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Chapter 23
I tried to ignore it as best as I could. That completely insane, unfounded, stupid urge to ask about that picture to her. Yet, there I stood the next day, staring at that crystal covered window and the bizarre entry sign. 'Embrace the cleansing aurora of dreams.'
Yeah right.
If someone asked me why I thought this was a good idea, I would have laughed and said, 'it's fucking not'. But I never did have many good ideas.
I tried to avoid Siena and River all day. I wasn't sure I could face them again after my hasty getaway at the library. I could have played off finding the image as a coincidence, but when they both started exclaiming 'holy shit, maybe the legend is real', I had to bail. Spending time with Dri only worked at pushing the insanity away when he was there. Last night had been perfect, but as soon as he got up for work reality crashed back down on my shoulders like an eighteen smashing into a cement wall.
And I was getting a sick feeling it was a reality I wasn't going to end up surviving.
I can't believe I was starting to believe in this shit.
I sucked in a shaky breath, and another, then another until I could control my breathing enough to face the crazy psychic. I really wasn't sure why I was doing this, but I couldn't think of anything else that would help. I skipped the second have of classes for the day just to avoid an awkward conversation with Adriel about why I wasn't home. He made it pretty clear he wasn't happy about any of this stuff. I had a feeling he would just make my life harder if I told him everything.
I pushed through the door, the entry bells jingling as I did. I couldn't see her or the counter around the many aisles and shelves of witchy crap, but I could practically feel her in the back. Waiting for me.
Our eyes locked as I rounded the corner, and she made no move in surprise. That look in her gaze was anything but shocked. She had been expecting me. "This is a dreary time for you, dear." Was her greeting as I stopped a few feet away from the counter. Those bright green eyes were drawn in concern, and her long dirty-blonde hair was tied in an elegant braid down her back.
I bit the inside of my cheek anxiously. "Yeah, you can say that."
"Come with me, we can talk." She turned and walked out from behind the counter. I had a fearful moment where I thought she would take me back into that freaky dark room, but she flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed' and walked towards a door on the other side of the store instead. I hesitated only a moment before following her. I was bound to die eventually, at least if she tried to kill me I had a fair chance of defending myself. She was pretty small.
"I live in the apartment above the shop." Jess explained as we walked through the door and up a row of stairs. She took out a set of keys from the back pocket of her skinny jeans and unlocked her apartment door.
I walked into the small living room hesitantly, but it wasn't as creepy as I thought it would be. There was a wall of windows pressed against the back of the room, with plants hanging from various hooks and on the window bench. A comfortable looking couch, coffee table, and recliner sat facing a flat screen TV, and a small bar on the other side of the room lead to her kitchen.
I stood awkwardly in the middle of everything, unsure of what to do with myself. Jess smiled as she walked in behind me and closed the door. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself at home." She nodded towards the dark purple couch covered by a thick hippie-esk blanket. "Would you like a coffee?" Jess asked as I sat gingerly down on the blanket and dropped my backpack to the ground.
"Um, sure." Although I'm not sure caffeine was a good idea at the moment. My nerves were making me jittery enough.
"Milk, no sugar, right?"
"Yeah." I didn't bother being surprised that she knew exactly how I liked my coffee.
She gave me an endearing smile before disappearing behind the bar to make the coffee. "I had a feeling you would be back soon." She announced a minute later as she came back around the corner with two small cups in her hands. I took one from her outstretched hand uneasily and kept my eyes glued to the 'psychic' as she sat on the floor across from me. The coffee table resting between us.
"Had a feeling, or just knew?" I grumbled down into the cup before taking a careful sip. The coffee was good, light with a touch of cinnamon. I drank it greedily.
Would it be too much to ask for a shot of vodka?
Ugh. Probably.
Jess shrugged her shoulders, that small smile still pulling on her lips as she sipped her own coffee. "Neither makes a difference. The only thing that matters is why you're here."
"And do you know? Why I'm here, I mean."
"I can only imagine the questions you must have. With our first and last meeting I believe you have experienced events none would willingly dare undergo." The way she talked was so weird. Like she spent her free time taking vocal grammar lessons. Jess set the little coffee cup down on the table, and the rings covering her slender fingers glistened as she did.
"You could say that."
She sighed softly, though the action sounded more sad and tired than exasperated. "I'm afraid your challenges are not yet over."
"Yeah, I'm starting to see that." I threw back the rest of the coffee and set the cup down on the table. "Look, I'm not really sure why I'm here, or how the hell I expect you to help me, but things are becoming a little too freaky to just be coincidences. It's starting to really freak me out."
