by J. N. Colon
The warmth tripled and seeped inside my body, enveloping every cell with a dizzying, buzzing hum. A soft moan slipped out of my mouth. The tears in my chest tickled as the flesh knit back together.
Everything blurred except Jayson who became the sole focus of my world. The edges of his form softened, and a delicate light encompassed him, radiating out like an angelic glow.
That wasn’t the only thing angelic about Jayson.
I could just make out the shape of wings behind him, glimmering and iridescent. They were the heavenly light surrounding him.
My hand lifted. I needed to touch them, to know they were real.
My fingertips barely brushed the wings of light, a feeling of safety and love consuming me. Jayson captured my hand, pulling my attention back to his face. His smoldering gold eyes penetrated mine.
“It’s almost done, Lena. You’ll be okay. I promise.” His voice was a chorus of sweet songs all melded into one. His words seemed so impossible, but I believed him.
Jayson leaned forward, his lips brushing mine. He wasn’t kissing me. He breathed into my mouth, filling me with something.
My lungs expanded, and I took it in. I could feel it twisting inside, touching the deepest parts of me. My heart, my very being, my soul.
I was suddenly soaring—with Jayson. He was all around me, that ocean salt and spice on my skin and in my hair. He wasn’t holding me in his arms. That wasn’t it. Instead, we were one person, one entity joined by an irrevocable force.
A bond.
Jayson pulled back, thick lashes fanning his cheeks before his eyes opened to a stunning mixture of moss and gold. “It’s done now, Lena,” he whispered, tenderly stroking my cheek. “You can sleep. You’ll be safe. Always.”
His words were my permission to let go, let myself float on the airy warmth he had me swathed in. His gaze told me I wouldn’t be lost. He would be there. Forever.
My lids drifted closed as he drew me into his chest, protecting me from any harm.
“Lena! Lena!” Someone was shaking me awake.
“Five minutes, Dad,” I groaned and turned over, my face coming in contact with something that wasn’t my pillow.
What the frack?
My eyes opened to a close-up view of grass, several blades sticking to my lips. I blew them away and rolled, the night sky coming into focus.
“Oh my God. She’s awake.” Jessica’s trembling voice shook off the last remnants of sleep.
I sat up, finding Jessica and Sebastian staring at me, their faces pale as ghosts. “What happened?”
“When you didn’t answer your phone, we went looking for you,” Sebastian said. “We found you passed out.” A nervous laugh tumbled out. “I guess you really weren’t kidding about knocking yourself unconscious.”
Confusion swirled through my head as I looked around at the unfamiliar tombstones. “I don’t remember being here,” I mumbled, my voice raspy.
Jessica shrugged. “This is where we found you. You must have hit your head really hard.”
I reached up, feeling along my skull. No tender spots were present. Not even a flicker of pain throbbed anywhere.
My gaze turned pensive as I attempted to pinpoint my last memory. With a shocking jolt, it all came tumbling back. My stomach churned in sickening waves.
The massive, scaly beasts. Demons. Jayson and Kale fought them with inhuman abilities. My imminent death. Jayson’s words. His promise.
My heart skipped several beats as it all unfolded in my mind, a nightmare that ended in a beautiful dream.
Had it all been a dream? None of it was real?
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind not almost dying. I rubbed my chest, remembering the agony that had felt entirely too real to have been imagined. But here I was in one piece. No blood on my shirt. No gaping wounds in my chest. And no Jayson holding me tight.
I was fine. I was me. I was whole.
Then why did I feel different?
I shook my head, dispersing the fantastical thoughts. If Jayson only knew I’d had some elaborate dream about him saving my life from demons, he’d laugh his ass off while his ego grew three sizes.
I reached out for Jessica and Sebastian to help me stand, my eyes landing on the broken thermal camera at my feet. “Oh, crap,” I muttered as I picked it up. “I’m sorry, Sebastian.”
He shot me a lopsided grin. “No worries. I hope you won’t stop ghost hunting with us.” Sebastian shoved the broken camera in his book bag, chewing on his bottom lip.
