by Kate Brian
I ignored her. Even if I wasn’t a member of the Peyton Wynn fan club, I didn’t like the way Mary Ellen felt the need to tear her down to soothe her own ego. The boys on the other hand, were nothing but complimentary.
“Nice going.” Spencer slapped Xavier on the back when he got back to his apartment. “She’s a great girl.”
I didn’t like the way people were acting as if they were already a couple.
“This is good for you too, Laurie,” Clay said. It took me a moment to realize he was addressing me.
“How so?” I asked drily.
“Peyton can get you a bid to DG,” he said. “And she’s a great role model.”
“That’s true,” Clay’s girlfriend, whose name I couldn’t remember, chimed in. “Peyton Wynn is like, everything you want to be as a woman. She’ll totally take you under her wing.”
“Great,” I said, trying not to look like I’d just sucked on a lemon. “Can’t wait.”
12
Twisted Sister
I slept fitfully from then on. I dreamed of Peyton and Xavier’s wedding, full of rapturous guests and bouquets of flowers just as it should be instead of substitute rings and a dead priest like ours had featured. Xavier’s entire family was there and Peyton’s father gave her away at the altar. Mary Ellen was there too, tugging on my sleeve incessantly and crying when Xavier failed to acknowledge her presence. Then the scene shifted and I watched as Wade proposed to Molly. I saw her accept without hesitation and he carried her across the dance floor. She seemed to be dancing while standing on his feet so he was propping her up like a ragdoll. None of the moves she made were her own and her head lolled eerily to one side like she was a puppet full of stuffing. When her vacant eyes met mine, they were looking right through me.
Throughout the dream, I felt a peculiar itching at the back of my neck like I was developing a rash, an allergic reaction to something or someone in the room. I kept spinning in circles, searching for the eyes that were hiding in the shadows but I only caught a glimpse of a figure for a split second before it vanished. It was only moments before I woke up that I saw him. He was a Seven, but different from the others. He wore an iron mask to cover his face and fingerless leather gloves. The mask had a slit for a mouth and two eyeholes through which I saw nothing but blackness. I thought I could hear his rasping breaths even from where I stood. I had the strangest feeling that I knew him from somewhere. The dream left me rattled and glancing over my shoulder for the rest of the day.
* * *
WHILE Xavier was in class, Ivy and Gabriel turned up to give me an update. Luckily, Mary Ellen had gone to the library and was absent from the dorm. It wasn’t safe for her to meet Gabriel; I didn’t know how she’d react and we didn’t have time to waste fending off her attempts at flirty banter.
“I dreamed about them,” I told Gabriel as he leaned against the bed frame wearing a serious expression. The ring on his index finger clinked as he drummed his hand against the bed frame. The daylight spilling through the window seemed to mingle with the gray of Gabriel’s eyes, turning them a dazzling reflective silver. They were so deep and clear sometimes I thought I was seeing right through to his soul. Only I knew he didn’t have one. Souls belonged exclusively to mortals; angels only had an essence.
“They’re trying to read your location through your dreams,” he said.
“So as soon as I dream of Ole Miss, they’ll know where I am?” I asked in alarm.
“Dreams are rarely specific,” Ivy said, patting my back. “If you dream of a college dorm, you could be in any dorm in any college across the country.”
“I suppose,” I said uncomfortably. “But as soon as I dream of the Lyceum or Colonel Reb, the game’s up. I’ll have given everything away.”
“Relax,” Ivy said. “Your subconscious is preoccupied with other things.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said gruffly. “So what’s the latest? Have you heard anything more?”
“As far as we know, the Sevens are still searching.”
“Well, that’s good,” I said, reaching out involuntarily to close the dusty venetian blinds. “And you’re sure they won’t come after you?” I hated the idea that my brother and sister might come to harm on my account.
“They’re too smart for that,” Ivy said. “They know we’ll put up a good fight.”
“But you could handle them, right?” I asked skeptically. I didn’t doubt the strength of my siblings; Ivy’s slender forearms could be as strong as steel and carry more force than a speeding truck, but I didn’t like the idea of them going up against an army. Nothing could change the fact that they would be outnumbered.
