chapter eighteen
BEGINNING AGAIN
My name is Emily Johnston, seventeen-year-old high school senior. And, I have recently added to the town gossip machine that has been running at full force since Christmas day.
The first bit of juicy information, that got the machine oiled up and started, was the discovery of two dead men. They had apparently been fighting each other at the top of Bridal Veil Falls, sometime after dark on Christmas Eve. They, strangely enough, were involved in a gun and knife battle that ended when some bears stumbled upon them and attacked them, driving them toward the falls. The two men and the two bears, fell over the falls. The bodies were found in the late afternoon, on Christmas Day, when some ice climbers stumbled upon them. The local police were still piecing together the clues left at the scene.
I obtained all this information from Summer, when she called me, breathless with excitement and fear, the day after Christmas. The fear part came from the fact that, the authorities believed there were two bears involved in the attack, but only one body was found. There were bloody bear tracks leading away from the base of the falls. An alert was put out for an injured bear, which had already attacked two men, and may still be alive and dangerous.
This news brought a ray of hope into the eyes of Lizabelle, our new Shape-Shifting friend. She immediately left our house, along with Cozmo – they were now inseparable – in search of the injured bear. We were unsure if it was Elliott or Rowan that had survived the fall. They needed to track the surviving Shifter down, to find out.
Our friends departed, with anticipation and caution. Lizabelle wanted answers. She wanted to know why her brothers would take a murder for hire job. She insisted that it just wasn’t something she could have ever imagined them doing.
The second bit of information, given to Summer Paxton by yours truly, was that I was quitting Telluride High School. I told her that I’d been taking extra online courses and was only one credit away from my diploma. Technically I am not a High School drop-out, since I’d be finishing my coursework online. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Plus, this would have been my sixth senior year. I have the five previous diplomas to prove it, each with a different name, but still me. I had to go through the coursework, I had to pass the tests, so they’re mine. I just couldn’t spend another day posing as a High School student, especially after all that had happened to me since we’d moved to this town.
The third bit of information was again about me, this time spread promptly by Delilah and Summer.
Early afternoon, on New Year’s Day, after I’d just walked out of the Chinese Restaurant with Link at my side (we were picking up take-out), Summer and Delilah spotted us and ran over to say “hi!” I’d been sporting my new engagement ring, since the moment Link slipped it on my finger. Delilah immediately screamed, “Oh! My! God!” at the top of her lungs, in the middle of the street the second she spied it.
They gushed, I beamed, and I’m sure that by now the whole town thinks I am “with child”. I heard a few whispers, almost immediately. Why else would a seventeen-year-old girl decide to leave High School and also become engaged? Little do they know, it’s entirely impossible. There has only been one virgin birth that I am aware of, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the next candidate for that miracle. In a few months, when my belly still hasn’t grown, people will have no choice but to admit that the rumor was false. I’m a very patient woman. I can wait until then for my apologetic glances.
Lulach still hadn’t returned. I guessed that murderer was slicker than he thought. Either that or he got a lead on another one, right away. I was sure we’d see him soon. There are so many questions we still need answered.
Link was still adjusting to the brightness of sunlight. He’ll always need to wear sunglasses, the darker the better, during daylight hours. We found him a pair of ridiculously dark goggles, and we actually skied. It was grey and overcast on that particular day, so it helped immeasurably. There has only been one time, so far, that Link experienced the bloodlust. James was able to misappropriate a bag of O positive from work. Link stuck a straw in it and sucked it right down. It was a gruesome version of a kid’s juice pouch.
I still feel guilty, but Link keeps telling me that it’s not so bad. He says he will endure whatever it takes to be with me. That is the best feeling in the world.
New Year’s Day was a day for reflection. It was one week since the turmoil, one week since I had almost lost Link, and one week since I had irrevocably changed him. It was also one week of being engaged, one week of basking in blissful love, and one week of knowing that the Lords were no longer out to get me. It was one lovely, peaceful, wonderful week.
I sat at the kitchen table, eating my Chinese food, with Link beside me.
“Your brain is going a hundred miles an hour. I can almost hear it buzzing beside me,” Link said softly, breaking the silence.
“Just thinking about... well everything,” I sighed.
“That’s a lot to think about.”
“Okay, I’ll narrow it down. Just thinking about all that’s happened to us in the last week,” I sassed back at him.
“Are you worried about gossip?” Link asked.
“Maybe a little.”
“I’m glad they know.”
“Who knows what?”
“I’m glad your friends saw us today. I’m glad they saw the ring. I want everyone to know that we belong together.”
“My age, my dropping out, our engagement – it’s scandalous,” I reminded him.
He waved his hand through the air. “Let them talk.”
“You’re right, I know. It’s just that I’ve never felt like anyplace was home, and this could be it. This could be a home for us... for awhile anyway...” I paused
“We can make this our home. The young married couple will fit in nicely with this town. The gossip will fade. I promise. So, you’ve never given me an answer,” he raised his eyebrows.
He wanted to know when we’d be married. I’d been stalling for the entire week, trying to decide on the most appropriate time. “How about in February, after Emily’s birthday?” I suggested.
“I guess I can wait for that. It’s just a few weeks away. Then you’ll... well Emily’ll be legally considered an adult. Caterer, florist, photographer... We’d better get started if we’re gonna pull a wedding off so soon.” Link whistled.
