Inception

by Teal Haviland

  “I’d ask if you’re ready,” Lucas said as she sat in the car and closed the door, “but last time I asked, you almost molested me … again!”

  “Whatever!” Gabrielle said through a laugh that slightly calmed her. She took a deep, quiet breath. “Just drive, I’m hungry. Where are you taking me anyway?”

  “How do you feel about the meal of champions … pizza? I may be a little superstitious, but I haven’t lost a game yet if I eat an Italian pie before I play.”

  “Sounds yummy to me!”

  Gabrielle liked pizza, but she would have tried pickled frog brains if it was while she sat across from him. Lucas had his hand on hers before he’d even pulled out of the driveway.

  “This should be pretty safe?” He said it more as a question than a statement. Gabrielle put her other hand on top of his as a response.

  “Are your parents home from Florida yet?” he asked.

  Gabrielle smiled and shook her head. “No, they’ll be there a bit longer.”

  Anyone who might wonder was told her parents were at their resort for an extended stay as a way of explaining her continued lack of parental supervision. Gabrielle didn’t think a seventeen-year-old living mostly on her own would cause any alarm, and so far, she’d been right. No one ever acted as if they gave it a second thought. Part of that was probably due to people’s perception that she was remarkably mature for her age.

  If they only knew …

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  GABRIELLE ~ WATCHERS

  Lunch with Lucas was incident free. No unwanted appearances from the Fallen, no crazed teenage make-out sessions, no strange or worrisome Knowings. Just the two of them enjoying being together, laughing and holding hands while leaning toward each other as close as the table would allow. Gabrielle appreciated the piece of furniture acting as an obstacle since the urge to kiss him again escalated with every moment she was near him.

  Before she knew it, they needed to leave to meet the others. Lucas drove through side streets to the church where Nonie and Nate’s father was a pastor, parked his car away from the others, and faced Gabrielle.

  “Hey,” Lucas began, “I know we need to slow down, and I don’t want to push things—at least, not on purpose. I want to be with you more, but I don’t want to mess anything up. I feel that you’re going to be very important to me.” He waited for Gabrielle to answer.

  “Thanks, Lucas. I—”

  Tapping was coming on the window next to her. It was Nonie, smiling from ear to ear. Lucas lowered the window.

  “Hey ya’ll!” she chirped. “I hate to break up your party for two, but everyone else is here, so let’s get movin’!” She bounded off toward the other teens waiting in the large grassy field next to the church.

  Gabrielle saw Nate wave to them from the waiting group. She waved back and opened the door to get out. There were about twelve other kids—a mix of boys and girls—not counting herself, Lucas, Nonie, and Nate, who looked as though they were going to play. Another twenty or so were sitting on the invisible sideline. Lucas lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed it, then turned it over to kiss her wrist. He breathed in deeply. “I love the way you smell … like an angel.”

  A laugh escaped Gabrielle. Once again, the irony was lost to him. She kissed his hand and closed her door. As they made their way to the group of friends, Gabrielle noted how beautiful the day had turned out. The sun was high in the sky, and the air was cool with an almost constant breeze. She loved the way she felt at that moment—young and carefree, happy to be where she was, and especially, enjoying her company. She thought it was close to how happy she felt in Heaven. Only there was so much more to experience here.

  Humans don’t have it so bad, really, if they’d just learn to appreciate it.

  She wasn’t going to let her worries hinder her fun. Not today.

  If she had taken the time to look closely at her surroundings, her mood would have been quite different. She may have spotted the black Mercedes she’d almost hit days before parked far back in the lot, far enough away that Gabrielle wouldn’t notice it or its occupants. Inside appeared to be two average teenagers. Sitting. Watching. Listening. If Gabrielle had looked even closer, she would have recognized Mara and Javan. Javan was glaring at her and Lucas—with a look on his face that could kill.

