Earthbound

by Melora Johnson

  I changed into the extra set of clothes I kept at the clinic in case my clothes were covered in something warm, wet, and not mine when treating an animal. It tended to happen with young, nervous, or frail animals.

  I went back to the exam room where I’d left him.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Chapter 13

  Surprisingly, we never met any police barricades.

  “Maybe they figure we couldn’t have gotten far if one of us is hurt,” I suggested as I drove north while Matt rested and replenished his fluids.

  “Well, I don’t know if they’re searching for the two of us, per se.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Lula was with you in the jail cell, and they only saw two people leave. They probably think she was the other person.”

  “Wouldn’t they be able to tell you’re a guy?”

  “You’d be surprised what people see when they’re around me,” he replied.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I haven’t totally figured out this phenomenon yet myself, but I blend into the environment. Quite frankly, I’m surprised the guy could even hit me while we were running.”

  I admired his physique. He seemed solid to me. “Blend into the environment?”

  “Yeah, when something happens, I’m always amazed at the descriptions in the newspaper. If someone saw anything, it never matches me. I don’t know if that has something to do with what we’re doing, who we’re doing it on behalf of, or something written into my DNA. I feel like a chameleon sometimes.”

  “That’s pretty useful. So, it’s sort of like my healing ability, a special skill.”

  “I guess you could call it a God-given gift, literally.”

  He had started to slur his words a little bit, and I looked over at him, concerned. He was bleary-eyed. “Why don’t you take a nap?”

  “Wake me when we get to Portsmouth, okay?”

  “Okay,” I agreed. I figured when we got there, I could always park in a store lot and wait until he woke on his own.

  “Hey.” A sudden suspicion had entered my mind. “Where did you get this car? Should I be taking back roads and trying to keep a low profile?”

  He chuckled. “No, I borrowed it from a buddy of mine. He has my car for the time being, and he knows, he’s one of us. He drove up and met me halfway yesterday, so I’d have a car no one would be looking for. It should buy us some time.”

  “Okay, good. Get some rest.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, leaning his head against the door frame.

  I smiled. Once a military man, always a military man, even if it wasn’t quite an earthly army.

  We drove into Portsmouth about ten a.m. The day had turned sunny with blue skies and puffy white clouds. A warm breeze ruffled my hair when I opened the car door.

  The door opening must have woken Matt because he stirred in his seat, sat up and looked around. We were parked in the lot of a diner.

  “I’m starving,” I said. Adrenaline and other things had taken their toll on me.

  Matt shook his head. “Not a restaurant, not yet. Your face may have been broadcast on the news as a jail break. We need to alter your appearance first.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “How?”

  He retrieved a black duffle bag from the back seat and rummaged around in it. “Come on, switch with me, and I’ll take us somewhere safe. We can pick up some food on the way. For the moment, put your hair back and put on these sunglasses and ball cap.”

  He handed me some sunglasses and a nondescript tan ball cap. I quickly braided my hair back and slipped the elastic he handed me around it, then put on the cap and sunglasses. Then he handed me a granola bar.

  I made a face at the measly granola bar and sighed. I wanted coffee and a full breakfast. Healing him had taken a lot out of me, and I’d been driving for a couple hours since then. “Couldn’t we go in like this? I’m starving, and it’s been a long night, or day, or whatever you want to call it.”

  He shook his head. “We can’t risk it. Like I said, we’ll get something. There’s a Dunkin’ down the way.”

  I perked up at the mention of Dunkin.’ “I’ll take a large coffee with cream, a blueberry muffin, a breakfast sandwich, and…”

  He grinned at me.

  “Hey, I’m hungry. I healed you, remember?”

  “Okay, come on, switch.” He opened his car door and walked around the car. I did the same, and, as we passed, his hand slid down my arm to hold me still while he pressed his lips to mine for a moment. “I’m hungry too,” he murmured.

  I shivered, but he let me go, and we finished changing seats.

  In the car, I tore open the granola bar and devoured it as fast as my jaw would let me. Matt took one look at me and reached across my body to buckle the seat belt instead of telling me to do it. I was only mildly annoyed, too busy eating. He started the car, and we drove down the street.

  We hit a drive-through and got a couple of large coffees and a bag of food.

  “Hand me a sandwich before you dig in,” Matt said. “I’m not trusting you to leave me anything at this point.”

  I laughed. It felt more like we were on a road trip than running from the law. The incongruity struck me and made me think of home. My smile faltered. “How are we going to fix this?”

  Matt grew serious. “I’m sorry, darlin’, I don’t know.”

  Everything was back in New Hampshire, my vet office, and my bird rescue work. My home, the house my great-aunt had left me. “Jen is stuck in the hospital. She’s going to be there for a while, then in rehab before she even comes home. I want to be there for her.” That was the most important thing. I didn’t say it, but I still felt responsible for her condition. I needed to help heal her. Plus, she’d been my closest friend—just about my only friend—for the past ten years.

  “I know,” he said.

