Autumn's Eyes (Storm Season Book 1)

by J. L. Sutton

  “We still have a few hours before I have to be back in the city. Did you have another destination planned on this trip?” I asked as I let go of her hand, the warm air tingling where her skin had touched mine.

  “I was just trying to get you out of the office.” Her expression remained level, but I knew she was a little smug. “You have something in mind?”

  Though I was more than happy to spend this lazy afternoon on the beach with my friend, if I was going to take the rest of the day off there was someone else I needed to see. “How would you like to meet my sister?”

  Although she seemed less anxious on the return trip, it hadn’t gone any smoother.

  Instead of arriving in the middle of my rooftop with plenty of space, we swan dived into the solid surface. This time I managed to break my fall before I hit the ground, escaping with only a few scrapes on my palms, but it was only because Dawn took the full force of the impact, using her body to shield me. The thin cerulean sweater she wore was torn down the back from where she bounced across the roof, leaving small divots in the concrete where her shoulders bit into the surface.

  I also noticed that Dawn looked noticeably tired. It seemed her little trick was more draining than she let on. But she was fine, of course. After how hard Ivy hit Sebastian, I believed Dawn when she said she was durable. Practically indestructible was more like it, but I couldn’t say the same for her clothing. It was a pity really—I definitely liked that color on her. I just wish she hadn’t felt the need to apologize about the landing for half the drive.

  I felt oddly at ease as we headed down the narrow, bleak corridors to my sister’s room. Just a few short weeks ago the idea of Death meeting Lisa in any form would’ve been the most terrifying experience imaginable. My views on little things like life and death had definitely been shaken since meeting Dawn.

  Lisa was sitting at the window, quietly humming to herself as she stared out into the parking lot below. I knew my sister well enough that I didn’t have to investigate any further. The tone of her slow, steady tune meant only one thing—she was restless.

  I stepped inside, stopping halfway across from where she sat. “Lisa?”

  She sighed happily, spinning around in her seat and clumsily throwing herself into my arms. “Rabbit. Where you been?”

  “Sorry I kept you waiting lil’ sis.” I smiled, shaking my head at her childlike impatience. For someone who had less concept of time than Dawn, she always seemed to know exactly when I was due. “Easy, easy. If you keep that up you’re going to squish me.”

  My words only served to tighten her grip as she looked up at me, her baby blue eyes bloodshot and her body quivering. I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been sleeping lately. “It’s so cold at night,” Lisa squeaked. “The sun goes down, and I can’t sleep. Will you stay with me? They won’t let me outside to see you, and I can’t sleep.”

  “Shh. It’s okay,” I said in my best soothing voice, stroking her hair gently. “Everything’s okay now.”

  We stood there for a long moment, waiting for the panic bleed out of her as I murmured a few gentle words into her ear. Eventually Lisa calmed somewhat. She released me then, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too. You look burnt out, lil’ sis. Do you maybe want to sit down for a little bit?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m okay. You know how I am.”

  “That I do. But, if you’re feeling up to it, there is someone I’d like you to meet.” I chuckled, taking a step back to reveal Dawn, who was standing silently in the doorway. “Lisa, this is Dawn. She’s a friend of mine.”

  Dawn, looking unusually tame, waved her tiny hand to Lisa and smiled. “It is nice to meet you.”

  Lisa looked past me to Dawn, staring at her uncomprehendingly for two breaths before the color drained from her face. Almost instinctively she took a step back, her grip on my arm tightening as she rolled her body around mine to hide behind me. I looked in puzzlement back and forth between the two women. My sister had always been jumpy around new people, but this was an overreaction even for her. Then I remembered how shocking Dawn’s eyes must’ve been to Lisa. I was so used to her unusual irises that I completely forgot the effect they had.

  I was in the process of finding a way to explain the strange phenomenon when to my surprise Dawn took a step forward, her hands held up, looking directly at my sister. “Do not be afraid, little one. I am just passing through.”

  Whether it was Dawn’s soothing voice or the words she used it seemed to calm Lisa, and after a long moment she cautiously peeked over my shoulder. Lisa’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke. “Promise?”

  “I do,” Dawn replied solemnly.

  My sister stepped out from behind me to look at Dawn, more wary than fearful, almost like she was confirming Dawn’s sincerity. Dawn just stood there with her hands up, smiling reassuringly at my sister as if she knew exactly what was required to win Lisa’s trust. As I watched the bizarre exchange unfold I couldn’t help thinking I was missing something. Lisa abruptly turned to me, and pouted.

  “She’s prettier than I am,” Lisa whispered in an irritated tone. “I don’t like it.”

  The tension of the situation all but evaporated with her declaration.

  Lisa pulled me to the window by the cuff of my jacket and rifled through her little drawer for her favorite polka dot hairbrush, holding it in front of her expectantly, and we sat on the windowsill while I worked the knots out of her hair. There was something about the rhythmic repetition that always calmed her. As Lisa delved into a play by play of everything I missed since last seeing her I noticed her eyes never left Dawn, who watched us quietly from the corner of the room, smiling whenever I looked over. I played my sister’s reaction over in my head, trying to figure out what exactly it was about their brief conversation that threw me. There seemed to be a strange familiarity between them, like on some level they connected with each other.

