Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom

by Magda Alexander

  “I always do,” he said with a pained smile.

  She pulled the door shut, and he patted the roof of her car as she put it in reverse and backed down the driveway.

  Scanning the sky and treetops, he jogged back inside. Just before closing the door, he peered out one more time, searching for any sign of the crow that had attacked Nick. Everything was quiet. He sighed with relief.

  Lisa had gotten away unscathed. Finally, he was catching a break.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  At 12:59, Emmett opened the door to a short black man with salt-and-pepper hair, a pink oxford shirt, a backpack over one shoulder, and a solemn expression pulling his wide lips into a frown. Dr. Chiboza Owusu.

  “Where is the girl?” he asked in a deep, accented voice that brought to mind drums and tribal ceremonies.

  “Upstairs. You must be Dr. Owusu. Thank you for coming at such short notice.”

  Nick’s mentor was a former shaman who had become a minister. Now, he was a theology professor at Go-Crom. Nick phoned him a little while ago to warn him about the crow, but the small man didn’t seem the least bit worried about an air attack as he stepped calmly inside.

  After a furtive scan of the trees, Emmett shut the door and offered his hand.

  Chiboza shook it. “I’d hold onto that gratitude if I were you. I have no guarantees to offer. And did you know there is a dead bird on your roof? Nicholas mentioned being attacked.”

  “Really? It’s dead?” Emmett pulled open the door and looked up from the doorstep. There it was, a feathery black lump in the V of his eaves, right by the window over his upstairs desk. “That’s good, right?”

  Chiboza shrugged one shoulder. “Who is to know?”

  The guy couldn’t guarantee anything with Jade; he didn’t know what to make of the crow. Emmett was beginning to wonder why he’d let Nick talk him into this.

  His buddy had spent the last couple of hours assuring him Chiboza was their best bet for helping Jade, but Emmett had his doubts. He and Nick had debated the compatibility of shamanism and Christianity dozens of times in the past and again tonight. The dire circumstances didn’t soften Emmett’s stance one bit.

  He associated shamanism with witchcraft and demon worship, things that were antithetical to Christianity. Therefore, he’d always been suspicious of Chiboza’s credentials. But Nick insisted Chiboza didn’t practice shamanism anymore, that he had put his faith in God. He also insisted shamanism wasn’t technically a religion, but a family of beliefs centered around communication with the spirit world, not necessarily manipulation of it, as in witchcraft. So even if Chiboza still used shamanistic techniques from time to time, it didn’t conflict with his belief in and devotion to God. Emmett remained doubtful.

  But he was willing to give Chiboza a chance, for Jade’s sake. If anything felt off or contradicted what the Bible said, he’d put a stop to it right away.

  Uneasy, he led Chiboza upstairs, hoping and praying he was doing the right thing. When they emerged into his bedroom, Nick rose from his seat beside the bed.

  Chiboza frowned as he took in Nick’s bandaged head. “Interesting,” he said. “Tell me what happened.” He studied Jade with his hands behind his back as Nick recounted the attack. When Nick got to the part about the freak wind that blew the crow off him, Chiboza turned an appraising look on Emmett. “Interesting. Now tell me about the girl.”

  They all watched Jade while Nick told his mentor everything he knew. Her eyes were closed now. Her lips quivered as though she were holding back tears. She’d been like that since around the time Lisa stopped by. If his heart hadn’t been broken before, it was smashed to bits now. It killed him to see Jade in so much pain.

  “Up until about ten thirty, she’d been…I don’t know, praying or something,” Nick said. “To the demon the text told us about-Draonius. But since then, she’s been like this. Sometimes she says, ‘Where are you, my love?’ but mostly, she just lays there and whimpers.”

  “Interesting.”

  If he said that effing word again with that effing unruffled demeanor, Emmett was going to smash something against the wall.

  Nick put a hand on his shoulder while Chiboza unzipped his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water and a Bible. Emmett had been expecting some kind of tribal drum or dream catcher or something.

  “Easy, bud,” Nick said.

  Chiboza took over Nick’s chair and cracked off the top of the water.

  “What are you going to do?” Emmett asked.

