“Yes,” he nods.
I laugh softly, unable to hide the joy welling inside me.
“So, I’ve officially made love to an angel,” Liam says, laughing softly as he plays with the ends of my hair. “How strange is that?”
Silence sits between us for a moment as I take in his words.
“Technically, I don’t know what I am anymore,” I say, looking up at him.
He holds my gaze, running his fingertips along the curve of my body. “You’re still an angel to me.”
Chapter 14
Recompense
Wrapped up in Liam’s arms, I can’t imagine a more euphoric place. Comfortable bliss takes hold, lulling us both into an easy sleep, but rest doesn’t linger long for me.
Nearby, a moaning wail pulls me from my slumber, instantly putting me on edge. My eyes pop open and, in the darkness, a strange, purple light beyond the waterfall greets me. Beside me, Liam’s breathing is slow and deep, and I would hate more than anything to awaken him. For once, he seems to be resting comfortably.
However, my Guardian instincts niggle at me to get up and check things out. After all, what if the wraiths were to traverse the water? Or something else? We wouldn’t stand a chance. Slipping carefully from his arms, I inch away slowly to take a look around. There's no sign of intruders in our little sanctum, but there's no telling what could be just on the other side of the falls.
Even over the crashing of the water beside me, I make out another cry in the distance. Its proximity makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I slip a tentative foot into the water. Shooting a final glance at Liam, I immerse my lower body into the water and walk through the waterfall. To blend myself into the movement, I walk to the edge of the falls—but only enough to be able to see through the crashing water. When nothing unusual stands out, I crouch down and slowly move forward into the eerie light.
With only the tip of my head visible once I’ve cleared the waterfall, I sweep my gaze from one side of the lake to the other. There’s no sign of movement in the water, but as I turn to face the way I’ve come, the moonlight illuminates the source of the wails. The landings on both sides of the falls are covered with wraiths, all milling about as if they’re looking for something they’ve forgotten.
“Oh my God,” I say, my mouth dropping open in horror. There’s easily fifty or more at various points along the waterfall’s cliffside. Covering my mouth with my hand, my mind whirls in a hundred different directions.
How do I protect us from all of them? I don’t have clothes, let alone a weapon. I should have kept the makeshift one I made earlier with us at all times. What was I thinking?
Narrowing my eyes, I watch the wraiths’ movements. They all mill about, not really active, but not inert, either. Why are they not converging? Is the water keeping them away? Or is it something else? Do they need to be able to see us in order to make a move? How fast can they move if they were to see someone they… wanted?
I swallow hard. I’m not sure I want to know the answer to that. Whirling around, I peer to the other end of the lake. Would it be wise to make a move? Move slowly from here to the other end and make a run for it?
In the center of the lake, the purple glow is intense, tugging at a memory just out of reach. There’s something special about it, but I’m not sure what. Closing my eyes, I place my fingertips to my eyebrow, trying to recollect. But just like grains of sand slipping through my fingertips, the idea is hard to hold onto.
Purple… swirling… light…
It’s like a gateway to another world, only we’re trapped in the one place without an out. Well, unless you wanted to talk to the…
My eyes flip open.
The Intermediaries!
Assessing the water with new eyes, I search the space for the telltale sign—a swirled design with a center of bright, white light. Like a plug being pulled or the form a shell. From this angle it’s hard to tell for certain, but as I slowly back up, tendrils of it become evident.
This is no ordinary pool of water; it’s the gateway meant for communication. Like the single phone call a human receives at the police station.
My insides twist with this new information, urging me to take action—or at least remember there is action that can be taken. But my mind continues to contort and twist, and thoughts jumble up. If I were to talk to them—if I were to explain that we don’t belong here, maybe we can get out. I could take Liam with me and we’d be—
I turn back to the waterfalls, clinging to a new plan. But off to the right, I make out a form moving with more certainty than any wraith would be able to muster. He moves quickly, traversing the rocky cliffside toward the edge of the waterfall.
