Taken

by Bolton, Karice

  “Or ice skate on a lake in the middle of nowhere,” I chimed in.

  I looked around the rustic, log cabin that we had rented. We had a few lanterns scattered along the dining table and end tables. The sun was setting spilling a deep, blue light onto the wooden floors. The glow from the fire produced enough light for us to see, even in the evening hours, which was quite nice. The quilts draped above us in the loft area created a very cozy feeling, but nothing was as restful as being in Athen’s presence. He was my safe haven and with everything we had been through, I was thankful we were able to escape to a place like this.

  He turned and winked at me, creating a stir deep within. His grin was dazzling, as he walked over to the couch that I was sitting on. I was sipping a wonderful cup of hot chocolate and couldn’t imagine another place I’d want to be. Athen sat next to me and I pulled a blanket around us, feeling his body move with every breath. This was perfection — right here.

  “Have I made your winter dreams come true?” he murmured, bringing me in close.

  I placed my mug on the table, and I snuggled into his chest, enjoying the strength of his arms, as the rhythm of his breathing steadied.

  “Like always,” I whispered. I felt the magnificent pull between us and never wanted this moment to end. He reached his hand up and slid out my hair clip, letting his fingers run through my hair. A charge ran through me, and he cocked his head to the side with a mischievous grin spreading across his lips.

  I blinked up at him and wrapped my fingers around his neck. He leaned over me, and his eyes turned a darker shade of green, delighting me beyond belief. His finger circled my neck, sending another shot through me. His lips parted, but he didn’t move. He hovered over me and just waited as the desire continued to build deep in my belly. He knew what he was up to.

  “Your touch is quite powerful,” I murmured.

  “Oh my beautiful, Ana,” he whispered.

  “As long as you’re here with me on earth, I’m already in heaven,” Athen murmured, his words caressing my soul. “I’ve surrendered everything I have to you and always will.”

  The blood rushed through my body with a thirst only Athen could quench. My surroundings slowly began to fade. The fire crackled softly in the background, but all I could think about was being with Athen.

  I could take no more and climbed onto him, linking his hands with mine. Athen’s green eyes burned into me as I pressed my lips to his. He slid his hand down my spine creating a sensation I wanted more of.

  He trailed kisses down my chin and neck, slowing with each one. Reaching my shoulders, his movements slowed as he gently placed me back down on the couch under him. As his fingers slid up my body, I shuddered with anticipation, feeling all of my strength leave as I allowed myself to be fully joined with him.

  ***

  We snuggled under mounds of blankets all night, and once the morning light finally woke us up, I was excited to start the day with Athen by my side. He was making breakfast in the kitchen, and I had changed into a wool sweater and pants. The cabin smelled of a wonderful mixture of wood smoke and maple syrup.

  Cyril and Arie were set to join us today, and I looked forward to their company.

  “Well, you look beautiful,” Athen replied, as I walked down the stairs.

  I blushed and became completely bemused at how no matter how long we spent together his words always made me feel stronger.

  “Not so bad yourself,” I murmured, walking into the kitchen.

  He was dressed in a grey flannel shirt and jeans and looked pretty incredible. It didn’t hurt that his hair always managed to fall into a perfectly disheveled mound no matter what.

  “Arie channeled that they’d be here early, so I bet they’ll be here any moment,” Athen replied, placing the last pancake onto the platter.

  Matilda waddled over to the kitchen, hoping to clean up anything that may have found its way to the floor. Noticing no crumbs had actually landed below I tore off a piece of pancake and dropped it for her anyway.

  Just as we sat down at the table Cyril and Arie burst through the doorway, grinning wide as they carried bags of groceries with them.

  “We’re here,” Arie squealed, dumping off the bags in the kitchen and running over to hug me and her brother.

  “Did Athen tell you what he had planned for you?” Arie asked, clapping her hands together.

  “No,” I smiled, looking over at Athen whose eyes were filled with mischief.

