Waking the Dead (The Second Rising Series Book 1)

by Amber Garr

  “But I did get to speak to her,” Rome added.

  “You did?” He wouldn’t be telling me this if it wasn’t important.

  “She wanted you to have this,” he handed me a cell phone. I looked up at him in confusion. “There’s a video message on there. Just swipe when you’re ready.” Rome bent forward and kissed my cheek and River slid off the bed.

  “We’ll come back in a little bit,” he said quietly.

  I nodded since I couldn’t speak without crying. Once they were out the door, I lifted the phone and started the message.

  “Cressa, baby.” With her horrible yellowish color and bruised eyes, I could hardly bear to look at her. The phone was lying on its side to capture my mother’s face. “I can feel death coming for me and I want you to know I’m not afraid.” She spoke slowly, each word a painful step. “But I must also let you know that Noah has found his mate in you.” After a round of coughing she continued. “I’ve known him for more than a decade, ever since Iain introduced us. He’s been watching over you every day ever since.” Ten years ago…I would have been eleven. But not once do I ever remember sensing him in the shadows. “Please don’t punish him for my mistakes. He loves you as much as I do, and sometimes love makes you do stupid things.” Her eyes drifted closed and didn’t open again right away.

  “Gabriella? Gabriella!” Rome’s hand popped into screen while he shook my mother’s shoulder. “Gabriella!”

  Slowly, she lifted her eyelids. “I love you and your brother so much. Please take care of each other.”

  The screen froze at the end of the video and through my tears I pressed the play button again. Over and over I watched her final words to me. After eight years of silence, I now couldn’t get enough of her delicate voice.

  I was still watching it when Noah stepped into the room. His smile helped me feel like that hole in my heart could eventually heal. He’d changed into jeans and a white button down shirt, probably given to him here. The fresh smell of soap wafted into the room, and I temporarily thought about how badly I needed a shower.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked. In his hands were two Styrofoam cups. He passed me one of them.

  “My cinnamon delight.” Taking a deep breath to absorb the scent of my favorite chocolate coffee, all worries momentarily disappeared. Noah started to pull a chair over to the side of the bed, but I patted the mattress next to my hips. “Please sit with me.”

  His grin grew and my insides began to tingle. Once he situated himself, he brushed the hair away from my face and sighed. “I’m sorry about your mother.”

  Without thought, I glanced down at the phone lying next to my leg.

  “What is that?” Noah asked.

  “A message. For me.” When he tilted his head in question, I gave him the phone. “You should watch.”

  Noah set his coffee on the bedside table and started the video. Even though I couldn’t see the images, I mouthed every word of my mom’s last piece of advice I would ever receive from her. The tears came back again but I let them fall where they needed.

  “Cressa, I…” Noah stuttered once the video ended. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “How about the truth?” I asked. Not in a nasty way but in a simple, calm way.

  “We might be here all night,” he teased.

  I looked at the machines beeping around me. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere.

  Noah chuckled which made me smile too. He kicked off his shoes and wiggled his way fully into the bed. Then he lay down beside me and grabbed the hand not holding the coffee. “I never knew a Caster could summon a true phoenix until I met Iain and he met his mate.”

  “When did you meet him?”

  “Nearly a thousand years ago. But at that time, I had so much to learn. Once I was reborn as a phoenix, Iain took me in and taught me what this new responsibility meant for me.” His fingers brushed along my arm.

  “Wait.” I tried to twist so that I could face him more but the ribs weren’t having it. “How were you reborn a phoenix?”

  “It’s a gift given to those who have shown great strength in their human lifetime. For me, I think it happened because of my time as a warrior.”

  Shocked at this, I stayed silent. A warrior? What?

  “I fought in many battles and protected those who couldn’t stand up for themselves,” he continued. “So when I died the first death, I was given another chance to do good.”

  “You know someday you’re going to have to tell me absolutely everything about your past.” I meant for it to be a joke, but Noah suddenly shifted his features all serious. “What? What did I say?”

