‘Yes, Amaziah. Thank you.’ Gabrielle began to leave.
‘One more thing. I will be trying to visit you more frequently to check on you—to make sure you are well.’
He turned, and at once, he was gone.
Gabrielle exited her eternal home to return to her Earthly one.
On the descent, she found herself consumed with questions about Amaziah’s willingness to go along with her wishes. First, when he said she’d been granted the ability to come to Earth at all and take on this task, and now … this.
Why?
The answer, she knew, would come one day. She felt it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
GABRIELLE ~ THE SHIFTER’S REALM
Searching for answers about the Book had been an incredible distraction. Gabrielle had been trying to track down information about it for a few weeks, but Amaziah had been right about there not being many angels who remembered it or the war that was waged with its power. Those that did had no more information to give than what she’d already been told by Amaziah, which hadn’t been much. Since then, she’d seen him quite a few times. Once, when he came back briefly and told her that the information in her dream was still being looked into by the Council, telling her that they were considering the possibility that it hadn’t been destroyed. And all the other times that he popped in were just to check on her.
It was almost smothering how concerned he had become after the incident at the Ocoee River. When she saw him two days ago, she asked him to give her space to collect the information she was on Earth to get and to continue to find out what she could about the Book. He agreed.
It had been nice not to have to worry about blocking thoughts concerning Lucas when she was with Phalen, as she did when Amaziah was near. Phalen knew her secret and had been there when she saw Lucas with Mara, so she didn’t press her about it.
Phalen still wasn’t able to tell if there was anything strange about Lucas’s energy. Whatever caused the wavy effect that had settled around the gym that day was always there, but it would change locations. It made everyone’s energy look off that was anywhere near it. Phalen told Gabrielle she wouldn’t even be able to tell for sure that Mara was a demon if Mara was near it. Every time she’d come with her since, it had been the same thing. Neither one of them had been able to figure out an explanation.
But there was always that flock of crows.
Even with her suspicions about those birds, Gabrielle wasn’t ready to get Amaziah involved. She may not want to stay anymore because of Lucas, but she still needed to accomplish what she came to do. It was easy to avoid him. Mostly because Gabrielle felt he was also trying to avoid her. This made her even more suspicious. Why would he want to stay clear of her?
Occasional words were spoken between them, but nothing that amounted to anything more than pleasantries, and only if they passed each other coming or going from the class they shared. The way Lucas looked at her sometimes, with varying mixtures of confusion, curiosity, suspicion, and desire, left Gabrielle more confused than before.
When she wasn’t at school or taking care of karma, she and Phalen had been searching for information about the Book. But nothing seemed to prevent the thoughts of Lucas from coming altogether; the distractions only made it easier to push them aside.
Trying to find help to get leads on the Book was what they were doing now. They were meeting with Gabrielle’s closest ally on Earth and leader of the oldest and most respected Shifter family, Grayson Torphine of the Turpin Clan. Grayson’s family was like royalty among Shifters, and Gabrielle had called upon him countless times to assist in giving karma. The Shifters had long been Yahuwah’s way of giving humans signs through animals—the Earth-bound messengers and protectors for humans that Yahuwah had put there for them. Now, she needed Grayson to help her with something else—finding information about the Book.
Gabrielle and Phalen appeared in their human forms on the human side of the Shifter’s realm, and Gabrielle prepared herself to cross through the veil that protected it. She closed her eyes, stilled her mind, and thought of the image she needed while saying the name, Corstorphine. She reached out and took Phalen’s hand as she began to step closer, then went through the veil to the other side.
“I never thought I’d get to see any of the realms of the Shifters,” Phalen commented as they passed through the mirage that protected one of the places where shape shifters lived in safety and privacy. “Hanging out with you has its benefits, sister.”
“This one is called Corstorphine. Remember it well, Phalen. If you don’t, you will never be able to enter again unless you are with someone who does.”
“Will do,” was Phalen’s response. No questions. Just, will do, then the sound of a popping bubble.
