Rewsna stepped into the living room, “Lauren, I believe now is the appropriate time for you to share with your family and friends what you know about Samael.”
I questioned her without words, and she responded silently with a simple nod. I took a deep breath and said, “I know you have all met Samael, the private investigator that my dad hired to find me.” I looked at my dad and his eyes darted to the floor. I’m sure that my telling him Samael was a serial killer only added to his anxiety. “I’m not sure how much detail to give all of you. After everything that has gone on these last couple years, it’s difficult to put everything into words.”
Blank stares looked back at me. If I told everyone the truth, I don’t know if any among them would have the courage to accept it. Seth and Amanda looked shell-shocked, and I assumed they would be the easiest to convince. I looked into the concerned faces of the others.
There were five in the room - Mom, Dad, Rachael, Wanda and Melissa - who would think I wasn’t stable. My hesitation must have made Seth and Amanda more nervous because Amanda spoke in barely more than a whisper, “What was that thing tonight?” All eyes in the tiny room left me to look at Amanda. Her ivory skin was ghost white, the color had even drained from her lips, and her eyes showed nothing but terror. Seth put his arms around Amanda in a protective way, but he, too, looked frightened.
“That was Samael.” I looked at all the other eyes staring at me seeing a mixture of curiosity and concern. “Mom, Dad, I told you Samael was a serial killer, although technically he’s more than that.” I could see the pain shining through my dad, and I knew I had to make him understand that he played no part in any of this. “He isn’t exactly human.” I looked to Rewsna to make sure she wasn’t giving me the international signal for “Shut up.” She gave me a slight nod, indicating it was acceptable to continue on.
“Samael is some sort of shape shifter. He can become any animal he chooses.” I reached down to my side and gently petted Peanut, “Except a dog. I first met Samael while Max and I were camping. He spooked the horses, one of the horses broke free from her lead, and Max left for just a few minutes to get her.” Shivers whipped down my spine as I thought about that night so very long ago. “Right after Max left Samael walked into the campsite. He told me I could choose a quick death or a cursed life. Well, I’m still here, so I guess you all know what I chose. He shifted into a bear right there in front of me and that’s about all I remember.”
Wanda was a woman with brute strength and no time for shenanigans. I could see in her eyes that my explanation was about as believable as Gnomes roaming around the front yard pulling weeds. Rather than trying to convince her specifically or everyone in general of the truthfulness of my revelation, I decided it would be better to just keep talking. Even if they didn’t believe me, the more I told them the better it felt.
“I was somehow suspended while my body was in a coma. Remember how the doctors told you there was no medical reason for me to be comatose? I was somehow held by this thing. I had met Rewsna a few weeks before the attack. She is telepathic. We had communicated over great distances before the bear incident. While I was in the coma, I called out to her, and it wasn’t until Rewsna answered me that I knew I was still alive.” I looked to Rewsna and she waved at everyone in the living room. “When she answered me, she told me I wasn’t dead, and I needed to break free from the Beast. I fought to break free and woke up. When I did, I inadvertently took a part of the Beast with me.”
I glanced at Wanda again and could see she wasn’t buying any of it. She wouldn’t make eye contact with me, but I could tell from the way she looked away and stared out the window she believed this all to be a great big waste of time and an enormous load of crap. Refusing to stop, I knew I needed to provide a little proof, so I continued with, “He used to have the ability of sight, where he could decide he wanted to see what someone was doing and could see them. That’s the power I took from him. Over the last several days I’ve been watching him. I saw him interview each and every one of you.”
This caught Wanda’s attention, and she finally made eye contact with me again. “Wanda, he found you volunteering at a homeless shelter. You wanted to help him, so you took him into an office and shut the door behind you. When he asked you the last time you’d seen me, you said two months ago. You didn’t even know that I was out of the nursing home or awake. You told him you thought of me as a daughter and you would never forgive yourself for letting the shooting in the restaurant go down the way it did. If the shooter hadn’t shot at the kid, you had a knife in your boot. You would’ve slit his throat if you could have just gotten close enough.”
Wanda gasped and her eyes grew wide briefly then went back to normal when she dismissed my vision by saying, “You could have planted a wire on him and heard all of that.”
I nodded in agreement but followed with, “The office had three desks pushed together in a modified triangle, last year’s calendar was hanging on the wall, and there was a mousetrap behind a filing Cabinet. There’s no way I could have heard that on a wire, right?”
“I don’t know, Lauren. Maybe you had one of those cameras on him or something? What do you want from me? What do you want from all of us? If we’re just here to hear stories, I’ve got a lot of work to get done, and I’m leaving.”
Council members in the kitchen perked up, and I could feel the tension in the air. I knew this wouldn’t be easy to accept if I were on the receiving end. I would probably have the same reaction. I tried a different approach, “The truth is Wanda, I feel a lot the same about you. You are the toughest woman I’ve ever known, and I always kind of wanted to be like you.” My eyes left Wanda and went to all my family and friends, “Tonight I did something stupid. Up until today the Beast wasn’t targeting any of you, but I tried to kill him. I thought that if I killed him, I could have my life back. Unfortunately, all I really did was piss him off. He called to tell me all bets were off and that your blood would be on my hands. I couldn’t let him do to any of you what he tried to do to me. So yes, I do know I sound like a lunatic, yes I know that this seems about as likely as monkeys flying out of my butt. I wanted to try to save you all from him, even if it means that for the rest of your lives you think I’m certifiably crazy.”
