7even Circles: Moon Is Calling (7even Circles Series Book 1) (2 page)

Chapter 2

Two days later

“Hey Cass, your boyfriend’s back!”

Cass looked up and watched as a gorgeous man in tight jeans and a leather jacket strutted into the diner.
Ari.
He had dark hair, almost black, and the most amazing eyes. She watched as he headed right to her section to sit down. He did that every time he came. He never wanted anyone but her to wait on him. That gave her a fluttering feeling in her stomach, for some reason.

Sometimes he would just get coffee and ask for refills in order to talk to her. Her pulse quickened when he smiled at her, and her whole body lit up.
Damn him for being so sexy.
She cleared her throat and tried to pretend he didn’t affect her.

“What can I get you, Mr. Daniels?”

“Come on, Cass, we’ve known each other for a few years now. You only call me Mr. Daniels when you’re in a bad mood.”

“Ari.” Just saying his name in a whisper made her tingle all over. He was right; she was in a weird mood lately, and she didn’t know why. She realized that he was staring at her.

“What would you like?”

“You—me—and a few hours alone in a bed.”

She rolled her eyes and snorted. “You say that
every
time—and
every
time my answer is no way in Hell.”

He chuckled. “I’m wearing you down. One day I’ll ask you and you’ll say yes.”

“Cocky much?” He wasn’t far off the mark. She was lonely. She had no one in her life to go home to, and there were times it really got to her. One night, she might cave in and give him what he wanted.

She feared that more than anything, because he was the type who was only interested in a girl if she was a challenge to him. He would take what he wanted and be done with her. It reminded her too much of constantly being rejected by her foster parents. She didn’t want to be used and then left behind like she didn’t matter, not again.

“It’s called confidence; there’s a difference.”

She propped her hand on her hip and glared down at him in annoyance. “Order something, Ari, or I’ll have Jerry make you leave.”

“My usual.”

She didn’t even write it down, just turned and walked over to give Jerry his order. “Special number three, eggs over easy.” She poured a cup of coffee, which he liked to take black, and brought it over to him.

“How have you been?” Ari took a sip of his coffee.

“Good. Business has slowed up a bit. You’ve not been here in for a few weeks. Did you take a trip somewhere?”

“I had some family obligations I had to attend to. Why, did you miss me, Cass?”

“Not even a little bit. In fact, it was so peaceful without you, I didn’t think about you at all.” That was definitely a lie. Every night she’d looked up when the door opened and hoped Ari was coming in, but he didn’t. She suspected he was off with one of the bimbos she’d caught glimpses of, riding off on the back of his Harley motorcycle at night. Okay, so maybe she was a little jealous.

He just smiled like he knew it wasn’t the truth. Ari pulled out a newspaper and opened it up. That was different. He never read the paper, always preferring to watch the news on the T.V. or using his iPhone to look stuff up electronically. Ari was definitely a child of technology.

“Order up!” Jerry called out.

She refilled a cup of coffee for one of her other customers and went over to get Ari’s food. Leeza was leaning against the bar, openly admiring Ari from across the room. Cass couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

Leeza was tall and shapely, with dark hair and a naturally golden complexion. Cass always felt like a short pixie standing next to her. She couldn’t understand why Ari never hit on Leeza, like all the other men who came through the diner.

She leaned over and whispered, “Stop staring at him Leeza!”

“Honey, that man could make a girl orgasm just by looking at her. Too bad he only has eyes for you.”

“No he doesn’t. He flirts with everyone.”

Leeza shook her head. “He may flirt, but with
you
he means it. If I were you I would take him out for a test drive.”

“You’ve changed your tune. Last time he was here you told me to watch out for him, kind of warned me off him.” Not that she was interested in dating anyone. She’d dated a few times, and she was asked out and hit on all the time, but she wasn’t interested in anyone. It was hard to be when she didn’t trust anyone. Plus, she didn’t have a lot to offer.

She glanced at the mirror behind the bar. She was pretty, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Short, about five-foot-three, and a little on the skinny side. She always wore her hair up in a ponytail or braid and never put on makeup, except for lipstick. Leeza told her she didn’t need makeup; she was a ‘natural, wholesome beauty.’ She didn’t feel that way.

Sometimes what Leeza said about having someone made her question things. She couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to go home with Ari for the night. Would one night of amazing sex be enough?
Maybe.