  “Run Gabby! Yessss! Touchdown!” Lucas yelled, running toward her, arms in the air victoriously signaling his winning touchdown throw to Gabrielle. The teammates converged on her in a celebratory group tackle; everyone piled on top of each other, shouting the lyrics to the obligatory We Are the Champions chorus. Gabrielle and Lucas found themselves on the bottom of the pile, pressed against each other once again.

  Quietly, so no one else could hear, Lucas whispered to her. “They don’t have any idea how dangerous this is for us.” They stared at each other as the warm, tingling sensation ricocheted through Gabrielle until everyone peeled themselves off the pile. Lucas stood up and pulled Gabrielle up by her hands with so much force she landed in his arms.

  Whoa! He’s stronger than I thought he’d be.

  He smiled and took her hand, breaking their embrace, and the two exchanged high-fives with their teammates, Lucas shooting Nonie and Nate playful “loser” comments. Before the exhausted and dusty group of teenagers departed, they scheduled the following Saturday’s rematch.

  Gabrielle was glad to have another game to look forward to. She was tired but invigorated. She, Lucas, Nonie, and Nate made their way back toward their cars, poking fun at each other the whole way—laughing as though all four had been friends for many years. Gabrielle felt very close to all of them and didn’t want to dwell on the reality that her stay here was for such a short time, though she found herself doing so anyway.

  Nonie’s voice forced her thoughts back to them.

  “Gabrielle—hello. You still with us? I asked you if you’d like to join us for dinner at our house. What do you say? It’ll be fun. Mom’s making her famous spaghetti, and I think she made chocolate cake.”

  “Sorry … I went back to my home planet for a minute,” Gabrielle said laughing. “Sure! I’d never turn down pasta, especially if it’s famous. And I absolutely would be a fool to walk away from chocolate cake.” Gabrielle smiled at her, and the smile Nonie returned showed she was pleased she was coming.

  “Lucas,” Nonie said, “make sure my mom remembered to ask Emma. I think she’s getting forgetful in her old age, but don’t you dare tell her that I said so.” She winked at him and grinned.

  “I will. And, I won’t.”

  Lucas still hadn’t let go of Gabrielle’s hand, not that she wanted him to, but she noticed that Nate glanced down at their entwined fingers several times, and she sensed something. Maybe jealousy. She wasn’t sure, but she could tell he wasn’t thrilled about the pairing.

  I wonder why?

  “That was a great game, Nate,” Gabrielle said in an attempt to break the ice that seemed to randomly thicken between them. There were moments he was relaxed and talkative around her; other times, he wouldn’t say much of anything. Occasionally, she would catch him studying her as if he knew what she was or was aware of more than he needed to be. She felt like she had to try harder to convince him that she was just like them.

  “Yeah, thanks. But not good enough to kick your butts,” he responded. A grin stretched across his face. “But don’t get used to the feeling of victory, pretty lady,” Nate continued. “Next time will be different.”

  “You flirting with my girl, Daniels?” Lucas let go of Gabrielle’s hand and quickly had Nate bent over, his arm firmly around Nate’s neck as he threw fake punches. Nate was overacting, twisting his body like he felt each blow down to his core. Repositioning, Nate picked Lucas up by the knees and threw him off balance, and the two were wrestling in the grass.

  “There they go.’’ Nonie laughed and leaned against the car next to Gabrielle. “There’s no telling how long they’re going to be wrestling like that. They really are just lik
e brothers.”

  “It’s nice to see him close to you all. I mean, with what happened to his parents and grandfather. He needs your family. Each of you means a lot to him. Maybe more than you know,” Gabrielle kept her eyes on the theatrics in front of her as she spoke.

  “Sooo—” Nonie began with the kind of tone that made you look at someone when they spoke because you knew they were about to say something that might make you, them, or both of you a little uncomfortable. “My girl, huh? I could tell the two of you were hitting it off, but I’m a little surprised at how fast it’s progressing.” Gabrielle and Nonie were looking at each other now. Nonie’s hazel eyes searched hers, trying to read something in them. “Lucas doesn’t fall this quickly, and really, I’ve never seen him this into anyone—ever.”

