The Order- Hit and Run

by Emma Cole

  Leaving it open on my lap, I absentmindedly run my index finger over the edge of the paper as I go over what Debbie had said earlier, yet again. I’m really hoping today’s events aren’t from anything serious, but know with my luck that my wish won’t be granted. My depressing thoughts are interrupted by a sting on the pad of my finger. My smart self should know better than to tempt fate. I stick the papercut digit into my mouth to soothe it-- and watch the notebook page absorb the drop of blood that fell before I could stop it. Now I’ve gone and ruined school property.

  “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Wide-eyed, I continue to watch as the drop begins to disappear. “I’ve released a vampire book and now it’s going to eat me. Please, don’t eat me.” I don’t think I can take any more freaky shit today. But then something really fucking cool happens… the pages start to fill in. Flipping back to the first page, I find it’s just as full as the others now.

  Not wanting to question the ‘how’ part, I start to read before it decides to disappear again.

  If you’re reading this, then then you’ve been found to be pure of heart and blood. I’m not positive how long it will be before the new Axiom Host will be born, but I’ve made sure this history and guide will stay hidden until the next arises.

  The Axiom thing is what Damien Sr. had been talking about the other night. Quicky, I skip through a few pages. The entries are marked with dates and it appears to be more of a journal or diary than anything formal. Still curious, but oddly tired after the book’s magic trick, I decide to wait to read it until I can comprehend it properly. It really has been a long day. This afternoon with Riggs and the Kael, and-- Motherfucker. Riggs. I’ll bet just about anything that Riggs getting hurt has something to do with Kael’s issues with them being right around the same time.

  I try to concentrate on what they’d said ‘pulling’, but the urge to sleep is desperate and I suddenly can no longer find it. My last thought is that someone whammied me again and this time I’m blaming a diary.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I’m fully out until seven the next morning. When I wake up, I scowl at the notebook, I wasn’t tired until it cut me and did it’s magic writing schtick. Putting it on the back burner and hurrying through a shower, I go in search of Jag, more than ready to get to see Kael in person.

  Jag is sitting on the couch, drinking coffee in just a pair of lounge pants when I walk into the living room.I'm momentarily distracted from my mission with a half-naked man in front of me. A very attractive half-naked man. My eyes follow the patch of hair on his chest that tapers into a thin line, before disappearing under the low waistband of the pants. They leave his hipbones exposed and I get hung up on those until I realize what I'm doing.

  My gaze flies to Jag's in horror as my fingers seek each other out. My palms are tingling with that itchy heat and my cheeks are blazing in embarrassment. Jag seems to find it amusing though with a grin curving his full lips. When I start to think how cute his messy black hair is I mentally smack myself. It has to be a side effect from yesterday. I do not want Jag. Maybe if I repeat it enough it'll be true. And now I want to cry at my betrayal to Kael.

  "Whoa, hold up, what happened? Why are you crying?" Maybe scratch the 'want to cry', it's already happening.

  "I just, um, can you get ready to go. I'm just a little emotional today." His deep blue eyes, full of understanding, meet mine.

  "Yeah, sure, give me ten minutes?" I nod and he doesn't waste any time dumping out the rest of his coffee, making me feel guilty for rushing him.

  ***

  We're nearly to my PT building before Jag attempts to speak. "You sure you're going to be okay today? I don't want you to overdo it."

  "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks though." I tug my hoodie sleeves over my hands, tucking them in to keep them warm, and from clutching each other.

  Since we're not at the academy we can wear street clothes and it's a comforting relief. I direct Jaeger to pull up to drop me off, rather than park to escort me in. He's hesitant, but does give in. I wave as he pulls away after securing his promise for two hours. It's not enough, not amount of time will be, but it's what I feel I can safely cover for.

  When I get inside, I head straight for my PT appointment and ask if we can skip today since I'm not feeling up to it.

  "Is anything hurting, Cora? Or are you just having an off day?" Jake, my therapist is concerned. I've had a few bad days, but usually I cancel by phone.

  "No, I'm fine physically, just some personal things. I'm sorry to cancel at the last minute." I hunch further into my sweatshirt, not having to try to appear anxious— I'm a ball of nerves wanting to get upstairs.

  "If you're sure, that's fine. Take a day and we'll meet for our next session." His kind smile reaches all the way up into his tawny eyes. He's pretty laid back and I'm grateful for it.

  "I'll be here, thanks, Jake." I give him a short wave and make my way back to the central lobby to take the elevator up.

  When I get to the care center I don't recognize the man at the desk and have to show my identification to get in to see Kael— at least they're vigilant about that much. I'm still not too happy that they messed up his contact information.

  "How's he doing today? Any changes?" I haven't gotten a call, but double-check anyway.

  "No, Mrs. Shultz, same as last night."

  “Thanks, I’ll head on in then.”

