Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (173 page)

Austin waved.

“Hey, Austin!” everyone shouted as they welcomed him.

“Dishes are done! Great job, red team! Let’s meet at the campfire!” Andrew spoke, always short and to the point.

I hadn’t realized how dark it was. The only places that gave light were the campfire and the kitchen area. A dark blanket covered the “unsafe” areas that at one point looked pleasant; the darkness was now uninviting. This eerie feeling was so strong that I didn’t want to expose my back to the absolute darkness.

The crackling sound of the burning wood sent a warm feeling through my body. It was starting to feel chilly as the night crept in. Many had already changed into sweats or heavy jackets to accommodate the cold. We all huddled for warmth near the campfire. I huddled between Patty and John. Just as I decided to get my jacket from the tent, I felt someone behind me.

“Excuse me, may I squeeze in?” Austin asked John.

I could tell John didn’t want to, but he moved over anyway. I looked over to see Austin smiling, but I just ignored him. Unexpectedly, Austin threw a light blanket over my shoulders. I didn’t even know he was holding one.

“Thanks,” I said, thinking that I barely knew him and feeling uneasy about him becoming so personal with me. However, I was cold and it was thoughtful of him. Patty looked at me with a huge grin on her face.

“You looked like you could use one,” Austin commented.

“Thank you,” I said warmly, giving him a quick smile, and turning my attention back to Andrew’s scary story.

“Let’s go get some hot cocoa. That should warm you up a bit more,” Austin whispered.

“What?” I asked, surprised that he asked me.

“I could use some help in the kitchen,” he said, with pleading eyes.

“Oh, sure,” I said, not wanting to go with him, but thinking I should since he had helped me with the dishes.

“Where are you going?” Patty whispered.

“Hot cocoa,” I whispered back.

She smiled and pointed to Andrew and herself. “Bring us some.”

As we walked toward the kitchen, the cold air made me shiver. I gripped the blanket by my neck, wrapping it completely around me.

“That cold?” Austin asked when we reached the kitchen area.

“I’m fine,” I said eyeing a couple of pots boiling on the electric stove.

He gestured to the stove. “I started boiling the water when you went toward the campfire. I hope you don’t mind?”

“No, it’s fine. I mean, thank you for thinking ahead.”

“Hot cocoa will help,” he said as he placed the cups on the trays. He scooped the cocoa powder into the cups, poured the hot water, and stirred them with a spoon.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked, feeling awkward just standing there watching him do all the work.

I looked up for an answer. He turned to face me, but I quickly looked away when his eyes met mine. Before I could move, he placed his warm hands gently on my mine, still gripping on the blanket. For a minute, I thought he was making a move on me, but instead he let go of my hold on the blanket and placed my hands straight down. He fussed over the blanket and finally managed to tie a big knot by my neck area. The blanket still enclosed me, but left a slit in the front, which allowed my hands to be free.

“You can help by holding this,” he said, handing me a cup of hot cocoa. “Now your hands are free, and you can drink.”

“Thanks,” I said softly, with a quick smile. “How about I help you hold the other tray?”

“No worries. I got it. Remember, I’m a waiter.” Somehow he managed to hold two trays. I couldn’t believe he was able to hold both of them; not a drop spilled from any of the cups. As I walked behind him, I took a sip and thought to myself, Ahhhh…it really does hit the spot. I couldn’t help notice his muscular arms that held the trays tightly.

Austin passed out hot cocoa to those who wanted it. You could hear everyone savoring the taste and graciously taking warmth from it. Some were exchanging scary stories as well as funny ones. It was a joy just sitting around the campfire among my friends, and the best part was, no parents! I thought about how glad I was that I came to experience camping and why I had dreaded it so much before; it wasn’t so bad after all, besides the fact that Gamma didn’t want me to go.

Many of our friends had left for their tents, except for Andrew, Patty, Austin, and I. We were the last ones left. Andrew offered to walk Patty to her tent, and I stayed behind, so I wouldn’t be a third wheel. I wanted to give Patty and Andrew some space. Feeling a bit nervous, I sat there wondering what I should do or say. I looked straight up to see the night sky filled with thousands of luminous stars. They were so mesmerizing that I couldn’t peel my eyes from them. Thinking it was about time for me to head to my tent, I was just about to excuse myself when he spoke.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” He leaned closer and pointed up to the sky, invading my personal space again.

