Edge of Forever: The Death and Life of Analey Rose (The Immortal Souls Book 1)

by Patricia Galvan

  “No thanks,” I said as I noticed Leah’s ice-cold glare from down the hall.

  “See ya around, Rose,” Noah said as he hastened to Leah waiting for him. He looked over his shoulder and gave me a wink before putting his arm over Leah’s shoulder and they walked away.

  I felt angry for letting them get under my skin. I planned to go straight to the parking lot but instead I found myself making my way to the covered colonnade next to the garden.

  Not today. I repeated once again. I was almost to the first row of knee-high shrubs when I saw him leaning against the stone façade of the columns. My heart nearly stopped, then raced frantically when I saw him. I continued walking with the intention of avoiding his gaze. My feet moved sluggishly across the sidewalk with earnest effort and at the last moment I turned and glanced over my shoulder. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and summoned me with one smoldering look. I shook my head in defeat and shuffled to where he was standing. I waited for him to overreact and bolt again, but he didn’t move. I couldn’t help but notice how his muscle shone through the black t-shirt he was wearing. My eyes moved from his arms and up to his neck. I took in his unflawed face until finally my eyes found his. Noah Riggin’s sexy stare failed in comparison to this man’s intense gaze. There was no going back once I looked into them.

  I expected something like what had happened at the diner to take place again, but instead, I heard a faint but audible acouasm in my ears. It started as a ringing then became an intense buzzing. I knew what would happen next. The darkness would struggle to break free. I had no other way to describe the mysterious presentiment, but it felt cold and sinister, so I referred to it as darkness. This wasn’t the first time I’d felt it, but I didn’t want to dwell on that as I stared at him trying to restraint it.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his brows creased as a troubled look crossed his face. He took a small step back as I tried to regain control.

  “I…I’m fine,” I stuttered, wiping my hands on my jeans as if I could simply rub away the dark tendencies that were boiling through my body. I made myself look up at him. He was eyeing me from head to toe, a line of worry creased his forehead.

  “Really, I’m fine.” I glanced at my feet as if they were the most fascinating things I’d ever seen. The tingling buzz was starting to subside. I stole a quick peek at him, and relief washed over his face when he was convinced I was okay.

  “Do I know you from somewhere?” I asked.

  “No. I don’t believe we’ve ever met,” he said.

  “You look familiar,” I insisted.

  His brow furrowed. “I just have that type of face.”

  I knew exactly where I’d seen him but admitting something like that wouldn’t make sense. I presumed maybe they were prophetic visions that had inexplicably come true.

  “I have seen you around, although we’ve never formally met.” A sly grin formed on his full lips as he ran his hand through his hair, all the way through to the ends that came to his jawline. He stepped closer to me then froze. I feared the worst, but he composed himself and forced a smile back on his face.

  “My name is Mikel Aragon,” he said.

  “I’m Analey. Analey Rose.” I fumbled with my words. I finally had a name to put with his handsome face.

  There was no handshake, just a deep stare from his warm eyes. Finally, the perfect description of his soulful eyes. They were soft brown infused with a touch of green, darker than hazel but not ordinary brown. They had a ring of gold that hung on his iris that made them appear to have a radiance that lit up his soul.

  Coming back to myself, I moved my eyes down to his lips before taking in the completeness of his face. From his flawless face my eyes moved down to a sculptured chest that was no longer being blocked by his arms. I let my gaze linger on the distinctive lines of his defined muscles for a moment. I had forgotten to breathe and as I exhaled, Mikel’s brow drew down and the corner of his eyes crinkled. I looked away and took a step back. But he just let out a quiet laugh. I realized he had been watching me as I had all but undressed him with my eyes. I blushed, my face flushing red. I stared down at my feet again, hoping he wouldn’t notice the color of embarrassment on my cheeks.

  Something about my reaction was making it hard for Mikel to stand there with me. I could see the struggle in his eyes, which never ceased looking at me. His features scrunched in what I could only describe as pained. With this new realization, all the blood washed out of my face and I assumed my skin was as pale as his.

