 
Marked for Damnation

by S.A. Tadej

Copyright © 2013 by S.A. Tadej

Smashwords Edition

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

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For Megan

# Chapter 1

Lexie Montgomery had been driving down the lonely dark country road for what seemed like hours before she felt it was safe to make a quick stop. Seeing a little roadside cafe she could stop at, she glanced out her rearview mirror and made an abrupt turn into the small gravel parking lot. She cut the engine and looked around. Aside from her car, there were only four other vehicles in the lot.

Lexie threw her keys in her purse, took one last look around and nervously got out of the car. Her legs felt unsteady and shaky as she made her way inside the cafe. "Sit anywhere you like, darlin'," a husky voice said, startling her back to reality. Lexie looked up at the old man. He smiled at her, revealing that he had only two teeth in his mouth.

Lexie looked around the small cafe. There was an elderly man in farmer's overalls sitting at the counter. Aside from him, the only other customers were a young couple, that looked to be about her age, sitting in a booth in the back. Spotting a seat near a window that looked out to the road, she quickly collapsed into it. She stared out the window and nervously bit her nails until the old man interrupted her. "Here you are, ma'am," he said as he laid a menu down in front of her.

"Thank you, sir, but that won't be necessary. I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'll just have a coffee to go," Lexie replied.

The old man retrieved the menu and nodded. He started to turn away but quickly changed his mind. "Are you all right, Miss? I hope you don't mind me saying so, but it looks to me like someone did a number on you."

Lexie felt the panic welling up in her chest as she realized how frightening her appearance must have been. She looked up at the fragile looking old man and could see that his concern seemed genuine. She forced a smile. "I'm fine. Thank you," she said quietly, her voice shaky. "Do you have a restroom?"

"Sure do. It's just back there," he replied as he pointed a shaky finger to the back of the restaurant. Then he looked Lexie over again. "You sure you're all right, darlin'?"

Lexie nodded her head and forced another smile.

"You know, I could call someone for you if you like," the man offered.

Call whom? Lexie thought to herself. Everyone she was close to was gone. She let out a deep breath and shook her head. "No, I'm fine, really."

The man stared at her a few more seconds and nodded. "Well, all right then. I'll be right back with your coffee."

Lexie glanced out the window again before getting up and walking to the bathroom. Once inside, she locked the door and walked over to the sink. Her eyes squeezed shut. She grasped the sides of the sink and hunched over it. Tasting bile, she bent over the sink and vomited until she produced dry heaves. Her arms were trembling and her legs were still shaking as she studied herself in the mirror. Her long black hair was completely disheveled. Her deep brown eyes were glazed and bloodshot. With all the frantic crying she had done, her eyeliner and mascara had smeared around her eyes. Her dark red lipstick was smudged all around her mouth and her left cheek displayed a huge welt.

Lexie turned on the water and grabbed some paper towels with a shaky hand. "I've got to calm down," she whispered to herself. She took a few deep breaths and tried to fix her makeup, noting how good the cold water felt against her hot swollen cheek.

After a quick washing of her face, Lexie turned off the water and headed back to her table. A Styrofoam cup containing her coffee was there waiting for her, but the old man was nowhere in sight. Feeling as if she would pass out, she collapsed down in her seat and began sipping her coffee. I need to get back on the road, she thought to herself. She didn't even know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get as far away from "them" as possible.

As she began to rise from her chair, her pulse quickened and her heart caught in her throat. God, help me, please! There he was, sitting across the room staring at her, a devilish grin displayed sarcastically on his face. Her eyes darted nervously left to right, but there was nobody else there. Dead. They're all dead. She felt it in her gut.

Her gaze fell upon him again and their eyes locked. Those piercing brown eyes. His eyes were what had attracted her to him right from the beginning. He had said and done everything right and she had fallen in love with him. That was until she knew "what" he was. She had fought well and narrowly managed to escape. But her friends - her friends were all dead now - and she would be next, that she was sure of. Thinking back on it all now, Lexie felt so stupid. He didn't love her. Never did. It was all just a part of his sick game.

She had never believed in monsters. As a little girl, her mother had told her there was no such thing. But now, as she looked at him, she knew that her mother had been wrong. Monsters did exist. She had come face to face with pure evil and would never be the same again. And this wasn't a nightmare; it was her reality. She wanted to scream and scream and scream until she couldn't scream anymore, but no sound would come out.

Finally willing herself to action, adrenaline coursing through her veins, Lexie made a futile attempt for the door; deep down knowing she could never outrun him. As she reached the door and was about to pull it open, his arms crushed around her midsection and she felt his cool breath on her neck.

"Please, Devin," she pleaded. She heard the whimper bubble up in her throat and she knew she was going to die.

# Chapter 2

I ran down the stairs of the old farmhouse and into the living room where my mother, Angela, was sitting in front of the TV shaking her head. "So sad."

"What is?" I asked as I plopped down on the sofa next to my mother. She gave a nod toward the TV. The search is still on for 22-year-old Lexie Montgomery from Memphis, Missouri who disappeared nearly two weeks ago.

"Wow! That is sad," I said as I bit my lower lip. In the past few months it seemed that every news story was reporting someone missing or dead. "I hope they find her," I continued; although deep down I knew they would probably find her dead. What scared me the most was that each reported missing person or dead body was getting closer and closer in location to where I lived and the police didn't seem to be any closer to solving it. In fact, they seemed completely clueless as to who or what was responsible.

"Not likely," my mother responded as I stared at her. "Apparently she lived with three other girls and they were all found dead... all the blood drained from their bodies."

Three. There was that number again. Why were the bodies recently reported always found in threes? I gulped hard as I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up from the mental image of what I had just heard. "That's sick," I said as I rose from the sofa. Not wanting to talk or even think about it any further, I leaned over my mother and kissed her forehead. "Well I gotta go to work. I'm closing tonight so I won't be home til after dark."

"Okay. Be careful, Nicole," my mother warned.

I rolled my eyes. My mother was always a bit overprotective and in my mind I was over eighteen and could take care of myself. "In case you've forgotten, we live in the middle of nowheresville. A big crime out here is someone tipping a cow." I laughed and my mother just glared at me, like she often did when she didn't get the response she wanted. "Okay, mom. I'll be careful. I promise."

"Thank you," she replied with one of her smug smiles – the same smile she always had when she won an argument. "Have you seen your brother?"

"Yeah, Tommy's out in the barn working on his car."

Tommy was my older brother, two years older to be exact; although, you would never know we were related by looking at us. I'm tall and thin with a porcelain complexion, pale blue eyes, and white-blond hair that falls to the middle of my back. Tommy is of average height and he's thin but muscular. His complexion is much darker than mine, as is pretty much everyone's, and he has brown eyes and dark brown wavy hair, which he keeps cropped short. We are as different as night and day, except that we have been best friends since I was born.

The rest of my night went by in a blur. I was so busy at the diner where I worked, that I had nearly forgotten about the horrific news story I had seen earlier that day until another one caught my attention. "Turn that up," I yelled to Steve, the night manager, as I motioned toward the small TV above the counter. Hikers at the conservation area in Ozark County came upon a gruesome discovery today when they found three human skulls and what appeared to be teeth. Ozark County Police could only comment at the time that identities would need to be made based on dental records and would take time. In other news, police are still searching for Lexie Montgomery... I felt a chill go through my body as I remembered what my mother had told me about the poor girl's roommates earlier that day.

"Hey! How about that coffee?" a man's voice said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I quickly composed myself. "Sorry, Earl. Coming right up." I poured a cup of coffee and set it down in front of old man Earl. Then I heard the familiar bell that rang whenever someone entered the restaurant and turned my attention toward the door. "Oh shit!" I muttered under my breath. Walking toward me was my ex-boyfriend Jim. I turned to my friend Gina. "Take this next customer for me, will you? I'm going on break."

"Nicole, wait," Gina called after me, but I ignored her and walked into the back break room.

Jim took a seat at the counter. Gina glared at him. "Why don't you just leave her alone, Jim?"

"A man's gotta eat," Jim replied sarcastically as he picked up the menu that lay in front of him.

"There are plenty of other restaurants in town."

"I like the food here."

"That's bullshit, Jim. The food here isn't even that good."

"Well, I like it," Jim smirked.

"I think there's like anti-stalking laws or something like that that covers these sort of situations," Gina remarked.

Jim just raised his eyebrows and turned his attention back to the menu he was holding.

Gina smacked her chewing gum hard as she stared at Jim, blowing a big bubble and popping it within inches of his face. She flashed him a sarcastic smile and turned to grab a coffee cup, placing it before him.

I filled the salt and pepper shakers on the long counter, the last of my closing outs for the night. Screwing the top on the last one, I pushed through the swinging doors to the back room to punch out. Then I grabbed the leftover food that would've been thrown out and wrapped it up to drop off at the local soup kitchen on my way home.

"Bye, Steve," I called out to my boss as I headed for the door, careful to hide the wrapped up leftovers from his sight. For some reason we weren't allowed to take the leftovers home or donate them to food banks. They were supposed to be thrown in the garbage. With all the starving people in the world, it was such a waste. So whenever I could get away with taking the leftovers unnoticed, I would – and I would take them straight over to the local soup kitchen, run by a lovely young lady named Melanie.

I fumbled through my purse, retrieved my keys, and unlocked my car door. I put the key in the ignition, but it wouldn't start. I looked around and saw that the battery light was on. "Oh come on!" I said out loud. I looked back at the restaurant. The doors were locked and Steve would never hear me from the back office if I pounded on the door. And I knew that the diner phone was already set to go straight to a recording, so calling Steve was also out of the question.

I grabbed my purse off the passenger seat to find my cell phone, figuring I could call my brother to come help me. As I was dialing his number, a loud knock on my window caused me to jump in my seat. I looked out expecting to see Jim or Steve, but instead found myself peering into beautiful piercing brown eyes. It was there, sitting in my car after work, stranded, that I first saw "him".

"Need some help?" the man asked as he grinned at me.

I rolled my window down halfway. "My car won't start. I think my battery is dead," I responded.

The man smiled at me again and I couldn't help but smile back. "I've got jumper cables in my truck," he said as he pointed to a shiny new black pickup truck parked a few spaces over. "I'll be right back."

I flipped the visor down and checked myself in the small mirror while he was gone. He's pretty cute, I thought to myself as I reached for the tube of pink lipstick I kept in my purse. I quickly applied it and returned the tube to my purse just as he was parking his truck in the vacant space next to my car. I watched him jump down from his truck with jumper cables in his hands. His brown hair, short in front and long in back, tied back by a ponytail, was blowing in the gentle breeze. As I continued to look him over, I noticed how pale his skin looked against his black t-shirt. I thought it was strange for him to be so pale in the middle of summer, but figured he must work indoors or something and probably didn't get much sun.

"Wanna pop the hood for me?" he asked as he stood outside my window.

"Oh, duh!" I said as I smacked my forehead and reached down for the hood release.

"Thanks." He smiled at me again and walked to the front of my car. His movements were so graceful. When he walked it was as if he was floating on air. I waited as he hooked the cables to the two batteries. "Okay, wanna give it a try for me?"

I turned the key and my car roared to a start. I pressed my foot on the gas a few times as he unhooked the cables and slammed the hood closed. Then he reappeared at my window.

"Thank you so much, really," I said as I flashed him a big smile.

He leaned down into my half opened window and grinned at me. "My pleasure. You can repay me by giving me your phone number," he replied confidently.

I blushed and grinned back as I reached for my purse and quickly wrote my number down and handed it to him. He took the tiny piece of paper and read it. "Nicole, huh? I like that."

He smiled ear to ear. "My name's Devin."

I made a quick stop at the soup kitchen on my way home and dropped the leftover food off with Melanie, promising to come back and help serve meals on my day off. We chatted for a bit and then I drove home.

I pulled into the gravel drive and cut the ignition. As I was getting out of the car, I noticed light coming from under the barn door. I slammed my car door shut and headed in the direction of the big barn. As I neared closer I could hear the blare of Tommy's music coming from inside along with the familiar zip noise of his air socket gun.

My brother had always been into cars and loud music. Most of his free time was spent in that old barn which he had turned into a shop. He was the guy in town that everyone came to when they needed their cars fixed. He charged a decent rate and he really enjoyed doing it. It hadn't taken long for him to make a name for himself in the small town.

I walked around to the small side door and walked in. I spotted Tommy's legs sticking out from under the car. I walked over to him and lightly kicked his leg. Tommy rolled out on the creeper from under the car and looked up at me. "Hey, sis! What's up?"

"Not much. Just got home from work. I wanted to see what you were up to. Thought maybe we could take the four wheelers out for a bit," I shouted over the loud music.

Tommy looked over at the clock on the wall. "Yeah, I guess I could use a break. Why don't you go change and I'll get them gassed up and ready to go."

I looked down at my waitress uniform, a pink and white button-down dress that came just above my knee, and I laughed. "Yeah, I'll be right back."

The old stairs creaked as I ran up them to my room. Once I reached it, I changed into a pair of cutoff jean shorts and tank top, leaving on the chain with the medal of Saint Michael that I never took off. Then I ran back out to the barn. Tommy was already sitting on his quad revving the engine. I jumped on mine and started it up. "Try to keep up," I teased as I smirked and took off in front of Tommy.

Tommy was quick at my heels. We rode our four wheelers through the large fields and up and down the deep ditches, splattering mud about as we did. Tommy soon gained the lead and I followed him over to the small pond we frequented. I parked my quad next to Tommy's and shut it off. I looked over at Tommy and grinned.

"What?" Tommy asked.

"I almost had you that time," I giggled.

"Yeah, well haven't you heard? Almost doesn't count," Tommy teased as he climbed off, gave me a playful shove, and sat in the grass at the edge of the pond. I followed him and we sat in silence for a bit.

"So, did you hear about that missing girl on the news?" I asked. I just couldn't get it off my mind and I wanted to know what he thought of it all. The stories seemed to touch me deep within my soul. For some odd reason I couldn't explain, I felt I would soon be a part of it all.

"Yeah, mom told me all about it," Tommy replied in a half laugh.

I felt my cell phone start to vibrate in my pocket. "Hang on. I'm getting a call," I said as I reached into my pocket and retrieved my phone. I looked at the phone display but didn't recognize the number. "Huh. Wonder who this could be."

Tommy just stared at me.

"Hello?"

"Just wanted to make sure you gave me the right number," the caller said.

"Devin?" I asked, my heart leaping a bit from excitement and surprise.

"Ahhh, you remembered. I was thinking about you so I thought I would give you a call."

"That's so sweet," I replied as I involuntarily started to smile and wipe mud off my legs.

Tommy was staring at me looking perplexed as he mouthed the words "Who is it?" I just shrugged him off with a wave of my hand.

"So what are you doing?" Devin asked.

"I'm out riding four wheelers with my older brother."

"Sounds like fun. So when am I gonna see you again?"

"I don't know. When would you like to see me again?" I asked, unable to refrain from smiling again.

"How about tomorrow night?" Devin asked.

"I have to work tomorrow night."

"How about I pick you up after?"

"Okay. Meet me at the diner at 10:00."

"I'll be waiting," Devin said and hung up.

I pushed the end button on my phone and looked over at Tommy. "Who was that?" Tommy asked.

"Just some guy I met at the diner tonight. My car wouldn't start and he gave me a jump."

"What do you mean your car wouldn't start? That battery is brand fuckin new. Did you leave the lights on or something?" Tommy asked, irritation evident in his tone.

"No, that's the strange thing. It was light out when I left for work, so I didn't even have the headlights on."

"Weird." Tommy didn't know why, but he felt uneasy. He got up and offered me his hand. "Come on. Lets head back."

I tiptoed up the stairs trying not to wake my mother. I headed straight to the bathroom to wash up. As I was undressing, I glanced in the full-length mirror on the door. My four wheeling excursions had left me with dried up mud on my arms and legs and even in my hair. I turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the warm water wash over me. Then I thought of Devin. I saw his piercing brown eyes over and over again. The thought of seeing him the next night made me smile to myself.

An image of the found skulls and teeth and the missing girl soon entered my mind, as it had been doing all night since I first heard the story on the news. I shuddered and turned the water hotter, forcing the image out of my mind.

# Chapter 3

Tommy sat out on the old wrap around wooden porch scratching his head looking at my Camaro in the gravel drive. What I had said the night before about the battery being dead just didn't make sense to him. He had been working on cars since he was thirteen, spending countless hours out in the garage tinkering around with engines. He knew mechanics. He had spent weeks working on the car for me. I wanted a car with some muscle, so he had built me a 400 Chevy small block engine with everything custom. It even had a tunnel-ram intake sticking through the hood. The car had some real power and it sounded mean. He had been proud of how it all turned out.

I sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from my eyes. I got out of bed, put on my robe and headed downstairs. My mother was in the kitchen making breakfast. I walked over to her, put my arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Good morning, mom. Smells good!"

She turned around, spatula still in hand. "Oh hey, sweetie. Good morning. It's a beautiful day outside. You should get dressed and go enjoy it."

"Yeah. I was thinking of giving Gina a call to ask her if she wants to go shopping with me."

Gina and I have been best friends since my family and I moved out here when I was five. Her parents own the house we currently live in. After my parent's divorce, they had rented it to my mother for a really decent price. Gina and I are in the same grade and have had pretty much every class together since kindergarten.

"Shopping for what, dear?" my mother asked me.

I poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. "Well, I sort of met this guy last night and I told him that I would go out with him tonight. So I wanted to buy a new outfit. Something cute, ya know?"

My mother set three plates of sausage and eggs on the table and then sat down. As if on cue, Tommy came into the kitchen seconds later and sat down with us.

"So, who's this guy you're talking about? Is he from around here?"

I swallowed hard knowing that what I was about to say would piss my mother off. "Well, um, I'm not sure, mom. I just met him last night. He helped me fix my car."

"Fix your car? What was wrong with your car?"

"Battery went dead," Tommy interrupted.

I looked over at my brother, annoyed by his interference. "Yes, that's right. My battery was dead. He gave me a jump and asked me for my number. He seemed harmless enough."

"Well, do you know anything about him?" she asked, emphasizing the word anything as she grew visually flustered before my eyes.

I drew in a deep breath before I answered. "Well I know that he's cute and his name is Devin." I giggled, knowing there was no way to win this. My mother would find something wrong with him regardless.

"Nicole," she scolded as she shook her head back and forth.

"Oh come on, mom. Don't you trust me?"

"That's not the point, Nicole. With all that's been on the news lately and..." she paused. "I mean none of us knows who this guy is or where he came from. This is a small town. Don't you think it odd that none of us have heard of him before?"

"No, I don't," I replied as I got up and deposited my dirty plate in the sink then ran upstairs to call Gina.

"So where are you guys going anyway?" Gina asked as we entered the small clothing store.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "Hey, what do you think of this?" I asked as I held up a white cotton midriff sweater that buttoned down.

"It's cute. Why don't you go try it on?"

"I have to find a cute pair of shorts to go with it first."

Gina scanned the racks and pulled out a few pairs of shorts in my size. "How about these?"

I scanned the pile Gina was holding until I found something that caught my eye. "These!" I declared as I grabbed a pair of white washed jean shorts from Gina's hand. "I'll be right back," I grinned as I slipped into the dressing room.

A few minutes later I emerged from the dressing room clad in the new outfit. "Well what do you think?" I asked as I spun around slowly.

"I think I wish I had your figure," Gina giggled.

"Funny," I said as I half-laughed.

"No, I'm serious," Gina continued. "My self esteem takes a big hit every time I'm with you." She laughed.

Even though Gina didn't seem to see it, Gina was just as popular with the boys. Although she was quite a bit shorter than me, and a bit heavier too, she was cute in her own right. She had big brown dramatic looking eyes and long dark hair that fell in tight spirally curls down her back. She had cute pudgy cheeks that made her look sweet. Her personality was killer also. Gina made other people happy just being around her. She had that air about her.

After finding a cute pair of sandals to go with my new outfit, I took my items up to the register. Standing in line, I glanced over at the stack of newspapers. The headline on the front page caught my eye. I grabbed a paper from the stack and began to read. Three more people reported missing in the Ozark County area. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"What?" Gina asked as she studied my horrified expression.

I looked up at my friend and held the paper out so she could read the headline. Gina glanced at it and shook her head. "This whole world is going to shit."

I finished reading the article and put the paper back on the pile. I looked over at Gina. "Are you sure you don't mind picking me up for work tonight?"

"Of course not," Gina said. "But are you sure you want to catch a ride home with Devin? I mean you just met him. What if he's weird or something?"

I shrugged. "I can just call you or Tommy to pick me up if things don't go well."

As I lay sprawled out on my bed with a book in hand, a loud knock startled me. "Nicole! Gina's here!" my mother called out.

I looked over at my alarm clock. Shit! I had been so involved in the book I was reading that I hadn't noticed the time. I sprang from my bed, quickly undressed, and pulled my waitress uniform over my head. Then I went to my closet and grabbed a shoulder bag, stuffing my new outfit, sandals, and a hairbrush inside. I walked into the bathroom, grabbed a rubber band and started tying my hair up into a ponytail.

"I'm coming!" I yelled as I ran down the stairs, still fastening my ponytail.

After we said a quick goodbye to my mother, Gina and I piled into her car and turned out onto the country road. We drove in silence watching the big windmills pass by until Gina finally spoke. "Jim called me today."

I rolled my eyes and looked over at her. "Yeah... and what did he want?" I asked, not even trying to hide my irritation.

Gina giggled. "He asked me if I could talk to you for him, seeing as how we're best friends and all. Said to tell you that he was sorry and if you took him back he would never make the mistake of cheating on you again."

I shook my head. "Naw. I'm done with Jim's sorry ass. You know what they say - once a cheater, always a cheater. Besides he wasn't just a cheater, he was a beater too! You remember that black eye he gave me before. Stupid fucker!"

Gina did remember the black eye Jim had given me. And she remembered the beating my brother had given Jim for it. "Nicole, I don't think you should take him back either," Gina said as she looked at me with pity. "I just wanted to tell you what he said. You know I don't like Jim."

My thoughts immediately went to my mother and my father. Every time I thought of Jim hitting me, my thoughts would instantly go back to my childhood, where my father used to come home drunk and beat my mother repeatedly. As soon as I would hear him start screaming at her, I would go tiptoeing barefoot into Tommy's room, careful not to make a sound. Tommy and I would make a fort out of our blankets and sit under them with a flashlight. Tommy would try to soothe away my worries and fears, telling me stories of super heroes that would come and save our mother and us as he held me and told me not to cry.

My mother had always tried to save us from our abusive father. She tried hard to keep us quiet during the day while he slept off his hangover and got ready for his second shift job. We quickly learned how to be obedient, for we knew that if we weren't, our mother would suffer for it.

One night our father had come home late and started in on our mother again. I did my usual routine of tiptoeing to Tommy's room, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. As we sat there in fear, Tommy suddenly stood up. He grabbed his baseball bat that was propped against the corner wall by the window. 'I'm sick of this,' he had said. 'Tommy, please, don't leave me,' I had pleaded as I began to sob. He had walked over to me and stroked my hair, telling me it was going to be okay. Then he turned away from me and abruptly left the room.

I heard Tommy screaming at my father and I got up and crept to the door, peeking my head around the corner of it. I stood there on shaky legs and watched as Tommy swung the bat into our father's midsection. Dad yelled out in pain, lunged forward, and pulled the bat from Tommy's grasp in one quick yank. Then he lifted it up and advanced toward Tommy. I ran out of the room screaming and I flew at my father, hitting him with my tiny fists. And that's all that I remember.

Apparently, as I would learn later, my father had picked me up and thrown me into the wall with such force that the drywall had cracked and I had been knocked unconscious. Tommy had managed to escape and call 911, while my father beat my mother with the bat. Emergency services had come and taken my mother and me to the hospital and the police took my father to jail.

I had a mild concussion and was released from the hospital after a few days. My mother, however, had suffered four cracked ribs and a punctured lung. She stayed in the hospital much longer and my mother's sister Teresa was given temporary custody of my brother and me.

Aunt Teresa had given me the medal of Saint Michael that I still wear around my neck today. I clasped onto the medal and rubbed it in my fingers as I remembered what she had told me. 'This here is a medal of Saint Michael,' she had said as she clasped it around my neck. 'He will protect you.' I smiled at the memory as my mind continued to wander back to my childhood.

When mom got out of the hospital, she came to stay at Aunt Teresa's with us. She took a night job as a waitress so that she could watch us during the day and Aunt Teresa could watch us at night. Then she filed for divorce. She was granted sole custody of Tommy and me and we all started going to counseling at a women's group she had found. The director there had introduced my mother to Gina's mother, Katie. They quickly became close friends and Katie helped us move to the farmhouse she and her husband owned in Southern Illinois.

My mother found another waitressing job during the day and started taking college courses in accounting at night. Katie watched my brother and me while she was gone. After college, she found work doing the books for some of the local farmers and was able to quit her waitressing job and work from home, which she still does today.

Gina pulled her car into the parking lot and found a vacant space near the back. "Oh great! We're already slammed. It's gonna be a busy night!" Gina declared as she scanned the full lot. I shook the bad memories from my mind and smiled over at her as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. Memories... funny how they have a way of sneaking up on us.

"Ahhh, nothing we can't handle. We're pros, remember?" I giggled as I grabbed my bag, jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut.

Where is he? I wondered as I looked out one of the windows facing the parking lot. Gina came up behind me. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I don't see his truck yet and its almost closing time. What if he doesn't show?" I asked as I nervously chewed a fingernail.

"Don't worry, Nic. He'll show," Gina said as she patted my shoulder. "And if not, you can hang out with me." She giggled. "We can get a pint of ice cream and..." Gina's voice trailed off. "Oh shit!"

I followed Gina's gaze to the door and my stomach tensed. Jim had just entered. "Oh God! Not again. What is he doing here?" I complained as Gina and I walked back behind the counter. "I hope he's not still here when Devin shows up," I whispered to Gina.

As usual, Jim took a seat in my station. I had already taken my break, so I had no choice but to wait on him. Annoyed, I grabbed my order pad out of my apron, walked over to Jim and gave him a dirty look. "Hi. I'm Nicole and I'll be your server tonight. Would you like to try one of our specials?" I asked sarcastically, my annoyance evident with the expression on my face.

Jim laughed. "I know who you are silly. And I know what you can get me," he said as he reached out to stroke my arm.

I cringed and jerked my arm away. "Just treating you like any other customer." I frowned and let out a long exhale. "Now, what can I get for you, sir?"

"Please don't do this, Nicole. Don't treat me like this. I love you."

