by Last, K. A.
When I reached my room Grace was sitting cross legged on the bed. “What took you so long?” she asked.
“Sorry, Charlotte and I were talking. She feels terrible about our—situation,” I said, pulling a pair of jeans and a fresh T-shirt from the cupboard. “She thinks it’s all her fault.”
Grace sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. I got changed quickly, not worried about her seeing me in my boxers, although she did raise her eyebrows. One day, I thought to myself, we’d be able to…
“Josh, not now. Focus.”
“I’m a guy, Grace, and I’m going to think like that, all the time.” I sat down beside her and drew her into my arms. “I find it hard to focus when you’re around.”
“I know, it’s just that you have before. I’ve never … and we don’t know … and there’s so much…”
She stopped when I placed my finger gently on her lips. I didn’t need to be able to read her mind to know she was in turmoil, and that the danger we faced was very real. But I didn’t care. As long as I had her nothing else mattered. She fit perfectly in my arms, like a key in a lock. Sometimes I didn’t like that she knew what I was thinking, but at the same time I was glad. She knew exactly how I felt without me saying a word.
Softly, I brushed her lips with mine. Grace pushed into me and parted my mouth with hers. She tasted so sweet. Her warmth wrapped itself around me, and for a moment we were lost in one another. We fell onto the bed and she kissed me harder, drawing me closer. I pulled away a little and stared at her. Grace’s skin glowed softly and I gently stroked her cheek, still unable to believe that she was real.
“You bring out the best in me,” she said, pressing her cheek into my palm and closing her eyes. “I wish we could stay like this, but we need to get Charlotte. Arch is probably worrying; I’ve been away too long.”
After one more kiss I jumped up and pulled her to her feet. “Ok captain, Angel Air is ready for take-off.”
Grace giggled and I hugged her tightly. We grabbed Charlotte on our way to the shed and Grace was right, Archer had started to worry. He was pacing in the clearing when we misted in.
“Where have you been?” he asked, running to us. “What took so long?”
“Chill out, Arch, we’re here now,” Grace said, taking my hand and leading me towards the shed.
The inside of Grace and Archer’s house was nothing like I expected. The left wall of the big shed housed a makeshift kitchen with three tables as benches, some plastic tubs underneath them for storage, and an old Kelvinator fridge. There was a tap in the wall with another plastic tub under it for a sink. The kitchen table was an old Formica one—probably from the sixties or seventies—and the four timber chairs around it were mismatched. A gas stove was set up on the bench with a small cupboard sitting next to it. Some chairs lined the rest of that wall, as well as an old church pew with a mirror on it. Three couches sat in the middle of the big space—two lined up next to each other and one angled off to the right. There was also a coffee table on an old carpet square with three more chairs positioned around it—one a big comfy looking arm chair.
The right wall had two big roller doors which were probably in use when the place was actually a farm shed and not a house. Above us was another floor like a loft. It took up half the length of the shed. A metal staircase started behind the couches and lead up to a landing. A couple of metres back from the railing was a wall with two doors in it. I couldn’t see any beds on the bottom floor, so the doors must have led to the bedrooms.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Archer ask. I’d been so caught up in taking in the shed I hadn’t noticed what was going on.
“I think I need an invitation,” Charlotte said quietly. “It’s your home. You have to invite me in.”
“Then please come in my beautiful fair maiden.”
Archer bowed deeply and grinned. Grace giggled. Charlotte’s pale complexion took on a pink tinge and she stepped through the door to take his hand.
“Did anyone see you?” Archer asked. “Did Seth…?”
“We won’t be missed; we’re down for study, so no one should check on us. As long as we turn up to class tomorrow, we’ll be fine,” I said.
“That’s not what we’re worried about.” Grace sat on one of the threadbare sofas. “And no, Arch, Seth will show up eventually, but for now I don’t think he knows Josh and Charlotte aren’t at the school.”
“So what do we do?” I asked.
“We wait,” Grace replied, shrugging her shoulders as if to say, what more can we do?
I didn’t like the idea of waiting; it made me feel like a rat in a maze, not knowing what was around the corner. I started fidgeting.
“Waiting is the best thing we can do,” Grace said. “Let them come to us. We have the advantage.”
“What advantage?” Archer said. “They’re coming at us from both sides.” He was sitting on one of the other couches next to Charlotte. She was quiet as usual. Me, I was still fidgeting.
“Would you stop that, come and sit down.” Grace waved me over and I sat beside her. She leant into me and her closeness was a nice comfort.
“Our advantage is exactly what you just said, Arch. They’re coming at us from both sides. They won’t be able to not fight each other. We know our constants are Angelica, Annie and Seth, and me. None of us can die. If we can somehow use Angelica and Annie…”
“We can knock out the vamps. Charlotte will at least be safe from them,” Archer said. “They want her alive, so we can try and use that against them.”
In theory it sounded like a good plan. In practise it would probably be a different story. We talked for a while and came to the conclusion that, if given the chance, the angels wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from trying to destroy the vamps, and vice versa. Then a small problem we hadn’t considered dawned on me.