She looked over, and their eyes met. Images of their bodies intertwined filled her head. Her nipples responded by hardening into tight tips. His eyes seemed to glow for a moment, and he licked his lips like he knew what she was thinking about—and liked it.

Oh boy.
Her heart was racing. What was happening to her? She took a quick breath and carried his food over to him. “Do you need more coffee?”

“No thanks. When do you take a break? Maybe you could sit and eat with me.”

“I’ve already eaten, but thanks for the offer.” She bit her bottom lip, because she was lying again. She hadn’t eaten all day.

“Cass.”

“Ari.”

“You’re not easy to get to know. You let very few people in. Why is that?”

“Maybe I like to be mysterious.”

“You already are, babe. I like mysteries, especially when they involve a beautiful girl. Come on, give me a break and let me buy you dinner.”

“I don’t know you that well.”

“I’ve been coming in here for years.”

“I serve you coffee and food and we talk some, but we don’t really know each other that well.” Okay, she was making up excuses.

“We could get to know each other better. The more time alone we spend together, the more we can discover. Go out with me tonight. I’ll even spring for a taxi if you don’t want to ride on the back of my bike.”

Secretly she’d been fantasizing about being on the back of his bike. Taking that option off the table made her disappointed for some reason. She shook her head, even though she wanted to say yes to him. If she was alone with him, she knew it would get intimate quickly. She wanted him, and the way he watched her and flirted with her, she knew he wanted her too.  Sex with him would be explosive, she had no doubt, but the intensity between them scared her. Her lack of experience would leave her open and vulnerable. It was a risk she wasn’t ready to take yet.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m—seeing someone.”

He rolled his eyes and leaned back in his booth. “Okay, I get it. I’m coming on too strong and now you have to make up a fake boyfriend to get me to back down.”

She bit her lip to keep from smiling. She was a bad liar, and he’d known her long enough to see it. “He’s not fake.”

He raised his dark and sexy eyebrow. Everything about him was sensual. That just wasn’t fair.

“Really, what’s his name?”

“Uh... Barry.”

“Barry what?”

“Allen.”

He laughed full-out, making everyone else in the diner turn to look at him. “Your boyfriend is the Flash. Good one.”

She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks.
Why had she told him that?
It was the first guy’s name she could think of. Plus, she did love watching
The Flash
. She made Jerry put it on the T.V. all the time.

She walked off to help one of her other customers. Cass couldn’t stop the smile that crept over her face…and then she frowned. She looked over and noticed that Ari had gone to the counter to ask for his bill. She hadn’t meant to make him mad. She watched him as he went to the door to leave. He paused to look back at her and winked before he left.

He wasn’t too mad. She wanted to say yes to him more than anything, but if she gave in to him, then what? He wasn’t exactly boyfriend material. She walked over to the door and watched him climb on his bike. He didn’t even bother with a helmet. It only made him look more dangerous, and sexier.

Why should it matter that he wasn’t a typical boyfriend? It wasn’t like she had a family to take him home to meet. Why shouldn’t she enjoy her time with him, for however long it lasted?

He drove away and every instinct in her told her to go after him. She shook her head, not understanding her reaction. Sure, he was the hottest guy she’d ever met. He made her feel sexy even when she was wearing the ugliest waitress outfit and no make-up.

He was a few years older than her, but he never talked down to her. When he asked her questions, he seemed to really listen to what she had to say. Ari made her laugh when she was having a bad day, and with one look with those sexy eyes of his, he made her feel like a desirable woman. Okay, she wanted him; but just because she wanted him didn’t mean he was right for her.

She went to his table to clean up his dishes. He left her a hefty tip, like he always did. Obviously if he had a nice expensive bike, he could afford to leave her outrageous tips. It did make her wonder what he did for a living. Every time she tried to ask him, he would give her a different answer—another reason she didn’t cave in to her attraction to him. She couldn’t completely trust him. It was hard trusting anyone. Leeza and Jerry were the closest she let anyone get to her, and she still didn’t let them know where she lived.

Clearing off his table, she noticed that he’d left his newspaper behind. She picked it up, ready to throw it away, but something caught her eye. It was an article about the recent marriage of two people she didn’t know. It wasn’t the couple that caught her eye, but the name of the church:
Saints of Adira Church
.

Adira?
That was the inscription on her cross. She touched the cross she wore around her neck. It was the first clue to something in her past that she’d gotten in years. Where was this church?

“Is everything okay?” Leeza came over to help her clear the dishes.

“Yeah, do you know where this church is located?”

