Torn
by Ashley Stambaugh
Published by Astraea Press
www.astraeapress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
TORN
Copyright © 2015 ASHLEY STAMBAUGH
ISBN 978-1-62135-391-1
Cover Art Designed by AM DESIGNS STUDIOS
To my parents, Mike and Debra.
With your unfailing wisdom and patient guidance,
you taught me to always choose what was right,
even if it wasn’t always that easy.
Chapter One
Melina took a sip of her coffee and gazed out at the lightly falling snow. Mesmerized by its delicate beauty, she didn't even notice when someone took a seat in the chair across the table from her.
"How’d I know you'd be sitting at a window seat?" the voice mused.
Her eyes widened in excitement as she turned and smiled at the newcomer. There sat Lee, bundled up in his black wool coat, a gray and black plaid scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, his tawny hair messed about from the wind. She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss, a slight blush reddening her cheeks. They had been together for almost three months now, but she still got flushed and giddy around him.
She turned back to look out the window again. "It's breathtaking, isn't it?"
Lee chuckled. "Yeah, snow's pretty to watch. But if you know you have to drive in it later, it loses some of its luster."
"That's why I walked here," Melina said as she pointed down at her tall, black snow boots.
He smiled at her. "I'm happy to see your Christmas gift is being put to good use."
"These put my old pair to shame. They're much warmer. I can go for a lot more walks now." Melina grinned then returned her gaze to the snow. "I'm trying to catch sight of my first snowflake. It's snowed six times this month already, and I still haven't seen one."
"I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities, seeing how it's only the third week of January and how much you love to watch snow." He let out another chuckle just as Nina, the owner of the café, showed up with his coffee.
She was a plump, older woman with short, spiky white hair and always had a smile on her face. "Good morning, Lee." She beamed at him as she set the steaming coffee mug down on the table. "I brought you your usual."
"Thanks, Nina," he said and then took a sip of his drink.
"You're welcome, sweetheart. You two let me know if you need anything else." She gave them both a quick wave then made her way back to the front.
Lee looked back over at Melina. "I'm sorry I'm a bit late. I know you said you wanted to get out of here before the morning crowd arrived."
"It's all right," she said, shaking her head. "We still have about twenty minutes or so before the usual rush shows up."
He held her gaze, his light brown eyes full of concern.
Melina averted her eyes down to her coffee mug. She didn't want him to pick up on her anxiety, but she must've been doing a lousy job of hiding it, because she could still feel him staring at her.
"I'm okay," she said as she lifted her eyes back up to meet his. "I'm just—" Melina's voice cut off as she suddenly let out a short cry. Her hand shot up to her head as her face contorted in pain.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He jumped up from his chair and knelt down beside her.
She rubbed at her aching forehead as she struggled to speak. "Too many… people. Too many… thoughts. My head… it feels like it's… going to explode."
Lee furrowed his brows as he stood up from his knees and glanced around the room. "There aren't even ten other people in here."
A low groan escaped her. "It feels like a hundred." She continued to massage her temple when suddenly the pain intensified. "Ahh!” she screamed as she raised her other hand up to her temple. “My head feels like it's on fire now."
He quickly threw some money onto the table then slid his arm around Melina. "Come on. Let's get you out of here." He hoisted her up from her chair, and let his arm slip up underneath hers.
"It burns! It burns!" she cried as she squinted her eyes shut. "What is going on?"
"We're almost out of here. Hang on." There was a side exit a few steps away from them, and Lee led her out through the door as discreetly as he could. Melina hated not saying good-bye to Nina, but if she saw her in this state, she would become overly concerned and cause unnecessary stress.
They stepped outside and the windswept snow caused her to turn her face into Lee's shoulder. When they were several feet away from the café, she finally lifted her head and said, "I need to stop for a minute." She released her arm from around his neck but continued to lean on him.
"Okay," he said, keeping his arm wrapped snugly around her. "I'm parked just up at the end of the block. Do you think you can make it there?"
She nodded and slid her arm up around his neck again. When they had finally reached his SUV, he helped to ease her down into the passenger seat. He shut the door for her then ran around and climbed into the driver's seat.
"What happened in there?" he asked as he started the engine and turned on the heat.
Melina shook her head. "I don't know. I was trying to block out everyone’s thoughts when suddenly I couldn't anymore. It was as if a hundred or more people were shouting in my head all at the same time. And the pain. It just skyrocketed, then a strong burning sensation filled my head, like my brain was on fire."
He stared at her with wide eyes and then finally asked, "How do you feel now?"
"A little better. The burning is gone, but I still have a slight headache,” she said, rubbing her forehead once again. "This is the worst it's been yet.”
