by Gow, Kailin
Heaven and Hell
Beautiful Beings #2
kailin gow
Heaven and Hell: Beautiful Beings #2
Published by THE EDGE
THE EDGE is an imprint of Sparklesoup Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Kailin Gow
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Do NOT post on websites or share this book without permission from copyright holder. We take piracy seriously.
All characters and storyline is an invention from Kailin Gow. Any resemblance to people alive or dead is purely coincidence.
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First Edition.
ISBN 13: 978-1597489829
DEDICATION
To Shelly, Lauren, Jessica, Addison, Kate, and all the girls who sent me handwritten letters about fallen angels, frosted fey, wicked witches, vampires, beautiful things, bizarre creatures, dreams of little or much significance, secret diaries and journals, and my novels. Thank you for helping me write the books you love to read by telling me what you love best about them.
Prologue
The dark twilight night, veiled in a cool mist, collapsed around me, closing in as I ran. Lit only by the silvery stars with just silence as company and the forest dense while the mist danced through the leaves and flailing branches, I thought for a brief moment, I lost sight of my prey.
I pressed through the tightly packed shrubs and saw him, running at a speed that was astonishing, but not quite past my own capabilities.
He darted around a huge tree smooth like a tiger, leaped over a stream with ease and clambered up a boulder with a quick glance back at me.
“I don’t want to fight you, Lux,” he said, his voice clear and well-controlled, completely unaffected by the chase. “Not here. Not ever.”
I jumped to grasp his ankle, but he climbed on, out of reach.
“If I must, I’ll keep running just to prevent a confrontation with you.”
Climbing over the boulder, I craned my head just in time to see him, running along the edge of the cliff, undisturbed by the sharp drop just inches from his every footfall. The distance between us grew. I had to pound harder, faster, ignoring the possible peril of just one small slip. I had to catch him. Beyond anything else, I had to.
“You can’t keep running,” I called out as I closed the space that kept us apart. “Eventually you’ll get tired and you’ll have to stop.”
“You’re wrong,” he shouted back. “You may get tired, but I won’t. I never will.”
While I concentrated on the chase, my heart held back, longing for another way to resolve our differences. I still loved him.
“It’s stronger now,” he said. “So much stronger. I barely feel human anymore. I could run on and on, tirelessly, endlessly.”
“But you won’t,” I argued. Just yards behind him, I could smell him. The scent of his skin had changed. Gone was the sweet masculinity that had always appealed to my senses. His odor was now bitter and pungent.
“I’ll keep running as long as I have to. You’re chasing me to fight and that would force me to fight back. That’s something I won't allow, Lux. I won’t fight you. I don’t want to hurt you. I’d rather die.”
I felt the weight of his words and knew them all to be true, but it didn’t change what was, and what had to be done. “I’m so much stronger than you assume,” I said. “I don’t hurt as easily as you think.”
Only a few feet separated us. I reached out, my fingertips just inches from his shoulder. The heat of his body warmed my hand, reminding me of a time when the touch of his skin was all I longed for.
Now, the longing was stronger than ever, but for completely different reasons.
He stopped suddenly and turned to me. I ran into him with such force, we stumbled and fell to the ground.”
“I love you, Lux.” He pushed me onto my back and leaned over me, his hunger and desire raw in his eyes. “Don’t you see how much I love you? Don’t you see this isn’t just a game, but that you're my only hope? I need you now, more than ever, I need you. You can't fail me.”
A wave of emotions, powerful and conflicting, rendered me weak. I stared into his blue eyes, his love for me so clear… so confusing. His full lips parted and I wanted to weep for all the times his soft lips had pressed against mine. The heat of his kisses, the passion of his embraces all came back to me, making me forget what he’d become. All I could see was the boy he’d once been.
“I love you,” he whispered as he brought his lips closer.
I love you, too, I wanted to say, but my voice was choked by the turmoil of emotions.
My eyes closed as he came closer still. Anticipating the touch of his lips, I arched my back, pressing my breasts to his chest, wanting to feel more of him. I snaked my hand up his back, thrilled by the power of his muscular build.
His lips touched mine and I was instantly aware of the mistake I’d made. The soft, sweet kiss of the boy I’d loved no longer existed.
This kiss was searing, not with passion and love, but with venom and a need to destroy. Fiery heat filled my mouth, burned my tongue and left my throat parched and aching. He pressed harder, covering my mouth with his and plunging his inflamed tongue deep inside me, bringing the searing pain further. Racked by the intense pain, I fought to break free while my heart tried to catch up and understand what was truly happening.
My eyes flew open and I gasped and screamed into his mouth. Gone were the blues eyes, the handsome features and the luscious hair. Two puss filled yellow eyes now stared at me, the red pupils flaring with hatred. The smooth skin of his handsome face was gone, replaced with charred crisp leather that crinkled oddly as he snarled.
