“Keira, I’ve known you just over eight years. Give me some credit, will you? You like him, you haven’t seen him and you want too.”
“Is it that obvious?” I asked.
“It is to me. I live with you. I see what you’re like when the others aren’t around you.”
“It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen him, yet I can’t get him out of my head, and every time I close my eyes I see his face.”
“He is very easy on the eye, I’ll give him that.”
“He’s gorgeous, more than gorgeous. You know I lost my breath when he first looked at me,” I giggled.
“Wow, you have got it bad.”
“I know.”
“But, and I don’t mean to sound off, he’s a demon…”
“I know,” I sighed. “And I wish I could stop thinking about him.”
“Keira, I’ve never seen you like this over someone before.”
“I’ve never felt like this before, that’s why.”
“Look, think on it this way – he’s a demon; you’re a human being…well, you know…there’s not much future in it, is there?”
“I have demon in me.”
She couldn’t say anything to that; she knew what I was saying was true. We both sat there in silence until the guys came around.
The following weekend Lily decided she wanted to invite all the families over and cook for them all. I wasn’t really in the mood but she was so excited about it that I just agreed to it. At six o’clock everyone had arrived and was sitting in the dining room. I helped Lily serve the meal before we sat down and enjoyed our own.
“You’ve really done this place up. It’s beautiful,” Michelle complemented me.
“Thank you, but I can’t take all the credit; these guys helped me a lot. And without Sofia, my garden would probably still look like a miniature jungle.”
“It’s nice to see this place lived in again,” Michael said.
“Yeah, it is,” David nodded.
“Lily, you are an amazing cook,” Evelyn told her.
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to move in with us?” Sofia asked her, laughing.
“Hey, I’m not parting with her,” I smiled.
Once the main course was finished, Lily and Jake went to prepare dessert while Tyler and I collected all the dirty plates.
“This is really nice,” Lily said to me while I was loading the dishwasher.
“I know. Everyone’s so happy and relaxed – it makes a change.”
“We should do this on a regular basis,” Jake said.
“I agree,” Tyler nodded, handing me the next lot of plates. “Keira, do you want to go out somewhere tomorrow, just the two of us?”
Lily looked over at me. She knew I still had Eligos, or him, as she called him, on my mind.
“Yeah, sounds good,” I told him.
“Great, think about where you would like to go.”
“Ok,” I smiled.
We served dessert.
“The night is still young,” Jake said. “Anyone got any ideas as to what they would like to do?”
“Why don’t we go in the garden – there’s tables and chairs. We can put some music on, take some drinks out and relax. Maybe have our own little party,” Danny suggested.
“Yeah, it can be a late housewarming party,” Sofia said.
Everyone liked the idea.
We carried bottles of wine and spirits outside. Lucian and Tyler took the sound system out and fed the plug through to Lily in the kitchen. Danny sorted out the lighting around the decking, which left me to get some CD’s.
Everyone was chatting away and having a good laugh with each other. You could see just how close everyone was, and I was so happy to be part of that now. All us girls started to get itchy feet and got up to dance. When a slow song came on it was a race between Tyler and Lucian to see who could get to me first. Lucian won, much to Tyler’s disgust.
“May I have this dance,” he said, bowing to me.
“Why of course,” I smiled, curtsying.
Tyler watched as Lucian wrapped his arms around my waist, and cringed when I wrapped mine around Lucian’s neck. I saw Evelyn and Michael dancing together; they kept looking over at us and smiling. Jake and Lily joined us, along with Sofia and David.
“Keira, I know we’ve had a few disagreements lately,” Lucian started, “And I know I’ve been a jerk, but I would really like us to go back to how we were a few weeks ago. I loved being so close to you.”
“I don’t think this is a good time to be getting into relationships. I don’t want anything to distract me, not after what happened the other week.”
“It’s been quiet for weeks. Maybe it’s all over, maybe whatever it was has given up.”
“It would be nice to think that, but until I know for sure I’m not taking any chances…I’m sorry,” I said, putting my hand to the side of his face.
“If things were different, if nothing was attacking us, would your answer be different?”
“Yeah, I think it would.”
He held me closer until the end of the song. When the next song came on Lucian went to sit with Danny while I went inside to the bathroom. I stared in the mirror while I was washing my hands. Had I been honest with Lucian? – would I be with him if all this wasn’t going on? If I hadn’t met Eligos, would my answer tonight have been different? How would it affect my friendship with Tyler?
I was drying my hands when I heard a bang – it was so loud I jumped. Then I heard it again, and again. Fear filled me as I realized the bangs were gunshots. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could. I could hear Sofia screaming and crying. When I got to the front door I found out why. Lily was standing with Jake, blood trickling slightly down her arm from where one of the bullets had skimmed past her. Her head was buried in his chest, both of them in tears. When I looked down I saw Tyler’s lifeless eyes staring up at me. Sofia had hold of his hand and her head on his chest. I heard the sound of an engine and saw a red truck speeding away from the house, closely followed by Lucian’s and Danny’s cars.
