by Dakota Lake
“That's my friend, Kenzie.” Cam said.
She looked around Cam at the stranger and he waved at her. She half smiled at him and looked back at Cam.
“I have to go,” Cam said standing up. “Be a good girl and don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone.” Cam stepped off the blanket and was joined by Kenzie.
Kenzie whispered something to Cam and Cam nodded his head. Kenzie came forward and knelt down near the girl, she looked unsure and watched him carefully as he pulled his bag around to the front. He unzipped the bag and stuck his hand in, digging through for something. A few seconds later he pulled out a Rubik cube and held it out for the girl on the palm of his hand. The girl looked at Cam, Cam smiled and nodded and she cautiously reached out and took the cube from him and smiled at him. He stood up and walked back over to Cam.
“Bye Ruby.” Cam said.
“Bye Cammy.” she said waving, then they disappeared one by one into nothingness. The girl sat on the blanket playing with the Rubik cube as a door slammed in the distant. A boy that looked only a few years older walked over to her.
“Ruby, mom says it's going to rain. You need to bring all your toys in. Where'd you get that?” he asked looking at the Rubik cube in her hand.
“A friend gave it to me.” she said picking up a few teddies.
“Which friend?” he asked.
She didn't answer. “Seth do you think there's something wrong with me?”
He laughed. “No, but you spend too much time out here talking to your imaginary friend.” “Cammy's not imaginary.”
“Okay if you say so, but how come I've never seen him?”
“He always disappears before you show up.”
“Come on we'll come back for the rest.” he said as they walked back towards the house.
Something was shaking me which stirred me awake. I opened my eyes to see Emmett looking down at me.
“Dinner is in ten minutes.”
I nodded and sat up still piecing the dream together, maybe it wasn't a dream but a memory? I followed Emmett downstairs thinking about the little girl, who I was about ninety-nine percent sure was me she was called Ruby for a start. Mack was right I did have a brother and he was called Seth and I hadn't grown up here, I had grown up with my real family.
The dining room was deserted. Only Emmett, Grayson and I were seated. The other dining table wasn't even laid out.
“Where is everyone tonight?” I asked.
“Busy I guess,” Emmett said poking his pasta with his fork. “Where's the meat in this dish?” he asked searching through his bowl with his fork.
“There is none, tomato pasta with a side salad.” Grayson answered.
“Ugh!” Emmett said grabbing a bread stick from the middle of the table.
I looked over at the empty table where Kenzie normally sat. I wanted to ask Kenzie about my dream/memory but something told me he wouldn't tell me anything anyway. But I thought if I could get back to Mack he might be able to give me some answers.
After dinner I told Emmett I was tired and wanted to go back to my room. But I had no intention of going back to my room yet. I walked upstairs and found Narmi polishing the railings. I smiled at her and carried on up the steps but I remembered there was something I wanted to ask her. “Hey Narmi, can I ask you something?”
“Yes, Miss Ruby.”
“The sewing room, the one with all the fabrics,” I said stepping back down a step. “Yes,”
“Who do all the unfinished dresses belong to?”
“No one they are just unfinished.”
“What about the other clothes do they belong to one of the maids downstairs?”
“Any clothes up there belong to no one downstairs. Why do you ask?”
“I found some jeans and sneakers up there, I just wanted to know who they belonged to and why they had left them up there?”
Their yours.... she said softly.
“What do you mean they're mine?” I asked.
She looked up at me and quickly stood up.
“I didn't say anything.” she stuttered.
“What? I just heard you. You said 'they're yours'.”
A few maids walked by the railing up above chatting to one another. I looked back at Narmi and she was looking up as well. She looked worried about something and quickly picked up her cleaning bucket. I grabbed her arm before she could run off.
“Whoa wait, I just wanted to talk. Why are you trying to run away from me?”
“I have to go.”
“No wait,” I said jumping in front of her. “What did you mean by 'they're yours' I heard you.” “I didn't say that out loud Miss Ruby,” she said in a hushed tone looking around. I hadn't realised, I had just assumed she had said it out loud. No wonder she wanted to get away from me. I had just exposed myself as a mind reading freak.
“Narmi I'm sorry I can explain. Sort of.”
“No Miss Ruby, it's my fault I should have been more careful. Please don't tell Master Cameron.” “Tell him what?” I asked confused, I thought she'd be running off to tell him about me. “That we know about your ability. That I spoke in my mind in front of you. We were told specifically not to. We were told to keep quiet when you were around.”
“You know what I can do?” I asked but it came out so quietly I wasn't sure if she'd heard me. “Everyone knows what you can do.” she said.
I froze on the spot shocked by this information.
“It's why the servants don't talk to you. Please don't tell Master Cameron. I can't lose my job.” she looked close to tears. “If he finds out it could cost me more than my job.” she said shaking. “I won't say anything.” I said quickly, still confused by the whole conversation. She brushed passed me and hurried along the corridor. I walked to the top of the stairs in a daze, everyone knew what I could do but no one had said anything.
