Awaken (Divine Hunter Series)

by L. J. Sealey

  “I’ve told you once already. She’s agreed to meet us to talk about this Varesh guy. I don’t know what she knows about him, but anything’s gotta help right now, huh?” Evo said completely unaware of the speed limit as he raced down the highway.

  “How do you know she’s trustworthy?” She could be on this Varesh’s side. He hoped to God that wasn’t the case or else she could be leading him straight to them.

  “Oh, she’s trustworthy. We have a mutual enemy: demons. So trust me, she’s on our side.” Evo had a smug look on his face. He was feeling proud of himself for some reason but while he was being vague, he was irritating Michael.

  It wasn’t really Evo’s fault though. Michael had been antsy for two reasons since leaving Lacy’s place. One, he wasn’t happy about leaving her on her own but Evo had insisted he go with him. And then there was the fact that he couldn’t get her out of his mind and it was irritating the hell out of him. He couldn’t stop thinking about last night. As he’d suspected, he hadn’t been able to trust himself at all while Lacy lay next to him: As soon as he knew she was sleeping, he’d been stupid enough to stroke his fingers down her arm, enjoying the softness of her skin. Then she’d sighed and backed herself closer in to him and he’d placed his arm around her before going to sleep.

  His dream had felt so real. He felt really bad about the way he’d kissed her, not that he hadn’t enjoyed it, really enjoyed it. He was so ashamed and annoyed at himself.

  He’d spent the next few hours watching her sleep. The sound of her deep breaths had soothed him, and every now and again she would quietly moan words he didn’t understand. It made him smile though. It was like she had her own sleep language. She made his goddamn heart swell. Shit! He hardly recognised himself at the moment.

  When he looked out of the driver’s side window he was surprised to see the airstrip beside them. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed the distance they’d covered. Evo must have sensed his mood because he’d kept quiet for the last part of the journey which Michael was grateful for. He suddenly felt bad for feeling irritated by him, he hadn’t deserved it.

  Now Michael was back to being aware of his surroundings, he realised there was another reason he was glad he’d been pre-occupied by his inner-turmoil over Lacy: Evo’s musical taste hadn’t improved in their time apart. “What the hell is this you’re listening to?”

  Evo shot him a look of utter bemusement, like Michael was supposed to know who the female country singer coming out of the stereo was. “It’s Faith Hill. . . What? She’s talented.”

  “Jeez buddy. As soon as we get back, I’m buying you some new music.” Thank God they were nearly there.

  He needed a distraction and fast.

  After checking the arrival time on the information screen−to make sure Evo’s woman’s plane would be landing on time−the two men walked through the small airport towards the arrivals lounge. They still had a little time until the plane was in so Michael ordered a coffee-to-go from the Wild Bean kiosk in the corner. They took a seat near the window.

  “I have a feeling this Varesh is going to be a piece of work.” Evo said, as he removed his sunglasses. It was the middle of October, and they were expecting snow any time, but Evo was always wearing those damned wraparounds no matter what. Usually only took them off at night when his vision was restricted.

  “Yeah. How does your lady friend know so much anyway?” Michael was eager to know more about the woman he was about to meet. A little prior information would have been nice. Why was Evo being so vague about her?

  “Alethia.” Evo said.

  “What?”

  “Her name is Alethia. And she’s not my lady friend. I’ve never met her before.”

  Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Then why would she come all this way to meet us, and at such short notice?” It seemed strange that a complete stranger was willing to do that. He assumed Evo knew her. He guessed that corrected his earlier assumption that the guy had slept with her.

  Evo sat forward, arms leaning on his knees. “I told you already, I’m owed a favor.”

  He was beginning to get on Michael’s last nerve with his short, uninformative answers. “Not from her though, right? Come on man, you’re not giving me anything here. I’m about to meet this woman and I know nothing about her. I’m not comfortable with this.”

  Evo scrubbed his hand down his face and his eyes scanned around the lounge as if to make sure no one else was in ear shot. “She’s different.”

  Michael’s eyebrow raised and he gave Evo a look that urged him to continue. “Different how?”

