Rise From Darkness (6 page)

Tension radiated in the air.

Sammy and Alexander looked at each other. Something affected Gaby.

The car continued down the drive until it came to a grinding halt.

Her father…she didn’t want to introduce him to her father. His gut twisted at the realization.

Heavy steps sounded on the front porch and Sammy pulled his arm toward the path home.

“I know, I feel it too.” Sammy gave a tentative smile.

Anger, resentment, depression, concern, and so much more invaded his senses. But did it come from her father, or himself?

He shook his head and pushed the feelings away. The farther they walked the more the feelings subsided. Human emotions were still difficult to process.

Maybe some time alone would help.

They reached the house and Alexander turned to his car. A drive always helped clear his head, well when he couldn’t fly.

“Where’re you going?” Sammy pulled on the back of his shirt.

“To get a ‘How to Fix Boats for Dummies’ book.”

“What?” Sammy asked.

“Nothing.”

Alexander jumped in his car and headed to the road. Gaby’s scent still lingered, and his body warmed at the thought of her skin. No. He couldn’t give into temptations brought on by human emotions or he’d pose a bigger threat to Gaby than
Forras
, and he refused to ever be a threat to her.

****

Gaby mentally pinched herself when she sat down on the couch. Finding out she was going to attend school, meeting a new friend, and having a first date was all so amazing. Life had never been this kind. Nothing could spoil her mood now.

She straightened the few items on the coffee table and tried to slow her racing heart.

Her dad flung the door open making her jump. Blood seeped through his shirt. A long gash from temple to cheek oozed, and his right arm was tied with a makeshift splint.

“Hello, Gaby.” His words came husky and stressed.

When his hair was messed like that and his speech slurred it meant only one thing. And the brown paper bag clutched in his left hand confirmed her suspicions.

Dread crept in. It would be a long night.

Gaby grabbed his elbow to help him to the couch. Her legs buckled from his weight.

“What happened?” Gaby asked with trepidation. The smell of old rotten garbage made her gag. Was he left to die in a dumpster after being beaten?

“Just the job babe, got too close to a bad guy.”

“This is crazy. How many times do you have to get hurt before you quit? It’s not worth it.” Gaby choked back tears.

“Don’t do this Gaby. You know I have to work, and this is what I have to do. I’m doing it to keep you safe.”

He raked a swollen hand through brown greasy hair and slumped on the old faded couch. His six-foot frame shrunk down for her to notice the extensive facial lacerations.

“How is getting yourself killed going to keep me safe? You’re the only parent I have left.” Her voice rose with the thought, anger seeping out every pore.

“Watch your tone with me, young lady.” His eyebrows lowered and drew together.

She retrieved the first aid kit from the hall closet and started pulling bandages, thread and a prepackaged sterile needle out while she tried to steady her hands.

“I don’t understand why you can’t let someone else defend our country. You served your time in the military and as a civilian. How much more are you going to put yourself through?”

“Until we’re all safe.”

“From what? Terrorists? Criminals? There’s always going to be another bad guy, Dad. You can’t beat them all.” Her voice quivered with sorrow.

“I can try.” He spoke softly.

Her father pulled the thread through the needle as she cleaned his side with iodine, revealing a three-inch gash. Blood didn’t faze her, not anymore, but the needle did. She flinched at the sight of her father pushing the needle through and pulling it out the other side. The way his skin pulled with the thread made her queasy.

“Daddy please quit. We can find another way to pay the bills. I can get a part time job to help. You’ve done enough.”

“What’s enough?”

“It already cost you your wife. Would you risk your own life leaving me orphaned?” It came out so fast she didn’t have time to stop herself. It was horrible and untrue. He didn’t have anything to do with her mother’s death. He blamed himself because he was driving the car that night. But it wasn’t his fault, it couldn’t have been.

The hurt in his eyes broke her heart. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. The first aid kit dropped to the floor when she stood, once again feeling like her world was spinning out of control, and went to her room to sulk.

It took forever before she fell asleep, and even then, she tossed and turned. Visions of darkness and evil filled her dreams. Monsters clawed and tore at her flesh. Bright lights exploding-suffocating-pain.

Her own screams startled her awake. It had seemed so terrifyingly real. She glanced at the digital clock beside her. It was only three in the morning, but she knew she couldn’t go back to sleep. Not with those visions in her head. Crawling out from under her sheet, she went to her makeshift art desk and started to draw.

The first picture, full of the familiar army greens, tree bark browns, and charcoal grey swirled together into what looked like several creatures fighting. They resembled a cross between a bear and a coyote with a hunch back like a buffalo.

The next one showed shades of orange and gold with silver lined clouds. A sunset over an ocean appeared tranquil, but at the bottom the dark colors with claws turned up and overtook the white clouds.

The last one looked like her room. The white wings she had painted before appeared to be wrapped in a cocoon. A daffodil yellow light shone from the top of the bed.

All of them were strange, each one evoked a different emotion when she looked at them, fright, concern, and peace. Sighing, she slipped them into the leather portfolio her mother had given her just days before she’d died. Sniffing back tears, Gaby headed downstairs to get a bottle of water.

When she looked in on her father, he lay stretched out asleep on the couch with an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor. He still wore his bloodstained shirt. Two days worth of beard shadowed his face.

She froze. Her pulse thundered in her ears while she stood there staring at him. Sweat dripped down from her temple and an image flashed back to her.

The water bottle hit the floor. She raced up the stairs to her room and tore open the old memory chest her mother had given her. Papers flew everywhere as she ripped through binders and notebooks until she found it.

The exact image of her father, whisky bottle, blood and position of his body were identical.

