Scintillate (Scintillate Series Book 1)

by Karen Tjebben

  “I think I understand what you mean.” Zoe crumpled up her trash. “Maybe you two are soul mates.”

  “That sounds corny doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it does, but time will tell. You never know what the future holds.”

  “Well, since I have the man of my dreams, maybe we should try to find the dress of my dreams?”

  “Definitely, but that may be a lot harder than we imagined.” She picked up her tray and headed to the trash can.

  “It appears that way.” I followed with my plastic tray. We stopped at the trash can, and then walked out of the food court and towards the stores. Finally, after trying on several more gowns, we each found the perfect dress.

  “That’s the one.” Zoe’s face beamed behind mine in the mirror.

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” My fingers hovered over the silky fabric.

  Zoe drove us home, and I walked across the lawn carrying my dress in the garment bag. Nick was coming over soon, but I decided to surprise him. I put on my running clothes and ran to his house.

  Although I hadn’t spent much time at Nick’s house, an aura of peace and acceptance surrounded his place. I walked the last couple hundred feet so I could cool down from my run around the lake.

  As I approached the porch, angry voices cut through the window and floated through the air. I pressed my body against the side of the house and listened. “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere?”

  “She’s with Zoe. She’s fine.”

  “You better make this quick. I have to be there soon,” Nick warned. His voice grew louder as he stepped into the family room.

  “I wanted to talk to you last night, but you ran off like a coward,” Alex taunted, his voice growing louder.

  “Coward! Huh, that’s a new one. You know, I do have a night job.”

  “You still haven’t told her anything, have you?” Alex’s usually pleasant voice sounded harsh and frustrated.

  “Of course not. Her head would explode! She’s not ready.”

  “My head is about to explode. I can’t believe you! What you are doing is completely inappropriate.”

  “Really? And you think telling her is the solution. If you told her now, it would be for your own selfish reasons. If you have a problem with how I’m doing my job, take it to the higher ups.”

  I stood frozen, my back against the house, crouched under a window. They were talking about me! What was going on? None of this made sense.

  “Oh, that’s right,” Nick continued, “they already know. They’re happy with my success.” I could hear the satisfaction in his voice. “You have nowhere to go with this.”

  “Your job is to protect her, not play kiss and tickle. You are way out of line, and you know it.”

  “So, you’re jealous,” Nick said. “The green-eyed monster finally rears its ugly head.”

  I quietly rose up on my tiptoes and peeked through the window.

  Alex stood by the bookcases full of Greek memorabilia. “Don’t try and change the subject. You’re flirtations are taking you off your game. Look what happened at the church.”

  “Kate was never in danger. I made sure of it.”

  “Really? The two raging fires tell a different story.”

  “She was in a different building at the time of the fires. The necklace did its job. They couldn’t find her.” Nick paced the room. The coffee table separated them. Once again they resembled competing bulls. “I was surrounded by innocents. There was nothing I could do. I didn’t have backup, remember?”

  My head spun as I processed Nick’s words. Did he know about the fire before it happened? Was he somehow involved that night? What did my necklace have to do with it?

  “Maybe Kate wasn’t in danger, but what about the other couple of hundred kids there? Don’t you even care about them?” Alex’s face was red with anger, his hands in fists at his side.

  “They weren’t my priority. Besides, I got them out. No one got hurt,” Nick snorted back. “Look, I’ve been doing your job and mine, so don’t lecture me.” Nick pointed angrily at Alex. “Besides, my ‘kiss and tickle’ as you call it, gives me unfettered access to Kate. She does whatever I want. It’s the perfect plan. She didn’t hire me. I can’t order her around. If you’d open your eyes, you’d see that.”

  “It’s still wrong,” Alex snarled. His chest heaved with each intake of air. “You’re using her.”

  Nick gave a wry laugh. “Trust me. I’m not doing anything she doesn’t want me to. She’s a lot of fun,” he said. One side of his mouth formed a belligerent smile. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I make her feel things she’s never felt before.”