I walked into the main games room, Senka wasn't around. I saw Alex at the back stretched across a pool table. He took his shot and stood back up, leaning on his pool cue. He casually looked over in my direction and our eyes connected. I walked back out and knocked on Senka's door, I had left his door key in my bedroom.
“He's not here?” Alex said walking up behind me.
“Is he still at work?” I asked.
Alex shrugged. “He's not here.” Alex said being as unhelpful as possible.
“What do you mean he's not here? Where is he?”
“I mean he came back from work and then he went out again. He can do that, he doesn't need your permission.”
“I didn't say he did. I just wanted to know where he was.”
“Well he's out doing stuff.” he said casually.
I desperately wanted to ask what he meant be out doing stuff.
“When is he coming back?
Alex shrugged. “Dunno hard to say,” he tilted his head to the side and smiled. “Depends if he gets distracted.”
“Distracted by what?”
Alex leaned closer. “Oh nothing, it's just there's a lot of hot women where he is and you know how Senka likes his ladies,” he said tapping on the poster on Senka's door, the one of the topless lady on the beach. “He prefers real women not silly little girls. And blondes I know he can't resist a blonde.” he said winking at me before walking away.
I looked back at Senka's door, something inside me felt like it was ripping. I stepped away from the door trying not to show how upset I really was. I felt hurt by Alex's harsh words but for all I knew they were true and Senka was out messing around with some beautiful blonde women. Alex was right, Senka probably did only see me as some silly little girl. I want straight to my room and changed into my altered nightdress and dived into bed sobbing myself to sleep. I suddenly felt like a stupid teenage girl for thinking Senka and I had something special.
The click from my door handle alerted me someone was entering my room. I was hidden under my covers out of sight, but I could still out through a gap. The room was dark and I could just about see the nightstand. I heard
a thud and then I heard Emmett mumbling a few curse words quietly to himself. I closed my eyes and decided to stay put. What he was doing in my room? I was surprised I'd fallen asleep so soon again after my nap this afternoon. I was probably going to be wide awake for the rest of the night now though. I heard Emmett set something down on my nightstand. He muttered strange words I didn't understand they were definitely not English, but nothing I recognised. Then I heard a match being lit. I waited until I heard my bedroom door open and close again. I threw back the covers checking he wasn't still in the room. He was gone and my room now had a soft glow from the candle that flickered next to me. Emmett had come into my room to light a candle. What was he up to? I quickly leaned over and blew the candle out. I switched the light on and checked the time 12.10am. I had fallen asleep just before eight. I was now wide awake, I rubbed my eyes they still felt sore from crying earlier. I stayed in my room for another twenty minutes, hoping Emmett had cleared off and wasn't still lurking around anywhere. I walked the empty corridors and down the stairs to the swimming pool room.
The room was dark except for a few wall lights that had been left on. The reflection from the water rippled across the walls, outside I could see garden lights still on but there was no one around. I went over to the bar and mixed myself a rather unusual cocktail of drinks topped up with vodka. I downed it and poured myself another sitting at the bar stool feeling miserable.
I stayed there topping up my drink and when I eventually tried to stand the floor underneath my feet looked as if it was moving. I clumsily walked over to the pool and dangled my feet over the edge. The water felt warm and soothing against my skin and I soon wanted to get in. I didn't care if I didn't have my bathing suit on. I slid down into the pool and swam over to the floating pool lounger. I somehow managed to climb onto it without falling back into the water even if my coordination was completely going from the alcohol kicking in. I laid down and closed my eyes floating on the water.
When I opened my eyes I was no longer floating on the pool lounger. I was lying on a hard uneven surface. I looked sideways and saw pebbles, lots of pebbles.
“Ruby,” Mack called jogging across the pebbles to me.
He knelt down next to me. I tried to sit up but my body wasn't responding like it normally did. Mack pulled me up into a sitting position.
“Ruby what's wrong with you?”
“I'm guessing the drink affects me in my dreams as well.”
“You've been drinking?” he asked.
I nodded and looked sideways at him. He wore black jeans with holes at the knees, scruffy boots and was shirtless covered in black stuff that looked like soot with a few smudge marks across his cheek.
“Are you real?” I whispered.
“Are you?” he whispered back stroking the side of my face.
“I'm real. Totally confused right now and completely lost. But definitely real.”
“That's good to know.” he said repositioning himself so he was sitting straight legged next to me. “You're the only thing that keeps me going some days, just the thought of seeing you. I think I would have broken a long time ago if you weren't here.”
I turned more towards him and my hand went to his face before I could register what I was doing. I rubbed away the dirt from his cheek.
“I think you were right about Cam doing something to mess with my head, making me forget my past.”
“You remember our last conversation?” he asked sounding surprised.
I nodded. “Yes but only the last one. Cam has had Emmett lighting a candle next to my bed, every night when I'm asleep. I think it has something to do with my memory loss.”
“Sounds like witchcraft.”
“Well whatever it is I don't think it's working as well anymore. I don't sleep in my bed every night so I've been missing nights without the candle and other memories have been coming back to me. Well I think they're are memories. There was one with me I think, I was a lot younger and Seth was there.”