  “She’s. . . kind of powerful. And my friend said she may be able to help us. In fact, when I spoke to her on the phone she was already on her way to the airport. She seems keen to meet us. This is a good thing Mike, buddy. You trust me right?”

  He never mentioned it was her he’d spoken to on the phone. And what did he mean by powerful? Someone working for the government powerful? He gave Evo a quick nod of his head. “Powerful like how?”

  Evo’s voice dropped to a whisper. “She’s not human.” Then he got up and joined the small group of people who had gathered waiting to greet the throng of passengers who’d begun to come through the exit doors, weighed down with luggage. Most of them had companions or were in small groups.

  Michael went over and stood by him. The only person who had come through alone so far was a short, very round man with a thin moustache and a Yankees cap until. . .

  Michael saw Evo’s eyes light up as a tall, slim, brunette−who was dressed in a knee length, tan, double breasted coat with fur around the collar−came through the doors pulling along a small suitcase. Her tight black pants were covered by brown, knee high boots. She was the picture of elegance as she stopped to fumble with her coat before her eyes scanned the room.

  “That’s gotta be her.” Evo said before almost sprinting towards her.

  God help her, Michael thought as he followed him.

  “Alethia?” She looked straight at Evo and smiled tentatively.

  Michael noticed she had a small dimple in each of her cheeks. She looked to be in her early thirties and very human, but then again, so did he.

  “Yes. You must be Mr O’Reilly?” The woman outstretched her hand to Evo who took it immediately, gently shaking it while his gaze never left hers. “I’ve had quite an interesting chat about you with our mutual friend,” she said wryly.

  Evo seemed to like it. “Please. Call me Evo, and this is my good friend Michael.”

  She looked at Michael, her blue eyes narrowed with curiosity while it was his turn for the handshake. She lowered her voice. “Ah Yes. You’re the one Varesh is looking for. He’s not the kind you gain as an enemy easily. You must have really pissed him off.”

  Michael was surprised by her words. So she did know who Varesh was? Well that was a start. The fact that she was here with no hesitation worried him though. Three things he would need to find out about her before he trusted her: One, how well did she know this Varesh? He needed to be sure that she wasn’t working with him and had come here because she planned to deceive them. The second thing, Is she as powerful as Evo said? And finally, if she’s not human then what the hell is she?

  “I haven’t done anything to him.” Michael replied coldly, informing her where he stood with the trust issue.

  Her eyes narrowed with her irreverent smile. “I highly doubt that,” she said before turning her attention back to Evo. “How long till we can eat? I’m starving.” She began to walk towards the exit, suitcase in tow, not bothering to look back to see if they followed.

  They did though.

  Michael looked at Evo who was happily enjoying watching her walk on ahead. “I think I’m in love with her which is bad.” Evo said, to which Michael rolled his eyes. “No I’m serious. I mean, how am I going to concentrate on anything she has to tell us when she looks like that?”

  Michael shoved his elbow into Evo’s arm. “I’m sure you’ll manage, you
sexed up asshole.”

  * * *

  The journey back was an interesting one. Michael had learned nothing more in the time spent with Alethia and Evo, except that Evo’s flirting was something to behold. . . Or not, in Michael’s case. His buddy had tried every which way he could with Alethia but she wasn’t succumbing to his pretty impressive−as much as it was hard for Michael to admit−attempts to woo her. He’d never seen Evo have to try so hard. Alethia seemed amused by him, not at all bewitched, which was the case for most females who got in the way of Evo’s infamous charm. Poor bastard wasn’t used to it.

  Michael hadn’t quite figured the woman out yet. She was a peculiar character; that much he’d already established. Sometimes when she spoke she sounded mature, wisdom poured from her suggesting she was much older than she appeared. Other times she was playful. The way she teased Evo, playing him in a mischievous way, resembled the behaviour of a teenager. Not unlike Evo himself.