  He just started laughing and pulled me into him.

  “Arie can’t keep a surprise to save her life!” Cyril couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Oops,” she smiled.

  “Are you for once turning red instead of me?” I challenged.

  “So what’s the plan?” I asked Athen, looking into his green eyes.

  “Snow angel time,” he whispered for only me to hear.

  “Oooh. What does that involve?” I giggled as he hugged me tightly. Anything he had planned would be phenomenal. It always was.

  “We’ll put the groceries away and meet you outside,” Cyril said, winking at Athen.

  Athen bundled up and helped me put on my coat, hat, and scarf.

  “Sounds great,” Athen said, picking me up and carrying me over the threshold to the great outdoors.

  “Hey, what are you doing with me?” I squirmed in his arms, pretending I didn’t want to be there.

  “You’ll see,” he murmured.

  Before I could catch my breath, he shot us into the air. The wind soared over the only small portion of skin that was exposed, and the beautiful snow covered trees became our equal. He held me tightly as we glided over the Douglas Firs that looked as if a fresh coat of flocking had been sprayed on them.

  “Oh, Athen. This is beautiful.”

  “Wait until you see where we’re going.”

  Our bodies fit as one as he flew me higher and higher, leaving the tips of the trees behind in our wake.

  “This is heaven on earth,” I gushed.

  “You are heaven on earth.” I felt the smile spread across his lips and couldn’t imagine my life any other way, with any other person.

  The jagged, snow-packed mountains were coming into view as we climbed higher and higher, and the trees became sparser. His speed decreased as he flew us into a bowl, surrounded by mountains.

  “Where is this?” I asked.

  “A mountain top glacier,” he replied, landing.

  “It’s beautiful. The blues are like none I’ve ever seen before.”

  “Nature’s hard to beat when it comes to beauty. That’s why you’re as close to perfection as it comes.”

  “Very funny. Considering the wind speeds we just encountered I can’t imagine how I look anything like your implying.” I grinned, but feeling extremely happy to hear those words.

  He grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the turquoise mounds.

  “Okay, stay here,” he said.

  He walked over to the closest glacier mound and shoved his fist into the ice, splintering the turquoise into many beautiful pieces. Scooping up the pieces, he piled them in front of me and went back again. Driving his fist into the ice, fracturing the pieces once more.

  “What are you doing?” I laughed.

  “You’ll see.”

  He dumped the other pile of pieces next to me and began sorting them out by size.

  “Want me to help?” I asked.

  “Sure.” He glanced over at me and smiled.

  Once all of the ice was sorted by size and I was left completely baffled, he began grabbing the large ones and staking them deep into the ground as if it were nothing.

  “You know the glass pieces you make us?” He grinned, looking over at me.

  I nodded.

  “Well, I’ve never been very good at glasswork, so I thought I’d give you something special that I’d make for you, my angel.”

  Searching for the perfect pieces of ice to perfect his masterpiece, he constructed a snow angel twice my size. It was
beautiful. As the sun hit it, the wings sparkled and created prisms I never knew possible.

  “Words can’t even express,” I started.

  Placing the halo on top, he dusted his hands and came over to me.

  “I wanted to make a snow angel that would last.”

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

  “Thanks.”

  “This makes my glasswork look like child’s play.” I laughed.

  “Do you wanna try?” he asked.

  “Totally.”

  Walking toward the statue, I let out a scream as Arie and Cyril lurched at me from behind the angel, scaring me to death. “You guys are in so much trouble,” I yelled, but all I could think of to do was throw snow in their faces, and Athen was quick to join in disrupting any possibility of me creating my own angel.

  A full-blown snowball fight had been instigated and there was no way Athen or I would ever lose. We ran back up the bowl to look for cover and a place to stockpile as many snow bullets as we could make. Athen was already on the task, creating one snowball after the other in mere seconds.

  “They don’t even know what they’ve got coming to them.” I laughed.

  “No. They don’t.”

