Foreshadow

by Brea Essex

  A voice broke into my wandering thoughts. “Mr. Conner! Are you paying attention?”

  My head snapped up. I looked around, startled. “Yes, Mrs. Cortesi! I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head at me and went on with her lecture.

  Tristan cornered me on the way out of World Religions. “Where’s Raena?” he demanded.

  I stood in the hallway unmoving, not speaking.

  “Look, Rae’s family hasn’t heard from her since yesterday. We all know you were the last one with her. What did you do with her?”

  I lost it. “I didn’t do anything with her! I don’t know where she is.” I shoved past Tristan into the hall.

  “If you’ve hurt her, everyone will find out! You’ll pay!” Tristan hollered after me. I did I best to ignore how everyone stopped and stared as Tristan continued to yell.

  At lunchtime, I took off. I couldn’t join Tanis and Rae’s other friends, and I didn’t want to sit alone somewhere where they could find and interrogate me. I couldn’t face their questions. Also, I didn’t think I could stand to be in another class without Rae. I didn’t want to sit there, her empty desk haunting me, mocking my blatant failure.

  “Logan, is that you?” my mom called as I walked into our house.

  “Yeah, Mom.”

  She came into the hall. “What are you doing home so early? Are you sick?”

  “No.”

  Her brows knit in confusion and she frowned. “Did something happen at school?”

  “Not exactly,” I evaded. “Look, I don’t really want to talk about it right now. I’m going to go upstairs.”

  She moved to stand between me and the staircase. “Why don’t you tell me about it? Maybe I can help.”

  Great. She was going to pick now to be overprotective. I sighed. Obviously, I wasn’t going to get past her without some sort of explanation. I told her what had happened, leaving out the wings and the flying parts. She looked horrified, and moved to the phone to call the police.

  “The police have already been called, but they don’t know that Andrei took Rae.”

  “You should have told me right away. You know, I worked for the police department before you came into our lives. I still have connections there.”

  “I know, Mom.” I had heard her talk about working at the police department a million times. I didn’t think the police would help against Andrei though. “Can we at least wait until I tell Raena’s foster parents what happened? I know I should have called them yesterday, but I just couldn’t figure out how to explain my failure. They trusted me with her safety. I failed them and I failed her!”

  “You didn’t fail. You’re going to have to tell them. Soon,” my mom told me gravely.

  “I know, Mom. I just don’t know what to say.”

  “Let’s go see them. I know if someone were going to tell me you had been kidnapped, I would prefer to hear it in person. Do you know where they live?”

  “Yes, but they’re not there. Andrei knows where they live—he broke into the house trying to get us. Raena’s family is staying at the Hilton in Santa Cruz for now.”

  “Okay.” She grabbed her purse. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

  I hung back. “Mom, I don’t know what to tell them.”

  “Just tell them the truth, honey. They need to hear it.”

  That was just the problem. I couldn’t tell them the whole truth. How could I tell them their daughter’s almost-boyfriend—not to mention ex-sort-of-boyfriend—were some sort of weird, winged creatures with strange powers? I didn’t even know if I should tell my mom, let alone Raena’s family. I hadn’t even stopped long enough to try to figure it out myself.

  Am I even human? I could make some sort of shield to deflect Andrei’s attacks. I also seemed to be able to command some sort of force that, even though it didn’t seem to hurt Andrei, could at least stun him. Did I have other powers I hadn’t yet become aware of? Could there be a way to strengthen them to help Raena?

  As I sat in the car with my mom, headed toward the hotel in Santa Cruz, I racked my brain. How could I find out where Andrei had taken Raena?

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  I still hadn’t come up with any solutions or explanations by the time we reached the hotel. I got out of the car, mentally rehearsing what I planned to tell Genevra and Shane. My mom followed me into the lobby, where I asked the concierge to call up to the Devilles’ room. He conferred with someone on the phone for a few minutes. When he hung up, he told us the room number and sent us up.

