Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series #1)

Chapter 2c

Once her lectures ended, Helena headed into City Centre to hand out her resume. She didn't care where she found work as long as something came up. Even though Laura and Andrew assured her it was alright for her to take her time finding a job, she didn't want to rely on them. She didn't want to depend on anyone for that matter. Not even Michael.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him since they fought. Was he getting an earful from his angelic higher-ups about her mistake?

She came to a stop at the traffic lights on Dame Street, and her shoulders dropped. The sun had already set. How long did she have before the old buildings were claimed by the night?

Across the road, out of a cluster of people, a man clothed in all black stood out. He couldn't be older than thirty, she guessed. He was tall and wore a leather jacket and a pair of fitted jeans. The wind toyed with his raven hair. His tantalising full lips formed into a half-smile, and she registered his piercing blue eyes returned her stare.

Heat crept to her cheeks, and she diverted her attention to the ground. She hadn't expected him to notice her.

The crowd shifted. She marched with the rest of the group, avoiding further eye contact with people until she bumped into someone.

Two large hands wrapped around her arms, steadying her. But, that wasn't what made her raise her head. Where the person touched her, a prickling sensation spread through her skin. Apologies fled her mouth. Looking up, she realised it was the same handsome guy. She had made a mistake in her initial judgement. His eyes were a mixture of blue-brown that had a hypnotic effect on her.

A painful sting reverberated through her chest and strange energy tickled her gut.

Surprise registered on the man's face.

She tore herself away from him and rushed to create as much distance between them as possible. Whatever she felt was not normal and anything abnormal she learned to separate herself from, except Michael who swore his mission was to watch over her.

She glanced over her shoulder multiple times, making sure he wasn't there. When she rounded a corner, Helena smacked her forehead with her palm. Who would pursue a weirdo that ran off like a frightened animal?

With a heavy sigh, she moved on to drop off her remaining resumes near her bus stop before taking the first bus home. It was high time she got answers about her father and the strange link she had created.

Beyond her protective barrier, things seemed different. Something lurked in the shadows. It's slithering energy circled her shields like a shark, waiting for a crack—an opening of some kind. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and Michael's words replayed in her mind: 'Things would try to get in.'

Whatever was attempting to find its way inside did not seem friendly. The creature's energy chilled her to the bone, causing her to shiver. So, she did the only thing she could think of and reinforced her shields with another layer of steel. Although she didn't know whether it worked or not, she somehow felt a lot safer. That sensation didn't last long.

The darkness coiled around her, forcing her barrier to creak like a submarine being crushed by the pressure of the water. A rivulet of sweat rolled down her forehead as she deepened her concentration.

What is that thing?

Fighting back, she fortified the structure with as many layers as she could create. Her energy depleted, and she crumbled to her knees. She gasped for air to fill her heaving chest.

In the distance, a bright light flashed.

Michael, she thought. He has returned.

His soothing glow cloaked her shields and forced the shadow back, bringing relief and warmth to her chilled body. At last, she could decrease her barriers to a single layer.

Amidst it all, someone's voice called out to her, telling her to wake up. There was an undertone of panic as the words bombarded her with sudden urgency.

Someone tugged on her shoulders until her concentration broke and she was staring into a pair of green orbs. The panicked mumbling came from Andrew. His face hovered above hers.

"Thank God you woke up!" He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

Unsure of what was going on, she awkwardly hugged him back. Her skin populated with gooseflesh as she shivered within the confines of his hold. She felt as if she had been dunked in a pool of ice-cold water. Her pyjamas proved it.

Through chattering teeth, she managed to say, "I'm cold."

Andrew hurried to her wardrobe, flinging it open. He selected whatever clothes he could find and returned to her side. Without warning, he started lifting her t-shirt.

She slapped his hands away. "Whoa, I can change by myself!"

He seemed to realise what he was doing and turned away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"Why are you here?"

"Laura took a call for you downstairs. Since she left a note and went out, I came in to give you the good news. But, when I found you, you were groaning in pain. I rushed over to make sure you were alright... You were freezing to the touch, and I tried to wake you." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "The rest you know yourself."

Helena hugged him again. "Thanks for waking me up."

Wrapping his arms around her, he brought her closer to his chest. The warmth he radiated made her skin tingle. Not wanting to part, she buried her face in the soft material of his shirt.

Once her shivering subsided, she awkwardly peeled away. "So, what was the call about?"

Andrew's lips stretched into a smile. "Looks like you got an interview tomorrow."