by C. C. Wood
The light brightened and a man, rather than a serpent, appeared out of the darkness. He wore black, a sleek suit that was tailored to fit his lean frame. Even his shirt and tie were black. There was an expensive sheen to his tie and lapels. Wow, darkness wore designer duds. I guess I should be impressed.
He held his arms out to his side. "I come for everyone. Eventually."
His cryptic answer was both unnerving and irritating. Why couldn't the bad guys ever just answer a question with a straight answer?
His melodious laugh rolled through the shadows. "You have spunk, daughter. It makes me proud to see it. So many of your predecessors were...disappointing."
"Predecessors?"
He came closer and I saw his eyes, one blue and one hazel. I tried to back away but my body was caught in an invisible net.
"You have come into your power. You no longer hide from what you are as your mother did. And her mother before her. As it was done for hundreds of years." He tucked his hands into his pockets. "You now hold life and death in your palm, just as I do. And one day, you will stand by my side and act as my right hand."
"The right hand of what?"
He leaned closer and I cringed back. "Think, little one. You have an affinity with the dead. Who else could I be?"
I blinked, staring at him in shock. I was finally beginning to understand what was happening. "You're...Death."
"You may call me Adrian," he said, bowing his head.
"You are Death though, aren't you?"
"I am. And you are my descendant."
I nearly choked. "How?"
He smiled and I nearly cried. My mother had his smile. I had his smile.
"The usual way," he answered.
"I don't understand." I shook my head. This was blowing my mind.
The invisible chains holding me loosened and I immediately took a step back. Then I stopped. I would not run from this, no matter how crazy it seemed. I'd spent most of my life running from things that I didn't understand. I had to face this now.
"Long ago, I was a cold creature, existing solely to bring death to those whose lives were at an end. I do not choose the ones I take, only guide them to where they must go." He looked almost sad as he spoke, as though remembering that time hurt him. "I couldn't understand their tears or their pleading to stay. It was not by my choice. I was only doing what I was made to do. So I decided I needed to learn what it meant to be human. I was born as a human babe, grew, and lived. Then, when my body died, I became as I am once again, but I remembered my human life. And I understood."
"But if you were human, how..." I trailed off. I had no idea what I was going to ask.
"How did you gain your powers?" he asked, rocking back on his heels with his hands still in his pockets.
I nodded.
"My abilities were dormant while I was human, but the woman my human son married, she was a witch of considerable power. The magic in her blood acted as a catalyst. Their daughter was the first of your line and the root of your power."
"So you've been watching my family line for centuries?"
"Millennia," he answered.
Oh, my God. My family line stretched back for thousands of years and he'd watched them all.
"And what do you want from me now?"
The faint smile left his face. "You must be careful, little one. For centuries, your ancestors were hunted to near extinction. Now that your talents have manifested, they will continue to grow. Until they reach their zenith, you will be vulnerable. Other magic users and beings will either want to kill you or possess your skills, which would also lead to your death. Either way, your life is in danger."
"I know," I said. "My friend, Angie, explained that other witches would probably want to kill me."
Adrian shook his head. "You don't understand. It's not just the witches. There are other beings like me, gods and their offspring, and they will want you. Your magic is a beacon to them. They will come."
"What should I do?"
"I will protect you as best I can, but there are limits. Your best weapon is knowledge. You must learn and develop your power. Your control must be absolute." He held his hand out to me. "Let me show you."
I hesitated for a long moment then put my hand in his. The darkness around us vanished, replaced by brilliant light so bright that my eyes nearly burned. It was unbearably hot, as though fire itself raced through my veins instead of blood.
I opened my mouth to scream but there was no air. Only heat.
My back arched and I sucked in a sharp breath, my body bolting upright in the bed.
My eyes wheeled in my head as I looked around the room. There was another bed next to mine. Jonelle. I was in a hotel in Austin. Sweat drenched my clothes and bedsheets and my skin stung as though I'd spent too long in the sun and had burned.
When you need it, the knowledge will be there.
I twisted my head, looking around for the source of the voice, but it was in my mind. Adrian. His name was Adrian and he claimed he was the father of my line.
My hands flared with pain and heat. I hissed and stared down at them. A fine network of glowing white lines flashed across my skin, glyphs and symbols I'd never seen before.
Oh, God, it wasn't a dream. It was real.
I bit back a cry as the heat beneath my skin spread, becoming nearly unbearable.
Shaking, I tossed the blankets to the side and climbed out of the bed. My legs were weak and dizziness assaulted me as I straightened and staggered toward the bathroom. I slipped inside, shut the door behind me, and flipped on the light. I nearly cried out when I caught sight of myself in the mirror above the sink. My tangled hair was plastered to my skull in a damp mess and my skin was bright red.
I looked like I had the worst sunburn of my life.
I leaned back against the door and flinched as my back met the cool surface. Even through my t-shirt, the door felt like ice against my overheated flesh.
I had to cool down or I would have a heatstroke. I stripped off my shirt and underwear and walked over to the shower. I flicked it on and stepped inside. The water was warm but it felt icy against my shoulders and belly.
