I glance down at my clothes, mortified. “Good morning. Excuse me.”
Three minutes later I emerge from the walk-in closet free of Lucky’s slutty leather ensemble and wearing more respectable black jeans and matching tank top. I quickly brush my hair and pull it into a ponytail, afraid to look in Vincent’s direction. So he and Lucky are a thing now. I shouldn’t be surprised.
But why am I so annoyed? It’s not like it matters. After Anastasia is through working her voodoo on me, I won’t even remember that I ever even knew Vincent. Or anyone else for the past five years, for that matter. Liora Greyson will be gone. Forever.
“Why was she upset?” I ask him trying to distract from my dark thoughts.
Vincent’s demeanor becomes more subdued. “There was an incident in Thiberoux. Nothing for you to worry about.”
I chuckle under my breath. “Let me guess… rainbows and butterflies and unicorns and happily-ever-afters as usual?”
He cocks his eyebrow. “Yeah, something not like that.”
I have to sigh. Actually, whatever is going on there will affect me, eventually. But no need to tell him that. First I need to talk to Anastasia and see what all is involved. Hopefully she can get the spell done sooner rather than later.
“You look so serious this morning,” Vincent observes.
I nod and turn to face him. Somehow, seeing a sexy guy on my bed isn’t as a disturbing as my impending morbidity. “I have a lot on my mind. I’m going to go talk to Anastasia after breakfast about a few things.”
I turn to leave, and Vincent jumps up and follows me from the bedroom. He places his hand on the small of my back to guide me through the door. It feels so natural, I almost don’t notice.
That is, until I see Corrine staring at us from the kitchen as she separates the bacon slices. Her eyes pop open and her jaw drops slightly, but she quickly recovers and turns away. I can’t blame her for being shocked—I have to admit it does look kind of bad, us doing the walk of shame together from my bedroom.
“Hey, guys. Morning,” she says, her voice a little too chipper.
“Morning,” we reply in unison.
“I’m gonna go get washed up real quick,” Vincent says and heads across the house to the room next to Kieron’s.
I can’t even allow myself to think about Kieron in there sleeping, unaware of all that’s happening, and how everything is going to be different when he wakes up. He’s never been anything but wonderful and loving and supportive of me… and I’m about to leave him without even saying goodbye. Soon it will all be gone—all my memories of our time together. Of going to our special place in the mountainside. Of curling up beside him in the cemetery on a brisk winter’s day. Of holding hands and walking through the woods behind my house. Our first kiss. And him being the first guy to say he loved me… me… and me believing it.
All that will be gone. The only memories that exist will be Lucky’s. As if Liora never loved Kieron at all. Or even knew him.
“Liora, you okay?” Corrine asks, snapping me from my daze.
I look at her and nod. “Yeah. I’m fine. That wasn’t what it looked like,” I add, as I slide onto a barstool and reach for the coffee. “Me and Vincent… what you saw. It’s not what you think.”
Corrine flashes me a grin and throws the bacon slices on the hot griddle. They instantly sizzle and crack and she steps back, wiping her hand on her apron. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Liora. I know you’re a good person. But I can’t say the same for Lucky. And seeing as how she was in charge of you until just a short while ago, I’m guessing any funny business was on her watch and her fault. So no judgments. No worries.”
She turns her attention to the waffle maker and starts ladling out some batter. Suddenly I’m famished. Like I could eat for days.
“I’m going to need extra-large servings of everything you make this morning if that’s okay,” I say as I literally hear my stomach growl.
“You got it.”
I reach for a mini-croissant and start smearing it with butter and jam. “But even with Lucky, nothing happened with her and Vincent,” I continue. “I guess she was really upset about something, and he was just comforting her and they fell asleep.”
“Okay.”
I nibble slowly on my croissant and ponder why I’m so concerned with what Corrine thinks. Maybe it’s because for the first time in forever I have someone I can actually consider a friend.
