Scintillate (Scintillate Series Book 1)

by Karen Tjebben

  “In fact, why don’t you spend the night tonight?” Zoe asked. “It’ll be fun.”

  “But I don’t have any of my stuff,” I replied indifferently. A slumber party didn’t sound like fun, but it probably was the best solution.

  “Don’t worry about that.” She nonchalantly flipped her hand. “When you’re in the shower, I’ll run over and get some clothes. Your parents will never know I’m there.”

  “Ai! You know, it’s seriously creepy that you guys can do that,” I said as we walked towards the stairs.

  “We know. Don’t worry. You’ll be able to do it soon.” Zoe stopped on the stairs and looked at me. ”Kate, I have a confession to make. Mr. Bishop isn’t our dad.”

  I held the banister for support. “I guess that’s not so surprising.”

  “Mr. Bishop… umm… Evan and I are together. We’re married.”

  “Oh,” I replied. Of course, she wasn’t seventeen. None of them were who they appeared to be. I couldn’t ask her how old she was because I didn’t want to know. Enough had already been revealed today. Everything about their lives was a charade. My entire relationship with all of them was a big lie.

  Zoe walked me to the guest bathroom. The cold tile floor felt good on my bare feet. She grabbed a towel and washcloth from the linen closet and set them on the marble counter. “I’ll be right back with your fresh clothes. I’ll leave them on the bed.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled, relieved I could wash off the smell of sweat and vomit. I turned on the water and peeled off the layers of stink and filth that covered me. My dirty clothes lay in a pile at my feet, and I stepped into the renewing water.

  I massaged coconut scented shampoo into my scalp, and the pleasant aroma reminded me of our vacation at the beach. Memories of building sandcastles and swimming in the ocean with my family flashed through my mind. How would my transition affect my family life?

  As I rinsed the shampoo, long strands of hair tangled in my fingers. This daily occurrence never bothered me before, but today it seemed significant. As the water circled down the drain, it not only carried away dirt, but it seemed to wash away my innocence.

  Was this similar to my angelic transition? We lose and renew cells and hair every day. Was my transition as an Asteri as painless and unnoticeable as our everyday cycle of life? Would I just shed aspects of my human self and replace those missing aspects with Asteri characteristics?

  I’d been changing, glowing for months, and I never knew it. What else was happening to me — or around me — that I didn’t know about? Would I learn to cloak as easily as Nick and Zoe? Would these things become as normal for me as breathing? A wave of nausea pulsed through me. I rested my head on the wall of the shower and let the water pound my back. The warm water relaxed my muscles and calmed my nerves. Once the nausea passed, I shut off the water and grabbed my towel.

  Just like Zoe promised, my bag of clothes were on the bed. Several outfits filled the bag. I chose some jeans and a comfy red shirt.

  Voices drew me into the kitchen. I leaned against the doorjamb, my damp hair pulled up into a pony tail. Nick sat at the island and patted the seat of the empty barstool next to him. “Let’s order some dinner and try to be regular people for the rest of the night,” he suggested. “The mental break will do all of us some good.”

  “How does Chinese sound?” Mr. Bishop asked.

  I started towards the empty seat and stopped. “Wait a second,” I pointed at Mr. Bishop’s head. “Your gray hair is gone.”

  “Good observation,” he said. He ran his hand through his blond hair. “Now that you know the truth, you see me for who I am, not what you need to see.”

  “You mean everyone else will still see you with gray hair because that’s what they need to see?”

  “Yes,” Mr. Bishop nodded. “People see what they need or want to see. Sometimes we help them along by giving them impressions, but once the gig is up, it’s unnecessary.”

  This twilight zone that I’d entered, that had become my reality, was too much. Every few moments a new bizarre twist rocked my world and hammered down on me. I didn’t know how long I would last.

