Chapter 29 — Alone at last

Amara:

It didn’t take long for me to pack a bag. Thankfully my parents are out of town again. This time it’s my mom who has some charity ball at Martha’s Vineyard. My mom likes to pretend that she cares about something other than herself every once in a while. But don’t be fooled by her charitable endeavors; she mostly does it to impress her friends. God forbid if she is doing it for a good cause.

We make it to Mikhail and Nevaeh’s in record time. Nevaeh and I hug happily, having put our previous unpleasant encounter behind us. It gladdens me that we were able to make a lasting friendship. We go out to eat and hang out like a regular couple.

Every once in a while, I look at Kell and give him a heated smile. I blush when I think about our earlier sexual encounter. I can’t believe that I was so bold with Kell. It was the most incredible experience of my life.

Right now, we’re both in Rowan’s old room, getting ready for bed. Unable to think of what to say. I ask the first thing that comes to mind. “Umm…What side of the bed do you sleep in?”

Kell doesn’t answer; instead he gives me this really hot predatory smile and strides toward me with this really intent gate. I know that we’ve done the deed before, and it was great, but I still feel nervous around him. However, I don’t let him see it. Instead, I crook my finger and smile back.

Before I know it, I’m back in his arms, and we’re kissing passionately. His lips feel warm and firm against mine. The world disappears when he kisses me. I wrap my arm around his waist and run them up and down his back as I open my mouth and slide my tongue sensuously around his. He groans and deepens the kiss. I’m still wearing the same dress from earlier. Kell drags the strings down my shoulders and pushes the dress down my feet. I pull him closer, rubbing my hard buds against his strong, shirt covered chest.

Kell’s hands move down my panty covered butt and squeeze it tightly as he grinds against me. Pulling back from his arms, I lift his shirt across his stomach, signaling that I want him to take it off.

Kell complies by lifting the shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor. I work on the buttons of his jeans and lower the zipper. Before we know it, we’re both standing in front of each other in only our underwear. I move a little further back wanting to get a better look at his muscled body. Kell simply stands quietly for my inspection. Our lovemaking was so hurried earlier that we didn’t really get to see everything. My eyes run appraisingly from the top of his golden-brown hair, gorgeous high cheekbones, fringed blue eyes, and swollen lips to his strong shoulders and neck, where his medallion rests contentedly. His body is incredibly fit. There’s not an ounce of fat on him. His chest is well defined with muscled pecs and six-pack abs that lead to the v of his pelvis. I salivate at the thought of licking every crevice of his body. His black boxer briefs strain around his aroused bulge, and his legs are long and firm with muscle. I can’t believe that he’s mine.

As I’m looking at him, Kell is also looking at me. His nostrils flare, and his smile widens as he extends his hand out to me and whispers, “You’re perfect, beauty queen.”

I can see the sincerity in his eyes as I step back into his arms and wrap my arms around his neck. We both gasp pleasurably when our bodies touch. We’re now skin to skin, our underwear hastily removed and forgotten. Kell leans down, lifts me into his arms bridal style, and places me on top of the bed. His skin feels so good rubbing against mine. It makes my body instantly ignite like an inferno. Small gasps and mewls escape my lips everywhere that his body touches mine. Our kiss deepens as I open my legs, wrapping them around his waist. I can feel his hard shaft rub against my folds as if asking for permission to enter. My sheath pulses, lubricating the stalk of his cock every time he slides it over my folds. Our bodies glimmer with a sheen of sweat as we continue to nip and tease.

I close my eyes and arch my back offering him everything he wants as he slowly moves down my body and kisses every nook and cranny he can reach. When he kisses my neck and sucks the skin into his mouth, my body shudders. My breathing quickens to an erratic pace when he sucks and nips at my bud. A tingle of electricity sparks inside of my stomach with every suck.

Feeling an overwhelming need, I wrap my fingers around his hair and pull him closer to my chest while he moves down my ribcage and kisses my belly button. Heat travels from his tongue to my skin and down my toes as my body shudders and my pleasure builds. Not wanting to be selfish, I roll Kell onto his back and straddle him. Eyes wide with surprise, he lies back and stretches his arms out in surrender.