And someone I won’t remember I even like, if all goes according to plan.
“Corrine, after we eat, will you go for a walk on the beach with me? I want to talk with you about something.”
She gives me a slight frown. “Sure, of course. Everything okay?”
Just then Vincent emerges from the hallway, Demetri in tow. Both look freshly showered and shaved, and I catch another faint whiff of Vincent’s musky scent as he takes a seat next to me. Corrine seems a little flustered—I suspect because of Demetri.
Thirty minutes later we’re done eating, the dishes are stacked in the sink, and I turn to the two guys.
“Corrine and I are going to take a little stroll down to the beach for a few, and then I’m going over to Anastasia’s.”
They glance at each other. “I’m not sure the beach is a good idea,” Vincent starts. Demetri shakes his head.
“No. No way. You cannot leave the grounds.”
“Yes, yes way I can because I’m not a prisoner. Besides, the beach is her grounds. She told me. Her property extends out half a mile into the water, and up and down the shore over a hundred yards in each direction. The spell is intact, and I’m safe as long as I stay within the perimeter. As safe as I am right here in this house. Besides we won’t be very long.”
Vincent gives me one of his intense looks, like he’s trying to figure me out. Finally he gives a tiny nod. “Just stay on her property. And know that we’ll be watching.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
********
After Corrine gets done changing out of her sweats and into a long sundress, she and I head down the sloping cliff toward the water. It’s a stunning day. The sunlight dances off the surface of the water creating millions of tiny white sparkles on the surf. The white foamy waves gently crash on the shore, and thousands of colorful seashells lie partially hidden in the sand, just waiting to be discovered.
The beach is vacant save for some joggers in the distance, and a young mother and her toddler building sandcastles near the rocky coves to the south by Anastasia’s property line. I have to admit this place is growing on me. If the circumstances were different, I imagine I’d be enjoying myself right now.
“So what’s going on?” Corrine asks. We walk to the water’s edge and let the salty foam wash over our bare feet. She obviously knows something is up.
I feel a twinge of nostalgia as I remember the not-too-distant past when I couldn’t even hang out with her outside of school for fear she’d discover the truth about me. Now here I am about to tell her my most intimate secrets.
Never thought I’d look back on those times as the good ol’ days.
I take a deep breath and glance over my shoulder. Vincent is watching us from atop the cliffs. “I have something to tell you, and it might surprise you. Like really shock you—”
“You’re pregnant.”
I stare at her, bug-eyed. “What? I mean, that’s not what I was planning on talking about right now… but how’d you know?”
She shrugs. “Dunno. I mean, it’s not super, super obvious. Just little things. More of a hunch than anything. Although I must say I’m kinda surprised— didn’t realize you and Kieron were doin’ it.”
Biting my lip, I kick some water up around my ankles and dig my toes into the sand. “That’s the thing. We aren’t doing it. And neither are he and Lucky…”
She scrunches her forehead and pushes up her glasses. “I don’t understand. Is it some sorta demon thing? Did you just wake up pregnant or something?”
I can’t help but chuckle at her words. “Well, actually… yeah. For me at least. Lucky’s the one who made it happen though.”
Corrine nods. “I believe it. She does dress pretty provocatively, like she’s looking for a good time. She totally pulls it off, though. Not gonna lie. Kinda jealous.”
I chuckle again and watch as the mom and her toddler start digging in the sand together. Suddenly a wave of sadness washes over me. If only I could meet my babies as me… before I disappear. Before I forget that I loved them, and that they were a part of me.
But I know it’s impossible.
“She gave herself to someone she had loved for a very long time,” I continue, my voice quieter. “He’s a demon, and he’s dead now.”
She covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
I nod. “It’s okay. Lucky is far more hurt by his absence than I am. Since the curse, I’ve only seen him a handful of times. She saw him every night.”
“Oh, I see.”