  Nick’s words drove a knife into my heart. A tear swelled in my eye, lingering, until I blinked and it sailed down my cheek, heavy and full of my pain. How could he say that to Alex? What was their relationship? They obviously knew each other from before meeting in Cary, but why hide that from me?

  “You’re a monster.” Alex picked up the Athena statue and flung it at Nick.

  Nick snatched the statue from the air. “Hey! Be careful with this. She’s priceless.”

  “Exactly! Now maybe you get my point. You worry about a statue.” Alex shook his head with disgust. “I’m worried about a real person. A true masterpiece. Someone we’ll have to work with for a very long time. You might want to consider that as you work your charms on her. You need to think about the long term.”

  “I am thinking about the long term. I’m tired of being alone. Believe it or not, I actually care about Kate.” Nick placed the statue on the coffee table. “She’s wonderful, and I plan on being with her. You’re the one making it sound trivial and cheap.” Nick sat on the arm of the sofa where we shared our kiss. “Alex, you’re the one with this self-induced celibacy… torturing yourself. All I care about is protecting her. I love her.”

  All this information bombarded my brain. Nick was here to protect me, and he cared about me? What was his motivation behind his relationship with me? I was drowning in confusion as I continued to listen to their argument.

  “Love her! You didn’t even respect her last night. You manipulated her.” Alex’s disgust seethed from him.

  Nick took a deep breath and stared at Alex, slowly exhaling. Finally he said, “You’re wrong. I wasn’t manipulating her. I’ve never had to manipulate her, but I did screw up last night. I should’ve seen you coming.”

  “I don’t want to have to worry about protecting her from you, too. We have enough to deal with.”

  “It wouldn’t have been the end of the world,” Nick said.

  “No, I’m sure you would have enjoyed it, but I don’t want to go down that path right now, and she’s not ready. So let’s avoid that, okay?”

  I gripped the edged of the window and watched them argue over my physical relationship with Nick. Anger and embarrassment churned in me since Alex felt he held some stake on that issue. Devastation flooded me as I realized that Nick wasn’t who I thought he was.

  “I don’t take orders from you,” Nick said.

  “No, you don’t, but I am your equal, she is not. You are responsible for her. Don’t forget it.” Alex squared off with Nick. “We will all have to live with your choices. Don’t do anything we may regret. We still don’t know how this will play out.”

  “She belongs with me,” Nick said. “Even now, at this stage in her transition, I can feel it. The power scintillates off of her. She is drawn to me. She can’t help herself.”

  “Her powers are surging right now — forming. Anyway, you’re talking about two different things. You’re confusing everything.”

  “You know… she doesn’t have feelings for you,” Nick said calmly. “When you gaze into her eyes, what do you see?”

  A brief silence passed between them. Alex inhaled slowly and released it even more slowly. “I see a friend. Someone I will defend to the death. I never expected this to happen overnight, especially with your interference.”

  “My interference!” Nick sco
ffed. “What, you think I should step aside. Let you have the advantage. I don’t think so. A girl like Kate is exceptionally rare. If I wait around, you’ll work your charms, and I won’t stand a chance.”

  “How typical,” Alex sneered. “You only think about yourself.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I think she should actually get to choose. Besides, you’re only hurting yourself — dragging this out.” Nick stood up from leaning against the arm of the sofa. “You have no claim on her.”

  “Do you think I’m going to give up now? Just throw away any hope, without even trying. You’re crazy. And you’re wrong. We don’t know for sure that the necklace is working.” Alex turned his back on Nick and looked at the artifacts on the bookcase. “It’s still early. We just need more time.”

  My breath fogged the window. Alex wanted me. Nick knew it.

  “Okay,” Nick sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Maybe more time will do the trick.”

  They were silent for a few moments. Alex stared at the bookcase while Nick stared at his back. The silence was so complete and pervasive that I feared my pounding heart would expose me through the walls.