I clenched my teeth and forced myself to stand beneath the spray. I bowed my head and let the water run over my hair and face. Once I acclimated to the temperature, I turned the hot water down a bit at a time until it was one step above intolerably cold.
Finally, I began to cool down.
No longer in danger of overheating, I reached for the shampoo. Sweat had made my hair and skin sticky. I might as well clean myself since I was already here.
Ten minutes later, I exited the shower and my skin was pale once again. There was no trace of the redness or the fiery white lines that had traced my arms earlier. I looked completely normal.
I wrapped a towel around my body, shut off the light, and tiptoed out of the bathroom. Jonelle still hadn't moved from her sprawl. I crept over to the nightstand between the beds and tapped my cell phone screen.
It was five in the morning. There was no way I was going back to sleep after that dream and my cold shower. I also didn't want to hang around the room and risk waking up Jonelle. I would tell her about the dream later, but I needed a little time to deal with it first.
It wasn't every day that you found out that the first of your family line was Death incarnate.
I gathered up some clothes and went back into the bathroom. I brought my phone with me. Surely there was a coffee shop or diner open nearby, even at this hour. A quick internet search turned up two restaurants within walking distance, both open.
I dressed and wove my damp hair in a braid. Jonelle still hadn't moved a muscle when I slipped back into the bedroom and slid my feet into my sandals. Once my room key, laptop, and phone were in my backpack, I wrote Jonelle a short note, letting her know I'd gone out for coffee, and I left the room.
"Where ya going?" Teri asked, popping into existence right next to me as I made my way to the elevator.
"Oh, Jesus Chris
t!" I yelped. Now that we were tethered, she was rarely able to sneak up on me. Which meant she enjoyed it even more when she managed it.
Teri chuckled as I stopped in front of the bank of elevators. "That was fun."
The doors opened and I stepped into the elevator car. Teri was still giggling when the doors closed.
"Hey!" She floated through the door. "I see what you did there but you won't get rid of me so easily. So why are you up so early? Where are we heading?"
My head throbbed from her incessant questions. "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I'm going to go to a coffee shop and get some breakfast. Maybe do some work. You can help me if you like."
"As wonderful as that all sounds, I don't think so. I need my beauty sleep. See ya later."
Without another word, Teri vanished. I could still feel her, but there was distance between us. Sort of like a pocket separate from this plane of existence. At least that's how Teri explained it to me.
It was just as well. I wasn't exactly in the mood for company right now.
Except for a couple of early morning joggers in the pearly pre-dawn light, the street was almost deserted as I walked the few blocks to the diner. The air was still cool since the sun wasn't quite up yet, but the humidity was already thick, promising a hot, muggy day.
The diner was surprisingly busy for a quarter to six in the morning and I stutter-stepped when I saw a familiar dark head bent over a laptop in a corner booth. Judging by the empty plate next to his elbow and the messy state of his hair, he'd been there for a while.
I walked over to the table and asked, "May I join you?"
Mal's head popped up, his stare nearly blank. Then he blinked. "Zoe. What are you doing here? Are you okay?"
I sat on the opposite side of the booth. "I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep. What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep either," he answered, picking up his coffee cup and draining it. When he put the cup down, his gaze sharpened as he studied me. "Bad dream?"
I nearly laughed. The man could see I'd had a nightmare based on the expression on my face. Maybe we were spending too much time together. "Yeah. What about you?"
"Just too much stuff in my brain." He closed his laptop. "Wanna tell me about it?"
I hesitated. If I told him the truth, he would have all sorts of questions. But if I didn't, it would be one more secret to keep. One would become two, then three or four. I couldn't keep doing this any longer. Not with Mal. I loved him and I knew I could trust him.
I only hoped I could keep him safe.
"Zoe?"
A waitress came over with a menu, a bright smile, and a nametag that read Suzi. She had to be close to my age but I suddenly felt so much older. I ordered water and coffee and asked for a few minutes to look at the menu.
I put the menu down on the table without looking at it and folded my arms over it. Mal was still watching me closely. He emanated concern.
"It wasn't a dream, exactly." I released a long breath and felt my shoulders relax. "More like a vision. Or something like it."
The waitress brought my coffee and water over. I glanced at the blackboard hanging on the wall and saw the breakfast special. "I'll take a breakfast special with scrambled eggs, bacon, and wheat toast."
She nodded and took the menu, leaving me alone with Mal again.
"What was your vision about?" Mal asked.
My heart thumped against my ribs. I could do this, right? So far, Mal had been able to accept everything about me without a lot of trouble. Maybe this would be the same.
"My ancestor," I answered. I added sugar and milk to my coffee and sipped it. Exactly what I needed. "Apparently, I'm distantly related to Death."
Mal stared at me, his expression frozen. "Come again?"
I drank more coffee before I answered. "Death is my many times over great grandfather and it seems he wanted to let me know."
He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "You're serious? Are you sure it wasn't just a nightmare?"
"Oh, yeah. I woke up feeling like my skin was on fire. When I looked down at my arms, I found symbols and glyphs written on my skin in white light. It wasn't exactly pleasant. Not to mention, Granddaddy Dearest sent me a message once I was awake."
