by ERIN BEDFORD
I stopped by Sarah's once that week, looking for some kind of insight into my powers or even just a listening ear. I could use with a friend who understood what I was going through. I still hadn't gotten my phone back and I knew it was just a matter of time before Nikki showed up with a whole SWAT team looking for me.
"Be patient." Sarah told me as she poured me another glass of her god-awful tea. "I see change in the air. Worry causes nothing but wrinkles."
I snorted. "From what I hear we're practically immortal. So, I don't think I have to worry too much about that."
Sarah smiled gently at me. "Oh, we age. I didn't get this way from drinking too much tea." She winked at she took a sip of her cup. "Tell me what's really bothering you."
I twirled my cup around in between my hands, staring down at its cooling contents. "I just feel so stuck. I'm not progressing with my powers. I'm not really learning anything but a bunch of history about stuff I don't even care about." I sighed and laid my head down on my arms, pushing my cup away. "My dad has disappeared again, so I don't even know what happened with Michael. I'm supposed to be starting college this fall with Nikki. Instead," I banged my fist on the table making the cups rattle. "I'm stuck here with no way out and I'm going a bit-" "Stir crazy?"
"Exactly." I sighed long and hard. "I just don't know what to do. Does anyone leave this place?"
Sarah chuckled. "Of course, they do, silly girl. Do you think we keep them trapped here forever?"
I arched a brow.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Sarah shifted around in her seat to pick up a photo album. "You
younglings, I'll never understand any of your generation." She laid the photo album down on the table and flipped it open to a page. "See, we don't keep them captive. This girl became a famous actress." She pointed at a pretty dark-haired girl with big curls, I recognized from some old black and white movies. "And this boy here, why he became a football star. Won three Super Bowls." She smiled fondly as she went through each person in the book. Some went on to do amazing things while others went on to have normal lives.
"So, what's the point of bringing us here then? Won't the angels still be hunting them down once they leave?"
She tapped her nose and grinned mischievously. "Ah, yes but Nephilim who have been taught to shield and protect themselves are far harder to take out than mere children who are defenseless and vulnerable."
I inclined my head. "Oh."
"Which is only one of the reasons why your father wants you here."
Frowning, I shifted back in my chair. "What's the other reasons?"
Closing the photo album, Sarah set it to the side. "I'm sure you've noticed that you're not quite like the others."
My lips twisted to one side.
"It's not your fault, dear. There's nothing wrong with you." She placed her hand a few inches from mine. "Angels were never meant to mate with humans, let alone have children. The offspring of those couplings made you...the Nephilims. Which was fine for a while. Then the Nephilims began to breed amongst themselves making even more powerful offspring. Like your friend, Dex."
I flushed at her mentioning of him. "That's why he can read minds and make fire."
"Precisely."
"And what about me?" I stared down at my hands in wonder. "I can't do any of the things the others can. I'm not even a real seer." I frowned harder as my brows drew together tight. "My dad is an angel - fallen angel or whatever - and my mom was a Nephilim." My gaze drifted up to hers. "What about me? No one has ever mentioned what happens to people like me."
Sarah expression softened. "That's because people like you don't exist. Not only is it forbidden but near impossible." Her smile grew, lifting her teacup to her lips. "Not completely, obviously. After all, they made you."
"But what does that mean? Will I be able to do any of the stuff everyone else can? Make fire? Read minds?" I listed all the different abilities I could think of off to her and she simply nodded.
"Perhaps. But we won't know until it is time."
I glanced down at the mark on my hand. The one that was almost nonexistent. My dad said he would redo it here, but I hadn't seen him to worry about that conversation just yet. I didn't know if I wanted him to redo it and yet I could barely handle the powers I had. Did I really want more?
Thanking Sarah, I left her rooms with a lot on my mind. It was near lunch time now and though I wasn't quite hungry I knew I should eat something.