Jess threaded her fingers together and those bright green eyes stared curiously into mine. "There is no such thing as coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Even if you do not believe in the paranormal, or spiritual, you understand the abnormalities of what is happening around you. Do not take your instincts for granted. Listen to what they have to say."
"It's not like they talk to me." I scoffed and scrubbed a shaky hand through my long curls. "Usually I just feel sick or like someone punched me in the stomach."
She shrugged again, though the action was more like a ballerina dancing then anything else. The girl looked way to graceful in everything she did. It was beautiful. And annoying. "There is more than one way to listen. What do you want to do most right now?"
"Get the fuck out of this town and go as far away as possible." I leaned back heavily against the couch and continuously clenched and unclenched my fist. I was literally one thread away from telling Adriel that I was done and begging him to pack us up and get the hell out there.
I tried. I was still trying. That's all I promised. I did my part, now I just want it to be done.
"You've seen something that's made you feel this way, yes? That is the only reason why you would come to."
"Yeah."
"Alright, what have you seen?" There was no condescension in her tone, or arrogant amusement shining back at me in those bright eyes. I appreciated that, almost as much as I was creeped out that she seemed to freaking know everything.
"There's a picture of a girl that looks a shit-ton like me from five hundred years ago. The book we found it in said that she was the 'prison' or whatever the hell it's called for that demon-angel dude that founded the town." I paused and waited for Jess to interject but she just kept that silent, steady gaze.
"And you were the first person that ever talked to me about crazy shit, so I guess coming to you about it was my only option..." I wasn't sure what she was expecting me to say. I sure as hell didn't know, but she should, being an all-powerful psychic witch thing or whatever the fuck she was.
"You seem surprised." She spoke a moment later, her delicate head tilting to the side as if she were studying me. "I've already told you that you have an old soul. That you've spent more than one life in this world. It was only a matter of time before you stumbled across the proof of that."
"Okay, but I thought that was crazy, psycho stuff. I didn't believe you."
"And you do now?"
"Now I—I don't know what I believe anymore."
The curious look pulling on her face faded away to a soft, endearing smile. Her hands relaxed on the table and she even kicked her feet out beneath it. She no longer looked like the eerie witch-thing who knew about the black eyes and dark feathers of my dreams and warning me to stay out of the shadows, but a girl my age who was just trying to live as best as she could too.
"Don't force yourself to believe in anything. I like to go with the flow. Sometimes things happen, sometimes they don't."
"That's easy for you to say." I grumbled and let my hands fidget with the straps of my backpack. "So, you think that picture is a past me or whatever?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation in her voice or questioning light in her eyes. Just solid, unwavering conviction.
I let out a large, exasperated sigh and scrubbed my hand down my face. "Alright, well how does this reincarnation thing work?" I didn't know if I believed it, but knowledge is power, I guess.
Jess's face pulled into a warm smile that did little to ease the anxious nerves rushing through me. "Old souls are ordained by Michael, God's right-hand angel and leader of his army." That smile of hers turned sly for a brief moment. "If you believe in all of that."
I ignored that little remark and nodded my head. "Yeah, one of my professors talked about him when we learned about the demon dude."
"Avidus is not a demon, though there are many who will refer to him as such." Those creepy ass pictures would suggest otherwise, but whatever. "Usually old souls have significant preordained plans on Earth that they have not yet accomplished, or act as the bridge between this world and Heaven." She gave another slender shrug of her shoulders, and I was starting to wonder is she was trying to seem—relatable? I'm not sure, but the girl was freaking weird.
"Once Michael picks the soul, Azrael, whom we've talked about before, sends them back every time their past life dies until their mission has been completed. Sometimes they may never reach that goal and are constantly recycled into a new generation."
"Like me." It wasn't a question. I remember her comment about how that death-angel dude Azrie, or whatever the fuck his name was, has sent my soul back quite a bit.
"Yes, and I have a feeling your reasoning for being in this world will be accomplished very soon."
"Why's that?"
Jess gave me one, slow, unnerving blink that made those bright green eyes shine eerily. "I have it on good authority this has been the only time you have returned to Deshua since your soul's origins. Fate would not have brought you here otherwise."
God, this place really fucking sucked.
"Then what the hell is my 'purpose'?"
"You're in that class, yes? You've heard the legend. You know what it is."
"What? You're seriously telling me that my preordained mission in this world is to wake greedy guy up? The girl was created to put him in prison! Why they hell would they want me to let him go?!"
That bright gaze flickered away as my tone rose, but I didn't care enough to feel bad. I mean, come on, seriously? What a load of shit this was. I wasn't even sure I believed in any of it!
