Aura

by Rebecca Lynn Talley

  They were talking in some kid of code, and I didn't have time to decipher it. Even if the idea of facing demons made my body numb from terror, I needed to get going. "Can we please move on? What's the plan?"

  "Never mind Luke," Melinda said. "Are you sure you can do this?"

  My mind screamed no, but I said, "Yes."

  She spoke to Alec. "Take her back to Silver City to—"

  "Take me to Erin so I can get information from her." It seemed like the best idea since I didn't want to face Nate if I didn't have to, and I had no idea who else was involved for sure. "She was my best friend." I refused to let anger and disappointment about Erin going to the Dark side distract me.

  "Do you think you can extract information from her?" Melinda studied me with her intense green eyes.

  I nodded. "I think so. I'll tell her my parents are missing and I need her help. I'll try to get as much from her as possible without making her suspicious that I know she's sharing her body with a demon." The idea made the hair on the back of my neck bristle. "And if I can't get anything from her, I'll try Nate." I shuddered at that.

  "Remember, they are very cunning," Melinda said. "They'll say or do anything to get what they want," Melinda said.

  I lost track of how much time we spent discussing details, but my anxiety level continued to rise, knowing that the more time we spent at the cabin, the more danger my parents were in. I wanted to get on with it—go back to Silver City—and find my parents.

  "I think we've covered everything we can," Melinda said. "Joshua, stay close to her in case something goes wrong. And stay in contact with us. Once she has information about where her parents are, we'll make final preparations. This may be our best and only chance."

  My heart squeezed tight. No pressure there.

  "I'll notify everyone of the plan." Melinda pulled me into a hug. I resisted the urge to cry, but I reveled in her embrace, hoping I'd soon have my own mother's arms around me. I swallowed back the terror rising in the back of my throat as Melinda whispered in my ear. "Be very careful. Trust no one. Demons are everywhere." She let go of me and said, "We will be right there with you, though you may not see us. We all want this to work."

  I nodded and flicked a disobedient tear from under my eye. I refused to even let the word failure enter my thoughts.

  Vincent exited the SUV and stretched his back. A strong, moist earthy scent permeated the air. A smile grew on his lips as he evaluated the abandoned school. "How quaint."

  Jack pulled out his phone and tapped a number. "We're here . . . Yeah . . . Let us in."

  Vincent caught his reflection in the window of the SUV. He smoothed his hair and adjusted his suit coat."Jack, my friend, once we take care of this little obstacle, we'll be on our way. I'll be head of the region, and within the year, I'll be in charge of the entire country. And you will be greatly rewarded."

  They walked to the back of the building and found the door propped open. Vincent stopped to look at the multi-colored graffiti on the bricks. He smiled.

  After walking down a long hallway, Jack stopped at a brown metal door. "Here we are."

  Jack opened it and led the way down the stairs into the musty basement. As soon as the three men guarding the couple spotted Vincent, they stood. He gave them a curt nod, eager to meet the parents of the girl causing such a stir.

  He approached the man and woman, both tied to chairs facing away from him. He circled around to face them. The man lifted his head to gaze at Vincent and the moment their eyes met, Vincent's heart raced. "You?" He'd never expected this.

  The man stared at him. "Vince."

  The woman's head snapped up, her eyes filled with terror. Vincent cast his gaze on her, and his lips curled. "Long time, no see."

  Backlit from the gathering dusk, the tall pine trees blurred together while Alec and I drove toward Silver City in his white Subaru. My heart thudded against my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I laced my trembling fingers in my lap. I wanted to be courageous, but driving toward the city to face a demon—actually, a lot of demons—intent on destroying me sent my mind into a seizure. How will I ever pull this off?

  "Crystal?"

  Alec's voice pulled me from my stupor. "Yeah?" I kept my gaze on the side window, watching the gray pavement whiz by.

  "With your Light—"

  "About that." So much of this still didn't make sense.

  "You have questions?"