I lean close, using my hair as a curtain as I kiss his forehead and nose until I reach his luscious mouth. Kell closes his eyes with a smile and wraps his fingers through my hair, pulling me close. His body shudders as my hair caresses his bare skin.

I tilt my head and deepen the kiss, but I don’t let it last longer because I want to bring him pleasure. Leaning down, I nip on his chin, urging him to release his grip on my hair. He lets me go and lowers his hands down my back to caress it gently as I suck on his neck and nip his chest. Kell growls and arches his back as he whispers my pet name, hoarsely, “Shit, beauty queen.”

It’s almost amusing and hotter than I can describe seeing such a big, powerful guy come apart so easily. Kissing my way down his firm chest, I slide my fingers across his abs and memorize them with my fingers. His shaft is firm and strong with a swollen head.

Unable to take any more of the pleasure, I wrap my lips around him and engulf him with my mouth. Kell nearly comes off the bed with a croon, “Oh fuck,” He stiffens further as the pull of my mouth hardens him further.

His stomach contracts, and his legs push down on the mattress as my mouth moves up and down his shaft tightly. He tastes sweet and tangy as I swirl my tongue over the head and hear him moan again. His eyes are closed in ecstatic pain. After several moments, I rise from the bed and reach for a condom near the nightstand. Kell watches intently as I open the wrapper and roll it around him. His eyes are heavy with need as he pulls me up and sets me firmly on his shaft. We both cry out as the zing of pleasure spreads through our bodies.

I ride him slowly at first, accustoming my body to his size. He fills me to the brim and touches me as I slide up and down his hardness. My cries ring out for relief as the heat of my climax approaches. I rest my hands on his shoulders as Kell holds my waist between his large hands and helps me set a pace.

A strangled moan escapes his lips as his thrusts become harder. The tendons of his neck strain and his strong thighs. My slick walls flutter into a deep pulsation as bliss threatens to overwhelm me. I close my eyes as waves of ecstasy crash through me and take me over the edge. Pleasurable heat rushes through my body, exploding like a volcano. My toes curl, and my thighs freeze as I try to wring every pleasurable crumb I can.

Eventually, I go limp, open my eyes, and gaze down at Kell. He looks animalistic with his rigid jaw and glowing eyes. After a moment, my body relaxes, and I melt down his heaving chest. We both lie there, breathing raggedly as we hold each other close.

Kell wraps his arms around me and caresses me, moving his hand up and down my back in a calming manner. His heart is pounding a heavy beat beneath my ear. I had never felt so cuddled and contented in my life. My eyes feel heavy. I try to fight my lethargy, but it’s a losing battle. After a moment, I fall asleep in my lover’s arms.

I wake up the next morning feeling satiated and happy, especially when I see Kell resting quietly. My head is on his shoulder and my leg over his thigh. My hand rests over his heart as if measuring its pace. I rise up slowly as to not wake him and gaze down at his sleeping face. His long lashes rest over his cheeks, and his breathing is calm. He looks so relaxed and sweet in his repose. His hair is wild as if fingers had run through them, and I smile impishly at the thought that they were my hands. His lips are plump and slightly open, so I give in to the temptation by sliding my finger over the bridge of his nose and mouth, outlining the shape of his lips. I almost startle back when he whispers, “I hope this is your way of saying you want me to kiss you, beauty queen.” His eyes are half-open, and his lips are curved into a smile.

I slowly pull my hand back and gaze into his languidly open eyes. He looks incredibly male, lying with one arm behind his head as he gazes back at me. Rising slightly over his chest, I lay my chin on his collar bone contentedly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He snorts and tilts his head to get a better look at me. My mouth waters at the sight of his muscled arm straining beneath his head as he places a kiss on my forehead and says, “I’d have to be dead to not be awoken by my beautiful lady hovering over me.”

He rubs his other hand up and down my back with a smoldering smile. “And I love waking up with my mate.”

I can see the sincerity in his eyes, which somehow puts the little ember of doubt that I didn’t know I was carrying, at ease. Nipping his lip, I lean close and whisper, “I love you.” Which makes him smile and pull me tightly into his arms. Feeling happy, we roll around the bed and playfully giggle and kiss.