Jessica shot him a death glare. “Sebastian,” she hissed. “I don’t think that’s important right now. We should be making sure she’s okay.”
“I’m fine, guys. And I’ll still ghost hunt, but we should stay together next time.” I shrugged. “Or get me a helmet.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Cool.”
I linked my arm through Jessica’s and towed her forward, attempting to choke down the unease bubbling inside. “I’m starving. Let’s get pizza.”
She nodded, tossing her tawny ponytail behind her narrow shoulder.
Sebastian caught up with us, tugging on the back of my jacket. “That must have been some fall. You ripped the back of this.”
I stopped and pivoted. Five rips sliced the corduroy material. My fingers slipped through each one.
A flash of the demon’s claws reaching for me sped through my mind.
Moisture evaporated from my mouth, and my limbs grew cold with numbness.
It was just a nightmare. I tore it on something when I fell. Demons weren’t real.
It was only a nightmare.
Chapter 12
Images of crimson eyes blurred in front of my face, and blinding pain slashed through my chest. Warm blood leaked down my palm as the world tilted. Everything was fading until a form outlined in heavenly light appeared. He promised me everything would be okay. He would never leave me.
And then the darkness came…
My lids snapped open, and my body jerked upright, tangled in my bedsheets at home. I frantically ran my hand over my chest, finding it wound and blood free.
Holy hell.
With a whoosh of air, I collapsed against my headboard, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. I hit my head in the cemetery. I wasn’t attacked by a grotesque demon. And my annoying—and hunky—neighbor didn’t save my life.
My eyes flicked to the papasan chair in the corner of the room, the clothes I’d worn last night crumpled on the cushion. The five slits in my corduroy jacket were visible.
What did I fall into that could have caused those rips? A fence? And why didn’t I have any bruises?
I swallowed hard. Nightmare. That was all. What other explanation could there be?
I groaned and rolled out of bed, tripping over the sheets. I quickly righted myself and stretched, a long yawn drifting out. I shuffled to the papasan chair to grab my clothes and toss them in the laundry basket. My fingers plucked the blue ribbed sweater I’d shed last night, my brows knitting.
When Jessica picked me up for our ghostly outing, I was wearing an eggplant sweater. Not blue.
I wrenched open my closet, looking for the shirt. I yanked each hanger across the metal bar, coming up empty-handed. My frantic search turned to my drawers, shoving shirts and tank tops aside. There was no purple sweater.
This is just crazy.
My pulse was racing and breaths coming in quick, ragged pants. Was I losing my mind? Maybe I really had been wearing the blue sweater, and I misplaced the purple one.
All these head injuries were taking a toll on my sanity.
I choked the impending panic down and slumped toward the window. A dose of fresh, crisp air would bring some clarity to the dark place I called my mind. The autumn morning sun streamed in as I twisted open the blinds, making me squint against the brightness. As my eyes adjusted, they caught sight of something interesting.
Not interesting. Mouthwatering was more like it.
Jayson stood in front of his bedroom window, staring
directly into mine. Hot electricity crackled over my spine like a livewire cut loose. My body instantly went up in flames.
Woah. That was different.
I always reacted to Jayson and found him hotter than the sun, but this was an intense response to someone standing several feet away and behind glass. The way my knees were quivering you’d think he was right in front of me, whispering naughty promises in my ear.
“Hot Blooded” by Foreigner played through my mind. No need to check. I definitely had a fever of a hundred and three.
My gaze ate him up like I was a starving dog, and he was a piece of steak. He was in sweats and that was it, his bare chest and shredded abs outlined in the morning sun. His hazel eyes were doing the same to me, tracing over my body. I should be embarrassed because I just crawled out of bed and was dressed in a t-shirt that barely hit my thighs. For all I knew, the hem could have ridden up, and he had a front-row view of my panties.
Was I wearing cute panties?
