Heaven Below
Nolia McCarty
Copyright © 2011 Heather Marie Adkins/Nolia McCarty
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Published by CyberWitch Press
All rights reserved.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.
Disclaimer: The persons, places, things, and otherwise animate or inanimate objects mentioned in this novel are figments of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to anything or anyone living (or dead) is unintentional. The author humbly begs your pardon. This is fiction, people.
Cover Art by Christine DeMaio-Rice of Flip City Covers
Edited by Sarah Billington
This ebook formatted by CyberWitch Press
For my sisters,
Rachel & Sheridan.
My life without you wouldn’t be nearly as funny…
Prologue
It was a vengeful and terrible fire.
The white marble buildings that had characterized the once-grand city were stained black with soot. Where they weren’t stained, they were essentially gone — destroyed by a blood-red core that left behind miles of unnecessary death. The smoke carried the harsh smell of human suffering and loss.
He ran with the others, though much faster and with a stronger fury. Immortal didn’t mean invincible. He knew that firsthand. Fire was the enemy and death was an unwelcome guest, so he ran.
His senses were on overload, hyperactive with fear-driven adrenaline. He was all too aware of the pounding of his feet on the ground, the pain of his ragged breath in his throat, and the hot, hot air burning his back and his neck.
Fear was in the air, as pungent as the smoke that filled his lungs. It left a bad taste in his mouth.
The chaos would have been comical if his own life wasn’t being threatened. People were dragging each other down in their haste, dodging trees, rocks, fallen comrades…it was a ballet in slow motion. The fire was coming faster than many could get away…he tried not to think of the death toll and of those yet to succumb to the danger.
The mortals he passed were crying; a mournful, collective wail that appeared as if it would shatter the sky. He could sense that the people were worried about whether or not their loved ones had made it out safe. It wasn’t hard for him to imagine what else was going through their feeble minds. They were losing everything they had worked so hard to gain and maintain—especially the city, built from love and run on faith, hope, and happiness. They had known no crime…
Until now.
Many fools had taken paths through the Dark Forest and in theory, they would never emerge. Legend spoke of a curse on the trees, of all sorts of evil monsters.
Of course, he was one of the monsters.
An explosion rocked the earth. He didn’t bother looking over his shoulder. One more disaster for a nation on the brink of its demise. There was nothing to do. The fire was rapidly spreading. It wouldn’t be long before the island was consumed.
A single dirt road led through the edgy wilderness to the tip of the island, where the Port awaited. It was the only safe place to travel out of the city, guarded as it was by Her magic.
At the thought of Her, he closed his eyes and said a quick prayer.
He could picture the Port where boats were waiting to carry them all away to safer ground. Most crafts were piling above maximum capacity in order to save as many lives as possible. He could see the bend in the road up ahead; beyond that were the gates to the city, and beyond those…salvation.
In his excitement, he edged too close to the tree line, and a sharp branch swiped across his face. It slowed his momentum slightly, just enough to keep him from sprawling to the ground as he tripped over a rock.
No, not a rock.
A man.
The man was dead. Most likely fallen during the rush, and quite literally trampled to death. He could smell the body’s blood, still fresh, and his mouth watered… Keep going. Get out. Scrambling backwards on his knees, he managed to make it to his feet and turned to run.
Only to find himself gazing into the eyes of an astonishing woman.
He shook his head, blinking hard. She stood facing the onslaught of panicked runners. Anyone else would have been knocked to the ground, but it seemed as if the crowd parted seamlessly to go around her. She was thin, almost frail, but stood nearly a foot taller than him in her bare feet. Dust swirled around her ankles like mist.
Her pale gray eyes—almost white—glowed from within.
Strong muscles rippled under her creamy satin toga as she grabbed his face between her hands. Her own face became placid.
The surrounding madness froze. People fleeing stopped in mid-stride and the noise ceased, ending in an audible thwoosh. Above them, dark clouds began to gather, seeping from her very skin. Her icy gray eyes took on a faraway gaze, looking through his dark eyes into unknown dimensions, as if she were seeing him from the inside out. The wind raged, tearing into him and whipping her long brown hair into his face. Electricity hung above his skin.
After a moment, she brought her face to his, noses not quite touching. Her body began to shiver, her grip on his face becoming increasingly tighter. Ten tiny pinpricks of pain from her claw-like fingernails left blood trickling down his face.
“She should have lived,” the woman said, her voice low and menacing. It echoed off the clouds and in his head. His body chilled deep to his bones and his breath became visible as the air grew cold. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her face. “The world hangs in a delicate balance and you have caused a grave disruption. The city is dead by your irresponsibility.”
He tried to pull from her grasp but was unsuccessful. She was inhumanly strong; so powerful he couldn’t free himself, even with his immortal strength. Fear mounted in him with no mercy. It stuck in his throat, choking him. She shook him hard, a jolt that would have killed a human. He felt something crack in his neck, and bit down on the pain.
“Listen to me, you bloodthirsty filth. She will die at your hand. For 10,000 years, you will find her and you will kill her.” She shook him at every word, enunciating through gritted teeth. “Unwanted and unbidden, she will come to you. You must atone for your wrongdoing.”
She paused, her grip losing some of its worth. “There is more.” He watched the life enter her eyes, which automatically focused on his and softened. She wiped blood from his face very gently with her fingertips. Her touch was cool and unearthly soft, leaving trails of feather lightness across his face. “Nothing is ever as it seems. People may not be who you think they are and you will not know. Things may seem grim and you will be confused, but do not push. It will come around in time.
“The crisis at hand is part of an involved and predetermined destiny. It was planned in detail. The future is as well.” At this she smiled, beautifully white, making her look even more astounding. “It is said that felines possess nine lives and no matter how many times they seem to die, they will bounce back.”
He was puzzled but also intrigued. It was a riddle; he could do riddles.