When I arrived at the dining hall, it wasn't packed as much as usual. Searching the room, I found a familiar head of red hair.
"Hey," Zephyr gave me one of those little guy jerks of his head as he popped a grape into his mouth. None of the others were there yet. Strange.
"Uh, hey." I slid into a seat next to him because it would be rude not to and began grabbing things off the trays lining the table. After my little session with Sarah, my stomach was a bit wobbly. I choose something light. Something that wouldn't curdle in my stomach later.
"Jell-O huh?"
"What?" I glanced away from the red pile of wiggly gelatin. "Uh, yeah. My stomach doesn't want food today."
Nodding understandingly, Zephyr popped another grape into his mouth. "That's cool. I get like that some days too. You know what helps?" He leaned toward me conspiratorially.
I decided to play along with his game. "What?"
"Don't get involved with teachers."
I jerked back. "What?"
Zephyr smirked, his brows wagging at me. "Don't pretend like something's not going on with you two."
"There isn't." I shifted, stabbing my jello with my spoon.
"Then it must have been someone else I saw getting handsy with teacher when they were supposed to be in class a few days ago." He chuckled and shook his head, sticking his fork into the pile of potato salad before shoving it into his mouth.
"That was...nothing." I ended lamely and then my shoulders bunched up. "What's it to you anyway?"
Shaking his head once more, his face clearly laughing at me. "No reason. No reason at all. Just..." he continued as if he hadn't just said he didn't care. "Be careful. He's different. Not like the rest of us."
My fingers curled around the handle of my spoon tightly. "Different how?"
"You know," Zephyr muttered through a mouthful of food. "He's got two Nephilim parents." He frowned with concern. "I doubt there's much human in him anywhere. Probably why the girls all fawn over him so much."
"What's so wrong with that?" My words having more of a bite than I meant for it too.
"Nothing. I just -" "And you know what? It sounds like you're just jealous." I snapped at him before he could defend himself more. "And besides that, there are plenty who would say I'm different too." I jumped to my feet, suddenly not hungry at all. "And what do you know about it anyway?"
I turned on my heel and stalked out of the dining hall. On my way out, I practically ran into Ayden and the others
"Hey, Elle." She smiled at me and then frowned when she saw my face. "Hey guys, I'll catch up." When they were gone, she shifted closer but didn't touch me. "Uh, what's up?"
"Nothing." I shifted my face to the side and then huffed. Why was I angry? I didn't know Dex. For all I knew Zephyr had been right. Still, I didn't like the way he talked about him. Like being different was a bad thing. If anyone was different it would be me.
Taking a deep breath, I blew it out slowly. "Nothing, really. Someone just got on my nerves. Where were you at?"
"Oh." Ayden's face lit up and then she held her arm up. "We were getting passes for the trip to town this weekend." She showed me the metal gold bracelet around her wrist.
"To town?" My face perked up at the news. "What town? When? Where?"
Ayden giggled. "It's a thirty-minute drive to Newbury. You just have to go get a pass from Azazel."
"What about the angels?" I pointed out not believing for a second that Azazel would let me leave the school on my own if at all. "And the barrier."
"That's what the pass
is for." Ayden held her arm up again. "It works as a temporary shield to mask us from the angels and a locator of sorts."
"What do you mean?"
"It tells Azazel or whoever monitors them where you are at all times." She twisted the bracelet around her wrist. "If you get too far away from the approved area it sends out a sort of electrical current as a warning. If you get too far away, the current gets stronger until it knocks you out and someone will come get you to take you back to the school."
"That doesn't sound safe." It sounded more like cruel and unusual punishment to me. Another way for my dad and Azazel to keep control of their students.
Ayden shrugged not too worried about it. "The twins tried to take off with a group of girls at one point and got knocked flat on their asses. Serves them right for trying to ditch us but it also serves as a way to keep us safe."
"I don't see how." I arched a brow at the bracelet. I wasn't sure I wanted one of those on my wrist now.