  I peered my head over the snow hump and Cyril and Arie were nowhere in sight. They were stockpiling as well or hiding — cowards!

  “I’ll go do a recon mission,” I said, laughing.

  “Okay. Take a few of these.” Athen tossed me some ammo to hold on to.

  “Geez. These are pretty compact.” I smiled, gripping the snowballs.

  “They shouldn’t have started it,” he said, completely deadpan. “It’ll sting a little.”

  I looked toward the sky and felt my body glide along with the wind as I flew higher and higher on my search for the troublemakers. I circled around the glacier, looking down on the ground for any sign of Cyril or Arie and finally found some footprints leading off to the treed area, so I landed in the same vicinity.

  I crunched my way through the woods, and a chunk of snow from one of the trees fell, hitting my shoulder. Maybe they were in the trees. I slowly looked up, readying to throw my arsenal of snowballs at them, when a group of dark demons jumped down, surrounding me completely.

  “Ana. You’re all alone?” One of the dark demons challenged, stepping forward. He was dressed in dark jeans and a white t-shirt, regardless of the fact we’re in below freezing temperatures. He looked ridiculous.

  Nodding, I dropped my snowballs. These were well-trained, mature dark demons. A snowball wasn’t going to help my chances. I wasn’t sure what was.

  “Asmodeus wanted us to say hi,” a female demon said, waving at me.

  I lunged at her, but not before I was tackled by several of the dark demons. My face was pushed into the pile of snow beneath me, my screams going unheard. Regardless how much I attempted to flail and kick, they kept me anchored. I was going nowhere.

  “Are you ready to go nicely?” one of them asked.

  I stopped banging myself around and waited, hushing my screams for help.

  “That’s a good girl,” he responded, pulling my hair. He dragged me to an untouched portion of snow and threw me down.

  “Now. We’ll just wait for your family to come find you,” the female taunted.

  “No,” I screamed, running at her, plunging her into the snow. My nails dug into deep into her skin. There was no stopping me as I shredded her to bits. I was not going to let my family fall into the same trap as I did. As her mist began escaping into the air, I jumped up and readied myself for the next attack. They were all circling me, smiling.

  The James Dean look alike lunged at me, and I struck him hard with my elbow and he tumbled to the ground, but he leaped up quickly. He grabbed me by my neck. I was completely at his mercy. My heart was beating so fast, and panic was spreading through my system at an unstoppable force. Athen and everyone would come looking for me soon. I had to end this or have them end me before it was too late and they got us all.

  The grip of the dark demon’s fingers around my neck tightened as I tried to swallow. Sweat began forming at my hairline even though we were on top of a mountain. Each breath was a struggle as my lungs burned with fear.

  “Ana,” I heard Athen holler off in the distance.

  “Look at that. They’re coming for you.”

  The sorrow bloomed in my soul as I realized I was the target. I had been the target this entire time. We’d let our guard down and they’d gotten to me. Now my only goal was to ensure that no one else in my family would be Taken.

  My legs climbed up the tree trunk in front of me as the dark demon still grasped my neck tightly, and I felt the snap. It was as quick as that. I broke my own neck. It wasn’t painful. It happened so fast my spirit left before my brain could recognize what had occurred.

  My spirit embarked on a journey I never wanted but had to embrace. I had to protect my family and I did that. A green and white mist was released as my soul was released that rolled through the trees. The dark demons were disbanding and disappearing. My family was safe.

  I heard the hollers from Athen and the horror in his voice as he recognized what had happened, what I had become. The screams from Arie and Cyril followed as the mist began escaping over the trees.

  “I love you, Athen, and I’ll be waiting for you however long it may take in this lifetime or the next,” I uttered in the only form I could. I only hoped he could hear me in this form.

  “I will remember you until the end of time, my angel. I will find you. Nothing can separate us. They may try, but we’ll always be one.”

  I heard the pain in his voice as he looked up at me, tears filling his green eyes.