She stroked the skin at his neck, tracing her fingers to his cheek. He laid his face in her hand. It was warm. The wind whipped her hair into a cocoon around their bodies. He felt her lips on his forehead, and they slid softly to his nose. He gave in to her magic as it weaved around him, his body going numb. “All will be well, dear boy. Remember to stay true to your heart and it will lead you to where you need to be.” She placed her lips to his ear, “You are a true member of the Order.
“As I say it, so shall it be.”
She let go, pulling roughly away from him, her face lifting to the sky. He was caught off balance and sprawled to the ground ungracefully. He grimaced, looking up to her as pain shot through his arms.
She reached for the clouds, the wind battling as lightning leapt from her fingertips. She let out a scream that ripped through him. Her body melted into the sky like smoke, starting from her fingers and moving to her feet until there was nothing left.
The clouds dissipated as quickly as they had come, following the hasty retreat of their master. The wind died down and the noise and bustle of the world came back to him.
Strong hands grasped him firmly under the arms, yanking him to his feet before he could be trampled. His faceless rescuer gave him a push in the right direction and they took off towards the water.
The sight of the pier brought new hope to his suddenly glum heart. It was always non-stop business, shoulder-to-shoulder with merchants and travelers, but today it was for a very different reason. The closest boat had just cast out to sea, its anchor still cranking. It was a long jump, but not impossible.
He leapt, soaring through the air with his arm outstretched. His fingers caught hold of the anchor rope. He hit the side of the boat hard and groaned, waiting to stop bouncing before he climbed hand over hand to the top.
His brother waited patiently above. Hands gripped him and pulled him aboard. They embraced.
“I must say, your timing is extremely impeccable,” his twin said wryly.
He fell to his knees, exhausted.
His brother lowered himself to the deck, leaning back against the wall. “Do you know who that was?”
He was still trying to catch his breath. “I do not know for sure, but I have a crazy idea that it was Eva.”
His brother looked grave, and avoided his gaze, choosing instead to look back at the burning city. He just nodded.
“The Prophet came to me.” He rubbed the dried blood on his cheeks, remembering her grip. “She’s strong. No one has seen her since before we were born.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“Is she ever wrong?” he murmured.
His twin cringed. “No. She isn’t.”
Chapter 1
She ran.
The streets beneath her flat-soled shoes were cobblestone; twice, she had stumbled, nearly wrenching her ankle into immobility. She tugged her cloak tighter, clutching at both sides until her knuckles hurt. The snow was falling steadily now: a blanket of white that whipped at her face as she struggled to keep up the pace. The cold air burned as it pushed in and out of her lungs, but she couldn’t stop.
If she stopped…she was dead.
Glancing over her shoulder, she could make out his dark form in the night. He was getting closer. Why was he chasing her? She stumbled and fell—hard.
There was no time to recover from the jarring hit; she bounced to her feet and rushed forward. She could hear his breath in the night.
She dodged into an alley; the kind of place she’d always been told to never venture.
Her father wasn’t alive to help her now.
She rounded another corner and found a wall instead of another alley. The wet, gray stones sailed high above her head, blocking any means of escape.
She turned to face her fate…
Kelliantra McNeil jerked awake, teetered on the edge of her bed, and fell to the floor with a loud thump.
“Oww,” she groaned. She pushed up to her elbows and shook her head, as if she could shake away the dream. Really, I should be used to them by now.
Kelli stood and shoved her blankets back onto the bed, then stretched her arms to the ceiling with a grunt. She had never been a morning person, especially on Sunday mornings when—per Mom’s orders—Kelli was to finish any and all homework that she didn’t do (and never did) earlier in the weekend.
She took a quick shower and tried not to think about the dream. It was the one she hated the most; it gave her the creeps. But, without fail, she had it at least once a week…
After her shower, Kelli ran a brush through her wet hair and then sat down at her desk. She pulled out her algebra book and opened it.
Of all the subjects she had to take in school, Kelli hated algebra.
If someone had shown up at the front door and offered to do all of her algebra homework for the low-low price of her eternal soul, she would have signed the contract without hesitation. She would even have dotted the “i” with a heart for good measure.
But, that was an unlikely chain of events. Instead, she sat at her desk staring out into the rosy morning and tapping her eraser on her algebra book—alternately ignoring and glaring at her homework.
She opened the window, telling herself it was because sometimes her room got too hot since heat rises and she lived in the attic. It was such a nice morning with the temperature significantly lower than it had been in previous weeks. Autumn was starting right on time and the refreshing wind it brought ruffled her white-blonde hair.
Really, though, she had the window open because her neighbor was out mowing his front lawn.
Gabriel Halogeras.
Even from her bedroom at the top of the house, she could see his shirtless torso gleaming with sweat. He had the kind of body that deserved to be ogled: strong shoulders, a thick neck, muscular biceps. His rounded butt looked fantastic in those low-slung, faded blue jeans. Kelli liked the way his shoulder-length black hair looked pulled up in a ponytail, and the way his back rippled as he walked.
She shivered. It probably wasn’t the breeze.
Kelli looked back at her notebook, determined to at least finish one problem before she drifted again. The equation swirled together on her worksheet: a spiral of nonsensical numbers in stark black on white.
Glancing back out the window, she found Gabriel on his front porch. He was kicked back with his legs on the white wooden railing, drinking from a soda can.
He was the ultimate mystery.
One Tuesday morning a month after the school year began, he was sitting in Kelli’s social studies class as if he belonged there. His cocky smile had sent the girls into palpitations and their excited whispers had overwhelmed the room. Everyone sent furtive glances his way, speculating and gossiping…especially Kelli. She remembered he had worn leather pants, a feat not many guys could pull off. It gave him a primeval look, like a wild cat.
He was unreal.
No one knew his story. It wasn’t like he was a loner; he spoke to people and made friends right away. He flirted with girls from day one, and he even tried out for track on day four. He loved attention and got into the habit of strolling into class a few minutes late. Teachers couldn’t control him, but for some reason only had respect for him. He never talked of his family or where he came from.
Kelli had seen an older man come and go from the house across the street. She didn’t know if it was Gabriel’s dad or what. But she sure did like the way Gabriel cut his grass.