After a couple of minutes, we settle back down and lay side by side. He rests his hand on my waist and says, “I think Mikhail and Nevaeh probably heard us. Which serves them right for keeping Rowan up so much at night that he had to move out.”

I cover my mouth with a horrified frown and whisper back. “Oh, my God. I’m so embarrassed.”

Kell pulls me close, lays his leg over my thigh, and locks me in place. “Don’t be embarrassed, beauty queen. They were probably doing the same thing we were.” We both chuckle at the thought and kiss again as we let the world fade around us.

Unfortunately, before we can make love again, the reality of Nevaeh and Mikhail awaken us from the cocoon of contentment and into real life. A knock on the door resounds, followed by a muffled mumble. “Sorry to disturb guys…” Mikhail says with a trace of laughter. “…but Nevaeh just left for class, and I have to go too. I’m leaving you guys the keys to the apartment. We’ll be back in a few hours.”

Kell responds. “No problem, man. We’ll be here when you get back.” Mikhail simply makes an affirming sound. We listen as he turns around and walks away, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Kell rises from the bed, gloriously naked, and gives me a look from over his broad shoulder. The light of the window makes his golden skin glow ethereally. Feasting my eyes across his strong back, small waist, and firm rounded ass, I bite my lower lip.

Need drizzles over me like warm syrup, but I stamp it down when he says, “Shit babe, don’t look at me like that. We have to meet Azazel in ten minutes, and I don’t have the time to give you a proper morning greeting.”

I almost choke when he turns around with a pout and points at his stiff penis. Resisting the urge to giggle, I pull the covers back and stand up, stretching my arms over my head becomingly. Kell growls and pulls me into his arms. “Maybe we have a few minutes.” He says seductively as he leads me back to the bed.

About half an hour later, we meet a grumpy Azazel near the Cal State’s main hall. “About bloody time, you two showed up. I was starting to feel foolish standing here looking at the time on my cellphone like a wanker.”

Kell gives him a wolfish smile and shrugs. “Sorry, bro.” He mutters with a not so sorry voice.

Azazel gives him a withering glare. “Yeah, right, mate, sure you’re sorry.” He says with a sarcastic snicker. It’s strange to think about Azazel uncomfortable anywhere. He’s just such a large presence. The man is over six feet tall, with gold, blonde hair, and amber-colored eyes. He’s muscled and attractive. I mean, he can give a young Brad Pitt a run for his money with his movie-star looks. Today he’s wearing black jeans, a white Henley, steel-toed boots, and a black hipster hat. You can see the blonde locks that curl around his ears. He and Kell look like two gorgeous bookends standing side by side. Kell is in dark blue jeans and a mauve sweater that molds to his chest in a mouth-wateringly tempting way. His neck tattoo stands out in contrast to his golden locks. He pulls me close and points around the crowded grounds. “So, what’s the plan?”

Azazel points to a large white building with columns and Greek words over the door. “Before we talk about the girl in the visions, there is some research we need to do. Follow me, please.” He says, gesturing for us to follow.

The building is in a gothic style with large wooden doors. As we move through the lush green grass towards the building, the name of the building is revealed. It’s the library. It’s quite beautiful with statues of angels in various poses adorning the rooftops. From what I can see of the grounds, they are also well-groomed. There’s a square with paved paths and lush grass where students are lying or sitting with friends. Some are alone and working on their computers or with their cell phones. It’s very inviting. There are rows of trees disbursed every few feet near the paved paths, and in the middle of the grounds stands a statue of the school founder.

Azazel opens one of the large wooden doors and gestures for us to enter. Once we’re all in, he leads us down a large room with a gleaming white marble floor with the school’s coat of arms imprinted on it. There are rows upon rows of large wooden tables and chairs littered with books and computers being used by students. The walls are a light beige color, and there are paintings of what I assume are philosophers on the walls. The inside also has large marble columns that create archways every few yards. In the center of the library, there’s a large, imposing oak desk that I assume belongs to the librarian.