"Love me?" I shouted. "I don't even think you like me, Jim!"

"Hey! Hey! Take it outside," Steve interrupted, giving me a warning look.

I glared at Steve and then fixed my eyes on Jim. I shook my head and walked quickly toward the exit, violently pushing through the door and stopping to pace the sidewalk once outside. Jim was close behind. He made an attempt to embrace me and I slapped his hand away. "Jim, this has got to stop. It's been nearly two months since we broke up. You need to move on."

"We were together for two years, Nic. Can you honestly move on so easily?" Jim asked.

"As a matter of fact, I can," I snickered. I knew what I was about to say would piss him off and that gave me just a little bit of satisfaction. "It just so happens that I have a date tonight," I let out and smiled smugly as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Jim's expression changed and he looked as if he were about to cry. For a second, I felt bad for him - but only for a second. Then his expression turned furious.

Jim's eyes met mine. "Slut!" he screamed in my face before he walked angrily away. Slut? How dare he call me a slut! He was the only man I had ever slept with. He was the one that cheated. If anyone was a slut, he was!

"Fuck you," I yelled back. I stood shaking my head in disbelief as I watched him step off the curb and disappear into the parking lot. I turned to go back inside when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Devin's truck. Smiling to myself, I walked back inside.

Jim stormed angrily back to his car, cursing under his breath. He got inside and hostilely pounded the steering wheel. Taking a few deep breaths to calm the rage growing inside him, he then ran a hand through his hair and put the key in the ignition. Nothing. Jim tried it again several times. Nothing. "Damn it!" he yelled out as he popped the hood and got out of the car. He bent down over the hood and shuddered as he felt a cool breeze float past him. Then he heard the sound of a car door closing softly nearby. He raised the hood up and looked inside. A battery cable had been undone. Jim reconnected it and stood there a moment scratching his head as he wondered who could've messed with his car. He angrily slammed the hood and got back into his car. He turned the key in the ignition and the car fired right up.

As he was ready to pull away, cold hard hands crushed down on his shoulders. "Hey, man..." Jim started to say as he made a useless attempt to pry the fingers off his shoulders. It was pointless. Whoever it was, they were too strong.

"Drive," the male voice said.

"Who are you?" Jim dared to ask.

"Lets just say I'm someone who doesn't let anyone get in the way of what I want and leave it at that," the man replied.

"Come on, Nicole. Lets just go," Gina pleaded.

"Just a few more minutes," I responded as I looked nervously at Gina. "Please?"

Gina shrugged and sat down on the curb kicking her shoes back and forth on the asphalt pavement. She stared out into the parking lot. Her car was the only vehicle there. Everyone else was long gone – even Steve. After a few minutes, she looked at her watch again and stood up. "Nicole, he's not coming. Now come on or I'm leaving you here," Gina said as she grabbed my arm and yanked me off the curb.

"I can't believe he stood me up," I whispered to Gina on our way back to my house.

"Well don't jump to conclusions. Maybe something came up, like an emergency or something. I mean lets face it, you're not the kind of girl that usually gets stood up," Gina replied. She looked over at me. Her pitying expression told me that I must've looked pretty pathetic. "Lets stop off at the store and get some ice cream. That'll cheer you up."

I couldn't help but laugh as I looked over at her. Gina's ideas of cheering someone up always had something to do with food. "Mint chocolate chip," I said in the mopiest voice I could muster as I patted Gina's shoulder.

We both laughed.

# Chapter 4

As I was sitting at the table eating breakfast with my family, the telephone rang. "I'll get it," my mother announced as she rose from her seat to answer it. "Yes, Mrs. Waters, Nicole is here. Hold on." She walked over to me and placed her hand over the receiver. "It's Jim's mother," she whispered, looking puzzled.

I was just as baffled as I took the phone from her. "Hello, Mrs. Waters. This is Nicole. What can I do for you?"

My mother and Tommy listened in as I talked to Nora Waters. "So what's going on?" my mother asked after I hung up the phone.

"She wanted to know if I saw Jim. I guess he never came home last night." I shrugged.

"Well, did you see him last night?" mom asked.

"Yeah, he came to my work and we had an argument and he stormed off," I said as I shot a nervous glance in Tommy's direction, remembering what Tommy had told Jim about leaving me alone.

"Ahhh don't worry about it. He's probably just passed out drunk somewhere," Tommy said.

"His mother also said that they found his car abandoned in a ditch on Old Farm Road, the engine still running," I added as I chewed my fingernail.

"Yep, probably drunk." Tommy laughed. "He's probably passed out in a field somewhere."

"Yeah, maybe," I said. Still I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.

"So how did your date go last night? I heard you come in. It was still pretty early," my mom said.

"It didn't," I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't show up," I said nonchalantly and shrugged as if it were nothing, hoping my mother would move on to something else.

"Wanna go for a drive with me after we eat?" Tommy asked as he looked at me.

"Sure. Where to?" I answered a bit too quickly, grateful for the subject change.

"It doesn't matter. We're taking your car though. I want to drive it and make sure everything's okay. I'm stumped as to how you could've had a dead battery the other night. Its been bothering me."

I finished my breakfast and helped my mother with the dishes. Then I went upstairs, took a quick shower and got dressed. Never came home last night. Car abandoned in ditch on Old Farm Road. My earlier conversation with Nora Waters played over and over again in my mind. I grabbed my car keys and found Tommy outside. "Okay, lets go for this drive," I said as I tossed him the keys.

It was a beautiful day outside as Tommy and I sped down the country roads with the t-tops off and the windows rolled down. The wind blew wildly through our hair as country music blared from the car's stereo system. Tommy kept his foot hard on the gas, only slowing down occasionally when he had to wait to pass a slow moving car or tractor on the road.

I loved living in the country. The air was so fresh and clean and I loved the peacefulness of it all. When we first moved after my parent's divorce, I had hated the country. It was near harvest time when we had moved and the acres and acres of fully-grown corn had spooked me after having seen that horror movie with the children and the corn. Then one night when we were teenagers, Tommy and me were having a barn party with our friends and he had dared me to run into the corn. I was too embarrassed to back down in front of my friends, so reluctantly I did it. Now I loved running through the tall stalks. Although it was still scary to do it at night, something about the fear I felt excited me.

I looked over at my brother, the country badass. At least that was the front he put on for people. Deep down he was a teddy bear though – or at least that's how I choose to see him. We have been close ever since we were little. Tommy is my best friend, my protector, and my partner in crime. Just then the image of my brother beating up Jim after he had given me a black eye crept into my mind. It was a side of Tommy I had never seen before.

I remember driving home just after Jim and me had argued. Jim was upset because he claimed I was flirting with one of his friends. I denied it and before I knew what was happening, he had punched me so hard in the face that I had stumbled backward a few feet. My eye immediately started to swell. I drove home and ran into Tommy in the kitchen. Our eyes met and I tried to cover my eye with my hair. He had leaned forward and pushed my hair away from my face as I looked down. He put his fingers under my chin and raised my head up. I looked him in the eyes and quickly looked away, ashamed.

He didn't say anything at all, just grabbed my arm and led me outside. He opened the passenger door to his car and motioned for me to get in. I did and he climbed into the driver's seat and sped away. He drove straight over to Jim's house. Jim was still out in the garage drinking, as he had been when I left him, only his friends were now gone too. Tommy walked right up to him and punched him hard in the face, knocking him to the ground. Jim didn't even try to fight back. Guess he turned out to be one of those cowards who can only pick on women.

Once Jim was down, Tommy got on top of him and punched him several more times, then stood up and began kicking him. The wild look in his eyes that night was an image I wouldn't forget anytime soon. And Jim. Poor Jim. Yes, he deserved it for what he did to me. But I thought Tommy took it a little too far. He had left Jim's face a bloody mess and then threatened to kill him if he ever laid a hand on me or came near me again.

As the image found its way back into my mind, I reached for the volume knob on the radio and turned it down. Tommy looked at me. "Take a left up there on Old Farm Road," I said as I motioned to the upcoming intersection.

Tommy looked at me knowingly and nodded. He slowed the car just enough to make the turn, leaving tire marks on the pavement along the bend. I held onto my seat as he slammed on the gas again. He hit a huge pothole head on and our butts were airborne for a few seconds. I cursed under my breath, hoping the front end of my car wasn't damaged. A few feet ahead, tire marks leading to the ditch were visible. Tommy slammed the car to a sudden stop. I jumped out of the car and Tommy followed.

Tommy passed me up and crouched down by the ditch. "This must be where they found his car," he said as he stood back up and glanced out toward the cornfield a few feet away. "He could've been drunk when his car went into the ditch and started walking through the corn. He's probably passed out somewhere out there." Tommy looked over at me and then turned his attention back to the field. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled "Jim" a few times. I joined in the shouting. Not getting any sort of response, Tommy shrugged and headed back for the car. I lingered a minute, still gazing out across the seemingly endless rows of corn. I had a creepy feeling that someone was watching me. I shuddered and walked briskly back to the car.

Gina's car was in the driveway when we returned. I opened the back door and found her talking animatedly with my mother on the sofa. The two had always gotten along well together. All my friends adore my mother. She's such an easy-going woman, and despite everything she's been through, she loves to laugh and joke around and almost always has a smile on her face.

My mother looked up at me with her soft lively green eyes. Her light brown hair was swept into a neat bun on top of her head with a few long tendrils hanging down framing her face, as she usually wore it in summer.

"Ahhh, you're back," my mother said as she smiled.

Gina stopped talking and looked over at me. "Hey, Nic. I was bored so I thought I'd drive over and see what you were up to," Gina said as she rose from the sofa.

"I was just out for a drive with Tommy."

"It's pretty hot outside. Thought maybe we could go for a dip in your pool." Gina rifled through her purse, retrieved her bikini and held it up.

I laughed. "Sure. Let me just run upstairs and change."

"I can't believe he stood you up last night," Gina said as we floated around on rafts in my swimming pool.

I don't know why, but her comment really annoyed me. As if I hadn't had the same thought a million times since yesterday myself. "Yeah, I can't either," I said as I slid off my raft and dove under the cool refreshing water. I did a few laps around the pool then climbed out and wrapped myself in a towel. Then I stretched out on one of the lounge chairs.

Gina swam to the ladder and climbed out too. She grabbed a towel and sat down on the chair next to mine. "Sorry, Nic. Hope I didn't upset you."

I looked over at Gina. I never could stay mad at her. "No, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind. Actually I was just thinking about Jim. His mother called me this morning and told me that he never came home last night and that his car was found abandoned in a ditch."

"Wow, really?" Gina asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, it's just all so strange. I mean Tommy thinks he probably just got drunk and passed out somewhere, but I don't know. That just doesn't seem like him." A flashback of seeing Devin's truck in the parking lot at the diner came to me. Naw. I must have been mistaken, I thought to myself. Besides, what could seeing Devin possibly have to do with Jim's disappearance?

Gina and I hung out by the pool the remainder of the day. When it started to get dark, Tommy came out and grilled some burgers for dinner. After we ate, a few of Tommy's friends came over and the group of us had a bonfire out in the field near the barn. Tommy had opened the barn door and turned up his music so we could all hear it. We all laughed and joked around as Tommy and his friends were guzzling down beers and becoming drunker by the minute.

Suddenly Gina and I both jumped in our chairs. "What was that?" I gasped.

"What was what?" Tommy asked, laughing.

"Sshhh. I thought I heard something."

"Drink another one," Tommy's friend Andy teased.

"No, I heard it too," Gina said, looking frightened.

"Okay, Detective Demento. What did you hear?" Tommy asked.

"It was sort of a howling noise," I answered, chewing my fingernail as I spoke.

"That's what I heard too," Gina said.

"There it is again!" I exclaimed as I shot up out of my chair, knocking it over in the process.

"I heard it too that time," Andy admitted.

"You all are a bunch of pussies," Tommy said. "It's probably just a coyote or something."

"Hey, man, that didn't sound like no coyote to me," Andy slurred.

"Come on, Gina. Lets go inside," I said as I grabbed Gina's arm and we headed toward the house.

"Wimps!" Tommy called out after us.

I slowly spun around and glared at Tommy. Then I gave him the finger, grinned, and continued walking toward the house while his friends teased him for it, laughing at him and saying things like "damn" and "Oooh".

Gina and I went up to my room and decided that as late as it was, she would just spend the night like she often did. As we sat on the floor going through the DVDs for a movie to watch, my cell phone began ringing. I looked over at my alarm clock. It was almost midnight. Who would be calling so late?

I looked at the caller id on my cell phone. "It's him," I said to Gina as I became giddy with excitement.

"Who?" Gina asked.

"Hello?" I answered as I simultaneously mouthed the word "Devin" to Gina. Gina moved closer to me and put her head against mine, trying to hear the conversation. I covered my mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Nicole, are you there?" Devin asked, sounding slightly irritated.

"Yes, I'm here." I turned my face towards Gina, who was giggling like a schoolgirl. "Sshhh."

Gina started laughing even harder and I lightly smacked her arm and gave her a warning look. Still, I had to resist the urge to laugh myself. Gina had one of those laughs that sounded so funny it made everyone around her laugh too.

"The reason I was calling," Devin continued, "was to apologize for the other night. I had a family emergency. I tried to call you but I couldn't get a signal on my cell phone."

"Oh. I see," I replied, instantly feeling better about being stood up the night before. "Well it's okay. I understand."

"I'd really like to see you again though. Can you come out tonight?"

I covered the receiver and looked at Gina. "He wants to see me tonight," I whispered.

"Oh my God!" Gina exclaimed, a bit too loudly, as she shook her head yes.

"Who's that?" Devin asked.

"My best friend is here staying the night."

Devin was silent for a few moments. "Well bring her with."

I turned to Gina again. "He said to bring you with."

Gina nodded. I smiled. "Are you sure it's okay?" I asked Devin.

"Yeah. I'll bring my brother."

"Okay, well where should we meet?"

"A few miles north of the diner where you work, there's a back road that leads to a small wooded area. Know the place?" Devin asked.

"Sure do," I said. "I can be there in about forty-five minutes."

"Okay, see you then," Devin said and hung up the phone.

I looked over at Gina and smiled ear to ear. "Well let's get ready. He's bringing his brother along for you."

"His brother?" Gina asked enthusiastically. "Is he hot?"

I couldn't resist rolling my eyes at her. "How the hell should I know? I've never met him. Until now, I didn't even know he had a brother. But if he looks anything like Devin, you're a lucky girl."

"Oh my God, Nicole, I have nothing to wear," Gina said as she motioned to the sweat shorts and stained white t-shirt she was wearing over her bikini.

"You can borrow something of mine," I offered.

"Oh yeah sure!" Gina exclaimed sarcastically. "As if I can squeeze all of this into one of your outfits," she said as she motioned to her belly then grabbed her butt cheeks.

I looked at her and frowned, trying not to laugh at the expression on her face. "Well, you can borrow one of Tommy's t-shirts."

"Great," Gina said as she let out a loud groan. "Now I can look like a head banger."

Forty minutes later, I parked my car on the side of the road near the wooded area and looked around. "I don't see them anywhere." I looked over at Gina, whom was wearing my brother's heavy metal t-shirt, and smiled. She was right, she looked like one of those heavy metal head banger chicks.

"It's so dark. How can you tell?" Gina asked.

"Come on. Lets get out of the car," I suggested.

"But it's kind of creepy out there."

"Oh come on you big baby," I said as I shut the car off and opened my car door.

It was a dark starless night. The only light came from the soft glow of the moon, but even that was faint.

"Over here," a voice said. It came from the direction of the thick trees.

I squinted to see against the darkness. "Devin? Is that you?" I called out, fixing my gaze among the trees. A shadow emerged from behind a tree. He was now walking toward us, another man beside him. Must be his brother.

The butterfly feeling in my stomach grew stronger as I grabbed Gina's arm. "Come on," I said as I started walking toward them. As Devin and his brother walked further from the trees, the moonlight lit their faces aglow.

"Oh my God, they're gorgeous!" Gina whispered.

"Sshhh," I whispered and laughed as I continued to walk toward them, a smile lighting up my face.

"So we meet again," Devin whispered softly as we stood face to face.

I blushed. "Hi. This is my best friend, Gina. Gina, this is Devin and..."

Devin smiled at me. "This is my brother Damien."

"Hi," Gina said shyly, already starting to blush.

"Devin and Damien. That's kind of cute," I said as I glanced at the brothers. They didn't look anything alike. They were both gorgeous, yeah, but that was about all they had in common. Devin was much taller than Damien and had light brown hair whereas Damien had dark blond hair. Also, Damien's features were subtler, whereas Devin's were more dramatic. Although I had to admit that they did share the same piercing eyes. They were mesmerizing to look at. Something about them made it hard to look away.

"Well, Damien, why don't you and Gina get to know each other. I want to be alone with Nicole," Devin said as he reached for my hand, just barely touching it. The feel of his cool skin lightly grazing my sweaty palm excited me and gave me goose bumps. "Come on, let's go for a walk." He grinned at me.

I turned to Gina. "Do you mind?"

"No, it's fine. You go ahead."

Don't do it. A soft angelic voice in my head said. The voice had startled me, but I ignored it, chalking it up to my nerves.

Devin slowly led me through the thick trees. Although the whole area couldn't of been more than thirty or so acres, it felt like a small forest. Turn back; the soft angelic male voice repeated itself in my head. Again I ignored it.

Devin finally stopped at a small clearing in the middle of all the trees. He sat down atop a thick fallen tree trunk. I stood there staring at him, feeling more than a bit awkward. I had been with Jim for two years. He had been my only "real" boyfriend. Standing here now alone with Devin, I wasn't sure how to act. So I just stood there stupidly. Devin patted the spot next to him. "Come sit by me," he whispered. My legs felt shaky as I made my way over to him. As I took a seat, he smiled at me and my nervousness eased a bit. "So tell me about yourself."

I started telling him a little bit about my life. I was impressed with how intent he seemed to be listening. My pulse quickened as he moved his body closer to mine. His face was only about an inch away from mine now. He gazed into my eyes as I continued speaking. Without warning he leaned forward and barely touched my lips with his own. A thrill like an electric shock went through my body. I moaned and cleared my throat.

"So, I've told you all about myself. Now it's your turn," I said.

"What do you want to know?" Devin asked.

"Everything," I laughed.

"There's not really much to tell. I don't remember much of my childhood."

"Well, do you have any brothers or sisters, aside from Damien?"

"Damien's not my real brother," he snickered. "And yeah, I had a sister. She's dead now. End of story."

"So is Damien your step brother then?"

"Yeah, something like that."

With his evasive answers and the expression on his face, I could see that Devin wasn't comfortable talking about himself. So I decided to give up for now. "We should get go..." I started to say as he cut me off with another kiss, this one a bit rougher. He inched away slowly, his gaze still on my face as I tried to catch my breath.

A few moments later Devin rose and reached for my hand, helping me up. We walked slowly hand in hand back to my car where Gina and Damien were already waiting. Devin stopped a few feet from them, dropped my hand and turned to face me. He lightly ran his fingers through my hair, cupping the back of my head as he drew me closer. "I really like you, Nicole," he whispered into my ear. He released his hold on me and grinned.

At a loss for words, I just smiled and looked down, walking briskly back to my car. I started my car and sat watching Devin and Damien walk back towards the trees. That's strange. Where's his truck? I thought as I turned on the radio to glance at the time. "Oh my God, Gina, it's nearly 3:00 am. We better hurry back. My mother is going to kill me," I said as I put the car in drive and turned around, my tires spinning in the gravel.

"So how was it?" Gina asked.

I glanced over at Gina. "It was great. Devin is really sweet. And oh my God, so handsome!" I exclaimed. "How did you like Damien?"

"He's really cute and all, but I don't think he really liked me."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well he didn't really talk to me much, just stared at me. It felt kind of awkward."

"Oh, Gina, you worry too much. He's probably just shy."

"Maybe."

I cut the headlights before turning into my driveway. I parked the car near the back door, thinking it would be easier to go in unnoticed through the kitchen. Gina and I tiptoed through the kitchen and turned the corner to the stairs.

"Where the hell have you been?"

My heart jumped. A light turned on. Tommy was sitting in the recliner holding a beer bottle. "Jesus, Tommy, you scared me!" I exclaimed as I put my hand over my heart.

"You didn't answer my question."

I looked over at Gina. "I was with Gina," I said, motioning to my friend. "Duh."

"It's almost 4:00 in the morning. From now on when you go out I wanna know where and with who."

"You're not my father, Tommy," I replied coldly as I grabbed Gina's arm and headed up the stairs. I was so mad that he just embarrassed me in front of my friend by treating me like a child.

"I'm not kidding, Nicole!" he yelled after me.

"So how did it go?" Damien asked Devin.

"There's something different about her. She's not like the others," Devin responded.

"Thought your charms worked on all women?" Damien said as he smiled sarcastically.

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Well, what did you mean then?"

"I'm not sure really," Devin continued. "Like I said, there is something different about her."

"Maybe she's the one Kya's been looking for?" Damien wondered aloud.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Devin. You know what I'm talking about – the one with the mark."

Devin laughed. "Yeah, sure."

"Well don't bring me along next time. I don't have your control. I almost bit her friend's head off."

Devin laughed again.

"I don't get it anyways. How come you don't just kill them?" Damien continued.

"You know I like to have fun with the pretty ones."

"Yeah, but why? Aren't you afraid one of these times the girl will figure you out? And besides our orders are to kill the weak and turn the strong. Don't forget that."

Devin laughed. "It's the thrill of the chase. A hunting game really. I love the look of surprise when they find out what I am. And no, I haven't forgotten my orders. I'm still obeying them. I don't see any harm in having some fun while carrying them out."

Damien snickered and shook his head. "Come on. Lets go hunt. I'm hungry."

# Chapter 5

I had just finished eating dinner and doing the dishes when the telephone rang. "Hello?" I said as I answered the kitchen phone.

"Nicole?" the familiar female voice said.

"Yes, this is Nicole."

"Hi. This is Nora Waters calling again."

"Oh, hi. Have you found Jim?" There was a brief pause on the line. "Mrs. Waters, are you there?"

"No, we haven't found Jim. That was the reason I was calling. We're organizing a search party to look for him. I was hoping that you would help."

"Yes, of course. When and where?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. on Old Farm Road. We figured we'd start there since that's where his car was found."

"Okay, Mrs. Waters. See you then."

I hung up the phone feeling eerie. Jim still hadn't returned home. Shivers crept down my spine as I realized that it had been five days since he had failed to return home. What if he was...? No! I refused to let my mind go there. Still, despite my attempts to stop it, images of the found skulls entered my mind. I have to clear my head; I thought as I grabbed my purse and keys and headed out the door.

It was just starting to get dark when I got into my car and took off. I didn't realize where I was going until I got there. The tire marks leading to the ditch came into view. Another vehicle was there. Tommy? What in the world was he doing here? He couldn't possibly know that Jim hadn't been found yet. I had only just found out myself.

I parked my car over on the side of the road in front of Tommy's and got out. Where was he? I shivered as images of what my brother had done to Jim after he hit me entered my mind. 'I'll kill you if you ever go near my sister again'. Isn't that what he had said? But Tommy hadn't known about Jim coming to the diner. How could he have? I never told him. So as far as he knew, Jim hadn't come near me. Well, until I admitted it to my mother a few days ago. But that was after Jim was already missing.

I took my first step into the corn stalks, the gentle breeze whisking across the tops. I felt something slap me on the shoulder. My heart jumped as I quickly spun around. Corn stalks. It was only the top of the stalks slapping me in the wind. I caught my breath and resumed walking. A howl. That same blood curdling howl I had heard just days before. I shivered and pulled the zipper all the way up on the sweat jacket I was wearing. I looked out toward the endless rows of corn. What was that? I squinted to see but it was impossible at the distance I was at. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the tiny flashlight I had brought along. I flicked it on and turned it in the direction of the shadow I saw. A person? Tommy? No, the figure looked too wide to be Tommy! Jim perhaps? "Jim!" I called out as I ran in the direction of the person. "Jim! It's me Nicole!" I shouted. "I'm so glad I found you."

As I drew nearer, I stopped dead in my tracks. It wasn't Jim. What I saw surprised me. My heart thudded loudly in my chest. "Oh my God," I whispered and swallowed hard. My legs felt like jelly and I thought I would pass out. When I finally willed my legs to move, I took off in a sprint. "Help! Somebody help!" I screamed as I tore through the corn stalks, each one slapping me wildly as I ran. I dared a look behind me and saw that he was running too, quickly gaining on me.

I pushed my body to run faster, not looking back this time until I reached my car. What was that? He was carrying something. Shivers ran down my spine. I jumped in my car, struggling to get the key in the ignition with my shaking hands. I finally managed and the car roared to a start. I put the shifter in drive, floored the gas and quickly pulled back onto the road. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I saw the headlights behind me and heard the horn beeping. Darkness.

***

What was that horrible beeping noise? I opened my eyes and looked around. My mother was sitting next to me holding my hand. I tried to get up but felt a pulling sensation when I moved my arm. I looked down at my arm and saw an IV taped down to my hand. I looked at my mother again and her eyes widened.

"Nicole!" she exclaimed as she squeezed my hand.

"Mom," I whispered. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, sweetie."

"What am I doing here?" I asked, the weakness of my voice startling me.

"You were in a car accident."

"Oh," I said sleepily as my eyes closed again. A few moments later my eyes shot open. "Jim! I was looking for Jim. I have to find him, mom. I have to find him before it's too late."

My mother looked over at me as she fought back tears. "Nicole, I'm sorry. Jim is..." her voice trailed off and she looked down, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Jim is what, mother?" I demanded, deep down already knowing the answer.

"They found Jim's body a few days ago, sweetie. I'm sorry," my mother replied as she wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and leaned over to hug me.

The image of Jim's corpse crept into my mind. I shuddered. Then I remembered. Tommy. I had seen Tommy. He had had blood on him and he was carrying something big. I began to cry. Wait. Did my mother say they found his body a few days ago? Yes, she did. But that was impossible. Mrs. Waters had just called me that evening about the search party tomorrow.

"Mom, that's impossible. I was just out looking for him today."

She stared at me. "Nicole, honey, you have been in and out of consciousness the past three days."

I closed my eyes and felt a throbbing pain in my head. Yes, the car accident. Now I remembered. A horn blaring. Bright lights. Tires screeching on the pavement. The horrible crunch of metal. My head hitting the windshield. Glass breaking. Sirens. More lights.

I looked over at my mother. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"No, the driver of the other vehicle just had some minor cuts and bruises. He was treated and released.

"Was it someone we know?"

"No, it was some guy from out of town just passing through."

"How's my car?"

