Embers

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  And I missed Piper. Although my new friends were sincere, they didn’t compare to the girl who I’d grown up with. The one who’d stood beside me at the roller rink, cussing out the gigantic Stella Davidson when the raven haired eighth grader decided I was the number one person she wanted to pick on. Piper and I were only sixth graders at the time, and I can now recall the familiar heat welling up inside of me when I’d looked at Stella’s chubby face. In hindsight, I’m sure I could have taken care of her myself, but it was nice to have a friend backing me up.

  Piper was the only person who really understood me and my quirks. Except for Ila. In many ways she knew me better than anyone else now. But there were just some places I wasn’t going with Ila, like my self-denied infatuation with a Demon. I wasn’t really sure what Piper would say either, but I knew that she’d be excited that I’d finally found someone who made my heart skip a beat.

  When I crossed the parking lot in the glaring brightness of the afternoon sun, Preston was of course, following me.

  I said a silent, alleluia, when his coach, who was directing traffic at the curb, yelled over to him, “Scott! Double-time it to the locker room!”

  Preston held my gaze for an instant, mumbling, “See you tomorrow,” before he whirled and ran back into school.

  I drove through town slowly, growing more hesitant by the minute.

  Was I insane? I had thought about it a hundred times and it made perfect sense, sort of.

  I arrived at the trailhead, amazed at how fast the drive went now that I was used to the mountain road. With the dust down from the rain, it was almost an easy driving experience. I pulled in far enough to be hidden and parked the truck.

  When I walked the trail this time, I went more leisurely, occasionally stopping to search the forest with my Watcher sense. There were several deer nearby in a shaded hollow and a mother black bear with her two cubs were resting under a patch of Rhododendron. Without the sense, I never would have known the animals were even there.

  The day was cooler and I was glad that I’d grabbed my light-weight blue hoody when I’d left the truck. The fall weather was trying to push the brutal summer away and it appeared to be finally succeeding.

  I listened to the sounds of the forest. A woodpecker was knocking nearby and the sound echoed through the trees and straight into my body. The vibration invigorated my senses. The drumming of the falls was growing louder with every step I took, also, and I picked up my pace to match the frenzy of my beating heart.

  Within minutes, I was sitting on the same moss covered rock I had on Tuesday. I spent an obscene amount of time searching around to make sure there weren’t any spying birds. This time, I had told Ila a little white lie, saying that I had plans with friends after school. I didn’t want her to worry—or come spying on me.

  My heart was going to explode against my chest. I really was insane. But I’d made up my mind and I was sticking to it. Trust Fate.

  I closed my eyes and called out to Sawyer with my mind.

  Luke 1:11-20

  And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

  Sawyer ~ Twenty-Six

  Thursday found me lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I’d been in that position for over a day. Judging from the light shining through the window, it was getting on late into the afternoon.

  I was still amazed at how everything had gone down after Horas had showed up.

  He’d winked at me and then nodded towards the hillside where several of the others, including Garrett, were making their way quickly down. Before I could say a word, Horas went into an explanation about how he’d never seen a human shoot a gun that way before. He was a good actor. Horas had told Garrett that he surmised that Jason and Bethany had mistakenly picked up an off duty military person and it was poetic justice that they were the ones to discover their own mistake. Garrett frowned during the telling, but in the end he had believed Horas, or at least he’d gone along with the tale.

  It was difficult to tell what was going on in Garrett’s head with his bland facial expressions.

  Nonetheless, the matter had been settled for the time being.

  When we’d returned to the house, I tried to thank the Roman, but he shook his head, saying, “I see what it is you are doing and I applaud it. I am a follower, not a leader. Long before I was this,” he motion to himself with his hands, “I joined the Roman legion to serve under Augustus because he was a great man. Throughout the ages, I have sought out men and other beings that I could respect and give my loyalties to,” he paused and walked to the window, looking out.

  Sighing, he had continued. “That is why I came here to these mountains. I heard that Garrett Hammond was wise. I agreed with his philosophy of the way we should live. But I have witnessed him change over time, or perhaps show what he really is, and I am not agreeable to it. The little coup that you are planning is the right thing to do. I will support you completely.”

  His speech had left me wondering even more about Horas’ history. He’d served under Caesar Augustus and now he was willing to help me? It was humbling.

  At the moment, Horas was spending some romantic time with Gabrielle and I was alone in the house. After feeding, my kind was usually inactive for several days, choosing to lounge around or as in Horas’ case, partake in a little lovemaking.

  I wasn’t prone on the bed because I was full. I was ashamed at what I’d done. Once the hunger had been sated, I was left with a churning stomach and a throbbing head. The image of the human, covered in blood from Bethany’s bite, beneath my lips, disgusted me.

  The only thing that did give me satisfaction was that I’d managed to kill two of the others. If I could continue to lessen their numbers, my friends and I might have a chance. I knew Ivan would be with us, and I was fairly certain Lutz would take our side also. But the cat would go for Garrett, and he was formidable.

