Undertow (19 page)

I looked over at his face, seeing his concern. The boy in front of m
e now was somehow different than the one who watched my grandmother die. He had protected me. He was defending me.

He looked down to the ground. “I have no idea what happened that night, between Elizabeth and Rysse. The memory isn’t clear for me, so I am not much help on precise details. But in her death, she released a burst of energy so massive that when it reached Kian and me,
it was as though I had been struck by a freight train. That energy should have killed us, like it did Rysse,” said Raef, finally looking back to me. “Whatever was part of that energy, it changed us. Our ability to control our rage, our memories, and the immunity, all came from Elizabeth, I am certain.”

“The immunity?” I asked, confused.

He reached out cautiously and touched my face. “Immunity,” he said, “To you.”

13

I was stunned. Raef was immune
?
To ME
?
His hand dropped away from my face as I stepped towards him. “Elizabeth did something to you both,” I breathed, amazed. “She made you… human?”

“No, not human, but a chance to be close. There is no cure for what we are. And understand that we still, on a very basic level, retain all the violence and cruelty that is the hallmark of our kind. We chose to fight that portion of who
we are and it is a daily battle.” Raef’s face looked frightened, not for himself, but for me. He stepped back toward the edge of the tree.

As much as he had explained, there was still one major question that remained unanswered. “If you are Mortis and I am Lunaterra . . . Answer me, Raef. Why are you and Kian protecting me?”

“At the beginning of the summer Kian bumped into me again in Miami. We got talking and he mentioned he was bringing his yacht up to the Cape to possibly sell it. He asked if I wanted to help him crew the boat. I agreed as I hadn’t been back to the Cape in decades.”

“Once here, I found out that 408 was once again owned by a Walker. I convinced Kian that we should check out who owned the house. But you hadn’t arrived permanently yet and the locals started giving us the fish-eye, so we built the whole wealthy-brothers-dead-parents thing. When you finally returned, I saw you, up in your bedroom one night. I realized you were in high school and I figured I needed to find out more about you and, well, keep an eye on you. If necessary.”

“It was you, wasn’t it?” I asked, realizing that Raef was the one outside my window. I didn’t have some creepy stalker. I had Raef.

“I’ve been watching the house most nights. If I am not there, Kian sits guard. I was worried you may have recognized me that night. I was surprised you were awake so late. Did you have a nightmare?” he asked.

I nodded as Raef stepped towards me. “Eila - I did not help Elizabeth the night she died and I owe it to her to protect you now.  I will not fail her again.”

It hit me then, like a bullet to the chest.

I was not loved by this beautiful, imperfect boy. To him, I was nothing more than a chance at redemption. Nothing more than a way to ease the guilt.

My chest tightened and I was waging a desperate battle with my face, trying to control the pain that ran me through like a hot sword. I could feel the burn of my throat constricting and I knew I was losing the battle.

I slipped around the backside of the gnarled trunk where he couldn’t see my face and I wanted to gasp for air. I had been such a silly fool. To believe a boy like Raef could ever fall for a girl like me. I shook my head, mentally chastising myself.

All the time together, his concern for my safety, it was all just part of his self-assigned guard duty. I shut my eyes to block the tears from escaping, and dragged in a slow, hot breath. I pulled with all my might to halt the pain in my heart, but even with my eyes closed, I could sense that he was now standing in front of me.

“Eila?” he asked quietly.

I thought about all the time we had together and how gentle and caring he always was. I erroneously believed I had understood his behavior and had picked the right option from choices I understood. I never dreamed his actions were derived from a fourth option.

I managed to clear my throat and speak without hitching my voice. “It is just . . . a lot to take in. You are my bodyguard then?”

The silence was torture. My skin tingled and I knew he was very close to me now, probably inches.

“Yes. I’m trying to be,” he said quietly. I felt his warm hand carefully cradle my chin, and he lifted my face. His touch sent heat over my neck, spreading out from his fingers. I could hear him sigh and I finally opened my eyes, a tear fleeing down the curve of my cheek.

“I’m so sorry this all has happened to you. You can’t know how horrible I feel about last night. Eila, please forgive me for not being there.” His face was a combination of sadness and frustration, his touch making my pulse pound. His hand released my chin and slipped down to my chest, right above my heart.