I dropped to my knees next to Tyler. He looked like he was staring straight at me. I couldn’t talk, or even make a sound – my eyesight started to blur as tears filled them. My whole body started to tremble. I looked at his chest – he had been shot through his heart. Pain and anger, shock and sadness, filled every inch of me. The ground started shaking, thunder roared so loud it hurt my ears, the glow from my eyes reflected in his.
“Who did this?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“We don’t know who they were,” Jake sobbed. “Lucian and Danny have gone after them.”
“They looked human,” Evelyn told me as she tried to calm Sofia down. “He only went to get some more drinks with Lily…how could this happen”
I turned my attention back to Tyler. I put my hand a few inches over the bullet wound. The bullet rose slowly out of him, I gripped it tight for a moment then opened my hand again. The bullet was gone. Another clap of thunder roared as I stood up and walked down the steps of the porch. My car moved itself towards me, doors open.
“Jake, you have to go with her,” Lily pleaded. “She’ll kill them.”
“Good!” Sofia screamed. “They’ve murdered my baby!”
“Jake, they could be normal human beings. They should be locked away,” Lily said, pleading again.
He jumped and slid over the hood and then into the passenger seat. Before he had chance to shut the door we were speeding down the driveway.
“Keira, we don’t know which way they’ve gone,” he said.
“No. You don’t,” I corrected, as I skidded out on to the country lane.
“If they are normal human beings you need to let the police deal with them.”
“Really?” I replied, as I turned and started to drive across one of the fields.
The car was moving faster than the speedometer could read. We couldn’t see in front of us with the high grass and corn stems. But that didn
’t matter I knew exactly where I needed to go.
“Put your seat belt on!” I told him plainly.
He fastened it just before we skidded out on to another road and then into another field. We drove alongside a little path before skidding on to the road. The side of my car slammed into the side of the truck, sending the back end of it outwards. I fought with the steering wheel to keep control of the car, then chased after them. I could see the headlights of Lucian’s and Danny’s cars in my rear-view mirror.
“Time for you to get out,” I told Jake.
“Wh…”
He disappeared in a second. I looked in the mirror again and saw him re-form in the passenger seat of Lucian’s car. It must have frightened Lucian because he nearly lost control of his car. I moved to the side of the truck again and slammed into it repeatedly but it did no good. I burst their tires but they fixed them again instantly. That proved they weren’t ordinary people, and that meant they were mine! I blasted the truck with energy balls but they seemed to reflect off it, as though they had a protective barrier around the vehicle.
“Very clever!” I said out loud. “We’ll do this the hard way then.”
I shot in front of them creating a large distance between us. I saw them try to turn on to a side road, so I sent a wall of earth and dirt flying upwards to block their path. I was determined they would have to follow behind me. They tried to turn off again, this time into a field, but they met another wall and were forced to stay on the road. I increased the distance between us more and more. I drove down a rather large hill, and, as soon as I hit the flat road again, I slammed my breaks on, screeching and spinning to a stop a few hundred yards from the foot of the hill.
I got out of the car and walked a few steps towards the hill again, and then stopped and waited. I waited for what seemed like hours but couldn’t have been more than a minute. I saw the headlights of the truck appear at the top of the hill and watched as it descended. The guys’ cars weren’t far behind.
When the driver saw me he increased his speed, but I didn’t move an inch. I waited until it was only a few feet in front of me. I reached out in front of me and then lifted my arms above my head. I heard the guys’ cars skid to a stop as the truck rose from the road, tipping upside down in the air. I threw my hands towards the field on the left on me. The truck smashed on to the ground and rolled several times before finally coming to a standstill. The tires were bent out of their usual position, the roof had nearly been torn off, and all the windows and the headlights were smashed. Three people dragged themselves out of the truck, falling on to the grass, rolling about in pain. I walked closer to them. The part of the low wooden fence blocking my way to the field flew into the air, clearing my path.
“Keira!” I heard Lucian shout, but I paid no attention.
As soon as I was close enough to see their human faces and black eyes, I raised my left hand. All three of them rose from the ground, their legs dangling. I opened my fingers wide and their arms stretched out to their sides. I held my right hand out, palm up, just in front of me and the bullet that had killed Tyler appeared, floating an inch above my hand.
“I’m going to show you what a bullet feels like,” I seethed.
The bullet shot towards them. It ripped through them all, in no particular order, over and over again, and as easily and quickly as a hot knife cuts through butter, shredding their clothing. At first they screamed in pain as the bullet hit their arms and legs, then they were silent as it shot through their chests. I held my right hand out again and the bullet returned. Then I threw my left hand forward sending all of them back inside the truck. I turned away from them and walked back towards my car. I could feel the guys staring at me, but I didn’t look at any of them. When I got closer to them they backed away quickly. I got in the car and started the engine. At the same time I set off, the truck in the field blew up, sending parts of tires and bits of metal into the road. As my car got close to them they were thrown to the sides, and I made my way back to the house.