“No way, buddy. No Telluride wedding, although it would be beautiful. I want it to be private. I want to get away, to escape from Emily, to be wild and free.” I smiled.
“So where are we going?”
“Vegas baby!”
“Who’s going to Vegas?” Marcus asked as he and Eve entered the room.
“Apparently, Charity and I are getting married there next month,” Link answered.
“Not without us you’re not,” Eve furrowed her brow, slightly hurt at the prospect of not being invited.
“Exactly,” I answered. “Won’t it be fun? Link and I, Catherine and James, you and Marcus... oh, and you’ll have to get a hold of Cozmo and Lizabelle. Marcus, do your brain phone thingy. All of us together in Vegas,” I jumped up to grab Eve’s hands. “I’m getting married!” I squealed.
“Correction... we’re getting married.” Link beamed that brilliant smile at me and got up to encircle me in his arms.
“Now that’s a plan,” Marcus and Eve chimed.
There is a car in the drive, Marcus flashed the message into our heads at the same moment that I became aware it.
I ran to open the door, and found Christopher exiting Lulach’s limousine. I instantly knew that Christopher was running an errand. Because Lulach, in fact, refused to be out in the sunlight, and it was not yet sundown.
“He sent me with news,” Christopher spoke quietly. “Can we go inside?”
“Of course,” I stepped back to allow him entrance.
“He heard about the surviving Shape-Shifter. He is worried that the Shifter may be awar
e of Mr. Knight’s, um, changes. If the Shifter wants to harm you still, there are people he could notify.” Christopher relayed the message.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” I admitted.
“Who could he tell?” Link wondered aloud.
“Beauvais,” Marcus and Eve answered in unison. It was as if they were sharing a brain now that Marcus could get into her head so often.
“One of many, I’m afraid,” Christopher answered.
“Please thank him for me,” I managed a weak smile.
“He said to keep this,” Christopher said as he handed me a white business card. “It has all my information on it. Contact me, anytime, and Lulach will come. He doesn’t think that a threat is necessarily imminent. He just wants to make sure you are aware of the possibility.”
“We appreciate the warning,” Link responded.
“I’m on my way then. Lulach is engaged with Dark Counsel dealings. He regrets that he was unable to come himself. Goodbye,” Christopher turned abruptly and opened the door to leave. He was strictly business, that guy.
“I knew it was too soon to breathe easy,” I sighed.
“That doesn’t mean anything. The Vampire just wants us to keep an eye out. And we will. We will be vigilant in all our dealings. But that doesn’t mean stop living, stop enjoying life.” Link coaxed the smile back to my face.
“So we have a trip to plan.” Eve bounced her way back to the kitchen.
“I’ll grab your laptop so you can do a little internet research,” Marcus offered and bounded up the stairs.
“What if we have to leave and start a new life somewhere else?” I worried.
“Then we do,” Link answered.
“You’re right. It’ll be an adventure,” I said.
“What should my name be? I assume I’ll need a new name. I’ve never done that before... a secret identity, an alter ego,” Link winked.
“You’ll have to remember it, and answer to it, and let it become a part of you. I have trouble doing that sometimes. Don’t you think you may want to pick it yourself?” I asked.
“Nope,” Link said with a shrug.
“Okay then, I choose David, a solid biblical name, King David,” I said. “Whenever you have to stop being Link, you can start being David. You are the King,” I stated.
“And you are my Queen!” he replied.
I held his face and smothered him with a thousand small kisses. I covered every inch of his beautiful face, and finally came to rest my lips on his. Eve stepped backwards as quietly as she could, and headed up the stairs, re-directing Marcus, who was halfway back down.
I pulled away to look into his eyes. “Don’t stop now,” Link displayed a devilish smile and leaned in for another kiss. Instead of a thousand small kisses, he grabbed onto me for one deep delicious kiss. My head began to swim and I gasped. His heart began to beat faster. I could feel the blood rushing through his body. I smiled.
It was hard not to smile lately. I was about to begin my life. The life I was supposed to live. One filled with friendship, and love.
The End...
for now.
Novels by S.L. Baum
THE IMMORTAL ONES SERIES – YA paranormal romance
A Chance for Charity (The Immortal Ones – book one)
My Link in Time (The Immortal Ones – book two)
Of Fire and Brimstone (The Immortal Ones – Elizabeth’s Novella)
Our Summer of Discontent (The Immortal Ones – book three)
The Eve of Destruction (The Immortal Ones – book four)
The Arrival of Dawn (The Immortal Ones – book five) *coming soon
The LUSH novels – YA Dystopian
LUSH (a LUSH novel – book one)
HUSH (a LUSH novel – book two)
CRUSH (a LUSH novel – book three)
The Deathtaker Series – Paranormal Romance
The Deathtaker (Deathtaker – book one)
The Deathtaker’s Daughter (Deathtaker – book two)
The New Deathtaker (Deathtaker – book three) *coming soon
You can catch up with all the random stuff that I do (not that it’s really all that interesting to anyone else but me)… at any one of these places…
Website - https://slbaum.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/slbaumnovel/
Blog - https://mywriteroad.blogspot.com
Twitter - @slbaum
Instagram - @slbaum
Snapchat - @slbaum71
Thank you so much for downloading A Chance for Charity.
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READ A CHAPTER FROM THE SEQUEL ...
MY LINK IN TIME
The Immortal Ones