  I looked at him. "Other people have Light too, right? You, your mom, the people you work with."

  "Yes."

  "So why don't you all go after him and stop him?" They knew what they were doing—I didn't. "Why do you need me? I mean, I'm in this to save my parents, but why haven't you all used your Light to stop this Vincent guy?"

  "We do the best we can. We stop a few demons here and there, but we've never been able to stop Vincent. He's extremely powerful because he's filled with so much Darkness." He paused. "If anyone can defeat him, it's you."

  "If anyone?" I didn't like how that sounded.

  Alec glanced out the window then tapped the steering wheel a few times with his hand. "Actually, we don't know if he can be defeated."

  Fear burned a hole in my stomach. "Are you serious?"

  "He's such a powerful demon . . . but then you have incredible Light."

  I rubbed my forehead. "So, if he can be stopped and if I can do it, then it will be over?" There had to be an end in sight.

  "I wish." Sadness flashed across his face.

  "What do you mean?"

  "There are others. . . Lots of others."

  "How can anyone ever hope to beat them if there are so many? Seems hopeless."

  "Only if we give up. The more people with Light we can assemble, the more power we have. And if we can find more people like you, maybe we can finally take this fight to the next level. Controlling a demon is only temporary, but if you can sever the connection long enough, you may be able to cast them out of hosts too—save the humans, and maybe even destroy the demons. The possibility at least exists now."

  I didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm, but I needed more information. "Hold up. Destroy the demons? What does that mean?"

  "Kill them. Get rid of them forever so they can never inhabit another host."

  "Is that possible?"

  "We don't know, but you're the only one that's come closest to having that kind of power."

  "But, why? Why me?" I held my hands out.

  He glanced over and my heart stopped for an instant. "You've obviously been born with some unique gifts, but you've also nurtured your Light. You've nourished it through your choices and made it grow. A lot of people don't do that. Some even go looking for the Darkness and then feed it."

  "Like this Vincent guy?"

  Alec nodded quickly. "Once you let Darkness in, it can consume you if you don't repel it with Light. Darkness attracts demons."

  "How have you been stopping the demons so far?"

  Alec's shoulders tensed. He grew visibly uncomfortable. "We have to . . ." He cleared his throat. "The human host has to die for the demon to leave."

  "They die?" He doesn't mean they kill people, does he? Oh, no, he does. He kills people. A surge of nausea hit me. Alec kills people.

  "We do what we need to." He shifted his weight in his seat.

  Suddenly I understood Luke's comment in the cabin about having enough manpower to take the demons down. "That's why your group is so secretive. You're in hiding because you're all—"

  "Don't say it. Please." He shook his head. "If you knew what the demons can do and how they use their hosts. . . Demons make them do horrible things, things they wouldn't do if they weren't inhabited. Death releases them from the demon's control and puts an end to it, so they don't have to suffer anymore."

  I was stunned. He acted like killing people was a noble thing. Maybe in some twisted way it was, but they had killed people. Real people. People who had families and lives. People who lived in houses and went to school and worked at jo
bs. Regular people who, for whatever reasons, had let a demon take control. People like Ms. Neal and Erin and Nate . . . My head started to pound. I was in the car with a killer. My hands started to shake. Is Alec any better than Vincent?

  Alec worked his jaw back and forth. "You don't understand what we're up against. It's a fight to the death. If we don't stop these demons, they'll take over the world, and we'll all be forced to serve them."

  "But . . . killing people?" I couldn't imagine killing anyone for any reason.

  "That's why you are so important. If you can cast the demons out of their hosts that will change everything we do. Everything. You give us another option. You give us hope. We can save the hosts."

  I licked my parched lips and asked, "How many have you killed?"

  He stared straight ahead, no expression on his face.

  "Well?" I didn't really want to know, but I needed to. My stomach quivered while I waited for his answer.

  After a few long minutes, he said softly, "None."

  I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. Had I heard him right? "None?"