“It is,” I agreed, looking up again and slowly widening the gap between us.

“Do you know that there is a myth about how the stars came to be?” he asked.

“Really? There is a myth about the stars?” I asked excitedly. Curiosity got the best of me, and I wanted to stay and listen.

“They say when humans go to heaven, their souls turn into stars. Each star’s purpose is to guide other humans still on Earth. It acts as a beacon that guides them to the right path so that he or she can become a star when they die.”

“Wow! I’ve never heard of that.” I was fascinated.

“Well, I don’t know if that’s true, but it sounds interesting.”

“I guess I’ll never look at the stars the same way again,” I stated.

“Can you see Orion?” Austin asked.

It was hard to distinguish at first because of the many stars that sparkled clearly that night. They seemed to be closer and brighter in comparison to the way they looked at home. “Orion, the hunter. I think…it’s those stars…connecting there.” I pointed to several stars, not realizing I had leaned close enough to almost touch his lips. I jumped from what could have happened and slid further away from him. I saw a smile on his face from the corner of my eyes. That was pretty tricky, I thought. I’m gonna have to be careful with this guy.

“Pretty impressive. You know your stars,” he praised.

“Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations besides the Big Dipper,” I said proudly.

“Do you know the myth behind Orion?”

“You sure know a lot of myths.”

“Yeah, I read a lot and hear about these things. I think it’s interesting. There are different versions of Orion, but there is one particular version I like the best. Orion, the hunter, hunted various celestial animals, including
Lepus
, the rabbit, and
Taurus
, the bull. According to Greek mythology, Orion was in love with Merope, but Merope would have nothing to do with him. Orion's tragic life ended when he stepped on
Scorpius
, the scorpion. The gods felt sorry for him, so they put him and his dogs in the sky as constellations. They also put all of the animals he hunted up there near him. Scorpius, however, was placed in the opposite side of the sky so Orion would never be hurt by it again.”

“Wow! That’s a cool myth, but sort of tragic.”

“I think he’s one stupid hunter for stepping on the scorpion,” he said.

“Well, maybe he stepped on it on purpose. Maybe he wanted to die because Merope didn’t love him back the way he wanted her to.”

“Perhaps, or he was just stupid for killing himself over a girl.”

“But when you’re that much in love, who knows? Like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Yeah, I don’t understand that one either,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay…” I smiled, amused by him.

“I don’t know if you know, but when you smile, you shine like the stars. Your eyes twinkle especially when you talk so excitedly,” he said, looking straight into my eyes.

Feeling more nervous than before, warmth quickly spread all over my face. I was too embarrassed to say anything, but I didn’t want to be rude. Why was he saying this to me? He hardly knew me at all. “Thank you.” I quickly turned away.

“Andrew speaks very highly of you. He says that he has never heard you gossip or speak badly about anyone.”

“Really? Andrew said that?” I was surprised. Patty must have said something nice on my behalf. “Well, I was taught never to judge a person unless you’ve walked in their shoes.”

“Good rule. I’m glad you won’t judge me because I’ve done many bad things,” he said, arching his eyebrows.

I was stunned by his words, which was clearly expressed through my facial expression. What bad things was I not to judge him about? Seeing the expression on my face, he immediately eased my mind.

“Relax, I’m joking.” He nudged my shoulder. “I’ll walk you to your tent.”

“It’s okay. I can walk there myself. Good night.” I started walking away, but he caught up to me. I thought I should take this opportunity to ask him about Andrew’s feelings toward Patty. I didn’t know if he would share that kind of information with me, but thought I’d try. “So, is Andrew leading Patty on, or is he really interested in her?”

“I’ll tell you this much, Andrew doesn’t lead anyone on. He wouldn’t let Patty follow him the way she does if he wasn’t interested in her.”

“I just wanted to make sure.”

“I understand. You’re just looking after your friend’s interests,” he said.

“Well, I’d better get some sleep since we’re hiking tomorrow, and I’ve never hiked before. This trip is pretty much a first all the way around for me. It’s also getting awfully cold.” I used my free hands to hug the blanket even tighter around me. “Aren’t you cold?” I asked.