"Well you got bumped pretty hard in the rear. Tommy said the engine and all is still intact but it's gonna need a lot of body work."

Tommy. Tommy opening my car door. 'Don't move, Nicole. We're gonna get you some help. Just don't move, okay?' That's what he had said to me. Red smears on his shirt. Yes, it was blood. I was sure of it.

A knock at the door shook me out of my thoughts. A short, plump, balding man with thick glasses appeared. "How ya doing, Nicole? It's good to see that you're awake. I'm Dr. Phillips," he said as he appeared next to my bed and offered his hand. He turned toward my mother. "Mrs. Lambert, hello."

She smiled and nodded.

"Well, you suffered a pretty nasty bump to the head. Aside from that and a few cuts, scratches, and bruises, I'd say you were pretty lucky," Dr. Phillips said. He turned toward my mother. "The CT scan showed some mild swelling but there shouldn't be any permanent damage." Then he turned back to me. "Well I'd say somebody was watching over you. I read the accident report and technically your injuries should have been much more severe. With the speed the other driver was doing when you pulled in front of him, it's a miracle you didn't fly through the windshield."

"When do I get to go home?" I interrupted.

"Well your vitals all look good, so possibly tomorrow morning," Dr. Phillips said as he retrieved a small flashlight from his coat pocket. He turned it on. "Okay, Nicole. I want you to follow the light. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes," I said as I rolled my eyes.

My mother laughed. "Well, Doc, I'd say she's already getting back to her old self. Her old sarcasm is returning." I glared at my mother and she started laughing harder. "See what I mean?"

"Well I should really call your brother and let him know that you're awake now," mom said as she reached for her cell phone and tried unsuccessfully to make the call. "Oh, right. Cell phones don't work in the hospital." She looked over at me. "Honey, excuse me for a moment. I'm just gonna step outside for a quick cigarette and call Tommy." She leaned over me and kissed the top of my head.

I waved my mother away and closed my eyes. The accident repeated itself in my mind again. This time it was slightly different though. Something shoved me back. Yes, I remembered it. Just as my head hit the windshield, something had pushed me back to my seat. It had a slight human form, but it was misty, like I could put my hand right through it. This bright white light with blue edges surrounded it. Although the body was misty, I could see the eyes clearly. They were blue. But not like any blue eyes I had ever seen. They were bright yet dark at the same time and seemed to glow. That doesn't make sense, Nicole. But I knew it was true. I hadn't been wearing my seatbelt. My car didn't have airbags. Like Dr. Phillips had said, I should have flown right through the windshield. But "it" had stopped me –a bright white shimmering ball of light with bright blue eyes in it. Great, Nicole. Maybe they should examine my head a little more.

I felt something cold in my fingers and realized I was holding onto the St. Michael medal I always wore around my neck. I forced the image of the accident from my mind and reached over for the TV remote, clicking it on. The news was on. I only half listened as they talked about big storms heading for the area. Then they started saying something about rising gas prices. I picked up a magazine that lay on the table next to me and started skimming through it. The next headline caught my attention. I dropped the magazine in my lap and it slid onto the floor.

I sat there with my eyes wide and my mouth open as I listened intently. Funeral arrangements have been made for local college football star, Jim Waters. A photo of Jim in his football uniform was displayed in the upper right corner of the TV screen. Jim's body had been found in a farmer's field earlier this week, drained of all blood, along with the bodies of two young females whom have yet to be identified. Authorities are saying that it resembles the deaths of the three young ladies in Memphis, Missouri. Could we have a wild animal at hand? Or do we have a sadistic serial killer at large?

I brought my knees up to my chest and held them tightly to my body. The shakes hit me in a rush, my whole body suddenly trembling. Hot tears streamed down my face as I thought of Jim. Drained of all blood. What kind of sick, sadistic person could do such a thing? An image of Tommy entered my head. Blood. He had blood on his hands and on his shirt. "Please, God, no!" I shuddered as I tried to shake the image from my mind.

"Well your brother has been doing the body work on your car. He said it's going well and he should be finished soon," my mother said as she reappeared in the hospital room. I just shrugged. I didn't feel like talking about Tommy at the moment. "Oh, and your brother has a surprise for you when you get home."

Great.

# Chapter 6

"Hey, sis! Good to see you back home. I came to see you last night but you were knocked out," Tommy said as he looked me over. The way I looked at him bothered him. Was that fear he saw in my eyes? But why in the world would I be afraid of him of all people? Tommy reached for my arm and I pulled it back, that same uncertain look in my eyes.

Tommy backed off and swallowed hard. "Um, I have a surprise for you." I kept my distance and stood there staring at him suspiciously, trying to read past his spoken words. Tommy exhaled loudly. "Okay then. I'll be right back," he said as he ran up the stairs.

A few moments later Tommy came creeping down the stairs holding a large golden retriever. I took a closer look and noticed that its paw was wrapped in gauze. Tommy laid her down gently on the carpet. I kneeled down to pet the dog. I lightly ran my fingers over the bandage and the dog whined. My heart sank. "Oh you poor thing! What happened to you?"

"I found her out in the fields the night of your accident. I could see that she was hurt badly, so I brought her home and cleaned her up."

Found her in the fields. Hurt badly. Oh my God! That's what he was carrying and that's where the blood came from. I mean what was wrong with me? How could I suspect my own brother? I knew him better than that. Tommy could never kill anyone.

I looked over at Tommy and smiled apologetically. I felt horrible for having thought he could have had anything to do with Jim's disappearance. "What if she belongs to someone?" I asked.

"Nope. Already checked it out. She wasn't wearing any tags so I took her over to the vet to have her checked out and see if she was micro chipped."

"I wonder what happened to her," I whispered softly as I rubbed the top of the dog's head.

"Don't know. Vet said a coyote probably got to her or something."

I shuddered at the thought. I rose up from the floor and put my arms around my brother. "Thanks, Tommy. I love her."

"Sure, sis. Now what are you gonna call her?"

I bit my lower lip and thought it over as I looked at the poor dog. "Nevaeh."

"Nevaeh? That's unusual," my mother said.

I smiled and sat back down next to the dog. "Yeah, but it seems to fit." I rolled over onto my belly so that I was face to face with the dog. "Nevaeh," I whispered. The dog licked my face and I giggled. "See, she likes it!"

Mom laughed and shook her head. "Well I'm gonna go work in the garden. Try to take it easy. I'll see you later."

My mother worked outside in the yard nearly everyday. She was highly regarded in the neighborhood as having the best yard. It was an honor that she took great pride in.

"Bye, mom," I called after her. I turned to Tommy. "So, can she walk?"

"Yeah, but she limps. Vet said we should try to keep her off it for a few days. Want me to carry her up to your room for you?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

I sat at the edge of my bed next to my new dog. I could see blood seeping through her bandage, so I decided to take it off, clean her wound, and apply a new bandage. The dull throbbing pain had returned in my head. I took one of the pain pills the doctor had prescribed, cuddled up next to Nevaeh and fell asleep.

When I awoke from my nap, I looked over at the small alarm clock atop my nightstand. 8:30. Had I really been asleep that long? Must be the pain pills the doctor prescribed for my head. Nevaeh was stretched out at the bottom of my bed by my feet. I could hear her snoring. I got up and walked over to the window. The sun was just going down. I could see light coming from under the barn door. Tommy.

I walked over to my closet and grabbed a sweatshirt. I pulled it over my head, put on some sandals, and headed down the stairs and out the back door. Yep. Definitely Tommy, I thought as I heard the faint sound of music when I got closer to the barn. I walked over to the side door and pulled it open.

"Looking good," I called out to Tommy as I looked my car over. The dents had already been pulled out and Tommy was painting the rear end.

Tommy grinned. "By the time I'm done, you'll never be able to tell it was even in an accident."

"Thanks, Tommy. I really..." I was cut off by the sound of my cell phone ringing. The caller id showed it to be Devin. I had several missed calls from him when I was in the hospital, but still hadn't returned any of them. "Oooh, hold on a minute, Tommy. Let me get this," I said as I walked away. "Hello?"

"Hey, beautiful. I heard about your accident. Just wanted to make sure you were okay," Devin said.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a little bump to the head."

"That's good. You're lucky it wasn't more serious. So what are you doing tonight?" Devin asked.

"I don't know. I don't really have any plans I guess."

"Can you come meet me?"

"I can't. My brother is still working on my car." I thought about it for a minute. "You could come over here if you want to though."

Devin agreed. I gave him my address and hung up. I started to walk toward the house then spun back around. Oh shit! Tommy! I walked back to the barn and explained to my brother about my friend coming over. Then I ran back up to the house to take a quick shower and change. When I finished I sat out on the front porch watching the road for Devin's truck.

A short while later, I noticed what appeared to be a truck coming down the dark road. It was obvious that the truck was starting to slow down as it got closer, so I stood up. It's got to be him. It's not like we get much traffic here at this time of night. Devin pulled into the long gravel drive and parked near the back. I made my way over to his truck just as he was getting out. I noticed he was holding something behind his back, trying to hide it from me.

As we stood face to face, he leaned forward and kissed me softly on my lips. "Hi," I whispered as I smiled shyly and looked away from his intense gaze. "What's behind your back?"

He smiled at me and slowly pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing a bouquet of yellow roses. "For you," he said. "Sorry about your ex-boyfriend. Hope this cheers you up some."

How did he know about Jim's death? Had I mentioned it on the phone earlier? These pain pills were really screwing with my memory. I extended my arm to grab the flowers, bringing them up to my nose to inhale their sweet scent. "They're beautiful, Devin. Thank you." I smiled up at him. "Let me just go put these in some water," I said as I turned to walk toward the house. I noticed he just stood there watching me. "Aren't you coming?" I asked.

Devin just grinned and jogged the short distance to me. As we entered the kitchen, I heard a howling noise. Nevaeh. She must want out of my room. The howl was followed by an intense scratching noise. Nevaeh must be scratching at my bedroom door to get out.

"What's that noise?" Devin asked, taking a step back; as he broke me out of my thoughts.

"That's just my dog, Nevaeh."

"I didn't know you had a dog. I mean, you never mentioned it when you were telling me about your life."

"That's because I just got her. My brother found her a few days ago. She was injured and he brought her home. We found out she doesn't have an owner, so I'm keeping her. She's really sweet. Do you want to meet her?" I asked.

"No," Devin answered abruptly. Realizing he had answered a bit too quickly, he went on. "I mean... well... I'm allergic to dogs," he responded, thinking fast. He cleared his throat. "Can we go back outside now? I need some fresh air."

I grabbed a vase from under the kitchen sink and filled it with water from the faucet. I quickly arranged the flowers in it and set the vase on the counter, then turned to face him. "Sure. Let me just check on my dog real quick. I just want to make sure she's okay. I don't know why she's howling and scratching like this."

Devin's hand shot out and he firmly grasped my arm. Another howl was heard. The scratching intensified. "Can we please just go outside now?" Devin pleaded.

I noticed he didn't look too well. I shook my arm from his grasp and smiled up at him. "Sure, no problem. Guess I can come back in and check on her in a little while."

"Come on. I want you to meet my brother," I said as I grabbed Devin's hand and walked toward the barn.

As we approached the barn, the side door opened and Tommy came out. He was looking down, wiping grease off his fingers with the rag he held in his hands. As we drew closer, he looked up and stopped. Devin and I continued walking toward Tommy until we were face to face with him.

"Tommy, this is my friend Devin. Devin... Tommy," I said as I looked from one to the other and smiled. Still Tommy said nothing. I was embarrassed at his silence. He just stood there glaring at Devin.

"Nice to meet you. Nicole has said some wonderful things about you," Devin said, breaking the awkward silence as he extended his hand to Tommy.

Tommy just stood there staring. He snickered at what Devin had said. "Wish I could say the same about you," Tommy sneered as he shook his head and walked away.

Devin dropped his hand. "Tommy!" I yelled. But my brother just kept on walking, not looking back. I was furious at him for his rudeness. I turned to face Devin. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's normally not like this," I stammered as I felt my cheeks grow hot from embarrassment and anger.

Devin lifted my chin with his finger. Our eyes met and he smiled at me. "Don't worry about him. It's fine. Why don't we go for a walk in the fields?" Another howl.

Devin put his hand on my back and started to lead me toward the field behind the barn. A few feet into the field, he stopped and turned to face me. He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes as he leaned in for a quick kiss. Then he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips, gently kissing it. He held my hand for a moment then unclasped my fingers. I felt the coolness of his finger as it gently traced the scar on my finger. "What's this?" he asked.

Great. What is it with this mark on my finger? It's just some sort of scar. I don't know why everyone finds it so interesting. Before I could answer, a loud noise caused me to turn my head. The screen door had been pushed open so violently that it smacked hard against the house, the glass shattering. Nevaeh bolted through the door snarling as she ran toward us. I looked over at Devin. His lips were curled back; a look of pure horror contorted his beautiful face. He took off in a sprint to his truck and slammed the door closed just as Nevaeh had reached it.

"Nevaeh!" I yelled out. "Nevaeh, stop it! Nevaeh!" I ran to the dog to try to control her. But it was no use. She stood up on her hind legs, pushing her front paws against the door of Devin's truck, snarling; spit coming out of her mouth as she bared her teeth. I heard the truck start up and watched as Devin backed down the long driveway and onto the road. Nevaeh ran after his truck, still growling and barking wildly.

"Nevaeh!" I yelled several times. What has gotten into this dog? Why is she behaving like this? I wondered. I called her name again and she turned and ran back to me. She sat at my feet and looked up at me, panting. I pet her head and she licked my hand. "What was that all about? Huh, girl? Why did you go after Devin like that?"

I heard laughing and turned my head to reveal the source. Tommy was standing against the tall oak tree smoking a cigarette, looking at me and laughing. I grabbed hold of Nevaeh's collar and walked her over to where Tommy was standing. I could feel my face grow hot with anger. "Is something funny?" I asked when I faced him.

"Yeah, sure is." Tommy laughed. "The way that dog ran after your boyfriend was hilarious." Tommy bent down and pet Nevaeh. "Good girl," he said as he stroked the top of her head. Nevaeh looked up at me innocently.

"It's not funny, Tommy. How did she get out?" I demanded to know as I stared at him waiting for him to answer.

Tommy flicked his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. He looked up at me. "Hey, don't blame this on me. The dog obviously has good taste." Tommy half laughed as he looked over at me.

"I'm serious, Tommy."

"Me too," he said as he started to laugh again.

I lightly smacked his arm. He laughed harder. "Come on. How did she get out, Tommy? Did you let her out?"

"Hey, don't blame this on me. I just went into the kitchen to grab a drink and I heard her howling and pawing against your door, so I went to check on her. As soon as I opened your bedroom door she bolted past me, knocking me down in the process. From there I'm guessing she must have ran into the screen door with enough force to open it. I don't know. I didn't see that part."

I thought it over in my head. It just didn't make sense. I looked over at my new dog. She was so sweet and gentle. It was then that I noticed her eyes. They were blue. And not just any blue. They were a bright, yet dark blue. And they seemed to glow. I had never seen a dog with eyes like hers. I shook my head, then squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them. When I looked at her again her eyes had returned to the normal soft brown color I was used to. Great, I'm seeing things again!

"Maybe she was protecting you," Tommy said in a low voice as he reached down to pet Nevaeh again. "They say that pets have a sixth sense about evil. That guy gave me the creeps."

"Get real, Tommy," I replied as I steered Nevaeh past him and toward the house.

"Hey! Mom's going to be pissed about that broken glass," Tommy called after me.

"So clean it up!" I yelled back.

I took Nevaeh back up to my room and she jumped up on my bed. How can she do that with her injured paw? Come to think of it, how was she able to run after Devin like that with her injury? I sat down next to Nevaeh on the bed and began stroking her fur, running my fingers lightly down her front leg until I reached her wrapped paw, which was now covered in dirt. Slowly and carefully, I undid the bandage and gasped. It's gone! The wound is gone! How can that be? I saw it myself. Her paw had had a huge gaping wound. How could it have just disappeared?

I looked over at Nevaeh. Her mouth was open and she appeared to be smiling at me. I heard Tommy's voice in my mind again. 'Maybe she was protecting you'. Naw. No way.

"Were you protecting me, Nevaeh? Huh, girl? Is that what you were doing?" I asked. God, look at me. Now I'm talking to my dog as if she's going to answer me. I'm losing my mind.

I felt really bad about what had just happened with Devin. I picked up my cell phone and dialed his number, but it went straight to voice mail. I decided against leaving him a message. I'd just try again later. I put my cell phone on the nightstand and decided to go take a hot bath to help me relax.

"I'll be right back, girl. Mommy's gonna go take a bath, okay?"

Nevaeh jumped off the bed and stood at my feet staring up at me.

"Okay, you can come with me," I laughed. I grabbed a clean nightgown and underwear and headed to the bathroom. Nevaeh followed me and sat on the rug staring at me as I lay back in the tub trying to make sense of all that just occurred. So much had happened in such a short time. The missing girl. The dead bodies. Jim's disappearance. Jim's death and upcoming funeral. My accident. Nevaeh. Devin. Tommy. It was all just too much. Just what the hell was going on? I got the feeling I would soon find out.

After my bath, I tried calling Devin again, but his phone went straight to voicemail. I turned the TV on in my room and lay down on my bed with Nevaeh. The dull aching pain grew stronger in my head, so I grabbed my prescription bottle and popped another pill. Sleep soon overtook me.

I had the most vivid, strange, and scary dream I had ever had. It was about Nevaeh. And Devin. I was outside with Devin and Nevaeh burst through the door like she had that night. Only this time when I turned to look at Devin, he had fangs with blood dripping from them. 'Run' that soft angelic voice called out as Devin lunged at me and Nevaeh pounced on him. She tore him apart limb by limb as a bloodcurdling scream escaped his lips.

I woke up abruptly dripping with sweat and gasping for air. Relax, Nicole. It was just a dream. Obviously brought about by a combination of the pain pills and what happened earlier. But hard as I tried, I couldn't shake the dream from my mind.

I got up and walked over to my window, pushing it open. I leaned my head out, the cool breeze washing over my face. 'She was protecting you.'

"Where have you been?" Damien demanded as he emerged from behind one of the many tall trees.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," Devin warned.

"Don't forget who's in charge here."

Devin smiled wickedly. "I guess you were right about her."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"I told you there was something different about her."

"What do you mean?"

"She's... how should I say this... special."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"She's the one Kya's been looking for. She bares the mark."

Damien smiled and nodded knowingly as he rubbed his hands together. "Well, what are we waiting for? I'll go get the others. Let's strike."

Devin put a hand up to stop him. "It's not that simple. She has a protector." Devin was silent a few minutes as he sat down and scratched his chin.

"So, why should that stop us," Damien asked. Damien thought it over for a few moments. Then a huge grin spread over his face. "You're falling for her, aren't you?"

"No!" Devin said defensively.

Damien looked directly into Devin's eyes, trying to read him. "Yes, you are!"

"Okay, maybe a little," Devin admitted. "But it doesn't matter. Our orders are clear."

"Good to hear," Damien said as he patted Devin's back and let out a sinister laugh. "Come on. Lets go inside and tell the others."

Damien started to walk toward the old abandoned farmhouse they had taken up residence in. Set back about a mile from the road and completely surrounded by tall thick foliage, it was the perfect hiding place for their coven.

"Wait," Devin called after him.

Damien stopped and turned around to face his "brother".

"Do you remember what it was like before all of this?"

Damien's expression became one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

Devin paused, studying Damien's face. "Human. Do you remember what it was like to be human?"

"What's gotten into you, man?" Damien asked. "I hope you're not thinking what I think you are."

"Maybe she can help us," Devin muttered under his breath.

"Help us," Damien screeched. Then he let out an evil, throaty sort of laugh. "We're killers, Dev. We've been damned and we belong to his army. We're his soldiers now. We fight for his vengeance and we take our payment in blood. It's as simple as that."

"I know what we are, but is this really what you want? Is this really who you are?"

Damien looked Devin over. "I chose him. So did you. You cannot turn your back now."

Devin stood up. "I didn't choose this!" he screamed. Then he let out a roar and lunged at Damien. Damien moved out of the way just as Devin pounced, causing him to hit the ground hard. Damien chuckled.

"Come on, brother, we've been damned. The very moment we were bitten, we became marked for damnation. We're so far from the light that our eyes can only see at night. There's your proof. I mean come on, when's the last time you saw the light?" Damien asked.

"You're wrong. It's true I hadn't seen the light in a long time. But since," his voice drifted off. "Since I met her, I've started to see the light again."

"Yeah, and how is that?" Damien asked.

"In her eyes. When I look into her pale blue eyes, I see nothing but light. Her whole being radiates light."

Damien was silent for a few minutes as he thought over what Devin had said. "The girl must die. She must die or she must become part of his army. If you won't do it, I'll do it myself," Damien warned, then spun around and angrily stormed off toward the house.

Devin ran and caught up with him. "Wait! I'll do it. I just need more time."

"More time for what?"

"To make her trust me. It'll be easier if she trusts me."

Damien thought it over for a minute. "You've got a week. If you still haven't done it by then, the girl is mine."

"They'll fight for her," Devin muttered under his breath.

"And we'll be ready," Damien responded.

# Chapter 7

"Nicole, are you almost ready? We're going to be late," my mother yelled up to me.

"Give me a few more minutes, mom," I called back.

I looked myself over in the full-length mirror, smoothing my hand over the long black sleeveless dress I wore. I can't believe I'm getting ready to go to Jim's funeral. Jim. I hadn't wanted to be with him anymore after he showed me his abusive side, but I still loved him. He was my first love and I would always have a special place for him in my heart. And now he was dead. Memories of the happy times Jim and I had together overtook me and I began to cry again.

Luckily, I hadn't bothered applying eye makeup, knowing I would be doing a lot of crying today. My mother was shouting for me again. I wiped my eyes, grabbed my black suede cowboy hat and opened my bedroom door. Nevaeh looked up at me.

"Not this time, sweetie. You gotta stay here," I said soothingly as I patted her head.

We drove to the funeral home in silence. The weather seemed to fit my mood perfectly. It was dark and a light rain was beginning to fall. Everything we passed along the way seemed to remind me of Jim in some way or another. I didn't want to feel what I was feeling; didn't want to believe where I was going.

After the wake, we all headed over to the cemetery for Jim's burial. As he was being lowered into the ground, the rain picked up. People started running to the safety of their vehicles as loud thunder shook the ground. I lingered, unable to peel my eyes off of the lowering casket. My mind felt strangely detached from my body as I watched; too weak to move, too upset to care about the rain that was drenching me.

I felt hands clasp around my arm and turned my head to meet my brother's eyes. "Its lightning, come on!" he yelled as he dragged me to the car. I didn't fight him; just let him pull me back to the car.

We drove home in sullen silence as angry rain pounded the windshield. I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. By the time we reached the house, the rain had slowed back down to a drizzle and everything was calm once again.

I silently walked up to my room and peeled off my rain soaked dress. I grabbed my white sleeveless nightgown and a dry pair of panties and walked into the bathroom. Nevaeh followed me. I sat at the edge of the tub and stroked the top of her head as I waited for the water to fill.

As I laid back in the hot water, there was a knock at the door. "Nicole, honey, hurry up. The news is giving out a tornado warning for our area," my mother informed me.

"Okay," I said as I quickly finished my bubble bath. I pulled my nightgown over my head and brushed my hair. Then I walked over to the window and looked out. The sky appeared to be a strange shade of green and was nearly cloudless. The approaching storm had moved close enough that I could hear a low rumble of thunder in the distance.

As I was walking down the stairs, the lights dimmed for an instant, followed by a shrill crack of thunder. I continued down the stairs and past my mother, whom called something out to me that I didn't quite hear. I kept moving until I reached the front door, pulling it open, as I glared at the darkening sky, its image captivating me.

I stepped outside as sharp zigzag lines of lightning spiked in the distance. The air was so still that nothing moved; so heavy that it was hard to breathe. It seemed surreal. The sky, growing darker by the second, was a funny shade of green. Like baby food peas. I watched as dark clouds quickly formed into strange looking shapes. The clouds were moving so fast and low that I almost believed I could jump up and grab them. A bolt of lightning cracked close enough that I nearly jumped out of my skin. The ground shook.

The wind began to pick up, strong gusts lifting the lower branches of the old oak tree. Another loud crack of thunder shook the ground. The angels are bowling. That's what my mama had always said when there was thunder. Another strike of lightning hit the oak tree a few feet away from me. A large branch cracked and came rushing toward me, missing me by mere inches, as I stood there unable to make my legs move.

My mother and brother frantically called out to me. I ignored them, mesmerized by what I was seeing. The warning siren started blaring. I watched as another large branch crashed to the ground a few feet away from me. Hail the size of golf balls began to fall. I shielded my head with my hands as I willed myself to move and jogged back to the house. The wind was picking up, making it hard for me to run against it. When I reached the front door, I turned back around and watched. Nevaeh barked and looked at me pleadingly as if trying to beg me to come inside.

The clouds began to spiral around in a quick circle, dipping down at the ground. The sky turned hot as it began to swirl faster and faster. The air filled with an angry roaring noise. Tommy grabbed my arm and pulled me inside just as the air began to rush out of the house, pulling items along with it and sucking it out into the strong spiraling winds.

As Tommy, my mother, Nevaeh and I ran for the basement, a tremendous crash from outside shook the house. I could hear glass shattering as the savage gusts of wind blew the windows out. I looked over at my mother, whom looked as if she would pass out. No matter how many big storms we got, she still would never get used to them. I reached over and lightly touched her hand as I smiled at her. She reached over and pulled me into a hug. Tommy joined us and we sat huddled together, Nevaeh's head on my leg, until the storm passed.

When all was quiet, Tommy got up and held his hand out to my mother and then to me, helping me up. "Is everyone okay?" he asked.

My mother began to sob and I put my arm around her. Nevaeh followed us up the stairs. "Oh, look at this!" my mother cried.

All the living room and kitchen windows had blown out. There were bits of glass and many of the contents of the rooms were strewn about all over, some of it outside.

"At least the TV looks like it's okay," Tommy joked. He walked over to it and plugged it back in. My mother must have unplugged it when the storm got closer, like she always had. He turned the power on and it turned on, but there was no signal. "Well, lets get started cleaning this place up," he said, his voice devoid of all enthusiasm.

"I'll get the broom and dustpan," I offered halfheartedly. After everything that had happened recently and having to go to my ex-boyfriend's funeral earlier that day, cleaning was the last thing I wanted to do. But I couldn't admit that to my mother as upset as she was.

