Falter (37 page)

I wiggled in his arms, wanting to get down, but his grip held me too tight. Beads of sweat dripped from my pores and mixed with his, our clothes sticking together along my left side. The putrid odor of this world made it hard to inhale. I sucked in long, slow breaths, cringing as the dense, sour air passed over my tongue and entered my throat.

Tortured screams drifted through the hot, stagnant air.

My groggy eyes shot in the direction we were running. Through the orange, dim glow, I saw a vast desert with mountains of boulders extending high into a treacherous landscape.
 

The suffering screams grew louder. We were running toward them. “Where are you taking me?” My voice sounded scratchy and weak.

“That’s a good girl. You have to wake up,” the man urged in a tender tone.

I focused on the face of the man carrying me. “It’s
you
.” His violet-blue eyes captivated my attention.

“I’m Kenet. Right now, that’s all you need to know.” The man’s dry, cracked lips curved into a soft smile.

“Where are you taking me?” I repeated.

“Can you run?” Kenet ignored my question as he scoped our surroundings.

“I can try.”

“Then, try now.” He slid me to the ground and tugged me along before I could even tell my feet to move. I stumbled at first, but my legs finally steadied and established a poor excuse for a jog. We weaved around towering rocks and ducked in and out of coves that were almost invisible until we were right next to them. Blood-curdling roars boomed like thunder across the orange sky, some so sinister I wouldn’t be able to sleep without hearing them in my dreams.

Kenet’s eyes constantly searched and assessed the area for threats. “We’ve got to get you out of here,” he mumbled again, partly to himself.

I shook my head. “No. There’s someone I’m looking for, and I don’t want to leave until I know where he is.”
 

Why did this man always show up? Not that I was upset. He seemed to come at times that I needed him. But, why was he helping me? Why did I trust that he would take care of me?

“Nevaeh, the longer you stay, the more you will be influenced. And the influences you feel here are not pure.” He stopped and yanked me into a rocky crevice. One of his smoldering hands covered my mouth while the other pressed a finger to his dry lips, gesturing for me to keep quiet. The smell of his burning skin made me gag, but I didn’t fight him.
 

Seconds later, three demons, like the one that slashed the woman’s face, straggled by our hiding spot. They shuddered and shook, moving in short, choppy steps. I stiffened with terror, recalling their capabilities; I knew that if they found us, they might do the same to me or worse.

“I will not be able to save you every time you come here. I know who you seek, and I know where he is. He is okay…for now. You cannot continue to look for him. You only put him in more danger,” he whispered as his decaying hand left my face. He was begging me to stay out of this place, and the concern in his eyes nearly had me convinced.

“How do you know where George is? How can I trust you when I don’t even know who you are?”
 

“I have been appointed his keeper. But, every time you enter the portal, I have to leave him to save you.” Kenet leaned against the wall across from me and tilted his head just enough to see around the edge of our crevice. He nodded letting me know the demons were gone.

“Wait. You left him?” I yelled. “How could you leave him?”

“Shut up!” he said in a strained whisper, glancing toward the demons to make sure they didn’t hear me. “I will always choose you over that man. You are more important than you realize.” He smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Please take me to him,” I whimpered. “I need to see him. It’s my fault he’s here.”

Kenet hesitated, arguing my request in his head.
 

“No. I’m sorry, I can’t.” Without further discussion, he turned, pulled me out of the cove, and led me to a drop off a few feet away.
 

He lowered onto his belly and scooted over the ledge. He stopped just before his head disappeared beyond the cliff’s edge and stared at me expectantly. “Well, c’mon.”

Rolling my eyes and huffing to cover the sudden fear of heights I was experiencing, I lowered to my knees, threw one leg over the side, and then the other once I found footing along the steep wall.
 

“Just don’t look down,” Kenet advised me from below.
 

“Easier said than done,” I whispered, gripping the handful of rock keeping me on the side of the cliff.

We slowly climbed down one hundred feet or so of steep wall, descending toward the floor of a dry, yellow ravine. Demon screeches echoed against the craggy plains from above; they were getting louder. Soon, I suspected they’d be close enough to peer down at us from the cliff’s ledge. We picked up the pace, scaling the last of the wall within a couple of minutes.

Kenet jumped off backwards, landing safely on the soft, sand-like bottom, and wiped the sulfur dust coating his palms on his black, military grade pant legs. “That’s it. You’re almost here,” he encouraged, looking up at me as he rested his fists on his hips.

I stopped two feet from the bottom, glaring back at him. He smiled then wrapped his hands around my waist, guiding me down until my feet touched the ground.
 

“Okay, Nevaeh. Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” I squeaked nervously.

“Ready to go home.” He jerked me into his chest and hooked his arm around my neck so I couldn’t escape.

“No, I don’t want to leave yet. What about the book? And I need to see George!” I thrashed against his body with no success of loosening his hold. We shuffled around a huge, protruding boulder, and I stopped fighting him.
 
An Animus demon was only a few short paces ahead of us, entering a portal. Crackles of electricity charged the shimmering air and lit the barren valley with bright, white zaps.
 

Twinges of that burning pain bubbled in my blood as he pushed me closer to the opening. I settled on the fact that this would not be my last visit to the dark place. There were too many answers here.

My muscles stiffened against Kenet’s body, expecting the pain to ignite any second. He lifted me off the ground and whispered something in another language as we moved. Finally, he stopped in front of the shimmering portal and looked down at me with a saddened expression. It was, almost, as if he didn’t want me to go.
 