As they stepped through the blurry haze, the air around them became clear again, and she heard Phalen’s breath catch.
“I guess I should have prepared you for how amazing it is here,” Gabrielle said. “Yahuwah gives them abundant beauty to live among, and within, as reward and thanks.”
‘You’re not kidding! Amazing.” Phalen slowly turned in a circle with wide eyes and an even wider smile.
Phalen had chosen the same body that she had used on the day they first came to Earth together, again, and Gabrielle wondered if Phalen had settled on a favorite look of platinum blond hair and blue eyes. Gabrielle just grinned as Phalen took in her surroundings. Gabrielle had also been mesmerized, at first, with the grandeur of the Shifter’s realms—especially Corstorphine.
“This place is unbelievable …” Phalen continued. “Simply unbelievable. It’s almost as beautiful as our eternal home.”
It seemed like forever since Gabrielle had looked upon Corstorphine. Since Grayson was her main contact with the Shifters and he seemed to be on the go and in other Shifter realms when she had called on him, it’d been quite a while since he was at his home base at the time they spoke. She threw herself into appreciating the scenery as much as Phalen was and tried to look at everything as though it was the first time she’d ever seen it, too.
It wasn’t that the realm Shifters lived in was vastly different that the one humans lived in; it was just so much more colorful and just … more. What was lush was more lush, vast more vast, grandiose was more grandiose, and the colors … the colors were like you had an enhancement filter placed over your eyes. Shades never seen anywhere else were next to the brightest whites and truest blacks with lovely shades of grey that made the colors they sat next to contrast brilliantly.
There were flowers that, in all her thousands of years, Gabrielle had never seen anywhere else. And so many animals roamed free that posed no threat to each other, or any creature, that stepped into this glorious place.
“Yahuwah really out-did Himself, didn’t He, Phalen?”
‘Uh … yeah. This is almost Heaven on Earth.”
That’s exactly what Gabrielle had always thought of the Shifter’s realms. “Yes, yes it is. At least as close as it ever could be.”
After taking in some more of Corstorphine’s landscape, Gabrielle and Phalen made their way through the village to the castle where Grayson would be waiting to greet them. The Shifter’s dwellings were made of wood and stone. Their closeness with nature influenced their desire for structure, clothing, furniture, or anything they used to be from the Earth. There were no artificial fibers or materials in this realm. And since the animals of this world had no fear of becoming a meal since the Shifters were strict vegetarians, Gabrielle and Phalen were stopped by curious ones along the way as if to welcome them to the neighborhood.
They were also cheerfully greeted by many Shifters as they made their way to Mareschall Castle, the home of the Torphine family and other members of the Turpin Clan. The castle was an impressive square structure built out of stone that sat on an equally impressive rise. It allowed those who dwelt in its great halls and rooms exquisite views of the surrounding hills that softly rolled toward distant crop and grazing fields, crystal clear lakes, de
nse forests, and the sometimes gentle, sometimes turbulent waters of the Brechin River that made up Corstorphine’s diverse landscape.
The only thing lacking is snow-capped mountains and an ocean’s beach.
In addition to the three levels that made up the castle main, four keeps were situated at each corner. A flag bearing the tartans and crests of each of the four clans that made up the Shifter society flew above each of the looming towers. The red and black tartan and crest of the Turpin Clan were displayed directly above the entrance to the castle grounds, as well.
As they were about to pass through that entrance, Grayson stepped out of the front doors of the castle to greet Gabrielle and Phalen. He was every bit as handsome and intense as the last time she’d seen him. He didn’t have movie star looks. His brown hair, in long layers, was a normal shade; his blue eyes were not extraordinary in their color, but his heavy brows set at an angle made his gaze all that more intense when he wanted it to be. He was tall and muscular, but his muscles were long like a swimmers, and he was quite lean. As he drew closer, Gabrielle could see his face, unshaven for several days, and the feature that did make him exceptionally beautiful—his smile. She didn’t know if she’d ever seen one she enjoyed as much, except …
Lucas’s.
