Tempest Page 3

  Eae was leaving the decision up to me. Something about the way Cricket stared at me as though she were waiting made the risk more tolerable. Angus licked my hand and I took it as affirmation that I was doing the right thing.

  I cleared my throat. Insepth looked smug, almost as if he knew what I was going to say before I spoke.

  “I’ll seek out Adria.” I glanced at Sawyer. “And see what my gut tells me to do.”

  “Excellent. I always love a journey,” Insepth said. “Where shall it be to?”

  I raised a questioning brow at Youmi.

  “I suggest you look for her on Tiree Island.”

  “Scotland?” Sir Austin’s voice rose.

  “Yes, my friend, your homeland,” Youmi said.

  “You’ll be coming with us, won’t you?” Sawyer directed the question at the water Watcher.

  Youmi waved his hand. “Sorry, no. I will give you directions, but for all the knowledge you may receive from Adria, the endeavor will likely mean your deaths.”

  Chapter 4

  And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

  Daniel 8:9-11

  “We don’t have time to waste,” Insepth said, following me into the forest.

  I whirled around. “You’re welcome to leave anytime you want.”

  Insepth snorted. “I want to help you—you need me.”

  My smile was not friendly. “No, you’re the one who needs me. I’m not delusional. I get it.”

  “Maybe we need each other. What’s so wrong in that?”

  I shrugged and continued walking up the dirt path, pushing my Gaia out further to search for Riley. “Nothing. As long as you don’t try to manipulate me.”

  A deer peeked around a cluster of rhododendron and a bear ambled with a lone cub not far away beneath the hemlock trees. I blocked the cacophony of bugs buzzing in my mind and the rustling of leaves. Sunlight shone through the branches, dappling the path. It was hard to believe that this beautiful world would burn. The Angels were ready for the apocalypse to begin—even looking forward to it. Their descendants, the Watchers, weren’t. I was still undecided. It was hard to argue against the will of God, but something deep inside told me it wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.

  So many people I loved had already died: Mom and Dad, Piper, Hannah, and Ila. I wasn’t sure if I could take seeing the same thing happen to my brother, Timmy, and sister-in-law, Chloe. They were expecting a baby—a little niece or nephew for me to play with and teach how to ride a horse. And what about Ivan, Horas and Sawyer? Where would they end up? Did monsters have any chance making it into Heaven? It was a question for Eae, but one that would have to wait.

  I pinched my lips together and whistled. “Riley! Come on boy!”

  I’ve found him. Sawyer’s words in my mind weren’t precise, like Eae’s or Insepth’s. It was more a feeling than his actual thoughts.

  I turned towards his voice and ran, skipping over gnarled roots and ducking around boulders. Insepth huffed behind me and Ivan loped up in wolf form.

  When we arrived in the small glade, I spotted Sawyer kneeling beside the fire pit where I’d first learned how to wield the flames. My breath shuddered out of my chest at the sight of Riley’s still body.

  “Is he…gone?” I stuttered, tears welling in my eyes.

  Angus looked up, tilting his head. His whine pierced my brain.

  “No, but almost.” Sawyer stood and backed away.

  I dropped to the ground, gently lifting Riley’s head into my lap. He opened his blue eyes and stared up at me. His tail thumped twice.

  I bent down and kissed the side of his nose. “Are you ready to see Ila?”

  He groaned and closed his eyes. I sniffed, but couldn’t stop the tears from dribbling down my cheeks. After all the people I’d watched die, I was crying for an old dog. But this wasn’t just any dog. He was Ila’s best friend for over sixty years, kept young by her magic. She was hundreds of years old herself when she died, and she had chosen to let her beloved dog age right along with her in her final years. He’d lived a wonderful, long life, but it still stabbed at my heart to see him taking his last breaths.

