“So what changed?” I ask eagerly, fascinated by the newly uncovered Seraph soap opera.
Jocelyn shrugs impassively. “Persephone.”
Oh. AJ’s dead girlfriend.
“And when she died, so did he. He was just never the same person again.”
“How heartbreaking.” She frowns in agreement.
“But now, here. I see a change in him. It’s like he’s ready to move on, he just doesn’t know how.”
“He’ll figure it out,” I assure her. AJ deserves to be happy.
And so does Jocelyn.
“I should go back to my room before Justice finds out I’m gone. I think I’m in some serious trouble,” I confide.
“Oh yes, you are,” she confirms. “Your little stunt last night got everyone’s senses in a bunch. They know you are so much more than just a mortal now.”
“I think that was obvious when I showed up with you and Melenia,” I retort. “Do you have any idea what’s going to happen?”
“Nothing, hopefully.” She strokes Danika. “I don’t think anyone knows exactly what you are, just that you’re powerful.
And I’m confident Justice is making sure your secret stays safe.
You should’ve heard the way he came blaring into mine and AJ’s heads before. My ears are still ringing.”
“How is he doing that exactly?” I ask nervously. “Damage control?”
“An assembly with the pixie queen.” I grimace; her.
“I take it you heard about their past.” “Yes, Siberian filled me in.”
“I bet he did,” Jocelyn scoffs.
The thought of Justice with anyone else makes me nauseous.
Even if it was half a century ago. “I’m ready to go home,” I confess.
“It’s not going to happen.” Jocelyn shakes her head forlornly. “Why?”
“Darklings are crawling all over the portal. You can’t leave until they’re gone.”
That’s no good.
“Gone? When will that be?”
“When the Seminal flower blooms.”
“What? But we don’t know when that is! And Nikkee’s wedding is in two days.”
She looks at me with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry Liv, I never should have brought you here. I didn’t think the Darklings would find you, and I never thought they
would stop you from being able to leave.”
I start to sweat. I think about Nikkee; disappointed and upset, left alone with the Hellenic Parliament, thinking I abandoned her on the one day she needs me most. I can’t miss her wedding, I just can’t.
“Liv?” Jocelyn calls me back. “It will be okay, if the flower doesn’t bloom, we’ll figure out a way to get you home in time. I promise.”
“How!?” I erupt. “Ruby slippers?”
“It will be alright,” she says again, sympathetically. I sink onto the bed, my head in my hands.
This is a disaster.
“So really, no reconnection at all?” Jocelyn asks, attempting to change the subject. I glance up at her, infuriated. This topic is no better.
“None,” I say aggravated. “He just seems so angry and confused.”
“He does,” she agrees.
“I just wish I knew why.”
Jocelyn shakes her head, “Me too, but getting in his head is like Mission Impossible these days.”
“Too bad there’s no ghost protocol,” I snicker, and then it hits me.
Why didn’t I think of this earlier?!
“Liv, what?” she can clearly see I’ve had an epiphany. “Jocelyn, do you know where Jayden is?”
She gives me a puzzled look. “Please, just find him,” I urge.
Jocelyn’s eyes gradually get lost in the distance as she searches telepathically for Jayden. It’s a scary, misplaced look that makes me shudder.
Her expression twists all of a sudden, “He’s indisposed.”
I know what that means…
“Can you ask him to come see when he’s, ah, free?”
Eww. She nods.
I think I have an idea…
Body of Lies
I answer the door to a surprise.
“Not the Seraph you were expecting?” AJ asks.
“Um, no, actually,” I tell him, trying to twist a towel around my head. I just got out of the shower. I wasn’t expecting Jayden for another twenty minutes. I’m dressed comfortably in a black tank top and yoga pants.
“Come in,” I move out of the doorway so he can enter. This is unexpected.
He walks over to the window, and stares out over Century City.
I watch him closely, wondering what I owe for his sudden visit. AJ doesn’t repel himself from me like the others, he doesn’t see the need, nor is he afraid of sharing his emotions with me. I have always respected him for that. But today, he’s different. He’s holding something back, and I sense that same conflicted energy as in the woods last night.
“Is there something I can do for you, or does my room just have a better view?” I ask.
He turns and looks at me, a wry smile on his face, but his eyes are so pitiful and sad.
He turns back to the window with his arms folded across his chest.
“It’s amazing the way life can steer you,” he says evenly, still staring ahead.
“That’s a statement I can agree with,” I tell him, trying to figure out what this enigmatic Seraph wants.
He sighs. “In my last life, I was the son of a Spanish diplomat.”
“That sounds very regal,” I tell him.
“It was. I had the world at my fingertips.” He tenses. I can’t see his face, but I can make out the ripple in his back underneath his tight white t-shirt. “Very much like my life now, minus the arrogance.”
No arrogance? Has he not met the other Seraphs?
I watch him idly, wondering where he’s going with this.
“I can’t say my last life was utterly perfect though, my father was a controlling man, and he expected me to follow suit. My whole life was planned out for me, what schools to attend, what clothes to wear, even who to wed.” He shifts a bit, tightening his fists underneath his forearms. “Do you have any idea what that’s like?”