Lee's worried expression turned to one of confusion then suddenly to one of realization. "This isn't the first time your pain has been worse than normal, is it?"
Melina stopped rubbing her head and gazed out the passenger side window. Ever since she had gained full control of her powers, she had still experienced a slight amount of pain after using them. She thought it would eventually go away, but it never had. And for the past couple of weeks, it had slowly started to grow worse. Finally she answered. "No, it's not."
"Melina," Lee said, the worry back in his eyes. "How come you haven't told me? How long has it been doing this?"
A sigh escaped her as she glanced over at him and then back out the window. She started to fidget with her hands as she responded. "Almost two weeks now."
"Two weeks?" His eyebrows shot up as he stared at her with wide eyes.
"I didn't want to worry you," she said.
"Have you talked to Walter about it?"
She didn't respond as she turned her gaze down to her hands.
"Melina," he said as he leaned toward her, trying to get her attention.
"No, I haven't," she said, her eyes finally meeting his. "I don't want to bother him until I'm sure."
"Sure about what?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's still my body trying to adjust to the powers. Maybe it will go away after a little while."
He reached over and took her hands in his. "It's almost been three months since you've gained full control over your powers, and the pain hasn't gone away yet."
Her eyes started to water. "I know."
"And what about the burning sensation? Is this the first time that’s happened?"
She nodded. "I don't know what that was about, but I definitely don't want to experience it again."
He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Even though you try to hide it, I know you're scared. You need to talk to Walter about this."
Melina released his hands and nodded again as she turned to gaze out the front windshield. "I'll talk to him as soon as I…" Her voice trailed off as she continued to stare out the window.
"Is it the pain again?" Lee asked.
"No," Melina replied, her face turning paler by the second.
He glanced out the window and then back at her, a look of concern in his eyes. "What's wrong then? What do you see?"
"A demon." She continued to stare out the window, her body frozen stiff with fear.
Lee's brow furrowed. "Why are you so scared? I know you can see angels all the time now, but I thought you could see all sorts of different demons now, too.”
Melina's eyes remained fixed out the window. The demon's black, billowy figure wasn't exclusive to his particular group, but the fiery red eyes were unmistakable. "This isn't just some random demon. It's a Noxin demon."
Lee's expression turned serious. "Those are the ones I saw on the video footage from my apartment, right? The ones you said were really dangerous?"
She gave him a stiff nod but kept her gaze locked on the demon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him looking out the window to see if he could spot the demon himself.
"Where is he?" Lee asked.
"He’s behind the antique store across the street, lurking back in the alley."
Lee leaned forward in his seat and squinted his eyes as he looked in that direction. "I don't see it."
Melina's breath suddenly caught in her throat. "It's gone. It's gone!" She sat up in her seat, her eyes frantically searching the area outside. A few seconds later she turned to look at Lee, her bright green eyes wide with fear. "This is serious. We need to go."
He furrowed his brow again.
"It was there. I saw it. I know I did," Melina said, her anxiety growing.
"Calm down, calm down. I believe you," he said. "But why do we need to go? Do you think it's after you?"
Melina searched his eyes. Did he believe her? He had seen a few of the angels and Noxin demons himself, and he had seen her using her powers. But she knew he was still having a hard time accepting that all of it was real, and that scared her. She was falling in love with him, and if he couldn't handle even the slightest detail of her new life, and all of the possible dangers that came with it, then she feared he would eventually leave. She quickly blinked away the tears that had started to form and turned her gaze down toward the floor.
"Hey," Lee said in a soft tone as he reached for her trembling hand. "Talk to me." He took her other hand in his and gave them both a gentle squeeze.
Melina raised her eyes up to meet his, still trying not to cry. "I know how all of this makes you uncomfortable, and I don't want you to get scared away."
"I'm not,” he said. “I mean, yeah, it's still a bit much for me to take in, but do you know what really scares me? Seeing you scared and not being able to help you." He gently rubbed his thumbs across her knuckles, a sign of affection Melina had come to know well. "I don't like feeling helpless when it comes to you."
Hearing him say this reassured her a bit, but not completely. If Noxin demons were after her again for some reason, then she was in serious danger, which meant he might be as well. When the demons attacked her the last time, she had just started to get to know Lee, so he wasn't directly involved in any of the attacks. This time there was a high possibility he would be involved, and she didn't know if he could handle it.
She gave him a weak smile, but she knew he could still see the fear that lingered in her eyes. ”It’s not that you don’t make me feel safe, but what happened just now, seeing that Noxin demon… It's not good. The last time I saw one of them it was trying to suck out my soul and kill me."
He swallowed hard. "I know. But you have control of your powers now, so I thought they wouldn't come after you anymore."
Melina shook her head. "I don't know. They might still be able to take my powers from me. I just thought they wouldn't be able to find me again without the help of Adelia."