  He nodded, as if ashamed of his answer. Without any forethought, I reached my hand out and placed it on his arm. Then, just as quickly, removed it.

  "We haven't participated in any of the host killings, but my mother and I don't stop them, because we don't know what else to do to combat the demons. But we've both believed there has to be a better way—a way to save the host. We've been searching for a long time for another solution." He glanced at me briefly. "That's why I go out looking for people with auras. We've been hoping to find someone not only with great Light, but someone who also has the gifts we need to save the hosts. You could be it."

  I nodded, my head feeling like I was on the bottom of the deep end of a pool. "No pressure, though, right?" I was about to burst from all the non-pressure.

  After several miles of silence, Alec said, "Just be careful. Remember that Vincent is merciless."

  "So you've all said. Over and over again. I get it." I was about to face some scary demon dude, and all I had in my arsenal was what Melinda had taught me. I hoped it would be enough, that I'd be able to use my Light when I needed it. I wasn't so sure. In fact, I was growing less sure with every mile that passed. So much for being courageous.

  "He'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, no matter who gets hurt." An almost imperceptible tremor crossed his bottom lip.

  Alec gazed at me and suddenly my eyes burned. "What if I fail? What if he kills my parents and the rest of you? What if he takes my power, or whatever it is, and I can't stop him? I'm not some superhero—I don't really know what I'm doing." A suffocating sense of terror wrapped around my neck.

  "You can do it. This is all new to you. It's scary, but I know you can do it. Trust in your Light." He said it with so much conviction. "Don't let your fear get in the way."

  I remembered the nightstand back at the cabin and the drawer where I'd placed my memories and fears. They had to stay there so I could do what I needed to do.

  Alec rested his hand on mine, and the warmth traveled up my shaking arm. The connection had a calming effect that soothed my sizzling nerves.

  As we neared the city limits, my heartbeat sprinted through my arms and legs, and my neck burned. A few more miles and we'd be there. I'd have to leave the safety of the car to face demons. Nerves crackled in my stomach when the "Welcome to Silver City" sign came into view. I glanced at the time on my phone.

  "Erin will still be at rehearsal so we should go to the high school. I'll sneak in the back to find her."

  Hearing someone else say my lines would hurt—a lot—but my parents' lives were on the line and I couldn't afford any self-pity. None.

  "Let's go over the plan again," Alec said.

  We discussed the plan and what to do in case it didn't work. I concentrated on his words, "Good will always overcome evil," as we drove into the east parking lot.

  Alec shut off the engine and turned to me. Despite the circumstances, my insides fluttered as I struggled to not lose myself in the inviting depths of his electric eyes. I leaned closer to him, trying to mentally will him to hold me and tell me everything would be fine. I yearned for his calming touch.

  "Crystal?"

  I blinked and called myself back to reality. "I'm ready." As ready as I'd ever be to face a demon disguised as my best friend.

  "You sure?"

  I gave a slight nod. I sensed something in his solemn expression. "What's wrong?" I asked.

  "I . . . I'm worried about you." His sincerity sent a rippling through my heart. Only days ago, we were complete strangers. And now, well, I wasn't sure what we were, but we weren't strangers. "I don't want to . . ."

  "What?" I searched his eyes.

  "Lose you," he whispered.

  Time stopped as he held my gaze. He leaned toward me, and my heart sputtered in anticipation. Is this it? Will he kiss me? I studied his lips, noticing every detail about them and wanting to feel them against mine—to forget everything else and kiss him. He leaned so close I could smell the familiar spearmint on his breath. Our lips only inches apart, I prepared for the kiss. My heart thudded so loud I was sure he could hear it.

  Alec suddenly cleared his throat and sat back, away from me. He stared out the windshield and tapped his hands against the seat. "I'll be close behind you. If you get into trouble, text me."

  Maybe he didn't want to kiss me after all. Maybe I only imagined that he wanted to kiss me.

  Whatever.