  My hand stopped brushing mid-stroke as it hit me. I sat motionless, blankly staring out the barred window. It was only when my sister began to tug at my arm that I realized she had stopped talking, and was looking at me like I was the one who should be on medication.

  “You weren’t listening.”

  “Sorry Lisa. I spaced out for a second,” I said shakily. Without waiting for her to reply I reached into my jacket pocket and handed her a square of bubble wrap. “Forgive me?”

  “Splooshes.” Her euphoric smile as she snatched the bubble wrap from my hand and eagerly began popping was all the distraction I needed.

  Ignoring Dawn’s quizzical stare I walked up to her, turning her by the elbow to face the corner, the unexpected contact with her skin making us both pull away. We were so close I could feel her cool breath on my face, but I wasn’t about to lose focus so easily this time.

  “She knows what you are,” I whispered, nearly frantic.

  “She has an idea,” Dawn corrected calmly. Too calmly, like she knew all along.

  “And you didn’t think to mention that? How?”

  “Her mind does not work the same way as your does, not anymore at least. You could say she is more attuned to the little things, the falsehoods your eyes cannot see clearly, because she does not look at them the same way. The mind does not just degrade, it changes, adapts in ways science will never fully understand.”

  As I listened to Dawn’s explanation I looked over to Lisa—still too engaged in her bubble wrap to notice anything amiss. She looked so carefree while she popped her bubbles, sweet and innocent, the way I remembered her when we were kids. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me. Even when she was younger Lisa always seemed to see through something down to the brass tacks. Had she always been scarred by her affliction? I shuddered, shaking off the thought.

  “Why isn’t she afraid of you then?”

  “She has probably seen my kind before. We spend a lot of time in hospitals and clinics, and it is only natural we are noticed from time to time. It m
ay sound strange, but some seraphim even enjoy visiting places like this. When we become what we are everything is so confusing, there is so much of ourselves we lose in the process. We see the world much differently than you do, and so does she. In some small way we understand each other.”

  With all the time I spent marveling at Dawn’s unique traits, I hadn’t realized just how alien she must feel by comparison. Perhaps that’s why we so easily spent time together—we brought out the better parts of ourselves, balancing each other out.

  Something occurred to me then, a question I had never been sure I could have answered, but desperately needed to. “Is she happy?”

  “Of course she is.” Dawn smiled as she put her hand lightly on my shoulder. “She feels loved, and that is more than anyone could ever ask for.”

  19. Pursuit

  My watch felt like it was burning through my wrist—a constant, nagging itch that was becoming more difficult to ignore by the minute. Dawn had been away for almost an hour now, off on some errand I’d rather not know the details of, and I was sorely missing her company. Tonight felt like my first night off in weeks, and the last thing I wanted to do was spend it here, in what was quite possibly the dreariest spot in the city, without her beside me to pass the time.

  This place was a very old part of town, once the crowning jewel of the city, affluent and steeped in generations of history. It was almost unrecognizable now. Bad economic times, changing industry and years of neglect slowly transformed the proud neighborhood into nothing more than rundown apartments and small businesses who couldn’t afford the rent anywhere else.

  Seeing my sister was exactly what I needed to reset my focus and take back control. I even took Dawn’s advice, managing to find some semblance of balance between my obsession with tracking Claire’s killer, and not forgetting to live my life in the process. I hadn’t given up. No, I would never give up, but with so little to go on all I could do was watch Reese whenever I could. Wait for him to make a mistake and lead me to something I could use. Until then things were more or less getting back to normal. Well, normal for me at least.

  With most of the streetlights out, the only light on the dirty, aging corner leaked out over the worn pavement from the front window of the little auto repair I was parked across from. Looking through the lens of my camera I could make out the cluttered front desk, a small section of wall covered with posters of car specs and the half opened heavy wooden door that led to the workshop. There was nothing special about this shop in particular, other than the fact that it was where Reese was working the late shift tonight. I was keeping tabs on him wherever he went—learning his habits, following his schedule, periodically calling into his workplace so I could learn when he worked late. I even briefly considered actually going into the store so I could look into the eyes of the man who took Claire from me. It was a tempting idea, but I just knew that could only end in me losing it, and doing something I’d regret.

  I was trying my best to be objective, to separate myself from the equation so my feelings wouldn’t get in the way of my judgment. It was proving to be difficult. It was physically painful to be less than one hundred yards away from him, walking around as a free man and not being able to do a damn thing about it. The part that killed me wasn’t even that he was free, but on the surface it really looked like he was just another person, like anyone else on this street tonight, and I was the only one who could see the truth. It was maddening.

  Not that it was remotely comparable to the raw deal Dawn received, but I was beginning to understand just how powerless she must feel sometimes, being Death and having no control over it. I think it hurt her more than she let on being forced to watch from the sidelines, feeling everything I did.

  My car door opened then, and I snapped my head up in time to see Dawn slide into the passenger seat. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on me like that.”