“Not to that extent,” I say empathetically. “But I do understand what it’s like to be controlled.”
He looks at me kindly over his shoulder, then turns, walks over to my bed and falls weightlessly onto the mattress. AJ is stunningly beautiful, just like the other Seraphs, except he has
golden blonde hair like Jocelyn, and crystal blue eyes that are clearer than a cloudless sky.
“Why are you telling all this?” I ask intrigued.
“You asked if there was something you could do for me.” He looks up. “There is.”
“What’s that?” I ask, surprised, pulling the towel off my head, my hair falling lifelessly around me as I walk over and sit next to him.
“My father was a cruel and vindictive man,” he goes on. “And I never wanted to be like him. But many perceived me that way.” His lips press into a hard line. “On my twenty-second birthday I was kidnapped, ransomed and then brutally murdered.”
“You were murdered too!?” I blurt out stunned. That can’t be a coincidence. Him, Justice, Jocelyn and Derrin? Eerie.
He nods mournfully. “When I was reborn, I received a second chance. It was a blessing from above. At least that’s how I saw it. I became the man I always wanted to be, under my terms and conditions,” his voice elevates.
“It was liberating?” I observe.
“I know you understand.” He catches my eyes with his, and I see my reflection in their glossy sheen. I do understand; my own freedom saved me.
“But now,” he pauses.
I see the trepidation in his eyes as they hold me hostage.
He takes my hand and I jump. His emotions shoot right up my arm and ring my insides like the Carol of the Bells.
“Take it away,” he begs.
I stare at him, stunned
. Unable to pull my hand away from his death grip.
“I want to move on. I feel like a prisoner again.”
I look at AJ utterly torn. This poor man, this immortal, who’s haunted by a woman he once loved profoundly; held hostage by her memory, and the fact he wasn’t enough to save her.
I can’t help but weigh my previous worries about my relationship with Justice against this. AJ is the epitome of what I don’t want Justice to become. I am suddenly questioning my motives for Jayden’s visit. I want Justice back, more than anything. I realized that in the forest; seeing his life almost ripped away brought me back to a place I was so desperately running from.
Should I cross the line?
Justice is free. Free of me. Free to move on. As am I. But I just can’t. There’s something unfinished between us.
Am I being selfish if I go through with this?
Justice left me for a reason; a reason I must know. It’s an uncontrollable urge that I have to satisfy.
I think back to the forest, and the sight of Justice lying wounded on the ground. How I didn’t think twice about
infiltrating his feelings for my own personal gain.
Is this power wrong? A deviant ability? To be able to take away one’s free will? To control them, to permeate my own commands into them?
I hear Jocelyn’s words- you, you’re wrong. She meant me. Not my actions but my existence. Did she mean it? Is she right?
I stare into AJ’s eyes that cling desperately onto mine, pleading.
Am I messing with nature if I do this for him? Taking away his feeling for Persephone? We have emotions for a reason, they nurture us, manufacture us, evolve us. Changing them, or in this case, completely erasing them seems…corrupt somehow. But, on the other hand, I also know that helping him will set him free. And yes, I would want someone to do the same for Justice if one day he needs that.
“I understand,” I tell him. “I understand why it’s so hard for you to let go.”
He gives me an enervated look.
“You feel like you are betraying her.” He nods.
I struggle with my decision, but I know in my heart of hearts it’s the right one. I have these powers for a reason, Justice told me so. Empaths are healers. And I want AJ to mend.
With a deep, reserved sigh I lace his fingers into mine. “This may be a little dicey,” I tell him. When I infiltrated Derrin, it was
unpleasant, and I don’t want that for AJ, so I’m going to attempt to be gentle.
How can I explain this?
By touching him, I can break through the layers of emotion AJ has inside. Accessing each tier until I find the one he can’t process. The virus: despair.
Depression has many sides- sadness, anxiety, emptiness, helplessness, worry, worthlessness, guilt - and being an Empath, I’ve experienced the spectrum. But with AJ it seems depression is almost an unnatural affect in someone who’s programmed to be confident and controlling. A being of the highest superiority.
I suspect this is what’s preventing him from getting passed the fourth stage of grief.
How do I help him?
I force the sadness and the feelings of betrayal away, allowing AJ to fill the void with the emotions warring to get in.
Once the despair is dissolved his cheeks are flushed, and he is surrounded by a brilliant new air. It sort of reminds me of when I liberated myself; like I polished his soul.
I let go of his hand and he draws in a deep, serene breath.
A breath that makes me think of Justice when I helped him confront his demons too.
AJ stares at me gratefully, but he must see the unhappiness on my face.
“He still loves you, you know.”
“Do I?” I say despondent.
“You don’t just let go of feelings that strong.” “Then why are we apart?” It’s a rhetorical question.
He shrugs, “I wish I could answer that. But I can tell you, he’s just as unhappy as you are.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“You’re not as good at hiding your feelings as you think,” he smirks.
“I’ve been told.” I grimace.