  Ivan padded up, raising his snout. I nodded and he dropped his head to rest it on Riley’s muzzle. Riley’s tail thumped again and I smiled through the tears. Insepth was the next to move forward. He began talking in a foreign language and I recognized the same strange sounds of branches breaking and leaves crunching from the bonding ceremony that Ila had performed for me and Sawyer. Insepth’s voice hummed and Riley opened his eyes. I heard the word Ila and then the Watcher became silent.

  I looked up at Insepth and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  He turned away, taking the path and disappearing into the forest.

  Riley shuddered.

  Angus yelped again, tossing his head and burying his face in his paws. When he looked up at me, I choked out a sob. Sawyer’s fingers pressed into my shoulder as I stroked Riley’s face. Angus scooted closer, resting his head on Riley’s chest, the ultimate show of submission to another dog.

  Riley’s chest rose and fell…rose and fell…rose…and fell, until it settled into stillness.

  Angus’ head rolled under my hand and I gripped his lose skin and squeezed. Ivan howled, the sweet sound starting out low and gaining momentum until it echoed through the forest. The yelping calls of coyotes and the yipping of foxes joined the song. I rubbed my cheeks and closed my eyes, listening.

  The salute lasted a long moment. When it ended, sunshine still warmed the top of my head and birds still chirped, but the sadness lingered. I imagined that it would for a while.

  “The dog is not forsaken. Fear not for him.”

  I looked over my shoulder. Eae stood on the path, a single tear glistened on his cheek and a ray of sunlight engulfed him in brightness.

  “Dogs go to Heaven?” I asked.

  “Of course—if they were good.” Eae attempted to grin, and not knowing if he was serious, I opened my mouth to question him further.

  Sawyer coughed loudly. “Do you want him buried beside Ila?”

  I lowered Riley’s head to the ground and rose. In a burst of wind and colors, Ivan was a teenage human.

  “Yes, that’s where he should be—with Ila,” I agreed.

  Sawyer bent to pick Riley up, when Ivan stopped him. “I’ll take him.” Ivan’s eyes drifted when he saw my raised brow. “He is one of my cousins. It would be an honor.” He hesitated, glancing at Sawyer, who glared back at him. I braced for his next words. “You should talk to him alone. It is important,” he said, thrusting his chin at Sawyer.

  In a fluid and unexpected movement, Eae strode forward and picked Riley up. The gentle way he handled the dead dog made me feel confident that dogs really did go to Heaven.

  He paused briefly. “I will help the wolf-boy. It’ll be my first burial—an experience that fascinates me.”

  I shut my mouth and watched Eae and Ivan walk into the woods together. The breeze picked up, causing a flurry of leaves to rain down from the tree tops. I breathed in the scents of warm clay and pine needles, and then turned to Sawyer. He leaned against a poplar tree, chewing on a blade of grass.

  “What was Ivan talking about?” I demanded.

  Sawyer avoided my gaze and my heart pounded harder.

  Closing the distance, I reached for his hands, squeezing them tightly. In a softer voice, I begged, “Please say something. After everything we’ve been through, it can’t be that bad.” Inside, I wasn’t so sure.

  Sa
wyer clucked his tongue. “I haven’t fed since your aunt’s boyfriend, Marshall. I need sustenance to be useful. Horas took care of his need in Asheville, before we returned to the valley. He picked a man who’d been molesting his stepdaughter. I didn’t have the same opportunity.”

  He spat the words out, making me want to step backwards.

  My heart raced and my skin was clammy. Butterflies exploded in my belly as I studied his rigid face. Seeing his jaw clench and twitch, I came undone. Rising on tiptoes, I laced my fingers behind his head, pulling him down until our lips met. For all of Sawyer’s angst, he didn’t hesitate opening his mouth to me. His firm lips on mine and his woodsy, leather scent in my nose made me slump against him. He groaned, pressing me tighter to his chest until my breasts responded with uncomfortable tingling sensations I’d never felt before. Startled, I pulled back, but didn’t leave the safe cocoon of his embrace.

  He smirked at me, a thick lock of black hair falling over his right eye. He shook it back. “I feel better already.”

