Branded

by Keary Taylor

  “I’ve been really sick lately,” I said simply as I looked in his face, wondering if he would see the meaning behind my words.

  “You don’t get sick,” he said stiffly. Apparently he did.

  “Well I have lately,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “Really sick. Headaches, chills, fever, I can’t keep anything down. Something is happening dad.” My dad swallowed hard twice before he was able to talk. “The nightmares?”

  “They’ve gotten worse lately. I have to sleep more often and I’m sleeping for much longer.” I waited for a long moment, simply staring into his face before I could say the next part. “They aren’t simply dreams dad. Do you remember the angels?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded once before he opened them again.

  “Do you remember that mark I used to draw all the time? The one that scared mom so bad?”

  My dad looked from side to side as if to make sure no one was watching before he took a pen out of his front pocket. With shaking hands he drew a crude replica of the mirrored X on a napkin.

  “The man who lives two doors down from me has this exact mark on the back of his neck. He is one of the one’s from my dreams.”

  The space between my dad’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked back at me. “I don’t understand, Jessica.” I felt a sudden urge to hurry and tell him everything I needed to. I wanted to get this over with. “One of the angels has escaped, dad. He’s the worst one of them all.

  He’s dangerous. You have to take mom and Amber and leave. I don’t know what he’s after exactly but it’s too dangerous for you to be around here. He’s a leader of the condemned for a reason.”

  He was quiet for a long time as he looked at me, as if debating once again if I was crazy or not. I knew that look all too well.

  “I know how this all sounds, dad. I know I sound insane. But you have to promise me you will leave as soon as possible. You have to go back home.”

  There was another moment of silence as he looked at me long and hard. “Alright,” he said with a nod. “We will leave tomorrow morning. But you have to promise me something in return.”

  I could feel the blood drain from my face at this. I wasn’t sure how much I could promise to in exchange for keeping my family safe. “What?”

  “That you’ll call every once in a while,” he said as his voice quivered. “You can call from a payphone if you want it that way. But just promise me that you will call to talk to your old man every once in a while.”

  My heart gave a strange squeeze as moisture filled my own eyes. “Deal,” I whispered.

  After another long moment of silence our waitress returned with the drinks and we ordered our food.

  “There’s something I’ve never told you, Jessica, something you should know about,” my dad said with a slight sigh, not meeting my eyes. “You were five, Amber had just turned a year old. You got really sick. You had a fever so high the doctors were concerned what it might do to your body. You would shake violently with chills and aches.

  You cried constantly as you held your head. You wouldn’t eat anything and everything we managed to shove down your throat came right back up a few minutes later.

  “The doctors didn’t know what was wrong with you and they told us to prepare for the worst. You were declining rapidly and they told us they didn’t know what else to do. They said your body would probably give out before the end of the week.”

  Tears were streaming down his cheeks at this point and he still did not look me in the eye. I could only stare at him blankly. This was the first time I had heard any of this.

  “You were going to die and there was nothing I could do about it it seemed,” he choked. He took a moment as he tried to control his emotion. “I was alone in the hospital room with you. You were unconscious. You had been slipping in and out for a few days. I cried out to whoever would listen, begging them not to take you away from me. I said I would do anything to keep you. I begged whoever was out there to let you live, to give you some more time.

  You were too young to die and I couldn’t bear to let you go.

  “Not a half hour after I spoke those words aloud, the monitors started to show improvements. You were still asleep but your temperature started to fall and the sweat that had covered your body went away. The doctors all came in to check on you and they were baffled. They had all basically written you off as a lost cause, dead.

  “A few hours later you woke up, screaming.

  Screaming at the top of your lungs. You were terrified. You kept saying ‘angels’, over and over. I had heard stories of people who were dying and saw angels while unconscious but you seemed to be terrified of them. Your grandma had brought a little porcelain angel to you in the hospital and set it next to your bed. As soon as you saw it you screamed, then threw it across the room, shattering it.” The waitress brought our food and my dad had to look away from her so she wouldn’t see the way his eyes had turned bright red.

  When she left he continued. “You were discharged from the hospital that night. We tried to get you to go to sleep when we got home but you were so scared. You refused. It was three nights before you finally couldn’t fight it anymore. And then you woke up screaming again. It was the same every time you slept.”

  I shook my head when he paused. “Stop,” I whispered, my throat feeling tight and suddenly dry. “I know how the rest went.”

  His lip quivered slightly at this but I could see the relief in his eyes that he didn’t have to say any more.

  Neither of us said anything for several long minutes as we started to pick at our food. What do you say after a conversation like that? I could now see how the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together.

  Emily had asked me what I had done to bring the nightmares on. She had tried to commit suicide and said she felt she had to do trials as punishment for it. It seemed I had not actually done anything to bring them on. My father had asked for more time with me and so, in exchange for that time, I was forced to stand trial every time I slept. It was nothing that I did that brought them on.

