“Not to worry, I ordered a few tablets. Watch Hulu or something.” Ready to go, I jumped to my feet. “Wait. What size are you? I need to buy you some clothes tomorrow. Something an under butler would wear.”
“A what?”
“Humor me, Azrian. How else am I going to explain you? Wing it until Ariane is ready to hear the truth.” The cog wheels in my brain almost jammed when another glitch took hold. “When I return with Ariane, whatever you do, don’t call her aunt. And stay out of trouble.”
My body blurred as I amped up the speed and tore down the gravel road leading to Edinburgh. My stomach cramped up when I stopped in front of the hotel. Along with the smell of burning outsole, the draft in my wake whipped the doorman’s hat off his head. He did a double-take, wondering where I had come from. A half-hearted smile was all I could muster.
A heavy weight filled me with dread as the meeting with my past sister grew closer. How would she react to the new and improved me? Although back to my charming younger self, how could I possibly behave the same? No more the naïve youngster. Slow, Brian, move slow.
3 3 3
Recollections of the first time I entered our hotel room made my skull throb. Her nose in the laptop, anger would take charge, tenfold this time, because as late as my old self was, the future me arrived hours later after prepping the mansion for safe, permanent residence. No longer the same man, the dreaded memories slid to the back of my mind. A bad actor, I had no prayer of convincing her otherwise.
As the keycard clicked to unlock the door, the leather pouch in my pants pocket wiggled. Spitfire detected my anxiety. Bloody hell, right about now, the mister sword should have been an extension of my left hand, ready to hack an army to pieces. Instead, images of K2 and the surrounding mountains calmed my soul, my go-to place to mellow out. I exhaled a deep breath.
Another déjà vu punched me in the gut when Ariane’s round copper eyes glanced up from the laptop, and her lips formed a smile only to be replaced by a frown. So innocent, so human. I blinked back tears.
“It’s late. Where have you been?”
Although her tone barked displeasure, her voice tethered me to my twin sister. Ariane was alive just as Tim promised. My emotions torn, a part of me wanted to hug her tight after losing her to the annihilation. The other part wanted to knock some sense into Ariane and leave her in this hotel. Let her fend for herself. “Fall back, spring ahead,” I muttered. When she looked up again, irritated by my pause, I said, “Hiked up the crags to dig up some memories.” And deep I dug.
She closed the laptop. “You said no one knew about our visit. Wrong.”
Oh no, here it comes. An invite to the Halloween party of the century. I feigned disinterest and shrugged. “What do you mean?”
“Doctor Chambers invited us to a Halloween masquerade ball. The jerk refused to take no for an answer. How did he find out we were in Scotland? Did your ghost rat us out?” She unzipped her suitcase and glanced my way, targeting me with the nastiest of evil glares. “I was hoping to avoid our father’s stuffy colleagues.”
The gleam in her eyes, that giant spider glare before she turned into one, creeped me out. “Wait! Don’t unpack.” Too late, her frenzied dance had already begun.
Rummaging through her case, she flung out a dress, a pair of jeans, and several tops, nothing to throw together for a costume. After she removed a robe, she slammed the case shut and sat on the bed with her arms crossed over her lap. The clothes and laptop, sprawled all over the bed, never made it to the closet.
“Aye, here we go.” While avoiding her stare, I folded each item of clothing and primped them back into the suitcase. Thankfully, she left the lingerie in the zippered section. The idea of handling my sister’s bras and panties made me squeamish.
“What are you doing? Leave my stuff alone.”
“We’re not staying. I’m taking you back to the mansion.”
“Back? Try to make sense, Brian.” Her arms still folded over, she leaned forward to suggest that I would need a wrench to pry her off the bed. “I’m not going anywhere until you explain yourself.”
Oh boy, the fun had just begun. Completion of the tasks on the do-over list were easy compared to wrangling up my sister and taking her back to the mansion.
“I’m waiting.” Her body tensed like a compressed spring ready to uncoil and bounce around the room at the slightest touch.