“You're remembering.”
“Yes but I still can't remember you though.”
My hand had now wondered to the side of his head and I was running my fingers through his hair. It felt as though I had no control over my own hand. His hair was layered flopping over to one side and was the colour of black ink, it looked dirty and unwashed but that didn't stop me. His face was unshaven and all I wanted to do was trail my fingers across his jaw, after a few seconds of thinking about it I did it anyway.
He smiled and looked at me. “Are you always this hands on when you've been drinking?” My hand fell to his shoulder and down to his shoulder blade across one of the large scars on his back, I ran my fingers along it. He shivered slightly at my touch.
“Tell me about these. How did you get them?”
He leaned further forward so I could get a better look. Then sat back and looked at me. He grabbed my chin and turned my face towards him until we were inches apart.
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Tell me.” I said.
“They're wing scars.” he said dropping his hand away from my face.
“What do you mean by wing scars? You're saying you had wings once?” I said sort of laughing at how crazy it sounded.
“Yes. It was a long time ago before I fell.”
“Fell from where?”
“Where do you think?” he said looking up at the sky.
I looked back at him wondering why I wasn't at all shocked. It was as though I already knew, I just needed reminding.
“You're fallen.” I said quietly to myself.
“Yes, but keep going do you know what you are?”
I shook my head trying to think but I couldn't come up with anything.
“I don't remember.” I said annoyed with myself.
He looked sideways at me. “Try.”
I closed my eyes thinking about it. The word fallen angel popped into my head followed by the word Nephilim.
“Nephilim.” I said.
He turned and looked at me smirking. “Yes just like your brother.”
“And my father?” I asked
“Fallen.” he said chucking a stone into the water.
I leaned closer to him even though I knew what he was I wasn't afraid of him.
“How is this possible? How are you here in my dreams?”
“Your ability is stronger than we all first thought it was.”
“My ability. Am I like this because of my father?” He nodded. “Do all Nephilim have an ability like me?”
“No only few have abilities depending on their father. Your father must have been one of the high arc angels, they had special gifts given to them. Then when he fell he took his gift with him, you inherited traits of it. Your brother Seth can get into a someone's head and put in whatever image he wants them to see. It only lasts for a couple of seconds but it came in handy when he was fighting other Nephs.”
“Fighting?”
“Yeah he liked to fight, good money. Don't worry it was controlled inside a ring.” “Do you have an ability?”
“No, what you see is what you get with me.”
“How come I can't read your mind?” I asked.
“It doesn't work as well on us, our minds are stronger than yours. But you did somehow manage to figure out a way to get inside my head before.”
“I did. How?”
“I don't know you somehow got into my head from looking in my eyes. Don't ask me what you saw, I have no idea. You never told me but you probably saw one of my memories.”
“There is another person at the manor like you. With wing scars.”
“What's his name?”
“Senka Jenson.”
“Senka's staying where you are?”
“Yes he lives with the others. Actually thinking about it they are all very similar up there, maybe they're all fallen? I've never seen the back of anyone else shirtless though.”
“But you've seen Senka without a shirt on?” he asked frowning.
“Erm....just once I walked in on him in his room without a shirt on.”
It was lie I had seen Senka shirtless a number of times but I didn't feel happy telling Mack that. And he looked upset by the fact I had seen Senka shirtless in the first place.
“How do you know Senka?” I asked.
“I've heard his name used in the tunnels before and I think I've seen him fighting before at the club.”
“Was it at the same place my brother went to fight?”
“Yes.”
“Where is this place, this fight club?”
“Heaven's Point.”
“I don't know where that is, I don't even know where I am.”
“Have you found a way out yet?”
“No I'm still working on that.” I said before gasping for air. It suddenly felt as though my mouth was filling with water.
“Ruby, what's wrong?” he asked looking at me worried.
Water trickled out at the corners of my mouth.
“I can't.....breathe....” I said in between coughing violently and gasping for air.
“Ruby you need to wake up I can't help you here. Where did you fall asleep?” he shouted climbing on top of me and shaking me by the shoulders.
I closed my eyes tightly and willed myself to wake up, as much I wanted to stay with Mack I needed to get back. I could feel myself drowning.
Chapter Five
I felt as though I was being tugged and pulled. I opened my eyes but quickly closed them again. I was still underwater. My body was being pulled to the surface. When my head surfaced above the water I quickly coughed up water. Senka had one arm around my waist the other holding my face above the water as I coughed and gasped for air.
“What the hell Ruby,” he said angrily.
I took in air still trying to catch my breath. We were in the middle of the swimming pool. Water dripped off his hair and down the side of his face, he was breathing just as hard as me. “What were you doing?”
“I don't remember I fell asleep.”
“Since when do you sleep in the pool?”
I squinted again still trying to focus on something but I was still a bit groggy from the drink. I hadn't felt this bad on the beach with Mack.
“Have you been drinking?” he asked, roughly holding my face turning it towards him. “I'm fine.” I said trying to push away from him but he didn't loosen his grip.