“Staring at the Grecian God again?” Aries’ voice startled Kelli out of her thoughts.
She dropped her pencil, whipping around quickly in her chair. “You scared me.”
Her brother stood in the doorway with a textbook clasped to his chest. His white-blonde hair was spiked dangerously high, the tips of the spikes dyed cerulean. His pale blue eyes twinkled merrily. “You shouldn’t be so involved in looking at the neighbor. You were, weren’t you?”
“No,” she said defensively, looking down at her Algebra book and picking her pencil up once more. “I’m doing homework.”
Aries crossed the room to peer over her shoulder. He was so tall and lanky he loomed over her—whether she was sitting down or standing beside him. His eyes landed on Gabriel, who was back to pushing the lawn mower up a small incline in the lawn.
At the movement of muscles in their neighbor’s back, Kelli nearly panted like a dog.
Aries laughed. “Uh huh. Whatever you say, little sis.”
Growling, Kelli poked his hip with her pencil.
He cackled, dancing away on his long bare feet.
“Quit calling me that. You’re only fifteen minutes older than me.” Propping one arm on the back of her chair, she narrowed her eyes and zeroed in on his dark blue sweatpants. “Did you steal my sweats?”
He smirked, still clutching his textbook to his chest. It was probably some stupid psychology crap. “No.”
Kelli rolled her eyes and went back to her school work. She was positive they were hers because the giant word Pink kinda gave it away. It wasn’t worth arguing with him.
“Breakfast’s almost ready,” her twin called, prancing out the door. He sounded like a horse the way he took the narrow staircase.
“Okay.”
She put her pencil down, twisting in her seat and craning her neck to stare down the staircase. He was gone.
Resting her chin in a hand, she gazed across the street. She’d watch just a little bit longer.
“Dad, could you help me with my algebra homework?” Kelli asked as she took her usual seat at the table.
The sun had appeared over the pool house and shone in through the open patio doors so that the crystal chandelier above their heads was illuminated. The warm glow glinted off the placid water of the backyard swimming pool.
Kelli took a deep breath and her mouth watered. The room smelled like garlic and tomato sauce.
“Of course I’ll help you with your homework, Sugar. What seems to be the problem?” Her dad glanced up from his Newsweek with a furrowed brow. He was a remarkably handsome man with short, dark brown curls that he had to smother with gel. If he didn’t, his hair would be a giant afro. Other than his dark, dark eyes, his chin was his most prominent feature.
He also tended to think Kelli had hung the moon. His estimation of her intelligence haunted her.
Kelli shrugged, slouching against the back of the chair. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case, Sug,” he said with a chuckle, lifting his magazine once more. When she was a little girl, she used to think her dad’s face was a magazine.
She rested her head on the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling. The fall breeze rushed into the room, and goose bumps prickled on her pale skin.
The dining room was sunflower yellow with a white ceiling that peaked and dipped in what Kelli used to call “fireworks”. The room was dominated by a sideboard on one wall—the kind of monstrous wooden cabinet that could hold a buffet for ten. The only other furniture was the mahogany table and its six chairs.
“Kelli, would you set the table, Hon?” Her mom’s tall, thin form was flitting around the kitchen, her torso the only thing Kelli could see over the long counter that separated kitchen from dining room. She always looked at home in her red plaid apron, even if it seemed a little silly plastered over her suit skirt and satiny pink blouse.
“Sure, Mom.” Bouncing from her chair, Kelli headed for the plate cabinet.
Her parents were extremely young at 36; younger than most of her friends’ moms and dads. Kelli and Aries had been an accident, born when Jack and Nancy McNeil were only 19 years old and freshly married. Neither parent looked like their children—where Aries and Kelli were fair-skinned, fair-haired, and pale-eyed, their mom and dad were dark.
As Kelli was setting the last set of silverware, her brother burst through the swinging door with his usual panache.
“What’s for breakfast?” He took the seat across from Kelli’s, making a face at her.
“Jesus, is that my Fall Out Boy t-shirt?” Kelli screeched, smacking her hand on the table as she sat down. “Aries!”
“Kelliantra Leigh, you do not take the Lord’s name in vain in this household,” her mother snapped from behind the counter, pointing a serving spoon menacingly in her direction. Her mother had her dark hair pulled into a loose bun so that tendrils curled around her face in the heat from the oven. Her cheeks were rosy.
“Sorry, Mom.” Kelli glared at her brother.
“Geez, sis, I’m going to give it back,” Aries said, winking at her as their mother bustled over to put a glass of orange juice in front of him.
“You better.”
“Kelli, don’t yell in the house, Sug.” As always, her dad’s response was late. She sighed.
“Breakfast is served,” Mom said cheerfully, carrying the casserole dish around the counter with mitt-covered hands. She placed the dish on the two raggedy pot holders in the center of the table. “Sausage and potato casserole. Eat.”
As Aries and Dad dug in, Kelli watched her mother walk back into the kitchen. It was her ritual—she cleaned up while the rest of the family ate. Once her family was finished, then she would eat a small plate. It irritated Kelli, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.
“How’s school going, my boy?” Dad boomed before shoving a forkful of meat and egg into his mouth. Kelli giggled as she realized he had already spilled coffee down the front of his baby blue polo shirt.
Aries opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the chime of the doorbell.
“Will you go get that, hon?” Their mother’s voice drifted from behind the counter. She was probably head first in the dishwasher.
Kelli and Aries exchanged looks, then glanced at their dad. He held up his hands, one still holding his fork, and gave them a casserole smile. “Not me.”
“Me either!” Kelli said quickly, then ducked as Aries threw a chunk of his biscuit. It missed.
“Fine,” he said grumpily, shoving away from the table and slinking from the room.
Kelli had just shoved a huge forkful in her mouth when Aries reappeared through the swinging door.
“Look who stopped by,” he said, giving Kelli a behemoth grin.
Gabriel Halogeras appeared behind him.
Chapter 2
Kelli stared dumbly at the object of her affection, her mouth gaping open at the image he posed standing in her house.