“Nevaeh, please don’t come back here again.” His jaw clenched together. Bolts of electricity sparked from the portal and pierced his torso as if he was some kind of conductor, then radiated into me. He continued to hold on despite the turmoil I saw on his face.
 

My body began to convulse and react to the portal’s punishment. I was amazed that I was alive after experiencing it so many times now. But I knew that I would make it through somehow.
 

I had no choice if I wanted to save George.

Struggling against the agonizing current electrocuting us, Kenet set me down gently. His hand cradled my head as he dipped my paralyzed body backwards into the opening. He roared when his hand entered the opening with me. Then, I was ripped from his grasp, taken out of his realm, while he was forced to stay.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

So That’s How It’s Going To Be?

The portal closed behind me. I lifted my weak and exhausted self from the ground, flinging off some of the other-realm’s goo sticking to my skin. I looked around to figure out where the opening had spat me out this time, but I didn’t recognize the area. It appeared to be a small rear parking lot behind some sort of movie theater.
 

I jumped, startled by a young guy and girl exiting the door next to me. One second they were laughing and carrying on, the next they were walking away from me as fast as they could in silence, their eyes cautiously keeping track of my movements.
 

I’d gotten used to seeing those reactions when I was a filthy, homeless girl living on the streets. People were never sure if they should stop to offer help, or run away pretending they didn’t see me.
 

I made my way to the front of the building, sticking to the parts of the sidewalk lit by streetlights. Dusk had fallen while I was gone. Gavyn was probably worried sick about me. I hoped I hadn’t lost too many days in Hell. Time was too precious to squander away between worlds now that I had a deadline to consider.
 

I followed the lines of familiar buildings and found my way back to the café. The neon “Open” lights were off, so it must’ve been later than ten o’clock. Tiny butterflies filled my belly as I neared Joe’s. It was exciting to come home to Gavyn, to have at least one solid pillar in my life, and to know that he cared for me. There was so much I needed to tell him. Hopefully, he could help me figure out some things about the book and the man that’s been saving me on the other side.

I wrapped my hand around the brass handle and pushed the door open. A blanket of protection and safety wrapped around me the second I stepped inside the cafe. I gladly accepted the sensation and hugged it tight against my heart.

The tables were already cleaned and prepped for the next day. Brightly colored lights from the jukebox lit the room in a lovely rainbow glow. A satisfied smile stretched across my lips. I hadn’t been this happy, or felt this at ease with a place since I could remember. I strolled down the hall toward the bright light spilling out from the kitchen.

Two steps short of the doorway, I heard voices carrying into the hall. I stopped, recognizing Layla and Gavyn. My breath hitched. She mumbled an answer, responding to a question Gavyn asked.
 

What is she doing here? Why is he talking to her?
 

Something stirred in my belly, and it wasn’t the butterflies this time. Something was changing. I felt a dangerous shadow stretching its sinful arms and awakening inside me.
 

How could she even show her face, knowing that I might be here?
 

“C’mon Gavyn, do you really think I would do something like that? How long have we been friends?” Layla mused.

“I know we’ve been friends for a long time, but why would she lie to me?” Gavyn’s voice was layered with doubt.
 

“I would never hurt her. I’m sorry to say it, but I think she’s crazy. I saw what she did in the warehouse. Why would anyone try to enter a portal?” She made a solid attempt at sounding concerned for my sanity, but I didn’t buy it.

“So you
were
there? Why Layla? What were you doing there?”
 

There was a pause while Layla undoubtedly thought of a lie to tell him. “I saw her leaving the café and wondered where she was going. That’s all. I followed her and saw her talking with some angel, Gavyn. She is with him. I saw her. She kissed him. She is with
him
, Gavyn.”
 

NO!
 

My stomach plummeted and my heart broke for Gavyn. Oh, how he must’ve felt. I fought the need to run in screaming,
I choose you, Gavyn
.
 

What a bitch
.
 

How could I fix this?
 

“I don’t know what they have going on or what they are up to, but it’s just not right for her to keep it a secret.” She waited a few seconds allowing the words to settle in his mind. “Seems awful distrustful to me.”

Gavyn’s whisper clipped in, full of uncertainty. “No, she cares for me.”
 

The guilt was shattering, drawing shame-filled tears to my eyes. I never meant to hurt him.

I will get her. I’ll wait and follow her—make her pay.
 

It scared me how badly I wanted to hurt her. I never dreamed of harming another person like that before. Suddenly, my forehead began to sting. My fingers found their way above my brow and massaged the sting away as I leaned closer to the door.

“I care for you, Gavyn. I always have. Why can’t you see that?” She was doing a damn good job pretending to be meek, but it only made me want to hurt her even more. I would find a knife, follow her home, and gut her.
 

Look at the pain she is causing. She is turning everything around just to get him on her side
, my inner voice pointed out.

The burning on my forehead intensified. I glanced at the mirror hanging across the hall from me and saw the inverted cross glowing bright orange beneath my skin.
 

I rubbed hard at the disturbing patch of skin, but became distracted when Gavyn spoke.

“I don’t know who to trust anymore. Why are you doing this, Layla? Why couldn’t you just stay gone?” Gavyn’s sadness cast a heavy gloom on the rest of the café as if the building felt his pain.

“Because I want you, love. We belong together. Now you know my secret. I am Celatum too, my love. Let’s fight these battles together.” Slow heels clicked across the floor. “You can trust me,” she whispered.
 

The wet, smacking sounds of kissing assaulted my ears. Soft suckling of flesh and tiny moans filled the air. Their murmurs grew deeper and more urgent while I hid in the hall quietly begging him to push her away.