“Saints of Adira? I think that’s on the corner of Dean and Smith. Why? Are you wanting to get some religion now?”

“Maybe. I’m a sinner, after all,” she replied, making Leeza laugh as she walked away.

She didn’t say anything else, but she did keep that section of the newspaper. Something about it kept making her look at the clipping. This could be it; this church could hold the answers to who her parents were, and who she really was.

“Jerry, do you mind if I leave early tonight?”

“Sure, you’ve helped me with double shifts the past week, I owe you. It’s a slow night, we can cover it.”

“Thanks.” She said goodnight to Leeza and went to change her clothes at her locker before leaving. She pulled on a black sweatshirt with a hoodie and black jeans. She was going to have to splurge tonight and take a taxi, because the church was too far away to walk and she didn’t think the bus transport had daytime commuter routes in that section of the city. Plus, with the economy and population decreasing in the city, there were far fewer buses available.

She could feel that something big was about to happen; she just didn’t know what that would be. She hoped she was ready for the truth.

Chapter 3

She stood outside on the sidewalk, looking up at the small Gothic-style church. In the dark, with few people around, it was kind of foreboding. She shook off the strange feeling it gave her. It was getting late and the church would be closing soon. If she wanted answers, she needed to go now.

She walked up the steps and through the open doorway to the foyer. The door to the main church was closed. She turned the handle but found it locked already.
Crap.
She wasn’t going to let this stop her. She’d come too far and waited too long to let this hinder her.

She reached in her back pocket and pulled out her library card. She wiggled it between the door and the frame, and the lock slid open. She opened the heavy wooden door and entered the candlelit church. As she walked down the aisle she was drawn to the stained-glass windows.

Someone had taken a lot of time on these, and they seemed really old, too. They depicted angels with swords, defending children. Something about the image was fascinating. The angel with the long dark hair seemed familiar.

“How did you get in here?”

She jumped in place from surprise. How could she not hear someone come up on her like that? Cass looked behind her to see an elderly priest coming her way. Part of her wanted to run, but another part of her demanded that she stay and get some answers. The priest wasn’t really a threat; she could outrun him if necessary.

“I came through the door.” She used her thumb to motion backward at the main entrance.

“Who are you?” The priest frowned and rubbed his balding head.

She didn’t answer his question, but asked her own instead. “Have you been here a long time?”

The priest seemed taken off-guard by the question. “Almost twenty years now. The doors were locked. How did you get in?”

“I just walked through the front door. I’m trying to get some answers.”

“I’m sorry, but you can come back during the daytime.”

She had to get him to let her stay somehow. “I can tell that there’s a story here. What do these stained-glass windows mean?”

She succeeded in sidetracking the priest. He turned to the glass with pride. “The artist captured the story of the Arkangels.”

“Arkangels? Are they different from regular angels?”

“When was the last time you attended church, child?”

“Um—that would be never.”

“Well, the stories vary, but the artist who did these windows for Saints of Adira went with the story of the Arkangels, higher-level angels who actively do God’s work. They have been known to give messages to prophets.”

“Why are they holding swords?”

“Most Arkangels are warriors for God. Not all of them hold swords. Those two there are Gabriel and Michael. They will one day lead the fight during the apocalyptic wars.”

“What about the angel holding the woman on the ground?”

There was a small pause, as if the priest was trying to think of the right way to word something. “Raphael…he was an Arkangel, a warrior as mighty as any other, but his main job was to heal people, save souls, and to keep the peace between humans and the angels.”  

“Why would he need to keep the peace?”

“Angels are not perfect, despite what everyone has said. They feel the same emotions as humans: love, hate, anger, and jealousy. From their creation, they are taught to push those feelings aside so that they can do what needs to be done. Some angels were jealous of God’s love for humans.”

“Is that where the story of the devil comes in? The story goes that he was an angel who grew jealous and fell from grace, doesn’t it?”

The priest smiled at her. “For someone who hasn’t gone to church, you seem to know quite a few things.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I read stuff at the library. I went through a Christian mythology phase and had to read everything I could find about it. On the stained glass the name Arkangel appears, but it’s spelled with a
k
instead of what I have seen in the Bible with
ch
.”

“It had been known as both throughout the centuries but was more widely known with the
ch
spelling. The artist prefers the older version with the
k
spelling. I’m curious, why didn’t your parents take you to church? Were you raised as an atheist?”