  “I don’t sense demonic energy in this house,” he answered after taking a sip and replacing the cap. “What I do sense is a powerful blessing that remains intact. That begs the question, what has control of Ms. Alderwood? It is not a demon. But it is clearly some entity that does not belong on this plane. I plan to ask God to open my eyes so I might see what it is that holds her body captive. And then, if God permits it, I will attempt to purge the entity from her body.”

  Hope was a small seed inside him. But he didn’t like Chiboza “sensing” things. That sounded mystical. He’d never seen Pastor Tim sense anything or talk about other planes.

  On the other hand, he could think of many instances in the Bible where God had opened the eyes of men to things beyond the ordinary. “How do you sense these things?” He was curious, but concerned for Jade too. Despite Nick’s faith in this man, Emmett wasn’t going to let him call on any power except that of God.

  Chiboza eyed him impatiently. “I have always been gifted in sensing what lies beyond this plane. It is a gift I have entrusted to the Lord, and that I gladly use to serve Him. Now, would you like to see my resume, or shall I attempt to help Ms. Alderwood?”

  Emmett bristled at the man’s challenge. This was his house. Jade was his girl. He had every right to question him.

  “Let him work,” Nick said quietly.

  Emmett bit his tongue to keep from arguing. “Okay. Help her. Please.”

  With a look at Nick, Chiboza closed his eyes and became very still.

  “What’s he doing?” Emmet asked Nick in a whisper.

  “Praying,” Nick answered. “Then I think he’ll try to determine what’s inside Jade. And…if she’s still in there with it.”

  Emmett studied his buddy’s face. It was pale, worried.

  “What happens if she’s not?”

  Nick looked at him and the look was enough. It said if Jade wasn’t in her body, there was nothing they could do for her.

  He shook his head. “No. No, man. I refuse to believe that.”

  “Shhh,” Nick said. “Let him work.”

  Emmett ground his molars. He was scared out of his mind. The emotional blow when his parents had told him and Lisa they were getting a divorce paled in comparison to the turmoil churning in his gut.

  Long minutes passed while Chiboza sat with his eyes closed and his lips moving with silent prayer. Emmett shifted on his feet. His fists clenched and unclenched with the need to do something. He added his prayers to the mix, imploring God to let Jade still be in her body.

  Into the silence, Chiboza said, “Her spirit has moved on.” He stood to face them. “There is nothing to be done for her. I am sorry.”

  The air rushed out of Emmett’s lungs like he’d been punched in the solar plexus. He turned Chiboza’s words over in his mind, searching for something to nurture that tiny seed of hope, finding nothing.

  “What?” he asked, needing to hear it again, needing to know he’d heard wrong. “What did you say?”

  Nick put a steadying hand on his shoulder, and he realized he’d swayed a little, his knees gone rubbery.

  Chiboza said, “Her body lives, but her spirit is gone. I cannot help her.”

  “Then we’ll call Pastor Tim,” he said through numb lips. “Or we’ll call in a priest. Someone will be able to help her.”

  The shaman’s watery eyes held his with grave resignation. “There is no help for Ms. Alderwood. She is gone from this plane. There is no bringing her back. The entity can be
cast out, but the body will die immediately. As it is, she will waste away as the entity loses power. Whatever source it once drew strength from is also gone. I’m afraid it may be a matter of minutes to hours. I am sorry. I will stay until the end and handle the death certificate. Nick, you should call the authorities. They will insist on medical care, futile as it will be. But if we do not call, we all could be considered culpable for her death.”

  The first hot tears seared down Emmett’s cheeks. “She’s not dead. She’s not dying. You’re wrong. Or you’re lying. For all I know, you’re the one who’s possessed.”

  “Emmett,” Nick gasped. “He doesn’t mean that,” he said to Chiboza. “He’s just-we’re all upset,” he said half to him and half to Chiboza.

  “The fuck I don’t mean it!” he yelled, shoving Nick’s hand off his shoulder and going to Jade. He crawled on the bed to hold her warm face in his hands. “You’re in there, aren’t you, hon? I know you are. Talk to me. Please.”

