Body and Soul (The Chronicles of Light and Darkness Book 1)

by Jamie Loeak

something about Cole. What did you do? How long do you think he’ll be gone?”

  “I basically sent him on a wild goose chase.”

  Adriana stared at him like he was stupid.

  “He didn’t take well to requests or threats so I had to throw a bone. I clued him in on an old victim of Kern’s, one that he gave up on a long time ago. The man is probably dead by now but I didn’t let Cole know that. If the man happens to be alive, though, he’s around ninety-five and won’t be of much use to Cole now.”

  “How do you know that’s going to work, Rico?” Adriana asked skeptically.

  Rico shrugged. “I don’t know if it’ll work but I had to try something. It was the only thing he bit on to. He was drunk with the idea that he would be able to possess someone that Kern was never able to. The thought of being stronger than Kern, of being more powerful than he is, intoxicated him. Look, I don’t know how long he’ll be gone but it’ll be long enough for Kate to find her talisman.”

  “I sure hope so Rico,” Adriana said.

  “I think the plan will work,” Kate said, piping in.

  Rico looked at her and smiled.

  Adriana rolled her dark eyes.

  Kate watched as Rico stood up and stretched. He began to walk toward the kitchen but then stopped, turning around to face the girls.

  “I was going to make coffee but I think I want to go out and get some. Do you want to come with me?”

  “Sure,” Kate said.

  Adriana stretched this time. “I think I’m going to go take a bubble bath. I didn’t sleep all day like you did Rico. Why don’t you two go out and have some fun?” Adriana stood up and headed up to her bedroom. Kate heard the door close before Rico spoke.

  “Do you still want to grab some coffee with me?” he asked. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to feel pressured since Adriana won’t be there.”

  “That’s okay,” Kate replied. “I’m not afraid to be alone with you if that’s what you’re hinting at.” Kate got up and headed for the foyer, her navy sundress swirling around her legs. She waited for Rico when she reached the door, unsure of how they would get there.

  13

  Rico walked up to the red Ferrari when they got outside and opened the passenger side door for Kate. She got inside, feeling the cool leather against her legs. The interior still smelled new, and Kate wondered if it was new or if the owner took excellent care of it.

  “Is this Donovan’s?” she asked.

  Rico looked at her like she was crazy. “This is my car,” he said.

  “How is this your car? Who bought this for you?”

  “I saved up for it. It took me a while.”

  “What do you mean it took you a while? You had to wait until you were eighteen to get your trust fund?”

  Rico laughed. “Something like that,” he said to Kate before speeding off.

  The coffee shop was a tiny place that sat on a boardwalk near the water. It was built out of a mixture of old wood and driftwood. A string of Christmas lights hung around the roof and wrapped around the supporting beams. There were four stools that stood in front of a wide counter that was rough, with splinters of wood sticking out. Kate was careful when she sat down on one of the stools, afraid that Rico would have to pull jagged pieces of wood out of her next.

  A girl stood behind the counter. She was busy making another person’s order, her back to Rico and Kate. She was a small girl, shorter than Kate, and thin, with a tattoo that wrapped around her left ring finger; from where Kate sat it looked like a ribbon that was tied in a bow.

  “What can I get y’all?” she asked when she turned around. The girl had a pretty face and exotic eyes; her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, shorter pieces falling down to frame her round face.

  “I’d like a coffee, black. Kate would like a Vanilla Latte,” Rico said, ordering for both of them. He smiled at Kate and took the steaming mug that the girl set in front of him. He wrapped his hands around it even though it was still warm outside.

  “Thanks for ordering for me,” Kate said. Wasn’t that something that people did on dates? Or did Rico somehow know that she wasn’t familiar with coffee?

  “No problem,” Rico said.

  Kate looked at him, sensing something different about him. He seemed calmer out here, away from the world of demons and alternate realities. She kind of liked this version of Rico. She didn’t have to worry about the probing questions. She didn’t have to worry about what she said and how she said it. She wasn’t even worried about a possible argument.

  “I also wanted to thank you for speaking with Cole,” Kate added, making sure to say things so that no one thought they sounded odd.