“Hey guys, what about me?” I asked. “I can’t fight.”
“Then we’ll teach you,” Grace said.
“What, in ten minutes? The sun is almost down; the vamps might be here soon. And why hasn’t Angelica turned up yet?”
“You’re helping in more ways than you know. Angels of the Light can’t harm a human; you and Arch are safe from them. If anything, they will protect you.”
“I don’t want their protection,” Archer mumbled.
So Archer and I were safe from the good side, but not the bad. And Charlotte was safer with the bad side, but not the good. Grace would be fine either way, which was great to know, but what a mess we were in. I wondered at that point if I said a prayer whether it would be answered. Please God, protect my fallen angel girlfriend, her brother, and our friend who happens to be a vampire. I was leaning towards no. I didn’t think it would go down too well.
“Let’s do this then,” I said, jumping up from the couch. “Let my crash course in vamp slaying and fighting angels begin.”
TWENTY-ONE
GRACE
Thursday Night
My one wish would be to keep Archer and my friends safe. I figured if angels and vampires existed, why not genies? I needed to get one of those.
My biggest concern was Josh, and I couldn’t help feeling a little worried watching Archer try to teach him a few things. It’s not that he was a bad fighter, he just wasn’t a hunter, or an angel, or a vampire. I watched as Archer put Josh on his butt for the fifth time in as many minutes. Josh was starting to get annoyed. This would lead to mistakes, which could get him killed, so it was probably a good time to intervene. I walked quickly across the clearing and spoke to Archer so no one else could hear.
Arch, let up, this isn’t working.
Yeah, but it’s fun. He grinned at me.
Just stop for a minute, I want to try something.
Josh didn’t look impressed. Apart from being utterly embarrassed, he was thinking how useless he was.
“You are not useless,” I said, taking his hand. He didn’t look convinced. “Stand still and close your eyes.”
“What…�
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“Please do it, I want to show you something.”
He did as I said and I took his other hand, facing him. I channelled my mind to his and blocked everything else out. This was something I knew I could do but had never actually attempted; I usually kept the mind talking in the family.
Please don’t freak out.
His hands tightened around mine. “You’ve already done plenty to freak me out, and I’m still here.”
You don’t need to talk, just think. Think what you want to say to me.
Have I told you, I love you?
Open your eyes and think it again.
Josh blinked and stared at me. I love you more than I ever thought possible.
I know.
The look of surprise on his face made me smile.
“How do you do that?”
“It’s all part of the package. I’ve never actually done this with a normal human before, but I think now I’ve forced you to hear me it will be easier. Arch and I can hold the line open when we want to, so I’m hoping you and I can do the same.”
Josh looked a little taken aback and I couldn’t really blame him, there was so much he’d had to deal with in the past few days. When I asked him to close his eyes again, he didn’t question me. I let go of his hands and moved around behind him. I motioned for Archer and Charlotte to move away; a finger to my lips told them not to speak.
Josh, now you have your eyes closed you should be able to hear and smell better, and be more aware of your surroundings.
What are you getting at, Grace? He shifted slightly on his feet.
Arch and Charlotte are somewhere in the clearing. I’m going to signal them to come closer, and I want you to point to them.
Are you serious, I can’t see?
Just try.
The three of us danced around Josh for about half an hour. At first he struggled, but he got the hang of hearing the slightest shift in movement, and learnt to trust his gut. We stepped up the game and told him to prepare for some physical contact. Josh managed to avoid a few lunges and kicks, but not all of them.
“Ouch! That hurt.” Josh was on his butt again, this time because of me.
“Sorry, but do you get it now?” I asked.
“I think so.”
“You don’t always need to see to fight. You need to use your instinct.”
“Now all we have to do is teach you some basic moves and you’ll be a better fighter than you were, which isn’t hard,” Archer said, clapping Josh on the back.
“And it’s not only about strength or speed,” I said, wrapping my arm around Josh’s waist. “It’s about wit and cunning, outsmarting your opponent and using their weaknesses against them.”
Something buzzed against my hip and Josh pulled his phone from his pocket. I guessed it was Ryan before he answered, so much for being too preoccupied.
“With Grace … for the night, yes. Ok, hang on.” Josh passed me the phone.
“What on earth are you doing?” Emma yelled down the line. I had to pull the phone away from my ear she was so loud. “Do you know what will happen if he’s found out?”
“Emma, it’s ok, it’s just one night. And so you know, Charlotte is here as well.”
“Oh my god, are you guys crazy?”
Maybe, I thought, but we had more pressing issues to worry about than school detention. I detected a hint of jealousy in her voice. She wanted to be with us. Our conversation went back and forth for a few minutes, and I told her what felt like a hundred times not to worry. She wasn’t convinced.
“We’ll see you in the morning. Everything will be fine.” I ended the call and handed the phone back to Josh. Emma was such a worry wart.