Except, she’d painted it eight months ago.

Chapter Four

“How was your first private cheer lesson?” Alexander asked as he swept a loose piece of hair from her face. A cool breeze meandered through the front lawn of Gaby’s house.

Gaby smiled so wide she could barely answer. “Brutal. Where did happy Sammy with the cheery disposition go? She’s more like a-a—”

“Drill sergeant?”

“Exactly.”

“Yeah, she’s serious about her cheering.” He said with a chuckle.

A raindrop hit her face and he brushed it away with his finger. He was so close to her. Would he kiss her? Blood rushed to her head and her heart pounded against her chest. Should she lift her head and look at him? She fidgeted with the frayed pieces on her jean shorts.

His hand touched her chin and raised it up so their eyes met. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He leaned in closer, “Are you sure?”

She tried to talk, to breathe, but nothing happened. A steady drizzle started. Move. Say something.

She reached for the basket and broke the moment between them. “I guess we won’t make it to the boathouse right now.”

They both glanced at the clouds.

“What’s in there? Motor oil, wrenches, a sander?” Gaby said with a laugh.

“No, just a few spark plugs. But I figured we might get hungry and…” He shrugged.

“Great idea, bring it inside and we’ll eat lunch while we wait out the storm.”

Her hands trembled as she spread the blanket on the living room floor. A well-defined arm reached in front of her and placed the basket down. He smiled, revealing those amazing dimples. Breath caught in her throat.

If only her mother were still here. It was always so easy to talk to her. Sure Sammy was around, but how do you discuss feelings for someone’s brother?

Her mom would’ve calmed her down. She always told Gaby that her first kiss should be with someone she truly cared about.

On her sixteenth birthday, she felt like there was something wrong with her. The whole sweet sixteen and never been kissed thing was lame. It wasn’t her fault though, living in isolation really cramped one’s dating life. Not to mention having a father with his own personal arsenal.

“You’ve never mentioned your father,” Gaby tossed food out onto the blanket.

“He disappeared years ago.” Alexander spoke in a monotone voice. He pointed to a picture hanging on the wall. “Is this your mother?”

“She was my mother. She died in a car accident.” A depressing silence filled the room.

He reached out and took her hand, his eyes warm and empathetic. “She was beautiful. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Her heart thundered so loud she worried he could hear it. The way he looked at her made everything painful in the world disappear.

He pulled away, got up, shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts, and started pacing the floor. “I guess you’ve heard that a million times, but I truly mean it.”

“Actually I haven’t. Thank you.” How could she explain there was no one around to give condolences when her mother died? A quick burial and they were gone the next morning and in another state by lunch.

“My mom was a great artist. I hope to be half as good as her someday. She was teaching me how to express myself through drawing and painting before she died.”

She took a sip of water and placed the bottle on the coffee table. When she straightened, he was in front of her. Could he feel her body tremble as he took her hand? A musky scent invited her to inch closer to him.

She stepped toward him, hating the feel of humidity on her legs and the way her damp clothes clung to her body. She wiped the sweat from her brow, embarrassed as she realized Alexander didn’t have a bead of sweat on him.

“I’m really sorry that you’re alone,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know what it’s like.”

He seemed so vulnerable and sweet. This was it. The moment she wanted more than anything. He was about to kiss her.

“What was her name?”

“Elaina.” She closed her eyes, rubbed her lips together and leaned a little closer.

A moment passed.

“I have to go.”

He released her hand and stepped away. Choking down a lump in her throat, she turned and looked down at the food still on the blanket spread out on the floor. He’d rejected her. What a fool she was to think he wanted to kiss her.

Fighting back tears, she turned to face him but was only met by a small burst of air and empty space where he once stood.

****

His wings shook with rage as he took flight. Images of what he could have done to Gaby haunted him. He could’ve hurt her, or worse, killed her. Heat coursed through his veins. He dove in and out of trees trying to rid himself of his desire for her. He knew it was dangerous to fly during the day, risking exposure, but it would be worse for him to stay. Distance might be the only thing that could save Gaby.

Grace tried to warn him. If she was right, and he had the hormones of a teenager, strength of an angel, but the self-control of a child, he was more than dangerous.

His wing clipped a lamppost sending sparks into the air behind him. He tried to shield himself, but he couldn’t. Too many feelings, not enough control. Fearing it would draw the attention of hunters, he stretched his wings out further and took off higher into the sky. He longed to fly away from Earth, leaving all his desires, confusion, and sin behind.

The cool moisture of fluffy clouds soothed him. As the soft white swept his face, he remembered how Gaby’s skin felt when he ran his fingers down her arm. Her blue eyes with the golden specks surrounding her pupils resembled the sky around him. Everything in this world reminded him of her.

There was no other choice. He had to stay away, yet how could he? She was vulnerable.
Forras
and his demon brothers wanted her because he’d shown an interest. She would be helpless without his protection.

Unfortunately, with his level of attraction, it would be impossible to control himself. Every inch of her body cried out to him when he touched her. Even with the distance now between them, he could still smell her hair. He longed to touch her, hold her, but he couldn’t. His wings ruffled in disgust.

There was only one option. He would have to keep a safe distance but stay close enough to protect her.

How could he not?

“
Eliana
” He repeated the name as guilt overpowered his lust.

Her lips were inches away. If only he hadn’t asked that question he would’ve tasted Heaven. If Gaby ever learned the truth about her mother’s death, she’d curse him worse than the demon
Forras
.

A strange heaviness settled in his chest. He wouldn’t look into her eyes, or touch her silky skin. He would make excuses, things would come up. But he would listen for her cry in the darkness of the night.