  “You should leave. I need to meet her.”

  “You’re right. I’ll talk to you later.” Alex turned and headed towards the front door. Nick watched him leave, and then he shot up the stairs to the second floor.

  I turned and ran towards home as fast as I could. My legs wobbled, and my stomach was in knots. The upheaval of emotions that seethed through my body nauseated me. Tears streamed down my face as I circled the lake and relived their conversation.

  None of this made sense. How much did Nick know about the fire at church before it happened? Who are they protecting me from? The man who attacked me is obviously involved, but how and why is he after me? What is Nick and Alex’s relationship? Who are they? Who sent them? What do they want from me? Is Zoe involved? Was the necklace a gift of love or a collar to control me?

  My mind spun with hundreds of questions. Like a spider’s web, beginning at a center point and spiraling out, each strand of the web represented an unanswered question. Caught in the web, I saw all the unanswered questions; however, the most significant question flashed like a neon sign — Did Nick care about me at all, or was I just a job to him?

  They had hidden their true purpose from me, so I realized I needed to keep my knowledge of their argument hidden. I needed to keep my relationship with them as normal as possible until I knew enough to expose them. Panic gripped me as I considered what they would do when they realized I’d overheard them. Considering they seemed so much better at covert operations, I wondered how long I would last. Maybe I should tell my parents, but would that put them in jeopardy?

  As I ran up the front steps, I knew I needed to erase any evidence that I’d been crying or out running because Nick might realize that I’d come to meet him at his house. I gasped when I looked in the mirror. Sweat stains marked my shirt; I tore it off. Tears left discolored trails in my makeup, so I grabbed my makeup brush. I frantically powdered my face and reapplied eyeliner and mascara to my puffy, red eyes. The girl in the mirror didn’t look beautiful. Instead, she looked frazzled and confused.

  The doorbell rang and sent my heart into spasms. I searched for another shirt. “One minute,” I yelled and pulled my shirt over my head. I jogged down the stairs and opened the door.

  Nick stood before me, looking calm and serene. “Good afternoon, beautiful.” He stepped into the house. “You look a little… breathless.”

  “Oh… yeah, I ran down the stairs to let you in. Are you ready to go for our run?” My hand shook as I took his hand and led him outside. “I’ll race you down the hill,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t notice my puffy face. I figured the sooner we got started running, the sooner he would stop looking at me and my face would have time to get back to normal.

  “No.” He stopped me on the porch. “I need to apologize for my behavior last night. I got carried away. It’s probably good that Alex showed up.” Nick caressed my cheek. His eyes examined mine.

  Goose bumps broke out along my flesh. My skin crawled because I didn’t know if a friend or a foe caressed my cheek. “That’s all right.” I smiled as my stomach churned. “I’m just as guilty. It was fun, and now we should just let the past be in the past. Come on.” I tried to drag him off the porch.

  “Kate, we need to talk.” He stepped in front of me and blocked my way. “I think you have some questions for me.”

  Believing that normal behavior was critical to my survival, I smiled. “Do you have everything you need for the Valentine’s Day dance?” Blood flowed more quickly through my veins.

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “Hmm, I can’t think of any other questions for you.” I felt my cheeks flush. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

  As we stood on porch I noticed how hot his hand felt, was that because mine was so cold? “It seems one of us made a mistake and left you unguarded,” he said. My stomach churned as he continued. “I think you came to my house earlier to surprise me. I think you heard some things you weren’t supposed to hear.”

  “What do you mean unguarded?”

  “Kate, we are not… You are not, who you think we are.”

  The world spun. The ground shifted beneath my feet. Darkness surrounded me.

  Revelations

  Darkness, uncomfortable moisture, and warmth surrounded me, pressed in on my flesh. There was no escape.

  “Kate! Kate! Can you hear me?” a soft feminine voice called to me, lured me away from the sweet sleep that protected me from the overwhelming something I denied.

