Ruined
The Seraphim Series
By Sophia Stafford
Note:
This story is written in British English.
Copyright © 2014 Sophia Stafford
All Rights Reserved
To my entire family, thank you for putting up with me while I wrote this book. Thank you for helping me. Thank you for believing in me and my dreams.
Love you all.
Chapter 1
Lilliah could hear noises from the distance, screams and shouts, but she couldn't focus to see where it was coming from. Everything was just so disoriented. She could feel the sharp stones cutting into her knees, but couldn't gather the strength to get up or move. The cold, hard wind whipped her naked body. For some reason, the stones and dirt on the ground fascinated her. Lilliah watched as her shaking hands moved over them, as if by themselves. Her body shook when an unknown sensation hit her. Slowly lifting her hands, she watched a single drop of blood fall.
“No,” she heard herself murmur, barely louder than a whisper.
“Please, no!” she screamed, bolting upright. Still kneeling on the ground, she lifted her head to the heavens.
Her eyes widened as she saw the blackness of the sky. Thick, dark clouds made it impossible to see through. A lonely tear escaped her eye as lightning bolts broke through the darkness. The first one startled her, but then there was another, followed in quick succession by yet another bolt. Within seconds, the sky was aglow with thousands of lightning bolts. The sorrow and sadness hit her like a wave, almost knocking her over. She couldn’t control the sob that broke through her shaking body or the tears that followed. She let herself get sucked into the bleakness of her sorrow and broke down in tears. She didn’t know how long she sat there, ignoring the noise and chaos around her. She didn’t even realise when the thunder had stopped and the Heavens had opened. Lifting her head, she saw a glimmer on the ground. She didn’t have the strength to stand, so she crawled to the object instead, ignoring how the rough ground scraped her knees. Finally getting close enough, she reached for the item, frowning when she realised what it was. She didn’t understand what this meant, but when she traced the markings on the stone with her thumb, it began to glow. The single tear that had escaped her eye mixed with the rain that had begun to fall, as if the Heavens were crying with her. The stone in her hand lit up, and as the light got brighter, her fear disappeared, as did everything else.
The shriek of the alarm startled Lilliah awake. Breathing heavily, she quickly touched her face and wasn’t surprised when she felt her tears. Closing her eyes, she tried to get her breathing under control as the morning light drifted through her closed curtains. She'd had the very same dream for the past two weeks, and she still couldn’t understand what the hell it meant. Each night the dream was the same, and each night it ended in the same place. Was that significant? She pondered reaching over to her nightstand and turning off her alarm and then reaching over to get her necklace. It was the same stone from her dream, but why the hell was she dreaming about her necklace? She lay in bed, running her thumb over the stone’s markings, hoping an answer would suddenly pop into her head. It didn’t. The stone fit perfectly in the palm of her hand, the gold casing that surrounded it worn from the years of use. She’d had it ever since she was born; it had been a gift from her grandmother.
“Lil?” she heard her mum shout from downstairs.
“Yes?” she shouted back, her attention still on the stone in her hand.
“Breakfast’s ready. Get out of bed, sleepyhead!”
Lilliah smiled, placing the necklace around her neck. Time to start the day.
“So, what are your plans today then, guys?” Anna asked, moving around the kitchen but still managing to look interested in what her children were going to say.
Lilliah watched her mum, admiring the shine of her long, wavy hair. She couldn’t help but run her fingers through her own long, straight, blonde hair, wishing it was more like her mother’s. At forty-two years old, Anna Daniels still looked amazing, especially in Lilliah’s eyes. Standing at five feet five with her curvaceous body and olive skin tone, Lilliah had always felt lanky and dull in comparison to her exotic-looking mother. At five feet ten with her long, blonde hair that reached the bottom of her back and with her pale limbs, Lilliah was a complete contrast to her mum. From her mother’s rounded face and curved nose to Lilliah’s oval face and straight nose, they couldn’t have looked any more different if they’d tried.
