by Tamara White
Zach sighs through the phone. It’s been so long. I missed hanging out with him after we moved, but I refused to let the council move him with us.
“Look man, you need to come to New York,” he says.
If Evie wasn’t missing I would love the chance to discuss everything that happened between us and try to understand why it happened, but right now I need to get Evie back.
“Sorry I can’t. We have stuff to deal with here, but maybe once we’re finished with everything.” I say hoping to end our call quickly.
“Look, I need you to listen. I have a message for you. From Evie.” My heart stops. How could he have a message from Evie? Mother fucker!
“What did you do? If you’ve hurt one hair on her head, I will fucking kill you!” I will kill anyone who has hurt my sweet girl, starting with our parents.
“Look, dude, I haven’t hurt her but others have. The council have a few of us guarding her, but they told us she was working with the shaded, and that’s why they have her. She’s in the basement of the council home, but you need to get here quick man. She isn’t looking too good, and it’s like her body is giving up on itself. Every time they feed her most of it comes back up. It’s been happening for days now, and I don’t know how long she’ll last without nourishment. She wanted me to tell you she’s sorry.”
Oh God. She must think we aren’t trying to find her. Why else would she say ‘I’m sorry’? “Why didn’t you contact me sooner? How long have you known about our bond?”
“I found out today. I didn’t call sooner because I thought she was working with the shaded, and I had no idea she was your bonded. This morning, I snuck in while her parents were there to see what happened. They questioned her over and over again about who she bonded with. She could have said she’d bonded to you and they would have stopped hurting her, but she didn’t. She stood there chained and took a beating to protect you.”
I hear him sigh through the phone “I think she tried to open the bond after because she said your name. That’s when I realised who she was.”
God, why hasn’t she told them already? If that’s all they want to know we’d rather her tell them than try to protect us.
“Ok, we’re on our way. You need to gather up a few people you trust not to run to the council and tell them why we’re coming. We’ve found out the prophecy we’ve been told from the council is not true. The council’s been lying to us so they can stay in power. I’ll tell you everything when we land.”
“Ok, man, I’ll do my best to look after her until you get here,” he assures me.
“Thanks. I’ll see you soon,” I hang up and head back up the drive towards the guys.
Max comes out of the house and walks straight up to me “You know where she is! How long have you known?!” He’s shouting at me and all the other guys are watching with confused expressions on their faces.
“I just found out. How the hell did you know?” I’m already frustrated enough knowing what Evie is going through.
“Raphael called me before I came outside. He said to tell you he would meet you there, then he hung up. No directions just that he’d meet you there. How do you know where she is?”
After I fill everyone in on what Zach had said on the phone, we took off straight for the hotel to grab our shit and get on the next flight to New York. There was something that had been nagging in my mind after the call that I didn’t know how to discuss with the others. Zach had said Evie was having trouble keeping food down which could be normal if her body is giving out, but what if she’s pregnant? It was over two weeks ago that we all had sex with her so it’s a possibility. Elemental pregnancies progress much quicker than human ones, and I have no idea how angel pregnancies progress.
Chapter 3
Evie
I can’t keep anything down anymore. It’s like my body is rejecting the food because it’s drugged. Marcia and Charles take great pleasure in watching me eat, only to have it come back up again. I think they’ve drugged it with something that causes vomiting.
I don’t know how long it’s been since they last came down here, but I think it’s been more than a day now. It’s so easy to lose track of time down here.
Hearing the door open, I look up to see Charles coming down the stairs with another man. He’s dressed in a navy business suit and tie, but what has me studying him closer is that he looks so familiar. Why do I feel like I know him, even though I’m sure I’ve never seen him before?
Charles stops a few feet away from me while the new man walks right up to me. It takes all my will power to keep myself from flinching away. There’s something wrong with him, it feels like he’s surrounded in darkness, and as he gets closer to me, the darkness tries to latch itself onto me.
Closing my eyes tight, I reach inside myself to find my light. I may be weak, but hopefully it will help me defend of whatever darkness I’m feeling. My light was a bright, golden glow when I found it with my father’s help, but now it’s reduced to a pale, gold glow that looks so void of life. I wrap what little light there is around me, and hope it will protect me. Opening my eyes, the strange man is staring at me with a look of intrigue on his face.
“Well, that’s interesting,” he reaches out to touch me, and my skin glows. He hisses and pulls his hand back looking pissed off.
He takes a step back and stands next to Charles. “So, Evelyn, I want to know who you’ve bonded with, but your parents tell me you keep saying you’ve bonded with no one?”
“I haven’t bonded with anyone. How many times do I have to tell you before you’ll listen? I found out about bonds the same day you took me,” I’m so over the constant questions about being bonded when they should know by now I’ll never betray my guys.
“I know you’re lying. I’m powerful enough to tell when someone has bonded. But what I want to know, is if it was to my son? You see, we can’t do anything until we know who we have to rip the bond from. It’s the reason you’ve been chained and drugged. It will stop your bonded from feeling anything we do to you.”