“I don’t know,” my sister said gravely. “If they attacked en masse, we might be in trouble. But they won’t risk it, they’d lose too many.”
“So we just stay put?” I asked, relieved we wouldn’t have to pack our meager belongings and flee again so soon.
“For now,” Gabriel said. “We have been trying to reach the Covenant to inform them of what the Principalities are doing. They may be able to stop them. Or at least restrict their powers.”
“What about Our Father? Where is He?” I asked breathlessly.
“Occupied,” replied Ivy, casting a nervous glance at Gabriel. “He has His hands full at the moment.”
“What are you talking about?” I was confused.
Gabriel sighed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “I suppose you were going to find out eventually,” he said. “Hell has retaliated, the demons are running riot.”
“What?” I whispered, feeling my heart turn to lead.
“Their influence has spread, and their numbers have tripled in the last few weeks,” said Gabriel. “The world is in serious trouble.”
My sister nodded dourly in confirmation. “The death of an Original has caused quite an uprising. Lucifer is sending his agents out like the plague.”
I felt my stomach sink to my shoes. Was this my fault? Were people now dying because of me, because I’d been stupid enough to make Lucifer angry? My hands crept up to cover my mouth but Gabriel seemed to read my thoughts.
“You are not responsible for the actions of the underworld, Bethany,” he said. “They need no excuse to cause pain and suffering.”
I rolled onto my bed and lay facedown on my pillow, wishing I could just hide and wait for all this to be over. I didn’t move until I felt Gabriel gently touch my back.
“Remember, it was not your hand that killed Jake,” he said. “It was mine.”
Those words did little to console me. It didn’t matter who had struck the final blow, people were still suffering because of us. The demons were sadistic and vicious enough when they had no lust for revenge. I couldn’t imagine the agony they’d now be inflicting on innocent people just to spite us. And if Our Father had no time for other concerns, then things must be bad.
“This is a disaster,” I whispered.
“Yes,” my brother said truthfully. “But we must not lose hope. Heaven may be busy right now, but He will answer our prayers.”
“What about the demons?” I asked. “Are they looking for us too?”
“We can’t be sure,” said Gabriel. “Right now there is no discernable pattern to their attacks, they seem to be in free fall. However…” He hesitated, unwilling to go on.
“I’m sure they haven’t forgotten about us,” I finished his thought.
“I doubt it,” said my brother grimly. “But let’s focus on one battle at a time.”
When Ivy and Gabriel left, I wanted to find Xavier immediately, but first I had to escape Mary Ellen, who had returned to the dorm, as bubbly and over the top as always.
“Where are you going?” she asked, bounding off the bed and practically attaching to my side.
“To meet a friend,” I said warily.
“Oh, great!” She grabbed her purse. “Just let me fix my make-up.”
I tried not to let my exasperation show on my face. She was so tactless sometimes. My
tone clearly indicated I didn’t want her company, as did the fact that I hadn’t invited her.
“Actually,” I said awkwardly, “I’m going to meet Molly and she’s having some boy trouble. I don’t think she wants to see anyone else.”
“But I’m good at giving relationship advice,” Mary Ellen said. I wondered if she was being deliberately obtuse.
“Yeah, Molly’s not all that comfortable around new people,” I said.
“But…”
“Sorry! See you later.” I cut her off and darted out of the room before she could protest further. I knew I was probably being callous and hurting her feelings, but I was so eager to see Xavier that I couldn’t stop to worry about it. I decided to make it up to her later.
I jogged lightly to the baseball field, where I knew Xavier had gone to practice with the boys in his fraternity. The place was abandoned when I got there, but Xavier was waiting for me inside. I hated having to meet with him in secret. We only got to be ourselves for a few stolen minutes each day. The rest of the time we were living this double life as Ford and Laurie McGraw. Sometimes I wished we really could trade places with these fictional characters and live like normal for a while. I wondered what it would be like to worry about things like grades and not being beaten too badly by a rival football team instead of the wrath of Heaven or Lucifer on the warpath.
