She still befriended Morgan by inviting her to birthday parties, sleepovers, and sitting with her at the lunch table. Everywhere she went, Morgan followed. A couple of years passed, and the two became inseparable. Morgan loved the attention, being in the spotlight as Zoe’s best friend. There was a power struggle between her and Kieran, both vying for her BFF title. Ultimately, Zoe chose him.
Hurt and betrayal flooded Morgan’s childish mind. Zoe had never reciprocated Morgan’s deeper friendship.
On their last recess when the girls had played together, something happened. A small bird flew directly into a window, stunning it. She, Morgan, and Cali surrounded the animal. Morgan poked it with a stick to see if it was still alive. It didn’t move.
Cali started crying, but Zoe said, “No, it’s not dead. It’s playing with us.” She looked around and told the girls to not say anything; she had special powers and watch what should could do.
She picked up the bird in her small hands. Light surrounded the wings with a faint purple glow. Suddenly, the bird’s head twitched, and it came alive. It flew away as the girls gasped.
Morgan couldn’t believe her eyes. Zoe had brought that bird to life with magic. She hadn’t trusted her from then on. Morgan’s mother had told her stories of people being able to do things that were not normal. She said those people were witches and were evil. They were abominations to the world.
“Freak!” Morgan screamed at her. “You’re not natural. You shouldn’t be able to do that.”
“I’m not a freak,” Zoe said. “I—
“You’re a monster.”
“No, I’m not. And you owe me an apology for calling me names. We’re friends, and friends aren’t mean to each other.”
“I will not say I’m sorry when I don’t mean it.”
Morgan had turned her back on her former schoolmate. She would not apologize for voicing her opinion. That, coupled with the devastation that Zoe had picked Kieran over her, Morgan chose to break their friendship. A deep hatred swelled in the girl’s heart, and ever since Zoe had been horrible to her.
Those scenes played out in a matter of seconds in my mind. Now, twelve years later, Morgan still expected an apology for treating her like a crap friend, but Zoe didn’t understand why Morgan walked away. That’s what had hurt Morgan the most.
“Hey, where are you?” Morgan’s sing-songy voice asked. That pulled me out of her mind.
“No place, I’m here with you.”
“Are you sure? Because you’re half naked, and yet I’m standing here with all my clothes on.” She waved a hand down her body.
“And you will stay that way.” I re-buttoned my black shirt and adjusted the tie. “We have to go.”
“What? Why?” Morgan started slipping her dress strap down her shoulder.
“Because I said so. Now come on. We need to get to the dance.” Turning away from her, I marched toward the door. “Are you coming? Or am I going in there alone?”
“Fine, give me a sec.” She took out a mirror, straightened her red flowing gown and hair, and slinked passed me. “Let’s go.”
We are now one of the last couples to enter the gymnasium since it’s been an hour since the dance started. With a gust of wind, I blow open the doors. Everyone stops and stares as we saunter into the room, hand in hand. Morgan sashays across the room like she owns the place. Her two bookends, Ashel and Abby, flank us with their dates.
“What are you all staring at?” she yells. “I’m fashionably late. The party can start now.”
I spot my victim and stroll to her side to ask if she will save a dance for me. Oh yes, I play my part well. She hesitates, confusion in her eyes when she looks at me and then Morgan.
“I can’t believe you took Morgan to prom. Doesn’t our friendship mean anything to you?”
I hold up one hand. “Whoa, hold on. I came to this school late in the year and didn’t have anyone to bring. She was available, so I asked her. I know you two don’t get along, but—”
And now I know the real reason.
But she relents and will save a dance.
I see my chance. Kieran is dancing with his best friend, and I am able to cut in. We spin and weave around the dance floor. I dip Zoe low and her head tilts back. She can see her friends standing against the wall.
I lean into her ear and whisper, “Finally, you’re mine.”
The Nephilim launches himself off the wall when I glare at him.
Light fills the gym by the angel.
But both are too late in coming to Zoe’s rescue.