  At least the groundwork had been laid.

  The knock at the door interrupted my reverie. I rose slowly, crossing the room at a sluggish pace. I certainly wasn’t in the mood to be social.

  I groaned. My day was definitely ruined.

  Kimberly smiled wickedly at me before she slid by, entering the house. The last thing I needed was her psycho ways today. She’d be disappointed if she was expecting a warm reception. I couldn’t help noticing that she was wearing a low cut green tank top that molded to her curves, and that her skimpy jean shorts were extremely tight on her rounded hips. I leaned warily against the wall, waiting for her to pounce.

  She trailed her finger along the sofa’s arm, saying, “How are you feeling now that you’ve fed, Sawyer—are you a little less grumpy?”

  “I feel fine,” I growled.

  Kimberly tossed her long tresses, crossing the room with inhuman speed and grace. She tried to put her arms around my midsection, rubbing her breasts against me. I had no patience for her. I grabbed her wrists, holding her firmly away.

  “This isn’t the time, Kimberly.”

  “It never seems to be the time for you anymore. Don’t you find me desirable, or do you have someone else keeping you busy at night?”

  As if I could keep something like that secret in a small community like this. Kimberly was grasping at straws.

  It suddenly dawned on me when I looked down at her open mouth and wanting eyes that she might have true feelings for me. The hurt was creeping across her violet eyes, darkening them when I ignored her question. Her pain only lasted a few seconds, though. It was replaced with anger that glittered off of her when she realized that I didn’t want her.

  I let go of her, shoving her away a couple of feet as I did so.

  Kimberly rubbed her wrists and hissed, “You’re making a big mistake. You will regret this someday. I promise you that.”

  She plowed by Horas, who appeared in the open doorway at that moment. He softly shut the door behind her. “I’m sorry to use such an over stated metaphor, but, hell has no fury as a female scorn
ed.” He laughed. “It seems rather appropriate, don’t you think?”

  The Roman went to the wine bottles and poured two glasses full of the dark, red liquid. He handed me one, then sat on the sofa, resting the other glass on his knee. His arm was leisurely draped over the arm of the furniture. Horas didn’t appear to have a worry in the world. I envied his nonchalant demeanor.

  I, on the other hand, felt as if I was an explosive device, ticking down. I gulped the entire contents of the glass, enjoying the liquid as it slid down my throat, warm and fruity. The edges of my frayed nerves were softening at bit.

  “Do you think she’ll cause any trouble?” I asked.

  “Most definitely—she reminds me of one of our kind who I knew a thousand years ago. Would you like to hear about it?”

  By the look of determination on his face, I didn’t think I had a choice. I nodded, and he began.

  “When I was still young and learning our ways, I took up with a beauty named Ophelia. She looked much like Gabrielle with the dark coloring and figure. I enjoyed her very much for she was extremely sensual, and Ophelia was teaching me how to survive.

  “One particularly sweltering day, I went to a fountain to cool myself. There, I saw a human girl scooping water into a bucket. She was dark also, but she had the clearest blue eyes I’d ever seen, as if she held the November sky beneath her lids. I fell in love with her in that instant. I helped her carry the water back to the house where she lived with her parents and two younger brothers. Mind you, she was a fresh, young thing, and as fortune had it, her family was away for the day at the market. Not to go into details, I made love to her that day, and what was confusing to me was that I felt no urge to take her soul. I just wanted to touch… and hold her,” he paused to sip his wine before continuing.

  “Our little romance went on for a short time before Ophelia became suspicious. Being a newling, my head was not as thoughtful and diligent as it is now. I was careless…and I paid the price. One day, Ophelia followed me to the place where I would go to be alone with my human girl. She stayed hidden and after I’d left, she tortured the girl and then ate her soul.”

  I held my breath as he took a much larger swig of his wine. “Now when I discovered what my mistress had done, I was enraged. I met her at our house, and we fought. It is impressive how strong our females are, but in the end, I was the victor. I’d killed my mistress to avenge my lover.” When he finished, he downed the contents of his glass. He was as still as stone, his eyes far, far away.

  Did he know about my relationship with Ember?

  Maybe the story was mere coincidence, although past experience had taught me there were few true coincidences in life. As his words sunk in and the surprise of his girl being killed lessoned, a kind of jittery excitement began to rise in me. Horas had managed to be with his human without harming her, maybe I could do the same. It gave me some hope.

  When I was about to comment, I heard a soft voice whisper in my mind, joined by an image springing before my eyes. Horas must have seen shock on my face because that’s what I felt.

  It was Ember and she was at the falls.

  For a second I’d seen her perfectly, as if the picture was a snap-shot photograph. She sat on a moss covered rock beside the waterfall. My mind processed what I’d seen and heard. She was waiting for me. She wanted me to be there with her.

  She was asking me to go to her.

  I bolted up, compelled to leave right then.

  “Was my story that upsetting?” Horas asked as I grabbed my jacket off the chair, heading for the door.