  When we reached the room, Shane answered the door. I blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I’m surprised you’re not at work!”

  Shane laughed. “I took a few days off because I didn’t want to leave Genevra and Tanis alone with such a dangerous man on the loose. Why don’t you come in?”

  My mom and I sat down in the living area of the suite as Shane called Genevra out of their room. I stared at the wall. I still hadn’t figured out what to say. Tanis came out of the opposite bedroom.

  “Mom, meet the Devilles—Shane, Genevra, and Tanis. Everyone, this is my mother, Laurie Conner.”

  Shane shook my mother’s hand, but Genevra just stared at me. “Logan, where’s Raena?”

  I gulped and took a deep breath. I couldn’t think of a way to sugarcoat it. “There was an…altercation. Andrei somehow found out where we were staying. He showed up at the hotel. He’s taken Raena.”

  They all seemed stunned. Genevra jumped up. “We have to call the police!”

  I didn’t think it would help, but I agreed with her anyway. I couldn’t give away Andrei’s secret without revealing my own. Obviously we were both more than human. I didn’t even think the police would be able to find Andrei, but I guessed I should let them do what they thought they could. In the meantime, I needed to find a way to deal with Andrei on my own.

  While Genevra placed a panicked call to the police department, the rest of us sat in silence. “Shane, Tanis, and I need to have a family conference to decide what to do next,” Genevra announced after she hung up the phone.

  My mother and I stood. “I’m sorry for letting you down,” I told them as we left.

  We drove home in silence. “I need to go for a drive and clear my head,” I told my mom when we arrived at our house. She consented, and I headed out once more, this time in my own car.

  We live in a small town right next to Capitola, so there wasn’t too far to drive. I found myself unconsciously heading in the direction of Raena’s house. I couldn’t bear to turn down her street, knowing she wouldn’t be there. I briefly considered going to see the psychic Raena had mentioned, and seeing if she could help me find her. Instead, I drove toward the middle school and stopped in the middle of the street. Across from the school stood a church.

  I had never been much of a praying man, but now seemed like as good as a time as any to start. I pulled into the lot and parked my car. When I reached the door, I hesitated. I felt strange going into a church just because I needed something. Still, I had to try. I hoped prayer would work.

  The doors were unlocked. When I stepped through them, the enormity of the interior struck me. I had never seen such a huge church. There were tons of benches—I think they were called pews—all facing a huge stage area. There were awesome stained glass windows, which colored the light streaming through them.

  Feeling a little unsure, I sat in the back row. Am I supposed to kneel? Should I go up front? I stayed there for a while and closed my eyes. I don’t know how long I sat, trying to think. Just when I realized that I didn’t really know how to pray, a hand on my shoulder startled me. My eyes popped open, and I turned to see who had touched me.

  A man stood beside me. He seemed to be in his forties and wore a priest’s robes. “So sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to alarm you. I felt as though I needed to come talk to you.”

  I had been hoping the priest would be busy so I could think in peace. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to be left
alone. I needed to come up with a way to find Andrei and get Raena back. How could this priest help? What could he possibly have to say?

  “My name is Father Matthias. I know this may sound strange, but I’ve seen you before. I had a vision about you. It’s absolutely imperative I talk to you.”

  “What do you mean? You had a vision about me?”

  “Yes. You have incredible powers, young man. You have an amazing strength of spirit. Only you have the power to save her.”

  I jumped up. “What did you just say?”

  “You have the power to save her,” the priest told me. “You’re the only one who can. You must search for her in the Shadow Imperium.”

  “What’s the Shadow Imperium?”

  “It’s where he’s taken her. You have to go there. You have to defeat him.”

  This man is making no sense, I thought. He’s either crazy, or he’s been hitting the Communion wine a little too hard. How does he know about Raena? How does he know about my powers? What’s the Shadow Imperium?

  “Father…Matthias, right? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t have any powers. You must have me confused with someone else.”