"I'll go out to the barn. There's some boards out there I can use to cover the windows until we can get them replaced," Tommy said.

I went to work in the kitchen, sweeping up piles of glass as my mother held the trash bag open. Then we moved back into the living room and did the same thing in there. After all the glass had been cleaned up, we went about trying to put everything that wasn't broken back in its proper place. I helped my mother for a while, and then left to help Tommy board up the windows. I didn't even want to think about what kind of damage we would find upstairs.

I heard Nevaeh bark and glanced over my shoulder. I noticed that the front door was open and Nevaeh was standing in the middle of the yard. Oh shit! My dog! What if she ends up getting hurt out there, or runs into the road and gets hit? I let go of the board I was holding up and ran out the front door. The front yard was a mess as I had expected. There were broken tree branches down all over the yard and in the road. Pieces of siding from the house were mangled and strewn about. Ignoring Tommy's calls, I walked over to where Nevaeh was standing, staring out at something. Nevaeh let out a moan. "What is it, girl? What do you see?"

I looked around me and saw that there were beautiful purple and black butterflies all over. What was it that butterflies symbolized again? It was something having to do with the soul, wasn't it? I put my hand out to touch one and it flew away, only to return and perch on my shoulder. Another one landed on my finger. I pulled my finger toward me to get a closer look at the butterfly and I noticed that the weird scar on my finger appeared to be glowing. I turned my eyes back to Nevaeh.

My eyes followed her gaze out in the bean field across the street a distance, near the run down abandoned old barn Jim and me used to sneak over to. A few rays of sun had cleared through some clouds and formed a golden luminous arc. Coming out of the side of the one cloud was a beautiful rainbow. It was so big that I couldn't see where it ended. I closed my eyes and opened them again, watching the marvelous colors of the rainbow as they deepened and then faded. There were bright flashes of lightning that appeared to be striking over and over again in the same spot under the arc, yet there was no thunder. I grabbed Nevaeh's collar and began walking toward the golden arc, carefully stepping over broken branches and other rubble along the way.

As I got closer, Nevaeh got out of my grasp and began running, barking loudly. I ran after her, calling her name. I watched as she ran into the field right below the luminous arc, began howling, and then sat down and bowed her head.

Falling – it was the first thing he felt as he descended from the heavens. Bright white lightning masked his descent from the eyes of the human world as he closed his eyes and made the long, dizzying fall. His eyes were still closed as he hit the ground, landing on his feet in a squat with his palms on the ground.

His eyes burned too bright for this world, or so it seemed as he slowly opened them and tried to adjust to the darkness. He stood up slowly. In the distance he heard the barking of a dog. But not just any dog – it was a protector. The girl's protector. The same girl he was now ordered to protect. Uriel – or Nicole, as I was now called. He knew everything about the beautiful fair-skinned blond. He had memorized every detail right down to my gleaming white smile.

Now as he squinted to see through the thick fog, he saw me. To him I was just as radiant as ever, my eyes full of innocent wonder. I was jogging toward him. He knew he couldn't let me see him yet. The time wasn't right. His orders had been clear. There were things he had to do first. He had to hide, but where? He looked around and spotted the old abandoned barn. He was quick on his feet, reaching the place in mere seconds.

I was out of breath by the time I reached Nevaeh. Night was quickly falling and the air felt muggy and still. As I reached down to grab her collar, I noticed that the air had a strong scent of roses. I raised my head up and looked out. At first I thought it was fog I was seeing, but then I realized it was smoke. Was something on fire?

I walked into the smoky blue fog and noticed the field was on fire. I shielded my eyes from the smoke, and then turned back toward it. It was then that I noticed that it wasn't the whole field that was on fire. It was just a small section, maybe ten feet by ten feet. And it was only burning at the edges. I walked a little closer and saw that the edges formed a cross. What the! Are you kidding me? I must be losing my mind. I closed my eyes tightly shut for a few minutes. Then I reopened them and dared to look again. Yes, it was definitely shaped like a cross. Oh geeze! Probably some stupid teenage prank. I need to call the fire department before it spreads.

Just as I had that thought, a strong wind came and blew the flames out. I stood in disbelief watching the cross smoke.

He could see me standing in the same spot where he had stood only moments earlier, and he watched. He could see the confusion and awe on my face as I stood surrounded by perfect prismatic rays. Tension started curling up in his belly and he began to pace. He wanted so much to run to me and scoop me up in his arms and tell me that he was going to protect me from the evil I would soon be facing and the fight that lie ahead. We were old friends after all, but he couldn't mess with my free will. I had a right to choose. Only when my free will was taken from me, which it would be, could he intervene.

I would first need to see for myself what we were up against. He cringed at the thought. One thing he was sure of – absolutely positive of – he would not fail. He would not fail me.

He was a warrior. Created to walk against the wind and stand up and fight. He would fight with blood; fight with steel. He'd strike down them all and they would know his calling. It was his name that bravery called in the sound of the wind. He would fight in the dawn of battle and demons would fall, for he was an angel of the light. But not just any angel, he was an Arc – and that stood for something.

It wasn't often that an Arc came to Earth. He had legions of angels to handle most situations. But this time was different. The fallen had risen and were claiming new souls by the day. As if that wasn't bad enough, the dark army was now after one of heaven's own.

Still, this would be a challenge for him. He would become nearly human for this mission; seeing and feeling things that he wasn't accustomed to.

I must have stood there for some time, for it was almost completely dark when I turned to walk back to the house. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a man in the distance wearing a long black trench coat watching me. I spun around and he was gone. God, please don't let me be seeing things. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

When I walked in the front door, my mother and brother stopped what they were doing and looked up at me. "Just where the hell were you?" Tommy yelled.

"I just saw the most amazing thing."

"Well, while you were out exploring, mom and me have been stuck doing all the cleanup."

I smiled at my brother and raised my eyebrows, an invitation to see the humor in my leaving, but he declined the offer. Seeing how upset they were, I decided to skip telling them what I had seen. I lowered my eyes and muttered "sorry" under my breath. "Did you check the upstairs yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a mess," Tommy said as he climbed down the ladder. "Mom and I got all the windows boarded up there though. And I cleaned up all the glass in my and mom's rooms. You just need to get your own."

"Thanks," I said almost silently as I picked up the broom and dustpan and headed into the kitchen to grab a trash bag. Finding one, I ran up the stairs with Nevaeh quick at my heels.

My phone was ringing when I reached my room. It was Devin wanting to see me. I explained about Jim's funeral earlier that day and the tornado and told him I was too drained to come out. Then I hung up the phone and looked around. My room was a mess. I quickly cleaned up the glass, then kicked my shoes off and fell back on my bed. The rest of the mess could wait until tomorrow. I climbed under the covers and closed my eyes. Sleep quickly overtook me.

I had a series of nightmares that night. The first one was of Jim. I was at his funeral and when I stood over his casket, I heard knocking. I opened the lid and Jim's corpse sat up. His face was mostly skeletal, with pieces of bloody flesh hanging off in places. His eyeballs hung by a thread. He reached out for me and I shrank back as he pulled at me with inhuman strength. 'I love you, Nicole. Come with me,' he said as he pulled me on top of him in the casket. Maggots began crawling out of his eye sockets and I screamed as he pulled the lid closed and the casket was lowered into the ground. 'Now we can be together forever,' he said as dirt showered over the casket and I heard evil laughs.

I woke up gasping for air. It was just a nightmare, Nicole. The room was dark, but I could hear Nevaeh snoring next to me. I pet her head then got up and walked into the bathroom. I splashed cold water over my sweaty face then cupped some into my hands and began gulping it down. I backed up against the wall then let my body slide down it until I was sitting on the floor. I sat with my elbows on my knees, holding my hair in clumps at my temples. My head began to throb. I sat there a few more minutes, then got up and retrieved my prescription bottle from the medicine cabinet I had put it in earlier. I popped two pills with some water from the sink, splashed more cold water on my face and walked back to my room.

No sooner had my head hit the pillow and I was out again. I dreamt I was walking in the fields with Jim. We were smiling, laughing, and playing around. Then from out of nowhere, a huge coyote bounded forward and grabbed Jim. 'Help me, Nic. Help me!' he was screaming as the coyote dragged him away. I ran after him and the scenery changed. Suddenly I was at Jim's funeral again and he was pulling me into the casket with him as he had in my earlier dream. I woke up screaming.

When I finally willed myself back to sleep yet again, I had another strange dream. This one was the same dream as the night before with Devin and Nevaeh. Only this time, there was a man standing there in the distance next to cross-shaped flames in the field. He was wearing a long black trench coat and was looking down. I walked closer and closer to him in the dream, trying to get a glimpse of his face. When I finally got close enough, he looked up at me and smiled. He had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. Only I had seen them before. They were bright yet dark and they seemed to glow. They were the same blue eyes I had seen when I had my accident. And the same blue eyes Nevaeh had had after chasing Devin.

There's a strange change approaching.

He waited until he was sure I had gone back to the safety of my home. Now I must find the others, he thought as he retrieved the small folded up piece of paper from the pocket of his long black trench coat. They'll be waiting for me. He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the energy pulse through his veins. A thick fog settled before him. Moments later when it cleared, a shiny new black Hummer sat before him. He opened the door and got behind the wheel. Once again he looked at the small piece of paper. Then he put the vehicle in gear and took off in the direction of his destination.

He was annoyed at having to drive the vehicle and follow what the humans called a speed limit. Especially since he could just spread his wings and fly to where he was going a helluva lot faster. His wings didn't show now. They had shrunk back into his back and skin had smoothed over them. It was to help him blend in with the human world, but still, he felt weird without them. At least he felt comfort in knowing that all he had to do was close his eyes and concentrate and he could will his wings to be seen again. But he feared that the more time he spent away from the light, the harder it would be.

He reached his destination - an old farmhouse set far back from the road. The location was remote, not another house in sight for miles. He parked the car, got out, and strolled to the front door. It opened before he even knocked.

"Michael," she called out with a smile, her arms extended.

Michael hugged her back then backed up a few steps to look her over. She looked beautiful. The red highlights in the rich brown color of her hair seemed to spark, giving it fire. She wore it pulled back tight enough to stretch the corners of her soft brown gleaming eyes.

"Melanie, you look well. Staying in shape I see," Michael said as he noticed her toned muscular arms. "You'll still need some training though."

Melanie looked over Michael in his human form. She had to admit he looked good and she felt herself instantly attracted to him. Heck, she couldn't help but wonder what girl - human or other - wouldn't be attracted to this man. He was maybe a half an inch short of six feet tall, with thick black hair, which was short in the back and a bit longer in the front, hanging loosely just above his eyebrows. His eyes were dark blue, yet light at the same time and seemed to glow – a feature she knew would change the more time he spent on earth and away from the light. And he had the most perfectly shaped lips she had ever seen. Although he was dressed in black jeans, t-shirt, and a long black trench coat, she could still tell that he was in fighting shape. His whole being seemed to just radiate power and strength. As if all of that wasn't enough, he had the most angelic voice she had ever heard. When he spoke, it gave her goose bumps. Michael smiled to himself, exposing his dimples, as if reading her mind.

Melanie hadn't realized she had been holding her breath as Michael looked her over. Now as she let it out, the wariness left her gaze. It was replaced by hope. She had stayed in shape and was an okay fighter, but she was hopeful Michael could turn her into a warrior, like himself.

Melanie was an angel too – not an Arc, but an angel nonetheless, raised human. Her mission while on earth was to give people hope and help lead them to God. She also ran the local soup kitchen.

"I only just found out you were coming as well. I thought He only sent one warrior at a time?" Melanie asked.

"Where's Raphael?" Michael asked, ignoring her question.

"Raphael is already inside. He arrived a few hours ago and has already secured the perimeter."

"Great," Michael replied as he ran his hand over the back of his neck. "Well, let me do a quick perimeter check myself and then we'll go inside and talk weapons."

After Michael did a thorough check of the perimeter, he opened the front door and walked inside. Raphael and Melanie were sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Raphael rose from the sofa. "Brother," he said as he opened his arms.

Michael returned the hug. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready and waiting," Raphael replied.

Melanie smiled and watched as the two Archangels embraced. Looking at the two of them, it was obvious that they came from heaven. Raphael had the same angelic eyes, although his were a bright, yet dark green. His hair was a dark brown and feathered softly in front. He was a tad bit shorter and didn't appear as physically strong as Michael, but he was beautiful nonetheless. Only an Arc could have physical looks as alluring as theirs.

"Good. I'm in charge now," Michael said as he turned to face Melanie. "I'm assuming you already have an arsenal."

Melanie shook her head. "Of course."

"Great, take me to it."

Melanie led the two men out the back door and about twenty feet from the house and stopped. "It's just under here," she said as she began kicking away dirt with her feet. Michael and Raphael joined her, uncovering a chained cellar with wooden doors. Melanie removed a chain around her neck, which held the key. She knelt down and put the key in the padlock, unlocking it and removing the lock. Michael pulled at the chains and the wooden doors swung open and hit the ground with a thud.

The three of them descended the concrete steps into the dark cellar. When they reached the bottom, Melanie pulled a string and a light came on. The whole perimeter of the cellar was one big armory wall. Michael inspected its contents, which consisted of shotguns, handguns, grenade launchers, rifles, machine guns, and submachine guns.

"Talk about overkill," Raphael whispered.

Michael picked up an M16A2 rifle and smiled. "Now this is what I'm talking about." Then he turned to Raphael. "A spiritual war is coming to man whether they want it or not. The beasts of hell have been unleashed and we must be prepared. Besides, there is no such thing as overkill when fighting evil."

"So now what?" Melanie asked.

"Now we work on your combat skills and I teach you how to shoot during the days."

"And at night?"

"At night we watch and we wait."

"What about the soup kitchen?"

"You'll still run it at night. Raphael will watch over you and I'll watch over Uriel."

# Chapter 8

A knock at my door startled me awake. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up in bed. "Come in," I said as I looked over at my alarm clock. It was already 9:20 am. Had I really slept that long?

My mother pushed the door open and turned on the light. Then she looked over at me. "Are you okay?"

I rubbed my head and cleared my throat. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. I'd always been a terrible liar, but this lie was one I'd told over and over again since I was a little girl, so it sounded almost convincing now - even to myself.

She sat down next to me on the bed. "I know you've been through a lot this past week. If you need to talk or anything, I'm here for you. I just wanted you to know that."

I shook my head and smiled. Talking about it isn't going to change anything. I'd rather just try to forget it. Forget it all! I had learned early on in life to shut off the part of myself that wanted to cry, wanted to scream. Although, I had to admit that I did lose that battle sometimes in my weakest moments, which had been happening a lot lately.

"Well, you need to get up. The insurance company was already out this morning and they gave me the approval to have new windows installed. I have a crew on their way right now. Should be here in about twenty minutes or so."

I looked over at my boarded up windows. I hated how dark and depressing my room looked without the sunlight filtering in. I was glad my mother was able to get somebody out so quickly to install new windows.

I yawned, stretched, and got out of bed. There was stuff scattered all over on the floor. I tried not to step on anything as I made my way to the bathroom. I turned the shower on cold to wake myself up; then quickly turned it warmer and let the hot water envelope me.

The workmen installed the new windows in record time. As they worked inside, another crew was patching up the roof. I helped Tommy in the yard. He fired up the old chain saw to cut up the branches in the yard that had been taken down by the storm. I put them into neat little piles in the wheelbarrow to be stacked up on the side of the barn where there was already a growing pile of wood.

I looked up at the old oak tree. The large thick branch that held my swing was still intact. I loved that swing. Gina's father had used thick rope to hang it when we first moved in. You could really swing high on it and it felt so sturdy.

As I was loading more wood into the wheelbarrow to take back to the barn, I heard a beep and turned my head to look. Gina was just pulling into the drive. I continued stacking wood into the wheelbarrow until I had a full load, then I met her in the driveway on my way to the barn.

Gina got out and slammed her car door shut. "Wow, you guys got a lot of damage," she said as she looked around in disbelief.

"Yeah. They're installing new windows right now. They all blew out last night. Or in, or whatever," I laughed. "Some guys just got done patching the roof and they'll be back sometime this week to put new shingles on and fix the siding."

Gina stood there shaking her head as she continued to look around. "We didn't get much damage at all. Just a few shingles tore off the roof. Mostly we just had leaves plastered to the siding on the house," Gina laughed.

"Well you guys sure got lucky." I looked over at Gina and smiled. "So are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna help me?"

The three of us – Tommy, Gina, and me worked in the yard until early afternoon before we decided to break for lunch. My stomach was growling and the heat was making me dizzy. Tommy decided to take us to the town bar for lunch.

The bar was pretty deserted, just a few old farmers mostly - on break from the fields no doubt. We took a seat at the counter and Sally, the owner's daughter, greeted us. Sally was in her thirties, but looked much older. I reckon it was probably from all the drinking and drugs she did. She had a reputation of being a bit of a wild one. I had lost count on how many children she had; each one by a different father, yet she was still unmarried. Town tramp is what most people called her behind her back. Of course I never joined in. My mother had always told me to judge not, lest I be judged myself. Besides, I didn't believe in judging another person unless I walked a day in their shoes. We all have our stories.

"Howdy y'all. What can I get for ya?" she asked, as she looked each of us over - her gaze finally settling on Tommy, where it then stayed as she stuck her chest out and flashed him a smile. I laughed to myself thinking he was probably her next conquest. The girls always did seem to like Tommy, although he seemed oblivious to it all. He had had a serious girlfriend for a while and was heartbroken when her parents moved her to Florida.

Her name was Tiffany. She was a tiny little thing, maybe five feet tall if that, with beautiful long brown hair that hung down below her waist and she had these big green doe eyes. She was two years younger than him. They had met at the ice cream parlor and had hit it off right away. Once they started dating, they were inseparable. They used to take me along on some of their dates and Tiffany had quickly become like a sister to me. We were both heartbroken when she had to move – Tommy understandably more so than me.

They had written letters back and forth for a while. But soon the letters became fewer and further between. And eventually they just stopped. Tommy wrote to her a few more times but didn't get any sort of response. He didn't talk about it, but I knew he was crushed.

Tommy had only been in love one other time. It was with Heather, his first serious girlfriend. He was head over heels for her. She was his high school sweetheart. They had met their freshman year. He had proposed to her their senior year and she had said yes. He gave her a promise ring and they had agreed to get married after they graduated.

There was a big party right before graduation and Tommy was supposed to go with Heather. But he had been sick, so he stayed home. Heather ended up going with some of her girlfriends. Everyone was drinking at the party and she ended up getting killed in a head on car crash with a semi truck that night, along with three other girls from school. All the girls were so mangled from the accident that they had to have closed caskets at their funerals.

Tommy never forgave himself for Heather's accident. He always felt that if he had gone to that party, she would have been riding home with him and would still be alive. Or, they would both be dead and that would be just fine with him too, for he had a hard time going on without her. She had been his world. He had stayed single for years after she died, until he met Tiffany.

Now it had been over two years since Tiffany had moved, but Tommy hadn't dated anyone new. Sure he hung out with lots of girls. But he never dated any of them or showed any interest in them other than friendship. Much to the dismay of the local girls, I must say.

"Nicole!" Tommy's voice broke me out of my thoughts. He was waving his hand in front of my face. "Earth to Nicole. Are you there?"

"What?"

He motioned toward the bartender, who stood holding an order pad, staring at me impatiently as she smacked her gum.

"Oh, sorry." I quickly glanced at the menu and gave her my order.

I put my elbows on the bar and my head in my hands as I let out a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair. The air in the bar felt sticky and smelt of burnt nachos and something I couldn't quite identify.

Suddenly something I heard caught my attention.

"It was right in John's bean field..."

I cocked my head to the side to listen more intently.

"Shaped like a cross..."

My eyes scanned the room to see who was talking. Sitting at the bar a few seats down from me was old man Earl, a local farmer and a regular at the diner where I worked, and his son Ted, a nasty old pervert in his sixties.

"Said him and his wife went out to the fields with flashlights..."

"Caught a man in the crossbeams of the light..."

"Wearing a long black trench coat..."

"When he turned the flashlight back, the man had all but disappeared. Poof! Just like that. Like he vanished into thin air." Earl chuckled.

"Here you are," Sally said as she put our plates down in front of us.

"Excuse me," I said to Tommy and Gina as I stood up. I walked over to old man Earl and his son.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying."

"Oh, hey, Nicole. How are you doing? I heard about your accident. I've missed you at the diner," Earl said as he smiled at me.

I slid onto the vacant bar stool next to him, avoiding Ted's eyes as they roamed up and down my body. "I'm doing just fine, Earl. Thank you. I'll be back to work at the diner tomorrow night. Now what were you saying about John's field?"

I listened intently as Earl told me the whole story about what he had heard.

"Well, that is quite strange," I agreed. "What do you think it was?"

"It's the aliens," Earl said matter of factly.

It took everything I had to hold in the laugh that was desperately trying to escape my mouth. I bit my lower lip and swallowed hard, willing it back down. "Well, all right then," I said and nodded as I got up and walked back to my seat.

As I sat down, Tommy and Gina were both staring at me. I shook my head and nodded in the direction of old man Earl.

"What?" they both asked.

I looked over at Earl again. He was looking right at me. He smiled and tipped his cowboy hat. I smiled back. "I'll tell you later," I whispered as I took a big bite out of my sandwich.

Darkness was just falling when we finally finished cleaning up the yard. Gina and I grabbed a bag of chips and some sodas and headed up to my room to hang out for a while and catch up on everything that had been going on lately.

I started by telling Gina about what had happened with Nevaeh and Devin and how Tommy had acted when he met him.

"It was strange the way Nevaeh had acted. I mean I know I just got her, but she's so sweet to everyone else. I just don't understand."

"Since you brought it up, Nic, there's something I've been wanting to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Well there was something about Damien that night too. I don't know, he's really cute and all, but he kind of gave me the creeps. Know what I mean?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't really know. I can't put my finger on it exactly. There was just something odd about him."

"Okay, weirdo." I giggled.

I decided to chalk it up to Gina's nerves and moved on, despite the voice in my head telling me that she was right. I told her about what I had seen in the field last night and what I was talking to Earl about at the bar.

"Aliens?" Gina laughed. "Did he really say aliens?"

I laughed too. "Yeah, I guess old man Earl is really losing it."

"That sounds really cool though. Do you think it's still there?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"I want to see it. We should go check it out."

I got up and walked over to the window, peeking out. The stars had just begun to come out and the moon was shining brightly. "I don't know. It's pretty dark outside."

"Now who's the big baby?" Gina teased. "Come on, it's just across the street a ways. We can bring flashlights."

"Yeah, all right," I reluctantly agreed. "Let me put a leash on Nevaeh and we'll bring her with."

"What for?"

"For protection." I laughed even though I felt there was some truth in what I had just said.

"There, you've seen it. Can we go now?" I asked impatiently.

"Wow! That is so cool," Gina said. "Wonder where it came from." She was holding her flashlight directly on what was clearly a burnt patch of field in the shape of a cross. "Was there really an arc and a rainbow in the sky?"

"Yep."

"Wow! Wish I could've seen that. It sounds awesome. You should've taken a picture."

"I ran out of the house after Nevaeh, Gina. I didn't think to bring a camera," I said sarcastically, then laughed.

She half-laughed. "Yeah, I guess."

I couldn't get the image out of my mind of the man I thought I saw the night before.

Gina turned around to look in the direction I was staring in. She looked at me questioningly. "What are you looking at?"

My eyes met hers and I shrugged. "Nothing."

"Well it's getting chilly. Lets walk back," Gina suggested.

I looked back several times as we walked back to my house. I couldn't see anything, but I had the feeling I was being watched again. When we got back to my house, I waved goodbye to Gina as she got in her car and left. Then I walked into the kitchen, made myself a cup of tea, and headed upstairs to my room. I took a quick bath, changed into my nightgown, then sat on my bed and turned on the TV.

There was a soft knock on my door. "Come in," I said.

The door slowly swung open and Tommy appeared. "Can we talk for a minute?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied as I patted the spot next to me on the bed.

Tommy sat down and looked at me with a troubling expression. It ripped at my heart. "Tommy, what's wrong?"

"Something's been bothering me for awhile now, but I didn't know how to approach the subject with you."

"Go on," I urged. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

My cell phone began ringing. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Devin. I didn't feel like talking to him at the moment, so I hit the reject button.

Tommy drew in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly through his mouth. His eyes came up again and he pinned me with his haunted bleary gaze. "It's just, well... well, remember that night in the field? The night of your accident?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well, you had run from me and I couldn't understand why."

My cell phone started ringing again. Annoyed, I reached over, hit the reject button again, and turned the ringer off.

"Oh, Tommy," I said as I reached over and patted his hand.

"It's not just that, Nicole. When you came back from the hospital, you looked at me like..." his voice broke off. He was silent for a few moments before he continued. "Like I was some kind of monster."

"Oh, Tommy, I'm so sorry. Of course I don't think you're a monster. I love you very much. I was just under a lot of stress with all that had been going on," I tried to explain.

"That still doesn't explain why you ran from me and why you were looking at me with such... with such hatred and fear!"

I took a deep breath and debated what to tell him. Finally I decided on the truth.

"You thought I had something to do with Jim's disappearance!" Tommy shrilled.

"I'm sorry. I know it was stupid of me to think that way."

Tommy was silent for a long time. "What's going on in your head right now?" I dared to ask.

Tommy looked over at me and wiped at the tears that were threatening to spill down his cheek. "It's because I didn't protect you, isn't it?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"I didn't protect you when we were little and I didn't protect you from Jim," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Tommy, we were kids. Jesus, I was five and you were seven. You tried to protect me and mom both."

"Yeah, but I failed. I froze up when dad grabbed the bat from me."

"Tommy, you were scared. You were just a little boy. At least you tried to... to save mom and me. I just hid out in your room all the time. At least you had the courage to stand up to him."

Tommy sniffled. "You were the one that was brave. After he got the bat away from me, you were the one that ran out of the room like a banshee and started punching him with your little fists."

"And then he knocked me unconscious," I reminded him.

"Yeah, and it was my fault. I should have done something – anything. I just stood there frozen. I told myself I would never let you get hurt again. Then I failed you again with Jim."

"Tommy, there was nothing you could've done to prevent Jim from hitting me. Jesus Christ, you weren't even there when he did it. There's no way you could've known. And look at me. I'm fine – no permanent damage was done."

"It doesn't matter. I failed you," Tommy said as a tear streamed down his face. "Just like I failed Heather."

Tears stung my own eyes as I got up on my knees and leaned over, pulling my brother into a hug. We held each other tight and cried on each other's shoulders. We cried for a long time. Deep down it was as if we felt that if we only cried enough, all the fears and bad memories of our childhood would just wash away.