  “Sorry.” She smiled shyly, shifting the neatly plaited braid of hair out of her eyes. “Would you have preferred if I knocked first?”

  “I’m just glad you’re back. He’ll be leaving in a few minutes, and I didn’t want to leave without you.”

  “I would find you in a heartbeat,” she declared, ever confident of her ability to track me down.

  “Sure, that doesn’t sound stalker-like at all.” I teased, plying on the sarcasm a little too thickly.

  “Would you have me any other way?”

  I knew Dawn was trying to distract me from my brooding, and I was grateful for it. If I spent too much time inside my own head these days, I needed to be pulled out. “Nope. How did your, um . . . errand go?”

  Even after all this time I had to come to terms with her being what she was, it still felt a little grim to bring it up. She always seemed so interested in what I was doing though, and if we were going to stay friends I couldn’t afford to be squeamish.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary.” Dawn chose her words carefully, still clearly uncomfortable with sharing certain parts of her life.

  I knew it couldn’t be easy for her, but since her promise to try not to keep anything from me Dawn really was trying. She wasn’t the only one either, I made a conscious effort to curb my curiosity when I could, shying away from the touchier topics like the inner workings of her job, and her . . . diet. Considering I didn’t even know how it worked, I really didn’t know what else to call it. In time I think we would be comfortable enough to talk openly, but now that I knew I would eventually find out I wasn’t in any rush. Baby steps.

  “That’s—” The dim light from the auto repair went out and we both fell silent, focusing our attention across the empty street. I looked down at my watch and briefly nodded to myself, if nothing else Reese was always punctual.

  “What if you never find anything?” Dawn asked quietly as we waited for him to lock up the building. “Not that I have been close enough to be sure, and I am not trying to defend him, but have you ever considered that he could have changed?”

  I guess I hadn’t considered it. I never really put much thought into his motives. Even before I knew who he was I always viewed the man as a cold blooded killer. It was just easier to believe there wasn’t any humanity in him to so callously harm a young, practically defenseless girl. Maybe he hadn’t meant to kill Claire. In a high stress situation accidents did happen, but either way he was a murderer. I believed in second chances and I made mistakes in my own life, bent the rules so many times that I had to believe people could change, but it didn’t excuse us from the consequences of our actions.

  “If he really has changed, and I couldn’t do anything about the past, I think I could live with myself. At least that way I tried. I’d always keep an eye on him though, just in case.” It was surprising how easily the words came to me. I was so caught up in my own personal vendetta that the admission hadn’t seemed possible before. How strange—somehow a seraph, the aspect of Death itself, had become such a good influence on me.

  Dawn nodded thoughtfully, her liquid onyx eyes still focused across the street. I was about to say something else, but she held her hand up before I could fully draw my breath. “Here he comes.”

  Not two seconds later a figure immerged from the gap next to the rollup garage door. I had to look through my camera lens to make out Reese’s profile in the near pitch black night, though it was just to satisfy myself. Dawn didn’t make mistakes like that, and with her senses being superior to mine in almost every way I quickly learned to trust her instincts. After locking up behind him Reese pulled close the thick jacket he was wearing, swiftly crossing the street, and for an agonizingly long moment he was almost right up against my car, so close I could see the frosty trail left by his breath.

  “Finally,” I muttered, slipping the keys into the ignition just as he reached the corner. The impatient engine slowly rumbling to life sounded far too loud, but if Reese heard anything he didn’t look back.

  Following someone on foot from a car wasn’t easy—you had to maintain a long following distance,
keeping the headlights off to have any real chance of success. The problem was the further you were from your target, the easier it was to lose track of them. That was especially problematic in the dark, and having your lights off had the drawback of pulling attention from anyone else who happened to pass by, not to mention it was dangerous. Thankfully the latter problem was somewhat mitigated by having Dawn with me—her razor sharp senses would have her react long before I ever could.

  When I finally turned the corner Reese was closer than I expected, seemingly unhurried to make his way home to his small apartment three blocks down. In the distance I could see a car heading towards us and I pulled over, not wanting to risk being spotted and at the same time allowing him to build some lead on us.

  The next few minutes were slow going, like a high stakes game of musical chairs. Dawn never once grew impatient. Night after night she would join me whenever she wasn’t called to work. I couldn’t help feeling that more than anything she was keeping an eye on me, still following those strange protective instincts she seemed to have where I was concerned.

  It was worth it though. Every time I thought I figured something out about her she would do something to shake the foundations of my view on her, learning one thing only for two new mysteries to take its place. I couldn’t imagine a better person to have with me on these long, wickedly tedious nights. Risking a glance over at the beautiful creature beside me I allowed myself to be distracted for a moment, letting the world fall away so I could drink in her exquisite features.

  The soft skin of her neck was difficult to ignore tonight. It had an almost silvery, luminescent quality to it, subtly highlighted under the weak moonlight, and before I finished the thought I was chastising myself. That’s not very friend-like behavior Hadley. It wasn’t easy advice to follow though. It was probably just in my head, but every time I caught her stare she would divert her gaze, almost as if embarrassed, and the air in the car seemed to grow a fraction colder.