  They finally arrived back in Oakland. Michael had said he wanted to swing by Lacy’s before anything else, to make sure she was ok. He’d promised he’d go with her to the hospital and he still would, but it would have to be later on tonight. The meeting with Alethia was number one priority; if he was going to let her help, then he wanted to know everything about her first.

  As the SUV pulled up outside Lacy’s, it took less than a second for Michael to realise that her car wasn’t in the drive. She’d promised him she’d stay at home until he got back and she wasn’t the type to go back on her word. Even though she could’ve just popped to the store, or something as simple as that, his instincts were telling him there was something wrong, and he usually trusted them.

  “Evo. Buddy. Have you got that special knife on you?” he asked, his heart rate increasing slightly, preparing for the worst.

  Evo turned to him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just being cautious that’s all.” As he walked up Lacy’s driveway he heard the sound of two doors closing shut behind him, then the footsteps of Evo and Alethia following him to the house.

  He got to the front door which was open slightly. By this time he’d slipped his own knife out from inside his jacket and, holding his breath, he slowly pushed the door and walked inside. “Lacy?”

  Silence.

  He pointed down the hall, silently gesturing for Evo to check the other rooms which his buddy did with no hesitation. Michael went into the living room, still no sign of her. He noticed a cup on the coffee table which was half filled with coffee. He reached down and touched it with the back of his hand. Cold, so it had been there a while. He didn’t like it one little bit.

  “Lacy. Are you here?” Again there was no reply. He checked the kitchen. Then a woman’s voice called out from the hall. Alethia’s.

  “Uh, I think you need to see this.”

  Michael raced out of the room catching sight of Evo doing the same thing at the other end of the hall. Evo shook his head as he left Lacy’s room, confirming she wasn’t there. When Michael looked down at what Alethia was pointing to on the floor he sank to his knees. He stared at the droplets of blood trailing off towards the door where they stopped suddenly. Michael found it hard to breathe as he imagined Lacy being hurt and then probably carried out to her own car and taken somewhere.

  He barely registered Evo as he spoke. “Shit. Man. That doesn’t look good.”

  “Does someone want to tell me what’s going on?” Alethia asked.

  Michael couldn’t seem to find his voice for a moment, but through the deep mixture of anguish and rage now pulsing through his veins he managed to produce some sort of sound. “That bastard has her, Evo.”

  “Who?” Alethia demanded, her voice ringing in Michael’s head.

  Evo was quick to answer her this time. “That shit of a demon we captured. He must have taken Lacy and no doubt”−he hesitated−“Varesh will have ordered it.”

  All of a sudden Michael couldn’t hear beyond his own thoughts. How long has she been gone? What if they’ve killed her already? His head started to pound. He was so filled with fury that his vision began to distort. Then his whole body started to vibrate. The walls around him appeared to rumble and through the haze he heard Evo’s voice.

  “What the fuck. . . ?”

  What was happening to him?

  Evo’s voice cut through again, this time with the kind of urgency that he’d never heard coming from his friend. “Do something Alethia!” He sounded. . . scared?

  The vibration continued, like he had two thousand volts of electricity travelling through every inch of his skin. Through his now severely reduced vision, he saw the walls moving. He was hallucinating, had to be. No. Wait. . . This was real. He caught the fear in Evo’s eyes, his shocked expression confirming that Michael wasn’t the only one seeing what was happening.

  Michael gripped his head on either side as a strange pressure began to build inside of it, as though someone had a foot pump on his brain and was seeing how far they could inflate it before it burst. He couldn’t stop it. Whatever was happening was beyond his control.

  Everything seemed to blur into one, spinning around faster and faster until he couldn’t make anything out anymore. It was like he was in the eye of a hurricane with everything rushing, circling around him then. . .

  Darkness.

  Silence.

  Nothing but the sound of his hitched breaths in his ears.

  Then he was consumed by light; bright, white hot light that stung his eyes. He threw his arm over his face and heard his friend’s voice groan beside him. When Michael removed his arm, and after blinking a couple of times until he could see properly, he looked down to see Evo crouched over, his guts doing a damn good impression of Niagara Falls.

  “What. . . The. . . Fuck. . . Just happened?” Evo said in between retching.

