Melinda slowly stood, her pasty skin a stark reminder of what had happened. Softly she spoke to the group. "Vincent will no longer be a threat, and the followers we didn't kill will be scrambling to find a new leader. But, as we know, it's only a matter of time before they regroup. We'll keep you updated on where we go next, but we need to leave here as soon as possible. Thank you for your help."
After a few minutes of talking among themselves, the members of The Covenant left the house, leaving Alec, Melinda, my parents, and me alone on the couches.
"Thank you for what you did, Crystal," Melinda said.
"The demon is still out there. I didn't kill it."
"But you showed us that there is another way to release the hosts. And you may yet be able to destroy demons as you develop your gifts."
My mom's body stiffened. "We're leaving here. With Crystal."
"I've already found a new congregation in Idaho," my dad said. "We can settle there and put all of this behind us. Crystal can go to college and get on with her life."
Melinda tilted her head. "You are not interested in fighting these demons?" she asked my parents.
"Not any more interested than we've ever been," Mom said. "Sarah, I know you want to do the right thing and you feel like that means fighting these demons, but for us, the right thing is still trying to protect our daughter from all of this."
"Hiding does not provide protection. Surely you know that now," Melinda said. "Wherever she goes, she will be a threat to the demons. She will be able to disrupt the hold many demons have over their hosts, and when word gets out that she can cast demons from their hosts, she will be a target."
"I am truly sorry for all you've endured," Mom said. "I'm sorry that Vincent invited that demon in and allowed it to possess him. I'm sorry for what it did to you and your son. But as we told you some years ago, we don't want any part of this."
"We aren't fighters. You know that," my dad said, adjusting his position on the couch.
"We'll just have to find a way to keep her safe," my mom said.
Listening to them talk about me without even acknowledging my presence made me want to scream. This is my life!
"You know, I'm right here. Doesn't anyone want to know what I think?" They all turned to me, including Alec, who watched me intently.
"What do you think?" Melinda asked, smoothing a wisp of hair from her face.
I wasn't exactly sure what I thought, but I deserved to be part of the conversation. "As I see it I have two options. Go with my parents and live my life on the run, trying to avoid the demons and hope they never find me again. Or, I can take a stand. Stay with Alec and Melinda and develop my gifts so I can fight."
"Crystal, you've been through a tremendous ordeal," Mom began, her eyes filled with apprehension. "You aren't capable of making any kind of decision right now."
"Your mom and I made a conscious decision to shield you from this," Dad said. "I realize it found you anyway, but that doesn't mean we can't find a new place and start over. We want to keep you safe, and we know more now about how to do that."
"By hiding? You've taught me to embrace the Light. Can't you trust me now to use that Light? Why should I hide if I can stop this evil? Isn't that what you've taught me? Embrace the Light by doing what's right and fight the evil?"
"Yes, but—" my dad started.
"We don't want you in a war that you might not survive," Mom said. "It's our job to keep you safe and protected. We love you."
"I know, Mom, I love both of you too. But this is bigger than that. I have the power to cast out demons, maybe to save the hosts from their bad decision to let a demon in. I might even be able to destroy the demons and get rid of them forever. Isn't it worth trying?"
My mom said nothing as tears sprang to her eyes.
"So you've made your decision?" my dad said, his eyes heavy and the corners of his mouth down.
I looked at Melinda and then at Alec. Both of them watched me. Finally, I nodded.
My mom started sobbing.
My dad moved over to me and placed his arm around my shoulder. "You're right, Crystal. If you hide your ability to fight evil you cannot destroy it. I do what I can to teach people to choose the good and fight against the evil, but you are far more courageous than I am." He stopped for a moment, visibly emotional. "I'm proud of you."
I buried my face in his neck. "I'll miss you, Dad."
He hugged me tighter. "And I will miss you. More than you know. But you have a calling, and I can't stand in your way."
I pulled back and then moved over to the other couch, kneeling next to my mom and rubbing her arm. "Please don't be mad."