  “Please, Say that you’ll remember me — us — no matter what may happen,” Athen hollered.

  “Be brave,” I whispered as my mist slowly started to disappear. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  I looked down one last time and saw Athen, Arie and Cyril looking toward the sky, pointing toward where I was last hovering. I was no longer there, but they didn’t know. They wouldn’t know.

  “I’m coming for you. I will never stop searching for you. We will find you,” Athen yelled into the mountain air.

  And that is where it began.

  I was Taken.

  My life was left behind.

  My past was forgotten.

  Let the Awakening begin…

  Awakening (The Watchers Trilogy #1)

  CHAPTER 1

  The screams shot me out of bed. My heart was pounding seventy miles an hour. I felt for my fleece blanket to throw off, since I seemed to be stuck to my sheets with a million gallons of sweat. I looked around my blackened room, with only the red glow of the alarm clock displaying 3:00 am to comfort me. My heart sank as I lost the battle for another night’s sleep. I heard the gentle snore of my bulldog, Matilda, rattling through the air. She was used to my screams by now. I promised myself with a little whisper that I was safe. It was only a nightmare – another nightmare. That is all it was. It couldn’t possibly be real that kind of terror. The dreams were coming closer together now, and worse yet, they seemed to lead to nowhere but sleep deprivation.

  I commanded myself to take deep, steady breaths to calm myself. Still breathless and shaky from the last images that had blasted into my brain, I tried to rid myself of the awful scene replaying over and over - that of my demise. The mere thought of the attacks made me want to hide in my closet from the world. The black, swirling creatures were coming at me and through me from every direction. Their mouths open, displaying several sets of teeth with blood dripping from their lips waiting for me to make a mistake. This was not a world I recognized. How my mind could even create such deadly monsters I didn’t know. The elements of realism spooked me beyond belief. I grabbed a tissue from my nightstand and wiped the dampness from my forehead, unsure of how much longer I could keep this up. Every night and every dream seemed to be different. They all had similar storylines, to a degree. Sometimes the unfa
miliar characters reappeared to haunt me over and over again. It just depended on the night. Part of me felt as if I should know these people or at least the events that kept taking place. Why else would they keep reappearing? However, the events were so fantastical, the thought that I should recognize them made me feel even crazier for thinking it.

  Fully awake now and completely disappointed in the prospect of another long and drawn out day without sleep, I trudged to the window and opened my heavy, red velvet curtains to expose the calmness of an outside world in an attempt to calm my own mind down. The snow was slowly floating down from the sky leaving a beautiful pattern on the sidewalk, illuminated only by the streetlight. The sight brought a shiver to my bones. Even though only a minute ago, I had to wipe away the wet heat of fear off my body. I couldn’t keep chasing and being chased like this. I couldn’t constantly go on thinking my life was in danger whenever I closed my eyes. I needed rest. I needed sleep. Lack of sleep was only making it worse. I was sure of it.

  “What is all of this telling me? I don’t even know the people in my dreams!” I whined to Matilda.

  She responded with her usual snorts and snores, sprawling out even more on my mattress now that I had left a larger area for her enjoyment. I flipped on my nightstand light that cast its familiar glow, attempting to move back into bed without displacing Matilda. A sigh escaped as I grabbed my latest book to read, which was ready and waiting for another night like all of the others.

  I opened the book to the third chapter as my mind attempted to identify who the people in my dream were this time. Seeing crumpled remnants of humans discarded all over was never something that I could get used to regardless of it being a nightmare or not. I was getting used to seeing the swirls appear to attack me, but I was also intrigued at the thought of trying to figure out who the random strangers were who appeared time and time again. Sometimes they were the same people. Other times, a completely new set would make an entrance. I always avoided looking into their eyes because, during one of my very first nightmares, all I saw was the dull glow of death staring right back at me. I couldn’t stomach it twice, and somehow my subconscious knew to never look them in the eyes, whoever they were.