Wucaii

Chapter Thirteen

Aelana watched the sun rise, still waiting for Kalen to walk through the front door. The possibility existed he was still working, but why didn't he call? He knew she was at his house, he knew the phone number, he could have sent her a message. Worry gripped her chest. Maybe he had second thoughts about what they did. Maybe after getting away, he had a chance to think about what happened and realized it was creepy and weird.

The scenario played through her mind again. Her emotions were running high, so she wasn't exactly paying attention, but she was pretty sure she remembered him asking if she was okay with the situation, but never once did he ask about her taking her clothes off. Never once did he try. Oh, no. Did that mean he knew? Was it more than coincidence that his radio buzzed when it did? Was it planned?

No, she consoled herself. It couldn't have been planned. He would have seen her as human until they got back to his house. There was no way he could have set something up. Besides, he had been enjoying himself. Of course, that could have just been from the heat of the moment. His blood wasn't exactly flowing to his brain, so perhaps he wasn't thinking clearly. Once he left, he could have figured everything out and refused to return home, waiting for her to leave.

She sat up on the couch and chewed on her thumb claw. Her dragon side chastised her. Stop worrying! He's a cop, a Protector. The end of the world was at hand, along with the lawlessness and panic that comes with it. His first duty was to the people of the planet, to making sure they were safe. Perhaps he felt guilty for shirking those responsibilities for his own desires. Or perhaps he really was that busy.

She took a deep breath and pulled the thumb claw out of her mouth. She was being silly, insecure, and for what? A human who would soon be nothing more than a memory? It pained her, yes, but there were bigger things to worry about. Besides, she was sure he'd be at the Church of the Wucaii ceremony that night. She was overreacting, letting her insecurities rule her life. Everything was going to be fine. Still, she waited at his house on the off chance he might show up.

Aelana stayed at Kalen's house all day, but he never came home. Eventually, the time came for her to go to the church. She told Dek she'd be there, and it was important to make an appearance. It would make the apocalypse that much more real for the skeptics. She glanced out the front door and down the street for a while, straining her ears and listening for the sound of his bike. She had attempted tracing him through the earth, without any luck. It wasn't uncommon for her to not be able to focus on a certain individual—the world was a big place with a lot of people. If she wasn't completely focused, an individual could easily slip through her feelers. She thought about tracing him with their bond, but decided not to. What if she showed up and he was busy at work? What if she compromised some mission he was on? As much as she hated to do it, her reasonable side had to take the lead in that situation. Her heart told her to go after him, but she couldn't. He had to live his life and do what he had to do before it ended.

She stepped out the front door, locking it behind her. The street was eerily deserted. She glanced at the houses around her. Some had lights on, others were dark, but no one was on the street. She found it odd since it was a nice night, but the world buzzed with nervous energy. The people didn't know what to do or how to act. Many of them were probably shutting themselves off and waiting for the craziness to blow over. They were going to be awfully surprised when it didn't blow over.

With a few quick words, the deception spell ended, and she unfurled her wings. It didn't matter who saw. After tonight, Kalen and the world would know the truth, so there was no reason to hide anymore. If anyone went after him, she'd take care of it. History wouldn't be allowed to repeat itself. She took to the air.

As she neared the church, people became more prominent. Cars and crowds made their way toward the church, murmuring among themselves. She dipped lower in the sky. A few people glanced up and saw her, pointing her out to others. Good. It was about time they noticed her. She scanned their faces, hoping to see Kalen among them. He wasn't there. She angled toward the roof of the church and toward the skylight. As she landed, it made her happy to see the window hadn't been repaired. She wouldn't have to break it again. She glanced into the sanctuary.