  I reached into the bag and pulled out a big, luscious blueberry muffin, quick carbs, and sank my teeth into it as I contemplated my situation. How on Earth could I prove I hadn’t tried to kill the man, that he wasn’t even a man? No one would believe it. Plus, demons could be anywhere. Or could I just convince someone I hadn’t intentionally tried to kill him? That was not even taking into consideration that I’d broken out of jail, an offense in itself. How could I prove I’d been in mortal danger from a demon force?

  I swallowed the lump of blueberry muffin in my throat and took a swallow of coffee to wash it down. “I’m not going to be able to go home again, am I?”

  “I don’t know,” he said as he squeezed my knee.

  “How have you avoided Shit like this for all this time?” I asked, peering at him closely. “Is Matt Blake your real name, your original name?”

  “You know it’s not.”

  “I don’t mean your angelic name. Is Matt Blake the name you were born with on this Earth?”

  He shook his head.

  “What was it?”

  “Scott. I’ve changed it a few times.”

  I took a deep breath.

  He grinned. “I’m just kidding. Yes, I was born as Matt Blake. The demons have never gone to this length to stop me. Either they’re more afraid of you than they were of me or they’re more afraid of us together. I don’t want to be a male chauvinist, but I’m kind of betting it’s the latter.”

  I set my coffee in the cup holder, and Matt took my hand, twining his fingers with mine. “I suspect they think we’re going to be a pretty formidable team.”

  My mouth twitched as I suppressed a smile. I wanted to be with Matt. I thought I was falling for him, here and now, not to mention the impression I had of what I’d felt for him in our other existence. But the idea of giving up my home, my work, and leaving Jen to face so much without me, didn’t feel right.

  Matt released my hand so I could eat, and he could drive. It only took ten minutes to cross town and get to the motel. He parked, and I inspected the place dubiou
sly. I had expected some hole in the wall to hide in, not this.

  The buildings were one story with a door and a large window for each room. They did share walls, so I supposed it could get noisy. The outside was freshly painted white, and there were nautical touches everywhere. A miniature lighthouse stood in the center of the parking area on gravel with a low chain roped through eight poles in an octagon around it - presumably to discourage people from getting too close. A life preserver and a hook were bolted to either side of the office door.

  Matt shut off the engine and regarded me. “I’m going to ask for one room. I can’t properly protect you from a separate room.” He paused. “Do you want me to get two beds or…”

  I flushed. “Do you want separate beds?”

  He started to smile and leaned forward, slid his hand behind my head, then slanted his lips over mine. I opened my mouth and responded ardently. After several minutes, he withdrew. “No, I don’t want separate beds,” he said. “Be right back.”

  I grinned as I watched him cross the parking lot to the office, then jumped when a voice came from the back seat.

  “About friggin’ time, I’d say.”

  I turned to see Zyriel in the back seat with one foot up on the arm rest between the two front seats and an arm resting casually across his knee.

  “What are you doing here?” I wasn’t entirely sure whether to be amused or dismayed he could find me so easily.

  “Just checking in, love.” He grinned. “Making sure you both made it out all right last night, and I didn’t need to dry your tears.”

  I scowled. “You weren’t much help.”

  “Hey, there’s only so much I can do. I’m not allowed to interfere with things. I’m just a messenger, so to speak, warning people of the mistakes they might be making and the consequences.”

  I rolled my eyes and scoffed, “I thought you were here to tempt people.”

  “Well, I’m allowed to have a little fun, but I don’t like to stray too far in one direction or the other, if you know what I mean. I still have hopes of making it back upstairs at the last trumpet call.” He wrinkled his nose. “I’ve never much cared for the smell of sulphur.”

  I realized suddenly that I always smelled cinnamon around him. “How is that possible? Aren’t the fallen beyond redemption?”

  “Oh, pshaw. You think He’d ever admit anyone is beyond the hope of his grace? No, long as I toe the line, I won’t be down with the snakes forever.” He winked.

  “What about your offer of making me queen… of whatever?”

  He shrugged. “I knew you’d never take me up on something like that, but I am required to spend a percentage of my time tempting people. But you can be queen of my heart any time you want and share my pit. No?”

  I pursed my lips and shook my head.

  “Ah, well, spurned again. Here comes your golden boy. Give him my regards. Give a shout if you want me.”

  I turned to see Matt walking purposefully across the parking lot, staring past me with a face full of murder.

  “Wait.”

  Zyriel raised an eyebrow.

  “Will you check on my cat? Please?”

  His other eyebrow joined the first. “Check on your cat?”

  “Please?” I drew the word out. “As a favor to me?”

  He leaned forward on the vinyl of the seat, grinning wolfishly. “What’ll you give me if I do?”

  “A thank you?”

  Zyriel rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll check on your cat.”

  Matt yanked open the back door, but Zyriel was gone. He looked in. “What did he want?”

  “Not really sure, said he was just checking in.”

  “That means they’ll all soon know where we are.” Matt scowled.

  “Not necessarily,” I said, still puzzling over the exchange.

  “You don’t think so? Think he’s got it bad enough for you to keep your whereabouts to himself? I’m not sure which is worse.”

  I smiled wearily and shook my head. “I don’t know. Why can he find us when others can’t? And he’s never lifted a finger to hurt either of us, even when you were charging at him in the elevator. I think there’s more to him than meets the eye, and I believe we’re safe.”

