Embers

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  The wicked grin that was now lifting the side of his mouth was completely different from the sad, lonely look, I remembered him having. Meeting his gaze, I wasn’t as nervous as I had been. I was suddenly too angry to be afraid.

  Why did he have to be so arrogant in real life?

  “What did Ivan say?” I asked sharply.

  He shrugged, “Just that you live up on Raven Mountain with the old woman.”

  I didn’t remember mentioning Ila to Ivan. But I wasn’t going to show him my confusion.

  “I’ve got to get going.” I called over to Ivan, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Ivan lifted his hand in return.

  I needed to pay the cashier, but Sawyer blocked the way. He seemed to understand my dilemma, purposely leaning against the pump and extending his legs so I’d have to step over them to get by or walk the long way around.

  I wasn’t going to allow him to intimidate me. I began to squeeze by him. As I passed near him, my temperature rose and my heart pounded out of control. When he realized how close I was going to get, he stepped out of the way, murmuring, “Excuse me.”

  He was already in the Hummer when I finished paying. I ignored him, driving to one of the parking spaces close to the entrance of the store. I glanced over my shoulder at the Hummer that still sat in the same place as I walked into the store.

  I had a difficult time shopping. My mind kept skipping back to his eyes, and then to how he smelled. It was an earthy forest scent, not what I had expected. I picked my brain, trying to remember my dream, and wondering why he’d comforted me with his presence when I was asleep, but in the light of day he was completely irritating.

  I hurried through the aisles, grabbing shampoo, conditioner, pencils and

  notebooks off of the shelves and hardly noticing the brands I chose. Absentmindedly, I selected a package of note cards when I passed the display so that I could write Timmy and Piper.

  Pulling the list out of my pocket, I quickly pushed the cart down the freezer aisle to pick up the gallon tub of ice cream. On the way to the register, I plucked the candy bars from the boxes.

  When I walked back out into the warm sunshine, I shaded my eyes with my hand and immediately searched where the Hummer had been parked. It was gone. Instead of relief, I experienced a twinge of disappointment.

  What is wrong with me?

  The drive up the mountain gave me plenty of time to think. I suspected what Ivan was, but I wondered what kind of creature Sawyer was. Ila seemed to know about the commune. It was high time that she gave me some answers.

  The dreams however, I’d keep to myself. She didn’t need to know everything.

  When the fort came into view this time, I slowed the truck. The hair on my arms and neck rose and my stomach tightened into a knot. Every part of my body screamed to get away.

  Speeding up, I held my breath until the wooden wall was behind me.

  It was hard to believe that Ivan, and even Sawyer lived there—a place that sickened me with fear whenever I was near it.

  By the time I pulled up to the cabin and shut off the engine, long shadows were stretching down its logs.

  I got out of the truck quickly and took the porch steps two at a time.

  Ila wasn’t going to blow me off this time.

  Acts 12:23

  Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God.

  Ember ~ Nineteen

  Before I reached the door, Angus nearly knocked me over with his enthusiasm. I gave his face a quick rub of acknowledgment and then turned back to my mission.

  When I looked up, Ila was standing there. Her sudden and silent appearance rattled my nerves and I paused to collect my thoughts.

  “Did you pick up the ice cream and candy bars?” she asked casually.

  “Ah, yes…I did. Sorry, I forgot about the groceries.” I replied, still recovering from her sneaking up on me. “I’ll get the bags.”

  In the time it took me to put the ice cream in the freezer, the rush to interrogate Ila had lessened a little. I took the rocker beside her and looked out across the valley at Cricket and the goats grazing in the lower field. Barely a breeze stirred and the air was still heavy with heat.

  “So, how was your first day?” Her eyes darkened with interest.

  All the things I’d wanted to say vanished from mind.

  I wimped out for a moment, turning to stare at the lavender blooms that were delicately weaving in and out of the spindles of the porch railing.

  I’m not going to demand anything from this woman, I decided. The realization that Ila could be very dangerous if crossed settled over me as if it was a threatening cloud on a stormy day. I listened to my gut.

  I would have to work up to the whole compound conversation with some stealth.

  “The school is all right. It was different from what I thought it would be. I even made a few friends.”

  “Really,” she sounded surprised. “What kind of friends?”

  Okay, she was getting right to the point.

  “Well, there’s this girl Maddie, who showed me to my classes and introduced me to her friends. One of the girls has horses—we might go riding together sometime,” I spoke with a bit more vigor, thinking about trail riding through the woods with Lindsey.

  “That would be nice,” Ila muttered. “Did you meet any unusual people?”

  I thought about just saying no, but she obviously had some inkling, or she wouldn’t have asked me in such a particularly probing way.

  I sighed and said, “I met a couple of very unusual people. This might sound crazy, but I don’t think either one of them is entirely human.”

  I went on to tell her about my episode with Ivan’s ball cap, and how I later sat with him at lunch. Ila listened patiently, occasionally lifting her eyebrows when I mentioned the golden eyes or the Russian accent. She was extremely interested in Ivan, asking me in detail about his personality and physical characteristics.

  When I was finished, I asked her, “What do you think about him?”