Though I’d spent my life fighting demons, coming face to face with ugliness and evil, I winced at the sight of him.
“It’s too late now, Lux Collins,” he growled, keeping his lips close to mine. “You should never have trusted me. You should have slayed me when you had the chance. You could have saved me from this hideous fate. You could have saved yourself, your soul. Now your soul belongs to me. Now I’ll bring your soul with me to the depths of darkness. Lux, the light, the saver of innocent souls; you’ll no longer light the way for so many who need you.”
He covered my mouth with his lips. A sharp and unbearable pain stabbed through me, tearing me in two. I struggled to free myself from the agony of his hold, but he pinned me down with relentless determination.
I wanted to call out to him, to reach the boy who loved me, but the infernal pain only left me weeping.
He pulled away, a devilish grin bearing his deadly sharp fangs.
“There’s still time to stop this,” I cried. Swiping my hand through my tears, I realized I was crying tears of blood, my blood.
“It’s too late.” He plundered my mouth, bringing a wave of terror and panic as I finally saw the futility in fighting him. I was losing this battle.
The sharp blade of a knife could not have been more painful than the pull he had on my soul. I wanted to fight harder, but he sucked what little energy I had, all while becoming increasingly stronger and more powerful in his hold of me.
I screamed, but my voice remained imprisoned in my throat, in his throat and only helped bring more aggression and urgency to his embrace.
Little remained of me as I slid into the dark abyss, the empty shell of my body left to the cold. My heart shattered and the love I’d known withered away. Chilled and hollow, I stared into the eyes of the monster as he backed from me, a victorious smile on his ugly face. The wicked gleam in his eyes offered not a hint of the love we’d once shared, and the razor sharp teeth hungered for more.
With a jolt that had me sitting up in my bed, I woke up to find myself bathed in sweat. My heart pounded through my chest and thundered in my head. My heavy breathing filled the silent room as I looked around, taking a moment to find my bearings through burning tears.
I was in my room, in my parents’ house. I was safe. I repeated that logic over and over again as the waves of panic and terror slowly subsided and the full realization of the dream came to me.
The nightmare weighed on me, filling the darkened corners of my room and leaving me edgy, but ready.
Chapter 1
Pulling back the soaked sheets, I got out of bed. The heated kiss, the burning tongue and the fiery breath had all left me parched and eager for a glass of water. With only the glimmer of the quarter moon throwing shadows across my room, I padded silently to the bathroom. I smiled as I flicked on the light and caught a glimpse of my bedraggled reflection. My long dark thick hair was everywhere, my eyes crazed with remnants of panic and my lips white.
I couldn’t help but wonder if my parents had put me up in an attic room, complete with my own bathroom, in order to insure they had a more stable sleep every night.
It was understandable. Nightmares and night time visits had become a regular occurrence. Younger, I’d often sought refuge in my parents’ room, in their bed, cuddled up between them and sifting off their positive and loving energy. Battling demons often left me with an urgent desire to connect with good, and my parents had plenty of that good to give me.
Now that I was older, I dealt with the evil innate to demons more readily and the love my parents gave me on a daily basis was enough to keep me steady through any battle. There was no point in all three of us being exhausted by it all.
Turning the faucet, I let the cool water run over my hands then splashed some onto my face before filling up my glass.
I took small, quiet sips, letting my mind go back to the nightmare. It had been so real, so painful. Part of my gut still ached and that pungent smell still annoyed my nostrils. It seemed to waft in from my room, growing stronger instead of dissipating with the dream.
I turned to face my room, breathing in with the purpose of discerning the validity of that smell. Was it all in my head or…?
With a loud clang I set my glass on the counter, almost shattering the glass as the hairs at the back of my neck alerted me to something more than just a dream. I flicked off the light, annoyed by the temporary blindness that afflicted me; annoyed by my own rookie mistake. My hand to the doorjamb, I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, hoping the scent was just imaginary remnants.
A light rustling sound confirmed something was truly there. Perhaps Lothario, I dared hope.
Stepping back into the room, I saw a slight, frail shadow by the back window. It was far too small to be Lothario, and the odor was not that of an angel. As it stepped into the moonlight, the crinkled skin of its torso and arms became more apparent; the same leathery skin of the creature from my dream, ugly and evil. It stood a moment by the armchair, its scent coming to me in nauseating waves; the scent of burnt skin and decaying flesh.
I hurried to my bed and reached for the crucifix on my nightstand just as another creature emerged from the shadows. Smaller and more delicate than the first, it had a vague feminine quality.
How many more were lurking in the corners of my room? How many had infiltrated the house, perhaps even my parents’ room?
The pair united and stepped forward, staying close to one another. Far from the usual demons I’d grown accustomed to fighting, they seemed reluctant, almost timid. Sadness enveloped them and while the scent of death was strong, there was no true aura of evil emanating from them.