  There was no response. She was breathing, warm, alive. She had to be in there.

  “Get out,” he growled, slapping at his tears. “Both of you. Get the hell out of my house. I’ll call Pastor Tim. We’ll handle this without you.”

  “Em.” Nick came forward, and there were tears on his cheeks, too. “I swear to you. If there’s-” His voice hitched. He swallowed and started again. “If there’s anything that could possibly be done to help Jade, Chiboza would do it.”

  “I would,” Chiboza said. “But she is gone. Moved on.”

  He cradled Jade’s hands in his. He gazed at her beautiful face, the face of a sleeping angel fighting off nightmares.

  He shook his head. “I can’t give up on her. She’s not a Christian. I won’t give up on her soul. I’ll do whatever I have to, to save her.”

  “Hush,” Chiboza said suddenly, urgently. “Do you see that?” He was talking to Nick. Emmett followed their gazes toward the bedside table.

  There was a shadow standing near the bed. A shadow in a fluttering cloak and a top hat.

  “Mr. Shadow,” he whispered as a wash of ice settled in his gut and froze in his bones. “That’s Jade’s shadow. The one haunting her house. She told me about him.”

  He wanted to rub his arms to ward off the cold bite of evil he sensed but kept his hands on Jade’s instead. As he massaged her hands and wrists, he wondered if it was evil he felt or just…otherness. He didn’t feel threatened by the shadow. In fact, he had the strangest feeling it might have some water for that parched seed of hope.

  “I see it,” Nick said. “And I feel it.” He hugged himself and backed away from the shadow, putting himself near the opening of the stairs. His face showed the confusion Emmett felt.

  “Hush,” Chiboza said, waving a hand at Nick. “Speak,” he commanded the shadow, then he sat down and closed his eyes again.

  The shadow was still except for the eerie fluttering of its cape, as though an unfelt wind rushed through the room. Though there were no outward signs Chiboza and the shadow were communicating, he could tell something was happening. The temperature in the room dropped, and his gut became as cold and heavy as if he’d swallowed a gallon of ice water.

  He prayed like his life depended on it.

  After a minute, Chiboza said, “He calls himself Joshua. Says he is an angel. God has shown me the truth in his claim. He requests a conference with me.”

  “A conference?” Nick asked.

  “An angel?” Emmett asked.

  Chiboza addressed Nick. “He would like me to trance so we may speak freely about the girl in the spirit plane.”

  “Do it,” Emmett said.

  Chiboza glared at him, but the look didn’t cow him.

  “Do it,” he repeated, rubbing his thumbs over the soft skin of Jade’s hands.

  “I will not admonish you because I understand how upset you are. But you will show me respect from here on out. I am about to expend a great deal of energy to help your friend.”

  “She’s more than a friend. She’s everything to me.” He meant it. His very soul resonated with the conviction that losing Jade would destroy him. “Please, help her.”

  Chiboza inclined his head. “I will conference with the angel. It may take some time. I do not want you to get your hopes up. Time is one thing Ms. Alderwood does not have on her side.” He sipped from the water and resumed his posture, eyes closed, hands on knees. This time, his mouth remained still.

  “Is he praying?” Emmett asked Nick.

  Nick shook his head. A look of awe spread over his face. “He’s listening. To an angel. Like the prophet Daniel when he received a message from Gabriel. Emmett, we’re witnessing a miracle.”

  A shiver passed over Emmett. He knew the Old Testament story Nick was referring to. God’s prophet Daniel prayed for guidance as he ruled over a province of the wicked nation Babylon. After three weeks, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him, saying he’d been detained by a prince of Persia since Daniel first uttered his prayer. Commentators said the prince of Persia was likely a demon, that Gabriel had just returned from battling him, and that was why his appearance scared Daniel half to death and made everyone around him run for their lives. Emmett loved Bible stories about angels. God’s warriors. God’s messengers.

  An angel was speaking with Chiboza. Amazing.

  Please let the angel know how to help Jade, he prayed. The angel’s presence meant God hadn’t given up on Jade. Emmett, too, refused to give up.

  “This is going to take a while,” Nick said. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll stay here and let you know when they’re done.”