  “Yeah, it’s caught us both a little off-guard. As over-dramatic as it sounds, it almost seems out of our control.” Gabrielle sighed. “It’s like our relationship has a purpose of its own. It’s leading us, and we have to follow. What scares me is what is it leading us to? What is its purpose? I know it sounds crazy.”

  Gabrielle was looking at her feet now, watching her foot as she nervously pushed a rock back and forth with it. It did sound crazy, but it was the conclusion she was coming to; she normally had more control than she’d been executing.

  “Don’t get me wrong. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. But you know he hasn’t had a lot to be happy for, really. And I just don’t want to see him get hurt.” Nonie paused and rolled her eyes. “Jeez! I sound like my mom. But you get the point, right?” Nonie was looking at her inquisitively. “He’s just as important to us as he’s told you we are to him. So, even if I don’t think I absolutely need to, I’m going to say it anyway. Back off if you’re not completely into him, if you’re only going to hurt him. Please.”

  Gabrielle glanced back to Nonie with her brows raised and smiled.

  “Wow … I’m glad he knows how lucky he is to have you. I don’t want to hurt him, Nonie. And I’m definitely really into him.”

  Gabrielle looked at Nate and Lucas who now stood, laughing as they dusted themselves off. Lucas smiled a crooked, flirty smile as he walked to her.

  “Definitely,” she said again.

  Even as the word escaped her lips, Gabrielle knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. That wanting him, and being able to be with him romantically, were two drastically different things in her world. She had absolutely no idea what the future held for her and Lucas. She was in dangerous territory for an angel, and she knew the price could be very steep for her.

  “Definitely what?” Lucas asked, out of breath from the wrestling match.

  “Definitely time to get cleaned up,” Nonie replied. “’Cause Mom won’t let us close to the dinner table if we don’t.”

  “Yeah.” Nate looked at his watch. “It’s getting to be about that time. If we leave right now, I can even catch a nap!”

  “Like you don’t already sleep enough!” His sister kidded. “If it’s the whole beauty sleep thing you’re going for, you might want to try another angle, brother. I don’t think that mug would improve if you snoozed right through the rest of high school.”

  It was the twins turn to wrestle as Nate picked Nonie up, slung her over his shoulder like a sand bag, and toted her in the direction of the grass. Nonie tried to wiggle out of his hold the whole way.

  “Did you have fun today, Gabby?” Lucas asked through light laughter as he watched the twins. His laughter quieted. “I did,” he said in a kind of sheepish voice, making him sound boyish and vulnerable, causing Gabrielle to take her gaze away from the tussling in front of her. When she looked at Lucas, he heart skipped ahead several beats.

  “I think it’s safe to say I enjoyed myself.”

  “Good. Now … unless you can’t see the trend that’s presenting itself to you, the only person here who hasn’t ended up in the grass being wrangled by Nate would be you. So maybe we should take off before he realizes his chance to torture you is about to be gone. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to freshen up and rest before I come back to get you for dinner. Unless you’d rather drive yourself. I can take you around the corner to show you where we live.”

  “Let’s go.”

  They headed to his car and yelled good-bye to the siblings. Nate had Nonie pinned in some kind of wrestling hold, and she was yelling for mercy although she was hard to understand through her giggles. Gabrielle smiled but was glad she hadn’t stayed long enough to become Nate’s next victim.

  “See ya ‘bout six!” Nate said without looking up.

  Lucas started the car and turned it toward the exit. Out of nowhere, a large black blur passed inches in front of the windshield.

  “Whoa!” Lucas slammed on the brakes.

  They followed the path of the object to its stopping point on the asphalt. The black blur turned out to be a crow joining the rest of its flock. Gabrielle was feeling more uncomfortable about seeing them so frequently. She counted them.

