Finally. I was alone.
Standing here for a moment, the complete silence became a bit unnerving. Ever since I left to find Caleb in the caves, I hadn’t been alone. Mixed emotions swirled through me. On one hand, I was happy because I could finally breathe and was safe - for the moment. On the other hand, I was alone…
The curtains were drawn, making the room dark and eerie. Clicking on the light, the first thing I noticed was my spotless room. Someone had cleaned while I was away. Quickly, I made my way to the dresser, pulled out pajamas, and headed for the bathroom.
As soon as I stepped inside and clicked on the light, I gasped, taken aback by the figure staring back at me. She looked tired and weary, blood and dirt smeared all over. Her face was war-torn, and strands of misplaced hair hung over her brown eyes. She had changed so much from the last time I saw her.
Slowly peeling off my super suit, I dropped it in the hamper. As soon as I became disconnected from it, overwhelming feelings of sadness and loss rushed over me. Its magic must have been holding me together. The emotions were so unbearable, I quickly turned on the bathwater to drown out the sounds of my uncontrollable sobs.
As soon as the bath was filled, I sunk deep into the hot bubbles, trying not to let the sadness drown me. Here, I could release my emotions and not worry about anyone seeing or hearing me, and it felt good.
I had been strong and tried to hold myself together to finish our quest. And I did survive, doing whatever I had to. I pulled every ounce of strength and courage out from depths I never knew existed, and now, all that remained were the remnants. Kade, Samuel, and Alaine were the silver lining in my new dark world.
I stayed in the tub until the water turned cold, and then dragged myself out and dressed for bed. Before my pruny-butt turned in for the night, I decided to boot up my laptop and check my email. Lia and Jeremy must have been going crazy wondering what happened to me for the past four months. Lia was such a worry wart, and I had a feeling my email was probably filled with her concerned messages. Knowing Lia, she probably thought I’d been mauled by a bear.
“OMG,” I breathed out loud. Sure enough there were 47 new email messages, mainly from Lia, and a few from Jeremy. Most of the subject lines read: HELLO? Or, Are you alive? Or, WTH?
I clicked on the most recent email which was written two days ago from Lia.
-------------------------------
Emma,
What the hell? I just called again, and your Aunt said you were camping and didn’t have service wherever you were. Damn it, girl!!! Is there service anywhere in that damn state? I’ve been trying to contact you for the past four months, and haven’t heard a single word back. You better have a good excuse. I swear I sprouted another white hair today, all thanks to you.
Any-how…school sucks without you. But, OMG! I can’t wait to come and visit you. Total hug fest! Jeremy and I will be there in four days! Eeeeeek! I swear, Emma, you’d better be back from camping by then, and you better message me. If you’re dead, I will resurrect you and slap you silly for giving me grief, white hair, and making me constantly worry about you. Well, you can spill when we get there.
So, is Kade still in the picture? Did he go camping with you? OMG. I still have visions of his yummy self in my head. You are so dang lucky. I will see you very soon!
Oh! Our visit is supposed to be a surprise, so don’t say anything and act surprised! Lol
Hugs and kisses,
Lia
-------------------------------------
Okay, wait… What?
I had to pause and re-read the part about her coming in four days. I quickly scrolled down and clicked on previous emails. I gasped, my head started spinning a million miles an hour.
It was true. But they weren’t coming in four days, they were coming in two!
Holy crap!
My heart instantly dropped and was filled with a sense of impending doom. They couldn’t come here. Not right now. This place wasn’t safe. I had to talk to Alaine in the morning. She must have given them the okay to come, but why?
As much as I wanted to see Jeremy and Lia again, I knew there was a real danger outside. But they already made their plans, and seriously, there was no way to tell them no. Lia wouldn’t dare pass up a trip to get away from her parents and visit me.
What was I supposed to tell them? That they couldn’t come because we were in the middle of an immortal war, and I was being hunted by a mad, murderous Fallen Angel who wanted to either kill, or capture me for his wicked gain? That’d go over like a fart in a spacesuit.
And how the heck was I supposed to explain about the Guardians or Lucifer’s son?
All I could do was wait until morning and see what Alaine had to say about it. Until then, I would have to respond to Lia’s email. The key was brevity.
-----------------------------------
Hey Lia,
First…Holy crap! Are you seriously coming??? Oh my God. I almost dropped from a heart attack when I read your message. My heart is still pounding and I’m hyperventilating.
Second…I’m ALIVE! I promise. I still don’t have a cell phone, but there is no need for resurrection.
I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, but the service here is horrible, and they’ve taken me all over this godforsaken state on an adventure to try and take my mind off of everything. Believe me, there isn’t much to see, unless you love landscapes of endless trees. It is beautiful though.
Yes, Kade is still here, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time with him. I’ll spill when you get here. Nothing major, but I really like him, and I know he likes me too.
Well, I better get to bed. We just got back from camping and I’m wiped. Don’t worry, I will totally act surprised. I can’t wait to see and hug you both. It feels like it’s been forever.
