THE ADIRONDACKS WERE BLANKETED in fresh snow as we drove north. I gazed out the window as the scenery flew past. Purplish clouds roiled above, and a brisk wind buffeted the car, causing us to swerve in the lane. I squeezed the arm rest, drawing an amused eye roll from Sean. I shrugged and let go. After everything we’d been through, I knew we weren’t going to die in a car wreck today. We would be back in Plattsburgh soon. I was getting more and more tense the closer we got. My dad was going to kill me. I was pretty sure of that. There was only one solution.
“I have to move out.”
Sean raised an eyebrow. “Okay. I’ll bite. Why do you have to move out?”
“He’s going to kill me; and probably, you too. Or maybe he’ll just kill you and leave me alive to suffer.”
He disagreed. “He’s not going to kill either of us. We’ll just have a talk with him, and he’ll understand everything. It’ll be fine, babe. Don’t worry about it.” He squeezed my leg and let his palm rest there.
My leg tingled and heat spread up my thigh until it reached my face. Whew! Was it getting hot in here? I fanned myself and unbuttoned my sweater. Suddenly I was way too hot. It was like a furnace in here! When I peeled off my sweater, Sean nearly drove off the road.
Dec angled his shoulders between the console, asking, “Dude, what are you doing up here?” Bursting into hysterical laughter, he finally wheezed, “No way!”
What was the matter with him? Nonplussed, I turned towards Sean and his mouth dropped open. He whipped the car onto the shoulder and threw it into Park. “Out!”
“What? What’s the matter with you two? I’m not getting out!”
Gritting his teeth, he pulled the vanity mirror down and pointed at it. Geez, now what? I looked into the mirror and flinched. Oh crap. I was glowing again. Resigned, I got out and sat in the snow until my body temperature went down. Sean and Dec alternated between pacing and snickering. Well, mostly Sean paced and Dec fizzed with inappropriate amusement. I couldn’t decide if this was funny or not. I was going to have to get this under control though. I was pretty sure I couldn’t explain this to my father.
By the time we pulled up to my parents’ house, we had our story straight. I’d hoped to slink off to my apartment without notice, but my dad opened the front door as soon as we parked the car. He did not look happy to see me. Janet was just as unhappy. I guess they didn’t appreciate the note I’d left them. I sighed and crossed my fingers. I hoped this plan worked. I gave a jaunty little wave and pretended to get something out of the trunk. Dec and Sean approached my parents with their most innocent expressions. Obviously furious, Dad started to say something, but Dec took his hand. After several minutes of conversation with Dec, it was done. Janet and Dad were smiling and waving me inside. They wanted to hear all about our trip. I shook my head in amazement. How does he do that? It’s a good thing he uses his powers for good . . .
Later that night, I lay on my bed with my stereo playing softly. Domino was still mad and wouldn’t tolerate my attempts to snuggle. She was curled at the foot of the bed with her back to me. Sean said she’d come around. I guess he’d know. Right now, I doubted it, the ungrateful mutt. I decided to ignore her to stare across the room some more. I sent Sean away so I could think. I had to get some of my jangled thoughts in order. A lot had happened, and we still had a lot to do. I had more questions than answers, and knew, without a doubt, there would be more tragedy and pain. I felt it. I couldn’t see it yet, but it was coming.
The question was—why?
Before we left the safe house this morning, Raphael asked to talk to me privately. With lips pursed thoughtfully, he’d said, “I believe I owe you an apology, Mica.”
“I don’t understand. What do you have to be sorry for?”
He enfolded my hand between his and traced the web of veins with the pad of his thumb. The gentle motion lulled me into a drowsy stupor, but his soothing voice came through loud and clear. “For many things to come, but I’m speaking specifically of the precipice you find yourself on now. The Primani were only to steer you back to your true path—not alter that path. Sean’s attachment to you is unusual, child. And as with anything rare, there are unanticipated events that change the natural order of things. The accidental transfer of power has far reaching consequences that you will surely find painful. For better or worse, your mortal life has been forever changed.”