"It is not our job to question Fate's design."
"Yeah, well, Fate can suck my design. I don't want anything to do with it."
Jess let out a small sigh, and all pretenses of her smile disappeared. "Whether you do or don't doesn't matter. There are people in this town who are looking for you. Dangerous people. You must be careful, Larkin."
"Trust me, I'm trying." I sat back heavily on the couch with a scoff. "But as you mentioned, I can't escape Fate, and it really likes fucking with me."
"There's more you can be doing, precautions you should be taking."
"Like what?"
"Like plants to use to ward off evil, metals that will hold them off."
My head felt like it was going to explode. Begging Adriel to leave sounded more and more like the best option. Especially if people are looking for me to wake up some demon/angel greedy guy that probably doesn't even exist!
"Who even are them?"
Her face grew pale and those bright eyes slowly turned dull. "They are not... normal by any means. They are dangerous and hold far more power than you could ever imagine."
"You're not talking about those creature things demon/not-demon dude created, are you?"
"Yes, I am."
I didn't want to believe her. It was easier to laugh and scoff and tell her she's crazy and full of shit. I should have walked out of there and put all of this crap behind me. It was ridiculous. But then the image of those red eyed kept flashing through my mind. Red eyes and those guys talking about eating me. No matter what Adriel said, or how much I tried to convince myself, I knew what I saw.
"Alright, what do I do?"
"Get Yarrow, lots of it. The plant wards off evil and acts as a repellent against the Immortals."
Immortals. That was the same term Shorzin used to name the creatures. I cannot believe I was entertaining this.
"What does it look like?"
"Little flowers in clusters, they come in many different colors, but I know there is quite a few purple vines growing around the campus."
"Purple flowers? You mean, like these?" I reached down for my backpack and pulled the nearly dead flowers I had stuffed in the front pocket a few days ago out for her to see.
Her green eyes and whole facial expression brightened immediately. "Yes! Exactly, how long have you been carrying those around?"
It was my turn to shrug as I shoved the plant back in my bag. "A few days. This creep-a-zoid trying to talk to me said he was allergic to them, so I stuffed a few in my backpack."
Jess laughed, and I was surprised at how warm and light it sounded. "Excellent, great thinking. Be wary of anyone saying the same thing."
Already ahead of you lady.
"Hopefully you won't be put into another situation where you will need to defend yourself against them," I didn't bother acting surprise that she knew I had before, "but there is very little that can hurt them. Steel can penetrate their skin, and iron can burn their blood. Try to carry around both."
Okay, because carrying around sticks of steel and iron were oh-so easy.
"Alright," I sighed and resisted the urge to rub my fists into my eyes. "Is there anything else?"
"Stay out of the shadows. The sun doesn't hurt them, but they are stronger in the dark."
"Duly noted."
"Larkin..." My gaze snapped to hers when Jess suddenly reached over and placed her tiny hand on top of mine. "You will have to make a decision in the very near future, one that will decide the fate of yourself and the entire time. You cannot run away from it." Which is exactly what I had planned on doing.
"It is your choice. If you wake him, you're risking the lives of not only Deshua, but anyone he will come across." Her hand tightened around mine, and those bright eyes grew hard. "Make sure you choose wisely."
If, by some insane anomaly all of this was freaking real, couldn't I just not choose at all?
Looks like running far away was sounding like by best option.
Not that I was every any good at that.
-&-
I almost didn't notice the gentle fingers sweeping my hair over my shoulder as I sat huddled against the armrest of the couch. But then they were tugging at my ear and I had to tear my gaze from the TV to blink over at him. "I'm worried about you." Jumping straight to the point, such an Adriel thing.
We haven't talked much in the past few days, or I haven't at least. After my meeting with Jess I needed some alone time to sort out my thoughts. And as much as I loved spending time with Dri and Raffie, I couldn't really think with them around. They made me forget everything, at least for a little while, and even though I craved that distraction it wasn't going to help anything at the moment.
I tried to make my eyes all big and wide and confused as I blinked up at that concerned blue gaze. "Why? I'm fine." His hard look didn't waiver.
"I hate it when you lie to me."
I shook my head and wrapped my arms tightly around my knees. "I'm just stressed with school and the dreams. I'm sorry."
Which wasn't a complete lie, but I knew I couldn't tell him what was really going on inside my head. He wouldn't believe me, just like with those red-eyed freaks after that party. Dri would just write it off as my imagination, or the 'bull shit' drilled into my skull by Shorzin. He wouldn't understand.
I was surprised when his heavy body plopped down on the couch beside me and pushed my legs down to the ground so he could rest his stupid, big, pretty darn attractive head in my lap. I smiled down at those dark eyes reluctantly and let my fingers play with his hair.