  Ten.

  Very uncomfortable.

  “Is it normal to have so many crows around?” she asked.

  Lucas shrugged while continuing to observe the murder of crows, which was staring back at them.

  “I don’t know … I’ve noticed them kinda hanging around from time to time for most of my life, so I guess it is. Seems like I see them more lately, though.”

  He started moving the car forward again, and as he looked away from the flock and back to Gabrielle, she watched them take off in unison as if they were one creature.

  Gabrielle shivered.

  She felt the threat growing around her, and she was more aware of it when she was near Lucas. It was something she didn’t like or understand. She could be putting him in so much danger just by being with him. She wondered if her relationship with Lucas was the reason he was in danger in the dreams she’d been having.

  “So what would you like to do, have me pick you up or drive?” Lucas asked.

  “In order for me to find my way around better, maybe I should drive myself. If you don’t care?” Gabrielle tried to banish the images that she’d conjured up from her dreams. She had a strange feeling—like she was being watched or that something was coming for her. She figured it would be better for her, and safer for him, if she had some time to use her discernment on the way to the Daniels’ house. Just in case. If she was with him, she wouldn’t be able to use its full effect. It would be too dangerous if a demon noticed her.

  His smile showed he wasn’t upset.

  Lucas made a right out of the parking lot and then another right at the next street. The sign read: Haber Drive.

  Houses with perfectly manicured lawns lined both sides of the street, each with their own distinct character. Some were older, but quite a few had been through what appeared to be significant renovations and additions. Lucas stopped at the sixth house on the right and pointed across the street.

  “The white house there, the one with the ivy growing up the trellis on the side, that’s Nonie and Nate’s house.”

  Gabrielle liked it. It had an inviting appearance. She had a flash of how it would be decorated at Christmas. Lots of wreaths and lights hung on the house, and she could hear Christmas music playing inside, even through the closed windows and doors. She smiled at how festive it was.

  “Boy … they sure know how to do it up with the Christmas decorations, don’t they?” She said without thinking.

  “Well … yes. But, how would you know what their house looks like at Christmas?”

  Gabrielle felt her insides turn cold, realizing what she’d said, and that there was no way she should know.

  “Oh, I just meant that I bet they do it up. The house would look great with lights hanging from the eaves. In all the windows, if it were mine, I would put lit wreaths with just a red bow on every one of them. With Mr. Daniels being a pastor, I figure they really get into the spirit of things.”

  Gabrielle held her breath as the seconds passed. She could te
ll by his expression that her explanation didn’t work, but after a few more moments, he let it go.

  “Yeah, they do it pretty much the way you just described.”

  Gabrielle didn’t like the look on his face. Why wasn’t she on her game when she was with him? She was so at ease when he was around. Lucas turned his attention toward the houses opposite of the Daniels’ home and pointed to the one they parked in front of.

  It was smaller than the Daniels’ house but every bit as inviting. It was a brick bungalow with a nice big front porch and two rocking chairs waiting to be sat on. Three large ferns hung above the railing. Like all the others she’d seen on the street, the lawn was neatly trimmed and edged.

  “This is my house.”

  “I love it!” She genuinely did. She wondered what the inside looked like and where his room was, but she stopped her imaginings from following that thought through any further.

  “So, you think you can find us all right tonight?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Gabrielle hoped he wouldn’t bring the Christmas decoration thing back up as he turned in the street to take her home. She was relieved when he pulled into her drive and the subject seemed forgotten.

  He kissed her hand before she got out of the car, seemingly as afraid as she was that things would get out of control if their lips touched.

  “I’ll see you about six,” he said.

  Gabrielle nodded and left. As she made her way into her house, she began to tense, already sensing Amaziah. She had just closed the door behind her when she heard his voice from his usual spot in the kitchen calling out to her.

  “Gabrielle—we need to talk.” There was distinct concern in his voice.

  Damn … this isn’t going to be good.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN