by C. R. Jane
Chapter 28
I had been sitting on the dirty mattress, my ankle chained to the floor, for a few hours. I hadn't heard anything from upstairs, and I wondered what was going on. My stomach growled, I longingly thought of the apple that was in Anna's backpack. My shoulders twitched for the millionth time since I had been taken, and I reached behind my back to massage them, trying to provide myself some relief. No matter what I did, the feeling didn't go away.
The basement light clicked on and I jumped, the chain clattering with my movement. Footsteps sounded down the stairs. The Reverend came into view. He kneeled in front of me.
"Have you had an attitude change yet, my darling?" he asked me. I stared at him, not saying anything. He seemed nonplussed by my silence.
"Everything has been arranged. Tonight, we will finally be joined as one," he announced. I gaped at him.
"Joined as one?" I asked, stupidly not understanding his intent.
"You are to become my wife. Proverbs 18:22 Eva, 'He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord,'" the Reverend stated with delight.
"I'm pretty sure that verse doesn't apply to your plans seeing as how you already have a wife," I answered saucily, wondering where Anna was.
Fear rose up in my chest. He had no issue with disposing of the Andersons because of actions he hadn't even seen them do. What would happen to Anna, who had actively gone against his orders. Was she still alive? Tears slid down my cheeks unhindered thinking of the courage that Anna had displayed in blatantly risking her life to help me. I noticed a spot of blood on the Reverend's pants. I hoped foolishly that the spot was from something other than Anna.
"I'm going to give you a little more time to get used to this idea while I prepare our room," he said patiently, ignoring everything I had just said. "I'll be back in a few hours to collect you for our new life."
With that, he stood up, brushed his knees off, and walked back up the stairs. The basement was once again plunged into darkness.
What was I going to do? Would I be considered married under the law even if I didn't say yes, if it was all coerced? I started frantically pulling at the chain. I wanted to call out for help but I knew it would be a wasted effort. I didn't want Anna to help me even if she was able to hear me for fear that something would happen to her…if something hadn't happened already.
No matter how hard I pulled, the chain didn't budge. Obviously if I was some kind of supernatural, I wasn't one that had supernatural strength.
I finally gave up on trying to break the chain. I drew my knees up to my chest and laid my head down on them despondently. I wondered what day it was. Was it my birthday yet?
I wondered if Damon, Mason, and Beckham were searching for me. It would probably be better for them if I disappeared forever. That way they wouldn't have to deal with me being in love with all of them, and they could each choose to have someone who loved just them.
I shook my head, angry at myself for such depressing thoughts. All three had been alive for thousands of years. They were old enough to make their own decisions. I hadn't forced them to fall for me. They had made that choice.
Time ticked by. The Reverend hadn't said what time it was when he came down, so I didn't know if another day was almost done. I just needed to do what he wanted for now, and then I would try to bolt again as soon as I could I told myself. Eventually he would get tired of me running and would either let me go, or kill me if I wasn't successful. I needed to try though. I had a whole life waiting for me out there that I had just discovered.
The light switched on. I drew a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever was going to come next. I could do this. The Reverend came down the stairs slowly. My resolve to play along weakened as he came into view. He was dressed in what I imagined was his version of groom's attire, a stiff black suit with a long, thick, red tie. I had always imagined my groom wearing a bowtie, but I guess since this wasn't my real wedding it would have to do. I really was losing it if that was a thought in my head.
Without speaking to me, he walked over and unlocked my cuff from the chain. He then took my arm firmly in his and walked me up the stairs, down the hallway, and into the room where I had stayed the first two nights. Laid out on the bed, looking freshly pressed, was what I assumed was my wedding gown. I instantly hated it.
"Put this on," he said sternly, pointing to the dress laying on the bed. "I will be coming to collect you soon. You will find everything you need to get ready in the bathroom."
After giving me one last look of warning, he walked out of the room. The lock clicked into place behind him.
Not wanting to examine the dress yet, I walked into the bathroom. Laid out neatly on the counter were a variety of cosmetics along with a brush. He hadn't left out anything remotely sharp that I could use as a weapon. Looking at the shower I debated whether to take one. He had made Anna stay in the room with me while I showered last time, not wanting to leave me alone for even a second. He didn't seem concerned about that now as he had left the room, but would he come in while I was showering?
I decided to risk it. A night in the woods followed by another stay in the basement meant that I was once again disgusting. I turned the shower on, threw off my clothes, and stepped in, surely breaking the record for the world's fastest shower with how fast I cleaned myself off. I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself, walking over to the bed to examine the dress as I did so. There was a set of blood red, lacey underwear laying next to the dress that I hadn't noticed before. I shuddered, wondering if he had come in and left them there while I was showering.