  Matt sighed and picked up the bags from the back seat. “Okay, I’m too tired to analyze this situation right now. I’ll trust your instincts on him. Just don’t let him get too close.”

  I got out of the car. “He hasn’t even tried since that first day. I don’t know what his game is, but I really don’t think he’s a danger to us.”

  He didn’t respond, just turned away and said, “We’re in number six.”

  Chapter 14

  Matt unlocked the door, and we went in. A thin, medium blue carpet covered the floor. The room appeared recently renovated. It was small, with a bed to the right and a dresser and desk to the left. A counter at the far end of the room had a large mirror and lights for doing makeup or hair. A door, presumably to the bathroom, lay just to the right down at the end. I walked down and peeked in. A sink and toilet lined up on the left, while a shower/tub combo took up the far side of the wall. It was small, but the sink was clean, and the room didn’t smell musty.

  I walked back out. “Not bad.”

  His lips twisted in a half smile. “Were you anticipating the roach motel?”

  “Something like.”

  He set the bag on the desk, then closed and locked the door before drawing the curtain across the large window. “First things first.”

  “Oh?” A little shiver of anticipation ran through me.

  He turned to the bag, unzipped it, and retrieved a hair dye box, a comb, and barber’s scissors, which he lined up on the desk. “Time for a little change.”

  “Oh, no.” I shook my head and unconsciously clamped a hand over my long braid. My hair hung halfway down my back and was luxuriantly thick. It was a normal brown but had lovely golden highlights. The model on the hair dye box had very dark auburn hair.

  “It’ll grow out,” he coaxed.

  I whimpered and went unwillingly to the chopping block.

  He hooked the chair out from under the desk and put a hand on my shoulder to make me sit down, then took my hat off and tossed it onto the bed before he started unbraiding my hair.

  “Oh, darlin’, this is going to hurt me as much as it does you,” he sighed, running his fingers through my hair. “Hold on.” He disappeared into the bathroom, then returned with a towel he put over my shoulders, wrapping it in front. Then he set to work.

  He moved around me, pulling the hair up and cutting. I felt the weight leaving my head and set my lips so as not to cry. When he was done, he tugged on the supplied gloves—which barely fit him–mixed up the hair dye and started applying it to my hair. After he massaged it in a little and piled the hair on my head, he stripped off the gloves and gently wiped my face with a damp washcloth to remove any excess dye. “Okay, fifteen minutes, and we’ll rinse.”

  He walked over to the bag and withdrew a deck of cards. “Want to play?”

  I lowered my chin and gave him a look. “I’m not playing strip poker with hair dye on my head.”

  He grinned. “You have a dirty mind.”

  “I never claimed otherwise,” I said loftily.

  “How about rummy?”

  I shrugged. It was as good as anything to take my mind off the loss of my hair.

  Matt sat on the end of the bed and shuffled the cards expertly.

  “Am I about to get taken?” I asked.

  “What have you got worth playing for?”

  “Good point.”

  “On the other hand, I can think of a thing or two,” he said, his eyes traveling down the length of my body.

  I shook my head. “Just deal, or we’re not even going to get through one hand.”

  “I could think of something else to take your mind off the hair dye, but I’d hate to get started and not be able to finish before you had to get in the shower.”

  Not
fair. “Deal,” I said sternly.

  He laughed and dealt us each seven cards. I picked up my hand and immediately put down a trio of fours.

  Matt groaned. “A card shark, huh?”

  I picked up the five he’d laid down face up and put down a run of five, six, and seven of spades as well, then laid down the queen of hearts.

  “Remind me to play rummy with you when I want to get naked in a hurry.”

  I smirked.

  Matt picked up the queen of hearts and laid down the queen, king, and two of hearts. “On the other hand, the hearts are in my favor right now.” He laid down a seven of diamonds, then glanced at his watch. “I think it’s time for you to go rinse that out.”

  I sighed and stood up. I had never changed my hair color in my life. I had been very pleased with what nature had given me. Okay, it had been a source of vanity for me. Was this supposed to teach me humility? I kept my eyes down as I went past the mirror to the bathroom.

  “Do you want any help rinsing it out? You know, to make sure you get it all out?”

  “I think I can manage.” I felt like being alone in my humiliation. I went into the bathroom and started carefully stripping my clothes off, stretching the neck of my shirt to get it off over my head without getting dye on it. It was the only shirt I had at the moment. I had just finished stripping off when Matt knocked and opened the door a crack. He stuck his hand in through the gap and held out a tube.

  “Don’t forget to moisturize liberally after you rinse. The dye can be kind of harsh on your hair,” he said.

  “Great, thanks.” I took the conditioner from him, and he closed the door behind him. Like a woman facing a death sentence rather than a shower, I turned on the water and let it run warm before stepping in.

  I let the water run down through my hair and scrubbed thoroughly. Once the water ran mostly clear, I applied the conditioner, then decided to make the most of the shower and used the complimentary shower gel and wash cloth. I heard the door open again and held my breath.

  “Thought you could use a change of clothes,” Matt said. “I’ll lay them on the toilet seat.”