Fate (Drift Series Book 4) (2 page)

“Ugh, you’re no different than Father, Mark,
and
Benjamin. You tune out whenever women speak details. Are you sure you’re not human in there somewhere?” Shade teased.

I cracked a half-grin, “Maybe I’ve picked up a few bad habits from you mortals?”

“Don’t include
us
in that
you
statement.” Anne shook her head, “Without us women getting things organized on this planet, you men would show up unshowered and underdressed for everything.” The two of them giggled.

“I’m not going to pretend to deny that.”

“Well at the very least Leo can you give us your stamp of approval about the tuxedos?” Anne reached down and handed me a pamphlet with pictures of models in the tuxes that they had decided on for me.

I took the paper and looked it over briefly. I had to admit, the suit looked very dapper. The pants and the inner and outer wear up top was solid white. On the contrary, the tie was black along with the shoes. It reminded me a little of something that was close to what Christian would wear.

They then handed a picture of a small red rose they had picked out that would be pinned to the breast of one side of mine and the groomsmen’s suits. They really had everything picked out to the last detail.

“Wow. This looks great.” I handed the papers back to Anne.

“Well, I’m glad you approve. Not that it would change things if you didn’t.” She smiled and winked at me.

I laughed.

“Yeah, I think you are going to look hot in that.” Shade leaned up and kissed me on the cheek.

“What about the brides dress?”

“Whoah!” They both said at the same time.

“Easy there lackey, don’t you know that you’re not supposed to see the brides dress before the wedding?” Shade nudged me with a playful smile.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to see the bride actually
in
the dress before the wedding? Didn’t know that standard stood for the dress too.” I continued to grin.

“Well, whether it does or doesn’t…you’re still not seeing it until I walk down the aisle.”

“Fair enough.”

“Leo…get out of there before they soften you up!” Richard called out from somewhere in the house in an effort to rescue me.

“You shut your trap, mister!” Anne fired back at him with a chuckle, “Shew, shew.” She waved her hand at me dismissively, “you are free to go. Go back and play with the clueless men around here.” She drew her gaze back down to the scattered pictures and papers on her desk.

Shade laughed and reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze before I left the room.

I went into the living room and sat down next to Richard. He never so much as glanced at me from out of the sports magazine he was holding up in front of his face.

“You’d been in there long enough. Thought I’d pull you out before you came walking out of there in a dress and pigtails,” he said with a straight face.

I didn’t say a word and smirked at his humor.

“That’s all I’ve heard about since you proposed, Leo. Thanks for that.”

“I guess I’m a gift to you in many ways.” I teased, trying to jar a reaction out of him from behind that magazine but got nothing other than a playful huff.

“Mr. Lewis, I was thinking…”

“About what?” He interrupted while never shifting his gaze.

“Well…seeing that I really don’t have any friends my age besides Scruffy…”

“Mmmm hmmm.”

“It’s kind of hard to fill up a line of groomsmen with just one. Since you, Benjamin, Sheriff Taylor and Scruffy have been like family to me…well…I was curious if you all would be my groomsmen at the wedding?”

There was an awkward moment of silence as he flicked the magazine in front of him before folding it back together and placing it beside him. Finally, his eyes met mine.

“Give my daughter to you
and
stand behind you as you take her away from me?” He smiled, “Leo…I’d be honored to stand behind you at my daughter’s wedding. Thank you for asking me.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He started rubbing his hands back and forth across his legs and breathed out in a nervous fashion.

“Something bothering you, sir?”

With a slight pause, he answered.

“You know, Leo, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression about what I’m about to say.”

I looked at him perplexed.

“I am thrilled to have you as my son-in-law, and am very glad that you love my daughter as much as you do. It’s easy to tell that she means a lot to you.”

“She does. She’s my whole world.”

He tucked his bottom lip under his top one, “I know she is…and you’re everything to her. Which is why I’m worried about this union between the two of you. Even though no one is saying anything about it…everyone else is worried about this also.”