Is he saying what I think he is? He would rip the bond from his son? I study the man closer. This must be Ky’s father. He has the same dark hair and green eyes, but his face is harsher with jawbones more defined, whereas Ky has a softness to his face. He must get that from his mother.
“Your Ky’s father. Richard, right?” I ask.
“I’m surprised you know about me,” he looks pleased that I know who he is.
“Well, you held my real father captive for 10 years. I’m guessing you were also the one to write letters to my parents? Seriously, who signs a letter ‘R’? Why wouldn’t you just text or call like a normal person?” I try not to laugh at the look of anger on his face, but, come on, did he really think no one would figure out who ‘R’ is?
“I’d find out about you sooner or later I just figured it would be under better circumstances. What I want to know though, is what’s wrong with you? What kind of father would want to see his son hurt?” He turns to my father, and next thing I know, I’m seeing stars and feel dizzy. Charles back handed me, and my head must have hit the wall. At this rate, I’ll have brain damage from the head contusions.
“Well, if you don’t want to answer me I guess we’ll change tactics. Your parents and I will be down here tomorrow then we’ll see if you’re ready to tell us.” He turns and leaves the room with my father following.
The guards come in and the same guy that knows Dane is here. He unchains me and helps me go to the toilet.
My body is so weak that I can’t stand, so he has to carry me. As he carries me, he leans in to whisper in my ear “Hold on. He’s coming,” I look up at him and see the sympathy in his eyes.
He told Dane where I am? I can’t believe it. I sit down and empty my bladder of what little it holds while trying to hold back the tears of relief.
Washing my hands at the sink I wait for him to carry me back out. My legs are so weak just from standing at the basin. He lifts me back up and takes me b
ack and secures the chains.
“What’s your name?” I ask him.
“Zach,” he says before leaving.
Dane
We’re all on the plane heading back to New York. Everyone is resting up for the fight ahead. I’m hoping with Zach’s help, that we can sneak in and grab Evie before anyone notices she’s gone.
Why is Zach going against the council for Evie? I thought at first it was our history. Growing up, we were closer than normal, and as we reached our teenage years we did a lot of experimenting. It killed me to leave him behind because I cared so much about him, but when the council tells you to do something, you do it. I visited as often as I could, but I caught him with someone else on a trip home and I haven’t seen him since.
There must be something he isn’t telling me, because I don’t think he’d help Evie just for me. Especially, not how things ended between us.
Leaning back in my chair, I close my eyes and try to get some sleep. I need to be ready for whatever happens tomorrow.
It’s so peaceful. Why did everyone stop talking? I open my eyes, and I’m stunned to realize I’m in a field like the one Evie first released her powers in. It’s an open field that goes on for miles with no trees to be seen, just beautiful, purple and white, wild flowers. Where am I? And how the hell did I get here?
“Hello Dane. It’s nice to finally meet you,” I spin around to see a man standing in the middle of the field glowing.
“Who are you? And where the hell am I?” How the hell could I go to sleep on a plane and wake up in a field? None of this makes any sense!
“I’m Raphael, Evie’s grandfather. You’re in a vision of my making so we can talk. There are things you must know and tell the others. I also have an important message for you from Destiny. She wants me to tell you, but warns that if you tell anyone else, you could change the way things play out and hurt Evie.”
Well, that explains the glow. He’s an angel.
“What do you mean I can’t tell anyone?” I can’t keep secrets from the guys especially after Mike did. It will tear us apart.
“I’m going to tell you some things I’ve learnt in the past few days, and then we’ll see how you feel. The Demons are back on earth.”
What? Demons? I thought they were just myths our parents told us to get us to behave. While growing up elementals are told at some point or another, if you’re bad, the demons will take you to the underworld.
“I’m not sure what you know of Demons as they were before your time, so I’ll explain their history. Demons are the bad souls of the universe stored in the underworld as punishment from the Creator. When a soul dies and it contains evil, it’s sent to the underworld where it’s turned into what’s known as a Shade. I don’t even think your people realized what you were doing when you referred to your evil elementals as Shaded, but, yes, they’re demons possessing or influencing their hosts bodies and elements.”
Holy Shit! Demons really exist and they’ve been among us all this time? “So, the Shaded are demons possessing elementals?” I ask. I can’t believe no one has ever made the connection. Maybe I should try to contact the older elementals and see what they know about demons.
Raphael sits down before answering “Yes they’ve been possessing your fellow elementals. It’s only easy to possess or influence those that have very little light inside them. Now is it ok if I continue?”
He looks up at me with a smile while I sit on the ground and nod for him to continue. I’ll try my best not to interrupt again, but it’s going to be hard with all this new information.
“What made the underworld an effective prison for them was a barrier of light barring the way between the dimensions. The light has protected the earth for millennia, but as the violence on earth escalates, the light becomes weaker. Demons were able to break through the barrier roughly three decades ago, and have been possessing humans and elementals since.