  I needed to think about Erin, about getting information from her so I could rescue my parents. Not about kissing Alec. Especially if he didn't want to kiss me back. "Okay."

  I swung the car door open and began walking toward the back of the school as the final wisps of daylight disappeared. I scanned the area. No one was in sight.

  Good.

  I held on to my cell phone like it was my lifeline.

  I found my way behind the stage without being noticed and waited for Erin. Voices from the stage echoed back to where I stood. Sadness and envy sliced through me. This was supposed to be my play. My part. I'd worked so hard for it and now it was gone. Poof. Just like that. The play, my parents, my life. Gone. The disappointment was too much.

  I rushed out of the stage area and back through the door—right into someone whose arms wound around me.

  Afraid it was Nate, I started to push away. "It's me," Alec said. I relaxed and rested my face against his shoulder. "What's wrong?" He caressed the back of my head.

  "I couldn't listen to them rehearse anymore. Made me too upset."

  "I'm sorry." He still had his arms around me. "What do you want to do?"

  "I can wait for Erin in her car." It seemed like the best plan.

  He let go of me and stepped back. "When will they be done?"

  I folded my arms across my chest to ward off the chill in the night air. "Pretty soon if I remember the schedule right."

  "Where's her car?"

  "Over there next to the light post." Erin parked her car in the same place every day.

  "Go get in, and I'll watch you from my car."

  I nodded and made my way to her Prius. Good thing she always left it unlocked. I slid inside the backseat. Curling up, I tried to forget about the fear, anxiety, and doubt that gnawed at me. I had to give Erin a seamless performance if I hoped to get any information from her. Though I'd dealt with demon-Erin before, and deep down knew I could again, the idea still terrified me, but I had to pull it off. My parents' lives depended on it.

  And then there was Alec. I didn't want to be attracted to him, but we had an undeniable connection—something I couldn't explain. Every time he looked at me, it sent electricity through my body. In his car, my lips had ached to touch his. Crystal, get a grip. I tried to shake those thoughts loose, because I didn't need any more complications. No matter what I felt near Alec, I had to focus on helping my parents. Forget about him.

  I heard voices outside and assumed rehears
al had ended. My heart started to pound and my nerves burned. I can do this. Erin opened the door and got in.

  Step one in the plan: make contact. After she started the engine, I sat up and said, "Erin?"

  She jumped back in her seat and shrieked. She looked at me. "Crystal? You scared me to death. Where have you been? What happened to you? Jordan had to replace you."

  Taking a deep breath and a solid dose of courage, I said, "I know. Something really horrible has happened."

  "What?" She seemed genuinely surprised. Remember, she is inhabited, no matter how much she seems like the real Erin.

  "My parents never came home last night. I think they're . . . missing." Fear ran through my words.

  "Missing?"

  "Vanished. I don't know where they are."

  "Are you serious? What can I do to help?" Perfect reaction from my "best friend." Erin even looked shocked. The demon inside her was very good.

  "I don't know."

  "Do you think they left you?"

  "No. I think . . ."

  "What?"

  "Maybe something happened to them."

  "Have you called the police?" Why would she ask that? Is she trying to get information from me?

  "Not yet. I was so scared. I wasn't sure what to do." I pulled out my phone. "Do you think I should call them right now?"

  "Let's wait until we get to my house to figure out what to do." Erin started the engine. We drove out of the parking lot and onto Main Street.

  "Where have you been since last night?"

  "With Alec."

  "Alec? Why were you with him?" She eyed me in the rearview mirror.

  "He gave me a ride home after rehearsal because my car wouldn't start." I didn't want to volunteer any more information than I needed to.

  "Where did you go?" She seemed to be testing me.

  "To his house."

  "Alone?" Her voice indicated her disbelief. Her demon must be tuned in and keeping almost complete control of Erin.

  "Of course not. His mom was there the whole time." I kept my answers short. Her demon would use whatever I said against me. I only wanted to tell her the bare minimum so she'd believe my story.