  Rico nodded once. “You’re welcome, Kate. It wasn’t too bad, really. I don’t want you to think that it was a hard or dangerous task. It just took some time, that’s all.”

  “Well, I still appreciate it,” Kate said.

  The girl set a mug down in front of Kate and let her know that it was hot. Kate pulled it closer to her, but let it sit there so that it would cool down enough for her to drink.

  “I think we should talk about other things,” Rico said. “I’m curious as to who you were before all of this. I’m sure you’ve grown since Adriana and I popped into your life.”

  Kate sat back and looked into Rico’s eyes. They weren’t stormy today, she mused. When Rico wasn’t upset his cobalt eyes were tranquil, peaceful like the waters near Bora Bora or some other tropical place. She noticed that he looked deeply into hers, waiting for her answer.

  “Truthfully, I wasn’t really anyone before you came along,” she said.

  Rico nodded, and Kate continued.

  “I was a lonely girl that didn’t really know what life was. I spent my life living vicariously through the girls in movies,” she admitted, blushing. “I spent a lot of time arguing with my parents because it was the only dramatic relationship that I could have.” Kate blinked and realized that she was staring at the mug in front of her. She carefully took a sip of the still steaming liquid before continuing. “I have grown because of you,” she whispered as she set it down.

  “Kate, you don’t have to feel regret or shame for who you were. It’s made you strong and independent. Don’t fight that part about you. Don’t feel like you need friends to make you whole. Believe me when I say that friends come and go.”

  Kate nodded, knowing that Rico was talking about what would happen when Kern didn’t want anything to do with Kate anymore, when he was ready to find another body.

  “I wasn’t really anyone for a long time,” Rico admitted after a short silence. “I was alone until Adriana found me. I guess you could say she saved me from who I could be right now.” His voice was a quiet whisper, and Kate had to strain to hear him.

  “How did you meet?” Kate asked quietly. She felt the need to be supportive, not pushy or desperate. That’s not how she would get inside Rico’s head.

  “Adriana and Donovan like to travel the world.” Rico pulled the steaming mug to his perfect mouth and took a long drink. He looked forward, not seeing Kate at all. “Adriana found me in India; I was into some pretty bad stuff back then. I don’t really like to talk about it,” he said with a sigh. He sat there for a moment, and Kate could tell that a hundred memories played through his mind. He blinked a few times and shook his head before continuing his story.

  “Well, she found me and showed me what it was like to be someone’s friend. You see, back then I disliked people quite a bit.” Rico smiled a slow, sad smile and turned to face Kate. The look on his face hurt Kate; the regret and sadness in his bright eyes was real, almost tangible. She wanted to reach out to him but held back, knowing that she would only push him away.

  “Adriana’s changed both of us. She’s the constant in all of this,” Kate said finally.

  “She is,” Rico agreed.

  Kate pondered Adriana for a moment. Adriana was kind and honest; when she cared about someone, she prote
cted them. Kate could see that part of her when it came to Donovan. Kate wondered, again, who Donovan really was. She considered asking Rico but knew that it would only cause an argument. It wasn’t right of Kate to try to place Rico in between the trust issues that she and Adriana had. They would have to deal with it on their own time.

  After Kate finished her latte, she and Rico walked along the boardwalk in silence. She had enjoyed this drink much more than the coffee that Rico was drinking, and finished it quickly. Now Kate’s fingertips, nose, and lips were buzzing with energy. Her mind was enveloped in a feeling of calmness, and Kate relished in the feeling. It was nice to be able to push every negative thought out of her mind when she was with Rico.

  Rico stopped suddenly and lifted his eyes to the stars. Kate followed his gaze.

  “Do you think alternate realities are real places?” he asked. “I know that you didn’t see yours clearly, but I’ve always wondered if they were actual planets. You see, I’ve never been to one,” he admitted.

  Kate knew in her heart that an alternate reality was a tangible place. Her other half was probably there right now, laughing and holding hands with Rico.

  “I don’t know,” she said instead. She knew that she couldn’t tell Rico the answer he wanted to hear because it would give her secrets away. She looked at the ground, the feeling of calmness replaced with a feeling of guilt and shame.

  “I’m sorry that I brought your thoughts back to that,” Rico said. “I never meant to take away