“No,” Liam said as he pushed me back. “I will end this myself.”
“How?” I cried out, jumping toward him. “How are you going to destroy a demon before it destroys me or you or anyone else in this town?”
“Easy. They are threatening to hurt you, that’s all the ammunition I need to destroy them.”
“Wait, let me see that again,” I said as I held the letter. “May 15th, that is prom!” I yelled.
Suddenly, a loud ripping sound shocked me to my core. My eyes opened in bewildered fright as I stood transfixed by the change in Liam. As his shirt ripped away from his body, small, black wings extended out of his back. His muscles lined the black feathers and I couldn’t help but smile at the beauty of their wonderment.
Liam’s face was red and full of rage as he crumpled the letter in his fist, obliterating it instantly.
“Liam, your wings,” I said, startled.
Seeming to just now notice his shirt gone, he looked embarrassed for a brief moment. “Nora, I apologize. I never wanted you to see them,” he said, agony lacing his voice.
“No,” I began, shaking my head and stepping closer to him. “They are beautiful.”
I extended my hand and with Liam’s wild eyes watching my every move, I reached out and touched the silky wings. Allowing my fingers to grace over their smooth surface, I admired the beauty of the wings he seemed so ashamed of.
“They are my punishment. They symbolize who I am in this twisted world,” he said as his eyes continued to watch me.
“They are amazing,” I said again as my fingers continued to glide over them.
“You need to just calm down and let us devise a plan together. You are so wonderful to me,” I beamed.
“Nora, I have to do this. We will go to prom, and then after I will meet them. I won’t ruin your night.” His words came out through clenched teeth.
“Liam, no,” I cried.
Holding me tight, Liam refused to say another word.
***
The next few days went by with lightning speed. I found my perfect prom dress with Ronnie. A beautiful dress that made me feel like Cinderella more than the angry goth chick I was used to being described as and Teddy and Liam promised us they had found matching tuxes. I could only imagine how dashing Liam would look in a tux.
My dad and step-mom even seemed a little excited about helping me prepare for graduation. They had ordered my cap and gown and even prepared a graduation party for me. My dad had called and secured a limo to take myself and my friends to prom. It was the most he had done for me since I was a little kid and I happily accepted his help.
On the night of prom, a mixture of emotions swirled around me as I found myself getting ready with Ronnie. We had taken the afternoon and had our hair styled and our nails manicured before arriving back at my house. Ronnie’s parents had arrived early as well as Teddy and my aunt and uncle to take the obligatory prom pictures. I tried to keep a smile spread on my face my worry for Liam wouldn’t subside. With all of the happiness floating through the air, I still couldn’t push away the eerie notion that Luther was coming for me. I just hoped I could at least enjoy my prom before the war began.
As I sat in my bedroom, placing my last silver earring in my ear, I heard a familiar roar ring through the air. My heart began to flutter as I looked out my bedroom window in time to see Liam arrive on his motorcycle. As he took off his helmet, I gasped at the sight of his beauty.
Wearing a black suit, he looked like my knight in dark armor. A silver vest lined the inside of his outfit and his hair was slicked back in a debonair style. He was a true sight of beauty and I had to remind myself to breathe.
As the doorbell rang, my dad called up to me and Ronnie to hurry. Teddy had arrived earlier, but we refused to be seen until both our dates were there.
Stepping into the hall, Ronnie and I held hands as we reached the top of the stairs. Waiting below us, our families stood with bright smiles and cameras flashing. My eyes focused only on Liam as he drank me in.
With a smile meant only for me, he shook his head as he mouthed that I was beautiful. Transcending down the steps, Ronnie and I made our entrance and went straight to our dates waiting below.
Teddy whistled as he took in Ronnie with her hair pulled up into a tight updo and her soft pink dress sparkling from the sequin outline. Teddy had a black suit and a matching pink vest. He took her in his arms and kissed her as both their parents took pictures.
