Beyond The Veil (A Paranormal Romance)

Chapter 34

Raphael stood still, staring down the dusky, empty road, as if he could still see the tail lights of his car. But they were gone, and so was Emily. His heart felt heavy, as if burdened by a leaden weight he was unable to shake. Something wasn't right. He knew it; he knew it the moment Sadi's owl had appeared.

The dull sound of feet shuffling on the porch finally broke the spell the gloomy asphalt had cast on him and he turned around, glancing at the shadow that was lingering on the porch steps. It was too dark to make out a face, but the pale moonlight illuminated an ash blonde shock of hair.

"I thought you cared about her," Raphael grumbled quietly, but loud enough for Daniel to hear. "Why didn't you stop her?"

Leisurely, the tall man took one step down, then another, until his shiny dress shoes hit the dusty ground. "I do," he said, slowly approaching Raphael. "That's why I let her go."

Daniel frowned at him, obviously displeased by the apparent carefree attitude his mentor exhibited. "That doesn't make any sense. You know that something's out there, waiting for her, and god knows what is going to happen. Yet, you don't seem the least bit bothered. Care to tell me why?"

Bright blue eyes glistened in the starlight, radiating with otherworldly brilliance. "I'm tired, Raphael." Slowly, almost melodramatically, he lifted his head, drinking in the infinite space that surrounded them. "I'm just tired. I want to go home."

Raphael watched him for a few minutes, bewildered by Daniel's weary voice that seemed to have lost all its snarky tone and sarcasm. Since he remained silent, the blonde man directed his gaze back at him.

"Do you understand?"

Raphael shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "No," he simply stated.

Daniel sighed in resignation. "I have lost the fight. I could see it in the way she looked at me right before she left. Emily despises me, deeply, and there is no way she will ever come with me; deal or not. I may be a jerk, but I'm not going to force myself onto the girl I want. At any rate, my job was to set things straight, following the universe's command. If it happens, this way or that ..." He trailed off, trotting back to the steps and sitting down. "What does it matter? It's over now, and maybe, only maybe, I will still be granted forgiveness. I just need to finally bring things to an end."

"What are you saying?" Raphael had followed him and towered over his mentor's unusually fragile appearing figure. "What," he repeated sharply, as Daniel seemed unwilling to answer. "Are. You. Saying?"

Daniel's handsome features sported an eery expression of finality. Gone was the arrogant grin Raphael was so used to; wiped from his face by the unavoidable acceptance of fate.

"What do you think, my friend?" he whispered weakly, without any hint of strength left, as if it took Herculean effort to speak. Raphael shuddered. Never before had he seen his mentor like that, in such a hopeless state. He resembled a man who had lost everything and had finally given up.

He swallowed hard before daring to offer a response; a response that was so frightening, it robbed him, too, of the ability to hold himself upright. So he cautiously joined Daniel on the step, mumbling with mortifying awareness, "She died?"

Daniel only nodded his full head of hair, causing several strands to fall over his eyes. However, he didn't bother to remove them. Instead, he just kept motionless, awaiting the things that were to come with stoic calmness.

"Who?" Raphael bit his lip, his voice hoarse from unshed tears. "Who came for her?"

Aggravatingly slowly, Daniel stood, and step by lethargic step, he headed toward the starry horizon, the blackness of night softly attaching to his outlines, blurring them. Without looking back, he sighed out a name; a name that made Raphael jump immediately to his feet.

"Jenna. She did it for you."

"What?" Raphael yelled, running after his mentor. "Wait! Daniel, wait! Please!"

But, just like that, the tall shadow was gone.

"What does that mean?" Raphael screamed into the wasteland, his words carried over the sand and grass by a gentle breeze. "Daniel, what does that mean?"

All remained quiet.

Turmoil raging within him, he strode back to the house.

Jenna, he thought. What have you done? Why?

Could it be that she wanted him to be with Emily? Had she known about her deal with Daniel? Was this her way of saving her, of saving him?

His head was heavy with so many questions he couldn't answer, as he reached the spot where his car had been not two hours ago.

Emily. Where was she? Had she already moved on to the other side? Should he dare and try to follow? Jenna had said that the veil was open for him now, so there was a chance that he might find her there, in the great infinity of beyond.

Just as he was about to follow through with this irrational plan, he recognized the faint silhouette of someone in the distance.

He froze and watched the shape grow more defined as it came closer.

"Raphael!"

He heard his name, elatedly shouted by the sweetest voice he knew. For an impossibly stretched-out second, the shock of realization numbed him, leaving him unable to react. But even that second passed, lifting its paralyzing grip. And then, he ran. As fast as he could, he ran straight towards the petite figure that by now mirrored his action.

"Emily!" He cried out, closing in on the girl he so deeply adored.

They flew into each other's arms, holding on so tight that nothing in either world could ever pull them apart again.

"Emily," Raphael whispered, the deep sound of his voice carrying all the love he felt for her. His shimmering black eyes met hers, before his lips claimed what they had yearned for for so long.

With a soft moan, Emily responded to his kiss, letting her arms fall around his neck to pull the man of her dreams closer.

Like a velvet scarf, smooth and light, the cloak of eternity spread around the lovers, enveloping them tenderly in its timeless finality.