“No. It doesn’t bother me.”

I couldn’t understand. It was freezing to me, but he was only wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He stopped walking.

“Seriously, you’ve never hiked before?” he said, looking surprised.

“Surely I’m not the only person in the entire universe that’s never been hiking,” I defended myself.

“Either that, or you are very sheltered.”

“Well…” I started to say and lost my words when I realized we were at my tent. “Here we are. Thank you for walking me,” I said politely as I tried to untie the knot he made with the blanket.

“Anytime,” he replied.

I turned around to give his blanket back, but he had already disappeared. I tried to look for him, but there was no sign of him, not even the sound of his footsteps. How odd, I thought. As soon as I got into my sleeping bag, Patty immediately rolled over next to me and shone her flashlight on me. “Wow, what are the odds of you liking the best friend of the guy I like.”

“What! Whoaaa, Patty I never said I liked him.”

“Well, you could have fooled me the way you were flirting with him and getting him all wet.”

“What?! I was not flirting! Not at all. And getting wet was by accident. It was his fault for scaring me. You weren’t even there. I was being nice.” I emphasized the word “nice.”

“Well, he was definitely into you,” she smiled, grinning from ear to ear.

“Really?” I pretended to be surprised. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you and him, but I’m not remotely interested.”

“Anyway, that’s all right. I’m just so glad you came. Are you glad you came with me, Claudia?” She suddenly sounded concerned.

“Yes,” I replied, not wanting to admit she was right. “It’s better than I thought it would be.”

“See!” she said loudly, sitting up with excitement. “I knew you would! And you didn’t want to come. See what happens when you listen to me? You always end up enjoying the things I make you do!”

“Hey, quiet in that tent! We’re trying to sleep!” someone yelled.

“Shhh,” I said to Patty as we both laughed quietly.

After the laughter subsided, I realized I was extremely tired. Feeling a bit uneasy about sleeping outdoors, I wiggled myself closer to Patty. I needed to feel her presence close to me, and I thought that physically touching her sleeping bag was just what I needed to make myself feel secure. Still feeling uncomfortable, it dawned on me that I was actually sleeping on the ground. Even though Patty’s sleeping bag was plush, soft, and warm, sleeping on the ground was not what I was used to. I was out of my own comfortable bed, and I needed to readjust myself to my new environment. Thank goodness it was just for one night.

“You okay?” Patty whispered, probably wondering what the heck I was doing tossing and turning so much. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“I’m fine,” I replied, not knowing exactly how I felt.

“Just go to sleep, and before you know it, it will be morning.”

“Okay,” I answered. “You know what?”

“What?” she asked, as if anticipating that I was going to tell her something important.

“I feel like a hot dog lying here all bundled up.”

“What? You’re hungry?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I’m the hot dog, and the sleeping bag is the bun.”

Patty busted out laughing and then covered her mouth as soon as she realized how loud she was. “I know what’s on your mind,” she finally managed to say after she calmed down.

“What?” I whispered out loud. But I started laughing too, thinking how silly my words were.

“Okay, but I want to know who you are thinking of, Michael or Austin?”

“What! Gross, Patty. Just because your mind is there doesn’t mean mine is.”

“Oh yes it is, ’cause if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t know what I was talking about. And since you know what I’m talking about telling me that you are not talking about it, then you are thinking about it.”

I was really confused and too tired to try to figure out what she just said. “Good night, Patty,” I said, giggling and ignoring whatever we were talking about.

“Michael or Austin?”

“Good night, Patty.” I ignored her as my eyes became heavy, and I couldn’t fight to stay awake any longer. The last thing I remembered was Patty rambling on and on about hiking in a whisper as I dozed off to sleep.

I
was in a deep sleep
, exhausted from the day’s excitement, when I was suddenly awakened with a jolt. I didn’t know if a couple of hours had passed or if it was the middle of the night. A strange noise disturbed my sleep. I realized it was the sound of Patty’s snoring. After I turned her head slowly to the opposite direction, the snoring stopped, so I tried to go back to sleep. As I turned around, my back to Patty, I heard a faint voice.

“Claudia…come.”