  “It was nice to meet you, Analey,” Mikel said, his smile finding his delicious mouth again. I fantasized what his lips would feel like. I imagined them soft and sensuous. Mikel chuckled again, apparently reading in my eyes the inappropriate thoughts forming in my mind. I was not, nor had I ever been, in the habit of having such thoughts about strange men, but there I stood thinking such things about Mikel.

  “Yes, it was a pleasure,” I replied. I was certain I was going to die of humiliation.

  “I will see you later, Analey,” he said and made it sound like a promise.

  “Bye, Mikel,” I replied, savoring the feel of his name on my tongue.

  He walked away with subtle celerity as I stood watching him leave. I wanted to worry about the way he left in a hurry, but instead I let myself meditate on how he effortless pulled his hair back as he walked away.

  The lingering heat of his gaze left my legs weak as I walked to my car.

  nineteen

  Mr. Albert couldn’t hold my attention the next day in class, as he walked from one end of the room to the other, his hands in his pockets of his tan slacks. His dry voice droning on about the indirect and direct causes of the war.

  “It’s essential to understand the growing tensions between the colonial government and the residents of Great Britain’s North American colonies.” Mr. Albert pulled out one hand from his pocket to push his glasses up only for them to slide back down his nose. “These heated feuds between British troops and colonial militiamen launched the weaponry equipped fight.”

  I gazed out the window of the history room as the drone of his monotonous tone draped over the room. The classroom was on the second floor of the building and looked out onto a once green lawn that was now covered in a blanket of fallen orange and brown autumn leaves. Shadowmist was quite beautiful in the sepia color of Autumn with its russet and amber colored foliage. I wondered where Mikel was and what he was doing. I knew nothing about him, but I was desperate to know everything. There was one certainty about him: he was mysterious. The very nature of his existence was perplexing.

  I didn’t seem him that afternoon as I’d hoped. I left the classroom and walked down the two flights of stairs, the other students rushing past me, including Noah and Leah. I was aware Noah preferred to be called by his last name, something to do with being raised by a military dad, but I insisted on using his first name. I didn’t like the guy and I did it to get under his skin. When I pushed open the doors that led out to the garden, I searched for Mikel. I saw a girl from my math class sitting on the stone bench going over the problems we had discussed in class. I couldn’t remember her name, but I kept thinking it was Jennifer. Her dark hair was cropped short in the back but longer towards the front. She wore jeans and a black shirt. Her full face looked animated with large round eyes and full cheeks and lips.

  I looked across the fountains to the columns, but he wasn’t there, and my heart sank when I didn’t find him. I stood on the sidewalk a moment longer just in case he did show up, but he didn’t. Noah and Leah walked out to the garden, a scowl on her perfect face and a grin on his. I didn’t want to be seen by either of them, so I crept quietly to the side of the building and took the long way around to the parking lot. I didn’t have anything else to do, so I went home and spent the rest of the day and night alone. Stella was on another overnight business trip and wasn’t due back for another day.

  I sat cross legged on my bed balancing my laptop on my knees. I had an assignment d
ue on the battle of Punk Hill and I hadn’t started it. I chose that battle partly due to its name and for its minor significance in the Revolutionary War. I wanted to give it some recognition; it had been a Patriot victory. With a sense of accomplishment, I completed my essay and placed the laptop on the floor.

  The following afternoon, after attending all my classes and turning in all homework on time, I walked out to find Mikel waiting for me. I walked straight to where he was standing, in almost the exact spot as the last time. I looked around nervously hoping Noah and Leah were not around. I was not in the mood to deal with Noah’s allusive glances, like there was something only he and I knew about, but I didn’t have a clue what that one thing could be. I was also not in the mood for Leah’s glares and constant snickers that I was certain were about me. She made it obvious when she would lean in close to Noah or one of her friends and then they would look at me and giggle. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that the only other people out there were a group of guys I didn’t know. They were not in any of my classes and they were not interested in us.

  “Hello, Analey,” Mikel said, his voice deep and smooth. “Can we sit and talk for a moment?” Mikel motioned to the steps of the peristyle. I shrugged my shoulders and took a seat on the cement. A thousand questions filled my mind, but not one made it out of my mouth.

