Scarred (the Spellbound Series Book 3) (5 page)

The angel holding my mom demands, “Stand down and state your business, or the civilians die.”

I frown, and gnaw at the inside of my cheek. For some reason, I can’t see any way out of this situation. Alyssa and I are free, but there’s nothing we can do without endangering Nick and my mother. Alyssa catches my eye, and asks, “What do we do?”

I shake my head slowly, but keep my mouth shut. I’m drawing a blank at the worst possible time.

I watch as Nick’s captor begins dragging him in the direction of the house, and Nick digs in his feet. He closes his eyes, and unleashes a torrent of energy just strong enough to force the angel backwards. His aura, once so faint that I could hardly see it with my second sight, has swelled to three times its normal density.

The angel grunts with frustration, and prepares to hurl a spell in Nick’s direction, until a booming voice yells, “Stop!,” from the steps of the house. Michael emerges from within, casting a livid look at the angels threatening to hold my loved ones hostage. “I’m sorry about the security,” he says. “I thought I remembered to warn them you were coming.”

But I could care less about Michael’s apology. All of my attention is now focused on Nick. I finally realize why something has seemed off about my boyfriend ever since I laid eyes on him eighteen hours ago. And now I know what Lucifer meant when he said he granted Nick’s wish.

Nick is no longer an ordinary human; he’s become a         spellcaster.

5

            
 
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. Nick catches me watching him, and wilts under my gaze. He
knew
about this too, the little fucker. To his credit, he did try to tell me, he just never got the chance to. But all the same, I don’t like the idea of Nick being a spellcaster. I’d just gotten used to him being a normal human again, how do I adjust to this?

              Michael gives a signal to his bodyguards, and the one holding my mom releases her before they both vanish into thin air. “I apologize,” he says. “They’ve been instructed to detain anyone who trespasses here.”

              “Why not just put up wards around the house?,” Alyssa asks.

              Michael dismisses her suggestion with a wave of his hand. “Modern trickery used by mortals to protect themselves. All I need are my brothers, and my own two hands if need be.”

              “Okay, but you could easily just-“

              “If you’re insecure in your abilities, then you can put up wards for yourself.”

              I jump in between Alyssa and Michael, looking from one to the other. “Watch it,” I growl at Michael. “I don’t care how rusty your people skills are, you can’t talk to her like that.”

              “My apologies,” Michael mutters, though I doubt that he’s sincere. He looks over my shoulder, and bows his head to Alyssa. “I am Michael. An archangel of the Lord.”

              Alyssa observes him with a blank expression. “Alyssa. Not impressed.”

              “Great!,” I shout with mock enthusiasm. “Now that we all know each other, how about we take our things inside?”

              For a moment, I’m scared Michael might turn us away now that he’s seen who his new house guests are. I’m pleasantly surprised when he quickly regains his composure and leads us silently into his home. It’s much cozier than I’d expected; part of me had pictured a stark white interior with minimal furniture, maybe no furniture at all. But either angels enjoy the same comforts as humans do, or Michael went out of his way to make us feel at home. We’re led into a large living room, with couches loosely arranged in a semicircle around a flat screen TV that dominates the back wall. On either side of the TV are carefully arranged stacks of movies, with a few video games in their own smaller, adjacent stacks.

              Michael notices where I’m looking, and explains, “I have no interest in virtual reality, but my guards enjoy playing on their off hours.”

              I shrug, and dump my bag onto one of the couches before looking around more. Next to the living room is a kitchen, where the walls gently shift from pale yellow to the soft orange hue of a sunset. On the opposite end of the living room is a massive window that overlooks the lake, with a deck that wraps around the back side of the house. And down a hall opposite the TV is a flight of stairs that leads up to the bedrooms.

              “Feel free to explore,” Michael says as we all take in the house’s interior. “For the time being, my home is yours as well.”

              I turn to look at Michael, and ask, “What, no tour?”

              “I have something urgent to attend to at the moment.”

              “Okay then… When can we start training?”

              Michael smiles, and says, “As soon as you are ready. If you’d like to start today, meet me on the dock after lunch.”

              “Got it.”