Forever changed.
Those two softly spoken words hung between us while my mind raced to read between the lines. What wasn’t he saying? His somber tone hinted at much more than the simple abilities I was beginning to display. “There’s more, isn’t there? What are you afraid of, Raphael?” Needing the comfort of physical connection, I groped for his fingers and held them tightly.
With fathomless eyes and kind smile, he nodded in approval. “Your perception continues to grow.” He sighed softly and blew my mind. “We cannot undo what’s happened. Your psychic power will expand exponentially over the next year. I’ve seen it. You won’t be able to slip into your old life; the life you were to lead is gone. This is what I must apologize for. I’m afraid Sean’s actions have altered you beyond what we originally thought.”
“Are you saying I’m going to become some kind of freak? A dangerous freak?” My voice rose a couple of octaves as fear and confusion warred with wonder.
Patting my hand, he soothed, “Your heart is soft, Mica. You will do great things for the good of mankind. I’m simply saying your powers will set you apart from the humans you know. It will likely be difficult to remain in that world without our help.”
I didn’t know what to say. Instead of responding, I lowered my head and tried to wrap my brain around this conversation. Good of mankind? That sounded promising. But how? What did he know that he wasn’t saying?
Raphael finally interrupted my thoughts. “I realize this is a lot to comprehend, but it is important that you know the truth so you can make a decision. I want to make you an offer. When you return to Plattsburgh, you can choose to pick up your life where we interrupted it. Go back to college. Try to live a normal human life. Deny your gifts. Keep our secret. This is option A.”
“What’s option B?”
“Work with my Primani team. Let them help you unlock your full potential. See where it takes you. I suspect your strength and intelligence will be assets to the ops unit once you’ve been trained.”
“Like a job?”
He chuckled warmly at the first thought that popped into my head. A job? With a bunch of supernatural demon hunters and the angels they hang out with? What kind of stupid question is that? I’m an idiot.
“More of a calling than a job. But I’m afraid your destiny isn’t written in stone, little one. It’s still evolving, as are you. You continue to surprise us with new abilities, and these will continue to shape your destiny. You may find yourself worlds away from the life you’ve been planning.”
“What are you saying, Raphael? I’m not going to stay with them? With Sean?” I wouldn’t accept that. I wasn’t leaving him. Ever.
He wagged his head. “No, child. That’s not what I’m saying at all. Your true destiny is forged by your abilities and how you choose to use them. It comes down to choices. I’m saying you must harness these abilities now. Work to understand and sharpen them. Use your strengths to become stronger. Use your wisdom to become wiser. Use your sight to see farther.”
His voice filled with regret as he warned, “You will be challenged, and you will be hurt. There is great pain on your path, Mica.”
Somehow that didn’t surprise me. “Will I ever learn to heal myself?” I was getting tired of being broken by men, and now I had to worry about demons.
He considered my question for a moment before placing his palm against my cheek. There was no familiar tingling or supernatural warmth. Instead, I felt only rough callouses brushing my soft skin. His eyes were slightly unfocused as he gazed into mine.
“Relax. I’m going to give you a special gift.” With eyes closed, he
spoke firmly in a language I didn’t understand. When he finished, he kissed my forehead and leaned back. “Consider my offer carefully, but do not wait too long. The clock is ticking.”
And then he was gone.
So now I sat and puzzled over his words. More pain in my future didn’t sound fabulous, but I wasn’t surprised. My transformation had to be related to the Primani and they hunted demons. It made sense I would be involved with demons too, and they would be dangerous. Satan’s minions and all that jazz. I pictured Dai Li’s gleaming red eyes and swallowed uneasily. Yeah. Dangerous for sure. Was I strong enough to survive this new life I’d been handed?
A sudden gust of wind pushed a tree branch against the roof and startled the heck out of me. With a nervous titter, I took two steps towards the refrigerator when a loud clap of thunder rattled the windows, and the lights flickered.