“You’re so beautiful. Very statuesque! I’d kill for your cheekbones,” her mother had told her when Lilliah had asked why they didn’t look alike. “And besides, I think your father’s grandmother was blonde,” she had added, smiling.
The fact hadn’t really comforted Lilliah the way it was supposed to, since her father, Perry Daniel, had passed away when Lilliah and Sebastian were both eight; they’d had no contact with her father’s side of the family since, so she had no way of knowing for sure.
“You must get it from her. And anyway, Seb’s tall!” Anna had continued, referring to Lilliah’s twin brother, Sebastian.
It was true that Sebastian did share the height gene with his twin sister, but the similarities ended there. With his dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and olive skin tone, just like their mother, Sebastian was the complete opposite to his pale, light-haired, blue-eyed sister.
“Hello?” Anna asked, waving her hands in front of her son’s face to get his attention.
“What?” he mumbled, looking up from his phone.
“What are your plans today?” she repeated, this time more slowly to emphasise each word.
“School,” he deadpanned, shaking his head and returning his attention to his phone.
“Okay there, Mr. Chatty,” Anna replied sarcastically before turning to Lilliah expectantly.
“Same,” Lilliah muttered while pulling apart her toast.
“Oh, well, I was thinking about going out tonight, with some friends,” Anna broached, her eyes darting between her two children. “So, will you guys be okay to sort out your own dinner?”
“You can tell us you’re going on dates, you know.” Sebastian smirked, placing his elbows on the table and looking at his mum. “And as we’re eighteen and not eight, we’ll be fine.”
Lilliah laughed when she saw her mother’s shoulders visibly relax. Their mum had been dating off and on since their dad had died; none of them had been serious.
“Well, that’s good then.” Anna smiled awkwardly, walking out of the kitchen while trying to hide her bright-red face from her two children.
“So, what’s been up with you?” Sebastian asked with a mouthful of food as he angled his body towards his twin sister.
“You’re disgusting,” Lilliah pulled a disgusted face. “Nothing's up with me.”
“All the nightmares,” he explained, getting up from his seat. “I heard you crying last night. You okay?” he asked, his tone now very serious.
“Why? Are you going to fight my nightmares if I say no?” she joked.
“And this is what I get for trying to be a nice brother.” He shook his head in mock disgust. “Next time I won't ask. Next time you can go screw yourself.”
“Now there's the brother I know. I'm fine,” she assured him. “They’re just dreams.” She dug her phone out of her pocket. She didn't want to talk about her dreams with Sebastian. How could she talk about something she didn't understand?
“Cool.” He stretched, running his hands through his messy hair. “There's a band at The Vic tonight. You want to come?”
“No, I’m meeting Rebecca and Jeremy. We’re going to a poetry reading. Rebecca’s newest phase is poetry, appare
ntly.” She tried to ignore her brother’s expression.
“Poetry?” he repeated with a grin. “Oh, right then. You crazy kids have fun now!” He laughed, already on his way out the door. Lilliah followed shortly after, stifling a yawn and making a mental note to pick up a pack of sleeping tablets on her way home. Feeling like she had run a marathon at eight in the morning wasn’t the best way to start her day.
“Lil?” Rebecca shouted, waving a hand in front of Lilliah's face. “You haven't heard a word I've said!” she whined, mock punching her friend in the arm.
“Sorry,” Lilliah said as she turned to face her friend. “I’m just so tired.”
It was still early morning, and they were both sitting on the benches outside their college, waiting for their first class to start. Lilliah was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Even the noise of the busy London traffic couldn't keep her awake. The only thing that had stopped her from falling asleep on the train ride over had been her iPod.
“Those dreams again?” Rebecca guessed.
Lilliah nodded.
“I'm telling you: Google it. Every dream has a meaning, and it'll be on Google.”
