Hannah was no stranger to jogging, she loved it. She’d been jogging every day since she was in middle school. Shortly after they started their jog Raum kicked it into high gear. He ran beside her, yelling at her to pick up the pace. Over and over he yelled, like a drill sergeant. “Come on Hannah, move those feet.”
Every half mile he urged her to run faster. She ran as fast as could and he still yelled at her to speed up. If he didn’t slow down and let her rest soon she wouldn’t live to complete her training.
By the time her feet hit the stone porch steps, her legs gave out. She didn’t even have the energy to brace herself for the fall. She just closed her eyes and prayed that no bones would break upon impact.
Gentle hands caught her before she hit those hard stone steps and carried her through the front door. Raum’s body was firm from years of physical training. His pectoral flexed under her cheek with each step he took. He laid her on the couch, stroking her cheek with his fingers.
Footsteps traveled up the hallway and stopped at the entry to the living room. “Hey I’m glad you’re…” Josh grew angry seeing Hannah nearly passed out on his couch. “What did you do to her?” He knelt down, placing two fingers on her neck to check for a pulse. “Her heart rate is all over the place. You were supposed to train her not try and kill her.”
“I did train her. We went for a run.” Raum’s footsteps hit hard on the wooden floor as he marched out of the living room.
“Hannah, are you okay?” Josh ran a cool cloth over her heated face.
“Mm,” she murmured. “Just need…nap.” The cool rag continued to caress her face. She couldn’t help it, her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
In the background hushed voices argued. Josh was clearly mad at Raum for pushing her to run too far, too fast.
“You know as well as I do, Josh, that time is short. Her transformation should have happened shortly after we arrived. The delay set back her training and now the demons know exactly where she is.” Raum slammed the front door. His Harley flared to life and he raced off, leaving a trail of dust behind.
The sound woke her. “Look. I don’t want to cause trouble with you two. I’ll work hard, as hard as Raum thinks I need to.” She winced as she sat up on the couch. Her calf muscles were hard as a rock and in excruciating pain. Apparently she wasn’t in as good of shape as she had thought.
“I’m not going to let him work you like a mule. You’ll be no good to us if you can’t function properly.” Josh handed her a glass of orange liquid. “This will help with the soreness.”
It smelled sweet but it did not look like orange juice. She took a sip. It tasted even sweeter than it smelled. The thick liquid slid down her throat leaving a tingling sensation behind.
Her whole body began to tingle. “What’s in that?”
The look on Josh’s face surprised her. He looked almost satisfied with himself, kind of like the demon possessed Chris did that night when she couldn’t keep her eyes open while lying on his sofa.
“Please tell me that you didn’t drug me.”
He sat on the coffee table, not saying a word. Surely Josh wouldn’t do something as dramatic as put drugs in her drink. Would he?
When she started to squirm with anticipation he finally spoke. “Yes and no.”
She stared at him in stunned silence. Yes and no? That answer did not bode well with her.
“No I didn’t put drugs in your drink but yes it is like a drug. Soma is a healing drink from the heavens. The effects you feel are due to the power of the drink of the immortals. The high only lasts for a few minutes and then you’ll feel better than new.”
He was right. Two minutes later the woozy feeling faded and her sore muscles felt strong. She felt more vibrant than she had ever felt before.
After she’d recovered from her run, Josh took her out by the silo to practice self-defense. He started with the basics; punching, kicking, and blocking. The Soma had long lasting effects. All the physical training she now endured was having no ill affect on her.
With drinks like that, she may just learn these defense moves and her magic before the demons try to kill her again.
All week long her days were the same. Wake up, eat, practice kicking, eat, practice punching, eat, practice blocking, shower, and sleep. Every day was the same routine just more intense than the day before.
Each morning Josh gave her a cup of Soma before her training. Its effects were so much better than any energy drink she’d ever consumed.
Raum hadn’t been back to the house since he stormed out after their first run. Hannah wondered where he took off to. Was he still in Morris or did he leave Oklahoma all together? She stood outside of his bedroom door, palm against the cold wood.
She wanted to believe that he was out there getting help but deep down she knew where he had run off to. The image of Teresa’s name on his cell phone was ingrained in her memory. Why would he stay and help her when he had a girlfriend out there to keep safe?
Was Teresa an immortal too?
Her cell phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. It was a text from Josh, On my way back with pizza.
That was another thing. Since Raum had left, their meals consisted of take out. Maybe she should consider getting another laptop so she could download some recipes. Surely cooking couldn’t be that difficult.
Her phone buzzed again, this time with a call from her work. “Hello?” Hannah knew who it was — her boss. She hadn’t been at work since her last shift before her parents died.
“Hannah, its Tad. I hate to bother you so late but I’m leaving for vacation in the morning.” He sounded edgy and she knew that he was letting her go. Who could blame the guy? He had a business to run.
“That’s okay,” she said in a calm voice that she hoped he interpreted as her understanding of what was to come and then she braced herself for the news.