“Sir?”

“Leo, you’re a demon. That alone is an astronomical obstacle for a father to overcome and comprehend when it comes to someone dating his daughter. Not to mention you’re a demon in a very highly volatile situation. What is my little girl going to do if one day something happens to you and you don’t return to her? It would devastate her. I’m not sure if I could stand to see her go through that much pain. Like I said, no one in our families are saying anything about this because the two of you are so happy together, but it is at the forefront of our minds.”

“I guess my situation is similar to a husband going off to war. No guarantees of a return home there either. I don’t mean that to sound harsh, but we all live on borrowed time.”

“Well, true, but…” He paused.

“I understand what you are saying, though. I’ve had the same concerns myself. Like I’ve said before, I can’t guarantee that I can win this thing with Hell. As a matter of fact, it’s more than likely that I won’t. The only thing that gives me hope and keeps me strong is the thought of always coming back home to see her. She is my will. Without that, my one percent chance falls to zero. I know it’s not the most logical thing to do, not like it’s ever been done before that I know of, a demon marrying a human girl, especially given my circumstances on top of that, but it just feels right. I love her and I have no other way that I can think of to let her know she is one of a kind other than to commit to her for as long as I have here on this earth. It feels like we were meant to do this together. I can’t explain it.”

Richard just stared at me with a comforting smile.

“Well son, you’ve heard my reservations. I thought it was only fair to the both of you that I made my thoughts known. You two have my blessing and I wish you the best. I will be there to give my daughter away as well as support you, and stand with you at the altar.” He reached over and patted me on the leg as he stood up from his chair.

“That means a lot to me, Richard…thank you.”

Before he walked out of the room, he turned back to me.

“Take care of her, Leo. She is my whole world too. You must always come back to her...for her.”

“I will sir…I will.” I nodded at him in affirmation.

He looked at me with an insecure smile and then looked behind me as if someone was standing there. I turned to look and see that Shade was present. Richard walked out of the room.

“Did you hear everything we just talked about?”

“Pretty much.” She leaned over the top of me and wrapped her arms around my neck in an embrace, softly kissing me. “You’re my whole world too, baby. Always…always come back to me. I will wait on you for eternity.”

I smiled and caressed her arm, kissing her once again.

CHAPTER 2

ILL

Time screamed by. Although mayhem was still breaking out throughout the world here and there, I decided to stick around, close to home. I began to get frustrated with Argento and Elysia—with the heavens. I figured, if they weren’t coming to mankind’s aid, why should I? My world centered on protecting my loved ones and seeking out War. I was tired of playing the middle man between Heaven and Hell.

So, I stayed home. Christmas came; it was a white one, naturally, in Colorado. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the human tradition of sitting around a hot fireplace with the people I care about, trading gifts, listening to holiday music with everyone as snow fell outside foggy windows. Watching our family and friends all get together, the food, the festivities—this is what I had always dreamed of doing all those days and nights sitting alone up in my tree. I was a part of something now and I didn’t want it any other way. It was as if, at least during this time period, the outside world and the troubles within it had no bearing on our time together. It was great.

As winter came closer to an end and spring began to draw near, something started to happen around me, something I had always known would occur if I lingered somewhere for an extended amount of time. Something that only Shade and I were aware of. The humans around me began to get sick. Benjamin, Anne, Scruffy, even Shade, and her family started to fall ill. I was spending too much time with them. I hadn’t taken a day away from them to even visit my tree for a few days just to give them a break from me. I was constantly around both families as of late and it was beginning to show. To be honest, I had nearly forgotten about this issue.

It was getting to where Scruffy was missing college days, work days, and not going to his MMA classes. His parents were in the same predicament along with Shade’s mother and father. It got to the point where they had gotten so weak they couldn’t even get out of their beds. Doctor and hospital visits started becoming frequent with the families, the healthcare workers couldn’t find anything wrong with them all, but I knew what was wrong with them…me.