Gabrielle didn’t have time to linger on the thought. Grayson swept her up into a combination hug and twirl, allowing Gabrielle to laugh the sad thought about Lucas right out of her mind—at least for now.
“Oh … m’lady. M’beautiful lady!” Grayson said and then put her down on the ground. With his arms around her, he beamed that smile at her that always lit up his eyes a few shades brighter. “Let me get a look at ye … yes, yer even more beautiful than last I saw ye. I believe I fancy this look you’ve chosen even better than the last.”
She loved to hear him, or any of the Shifters, talk. They all spoke with a Scottish dialect, watered down from spending so much time in their other realms scattered around the world. There were four total: Corstorphine here in Scotland, and the other three in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Madrid, Spain; and Vancouver, British Columbia. So even though they had a strong leaning toward a Scottish brogue, it was layered with the Mid-Western accent of the U.S. and, at times, even some Spanish words and accent or Canadian flair. At times it was a challenge to understand them, particularly when they got ramped-up from happiness or anger. Then, unless you were of Divine blood, a linguist, or a Shifter, you could end up with such a mish-mash of languages and accents, it would leave your head spinning from trying to figure it out. And, chances were, unless you were one of those three, you never would.
“And you’re still quite the charmer, aren’t you, Grayson?”
“I aim to please, m’lady, I aim to please.”
Grayson let Gabrielle go and looked at Phalen, continuing to smile. “And yer Gabrielle’s comrade, Phalen.” He stepped closer. Phalen held out her hand to shake his in greeting. Grayson took it, but then he gave her a less dizzying hug. “No way someone so close to m’lady gets just a gentleman’s handshake fer a hello. Welcome to Corstorphine and Mareschall Castle, Lady Phalen. M’home is yers.”
Phalen smiled back at him, doe-eyed, and glanced at Gabrielle. “You weren’t kidding.” She looked back at Grayson but still addressed Gabrielle. “He is a charmer.”
Phalen did her best imitation of a curtsy and spoke to Grayson this time. “Thank you, sir.”
Grayson laughed and ushered them both into his home, then into his private study. After getting them settled with hot cider and tea, he looked at Gabrielle. As was typical of Grayson, he got right down to business.
“So, m’lady, what is it I can help ye with?”
Gabrielle took a sip of tea, which wasn’t quite sweet enough, and began to add more sugar. “There’s a book, the Book of—”
“Barabbadon.” Grayson finished with a smile. “I thought that might be why ye were payin’ me a visit.”
“You’ve already heard about it? How?” Gabrielle asked.
Grayson took a slow drink of his cider. “I only heard about it a few hours before ye sent the messenger that ye needed to see me. Kind of a shifty one, Lady Sheridan, fer an angel. Don’t ye think?” He looked at Gabrielle who only gave a slightly raised brow in response, then he continued. “I had some things to take care of in the field fer our mutual boss, and I ran into an old … friend. He’s one of the Fallen, but not yer average demon. If there’s such a thing as a good demon, he’s the one, and m’ancestors knew him before he fell.
“So, he told me of the flurry going on about this book ye want to know about. Says there isn’t a demon that’s not trying to find it. Says there’s some lookin’ on behalf of the de’il himself, Ramai. And he says others are lookin’ fer someone else, but he hadn’t found out who yet.”
“Did he tell you if there are any clues to where it might be?”
Grayson stood and walked to the window behind his desk. He placed one hand high on the stones next to the glass, leaning into his palm. “Fraid not, m’lady. Far as I know, they aren’t real clued in on it themselves, just lookin’ here and there. He did tell me it’s mighty powerful, this Book of Barabbadon, and he would like it to get into the right hands. Sad one, ol’ Lek.” Grayson was looking out of an oversized window that allowed him to see Lake Gormal, seeming to ponder his fallen friend. After only a few moments, he continued but spoke to the glass in front of him.