"He sent you a message once you were awake? How?"
"Telepathically."
"What did he say?" Mal asked.
I folded my arms on the table and leaned forward. "When you need it, the knowledge will be there."
"Cryptic," Mal said.
"Oh, yeah," I answered, the words thick with sarcasm.
I didn't have a chance to say anything else because the waitress returned with my food and a pot of coffee. I thanked her and sat back as she set the plate down and filled our coffee cups.
When she walked away, Mal waited for me to add a little more sugar and milk to my coffee.
"So you're related to the grim reaper?" he asked.
I frowned at him. "Believe it or not, he asked me to call him Adrian."
Mal laughed. "Adrian? Does he look like he belongs in a soap opera?"
Despite my stress, the corners of my mouth turned up. "No. Though he was dressed in all black."
"All black, huh? Sounds like something I would expect Death himself to wear."
My throat tightened. "He had my mother's smile. My smile."
The amusement on Mal's face vanished. "What?"
"And his eyes were two different colors—blue and hazel. The same hazel as mine." I cleared my throat.
Mal reached out and took my hand. "That would definitely be unsettling."
"Definitely."
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
I shook my head and let loose a weak laugh. "Do? There's nothing I can do. I can't change who my ancestors are, just like I can't change my powers. It is what it is."
"Did he scare you? I can do some research. Maybe we can figure out a way to keep him away from you. To repel him. There has to be a way."
"I was a little scared at first, but I don't think he truly wants to hurt me. In fact, he told me I was in danger."
"What do you think he meant?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea. He wasn't specific." I poked at my eggs with a fork. "My guess would be that he's referring to the situation with Selene."
"Beatrix and the coven?"
"Maybe."
Mal nodded and I could see the wheels turning in his mind. Then he glanced down at my plate. "You should eat before the food gets cold."
I took a bite of eggs and even lukewarm they were delicious. The first bite also made me realize that I was ravenous. I wolfed down most of the food, shoved my plate away, and settled back with my cup of coffee.
"Should we ditch Beatrix's witches today?" Mal asked.
I pondered that question for a long moment. "No, I don't think we should. I'm not sure we can trust them, but we'll be able to learn more about Selene and her mother if we have a chance to look around their house."
"We can find it on our own."
"Yes, eventually, but this way will be quicker." I finished my coffee. "We don't know how long Selene has now that we're in town. We'll be careful and watch what we say around Beatrix and her witches. That's all we can do." After yesterday, I worried that would be more difficult than I originally thought.
"For now," Mal said.
"For now."
Chapter Thirteen
Rafe met us in the lobby of the hotel at nine sharp. I was surprised to see that he was wearing a pair of jeans with a white t-shirt. I expected more black. However, he did have on a pair of dark sunglasses with silver frames. They looked expensive, as did his boots. A tiny, blonde woman sauntered in at his side, wearing minute cut-offs, a bright pink tank top, and a perky ponytail that bounced with each step she took. When they stopped in front of us, I saw that her toenails were painted a sparkly bubblegum pink, which matched her flip flops. Neither of them looked as if they could be closet sorcerers.
"Hi, I'm Jezebel," she said, hold
ing out her hand to Mal. "But I prefer to be called Jezzy."
We performed introductions and I thought I was going to have to restrain Jonelle when Jezzy gave Stony a flirty smile and stepped closer to him when they shook hands.
"Down, girl," I muttered.
Jonelle growled at me but her body relaxed slightly. I bit back a smile. Jonelle might be pushing Stony away as hard as possible, but she still had feelings for him. Strong feelings. I doubted she would be able to resist him for much longer.
Jezzy gave us a bright white smile. "You can follow us out to Francesca's house. It will take a little over thirty minutes to get there since it's north of the city. We'll wait for you at the rear of the parking lot. I'm driving a white Prius."
The silent Rafe followed Jezzy out of the hotel, toward the parking lot, while we all headed to the parking garage.
"She reminds me of Wiccan Barbie," Jonelle muttered beneath her breath as she and I trailed behind the guys.
I clamped my mouth shut because laughing would be the worst possible thing to do.
"I gotta agree with the cock hopper," Teri chimed in. "That woman is way too bouncy. And I don't like the way she looked at our guys."
"Our guys?" I asked.
"Well, they are."
Jonelle was silent as we approached the van.
"You okay?" I asked her.
She shrugged. "Yeah. Just..." She trailed off and didn't continue.
I didn't push because I knew her. If I applied any pressure, she would clam up tighter than a bank vault.
"Want the front seat?"
Jonelle shook her head. "No, no. You sit up front with Mal. I'm—" She took a deep breath and exhaled hard. "Fine. Absolutely fine."
Hmmm. I knew things were tense between Jonelle and Stony, but I'd never seen her so hesitant. Or lost.
I reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "It'll be okay."
She smiled at me, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It already is," she lied.
I didn't say anything else because the guys were only a few feet away, waiting for us to get to the van.
"Jeez, Zoe, you take forever," Blaine teased me.