Liam—I need to get back to him.
Without another thought, I dive into the water, bypassing the waterfall completely by propelling myself under it. When I come up on the other side, I spit out water that’s tried to make its way into my nose and lungs. I grope at my eyes, trying to wipe away the water so I can make sure Liam’s okay.
“Eva? What are you—?” Liam says, sitting up. With the soft purple light reflecting from the lake, I can barely make out his figure, but I can see the outline of him—and another body making its way toward him.
“Liam, get up. You have to move,” I croak, forcing my legs to push me through the water. The resistance is brutal, and I slam my knee into the edge of the rocks as I pull myself out.
“What is it? What’s going on?” he says, making his way to me. Despite being dry, he wraps his arms around me.
“I knew it was just a matter of time,” Jake says, flicking his head to the side and sending water flying. “If there’s one thing wraiths are good for, it’s being living-dead metal detectors. Well, living-dead-living detectors, anyway.” He scrunches his face and the purple shadows contort his features, making him look far more ominous than in actuality.
“What do you want, Jake? We already told you, we want nothing to do with your—”
“Oh, I’m over all that,” the incubus says, waving a hand in front of him. “Besides, the two of you really aren’t my type. Too goodie-two-shoes for my liking. Though that was before I got to see you in full glory…” He takes a slight step back, placing a hand on his hip. “Maybe if I had done that, we’d be in a different place right now.”
A dark puddle grows beneath his feet, but he doesn’t seem fussed at all about being soaking wet with clothes on.
“Doubtful,” Liam says, stepping in front of me.
“Well, that really is a pity, Liam. Truly. Because now I’m going to have to do what I do best. Well, second best,” Jake says, chuckling softly.
“And what’s that,” I say, stepping around Liam and taking the lead.
“Well, see, I have to protect myself, and I’m going to do whatever’s best in order to make that happen. I mean, I don’t want to end up like all those walking dead things outside. I’m too hot for all that,” he says.
“What did you do?” I demand, clenching my fists at my sides.
Jake’s shoulders shimmy to his ears, “Mmm, mmmm, mm. Anyone ever tell you you’re sexy when you’re angry?”
“That’s enough—” Liam says, his jaw muscles flexing in the low light.
Jake tips his head. “Ehhhh… is it, though?”
“Enough games. What do you want?” I spit.
“What I’ve always wanted. To live, be happy, and partake in orgies. Is that too much to ask?” he says. “And in order to continue all of that, my powers-that-be want me to offer up recompense. Yes folks, that’s you.”
“You offered to turn us in? To what? To who?” Liam says, taking a step forward.
“You were right the first time. They want me to turn you into wraiths. Or… the wraiths,” Jake stops, tapping the bottom of his chin as he appears to think. “To the wraiths to be wraiths?”
“You led them here?” I say, my nostrils flaring.
“Hell no. They led me here. Weren’t you listening? But now I’m gon
na lead them in here. So, yeah, sorta right. Hope you got enough booty time because it’s probably all you’re gonna get,” he says, his white teeth glowing brightly in the purple light.
Before I can spit out a comeback, he bends down and yanks hard at something at his feet. A single wraith splashes through the side of the waterfall, entering the space in a sloshy wet production as it flails and whines.
“See, they’re not huge fans of getting wet—but they’re not gonna melt or anything. They’re just big babies. Learned that when one of ’em was chasing me,” Jake says, stepping aside as the wraith drops to the floor, rolling around and screaming like he’s on fire. “Now, you have about two and a half minutes of this to figure a way out of this mess before he comes to his senses. In the meantime, though…” Twisting around, Jake walks into the water and vanishes.
Liam places his hands to his ears, trying to drown out the sound of the wraith as he turns to me. I shake my head, trying to figure out what he’s up to now.
“We should get out—” I begin, grabbing hold of Liam’s forearm. I no sooner get those words out than Jake plunges a makeshift doorway on the side of the waterfall where the water isn’t falling as hard.