He was so big. Next to her skinny brother, he looked like a bodybuilder. His hair was shiny black, still pulled into a tail that was carelessly flung over a shoulder and down his chest. He smelled like grass and sweat; Kelli thought that was probably the best combination ever.
Kelli was devastated; he’d put a shirt on. She sighed.
“Hello, Gabriel,” Mom said, walking around the counter. She dusted her hands on her apron and offered one to him. “How are you?”
“Great, Mrs. McNeil.” His voice sent shivers down Kelli’s spine. Deep and honeyed with the hint of some kind of accent. There was something different about hearing it outside of school.
Dad wiped his mouth and stood, reaching to shake Gabriel’s hand. “What brings you over, son?”
“The string on my weed eater has broken and we’re out. You wouldn’t happen to have extra?” Crooked grin. “I hate leaving a job unfinished.”
Kelli could have sworn his eyes flicked briefly to her, but it had to be her imagination.
“Sure, sure. Come with me,” her dad grunted in his man-to-man voice. He slapped an arm around Gabriel’s shoulders and led him out the open patio door.
Gabriel tossed a careless smile in Kelli’s direction before they disappeared.
For years, the nightmares had stopped.
She had found comfort in nice, normal dreams that she rarely remembered when she awoke. No cold sweats, no night terrors…just every day movies in her head. Usually about cute boys in music videos.
Not long after her junior year began, the nightmares returned—worse than before. It was an almost nightly occurrence, so much so that Kelli would do anything to put off going to sleep. She even taught herself how to crochet.
Unfortunately, there was only so long she could last before exhaustion would knock her into a dream state.
He stayed in the shadows as she walked down a dark alley. His face was concealed but his footsteps were not. They fell with every step she took, stalking her, following her…
This was one of the scenarios she was familiar with—she had experienced it over and over. Even though she knew she was dreaming, she couldn’t get out no matter how many times she yelled at her mind to open her eyes.
She clutched her jacket tighter, shooting terrified glances into the darkness. She knew he was there. There was nothing she could do but walk faster and listen to him pick up speed.
Suddenly he broke the circle of light below a streetlamp. Beautiful, so beautiful. Chestnut hair, matching eyes…the last thing she saw was the dagger.
Kelli awoke with a start, sitting up in bed so fast it made her head spin. She pressed a hand to her sweaty forehead and focused on trying to slow her breathing, kicking away the tangle of covers around her legs.
The moon was already setting in the dark sky outside her open window. It had gotten frosty since she had fallen asleep and the brisk chill had filled her room while she slept. Stumbling from bed in the inky room, she walked over to close the window.
Across the street, Gabriel’s house was dark.
Kelli stared unseeing into the night. She returned to her dream, to the man who haunted her sleep. No matter the terror she felt whenever she had a nightmare, one thing stood out.
She loved him.
Some of the dreams weren’t so much nightmares as they were snippets of interactions with an altogether different version of her attacker. Kelli almost wished he were real; maybe she wouldn’t daydream about a stupid teen guy that she couldn’t have.
She crossed back to her bed and flicked on the lamp on her nightstand; the gold light splashed across her room, chasing away the demons.
There wasn’t any use in trying to go back to sleep. After straightening her covers, she snuggled under her fluffy green comforter. Grabbing a teen mag from the nightstand, she opened it to wile away some time.
Gabriel-Mania meant Kelli often spent an hour and a half getting ready for school. Shower, shave, blow-dry, make-up—the whole shebang in some useless ploy to gain his attention.
“Today will be the day he speaks to you,” she told herself, standing in front of the full-length mirror in her closet. It was the same thing she had told herself for a month straight. Each day, she felt a little less sure of herself.
It wasn’t like she was hideous. She pinched the skin at her cheekbones, bringing the blood to the surface so she was rosy. Her eyes were the deep, vivid blue of arctic icebergs and her hair wispy, so blonde it was nearly white. Tall, thin, and pretty but invisible.
Today was no exception on the self-esteem front. It was a cool, drizzly morning and it echoed her mood. After Gabriel had come through her home and barely acknowledged her the night before, she was pretty certain he wasn’t interested.
Her closet was big, but the ceiling was low and angular. She walked around the corner into the nook where she kept her shoes, picking out her favorite pair of Eskimo boots to wear with her blue jean skirt and form-fitting salmon sweater.
Finally dressed and ready, she frowned at the mirror. She wanted Gabriel. She had been willing to give it everything she had to make him hers. “It’s not going to happen,” she sighed, putting her palm against the glass to cover her reflection.
“It’s unlike you to get so crazy over a guy.”
Kelli jumped, swiveling to throw her hairbrush at her brother. Aries was an expert at sneaking up on her.
The small pink brush bounced of his chest and skidded across the hardwood floor. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
Sighing, she shrugged. He tsk-tsked, dropping her navy Pink sweatpants in her dirty clothes basket before leaving.
A few minutes later, he met her at the bathroom sink. Silently, he took out his toothbrush. Dabbed a liberal line of toothpaste on it. Glancing at her, he shoved the brush in his mouth.
They stood next to each other, Kelli applying her eyeliner to the musical swishing of Aries’ toothbrush.
After he had glanced at her three or four more times, Kelli slammed the eye pencil to the counter and turned to glare at him.
“What do you want, freak?”
He took his time rinsing out his mouth. Drying his face and hands on a fluffy yellow towel, he stared at her thoughtfully. “You’re worried so much about what a guy thinks of you.”
Kelli threw her hands up. “And your point is?”
He carefully folded the towel and smoothed it out onto the counter. “Kel, if this guy doesn’t want you for the everyday you, he has to be blind. He would be just one more meaningless accessory to your perfect life.” Kelli tried to retort, but he lifted a sardonic eyebrow and exited the room.
He was waiting in her Mustang, already in the passenger seat as she walked out of the house with a Pop-Tart hanging from her mouth. She locked the front door and trudged to the car, her backpack dangling from a shoulder.