Through her tears she said, "I'm not mad. How can I be? I'm proud of you for who you are and for what you're willing to do to defend us against these demons. But I'm scared for your safety." She wiped at her eyes.
"I know. I can't guarantee I'll be safe, but I will do my best. And maybe now you can stay in one place for a while. I promise to visit." I tried to smile.
She reached out and hugged me.
Alec and I sat on a bench under a big tree in the backyard. The morning sun filtered through the branches, sprinkling soft shadows on us. Birds chirped in the distance and, for a moment, the air was gentle and comforting.
After several minutes of quiet I asked, "Were Nate and Erin . . . are they . . ." I didn't want to say it.
"I didn't see them when I got there. I don't know what happened to them."
"I hoped to save them, if I could."
"I know. Maybe you still can. Someday."
The majestic, snow-capped mountains caught my attention. "Where do we go from here?"
"I'm not sure." He gazed at me with his magnetic eyes.
Does he think I mean "we"?
Breaking from his gaze, I cleared my throat. "Um, I mean, where will The Covenant go"
"Oh." He seemed uncomfortable. "My mom said something about either Florida or California."
I nodded. Awkward tension hung between us. "Guess I should get packed then." I stood.
He rose slowly and stood next to me. "Thank you for what you did for my mom."
"You healed her."
"But I couldn't have done it without your Light."
"I'm glad she's okay. And I'm so relieved my parents are okay too." I kicked at the ground, sad I couldn't save Vincent. I looked at him. "I'm sorry about your dad."
Alec cleared his throat, his eyes moist. "He made his choice. It was stupid of me to think—"
"Not stupid at all. You wanted to save your dad. I wish we could have." I put my hand on his arm.
He gave a slight smile. "You are the most courageous person I know."
He moved closer and my heartbeat thundered in my ears. "I don't know about that. It's scary thinking about leaving my parents to fight demons." Scarier than I wanted to admit, but somehow, it felt right.
"Yeah, it's scary. But—" He stopped and reached up to brush a strand of hair from my face. "We'll fight them together. You and me."
"I like how that sounds." A lot. More than a lot.
He took my face into his hands, using his thumbs to trace the outline of my lips. Electricity sizzled between us. The anticipation practically choked me. Gently, he pulled my face close to his and laid his warm lips on mine. Time stopped while our lips melted into each other. I didn't want to ever move from that spot.
He pulled away, and I struggled to catch my breath. He searched my eyes and said, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
I nodded. "Yes. I've made my choice." I didn't want to run. Or hide. I wanted to face the demons and fight so I could stop them from inhabiting other people. People like Nate and Erin. This is where I belonged.
I didn't know how things would turn out between Alec and me, but I was willing to find out. Willing to take a chance and see what happened. Willing to trust him with my life.
And my heart.
Rebecca Lynn Talley grew up in the gorgeous seaside city of Santa Barbara, CA. She met, and
married, her husband, Del, while attending college. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Communications.
She currently lives in rural Colorado on a small ranch with a dog, too many cats to count, and a herd of goats. She and Del are the proud parents of ten wildly-creative, multi-talented children.
When she isn't writing, Rebecca loves to date her husband, play with her kids, swim in the ocean, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house. She has folded at least one million loads of laundry, baked hundreds of batches of chocolate chip cookies, and eaten 5,478 gallons of ice cream.
You can find Rebecca online at:
www.rebeccalynntalley.blogspot.com
www.rebeccatalley.com.
Other books:
Grasshopper Pie (WindRiver 2003)
Heaven Scent (Cedar Fort 2008)
Altared Plans (Cedar Fort 2009)
The Upside of Down (Cedar Fort 2011)
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted to write a story about a young woman whose strength comes from living a good life and trying to do the right thing. If you enjoyed it, I'd appreciate your help in spreading the word. After all, word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. And if you feel so inclined to leave a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble, that'd be awesome. Thank you for your help.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
About the Author
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