Love you,
Emma
---------------------------------
That message should tide her over until she arrived, and I knew she’d let Jeremy know I was okay. I suddenly yawned, and felt the lack of sleep catch up to me. My eyelids felt like lead weights had been attached to them, and my limbs were so weak they were shaking.
I shut down the laptop and jumped into bed, pulling the warm blankets over me. I relaxed and sunk my head into the soft pillow. I seriously took for granted the things which seemed so insignificant. Things like how amazingly wonderful sleeping on a real bed felt. I’d slept on rocks, in Hell, for the past week. Now, I felt like I was lying on a cloud. Snuggling in deeper, I pulled the covers up over my neck, and closed my eyes. In a matter of seconds, sleep found me.
I woke and was greeted with darkness, but the light outside was trying to peek in through the cracks. I debated whether or not to get out of bed, but my stomach insisted on it. It was demanding to be fed.
A quick glance at the clock told me it was 12:12pm. Sheeze, I’d slept the whole morning away.
Begrudgingly, I peeled myself from the warmth of the blankets and shivered as I headed over to pull back the curtains. The sky was dark and gray. Heavy clouds hung in the sky making the world look even drearier.
My insides twisted at the sight of the labyrinth. What was supposed to be a beautiful work of art, brought back a rush of negative emotions.
The cottage looked cozy and had a column of smoke rising from its chimney.
I inhaled the cool air, then headed to the closet and grabbed a pair of blue jeans, a black t-shirt and, a dark gray hoodie to coordinate with the day.
Inside the bathroom I caught my reflection again. It was amazing what a night’s rest could do. My hair was a matted mess, but at least I didn’t look like the walking dead. I quickly brushed my teeth, my hair, and applied some foundation, eyeliner, and lip-gloss. Lastly, I placed the Bloodstone amulet back around my neck. It had become my personal, warning-of-danger accessory.
After a quick assessment and agreeing I looked like a normal human being, I headed out the door. As soon as I stepped out of my room, I saw a figure charging a
t me from down the hall.
“Morning, Emma!” Courtney sang. She was carrying a muffin in her hand. Blueberry. I heard my stomach rumble again.
“Morning, Courtney,” I smiled.
“You slept in late. I was waiting for you to get up,” she noted.
“You were? Were you waiting in the hall for me?”
“No, silly. I just came up from the kitchen. Miss Lily has lunch ready if you’re hungry, and there are still some yummy blueberry muffins left from breakfast.”
My mouth began to water as I eyed her yummy goods. “That looks really good.”
“It is, but lunch is way better. She made fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes with gravy. You better hurry because all the boys are down there. I even saw those two scary, huge guys in the kitchen.”
“Alright, I’m on it,” I said. “Thanks for the info.”
“No problem. Oh! And Alaine wanted me to tell you that she wants to see you in her study. She’s there now, so you’d better go there first.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll see you later,” I smiled.
“Maybe we can watch a movie or play a board game?” She asked with a raised brow.
“I’d like that,” I replied.
Her face lit up, happy with my answer. “Alright, I’ll come find you later,” she said. Turning around, she skipped to her room and disappeared inside.
I smiled as I made my way toward the stairway, and was surprised at how quiet it was. Everyone must have been having lunch. The thought of food sent my stomach complaining again. The whole area was empty, so I bounced down the stairs and then made a right down the hall to Alaine’s study.
When I arrived at her door, I knocked and immediately heard her answer.
“Come in.”
I twisted the knob and entered. The sweet smell of roses greeted me.
“You wanted to see me?” I asked.
“Yes. Please come in and have a seat,” she said. She was seated behind her computer, but as soon as she saw me, her chocolate brown eyes sparkled. Her face was luminous and looked like porcelain; her dark, silky hair cascaded down in large ringlets. She was beautiful, and I did see a lot of me in her.
I headed toward her desk and took a seat facing her. She reached across and brushed my cheek with her hand.
“Good afternoon, sweetheart. How was your sleep?”
“It was great. I actually knocked out and don’t think I moved once,” I giggled.
“That’s great. You needed to rest and heal,” she said. “I wanted to discuss a few things with you, but first, I wanted to tell you how very proud I am. You really held your own in the Underworld. The boys keep saying how amazed they were at your strength. You saved them, and I cannot thank you enough for taking care of them and Samuel.”
“I really didn’t do much. Dominic and Malachi arrived just in time save Samuel, and Danyel…well, he was the one who saved me. If he didn’t come when he did, I would have ended up being a Grimlock snack.”
I tried to make light of it, but Danyel’s face suddenly flashed before my eyes. I could vividly see his eyes, and hear the last words he spoke to me before the Hellhound ripped out his throat. I instantly curled up and felt sick.
Before a tear could escape my eyes, Alaine was there, wrapping her arms around me.
“It’s alright, sweetheart. You’ve had so much pain and sadness. It’s okay to cry.”
I did cry. I cried and cried, until I couldn’t cry anymore - and she never let go. She stroked my hair and hugged me. I cried for my parents, and for Danyel, and for the pain that Samuel and Kade had to endure. The sadness had been bottled up for so long, every time it was shaken… it exploded.
I’d hoped to keep it inside, and deal with it myself, but I couldn’t. It overflowed from me, and there was no way of stopping it.