Slowly walking up to Liam, I made sure to capture this moment in my memory. After tonight, I didn’t know what my future with Liam would like, but I wanted to make sure I remembered how he looked in this moment.
Extending his arms, Liam held me out so he could look at me. Swirling around, I allowed him to take in my gold gown that was clinched around my waist and softly flowed down into a skirt that draped the ground. My hair was in soft waves as half my dark locks were pulled back and curled and the rest rested on my bare shoulders.
Staring at me, Liam looked at me like I was the only person in the room and I guess to him, I was. Holding my hand, Liam kissed my knuckles as he exhaled.
“You look breathtaking,” he smiled.
“So, do you,” I smiled back.
Truly, there were no words to express how much I cared for Liam. And looking at him tonight, I realized there weren’t words special enough to define how breathtaking he was.
“Liam are your parents going to come and take pictures too?” My dad asked.
“No sir, they are away on business,” Liam lied as he winked at me.
Smiling together, we silently laughed at our little secret. Interrupting our moment, the adults began taking pictures until the limousine arrives. Piling in, we waved goodbye to our parents and began our short drive to the Shady Oak Hotel in the center of town. The old hotel had been decorated with vintage photos and shining bright lights. The venue was incredible and just the perfect place to have our senior prom.
Arriving at the hotel, we took in the atmosphere and holding my hand, Liam and I walked into the large ballroom where hundreds of our peers were busy dancing and laughing to the tunes of pop music.
Spotting Sammy and his date, Annie, we all made our way through the dancing crowds to a table in the back of the room.
“Hey, you all look incredible,” Sammy complimented as he showed us the table he had secured for us.
“Thanks,” we all replied in unison.
Placing my purse and cell phone on the table, Liam grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor as a slow song began to play. Other couples began to follow suit as the music slowed and the lights dimmed even more.
As I wrapped my arms around Liam’s neck, our bodies began to sway back and forth to the soulful rhythm surrounding us. Placing his hands on my hips, Liam began to admire the fabric on my dress.
“I never imagined I would actually get to be here with you,” Liam stated as he held me close. His lips brushed against my ear, causing tiny volts of electricity to flow throughout my body. The spark made me feel alive.
“I never thought I would be happy again,” I replied, sighing as I nestled my head against his shoulder.
While we were surrounded by hundreds of people, I felt like it was just Liam and me in the massive ballroom together. Neither of us heard anything except the beating of my heart and the sound of his deep breathing. I wanted him to hold me like this forever; to never let me go. This night could go on forever and I would be happy.
As the song came to an end and another fast beat rhythm began to blare through the speakers above, Ronnie, Teddy, Sammy, and Annie joined us on the dance floor. We all began dancing and grinding together as our laughter floated throughout the air. Happiness filled our hearts and we all knew that our lives could never get better than they were at this moment. We were young, happy, and in love.
Squeezing my hand, Liam smiled down at me before placing a soft kiss on my lips. His touch lingered even after our lips parted. “I love you, my Nora girl,”
he said as his eyes sparked.
After an hour of dancing, we all made our way back to the table. The girls all stopped by the refreshment table to get drinks and snacks to take back to the table. When we returned to our table, I noticed that Liam was absent from the group.
“Where is Liam?” I asked the guys as a nervous energy swept over me. My eyes began to dance around the room as I silently prayed that he would appear and his golden smile would bring me down from my fear.
Looking around, Teddy and Sammy exchanged glances. “He said he would be back soon. He had to take care of something,” Teddy shrugged as he said the words.
“What?” I screamed as I rushed upon him. Grabbing his suit jacket, I pulled him close to my face so he could feel the heat radiating from my body as my internal inferno blazed.
“Did he say where he was going?” I asked, as I grabbed Teddy by the collar of his suit jacket.
“Calm down Nora,” Teddy yelled at me as he threw my arms off him.
“What is going on?” Ronnie said, as she stepped between Teddy and me.
