* * *
“How cool. I didn’t know you had a Hummer,” I said when he parked in front of his house.
Nathan grinned. “It’s Anwar’s.”
“He’s here?” My heart raced from the anticipation of finally getting to meet him, and then a tall, bald African guy appeared in front of the house, walking toward us. He carried himself with an air of intelligence and grace. Nathan opened my door and gave me his hand. I took it and stepped out of the pickup, meeting the gentle smile on Anwar’s face.
“Anwar, this is Paige.” Nathan gestured to me proudly.
Anwar bowed and stuck his huge hand out. “Please to meet you,” his deep, rich voice said with an accent much like the Watusi men I’d heard on the Discovery Channel. He looked like he was in his early twenties.
My hand disappeared into his when I shook it. “I’m pleased to finally meet you,” I said. “I’ve heard great things about you.”
His brown, soulful eyes reached the depths of mine when he said, “The pleasure is all mine.” He was a handsome man, and I loved the sound of his voice.
Nathan took my hand, his face beaming. “When did you get here?”
“My arrival was an hour ago. I wanted to surprise you.” Anwar ducked his head when he entered the house, and sat in the living room chair. He gestured for us to sit with him, folding his hands in his lap.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” Nathan said. “We watched the tape this morning.”
“Splendid.” Anwar crossed his long legs, and for some reason I was waiting for him to ask me if I wanted to take the red pill or blue pill. “Did you learn anything of value?” His eyes fell on mine.
I said the first thing that came to mind. “He thinks I can find the ring.”
He curled his finger beneath his chin and nodded. “I can see why he would think dat, but let me indulge you in a few things so you will understand why I withheld information from you, and why you have been through so much heartache lately,” he said to me, and I realized I felt comfortable around him.
“Please do because I don’t understand any of it.” I sat back in Nathan’s arms and waited for him to continue.
He put his palms together as if in prayer and held them to his lips, collecting his thoughts I suppose, but then he dropped them.
“Everything is made up of energy. Unfortunately most people’s energy in dis world is contaminated by the harshness of others and their own lives. If they don’t get rid of dis negative energy, their lives are only half lived. But if they face their demons, seek understanding and grow from it, a new world will open up to them.” He paused to see if I was following him, and I nodded. “But the energy residing in the flesh is unique and different from other energies dat resides in the flesh as well, however, some are similar,” he mentioned as an afterthought.
“When you say energy, are you talking about a person’s soul?” I asked, making sure I understood him correctly.
“Yes.” He pointed at Nathan and me. “I have never encountered two energies dat complement each other so well. It is quite astonishing to see.”
“Then that explains why the first time I saw Nathan I felt this magnetic energy toward him,” I said in awe. “But it goes deeper than that. I can’t explain it.”
“It’s the same for me too,” Nathan replied.
“Dat’s correct,” Anwar said. “But Nathaniel, your fierce love for Paige might harm her if you are not careful.”
“What do you mean?” Nathan leaned forward, a concerned look on his face.
“I mean, one day she might be in danger and the red dat you will see will obstruct your vision and mind, and it will distract you from the correct actions to take.”
“Okay, I’ll take your warning to heart,” Nathan said, sounding disturbed.
I looked at Anwar. “How do you know all of this?”
Anwar pointed at us again. “I can see it in your energy field, and I can read body language.”
“So why did you keep the information about my father from us?” I asked.
“I was getting to dat,” he said with a gentle smile.
Nathan pulled me back into his arms.
“What you’ve been through recently had to be done in order to clear your energy, to teach you to be a stronger person. If I were to have told Nathaniel about your father, it would have hindered your growth. Do you understand?”
“I guess, but I still think it was wrong of you do,” I said, staring him in the face. He didn’t look sorry, which irked me.
“I agree with Paige,” Nathan replied, sounding perturbed. “You had no right to do that.”
“What is done is done,” Anwar said. “I cannot change it.”
Nathan stiffened. I glanced at him and noticed his ears were reddening. I decided to change the subject, to break the sudden tension between us.
“So how does my energy look now?”
Anwar stared at me for a minute. “It looks good, but there are aches you need to overcome, and you are unsure of yourself. I also see a powerful light inside you.”
“You’re good.” I smiled, impressed and excited about him being like a living oracle I could talk to.
“I know these things from years of practice and freeing my mind from the restraints of others,” he said modestly.
“What about my premonitions?” I definitely wanted to know about them.
“Your spirit is attuned to the other world, and dat’s why you have them. The ‘old one’ knows dis and had told some of the dark spirits dat your flesh houses a remarkable energy. So when you do become immortal it is imperative you become acquainted with dat side of you and learn how to use it.” He paused in thought, and then said, “I would like to add dat our spirit is not one thing, it is multifaceted, and each one of us has the opportunity to create ourselves on how we want to become. We are autonomous. And each experience becomes a piece of our spirit, like mosaic art. So be cautious with each decision you make.”
I sat up, intrigued by what he was saying. “Do my premonitions come from a guide?”
“They come from your guide and your higher self, the part of your spirit dat’s connected to all things. It is its own living entity with tentacles dat reaches out into the universe and snatches information to bring back to you. It relays messages to you from your guide, and they are cryptic because it is teaching you a skill you are going to need in the future.”
“That’s a trip.” My brain was totally fried now.
His warm eyes were fixed on mine. “After you become immortal, I will teach you how to harness and use the powers within you to your advantage. And on the matter of the dark spirits, there are things dat you must know, like where your boundaries lie, and what you can do about them, among other things.”