At first, I thought it was Patty. I turned to look at her, but she was snoring again. Not knowing if the voice was real or just my imagination, I hesitantly stepped out of the tent, holding Patty’s mega flashlight. The flashlight was so bright that I felt like I was holding a spotlight. I could clearly see what was around me. Since I couldn’t see anyone, I turned to go back inside, when the voice called me again. It became stronger and more intense, and I felt a force. I found myself being pulled toward the forbidden area.

I stepped into the forest, holding Patty’s flashlight with a tight grip. I could see the intricate branches tangled in all directions and it took every ounce of my strength to push my way through. As I got in further, the branches slowly slithered away like snakes, welcoming me as if they knew that I was coming. It gave me chills. The trunks of the trees were so huge that it would take ten of me with my arms extended just to measure half of its width. The height of the trees was even more remarkable; they could have touched the stars.

Although the trees looked intimidating from the outside, I was mesmerized by their beauty. Moving deeper into the forest, these colossal trees became less apparent. The combination of the full moon and Patty’s mega-light provided enough brightness so I could see where I was going. I didn’t know where that was, only that I was being led to the one place Andrew said not to go.

Oddly, no movement was visible and no sound was audible from this peculiar forest. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but I had an eerie feeling that I was being watched from the darkened woods. I walked the twisted trails, and noticed that the path was leading to a cliff ahead. My body kept on walking, like a puppet being pulled by its strings. Without warning my crystal necklace began vibrating softly. I looked down; it had turned jet black. I heard his voice, the same voice I had heard on the bus in my dream.

“Claudia, come to me.”

Where was this voice coming from? What did he want with me? I needed to hide. It suddenly hit me that I wasn’t dreaming, and it might be one of the fallen. I was terrified, and adrenaline began fiercely running through my body. As I was trying to catch my breath, I could see the cold mist finding its way out from my mouth. I hadn’t noticed how chilly it was. I didn’t know if the shaking of my body was from the cold or the absolute fear of what was to come. Every time he called my name, my body involuntarily succumbed to his calling. I knew I had to fight with everything I had because with each passing second, I was getting closer to the edge of the cliff.

“Claudia, come home to me, and let your soul be free. Give me your soul.”

I could see everything, but I felt like I was sleepwalking. Mesmerized by the sound of his voice, my eyes were finally fixed on him. He was floating out beyond the cliff. It was hard to distinguish the shape of his face or his body, but my body stiffened to see such a sight. It was like something you would see only in the movies. Who was he? Why was he trying to hurt me? I was only a few feet away from my demise, and no one would ever find me. I was screaming inside for help when I heard Michael’s voice loud and clear.

“Stop, Claudia!” His voice pulled me out of the trance.

Knowing Michael was there, my heart found a steadier beat. The stranger froze, and his eyes gazed past me. He looked in disbelief at the sight of Michael, as if Michael was the last person on Earth he would have expected to encounter. “Michael, it’s been a long time.” He was pleasant, almost friendly.

“Sorry. I can’t say the same,” Michael said, moving steadily toward me.

“Did you stop by to help?” he asked sarcastically, still floating in midair over the cliff.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I came to help you leave.”

“Now, now, don’t be rude, Michael.”

“I’m going to give you a chance to leave, and make it quick,” Michael said sternly.

Fear emanated from the stranger’s eyes when he realized Michael was closer than before. He glided further back and cried out furiously, “Michael, it’s too late!”

“Aden, you don’t have to do this. What do you want from her?”

This man was Aden, the fallen’s leader. Terror began running through my body, and the temporary calm brought on by Michael’s presence had now turned to absolute horror. It was Aden who was after me.

“Back off, Michael, if you know what’s good for you! I’m not alone. You remember your friends, don’t you?”

Curiously, I looked behind, but I couldn’t see a thing. Were they hiding? Aden floated in an astute manner, looking proud, like he had won this fight.

Michael didn’t flinch. He chuckled stoutly, “And that’s supposed to scare me? They are not my friends anymore!”

“Is that why you killed Julia?” Aden asked.

Michael’s eyes grew wide with the sudden revelation. “So you were the one! You sent Julia instead of coming yourself! I should have known. Your powers were weakened when you turned against your own kind, leaving others to do your dirty work, like a coward.”