It’s strange how thinking about Bones makes me not sad, but happy. I have to admit, it’s an odd feeling to have about someone who has just died, especially seeing as how I’d grown quite fond of him again just before he was killed. Maybe because a part of him is still inside me?
“But I cared for him,” I add. “He was my friend, and now I’m carrying his babies too.”
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?! Babies?” Her eyes look like they’re about to pop from her skull.
I nod and laugh at her shocked expression. “Yeah, that was my first reaction too. As if one isn’t crazy enough. As if this whole thing isn’t totally and completely and utterly insane. And yet at the same time, it feels so oddly okay and natural that getting twisted up over it seems like just a waste of energy. Does that make any sense?”
After a moment she shrugs. “Yeah. I guess in a weird way it does.” Then a moment later, “Does Kieron know?”
I grimace and turn my attention back to the water. “No, not yet. I—we— have some time before it’ll become obvious we’re pregnant. Hopefully. But… well, other things are going to be changing around here before then. It’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about.”
She looks at me with apprehension.
“You know why Vincent and Demetri are here, right?”
“Yeah, I get the gist of it. And just for the record, I’m not complaining one bit.” She giggles. “Maybe they’ll stick around even after the danger has passed.”
I shake my head. “Well, that’s the thing. As long as I’m still me, as long as I still turn ‘human’,” I make quote marks with my fingers, “then the danger might never pass. Not really. I’ll always be a target. Because I’m weak. And I’m putting everyone around me in danger. Right now the Light-angels want to use me to break into the Demon realm to start a war. Me. And the problem is, I don’t really have the powers to stop them. But I’m going to do something that will hopefully change all that. And that’s what I want to talk with you about.”
“What are you going to— hey!” She suddenly scowls, and I turn to see what she’s looking at. Back near the base of the cliffs, the young mother, who only moments before was so sweetly playing with her young son, is now mercilessly shaking the crying infant. As we both watch, she gives him a hard slap across his little face.
“Oh my God!” Corrine gasps.
The child falls to the ground screaming, and she picks him up and starts shaking him again.
“HEY!” we both yell at her and immediately start running toward them. Suddenly I’m flooded with rage. How could any mother so viciously strike a helpless infant like that? My eyes widen in horror as I see her raise her hand and whack the sobbing child again.
I run faster. “Stop that! Stop!” I scream, with Corrine echoing me from a few feet back.
The woman looks up at us briefly, and then throws the toddler to the ground again. From somewhere I hear Vincent yelling, but I don’t care; this woman is going to kill her child!
Corrine and I are maybe a dozen feet away when Vincent suddenly appears directly in front of us. He reaches out his hand, but just as he’s about to touch me, a sudden violent gust of air blasts him off his feet and sends him flying back out over the water.
Startled, I follow him with my eyes until I hear Corrine’s horrifying scream. The woman, who was standing right in front of us only a fraction of a second before, has now taken the shape of a hulking beast of a man, at least eight feet tall. His heavy brow nearly obscures his black-as-night eyes, and his salt and pepper hair is greasy and matted. The ‘baby’ is nowhere to be seen.
I recoil in horror as the realization sinks in. “No, no!” I turn to run, but it’s too late.
A debilitating paralysis spreads through my body. I try to scream but my mouth no longer moves. All I can think is that I’ve been caught.
And how unbelievably stupid… and totally screwed I am.
Chapter 20. Liora
Torrents of icy water blast around me like I’ve been shot from a gun at the speed of light. Time and space warp together as the water rushes past me… beating, stabbing, poking, punching… in one disorientating, excruciating blur. Is this real? Or am I dead. I can’t think—can’t breathe. How long will this torture last?
Eventually everything slows, and the icy water no longer stings my skin. I have the sensation of being lifted out of the water and into the air, and then being set down on something soft, and very cold.
Everything is quiet. Unnaturally still.
I try to open my eyes, terrified of what I might see. But I can’t. A violent shudder wracks my body, and it suddenly hits me how cold I am. I’m freezing to death. The bitterly frosty air has already sealed my wet lashes together.
