by Mia Castile
“Ben, calm down,” Moriah pleaded with him, crushing the sheet around her.
“Moriah, come sleep with me,” I interjected. Ben looked at me.
“You!” He pointed in my direction. “You left me all alone at that party.”
“You weren’t alone from what I saw.” By this time, Zeke and Gideon were at my side just inside the doorway. Hanna pushed her way through.
“ARE YOU DRUNK?” Hanna was shocked as she grabbed his chin and forced him to look in her eyes.
“Mom, that’s why we didn’t drag him home with us. I didn’t want you to see him like this.” Zeke turned in his direction. “He should have stayed where he was and slept it off.”
“You just wanted to steal my girl,” Ben slurred as I rolled my eyes and left the room. Moriah followed.
“Clearly she feels the same way about you.” Zeke motioned toward me, anger in his voice.
“How could she with Mr. I-can’t-do-anything-wrong pining for her? Did you tell her you’re a dog? Literally and fig-gi-fig-gi-tiv-ity,” Ben stammered. “Ellie,” he called. I turned in the hallway and stepped beside Gideon.
“Ben, please just go to sleep. It’s been a long night. Just go to sleep.” I turned again and left the room. Moriah and I climbed back into Zeke’s bed, and Gideon went back downstairs. Zeke and Hanna helped Ben get into bed. Hanna closed the door, and they stood in the hallway silently for a minute.
“He’ll sleep it off and apologize in the morning,” Hanna spoke softly.
“He’s gotta take responsibility for himself sometime. Mom, he’s almost eighteen. What happens when he has power? He’ll be out of control. I’m worried,” Zeke sighed.
“Baby, don’t worry. He is finding himself. You have to remain constant. He has to know he can depend on you.” It was at that moment I realized how much pressure Zeke had on him. I couldn’t sleep. I waited until I knew Moriah was asleep, and I crept down the stairs to the living room. Zeke was asleep on the love seat. I sat down on the floor, took his hand in mine, and rested my head near his chest on the cushion. I slowly drifted back to sleep.
I woke up to the smell of pancakes and sausage. It seemed to fill the entire house. Moriah was fast asleep beside me in Zeke’s bedroom. Ben’s door was still shut. I quietly snuck out of bed and went downstairs. Gideon and Zeke were sitting at the island in the kitchen eating already.
“Sit down, Ellie, I’ll have another batch in a minute.” Hanna didn’t even turn from the stove. I sat down between Gideon and Zeke and looked out the large window to the backyard. There was a large tree in the middle of the yard with an old tree house and swing set. I remembered it from my dreams when I was a little girl. Zeke watched me as I gazed out the window. My eyes met his as we shared our secret, but no one else noticed.
“I could get used to this,” Gideon smiled between bites. I poured myself some juice.
“She has a tendency to spoil company,” Zeke grinned.
“Well, it wouldn’t take much to make me feel spoiled. This is like royalty.” He turned to me. “How’d you sleep, kid?”
“OK, I guess. It was hard to get back to sleep after three-ish.”
“Yeah,” they replied in unison and leaned back in their seats at the same time.
“Wow, that was just freakish.” I looked from one of them to the other. They didn’t notice. Hanna flipped the pancakes onto a platter and brought them to the island where we sat. At the same time Moriah and Ben emerged from the stairs. Ben quietly sat down next to Zeke, and Moriah sat next to Gideon. Ben, looking three shades of green, didn’t look at any of us. Hanna set a plate stacked with pancakes in front of him—I figured on purpose. He looked dizzy as she poured syrup all over it.
“Mom, can you make me feel better?” he whined.
“No, not for something you did to yourself.
“I didn’t do it all to myself. The guys helped,” he complained.
“You know it’s dangerous out, yet you acted carelessly and were out alone and unprotected.” I heard more concern than scolding in Hanna’s voice. She continued, “Did you know Zeke and Ellie were almost attacked last night?” He didn’t answer. He just looked across to me.
“I’m sorry. Zeke, Gideon, Moriah, Ellie, Mom, I’m sorry for the things I said last night and the way I acted.” He didn’t take his eyes off mine. I looked down and excused myself from the table to go back upstairs to change clothes. After I closed Zeke’s door and began to change, there was a knock.
“Just a minute.” I finished changing and opened the door.
“What’s going on?” Gideon stood there questioningly.
“I want to go home, Gid.” Zeke was standing there behind him.
“Give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll take you all home.” Zeke brushed past me, gathered some clothes, and headed to the bathroom. When he was finished, we went downstairs and stood in the kitchen around the island. Ben had finally begun to eat. Moriah had also changed and was ready to go home. We said our goodbyes, and all six of us made plans to meet up with Hanna to discuss our situation. We didn’t know what we were up against. I had a feeling my plans for just working and hanging out this summer were going to change drastically. As we were leaving, Hanna gave Gideon a sealed medium-sized box. She hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. She also hugged and kissed me.