“Of course, they know we arrived. Wayde has eyes everywhere. Maybe Pop called Chambers to arrange the reunion.” Scratch that, Sabree had already disposed of Duncan. I dug deeper. “Maybe the ghost told Chambers about our plans. The meddlesome bunch has ways of minding our business. Get used to it.” I squeezed the bridge of my nose to focus and then cocked my head, mischief motivating the next suggestion. “How’s going to the masquerade ball a bad thing? Let’s show up in fancy rental costumes. Take control and put the bastards in their place.” Wrong answer?
“What, with our looks?” Ariane looked at me as if for the first time. Her brows knitted together. “Who airbrushed your face? It’s flawless.” When my eyes rolled to the ceiling, annoyance edged her words. “Get real, Brian, because we sure don’t have the cash or power to do either.”
“We do now.” I sat beside her. “Duncan’s fortune was bequeathed to us weeks ago. We’re millionaires. Multi beyond belief.” For now, I left how many millions to her imagination.
“Stop kidding around. I can never stay mad at you.” Her nose wrinkled as she studied my face. “Your eyes are brighter than usual. They’re glowing. Your hair too. Did you forget to take your anti-vamp pill today?”
The nickname for the worthless serum had never rung true. We belonged to the race of Fallen, not the so-called vampires. The poison not only curtailed our desire for blood, it suppressed our natural gifts. Spotlighted our human frailties instead. Zits included. I stared at the floor to pull off a lie, now not the best time to explain the Colton tablets. “Took one today—”
“Maybe you need another.”
I waved her off. “Don’t stress about it. We should head to Duncan’s mansion. Ours now.”
“Estate,” Ariane corrected me. “Millionaires? Seriously?”
“Get used to it.”
After we left the hotel, the drive to the mansion continued in silence, one I welcomed while the speech that would explain everything replayed in my mind: the Colton tabs, the anti-vamp poison, Azrian, the A-factor, and Sabree, our personal poltergeist not to mention the most dreadful item on the do-over list. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from smiling like a fool.
Ariane kept stealing sideway glances as I drove, certain she sensed something different about me. Perhaps she distinguished me as self-assured, mature, not to mention confident. Nope, more likely she fretted that I would slip into one of my fits. Anytime I behaved differently or weird it meant an imminent breakdown. Well, never again, those days gone forever. The insanity fits had originated from my inability to fathom thirty-three resets from the bastard himself. Athorsis would be livid when he found out we outsmarted him by hijacking his reset time loop.
When the tires switched from silent asphalt to the crunching of the gravel drive, I announced cheerfully, “We’re here. Home sweet, forever home.”
“Forever? A week is too long.” Ariane whispered a few indistinct curses under her breath. “I don’t like it here.” She slumped low in her seat when the mansion came into view.
Another to-do item popped into my head. Sell the house in Cave Creek located miles away from the stuffy Caderen complex. After I parked the rental in front of the four-car garage, Ariane got out and stared at the manor. When she turned to me, the rims of her irises simmered. Something about this place made her uncomfortable. The same for me back in the day, but as the current owner, it shone in a whole new light: our safe haven.
The fieldstone walls offset by gray siding needed a good power wash. Over the years, mildew crept upward to mimic overgrown vines. I’d assign the task to the landscaper first thing. The dark
picture windows against the pale slate reminded me of the pirate bones and skull logo on cheap bottled liquor. Automated white shades or blinds might correct the offense. Ariane jumped when the trunk slam shut.
“Sorry. Can you get the door?” I asked in my sweetest voice, the one reserved for her alone. Somehow, I managed to juggle two suitcases along with a carry-on while tossing her the key. “Keep it until security installs a camera and keypad. I’ve got one of my own.”
Ariane slid the key into the lock and stepped back when the door swung open by itself. She almost dropped her bags. So, did I.
“Welcome to Colton Estates, Mistress and Master Colton,” Azrian said with a slight bow. “Please, let me take your bags.” He grabbed Ariane’s carry-on and shopping bags.
My lower lip started to bleed, I bit it so hard. Too funny. My son played the part of a butler better than imagined, if I ever had reason to imagine such a scenario. He even spoke with a proper British accent. Once inside, I shuffled behind Ariane into the great room and stared at the vast cathedral ceiling of geometric patterned skylights. Out of habit or in awe, I always looked upward. “Sorry, we’re late.”