A blast of arctic wind hits my skin like hundreds of sharp needles and every nerve in my body screams in agony. Yet I am unable to move.
When I finally manage to open my eyes, I see only blinding white blending into a pale grey sky. There is no color anywhere, and the sun doesn’t bother to share its golden rays. There is no point. The stinging wind gusts again, and I hear a soft groan.
I roll over and see Corrine a few feet away, huddled up in a tight ball.
I try to move, to speak, but nothing happens. Whatever… whoever… brought us here apparently wants us to die in the worst, most painful way. Neither of us will last much longer out here—wherever here is. I just hope the end comes quickly and that Corrine’s suffering isn’t half as bad as mine is.
Corrine moans again, and I try to force my body closer to hers. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t move. I feel frozen from the inside out.
I’m about to give up and accept the inevitable, when a strange warmth starts budding in my stomach and then moves to my chest. The trickling stream of heat quickly spreads and grows, and the rest of my body absorbs it like thirsty tree roots sucking up water. I gasp, as I’m suddenly able to breathe. Gradually I feel my strength begin to return. I scoot over to Corrine and wrap my arms around her, the bare flesh of my arms covering hers. And I hope and pray that my body heat can somehow help keep her alive.
“Corrine,” I whisper. My throat is scratched and raw, as if someone had run a cheese grater over it. I shake her gently. “Corrine, wake up.”
She still doesn’t move. The heat grows stronger and stronger, until now I’m almost too warm. I hold Corrine close and pray that whatever is helping me can help her too.
She trembles, and I tighten my grip, trying to protect her. But I’m a little late for that.
“L-Lee-o-ra-ra,” she finally chatters.
“It’s okay, you’re okay.” I squeeze her tighter. Suddenly I sense a shift… subtle, but there.
We’re not alone anymore.
“Shhh,” I whisper in her ear. “Just stay still. Don’t move.”
I hear the soft crunch of snow as heavy footsteps approach us. My heart pounds, and my body heat increases even more. Corrine shakes in my arms, whether from cold or terror, I can’t tell.
The crunching comes closer, then stops directly behind us. I want to roll over to see who or what it is, but I stay still.
A moment later something pokes me on my lower back.
“Ow!” I cry out before I can stop myself. Crap!
“Good, you’re alive. Not much use to me dead,” a gruff voice snarls.
“It’ll be okay, don’t move,” I whisper very softly into Corrine’s ear. I gently let go of her and roll over to face our kidnapper. The huge, ugly man from the beach is glaring back at me.
His eyes flash with evil intent, and he gives a callous smirk. “Girl, you sure are stupid. You were easier to catch than a dead fish in a bucket. No challenge at all. I’ve gotta say I’m a little disappointed. I was looking forward to the chase.”
Of all the things he could’ve said to me, nothing could have hurt more. Because he’s right. Only stupid doesn’t even begin to cover it.
“What do you want?” I croak.
He grins even wider and cocks his head to the side. “What do I want… what do I want… Oh yes. I want my reward for you, little girl.”
“Your what?”
He pulls from his pocket something that looks like a long, crooked stick and waves it in the air. Then he walks in a big circle around Corrine and me, chanting strange words under his breath. A moment later I hear a weird crackling sound, then a series of pops, followed by a steady hum. A strange neon green haze appears and covers us like a giant igloo. I feel an immediate change in the air, and even the cold snow beneath us now feels like a soft, comfortable blanket.
But my relief is short lived as the reality of our situation sinks in. Corrine and I are trapped here, imprisoned in this magical cell, and at the mercy of a demonic lunatic.
He walks around our green cocoon several times, tapping it with his little stick. Apparently satisfied, he pauses and turns back to me with a toothless smile. “I want my reward. I want what’s owed to me. Plenty of people are interested in you right now, little girl, and they’re willing to pay a price. Old Otto here is going to get himself a piece of the golden pie.”