“I have to go, I have to get Liam,” I yelled as I began to race for the ballroom doors. Running past the happy, dancing teens I must have looked like a wild woman. Shoving the doors open, I raced through the hotel lobby and out the doors and into the black night.
Glancing left and then right, I watched as cars drove past the hotel, their lights shining brightly in my eyes. Some teens were standing outside the hotel, watching me like I had completely lost my mind. Knowing in my heart where Liam was, I hiked up my gold dress and began running in the direction of the Shady Oak’s Park.
CHAPTER 14
Breathe.
I just had to remind myself to breathe as I ran at full speed toward the park entrance. I had known that Liam would do something like this. I felt it in my heart and soul that he would try and escape to take care of the men after us on his own. Liam had made it very clear to me that he wanted to end this on his own. Why this had to be during our prom, I didn’t know. Either way, I was determined to find Liam and save the love of my life.
A cold chill swept past me as I turned into the park. Fallen leaves from an approaching storm crunched under my feet as my heels dug into the earth. My long hair swirled around my face, almost blinding my vision as I raced through the woods to find Liam. As I ran, I had to bite my bottom lip to keep myself from losing my mind. All around me darkness and time became my worst enemy as they both stilled the night and made it difficult for me to find Liam in time to save him from what I feared he may be doing to save me.
“Liam!” I called out, searching all around me for a sign that he was here. My voice rang through the air; echoing and breaking the eerie quiet of the night.
Silence invaded my ears as I stopped to catch my breath. I needed something to let me know that he was here and that he was safe. As the trees danced in the wind, a rumble of thunder exploded in the sky above. The roar of the noise was so loud I swear it caused the ground beneath me to shake. With my senses on high alert, I sensed something. I began to smell smoke, the aroma of burning wood overtaking me. Looking up, I saw a thick swirl of gray and white smoke crawling up the black sky. Following the smoke, I began to race forward.
Liam had to be where the fire was, I just knew it in my heart. As I rushed through the trees, a drop of rain fell on my forehead. Oh no, I thought. I had to get to Liam soon. I just needed the storm to hold off a little while longer so I could find him.
Suddenly, I heard a crackling noise to my left. Turning my stride, I ran toward the noise just in time to see a man in a long, black coat slam a large branch at Liam’s stomach. Liam’s black wings were extended and his ripped shirt lay in piles along the ground.
“No,” I cried out as I watched Liam hunch over in pure agony.
My voice rang throughout the night, piercing the silence. Only no one could hear me now. We were in the middle of the park at night. The hotel was booming with the sounds of music and laughter and that tune carried through the town, drowning out my pleas for help. Turning, the man holding the branch smiled, a grin so evil it made my stomach churn and nausea take over. His yellow eyes glowed as he took me in. A knowing smile spreading over his scarred face.
“Get out of here, Nora,” Liam yelled at me as he saw me standing before them.
“Ah, so this is our young Nora. It has been a very long time since the last time we were together,” the man hissed. His voice sounded like a snake and his movements reminded me of a predator after its prey.
“I am here. Do what you want with me, but please don’t hurt Liam,” I cried, as I stepped closer to them.
“So you are a brave girl,” the man spoke again as he cocked his head to the side to look at me.
Throwing the branch to the ground, he released Liam from his hold and I watched as Liam fell to the ground. His body seemed lifeless.
“Please, just don’t hurt him. Take me instead. I will take on his punishment,” I pleaded with the man.
Turning to me, the man seemed to offer a sinister smile. “That could be arranged as well. When I am done with him, I will come for you,” he growled.
“Nora, run,” Liam whispered from the ground. I could see he was struggling to get up, but he just couldn’t.
Following my gaze, another man who looked just like the first one placed his foot on Liam’s back and slammed him back to the ground. His black boot dug into Liam’s body and I almost vomited at the sight.
Slithering toward me, the first man stood right in front of me, blocking my view of Liam. “I am sorry, but I am unable to leave you or your pathetic boyfriend alone. See, we had a deal and he wasn’t a man of his word,” he hissed again.
