by Amy Miles
Gabby couldn’t help but laugh. She laughed so hard she almost fell out of her chair. The tension that had been pulling on her shoulders melted away.
“I’m sorry I told you,” he muttered.
“Alex, no. I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s my first date, too. I was sitting at home wondering how to act or dress. I was a mess.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Seriously.”
They both laughed, only sobering when the waitress glared at them as if they had lost their minds.
Alexander reached across the table, grasped her hand, and kissed it. “Grace was right. I did need to take things slow and get to know you.”
Her heart soared at his words and soft touch, disappointment filling her when their soup arrived and they had to let go. She sat straight, shoulders back, across from Alexander, sipping beer cheese soup. It had been years since she ate in a restaurant. All the flavors were so hearty and filling. Even the croutons on the salad were homemade. The smells of fresh cracked pepper and spices perfumed the air. Halfway through the main course, she was stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite.
The sun had started to drop down below the horizon as they finished dinner.
“Why don’t we watch the sunset on the pier?” Alexander pulled her chair out for her.
“I’d like that,” she said, taking his hand as he led her out of the restaurant. “I don’t have to rush home tonight.”
“Why?”
“My dad called and said he wouldn’t be home till late.”
People with the same idea flocked to the pier, with picnic baskets, bottles of wine, and blankets in tow. Half of them looked like lobsters, probably tourists with no sense to wear sunscreen.
Alexander led Gabby over to a less inhabited corner of the pier. The rhythmic surf swayed the wood beneath them and she grabbed his arm to steady herself. He leaned back against the railing and edged her closer to him, and then pushed her hair behind her ear, taking her breath with it.
This was it. The moment.
Nervous energy shot through her. She’d been waiting all night for a kiss, but now, she trembled at the thought. Would this kiss be as sensational as the first? He took her face in his hands and tilted her head up. “I’m so lucky I found you,” he whispered.
He was lucky? She didn’t have time to reply before his lips pressed against hers.
After a moment, her nerves settled and she responded to the sweeping and teasing of his mouth. For the first time in years, she felt safe.
Never had she imagined such a perfect guy would want her. But here he was, kissing her on a pier where everyone could see. She gave herself over completely to the moment and to him. Not a hint of loneliness remained. For the first time in a long time, she felt…loved.
Chapter Eleven
“Excuse me,” a sarcastic voice said, shattering their moment. “I hate to interrupt the two of you.”
Alexander broke the kiss and she turned to glare at the intruder. Forras and his friend, Gremory, stood a few feet away. Hatred and fear collided as she steadied herself, trying to appear as if they were no more than a nuisance.
“What do you want?” Alexander bit out.
“You know what I want.”
“Stay away from her.” Alexander stepped in front of Gabby, agitation dripping from his voice.
“Calm down, pet. I just want to have a little chat with Spunky. I think she deserves to know the truth.”
“Don’t call me that,” Gabby snapped.
“You don’t like my pet name for you?” Forras feigned shock then his face morphed into a sneer. “You know you’re mine, right? I’ve already marked you.” He and Gremory edged closer, boxing them in.
“Go away, Forras. She’s not interested in anything you have to say.” Alexander stood with his fists clenched at his sides, ready to defend her. “She knows you lie, that you twist everything around. She’s too smart to fall for your tricks.”
“Tricks?” Forras waved his fingers in the air, mimicking the way a sorcerer might conjure a spell. “I’m not going to use any demon manipulation on her.”
“Not interested.” Gabby stepped from behind Alexander. Grasping his hand, she tugged him to leave.
“Alexander hasn’t told you the whole truth, has he? You have a right to know what really happened to your mother.”
Gabby stopped abruptly, her sudden flash of grief at his words quickly replaced by anger. “What do you know? You know nothing, about me or my mother.” Gabby started forward again, choking down the crackling in her voice.
“Maybe, maybe not. But Alexander knows.”