  Sawyer was a Demon. I’d come to terms with the fact a long time ago, but accepting his situation didn’t erase the fact that he didn’t have a soul. In a way, he was a Watcher like me—only his forefather had been one of the fallen Angels. He’d inherited special, dark powers that helped him blend in with his surroundings and hypnotize his victims. An organ inside of him that humans didn’t have, was always hungry. He sucked souls from his prey to fill the empty hole where his soul should have been. If it hadn’t been for Garrett, the Demon leader who’d found Sawyer on the edge of a battle field during the Civil War and awakened his true nature, Sawyer would have lived and died a normal life like any other human.

  I’d be lying if I said I regretted his bad luck. If he hadn’t become a full Demon, he wouldn’t be here with me. As I stared back at his smug expression, I realized with sudden clarity that I wouldn’t have survived this long without him. He was my rock. He would do anything for me—even commit inexplicable acts to keep me safe.

  I’d promised to care for him, let him feed off my soul, knowing that it would replenish itself with my Gaia. It was about time I stepped up and made good on that promise.

  His head lowered and his lips found mine again. “Feed off me,” I mumbled into his mouth. He tensed, his muscles tight beneath my fingers. “Now, do it now,” I urged as I kissed him.

  The air around us cooled, becoming heavy with dread. The musky smell of a hunter pressed against me and my heart responded by racing. Uninvited fear pulsating through my veins. Angus barked and it took all my effort to enter his mind to quiet him.

  “Are you sure?” Sawyer’s lips trembled on mine, his voice rasping.

  Every fiber of my being screamed No! The fire raged just beneath the surface and my Gaia snapped out, bending the trees around the edge of the glade to the ground. Angry wind whipped around us. I searched deeper inside, begging for the courage to do what I must for Sawyer.

  The fire began to clash with something, wrestle with it. The trees sprang back into place, and the earth joined the invisible power against the flames. The wind continued to pelt us, sending a torrent of leaves into our faces, but it didn’t join the fight.

  The fire extinguished and the air settled to a stiff breeze. My heart quieted and the prickling sensation of fear fled. My emotions were under control.

  I pulled back just enough to offer Sawyer a smile. “Absolutely certain.”

  His brow furrowed, a look of conflict passed over his face before his mouth clamped onto mine. Buried beneath my feigned calmness my mind screamed when he sucked, pulling at my insides. Heavy air rushed from the pit of my stomach, up my esophagus, flooding my throat. For an instant, my soul was gone and I shuddered. Gaia rushed into me with an explosion, filling the empty place and creating a new soul from the residue that Sawyer had left.

  We broke apart, me with a gulp and Sawyer with a gasping breath. Our eyes met and he laughed. The hearty sound filled the glade until my laugh joined his. He whooped and grabbed me. I fell against him and we tumbled to the ground. His mouth was on my neck, my ear and my cheek, leaving a trail of fervent kisses. The fire inside of me turned to molten lava as my hand slipped beneath his shirt to touch his muscled stomach.

  I wrapped my legs around his torso. He groaned, fumbling with the button on my jeans. For the first time, I didn’t tense with apprehension. I wanted Sawyer as much as he wanted me. He was my guardian, my savior and my best friend. I wanted him to be my lover too.

  The button was undone and his hands were on the zipper when Angus growled close to our heads. We stopped kissing, the fervor quieted, and we looked at the dog staring at us with his lips rolled back.

  “Stop that boy.” I swatted at his chest and he barked in return.

  “Dammit,” Sawyer growled and rolled off me, landing on his back. “We have a German Shepherd chaperoning us.”

  Fire still raced through my veins, but it was cooling. I giggled and sat up, holding my arms open to Angus. He surged forward and licked my ear. His hot breath on my face and his course hair between my fingers jerked my thoughts to Riley.

  Was Riley’s spirit with Ila? I feared for him if it was.

  Chapter 5

  “You are of your father, the devil and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is not truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

  John 8:44

  “It’s absurd we’re regulated to farmers while a bear, a wolf, a horse and a dog embark on the quest.” Sir Austin snorted and tugged his beard, stepping aside to allow me to lead Cricket past him.