“Julia would have brought her to me. When she didn’t come back, I thought she had betrayed me, but it was you. You, Michael, ruined my plans! I should have made sure you were dead. When you escaped, you were badly wounded. I was certain you wouldn’t survive. I was mistaken in thinking the Royal Council would have finished the job.”

“I asked for forgiveness. The Royal Council doesn’t consider me as one of the fallen like you anymore.”

“Fallen,” Aden laughed, mocking Michael. “Is that the best you can do?”

“I have other names, but it would be inappropriate to say them in front of a lady, now wouldn’t it?” He arched his eyebrows intensely.

“Silence! No more talking! Move out of my way! You’re forgetting who you are talking to.”

“I do remember, too well,” Michael said with a smirk. “I remember how you trained me to fight. Do you remember telling me I was the best?”

Did I hear that right? Aden trained Michael? How? When? I was beyond confused. Surely Michael wouldn’t associate with an evil being like him. As these thoughts ran through my mind, Michael took a stance as if he was ready to do battle. I could feel the tension in his muscles even from a distance.

“Stop. Don’t come any closer!” Aden yelled, ignoring Michael’s question.

“Are you afraid?” Michael said, taunting him. “You should be.”

“You dare to threaten me. Very well then. So be it.” Aden gave a wicked smile. “Kill him!” Aden shouted forcefully, screeching with anger that shot a pain through my ears.

Then countless fallen came flying toward Michael, and my prediction of him collapsing didn’t happen. Out of nowhere appeared Davin, Vivian, and Caleb. I was overwhelmed to see them. Michael didn’t have to fight alone. Their attack was such a surprise to the fallen that even Aden was taken aback.

Even though Phillip had already told me that I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between an alkin and a fallen, it was confirmed as I watched the battle. They looked just like the alkins. The fallen and alkins fought with swords. Watching, I noticed that Michael had one too, but where had it come from?

“No!” Michael shouted, suddenly standing directly in front of me. “You don’t need her. She’s just a human.”

“Get them!” Aden shouted again.

The fallen and alkins were battling, all the while, Michael continued to stay by my side, protecting me. They fought so swiftly that even with my flashlight, it was hard to distinguish alkins from the fallen. I focused intently, trying to figure out who was who, but it was no use. They were too fast for human eyes. Then I pointed the flashlight, hoping to blind or distract them, but that also proved to be pointless. It was only useful for my vision.

With a blink of an eye they were here, there and everywhere. All I could hear was the clanging of swords colliding against each other. The swift, sharp noise of metal slicing against metal was painful to hear. As the screeching sounds continued, all I could see were sparks as the swords made contact. It looked as if we were in the middle of a lightning storm. Fearful of any alkin getting hurt, I covered my ears, hoping that it would end soon.

Suddenly, Aden raised his hand toward the stars, and the fallen stopped. The sounds of the swords crashing against each other came to a dead halt. Aden started circling around Michael and me. As he drew closer, I could see that he looked exactly as I remembered him from my dream. The wrinkles on his forehead defined his age, and although I conceived of him as being evil, it was his voice that scared me more than his appearance. Aden never lifted a finger to fight, but instead he relied on the fallen to carry out his battle strategies.

“Michael, come with me. I’ll give you anything you want.”

“There is nothing I want from you!”

“They’ve turned you against me. I should have killed you when I had the chance!” Aden was raging with anger.

“They didn’t turn me against you. I did it of my own free will.”

“Move out of my way!” Aden shouted.

“You’ll have to go through me first!”

As Aden was circling around us, I could sense movement from the fallen, edging closer to Michael and me. The alkin must have sensed it too as they positioned themselves right behind us and immediately began to attack the fallen. Michael moved me to the left and then to the right, fighting while shielding me. Although the fallen were fewer in number than before, they were fighting in full force. In the midst of all the chaos, I lost my grip on the flashlight, and it tumbled off the cliff. Instinctively, I reached for it, and in a split second, I began to fall, along with Michael. Gravity was pulling me faster than my body could resist. I’ve always heard that at the moment of death, your life flashes before your eyes, all the moments that brought you to this point, big or small. All I could think of was death itself and the one person who had changed my life forever—Michael.