We rode to Moriah’s home in silence. It was a huge home in the neighborhood where Ben’s friend Parker lived. It was a large brick Tudor home with a three-car garage on the side. When Zeke pulled up alongside the house, I could see a pool in the backyard. I hadn’t realized that Moriah and Selah were rich. They seemed so down to earth. Gideon walked her to her front door, kissed her goodbye, and spoke a few moments. She waved to us when Gideon returned to the car, and we headed to our apartment.
After we climbed the stairs to our apartment and were finally safe, I went to my room and picked out my clothes. I didn’t even ask Gideon if he cared if I took a shower first; I had to get out of my clothes. I emerged from the bathroom with my hair rolled up in the towel and in my comfy sweats and a t-shirt. I found the boys on the rooftop talking. I stood in the doorway for a few minutes and listened.
“I can’t protect her twenty-four seven.” Gideon was shaking his head. I noticed blackbirds flying around the buildings. They were larger than I’d seen before. It struck me as odd—especially after all that had happened in the last two weeks.
“That’s where I’ll come in and Ben, too, if we need him. One of us can apply at the bookstore, and then we’ll know she’s safe. She is whom they are after. Once she receives her powers, we are all stronger.” He was pacing back and forth in front of Gideon. Gideon’s hands were in his pockets, his posture slouched, almost defeated.
“What about when she’s not working? As soon as I graduate on Friday, I’m a full-time, forty-hour-a-week waiter. We have to pay our bills. No offense, but she and I are all we have.”
“None taken. I know that you two have been through more than I can imagine, and I won’t pretend to know what your life has been like. I will protect her with my life. Know that, Gideon. I will protect her with my life. In fact, I have wanted to ask you something. It may seem weird, but you are her family, and it’s the honorable thing to do.” He paused, and Gideon nodded slowly for him to continue. “I have been helping my mom look out for you guys, especially her, and I see how beautiful she is, inside and out, and I guess what I’m doing is asking your permission to date her.” Hearing that, I returned to my bedroom. I couldn’t interrupt that conversation. I lay down on my bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
I woke up a few hours later, wrapped in Zeke’s arms. It felt right. I heard the TV in the living room, but the apartment was dark. Zeke must have felt me stir because he woke up also.
“Hey, you,” I whispered softly.
“Hey, yourself,” he smiled back.
“I don’t know why I’m so exhausted. It’s been a crazy last few weeks,” I sighed.
“It has. Gideon graduates Frida
y evening, and my ceremony is Saturday afternoon. Will you come?”
“Of course,” I smiled. He squeezed me closer to him.
“I could stay here in this moment forever I think,” he sighed as I bit my lower lip, contemplating how I would ask the next question.
“So I have a stupid question. If we just met yesterday, but we have all these lives and a connection that is this strong. . .” I trailed off because I felt ridiculous even asking the question. He looked up at the ceiling.
“I’m not going to put any pressure on you, but I want to be with you. I want to get to know you better. We have so much to learn about each other, but I know you and Ben were on your way to—something.” He paused.
“I want to be with you too,” I said, as I pulled myself up and kissed his cheek softly.
“Just give me some time to talk to my mom about this, and maybe even Ben. I’ve already spoken to Gideon. He was surprised, but once I explained how I felt and why, he said he trusted your judgment.” He let out a breath he seemed to be unconsciously holding as he squeezed me close to him.
The final week of school was hectic to say the least. Everyone in my school was studying for finals. We walked around with study sheets and note cards. Even lunch was a crash study session. Moriah and Gideon randomly asked each other questions and usually came up with the right answers. When Gideon wasn’t studying or working, he was perfecting his speech. I couldn’t wait to hear it. I knew he had to be getting nervous. I didn’t hear from Ben like I had the previous weeks. I missed him; I had gotten to know him pretty well. Zeke did call, and he picked me up from school and took me to work or to dinner every day. We went to the park on Monday for a picnic, and we sat on a blanket talking for hours. It was really nice because he was as easy to talk to as he had always been, and he no longer spoke in riddles. I didn’t know that I could feel so close to someone as I did with him. We were on the verge of being like Selah and Moriah finishing each other’s sentences. It was fun.
As I worked on Tuesday, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Sonny noticed it almost immediately.
“You look like nothing could go wrong for you today,” he smiled. “That must have been some soccer game.”
“It was. Have you ever met someone and just known? You just know that there is something about them. They will change your life forever.” I looked past him remembering how happy Zeke looked when he was with me too.
“Believe it or not, I do know what that feels like. It’s amazing, but you sound like you’re talking about a soul mate. Aren’t you a little young to have found your soul mate?” He seemed a little suspicious.