I ducked quickly into the locker rooms hoping I wouldn’t be seen. Xavier was sitting on a bench wearing a white T-shirt. He scraped his fingers through his honey-colored hair that was damp from the shower. He looked up and smiled when I arrived—the same winning smile that always took my breath away.
“Hey, Beth,” he murmured softly. I went over and sat in his lap, nuzzling my head into his neck and breathing in his clean scent. His skin was so soft beneath my fingers.
“You smell good,” I told him, my arms wrapping around his torso, which felt solid and secure. “Kinda fruity.”
“Thanks.” Xavier rolled his eyes. “That makes me feel so manly.”
I laughed, before growing thoughtful. “This place really feels like home, doesn’t it? I wish we were here under different circumstances.”
“I know,” he said. “But things were never gonna be normal for us. I guess it makes us appreciate what we have.”
“We have to stick together,” I said earnestly. “Even if things get worse before they get better.”
“Of course,” Xavier said. “I’m in this for good. Even if the world falls apart at our feet, I’ll never leave you, Beth.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I just talked to Ivy and Gabriel … and you’re not gonna like what they said.”
Xavier ran his finger gently across my cheek and let it trail down to my lips. Usually, a comment like that would have put him on alert. He’d want to know details, know exactly what was said and what we needed to do next. But I sensed tiredness in him now, a reluctance to fight anymore.
“Is it a problem that Ford and Laurie have to worry about?”
I frowned. “No.”
“Then it can wait,” he said. “I never see you smile anymore. I miss that.”
I nodded and tipped my head up to look him in his brilliant turquoise eyes. His eyes used to sparkle, like he was laughing at a private joke he wouldn’t share with anyone else. Now he just looked weary.
“I don’t want to be Ford and Laurie right now,” I said. “How about we try being ourselves? But let’s go back to the way we were at the beginning, before any of this happened. Let’s go back to that night on the beach in Venus Cove, the night of the bonfire.”
Xavier and I both remembered that night with clarity. It was the night I had leapt from the cliff and let my wings break the fall. Although it had been the most frightening and daring revelation I could make, we had both been entirely at ease afterward. We had lain together in the sand for hours and by the end of it we had known we were meant to be together. Not even the anger of my brother and sister had detracted from the warm feeling that spread through me that night. Although Xavier was familiar to me, he was still spectacular, my own Prince Charming that had wandered right off the pages of a fairy tale and set my world ablaze. When I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of his hands on me, fireworks and shooting stars exploded behind my lids, leaving a trail of glittering cosmic dust in my mind.
I tipped my head up and nudged Xavier’s chin with my nose. He leaned toward me and his lips tickled my ear, sending little shivers down my spine. I wanted to see the carefree eighteen-year-old boy again, not the man weighed down by the woes of the world.
My hands came up and wound around the base of his neck, feeling the heat of his body spread through me. As our lips met, I felt a familiar bolt of intoxicating energy burst inside me and the fireworks exploded across my field of vision. The feeling never dulled no matter how many times I kissed Xavier, it was always as if I were kissing him for the first time. His arms closed around my waist, pulling me closer. He took my face in his hands and we were lost in a world where only the two of us existed, outside space and time. We were too distracted to hear the footsteps on the concrete outside until it was too late.
A strangled gasp broke the magic. I jerked away to see Mary Ellen standing in the doorway, both hands clapped over her mouth in shock. I jumped up and backed away but she had already seen everything. She must have been suspicious and followed me.
“I can explain,” I said as my back collided painfully with a locker. I felt the metal scrape across my shoulder blade, but I ignored it. It was a horrible cliché but I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Besides which, it was a lie. I couldn’t explain. I didn’t think the excuse He’s really my husband and we’re on the run was going to help our cause much.
“I don’t believe it,” she spluttered, backing away from us as if we were contaminated. “This is disgusting!”
“Mary Ellen, please listen…” Xavier stood up and held out his hands in supplication, but she cut him off.
“You’re sick! She’s your sister. How could you do that?”
“She’s not my sister,” Xavier tried to make her understand. “She’s my wife.”