After it was over, I felt a release. I felt like I could move on and start over. My heart would forever have a piece missing, but I knew if I gave up, the people who lost their lives for me would be heartbroken. I would have to move on and make them proud. I would live my life so they did not die in vain. I knew my parents and Danyel would look down on me and smile.
“I’m sorry,” I said, wiping my face dry.
“Emma,” Alaine said softly. “Don’t be sorry. Sometimes it’s good to grieve. It helps the healing process.”
I nodded.
“One of the things I wanted to share with you is that I set up funeral arrangements for your parents. They will be buried on-site, right outside of the property. We have a small cemetery, where Courtney and Caleb’s mother, and my late husband are buried. It’s a small plot, but it’s a beautiful place to be laid to rest.
I think once the funeral is complete you will have some kind of closure. All of their belongings are being packed and will be shipped here. I will put them in storage until you decide what you want to do with it.”
“Thank you so much,” I said. I was glad I would have a final chance to say goodbye to my parents. They deserved to rest in a beautiful place.
“Of course. I loved my sister. I also wanted to set something up to have Danyel’s ashes spread.”
“That’s great,” I breathed.
“There is one more thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she said, her brow furrowed.
“Is it about my friends coming to visit?”
Her eyes widened. “Yes. That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Yeah, Lia can’t keep secrets.”
“Well, they called me the day you left LA, and asked if they could come and visit you during their break. I told them it was fine, because at the time, there was no immediate threat. I think we can manage four days. This will be good for you. You need to try and relax and have some fun. I also thought it would be a good idea for them to attend the funeral, since they were close to Victoria and Christian. Unless you don’t think that’s a good idea.”
The sound of my parents’ names made my heart ache horribly. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat, and fought the urge to weep again.
“No, that’s a great idea. My parents loved them, and vice versa. I know they would want to attend, and it will be great to have them there for support.”
“Then I’ll finish the arrangements. We can spread Danyel’s ashes after they leave, since they don’t know him. It’s a place Samuel chose, so we might have to fly, which means Ethon and his friends will have to join us.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
Then, as if she could read my mind, she added, “I know you’re confused about the whole double bonding, and I am just as baffled. But just because it has chosen, doesn’t mean you have to make a decision right now.”
“You and Kade have an incredibly strong connection. The first time I saw the two of you together, it reminded me of when I met Samuel. I know why the bond would choose Kade. He is an honorable young man, and I know he would take great care of you. As for the bond with Ethon, well that is something I am still unsure of. But we cannot deny that it chose him.”
“All I can suggest is that you take it slow. Get to know each one of them fully before you make your final decision…because once the bond is sealed, it is forever. Don’t rush it, and don’t feel like you have to shun Ethon.”
As much as I’d like to dislike him, he was placed in our lives for a reason. He never chose the bond, the bond chose him.
Alaine paused and then added one more piece of advice. “Keep your heart guarded, but also open enough to feel what the truth is. I believe in you, Emma, and know when the time comes… you will make the right decision.”
“Thank you,” I said, hugging her.
“And always remember that Samuel and I will be here for you. We have loved you from the moment you took your first breath.”
“Thank you, for everything,” I breathed, fighting the urge to cry. “I’m sorry things turned out the way they did, and I understand you only wanted the best for me. I appreciate you and Samuel for that, and I love you too.”
&
nbsp; “You don’t know how much that means to me,” she smiled, and wiped her tear.
We both stood with tears in our eyes, and then suddenly started laughing.
“Have you eaten anything?” Alaine asked.
“Not yet, but I heard Miss Lily made fried chicken for lunch.”
“She did, and you better head over there quickly because all the boys are there now.”
“I will,” I laughed.
“Remember, Emma. Don’t let anyone push you into sealing the bond. It’s hard to resist, and sometimes if you put yourself into a position…well…” She blushed. I could tell she was embarrassed, and having a hard time trying to convey the message to be safe. She was just being a mom. If my mom was here, she would have just come right out and said…Don’t you dare have sex with any of these boys, Emma. Not until you make it right first!
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any bond sealing anytime soon,” I reassured her.
She exhaled loudly and placed her hand to her heart. “Thank God. I’m glad we got that out of the way.”
“Yes,” I giggled. “I’ll see you later.
“By sweetheart. And remember, you can be nice to Ethon,” she smiled.
I nodded and headed out the door.
Chapter 3
I followed the wonderful aroma wafting down the hallway, and as I rounded the corner to the kitchen, I was hit with an overwhelming dizziness and euphoric feeling.
Damn it.
Ethon was close.
I was about to turn around when Alaine’s words resounded loudly in my head.
I sighed. I guess I should be nice. She was right, it wasn’t his fault the bond had chosen him. And, because of him, we did get out of hell free. Well, almost free. Someone would have to pay a price for our freedom, but I didn’t want to think about that right now.
As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I was hit with the smell of heaven, and was immediately greeted by Miss Lily.
“Emma! Oh dear Lord, it’s so good to see you again.” Her face lit up when she saw me.
“Hi, Miss Lily. It’s great to see you again, and so good to be back,” I answered.