“Actually, at one of the foster homes I was in the people claimed to be super-religious, but held church in their own home. They would claim that God didn’t want me to eat every day and that I should let my foster father strip me to make sure that I continued to be pure. I refused and didn’t stay there long, but after that I never had a desire to go to church.”

The priest paled. “I’m so sorry, child. You lost not only a family, but your faith in God.”

“Actually, I may not go to church like everyone else, but I am spiritual. I believe in God. Though, there have been times my faith has been tested. I read a story about a woman who never went to church but believed strongly that God had blessed her. She was poor, but she worked in the shelters giving to those less fortunate than her. She claimed to be happy, said that serving God through helping others was her calling. Something in that story resonated with me. She didn’t need proof or vindication from others to prove to her God existed. I feel the same. I always feel connected to others when I help them, and I guess that’s why I don’t mind the job I have.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a waitress. Doesn’t sound like much, but I do get satisfaction from serving my customers.”

“Have you been on you own for a while now?”

“Yeah, sometimes it seems like forever. It’s better than living in a place where they treat children like something they can trade or sell. Sorry…it wasn’t all bad. I just never found a real home.”

She didn’t realize how much of her childhood had been tarnished by the carelessness of the foster-care system. She was sure there were other children who’d had much better experiences than she had; she just wasn’t one of them.

He touched her shoulder and she felt relief. It was like she’d been carrying a burden for a very long time, but now, the weight of it somehow lifted from her. He was a good priest if he could make her feel better with just a simple touch.

“I’m sorry, child, for your suffering.”

“I’m okay, it was a really long time ago. So—the apocalypse, when is that supposed to happen?”

“The true date of it is only known to the Father. There is much speculation, and a few people think that it happens in stages, that we are going through one of those stages right now.”

“I hear the doomsayers all the time: ‘The end is near, repent or damn your soul to Hell.’” She snorted.

“You don’t believe in judgment day?”

“I don’t believe that any of us would know when the end day would come. It’s all speculation, and I’ve seen evangelists on T.V. use it to instill fear in people to get their hard-earned money. I live my life according to my own rules and values. I don’t hurt others, I help those less fortunate than me, I try to be honest, and I’m extremely loyal to those I care about.”

“Those are all very good values, but what about being humble and serving a higher power? If you went to church, you could have a church family who shares the same values and would care what happened to you.”

“That all sounds good, but some could claim the same of joining a cult.”

The priest laughed instead of getting angry. “That’s true, but joining, participating, and even leaving are all voluntary with a church.”

She stopped herself from continuing to debate with the priest. She’d almost forgotten why she came there.

“Father…”

“Raphael, I’m Father Raphael.”

“Like the Arkangel?”

He hesitated. “Yes, I have his name.”

“I came here because I was wondering if you could help identify someone for me.” She pulled out the picture in her back pocket. “Do you know this woman?”

The priest took the picture from her and stared at it, squinting. “I’m not sure. She looks familiar.”

“I was hoping maybe she was a parishioner here.”

He shook his head. “I don’t recall her coming to this church.”

“Do you have any records or photos of your parishioners?”

“I can’t give you access to that. Even if you were one of my parishioners, I keep their privacy.”

She couldn’t help the defeated look on her face.

“Tell you what, leave the picture with me and I’ll look through what I have and see if I can find something for you. Give me a week. I don’t move around as good as I used to.”

She didn’t have any choice. “Fine, I’ll come back in a week. Don’t lose that picture, please; it’s all I have.”

“Can I ask why you’re looking for this woman?”

“It’s personal.” She walked to the door. “Thank you, Father.”

Father Raphael watched the young woman leave. There was something about her that was familiar. He looked at the picture of the woman holding a baby. He turned it over. One name was written on the back; it was faded, but he could still read what it said.

Knight

He plopped down on the pew and gripped the seat in front of him. It couldn’t be. He looked at the door. She couldn’t be the child. The Child of Light had died years ago.

He got up and tried to run to the door, but his body was slow and aged. By the time he made it outside, the girl was completely gone.

“This is impossible.” He went back inside, to the altar. He touched the large steel cross, and a light glowed.

“I think the Child of Light is alive.” He waited for a response.

“Michael will come to verify.”

The glow from the cross faded. He held the picture. He’d never seen the woman or child before, but there couldn’t be anyone else with that name coming to Saint Adira’s.

Hope surged inside of him. It had to be her; if he found her he could finally correct a wrong. Perhaps his failure would finally be forgiven and he could return home. He prayed to the Father that His will would be done.