  He tucked his arm under my back and cradled my head to his chest. “I just don’t know how much time I have here.”

  No. I can’t deal with this right now. I can’t lose him too. “Well, when will you know?”

  And just as I asked, Noah bolted up in the bed. He started to lift me with him, but when I winced, he gently lowered me back down. “Noah, what is it?”

  He focused on the far wall. Only the dim light by my bed lit the room but it was enough create shadows. Noah froze and after a moment, I finally saw what he did. Climbing up the side of the wall, the shadow moved like a serpent. It stretched from floor to ceiling and once it reached the top, large wings sprouted from its sides. On the crown of its head, more feathers extended toward the center of the room and a long tail snaked slowly over the empty beds.

  When Noah didn’t speak, I nudged him in the side. “What is that?” He didn’t answer me right away and instead sat still and watched. When the wings began to fade and the shadow retreated back into the darkness, Noah sucked in a breath so quickly it startled me.

  “I have to go,” he said.

  “What do you mean you have to go?” Panic edged into my voice, my plea barely taking hold.

  “I must go meet my superiors. They have made a decision.”

  “About what—oh.” Realizing this was the decision that could mean we would no longer see each other like this, I started to cry again. The gnawing negative thoughts dug into my heart like the spirit had earlier in the evening. Noah tried to stand, but I pulled him back down. “Please don’t leave me,” I begged.

  He studied my face, my mouth, my tears. And then he smothered me with his lips like it was the last time we would ever get to kiss. His mouth grazed my ear and laced my neck with kisses so intense, I forgot about all of my injuries. My hands tugged him closer, wishing I could tie him to me forever.

  “Cressa,” he said through my lips. “I can’t disobey them.”

  I stopped caressing every inch of him and dropped my hands to the side. “I know,” I whispered.

  “Whatever happens, please remember that I love you. I always have.”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hugged him tight. “I love you too.” I was still crying when he pulled away and walked out the door. He just couldn’t be gone forever. He just couldn’t.

  When Brit stopped by to check on me a few minutes later and saw that I was a complete basket case, she climbed into the spot on my bed Noah had just left. She stayed with me the entire night as I explained everything to her. We laughed, I cried, and in the end I fell into a dreamless sleep.

  The office buzzed with excitement by the time we both woke up in the morning. When Rome graced us with his presence, Brit jumped up and ran out of the room mumbling something about morning breath.

  “Have you seen Noah?” I immediately asked. Rome shook his head and I suddenly had no reason to get out of bed.

  “I’m sure he’ll turn up soon.”

  While I admired Rome’s attempts at optimism, I didn’t want to hear them. Rome must have sensed that because he marched over to the bed and yanked the covers back.

  “Hey!” I shouted.

  “You need to get up and stop moping around. Your brother needs you outside and you really need to take a shower.” His lips twitched, fighting the urge to smile.

  I resisted too, until I couldn’
t anymore. Giggles escaped my mouth uncontrollably. “Hand me that robe?”

  Rome took a step and pulled down the robe hanging on a hook near the window. After tossing it in my face, he pushed the IV to the side. It was then I noticed that it was no longer attached to my arm. Painfully, I wrapped the robe around me and attempted to stand. While my thigh still hurt and my breathing was more shallow than normal, I did feel much better than last night.

  “So, shower, dress, and meet us in the command center?” Rome questioned.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “Stop being so bossy.”

  “It’s what all the chicks like,” Rome teased and winked at me. When I rolled my eyes, he blinked out of the room.

  The walk to the locker room took a long time, but the fresh shower helped clear my head and got me moving faster. The waterproof bandages were a nice touch, so after I slipped into a set of scrubs that were lying on the shower bench for me, I felt like a new person.

  People smiled as I hobbled by, trying to find my brother. Small offices and other conference rooms surrounded the perimeter, but in the center of the floor was the hub of the activity. Phones rang, plans were made, and a new system created.