  When Michael looked around he saw that they were alone in a long bright room with alabaster columns running along each side. The floor was covered in marble, also alabaster, and there were pale, delicate drapes across the far end.

  Where was Alethia?

  Michael turned to help Evo. “You okay buddy?”

  “Yeah,” he moaned as he got to his feet while still clutching his stomach. “Man that was a bitch of a ride. Where the hell are we anyway?”

  “I’ve no idea. And what happened to Alethia?”

  “Beats me. . . One minute she was standing there with her eyes closed, gripping hold of something that was on the end of her necklace, the next I felt like I’d been sniffing PCP.” His buddy’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Michael. “Let me see you man.”

  Michael sensed concern in Evo’s tone as he walked right up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders. His gaze was intense. “Thank God. Your eyes are back to normal. Are you feeling okay?”

  Michael frowned. Why was he asking him that? His eyes always changed when he was really angry. “Why the concern? Not like you haven’t seen my eyes change before.”

  Evo nodded his head and dropped his hands from Michael’s shoulders. “Oh, I know I have. . . But not the rest of your body glowing white I haven’t.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” It had to be the hallucinations. Evo must have had one too. He was getting confused. Had to be.

  “And before you say it, it was before all of that spinning started.” His friend said as if he’d read his mind.

  He wasn’t convinced. “How can you be sure?”

  Evo paced around the big empty space. “I was well aware of my surroundings at that moment. And Alethia was still coherent. She seemed as surprised as I was. It was only after that happened that she actually listened to me and went into a trance. Then she started chanting or praying or some shit.” Evo stopped and faced him again. “Oh yeah, there’s something else I forgot to mention too.”

  Michael didn’t know how much more of these revelations he could take right now. What else? He grew horns. . . A tail? “What?” he snapped. It came out more harsh than intended. Evo ignored it.
<
br />   “Your rage made the walls shake.”

  Now Michael was certain Evo was mistaken. How could that possibly happen? He’d been like he was for almost a year now and neither of those things had ever happened before.

  Evo must have sensed his denial. “I’m telling you man, that spinney, stormy crap that just happened? That was Alethia−and remind me to thank her for making me hurl my guts up next time I see her by the way−but the wall shaking thing. . . All you buddy.” he said all matter-of-factly.

  Before Michael could respond, the veil of drapes at the other end of the room parted unhanded and two figures walked through, one being Alethia, the other a tall man with wavy brown hair that fell to his shoulders. His clothes were unusual: white linen trousers and a sleeveless drape of the same color, which fell over his hips, held together with a sheer gold cummerbund around his waist. He wore white sandals, their ribbons wrapped from his feet to his ankles.

  The man had both hands behind his back as both he and Alethia gracefully ambled towards them. It was mature Alethia that faced them now as they stopped right in front of where he and his buddy stood; no sign of the playful female that had teased Evo earlier. Michael noticed Evo stiffen but thought nothing of it.

  Alethia spoke first. “This is Valtas. God of shadows.”

  The stranger held out his hand, a golden cuff covered his wrist. “Welcome, gentlemen,” he said in a slightly accented voice that Michael couldn’t place. He shook Michael’s hand then moved to Evo who now looked as pale as the guy’s clothes.

  “Is this Heaven?” Evo asked seeming to be awed by the man currently shaking his hand.

  Michael almost choked at Evo’s strange question. But Valtas simply smiled and shook his head. “No. You are in Asirus. No longer are you on Earth, though you are not yet in heaven.”

  That’s what all of the spinning was about. Alethia had somehow materialised them here. But where exactly was here? Were they amongst the clouds or further beyond? He was stunned for a moment. Not only had he been to Hell but now he’d visited the heavens. As a dead guy he’d seen a lot of strange shit and knew from experience that there was an afterlife and spirits and monsters. But this seemed too surreal; too impossible, even for him to get his head around. He couldn’t quite believe that he was standing in front of a god, a living breathing god. Now he understood why Evo was acting all polite and self-effacing around the guy. Bastard knew everything.