“I'll try that.” Lilliah’s eyes drifted to her friend’s clothing. “Good thing, your jeans are going to keep me awake today.” She smiled, shaking her head and thinking, Only Rebecca Jackson can pull off bright yellow jeans with a pink blazer.
“That's actually what they’re designed for.” Rebecca smirked back. “Keeping my fellow students awake. It’s kind of like community service.”
“You look like a presenter off the Disney channel.” Lilliah laughed at her friend’s mock shocked expression.
“Could any of those losers pull it off with these Docs though?” She pointed to her worn Doc Martens.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lilliah concluded, standing up. “Only you, my friend. Only you.”
“Just so you acknowledge it.” Rebecca looked up at her taller friend. “There was this really cool pair of green jeans that I wanted, but my little legs just didn’t look right in them.” She sulked. “Now, if I had your legs . . .”
“You’re five-seven, not four-seven,” Lilliah reminded, pulling her coat tightly around her waist.
“Well, that little bit of height makes all the difference when you’re buying jeans,” she defended as Lilliah tried to hide another yawn.
“Oh, hey, Lil.”
She looked up to see their friend Jeremy jogging towards them, his blond hair blowing wildly in the wind.
“Oh, hey, Rebecca,” Rebecca teased with raised eyebrows.
“I saw you this morning.” Leaning forward, he gave Lilliah a hug. “Wow, you look tired,” he said, noticing her dark circles.
“Yeah, crappy dreams,” she dismissed, feeling sick and tired of having the same conversation over and over again.
“Oh, well, you’re still coming tonight, right?” His eyes darted between Rebecca and Lilliah in alarm. Because I'm not going to a poetry reading alone.”
“Yeah, we'll be there. Am I the only one looking forward to this?” Rebecca demanded.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Jeremy said dryly. “The only reason we’re all going is because of you,” he reminded her, taking a step closer to Lilliah.
“I'm opening your eyes to culture,” Rebecca shot back playfully. “Lilliah’s looking forward to it, aren’t you, Lil?”
“Not really.” She laughed. “I don't even know anyone who is reading.”
“Didn’t you keep that flyer I gave you?” Rebecca asked. “It had all the poets’ names on it.”
“Yeah and I tried Googling some of them, but I couldn’t find anything.” Lilliah was already trying to think of a good excuse not to go. To her, staying in sounded perfect.
“What?” Jeremy shrieked. The look of horror on his face was almost comical. “Why wouldn’t there be anything on the Internet about them?” he asked as if it were unheard of. “It’s going to be awful,” he decided. “They’re going to be terrible.”
“Oh, shut up. It’s going to be fine.” Rebecca grabbed both their hands and pulled them towards the double doors that were at the centre of the old brown brick school building. “It might not be so bad anyway. Especially as Ryan might be coming.” She smirked at Lilliah, raising her eyebrows suggestively.
“Wait, what?” Jeremy stopped suddenly, pulling his hand away. “I thought it was just us going tonight?”
“It is,” Lilliah assured him, too tired to rise to Rebecca’s bait. “Rebecca's just making crap up.”
“No, I’m not. Ryan asked her out yesterday—”
“And I said no,” Lilliah cut in. “That was it.”
“No,” Rebecca corrected. “You told him that you were busy, and he said he might come down.”
“Wait, Ryan who?” Jeremy frowned.
“Ryan Walker, from my English class.”
“The guy with the tattoos?” his voice raised. “Do you even like him?”
“Why are you yelling?” Lilliah asked, annoyed and confused.
“Because you just . . .” He stopped, looking at Lilliah. “You know what? Never mind.” He sighed. “See you guys later.” Without so much as a backwards glance, Jeremy picked up his bag and left.
“Well, that was awkward,” Rebecca stated after a moment of silence.
“I hate it when he's like that.” Lilliah shook her head.
“God, he acts like a woman sometimes. He's jealous. You know he's had a thing for you since forever.”