The four of us kept at it, practising into the night until I was sure Josh could fight at least to save himself. The clearing was bathed in soft moonlight and I stopped to take a look around. There was one question weighing on my mind. Why hadn’t we been interrupted? If I knew Angelica like I thought I did, she was probably waiting until her chances of getting at Charlotte were better. Angel or not, four against two were pretty bad odds. But the absence of Seth, Matthew and Cain troubled me. Charlotte seemed to be their highest priority, and with Seth’s help they should have been able to track her down. Maybe I was being paranoid, but could you really blame me? There was definitely something wrong. I had a feeling I couldn’t explain.
“What’s wrong, Grace?” Archer came over to where I stood staring into the trees.
“Nothing, I hope. I think we should get some rest. There are only a few hours before dawn, and I don’t think we’ll have any visitors tonight.”
“I just need to eat,” Charlotte said, quietly.
“I’ll come.” Archer grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the trees. He laughed at my expression. “We won’t be long. Ten minutes tops.”
Josh walked me back to the shed, his arm around my shoulders. Together we climbed the stairs to the loft. I still couldn’t shake the feeling there was something wrong, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. Josh scanned my bookshelf and made a few Shakespeare related comments before coming to sit with me on the bed. We talked a little, waiting until we heard Archer and Charlotte come back, before lying down and getting comfortable.
Josh was having his thoughts again and I smiled to myself. Boys had one track minds. But the thought of being that close to him scared me. I was unsure what effect it would have on either of us. The possible outcomes were numerous, and although we both wanted to, it was probably not a good time. I snuggled in to Josh and sighed. The feeling of his strong embrace made me immensely happy, and I felt safe. Within moments he was snoring softly.
When I finally fell asleep I plunged head first into a dream. Josh and I stood on the rock outcrop where I’d first revealed myself to him. We gazed at the beautiful valley, but something in the air didn’t feel right. The sky shifted, changing colour before our eyes, and the clouds raced across the sky. The wind picked up and I turned to Josh, but I was alone. Frantically, I spun in all directions trying to find him. I heard him call my name. I walked to the edge of the rock and looked down into his scared face. He was falling away from me, and I couldn’t reach him.
My wings unfurled and I spread them wide, diving towards him. The air turned cold and the sky went an inky black. The closer I got to Josh, the further he fell away from me; it felt like we would be falling for eternity. When I finally caught him, before he hit the ground, I grabbed him eagerly and pulled him close, cradling him in my arms. I flew us back to the outcrop, laid him down on the hard rock and looked at him.
The eyes staring at me were cold and dead, lifeless, but what scared me the most was that it wasn’t Josh lying in my arms anymore. An ear piercing scream stabbed the air and echoed over the valley, it took a few seconds for my brain to register that the scream was mine.
I woke with a start and sat up in bed, gasping for air, feeling like I was suffocating. Josh rolled towards me and panicked when he saw my face.
“Grace, what is it? What happened?”
My body shook all over and I burrowed into his chest. He held me, gently stroking my hair, until I calmed down. After relaying the details of my dream, Josh lifted my chin and kissed me softly.
“It was only a dream,” he said.
“My dreams are never only dreams. I’m scared.” Scared that something would happen to him, but worse, that something horrible had already happened.
“Hey, we’ve got this far, we’ll be ok,” he said.
I really wanted to believe him, but somehow I wasn’t completely convinced.
TWENTY-TWO
GRACE
Friday Morning
We decided not to tell Archer and Charlotte about my dream; I didn’t want to worry them any more than I had to. When I thought about it later, telling them probably would have been a good idea.
Everyone was quiet as we got ready for school. My morning shower felt like bliss, but did little to calm the feeling of dread in my stomach. At least
it was Friday and there was only one more day before the weekend. It was a welcoming thought, after the week we’d had I was looking forward to letting my hair down on Saturday night. You only turned eighteen once in a lifetime—maybe not so much in my case—but Archer still wasn’t convinced a party was a good idea.
The short ride to school was quiet, too. Archer drove with Charlotte next to him while I sat in the back with Josh. When we pulled into the gravel driveway, like we had so many times before, something was different. Something was wrong. We passed the gate where almost the entire school’s population was milling around. Everyone looked lost, and some were crying. Archer parked the car, made a comment I didn’t hear, and I jumped out.
There wasn’t much conversation going on in the crowd, but the noise in their heads was horrendous. Once I passed through the gate I began to run, trying to find some truth in what I was hearing, in what everyone was thinking. What I saw next confirmed it.
My legs buckled beneath me and I fell to the asphalt. The pain didn’t register as the rough ground cut my knees open. My body was wracked with sobs of grief and devastation, and I couldn’t get up. An ambulance made its way across the yard with Ryan walking along side it, his face wet with tears. It was then I knew Emma was dead. For a moment Ryan’s eyes met mine, and the pain I saw in them made me want to scream until my voice was gone.
Two sets of strong hands lifted me off the ground and supported my weight. There was no way I could stand on my own. The muffled sound of students talking merged into one big drone. I felt lost, empty. Archer and Josh led me out of the path of the ambulance and we could do nothing but look as it passed through the gate. Ryan stopped, shoulders heaving, before turning in our direction.
His face was contorted with emotion, and I knew if I looked in a mirror my face would be the same. There was someone screaming Emma’s name, over and over again. That someone was me.