“I really hate to do this, especially over the phone but,” he took a deep breath, “I had to hire someone to take your place. When you’re ready, I’m sure we can work something out. It will probably be crappy hours but I’ll do what I can. In the meantime though, I added bonus money to your last check to help you get by for the next couple of months.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. Not because she lost her job but because her boss cared enough about her to see to it that she had enough to live on for a while. “Thank you Mr. Goodman.”
“It’s Tad, and you’re welcome. Call me if you need anything dear.” And with that, he hung up.
Hannah wiped the tears from her face. The time for feeling sorry for herself was over. Now she needed to harden up a bit and kick some demon butt.
The smell of barbeque chicken pizza wafted down the hall. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she never heard the door open.
Josh stood at the kitchen counter pulling down plates from the cabinet. She lifted the lid and snagged a slice. The barbeque and chicken mix was heaven to her mouth. A moan left her lips before she could stop it.
“That good huh?” Josh handed her a plate. He fetched their Cokes and took the seat next to her.
They ate in silence. Every now and then his leg would brush against hers. His arm rested on the tabletop, palm up, like he expected her to reach over and slide her hand in his. Could they even date? After all, they were immortals created to do God’s bidding. Her thoughts traveled to Raum. Obviously relationships were acceptable, look at Raum and Teresa.
She thought back to a conversation she’d had with Josh and Raum about dating and relationships. They had explained to her that the only thing that separated the Daimon and Devada from the humans were their heavenly powers and undying devotion to the Creator of the universe — that and the fact that they are immortal.
They were still very much human with human desires. Love was still something that they would crave and if they were lucky, they’d find another immortal to fall in love with. Their immortality set them apart from humans in the fact that they were next to impossible to kill because of the holy blood fl
owing through their veins.
After dinner Josh walked her to her room, pulled back the covers, and tucked her into bed. Every night was the same. Since her last nightmare, back when both brothers had charged into her room expecting an intruder, he had tucked her in and sat with her until she fell asleep.
Tonight Josh had work to do so he sat in a chair next to her bed typing away on his laptop. The tapping on the keyboard ceased as her eyes fell heavy. The last thing she saw before drifting off was Josh leaning forward, elbows on knees, staring intently at her.
The next day she started a more intense training. Josh kicked her session off with a walking stance. It was fairly simple, standing with feet shoulder width apart except when stepping.
From there she learned the back L stance which is used in preparation for kicking, the parallel stance for kicks and punches, and the sitting stance which is a neutral stance.
It took her a little longer to get the hang of the different stances and what they were used for. When she finally got to a point where she took the stance that Josh called out, he began mixing stances with techniques.
Her kicks weren’t nearly high enough and her punches were too weak but he assured her that she was doing great. “The more you practice the better you’ll be. Trust me. I stunk when I started my training.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. The thought of Josh punching and kicking as badly as her, now that was almost hysterical. She wondered if Raum was terrible at first or if he was just a natural at everything he did.
A familiar sound traveled up the drive from the house to the silo. She glanced over her shoulder to see Raum’s Harley. Her butterflies danced again but stopped immediately when she saw the very feminine arms wrapped around his waist.
Crap. Now she was in a melancholy mood. The last thing she wanted was to be in the presence of her, the one that held Raum’s heart in the palm of her hand.
The Harley came to a stop at the entrance to the silo. The woman gracefully hopped off, handing her helmet to Raum. She was beautiful. Long wavy reddish brown hair, plump cherry red lips, and a thin body toned from exercise — with all the right curves.
She held her hand out. “I’m Teresa. You must be Hannah. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hannah looked down at the perfectly manicured nails. She didn’t want to shake this woman’s hand but knew she couldn’t be rude either. Gripping Teresa’s hand firmly, she shook. “Yes I am. It’s nice to meet you, Teresa.” The woman’s name felt like venom on her tongue but she bit the inside of her cheek and smiled.
Raum casually laid his arm over Teresa’s shoulder. “She’s here to help you learn how to use your magic.”
Hannah nodded but kept her eyes away from his. If she didn’t look at him — or his arm that still rested on Teresa’s shoulder, then her stomach and heart wouldn’t hurt quite as bad. This was completely ridiculous considering she and Raum had never dated. These feelings of betrayal were unwanted and uncalled for. Technically she had no right to feel hurt at the sight of his girlfriend.
“I’m also a Devada.” Teresa must have noticed the uneasiness in Hannah. She stepped out from under Raum’s arm. “We don’t have to work on your magic tonight, looks like you’ve been working hard on your combat training. Follow me.”
The two of them walked the perimeter of the property. Hannah watched as Teresa drew more symbols in the dirt and chanted. She had no clue what Teresa was saying but knew in her soul that it was a protection spell to keep all demonic activity away.
With the last symbol drawn and the last spell chanted Teresa sat down on a grassy patch of land, patting the space next to her. “Have you learned the angelic language yet?”
Hannah shook her head. To keep her focus off of her feelings of betrayal she picked up a handful of colorful autumn leaves. The air was chilly but not freezing, not yet anyway. It was only the first part of November, the freezing weather would be on its way soon.
“That’s okay. When your spirit is ready, it will be revealed to you. You were born with the understanding. You just have to open that part of your mind that has been closed off to the spiritual realm,” Teresa explained.