              Without warning, Michael vanishes before my eyes, and we have free reign of the house. The others go off to claim their bedrooms, but I couldn’t care less where I end up sleeping. I have more important things to worry about. I push open the door that leads out onto the deck, and gently close it behind me. It’s much quieter out here, despite the chirping birds in the trees and the hum of insects flying around as they go about their business. The solitude is exactly what I need to clear my head.

              I lean against the wooden railing, and let out a breath that I could swear I’ve been holding in for days. Now that I know exactly what’s been done to Nick, I should feel at least a modicum of relief. But for some reason, I still feel exactly the same sort of dread as when I woke up to him in my bed this morning. I don’t understand. I love him, I have for so long that I can hardly remember a time before him. So why does it almost feel like I’m afraid of him?

              The door behind me creaks open, and I let out a low groan. I can’t even have five minutes to myself. I spin around to tell whoever’s there to leave me be, but the words won’t come out when I notice that it’s Nick who’s come to join me. Judging by the look on his face, he knows he messed up by not telling me about his new abilities sooner. He’s got on his best wounded puppy face, the same one that I once found endearing. Now it makes my stomach turn.

              I turn my back on Nick, and lean against the railing again, preferring to look out onto the water than look at him. He does the same on my right, folding his hands together as he takes in the view. “It sure is pretty here,” he mumbles, so quietly that I’m not sure if he’s talking to himself or to me.

              “It’s fine,” I reply, even though I’m as amazed by this place’s beauty as everyone else.

              “I’ve never been this far from New York City before. Or this far from a city, period.”

              “Same here.”

              Nick sighs, and says, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you-“

              “That you’d gone and made a deal with the devil? So you could fill your role as my guardian?”

              I can feel Nick tense beside me, and almost regret being so blunt. “You know about the deal?”

              “My uncle keeps me informed.”

              “Well, did he tell you the part where it was either accept, or die?”

              “That happened?”

              “Yeah. I didn’t just walk up to the guy and ask to become a spellcaster. He made me an offer, and when I thought about never seeing your face again, I knew I couldn’t turn him down.”

              I roll my eyes, and ask, “How did he manage to change you, anyway?”

              “I don’t know. All I remember after accepting the deal is a flash of red, and waking up around the block from the condo yesterday. A few minutes later, I ran into you.”

              “Okay.” I push off the railing, and draw myself up to my full height. Knowing how Nick came to be the way he is now doesn’t change anything. I’m still inexplicably uneasy around him. “So, what are you going to do?”

              “I don’t know. I was hoping you could teach me how to use these new powers…”

              “Absolutely not.”

              Nick looks up at me in surprise. “What? Why not?”

              “Because I don’t trust Lucifer. And I don’t trust what he’s done to you.”

              “You can’t just turn me away. What if I hurt someone?”

              “You won’t. There’s no one out here that you can hurt.”

              “Heather-“

              “No.” I cross my arms, and elaborate, “If I teach you, you’ll just distract me from my own training. And I have to get stronger.”

              “Why? So you can kill your cousin?”

              “So I can fix my mistake. Get revenge for the eight million people that lost their lives because of my fuck up. And I’m gonna kick her in the crotch a few times just for making me miscarry, too.”

              Nick stands up straight, and his soft brown eyes bore into mine, pleading with me. “I’ve been where you are right now… and believe me, revenge isn’t the answer. I realized before too late that it wouldn’t change anything. All it’ll do is distract you from what you really need to do.”

              “Yeah? And what’s that?”

              “Put the past behind you.”

              “Not going to happen. Not until I put her ass in the ground.”

              “Heather… let it go.”

              “She killed my baby. I’m not going to just let her get away with that.”

              Nick scoffs, and I shoot him a confused look as he backs away. “’Your baby. Your baby.’ You keep saying that, but did you ever consider that she was my daughter too? I am devastated, and look at me. I don’t wanna kill anyone.”

              All the wind goes out of my sails, and I stare up at Nick in disbelief. “Daughter…?”

              “Yeah. The doctor who gave you the sonogram predicted female.”

              “Nick, I’m going to kill her. And I’m not going to let you or anyone else stand in my way.”