  As soon as I get into Kael’s room something feels off. He looks okay, but I can’t shake the odd feeling. “Hey, baby,” I greet his sleeping form, as I bend down to kiss his forehead, avoiding the monitoring wires.

  Of course he doesn’t return the greeting, but I hope he can hear me anyway. Taking my customary seat next to his hospital bed, I slip my hand into his, relief coursing through me at the warmth and familiar shape of it.

  I'm just sitting there, enjoying being able to keep my eyes on him, when I don't feel like I'm alone in the room anymore. "Kael?" It's silly, but he's the only other one in here. Or so I think until the curtain flutters over the window. A window that doesn't open. "What the fuck?" My hand tightens on his as fear crawls up my back.

  "What do you want?" I'm not even questioning it after the crap I've seen in the last week. Something is in here. Where Kael can't move from. Panic sets in with the very real danger. This is what happened to him. Instinct has me believing it and that Riggs was either a coincidence or it was the catalyst for whatever is here now. "Get out of here!" I grit out, anger beginning to replace the fear.

  A hissing laughter oozes up the walls and across the ceiling. "Mine."

  The gravelly whisper is suddenly in my ear, nearly making me shriek and flee the room, but I won't leave Kael unprotected. I'm not positive, but I think the thing is talking about him and respond accordingly.

  "No, you need to get out." A sensation like my ears popping encompasses the room entirely and I have a feeling it's just done something to isolate us in here. "You're not welcome here!"

  My hands tingle, and then it happens. Kael's hand twitches in mine and his machines start sounding off alarms. The tremors move over his body causing him to jerk around in the bed. It's causing seizures. I don't know what to do, but I know I'm not letting it have my husband without a fight.

  The dark energy seems to coalesce into a concentrated ball above the bed before it disappears. My sigh of relief is short-lived when Kael opens pitch black eyes. I'm not sure I could have stopped it if I wanted to, but the tingles turn into an inferno and push into Kael's hand. I slap the other onto his chest and push with my entire being.

  His entire body lights up blue as he slumps back down, eyes closing again. The room seems less, dirty somehow, as if the entity had tainted it. I don't let up though, I can actually see the color and vitality returning to Kael. I can fix him!

  And then Kael appears in front of me. Or his spirit does anyway since I'm still very attached to his body.

  "Cora, no! You can't baby girl, let go please." His heartfelt entreaty is about the only thing
I would let go for. Reluctantly, I pull back and immediately slump over his chest, exhausted from whatever it is I did. The strong, steady thump of his heart helps ground me, but…

  "Am I delirious? Or am I really talking to your ghost?" Kael laughs, that deep, from the belly, laugh. It's really him.

  "I'm not a ghost, Cora, promise. Not yet anyway." His smile dissolves into sorrow. "You can't bring me back darlin', it's not what's supposed to happen." I snort at that comment.

  "Like hell it isn't. You think I give two shits about what's 'supposed' to happen?" My incredulity has him shaking his beautiful head at me.

  "My body isn't strong enough, not with the drain on it every day. If you hadn't been here today I think it would have managed to completely take over this time." He gazes wistfully at his body.

  "This time? Kael how long have you been in here?" Betrayal colors my tone, loud and clear. Has he been watching me and not even trying to tell me?

  "Baby, there's so much you don't understand." My eyes narrow on him, some of my energy coming back.

  "Let me guess, you can't tell me?" He nods and I want to shriek. "Fine, then I'll just see about waking you up."

  I make a move to grip his body in my hands and he lunges for me. And wraps around me, in full on contact. I'm not sure which one of us is more surprised, but I don't waste a second and kiss the daylights out of him, pushing my energy into him without trying.

  Kael shimmers and then tries to pull back "None of that now. We need to talk," he says as we come up for air. Well I need air anyway, I'm not positive about Kael's needs.

  He steps back, continuing until he's by the window. "We're not supposed to be touching either, I take it?" He shakes his head, lips set in a grim line. "Okay, so what can you tell me? I'm assuming as long as you have energy that that thing can't come back?" He nods, but doesn't elaborate. "I'll figure out a way to make that happen. Are the guys the one causing the drain on you?" Reluctantly he nods again. "Kael you're going to have to help me out here. This is bizarre enough already."

  With a sigh he comes to stand near the foot of the bed. "There's so much more going on than I can even attempt to explain, even if I were allowed to. Essentially you have two choices. One I stay like this and can keep my knowledge and help you out, or two— I can wake up, but lose all knowledge and we take our chances that way."

  Well that's a lot to go on. Not. "You're going to have to spell it out a bit more, because I think you know how I'd prefer you." That at least gets a small cocksure grin out of him.

  "I'd love nothing more, baby girl." The smile fades from eyes. "If I stay like this and guide you when I can, there are repercussions. I can't leave my body unattended for too long no matter what. Waking up isn't going to help you in the long run, I'll be a hindrance in this war."

  "War? What the hell, babe? Whose war?"