Like a curtain being pulled on the cascade, there’s suddenly an open space wide enough for a being to walk through, mostly unencumbered, between our alcove and the wet, rocky cliffside.
“With one of their own down here, mixed with your yummy, smelly life force, you’ll be dealing with the herd in no time. Good luck,” he says, tipping his head and diving into the water. Within seconds, he’s beyond the falls and has vanished before our eyes.
“Come on, Liam. We need to do the same,” I command, trying to drag Liam to the water. The herd of wraiths are all above us, and it won’t take long for them to make their way to this opening.
“But there’s just one. Take out the wooden umbrella—or whatever he propped in there, and I’ll deal with this guy,” Liam says, breaking from my hand and stepping toward the wraith.
“He’s not a guy, Liam. He’s a wraith, remember?” I say, reaching for him. “You can’t touch him.”
He spins around, a look of confusion clear across his face. “What are you talking about?”
Instantly, I realize he’s been losing memories—important ones, too. Ones that will get him obliterated if he’s not careful.
The wraith suddenly stops screaming, as if a timer was shut off, and rolls onto its side. Standing up slowly, it holds there for a moment, like it’s waiting for a command.
“We need to go—” I repeat, an octave higher.
Liam takes a step forward. “No, I got this. Look how frail he is. Sir, sir—you need to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
The direct connection with Liam is all the wraith needed to switch back on, and its sunken, dark eyes zero in on Liam. In a movement far more swift than I would have thought possible, the wraith lunges forward, its bony arms extended and fingers groping at the air to make contact with him.
Lunging forward, I shove Liam to the side, allowing the wraith to grab hold of me instead. With as much force as I can muster, I drag it to the water’s edge and throw both of us into the pool behind the falls. As we hit the water, the wraith loses contact with me, thanks in part to my lack of clothing and slippery, wet skin. I kick myself away, trying to put distance between us, but the wraith flails wildly, entangling its left hand into the strands of my long hair. Yanking me back, it gropes for more, trying to pull me closer.
Swallowing in a huge mouthful of water as the wraith pushes me under, my mind is suddenly fuzzy, and all I can think about is the beautiful singing suddenly invading my ears. The music is so beautiful, and I want nothing more than to escape this torment and go toward the melody.
Beside me, a stronger body slams into me, yanking at the wraith and trying to pull him off, but it’s no use. Its fingers are like talons, refusing to let go of its prey.
The music lulls me again, enticing me to drift away. To give in…
My lungs burn and the sensation pulls me into the present, reminding me I need to get away—I need air. I pull both feet up tight, placing them squarely on the wraith’s torso and kicking hard. It releases my hair as it gropes at its side and tries to regain some buoyancy of its own. I kick my legs hard, pushing the water and propelling myself forward the way I was taught earlier. At least, I think it was earlier…
A moment later, my hands bump against rocks and I pull myself from the water and back away from the ledge. Two separate entities flail about wildly in the pool beyond, but one edges nearer. Scrambling back further, I watch the motion until finally, Liam bursts from the water and pulls himself onto the rocky ledge. Pushing myself forward on hands and knees, I make my way to him, holding out an arm to help him up.
“Oh, thank you,” he says. “I… appreciate it.”
“No problem,” I say, watching his movements as he stands. He’s a bit slow, but doesn’t look too worse for wear.
“Where did you come from?” he asks.
“The water. There was a…” I say, holding a hand to my head and trying to jog my thoughts loose. “I was trying to…”
My brain whirls, searching for answers, but nothing comes. It’s all a big blank. But I remember music. Beautiful music…
“You look really familiar. Do I know you?” Liam says.
I flick my gaze back to him, my eyes wide in shock and horror.
“You don’t… remember me?” I say.
He shakes his head and water flicks everywhere. “Should I?”