The woman spoke so lovingly toward her that she was finding it hard to hold onto her hatred of her.
Teresa lay back on the dying grass and talked about her transformation. It was forty years ago when Raum and Josh crossed her path. They showed up at her school in the middle of her senior year. She was a science geek and Josh quickly became the perfect lab partner.
Her transformation took place just three days after their arrival. The brothers took turns training her, preparing her for the battle against demons.
Up until recently the three of them had lived together in Michigan. It was when the guys were assigned to Hannah that the brothers moved to Oklahoma.
“Good, you’re doing great,” Teresa said as Hannah chanted an immobilization spell.
“Loncho g adoian noromi donas dogamatatastos. Adrpan g odlonshin od darbs.” The words fell like liquid from Hannah’s lips. She repeated the chant one more time, with more authority. “Loncho g adoian noromi donas dogamatatastos. Adrpan g odlonshin od darbs.” Fall to your face O you sons of hell. Cast down your powers and obey.
“That was amazing, Hannah.” The sound of Raum’s voice startled her, causing her to choke on her own saliva. He reached out, touching her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Peachy,” she managed to say between coughs.
“Josh went to the store for groceries. Come on, I’ll work with you on your battle skills.” He held his hand out.
Hannah stared at his open hand. She wanted it to take it but what would Teresa think? “I’d rather work with Teresa.”
“Um,” Teresa held her hands up in front of her. “I’m not the best battle skills teacher. Raum’s your best bet.”
A part of Hannah jumped for joy at being with Raum but another part of her cried behind a closed door. She had never felt this way about anyone before. Was it love? Surely not, but it sure stung when she saw him and Teresa together.
She walked toward the silo in a fast pace. Raum jogged to catch up. “Are you mad that I ran you, like a mule, as Josh put it?”
She shook her head. She wasn’t mad at him for that. That run was necessary. It’s what she needed.
“Then what’s the deal?” he said grabbing her arm, forcing her to look him in the eye. “You’ve given me the cold shoulder since I got back. I thought we were finally becoming friends?”
“We were but then…” She swallowed. “Look, we don’t have time for friendship right now.” She swung her fist, hitting him square in the jaw.
A look of disbelief crossed his face before he took a stance. The next time her fist came flying he grabbed it, ducking under her arm and twisting it, then pushed on her elbow. She leaned forward and he took that opportunity to kick her feet out from under her. She fell hard to the ground.
Now she lay on her stomach, pinned to the ground by Raum’s knee on her back. He eased his grip on her wrists. “The first blow is free. Next time you come at me I won’t be as kind. You may find yourself tied to a tree.”
He let her go, jumping back out of harm’s way. She stood and brushed the dirt from her face. She had never hit anyone a day in her life. The adrenaline rush that came after the blow to Raum’s face was amazing. She was giddy from the high.
He stared at her, wondering why she had a goofy grin on her face. “Please tell me that this,” he pointed to the redness on his jaw, “wasn’t the first time you’ve hit someone.” She nodded. “Ah, that explains the crazy look on your face. It feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, I’m half ashamed to admit that it felt amazing.”
As it turns out, Raum was a better teacher than Josh. He didn’t hold anything back. When they sparred, he let go and treated her as an equal combat buddy and not a fragile girl like Josh had a tendency to do.
Raum showed her how to do a roundhouse kick and she nailed it the first time.
She was so ecstatic that she ran at him, jumping in his arms. He held her for a moment. Each one looking into the other’s eyes, all it would have taken would have been an inch more and their lips would have touched.
She turned her head, ending the moment. “We should get back, I’m starved.”
Raum set her on her feet, not quite ready to let her go. “Yeah, Josh should be back by now. I better get in there before he ruins the groceries he just bought.”
“I’m so glad you’re back.” Hannah looked away quickly when Raum raised a brow. “Josh can’t cook to save his life and I never learned how.”
A snort escaped him before he could stop it. “You’ve never cooked?”
A head shake was her only reply.
“We’ve got to fix that. Every woman should know how to cook.”
Hannah stood at the kitchen sink washing the last of the dishes. The taste of herb covered pork loin and roasted butternut squash still lingered in her mouth. She definitely needed to take cooking lessons from Raum. The man was a mastermind chef.
“I came in to say goodbye.” Teresa stood in the doorway with one hand on her hip.
“You’re leaving already?” Hannah hated to see her go. Despite the odd feeling she felt when in the same room as Raum and Teresa, she was excited to finally have a girlfriend she could talk to about her new life.
Teresa crossed the room and embraced Hannah in a hug. “You’ll do fine. You have the best teachers out there, trust me on this one.”
“I just hate to see you go.” Hannah busied her hands, twisting the dishtowel.
“I hate to leave but duty calls. There is demonic activity back in my jurisdiction and I need to leave ASAP.” Teresa handed her a small journal. “The guys can help with your spells but this is my experiences from when I tapped into my demon slaying magic.”
“You don’t need this?”
“No, there’s nothing in there that I need. Take it. Maybe you can learn something from my experiences.” She closed Hannah’s fingers over the leather book.
Devada (Angels & Demons Book 1) Page 8