I hadn't known how much Tommy felt he'd failed me until I saw the memories of what had happened through his eyes.

As I sat there and held my brother, I couldn't help but to think of how Tommy and I had both lost our first loves to death. It really disturbed me.

I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was finished crying. It was storming again. I mostly lie awake listening to the sound of raindrops the size of quarters angrily pounding my bedroom window.

Each time I nodded off, I was awakened by the same nightmare, the same images. Each time I woke up stuffing the same shrill, deafening scream back into my throat, as I tried desperately to make the images go away - as I willed myself to stop seeing things I didn't want to see.

I was haunted, but damaged more than anything was my spirit. I was overcome with grief and despair. I could see that my family desperately wanted to help me, but there was nothing they could do. Nobody could take away the pain in my chest. Nobody could mend my tender bruised heart. They couldn't rewrite my dreams, nor could they take away my nightmares. And they sure as hell couldn't take away my hurt or repair my broken heart.

# Chapter 9

I forced myself up the next morning and faked an energy I didn't have. I pretended that I was okay and I hoped that everyone believed my performance. But deep down inside I felt like a piece of me was lost and I didn't know how or if I would ever get it back. That scared me the most.

As I stood in the checkout line at the grocery store with my mother, one of the newspaper headlines caught my eye. I picked a copy up to read it.

# MISSING PERSONS TOLL RISES - The number of missing persons reported in Southern Illinois has risen to an astonishing 9, tripling last week's number of 3. Most of the people reported missing are between the ages of 16-30. Authorities are asking people to stay indoors after dark and to use the buddy system if possible.

I put the newspaper down and felt sick. Just what was going on? First a bunch of people were murdered and now a bunch of people were missing? How many of them would also be found dead?

"So what time do you get off work tonight?" my mother asked as she loaded groceries onto the conveyor belt.

"I'm closing, so probably not til after 11:00."

"Well be careful, honey. There have been a lot of people reported missing."

"I know," I said as I bit my lower lip.

I helped my mother load the rest of the groceries and then put them in the trunk after she had paid. We rode home in silence. Well, I should say that I was silent. I think she might have spoken a few times on the trip home, but I was lost in my own thoughts and wasn't paying attention.

When we got home, it was almost time for me to leave for work. I had a quick bite to eat, then ran upstairs to take a shower. I changed into my uniform and tied my hair up into a tight ponytail. I grabbed my cell phone off the nightstand and noticed I had three missed calls. Two were from Devin and one was from Gina. I had only talked to Devin once since the incident with Nevaeh. He had laughed and chalked it up to the dog being able to sense his fear. He told me he had been bit by a big dog when he was little and had been afraid of them ever since.

I speed dialed Devin's number. Why am I doing this? I need to stay away from him. He answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Devin. It's me, Nicole. I saw you tried calling me. What's up?"

"Just wanted to see if you wanted to hook up tonight."

'Hook up' – I always hated that term.

"Well, I gotta work tonight. I'm getting ready to leave now."

"I see. Well, how about after?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise."

"Well you've certainly peaked my interest," I teased.

"So is that a yes?"

"I can't stay out long."

"That's fine. I'll meet you at the diner."

"It's a date," I agreed.

I hung up the phone and ran back upstairs to pack an extra outfit to change into after work. Then I grabbed my purse and headed down the stairs. My mother and my brother were both in the living room watching TV. I said a quick goodbye and went out the door.

I was so busy at work that the time just seemed to fly by. When it finally quieted down a bit, my attention turned to the small TV above the counter. Steve had it tuned in to the local news station. I listened as the reporter announced that three more people had been reported missing. I sat down on one of the stools for a few moments as she continued to talk about missing persons. Then she reported that the names of the victims had been released from the remains found in Ozark County.

I finished my closing outs and punched out. I went into the bathroom and took out my ponytail and changed into the jean skirt, white lace top, and sandals I had brought with. Then I stopped by the back office to say goodnight to Steve. As I pushed through the doors, I saw that true to his word, Devin was waiting for me. Aside from my car and his truck, Steve's little Honda was the only other vehicle in the lot. Devin stood leaning against his truck, which was parked in the back row, smiling at me.

I felt as if I was under some sort of spell when I was with him. It was strange because when I was alone, I felt overwhelmed with depression, but when I was with him it was as if I didn't have a care in the world. I smiled back and began walking toward him. "So what's this surprise?" I asked, trying my best to appear excited.

"If I tell you then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Devin asked.

"No, I suppose not," I agreed as I half-laughed.

"Get in, I'm driving."

I looked back at my car parked near the front of the diner. Devin's eyes followed my gaze.

"How long are we gonna be gone for?" I asked, worrying about leaving my car.

"Not too long. Maybe an hour or two," Devin answered.

"Okay," I said as I smiled up at him.

Devin smiled back at me and lightly grabbed my elbow, walking me to the passenger side of his truck. He opened the door and I climbed up into the passenger seat. He closed the door once I was inside. I watched as he walked over to the driver's side and got in.

He started the truck and then took off out of the parking lot and down a series of back roads. Finally he stopped in a small gravel parking lot near the woods. Goosebumps rose up on my arms. I hated the woods at night. He cut the engine and looked over at me.

"This is my surprise? The woods at night!"

Devin was silent as he smiled at me and climbed out of the truck. He walked around and opened my door. I stared at him. He reached for my hand and held it. "Come on," he whispered.

I looked into his eyes and let him help me down from my seat. Hand in hand, we walked deep into the woods. His cold hand made me shiver. This man was always cold. Did he have any blood circulation whatsoever?

Finally he stopped near a brook. I drew in my breath with a short, quick gasp of delight. There was a clearing above the trees and the moon shone brightly on us. Even in the darkness, I could see the beautiful flowers in all the colors of the rainbow around the brook. A wooden bench faced it. Devin led me to it and sat down, still holding my hand. I looked around in amazement. The way the moonlight shined down on it all gave it a breathtaking beauty. I noticed Devin watching me with keen enjoyment.

"So what do you think?" Devin asked.

"It's amazing," I answered, still taking it all in. I looked over at him and noticed how his complexion looked even whiter in the moonlight and wondered if mine looked the same.

Devin dropped my hand and put his arm around my shoulder. I shivered from the coldness. He shifted slightly and his free hand lightly grasped my face, turning it toward him. He kissed me softly on my lips and I closed my eyes. He gently kissed each of my eyelids. I felt his cool breath on my ear. "Do you trust me," he whispered.

I thought about it for a minute. Although strange things had happened since I met him, the way he was making me feel at this moment, I felt like I could trust him. "I guess," I answered softly.

He brought my chin up so that our eyes met again. "No guessing, I need to know," he said sweetly.

"Okay, I do," I relented.

"You do what?" he pressed.

"I do trust you."

"Good." He smiled over at me and then rose from the bench. He bent over me, dropped a kiss lightly on my forehead and then disappeared from my sight. I turned my head to see where he had gone. I sat there watching him, not sure what to do. He turned around and looked at me. "Aren't you coming?" he asked as he held his hand out.

I slowly nodded my head and got up. I caught up to him and accepted his hand. We walked through the thick foliage, Devin a step ahead of me at all times, holding back branches to clear the way for me. Soon we emerged from the woods and stood silent and motionless before the beautiful scene that lie in front of us. A large area of grass was before us with a big hill in the center. But it was unlike most grass I had seen. Every single blade of grass was the brightest most perfect shade of green and it was dotted with thick fragrant flowers. The moonlight shined down in luminous rays upon the flowers, giving them an otherworldly glow. It had a magical air to it.

I followed Devin as we climbed the hill, him stopping to pick flowers along the way. When we reached the top of the hill, Devin released his grip on my hand and turned to face me. An amused twinkle came into his eyes as he handed me the bunch of flowers he had picked. I blushed and thanked him as he smiled and sat down. He patted the ground next to him. I sat down, noting how soft the grass felt underneath me.

He sat gazing at me a few moments before he laid back. I did the same. I looked over at him and followed his gaze up to the sky. There must've been millions of tiny bright stars out. We lay there in silence staring up at the sky for what seemed like an eternity. But it was a comfortable silence.

He turned over on his side and I felt his eyes on me. I turned over on my side to face him. He reached out and softly caressed my cheek. "Nicole, I think I'm falling in love with you," he whispered.

Was I hearing him correctly? Did he just say he was falling in love with me? How could he love me when we only just met?

Devin looked away then, giving his words some time and distance. Finally he looked at me again and as if reading my thoughts, he continued. "I know we just met and this probably sounds silly to you, but I feel a special connection to you. You're so different from any other girl I've met. You're special. I felt it the moment I laid my eyes on you. I feel like we were meant to be together."

I didn't know what to say, so I just stared at him stupidly. I felt something for him too, but I wasn't sure what it was.

"I know this is sudden," Devin continued. "Don't worry, you don't have to say anything. I think I know how you feel. I can sense it. You're falling in love with me too, aren't you? But you're afraid to admit it, even to yourself, because you just lost your first love."

"Devin, I..." I didn't finish what I had started to say. I wasn't even sure how to portray what was on my mind. How do you tell someone that you have strong feelings for them too that you can't quite understand; yet those feelings are shadowed by nightmares of blood-dripping fangs?

A single silent tear slid down my cheek as I thought of Jim and of all the nightmares that came after his death. Devin brushed it away with his fingertips. "You're afraid to love me because you think that if you do you'll lose me too," he said as he ran his fingers through my hair. "Just because you lost Jim, it doesn't mean that you'll lose me too."

No, that wasn't it. Okay, well maybe that was partly true. But mostly I was afraid because of the nightmares I had about Devin and the way my dog acted around him. And I was confused because despite my fears and nightmares, I still couldn't stay away from him.

Then before I knew it, he rolled halfway over on me, his weight pinning me down. "Please," I whispered as I closed my eyes.

"Open your eyes, Nicole," he whispered. "Look at me."

I did as he desired and met his gentle dark eyes in an intense gaze. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said. Then his lips were on mine, softly at first, then more urgent. I opened my mouth and gave in to the kiss, losing myself in it.

When we finally broke apart, I sat up and looked up at the sky again. It had grown much darker. I turned to Devin. "I really need to get back. My mother will be worried about me."

Devin nodded and got up, brushing his hands over the back of his pants. Then he extended his hand and helped me up. Once I was up, he drew my hand within his arm and we walked back to his truck. We rode back to the diner in an awkward silence. I was confused at all he had just revealed to me. I did have feelings for him and they were growing in intensity. But at the same time, I guess I really was afraid that once I admitted to loving him that I would lose him. Then there were the nightmares. I just couldn't shake them.

Devin pulled into the parking lot at the diner and parked next to my car. I grabbed my bag and the flowers he had picked for me, smiled over at him, and jumped out. As I was putting the key into my door, I heard his truck door slam. I looked up and saw him coming toward me.

"Not even going to say goodbye?" he asked.

I looked up at him and met his fiery gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I understand," he said sympathetically. "You've been through a lot lately – more than anyone should ever have to go through. I wish I could take it all away for you." He reached out and pulled me into his arms. Then he rested his head on my chest. "I love listening to your heart beat," he said, his voice dipping to a whisper. He pulled away, keeping me at arms length, only to pull me to him again seconds later.

He loosened his grip, then looked up at me and gave me another kiss. I smiled at him and said goodbye, promising to call him tomorrow night. Then he walked back to his truck and sat there watching me as I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot.

When I arrived at home, I put my flowers in some water and ran up the stairs to take a bath. I had a lot going through my mind with all Devin had told me. I didn't understand the feelings I was having. I felt as if I was under some sort of a spell, or mind fog, like I didn't know what was what anymore. After my bath, I put Nevaeh on her leash, wrapped myself in my bathrobe and went outside for some air. I walked my dog around the yard a bit then finally settled on the front porch. I sat there in contemplation for a long time. As I was getting up to go back into the house, I once again had the eerie feeling that someone was watching me. I ran into the house, quickly closing the door and locking it behind me.

# Chapter 10

I awoke early the next morning, my eyes puffy from lack of sleep. Once again I had been awoken by a series of nightmares until I finally just gave up on the concept of sleep. Nevaeh followed me as I made my way downstairs. I took her outside to the yard so that she could use the bathroom. Then I came inside, changed into my swimsuit and went out back to the pool. I dove into the water, it's coolness waking me up and invigorating me. I swam a few laps before going back inside to shower and get dressed.

After my shower, I tiptoed down to the kitchen, careful not to wake my mother. She'd be waking soon as it was, but I wanted to surprise her with breakfast. I quietly got out everything I would need and set about making pancakes for my family. As if on cue, my mother and brother appeared in the kitchen just as I had finished.

"This is a nice surprise," my mother said cheerily. "How long have you been up?"

"You cooked?" Tommy asked, laughing. "God, help us!"

"Good morning," I said as I took Tommy's plate away and lightly smacked him on the back of his head.

"Hey, I was just kidding!" Tommy declared.

I put his plate back in front of him and smirked at him. "I've been up for awhile now. Just couldn't sleep."

"Still having nightmares?" mom asked.

"No," I lied. "Just feeling restless I guess. Wait... how did you know I was having nightmares?"

"I've heard you screaming."

"Oh."

"So what are your plans for today?"

"I don't know. Since I have the day off, I was thinking of stopping by the cemetery to visit Jim's grave. I haven't been there since the funeral."

"I'll go with you if you like," Tommy offered.

"No, that's okay. Thank you, but I need to do this alone."

I finished my breakfast, helped with the dishes, and then took off in my car. The cemetery was a good thirty-minute drive. The day was rapidly growing hotter. I pulled over to the side of the road and removed the t-tops and rolled down all the windows. Then I got back on the road and blared the radio, singing along as best I could.

When I reached the cemetery, I sat in silence a few moments. I hated cemeteries. Something about them gave me the creeps. I finally willed myself to move and got out of the car, slowly walking to the gray marble headstone indicating Jim's grave. I looked around at the various other headstones, many of which were covered with flower bouquets. Flowers – why hadn't I thought to bring flowers?

I knelt down slowly and ran my hand over the smooth marble. Then I bowed my head and said a prayer for Jim and his family. Memories of Jim came rushing at me in an overwhelming flood of emotions. Our last conversation played over and over again in my head. The last thing I had said to him was 'fuck you'. I felt so horrible for that.

"Jim, I'm so sorry," I whispered. I dropped my face into my hands and burst into uncontrollable weeping. After a time, I wiped the tears from my eyes and lay down on my side, resting my face on top of the headstone. The cool marble felt good against my hot, tear soaked cheek.

I lay there for some time whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again until I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I looked up and into the eyes of my mother and brother.

"I knew you shouldn't do this alone," Tommy said softly as he opened his arms.

I got up and flew into his outstretched arms, crying into his shoulder. I felt my mother's arms embrace me from behind.

"I know this is hard," she said with tear-brimmed eyes, "but we will get through this."

I held on tight to both of them, grateful that they were there. Then I loosened my embrace on them and wiped at my eyes.

"Lets say a prayer for Jim together," my mother suggested.

And so the three of us knelt down and held hands as my mother led us in prayer over Jim's remains.

"Come on, lets go home," I said.

"Are you okay to drive?" my mother asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She turned to Tommy. "Why don't you ride back with your sister and I can drive back by myself."

Tommy nodded and seized my hand.

We took turns telling stories about Jim on the ride home. Somehow remembering the good in Jim made me feel better. I had to believe that he knew that I loved him and that he was now in a better place. It would be the only thing that would get me through this, assuming I would someday get through it at all.

When we got home, the phone was ringing. My mother ran to answer it. When she hung up she explained to us that her sister, our Aunt Susan, had to go out of town unexpectedly and needed someone to watch her daughter, Kelly. Mom had agreed to take her.

I was excited at the news. I hadn't seen my cousin Kelly in nearly two years. The last time I saw her she was only four years old. My aunt was supposed to drop her off in the afternoon. I decided to make a quick trip to the grocery store before she arrived to buy ingredients to bake cupcakes. I figured she'd have fun making them with me.

I tried hard not to even glance at the stack of newspapers in the checkout line. But it seemed the harder I tried, the more my resistance broke down. Finally I picked one up and read the headline.

Religious leaders are speaking out against the rising death toll, calling them ritualistic cult killings. 'The fact that the bodies keep being found in threes and have been drained of all blood indicates a satanic cult at hand. Autopsies have also put the time of death for the victims at 3am. Satanists like to use the number three to mock the Holy Trinity and insult God. Jesus died on the cross at 3pm, which is why they attack at 3am. These Satanists will do the opposite of anything holy.'

I dropped the paper back on top of the pile. I wouldn't go there – couldn't go there! I had thought that Jim's death had been the result of a wild animal of some sort. I couldn't grasp the thought that it could have been done intentionally by some sort of sick satanic cult. It was just too much for my soul to bear.

I paid for my purchases and hurried home. A metallic blue van was in the driveway when I pulled in. Must be Aunt Susan. Boy did she get here fast! I grabbed the brown paper grocery bag off the passenger seat and headed inside.

My mother was standing in the doorway with Susan, Kelly holding tightly onto her leg as she explained to her little girl why she had to leave.

"Don't go, mommy," Kelly pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

I pushed past them, smiling sweetly at my little cousin. I set the grocery bag down on the kitchen counter and rifled through it until I found what I was looking for. I pulled the plush teddy bear out of the bag and slowly walked toward Kelly. I knelt down beside her and slowly extended the bear to her.

"Hey, Kelly, I got this for you. This here is Mr. Cuddles and he could use a friend. Would you like to be his friend?"

Kelly sniffled and reached out for the bear. Then she hugged it close to her body. "Thank you," she mumbled in her sweet little girl voice.

"You're very welcome," I replied. "I was just about to make some cupcakes. Would you like to help me?"

Kelly nodded. I extended my arm and she placed her tiny hand in mine. My aunt smiled at me and mouthed the words "thank you". I smiled back and nodded.

Kelly seemed to be having fun helping me mix the batter for the cupcakes. Then I let her help me fill the cupcake liners and I put the tray in the oven and set the timer. There was still some batter left in the bowl, so we shared it - both of us dipping our fingers in and out of the bowl. Just as I had lifted her up onto the counter to clean her face and hands, my cell phone started ringing. I quickly wiped off my own fingers and dug my phone out of my pocket. I saw that it was Devin.

"Hey, you!" I answered excitedly.

"What are you doing?"

"Making cupcakes with my sweet little cousin," I answered as I finished wiping Kelly's face and hands with the dishrag, kissed her cheek, and lifted her off of the counter.

"I need to see you. Can you meet me somewhere?"

"My cousin just got here and we have cupcakes baking in the oven."

"Please," Devin pleaded. "It's important. We're running out of time. I mean..."

"Devin, you're acting weird. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just really, really need to see you." There was an urgency in his tone of voice that I couldn't ignore.

I looked over at the timer. There was still five minutes left to go.

"Let me finish making cupcakes with my cousin and I'll see what I can do. I'll call you back."

"Promise?" Devin asked, his voice desperate.

"Promise."

I hung up the phone feeling bewildered. Why was Devin acting so strange? 'We're running out of time'. What did he mean by that? The timer started going off and I jumped at the noise. After taking the cupcakes out of the oven and setting them on the counter to cool, I took Kelly upstairs and gave her a bath. When we finished, we went back downstairs and frosted the cupcakes.

I found my mother and told her that I needed to go out for a while and needed her to watch Kelly. She reluctantly agreed. I called Devin back and agreed to meet him at the same place he had taken me to on our last date. Even though twilight was falling and I was still afraid of the woods at night, knowing that Devin would be there with me made it somehow bearable.

I ran upstairs, showered, and changed into a long white cotton dress. Then I grabbed my keys and set off for the long drive to meet Devin. His truck was already there when I arrived and he was standing leaning against it. He came around and opened my car door for me as soon as I had parked.

As soon as I was out of the car, he reached for me and held me in a warm embrace. When he pulled away, I noticed that he had a strange joyful glitter in his eyes that seemed to alter his whole face, making it even more beautiful. I was sure that my own eyes were sparkling joyfully at the sweet encounter.

"Come on," he whispered as he tenderly reached for my hand. I closed my hand tightly over his and we began to walk into the woods. He led me near the brook he had taken me to just yesterday. Suddenly he dropped my hand and disappeared swiftly from my sight. I looked around, but didn't see him anywhere. Panic started to well up in my chest. Then I felt strong arms encircle me and a hand was gently laid over my eyes.

"Turn around," he whispered.

I did as he desired and looked up trustingly into his face. His eyes met mine and he took both my hands into his for an instant, his eyes never leaving mine. He didn't say anything to me, but somehow I felt that he understood all of my thoughts.

He lightly stroked my bare arms, the tips of his cool fingertips just barely grazing my warm flesh. His cold fingers sent shivering thrills all through my body each time he touched me. The sensation was delightful. Then with one finger under my chin, he upturned my face and showered me with kisses, which I eagerly returned. With the luminous rays of the moon shining down upon us and the beautiful scenery surrounding us, it felt almost magical.

When at last he released my face, his gaze lingered on the white cotton dress that brushed down my figure and flirted with my ankles. He grabbed hold of my hand and began walking. We walked on for some distance in silence, my heart wrestling with all the emotions that were overcoming me until once again we found ourselves among the perfect green grass filled with fragrant flowers. I stopped in wondering delight. It was a sight I would never grow tired of.

We reached the top of the hill again and lay down looking up at the rich blue sky dotted with stars as we had the night before. The view from atop the hill was breathtaking to say the least. We made small talk for a bit as we delighted in each other's company.

Still, I sensed something was wrong. It was as if I could feel the tension in him. As if reading my thoughts, Devin turned to face me. I rolled over on my side to meet his gaze.

"Can I ask you something," he whispered.

"Of course," I answered, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Do you believe in monsters?

Okay, there was a question I wasn't expecting. I thought it over a minute, unsure of how I should answer.

"You mean like under the bed and stuff," I giggled.

"Come on, I'm being serious. You know that's not what I meant."

I noticed how nervous he looked. "What do you mean then?" I asked, looking puzzled.

"What if everything isn't as it seems?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"Like me for instance. What do you see when you look at me?"

"Well, to me, you seem like just an average, nice, charming guy with looks better than most," I replied, not sure of what else to say. I mean despite my growing feelings for him, I still didn't know much about him.

Devin snickered then turned to face me again, his eyes seemingly burning into mine. "What if I'm not who you think I am?"

I let his last statement roll around on my brain for a bit before I answered. "Okay, who are you then?"

"Lets just say that I'm not like anyone you've ever met before."

"Could you elaborate?"

Devin let out a long exhale, then ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "What if I'm a monster?"

"I don't believe that could be true," I whispered as I reached out to touch his face.

Devin pulled away from my touch and in an instant was on his feet. He turned away from me and walked on with firm, swift steps. I got up and ran to catch up to him. When I had nearly caught up to him, he spun around abruptly.

"Don't you get it? I'm no good for you. You should run from me, not to me," he screamed. But even as he yelled, I could see the pain behind his dark eyes.

"Devin, I don't understand," I pleaded. "Please talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Just yesterday you told me you were falling in love with me. Now you're telling me to stay away from you. Please explain it to me because I'm really confused. Did I do something wrong?"

He snickered again. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. That's the problem." He paused, as if contemplating what to say next, as he looked into my eyes. "I won't kill you," he muttered under his breath. It was so low that I almost didn't hear him. His face was contorted with pure agony as he once again repeated his last statement, again a near silent whisper.

Now I was more confused than ever. Did he really just say 'I won't kill you'? I don't understand. Where did that come from? Did he want to kill me before and suddenly change his mind? Is that what all my nightmares had been about? Were they some sort of premonition? Is that why Nevaeh had tried to attack him? Was she really protecting me?

I took a few steps back, my eyes never leaving his. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I tried to decide if I should run. But something held me there. In one swift step, Devin was in front of me again. I started to panic, but it soon disappeared as he pulled me into a loving embrace and kissed the top of my head. "I won't hurt you," he promised.

"I know," I whispered back, deep down feeling that what I was saying was true.

"Come on, we should get going."

"But wait," I said as I fixed my gaze on him. "What about what you were trying to tell me? I still want to know."

"You're not ready to hear it yet," he said as he grabbed my hand and began walking back toward the parking lot – an indication that he was finished with the conversation.

When we reached the parking lot he walked me to my car and stood there as I unlocked the door. "I love you," he whispered into my ear. Then with a soft kiss on my lips and a loving embrace, he left me at my car door. I watched as he walked back to his truck and climbed inside. I started my own car and dared to look over at him again. He was watching me as he had the night before. I smiled and waved before backing out of my parking space and driving home.

Devin sat in his truck for a long time after he watched me pull away. He pounded the steering wheel several times with his fist, cracking it in the process. "Fuck!" he yelled out as thoughts of me haunted his mind. How am I going to get out of this? I won't kill her. I won't! And I'll die before I let her become what I am. I won't let her be marked for eternal damnation. How am I to protect her against the fallen army? They know what she is and they want her. They'll stop at nothing to get what they want.

How did I even get into this mess? Then he remembered. He had a fight with his girlfriend followed by a long night of drinking. It was a dark, foggy night when he left the last bar. The streets were slick with rain and he was driving his motorcycle too fast and wasn't wearing a helmet. He took a curve too fast and was airborne. He flew some eighty feet from his motorcycle, hitting the ground head first in the wooded area. Dark red blood seeped from his skull. He was dying, that he was sure of.

As he lay there, fighting for his next breath, a man approached him. But this was no ordinary man. He had an unearthly beauty to him and his pale white skin seemed to glow under the moonlight. At first he had thought him an angel, until the man tipped his head back and let out an evil, throaty laugh. That's when he noticed the fangs.

Before he knew what was happening, the man bit down on his neck. He had let out a blood-curdling scream as hot, burning pain seared through his body. The pain increased in intensity and just as he thought he could bear no more, it ceased suddenly. A new feeling overwhelmed him – a thirst. But not just any thirst – it was a thirst for one thing and one thing only. Blood.

The beautiful man, whom he now knew as Damien, had knelt down next to him. 'Welcome to Satan's army' he had said in a mocking tone. 'Your life has been spared, but now you must kill. Your soul belongs to him now.'

"Fuck you! Devin yelled out. "I didn't choose this!" he screamed over and over again, his rage startling even him.

I have to figure out a way to save her. I've only got three days left.

I pulled into the driveway and ran inside. As I entered the living room, my mother rose from the sofa, frowning at me. I saw that Kelly was sitting next to her. When she saw me, her eyes widened and she ran to me.