The prophecy indicated Evie’s children would unite elementals and reveal them to the humans and, while that’s true, it won’t happen until the demons are sent back.
Destiny wasn’t too clear on how many bonded she will have, but she said you four are not her only bonded. She will find others in her mission to send the demons back and they’ll become her bonded too.”
Great, so we’re going to save our girlfriend only to tell her she has to fight demons? Is this guy nuts?!
“So how’s Evie going to send the demons back? Why can’t you and her father do it? You’re both angels and have more power than she does,” I demand.
They could recruit other angels if they wanted and be powerful enough to destroy the demons. That way it would leave Evie out of it.
“I’m sorry, Dane, but we can’t. I’m forbidden by the Creator to interfere. I’m only allowed to provide you with information and help with menial tasks, but I can’t directly interfere without suffering the consequences. Max is free to interfere as he no longer answers to the Creator, but even then, he doesn’t have enough pure light like Evelyn does. Everything Evelyn has been through in her life has been leading up to this moment.
The loss of her parents, the abuse from her adoptive parents, the isolation she suffered, and the recent kidnapping, all of it shapes who she is and who she needs to be to defeat the demons and restore the light.
With each bond Evelyn forms, she will become more powerful until she is more powerful than the angels. When she bonds with one of you her power doubles and the power of her bonded increases too. Not as much as Evelyn’s, but you’ll be stronger than you were, and with each bond she adds, the stronger all the bonds will become, not to mention she can also draw on your power,” he finishes.
I hate that this is falling onto Evie. Why does she have to be the one to stop them? She hasn’t even been an elemental for more than a few weeks.
Raphael coughs and gets my attention again “There’s something else you should know, Dane. Evelyn is the only one that can save your fathers.”
“What do you mean save them? Why would we want to save the people that kidnapped Evie?” I want to make them pay, not save them. The fact that they took her from us and pretended to not know where she was has made me angry, but I won’t deny the smidgen of hope I feel at the thought I could have my father back.
“They’ve all been influenced by demons for at least 10 years, but Richard has been possessed. Every elemental is part angel so they contain light, but it’s easy to be possessed when they’re not as pure as Evelyn. The only reason you and your friends haven’t been possessed is because your light is almost as strong as Evelyn’s. Only Evelyn can get rid of the demon possessing him. I’ll give Evelyn the information she needs to know soon, but that’s all I can do.”
“So, that’s it? You tell me demons are alive on earth and our fathers are possessed. You tell me Evie will have more bonds and that she’s going to be the one to defeat the demons. Can I tell the others all of this or just some of it at least?” I mean, seriously, this is important stuff to leave out. I don’t think I could keep it from them if I tried.
“No, you may tell Evelyn’s bonded everything I’ve said so far, but before I tell you Destiny’s message, there is one other thing you should know. Evelyn is pregnant with fraternal twins. Her babies will have different fathers, and only she can tell you who they are,” he says with a small smile.
Shit, I knew it! And two fathers? How is that even possible?
“Destiny is breaking a few rules by telling you this, but she feels you need to know. You can’t tell anyone, not even Evelyn. She will discover it herself very soon but it’s important she finds out herself and comes to term with it because it will be hard for her,” he says while staring at me for what seems like hours before continuing.
“Evelyn will be betrayed by someone she loves. She won’t see it coming and no one else will either but, hopefully, if you know then the outcome of the betrayal may change. You can’t tell anyone or it could change everything. Destiny looked at the paths, and the only way
she could warn you or I, is with this message. If she told us anything more, it would alter everything that will happen and it could lead to the death of Evelyn and her children, leading to the world being overrun by demons.
I have to speak to Max now, but I’ll see you again after Evelyn is free,” he says while fading into nothing.
Nice he’s going to leave me with the fact that I may or may not lose Evie and the babies I just found out about. What kind of angel is he?
Zach
Thank god my guard duty is over. Hearing what they’re doing to her and knowing I can’t help her is unbearable. I don’t think she knows yet, but I know what I felt. She’s my bonded.
The first day I touched her, I felt it, but I just brushed it off as a static shock from the chains. I don’t think I wanted to believe I could be bonded to someone as evil as her.
When the council brought her in, they told us we would be guarding an integral member of the shaded. She had managed to convince many elementals to join them and lead an uprising to take over the council.
As the days went by, I started to question the council’s motives, not because they weren’t doing anything they wouldn’t do to other members of the shaded, but because they were more interested in who she had bonded with or started bonding with. Why ask those questions when they could be asking how to stop them from stealing our powers?
When she said Dane’s name, I knew something was wrong. I asked around after I thought she may have bonded to him, and there were rumours that he was looking for his bonded. I knew then that she had bonded to Dane, and I needed to tell him what was happening to her.
After contacting him and telling him where she was, I started to gather people I knew that disapproved of the council’s actions lately. I didn’t realize so many people had a problem with the council’s actions. Over 30 elementals turned up at my place to talk. I explained that Evie wasn’t a shaded and her potential bonded was on the way soon. I didn’t give out specific details in case someone told the council.