I thought I might burst into flames.

“When I first saw you,” he said quietly, “I heard your heart race and your face was that of barely controlled panic. From then on, I continued to hear this whenever I came too close.” He spread his fingers slightly over my speeding heart. “I could feel it roll off you and vibrate through me. It was your instinct, built into your genetic code – a fight or flight response to my presence. You react to me – your eyes, your pulse, your instinct. I’ve noticed it still happens, but the fear does not seem to accompany it.”

No kidding.  My heart had rocketed away due to an entirely different reason, now destroyed.

“I
. . . I trust you. You still cause my system to short circuit, but I trust you,” I said, my stomach twisting into a painful knot. He was only my bodyguard. How stupid I was all this time. Anger laced the pain, but not at Raef. I was furious at myself to let my heart fall for this boy.

Raef’s brow fell as he watched me, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah Raef. I’m just . . . fine,” I replied as Ana’s voice called out to us to come in for pizza.

Raef, oblivious to my shattered heart, smiled at me and nodded toward the house, “Come on, lets get you fed.” We started walking toward the house, Raef’s hands tucked lazily in his pockets.

I could do this. Be normal with him, like nothing changed. He obviously cared about my safety. He was a good friend who I could not blame for my blindness.

I glanced over to him as we walked, his eyes scanning the woodline. “I just realized I have never seen you really eat anything,” I said, watching him.

“And with any luck, you never will,” he replied.

“What does that mean?”

“Eila, come on. What do you think Kian and I eat?”

“I’m guessing not pizza,” I said, having worrisome visions about Kian and him
eating
.

“We mainly survive off the
life-forces we take. It is all we need, nourishment-wise. But our prey here is mostly the flippered variety.”

I stepped through the door and stopped in front of him, “Seriously?”

Raef just gave a devious smile. I enjoyed seeing it, despite our circumstance. Yes, he was a good friend.

I stuck out my tongue, acting grossed out. “I think you’re right. I don’t want to see you eat, especially if it’s seafood. I hate seafood.” I had a flashback to the un-french fry incident. Yuck.

“What delinquent hates seafood?” asked MJ as he squeezed past me through the back door. “Nobody hates seafood.  You can’t live here and hate seafood,” he said smiling broadly at me. “I mean, heck. I can’t be friends with someone who is anti-fishy.” He gave me a bear hug. “So glad you are on your feet once again! Come on and eat. Ana and I hit up DJs for some pies.”

MJ flung an arm around my shoulders and ushered me into the dining room. “Oh, and Ana said no worries about the damage to the Jeep. She already fixed it.” He looked back at Raef, “Keys, man. Shiny, silver things with little teeth marks - much more effective than ripping the steering column apart, you know, for future FYI.”

Raef just gave him an incredulous look, “Uh huh. I’ll try to remember that in the future.”

I entered the dining room as Ana was opening a pizza box. The fabulous cheesy aroma hit me and I was suddenly famished.  “Oh man. I am starved,” I said as Raef pulled out a chair for me to sit.

“Ditto!” said MJ.

“You think you’re hungry! Try being a meal and then see how hungry you are afterward,” said Ana, looking at Raef.

“Ana. I’m really sorry. We’ll be better prepared in the future. I’m truly grateful for your help,” replied Raef.

“You mean my blood. We might as well get the lingo straight,” said Ana, dryly.  I got the distinct impression that she wasn’t Raef’s biggest fan, probably because he was “brothers” with Kian. Basically
blacklisted by association.

I wondered where Raef’s other least-favorite fan had gone. “Where’s Dalca?” I asked, selecting a slice of plain cheese.

MJ took a gulp of soda. “She headed for Salem about two hours ago. She said something about finding help. Ana’s got her cell number,” he said, taking another bite.

I was a little surprised she left, but comprehending her weird ways was like unraveling a mind-teaser game.

Kian waltzed into the kitchen from the front room. “Oh yum. Pizza,” he said sarcastically. He looked over to his brother, “Are you ready?”

“I’m not leaving them alone. You go. I’ll stay here,” replied Raef.