"She's been asking for you all night," mom said shaking her head. "I don't understand. It's not often that you get to see your cousin. What was so important that you had to storm off and leave her?"

"Sorry, mom," I replied as I picked Kelly up. "A friend really needed me."

My mother threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Well, she's all yours now."

Kelly leaned her head on my shoulder. "You must be tired," I whispered. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

I walked up the stairs with Kelly in my arms and laid her down in my bed. I quickly changed into my pajamas and cuddled up next to her. Nevaeh jumped up on the bed too and laid down in her usual spot at the bottom of the bed by my feet with her head nestled on my leg.

"Nicole, can you read me a bedtime story?"

"Of course, sweetie," I replied as I got up and walked over to the small bookcase against the wall, grateful that I still had some children's books saved from when I used to baby-sit. I found one about a bunny and a duck and sat back down on the bed to read it to her.

When I finished reading the story, I turned out the light. Kelly started to complain that she was scared of the dark, so I got up, went into the bathroom and retrieved the nightlight we had kept in there. Then I returned to my room and plugged it in.

"Okay, all better," I said as the light glowed softly. "Now lets get some sleep, kiddo."

"Wait, you forgot to check the closet," Kelly whispered.

"Check the closet? Check the closet for what?" I asked.

"The closet monster," Kelly whispered back.

I smiled to myself, remembering the "closet monster" from when I was a kid. I got up out of bed and opened my closet door. "It's all clear," I exclaimed. "See, no monsters!"

Kelly smiled and shook her head.

"Now all we have to worry about is the toe monster," I teased as I looked over at Kelly's feet sticking out from under the covers.

She quickly pulled her feet in under the covers. "Who's the toe monster," she asked, sounding a bit scared.

"Well," I whispered as I walked around to her side of the bed. "The toe monster prowls around at night," I continued as I reached under the covers for her feet, "and he looks for some good toes to tickle!" I exclaimed as I started tickling her little toes.

Kelly giggled. When I was finished tickling her tootsies, I gently tucked them back under the covers. She immediately pulled them back out. "Again! Again!" she pleaded. I tickled them again and then yet again.

"Okay, its time for us to go to sleep now, okay?" I whispered as I climbed back in bed.

"Nicole," she whispered back.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not afraid of the toe monster."

I smiled. "Me neither."

"Good night. I love you," Kelly whispered as she hugged her teddy bear tightly.

"I love you too," I whispered back as I kissed her forehead.

I closed my eyes and images of my date with Devin earlier played across my mind. Soon Kelly was shaking me.

"Nicole! Nicole! Are you awake?"

"What is it, sweetie?" I asked.

She pointed across the room. "Who is that man?"

I shot up in bed and looked where she was pointing. I didn't see anything. "Kelly, sweetie, there's no one there."

"Yes, there is," she said matter-of-factly. "Oh, look how pretty he is!" she gasped. "His eyes are so blue and they are glowing and there's a blue fog surrounding him."

Great, I thought as I looked again. Still I saw nothing.

"He's watching over us," Kelly whispered. "I bet he's an angel." Then she smiled and rolled over on her side.

The whole thing crept me out. Was there something wrong with my cousin? Was she seeing things? Or was there something wrong with me cuz I couldn't see it? Did we have a ghost?

Suddenly the image of the blue eyes I had seen when I had my accident and that I had seen in Nevaeh came into my mind. An unexplainable feeling of peace washed over me as I closed my eyes.

That night, I had no nightmares.

# Chapter 11

The next morning I awoke with Kelly sitting on top of me, prying my eyelids open. "Nicole, are you in there?" she whispered.

I opened my eyes, yawned, and smiled at her. "Yep, I'm in here. I bet you want breakfast, huh?"

"Yes! Yes!" Kelly answered enthusiastically.

"Okay, but first we have to brush our teeth and get dressed."

"All right," Kelly agreed grudgingly.

After breakfast Gina came over. We took Kelly for a swim in my pool and then went over to the park for a bit. I loved listening to my cousin giggle and yell "higher" as I pushed her on the swings. We had brought Nevaeh with to the park too. She seemed to be watching over Kelly intently. Once Kelly moved on to the various slides, Nevaeh would follow her up the steps to the slide and then run back down the steps and wait for her at the bottom. It was like they had their own little game going on.

It didn't take long for Kelly to make friends with the other little kids at the park. Once I felt comfortable doing so, Gina and I walked over to one of the benches to sit down and talk. I could still see Kelly from where I sat and I was careful to keep my eyes on her the whole time. I couldn't help but laugh as I watched Nevaeh follow Kelly in the game of tag she was playing with the other kids. Guess it's a good thing they weren't playing hide and seek. Nevaeh would've given Kelly away each time.

"So how are things going with you and Devin?" Gina asked. "You've been so busy with him that I've barely talked to you lately."

"I'm sorry, Gina. It's not really because of Devin. I've just had a lot going on lately with the accident, finding out about Jim's death, his funeral, and then all the storm damage. And now, with Kelly being here and all."

"I understand. But now, back to Devin..." Gina giggled. "Come on, I want the scoop."

I smiled to myself. "Things are going really well with him. He's so sweet to me. The past two nights he brought me to these woods I hadn't been to before. It was unlike any woods I had ever seen. Something about it just seemed magical.

Gina laughed. "Magical...?"

I laughed too. "Yes, magical! It was just real different there. There was this brook with all these flowers around it in all different colors. And the way the moon shone down on it made it look magical."

"That sounds pretty cool."

"Wait, there's more. When we left the brook, Devin walked me through the woods to a clearing. There we saw a field with lush green grass that formed a hill in the center. It was filled with fragrant flowers, which Devin started picking for me on the way up. When we reached the top, we laid back to look up at the stars. The whole sky was lit up with them and it felt like the moon was shining down directly on us. The whole scene was just... enchanting."

"Wow! That sounds amazing."

"It was. And..." I started as I grinned ear to ear.

"And what?"

"And... he told me that he's falling in love with me."

"That's awesome," Gina said as she smiled at me, "but how do you feel about him? Do you love him too?"

I frowned.

"Uh-oh, what's that look for?"

"I don't know," I replied. "I have strong feelings for him too, I guess. But there's just something holding me back."

"Jim?" Gina guessed.

"No, that's not it. Well, maybe a little. I don't know."

"Nicole, Jim's gone. You have to accept that and move on."

"I have accepted it," I said defensively. "With Devin, it's just that... well I don't know. I can't really put my finger on it. There's just something... different."

"Different how?" Gina urged.

"Well, it's a few things. I mean he's gorgeous and he's sweet to me and all, but I get these funny feelings when he's around. Then there's the nightmares I was having about him."

"Are you still having the nightmares?"

"No. Well I was, but I didn't have any last night. And aside from the nightmares, I don't understand some of the things he says or does sometimes."

"Like what?"

"Well, the other night he really wanted me to come and see him. I was reluctant because I had Kelly. Then he started pleading with me. He just seemed so desperate and he had muttered something about us not having much time or something like that."

"Not much time for what?"

"That's just it, I don't know."

"That is strange."

"Yeah, but I don't know what to make of it all."

"Maybe you should just stop seeing him, Nic. I mean if he makes you feel uneasy."

"I've thought about that too, but I can't."

"Of course you can," Gina said softly as she put her hand on my shoulder.

"No, you don't understand, Gina. I really can't. I've tried to stay away from him – especially after the nightmares, but I can't. I mean I'm physically unable to refrain myself from seeing him. It's the strangest thing. It's like there's something drawing me to him – like some otherworldly pull, kind of like gravity."

"Maybe you love him too."

"Oh shut up," I joked.

Gina just looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Well, Damien called me the other night," she finally said.

"Yeah?" I asked, surprised at the revelation.

"Well gee, don't look so surprised."

"I'm not. I'm sorry. It's just that you told me that you two didn't really hit it off."

"We didn't."

"So why was he calling you?"

"He said something about really wanting to see me again. Said he was sorry if his quietness came off as rudeness, but that he was so stunned by my beauty that I left him speechless," Gina continued as she rolled her eyes.

I laughed.

"I know, right?" Gina continued. "That had to have been one of the worst lines I've ever heard."

"So what did you say to him?"

"I just lied and told him I had other plans. Then he said that you and I should get together with him and Devin again."

"And?" I urged.

"And I said I'd think about it," Gina muttered under her breath.

I laughed. "Come on, I know you like him."

"Shut up. I do not!" Gina laughed as she made a face at me.

"Well, I should really be getting Kelly some lunch," I said as I stood up. "Kelly! Kelly, come on! Time to go," I yelled out.

After lunch, I drove back home and said goodbye to Gina as she got in her car and drove away. Tommy and I decided to take Kelly for a ride on the four-wheelers. She insisted on riding with me, so I sat her down on the seat in front of me and drove one-handed, with my free hand wrapped around her middle.

I took Kelly for a ride up and down the ditches at a much slower pace than I normally would have gone when alone. She seemed to be enjoying herself, especially when we rode through the mud and it came up and splashed us. Tommy stopped at the same pond we normally went to and I parked my quad next to his.

We sat down at the edge and took our shoes off, putting our feet in the warm water. The water was pretty shallow. I watched Kelly as she giggled and kicked around playfully on the shore.

"She really seems to be enjoying herself," Tommy commented.

I looked over at him and saw that he was watching her, smiling.

I smiled too. "Yeah. I'm glad she's calmed down now and having some fun. It was heartbreaking watching her cry for her mama yesterday afternoon."

"Did mom say when Aunt Susan is supposed to be back?"

"Yeah, she said in about ten days or so. I don't know, some business trip or something."

"I'm surprised she didn't bring Kelly with her and just have the nanny come along."

"Yeah, I'm kind of glad she didn't though. I mean it's kind of nice to have this time with her, ya know?"

Tommy looked over at me. "You always were good with kids. No wonder she likes you so much."

"You're good with kids too," I said. Then I paused. "Probably cuz you still are one," I teased.

"Oh shut up," Tommy said as he gave me a playful shove and grinned.

My cell phone started ringing.

"It's probably him again," Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

"Watch Kelly for a few minutes," I said as I got up and walked away.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby. How are you?"

"I'm okay. And you?"

"Doing pretty good now that I'm talking to you," Devin answered.

"Awe, thanks," I said, blushing a little.

"So I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me today?"

"Um, I guess I could. What time?"

"How about sunset?"

I looked over at Tommy, who had now joined Kelly, kicking his feet around in the shallow pond water. "Yeah, that should be fine. Do you want to pick me up or should we meet somewhere?"

"I could pick you up if you promise to keep your dog inside," Devin laughed.

I agreed. "So where are we going anyways?"

"It's a surprise."

"Another surprise?" I asked, already feeling giddy.

"Nothing but the best for you," Devin answered. "Oh, and wear gym shoes and comfortable clothes."

When I got home, I noticed that I was caked in mud, as was Kelly. I gave Kelly a quick bath and then took one myself. Remembering what Devin had said, I dressed in soft pink sweat shorts with a matching tank top and my white sneakers. I paced back and forth on the front porch as I waited for Devin to show up.

After what seemed like an eternity, his truck finally pulled into the driveway. Even from outside, I could hear the distinct howl of my dog. It had started just as Devin's truck had approached the driveway.

Devin parked and got out of his truck. He walked over to the passenger side and held the door open for me. As I was ready to jump inside, he surprised me by spinning me around and kissing me softly.

"So where are we going?" I asked once he had turned out onto the main road.

"I told you it's a surprise," Devin grinned.

"Don't I get some sort of a clue," I pleaded.

"Okay, I give in. Here's your clue – you are gonna love it!" Devin chuckled.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Meanie," I teased.

As we drove down the freeway, Devin turned off on the Utica exit. I looked over at him and raised my eyebrows.

"What's that look for?" Devin asked.

I shook my head back and forth and laughed. "Just where are you taking me?"

Devin just grinned at me as he continued to drive, making a few more turns. Soon I saw a sign that said 'Starved Rock'. Devin slowed his truck and turned into the parking lot.

"So you're taking me on a nature hike?" I asked.

"You can do it," Devin said as he reached down by my feet and retrieved a small backpack. He unzipped it and handed me a can of insect repellent. "Here, spray some of this on. The mosquitoes can be terrible this time of year."

"Great," I replied as I accepted the can and began spraying it on my bare skin.

"Have you ever been here before?" Devin asked

"Once, when I was like eight," I replied. "But it was during the day. I was with my mother and brother. Somehow we got separated and I couldn't find them anywhere. I just cried and cried. It was so scary."

"Well, it's beautiful here at night," Devin said as he grabbed the backpack and got out of the truck. "Come on."

I got out of the truck and Devin grabbed my hand. "And don't worry, I'll hold your hand the entire time, so you won't get lost," he teased.

"Hey, I told you I was like eight at the time. I'm a big girl now. I can handle myself."

"Okay," Devin laughed as he dropped my hand and walked briskly in front of me.

"Very funny," I said as I stood there with my arms crossed over my chest. But Devin didn't stop or turn around. Soon he disappeared on the dark trail. "Hey, wait!" I yelled as I ran to catch up to him. I couldn't see him anywhere. How far could he have gotten in such a short time?

"Devin!" I yelled out as I slowly walked down the trail. "Devin, come on! This isn't funny! It's so dark. I can barely see a thing."

I could feel anxiety welling up in my chest as I inched my way along the dark trail. What an asshole! This is crazy! I should just turn back and wait by the truck. At least the parking lot is lit up.

As I turned around a shadow emerged from the tree and grabbed me from behind with one strong arm around my middle, pinning my arms to me and the other arm crossed over my shoulder, with the hand covering my mouth. "Do you wanna die tonight?" the voice whispered. My survival instincts kicked in and I kicked wildly and bit my attacker's hand. He released his hold on me.

"Geeze, what the hell. It was a joke," the familiar voice said.

I spun around to see Devin. "That was not funny," I cried.

"I'm sorry. I thought you knew it was me."

"Well, I didn't. I couldn't see you at all. It's so frickin dark out here. And you know what else – this place sucks at night!" I said as I stormed off toward the parking lot.

Devin caught up to me quickly and grabbed my arm.

"Let go of me," I warned.

"Are you okay?" Devin asked softly as he lightly stroked the back of my arm.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I murmured, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Nicole, please. I said I was sorry. There's something I really want to show you. Will you come with me, please? I promise I won't leave you again."

I wiped at the corners of my eyes, took a deep breath and turned around to face him. I gazed into Devin's pleading eyes and all my anger melted away. "Promise?" I repeated.

He smiled ear to ear and grabbed my hand tightly. Devin turned on his flashlight as we walked down the trail. We passed all kinds of different trees and rocks.

"We're almost there," Devin said as we walked over a wooden bridge and went down several wooden steps. Finally we arrived at Devin's destination – a small enclosed area that overlooked the river.

"This here is called Lover's Leap," Devin said.

I walked over to the edge of the enclosed area and looked out. There were several small islands with trees in the river and lots of rock formations.

"Wonder why they call it Lover's Leap," I said.

Devin put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him. "Well, the legend is that a young Indian brave was in love with a girl from another tribe, but because of tribal rivalry, the chiefs had forbidden the two lovers to marry. They didn't want to live their lives apart, so they chose to die together instead. They met one evening at the top of the rock formation, held onto each other, and jumped to their deaths in the swirling waters below. Ever since then, this spot has been called Lover's Leap."

"Wow, that's so sad," I said.

"I think it's beautiful," Devin replied. "Imagine loving somebody so much that you would rather die than be apart."

"Guess it is sort of romantic."

Devin lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes. "I know how that man must have felt," he whispered. Then he kissed me sweetly and held me to his chest. It was as if time stood still as we stood there silently holding each other, looking out over Lover's Leap.

"So how do you know so much about this place?" I finally asked.

Devin released his hold on me and sighed. He walked closer to the overlook and ran a hand over the back of his neck as he looked out. "My dad," he whispered.

"Your dad?"

Devin turned to look at me. "Yeah, my dad used to take me and my sister here all the time when we were kids."

A part of me really wanted to ask more about his sister, but I resisted, remembering how upset he had appeared the last time I brought it up.

Devin grabbed my hand again. "Come on, I want to show you the Aurora Canyon. It's not far from here. And after all the rain we got last night, the waterfall should be active."

"A waterfall? That sounds cool."

"It is."

Devin and I walked hand in hand until we reached the canyon. It was quite majestic looking. I loved the way the large rocks seemed to spiral upward. The waterfall was pretty cool too, but not much water rushed from it.

"So this is the waterfall?"

"Yeah. There's much better ones in the park," Devin said, sounding disappointed.

We walked on slowly until we reached another canyon. This one had tall moss-covered rocks and a thin, streaming waterfall cascading from the top down the middle of the canyon. It must've been fifty or so feet tall.

Devin moved his flashlight around. "Oh my God, Devin, look," I said excitedly as I pointed to a white tailed deer drinking from the water that pooled at the bottom of the waterfall. The deer looked over at us and quickly scampered away.

"So what's this one called?" I asked.

"St. Louis Canyon," Devin responded as he pulled me closer to the waterfall. "This waterfall's usually pretty active cuz it's fed from the St. Louis Canyon Creek."

"St. Louis Canyon? Isn't this where they found them three older ladies murdered back in the 1960's?" I asked as I took a step back.

"Yeah. Their bodies were found on the floor of that overhang just over there," Devin said as he pointed under a small ledge. "But as the story goes, they were killed deeper in the canyon and then their bodies were dragged and positioned under that rock ledge."

"That's so disgusting. Them poor ladies! It feels kind of creepy being here, knowing that this is where they were murdered," I said as goose bumps rose on my arms.

"Yeah, well they caught the man that did it. So it's safe now," he chuckled. "Besides, you have me to protect you." Then he turned to face me and looked deep into my eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, of course."

A grin spread over his beautiful face.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"Climb on my back."

"No. I mean... why?"

Devin continued grinning. "Just do it," he said as he dropped his backpack onto the ground.

I jumped up onto his back, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his middle.

"Hold on tight," Devin laughed. At that, he began climbing up the tall canyon. Oh my God, what is he doing? He's going to kill us!

"Devin, what are you doing? You're crazy! Put me down!" I yelled.

"Just hang on tight and don't look down."

"Oh my God, if I live through this, I'm going to kill you!"

Devin laughed. In no time, we were at the top of the canyon. How did we get up here so fast? I slid off of Devin's back and looked down. How did we even get up here at all?

I looked over at Devin. He was smiling ear to ear at me. I shoved him. "Great, now how are we gonna get down?"

"I got it covered," he responded. "Now just relax and check out the view from up here.

I had to admit, the view was spectacular. As I stood there looking around, taking in the beauty around me, Devin approached me from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it really is something," I responded. "But seriously, how are we gonna get down?"

Devin grinned and in one quick movement had thrown me back onto his back. "Close your eyes and hold on tight." Then he jumped. I closed my eyes tightly, fearing the worst. Any moment now, our bodies are going to be splattered on the pavement.

I kept my eyes tightly closed waiting for the impact.

"You can open your eyes now," Devin said.

I opened my eyes and looked around. We were safely on the ground. But how? There was no sound whatsoever when we hit the ground. It just didn't make sense.

I eyed Devin suspiciously. "How did you do that?"

He just grinned and grabbed my arm. He pulled me over to the surprisingly warm waterfall and kissed me passionately as we stood underneath it.

"I should get you back home," he said when he finally broke away from the long kiss.

"Oh God," I moped. "Now we gotta walk all the way back."

"You can do it. Remember, you're a big girl now. You said it yourself," he teased.

"Oh shut up..." I started to joke back. But Devin interrupted by swiftly picking me up into his arms. Then he started to walk with me still in his arms. "I was kidding. I can walk. Just put me down before you get tired."

Devin stopped and looked me directly in the eyes. "Trust me, this is nothing," he grinned then resumed walking.

I nestled my head against his shoulder. "Guess I could get used to this," I whispered.

Devin didn't put me down until we reached his truck in the parking lot. I couldn't believe he had carried me so effortlessly all that way and he didn't even seem to be tired. He unlocked the doors and held mine open for me. Then he drove me home.

He pulled into my driveway and cut the headlights. I heard Nevaeh's distinct bark and howl. I turned my head toward the front of the house and saw her through the glass window on the front door. She was standing on two legs with her front paws pushed against the door, barking. I looked over at Devin. He looked nervous.

"Guess my dog has a mind of her own," I laughed. "I wonder why she doesn't like you."

Devin shrugged.

"Well, that's okay," I said softly as I leaned in closer to him, "Cuz I like you." Then I kissed him.

Devin broke away after a few minutes. "Umm, you should probably go in before your dog breaks through the door and eats me," he laughed.

"Okay," I agreed.

I started to get out of the truck when he interrupted me. "Hey, Nicole?"

I turned around. "Yeah?"

"Is it okay if I call you later?"

"Yeah, I'll still be up for awhile."

Devin smiled and nodded. I closed the truck door and watched him pull out of the driveway. I decided to go in the back door since Nevaeh was still howling at the front door. I was afraid that she would run past me if I opened the door.

As soon as I was inside, she bounded toward me, knocking me down and licking my face. "Okay, okay, mommy missed you too," I said as I stroked her fur. "Can I get up now?" I laughed.

I went upstairs and decided to take a bubble bath as I waited for Devin's call. After I finished, I went to my room, sat on the bed, and turned the TV on. Nevaeh jumped up on the bed and laid by my feet as usual. Soon after, Devin called.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow night?" he asked.

"I gotta work."

"What time do you get off?"

"Well I got first out tomorrow, so probably around 9:30 or 10:00. What did you have in mind?"

"Thought maybe we could go back to Starved Rock. There's a lot more I want to show you."

"I think I've seen enough," I laughed.

"Oh come on. It'll be fun," Devin persisted.

"Well can't we go during the day sometime?"

"I work during the day."

"Yeah, but what about on the weekend?"

"I work weekends too."

"So you never did tell me – where is it that you work?"

"I do construction."

That would explain the muscles. But then shouldn't he be tan?

"Well, you're the whitest construction worker I've ever met," I teased.

Devin was quiet for a few moments. "Yeah, well I work in the office mostly, so I don't get much sun."

"Office work, huh?" I giggled.

"Well, I know it's not as cool as being a waitress," he teased.

"Hey! I'm not going to be a waitress forever," I said defensively.

"Nicole, I was just kidding. There's nothing wrong with being a waitress."

"I know. It's just not what I want to do forever though."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Well, I've been saving up some money and I've enrolled in some interior design courses at the local college. I start in September."

"That's pretty cool."

"What are you doing?" I heard a man yell in the background.

"Nicole, I gotta go. I'll meet you after work tomorrow," Devin whispered and abruptly hung up.

"Okay, bye," I said to myself as I hit the end button on my cell phone.

I had so much on my mind as I tried to fall asleep. So many things just seemed out of place about Devin. First of all, he was more gorgeous than any mortal man I'd ever seen, even in the movies. His appearance just seemed too perfect. Then there was his job supposedly as a construction worker. Okay, he had said that he worked in the office, which would explain his non-tan complexion; only he didn't strike me as the brainy office worker type. And how did he get to be so strong if he sat at a desk all day long? And furthermore, how was he able to scale up the side of that canyon and jump down with me on his back like it was nothing? And why didn't my dog like him?

Something just wasn't right. But it didn't matter. I would not – could not – stay away from him. Something bigger than the both of us was pulling me to him. I didn't know what that thing was, but it was stronger than gravity.

# Chapter 12

"What are you doing?" Damien repeated.

Devin stood up from the tree he was perched against and looked Damien in the eye. "Nothing, I was just talking to her for a bit."

"Well isn't that sweet," Damien sneered.

"Hey, it's all part of the job," Devin said defensively. "Make her trust me, right?"

Damien smiled. "Come on, there's some newbies I want you to meet."

Devin followed Damien through the thick trees until they reached the old farmhouse. Damien pulled the door open. Inside, a stereo was blaring some weird cult music and candles were lit all around the living room, providing the only light aside from the fireplace. Several men were involved in some sort of grudge match.

"Enough!" Damien screamed, his voice a loud rumble that seemed to shake the delicate walls. The men immediately stopped fighting and watched him as he walked around the room surveying the damage. The drywall was damaged in multiple areas. Damien reached out and pulled a large piece from the wall, shaking his head in disapproval. "We are supposed to be killing humans... not each other!" Then he threw the piece of drywall at the crowd.

Devin looked around the room, counting twelve new vampires. Three of them were women, the other nine men. Why the hell was there so many? Just what were Damien and Kya planning to do with them all? Then his eyes caught sight of Kya coming down the stairs, her long black hair framing her pale white face, and his body tensed. She was their leader for all intensive purposes. And what an evil one she was! She even scared him.

He continued to watch her descend the staircase, her long fingernails, which were painted blood red to match her lipstick and her eyes, making a horrible screeching noise as they scratched at the banister. To the untrained eye she was beautiful - stunning really. She appeared to be in her mid twenties although in reality she was centuries older than that. But to Devin, he saw her for the truly hideous being that she was.

Everyone was silent as they also watched Kya descend the stairs. Her eyes roamed from person to person. Damien strolled up to her and kissed her cheeks. "Sorry for the disturbance. I'm handling it."

Kya stared at Damien. "Doesn't look to me like you're handling shit," she responded in her deceptively sweet voice as she violently shoved him out of the way. She continued to walk slowly, her eyes meeting each one of the vampires' eyes. "Lets get something straight," she said in a low voice. Then she walked directly up to one of the vampires - a tall man, maybe twenty years old, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail, and tore his head off. Then she threw it into the fire. "No more fucking around!" she screamed. "Your orders are clear. What are you all still doing here? Go bring me more!"

The new vampires scampered about quickly. Kya turned back to Damien and motioned to the body of the vampire she had just beheaded. The headless body was still shaking about violently on the floor. "Clean this mess up!" Then she turned and slowly walked back upstairs.

Damien turned to Devin. "Don't let this happen to you. Follow your orders. Remember, you've got two days left. Bring Kya the girl, or I'll do it myself." Then he grabbed a jagged piece of wood from a chair that had been broken earlier that night and thrust it into the wriggling vampire's chest. All movement stopped.

Devin walked over to the large bay window overlooking the front yard. He watched the newly created vampires as they left the yard. Deep down he knew that they wouldn't be bringing anyone new back with them tonight. He remembered how hard it had been for him in the beginning. Once he bit down and tasted the sweet blood, he was unable to stop until every last drop was gone. It took lots of practice and self-control to just bite and walk away. Tonight, all that the new vampires would be doing would be committing more murders – draining more corpses – adding to the local coroner's growing pile of lifeless bodies. And the county sheriff would be busy visiting more homes – telling more families that their loved ones were dead. When did it all end? When would it ever be enough for Kya? And what would be next for him?