  Ila sat lost in thought for a moment before replying, “First, tell me what you think about him—what do you believe he is?”

  I hesitated. “I think he’s a werewolf.”

  She chuckled and I felt stupid.

  “You aren’t too far off. But I realize I have so much more to teach you.” She took a sip of her lemonade and continued, “There are no true werewolves in the world. At least not the kind you’re thinking about. So I’m sure your Ivan is no werewolf.”

  “Then what is he?”

  “He’s a Growler. A wolf type I believe, if what you say is accurate.”

  I thought about it for a second and said, “I’ve never heard of a Growler.”

  “Of course not, the terminology is only used by Watchers and other supernatural beings.” She paused and rolled her eyes at the obviously confused look on my face. “Let’s see, what might you be familiar with…how about a Changeling?” I had no idea what she was talking about and I’m sure my face showed it. She went on with a harsher tone, “Howler?” I shook my head. “Ah…how about shape-shifter?”

  Bingo. At the same moment that part of my brain registered understanding, the other half shouted, ‘No way!’

  “Are you joking?”

  Ila shook her head and leaned back in the rocker.

  “You’re telling me that a kid at school can change into a wolf?”

  “Why is that so far-fetched for your human trained mind, when you discovered yesterday that you have the ability to create fire from your body, hmm?”

  “That’s totally different!” I nearly shouted. “It would be impossible for a

  person’s body to change back and forth that way.” Ila’s eyes narrowed. She obviously didn’t like the insinuation that she was lying. Dropping my gaze from her fierce one, I mumbled, “Isn’t it?”

  “I was told when I was very young that several thousands of years ago, an evil Watcher used his powers of the elements
and dark particles to create the aberrations.”

  Before Ila could continue, I blurted out, “What are dark particles?”

  “Patience, Ember, you need to let me tell the story.” She flicked her hand in irritation and said, “Oh, all right. Dark particles come from Hell, plain and simple.”

  The breeze picked up with her words and a shiver raced down my spine. The birds became strangely silent as Ila spoke again.

  “This particular Watcher applied his craft to humans and animals alike. This he did for centuries until he came up with a way to create a race of creatures that were able to take the form of certain predatory animals at will. You see, he wanted to build an army of super beings to help him challenge the angels.

  “But other Watchers learned what he was up to and joined forces to stop him. Over a hundred Watchers gathered on a mountaintop and linked their energies. They created one devastating force that they released on the evil Watcher. They succeeded in destroying him, along with most of the mountain. However, in the process of drawing so much of the elemental power, many of the Watchers perished also.

  “The ones who survived dispersed and focused on tracking down the mutations, which the Dark One had created. Because the Watchers pitied the creatures, they let them go under the condition that they forever remain in their animal forms.

  “Unfortunately, there weren’t enough of us to police the goings-on of the Growlers. Over time, some changed back to humans, attempting to live among men.”

  She lifted a single eyebrow and shook her head with a snort before going on to say, “The Growlers have been persecuted ever since. Captured and exploited, they have been used as guardians and playthings for the powerful and rich.”

  When she’d finished speaking a thought occurred to me. “Why would a Growler be in a public school in Tennessee? It makes no sense.”

  “Yes, that’s a good question and I don’t know the answer to it.” She was thoughtful for a few seconds before saying, “Perhaps he’ll tell you his story in time.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed, twirling some of my hair around a finger.

  “One of the reasons I came here many years ago was the wildness of the place. I knew I could melt into the woods and be left alone. The earth element is strong here. It’s the perfect place for a Watcher. I fear that others may have come to these mountains for the same reasons.”

  As fascinating as it was that Ivan might really have the ability to change into a wolf, I let the thought go for the moment.

  How should I proceed about the guy from my dreams?

  The chickens had meandered their way near the cabin and were pecking in the grass busily, making me think for a second that the world was normal. I could pretend that I was chilling on the porch with Ila after a long day of school, discussing nothing more important than who was dating who and how I did on a pop-quiz.

  But then I met Ila’s stoic gaze and the cheesy image burst like a water balloon. No normalcy here.

  “Speaking of others, Ivan wasn’t the only unusual person I met today. He was picked up from school by someone…someone who was unexpected,” I said hesitantly.

  “Go on,” she encouraged

  “At first he looked like a regular guy, well, he was pretty good-looking, but he didn’t have weird eyes or anything like that. And then, bam, he tried to use some kind of magic on me. I almost lost myself in his dark eyes and was about to go to him when my brain suddenly woke up and I sensed something bad about him. I was kind of afraid.”

  “I was really hoping you wouldn’t have to learn about them so soon. I knew it would frighten you to be aware that there are evil creatures walking among us. Your sheltered mind needs time to absorb all this information or you’ll have a more difficult time dealing with it.”

  “Is he some kind of shape-shifter too?” I practically whispered.

  “Based on your description of him, and the fact that he was with Ivan, leads me to think that he’s a Demon.”

  I couldn’t breathe properly, so I stopped trying altogether. The word kept replaying in my mind.

  Demon, Demon, Demon…?!

  “What was your impression of the Demon?” Ila’s voice broke through my shock.