  As terrible as this realization was I couldn’t bring myself to be angry with my father. How was he supposed to have known that was what the trade would be? And would I have rather died? Two months ago I might have said yes. I couldn’t say that anymore.

  “So who is the special guy?” my dad asked. I could tell he was trying hard to turn the conversation back to a normal subject.

  I gave him a quizzical look, wondering how he had known that there even was anyone. With a slightly embarrassed chuckle he pointed to the side of his neck. It took me a second to realize what he must have been talking about.

  Blood rushed to my cheeks as I put a hand on the side of my neck to cover the slight bruising that was apparently there. I hadn’t even thought to check for anything after Alex and I’s little wrestling match in the sheets. I wasn’t exactly experienced in that area so the thought had never even crossed my mind.

  “Wow,” I said with a chuckle, looking sheepishly up to meet my dad’s eyes. Thankfully he was smiling. “That’s embarrassing.”

  He just gave a little shrug. “I’m not totally oblivious.

  You’re twenty now, Jess. There’s bound to be some guy that catches your eye at some point.”

  I gave a smile; glad that after all the heavy conversation we had just had we could still return back to something normal. “His name is Alex,” I said. I couldn’t help smiling at even just saying his name.

  “I’d ask if he’s a nice guy but that seems pointless. I may not have been around you in the last four years but I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t tolerate being with someone who didn’t treat you right.”

  “He’s amazing,” I said, half to myself. “He knows, well, not exactly everything, but most everything. It doesn’t scare him. He’s trying to help in any way he can.”

  “Sounds like you more than just like him,” he said with a smile as he forked some potato salad into his mouth.

&n
bsp; “Dad,” I said with a laugh and shook my head. “You really want to talk about my love life?”

  “Believe me,” he said as he rolled his eyes. “It’s better than talking to Amber about hers.”

  The rest of our meal was spent in light conversation, keeping all supernatural and any discussion of my mother out of the picture. I had to admit to myself, I had missed my father. He may not have fully understood the horror of what I had experienced my whole life, apparently because of him, but he tried. He didn’t think I was totally crazy like my mother did. He was non-judgmental and I knew he loved me no matter what.

  My father was tearful again when we said good-bye in front of the restaurant but there was hope in his eyes. I had given my promise that I would indeed call every once in a while and that I would stay in touch better. I tried to feel the same hope he did. I didn’t know how though, considering I had no idea what it was Cole wanted and why I was sick. I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach the two were related somehow. They just couldn’t be coincidence.

  I got done a few minutes before Alex and I had agreed to meet so I took the extra time to go into the chocolate shop I had discovered last time I had been in Seattle. I rarely could justify the astronomical cost of just a few pieces of chocolate but the stress of everything that was going on was too much. Chocolate is a stress reliever to any woman.

  I returned back to our meeting spot and downed the decadent pieces far faster than I should have. I couldn’t help it though.

  Alex’s beaming smile was impossible to miss through the mass of people as he walked toward me. I couldn’t help but return it. When he finally reached me he wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed a kiss to my lips that had a little more passion behind it than was appropriate for being out in public. When he backed away half a step I looked around to make sure no one was watching. Unfortunately, there were a few. They looked away, shaking their heads as soon as I met their eye.

  “So,” he said as he took my hand in his and started heading back to where we had parked the truck. “How did the meeting with your dad go?”

  “Better than expected,” I said with a satisfied nod. “It was actually really good to see him. It wasn’t easy but I’m glad I saw him.”

  “So…” he drug out the word. “Any chance I might get to meet him?”

  “Um…no,” I scrambled. “He’s actually going back home. Tonight,” I lied. “There was an emergency back home so they’ve basically had to cancel their trip.” I hated the fact that I was lying to him so blatantly. I didn’t know what else to do though.

  Alex’s nearly radiant expression dimmed just slightly at my answer but he simply shook it off with a shrug. “I’m sorry to hear that. But would you like to see now the idea I had in mind and the reason I asked you to pack an overnight bag?”

  I bit my lower lip and looked up at his glowing face, nervous as to what he had planned and why he was so ecstatic all the sudden. “Sure,” I said, trying to keep my voice excited as well. I wished I could feel the same excitement about our time together; there was just too much going on with too many sinister motivations.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  The yacht we boarded at Lake Union was massive.

  The shocking thing was that there were still a few around that were slightly bigger. I could only imagine the amount of money they must have cost.

  Apparently “The Reward” belonged to an old business partner of Alex’s grandpa. The man had been close to Alex as well and given him permission to use it for the night.

  According to Alex, the man had only used it once since he had bought it four years ago. It seemed silly to me. Such a waste of money.

  I had to admit though, the boat was beautiful. There were several bedrooms and bathrooms throughout it. There were two main decks and a kitchen that was four times bigger than the one in my apartment. I was afraid to touch anything, paranoid I might break something or smudge it with my fingerprints.

  We had made one stop before we came to the lake located just north of downtown. Alex was making dinner for us tonight and I had high hopes that my stomach would continue to cooperate like it had all day.