Chapter Three
Zoe
Sometime during my slumber, the non-lights turned off, blanketing me in total darkness. It’s a good thing I’m not scared of the dark. Well, okay, maybe I am a wee bit, but who could blame me? I’m being held captive in a white-walled prison for who knows how long and where. I have no clue what Aiden wants from me, and most importantly, I don’t know how things appear and disappear from the room.
I had left the serving tray on the foot of the bed and now when I stretch out my leg, I feel nothing. The tray is gone.
Being surrounded by darkness is one thing, but having the room devoid of sound does something to me. I wake in a panic, my legs tangled in my dress. Feeling like I’m being watched, I sit up, but of course I can’t glimpse my hand in front of my eyes.
“Who’s there?” I ask. It’s the first time I have spoken out loud since Aiden took me.
There’s no response, and I no longer feel eyes on me.
I lie back down, but sleep does not come.
Instead, Shay’s warm hand caresses mine and comforts me. Even though it really is my own hand, I imagine it belongs to him. I clear my mind, thinking only of my boyfriend. His aqua eyes. The way his body molds and fits exactly next to mine. The way he always says his name, “Name’s Shay.” His musky lavender scent, with a hint of something sweet like a strawberry, envelops my senses.
My mind runs through every conversation we had. The first time I laid eyes on him in the warehouse. Our first date at Cali’s house. Our real first date when he took me flying. My protection detail nights with him snuggled against me. The night we found out what the tingling meant when we touch—it means we’re soul mates.
Shay is my world. I thought I’d lost him, but we found our way back to each other. It was me who pulled him from his coma-like state when we finally rescued him from his demon captors. I had accidently walked into his dreams. We both stood there as if it was real, but I knew deep down it wasn’t. He, of course, thought he was dead and was seeing me in Heaven.
I hope that he’s exhausted enough to be asleep, so we can connect in our dreams again. Hope sparks in my chest, but doubt creeps into my mind. This is only the second time I’ve tried Dream Walking. Plus, the first time, I was physically touching Shay’s chest.
My body relaxes, and my mind’s about there when a cold shimmer caresses my body. I smile at myself. I did it. I’m tossed onto a beach, our beach, and sit and stare at the ocean. I wait, but Shay must not be sleeping; he never shows.
Pulling my thoughts back to the white room, the landscape dissolves.
I pat my stomach, feeling content as normal dreams take me away.
Sometime later, that tingling feeling runs through my body again. The non-lights turn on, and my foot touches something. My eyes fly open, and there sits the serving tray with a bagel and cream cheese and an extra-large chai tea latte.
Disappointment floods me. Drats. I thought I had made a breakthrough, and this could be my way out. Instead, it means that I can feel the magic or whatever causes the tray to appear and disappear. During my time of zen, was I one with the room? I’d have to conduct some experiments on that concept.
Pealing back the foil top, I use the bagel and dig into the cream cheese. No utensils again. But there is a white washcloth and hand towel draped along the handle of the tray. I look toward the sink, and the pillowcase I used to remove my makeup is gone.
I reach for the
steaming cup of chai and take a deep breath of the spicy cinnamon flavor, hoping that this will be as good as the one I usually get from the local shop, Coffee Grind. It’s not.
After the light breakfast, I force myself to do my workout, and then I will treat myself with the meditation exercise.
Again, I relax my body and mind and think only of Shay. The way he smiles. His blond hair. The impressive six-pack he tries to hide under T-shirts. The black attire he always wears. His 1957 Lincoln convertible, Angel. I know it must be close to noon or sometime in the afternoon on Monday. It’s been two days since I’ve vanished. There is a slight pull from the center of my body. I can feel my angel Light scanning, searching for him. My mind’s eye and Light sync together, and bam.
I’m thrust into a dream-like state. Shay stands on a shoreline, looking out across the horizon. He doesn’t see me. He must not feel me either since he doesn’t turn around.
I call out to him. “Shay?” Tears stream down my face upon seeing him.