  “Over here, Cressa.” River stood, waving his arm and directing me to the far side of the room. I maneuvered around computer stations set up in no particular pattern to get to him.

  “What’s going on?” We were in a small circle of chairs, like a waiting area. River, Brit, Rome, and myself. I couldn’t help but feel the crush of disappointment when I realized we were missing one person in particular.

  “I was just telling these guys about the plan for the next month.”

  I looked around, shocked that anyone would be bringing us in to the planning this soon. Or at all. “The next month?”

  “Yes,” a new voice added. A middle-aged woman who looked way too similar to my mother stepped into our little circle. “We need to keep you protected until the regime has changed.”

  “Who are you?” I breathed. Her hair, her voice, that tired look in her eyes. They all slammed me with memories and sadness.

  She reached out her hand with a kind smile. “I’m Marie Winston. And I am responsible for keeping you safe the next few weeks.”

  I glanced at River who shrugged, and then looked to Brit and Rome who were smiling like they just got away with something. “Okay?” I questioned. “So what exactly does that mean?”

  “It means that we will be putting you all under something like witness protection. Basically you’ll be getting a paid vacation to lay low for a while.”

  “Who? Who is this for?” I asked.

  “You, your brother, and Rome—”

  “Nope!” Rome said, jumping to his feet. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Marie pursed her lips. “Please don’t do this again. They will be looking for you. And her,” she added when she jerked her chin toward Brit. “She’s an accomplice. They won’t let that slide while they still have power.”

  Rome’s jaw skated back in forth in concentration. His eyes darted from Brit to Marie to me and River. He huffed. “Well, I’ll protect her then.”

  I saw Brit’s eyes light up in a way that made my stomach dance in excitement for her. Goodbye Carson. Hello Rome.

  “No. Absolutely not,” Marie shook her head.

  “And who do you think can hurt me?” Rome countered. “There’s very little out there that I need to be fearful of.”

  Brit paled and flashed a fearful look at me. I shrugged. Guess we might have to have that conversation sooner than later.

  “He’ll be fine,” River said.

  That earned him a glare from Marie. “And who do you think you are making these kinds of decisions?”

  “I’m just stating that Rome is perfectly capable of staying alive on his own.” River and Rome shared a fist bump much to the dismay of the woman trying to help us.

  “Suit yourself,” she snapped. With a quick glance at Brit she then focused on me. “Now you and Noah…where is Noah?” she searched the room the same way I had earlier.

  “He’s…” I tried to swallow. “He’s…”

  “Here! I’m right here.”

  Noah jogged through the bustling workers and joined our little group. Still in human form and more handsome than ever, I couldn’t stop my pounding heart. I jumped into his arms, rib pain be damned, and smothered him with my kisses. Tears from my eyes dripped on his cheeks as we held each other like no one else existed. He chuckled each time he tried to stop the kiss and I slammed my mouth back onto his.

  I had him back and I wasn’t letting go.

  “Are you done yet?” Rome groaned, a slight teasing edge in his voice.

  Noah set me on the ground but kept me enclosed tightly in his grasp. “Sorry I’m late.” He squeezed me tighter when I looked up at him and smiled.

  “As I was saying,” Marie continued, “you two will be going to one of our safe houses in Florida.”

  “Florida?” I gasped. Florida sounded wonderful but… “What about my classes?”

  Marie lowered a pair of reading glasses onto her nose and flipped through one of those metal clipboards with a lid. She rustled several papers, scanning the words on the page quickly. “Here it is. Your professors said that you can finish the semester for them virtually. We’ll get that all set up before you leave this afternoon—”

  “This afternoon?” I interrupted and when she glared at me I said, “Sorry. That’s just so soon.”

  Noah clutched my hand. “It will be okay,” he said only to me.