Our wedding had taken a distant backseat to this dilemma. I knew what I had to do. I decided to leave for a while, but before I could leave, I needed to see my fiancée. I bid farewell to my very sick and pale family, citing the excuse that there was another breakout of malevolence I needed to tend to and took off for the Lewis home for a brief visit.

Shade, for some strange reason, was showing some resiliency. Although she was very weak, coughing and aching all the time, she was still able to get around to answering her front door.

“Hey baby.” She greeted me with a weakened smile as she coughed through her hand covered mouth.

“Hey,” I reached out and rubbed her cheek which seemed to make her go into a coughing spree, causing me to recoil my hand, “I know you don’t feel well. Do you have a minute?”

“Of course,” she murmured, reaching over to grab a blanket to wrap herself in as she stepped outside to sit on one of her front porch chairs. She fell into it like a sack of rocks, sighing as her butt hit the seat.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” I stood over her.

She reached up and grabbed my ice cold hand within hers.

“At least my temperature finally matches yours now.” She tried to joke, but I could only feel shame at what my presence was causing.

“You know what’s causing this…right?” I asked.

“Yes…yes I do.” Her head sunk.

“You know that I must leave for a while so everyone can get better, right?”

“I know.” Her hand squeezed mine before going limp and falling upon her knee.

“Are you going to go all over the world again?” She couldn’t raise her sagging head to even address me. Not because she may have been sad, but I think more because she was too weak to lift it.

“No,” I answered and then her head lifted, “I’m going to my spot. I’m not going anywhere. Sure, I may get restless and go for a short flight, but I’m staying home, near you. War can come to me. I’m tired of trying to stop the flow of evil all by myself while Argento sits idly by and does nothing. I’m not playing Christian’s sick game anymore either. The planet is no longer my concern. Only you, those we care about, and our home here is all I’ll fight to defend now. I’m done being their play-toy”.

“That’s good. I like knowing you’re nearby. The world around us may be in disarray, but somehow it seems all the more safe when you’re close.”

I smiled and leaned down, kissing her forehead.

She cracked a half grin and closed her eyes.

“With that said, don’t you think the events going on around the world will eventually spill over into Mountainside?”

“I’m sure it will, and I’ll be ready when it does. I just can’t keep running all over the place while Christian formulates whatever plan he has in store for me. I’m getting no help from the other side, therefore, I will not aid them anymore.”

“When will you be back…well, back enough to see me?” She pulled her weakened hand up to the back of my neck and held my cheek to her head.

“When your strength returns, your full strength, call me.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

She snickered and I joined in as well. “I’m so glad you’ve had a cell phone for a while now.”

“Remember, because you don’t see me, doesn’t mean I’m not within reach.” I leaned away from her and helped her stand up.

We stood and embraced for a while. I could feel the sickness within her body making her tremble within my grasp.

“I wish you could pull out your wings and wrap them around me right now and just hold me forever.”

I didn’t say anything, I just held her tighter to me.

“I will see you soon. I promise, if all signs point back to everyone regaining their health, I will be back for the wedding.”

“And if we don’t get healthy in time?”

“Then push back the date, silly.” I tried to comfort her.

We both smiled and softly kissed.

“Everything will be fine. Just get better. The wedding
will
happen.” I reassured.

She didn’t reply and we broke our embrace and I watched her hobble to her front door and open it.

“Leo, how can we live together if this is always going to be the norm when I’m around you…never mind, forget about that. I know we can find a way.” She answered her own valid concern.

I just smiled. “Hey babe, don’t let everyone know that I’m the cause of this, please? Keep that secret between us. Not that you would tell them. I just don’t want their worries to heighten even more about our union. I don’t want your parents to worry about you being with me more than they already do. Understand?”

“You know I will, our secret will always be between us on this matter.”

I nodded to her and we exchanged goodbyes, time for me to go back to a familiar and lonely place. I’m sure my tree hasn’t missed me.