Aries was fiddling with the radio and cursing at the morning commercials. Kelli knew she needed to confide in her brother about the nightmares. It wasn’t like her to keep things from him anyway. She should have told him a long time ago.
She shifted into gear and backed out onto the street. “Can I tell you something and you not think I’m nuts?”
He pushed the power button, dropping the car into silence, and sat back laughing. “I already think you’re nuts.”
Kelli reached over, slapping his arm with the backs of her fingers. “I’m serious.”
He lost his smile, and nodded. “Sorry.”
She took a deep breath, biting her bottom lip. “I’ve been having these dreams. Bad dreams.”
“What kind of bad dreams?”
She made a split-second decision to turn into a gas station. Pulling into a spot near the door, she cut the engine.
Laughing, she laid her head in her hands. “It’s this man. He keeps showing up in my dreams.”
“Well that doesn’t sound so awful,” Aries quipped, waggling his eyebrows. “If some hot girl was consistently visiting my dreams I’d certainly not think they were nightmares.”
“But, he’s not good.” She paused, wrinkling her nose. “At least, I don’t think he’s good. But, I love him!” She sighed. “I don’t know why or how, but even when I’m awake I love him. I think about him all the time.”
Aries snickered. “You’re such a whack job. You love the guy even though he murders you?”
Kelli glared.
He sobered, his hands methodically rubbing his knees. “Okay. So what’s the bad?”
“He kills me.” She glanced at her brother from the corner of her eye then looked away.
She saw the change in his face—the mischievous twinkle disappeared and his pale blue eyes darkened. He reached for her hand, wrapping his long fingers around her own.
“He scares me.” Her voice was small.
“He terrifies you that much?” Aries said. He massaged her thumbs, his eyes dark. “He’s just a dream, Kel. Tell me why you’re so afraid.”
Kelli pulled from his grasp to hug herself. “He’s beautiful, Aries. I mean, the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. And I’m completely infatuated with him. Sometimes, he’s good to me.” She licked her lips, her eyes faraway, not seeing anything he could see. “He leads me somewhere solitary and then he kills me.”
“How?”
“A knife. An old knife. A dagger with a crooked blade.”
Aries turned away to gaze out the windshield. The mechanics who worked at the gas station garage were rolling up the bay doors and setting out their signs, ignoring the teenagers in the purple Mustang. “Have you read a story somewhere about this? Do you think it could be a subconscious thing?”
Kelli shook her head, even though he wasn’t looking at her. “I don’t think so. Aries,” she said, turning to lean against her door. “These dreams are full Technicolor, surround sound. Not your ordinary nightly journey.”
“When did this start?”
She smiled wryly. “When we were twelve. While you were gone.”
The summer before they turned thirteen, Aries went with Grandpa McNeil on an archaeological dig in Mexico. He was gone for three months. It was two weeks in to the split when the dreams started.
It only took a month before she broke down and told her parents. They chose to pay three hundred dollars a session for several months of visits to a therapist. All the Kook did was analyze the hormonal imbalances and ramblings of a teen going through puberty. And analyze badly. She came up with some outlandish ideas; psycho babble about inner fantasies of a male persona to cover the emptiness of Aries being gone. Always mature for her age, Kelli spent every Tuesday and Thursday laughing at her shrink—who was nuttier than she was.
Kelli buckled her seat belt and put the car in gear, signaling as she turned out of the station. They rode the rest of the way to the community college in silence.
During their fifth grade year, Aries had been…odd. All the teachers noticed it—awkward and smart. Some significant testing showed that he was “gifted” or abnormally intelligent, anyway. He had skipped ahead two grades and was now in his second year of college with the intention of working towards his psychology degree.
Kelli had been kept back a grade because of a learning disability.
She wasn’t jealous. Maybe a little.
Aries kissed her on the cheek, popping open his door. “Try not to think too much about it. We’ll talk later.”
She gave him a wan smile. “‘K. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” He squeezed her hand one more time. “It’s just dreams, Kelli. You’re going to be okay.”
Chapter 3
School was not her favorite pastime.
She parked in her usual spot under the tall Osage tree, kicking away one of the wrinkled, pea-green fruits she had always called “monkey’s brains” as she stepped from the car. Grabbing her bag from the backseat, she slammed her door and headed up the front walk.
The main building on Ketterer High’s campus looked like something out of a horror movie. The place was always drafty and dim inside, mirrored nicely on the outside by the weathered gray stone and reflective windows. Ivy trailed up the front of the building, encircling two of the large windows, giving them eyelids. The effect was creepy.
But, it was a private arts school, which was better than dealing with the county’s public school system. At least, that’s what her parents liked to remind her every time she barely passed a math test.
Her best friend, Miranda Sanchez, was waiting by Kelli’s locker. She was filing her fingernails and practicing her best “bored” look.
Miranda was a Hispanic beauty who didn’t really seem to know she was beautiful. Her long black hair was shiny and straight, pulled back into a messy braid. Her skin was flawlessly dark and her cheekbones were high under large, chocolate eyes. Miranda was short and curvy, the total opposite of Kelli.
“Hey,” Kelli said, scooting in to open her locker. Miranda shifted down one door and leaned against the metal, whipping out her cell phone.
“Hey, chica. How’s it hanging?” she asked, her long, red fingernails tapping away at her touch-screen.
Shrugging, Kelli swiveled the combination lock until it clicked and tugged open her locker. “Fine.”
“Aren’t we verbose?” Miranda raised one perfectly arched brow, pausing long enough in her texting to glance at Kelli.
“I didn’t get much sleep.”
Miranda straightened, pulling away from the locker and gripping Kelli’s shoulder, turning her gently until their eyes met. “The nightmares? Again?”
Kelli nodded, pulling away to shove her bag in her locker and rummage for her English textbook.
“Which one? France?”
“No, the alley.” Kelli shuddered, glad it hadn’t been the France dream.
As Kelli slammed her locker, Miranda shifted her large red-leather purse and pursed her lips. “Do you think you should go see a shrink again?”
“What, so she can tell me the same thing the last one did?” Kelli shook her head, tucking her textbook and notebook against her body. “I’ll be okay.”