  “How are you?” Mikel asked attempting casual conversation, but to me it sounded like a rehearsed script.

  “Good. I’m good,” I answered as I tried not to stare at him for too long.

  “Yeah, that’s good,” he chuckled. “How are your classes going?”

  “Oh, they’re moving along,” I said.

  There was a moment of silence as we waited for the other to start talking again. I watched him as he glanced my way before averting his gaze to the fountains, then back to me.

  “Are you from around here,” Mikel asked raking his hand through his hair.

  He made it hard to concentrate when he did that, or when he stared at me, or when he sat next to me.

  “I’m from Havencrest,” I said.

  “That’s on the other side of the mountains,” he said.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “What brought you here, to Shadowmist?” he asked.

  “I don’t really know why I decided to move to Shadowmist,” I said, “I guess it just felt like the right thing to do.”

  Mikel gently pushed back a strand of my hair that had fallen in front of my face. “I’m glad you did,” he whispered.

  “Me too,” I said.

  “Do you like Shadowmist?” Mikel asked.

  “I like being outdoors, hiking or walking and there is a lot of that here,” I said.

  Mikel nodded as he put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “What else do you like to do?

  I thought about it for a moment, staring at his mouth as he spoke and letting my eyes and thoughts wander. “I like reading and getting lost in fictional worlds.”

  Mikel was silent for a moment as if he was digesting all the answers that I had given him. I looked down at the ground waiting for something to come to my mind or for him to ask another question.

  Another student walked out of Shadow Manor and past the place where we were sitting. Mikel watched as the dark-haired guy whose name was Steve, from my History class, strode past us and exited the opposite end of the garden.

  “Are you from around here?” I asked Mikel.

  “Yes and no,” he answered. “I didn’t grow up here, but I have lived here for a long while,” he said.

  “Where did you grow up?” I asked, pulling on a loose thread from my sweater.

  Mikel gazed into my eyes. “That’s a topic for another day.”

  I gathered my hair over my shoulder and Mikel slightly leaned away from me. The autumn air grew cooler as the sun began to set. I knew I had to say goodbye, but I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to spend forever next to him, talking to him, and getting lost in his gaze.

  “I should be going,” I said getting to my feet.

  Mikel rose and stood next to me. He hung his head down and put his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. A small smile touched his lips as he lifted his eyes to mine.

  “Bye, Analey. Have a good night and be safe,” Mikel said.

  "Bye.” I watched him as he turned and strode past the garden, disappearing around the fountains. I forced myself out of my daze and walked through the garden, past Shadow Manor and headed to my car. That night, I laid in my bed thinking of Mikel. No dreams, just real thoughts of him, until I fell asleep.

  I couldn’t wait to see Mikel again, but I only saw him some afternoons when I was leaving school. I didn’t understand why he only came around every few days, but I took what I could get. The next day was Thursday, just one day away from the weekend and I was ready to sleep in and be a lazy teenager. I walked out of the building and Mikel was waiting for me by the front doors. I was on my way to meet Kami at the Ocean Student Center across the green lawn but when I saw Mikel, I forgot about my prior engagement.

  Mikel kept his hands in the pockets of his black jacket as he led me to our usual spot. He sat next to me on the steps of the covered colonnade, a few feet of empty space between us. I didn’t know what to make of his odd behavior. He always stayed a safe distance from me like he was afraid to get too close, but I couldn’t tell if it was for my sake or his own. I had to admit I did have some unexplained misgivings about him. He sent shivers of mistrust through me while at the same time fear gripped my soul. But once I met his hypnotic gaze, I pushed back any and all uncertainties. Staring into his eyes washed away any fears or doubts I may have had about him. I spent most of our conversations looking down at the cracks on the cement, my eyes following the contours of those instead of the contours of his face and body. Mikel, however, never took his off me. I could feel his eyes on me as he watched my every move, taking in each detail of my face and body.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.