"How was your day?" I asked absently as the TV drawled softly in the background.
"Long, boring, worried about you."
I rolled my eyes and tugged a little harder on his hair. He didn't even flinch. Hardheaded jerk. "I told you I'm fine."
"And I told you I don't like it when you lie to me."
I sighed softly and poked repeatedly at his stubbly cheek. "This place is just so freaking weird." He lifted one arm to rest under his head and against my lap as I spoke, those blue eyes turning all concerned as he listened. Worry wart. "I feel like..." I started softly but couldn't find the words to finish.
"Like what?"
I let the hand that wasn't playing in his hair trace his strong neck. I didn't know how to explain any of this to him. I could barely explain it to myself. "Like everyone here is wanting me to go crazy and is living off the fact that I am."
His oh-so-yummy lips pulled into a small frown and the hand that wasn't propping his head up reached over tug endearingly on my sleeve. "I don't want you to go crazy." I laughed at the pout in his tone, and that simple action made me feel a whole lot better.
"Yes, you do. You just want me to go crazy in a completely different way."
He smiled, but the look didn't reach his eyes. "Come here." He switched our spots on the couch almost effortlessly, and I let those strong arms cradle me against his chest without a struggle. "I never wanted to make you feel like this." He murmured against the top of my head as I gripped onto the open lapels of his flannel.
"It's not you, Dri."
"I'm the one that brought us here." His arms squeezed tighter around me, and I could feel his chest rise and fall with the heavy breath he let out. "I never would have moved us if I knew how unhappy and stressed it would make you." The complete and total remorse in his tone tore at my heart, and I felt that boulder of guilt weigh heavily down on my shoulders.
"There's no way you could have known. Besides, even if I was a brat during the whole move, I didn't want you to miss out on the job." I shrugged, which was hard to do being so squished against him but whatever.
My forehead was pressed against his jaw, and he pulled away enough to press a kiss there. "There's always another job, another town. I don't care about staying anymore if it's only making you depressed."
"I'm not depressed—"
"Still," That bossy tone was back in full force as he interrupted, and he pulled away enough for those dark blues to stare down at my gaze. "We can leave if this place becomes too much for you."
I dropped my gaze down to a loose button on his flannel that my fingers had started fidgeting with. I didn't want to be that person. The one that begged to move just because I couldn't handle something. I knew running away wasn't very integral of me, but I didn't pick this fucked up life. Why should I have to suffer through it?
"Promise?" My voice was barely more than a whisper, but I wasn't brave enough to raise it any higher.
"Of course. Hey..." Adriel's fingers pinched my chin and angled my face up to his. My stomach clenched at the look in those dark eyes. He could make me do anything when he gave me that look. "You are the most important person to me. Besides Raffie." His lips pulled up at the corners in that smirk that made me both want to roll my eyes and attach my mouth to his at the same time. "I'd do anything for you. Getting a new job in some other town is nothing."
I tried to keep my smile from my lips as those fingers traced along my jaw. His words were making my heart a little too fluttery. "You're okay sometimes, you know?" I teased even though my voice sounded more like a mumble than anything.
Dri chuckled and the sound made ease sway the tension from my shoulders. "Yeah, I know." My heart jumped nervously when he leaned down to press his lips against mine, and I pushed my hand against his chest to stop him. The frown that pulled at the corners of his mouth was admittedly adorable.
"Where's Raffie?"
He rolled those blue eyes and readjusted his hold around my waist. "In her room playing on her Xbox."
"She can come down any second."
"Then I'll stop kissing you."
"But what if she sees?"
Dri let out an overly dramatic sigh and leaned back heavily. "Who cares if she sees?"
"Um, I do. And so should you."
"Why?"
"Because she's nine? And for all intents and purposes, she sees me as a sister for both of you." For someone who always seemed to know everything and how to handle every situation he sure wasn't comprehending this.
"Raf watches TV, she knows what kissing is, and she knows you're not blood related. I highly doubt she'll care if we kiss."
I frowned and leaned further away from him. This man cannot be that horny that he can't deal with not kissing me while his sister was around. "Please, Dri? I just don't want us to be like that around her."
His narrowed eyes washed over my face, before he let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, I'm sorry. It's always your choice, Lark."
I had a feeling I was going to get real sick and tired of people telling me that.
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Hope you guys enjoyed!
I'm going to try and write a couple of chapters ahead so I don't disappear for a while again :'D. However, because I make sure to write the chapters long this might take me a few days so hang out tight!
Like always, lots of love and stay safe!