A strong voice resonated saying, “We believe you.” Seth stood up, looked at Amanda and continued, “That thing tried to attack us in our home tonight. He would have, too. He changed into a wolf right in front of us. The police showed up just in time to shoot him. He took off bleeding, but what Lauren is saying is the truth. It was Samael that came to our door, and Samael somehow picked our lock and let himself into the house. He told us that he intended to kill us because Lauren tried to ambush him tonight. Right before the police showed up, he changed from a man into a wolf. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life.” He looked to Amanda, who said nothing but made no effort to discount anything he had just said. “So why is he trying to kill us? Why did he try to kill you?”
Wanda crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, “This is bullshit. What have you people been smoking anyway? I’m outta here.”
I took a step in Wanda’s direction. “You can’t leave. I’m not saying you have to believe me, but there’s more. Just hear me out. When I’m done, if you still think I’m full of crap, I promise no one will try to stop you.”
“The Beast uses these demons that are able to possess humans. One tried to possess me after I woke up at the nursing home, so all I can tell you is it hurts like hell, like a giant bolt of lightning is trying to enter your head. If you feel something like that, you can fight it off. Don’t let it in. Don’t surrender to the pain. Max, his grandfather and his cousin were all attacked by demons last week.”
Seth, the most vocal so far, asked, “Is that why he isn’t here?”
I shook my head, “No, I don’t know where Max is. I left a voice message for him to come here, but he hasn’t called back. After Peanut and I escaped from Joe’s house that day, the demons let al
l three of them go. I stopped back by the house to get something when I thought it was safe. I was wrong. One took control of Joe in a matter of seconds.”
Seth looked around to all the doubters in the room, making a plea on my behalf, “I don’t care if you believe her or not, you can all choose to think she came out of her coma damaged if you want to. If I had heard all this two hours ago, I would probably feel the same way that you do. I can tell you, I do not have delusions, and I have no reason in the world to lie to any of you. This Samael, or Beast, or whatever he is, isn’t human, but he’s definitely real. Amanda and I were both really lucky tonight to escape with our lives, so I’m only going to say this once.” Seth looked at me, “I know you’re telling the truth, I know it’s real, I don’t need any more convincing. Just tell me what to do so I don’t ever have to experience that again.”
Rewsna cleared her throat. “I’m afraid the answer to your question is not an easy one. He is angry with Lauren, and knows he is not strong enough to attack her alone. In addition, our whole Council is with her to provide additional protection. We are too strong for him to attack her while she is in our care. The only way he can get to Lauren is through each of you. I assume you all know she loves all of you deeply. While she was captive, the Beast was able to see your bond with her first hand. He knows the easiest way to hurt her, to get her away from the Council’s protection is to attack one of you. That is why we have asked you all here tonight. While we come up with a plan to destroy the Beast, we need for all of you to be safe.” She stopped addressing all of my family and friends and turned her attention back to me, “Lauren, you need to tell us where Max is. Find him so we can go get him and bring him back here. We need to find him before the Beast does.”
Seth immediately spoke up, “She can’t go find him, that thing is out there somewhere. I can go look for Max.” Seth’s tone softened a bit when he continued, “He tried to warn me about all this last week and I didn’t believe him. I told him the best thing he could do was to stay away from Lauren.” He gave me an apologetic look, “I really had no idea, Lauren. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe him.”
“Seth, it’s okay, I didn’t include any of you because this is all so unbelievable. But don’t worry, I don’t have to go anywhere to find Max. I can find him. I just need a few minutes to myself.” I stepped into the bedroom, and Peanut automatically stood up and followed me.
Chapter 24
I lay on the bed while my four-legged sidekick stretched out right beside me. I got the impression Peanut thought it was his responsibility to protect my body while I was absent from it. I patted him lightly, then closed my eyes and thought of Max, concentrating on his image, the feel of his skin, his scent. The familiar tunnel appeared, and I anxiously stepped in.
I didn’t see Max, but I could sense his presence. I knew he was close but saw and heard nothing. The room I had stepped into was pitch black. I knew calling out to him was useless. Looking to my left and right, I could see nothing, not objects or shadows, no light of any kind. I could hear heavy footsteps echoing off a wooden floor, but they didn’t sound close, and I couldn’t see the source of the noise.
The blackness felt as though it were a sensory deprivation chamber. I could feel I was with Max even though my five senses provided no proof. I felt around this cavernous room. There was no furniture, no windows, and although not possible, there didn’t seem to be a door anywhere. The walls were cool to the touch and rough like cinder block; the floor was cool and felt like concrete. I crouched down with both hands on the floor where I believed the middle of the room to be. Max was near, I knew it, but I couldn’t see or feel him.