Azrian shook his head and stood erect, his chest puffed outward. “May I take your luggage, sir?”
Brilliant. “I’m good,” I said, two suitcases and my carry-on already in hand.
“Good then, Master Colton.” Azrian headed for the stairway. “As requested, the groceries have arrived. The cellular phones will arrive any minute. Please follow me.” He led us upstairs and showed me to my old room. “The cook prepared prime rib for dinner.”
Déjà vu again. I left Ariane’s suitcase outside my room before I closed the door. Not too shabby an actor, my son. After tossing the bags onto the bed, I peeked into the hall to make sure he continued to play the role to my satisfaction.
Azrian stopped in front of Ariane’s former bedroom and turned the knob. “And yours, ma’am?”
“Thank you so much,” she said, pointing at the bags. “Put those down anywhere.”
“As you wish,” Azrian said, entering her room and setting the bags beside the bed. He ran back into the hall to fetch the suitcase I had left outside my room.
“Great job.” I gave him a thumbs-up through the door left ajar. “She doesn’t suspect a thing.” Sabree would be a challenge though.
“Thanks, Pop. But she did look at me kind of funny.” He brushed the hair from his eyes and winked. “Must be my good looks. By the way, the entire staff except for the head butler showed up an hour ago. The cook stepped right in.”
Azrian needed to work on his humbleness. Good looks indeed. The nut didn’t fall far from the tree when it came to our handsome features. But my son inherited his mother’s Asian charm and grace.
After Azrian bowed for his performance, he returned to Ariane’s room.
Troubled, my gaze drifted down the hall beyond the mansion walls. Unlike the young, inexperienced Brian, my awareness was on full alert, stronger than all of the Fallen clans combined. Besides a few Fallen stragglers in London, my radar landed on Sabree nearby, probably somewhere in the city conducting business with Chambers. A twisted smile reassured all doubts that this do-over might be simpler than originally expected. “Easy peasy.”
3
Deadpool or Spiderman
S treaks of sunlight woke me from a deep sleep, from dreams of drifting aimlessly inside the portal. The dream revealed itself as my head cleared. My unfocused gaze stared at the rays until the archangel’s flaming-red eyes greeted me, not the morning sun. My skin prickled as if it was healing from intense burns, the kind Athorsis usually inflicted. As always, I asked myself if this was a dream. Or if it really happened? Did Athorsis and I engage in battle? If so, how did I come across the secret entrance to the Lighted Realm?
I whipped the blankets aside and sat on the edge of the bed to examine the burns. The unambiguous evidence stared back as healthy pinkness replaced blistered skin. The dream revealed a way inside the realm without me remembering how I had gotten there. If and when my wit recalled how, forget dream state visits, I’d enter the realm for real. No choice. The unknown called to me, begged me to enter. Athorsis’s dread that I might eventually find a way in and end him rang louder with every dream.
As I showered and dressed, the dream, or freaking reality, faded to the dark folds of my mind, replaced by the incessant recalls of every reset Athorsis had thrown at me. Unbelievable how many variations had occurred because of decisions made or not made. Refusing to meet Sabree that night at the pub, waiting a day or two longer to put on the amulet, or fetching the drive from Joker Mountain first. Worse yet, little incidents like brushing my teeth too long influenced the course of events. I had two choices: pay attention or go daft. Already an expert on daft, I focused on the door that slammed across the hall.
Activity from Ariane’s bedroom reminded me of the day ahead. Last night, she made me promise to take her on a shopping spree for costumes. Actually, I suggested the idea, certain she would take the bait. My sister loved to shop for anything, including top-of-the-line Halloween costumes. She’d enjoy it more now that we were millionaires.
Call me crazy for suggesting a shopping spree, but like most guys, I had an ulterior motive. Purchase an outfit or two for Azrian and taunt Sabree with a capital T. Capture his utmost attention. As memory served, while Ariane shopped for a costume, Sabree lured me into a back alley to collect a vial of blood—my blood. Should I humor him? Humor yes, donate blood, no way. Let the games begin.
On my way out, I hollered through my sister’s door. “I’ll be in the grand room. Let’s have breakfast in town.” I ran downstairs after she asked for a few minutes.