“You got married!” Mary Ellen clutched her chest, like she were having a heart attack in what I thought was an overly theatrical gesture. Suddenly she narrowed her eyes. “So that’s why you never texted me back and why you wouldn’t return any of my signals. I thought I was being too subtle!”
“Too subtle?” Xavier asked incredulously, starting to get angry now. “You were about as subtle as a raging bull!”
“Well, sorry I couldn’t compete with your sister,” Mary Ellen shrieked.
“Shut up for a second,” I burst out, exasperated. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You might think that,” Mary Ellen said triumphantly. “But this community disagrees!”
“He and I are not related,” I said emphatically. “We were lying to you before. Lying to everyone.”
“Look.” Mary Ellen held up her hands. “I understand how you might think this is okay, but that’s because you’re not right in the head. I have to tell someone about this … for your own sake. You’ll thank me later.”
“Mary Ellen, wait!” Xavier cried out, but she had already turned and fled the locker room.
Xavier pressed his face into his hands, but I was already halfway out the door, ready to give chase.
“We have to go after her,” I said, going back to try and haul him to his feet.
“Why?” Xavier stared at me blankly. “She’ll never listen to us.”
“Xavier, think about it,” I said. “This is Mary Ellen we’re talking about … she’s going to tell everybody.”
“Let her.” He shrugged. “She’s got no proof. It’s her word against ours.”
“Doesn’t matter.” I grabbed his hand. “No one can ignore an accusation like that. Even if we deny it, it’s going to attract so much unwanted attention. We’ve spent all our time here trying to go unnoticed. If we let Mary Ellen put us i
n the spotlight…”
“They’ll find us,” Xavier concluded in a tight voice.
“Exactly!” I squeezed his hand. “Come on.”
It was hardly fair, I thought, as we pelted across the baseball fields. Ole Miss was more than just a hiding place for us. It represented everything we wanted but couldn’t have: a future together on earth. I didn’t want to leave and I wasn’t prepared to let Mary Ellen drive us away. I picked up the pace, running so hard I could no longer feel my feet hitting the ground. I was moving with speed I didn’t know I possessed. All I knew was that I couldn’t let anyone put us in danger, especially not someone as ignorant about our history as Mary Ellen. To anyone watching, I would have appeared as a blur. I soon left Xavier behind and caught up with Mary Ellen in the Grove. I grabbed her shoulders from behind and she let out a strangled squawk.
“Get off of me!”
“No!” I spun her around and forced her to look at me. “Not until you hear me out.”
But Mary Ellen was beyond listening. “Help!” she shrieked. “I need help!”
Something inside me snapped then. I was not going to let this happen. Xavier and I had been through enough and there was no chance I was going to let some frivolous freshman screw up the one place that was still safe for us. I pointed a finger at Mary Ellen’s mouth and a second later a thick layer of skin began to creep across her lips, sealing them shut. Her eyes widened and she clawed at it with her fingers for a moment, before realizing it would be painful to break the skin and tear her lips apart. She trembled and looked up at me with fear in her eyes. It was not an expression I was used to seeing directed at me but I didn’t have time to worry about that right now. For the moment I had succeeded in rendering her silent.
I could feel power coursing through me, setting my arms and legs on fire. I felt my whole body straighten and right itself, alive with the energy that was taking over. I reached out and placed a now-glowing hand on Mary Ellen’s head. She sank to her knees at my feet. I could feel her thoughts and memories swirling under my touch. When I closed my eyes, I could see them, taste them, as if I were right there in the moment. I saw Mary Ellen at her sixth birthday party, dressed as a Disney princess and knew I’d gone too far back. It was hard to sift through the memories, seeing as there were so many of them. In fact, every moment in time is a memory and so I had to steer my way through waves of them until I found the exact one I wanted to erase. I knew that’s what Gabriel did but he had it down to a fine art. I was new at this and my technique was not so refined. I managed to zone in on the week that included our encounter at the baseball field. That was going to have to do. I felt the memories being lifted from Mary Ellen’s mind and sucked up into my fingertips. I made sure everything was gone, right down to the last few minutes in the Grove. Then I simultaneously released her and removed the seal from her lips, just as Xavier came running up behind us.