Barking furiously, Domino bolted to her feet. Another blinding flash and thunder shook the house so hard I lost my balance and fell hard against the desk. The music died, the room plunged into darkness, and Domino went crazy. She planted herself against my shins, barking viciously at an invisible threat. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I wasn’t alone.
The stench of burnt earth filled the room. Watching me with something like curiosity on his face, he waited near the door. He kept his human mask in place for now, but the gleaming yellow eyes gave him away. The demon seemed surprised to see me though and hesitated, tilting his head this way and that to study me more closely. That was interesting.
“What do you want?”
“Are you the one the Primani protect?” he asked tentatively. His eyes darted all over the room. He curled his lip at Domino who was still snarling like a mad dog. Oddly, he didn’t try to go around her.
“Who’s asking? Dec?” I challenged loudly. If ever I needed back up, now was the time.
He didn’t expect that. His yellow eyes narrowed. “Dec? Stupid human bitch! Just shut up and listen. I’m here to deliver a message for the Primani.” He twitched a finger, and Domino lunged. He actually backed up a step. “Tell them Dagin says the truce is over.”
“What truce is he talking about? Who’s this Dagin? Why did he send you?” I spit out random questions to stall him. I was hoping my protectors would miraculously show up before I got barbequed. It was working too—until the door suddenly opened, and Trevor barged into the room with a wide grin splitting his face.
“Hey, Mica—”
Surprised, the demon whirled around and threw a fireball at this new threat.
Two things happened then. Domino launched herself between the fireball and Trevor and they vanished. The demon exploded into a cloud of smoke.
“Trevor!” Hoping they’d be on the grounds, I raced outside, calling their names. Another flash raced across the stormy sky. Blinded, I ran headlong into Dec and Sean who appeared out of nowhere. Both grabbed me to keep me from falling, and I slapped at their hands.
“Let go of me! I have to find them! They’re gone! Trevor! Domino!”
“What happened?” Sean grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to calm down.
They arrived expecting a fight, and Dec’s eyes were intense as he scanned the yard. “There they are!” He yelled before sprinting towards a huge snowdrift near the back of the property.
“Trevor!” Oh no! I was completely undone. There, lying in a large puddle of melted snow, were my little brother and my dog. Both were still smoking. How did they get out here? I stared for a minute and then I knew what to do. I knew exactly what to do!
“Mica! We need to call an ambulance.” Sean’s urgent tone only spurred me forward.
“No, we don’t! I know what to do. Let go of me!”
He lifted a hand towards the carnage before dragging it through his hair. “I don’t think—”
“No! Listen to me! Raphael gave me a gift.” I let the words sink in while sprinting to Trevor’s side.
He wasn’t burned to ash like my vision had shown, but he was burned pretty badly. Biting my lip, I forced back nausea. The poor kid looked terrible. Most of his bright red hair was singed to the scalp, and his freckled face was seared like a steak. Thank God he was unconscious. Okay, I can do this.
“Raphael, if you’re listening, make sure I do it right.”
Settling beside him, I rested my fingertips on his cheekbones and closed my eyes. Carefully, haltingly, I repeated Raphael’s strange words. Nothing happened so I tried it again. This time I added something else. I called to the psychic energy inside of me, urging it to flow through my fingers into Trevor’s body. Slowly, but surely, it trickled through my blood, intensity building with every second that passed until my hands vibrated with the force of it. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I braced them until Trevor began to heal. Beginning with his face, the burns vanished, and his skin returned to normal. I pulled my hands back and shook them out to release the excess pressure.
Trevor blinked sleepily. “What happened?”
I hugged him quickly and turned to Dec who was squatting beside us. “Can you fix his memory?”
He nodded, and said, “I’m all over it. Nice work.”
A few feet away, Sean sat with Domino cradled in his arms. His eyes were bleak. When I knelt beside her, she wagged her tail and tried to raise her head, only to whimper softly before closing her eyes in pain.