Azrian just happened to be in the foyer waving a duster across the shelves. Seriously? He had to be faking it; never once had my son yielded a mop, broom, or dustpan. “I’m taking Ariane downtown to shop and stir up some trouble. Mind the fort.”
“Will do, Pop. Don’t forget to buy me a few pair of jeans, shirts, socks, and so on.”
“Aye, and a Halloween costume. Any requests?”
“Something that will hide my face. Deadpool or Spiderman.”
I laughed. “Deadpool it is.” Forget spider anything in this family. When Ariane’s footfalls grew louder, the pitch in my voice deepened. “Please see that the head butler gets the list of instructions on his arrival.”
Azrian nodded, and before he spun around to dust, he said, “Good morning, ma’am, enjoy your day.” He cocked his head behind the duster and gave me a thumbs-up. “Go get ’em, Pop,” he said telepathically.
“Aye, Sabree’s on the hit list.” I turned to Ariane. “Ready?”
“He’s cute,” Ariane said, glancing at the butler. “Reminds me of someone. Just wish I could place whom.”
We left together, and once outside, she gasped and clapped her hands together. Good, she loved the Audi.
3 3 3
The Audi purred as Ariane drove to Edinburgh. The soft leather stirring wheel sent tingles up her fingers. As soon as the gravel road smoothed to asphalt, she tightened her grip and pressed on the accelerator. “Hang on.”
The car hugged the turns as if an extension of the road. Ariane smiled and glanced at her brother. How did Brian know she always dreamed of owning an Audi? She never mentioned it before, never had reason to, this expensive a vehicle beyond their budget.
“Mind the speed limit near town, Sis. As rich as we are, I’d still hate to waste money on a ticket.”
Their laughter chimed as one. The Audi sped for another mile and slowed when a few homes dotted the countryside. The fun over, a chat between sister and brother long overdue, Ariane asked, “What’s going on?” He never once mentioned the ghost since the hike yesterday. Obsessed since the first paranormal visitation, the word ghostie gushed from his mouth with every sentence he spoke.
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Brian. Spill it. Did you already forget why we’re here? Does ghost ring a bell?” His chu
ckles rubbed her wrong. How dare he laugh when she couldn’t poke fun about the ghost. Too defensive, he used to whine how she never took him seriously.
“Times have changed. Don’t worry, Sis, I’ve got it covered.”
Slapping one hand on the wheel, she huffed. “Time? It? Got what covered? Sounds like generic excuses to me. Try being more specific.”
Silence as his answer, Brian gazed out the passenger window. A sideways glance revealed his overconfident smile in the reflection of the glass.
The heat in her cheeks burned. “Well?”
“I promise that by tonight, I will fill you in.” He patted her hand. “Just take it easy and enjoy the day. Shop till you drop.” He slipped a list into her purse. “Can you pick me up a few things? Look for a Deadpool costume in a man’s size medium.”
Her foot almost slammed the brake pedal. Since when did her brother wear a medium? She glanced his way, and again, caught the glint in his eyes. Self-assurance and calm posture minus the usual fidgetiness convinced her that this imposter was not her brother. He had to be possessed. The ghost? The albino who knocked her out in the pub? She recalled the same cool, aloof attitude. Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel until every knuckle turned white. She promised herself to confront him later on. Yes, tonight.
Following a hearty breakfast of bacon and pancakes loaded with syrup, Ariane led Brian down Princess Street to find an exclusive clothing shop. They ended up in H&M, a hip apparel store. Inside, she kept an eye on him while he picked through some jeans. He already held an armful of sweaters. She could have sworn he packed enough stuff to last the week. When he approached, she feigned interest in a fleece vest.
Brian handed her a charge card. “I need to step out for a minute. Pay for these when you’re done. The Waverley Mall across the street stocks a wide range of Halloween costumes. Make sure you look for Deadpool. I’ll meet you there.”
The charge card looked genuine. “When did you get this? Yesterday?” Another confident nod raised the heat in her cheeks. “What’s the deal with Deadpool? Why not your corny…” Ariane coughed. “Cool Steampunk costume?”
Archangel of the Fallen Page 2