“Shut up, Forras! I’m warning you.” Alexander pulled free of her grasp and turned to face them, his expression twisted into harsh ridges.
“Or what?” Forras chuckled. “You can’t do a thing to stop me. Your little dog isn’t around and you can’t take angel form in front of all these people. Though, I don’t really care if they all find out I’m a demon,” he said with a careless wave of his hand.
Gremory circled behind them and put a hand on Alexander’s shoulder. “Maybe you should find a support group to help you come out of the closet.” Both demons chuckled.
Blinded by anger, Gabby didn’t realize they’d split up and cornered them until it was too late. She tried to step around Forras, but he moved too fast, blocking her escape.
Why is he doing this? What is he even talking about?
“Alex couldn’t know anything about my mother. She died a year ago in a car accident, you idiot. He wasn’t even there.” Knowing he was just baiting her again, she forced her anger down, making her expression bored. “You know, I feel sorry for you. I couldn’t imagine being that inadequate, living with all that jealousy. I think you’re the one that needs a support group.”
He smiled down at her, making her skin crawl. That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting.
“Poor Spunky,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t have a clue about anything, do you? About Alexander and what he’s capable of. You see, he was there when your mother—”
“I said shut up, Forras.” Alexander flung Gremory’s hand off his shoulder and grabbed Gabby’s arm to push past Forras.
An instant later, Forras appeared a few feet in front of them again, leaning against a railing.
“Why won’t you just leave us alone?” The mark on her skin throbbed. She rubbed the sting away.
“I wasn’t finished,” he snarled, his expression menacing. “Alexander murdered your mother.”
She stared at him in disbelief. Just how big of an idiot was he? “You really think such a blatant lie will work? I’m not falling for any of your nonsense. Now, go away…” Her voice broke, a heavy feeling of dread consuming her.
“Ask your boyfriend. I bet he won’t deny it.”
No, this is all just one of his games.
Gabby tried to ignore him, to push around him and flee, but the mark on her abdomen rooted her to the spot. It yanked her about, compelling her to turn and face Alexander, as if Forras had placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around himself. He had complete control over her body and no amount of struggling would loosen his grip.
The sting of fear raced through her veins. She whimpered and tried to shut her eyes, to deny his hold over her in any way she could, but he pried her eyes open.
Guilt marred Alexander’s face and filled his eyes, draining the fight and any last hope she had that Forras was lying.
“Tell him he’s wrong,” she pleaded. “Alex, please. Tell him.” Her voice rose and she choked back the sobs she knew were surfacing.
Slowly, he looked up into her eyes. “Gabby…I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you.”
“No! It’s not true!” But his face said otherwise. He’d betrayed her. Lied to her. Murdered her mother.
Forras’ control snapped free. A shiver ran through her body and she took off running, tripping and twisting her ankles in her heeled shoes on the boardwalk. People watched as she raced past
. The demonic mark on her abdomen stung like a swarm of army ants, all biting at once. She didn’t know where she was going or what she was going to do. She just had to get away from them.
She turned, racing down an alley behind a building and into an empty parking lot near the woods, attempting to flee the voices echoing in her head. Images of the car crash flashed through her mind. The sounds, smells, sensations, and emotions, everything haunted her. Burning anxiety blanketed her skin.
Could Forras be forcing her to relive that day? To see Alexander’s role in this?
No, he couldn’t have caused the accident.
But why didn’t he deny it? She crouched, holding her head in her hands, trying to make the vision go away. It was as vivid as one of her dreams. Her head pounded as hard as her heart, but she couldn’t escape the memory.
Screams filled the air. Her hand slipped as her body slid across the seat, grasping, clutching for the door handle. No success.
The old Lincoln rolled down the side of the highway, down a snow covered hill. Her door flew open. With flailing arms and legs, she tried to gain purchase of something – anything.
Nothing was there. The car was gone and she flew through the darkness of night.