  I studied him, examining his features. It was so obvious that he wasn’t biologically related to Alex and Zoe. I made excuses for it in the past, for all the bizarre and uncommon occurrences, but now everything fit together. I’d blinded myself to the truth because I couldn’t handle it. People really do see what they want to see. “I guess I should call you Evan, since Bishop probably isn’t even your last name.”

  “You’re catching on,” he complimented. “Welcome to the family.”

  His ease at the upheaval of my world irritated me. “I thought angels were supposed to tell the truth. You know, be honest and good. Today I’ve learned that you guys seem to lie and deceive whenever it suits your purpose.”

  Nick rotated his soda can in circles on an invisible axis. “I can see why you would think that considering what you’ve been through. We struggle with situational ethics the same way you do. We have to protect people and live within their world, but we can’t tell them who we are. We have to come up with believable stories that allow us to do our job. We never lie or deceive in order to hurt people. We have to walk a fine line.”

  “So you do bad things for good reasons?” I said.

  “You’ll see. You’ll have to make some hard choices too,” Evan added. “It gets easier though. You’ll adjust.”

  “So it’ll get easier to lie… trick people… use people.” I looked at Alex. Worry and tension pulsated from him as he stared at me. “What about you, Alex? You’re taking this almost as hard as I am? What’s up with that?”

  Everyone looked at Alex and waited for his reply. He stared at me, speechless. “What? Do you hate being an Asteri? Is this a horrible life?” I probed, anxious why he wouldn’t answer me.

  “No. I don’t hate being an Asteri,” he said softly. “It’s a wonderful life full of friendship and honor. I’m sorry if I’m making it harder on you,” Alex said more fervently. “I’m just excited that you’re making the transition.”

  “You don’t seem excited.” I knew there was something Alex wasn’t telling me, especially now that I knew they were masters at balancing on the thin line between truth and lie. I realized they were going to tell me some of the truth, but not all of it. I guess they worked on a “need to know” basis. Part of me was grateful for that because I wasn’t ready for all of the truth. Perhaps they already knew that. Perhaps they only gave me what I could handle. Isn’t that what parents do with their little children, only give them what they’re ready for?

  “Well, I am starved,” Evan said, obviously trying to change the subject. “Let’s place that order.”

  I stared at Alex while he stared back at me. I wanted to figure out what he could possibly know that he didn’t want me to figure out, but the options were too vast.

  “Kate, let’s talk on the porch,” Nick said. His hand gently tugged on me, breaking my focus from Alex as Nick pulled me towards the porch that was off of the kitchen.

  “Okay. That sounds like a good idea.” I glanced into Nick’s eyes. I wanted to talk to him, to figure out what was going on in his head and heart. I grabbed the blanket that was draped across the top of the leather sofa.

  Nick opened the door to the screened-in porch. I followed him, clutching the blanket to my chest. I sat on the chaise lounge and bundled myself up in the blanket. “Aren’t you cold?”

  “No, the cold and heat don’t bother us.” Nick sat beside me on the patio club chair.

  “Well, that’s a nice perk,” I joked and looked into the winter evening sky. “At least it’s not too bad out here, probably upper 40’s.”

  “If you’re cold we can go back inside.”

  “No, it’s peaceful out here.” The stars twinkled, and the outline of the surrounding trees provided a calmness that had been missing from the recent hours.

  “I’m sorry you found out this way. It wasn’t supposed to be
like this.”

  “How was it supposed to be?” I chuckled and wondered how finding out that I’m an angel/human hybrid and that demons were hunting me could ever be a pleasant experience.

  “A lot less traumatic,” he said with a faint smile. “The plan was for you to have enough questions that you would start to piece together information and figure certain things out for yourself. That way, when we revealed the truth to you it wouldn’t hit you over the head like a ton of bricks.”

  “Hmm, I guess that plan didn’t work.” I nervously played with the edge of the blanket. “How did you find me? You mentioned that I glowed. How did you see that glow when you weren’t around me?”