“You need to hunt and I can’t go alone. Someone needs to watch my back. Dalca’s house is safe. They will be fine,” argued Kian.

“I don’t care. I’m not risking leaving them here. You go first and then when you’re back, we’ll switch.”

I looked up at him. “You’re hunting? Now?”

“We need to be in top form to protect you and Ana,” Raef replied. “Kian and I need
to go hunt. But Kian’s right. We shouldn’t go alone and risk attack.”

“Attack from what?” I was trying to imagine them tackling a great white shark. The visual was right out of Jaws.

“Other Mortis,” said Raef, plainly. I was shocked.

Kian stifled a laugh, “You don’t really think that our kind would welcome us with open arms when we are protecting a Lunaterra, do you?”

I looked around the room. Ana and MJ seemed unaffected by this revelation. Raef knelt down beside me. “Eila. Don’t worry about it. It’s not like our kind is one, big happy family. No honor among thieves, you know? We’ve been sort of outcasts since Elizabeth died and we disappeared from the Clan.”

“Oh yeah. And it’s been a blast ever since,” said Kian, flatly. “Can we go now? I am running on empty and Ana still smells tasty.”

Ana shot Kian a brain-melting look, then grabbed a slice and headed into the living room.

“Eila – you’ll be fine in here,” said Kian. “Dalca’s house is cast against other Mortis. It’s very powerful magic. Just stay inside.”

I looked at Raef. He reached out and squeezed my hand, but the darkness outside suddenly seemed all the more menacing.
Stay inside
. As if the night would consume me the moment I stepped past the screen door.

Raef didn’t budge. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

Kian sighed and looked at MJ who was gobbling down another slice. “Fine. We switch off. MJ – you’re with me.”

“Oh come on. I am stawved,” replied MJ th
rough a mouthfull of bread and sauce.

“You can grab something on the go,” said Kian smiling. I was completely lost as to why MJ would be headed into the night with him. And I was worried.

“Wait! Why are
you
going?” I demanded, pointing to MJ.

MJ wiped his mouth. “Cause I got skills, baby,” he said, grinning his silly, idiotic smile. He was so going to get killed.

“What skills?” I demanded, fearful for my friend’s safety.

“Let’s just say that I’m the motion detector. I can see the Mortis coming and smell them. Oh! And I know some KA-RA-TE!” he yelled, jumping to his feet.

Obviously my dear pal was taking his Heroic Heath delusion to a whole new level and Kian and Raef were unaware of his mental impairment. “He can’t go!” I shouted, pointing in the direction of MJ. “Are you insane? He would be snapped like a pretzel!”

“Actually,” said Raef, calmly, “MJ has been of great value to us on our hunts and he did kill a vacationing Mortis who had picked off a tourist.”

“This is not the time to joke!” I was irritated.

MJ, nonplussed by my protests, walked past me into the living room. “I’ll meet you in the truck!” he called back to Kian.

Raef looked at me, “Trust me. He’ll be fine.”

“He better come back in one solid piece,” I warned.

“Oh, he always does and then some,” said Kian, heading out the side door. A few seconds later I heard the front door slam as well.

“I’m going to go check the house’s perimeter. You going to hang with Ana for a while?” asked Raef.

“Yeah. You go do what you need to.” 

Raef nodded and headed out of the kitchen, commencing his official guard duty. I headed into the living room with a slice of pizza to join Ana, who had relocated herself to the floral couch. 

The rumble of MJ’s Bronco signaled their departure and I glanced out the side window that faced the driveway. I saw Kian in the front seat with Marsh riding shotgun. MJ must have been in there as well, but the dark tint to the windows made it difficult to visualize the Bronco’s interior, though I had no idea Kian was so fond of the dog. I didn’t even realize the massive animal was here.

I watched them back down the driveway and then hook a left onto Main Street, driving away. My heart
was in my throat as I prayed that MJ would be safe. Kian and Marsh too.

Thinking about them, I lost my appetite and flopped down on an old, blue armchair. I watched Ana, who was now pulling a book from the shelf near the fireplace.  She glanced at me and then sat back down on the couch, drawing her legs up under her Indian style. Placing the book open in her lap, she started eating her pizza.