              The deck door opens again, and Alyssa steps out to join us, squinting in the sunlight. “We’re gonna have breakfast in a few,” she announces. “You guys alright?”

              “Fine,” I mutter before Nick can say anything.

              “Bullshit. What’s going on?”

              “I said we’re fine!”

              For just a split second, the worry on Alyssa’s face is replaced by anger. Nick jumps in, and tries to cover for me. “She’s just a little stressed at the moment.”

              I glower at him silently, but don’t correct him out loud. Stressed is an understatement. I’ve dealt with more in the past few days than most will endure in a lifetime, but I still have it in me to fight. And it’s either fight, or lie down and accept defeat. Why can’t Nick understand that?

              Alyssa shrugs, and says, “We’re all stressed. What’s got her panties in a twist right this second?”

              “Really?,” I snap. I’ve had just about enough for one day, and it’s not even halfway over. “I got eight million people killed. I lost my child. I lost my home. I lost a close friend, and because of her dying wish, I’m the leader of a clan that’s only got two living members. I think I’m allowed to feel like shit, wouldn’t you agree?”

              Alyssa frowns, and cocks her head to the side. “Krystal left the clan to you?”

              “Yeah. But I don’t want it.”

              “So I have to take orders from you now?”

              “I guess so. Wanna hear your first one?”

              Alyssa braces herself, and asks, “What?”

              “Train the new kid,” I reply with a gesture towards Nick. Then I turn my back on both of them, and hop over the wooden railing onto the soft grass a couple of feet below. Without a backward glance, I storm off in the direction of the woods, determined to put as much distance between myself and my would-be lovers as I can.

***

              It’s easy to lose track of time out here. It’s the gnawing pain in my stomach that brings me back from the cover of the tree line, and it’s well after noon when I catch a glimpse of the house again. Alyssa and Nick are probably inside. Probably waiting for me to come back. Possibly wondering if I’ve lost my mind. I don’t care which. As long as they stay out of my way for a while.

              I reason that it’s probably unwise to return to the house right this second, so I walk around it to the dock where Michael said to meet him. Sure enough, he’s standing at the edge of it, his usual suit jacket in his hands. Instead, he’s wearing just a plain white dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. As I approach, he turns to face me, watching me with calculating eyes. “I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he says once I’m within earshot.

              “I was.” I slip my hands into my pockets, a cool breeze coming in from the lake blowing my curls behind me. “What’s my first lesson?”

              “I’d like to begin by teaching you how to fly.”

              “Probably a good idea. I don’t think I’m a natural.”

              Michael flexes his back muscles, and two pure white wings, explode from between his shoulder blades. They reflect the sun’s light so well, that it almost hurts to look at them. He turns his attention back to me, and says, “You’re going to need your wings for this lesson.”

              “Right.” I recall the image of myself with wings, and the feeling that came along with their emergence. It doesn’t take long for them to reappear, tearing through both my skin and the fabric of my shirt. I wince in pain, and ask, “Am I ever gonna get used to that?”

              “As with all things in life, the pain becomes less noticeable,” Michael answers. “Before I teach you anything, I’ll need to see what you’re already capable of.”

              “What do you mean?”

              Michael places a hand on my shoulder, and without warning, teleports me to a point a few hundred feet above where I once was. For a moment, I forget that I have wings, and panic as the ground rushes up to meet me. But when I remember that I’m in control of the situation, I fold them in, and dive towards the ground. I’m a mere hundred feet above the lake when I spread my wings wide, and they swell as they slow me down, the air resistance pushing against them so hard that I’m worried they’ll snap. But I glide along the lake at a breakneck speed, making a wide turn before I wind up flying too far out of familiar territory.

              I can see Michael waiting for me on the dock, and I risk waving at him, surprisingly maintaining a steady flight despite the motion. I realize I’m a little too close to the water’s surface, and flap my wings a few times, to no avail. Long before I reach the dock, I slip into the water, kicking wildly to keep from sinking. It takes a couple of minutes to swim back to shore, and I shake out my dripping wet wings as soon as my feet are on solid ground.