  He leaned forward in the chair. “That’s another one of the amazing advantages of being an Asteri. When you began to transition, we sensed your presence. We,” he exhaled, “I knew I had to find you before they did. Do you remember when you saw Ramel in the mirror in Asheville?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He was either looking for you, or trying to scare you.”

  “Could he have hurt me?”

  “No. He was asleep somewhere else. When mature Asteri fall asleep, if they’ve developed their skills, they can teleport their spirit to different locations. It’s similar to wandering around. It’s a useful skill to have when you’re trying to find someone.”

  “So you just wandered around aimlessly looking for me?”

  “No, that would be ridiculous.” He sat back and casually rested his hands on the arms of the chair. “I walked towards the light.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “How did that help you?”

  “Once I found you, I got information in the details around you. Things you said gave me clues. One day I watched you arrive at school. That was very helpful — the big sign and all.”

  My stomach knotted as a feeling of ickiness washed over me. “In other words, you spied on me?”

  “I can see why you might want to call it that, but it was more like surveillance — for the protection of your life.”

  “Surveillance is spying.”

  “I hoped you wouldn’t consider them synonyms.”

  I closed my eyes, exhaled, and then breathed in more slowly. The cool night air filled my lungs and helped to clear my thoughts.

  Nick leaned forward in the club chair and said, “Kate, I had to find you before the Nephilim did. If you remember, it was pretty close.”

  He was right about that. The day I met Nick was also the day of the attack. “I know. This is just a lot to take in.” I bit my bottom lip and stared at him. I should’ve known from the beginning that a guy like Nick doesn’t throw himself at the first girl he meets. Reese had been right.

  We sat in silence for a while and listened to the quiet of the night. Occasionally an owl’s screech or the engine of a passing car filled the void.

  Finally I spoke up, my heart racing, almost burning. A tight feeling in my chest and throat nearly cut off my ability to talk. “I have to know the truth. And I mean the truth, not some half-truth.” I sighed loudly and exhaled all my breath through my constricted windpipe. “Do you love me?”

  Nick stood up from the club chair and sat beside me on the edge of the chaise lounge. He pulled my cold hands out from under the blanket and surrounded them in the warmth of his hands. “Kate, it’s true that protecting you was my job.” Tears welled up in my eyes, and one escaped down my cheek. “Let me finish.” He wiped away my tear with his thumb. “But I fell for you, almost immediately. That wasn’t part of the original plan. I was only supposed to guard you, keep you safe. But I’m drawn to you. I think you feel it too.” I thought about the invisible rope that pulled me to Nick, the butterflies in my stomach that flitted about. “I tried to keep my emotions separate from my responsibilities,” he continued, “but as I got to see the real you, the vulnerable, loving, imperfect Kate… I fell for her.” Nick smiled and I swear I could almost see him scintillate. Hadn’t he said intense emotions increased your luminosity? He must be telling the truth.

  He leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. Our moments together flashed through my mind. A peace filled me. Is this a side-effect of being with an Asteri? Was inducing peace in others one of their many abilities?

  “I love you, Katherine. I’ll help you through this transition.”

  This time I leaned forward; our lips touched, and I felt his energy, sensed his love. I wanted to always feel his love and know he’d be there for me, just like I would always be there for him. He laid down beside me on the chaise lounge and wrapped his arms around me.

  “Nick,” I looked into his eyes, “one more thing is bothering me.”

  “What?”

  “Why did Ramel wait so long between attacking me? Why didn’t he come after me more often?”

  “I don’t think you’re going to like the answer.” He stroked my hand. “He never had the opportunity. You were never defenseless. Someone has always been watching you, and he wasn’t going to attack when you were guarded.”

  That feeling of ickiness coursed through my body with each heartbeat. I sat up and looked at Nick. “Do mean to tell me you were constantly spying on me? I’ve had no privacy since you showed up?”

  “No. It wasn’t like that.” He rested on his arm. “I’ve always respected your privacy.” His eyebrows were pulled together and his eyes stared at into mine.

  “Considering you can cloak yourself, I’m not sure I believe you!”