  His eyes twinkled with both excitement and lust, no doubt mirroring my own. The two of us would have the next several weeks together. Alone. With no interruptions. The pain in my body quickly dissipated into tingles of anticipation. Noah suddenly pushed a surge of energy through our clasped hands and my lips parted in pleasure.

  “So when do we leave?” I asked in a daze, eyes still mesmerized by Noah’s. Brit giggled and River shuffled his feet.

  “Five hours,” Marie said. “Someone will gather your belongings and bring them here.”

  While I normally would have been appalled by a stranger going through my clothes, I didn’t have the need to argue. Did it really matter what they packed? Would I even be wearing clothes most of the time?

  “And what about me?” River asked.

  “You will be staying here at headquarters. We need your knowledge and we have several secure residences in the area where you can go unnoticed for a while.”

  River nodded. It seemed to me like he was getting the short end of the deal, but with the way he now studied his surroundings, I had a feeling he wanted to be where the action was going down.

  “And me?” Brit asked, jumping to her feet. Standing next to Rome, she looked like a child. But at the same time I knew that he would treat her as a lady. At least he better.

  “You?” Marie huffed. “You’re on your own now.” She snapped her clipboard shut and flicked the hair out of her eyes. Her focused sharpened on Noah and me. “I will see you two back here at five sharp.”

  We both nodded, and when she walked away, River started to follow. “River, wait,” I called out. He turned and I overpowered him with a hug. His arms slowly embraced me back but he responded. “Please be careful,” I said once stepping away.

  “You too,” he smiled. Then he knocked the side of my nose. “No necromancy.”

  I laughed. “No necromancy. See you in a few weeks?”

  “Sounds good,” he said and then turned on his heel and disappeared into the mix of workers.

  Brit ran over to me grabbed my hands. “I’m going to miss you so much. The apartment will be so empty…” Tears built up in her eyes and soon mine did the same.

  “Oh no,” Rome barked. “You can’t stay in that apartment right now.”

  Brit turned, her short blonde hair whipping around in shock. “Well, where else am I going to stay?”

  Noah cleared his throat and nudged Rome in the side. Rome’s jaw did t
hat shifty concentration thing again. “I guess you’ll have to stay with me,” he grumbled.

  “What? No, I can’t—”

  “It’s the safest place right now,” Noah interrupted. I gave him a curious glance.

  Brit’s mouth dropped open and I felt the sweat building on her palms. She turned back to me, looking for advice. “He won’t let anything happen to you,” I encouraged.

  And just like that, she made a decision. “Okay, then.” She bobbed her head. Stepping in front of Rome, she waved her tiny finger in his face. “But on one condition.”

  Noah and I stifled a laugh while Rome glanced down at her in fear. “What condition?”

  Brit’s sneer turned into an evil grin. “You have to tell my mother.”

  I couldn’t contain my amusement any longer, especially when Rome looked absolutely petrified at that prospect. Brit’s mother might actually do some harm to the Imp.

  “I can’t do that,” Rome stuttered, only making Noah and me laugh harder.

  “You can and you are.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him away. “In fact, we’re going to do it right now.”

  As they stumbled toward the front of the building, Rome peeked over his shoulder at us. His dark eyes wide and mouthing the word “Help” to Noah. But Noah just waved and tucked me closer to him.

  “Oh that’s going to be fun,” he mused.

  “That’s going to be dangerous,” I corrected.

  Noah chuckled some more and then asked, “You want some fresh air?”

  I smiled up at him and nodded.

  A few minutes later we were back in the restaurant at the top of The Pickle, gazing up at the skylight. “You ready?” Noah whispered in my ear.

  “Yeah,” I said and he pressed me tightly against his chest.

  As Noah lifted us to the tower platform again, I actually took in the view. The vibrant sun stretched as far as my eyes could see, highlighting the rolling hills and hiding the valleys in shadows. Its warm rays caressed my face, the heat seeping deep into my core. I was looking forward to the Florida sun and enjoying much more of this sensation.