In English, Kelli spent the whole hour gazing out the window.
She knew there was more to the dreams than could be analyzed professionally. Around the one year mark, she had started writing down each scenario as she awoke from it, desperate to figure out the answer on her own.
There were five different dreams that were the most common, each taking place in a different time period. After a little research, she had found that there were things in her dreams, minute details, that she couldn’t possibly have known about before.
Like the fact that in her 16th century dreams, the slate floors of her home—because it was her home in the dreams—were covered with “thresh” because if not, the family would slip and slide all over the place. And they didn’t eat tomatoes because of the pewter dishes; the reaction caused lead poisoning. Or that they had one giant pot that hung over the fire, and sometimes the veggies in the pot were weeks and weeks old.
All stuff Google could confirm about that time period.
Kelli often wondered if the dreams were real. If they had really happened to her, maybe in a past life.
Although paranormal happenings were debatable in public, and hard to distinguish from coincidences, Kelli believed fiercely in the supernatural. Even with her belief, it was still too hard for her to comprehend anything like that could happen to her. Her life was normal—born right on time, conceived the right way, and raised in suburbia with both parents, a loving brother, and all the clothes she could ever need. She couldn’t remember anything weird ever happening.
She had never even been afraid of monsters in the closet.
It was HIM. The man from her nightmares. There was something in his eyes that made her believe he was real. His gaze stopped her in her tracks every time. He radiated warmth and kindness right up until the last moment—the only dream to not follow that pattern was the alley. In that dream, she didn’t know him. He just showed up and killed her.
She closed her eyes as the breeze from the window played across her face. The sun was vivid. She let it pour over her and she thought of him.
His hair was soft; she knew, because she had touched it. She felt it in her dreams, like feathers, dark brown and hanging below his chin. She smiled as she remembered the tickle of his face on hers, a line of unruly facial hair tracing his jawbone. And those bright, bright emerald green eyes that held her spellbound. He could not be human, and she knew it by the way he moved: like a predator. She was irresistibly drawn to him, and nothing she could tell herself could stop it.
Despite the fact that he murdered her in every dream.
She opened her eyes, his face still emblazoned in her mind. A shadow on the other side of a large oak tree startled her, and she squinted for a better look. Nothing.
“Kelli, please pay attention.”
She jumped at the sound of her name and turned back to the classroom. Half the class was staring. She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry.”
She saw him at lunch.
It was loud in the cafeteria. The principal tried to pretend the school wasn’t overcrowded. It was hard to take him seriously when students had to elbow their way to their lunch tables like salmon fighting the tide.
Kelli picked at her mashed potatoes. “Do you think it’s true?”
Miranda pursed her lips, then shrugged. She shoveled a bite of meatloaf in her mouth. “It could be,” she said through the food.
Kelli glanced over her shoulder at him. Gabriel was sitting with a group of football players. She knew they’d been trying to headhunt him, to get him to come play for the school team. Turning back to Miranda, she swiveled her fork in her potatoes. “I don’t think he’d have sex with Nicole.”
The girl in question happened to pass within Kelli’s line of vision and she stiffened, frowning. Nicole Adams was perky, pretty, and popular—not to mention cheer captain. Her blonde hair was in a high, swishy ponytail and her face was slathered in make-up.
Kelli supposed some guys liked that ostentatious sort of thing. She prided herself on make-up that was subtle, and the same kind of style to go with it. Really, she just hated the way make-up felt on her face: like lotion that never dried.
Veronica MacDougal followed Kelli’s gaze and rolled her eyes. She was a petite red-head with pale, freckled skin. “She’s such a slut.”
“Tell us how you really feel,” Miranda said, chugging half of her milk carton.
“It’s fine when it’s true. I bet she did sleep with him.” Veronica was usually a quiet girl, but morality seemed to bother her. “Lord knows she’s slept with half of third-period biology.”
“That’s just a rumor—” Suddenly, Miranda cut off in mid-sentence and grabbed Kelli’s arm, drawing in a sharp breath. Surprised, Kelli looked up to find Miranda gazing across the room.
“Chica,” Miranda whispered. Kelli made to follow her gaze, but Miranda grabbed her chin and held her in place. “No, no, no, don’t look yet. Be cool, chica, be cool. He’s checking you out!”
“Who?” Kelli said, perplexed.
“Gabriel. Oh, honey. He is so fine! Oh,” Miranda said, one hand going to her heart to feign a heart attack, “he just licked his lips.”
Kelli laughed, and smoothed her hair with both hands, checking to make sure the part was where it was supposed to be. “Do I look okay?”
Miranda looked away from Gabriel and smiled. “You’re beautiful. Bueno, bueno.”
Kelli slowly turned her head and met two black, black eyes.
He broke contact almost immediately, smiling and responding to one of the other guys, his dark eyes nothing but a swift memory.
“I guess he doesn’t want me looking back,” Kelli said with a frown, staring at her tray as if it had answers.
“He digs you,” Veronica told her matter-of-factly, taking a sip of her diet soda. “I overheard him talking to John Riddo during physics yesterday.”
“Ohmigod, Veronica, what did he say?” Kelli gasped. She reached across the table and gripped her friend’s arm tightly.
Veronica shrugged. “I don’t know. I just heard your name come up.”
“You should have listened harder!” Kelli sighed.
“It’s not his style to come out and do immature high school guy things, mi amiga,” Miranda agreed, checking out her nails. “He’ll come to you.”
He sat behind her in history class, two seats over and two seats back.
Kelli stared at him as she walked down the aisle to take her seat. The last class of the day always had that laid-back, fun-loving atmosphere that boosted Kelli’s confidence. She didn’t care if he noticed she was looking.
Maybe I want Gabriel so much because he reminds me of my nightmare man, Kelli thought. She tossed her backpack over the back of her chair and sat, tearing her eyes away from him. Gabriel had the same predatorial walk and devilish half-smile. They could have been ancestors.
All through class, Kelli could feel Gabriel’s presence like a tangible thing behind her, reaching for her.