  Insepth spoke up, so I didn’t have to. “We went over this last night. You and Youmi are powerful in your elements, as Ember and I are. The four of us arriving on Adria’s doorstep is likely to alarm her. We already know she’s unstable. The last thing we need to do is put the one person who can teach us the way on the defensive.”

  Insepth began rummaging through his backpack and I glanced to see Sir Austin’s reaction. His mouth curled, but he remained silent.

  “Trust me, Austin, their task will be difficult, if not impossible.” Youmi slapped the air Watcher’s back, and then shifted his gaze to me. “Ah, if you can avoid mentioning me to Adria, I would greatly appreciate it.”

  Fire coiled in my stomach and I narrowed my eyes. “The world is about to end. Shouldn’t you be more afraid of that, instead of another Watcher of your own element?”

  Youmi grunted. “It is my way to take each threat as it presents itself. Until the Angels blow the trumpets and brimstone rains down on our heads, I’ll remain ever cautious of the dangers that are directly in front of me.”

  “Well said.” Horas snickered, taking Cricket’s lead from me. Ivan stood with him in human form and Lutz sat on his bear haunches behind them. Angus was at my side as usual. The only person missing was Sawyer. I craned my neck to search the yard and found him standing at Ila’s grave.

  Insepth looked at me expectantly and I held up my finger. “Another minute.”

  A touch of frost had covered Ila’s flowers that morning and their blooms had browned and wilted as a result. I needed all my power to link with Insepth to create the loophole, so I didn’t dare spend any on rejuvenating the plants. Winter was approaching and nature would go to sleep anyway. Even now with the bursts of gold, red and copper across the valley, I could imagine the scene covered with a blanket of snow. The fireplace in the cabin would be cozy during the cold months.

  I caught myself, letting the hopeful thoughts go. It was questionable whether the world would even see another change of season. I touched Sawyer’s shoulder and he extended his arm for me to slip under it.

  “I really hope Ila isn’t leading you astray.” Sawyer’s words shattered the peacefulness of the moment.

 
; The clouds parted and sun shone onto my face. I tilted my head while shielding my eyes. The ridges of the clouds were basked in golden brilliance, but the clouds themselves were dark gray and ominous. I half expected to see an army of flapping wings in the sky.

  “You never did trust Ila, did you?”

  “That’s not true. I just wasn’t in the position to follow her lead unquestioningly, like you.” His expression was distant, as if he were remembering something. “I don’t think she’d purposely send you to your death, but I’m also not sure about her agenda. She was larger than life when alive, and now she’s crossed the planes of existence to talk to you, to give you instructions.” He ran his hand through his hair and stared hard at me. “Doesn’t it scare you at all?”

  I dropped my gaze to where Ila was buried. The dirt was still bare, in the size and shape announcing a grave. There was no stone monument marking the place, only a bunch of wilted flowers forming a natural trellis. A smaller patch of freshly churned dirt to the side marked the place where Riley rested. It was what Ila would have wanted.

  “Of course I’m scared,” I snapped. “Even though I love Ila, I have the same questions you do. But what if she’s right and I ignore her?”

  Sawyer’s arm tightened around me and I rested my head against his chest, breathing in the smell of his leather jacket. I shut my eyes and pretended it was an ordinary day, expecting to hear Ila call out from the cabin that lunch was ready. Then Riley and Angus would begin barking and sprint to the cabin together. It was a nice daydream. When I opened my eyes, the clouds had lifted, allowing even more sun to shine down on us. The sky was dark blue and friendly now. I hoped it was a good sign.

  “We’ll be back here in no time at all.” I forced cheerfulness.

  “I hope so.” Sawyer bent to kiss my lips with butterfly softness, before he blew out a breath and gripped my hand.

  We walked hand in hand back to our motley group. I hated it when Sawyer let go, but I masked my disappointment. I wouldn’t cling to him like a love-struck school girl—even though I was.