Azazel moves down the aisle, never looking in either direction. I pull at Kell’s hand and give him a questioning look. He simply shrugs his shoulders and ushers me forward. I hate being surprised.

Just as we’re moving past a few students, Azazel stumbles back in surprise. Kell and I gaze at the force behind the push and see this gorgeous girl with long mahogany hair and turquoise eyes give Azazel a heated glare. “Watch where you’re going.” She says with a sneer.

It’s almost comical how Azazel narrows his eyes and glares back. “I should watch where I’m going?” He sputters out in disbelief. “Last I checked, you ran into me, you shrew. Perhaps you need to get some bloody glasses.”

It’s almost comical to see Azazel’s puzzlement in the girl’s animosity. The girl’s face becomes as cold as stone. “Seriously? I was standing right here.” She says in disbelief, then waves her hand in dismissal. “You know what? Whatever…I don’t have time for this.” She says and steps around Azazel with an unimpressed snicker.

Kell and I contain our laughter as Azazel turns and follows the girl’s retreating figure with his eyes. He simply stands there for a moment without saying a word, but he doesn’t seem angry. His eyes glimmer with what looks like fascination and disbelief.

Kell lets out an impatient breath and snaps his finger in front of Azazel’s face. “Is anyone home? We have shit to do and not a lot of time, so can you snap out of it?” He says sarcastically. Azazel simply slaps his hand away with a glare. “I wouldn’t be talking about the time after making me wait for you earlier, you git."

Giving the retreating girl’s figure one last look, he looks back at us with a disconcerted frown. “Can you believe that bird? No woman has ever treated me that way.” He mumbles as he turns around and walks to an open doorway.

Kell chuckles and pats Azazel in the back with a fake pitying look. “Wow, dude, you must be losing your touch.”

Azazel’s eyes widen in horror, then relaxes back into his usual confident grin. “Nah, that can’t be it…” He waves at his body and waggles his eyebrows. “I mean, look at me. No heterosexual woman can resist this. She must like females. That’s it.” He says with a snap of his fingers.

Kell and I simply roll our eyes and follow him to the next room. However, something inside me tells me that this will not be the last time we see this girl. Azazel finally stops in front of a door and leads us in. The room is large with wall to wall bookshelves that extend all the way to the ceiling. There’s a large marble table in the middle of the room and an older man with a stuffy brown corduroy jacket, a long gray beard, and a brown fedora sitting behind it. He doesn’t even look up when we walk in. His eyes are more focused on a large bound book with old, parchment pages. Azazel stops in front of the white marble table and clears his throat. I gasp in shock when the older man looks up. The man has no eyes. In place of his eyeballs, there’s a dark, empty cavern. However, that’s not the scariest part of him. What’s scary is the predatory grin filled with razor-sharp teeth that he gives us.

The only way I can describe his smile is that it looks like a mouth full of shark’s teeth. His face is paperwhite and tight across the bones of his face, he has no hair, and his ears are pointed and sharp. He’s extremely thin—almost cadaver like. I take a step back with my heart thundering in my chest and look from Azazel to Kell, observing their reaction. Unlike me, Azazel and Kell do not seem taken aback by the old man’s appearance.

Azazel simply smiles and leans on the table. “Hello, Creighton, bloody good seeing you mate. How are the fish and chips?”

The man throws his head back, shrieks with laughter, and slaps his hand on the table with a deep chuckle. “Azazel…mate, is that you?” He stands up to get a closer inspection.

Azazel throws his hands around him joyfully. “You bloody well know it is Creighton.”

The man tightens his arms around Azazel and pats his back hard. “It’s so good to see you, mate. When you called, I about fell off my chair. I couldn’t believe it. It’s been so long.”

They both pull apart and continue to smile. Azazel simply waves nonchalantly. “You know how it is, mate. Sometimes a bloke needs to lay low. Especially when you live in one place for centuries. I couldn’t believe it when Mathias told me you were here.”

Kell clears his throat, reminding them that we’re in the room. He shifts his face as if focusing his non-existent eyes on us.

Azazel gestures to us with a wave of his hand. “Sorry, mate. This is Kell Cross and Amara Vega. She’s the Breija Mathias told you about.”