  I faced Ila and pleaded, “Don’t be upset with me about questioning you on this, but, are you sure this guy is a Demon?”

  She nodded. “I’m fairly certain. Now, you need to pick your jaw up off the floor and tell me about him.”

  I took a second to remember my encounters with him before answering. “Well, initially my brain seemed to go blank with whatever power he had over me, but then I came to my senses. Something changed when he showed up at the gas station. Instead of being scared, he just really irritated me. It was as if he wanted to make me mad.”

  “Hmm,” was Ila’s only response as she sat rubbing her chin.

  “Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked.

  “Of course he’s dangerous—don’t be a swooning fool,” she barked. “Every Demon is dangerous, but they are extremely seductive too. That’s how they attract their victims. They have a special power to draw a person to them, putting them into a trance-like state. This enables them to capture their prey without much effort. I believe he tried this trick on you, and failed.”

  I gripped the arms of the rocker tighter when I asked, “What do they eat?”

  “Souls, my girl—that handsome Demon you met, lives off the souls of humans.”

  Okay. The information was disturbing for sure, but not as shocking as the fact that Ivan’s friend was a Demon in the first place.

  I shifted uneasily. When I looked back at Ila, her mouth was set in a grim line. She knew there was more.

  “Uh, there is something else about this Demon guy that you should know.” I took a deep breath and rushed the words out. “I already saw him in a dream. The first night that I was here, I had nightmares about the wooden fence and monster trees. There were terrifying noises banging in my head. After a while, a white light appeared and this same Demon was there. He watched me throughout the night. At the time, it didn’t feel at all creepy. Funny thing is that he didn’t seem to recognize me today.” I stopped and looked at her directly, my voice coming out sharply when I demanded, “How can that be? How could I have dreamed about a person before I ever even met him?”

  Ila leaned back and sighed loudly. I inwardly cringed before she even spoke.

  “There have been those among us who were gifted as dream walkers, Watchers who could control their thoughts when they slept and foretell the future through their dreams. Some could even enter another’s dreams at will. But it’s not a common ability and even in my younger years, I only knew a couple of Watchers personally who had the capabilities to accomplish such deeds.”

  I interrupted, “But this has never happened to me before,” I stumbled on the words. “At least not that I remember. I mean, I have always had vivid dreams and sometimes I’ve altered the events in my dreams at will. I thought everyone could do that.”

  “No, Ember. Some humans are able to play with their dreams, but what you speak of is very different. Magic is curious and never really understood. Dream walking is not held to the same boundaries of order as other crafts are. I can’t help you understand how or why you saw this particular Demon before you met him, but I will tell you with absolute sureness that it’s significant in some way.” She shook her head, “And, I don’t believe it’s a good thing, either.”

  The image of the tortured young man from my dreams who had touched a deep place in my heart clashed with the flesh and bones person I had met today. Could they really be the same person? Was the dream just a random thing? Maybe this Sawyer guy wasn’t really in my nightmares at all. Perhaps he just resembled the man who’d somehow calmed my spirit with his gaze, making me feel safe and secure.

  No. I wasn’t that lucky.

  “Have you ever met a Demon?”

  “I’ve met my share over the years. Things have changed in these modern times. In the past, a Demon would
know a Watcher on sight, but since there are so few of us left now, the Demon you encountered probably didn’t know what you were, although he was rather intrigued nonetheless,” Ila said as she absently reached her hand down to stroke Riley’s head.

  “What makes you think that he didn’t know?”

  “Because if he had, he wouldn’t have been trying to anger you,” Ila laughed. The sound softened the mood and she continued. “I’m not really sure where Demons come from. Some say they are the spawn of Heaven’s greatest fallen angel, Lucifer. Others are convinced that the Demons were around before the angels, at the very beginning of time.

  “You can be certain that they’re all liars and can’t be trusted with their own history. So I’ll tell you what the Watchers are sure of about Demons. They are fearful of us and avoid being noticed by Watchers and humans alike.” Then she added, “In most cases anyway.”

  “What do you mean, in most cases?” I couldn’t help asking. I knew there was another story in the making.

  “I guess this is the appropriate time to tell you Eleanor’s story.” She took a swig of her lemonade. When she started to speak her voice was full of expression.

  “Every young Watcher is told Eleanor’s story. The telling is meant to teach the Watchers in training many things, but I always guessed the two main lessons to be learned are that a Watcher must hold her temper and be careful of who she picks as a lover.” Ila smiled when she said the last part.

  “Eleanor was a Watcher of well-known beauty and power. She lived long before my time in the highlands of Ireland. It was said that she possessed long, curly red hair and sparkling jade eyes. Lover’s eyes, they were described. To match her outer beauty she had strong powers in both fire and earth. She would wander the countryside, helping farm wives deliver their babies, and farmers grow outstanding crops. She was, by nature, a generous person and enjoyed the company of the common folk.

  “She did have one vice that even she admitted to. Since Eleanor had fire and earth in her blood, she was full of passion. Her romantic exploits were well known in her day. She loved men. It didn’t matter whether they were a king or a pauper; if she had an attraction to him, he was doomed to her charms.