  Alex was incredibly focused when he was in the kitchen so I knew it was going to be difficult to try and keep up a conversation with him. I didn’t mind as I found myself alone on the upper deck. There was so much running through my mind, it was nice to have some time alone to try and sort my thoughts out.

  I took a deep breath in and closed my eyes to the fading light. I tried to clear my head of anything but my senses of what was around me. I could hear traffic moving constantly around me, the symphony of the city. It wasn’t obnoxious though. It wasn’t a sound I was entirely used to.

  Things got so quiet at Lake Samish it was a welcome change. I could smell the salt of the water, how it clung to the side of the boats. A faint breeze had picked up in the last half hour or so and I had grabbed a light jacket. The air felt crisp and refreshing on my face and as it flooded my lungs.

  Just as I was opening my eyes it felt as if a pair of steel bands wrapped around my chest, pinning my arms at my sides. Another closed over my mouth, sealing in the scream that wanted to escape my lips and making it impossible to breathe. My eyes shot around, looking for the source of my captivity but they saw nothing but my arms frozen at my sides.

  “Scream and I will kill you and then I will kill him,” a cool, even voice whispered into my ear. I knew the voice instantly. The tone and accent were unmistakable. My body instantly went limp but the steel bands of his arms held me upright.

  “You’ve been doing some things lately that have not made me very happy, Jessica,” he breathed into my neck. I could feel his nose touching the skin just behind my ear. I shivered violently. “It’s not a very good idea to upset me. I do bad things when I get upset.” His last words came out as an angry hiss. I felt hot tears spring to my eyes.

  “I happened to overhear the conversation you had with your daddy this afternoon. I half expected you to figure out my little secret sooner. I don’t exactly fit in in this world anymore. And I was so afraid your crazy little friend was going to figure it out and tell you. She knew there was something wrong. I had to take care of her before she exposed me.”

  Black spots were forming in the edges of my vision and my head started spinning. I could feel the vying arms of unconsciousness pulling at me, trying to drag me into another form of hell. I suddenly wished for it. It couldn’t be any worse than this.

  “I will make you a deal,” Cole’s invisible voice sliced into the night. “If you do exactly as I say I will let them live. Your family, your precious little Sal. Perhaps even Alex,” he drew his name out in a morbid and twisted way. It sent chills racing through my bones.

  “Do we have a deal?”

  I instantly nodded my head.

  “I am going to need you to be the best little actress you can manage for me tonight,” he said, his voice smooth and even. “You are going to pretend that everything is just fine and that I am not here. If you give any indication that something is wrong I will kill you both without hesitation.

  Is that clear?”

  I nodded again, the dark spots in my vision growing bigger.

  “Now,” he continued. “Alex has another special little surprise for you tonight. He did a little shopping while you were meeting with dear ole daddy. To a rather expensive little jewelry store. He wants to ask you a four word question tonight.”

  I had a hard time keeping my thoughts straight enough to understand what it was exactly Cole was saying. It hit me with sudden force though. Alex had bought a ring while I was with my father. He was planning on proposing tonight.

  The huge smile on Alex’s face that afternoon and the way he nearly glowed seemed so obvious now. He had insisted I get that stupid ring earlier so he could get my ring size. And the way he kept playing with something in his pocket all afternoon, there must have been a little black box in it. The way he insisted I wear something so nice wh
en it was just the two of us alone. It all made sense now. I had been so blind. How could I not have guessed?

  “You have to prevent him from asking that question,” Cole hissed. “I can’t expect you to be that great of an actress. And you will insist that you need to get to bed as soon as you can manage without his suspecting anything is wrong. And you will go to bed alone tonight.” When he paused I nodded once again. It wasn’t going to be easy. Of course Alex would wonder what was wrong when I insisted I needed to go to bed. That was something I never wanted to do. He would ask what was wrong and what he could do to help.

  It wasn’t going to be easy to do what Cole insisted on.

  But to save Alex’s life I could manage it.

  “I am going to release you now but be assured; I will not be far away. Remember, any scream or if you give any indication that I am here and I will kill you both.” I nodded my head once more and I felt the impossibly strong arms that bound me release. My legs threatened to collapse from underneath me but I forced them to do their job, knowing that at any moment Alex could walk out here and wonder what was wrong.

  Knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to make them cooperate for long, I took a seat at the table on the deck. I took two deep breaths, trying to clear the black spots from my vision. The effort it took left me feeling even dizzier than I had felt before. I wiped at my eyes, glad I had not worn any mascara that could leave evidence of the tears that still wanted to spill down my cheeks.

  “That’s better,” I heard a cold voice whisper into my ear. I couldn’t help but shy away in the other direction. At this he chuckled, his voice fading into the background.

  I felt almost composed enough to appear normal except for my hands that shook so violently I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to hold a glass. I folded them in my lap, hoping it would still be a while before Alex was done cooking.

  Less than two minutes later, Alex came out onto the dock, wheeling a fancy looking serving trolley behind him.