He spins when he spots me. His face is ashen. The bright aqua eyes I know are dull and lifeless. His shoulders slump, probably from exhaustion. “Zoe?” he asks. “Is that really you?”
I sprint across the sand, and we collide as he embraces me. He pats my body down as if to make sure it’s me and not his imagination, even though it is. I’m still wearing my white prom dress, and he’s in fresh black fatigues.
“We’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Shay says. “Where are you being held?”
“I don’t know where I am,” I say. “I don’t even know if Aiden really has taken me because no one has come in or out. I’m locked in some sort of magic room.”
“What do you mean by magic room?”
“I can feel when something is going to happen to the room.” I watch his face blanch. “No, it’s nothing bad. So far it’s been a serving tray that comes and goes with food on it.”
“So, he’s at least feeding you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, God, Zoe. If I could take your place, I would. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know Shay, but I wouldn’t want you to. You’ve been keeping me company until you can figure out a way to rescue me. I hoped that Dream Walking would work, and we could use it to communicate with each other.”
“Smart thinking. That’s my girl.” He runs a finger across my cheek. “Don’t cry. We’ll find you.”
“I don’t know what he wants with me. I know he’s there; he won’t say anything.”
“Now that I know you’re at least not physically hurt, we’ll look into all the reference books about magic rooms. I might have to ask my dad or the Council if we don’t find anything in the tomes. Hang in there, and don’t give up.”
“I won’t. It’s only been a couple of days. I can wait a few more.”
“Actually, Zoe, it’s been ten.”
“Ten what? Days?” I’m shocked.
He nods.
“How is that even possible?” I ask. “I’ve had two meals in that room.”
“I don’t know, but time must move differently there. It may mean that you’re in the Void or Fairyland.” Shay tugs me forward and kisses my forehead. “That narrows it down. I’ll let Sidelle know, and Kieran and I will read through the scrolls about the Void, who can create them, and where.”
“Okay.” I wrap my arms around his waist and hang on for dear life. A tug starts in the center of my body that I take as a sign that my time with Shay is about to end. Quickly, I stand on my tiptoes and find his mouth. I give him a searing kiss, one that hopefully says everything I need to tell him and that he understands. “I love you, Shay.”
“I know, Zoe, I love you, too.” He kisses me again. “I’ll never stop looking for you. I promise. Be strong.”
“I don’t want to leave, but I think I have to. I’ll try to do this again, but since I won’t know how much time passes, I’ll give it another shot in what I think is tomorrow night.”
Our mouths meet for one last kiss, and my body fades from the beach.
Chapter Four
Shay
Saturday, prom night; two hours after Zoe’s disappearance.
All I remember is yelling “No!” toward my girlfriend and her dancing partner.
My body moved on autopilot until Kieran could get me to his house and regroup.
Now, I sit on the couch next to Sidelle as Kieran proceeds to recap the evening for us, as he knows it.
“Let me tell you what happened as I saw it,” Kieran says. “So Sidelle and Vash understand. Zoe and I were dancing. Aiden came up to us and cut in. I relented and stood by Shay to watch. Shay told me that he thought the person Zoe was dancing with, was the same who kidnapped him. His outer appearance changed, but the eyes remained the same. The same color as his own. I was baffled by that because we’ve all known Aiden for a couple of weeks. He moved in with his sister and they bought the house next door to the Jabrils.”
Neighbor?
That threw me to see red. My wings appeared at the dance, scaring attendees and teachers. I remembered seeing a bright flash of golden rays, and assumed that Kieran also couldn’t hold in his anger. He released his angel Light.
I reign in my anger from those thoughts and tell everyone in the room that Aiden had stood taller, had broader shoulders, but I never saw his full face. Only the eyes. Now reflecting on that, I think it was on purpose that Aiden only let me see some of his features.
I remember we dashed toward the couple, trying to snatch Zoe away from Aiden. But we were too late. Partners who had been dancing in the area stopped and screamed upon seeing Aiden’s black wings and witnessing two people disappear from the gym.