I take a deep breath, pushing to a stand and stepping away from the water’s edge. How could he forget about me? I remember him…
A few feet ahead of me, the flailing in the water slows to a stop. Staring at the place where the wraith ceases, I suddenly notice a soft light emerging from the water.
Wait a minute… Where is that beautiful purple light coming from?
Chapter 15
Consciousness Compromised
“Hey look, there’s a doorway over here,” Liam says. “We should go check it out.”
Narrowing my gaze, I try to put my finger on why the purple light is so familiar to me. It’s important but slips away like a dream upon waking. Blinking away my confusion, I turn back to Liam. “Doorway?”
Why is there a doorway in a waterfall?
I follow his movements as he makes his way to a makeshift opening in the waterfall. Suddenly, a conversation with the incubus flashes through my brain and I race forward, trying to grab Liam’s wrist. “No, stop. We can’t—”
Just as I reach him, a wraith tumbles down the cliffside, landing just outside the door. Both of us automatically back up, and Liam’s eyes widen in surprise.
“What—what is that thing?” he says, taking another step back. “Wait, is that a man? Sir, are you okay?”
Before I can tell him to leave it alone, the wraith clambers to his feet, finding the open doorway and making his way inside the alcove.
“Oh my god, we won’t be able to stop them all if they realize this is here,” I say, thinking aloud.
“Stop them all? It’s just one guy,” Liam says, pointing.
Deja vu washes over me and I suddenly feel sick. This has happened before, and if we’re not careful, it will continue to happen. The wraiths will keep coming until we lose all sense of self and become one of them. I can’t let that happen. But how can I save us when our thoughts and memories are slipping?
Looking around at the space, there aren’t many options. Either we fight off the wraith or we take our chances with the water—and whatever is beyond in the strange, purple pool.
“Hey, are you okay? You look pretty beat up—” Liam begins.
The wraith lunges forward, swiping at the air as it tries to make contact with Liam. Its bony fingers splay wide, groping at the air in a way that makes my skin crawl.
“Liam, we need to go into the water. The water is safe—” I say, pulling us both to the water’s edge.
“But what about the guy? He looks like he needs our help,” he says, turning to me. His eyes take on a doe-like quality, and he cocks his head to the side. “Hey, wait a minute. Do I know you? You look really familiar.”
My eyes widen, and I swallow hard. He’s worse—far worse. When he was in the water with me, he must have touched the wraith, too.
“Liam, it’s me—Eva,” I say, holding my hand out for him.
He looks at my hand quizzically but doesn’t take it. Inside, my heart constricts. I wish there was some way to reverse this. Some way to… turn back time and fix this. Pulling up short, I stop for a moment, trying to recollect the memory tickling at the edge of my mind. The answer is there right there, if I could only access it.
Again the wraith lunges toward us, picking up speed as it half-walks, half-runs. Shaking away whatever answer I was reaching for, I grab Liam’s wrist and tug him into the water with me. As we hit the cold water, the wraith makes an attempt to follow us. However, when its foot loses contact with the ground and touches the water’s surface, it yanks it back and screams as if it burns.
Suddenly, three more wraiths tumble from the cliffside, entwining with one another as they hit the ground just outside the doorway. I continue to move us backward, putting as much distance as possible between ourselves and the incoming wraiths.
“I’m so confused. What’s going on? Why are we naked?” Liam says, suddenly pulling his hand from mine and covering up his lower half.
Glancing down, I fumble, realizing I have no clothes either. What in the—? I take a deep breath, trying to clear the cobwebs from my mind as the wraiths congregate en masse. When they realize we’ve gone where they won’t go, they scream a high-pitched, unearthly screech. Both Liam and I place our hands over our ears, cowering from the noise.
“What are those things?” Liam yells, trying to be heard over the crash of the waterfall and the screams of the wraiths. “Why are they screaming like that?”
The Chronicles of the 8th Dimension - Limited Edition Box Set (4 Books): A Supernatural Thriller Box Set Page 61