"Because," Ayden leaned closer to me. "Say that an angel did find one of us and they snatched us up? It would not only knock us out but whoever was touching us too." I stared at the little piece of metal with a renewed interest. That could come in handy. "So, you see, it sucks to be monitored yeah but it’s for our own good."
I hummed but didn't answer her. Ayden and the others seemed to have all drunken the same Kool aid here at the Fallon Academy. Arguing with her to see the light would do nothing but make her mad and isolate me from the only allies I had.
"Well, I'm going to go to lunch." Ayden shifted her book bag from one shoulder to the other. "See you later?"
I inclined my head. "Yeah, I'm going to go see about getting a pass."
"Good idea. I can show you around town!" Her amber eyes brightened considerably. "They have a little diner there that has the best milk shakes. You are going to die. I swear."
I chuckled politely at her enthusiasm. "I'm sure. I'll let you know."
"Great. See ya."
Waving bye, I headed for Azazel's office. I needed to talk to the crazy angel woman anyway about my dad, might as well try and get a pass too. Not that I had high hopes of getting one. If I was still being babysat around the school grounds the likelihood of her letting me actually leave the school was slim to none.
When I arrived at Azazel's office there were raised voices behind her door. I sat on the bench outside of it and waited for the voices to quiet. A moment later the door flung open and Dex stood there.
Nostrils flaring and shoulders tight, he was just as beautiful as the day I met him.
His eyes dropped to me. "What are you doing here?"
I stood and held my bag tightly to my side. "Getting a pass for the weekend."
Dex snorted, placing a hand over his face as he shook his head. "Of course, you are. No sense of self preservation." The words were muttered more to himself than to me, but I responded anyway.
"What was that?" My jaw tightened and I stepped closer to him.
To my surprise and annoyance, he backed up a step.
"Afraid of me now, Dex?" I arched a brow, a hint of laughter in my voice.
"Stop saying my name like that." He grunted, walking away from the door. What could I say I was a masochist. I followed him.
"Like what?"
Dex turned his head to the side. "Like we're friends. Like you know me."
So, he was as bothered as I was by the visions. At least, I wasn't the only one suffering.
"Aren't we though?" I quickened my steps until I could jump in front of him, giving him little choice but to stop or run me over. "I think we both know we're going to be more than friends."
"Not every vision comes true." Dex glared down at me with exasperation.
"Mine do."
"Well, this one won't." Dex sidestepped me and stalked away. This time I didn't follow him.
I didn't know what his problem with me was. I hadn't done anything to him. Except make him get a boner and have babysitting duties. Still, I couldn't understand why he was so against what happened in my visions. We were both adults. There was nothing wrong with us having a physical relationship. Not that I had planned on it with anyone here. Any bumping of uglies I had planned were for college where I could get drunk and one night stand my way through the male population. That way I didn't have to worry about them dying on me if I got too attached.
"Eleanor." Azazel's voice jerked me out of my thoughts. "Did you need something?"
I glanced back toward the direction Dex had gone and then back to Azazel. "Uh, yeah." I hurried over to her office. She closed it behind me after I stepped in. Rounding her desk, she sat behind it and clicked at her keyboard.
When I didn't say anything for a long moment only watching her work, she stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. "Well, out with it already."
The first thing to come out of my mouth wasn't about the weekend pass or even about my dad. "What was all that about?"
"All what?" Her voice had no inflection to it at all nor did she give away any of what she was thinking.
I opened my mouth to ask about the argument with her and Dex and then clipped my mouth shut. What did I care? Not like she'd tell me anyway. "Nothing. Never mind." "Then if that's all?" She turned back to her computer, but I didn't leave. "What now?" This time she let an annoyed sigh fall from her mouth.
"I want to see my dad."
"Oh?" Her brows shot up to her hair line. "You do? That's certainly a surprise."