When I pulled up on the drive I saw everyone was still on the porch. As I walked up the steps I saw Sofia had moved so that Tyler’s head was resting on her knees and she was facing his feet. Someone had closed his eyes now and she was stroking his face. A few minutes later Lucian and the others pulled up and joined us on the porch. I looked around at everyone. All of them were in tears. I couldn’t stand to see them like that. Lucian and Danny knelt down next to Tyler and broke down crying. I couldn’t let this happen; I couldn’t let something tear them apart like that. I walked backwards down the steps, staring at everyone in turn, and then finally Tyler. My whole body started to tingle and a white aura surrounded every inch of my skin.
“I’m so, so sorry,” I whispered, looking at his lifeless body, a tear falling down my cheek.
Chapter 24
Lucian’s Story – Lifeless
I suppose I, Lucian, should take up the story now. Keira couldn’t have known what happened next.
I knelt there looking at someone I’d known almost since birth – lifeless. I can’t explain the feeling that washed over me. How could this happen? Why him? Why not me? I started to lay my hand on his arm when, suddenly, his whole body became illuminated, and what can only be described as a bright white, electrically charged mist seeped into his skin. I turned to look in the direction that it had come from. I saw Keira standing at the bottom of the steps, her left hand held out towards him. All her body was glowing white. The mist was coming from her and going into him. I looked back at Tyler just as his eyes flew open and he sat up quickly, clutching his chest and gasping for breath. He looked over in Keira’s direction for a couple of seconds, before everyone crowded around him, hugging him. Sofia held him close to her, tears of joy running down her face.
“Mom, you’re suffocating me” Tyler croaked
She let go of him and apologized.
“Can you stand? Are you in pain?” I asked him
“Yeah, I can stand. I’m not in any pain at all, I feel fine”
Danny and Jake got him to his feet. He looked down at his shirt and saw the blood and hole where the bullet and torn through it. He put his hand to his chest for a moment then looked at me.
“How?” He asked in shock “How did you bring me back?”
“Not me my friend.”
I smiled at him for a second and then turned to look at Keira.
“Keira!” I yelled, the smile fading from my face.
In a split second, everyone had gone quiet and turned around, only to see her lying on her back, slightly to one side, on the path. Her legs were slightly bent, her left arm was out to the side and her right lay over her stomach. I flew down the steps, along with Lily and Danny, and slid my knees as I hit the ground next to her.
“Keira!” I shouted, taking her head into my hands. “Keira, talk to me!”
“Keira!” Lily cried.
Danny reached over and checked for her pulse as Jake dropped to his knees at the other side of her.
“She’s…she’s…dead…” Danny managed to say.
“N-o-o-o!” Tyler shouted, running down the porch steps. Jake began compressing Keira’s chest in a vain attempt to revive her. “You’re not allowed to do this; you can’t leave me, not like this!” Tyler cried
Jake tried and tried, I tried, but it was no use. She was gone.
“No!” Lily screamed.
Jake grabbed her and buried her head in his chest. Her legs gave way underneath her and he lowered her to the ground.
“Keira no, please no,” I cried, stroking the side of her face.
Tyler crawled over and pulled her towards him, cradling her and rocking her. He buried his head in her shoulder, crying. His dad came behind him and put his hands on his shoulders.
“Tyler,” he said in a broken voice. “Come on, son, we need to move her.”
“Get off me!” He snapped “You’re not taking her!”
“We don’t want to take her away, just inside. You bring her in
if you feel more comfortable with that.”
My mom came over to me and pulled me to my feet, before trying to take me in her arms to comfort me. I didn’t want to be hugged, so I moved away from her. Tears rolled down my face as I watched Tyler gather her in his arms and take her inside.
He laid her on the sofa and sat on the floor next to her. Lily couldn’t walk so Jake carried her in and sat on the chair with her in his arms. Our parents were silent, with tear-stained faces and obviously didn’t know what to say. I walked over to look at her. Tyler went to hold her right hand.
“She’s holding something,” he said, investigating.
“What is it?” Danny croaked.
“A bullet,” he just managed to reply. “Where is this from?”
“Tyler,” Jake explained. “She took it…she took it out of you…she killed the ones who shot you with it.”
He gripped it tight before taking her hand in one of his, kissing it and then holding it to the side of his face.
“Where is that guy that was here last time she was hurt?” He asked. “Why isn’t he here now, why doesn’t he save her? It’s supposed to be his damn job!”
“Tyler, no one can save people from themselves,” Danny told him. “This was her doing, her choice, no one else’s.”
“She chose to die so you could live,” Lily cried. “She cared about you, Tyler; she cared about all of you. She wasn’t going to let you die, not if there was a way to save you.”
“How am I supposed to live knowing she gave her life for me?” he said in tears again.
“Live knowing that that was her final wish, for you to live,” Michael said. “Respect her wishes.”
Nobody moved or said anything after that for about half an hour. The only sound was that of people crying. Just after 1 a.m. our parents said they were going home. They all needed time to themselves to try and take in, and understand, everything that had just happened. None of us went with them. We sat in the living room either staring at nothing or at Keira. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. It was hard to believe she was really gone. I kept looking at her, waiting for her to sit up and smile at us, or for me to wake up in my bed and realize this had all been a nightmare. I wish it could have been that.
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