Chapter 4
“No parties, Kelliantra, do you understand me?” Her mother didn’t wear “stern” very well, but she did try.
Kelli cocked her head with as much innocence as she could muster. She was upside down with her legs tossed carelessly over the back of the couch and her hair brushing the floor. With a cheesy grin, she answered, “Yes, Mom, we know. If we have a party we’ll pick up after ourselves and restock the liquor cabinet.”
Her mom’s glare was priceless.
“We got it, Mom.” Aries kicked out one of his long legs from his end of the couch, connecting with Kelli’s hip. He gave her a Look. “We will behave ourselves.”
“Oww,” Kelli whined, rubbing the sore spot.
“Don’t kick your sister, she’s fragile.” Dad huffed into the living room dragging his abnormally large suitcase behind him. It was weird to see him in blue jeans and a t-shirt—it seemed he was always in polos or oxfords.
Kelli wiggled her toes, frowning. “I’m not fragile!”
“Jesus, I can’t win.” Dad threw his hands in the air and turned to walk out.
Mom’s frown got deeper. “Jack, don’t use the Lord’s name in vain. We’ve had this discussion.”
“See what I mean?” he said pointedly, winking at Kelli, who giggled.
The ‘rents were headed out for the weekend to Atlanta for a celebration of their anniversary. Of course, their anniversary had actually been nearly four months before but from what Kelli had gathered, they had been in the middle of a big case. Her parents didn’t tend to talk about work with her and Aries.
After the car was loaded, her dad came back in the living room and leaned down to give her a kiss. “Doesn’t all the blood rush to your face?”
“Yes.” Kelli giggled.
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “Teenagers! What is a dad to do?” His face turned serious, upside-down in Kelli’s vision. He tapped her cheek gently with one palm. “Be good, you hear?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
And then they were gone.
The old grandfather clock in the corner steadily ticked into the silence. The television was muted on one of the local cable channels where the evening sitcoms were just beginning. She was too lazy to go hunt down the remote.
Kelli cocked her head, eyeing her brother. His face was buried in a Steven King novel where it usually stayed.
“Sooo…” she drew it out. When he dropped his book to his lap and looked at her, she waved both hands around in question.
He sighed, turning down the corner of the page. “Yeah. We’re going to have a party. Tomorrow. Start spreading the word.”
“Yeah, chica, what’s up?” Miranda answered on the first ring as if she had been hovering over her phone. That was probably true; she didn’t seem to ever let it out of her sight, even in class where they were strictly prohibited.
“Remember how I told you Mom and Dad were outsies for the weekend?”
“Yeah?”
Kelli grinned, falling forward onto her stomach on the bed. “We’re going to have a party.”
“Dios mio, Kelliantra. Do you remember what happened last time?”
Kelli took offense to her best friend’s judging tone. “It was just a little fire. And Mom never found out.”
Miranda gave a harassed sigh. “Alright, fine. I’ll call Tito and get him on the pipeline.”
“The whole town will know by midnight,” Kelli joked. Miranda’s cousin was a senior and knew everybody in the local county high school.
“Mm-hmm, the boy does know who to call. I’ll hit you back later. Adios, chica.”
Kelli hung up the phone and rolled over to her back, staring at the ceiling. She had put the glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling so many years ago she couldn’t pinpoint an exact date, but she had always loved them. With the lamp off and the daylight nearly faded from the sky, her stars glowed brilliantly. They calmed her heart rate.
She settled into a silent position and the fake stars lured her to sleep.
One of the things Kelli hated about Georgia weather was one of the things she sometimes loved—the quick shifts in temperature.
The day of the party fell into the latter category. She woke up to a bright, clear sky and a nice 79 degree morning outside her open window. If it could keep up, the pool party would be open for business.
She had passed out early the night before, fully-clothed, which wasn’t unusual for a Friday—she was always exhausted at the end of the school week. But she had awakened in the middle of the night, sweating and shaking from the nightmare. France again.
After changing into her pajamas, she had felt a little more human. She had crawled in bed and turned her TV on. Leaving her en suite bathroom light on, she had fallen asleep watching infomercials.
Luckily, no more dreams.
On Saturday morning, she tugged a terry-cloth robe over her strappy nightgown and bounded down the stairs. The tell-tale sounds of Aries in the kitchen would have alerted her to breakfast if the smell of bacon had not.
“Morning,” she sang, pushing through the swinging door to the living room.
Aries was in the kitchen, using a fork to flip bacon over in their mother’s cast iron skillet. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
“Whatever. You probably just woke up to.” She slid onto one of the stools at the counter between the kitchen and dining room. “Is that bacon from the ValuMarch? Please say yes.”
Her brother’s musical laugh filled the room, mingling with the sizzling of the bacon. “Yeah. I found a pack of it in the freezer.”
“I love that woman.” The “good” bacon was basically scrap meat the ValuMarch bought off the local farmers. It was thick, juicy, and covered in a pepper-crust that gave it just the right amount of zing. The store rarely had it because as soon as they put it out, it would sell. Their mom made frequent trips to the store, hoping to find it. When she was able to get there in time, she usually bought it all.
“I was also thinking about pancakes. Good for you?”
Kelli nodded. She jumped from her seat and crossed to the patio doors, turning the lock and flinging them open. The sun sparkled off the surface of the azure pool, causing waves of light to waver on the big, redbrick pool house opposite it.
“Should I put up the umbrellas, you think?”
“Nah. Leave ‘em closed. Nobody’s going to show up ‘til after dark anyway.”
After they ate breakfast and shared the clean-up duties, they parted ways at the stairs.
Aries pecked her cheek. “I’m going to run into town. Wes is going to meet me at the store to pick out some booze for tonight.”
“Do you have enough money? I did tell Miranda to let everyone know it was BYOB, you know.” She stepped onto the bottom stair, which put her taller than her brother. She giggled, running the palm of her hand over his spikes.
Swatting her hand away, he answered, “Nah, I’ve got plenty saved from this summer.”