Things had changed for Devin after meeting me. Although faint, he saw the light again. He started to believe that perhaps he wasn't damned after all. Maybe there was another way aside from what he had grown accustomed to the last few decades.

Devin turned away from Damien, who was ripping apart the dead vampire's limbs and throwing them into the fire.

"Hey, where are you going?" Damien called out.

"To hunt," Devin replied sarcastically.

Damien grinned. Devin grinned back, knowing that it wasn't humans that he was going to hunt. He turned and walked briskly out the front door.

The new vampires had broken apart in small groups. Devin jogged to catch up to the largest group, which consisted of six men and one woman. "Hey, I know a great place to hunt," he grinned. "Come on, follow me."

Devin walked over to his truck. The group followed him. One of the men and the woman climbed into the front seat with him, while the other five men jumped in the bed of the truck.

"Let's get some blood," Devin snickered as he put the truck in drive and took off. He drove the short distance to one of the many local wooded areas, careful not to stay too close to home in case Devin or Kya appeared.

He parked his truck and got out. The other vampires followed his lead. Devin walked into the woods a distance then stopped to face the others. "First, lets gather some wood and start a fire," he ordered.

"I don't get it," one of the men commented.

Devin walked up to him and looked him in the eyes. "Remember, we're only to kill the weak. The strong we are to make like us." He turned to face the small group. "I want you all to fan out and find a victim. There's plenty of young couples in these woods at night," Devin lied. "So separate and bring the victims right back here."

"Why do we have to bring them back here?" another man asked.

"Because none of you are strong enough to resist the blood and just change them into one of us. I know you're thirsty, but if we don't bring Kya back more, the same fate will await you as the young man you saw Kya kill earlier. Understood?"

"I still don't get what the fire is for," the same man repeated.

Devin walked up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him close. "It's to mark where we'll meet with our victims, dumbass."

Again, Devin addressed the group. "Now remember, nobody is to come back to this spot until they have a victim. Understand?"

"Who made you boss?" another man asked as he snickered sarcastically.

Devin made his way over to the man, put his arm around his neck and in one swift motion of his hand had snapped it. The body fell to the ground with a thud. "Are there any more questions?" he yelled. The remainder of the group stood there in stunned silence. "Great, now lets get to work."

Devin began gathering large pieces of wood. The rest of the vampires followed his lead. When Devin was satisfied with the woodpile, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a match, striking it and lighting the fire. He retrieved the man's body and threw it onto the fire.

"What are you waiting for? Move!" Devin yelled to the remaining. He watched as they scampered about in different directions. One down, six to go! He let out a long exhale. Let's do this!

Devin's face contorted into a blatantly wolfish grin. He stood back and watched for a bit, debating which way to go first. He kept a watchful gaze as he set off on a clean path through all the madness. He strode easily, careful not to make a sound. He spotted one of the vampires a few feet away from him – a young man probably in his early twenties, with deep black eyes. The man was tall like him and was so skinny that he reminded him of a beanpole. Devin glided behind the trees until he was in the upcoming path of the man. Then he hid behind a tree waiting for the right moment to pounce and destroy.

Devin listened intently as he heard the crack and snap of the branches getting closer as the man drew nearer. Just as he was passing, Devin's arm shot out from around the tree. He grabbed the man's wrist and swung him against his chest. Wrapping his other arm around his neck with his hand on his face, he quickly turned the guy's head to the left, breaking his neck. Using all the strength he could muster, he pushed harder and harder until his head was separated from his body. He was amazed that the young vampire didn't even put up a fight.

Devin grabbed a sharp piece of wood and stabbed it into the heart of the headless body. Then he tore apart his limbs and picked them up from the ground. Returning to the fire, he threw the lifeless remains into the tall hot flames. Hearing movement to the right of him, he quickly disappeared behind a tree.

Devin watched as another man walked past, this one probably around the same age as his last victim, but much bulkier in size with deep black hair that was slicked back from his forehead. What was he doing near the fire? Hadn't he said not to return to the spot without a victim? He watched as the man walked further into the woods and away from the fire pit they had made. Devin hadn't realized he had been holding in his breath until he let it out in a violent rush of air.

Like a ninja he was fast on his feet again, careful not to make a sound. He was the predator and the man was his prey. Once again, he got ahead of his prey unnoticed... and he waited. As the man walked by, Devin put out his foot and hooked him behind the ankles and with a fierce yank he toppled him to the ground. The man started to get up and Devin pushed him forcefully back to the ground.

Before Devin knew what was happening, the man's fingers were tightening around his neck. He pulled at the man's arm with his left hand and picked up the wooden stake with his right. Just as he thought he would pass out, he drove the stake into the man's heart and he went limp beneath him. Devin sat down a moment to catch his breath as he grasped at his own throat, rubbing away the soreness. Then he did as he had done with the last body.

After he dumped the body on the burn pile, he looked at his watch. It was 3am. How fitting! He wanted sacrifice, well here it was. How do you like that, Satan? I'm killing off your army. Three down and four to go! But the woman... the woman would be hard. To get through it, he would have to remember "what" she was. He would be doing the world a favor by offing her. And he better get moving, because in just two short hours dawn would be breaking and Damien would be wondering where he was.

Devin was so quick on his feet that it almost felt like he was flying. He hadn't been able to walk that fast when he was human. Still, what he wouldn't give to be human again! Or just to know that there was some kind of peace at the end of this existence, whatever it might be.

Soon Devin came across two men. Hadn't he told them to separate? It didn't matter. He didn't have time to wait. He would have to take them both on and hope for the best. Experience and determination would be on his side.

Devin perched high up on a tree limb. Just as the two were approaching he jumped down, taking one of the men to the ground with him. The other man lurched forward with a clenched jaw and his hands fisted at his sides. As Devin tried to fight him off, the other man got up from the ground. Now Devin was raising his left arm to block one blow as he pulled back his other arm to grab at the other man's throat. He held on tight, pulling and pulling and pulling as he continued to fight off the other man with his spare arm and his feet.

Finally, the resistance eased as the man's neck cracked. Devin let him fall to the ground as he advanced on the other vampire. This one put up the biggest fight yet – and he was strong - real strong. Still, Devin would not give in. He kept on fighting until he was the last man standing. He drove stakes into their hearts and brought the two corpses to the burn pile. Just two left and only an hour before sunrise.

Just as he was walking away from the burn pile, two strong arms crushed around him from behind. Devin tried to wriggle free, kicking and scratching at his assailant. Then he leaned back and head butted the person. They released their grip and stumbled back. Two quickly delivered chops and Devin had him writhing on the ground. The man was holding his twisted arm and cursing at Devin. Devin grabbed a wooden stake from his back pocket and lunged it into the man's heart. Not even bothering to tear apart his limbs, Devin threw him on top of the fire. "Thanks for making it easier on me. Now I don't gotta carry your body so far," he snickered sarcastically.

Wish the girl would just come right to me also, Devin thought as he looked up at the sky and was off on his feet again. He spotted the female sitting near a brook with her head in her hands. This was going to be too easy.

Devin snuck up behind her. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back. Then he drove the stake into her heart. She didn't even see it coming. Devin carried her body back to the fire and threw it on top. The area already reeked of burning flesh. The odor stung at Devin's nostrils. Exhausted, he sat perched against a tree for a few moments as he watched the flames dance around. He had done it. In the dark hours right before dawn, he had killed seven vampires and saved God only knew how many lives in the process. That had to count for something, right?

Somewhere in the distance a coyote bayed at the moon. Realizing that he should be getting back to the farmhouse, Devin forced himself up from the ground and drove back. Damien was waiting on the front porch when he pulled in. Devin got out of the truck and slammed the door closed behind him.

"What, nobody new for Kya?" Damien asked.

"Fuck Kya," Devin muttered under his breath as he pushed past him and walked inside. Lets see how that evil cunt feels when she realizes she's down seven vampires. Devin smiled to himself. He ran down the basement stairs to his dark room and lay down on his bed. Soon my image crept into his mind. "I will find a way to save her," he whispered to himself. Then he closed his eyes and sleep overtook him.

# Chapter 13

It was a beautiful day outside. Tommy, my mother, Kelly, and I spent the morning swimming in the pool. Then I decided to take Kelly back to the park. My mother decided to come along and we packed a picnic lunch. Once again, I brought Nevaeh with. Kelly just adored her.

When we arrived, my mother and me set out a blanket under one of the crabapple trees and set the picnic basket down. She sat down to watch our stuff as I took Kelly over to the playground area. I pushed her on the swings until she eventually tired of it and wanted to move on to something else. Then I sat in the large wooden sandbox with her and helped her make a sand castle. I glanced over at my mother, who was still sitting perched against a tree trunk with a book in her hands.

"Come on, lets go see Aunt Angela," I said as I grabbed Kelly's hand and started rubbing sand off of it. "I'm getting hungry. What do you say we go have lunch, small fry?"

"Yeah," Kelly agreed as she jumped up and down and clapped her hands.

We reached the blanket and I pulled a small package of hand wipes from my purse. "Kelly, give me your hands so I can clean them before you eat, honey."

Kelly gave me her hands and let me clean them. Then I cleaned my own.

"Well, you girls sure looked like you were having fun," my mother said, smiling. "Are you having fun, Kelly?"

"Yes," Kelly smiled back.

"Oh good, are you ready for lunch? I think there's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in here with your name on it," my mother said to Kelly as she opened the picnic basket.

Kelly licked her lips and clapped her hands together. My mother handed her the sandwich, then handed one to me and took one out for herself.

My mother bit off a small piece of her sandwich and looked at me. "I think it's great that you play with her like that. You're going to make a great mother someday."

"Ahhh, thanks, mom. I hope I can be as good a mom as you are."

"You will," she replied between bites. "In fact, you'll be better."

"Mom, don't say that. You're a wonderful mother."

"Well," mom said as she looked away. "There's some things I wish I had done differently in your childhood. Things I wish I would've been able to protect you from."

I reached over and grabbed her arm. "Mom, that is what makes him trash, not you. You were always a great mom."

"Thanks, honey," she said softly as she looked away.

I knew exactly what she thinking as I put my sandwich down and reached over and hugged her. "I love you, mom," I whispered.

I heard her sniffle as she held me tighter. "I love you too. And I want you to know that I'm proud of the woman that you've become."

"Thanks," I said as I gently patted her back.

We finished eating and Kelly wanted to go on the slides. Nevaeh got up and looked at her, ready to follow her. "It's okay, Kelly, go along." Then I looked over at Nevaeh. "Go watch Kelly, Nevaeh." She barked in agreement and took off after Kelly. My mother and I both laughed.

I turned my head and looked directly at my mother. She smiled and looked down. I lightly touched her hand. "Mom, look, I want you to know that I don't blame you for anything that dad did to me. It wasn't your fault. You tried to protect me as best you could. And you did leave him."

"Yeah, but it took me long enough," my mother said as tears welled up in her eyes. "I've never been able to forgive myself for what he did to you."

I scooted closer and wrapped my arm around my mother's shoulder. She leaned her head against me. "I should've left him sooner. I'm so sorry, Nicole."

"Mom, it's okay. You were scared. And you had no idea he was going to do what he ended up doing."

"I'm just so glad that you're not repeating my same mistakes," she said as her eyes met mine. "Jim hit you and you left, which is what I should have done with your father."

"Stop beating yourself up over it, mom. It's not your fault. I don't blame you, and neither does Tommy. We're both fine, mom. Now will you please stop harboring all this guilt and move on? You deserve to be happy. You really do, mom."

"Thanks," she whispered.

I squeezed her hand and stood up. I looked over toward the playground and could see Nevaeh playfully chasing Kelly. I smiled to myself and turned back to my mother. "Come on, lets go have some fun," I said as I reached for her hand.

She accepted it and put her arm around my shoulder as we walked toward Kelly. Kelly saw us coming and started jumping up and down. "Yay! You're both going to play with me?"

"Yes, we are," my mother answered as she grabbed Kelly's hand.

The three of us spent the next hour swinging on the swings, going down slides, climbing the monkey bars, and playing tag. It was so nice to just forget about everything else for a while and just kick back and have some fun being a kid again.

"Okay, who wants ice cream?" I asked as I pulled into the parking lot of the local ice cream parlor.

"I do! I do!" Kelly and my mother both said excitedly.

I giggled and parked the car. We walked up to the window and each got a small ice cream cone. Then we sat on one of the outside benches. As we sat eating our ice cream, the sky started to turn a funny color. "We should probably get going," my mother said as she got up. Kelly and I followed her to the car just in time. As soon as I closed the door, rain started falling. I looked over at my mother and we both started laughing. Kelly joined in, although I'm not sure she even knew what we were laughing about.

Just as I was about to put the car in gear, the rain increased in intensity. I put the shifter back in park and turned to my mother. "I think we should wait here a bit til the rain dies down some. It's gonna be hard to see out the window like this."

She nodded. "Yeah, lets just sit here for a bit."

A loud crack of thunder struck nearby. Kelly started crying. "I'm scared," she said, her lips trembling.

I turned the key backward in the ignition so that I would still have power. Then I turned on the radio and climbed into the backseat to sit with Kelly. I hugged her close to me. "So, do you like to sing, Kelly?"

"Yeah," she whispered, her chin still quivering.

"Okay, well sing with us," I said as I tapped my mother on the shoulder and began singing along with the radio. My mother and Kelly soon joined me and before we knew it, the storm had passed. I climbed back into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove home.

When we got home, it was time for me to get ready for work. I took a quick shower and changed into my uniform. Then I grabbed a spare outfit to bring along for my date with Devin after work. I threw it into my shoulder bag and headed down the stairs. Kelly was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons. I approached her and gave her a quick hug and kiss. "I gotta go to work now, sweet pea," I said as I stroked her hair. "I'll see you later, okay?" Kelly nodded. "Bye, mom. I'm leaving now," I called over my shoulder as I headed out the front door.

I pulled into the parking lot at the diner. It was completely packed, which wasn't unusual for a Friday night. As I pushed through the doors leading inside, my eyes met Gina's as she walked swiftly toward me, her eyes wide. "Nicole, come here. You've got to see this," she said as she pulled me by my arm. She led me to the counter and sat me down on one of the stools then took a seat next to me. "Hey, Steve, turn that up," she yelled as she motioned toward the small TV set.

Once again, police and fire rescue responded early this morning to a call from some civilians that there was smoke rising from the treetops at the Jasper Woods. Fire officials were able to quickly distinguish the flames and were shocked at the discovery of what remained. What they found were seven human skulls, along with some bones and teeth in what appeared to be a man-made fire pit of some sort.

"Can you believe it? That's only twenty minutes from where we live," Gina exclaimed.

My eyes were dilated with horror. I felt sick. It was getting closer to my home, just as I had said before. The rest of my night was a blur, as other nights before it. I did my job like a robot, not even remembering if I had any conversations with customers. I was grateful that I had first outs. I finished them quickly, punched out, and went into the bathroom to change.

As I pushed through the doors and into the parking lot, I saw Devin standing there leaning against his truck waiting for me. Talk about déjà vu. I smiled as I walked toward him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Do we really have to go back to Starved Rock," I whined. "I don't feel like doing much walking tonight."

"Yes, we really have to go to Starved Rock," Devin whined back. "But it's okay. It won't be a long walk this time. I promise."

He opened the passenger side door of the truck and I climbed inside. As he drove, I told him all about what I had heard on the news earlier that night.

"Well, maybe they deserved it," Devin said.

I looked over at him in disbelief trying to read into him, but his face was an unreadable mask. "That's a shitty thing to say. What was that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he replied, his voice deceptively innocent.

I demanded to know as I glared at him, my gaze hardening. But he remained mutinously silent as his knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. He let out his breath in a violent rush and dared a look over at me. His eyes seemed different to me now – like they were somehow brighter than they had been in the past.

He was silent for a long time before he spoke again. "All I meant was that we don't know who those people who died were. Maybe they were bad or something and their deaths will prevent future deaths."

"Is that what you believe?" I asked.

"Well, it's a theory. Isn't there supposed to be a balance between good and evil, or something like that?"

"I suppose."

Devin parked the truck in a different lot this time. Again, he gave me the can of insect repellent and told me to spray it on any bare skin. Together we walked hand in hand down the dark trails. Soon we were off the trails and walking along huge rock formations. I put my hand out against the rock walls for balance as we walked along. Before long, we were standing before another waterfall. This one wasn't as tall as the others Devin had shown me, but it was gorgeous nonetheless and the trickle of water was much wider than the others.

Devin and I kept walking along the rocks. The rock path was quite narrow, so he walked in front of me, still holding my hand. He led me to a cave-like area directly behind the waterfall. I reached my hand out and touched the cool water. Devin removed his backpack and squatted down. He unzipped it and pulled out two large candles. He set them further back and lit them. The inside of the cave glowed softly in the candlelight.

Devin grabbed my hand again and sat down, pulling me into his lap. He nestled his chin on top of my head and held me tight as we sat listening to the relaxing sound of the running water. "You're really special. Do you know that?" Devin whispered.

I twisted my body so that I could look up at him. "I'm just like everybody else, Devin."

"You're wrong," Devin said as he grabbed my hand and lightly traced the scar on my finger with his fingertips. "You don't know who you are, do you?" he asked as he brought my hand up to his lips and gently kissed my scar.

"Of course I do. I'm Nicole Lambert," I giggled.

Devin half-laughed. "Naw, you're so much more than that. You make me want to be a better person."

"You are a good person."

Devin frowned. "I'm not who you think I am."

Here we go with this weird talk again, I thought. "Okay, so if you're not who I think you are, then who are you?"

"I'm sure that you've noticed by now that I'm... different."

"Yeah, you're super sweet," I said as I leaned in to kiss him.

He kissed me back, then abruptly pulled away. He walked over to the candles and put the flames out with his fingertips. Then he dumped the melted wax and put them back in his backpack. "Come on," he said as he grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Where are we going?"

"There's something I need to show you," he said as he walked swiftly, pulling me along with him.

My foot caught between two rocks and I fell down hard, twisting my ankle in the process. I cried out in pain. Devin stopped and turned around. "Jesus," he muttered as he squatted down beside me. He helped me release my foot. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Can you move it?"

I rotated my left foot around in a circular motion. "It hurts, but not too bad."

"Can you walk on it?"

"I hope so," I said. He grabbed my hand and slowly pulled me up. I took a step and winced in pain. I looked up at Devin, a look of agony on his own face.

"Great, I probably broke your ankle," he muttered.

"No, it's not broken cuz I can still move it. Probably just sprained or bruised. I'll be okay," I reassured him. "Besides, I'm the one that got it stuck, so how can it be your fault?"

"We should probably get you some ice."

"No, really, I'm fine."

Despite the pain, I forced myself to keep walking, but Devin wasn't buying into my deceit. Once again he picked me up into his arms. "I need to get you home so you can put some ice on your ankle."

"No, really, it doesn't hurt that bad. I don't want to leave yet. Besides, I thought there was something else you wanted to show me. We might as well see it since we're here."

Devin agreed, but still wouldn't let me walk on my own. He insisted on carrying me the entire way. We walked on for some time before he finally set me down on my feet. "This is Wildcat Canyon," he said as he looked at the streaming waterfall. "It's the tallest waterfall in the park."

I looked up at the fascinating waterfall. It had to have been more than 100 feet tall. Like the one we had seen the previous night, it was surrounded by rock formations. Just as I was remembering how Devin had put me on his back and scaled the rocks to the top of the other waterfall last night, he did it again.

"Devin, please put me down," I pleaded as he threw me onto his back. I already knew what he was planning to do and I was scared.

He turned his head back to look at me. "Hold on tight," he grinned.

"Oh God, not again," I whimpered.

"Here we go," he said as he started scaling the rocks. Once again, we reached the top in no time at all. And once again, he jumped down with me on his back like it was nothing.

"Okay, how did you do that?" I asked. He just stared at me and smiled guiltily. Then he turned his back on me. I grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Seriously, Devin, I want some answers. Normal people can't just scale these rocks and jump down."

"I told you I was different," he said nonchalantly as he whisked me into his arms again. "I should be getting you back now."

"Come on, Devin, how did you do that? And what do you mean by different? You got animal blood in you or something?" He ignored me. "Devin!"

He started humming above my voice.

We reached his truck and he set me down on the passenger seat. "So how is your ankle feeling?" he asked on the ride back to the diner. I ignored him. "What, you're not talking to me now?" he laughed.

I just glanced over at him. "Well, you don't answer any of my questions, so..."

Devin pulled into the gas station parking lot. "I'll be right back," he said as he got out and slammed the door. He returned a few minutes later with a bottle of aspirin and a bag of ice. I watched as he tore a piece of material from his t-shirt. Then he opened the bag of ice and took out a few pieces, wrapping them in the material and tying it closed. Then he ripped another strip from his shirt. "Here, let me see your ankle," he said as he patted the seat next to him. I put my foot up on the seat. He put the ice on my ankle and fastened it in place with the thin strip of material. Then he reached into his backpack and handed me a water bottle. He took two aspirin out of the bottle and handed it to me. "Here, take it. It'll make you feel better."

I swallowed the aspirin and looked over at him. "Awe, that was so sweet of you. Thank you," I said as I smiled over at him.

He smiled back. "Oh good, you're talking to me again," he teased. I laughed.

Devin pulled into the diner parking lot and leaned over to kiss me goodbye. Then he got out of the truck and came around to the passenger side. He whisked me into his arms again and carried me to my car. "Devin, really, this isn't necessary. I can walk."

"I just don't want you doing more damage to your ankle," he said. "Maybe you should see a doctor to have it checked out just to make sure you didn't break something."

"Naw, it'll be fine. I think it's just bruised. I'll just stay off it tonight and keep the ice on it. I'm sure it'll be better tomorrow." I smiled at him. "It's really cute how concerned you are though."

He pulled me to him and held me tight. "I love you," he whispered into my ear. Then he pulled back and kissed me sweetly.

"I love you, too," I whispered back as I leaned in and kissed him again.

Devin walked back to his truck and watched me pull away. A million thoughts were going through my mind as I drove home. I tried to theorize how Devin could have climbed up the waterfalls and jumped down, but I came up with nothing. It made no logical sense and that bothered me.

When I pulled into the driveway, my mother was sitting on the front porch with Kelly. They both stood up and walked toward my car. I parked and got out just as they had caught up to me.

"She wouldn't go to sleep until you were home," my mother said.

I reached down and grabbed my cousin's hand. "I'm home now, sweetie," I said as I began limping toward the front door.

"What happened to your ankle?" my mother asked.

I looked down at the big makeshift ice pack attached to my ankle. It looked pretty funny and I laughed at the sight of it. "Oh, it's nothing really. I just had a little fall."

"Are you sure it's not broken?"

"Yeah, I can move it just fine. It's just a little sore."

"Well, you should try to keep off of it."

"Yeah, I will. I promise, mom." I smiled. "Well, I'm gonna go upstairs with Kelly and go to bed. Goodnight, mom."

I hobbled up the stairs with my cousin in tow and quickly changed into my nightgown. Then I turned on the nightlight, grabbed a storybook, and put Kelly on the other side of the bed. I read her a quick story and kissed her goodnight.

"Hi," Kelly whispered. I looked over at her. She was sitting up in bed, smiling, with her little hand up in the air like she was waving, and she was staring at the empty chair in the corner. Then she looked over at me. "He's back. He's just making sure we're safe," she whispered. Then she flashed me a big smile and closed her eyes.

Um, okay then! What was I supposed to make of that?

I closed my own eyes and soon I was dreaming of plummeting off of huge waterfalls.

Devin reached the house and sat in his truck for a while, not even wanting to go inside. He leaned his head down on top of the steering wheel and just sat there in the silence thinking about what to do next. Then he heard the front door slam. He raised his head to see one of the "new" vampires coming toward him. Devin studied the front windows of the house, then got out of his truck and slowly and quietly closed the door. He glided over to the large trunk of the willow tree and hid behind it. This was way too close to home, but even taking out just one more vampire before tomorrow might help him save me.

Just as the man was passing by, Devin reached out and grabbed him by the throat. This one was strong and was about to get away before Devin delivered a swift kick to his groin, causing the man to topple backwards. He began to cry out and Devin quickly covered his mouth with his hand as he put his other forearm around his neck and pulled hard to the left, cracking his neck. His limp body fell to the ground. Devin didn't even bother cleaning it up. He just stepped over it and walked toward the house.

Devin opened the front door and walked inside. The first thing he saw was the limp, lifeless body of a young woman lying on the floor. He dropped down to his knees and felt for a pulse. Nothing. He heard laughter and turned his head. Kya and Damien were sitting on the sofa drinking what was clearly blood from wine glasses.

"Hey, bro, want a taste? This one was especially sweet tasting," Damien grinned.

Devin's throat burned at the sight of it, a painful reminder of his thirst. Kya extended a glass toward him and he accepted it. The girl was already dead, so where was the harm in having a little drink? I mean it's not like he had killed her. And it had been a long time since he had had human blood. He was growing weaker and he knew it. This would only make him stronger for the fight he knew lie ahead.

Devin let out a long exhale and brought the glass to his lips. He nearly choked on the first sip. It tasted different to him now – sickeningly sweet. He forced it down and raised his glass toward Damien and Kya. Then he walked toward the basement door.

"Oh, Devin?" Damien called out after him.

Devin turned around to meet Damien's eyes.

"Remember, you only have until tomorrow night," he continued. He turned his gaze toward Kya, then back to Devin. "Either you come back here with her or I go and get her." Then Damien and Kya both laughed.

Devin descended the basement steps and plunged down on his bed. He was still holding the remainder of his drink in his right hand. He eyed it then threw it against the wall. The glass shattered, splattering blood down the wall. Devin lay back and brought his hands to his head. What am I going to do? I have to figure out a way to save her. But how? I could try to fight them off. No, that'll never work. Damien and Kya are much stronger than me. He sat up the remainder of the night trying to think of something – anything – that he could do. Then it came to him.

Devin lay there for some time devising his plan. Then he got up, knelt down, and put his hands together to do something he hadn't done in a very, very long time - he prayed.

Dear God, I don't know if you can even hear me, but I'm hoping that you do. Please forgive me for all the wrong that I have done. I don't know if there's any salvation for me, and you probably don't even want to hear from me, but I need you right now. I know it's probably too late for my own soul, but please help me save Nicole's.

# Chapter 14

"Higher, Nicole, higher," Kelly screamed as we sat on the old swing hanging from the big elm tree in my front yard. I pushed my legs harder and harder until our feet were nearly touching the top of the tree.