  He shakes his head at me again. "You'll figure that out soon enough. Now, we're on a time limit, one of your group is on his way back. What I can tell you is that there are more players than even they know in this game and you're the lynchpin. When they healed you they somehow tied me to them, but the energy share is only working one way which keeps draining me. And I couldn't come to you before, something has happened to start your awakening, more than just being near your siphons."

  "Wait, what? Is that what they are?" He nods and waves for me to continue. "Riggs got hurt yesterday and he wasn't healing. It just kind of came out of me to fix him."

  Kael stares pensively at the floor. "That would explain the big pull, then why it stopped. That thing that was in here had been waiting for it's chance, I was hoping I'd get to see you first. But you're gonna have to make a choice darlin'. It's me with you, when I can be, to help. Or with you now, and no help. Regardless, you're going to have to make up with your roommates." He grimaces and I wonder what could be that bad. "You're something special, Cora, but your fight isn't meant to be done alone. Nor can it be. To succeed, you're going to need them all, in all ways." He swallows hard when I shake my head.

  "Yes, Cora. I know you've noticed it. I can see you sometimes when I have enough energy. Your spirit is going to call to theirs, it can't help it. And to let you know… one of those things took over Damien. They tried for Jaeger too, but his close proximity to your light kept them at bay. When Damien came into his own he'd been exposed for too long to the dark, through no fault of his own. I'm not condoning what he did," he grimaces again, "and baby girl don't take this the wrong way, but I know you couldn't help yourself either. You weren't meant to. It was just too early, and that mother of yours left you in the dark."

  "He didn't give me something?" Kael is shaking his head before I finish. "I can't forgive him, not now. He caused so much…"

  "Cora," he steps forward, close enough to touch, and then he threads his fingers in my hair, rubbing.my scalp in soothing circles. "It wasn't his fault, he was trapped in there with it. When it," he pauses eyes wet and shimmering. "He thought getting drunk would stop it. It went ballistic when it found out we were getting married and that's on me. I just wanted you to have someone from your family there." He takes a moment for both of us to gain our composure.

  "Anyway, he ditched Jaeger, hoping the alcohol would work, but it didn't, and it got the upper hand. Damien sacrificed himself to save you. You couldn't have helped him without bonding, and you can't bond until you ascend. If you did it while that entity was in control, well that would be bad. When it was too busy trying to fix his body after the wreck he took his chance and split his soul to link the others to you."

  "Damien's in them?" I ask in horror. Kael makes a chastising grunt at me with his lips pursed.

  "Cora, listen. We're running out of time and you still have to make a choice. You'll burn up without them to take the overflow. I can explain everything better later if you choose for me to be your guardian. I know you're confused, I was too, but then I got the chance to see so much. And— and our little one? She's waiting. She…" He shrugs, eyes going unfocused as if he's talking to someone I can't see. It takes a minute, but when he comes back to himself, he's grinning. "Apparently I wasn't supposed to share that, but we know I don't always follow the rules. And that isn't something I'm going to hold back."

  I feel like a semi truck of emotions has hit me and then backed up only to do it again. My mind is reeling from everything Kael has said, and all the things he didn't quite spell out. I don't know what to do.

  "Cora, I need your answer, one or the other darlin'." I don't understand why I have to choose right now, but Kael is getting nervous. His eyes are tight at the corners and so is his jaw.

  "What's going on? Why now? Why can't I think about it?" I want to protest more, but the fear is stark in his blue eyes now.

  "Because I wasn't supposed to tell you any of that. Interferes with your free will to tell you what the consequences are." He gives me a facsimile of his usual grin. "If you don't decide now, the decision will be made for you. I didn't know you'd be punished for my part. I'm sorry, baby girl.

  There's only one choice. Really it's all there ever was the minute Kael gave me his preference. I do and always will, trust him with everything I am.

  "Fine, but don't ask me not to protect your body. I'm quite attached to it and would like you back inside it at some point in the near future." He grins at me, but doesn't quite reassure me, and I wonder what else he's held back. Only time will tell.

  Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review.

  About the Author

  Emma Cole is an indie author that writes across the genre board. Nothing is off limits, so that means mature audiences only. From light and fluffy to down and dirty—if it strikes her fancy and has a story to tell she’s on it.

  Want to stalk the author? You can catch her on most platforms here: Stalk Emma

  Other Works by Emma Cole

  Remington Carter Series

  Echoes and Entanglements

  Requiem

  Clarity
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br />   (coming July 2020)

  The Dark Duet

  Lark

  Nightingale

  Death Dealers- Serial

  Episode One

  Episode Two

  Episode Three

  (coming soon)

  Wicked Reform School Series

  Avarice: House of Mustelid

  Purr-fect Portrait: A Pet Play Short Story

  The Order: Hit and Run- A Dark Paranormal Bully Romance

  (coming June 4th 2020)

  The Order: Ascension

  (TBD)