Their energy was lost, in limbo, neither evil nor angelic.
As they fully entered the ray of moonlight I saw their faces, what was left of them. I could now make out just how charred their skin was. They had no hair, nor clothing. Their noses were burned off and their hands were fingerless nubs. The eyes that stared hopefully at me were small and narrow, the skin around them tight, barely affording them the ability to blink.
The frailer feminine form had a forlorn expression and my heart went out to it.
Despite their gentle approach, I held up my crucifix as they stepped closer. Remembering the dream, remembering the consequences of trusting too much, I prepared for battle, no matter how frail and woeful they appeared.
“You’re not welcome here,” I said, my voice calm and firm. “Leave.”
“We heive not come for battle and will leave peacefully,” the taller one said. “But first hear our plea.”
Plea? No demon had ever tried to bargain with me before.
“Please don’t slay our son,” the smaller one said with a decidedly feminine voice.
Moore, I thought, and my heart instantly winced.
“He’s fighting with all he has. He fights constantly against the pull of darkness. Don’t give up on him. Don’t let him slip away,” his mom begged.
“We failed,” his father admitted as he put his arm around his wife’s narrow shoulders. “We weren’t strong enough. We had no idea what we were up against and we failed… miserably.”
I looked at them, standing together. Her arm had wrapped around his waist and she was holding him tight. Moore’s parents had supposedly been killed, that’s what everyone had been told, but they had succumbed to the demon inside them. They’d gone to the other side, consumed until there remained no spark of humanity in them; except this hope to save their son from the same fate.
They had not mentioned Shayne and I wondered if they already considered her a lost cause. Had they already abandoned her?
“Mr. and Mrs. Hatchett, I can’t promise to…”
“No,” the woman said. “We’re not the Hatchetts.”
Stunned, I stared at her.
“We’re Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley.”
Chapter 2
The narrow halls of St. James Academy had grown incredibly dim in the absence of Braxton and Asher. I no longer had an ally, no one to laugh with. I put on a brave face, ignoring the pity-filled glances of many and the occasional spiteful smirk.
Passing Braxton’s locker was a daily ritual, whether I had needed to pass by it or not. Instinctively, my hand went out to it as it had every day for over a month. I wanted to feel his energy, to find the faint scent of him that still lingered. It was almost gone, probably just a fragment of my imagination.
A month, I thought as I stared at his locker. It seemed my life had come to a sudden stop on that night.
The demons had even grown quiet; whether out of fear or with the plot to cause greater havoc, I didn’t yet know.
My fingers brushed over the combination lock that kept Braxton’s things imprisoned. No one had bothered to clear it. He’d not even come back to get anything, not even the Lacrosse shirt that I knew was still inside.
What other secrets lied inside, I wondered.
As I stood there, lost in my reverie, the occasional shoulder brushed along my back as students hurried by on their way to their classes, their purpose clear and strong with every stride, the importance of this education fierce.
And here I was just barely getting by. Braxton had been instrumental in getting my average up and now each class was a struggle.
I leaned my forehead to his locker and closed my eyes. The image of him quickly came to me; that first day, that brief glance; he, dressed for Lacrosse, and I in the backseat of my parents’ car.
Our connection had been built in that very moment and I knew it was still strong. Even if he was clear across the Atlantic in Englan
d while I remained here to put all the pieces together, I felt that connection
Inhaling, his scent came to me, so sweet and so tantalizing. So real. So confusing.
Lothario had told me to look for others, others like me. He’d told me to find my guardian. I thought I had, but now?
The haunting dream I’d had the night before came to me, the feelings I’d felt for that boy, that strange and mysterious boy, were so real, my heart tightened at the thought of him. The chase and the need to catch him. The embrace and the desire to touch him.
My soul.
His words of warning sounded in my ear. I shouldn’t have trusted. I should have slain. My soul was at stake.
And my heart was in the way. Even now I could feel the love for that boy, and the need to save him.
I just had to figure out who it was I had to save; Braxton or Moore.
Reluctantly, I left the locker, my focus on seeing Ms. Bright. Perhaps she could help me. Surely she had the means to get in touch with Brax. Turning into the crowd of students, I walked against the flow to the principal’s office. Through the throngs of beautiful flowing hair, bright white smiles and perfect features, I saw two dark shadows at the other end of the hall. My hand went to my crucifix, my focus redirected to the odd pair.
Amidst pristine uniforms and youthful beauty, the couple was sorely out of place, yet the beautiful youths passed them by, oblivious of their presence.
The parents, I thought.
In my great absorption of Braxton’s absence and the troubling nightmare, I’d set aside the late night visit.
My stride was strong and determined as I closed in on them. I anticipated a complicated chase or fierce battle, but they simply stood there, their eyes hopeful and their mouths grim.
As my lips parted to question them, they vanished in the shadows, leaving me to wonder if I’d really seen them at all.