Her stomach lurched somewhere high above her body until she slammed against a hard surface. A large metal object landed on top of her.
“Ahhh.” The sound escaped her lips but no oxygen came. Coughing and gasping for air, she tried to roll over but her lower body wouldn’t budge.
Hot-ridged metal pinned her legs against the icy ground. “H-help.” Hushed words left her lips. She tried drawing in a deep breath, but her lungs felt pinched shut. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt. She could see the metal on her legs, but her body was numb.
“W-where, w-what happened?” Bitter cold invaded her lungs as her chest rose and fell, allowing a welcomed breath.
She shoved the metal and pried her legs free. Blood trickled down the crease in the palm of her hand. The stench of burning rubber and skin caused her to gag.
Her gaze darted about. Blood stained metal at her feet - dark smoke - muffled screams. Who’s screaming?
“Help … Oh, God. Help, please … help.” The screams were her own. “Please … M-mom … D-dad … w-where are you?”
Car. They were in the car. Where was the car? Why weren’t they coming to help?
Her gaze followed a trail of debris down the embankment. “No… no… no.” She whimpered when she spotted the mangled green heap. A plume of smoke danced toward the dark sky.
“M-mom, Mommy.” Her pleas remained unanswered.
She clutched the side of a tree and pulled herself up, but pain shot from her foot, and her legs buckled. “I have to … I.” Clutching the tree again, she made it to one foot.
“Mom … Dad.” She yelled, but heard only her own muffled voice. As she inched forward, the bone in her right foot moved with each hobbled step. One hand held a rib pushing out on her lower right side as the other wiped blood from her eye. Fire pulsed through every part of her body with each pump of blood. Unable to stand the pressure of bone moving against muscle and flesh, she collapsed to the ground behind what was left of the car. “Mommy, please … please.”
Red stains covered crinkled safety glass. She reached down and picked up one of her cleats resting on the ground.
A man’s arm shot out from the pile of metal.
“Dad … M-mom. I’m here. I’m here.”
Her father crawled out through a hole in the wreckage as smoke gathered in thicker clouds. “Eliana, hang on,” her father yelled into the hole. Gabby tried to move, to help, but she sat frozen, watching her father work to free her mom.
“Daddy … please, daddy.”
He reached back through the hole as flames sputtered to life from the engine. Gabby watched him pull her mother’s limp body from the car mere seconds before fire engulfed what was left of the front seat.
Her father’s voice echoed in the darkness as he sobbed, “Eliana, don’t die. Please don’t die.”
His soot and tear streaked face glowed in the light of the fire. His consuming grief was exposed, there for everyone to see.
“Please God don’t … don’t take her.” She pleaded into the night until her mother’s hand moved. Ignoring her pain, she crawled toward her father and mother entwined in a final embrace. Before she could reach them, her mother’s shaking hand reached up to caress the side of her father’s face. “Bruce, take care of Gabby. Please let her have time to enjoy life before…”
As the condensed vapor of her breath in the cold night air faded, so did the life of her mother.
“There’s more,” Forras whispered in her mind.
She fought against Forras’ possession, gritting her teeth, willing herself to remain in the present, but he won.
She dragged her scorched leg, reaching out toward her mother’s lifeless form, and she saw him. Kneeling in a snow-covered field not too far from the crash, his wings outstretched and eyes ablaze, was Alexander. Laughter. Deep sinister laughter filled her ears, drowning out all other sound. She knew that laugh, recognized the way it made her skin go cold. Forras.
Both of them were there.
Someone touched her shoulder and she jolted, the vision vanishing. She glanced up, trying to see through the blur of water in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry.” Alexander wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
The sight of him made her angry. “No, you don’t get to comfort me.” She pushed him away and slid up the wall to stand.
“You’re only sorry you got caught,” Forras’ mocking voice said from behind her. His mark on her abdomen pulsed with the beat of her heart. I wanted to punch Forras and strangle Alexander for taking my mother from me and making me relive it all over again.