“Be still, baby girl. You’re going to be okay.” I hummed a lullaby to settle both of us down. It’s funny how time seems to stand still during the worst moments of life. Instead of panicking, I was calm. Freakishly so. Clearly this wasn’t all my doing, but I wasn’t going to argue. I’d take all the help I could get and for as long as I needed it. Thanks, Raphael.
Domino laid her chin on Sean’s forearm and sighed. This better work on dogs . . . I took her scorched little face in my hands and began again. I took a deep breath, gathered my energy, and let it flow from my fingertips. My hands vibrated and tingled with the force of the current, but Domino didn’t respond. Digging deeper, I pushed more healing energy into her. My bones felt like they were combusting, and still she didn’t respond. She cried out and licked at my hands.
“Come on! Come on! Why isn’t this working?” What was I missing here? What else could I do? Damn it! I’m not losing my dog. It’s not going to happen!
Sean laced his fingers with mine. “Let me help.”
He combined his much stronger saol with mine and repeated the words. The power radiating from our joined hands illuminated his face as he concentrated. A tear shimmered as it slowly rolled down his cheek. Again and again, we repeated the words until Domino began to heal. The brave demon dog had taken the brunt of the fireball. After what felt like eternity, she was finally healed. Shaking her head groggily, she struggled to her feet and wagged her tail. I threw my arms around her and burst into tears. It was a miracle.
Sean found me a bit later and approached with caution. I was standing with my back against the wall staring at the place where Trevor and Domino had landed. I had so many questions, but I just wanted to sleep—I was afraid to sleep because I would dream—so I just stood there instead. The scenes from earlier replayed in my memory as I relived every second. Sensing my tension, he kneaded my shoulders until I relaxed against him. The silence stretched.
As the sun started to rise, I turned to him, and said, “I’m taking option B.”
“I’ll help you pack.”
My dad was profoundly unhappy with my decision to move in with Sean. As far as he was concerned, we were too young for such a big step. I embellished the circumstances, telling him we were in love and getting married. It wasn’t a complete lie. We were in love. But so far, there’d been no talk of marriage. One day at a time, I guess. Technically, I was an adult and could do what I wanted, but I asked for his understanding. He didn’t understand. I hoped someday he would. I was throwing my things into garbage bags, AKA packing, when Sean drove up. We were loading my stuff when Ricki walked over.
“So you?
??re leaving again?” she observed without a smile.
Unsure of her mood, I said, “I’m moving in with Sean.”
Her eyebrows went up. “No shit?”
I couldn’t help it; I cracked a smile. She smiled too. Then we were hugging each other and laughing like old times.
Despite the hug, she was still unhappy with me. Her lips thinned again, and she said, “I’m still mad at you. How could you disappear without a word? With him of all people? After what happened to you, you’d think you’d be more careful. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
“I know. I’m a lame friend. We got so wrapped up in the idea of a road trip that I forgot to call. Dude, it was a blast! I love New York City!”
Clearly I’m a terrible actress. She didn’t buy my story at all.
“Cut the shit, girlfriend. You two didn’t take a vacay. What’s really going on with you?”
I threw a beseeching glance at the cause of all this drama. He gave me a slight shake of the head. Okay, so she wasn’t allowed to know the truth. When I faced Ricki again, she was glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill . . . He met her eyes and held them. Without breaking eye contact, he offered me his hand, and I started to lean into him, and then froze awkwardly in mid-lean. What if I started glowing again? I couldn’t explain that to her so I flinched away from his hand.
Sean said, “Come on, Mica, we better get moving. It’s going to snow again.”
He was right. The sky was threatening to drop huge amounts of the white stuff.
“I really have to go, but I’ll call you. I promise.”
“Whatever.” She pivoted and stalked back to her house without a backwards glance.
As we drove away, I couldn’t help feeling it was not a moment too soon.
Chapter 26: All Kinds of Teachers