Spitting in his face, I growled as he stood only inches away from my face. “No, you are pathetic,” I yelled.
Without warning, the man’s hand slapped me across my face. The blow was so intense that it knocked me off my feet and I fell onto the ground. My body ached from the impact and I could taste blood seeping into my mouth. As his feet moved closer, I recoiled away from him. Trying to crawl away, my actions only caused my body to ache even more.
Lifting me up with one hand, the man held me in front of him. My legs dangled below as he cut off my ability to breathe. With his hands firmly wrapped around my neck, he began to squeeze. As I struggled under his grasp, I could feel the life escaping me. This was it. This was how I was going to die. He had come to finish a job that began two years ago. Closing my eyes, I allowed images of Liam’s face and his beautiful blue eyes to calm me. As I began to succumb to death, I opened my mouth one last time to utter the words that I knew would be my last.
“I love you, Liam.”
CHAPTER 15
My eyes slowly opened and I could feel every bone in my body throbbing. I was soaked, drenched from the heavy rain that was now falling all over my lifeless body. Was I dead?
Loud noises began to erupt all around me as screams and loud, violent booms exploded in my ears. Each detonation rocked my body. Trying to get my eyes to adjust, I looked all around me, but all I could see was a tornado of colors and movements. After a few minutes, my eyes adjusted and I saw that I was lying next to one of the men who had tried to hurt Liam.
His yellow eyes were wide open, a look of pure panic overtaking them. However, he wasn’t blinking. Upon further inspection, he wasn’t breathing or moving either. His dead, lifeless body was piled next to me and I felt like I was about to vomit.
Panic-stricken, I let out a loud gasp as my eyes refused to look away from the grotesque figure only inches from my body. Taking my hands, I clawed at the mud below me and lifted my body up so that I could lay on my side. Two other men, blood seeping through numerous wounds, were scattered around the fire that was still ablaze. The orange and red embers licking against the night both frightened and intrigued me.
“Liam,” I whimpered as I tried to find him among the bodies.
“It’s just you and me now,” Liam bellowed into the night.
>
Turning my head, I saw Liam standing with his hands around the neck of the man who had tried to kill me. His anger seeped through his skin and radiated all around him. I could see his knuckles turning white as his fingers dug into the man’s neck, stealing the life right from him.
“No,” I called out to him. “Liam, stop!”
Thrusting his head toward me, Liam was distracted and dropped his hands from the man’s neck. The man fell to the ground with a thud and as he collapsed he struggled to find air. Liam’s strength both fascinated and terrified me.
“Nora?” Liam questioned with wide eyes.
Racing to me, Liam fell to his knees in front of me. Brushing my hair out of my face, he gently inspected my body, making sure I was alright. “Are you hurt?” he asked in his sweet and loving voice. “I thought I had lost you. I was ready to end everyone, including myself.”
“I think I am fine,” I said, as I took his hand in mine. “You have to stop,” I demanded through my rough voice. “You came out of the darkness, don’t go back now,” I pleaded with every breath in my body.
Shaking his head, no, I could see hatred gleaming from his eyes as he looked at the man littering the ground around us. “I can’t. They tried to hurt you. They want to take you away from me. Luther and Gideon won’t stop until he has you,” he cried out.
“Liam, this will never end. You aren’t a killer. You are good. That is why you were chosen to help the souls of the dead. You are supposed to take them to wherever they go in the afterlife. You are not meant to kill. Gideon and Luther don’t deserve the right to take your goodness away,” I pleaded with him, begging him with my eyes to stop this. I knew he wouldn’t listen though. Liam loved me and he wasn’t about to give up without a fight.
“Listen to the girl,” an unfamiliar voice bellowed from above us.
Breaking through the darkness of the night, a man wearing a white suit began to float down toward us. A silver glow surrounded him as he watched Liam and me with close eyes.
Shady Oaks Series: Out of Darkness Page 11