“Like what?”
Anwar’s attention shifted to Nathan.
“I already explained it to her,” Nathan said, reading Anwar’s face.
“Explain what?” I looked at them both.
“Dat you will not be as strong as Nathaniel. You gain strength as the years go by. Dat’s why he cannot cast out an ancient spirit like I can because I am older. But you will be able to cast young ones out.”
“Oh, he did tell me that, but what about Latin? I don’t know Latin.”
He tapped his finger on his forehead. “Dat is already embedded in your super-conscious mind, so fortunately you will know it when you become immortal. But the incantations you will need to learn, and we will teach them to you. We will also teach you how to fight, move, and think on a strategic level.”
All three of us fell silent for a minute, and then I thought of something I’d been wanting to ask.
“The cat at my house, I call him Mr. Kitty, but what’s his real name?”
“You call him Mr. Kitty?” Anwar snickered.
I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. “Not you too.” He had a blank look on his face. “Brayden laughed about it as well,” I said, feeling Nathan’s body tense.
Interest flas
hed across Anwar’s eyes. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “Dis Brayden you speak of, what is his last name?”
My stomach dropped.
“Blackwater. Why?” My heart raced at the recognition in Anwar’s face.
His eyes darted between Nathan and me. “He too has been marked for immortality.”
Nathan’s blur streaked to the center of the room. “You got to be fuckin’ kidding me?”
“Are you sure about this?” I then remembered Brayden mentioning he had seen a similar cat at his house, and I wondered if this was for real.
Anwar watched Nathan pacing the floor, but then he looked at me. “I’m quite sure. A friend of mine will be approaching him shortly.”
“This is just great,” Nathan fumed.
“But how are you sure?” It was still hard for me to believe. I mean, Brayden?
“The cat’s name is Zeruel, and he lets me know who is being marked.”
“You communicate with him?” The shock I felt soared out of my voice.
“Yes, and he is quite fond of you,” he said with an endearing smile.
I grinned, but it quickly subsided with Nathan’s continual rants.
Anwar frowned. “Nathaniel, please sit.”
Nathan stopped in front of the fireplace. “You don’t understand, Anwar. Brayden wants to claim Paige for himself and will not stop until he haves her. I wanted to kill him last night when he forced himself on her.” His angry voice amplified around us.
“Brayden and I grew up together, and we dated,” I explained to Anwar when I saw his confusion. “He moved to California two years ago, but we remained good friends. Last week he showed for Mom’s funeral, and believes we were destined to be together. I’ve tried to tell him differently that I belong with Nathan, but he won’t listen to reason. He won’t even listen to our two close friends.”
“I see.” Anwar ran his finger across his bottom lip. “And when he finds out you are immortal as well, dat will cement his belief in you belonging with him.”
Nathan ran a hand through his hair. “Exactly!” he seethed. “And this is going to present a real problem because he’s relentless when it comes to Paige.”
I held my hand out to Nathan. “Please sit with me.”
He hung his head, groaned, and then sat next to me. I took his hand, hoping it would calm him. He relaxed a little, but I could feel the anger rolling off him.
“Your dealings with Brayden are your own. I cannot help you with dat,” Anwar told us. “For some reason your fates are intertwined, and you are going to have to figure dat one out.”
“Is it unusual for two people who grew up together to be marked for immortality?” I asked, knowing Brayden would accept immortality and wondered what he was going to do when he found out I was immortal as well.
Anwar was watching Nathan’s hand gripping the arm of the couch. “Remember what I told you, Nathaniel, about seeing red.” Nathan dropped his hand into his lap, turning it into a fist.
Anwar looked at me. “It is rare.” He stood. “Come, I would like to show you some books dat will benefit you.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent talking about the ring–Nathan and I didn’t tell Anwar about the journal–and Anwar showing me some historical books on King Solomon’s ring and on elemental magic. He reiterated about the powerful light within me and said in order to wield that power, I needed to become more attuned to it. I half listened to him–even though there were a trillion questions I wanted to ask–because I was still shocked about Brayden and nervous about the act of turning immortal. Nathan, on the other hand, didn’t say much until Anwar asked me if I wanted him to turn me immortal tonight. I could tell by the way Nathan kept pushing his hands together, flexing the muscles in his arms, he was still upset.
As I watched his muscles flex, my mind drifted to another place. A place where those arms were wrapped around my body. I knew then what I wanted to do first and told Anwar we’d pick him up tomorrow afternoon to do it.
“What?” Nathan said, not pleased.
“It’s okay Nathaniel. Dis can wait until tomorrow.” Anwar threw me an understanding look.
I looked down, blushing.
“She should do it tonight,” Nathan said, annoyed. He turned to me. “I know you’re scared of the pain, but you’ll be okay.” He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself, but his eyes were angry. “I actually want you to do it now.”
I shook my head, and he rolled his eyes, looking the other way.
I reached up and nudged his chin so he had to look at me. “Do you trust me?”
“Listen to her, Nathaniel. I think she has a fine reason.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the reason?”
I uncrossed them and took his hand. “It’s a surprise. Believe me, it’ll be worth it.”
He scowled at me, but when I gave him an encouraging smile, he finally said. “All right. I hope it’s a damned good one.”
“Trust me. It is.” I pulled him outside to the pickup and said goodbye to Anwar.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ambush
Beyond the Eyes: YA Paranormal Romance Page 53