  “No, I saw you clearly in my vision,” he insisted. “You had wings, huge silver wings. You glowed with a glorious golden light. I saw her, lost in the Shadow Imperium, imprisoned by a man with blond hair and wings as black as midnight. You must go there. You must save her, or all is lost.”

  How does he know this? “I don’t understand.”

  “Young man, you are an angel. A divine creature created with a divine purpose—to save her. You’re meant to guard her. You are the one with the power to destroy the devils, lest they destroy the earth and everything we hold dear.”

  I opened my mouth to tell the priest he was crazy, but apparently he hadn’t finished yet.

  “Back before the Fall of Man,” he continued, “some angels also fell. After the Great War in Heaven, some angels were cast out. They were thrown to earth. Some of these fallen angels seduced humans. Their offspring were called nephilim. However, I do not believe you are one of these. You are something more, though definitely an angel.”

  “I always knew there was something weird about me,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Sorry, son, what did you say?” Father Matthias asked.

  “Nothing, nothing. Go on.” I felt it best to humor the man. I doubted his words, although it would explain the wings and the weird golden light I seemed to be able to produce.

  “Have you noticed your powers developing?” he asked. “Angels are rumored to have incredible powers. Can you appear and disappear at will? Are you able to read people’s minds? Can you make people see things that aren’t there, or not see things that are there?”

  I sighed. Maybe I should trust this guy, even if he did seem a little nuts. He was a priest after all. Aren’t priests supposed to take some vow saying they can’t reveal what people tell them in confidence, or something like that?

  “No, nothing like that. But I did suddenly find wings sprouting from my back yesterday,” I admitted. “Also, there’s some sort of golden force field made of light I seem to be able to control.”

  Father Matthias seemed very excited by all this. Ecstatic, even. “Wings? Could, um, could I see them?”

  “Well, I somehow retracted them into my body, and I haven’t figured out how to get them back out. But when I find out, yeah. I guess you can see them.”

  His face fell a little. “Will you describe them?”

  “Sure. Why not? Well, they’re huge and I guess they kind of look like eagle wings. Oh yeah, and the feathers are grey, almost silver, just like you said.”

  “Hmm, I was always told angels have white wings. Maybe I was wrong.”

  “So, I’m not an angel?” I felt sort of disappointed. It would have been nice to have some sort of explanation.

  Father Matthias laughed. “No, no. I mean, maybe I was wrong that angels always have white wings. No, you’re an angel. A guardian angel, to be exact. I have no doubt about it. Now, we just have to figure out what your other powers are. Tell me more about this golden shield.”

  “Well, I don’t know much about it. It can deflect energy, and I can throw the light.”

  “What do you mean you can throw it?” the priest asked.

  “I can somehow gather the light—energy—whatever it is, around my hands. I threw it at the guy who kidnapped my girlfriend, and it knocked him away. I wasn’t fast enough though. He got away with her. I tried to chase him, but I couldn’t catch him. I flew around for hours…” My voice cracked and I stopped, embarrassed. Would I start crying in front of this priest? I wasn’t one of those macho guys who thought only girls cried, but I didn’t want to cry in front of a stranger. I just hated the fact that I hadn’t been able to protect Raena. I told her I loved her, then I just let her be taken by Andrei! I railed at myself.

  I took a deep breath, trying to put a curb on my anger. I didn’t think it would help me. Father Matthias looked at me sympathetically. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it,” he said.

  “It’s okay. I just—I couldn’t protect her! You say I’m an angel, but what good does it do if I can’t protect the girl I love? What good are my so-called powers if I can’t save her?”

  “I’ve told you where she is. The Shadow Imperium. You must go there to save her.”

  “But how do I get there?” I asked, exasperated. I had the feeling this man might have more answers than he let on, and he was starting to make me mad. Why couldn’t he just tell me what I need to know? Every moment Raena spent trapped with Andrei was another moment her life would be in danger. Didn’t he understand?