My ears listened for the far off sound of footsteps again but there was only silence. The coolness of the room felt damp. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was in a basement or a bomb shelter long forgotten. But neither of these choices were possible: the water table in the Low Country, even in a draught, was far too high. No one in this area of the country could have an underground structure.
I needed Rewsna’s help, but she couldn’t help me while I was here. I stepped back through the tunnel and back into my awaiting body. I looked up to see Seth sitting on the edge of the bed. Seth was silent, waiting for my return, and I could only assume Rewsna had explained to him what I was doing and her rudimentary understanding of how it worked.
Seth saw that I was coherent again and asked, “That was quick. Where is he?” There was not an ounce of doubt in Seth. He took this strange gift at face value and didn’t question its authenticity like I had expected. Up until this evening, Seth had discounted anything not scientifically proven. I guess watching a man turn into a wolf in your living room gives you a whole new perspective on possibilities.
I shook my head, “I don’t know, I didn’t exactly see him this time. I need to talk to Rewsna. Excuse me for a minute.” I rolled to the side, Seth reaching out to grasp my arm in mid roll.
“Lauren, I wish you could have told me.” It looked like he was at a loss for words, as if he were struggling with a burning question, or a sincere apology, I couldn’t tell which. I didn’t feel like playing twenty questions, and he didn’t have anything to be sorry for. It had been my choice from the very beginning not to include Seth on any of my new found skills, the dreams I had about Max years before I met him, or anything else. That choice kept Seth, I would like to think, sheltered from all of the rest of the chaos going on. I didn’t regret not sharing all this with him, and I could only hope he understood it was more than any best friend should be expected to handle.
“Seth, there was never a reason to tell you. You’ve always been there when I needed you most. I’m just glad nothing bad happened to you tonight. I need to speak with Rewsna.” I tried to get up off of the bed, but his hand still anchored my arm.
I looked at his hand, trying to make it obvious that he needed to let go, when he said, “Tell me what I can do.”
I gave him a half grin, “You have to let go of me so I can talk to Rewsna about what I saw.” I should have remembered how possessive and dense he could be at the same time.
Rewsna stepped through the door, her clairvoyance always coupled with remarkable timing. “Show me what you saw, Lauren.” I did as she asked and after the last image of touching the floor replayed, her eyes opened and she looked at me strangely. “You don’t have any idea where he is?”
I shrugged my shoulders and could only say, “I know he was there. I couldn’t see, hear, feel or touch him, but I know he was right there. But there is as non-descript as a cold, dark room.”
She leaned against the wall. Tonight was the first time I had ever seen her look exhausted. I could see Melissa looking at us through the crack in the door. I hadn’t talked to her since before my bear attack. I didn’t have a clue what to say to her. We had been relatively close while I was in college, but it had been nearly three years since I had a real conversation with her. She caught my eye and held it longer than was comfortable, and I knew she had something to say. Rewsna looked as though she would pass out at any moment, and Seth was exhilarated with his new found appreciation of the unknown. Now would be the best time to excuse myself.
I stepped through the door and made my way to Melissa. She had a welcoming smile as I approached, and some of my apprehension began to evaporate. She had been standing right next to Wanda, and I noticed as I approached, Wanda fanned out away from Melissa. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have been hurt, or at a minimum offended, but given everything that had transpired tonight, I couldn’t blame her.
“Hi, Melissa, how’ve you been?”
“Really? You’re going to walk up and start talking to me like nothing completely bizarre is going on?”
“Okay, would it have been better for me to open with, ‘Gosh I sure am glad you weren’t attacked by a man that can turn into an animal, that happens to hang out with demons.’ I forgot how you like the direct approach.”
She laughed with me; whatever tension mig
ht have been between us melted away. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, looking at whatever message had just arrived. Pangs of fear showed on her face as she read it. She went to her knees and put a hand on the floor to steady herself. I watched closely, wondering what message could have elicited this kind of a reaction.
Melissa began to hyperventilate. She held the phone out for me to read the message. “Your family is dead. You can thank Lauren for allowing it to happen. Your friend, Samael.”
Gasps echoed throughout the room as everyone received similar messages. I tried to calm everyone down, but hysteria broke out as my close knit group divided and nearly trampled each other to get to their cars. There was nothing that I could do to stop them. I asked the Council members to divide up and go with each person, Rewsna herself went with my parents to check on my brother Steve and his family.
Mike and Peanut stayed with me. The house that had only minutes ago felt as if it would bust at the seams was now nearly empty. Mike and I sat down on the couch, neither wanting to believe what had just happened. How could Samael have gotten to everyone’s family so quickly? Hadn’t he been wounded just hours before?
We sat in silence as if not wanting to talk about the myriad text messages, fearing a discussion would somehow make them real. There were too many. He couldn’t have possibly killed everyone’s families. It couldn’t be done in one night, not in so many locations. Everything I knew about the Cabinet told me that they couldn’t kill. They could only influence. The demons that did Samael’s bidding hadn’t killed anyone, they could only possess people. It would have been physically impossible for the text messages to be legitimate. It had to be a ruse, didn’t it?
Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) Page 14