“Ah, yes, lawnmower money.”
“Lawnmower money,” he agreed. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Kelli followed him to the door and waved as he climbed into his Cherokee. She closed the door, clicking the deadbolt into place, and headed up to her room to pass some time.
She hadn’t expected it to be a small affair but she really hadn’t thought it would get so big, either.
The living room was shoulder to shoulder, lit only by the blacklight lamp Aries had set in the corner. Bodies writhed together to the sound of one of the latest, greatest rap songs—her brother’s choice, another bit of nonsense that sounded ridiculous to Kelli.
She pushed her way through the crowd, aiming for the kitchen door behind which she knew she’d find her brother. Anytime they threw a party, he spent the duration at the kitchen counter, consuming large amounts of bourbon and playing cards with his friends.
The pile of dollar bills on the table had gotten significantly larger since she had last passed through. “You boys are going all out tonight, aren’t you?” she quipped, skirting the counter and into the kitchen.
“No holds barred, lil sis,” Wes answered, grinning. He had picked up the nickname from Aries and they’d only known each other for a couple months. He was in a couple of her brother’s classes at the community college.
Kelli stuck her tongue out at him, reaching for the tequila. She eyed the counter and its offerings. “Where’s the margarita mix?”
“In the fridge. I put it in there after you complained.”
Aries’ answer made her smile. He knew she liked her margaritas cold and he had forgotten to put the mix away before the party. Her first couple of drinks had needed extra ice.
She whipped up a drink in the biggest glass she could find, positive she should be using plastic but determined she would make it work. Most of the plastic cups had cartoon characters or sports teams on them and she really didn’t want to be seen with either.
Kelli was feeling loose and relaxed. Alcohol tended to make her lazy; when she went to a party, she usually spent most of it lounging on a couch and laughing at everything. Exiting via the patio doors, she found Miranda lounging by the pool with her sunglasses on. Kelli sat at the edge of her friend’s chair and kicked her flip-flops off. The asphalt still held the warmth of the day beneath her feet, though the sun had set hours ago.
“Bright?”
“Ha ha,” Miranda pulled her shades to the edge of her nose, peering at Kelli with her dark eyes. “I’ve been keeping my eye on a certain someone. I think she has an eye on your brother.”
At Miranda’s pointed look, Kelli followed her gaze to find Cheerleader Nicole sitting at one of the tables right outside the patio doors. Kelli hadn’t even noticed her. The blonde was staring intently at Aries, illuminated by the chandelier inside.
“Ugh. Seriously?” Kelli sighed, slapping at a mosquito as it sucked at her ankle. “If she comes anywhere near my brother, I’ll kill her.”
“You and me both, chica. She’s a punta.” Miranda reached over to the small side table and grabbed her beer. She pouted, shaking it in Kelli’s face. “I’m out. Will you go get me another?”
“Lazy.” Kelli took the can and stood, stumbling as the alcoholic blood rushed to her head. She laughed. “I think I’ve reached my limit on tequila.”
“Tequila makes your clothes fall off.” Miranda winked and made a shooing motion. “Go get my cerveza!”
As Kelli passed Nicole and her blonde, bimbo friends, she gave her the best glare she had. Nicole flipped her off, then whipped her hair over her shoulder and went back to talking to her companions.
Kelli really hated that bitch.
Aries looked up from the fan of cards in his hand as she entered. “Lil sis! Right on time. Go hit play on the iPod.”
“You couldn’t do it?” She dropped Miranda’s can into the recycling bin.
Aries shrugged, holding up his cards. “I’m busy. Please?”
Grunting, Kelli pursed her lips and pushed through the door into the living room. The crowd that had been a giant, dancing mass only fifteen minutes before was now just standing around laughing and chatting. She sidled over to the stereo, squinting into the neon dark until she could find the play button on the iPod. Another rap song burst from the speakers.
Job done, Kelli swayed drunkenly as she turned back towards the kitchen and Miranda’s replacement beer, but something stopped her.
Electricity filled the air, something she couldn’t touch. It ran across her skin, zinging along her nerve endings and sending shivers down her spine.
He appeared in the archway leading from the living room to the foyer, looking more stunning than he ever had. The sight of him made her breath catch in her throat and her heart thud.
Gabriel.
One hand pressed to the frame of the door, and he leaned, surveying the room from his almond-shaped eyes. In a black tank top and blue jeans, he flaunted his confidence and his trim body. His eyes caught hers as he flicked his hair from his face with a practiced movement. He smiled, a genuine smile that made him look more boyish than godly, and Kelli’s heart melted.
She made her way over, desperate to know if that smile had really been for her. She ran into a couple of dancing people, her vision wavering from too much tequila.
“Gabriel? What are you doing here?” she asked, trying not to slur her words. He seemed to fit so well into the darkness of the foyer.
“I couldn’t pass up a party.” He touched her shoulder, his fingertips rough. His eyes traveled her appreciatively, pleasurably, and she felt her face go warm. “I am invited, aren’t I?”
“O-of course,” Kelli answered, stiffening as he traced a finger down the side of her neck, her arm, and to her fingertips.
“I like this.” He fingered the waistline of her silky black sundress.
“Thanks.”
He finally caught her eye, and stepped back, leaving her breathless. “Got any beer?”
Kelli nodded, unsure she could even speak, and gestured for him to follow. Nearly everyone in the room greeted him, shaking hands, patting him on the back, or exchanging good-natured barbs.
But he was following her.
Kelli’s heart was pounding like the seconds of a clock on heroin.
Gabriel stepped past her as they reached the kitchen door. “Allow me, princess.” His voice was deep and intelligent, striking chords deep in her soul. He opened the door, letting her precede him into the dining room. She had to steady herself on the wood, her head swimming. She wasn’t sure if it was just the alcohol or if it was his presence that was intoxicating.
Aries and his three friends glanced up briefly from their card game, which seemed to have reached its heated climax. “Hey,” Aries said with a quick wave, turning his eyes right back to his cards. “I took Miranda a beer. She texted me.”