Jayson moved, his arm leaning against the frame as his muscles strained. Sand filled my mouth, stealing every drop of moisture. The memory of him saving me in the nightmare flooded my senses. His lips felt like warm silk as he breathed life back into me.
My fingers reached up, tracing my mouth as if I could still feel him there.
His hazel eyes caught my movement, flashing gold while his bottom lip snagged between his teeth.
Sweet angels in Heaven. He had to be the sexiest thing alive.
And then he dropped the blinds with the flick of his hand, cutting me off from the glorious view. A bucket of icy water was tossed over my feverish body, and I stumbled back.
“Jerk!” I yelled. My heart was pounding, and I could hardly breathe. What was wrong with me? He was only a guy—a hot guy with mysterious secrets and the ability to steal my sanity.
“How do you know that’s not a bug or dust?” I asked Sebastian as he played some of the evidence he and Jessica captured last night. I never understood how investigators on television could tell the difference. It looked the same to me.
Sebastian replayed the video clip and used his pen to point on the laptop screen. “See how it moves? It has a specific trajectory. A bug wouldn’t be this smooth, and a piece of dust would simply swirl.”
“Uh-huh.” I still thought it was a bug or a piece of debris floating in the air. My eyes flicked to Jessica who sat at the table next to me, eating a bowl of berries and granola.
She gave me a wry smile and shrugged.
Sebastian’s eyes lit up as he clicked on another icon to pull open the audio recordings. “This is also interesting.”
“You guys catch a ghost?” I asked, resting my elbows on the round table in his basement, popping another mini Reese’s in my mouth.
“Actually, you did.” Jessica slid over a bowl, motioning for me to dump my trash in. What a neat freak! “Thanks, Mom.”
She playfully threw a blueberry at me.
Sebastian snatched it from the table and tossed it into his mouth. “This came from your EVP recorder.”
My brow furrowed. “I didn’t even have it on.”
“It must have cut on in your pocket at some point.” He hit the play button, and we all leaned forward, straining.
My head snapped back at the unrecognizable sounds. “What the hell is that?”
“Jessica and I were brainstorming earlier.” Sebastian picked up a notepad, reading a list of bulleted points. “She thought it sounded like an injured animal, but I thought it could be a ghost reliving his or her death. They were coughing and gasping for air as their killer stabbed them.”
My blood ran cold as I imagined those demon claws ripping into my chest. The clip sounded a lot like me dying.
Jessica’s hand landed on my arm. “You okay, Lena?”
I numbly nodded, my eyes transfixed on the monitor that continued to play those terrible sounds in a succession of jagged lines.
“Maybe you shouldn’t play the rest,” Jessica said, gnawing on her bottom lip.
Sebastian waved his hand in the air. “She’ll be okay. She’s just a little freaked out from hearing real otherworldly evidence. Right, Lena?”
“Yeah.” Lie! I was freaking out because I couldn’t stop the nightmare from playing on a loop in my mind. I felt that demon’s claws tear into me over and over.
“Besides,” he continued, oblivious to my unease. “This is the best part.” He sped up the recording.
Silence stretched, and then my heart literally stopped.
One word. One name.
“Lena.”
It was whispered, but I’d still recognize that voice anywhere. It was seared into my brain from the moment we met in front of my locker.
Jayson Casteel.
Was I going crazy or was there some reason behind his presence in the graveyard?
“That was totally a ghost calling your name.” Sebastian pumped his fist.
“Must have been,” I mumbled, keeping the knowledge to myself. I didn’t want to burst his bubble or have an onslaught of questions. I’d rather they believe it was a ghost.
Jayson had been in the cemetery at some point though. Horrifying images of demons sped through my mind followed by my mysterious neighbor going all supernatural warrior and killing them.
I choked back the dizzying whirlwind. I was starting to think my nightmare wasn’t a nightmare at all.
Chapter 13
Brilliant light flashed behind my eyes, so beautiful and hypnotic. I reached out to touch his wing, a warm hand capturing mine. Jayson looked down at me, kind words flowing from his mouth.