"Are you sure it's after you, then?" he asked.
She pulled her hands back into her lap and looked out the window again, her nervous eyes searching for any sign the demon had returned. Seeing nothing, she turned back to Lee. "As far as I know, Noxin demons only show up when they're after a particular person. And this one was staring right at me."
"But would it attack you out in the open like this? In front of all these businesses?"
"Well, that all depends. A lead Noxin would have more restraint and composure, but a normal Noxin wouldn't hesitate." Melina started to bite her lip just as tears began to form in her eyes again. She let out a frustrated sigh as she wiped them away. "I haven't seen one since that whole ordeal happened in the park, and that was almost three months ago. I thought I was out of danger. How did one find me again? How?" She started to tremble again as she gazed back out the window.
"Okay, look," Lee said. "This whole incident has really upset you. I think you need to call to Walter to tell him about everything."
Melina turned back to Lee as she took in a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. But can you take me back to my place first?”
“Sure. Whatever you want to do." He put the vehicle into drive and took off down the road toward her apartment.
Chapter Two
Lee helped Melina up the stairs to her apartment and then sat her down on her living room couch.
"I'm sorry," she said as he took a seat next to her.
"For what?" he asked.
"For ruining our days off."
He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her lightly on the head. "I'm getting to spend my day with you. I'd say it's far from ruined."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, but I'm pretty sure this isn't how you wanted to spend it. We don't get our Saturdays off together too often. It was supposed to be special."
"Well," Lee said, "maybe we should try to take more Saturdays off together. I'm sure your bookstore and my jewelry store will be fine without us. That is why we hired managers, you know. So we don't have to be there all the time."
She nodded at him. "That would be nice. But before I can even enjoy the thought of that, I need to figure out what's going on with my pain and why I saw that Noxin demon." She stood up from the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "Walter? Walter, it's Melina. If you're free, I'd really like to talk to you about something."
She continued to look upward as she tried to be patient. Now that he was an elder guiding angel, he couldn't always come to her at the drop of a hat like he used to do. The other guiding angels counted on the elders for their own guidance and assistance. At least one elder was to be present at their temple at all times. If Walter was currently that one elder, then it could be days before he could come to speak to her.
Melina thought about calling out to him one more time, but right as she opened her mouth, a bright white light burst around the room. She and Lee both ducked their heads down. When they looked back up a few seconds later, a slender, elderly man with snow white hair, dressed in a long, black trench coat and matching fedora, appeared in front of them. The light around him died down until only a soft glow remained. Now that he was an elder, Melina could still see his aura even when he was in his human form. She smiled and then held her arms out to give him a hug.
"Walter," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. ”It’s good to see you."
He returned her hug and then took a step back to look at her. "It's good to see you, too. It's been, what, almost a month since I helped you with that young girl?"
"Yeah," she said as she nodded. "Convincing her to switch schools finally put an end to her being bullied. Luckily she was an easy case for my first official charge, but I'm still grateful you came to help me."
"It was
my pleasure," Walter said. He then looked over at Lee and smiled. "Hello again, Lee."
"Walter," Lee said with a small grin as he gave him a nod.
Walter turned his gaze back to Melina. "It's actually perfect that you called for me. I also have something to talk to you about. But first, tell me what it is you'd like to discuss. Have you come across someone else who needs help?"
"Um, no," she said in a slightly disappointed tone. "The young girl has been the only one so far."
Walter gave her arm a quick squeeze. "I know you want to help more people, but don't worry. It'll happen. Just be patient."
She nodded her head and then her expression turned serious. "Um… actually I wanted to talk to you about the pain I still experience after using my powers. Over the past couple of weeks it's started to grow worse."
Walter's smile faded. "How much worse?"
"Well, it's been a slow progression, but this morning it was pretty intense. I was having coffee with Lee when it felt like a hundred people's thoughts had exploded in my mind, but there weren't even ten other people in the room with us."
"Hmm." Walter tugged at his chin as he looked down at the floor.
"The pain has always been a sharp, jutting pain in my head," said Melina. "But this morning it suddenly turned into a fierce burning sensation."
Walter frowned as he raised his eyes up to hers again.
Lee nudged Melina. She looked down at him and he gave her a small nod, urging her to continue.
She cleared her throat. "There's one more thing. I, um… I saw a Noxin demon this morning."
Walter froze as he stared over at her. “A Noxin demon? Where?"
"Behind the antique store over by Nina's."
"Did he see you?" Walter asked.
Melina nodded. "He stared right at me. Then he disappeared."
Walter lowered his hand from his chin and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That isn't good. Even though you have control of your powers now, a Noxin demon can still suck out your soul and take your powers from you. It just won't be as easy as before."