Gremory stood behind Alexander, taunting him.
“Leave her alone,” Alexander ordered. “Haven’t you done enough?”
“I’m just getting started.” Forras stepped closer, looming over her with a huge grin on his face. “She’s mine now. You lost, pet.”
Furious she fisted her hands. “I’m not anyone’s,” Gabby bit out. “I’m not a thing you, or anyone else, can possess.” Gabby’s body shook violently, betraying her. She turned to run, to get away from the torture of the truth, but Alexander grabbed her arm.
“No, you have to stay with me. I understand if you never want to see me again, but let me take you home. You’re not safe on your own, not with Forras targeting you.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near me,” Gabby shouted.
“It doesn’t matter. I have all the time in the world. You’ll never get away,” Forras taunted.
Gabby pulled from Alexander, only to fall into Forras. His arms locked around her and everything erupted. Enormous leathery muscles clamped around her, glowing red eyes shone, browns and greens smeared in the darkness, just like one of her paintings—the one that evoked so much pain.
Forras raked his claws across her shoulder and she screamed in agony. Blood ran down her arm, the red mixing with brown and yellow. She pulled away, gritting her teeth against the sharp pain radiating from her neck all the way to her fingers.
Forras stood several feet away. Brown and yellow blood trickled down his wart-covered, gray cheek, the same blood that coated her arm. His blood.
The world spun around her. She could hear Alexander calling her name as though from far away. Then the ground quaked and lights exploded as she fled the boardwalk toward the woods.
She ran faster, harder, leaving her shoes behind. Twigs and rocks cut into her feet. Glancing back, she saw the trail of blood behind her but didn’t stop.
A rage, unlike any she’d ever felt before, surfaced from within. As she reached the clearing, Boon and Sammy jumped up from their picnic blanket on the ground.
“Sorry to interrupt your secret rendezvous,” she said. She could hear the hate and sarcasm of her voice but didn’t care.
“What’s wrong?” Sammy ran ove
r to Gabby but she shoved her away, knocking Sammy to the ground. Her new strength empowered her. There was no more pain or sorrow, just unadulterated hate and fury fueling her, urging her on. No more being a victim. She could handle herself.
Boon ran to her. “Gabby, you’re bleeding! What happened?”
She nearly laughed. “Nothing. I feel great.”
Boon studied her. “I bet you do. For another couple of minutes, anyway.”
“What are you talking about?” Sammy looked between her and Boon.
Boon approached cautiously. “Can I look at your shoulder, Gabby?”
“Why not.” She jerked her arm toward him.
“Where’s Alexander?” Sammy shrieked.
“Who cares?” Gabby shrugged. “Poor little Boon. You’re so pathetic. Why do you hide from him?”
Boon ignored her and leaned in to sniff her shoulder. “Sammy, find Alexander. Now. We might only have minutes left.”
Sammy took off into the air, a blinding light spreading out below her.
“Why do you sound so concerned? Everything is great, amazing, stupendous. I’ve never felt so alive before.”
“Gabby, you have to listen to me.” Boon gripped her arms. “You have to fight it.”
“Fight what?”
“The poison. It’s going to be painful, excruciatingly so, but you have to be strong.” Boon gave her a gentle shake. “Look at me.”
What was he talking about? “I don’t know about you, but I feel fantastic. I could take on the world right now.”
“I know. It’s a euphoric sensation, but it’s going to pass. You’re going to hate everyone and everything. You’re going to want to cause pain to everyone you love. You’re going to feel like…a demon.”
Alexander appeared, knocking Boon to the side, a navy hue surrounding him. “Are you alright?”
Gabby shoved him away from her and he stumbled back several steps. “What do you mean, am I alright? What do you care? You murdered my mother.”
Her skin started to burn.
“Gabby, stay calm. You’re just going to make it worse,” Boon said in a soothing tone.