Afraid that he would return soon, I slipped the undergarments on, knowing that red underwear would fill me with dread for the rest of my life. I stared down at the dress he wanted me to wear. I slowly stepped into it and zipped up the side zipper before turning to look at myself in the mirror that was in the room. It was fitted on top with a sweetheart neckline, before flouncing out with what felt like a hundred yards of tulle. There were little crystals all over the bodice. It looked like something someone would wear to prom I thought to myself idly. I wondered how he had managed to get something so close to my size.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I turned, nausea turning my stomach as the Reverend opened the door. He turned, gaping at me, lust filling his expression.
"You look indescribable," he gasped at me. I again said nothing to him. If he was going to force me through this charade, I wasn't going to make it pleasant.
He took my arm and once again we went out into the hallway before walking into a large room I hadn't seen yet. There were at least fifteen to twenty bouquets of red roses placed around the room. The smell of roses permeated the air, turning my stomach. There was a large tv set up in the front of the room. The Reverend led me in front of the tv, reaching for a remote with the hand that wasn't holding mine.
The screen turned on, strangely showing a still shot of himself. The Reverend turned to me, his screen self also looking at me.
"I couldn't think of anyone better to bless this union than myself," he explained. "I recorded myself officiating our marriage earlier. Just answer as if another person was asking the questions."
I visibly blanched and this time he didn't ignore it.
"I gave you plenty of time to get used to this idea, Eva. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be," he scowled.
The recording began. The screen Reverend gave a spiel about how this union was blessed by the heavens. It then went on about the women's role, how the wife was meant to serve the husband, to make him happy at all costs. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
The time came for us to exchange our vows. Despite my earlier pep talk to myself to go along with it, I couldn't find the strength to do it. Unbidden images came strolling through my mind of myself in a wedding gown, but this time one that I had chosen. I imagined Damon, Mason,
and Beckham both in the place of the groom, separately, and then all together. This evil man didn't get to take my "I do" away from me.
The Reverend eagerly said yes when the screen him asked if he took me as his wife. The silence was deafening when it came time for me to speak. I stonily stared at him, my chin hard with determination. His face filled with rage as my time to speak passed, and the screen Reverend began to move on to the next portion of the recording.
"These vows will be binding before God no matter what you do," he said, spittle sprinkling my face from how hard he forced the words out in his anger. He smoothed out his face, taking a deep breath to calm down. We listened to the recording as it got to the part I was most dreading.
The screen Reverend droned "You may now kiss the bride."
The Reverend standing in front of me gave me a big smile, his eyes glittering with desire. He grabbed my chin and gave me a long, slimy kiss, his wormy tongue threatening to break into mine.
I pulled my head back from his grasp as hard as I could, gagging as I did so. The Reverend laughed in amusement and grabbed my hand, dragging me into the dining area where the Andersons had been murdered right before my eyes.
The table was laden with what looked like fine china. He pulled out a chair and forced me to sit in it. After sitting down he called out, "We are ready!" I held my breath as Anna came wobbling in. I couldn't help but gasp when I saw the state she was in. She looked like she had been beaten within an inch of her life. He had hacked off her hair and her face was barely recognizable with how bruised and broken it was.
I cried silent tears as she set food in front of us. She didn't look at me, and the guilt swarmed over me. This had happened to her because of me.
Anna left in between servings. I didn't touch my food of course, but the Reverend inhaled his food, going on and on about our new life together. The tingling in my back was getting worse as we sat there and my body began to feel like I was burning up from the inside. I wavered in my chair, feeling like I would pass out at any moment.
The Reverend finally finished his meal. Anna had disappeared again. He stood up from his chair and collected me, before marching me back down the hallway into my red and black bedroom. The same cloying scent of roses filled my nostrils as we walked in. There were red rose petals sprinkled all over the room. There was a single lamp in the corner. The glow from it made the room seem even more foreboding for some reason.
The door closed behind us, clicking as he locked it. This was it, I could see it in his eyes. I wasn't going to be able to put him off anymore. I turned to bolt, but he caught my arm, ripping off some of the tulle on the bottom of my dress with his exuberance when he stepped on it. Suddenly the tingling feeling that had been growing in intensity the last few days turned into more of a burn. I gasped in pain as my back felt like it was tearing in two. All of a sudden something popped out of me, tearing through the back of my dress.
The Reverend immediately let go of me, stepping back with wide, astonished eyes. I reached back with one hand, trying to see what was back there, while using my other hand to keep my ripped dress covering the front of myself. I yanked my hand back when I touched something that felt like feathers. Did I have freaking wings? Whatever they were, they felt like new appendages had sprouted from my body. They fluttered involuntarily, and I fell back a step at the sensation. The Reverend was still staring at me, his disbelief turning into wonder at whatever had sprang from my back.
He reached out a hand, his intent clear that he wanted to touch my "wings." I took a step back. My mind was spinning wondering if this had something to do with my birthday, and if any other special powers were going to make an appearance and save the day. I tried to take another step, but the new weight of the wings made it hard to keep my balance and I stumbled. I reached the door and pulled on it, forgetting for a second that the Reverend had somehow managed to lock it from this side. I was trapped.