"Well, so? He's my dad. I can talk to him if I want." I pressed my lips into a hard line and stepped up to her desk. "And if you hadn't confiscated my phone, I could have called him myself." I held my hand out. "I want it back."
"Why? So, you can call your little friend?" She clasped her hands in front of her on the desk. "I'm afraid that's out of the question. However, I can arrange a meeting with your father but I'm afraid he's in meetings all day today. Perhaps, Monday? Would that work for you?" I ground my teeth together. "Fine."
"Was that all?" She swiveled her chair hopeful to have me gone.
"No. It's not." I straightened and crossed my arms over my chest, doing my best to down on her the same way she did me every day. "I want a weekend pass."
Her lip twitched. "Are you asking or telling?"
Seeing that I was acting like a child, I dropped my arms and took a breath. "I mean, can I please have a pass for the weekend? I'm going to go crazy if I don't get out of here. I already have someone on my butt twenty-four seven." Well, except for the fact that I'd ducked out of lunch to come here without telling my escort. "I won't even really be having free reign seeing as those trackers you have on the students are as good as shock collars."
"I see someone told you about those." Azazel's lips curled up menacingly. "It's one of my better ideas."
"It's barbaric."
"And yet you want one." She held her hands out to either side.
Fuck if I did. I didn't care if it told them where I was all the time or shock the shit out of me, I needed out of this place and now. Even if just for a little while.
"Yes," I struggled to get the next word out, "please."
"Very well," She reached into her drawer and pulled out an identical bracelet to Ayden's. She gestured for me to hold my arm out. Reluctantly, I did so, watching as she clasped it on my wrist. "This cannot be taken off by anyone but me. So, don't be getting any idea." She gave me a pointed look.
"Of course not, mistress," I gave her a mock bow sarcasm heavy in my tone. "I live only to please you."
She snorted. "If only that were true. Both of our lives would be so much easier."
Chapter 17
Well, I’d heard of being pumped and then dumped but this was ridiculous.
That night, I had the theater dream again. This time I wasn't alone. Someone else was sitting in the theater with me. Except I couldn't tell who they were. The closer I got to them the more indistinguishable their features became.
The projector playing the reel of my life clicked l
oudly in my mind signaling the end of the film and yet the dream didn't end. The shadows played in the corners watching and waiting. Not taunting me as usual.
Then for the first time ever the projector started again. This time the screen showed scenes I'd never seen before. Ones that weren't from my life at least. Or maybe they were ones that had not yet happened?
A blonde winged man with a gleaming sword fought with a dark-haired figure on the ground. I couldn't see either of their faces, but they were both heavily beaten already. Fire burst from the dark-haired man's hand and the blonde spun away from it using his wings to extinguish the flame.
"Stop this!" I yelled but it wasn't me, it was the me on the screen. I ran in between the two of them throwing my arms up to block them. "This isn't going to solve anything. We have to work together."
I tried to tell myself to get out of the way, I'd only get hurt but neither man came after me. In fact, the moment they saw me they were hesitate to attack. Then out of nowhere the ground beneath our feet shook and broke. The last thing I heard before the screen went black was someone screaming my name.
I woke up in a sheen of sweat. It was still dark out and one glance at my alarm clock said it was just after five in the morning. Too wired to sleep, I rolled out of bed and grabbed my toiletry bag. Since we were going into town today, I could put on street clothes and not wear my uniform for once. I hated that thing and would happily burn it the moment I got to leave this place.
The hallway was quiet on my way out of my room and into the coed bathroom across the hall. I slipped into one of the stalls and sat my belongings on the provided shelf. Turning on the shower, I turned it up as hot as it would go hoping it would wash away some of the chill my dream had left behind.
I didn't know how long I stood there in the shower for but the water tank at the school must be phenomenal because the hot water never ran out.
It was while I was in the middle of lathering up my hair that the door to the bathroom opened. A familiar voice called out.