  “No, Horas. I’m glad you told it to me and I understand the lesson.”

  I was out the door too fast to hear a reply if he had one. I would go on foot so the others wouldn’t notice I was gone. I vaulted the fence, stretching my legs when I hit the ground on the other side. It took a few strides to reach peek speed.

  How had she called me? Why had she called me? Was she in danger? Was she a Watcher after all? The questions fired away in my mind as I leaped over boulders and sprinted up hillsides.

  I was barely aware of the trees blurring by, except for an occasional branch smacking me on the face or arm.

  Besides all the questions I had, I was also inexplicably excited to see the beautiful girl again. The fact that Ember had the same clear blue eyes of Horas’ girl was not lost on me. I wouldn’t make the same mistake Horas had. I would take Ember far away from the compound, the others, and Kimberly.

  I reached the trailhead and saw Ember’s truck parked well into the trees. The sight of it solidified the fact that she’d somehow communicated to me with her mind. That meant she was a Watcher. From what I’d read about the heat coming from her, she was a fire type. Still I doubted that she could shoot flames from her body.

  I covered the trail in a fraction of the time it took to hike it the other day with Ember. I only slowed right before the opening in the trees at the falls. Winded, I stopped, catching my breath and pushing the sweaty hair from my face. I certainly didn’t want to frighten her away.

  I saw Ember at once. She sat cross-legged on the same boulder that we had been on before. The sight stopped me dead in my tracks. Between her hands was a small flame. She was pushing the fire back and forth between her hands as if she was playing with a ball.

  Her head jerked up and the flame vanished when she saw me.

  I walked cautiously towards her, not knowing what would happen next and a little worried about not knowing. When she smiled shyly, my heart melted.

  I breathed easier as I closed the distance. I sat down beside her, careful not to touch her too quickly.

  “You came,” she said in awe.

  “I see you’ve found a loophole around the poor cell phone reception on the mountain,” I laughed. I couldn’t help being happy. Ember was no ordinary human girl.

  I might actually have a chance with her.

  “I didn’t know if it would work, but you came so quickly.”

  “I ran very fast.”

  Her long hair was blowing across her face. I couldn’t resist reaching out and brushing the few strands away, repositioning them behind her ear ever so carefully. She didn’t flinch from my touch, so I let my finger linger, tracing her jaw, down to the point of her chin ever so softly. She stiffened a little then, pulling back slightly, but I ignored her movement.

  At that moment, I didn’t care if she was a Watcher who could singe me with her fire.

  “I know what you are,” her voice was barely a whisper. “You’re a Demon…Ivan’s a Growler…and I’m a Watcher,” she spoke slowly and extra clearly, never taking her eyes off me.

  I sucked in a deep breath and looked away, watching the water falling from the cliff.

  It took a moment to gather my wits and then I faced her again. She stared back thoughtfully and I decided to be honest with her.

  What the hell, there was no going back now.

  Matthew 4:5-6

  Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge concerning you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

  Ember ~ Twenty-Seven

  “Garrett, our leader, awakened my true nature almost a hundred and fifty years ago. I’ve been a Demon ever since.”

  Hearing him admit it caused a knot to form in my throat. I swallowed it down. “Do you know that we are both descended from angels?” he asked in a low voice.

  I nodded my head. “It’s kind of hard to believe.”

  “What, that we’re related?” he huffed out the words.

  I shrugged. “Yeah that, and the fact that the angels are real, that they came down to earth to hook up with women. It’s kind of sick, if you ask me.”

  He laughed and the hearty sound of it chased away the freaked out chill that I was experiencing.

  “This isn’t funny. You’re a Demon,
you eat human souls,” I said.

  Sawyer sobered quickly. The obvious hurt on his face made me regret my words.

  “You’re right. I’m a monster. I won’t argue on that account. But your kind isn’t squeaky clean either. Just because your ancestors were arch angels doesn’t give you the right to police the world.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you know how many humans have died from wars that Watchers caused?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

  I was already suspicious about Watchers. Ila scared the crap out of me sometimes with her demeanor and righteous words.

  But Sawyer didn’t need to know that I questioned the Watchers myself. His opinion didn’t count.

  When I turned back to him, ready to change the subject, I wasn’t prepared for the darkening of his already almost black eyes. He leaned in closer and our breaths mingled. In and out I breathed, allowing his familiar woodsy scent to fill my nose. I know Sawyer. Oh, I know him.

  Don’t do it, Ember.

  But I couldn’t stop.

  When he kissed me, my lips parted automatically.

  Deep down, I wanted him, desired him madly, and had from the first time I’d seen him in my dreams.

  And in that instant, I didn’t care that he was a Demon.

  Psalms 35:6

  Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

  Sawyer ~ Twenty- Eight

  She had just tied up all my worries in a neat little bundle and threw them into the creek. She knew what I was and I knew what she was, making a relationship much easier. She wasn’t a delicate human. She was a Watcher and far better off than Horas’ poor girl.