Suddenly the room's temperature began to rapidly drop. I looked around wildly and sure enough, I saw the black shadow of a specter in the corner walking towards us. To my surprise, another specter appeared behind it, and then another. They continued to multiply until there were too many to count, filling the space around us.
The Reverend was looking around him. Lexi had told me that specters were invisible to normal humans, but that they could sense something was wrong when a specter was near them. The Reverend could definitely tell something was wrong.
He whirled around in a circle, trying to see what was in the room with us. All of a sudden the lamp was extinguished. Due to the heavy drapes on the windows, the room was almost as dark as the basement had been. I could hear the Reverend's breathing get faster as he began to panic.
"What are you doing?" he cried out, his voice quivering in fear.
"Nothing," I squeaked out, growing more fearful myself as I waited for the specters' icy touch.
"Evaaaaa…" called out an eerie voice from somewhere around us. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from, as it seemed to echo around the room. The Reverend was at this point huddled against me, pulling me in front of him as if I could protect him. My wings fluttered in fear as something brushed against them.
All of a sudden the Reverend was yanked away from me. He began to scream as the sound of ripping and something cracking filled the darkness around me.
I huddled against a wall. I was paralyzed with fear, not able to think clearly enough to try and get away. Not that I could go anywhere anyway with the locked door. The darkness of the room was stifling and all-encompassing. The heavy curtains over the windows made it impossible to even see my hand in front of my face, let alone whatever demon was in the room with me.
I heard the Reverend begging some unknown creature for mercy. A rush of hate flowed through me. Kylan Darcy did not deserve mercy. I immediately tried to push that thought away. I didn't need to feel that way.
The icy hand of a specter stroked down my face, almost as if it was trying to comfort me. I shuddered as the Reverend gave one last shriek before absolute silence filled the room.
The lamp flickered back on.
Kylan Darcy lay on the ground in a pool of blood. His face bloated into a look of horror. The fear I had been feeling increased tenfold. What creature had done this? And where was it now?
I suddenly heard breathing behind me. Whoever had done this was still in the room with me. Without any options of how to get away, I took a deep resolved breath and turned my head.
"Evaaaa," something called out in a sing song voice.
Strangely familiar piercing black eyes were my last view as a caustic powder enveloped my senses and the world faded.
Epilogue
I stood in front of him, trying to keep my spine straight, trying to remember why I was doing this. It was a soul shattering feeling to know I was on the precipice of taking this step, this colossal, ugly, eternity ending step.
Tears were sliding down Beckham's gorgeous face. I stared, lost in my own misery, as one drop dripped off his stubbled chin. If this were any other circumstance, I would have been horrified since I had never before seen him cry, not even when he was injured.
But I couldn't reach out to comfort him, even though I felt like I couldn't breathe, even though the need to take it all back was clawing up from inside of me desperate to save our love.
"Why are you doing this?" he whispered softly, his voice clogged up with sorrow.
I had gone back and forth over how I would do this. If I should deny I had ever felt anything, deny that we were a soul match so that maybe he would hate me and more easily move on. But I was selfish, I couldn't deny something that had meant everything to me since the moment that I met him. I would hide the memories of our time spent together, and the love that we shared deep in my heart for when I needed it to get me through the long, never ending days ahead of
me.
"It is my duty as Queen," I answered. "I haven't been able to find any other way to save us." He dropped to his knees and buried his face in my stomach.
"I can't let you do this. I can't survive without you. Please choose me," he begged me.
I slowly slid to my knees and pressed my forehead against his. "This is not me not choosing you. This is me saving you. You will be in my heart until I draw my last breath. There will never be another for me but you."
The tears I had tried so hard to keep in streamed down my face, mingling with Beckham's until it was impossible to tell who the tears had fallen from. I was truly tempted in that moment, tempted to beg him to forgive me, and that I didn't mean anything I had said, when a cold voice called my name from the distance. My resolve came roaring back. I abruptly stood up, lovingly stroking a lock of Beckham's golden hair one last time before I turned away, leaving my past behind, and walking towards my future.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
I've been literally blown away by the response to the first book of my little series. First Impressions reached the top of several lists on Amazon, I've been approached by publishers and literary agents, and I have gotten to hear from so many of you of how much you liked Eva's story. It truly means so much to hear from each of you. It makes all the long hours and stress so worth it to hear that it has touched even one of you.
I love Forgotten Specters. First Impressions was a little hard to write in that I knew I needed to lay a foundation for the series before I could really start Eva's journey. In Forgotten Specters, I felt like I was finally getting to start Eva's story. Book Three of the series, Forbidden Queens, is already in the works, as well as several novellas of the guys and other characters. I can't wait to continue to share Eva's world with you. It's only going to get more wild from here.