The room turned chaotic in a matter of seconds. Kieran had a better grip on his Light than me. I had let my silver Light escape, which projected around the center of the room, like a disco ball.
Vash and Sidelle sprinted to my side, trying to calm me and understand the situation. Kieran, of course, took charge and Mind Wiped everyone and directed Sidelle to take me back to Kieran’s house.
I barely listen to Kieran’s recap as all I want to do is go search for Zoe. My hands fist on my lap as flashes of Aiden’s cruelty enter my mind.
He had chained me to the wall and had kept me prisoner. Aiden knew exactly what I was and used enhanced metal that was dipped in the River Stixx. He tortured me for information I didn’t know at the time, nor did I want to confirm anything he asked. Aiden used a black sword. The sheath was made of obsidian from the deepest places of Hell, and it carried a reddish hue. Using the blade, he had branded me with an X across my chest as his parting gift. I had only seen his eyes as he disappeared. But I knew them, as they were the same color as my own. And in all my years, never once had I run into another being with aqua irises.
“I asked you, Shay, if who chained you wherever you were being held was Aiden?” Kieran asks, and it occurs to me he must’ve been speaking to me for a while. “Are you sure it’s the same person?”
I’m too numb to say anything. It’s not until Sidelle taps me in the shoulder that I come out of my daze.
“What?” I shout.
“Is it Aiden or not?” Sidelle asks. “We’ll find her, Shay. She’s strong, and we need you to keep your head if we’re going to rescue her.”
I nod and inhale. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy. He never showed me his face when I was in Hell, but no one else in the world has aqua eyes like mine. At least that I know of. It has to be him.”
“That changes things a bit, doesn’t it, Kieran?” Sidelle asks.
“Why should it?” I ask.
“He’s Zoe’s neighbor, he attends school with us, and they have hung out together,” Kieran says.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s been friendly to her.” I stand, and my wings appear. “He’s an evil S.O.B. and if he’s kidnapped her, I’ll kill him.” My legs carry me to the window. Calming breaths take my anger down just a notch.
“Shay, take it easy. We all want her b
ack. What do you think he is?”
“He’s not a Nephilim, that I know,” Kieran says.
As soon as Kieran’s voice rings out, my rage builds again. If I don’t get out of here soon, something is going to break. I find myself leaning against the mantle. The wood shatters.
“Well, he’s definitely not a tree, Shay,” Sidelle chimes in. “And I don’t think he’s a fairy, either, but I’ll ask Finn, too.”
I toss the wood fragments on the floor and shrug an apology to Kieran. Sidelle waives her hand as green glamour shoots from her palm and fixes the fireplace.
“He didn’t feel like he has any Light, but he could mask it if he’s an Archangel,” Kieran says. “I’ll confer with Michael. I guess the first thing we need to figure out is who Aiden is, and why he took her.”
The room is heavy with silence, each of us deep in our thoughts and prayers. I know they are trying to help me, but I feel like I’ve failed her. I swore to protect her. We all did. Zoe’s my responsibility. She’s my girlfriend, for crying out loud. If her boyfriend can’t protect her, who can?
“Vash, you’ve been quiet,” Kieran says. “What do you think?”
“Let me get this right. The person, or being—and I say that because we don’t know what Aiden is—has been impersonating a human and lives next door to Zoe. He appears, normal. Doesn’t he live with his sister?”
“That’s what he says, but let’s find out about the woman, too,” Kieran suggests.
“He enrolled into school, but I haven’t had a chance to chat with him,” Vash continues. “Shay, you say he has similar physical features as the same being who held you prisoner, and only based on the color of his eyes. I do agree that you have a very unique color, but we need to know who can hide abilities. It doesn’t add up.” He shakes his head. “Kieran, you’ve seen him the most between the rest of us. What does he look like to you?”
“Physically?”
“Yes. Shay said that he’s taller and has a different body structure. Something is off about all of this.”
Enlighten Series- The Complete 3 Book Collection Page 46
