around for Jake and found him sitting on the couch.
She ran over to him and plopped down next to him. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” His blue eyes sparkled. He leaned closer to her and gently kissed her.
“You ready for presents?” Gregory asked and started handing them out.
“I’m always ready for presents.” Lily laughed.
Gregory enjoyed being the one to hand out the presents. He loved watching his family open them and their eyes light up.
Lily got clothes, a new purse, gift cards, and some make-up. Lily’s parents had even bought Jake some gifts.
After most of the gifts were opened, Jake handed one more to Lily. “This one is from me.”
Lily smiled, knowing she’d love anything Jake got her. “I got you something too.” She handed him a box. “You go first.”
“Okay.” He ripped open the reindeer paper and found a beautiful black and silver watch inside. “I love it.”
“It’s to remind you we’ll be together for all time. Look at the back.”
Jake took it out of the box and turned it around. Written on the back was: Until the end of time. He smiled and put it on his wrist. “It's perfect. Thank you. Now open yours.”
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