“I don’t think so. There is someone for everyone, right? Who’s to say you have to be in a certain moment or age for that to happen? When it’s right, it’s right. I totally believe in destiny. You have to grab it before you lose your chance.” I sounded like a motivational speaker, even to me.
“Well, from my experience, only you know when it is right. And you WILL know when it is right,” he smiled.
On Wednesday, when I went to Zeke’s house, Hanna was there, but Ben was nowhere to be found. I worried that Hanna would be upset with Zeke and me for choosing each other over Ben. She wasn’t though, or at least she didn’t show it if she were. Zeke hadn’t replayed the conversation for me, so I could only imagine what was said. Hanna was beginning to prepare dinner, so I joined in to help her. We were making lasagna. Zeke sat down at the island and kept us company.
“Ellie, how are finals going?” Hanna asked as she stirred the sauce.
“I think I’m actually on top of everything. I was worried about my essay for literature. I’ve read and re-read my class notes and study notes so many times that Mr. Harrison can throw anything at me, and I think I’ll handle it.”
“I always over prepared myself. It seemed to calm me.” She concentrated as she stirred her sauce.
“It does me, too.” I was pleased that I wasn’t the only one who had that quirky habit.
“Mom, where’s Ben?” I couldn’t believe Zeke had only just noticed that he was not there.
“He’s in a cram session over at Parker’s house. He’s worried about his science test tomorrow, and apparently Parker is a genius in science.”
“Will he be home for dinner?” I inquired.
“I doubt it. He said something about take-out.”
“Well, I’m starved. The sooner this is done, the better,” Zeke said as he walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, and peered in.
“Snack on something. This has got a good hour and half once we put it in the oven.” He grabbed the package of carrots and threw them on the table for all of us to share.
After Hanna put the lasagna in the oven, we talked about our summer plans. It was nice to have input from an adult that I felt really got me. Now that I knew who I was, it was nice that there was guidance.
“I know you and Gideon have to continue working for now, but I’d like to begin training. You have a lot to learn. You need to learn about your gifts and how to use them. Have you had any Glimpses yet?
“What are those?” I had no idea what she was talking about.
“Glimpses usually occur the last few months of your seventeenth year, or if you are stronger, sometimes sooner. In highly stressful or emotional circumstances, you will use your gift. That also allows you to know what your gift is and how to prepare for it.”
“I don’t think I’ve had a Glimpse,” I said, and then I remembered the morning I felt like I was flying in darkness. I proceeded to tell her about it. After I finished, she looked at Zeke and then back to me.
“What you experienced was a Visitar. You momentarily relived a moment from one of your previous lives. Because you felt like you were flying, you were probably traveling to a battle by leaping. Because everything was black, this was a life in which you chose The Noctem.” I looked down. She continued, “Sweetie, we’ve all chosen The Noctem in one life or another, and thank God we were defeated in our quests. That is what keeps the balance. It’s like a yen and yang. There has to be some good and some evil. And in our cases, it becomes five against one. The one is stronger, but it is our responsibility to do what it takes to ensure evil doesn’t prevail.” She put her hands on mine. “The important thing is that you don’t allow the evil in, and that we find a way to prevail. That is part of the reason I’m so confused. Your generation is still innocent. I believe this is The Noctem from another generation. I don’t know why it is targeting you or who it is yet.
“Can I ask a question?” She nodded. “Who was The Noctem in your generation?” She paused and took a deep breath.
“My generation was strong. We had our parents all of our lives, and they trained us and allowed us to grow into the warriors we were meant to be. I miss all of them every day. Your mother and the girls’ mother and I were like sisters. We were inseparable. The boys were the same. Together we were a force to be reckoned with. When my husband chose The Noctem, we were all devastated. I think every generation is devastated when one chooses The Noctem. We always think that we are going to be the one that keeps everyone in the light.
“My husband chose The Noctem. He kept it hidden for quite a while. I don’t know that anyone has been able to keep it hidden that long, but he did. When I figured out what he had become, his plan was already set in motion. He planned to kill us and steal our gifts before we actually died. He would be a complete generation in one soul. In turn, it would be the first-ever Generation of The Noctem. We fought him. I did everything I could to heal everyone. As a Healer, I can heal wounds that aren’t life-threatening, but when death is imminent, I’m just not that strong. No healer is that strong. If you have more than one, sometimes it works, but when Our Father calls you home, it is your time to go. There is no amount of healing anyone can do for that. That day the wounds were too deep; they were too severe. It came down to Sam and me. We battled. It was the hardest battle of my life. I killed him. . . although I never truly felt that he was gone. I miss
the man I fell in love with. He was my soul mate. Had he not chosen The Noctem, I would have given my life for him. I guess that part of him is still with me. It keeps me going knowing the love we shared.” She stopped as tears filled her eyes. I hugged her. Zeke came around the island and hugged us both. I felt strength in that moment.