  “There’s a tree that overlooks your house. It’s a great lookout.” Nick pointed to a cluster of tall thin oak trees in my backyard. “From up high, I can see if anyone’s approaching your house. There was no way Ramel could get in without one of us seeing him.”

  I stared at him, speechless. Was I supposed to trust him?

  “Kate, I wouldn’t, none of us would betray you like that. All of us are in a relationship that requires trust — our lives depend on it. I wouldn’t jeopardize our lives for a Norman Bates moment.”

  That seemed to make sense. He could watch me from a distance and still keep me safe while respecting my privacy. He was with me most of the time anyway, and everything he’d done since the day I’d met him had been about protecting me. All of this was so overwhelming; I really didn’t know what do or think. I flopped back on the chaise lounge and draped my arm across my forehead. Nick lay down beside me, and I milled all this around in my head, not even sure where to begin in this jumble of confusion.

  A gentle knock sounded behind us. Evan popped out his head. “Dinner’s here. Do you want to come inside?”

  “Let’s eat,” I said and sat up. “I’m exhausted and may go to bed early tonight.”

  “Of course.” Nick stood and offered me his hand.

  We walked into the kitchen and a bountiful spread of options lay before us on the granite island. Spicy chicken, Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken, crab wontons, honey crispy shrimp, and dan dan noodles all made my mouth water.

  “I didn’t think I was hungry, but now that I smell this, I am.” I scooped various items onto my plate.

  “Don’t forget to get some crab wontons. I know they’re your favorite.” Nick playfully nudged my shoulder.

  “I do love those fried cream cheese wonders. Where’s the sauce?”

  “It’s over here.” Alex pointed to the heavenly sweet sauce that accompanies the crab wontons.

  The food disappeared quickly. After dinner I placed my plate in the dishwasher and said, “I know it’s not late, but I’m exhausted from today. I’m going to bed.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Alex replied as he put the leftovers away. “You’ve had a rough day.”

  “Goodnight everyone,” I said, and I walked out of the kitchen.

  “Is there anything you need?” Nick asked as we walked into the living room for some privacy.

  “No. I think Zoe brought everything I need. I’m good.”

  Nick stopped me and rested his hands on my arms. “Kate, I have to leave for a little bit. It’
s important, or I’d stay here with you.”

  “Okay… It’s not like I’m alone.” I looked towards the kitchen where everyone else was gathered.

  “You’re going to get through this.” Nick wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be thinking about you.”

  I clung to him. I didn’t want to let him go. I didn’t want him to leave. I still felt so confused. Why would he leave me on such a critical night if he loved me? “I’ll miss you,” I whispered into his chest. His heart beat against my cheek. The rising and falling of his chest induced peace into my world of chaos.

  After several moments he pulled away and looked into my eyes. “I love you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  I nodded my head. “I love you, too.” The words came out so softly that they were barely audible, but I’m sure that he heard them. A slight smile graced his face. He opened the front door and went into the dark night.

  I stood in the living room and stared at the closed door. He was gone. I was alone — to face my transition. Who was I becoming? My heart pounded. Fear rose in me. My breathing grew ragged.

  “Are you okay?” Alex touched my shoulder.

  A peace soothed me and slowed my racing heart. “Yes, but he left.” If he loved me, he wouldn’t have left me — not tonight.

  “I know.”

  “How could he just leave me?” I stared at the closed door.

  “Do you want me to get him?”

  “No.” When I looked at Alex, concern swirled in waves throughout his eyes. “I should go to bed. I’m exhausted,” I said, and I headed up the stairs.

  I put on my pajamas and slipped between the sheets. As I closed my eyes, I thought about the events of the day. It started out great. Shopping with Zoe had been wonderful. But when I’d eavesdropped on Nick and Alex, I’d set in motion the unraveling of my normal human existence. I went from being a typical teenager to being a mythological creature. How does that happen? How am I supposed to process that? What does that mean for my future?