I was safe.
“Lena?”
My head snapped in the direction of the voice. Austin was leaning against the dented maroon locker next to mine. I blinked the images away and schooled my expression. “Hi, Austin.”
“I didn’t see you at the party.” His soft brown eyes held me beneath a gentle stare as he fiddled with the hem of his long-sleeve Henley shirt.
I’d decided to skip Cole’s party. I had been in no mood to be around a bunch of rowdy teenagers. Ever since hearing that EVP, my nerves had been frayed. Hell, something had been going on with me since having that crazy dream while I lay unconscious in the cemetery.
And the worst part was, I couldn’t get Jayson out of my mind. I was consumed with thoughts of him, his image never far from the surface. Sometimes, his eyes were intense hazel green and others they were smoldering gold. The reality of him and my dream were mixed together until I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.
“I had some stuff to do.” Geez. That was the lamest excuse ever. “Maybe next time.”
A boyish smile curled his lips. “I hope so. You’d have fun. I’d make sure of it.”
A phrase like that coming from a popular football player could have meant something sleazy, but Austin was completely sincere.
I grabbed my notebook and tucked a lock of dark hair behind my ear. “We’ll see. You might have to watch out for me though. I kind of have a habit of tripping or bumping into things.”
He leaned forward, closing the distance between us. “I wouldn’t mind that at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy it.”
A flush seeped into my cheeks. “You say that now, but wait until you see what a disaster I really am.”
He gave a light chuckle and reached into his jacket pocket. “I’ve got something for you.” He pulled out a small bag of Hershey Kisses with Almonds, dangling them between us.
My eyes remained on the bag of candy as if it were a hypnotist’s pendulum. “I love those.” I pretty much loved any chocolate candy. “That was so nice of you.” Jayson had never gotten me anything.
Ugh. Shut up about him.
I shook the wayward thoughts off and smiled, taking the bag. “Thanks, Austin. I might not have to fight you for cake during lunch tomorrow.”
He grinned. “We’ll see. You might finish them by then.”
That was very possible. I tore the bag open a
nd dropped a few in his hand. “Here’s your finder’s fee.”
“You didn’t have to, but I’m not going to turn it down.” Austin tossed all but one in his pocket and tore the gold wrapper off it.
A heavy stare burned the side of my face. I expected Jayson to be the one trying to melt my skin off with his eyes. Nope. It was Melinda Mickens.
A groan sounded in my head. I should have known. I was talking to her ex-boyfriend. She probably had Property of Melinda stamped on him somewhere.
Austin glanced over his shoulder, following my line of vision to his sour ex-girlfriend. He grimaced as he turned back around. “Melinda and I…” He shook his head. “We’re not together anymore.”
My brow arched. “Does she know that?”
“She’s not really that bad,” he said, shifting awkwardly on his feet. “She only wants me back because she was dumped.”
I shoved a couple Kisses in my pocket and set the remaining bag in my locker. I kind of felt bad for the guy. She dumped him, and now he couldn’t even talk to anyone else. “Have you outright told her to back off?” I asked, tearing the wrapper off a piece of candy.
“I have. Sort of.” He winced. “I don’t want to be mean, and…”
A hot tingle zipped down my back, stealing my attention. My heart tapped out a frantic beat against my ribs. I glanced around, searching for the reason my body was going haywire.
“Hey, Lena.” Kale popped up beside me. He nodded at Austin before turning his humorous cinnamon eyes on me. He grabbed the Theology book out of my locker.
My brows furrowed. “What are you doing?”
“You don’t want to be late for class, do you?” His free hand pressed my locker closed.
“We still have a few more minutes,” I protested.
“Early bird gets the worm.” Kale chuckled as he spun me around. “We’ll see you later, Austin.”
I glared up at him. “What the hell was that for?”
Kale just smiled. “I don’t want you to be late.”
Didn’t he usually come to class with Jayson? Where was the Neanderthal anyway? I hadn’t seen him all day.