The man shakes Kell’s hand jovially, then turns to me with a bemused grin. “Don’t be scared, little girl. I promise these teeth only eat animal meat.”

I blush, embarrassed that he noticed my gaping, but I recover quickly. Pulling myself together, I bravely extend my hand and manage to stutter out, “I-I’m so sorry for being… rude. It’s so crass.”

He waves my excuse away and says, “Not a problem, love. I’m used to muggles being surprised by my gorgeous face.”

At first, I think he’s serious, but then I realize his reference to a popular children’s book and laugh out loud. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” I joke back.

Once everyone is properly comfortable, we get to the more serious matter of why we’re here. Creighton gestures to the large leather book he was reading and points to a section. “Okay, so this is what I’ve gleaned from the murder and your visions. There is a very powerful spell called the Potestatem Vitae Mortem. Loosely translated, it means power over life and death. However, this is not just to gain power over life and death but to receive ultimate power over all life and death, especially your own. Whoever is killing these girls is collecting their powers to use them in a ritual to gain the ultimate power. So far, they’ve collected an impressive array of supernatural gifts. However, there is a rare supernatural power that they need to complete the ritual. Once they gain that supernatural power, they will hold supremacy over life and death. This individual will be nearly indestructible and able to cause the annihilation of all living things.” He ends with an ominous frown. “We need to find whoever is doing this before it’s too late. All things need balance, and when the balance is interrupted, catastrophe follows. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

We all stand there and gaze at the book feeling the severity of what is going to come about. Kell’s hand tightens around mine reassuringly and points to the book. “Does this book tell you anything else?”

Creighton turns the book over and pushes it closer. The book looks seriously old. The sheets are frayed and wrinkled, but what catches my eyes is the foreign writing on the pages. I move closer and hover my hand over the words.

Creighton must see my fascination because he leans closer and whispers. “It’s in ancient Latin. Not many people can read it.”

I gesture to the page hesitantly and ask, “Can I…can I touch it?” He nods his head. “Sure, love, it’s not as fragile as it looks. During the fifteenth century, an ancient druid monk placed a protective spell on it.”

As gently as I can, I lay my palms on the book and caress the ancient words. It’s indescribable how it feels to touch something so old. I can feel the indentations that the quill left after each carefully written word. Then, something strange happens. The words start to glow and shift. I pull back with a gasp, but no one else seems to notice the golden glow that is beginning to permeate through the book.

I look up at the men. “Do you see that?” I whisper as the words begin to shift, and the writing begins to change.

They all shake their heads and gaze down at the book intently.

Creighton looks back at me in question. “What do you see?”

I shake my head as I try to form words. I’m sure I look like a gaping fish. “I…I…the book is glowing, and the words are changing into…” I have to stop because my body begins to get cold, and my vision begins to dim. The glow intensifies and spills out of the book, moving like dribbling water in my direction. I try to back away, but it’s like my body is petrified. The glow reaches my hands and flows toward me. It feels like waves of electricity moving through a live wire. I gasp as it moves up my chest. Kell and the others must see my distress because they reach for me but can’t quite touch me.

I can see their lips moving, but I can’t hear a thing. I’m not able to move my mouth at all at this point. All I can do is stand there horrified as I watch the glow move up my neck and change into floating letters. The best way to describe it is like when you buy a can of alphabet soup and the letters float around the top. That’s what the words look like as they separate into letters and flow up my body. My vision begins to fade as the glow moves up my neck, nose, and eyes. Then the world goes black.

“Where am I?” I think as I gaze around the empty vastness of what looks like a world of cinder. Everything is burnt to ashes. The ground, and what looks like a tree off in the distance, and the sky, are a burnt orange color. It’s light, but there’s no sun. I look up to the sky, but all I see is orange. Drops of something fall from the sky and onto the ground. At first, I think it's rain, but when I extend my hand, drops of red and black ash splash over my fingers. Then, a great wave of smoke and ash strikes my back. My hair flails wildly around me, and my body is lifted as the pressure of the smoke pushes me forward. My dress flutters around me in an agitated manner. It feels like I’m standing underneath a very dirty wind tunnel. As the smoke and ash flood my mouth and nose, I crouch down, close my eyes and cover my face. A silent scream rushes through me but is choked out by the sound of the wind and the ash in my throat. I can barely breathe as I continue to cover my mouth and crawl on the ashen floor, trying to find a safe place. The wind pushes me as if urging me towards something.