“Anyway, that’s all I know. I was going to be contacting ye, but ye beat me to it. So, if there’s anything I can do fer ye to help ye find the thing, all ye have to do is ask it of me, m’lady.”
Gabrielle walked to the other side of the window and leaned her shoulder into the stones, placing her forehead on the glass.
“Unfortunately, it seems as if there isn’t going to be much you can do other than keep your eyes and ears open. And ask the other Shifters to please do the same.” Gabrielle let out a long, defeated sigh. “Seems like walls and obstacles are all I’m running into.”
“M’lady.” Grayson stepped toward her and turned her to face him. “I don’t like seeing this sadness in those eyes of yers. I promise I’ll do anything I can do to help ye, and so will my fellows. As fer whatever else is making yer heart heavy, I hope ye find yer way out of the shadows soon.”
Gabrielle looked into Grayson’s intense gaze. The intensity wasn’t from anger; it was from concern and compassion. She felt the friendship of a hundred years in that moment and was wrapped in it as she let herself be pulled into his arms as he hugged her.
“Thank you, Grayson, for the help you always offer freely and the friendship you have given even more easily.”
“Oh, m’lady, ye make that easy. Very, very easy.”
Phalen cleared her throat as she walked up next to them and held out her closed hand. “I’m feeling a little left out, so I’m offering a token of friendship.” Phalen grinned at them as she turned her hand over and opened it. “Grape bliss, anyone?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
LUCAS ~ STRANGE WAYS
Lucas was at a loss.
It had been three weeks since the morning in Gabby’s car when things had become weird between them. His feelings of caution were fading. All he wanted to do was talk to Gabby and try to make right whatever he’d done wrong. However, she was still avoiding him like he was a cockroach.
To top it off, she’d been a frequent visitor in his dreams. They were odd and disturbing, filled with red eyes and darkness and fear. When Gabby was present, he felt many things—safety, inferiority, love—stronger than he ever could have imagined.
But there was one dream …
In that one, he felt nothing but anger, hurt, and betrayal. All directed at her. He also felt strong with enhanced senses he had never known. It was exhilarating until he was unsettled by the way Gabby looked at him like he was a physical threat to her. None of it made sense. But he was sure Gabby held the key that would open the door to all the answers he sought.
“Hey, Gran!” L
ucas yelled toward the kitchen as he was about to walk out the front door. “I’m going on over to the Daniels’.”
“Okay,” his grandmother, Emma, called back to him. “I’ll be over in an hour or so. Tell Lizzie to let me know if I need to bring anything else.”
“I will. See ya.”
He closed the door behind him and made his way across the street to Nonie and Nate’s house. He wondered how many times he’d walked this stretch of concrete and asphalt and how many more he’d add to that number by the time he and the twins set off into the real world, leaving these homes behind. Even then, there would be holidays and other visits when they’d all be together. How could they not? Sometimes family is chosen instead of given by only blood. The Daniels were definitely family.
As he jumped the three steps up to their porch, he didn’t break stride as he opened the door and called out. “Yo! Where’s the fam?”
“In here, Lucas.” Lizzie, Nonie and Nate’s mom, called back to him.
Lucas smelled yeast and smiled. “Oh, Lizzie, you must really love me. Are those your rolls I smell?” He walked toward the sound of her voice and the smell of food coming from the kitchen.
When he turned the corner into the farmhouse kitchen, Lizzie greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. “You know I love you. Kids are on the back porch. Here.” She handed him a pitcher of sweet tea. “Take this. Glasses are already out there.”
“No problem. By the way, Gran said call her if you need anything else.”
Lizzie laughed and looked around the counters scattered with potatoes, ground beef, onion, cans of corn, and freshly shredded cheese. “Maybe an extra set of hands. I’m running a little late tonight.”
“Call her. She’s just piddling anyway. Hey, looks like shepherd’s pie is on the menu.”
“Yep.”
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