  “I don’t know,” Father Mathias admitted. “But I can help you figure it out.” He checked his watch. “I have to say Mass in less than thirty minutes. You are more than welcome to stay if you like. Afterward, we can do some research. If you don’t want to stay, you can come back later tonight or even tomorrow. I understand it’s urgent, but you have to remember, it may take some time to figure out how to get to the Shadow Imperium.”

  I stood up, trying to swallow my rising anger. If this priest had answers, I needed to stay on his good side and not lash out at him. Getting angry wouldn’t do me—or Raena—any good. “Thanks for the invite, Father, but I think I’ll have to decline your invitation for Mass this time. I will go home and try to do some research myself. I will, however, take you up on your offer to meet afterward. I get the feeling I may need your help.” I held out my hand for him to shake. “I’m Logan, by the way.”

  The priest grasped my hand firmly. “Don’t worry, Logan. We will find your girl. We will figure out your powers. We will find a way for you to defeat the devils. Somehow, we will find answers to your questions. Come by in about two hours.” He started to turn. “Don’t worry, son. It will all be okay.”

  I remained standing alone in the church for a few minutes, trying to absorb everything Father Matthias had just told me. At last, I took a deep breath, crossed myself for good measure, and walked out of the church.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Raena

  As Andrei dragged me through the portal, I felt a weird rippling sensation. My stomach twisted and I felt nauseous. I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm my queasiness and tried not to trip, favoring the ankle I had twisted earlier. His hand felt like a vice on my wrist. I thought if he squeezed any tighter, my bones would break. Great. If I ever get out of here, I’m going to have even more bruises. By the feel of my wrist, I could tell no amount of make-up would cover them up.

  When my stomach stopped doing flip-flops—which were nothing like the flips it did when I was with Logan—I opened my eyes. Darkness greeted me and fog hung all around. If I squinted, I could just make out some craggy shapes in the distance. “Where are we?” I asked Andrei, not expecting an answer.

  “The entrance to the Shadow Imperium.”

  “What’s the Shadow Imperium?” I knew I was
pushing my luck a little, but my curiosity—and stupidity, I suppose—got the best of me.

  “The home of the devils.”

  An involuntary shiver traveled down my spine and I froze. Devils? Is that what Andrei was?

  As if he could read my mind, he replied, “Yes, Rae. I am what you would call a devil.”

  “But you look so human!” I blurted without thinking.

  “Yes, we do look remarkably human. However, we take whatever form we wish. It just expends a lot of energy. We don’t have the power to retract our wings into our bodies, like angels do. Instead, we must use glamour in order to mask them from human eyes. We hold the power to make you not see things that are there…and to make you see things that are not there. It’s one power some of us have held onto since The Fall.”

  I sucked in my breath sharply. “The Fall?”

  “Surely you have heard of The Fall. Eons ago, there was a great war in Heaven. A third of the angels fell. The ones who tried to return to Heaven or were captured by the avenging angels had their wings ripped off. The ones who evaded capture and were smart enough not to try to return, kept our wings. We have been in hiding ever since—here.” He made a broad gesture with his arms.

  Andrei continued to pull me along beside him. I felt a surge, and we arrived at the entrance to what seemed to be a cave. I looked around, disoriented. I recognized the cave as one of the craggy shapes I had noticed in the distance. He seemed to be able to move extremely fast—we had traveled a long distance in the blink of an eye.

  When we stepped inside the cave, I was shocked. It looked a lot larger than it had appeared, so grey and depressing, with nothing to break up the monotony of the rock. He led me down a long hall, which twisted and turned so much that I didn’t think I could find my way back even if I tried. I thought if I seemed to be cooperating, he might let down his guard and give me a chance to escape.

  Andrei brought me into a large room and threw me down onto a bed covered with red and black linens. How fitting. Then I spied the shackles bolted to the wall. My fear returned full force. Ignoring my struggles, he fitted the shackles around my wrists. There were more shackles attached to the foot of the bed, which he put around my ankles.