They had all been friends for years, and Lilliah had been completely unaware of Jeremy's attraction until he'd nervously asked her out last year. At first, she'd thought it was a joke. How could Jeremy—the same Jeremy who she had burped in front of and worn her ugly but comfortable clothes around when they’d had movie nights—like her that way? Surely he couldn't be serious? He was more of a brother than anything else. But he had proven just how serious he was when he’d stopped talking to her. It had taken time, but he eventually came around, agreeing that they'd just be friends. He'd be fine until a guy would flirt with her, or a guy in their class would ask her out on a date. Then he'd get all jealous and give her the silent treatment for a few days, only talking to her again once he realised she hadn’t accepted any of the dates. Not because of him, but because dating random guys from school really didn’t sound appealing to her. She knew what they thought when they looked at her. They took one look at her blonde hair and skinny legs and assumed so much. Without so much as a conversation, they would have summed her up in a few words: Dumb. Stupid. Up herself. Easy. She had heard the boys talk and knew what they all thought of her. It didn't matter that it was all lies. Her appearance, it seemed, said it all. None of them stopped and thought for a moment that maybe she didn't speak much because she was shy. No, it had to be because she was up herself. She let them have their illusions, not bothering to set them straight. The ones closest to her knew what she was really like.
“What do you think he's going to do when you actually meet someone?” Rebecca had asked her once.
She’d just shrugged it off. The truth was, she really didn’t want to think about it.
“The day’s already gone to shit. I say we ditch and go shopping instead.”
“I can’t. Can we just go inside?” Lilliah moaned. “It’s freezing, and I need some kind of coffee. I don't care if it's the cheap kind that tastes like dirt.”
“You'd actually drink the crap they sell in there?” Rebecca shuddered. “That stuff is gross. And what’s the point in having a sky-high credit card limit if you’re never going to use it?”
“My mum gave me that for emergencies. Shopping really isn’t classed as an emergency.” She was already edging towards the college doors. Thanks to the investments her dad had made when he was alive, Lilliah and her family now lived very comfortably. According to her mum, the credit card was just the tip of their inheritance. Sebastian hadn’t been trusted with one, just her. One of the perks of being the boring but sensible twin.
“Fine then. College it is.” Rebecca gave up, realising Lilliah wasn’t going to budge. “I have a free period. Want to go and get some real coffee instead?”
“Oh, yes, please!” Lilliah all but moaned at the thought.
“Good. And before class, if you want, we can nip to the pharmacy and get you some sleeping tablets. And some concealer.” Rebecca pointed at the dark circles under her friend’s eyes.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Lilliah weaved her arm through her friend’s and began dragging her towards the nearest Starbucks. “What time are we meeting . . . ?” The rest of the sentence died in her throat as something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. “What was that?” Her eyes scanned the semi-packed street.
“What was what?” Rebecca asked, confused.
“I don’t know,” Lilliah muttered honestly.
“Oh, well, tonight, I was thinking, if I get the seven thirty train to London, we could—”
“What the hell?” Lilliah interrupted, staring across the street at the dark figure. There, no more than a few meters away from where she was standing, was the figure of a man, all in black. His face seemed blurry, as if she needed to blink a few times to get her eyesight straight. But that wasn’t what she was looking at. His eyes—they were red. Like the colour of blood. No one seemed to notice him. Pedestrians walked past him, completely oblivious. She started walking towards him, her whole body drawn towards the figure as though a siren's call were drawing her in.
“Lilliah!” Rebecca’s scream brought her out of her trance at exactly the same time as the tires of an oncoming car screeched to a halt. Preparing for the impact, Lilliah closed her eyes, her whole body tensing, unable to do anything but wait for the pain. It didn’t come.
His bright, clear blue eyes were what she saw first. They made her feel as if she were looking into crystals. The next was his hair; it was pitch black with strands falling around his perfectly chiselled face. She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to touch him, to run her fingers down his straight nose and touch his lightly tanned skin, just to see how it would feel. Was this real?
Ruined (The Seraphim Series Book 1) Page 1