“Don’t give up on Justice just yet. He needs someone to fight for him.”
I flash AJ a half-hearted grin. I would go to war for him.
“So what’s next now that you’re all shiny and new?” I slap his leg, wanting to get off the dismal subject of me and my botched relationship.
“I’m going to see Jocelyn.”
That doesn’t surprise me one bit.
“Jocelyn?” I say wryly. Pretending to play dumb. “We have some unfinished business,” he hints.
Business? Is that what he calls it!
“You’re a blessing to this world,” AJ says as I walk him to the door. “Don’t ever doubt that.” I part my lips slightly in surprise, and he winks.
What did I give away?
Whatever it was, his words are comforting to hear. But I’m still not thoroughly convinced.
He kisses my cheek and whispers earnestly, “Thank you,” just as Jayden makes his way to my door. He gives us a questioning look. “Are you rotating Seraphs?” He asks me superciliously.
“Are you jealous?” I throw a wisecrack.
“What if I am?” Jayden grabs the top of the doorframe with both hands and leans his body towards me flirtatiously.
I stare him down trying not to laugh, he’s such a goofball. But I don’t think AJ appreciates his sense of humor.
“Behave yourself, fledgling,” AJ reprimands Jayden with a stern voice; the look in his eyes transforming him into someone scary as hell.
***
“Come in,” I say quickly, grabbing Jayden by the shirt. I don’t want AJ to rip his head off. AJ gives me one last nod before he turns and walks off towards Jocelyn’s room. I can’t help but smirk.
“Why does he call you fledgling?” I ask Jayden, remembering AJ also call Aayden that the night I discovered I can’t control my powers in sexual situations. The night Justice nearly burnt me to a crisp when we tried to, um, you know.
“Because Aayden and I are the newest additions. AJ likes to remind us of our place at the bottom of the totem pole. We just ignore the crotchety old bastard.” Jayden laughs and I melt from the carefree sound.
“So how can I be of service to you, my lady?” He circles his hand in front of him and bows teasingly.
And I thought I was the theatrical one.
“Can you…?” I stop and try to figure out how to put this. “Can you crack into Justice’s head?”
Ghost Protocol.
“Excuse me?” he raises his eyebrows.
“Can you look back a month and a half ago and show me what Justice saw right before we broke up?”
Jayden’s face drops. He’s formulating. “You want me to go behind my brother’s back and snoop in his subconscious?” He says appalled.
“Basically, yes,” I confirm.
He shrugs indifferently. “I guess I can try.” Then he gives me a devious look. “You’ll have to help me find what you’re looking for though.”
“I can do that,” I nod readily.
“Justice is going to flip if he finds out.” “So don’t let him,” I say conspiratorially.
Jayden flashes a bold, approving smile. He is definitely
enjoying my treachery.
There is a large mirror hanging on the wall over one of the dressers in the suite. It’s framed with the same skillful carvings as the headboard over the bed. Jayden pushes the piece of furniture out of the way so we can get closer to the mirror.
He touches the surface with a conniving grin, and it ripples, rolling over our reflections with grey, shimmering smoke.
“Probe away,” he says.
I touch the glass, transporting us back. I run through the events of the day in my head, and they play out on the mirror’s surface as if we are watching a movie. My heart constricts as I watch Justice and me together in my apartment, happy, laughing, in love. I fight
back the agonizing emotion. I can’t get distracted, or I will lose my concentration and never find what I’m looking for. I search for anything that will give me a clue as to what sparked Justice’s sudden change, but I don’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
Then Jayden grunts. “That guy again.” “What guy? Kerri?” I turn my head to him.
The image Jayden is staring at is of me and Kerri standing by the table of presents after Nikkee’s shower. Nothing looks at all odd. We’re just talking.
Jayden studies the scene; it looks like he is investigating hard. “Liv?” Jayden asks with his voice an octave higher than usual.
“Justice explained auras to you, right?” he glances at me with a
raised eyebrow.
“Yes,” I answer quickly. “He said you use them to find needles in haystacks.”
“Is that all?” he raises both eyebrows. “Ya, why? What do you see?” I push.
“Well, that’s true, reading auras are a way to find magic hiding among humans, but they also tell us other things, like how someone is feeling.”
“What?” I gape; I’m floored.
“But you can’t see my aura?” I question him. My aura. It’s what started this whole acid trip.
My aura is protected by etheric energy, a shield of sorts, Cross explained. It’s usually used to make someone physically invisible, but in my case, it makes the true color of my aura invisible. So I can blend into the natural world. Only when I use my powers does it become identifiable. It’s how Justice figured out I was supernatural. When the Spirit Stalker attacked me I tried to fight him off, unconsciously using my then unknown ability.
“I think you’re misunderstanding,” he shakes his head. “We can’t see the magical aspect of your aura. It’s disguised like a human’s, it has no distinct color. But we can see it. And read it. And right now,” Jayden glances between me and the mirror, “it looks like you are head over heels, crazy in love with this guy.”
Gravitational Pull (Vis Vires, book 2) (Vis Vires trilogy) Page 15