As soon as it began, the tsunami of wind ends. I cough several times and wipe my mouth and nose until my vision clears. However, I wish it hadn’t. Somehow, as I was struggling to breathe and find shelter, I ended up a few feet from where I was. I cry out as bile rises up my throat. The smell of decay and death takes the place of the ash. As far as my eyes can see, there are dead, gnarled trees piled with ash and human bodies.

There are human limbs impaled on dead branches. Some of the bodies are cut in half as if ripped to shreds. Tears run down my face as I make to step forward, but instead of hitting the ground, I fall into a pool of blood and bodies. I flail my arms, trying to get away from the floating heads and limbs. It’s a nightmare come to life. Panic overtakes me as I try to get out of this horrific scene. Turning to where I was, I try to crawl back to the ashen ground when someone or something moves in the distance. I look at the figure and call out for help, but there’s no response. Eventually, I’m able to crawl out of the nightmarish river of blood. Overwhelmed by the horror, I roll into a fetal position on the ground and cry like a baby.

I had never felt so alone and frightened in my life. After a few moments, I swallow my tears and shakily rise from the floor. I can feel the blood and gore still clinging to my body and have to swallow the bile that collects in my throat at the thought. Gazing back in the distance, I see a figure move again. This time I don’t walk carelessly around. Instead, I take my time and watch my footing.

It takes time to get close enough to see the figure. However, I stop when I spot a row of gnarled trees near the moving figure. The dead trees are organized in a circular pattern amid the ashen ground. However, it’s not the trees that make the insides of my guts churn with agony. It’s the rotting corpses that have been impaled within its gnarled vines. It’s obvious that they are women by their long hair and curves. But that is the only thing that identifies them. I don’t want to look, but something compels me to move closer. I take a few hesitant steps at first, keeping my eye on the moving figure within the circle. I don’t know if it’s the burning in my eyes from all the ash in the air or the intense darkness that surrounds the figure, but I get the feeling that it’s a bad idea to let the figure see me.

As I move closer to one of the bodies, my fear heightens. I know I said that they looked impaled, but on closer inspection, they seem almost posed. As if they were crucified. Their palms, feet, knees, and neck were run through by branches. The bodies are decomposed, and their clothing is ripped and shredded, but their hair is intact. I inspect the nearest one and look at her hair. That’s when I really lose it. As if someone punched me in the face, I fall to my knees and vomit all over the ashen ground. Tears run tracks on my ashen face at the thought of who the girl is. Her hair is red, but not a natural red. It’s a cherry red like you’d buy at a salon. Her eyes are wide open as if reflecting her last moments of terror, and her hands are dark. In the middle of her chest, there’s a gaping hole where her heart would be. It’s Sophie Chandler. I cry silently and gaze at the other girl next to her. I can’t see most of her face because she has decomposed. But from the pictures I saw of Leslie, I know it’s her.

I wipe at my face as sobs wrack my chest. That’s when a shadow falls over me. My body stiffens with fright as a cold chill permeates my body again. As slowly as I can, I turn towards the silhouette. My heart is thundering in my chest, and my head is throbbing from the overwhelming stress of the situation. I’m now standing face to face with the figure.

Up close, the shape is larger than a human being. It’s at least seven feet tall and has no perceptible features other than the red orbs it has for eyes. It’s just a black mass formed like a man. It has a large head and bulging arms and legs. Kind of like an extreme steroid-using body builder’s body or a large wrestler. I wipe at my blood-soaked tears and clear my throat. “Who…who are you?” I ask with a visible tremble in my voice. However, the shadow person doesn’t answer. Instead, it reaches for something and pulls it over its head. I cry out in horror to see it holding a large black ax. He moves closer, and though I cannot see its face, I know it's smiling as it moves. I flinch back in terror because I know that I’m about to die. Just as the figure is bringing down the ax over my head, the world goes black again.