  “I’m not leaving Jade.” At Nick’s sigh, he looked up. “You can go rest, if you want.”

  Nick shook his head and half sat on the edge of the bed near Jade’s head. “I don’t need sleep. But I do want to sit. Seriously, man. This could take hours, and we shouldn’t talk. This has got to be taking some heavy-duty concentration.” He sketched a glance at Chiboza, who seemed oblivious to their hushed conversation.

  Emmett nodded his understanding and wrapped his hands tight around Jade’s bound ones. He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position on the bed. He was there for the long haul.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Dawn lightened the sky outside. Chiboza sat still as a stone pillar, his creased face frozen in something deeper than sleep.

  Jade lay still on the bed, except for the too-rapid rise and fall of her chest. His periodic check of her pulse showed it to be weak, alarmingly so. Her cheeks were hollow. He worried about the toll this was taking on her body. He worried about how Chiboza had said she would waste away.

  His buddy was sticking by him even though it meant he would miss his final exam this morning. Nick sat on the bed with his back against the headboard and his chin tucked in sleep. Emmett had wanted to talk to him a hundred times during the night. He wanted to apologize for lashing out earlier when Nick and Chiboza were only trying to help. He wanted to tell them both how grateful he was. But he didn’t want to do anything to hurt Chiboza’s chances of helping Jade, so he kept quiet. Instead, he’d spent the night alternating between prayer and reading Scripture. He’d also shed plenty of tears.

  With a long sigh, Chiboza finally stirred. He blinked his eyes open and rubbed a shaking hand over his face.

  “Nick,” Emmett said, rousing his friend with a jostle of his leg.

  Nick started then followed his gaze to Chiboza. He got off the bed with a creak of the mattress and put a hand on Chiboza’s shoulder. “You okay?” he asked his mentor.

  “I require a meal,” he answered weakly.

  Nick said, “I’ll go make breakfast. Sit tight.” Then he headed downstairs.

  Emmett wanted to drill Chiboza about what he had learned from the angel, but sensed the man was in no shape for an inquisition. Forcing himself to be patient, he turned his attention back to prayer.

  “You have something to say?” Chiboza asked, his voice a mere thread of his usual commanding tone.
<
br />   He met the man’s weary eyes. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. And to thank you.”

  Chiboza nodded. “Apology accepted.” For several minutes, the man rested with his eyes closed.

  Emmett had just returned to praying when Chiboza said, “You love the girl?”

  “I do,” he answered without hesitation.

  “That is good. There is hope, then.”

  Emmett’s heart leapt. His throat constricted with gratitude. “Thank you, God,” he whispered, as he lifted Jade’s hands to his lips and kissed them. “It’s going to be okay, baby girl. Hang on for me. Just hang on.”

  *****

  Emmett and Chiboza sat down at the kitchen table. Nick brought them plates of French toast and bacon. Jade remained upstairs with one of Nick’s radios set to “monitor.” She hadn’t made a peep so far, and he doubted she would. Her skin seemed to be thinning and stretching tighter and tighter over her delicate bones. He couldn’t deny it anymore. Something was draining the life out of her. It scared him to death.

  He took a sip of coffee strong enough to push his tiredness back to an unobtrusive level and exchanged glances with Nick as Chiboza dug into his breakfast with gusto. He was dying to find out what the man had learned, but Nick’s warning look told him to keep being patient.

  After cleaning half his plate in about a minute, Chiboza dabbed his mouth with a napkin and said, “I saw Ms. Alderwood. She is with the angel.”

  Emmett froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.

  “What did she look like?” Nick asked.

  “She is pure essence. To me, she appeared as fractured light and cobwebs.”

  Emmett put down his fork. “Is she okay? You said she’s with an angel. What does that mean? Is she…dead?” His throat closed on the last word.

  “In a way,” Chiboza said, meeting his eyes. “Her life essence has left her body, which typically means death, but the angel claims he can restore her under the right circumstances.”

  “What circumstances?” he said.

  Chiboza’s solemn gaze pinned him in his chair. He answered the question with another question. “Are you prepared to be Ms. Alderwood’s champion?”