  I was staring at an ant making its way parallel to a long crack running through the stone of the bottom step. I couldn’t trust myself to look up. I wondered why Mikel had been in my dreams, but I didn’t want to look up because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to utter a word.

  “I was thinking about the first time I saw you at the diner. You seemed to be in a rush that day.” I was lying of course. What I really wanted to know was why he had bolted that day or why I sometimes had the feeling of fight or flight when he was close. But I didn’t mention any of that to him. I looked up at Mikel and he was looking past me as the memory of our first meeting entered his thoughts. Remorse lambently moved through his cognac eyes and I assumed he would apologize or explain his behavior that day, but instead he chose to answer the question with a lie of his own.

  “I didn’t mean to leave in such a haste, but I realized I was late to an …….appointment.” He leaned back on his hands, extending his legs out in front of him. His shirt rose just slightly exposing the flesh on his abdomen. I looked away feeling my face flush at the sight of his ripped body.

  I brought my thoughts back to our conversation. I knew he wasn’t telling the truth, but I hadn’t been truthful with him either. If I was being honest, I would ask him who he really was, because it was more than mere coincidence that the stranger of my dreams would be sitting next to me.

  “Have you ever been to Havencrest? I feel like I’ve seen you before,” I was testing the waters to see if he would give me some hint about seeing me in my dreams.

  “I’ve passed through once or twice but nothing more than a day trip.” Mikel averted his gaze briefly before continuing. “But I’ve been to the library downtown and I’ve seen you there once or twice. You work there, right?”

  “Yes,” I said. I stared at the hem of his dark blue jeans. “That’s probably where I know you from.” I didn’t like all the lies. He was lying as was I. I wanted to have the courage to be bold and blunt with him. I looked up, mesm
erized by the allure of his eyes. Mine locked with his and without thinking I reached over to touch his hand, which was resting in the space between us. Our fingers touched and I quickly withdrew my hand and he did the same. Something about his touch frightened me, like when I touched the metal railing. There were no visions when I touched his hand, but it had the same cold tingling sensation, like the shock of static electricity but stronger.

  “I just love the fall weather,” I said trying to steer my thoughts away from the peculiar sensations of his icy touch. “The air has a crisp, clean smell and the leaves change to the beautiful colors of burnt orange and golden yellow.” I paused briefly to judge his expression. “Change can be scary sometimes but when I think about it like the seasons, I’m reminded that it happens for a reason and something magical can come from change.” I stared down at my hands, the cool sparks dissipating from my fingers. I wanted to touch him and feel the stimulating sensations again, but I resisted. It seemed to bother him for our skin to make contact.

  “It’s a romantic season.” Mikel smiled, lifting his hand in my direction then placing it on his lap.

  I thought if I talked about the weather it would buy me some more time with him, but when he said, “school tomorrow,” as he raised an eyebrow, I knew our time together was ending.

  “Have a good night, Analey,” Mikel said softly. His voice was deep and strong, yet smooth like velvet. He held my gaze with his eyes, and I had to remind myself to breathe, then I forced myself to look away.

  “Good night,” I replied without making eye contact with him again. I couldn’t risk getting lost in his eyes. Sometimes when I allowed myself to get lost in his stare, I could feel myself drifting away. It was a magical but frightening sense of cognizance; a deep awareness from a time far away from the present that I had no explanation for.

  Mikel walked me to my car then turned slowly on his heels and left. I stared at his back as he walked away from me. When he was out of sight, I got into my car and drove home. When I walked through the front door, I could still feel the burning fervor his eyes left lingering in my thoughts. I pulled my bag onto my bed and opened one of my text books. I tried studying but it was pointless. There was no room in my mind for anything other than Mikel. I fell back on my bed, letting my mind wander to him. With his image permanently etched into my mind, I started the way I always did when I was with him. First, I let my eyes trace over his arms, then to his sculptured chest, his neck, then finally to his eyes. I felt my face blushing as I kept thinking about his smoldering eyes. I tried to force everything out of my mind, but his eyes, his dark blonde hair, and fair, yet flawless face with the soft fluff of his impeccable beard, stayed with me until I fell asleep.