  Sleep. Angry whispers. Loss of Innocence. What has become of me?

  “This is your fault. If you hadn’t left your post we wouldn’t be in this mess,” an angry voice accused.

  “Is that how you’re going to play this? If you behaved yourself, I wouldn’t have left my post.”

  “That’s classic. Blame me for your screw up!”

  “Ohhh,” I moaned.

  “Guys, she’s waking up.” She sounded close.

  “Ooh.” I lifted my hand to my head and dragged something wet across my cheek. “What happened?” I asked.

  “You fainted,” Zoe said. “Nick brought here. We need to talk.”

  “Why is it so dark in here?” Everything was black. I couldn’t see anything.

  “Hah,” a chuckle reverberated near my ear. “Kate, open your eyes.”

  My eyelids felt so heavy, like they were made of lead, but I strained and forced them open. I was in the Bishop’s family room. Several pillows propped up my head as I lay across the length of the leather sofa. A fleece blanket covered me, and Zoe sat beside me. Nick squatted near my head, and Alex stood by the fireplace.

  “I’ll get you something to drink.” Zoe stood and went into the kitchen.

  “How do you feel?” Alex asked from across the room. He looked almost as sick as I felt. His normally golden skin was pale. His brow was tense as he stared at me, and his lips formed a tight line.

  “Honestly? Confused, scared, used, horrible.” My head pounded, and my mouth was so dry that my tongue stuck to the top of my mouth. Sweat covered my body and caused my damp clothes to stick to me. I flung the blanket over the back of the sofa and tossed the cold compress to the coffee table.

  “That’s why we need to talk. You don’t need to feel any of those things,” Alex encouraged and stepped a little closer with a forced smile. “There’ll be an adjustment period, but you’ll get through that. Then you’ll be able to embrace who you are.”

  “Pfft, embrace who I am. I’ll tell you who I am.” I sat up, and the room spun. “I am seventeen. My whole life is ahead of me. I need to decide where to go to college. I have to decide what I’m going to do with my life, who I’m going to marry, and how many kids I’ll have. No one gets to decide those things for me.”

  The three of them exchanged looks that made my stomach queasy and the room
spun again. I steadied myself on the sofa arm.

  “It’s okay.” Zoe patted my knee. “Drink this.” She handed me a glass of water. Ice tinkled against the sides of the glass as I lifted it to my parched mouth.

  Nick took a deep breath and said, “Kate, it may seem improbable, unbelievable, and in fact impossible, but we can prove that what we tell you is the truth. Please, keep an open mind.”

  “It helps that you’re religious,” Alex cut in and took a few more tentative steps towards me. “Perhaps the foundation is already there.”

  I took another swig of water and held the glass against my face, cooling myself. “What does my religious foundation have to do with any of this?” I placed the glass on the coffee table in front of me and looked at them.

  Nick stood up, looked at Alex, and then Zoe. Finally his eyes met mine. “Have you ever heard of the Nephilim?”

  “The Nephilim?” I replied confused and rubbed my forehead. “Yeah. They were giants in the Old Testament.”

  “That’s right, but they were much more than giants. The Nephilim were a hybrid race that started long ago when fallen angels procreated with human women.” Alex’s voice was soft and steady. “Their offspring gained incredible strength and intelligence from the angels. They tended to be powerful warriors and leaders. They were unbeatable on the battlefield.”

  “I still don’t understand what that has to do with me.” I looked from person to person. My heart pounded as another wave of nausea hit me. They, however, remained stone-faced and focused on me.

  “Even though the Nephilim were half human, their paternal genetics were too strong. The respect for life God had woven into the human DNA was crushed. They were violent and mercilessly subjugated humanity. God couldn’t allow such destructive power to go unchecked, so He sent a band of Heavenly angels to marry women to create a counterbalance through their offspring.” Alex’s green eyes, full of life, held my attention. “The Nephilim and the children of the Heavenly angels have been warring since.”