"Weeee..." Kelly said excitedly.

"Just hang on tight and don't let go," I warned. Boy did that sound familiar. I laughed at the thought as I slowed the swing down.

"Higher," Kelly pleaded.

"No, sweetie, I gotta go to work."

"Ohhhh," Kelly whined.

I brought the swing to a halt and picked Kelly up off my lap, placing her feet gently on the ground. "We'll swing more tomorrow, I promise," I said as I kissed her cheek.

"All right," Kelly said softly.

"Besides, Aunt Angela told me she was going to bake cookies with you tonight."

"Yay!" Kelly exclaimed as she ran toward the house. Boy, it didn't take her long to forget about me, I laughed.

I followed her inside and got ready for work. Devin called and I promised to meet him in the parking lot after work. When I got off the phone, I realized that I was running really late. I hurriedly grabbed my shoulder bag and threw in a spare outfit and my hairbrush, then ran down the stairs and out the door. I was halfway to work when I realized I forgot to grab my cell phone, which I had sitting on my nightstand charging. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. If I turn back, I'll be late for sure. With it being Saturday afternoon, Steve would be pissed for sure if I were even one minute late. Friday's and Saturday's were always our busiest nights.

I slammed my foot down on the gas to pass several slow moving vehicles. When I arrived at work, the parking lot was completely full. I had to park in the motel lot across the street and run across. I was so busy the rest of the night that I didn't even have time to think.

When I was finally able to punch out, I slipped into the bathroom and quickly changed clothes and let my hair down. I stuffed my uniform in my shoulder bag and jogged toward the door, knowing that Devin would be waiting for me.

As expected, Devin was standing against his truck when I pushed through the doors. Rather than stand there smiling at me as I walked toward him like he usually did, he began walking briskly toward me.

"Hey," I said as I smiled at him.

His expression was like stone. "Come on," he said as he roughly grabbed my arm and began pulling me toward his truck.

"Hey, cut it out. You're hurting me," I yelled as I yanked my arm free.

Devin turned to face me, his expression uneasy. "There's no time for this, we gotta go now," he said firmly as he grabbed my arm again.

"Stop!" I yelled. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what the hell is going on. Why are you acting like this?"

"Nicole, please, there's no time. There's something going on and you're in danger. I'll explain in the truck."

"No," I said firmly as I stopped walking and crossed my arms over my chest. "I want you to explain it to me now."

Devin picked me up and threw me over his shoulder as he walked swiftly toward his truck. "Put me down," I demanded as I tried to wiggle out of his grasp. My heartbeat accelerated drastically. I didn't know what was going on, but his behavior was scaring me. In danger! In danger of what? The only thing I seemed to be in danger of at the moment was him.

I dug my fingernails into his side and kicked him in the groin as hard as I could. He dropped me and we both fell to the ground. I started to crawl away and he grabbed my ankle. I wriggled free and kicked my leg behind me, my shoe connecting forcefully with his face. He fell backward and I got up and ran across the street to get to my car. I barely heard all the horns beeping as I ran through traffic to get to the motel parking lot.

I reached my car and unlocked the door, then quickly got inside and locked my door. Across the street, Devin was just getting up and was looking over at me. I put my car in reverse and stepped on the gas; then quickly shifted into drive and made an abrupt turn out of the parking lot. What the fuck just happened? I thought as I sped toward home. I kept looking in my rear view mirror to make sure he wasn't following me.

Soon I was out of the busy part of town and driving down old country back roads. I heard a horn honking and saw the lights approach me from behind. Before I even looked in my rearview mirror, I knew it was him. I tried to keep my focus on the road. Soon, he was beside me. His windows were rolled down and he was yelling for me to pull over. I shook my head no and kept driving. An oncoming vehicle came into view and he slowed down to weave in behind me again.

I reached over for my purse and pulled it to my lap. I fumbled around inside it for my cell phone to call 911. Then I remembered I had left it at home. Shit! God, please just let him leave me alone. I don't know why he's acting like this, but I don't like it.

The oncoming car was long gone now and it was just the two of us on the road again. He began wildly beeping his horn again. I closed my eyes for a second. Stop! Please just stop! My body was jolted forward as he rammed his truck into the rear of my car. I turned my head back for an instant and suddenly I lost control and my car careened into the ditch. When my car came to a stop, I looked out my window and saw that Devin had stopped his truck on the side of the road.

I stepped on the gas, but the tires just spun. I was stuck. "Come on! Come on!" I said out loud as I floored the gas and shifted between drive and reverse. I heard a loud tap on my window. I turned my head and my eyes met his. "Leave me alone!" I screamed.

"Nicole, please, I'm not going to hurt you," Devin pleaded.

"Go away! Please, just go away," I screamed as tears spilled down my cheeks in an uncontrollable rush.

Devin pulled on the door handle. "Unlock the door," he commanded. I shook my head no. "Come on, we don't have time for this," he pleaded.

Despite his pleading and telling me he wasn't going to hurt me, I was still too afraid to relent. Before I knew what was happening, I heard glass shattering and Devin was pulling me through the window. I heard my brother's voice in my head. 'Maybe she was protecting you'. I screamed as loud as I could as I kicked and scratched at him. He overpowered me and held me still, pinning my arms behind me. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Then he head-butted me and everything went dark.

Where was that awful queasy feeling coming from? Why was my body being shaken around? I opened my eyes and saw black fabric. Where was I? And why did my head feel so cold? And why did I feel like I was bouncing?

I felt something stroke my hair. "You're awake," Devin whispered.

Devin. His voice instantly made me come to my senses. I followed the sound of his voice. I tipped my head back and looked up at him. He smiled down at me nervously. I realized that I was in Devin's truck and had been asleep with my head in his lap. The black fabric I had seen was the headliner of his truck. The coldness on my head was from an ice pack that was still laid over my forehead.

Then I remembered. I remembered the fight and I remembered the head butt. It must have knocked me out because that was the last thing I remembered til now. I quickly sat up, removing my head from his lap. I looked out the window at the dust that the tires were kicking up from Devin speeding down the gravel back road. I inched further away from him and held onto the door handle. I watched as we passed acres and acres of empty fields with run down old barns and abandoned farm stands. The scenery quickly changed to thick wooded areas. I felt dizzy as I watched everything pass by so quickly. I grasped tighter onto the door handle and looked over at Devin. He was watching the road.

Where was I? And what was I going to do now... jump? Devin must've been driving at least 100 mph. That left jumping out of the vehicle out of the question. Besides, I had no idea where the hell I was.

I felt bile rise up in my throat and I quickly rolled my window down, leaned my head out and vomited. I felt Devin's hand on my shoulder. "You okay?" he asked.

I ignored his question and looked over at him. "Where are you taking me?"

"Someplace safe," he answered as he brought his hand up and stroked my cheek.

"You just knocked me out because... you're taking me someplace safe. Okay, I see now. Yes, you make perfect sense, Devin," I replied bitterly. "Oh, and you're not going to hurt me, but you knocked me out and now my head is throbbing."

Devin frowned and stopped stroking my face as he reached over into the glove compartment. He retrieved a bottle of aspirin and held it out to me. I accepted it and he handed me a bottle of water. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but you wouldn't listen to me. It had to be done."

"Well, you picked the wrong girl. I don't let men beat up on me, Devin. That's obviously your thing, so you need to find another girl."

Devin laughed. "Is that what you think?"

"Well, duh!"

"Look, I'm doing this to save you. I know you don't understand, but when we get to safety I will explain everything to you and then you'll know that I had no choice. This was the only way."

"Why don't you explain it to me now?"

"Because I have to concentrate on where I'm going. Besides, you need to be relaxed when I tell you. I'm not gonna lie – what I need to say is going to be hard to take, but you have to trust me."

"Whatever," I said as I shot him a nasty look and rolled my eyes. "You can't keep me anywhere against my will."

Devin chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"You are," Devin replied. "I told you that you were special and I was right. You're definitely strong willed, that's for sure!"

He chuckled nervously as I stared at him. Then he leaned over and put his arm over my shoulder. We drove on in awkward silence for a long time before either of us spoke.

"How much longer?" I finally asked.

"We're almost there."

"Thank God! I have to pee."

"You should've said something. Do you need me to pull over to the side of the road?"

I glared at him. "I'm not peeing on the side of the road, thank you."

"Suit yourself. We should be there in about five minutes or so anyhow."

True to his word, Devin slowed the truck about five minutes later. He turned down a narrow path that didn't even look like a road. He continued driving down this narrow path for nearly a mile. He slowed down as we approached a small stone cottage, almost completely hidden by thick foliage. He pulled his truck around the back, parked, and got out. I watched as he walked over to my door and opened it. "Come on," he said as he held out his hand. I accepted it and walked with him up to the door. I watched as he jiggled the lock. "Stand back," he ordered as we stood in front of the door. I moved back a few feet and watched as he kicked the door in.

I walked inside into almost complete darkness. Devin reached into his bag, took out a large candle, and lit it. I walked further into the room and looked around. The place looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. To my right was an old threadbare sofa with numerous rips in the fabric, which was checkered a faded blue and white. Next to the sofa was a small wooden end table topped with a faded white doily and a small lamp. I walked over to the lamp and to my surprise it turned on. Well at least we have power.

Against the left wall was an old wooden table with a small television set on top of it. Straight back was a small kitchen, which consisted of a refrigerator, a stove, a few cabinets, and a small table with two chairs. In the center of the room was a small hallway that led to a small bathroom on the right, which was in desperate need of cleaning. Thick dark dirt rings surrounded the tops of both the bathtub and the sink. Dingy yellow towels hung from a metal rack across from the toilet.

As disgusting as it was, I didn't care. I had to go to the bathroom so bad it felt like my teeth were floating. I slammed the door shut and was grateful that there was a roll of toilet paper hanging on the wall next to the toilet. I tore off two long sheets and put them down on the seat before I sat down. This place is so gross!

After I used the bathroom, I walked over to the sink to wash my hands. I turned the handle on the faucet and nothing came out. "Oh, come on!" I said out loud. I heard a knock on the door. "What?"

"Everything okay in there?" Devin asked.

"No," I answered as I walked toward the door and opened it. I pushed past him. "This place is disgusting! There's no way I'm staying here."

"Okay, so it's not the Four Seasons," Devin responded. "But you'll be safe here."

I slid down the wall and sat on the floor. "This place is so dirty and disgusting. There's not even running water, Devin. How are we supposed to stay here? And how long are we supposed to stay here? You still haven't told me what's going on."

Devin squatted down in front of me. "Shhh... everything is going to be okay," he said as he touched my face and stroked my hair. "I just need to find the main water valve and we'll have running water, okay?"

I shook my head. He put his feet out from under him so that he was sitting next to me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. "Devin," I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

Devin let out a deep breath and frowned. He released me from his arms and stood up. "First things first. Let me get the water running. Then maybe you can take a nice relaxing bath to calm down some and then we'll talk."

Devin left and I stood up to continue my tour of the small cottage. Across from the bathroom was a small bedroom. The brown shag carpeting was balding in some spots and deep blue paint was peeling from the walls. Against the center wall was a queen-sized bed with an old multi-colored quilt. Old wooden nightstands were on each side of the bed.

Something on top of the nightstand to the left of the bed caught my eye. It was an old corded telephone. I ran to it and picked up the receiver. No dial tone. Shit! I had no idea what time it was, but I knew it had to be late and I knew my mother would be worried about me. And Kelly, poor Kelly, was surely waiting up for me.

My eyes continued to scan the room. Along the left wall was a tall dresser. In the corner opposite the bed was an old gold easy chair. The left wall displayed a shorter, wider dresser with a dusty mirror attached to it.

I heard footsteps and turned around to see Devin approaching. "Water's on," he said. "I found some cleaning products under the sink. I'm gonna scrub the tub out real quick so you can take a bath."

"Thanks," I mumbled as I forced a smile.

Devin cleaned the tub and even managed to find some bubble bath. He filled the tub and then called me into the bathroom. "It's all set," he said as he motioned toward the bubble bath that awaited me. "You must be hungry. I didn't even think about food. We passed a 24-hour market on our way in. While you take your bath, I'm just gonna run out real quick and grab a few things."

"Okay," I mumbled half-heartedly. He kissed my cheek and was out the door, only to return a moment later.

"I almost forgot," he said as he laid a small black gun down on the bathroom counter. He looked me directly in the eyes. "Just in case you have any problems. Shoot first, ask questions later."

I just stood there, my eyes wide with shock and horror. Now I really wanted to know what was going on. What was the gun for? Just what was Devin supposedly protecting me from? If we were really in danger, why not just go to the police?

"Okay, I'm going now," Devin repeated. "I'll be back soon – promise." He smiled at me and left, closing the bathroom door behind him.

I slowly undressed and sank into the tub. I had to give Devin credit; the temperature of the water was perfect. I laid back and closed my eyes. My mind replayed one of my previous dates with Devin.

'Do you believe in monsters?'

'What if everything isn't as it seems?'

'Lets just say that I'm not like anyone you've ever met before.'

'What if I'm a monster?'

'Don't you get it? I'm no good for you. You should run from me, not to me.'

'You're not ready to hear it yet.'

'I won't kill you.'

'I love you.'

I quickly scrubbed up and got out of the tub. I eyed the black pistol sitting on the countertop as I got dressed and brushed my hair. I bit my lower lip and pondered what to do next. Abruptly I reached out and ran my fingers over the smooth, cool steel of the gun. I picked it up and noted how it felt in my hand as I fingered the trigger.

My body ran wild with adrenaline as I walked into the living room with the pistol still in my hand. When Devin returned, I would be ready. I heard Devin's truck approaching and I quickly took a stance against the wall behind the front door. "Okay, Devin, I think it's time for you to start talking," I whispered to myself.

I listened intently to the sound of his footsteps as they drew nearer. Suddenly panic struck me. 'Shoot first. Ask questions later.' What if it wasn't Devin approaching? My heart beat wildly in my chest as the footsteps got closer. Suddenly the door swung open.

I sprang to action, jumping from around the corner of the door, arms extended, gun in hand. "Stop right there!" I yelled. I saw that it was in fact Devin and my heart rate slowed a bit. He grinned and shook his head at me, then brushed past me and set the grocery bag on the small kitchen table.

I walked toward him; gun still extended. "I'm not kidding, Devin. I will shoot you. Now you better start telling me just what the hell is going on."

Devin looked over at me and shook his head. Then he proceeded to take the contents out of the bag. "You're not gonna shoot me, Nicole."

"Oh yeah, you just try me then."

He laughed. I pulled back on the trigger and stared at him as I walked closer. He raised one brow and put both his hands up in the air. "Nicole, put the gun down. I told you I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I'm not gonna put the gun down until you tell me what the hell is going on. Why did you bring me here?"

Devin rubbed his chin with his hand, let out a long exhale, and turned to face me. "Can we just sit down, please?" he asked as he pulled back one of the wooden chairs, motioned for me to sit in it, then pulled out one for himself and took a seat. I sat down, but refused to put down the gun.

Devin kept his eyes on me as he began to speak in a low voice. "Nicole, what I'm about to say is going to sound a bit far fetched, but you have got to believe me, okay?"

I continued to stare at him, not giving him a response.

He frowned and continued. "Okay, do you remember me telling you that everything wasn't as it seems?"

I nodded.

"Okay and do you remember me asking you if you believed in monsters?"

Again I nodded.

Devin drew in a long breath and flashed me a nervous smirk. "What if I told you that everything you've read in legends and storybooks was sort of true?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Nicole, I'm a monster."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Yeah, okay."

"Nicole, I'm being serious."

"Okay, I'll play along. What kind of monster are you?"

"Vampire," he whispered so low that I barely heard it. Then he looked down.

I shook my head in disbelief again. Then I remembered the dream I had where Devin had fangs and I remembered how my dog had acted around him. No, it was just a dream!

Devin's eyes met mine again. "Nicole, its true. I'm immortal. Damien's not really my brother. He created me."

"Created you?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes," Devin replied. "Well, no... I mean I was human at one time."

Devin paused trying to read my expression. "Nicole, can you please put the gun down?"

I looked down at my shaky arm holding the gun across the table. I had forgotten I was even holding it. I brought my arm closer to my body and put the gun down on the table, then laid my hand on top of it.

"What are you thinking right now?" Devin asked.

"Just trying to make sense of all the bullshit you're trying to feed me."

"Nicole, it's not bullshit. I think you know that too."

"So how do you go from being human to being immortal?" I asked sarcastically.

I listened as Devin explained the last night of his human life, his motorcycle accident, meeting Damien and thinking he was an angel, and how Damien had saved his life, but what that had meant he had become. He continued to tell me how he had killed many people and how he thought he was marked for damnation. "But then I met you and everything changed for me," he went on.

"So you're telling me that you're a killer?" I asked.

Devin nodded his head. "Was. I haven't killed anyone in a long time. Well, except vampires. Remember that story you told me you heard on the news about the remains of seven people being found in the woods?"

I slowly nodded my head. "Yeah?"

"Well, that was me."

My eyes widened in horror. "You killed them seven people?"

"Yes... well, no. I mean I did, but they weren't exactly people. They were vampires. I did the world a favor."

"Okay, so you were a killer, but you're not anymore? And you said you weren't going to kill me or hurt me, so what is my part in all of this?"

Devin reached across the table and put his hand over mine. "When I met you, everything changed. I hadn't seen the light in a long time. Like I said, I thought I was damned to eternal darkness. But when I met you, I started to see the light again. And I realized maybe I'm not damned after all."

"That still doesn't explain why you think I'm in danger, Devin."

"I wasn't finished," he frowned. He turned my hand over and began lightly tracing the scar on my finger with his fingertips. "Nicole, you're special. When I look into your eyes I see my salvation."

I rolled my eyes and he laughed.

"Where did you get this?" he asked as he motioned to the scar.

"I have no idea," I answered. "I think I was born with it. Besides, what the hell does my scar have to do with anything?"

I pulled my hand toward me to take a closer look at the scar on my finger. In reality it wasn't a scar at all. It was something I was born with. It was shaped like the letter Y and it was white and sort of raised from the skin. I had asked my mother about it when I was young, but she had no explanation.

"Actually it has a lot to do with everything." He looked directly into my eyes and smiled as he spoke just above a whisper. "Nicole, you're an angel."

"Oh please," I said as I started to get up.

Devin grabbed my arm and held me there. "I'm serious. You're an angel. That's what the mark on your finger symbolizes."

I pulled my hand away from him and studied my scar again. Then I remembered how it had appeared to be glowing the night of the storm with all the butterflies and the golden arc and the cross-shaped flames. Then another memory came back to me.

My mother liked to read a lot and she was fascinated with angels. Once, when I was like sixteen, she came running to me with a book in her hand. Unable to contain her excitement, she sat me down and showed me the book she was reading. It was about angels. And in the back of the book it had different symbols that were symbolic of different angels. Her excitement bubbled over when she pointed to one of the symbols, which exactly matched the mark on my finger. 'So what does that mean?' I had asked. She went on to tell me that I must be some sort of Earth angel. It was a cool thought and all, but I didn't believe it could be true at the time. I still didn't believe it. As I absentmindedly traced the mark on my finger, Devin's voice brought me out of my private thoughts.

"Damien knows what you are and they want you."

"They want me?" I asked sarcastically. "And who are 'they'?"

"Kya, Damien, and the whole dark army."

"Why do they want me?"

"Kya and Damien want you to become what we are. They see it as the ultimate slap in the face to God – to steal one of heaven's own. I was given until tonight to either kill you or change you into one of us or Damien said he would go and get you himself."

"Because I'm an angel? And that's why you had to bring me here?"

"Yes," Devin whispered.

"Right," I said as I kept my eyes on him and slowly stood up. "They have doctors for people like you." I started walking toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Devin asked.

"If you think I'm buying into this load of crap... well then you are crazier than I thought. I'm out of here!"

Suddenly Devin was standing in front of the door blocking my exit. I ignored the fact that he seemed to have flown there. "Move," I said as I held the gun on him.

He smacked the gun out of my hand and we both dove to retrieve it. Devin reached it before I did. Both of us still on the floor, I jumped on his back and grabbed a hold of his hair and pulled as hard as I could. He spun his body around, pinning me down in the process. "Are you done?" he asked.

"Fuck you! Get off of me!" I yelled.

He grinned and suddenly his lips were on mine. I pushed against his chest and brought my knee up and into his middle. He pulled back and jumped to his feet, bringing me along with him. He tore strips of fabric from the couch, pinned me against the wall, and tied my hands behind my back. "So this is how it's gonna be?"

I ignored him.

He spun me around to face him, then grabbed hold of my arm and forced me outside with him. "If I was human, could I do this?" he asked as he pushed an old tree down to the ground, snapping it in the process.

"Oh please, that tree is dead. Anyone could probably do that."

"Okay, pick a tree."

I looked around and found the biggest, fattest tree I could see. "That one," I said as I pointed to it with my finger and grinned mockingly.

Devin grinned back confidently, walked over to it, and pushed it over like it was nothing. "Can anyone do that?" he asked sarcastically. My eyes widened and I stood there in stunned silence. He walked up to me and grabbed my arm again. "Need more convincing?" he asked menacingly as he swiftly walked me further into the woods.

Along the way, he stopped several times to crush big rocks with his bare hands. Then he took me to the edge of a large canyon. He turned to look at me, his eyes wild. Oh God, no! I thought as he threw me over his shoulders, held onto my back with one arm and jumped. It was a long way down and I screamed the whole way. We hit the ground softly. "Can a human do that?"

I looked up at him. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Now please stop all this. You're scaring me."

Devin put his hands on my arms and spun me around so that my back was to him. He undid the cloth ties around my wrists. Then he spun me back around. "Are you going to behave now?"

I nodded silently.

"Scared?" he murmured, his voice too knowing.

"I'm not scared!" But I was, and we both knew it. I was uncomfortable with this new knowledge and I couldn't quite process everything I had just seen. Should I trust him? Should I not trust him? Should I try to run? What if there really was an 'army' after me?

As if reading my thoughts, Devin pulled me to his chest and held me. "Everything is gonna be okay. They won't find us out here." He pulled back, kissed my forehead, and threw me back on his back. "You might wanna close your eyes for this one," he warned before he took off to scale the canyon wall. I did as he suggested and held on tight. I didn't open my eyes, didn't even take a breath, until my feet were planted firmly on the ground again. Devin grabbed my hand and walked me back to the cottage.

"So now what?" I asked.

"I don't know," Devin replied as he shook his head and frowned. "I haven't figured it out yet. But I think we're safe for now."

Devin brought me a sandwich he had bought at the market as I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. He had to move around the little rabbit ears atop the set, but finally we were able to get a local channel to come in, although it was fuzzy at best. I ate the sandwich, yawned, stretched, and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"We should probably try to get some sleep," Devin suggested as he rose from the sofa and grabbed my hand. "We'll need energy for whatever lies ahead."

I followed him into the bedroom and we laid down together and cuddled. "Devin," I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I want to call my mom and let her know that I'm okay."

"It's not safe to call her. I'm sorry."

"But it would just be for a second. Can't I just borrow your cell phone for a minute?"

"I dumped my cell phone in the river before I picked you up tonight."

"Why'd you do that?"

"So we're not tracked."

Tracked? Oh my God! Was it possible that the "dark army" would track us down here?

I closed my eyes and nestled my head against Devin's chest. When I finally fell asleep, I was overcome with a series of frightening nightmares.

# Chapter 15

Tommy awoke to someone shaking him. "Tommy! Tommy, wake up!" It was his mother's voice. He opened his eyes and turned to meet her gaze. "Tommy, Nicole hasn't made it home yet."

"What time is it?" Tommy asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"It's almost 4am."

Tommy jumped out of bed. "Nicole's not home yet? Are you kidding me?" He struggled to be heard over the sound of Nevaeh howling. "What's with the dog?"

"She's been doing that all night," she replied as she wiped at her eyes. "I've got a really bad feeling."

He looked at his mother again. Her face was filled with panic and she was holding Kelly, whom was crying into her shoulder. "Did you try calling her cell phone?"

"It's lying on her nightstand. I saw it when I went into her room to look for her. She must've forgotten to take it with her when she went to work."

"Well, did you call the sheriff's office?"

"I was about to, but Kelly won't let me put her down."

Tommy put his hand out to stroke Kelly's hair. "I'll call."

My mother followed Tommy downstairs and listened in as he called the county sheriff's office.

"What do you mean you can't do anything? Yeah, well thanks for nothing you worthless piece of shit!" Tommy yelled as he slammed down the phone. He turned to face his mother. "They said they can't do anything until she has been missing for 48 hours because she's over eighteen." Tommy paced the kitchen floor. "This is bullshit! I'm gonna go look for her." He ran upstairs, got dressed, grabbed his keys, and was out the door.

Tommy decided to take the same route he knew I always took to work. Dawn was just breaking when he found my car in the ditch. He pulled his car over to the side of the road and ran across to where my car was. "Nicole!" he screamed as he approached the car, only to find it empty and the window smashed out of it. He looked around the field, but I was nowhere in sight.

Tommy ran back to his own car and grabbed his cell phone off the seat. He dialed the sheriff's number for the second time. "Yeah, I need to report a missing person and I think I just found the crime scene." He gave his name and location and was told that an officer would meet him there. He hung up and quickly called his mother. "Mom, I found Nicole's car."

"Where the fuck is he?" Kya demanded as she glared at Damien.

Damien had been growing more nervous by the minute. Now the sun was up and it was unlikely that Devin would be returning with the girl. "I don't know," Damien muttered.

"I should've known I couldn't trust you with this."

"Kya, I'm sorry... I thought he would come back with her. I didn't think..."

"That's right – you didn't think at all," Kya interrupted as she walked up to Damien and punched him square in the jaw. He stumbled backward and caught his balance.

"I'll bring you the girl myself," Damien offered as he rubbed his jaw.

"And how are you going to do that? For all we know, they're out of the country by now."

Damien was silent for a few moments as he thought it over. Then a huge grin spread across his face. "I've got a plan. I think I know how we can draw her out and make her come to us."

"There's more," Kya went on as she stared at Damien. "There are other Arc's among us. I can sense them."

"So what does that mean?" Damien asked.

"It means we're gonna need a bigger army."

"I'll take the ones we have left and get started right away."

"Don't disappoint me again," Kya warned before she turned and started to walk away, only to turn back around. "Oh, and bring plenty back for us to drink. We'll need our strength."

Michael entered the large farmhouse to find Raphael and Melanie eagerly waiting on the sofa. "Well?" Raphael asked.

Michael kept walking. "She's gone," he yelled back over his shoulder.

"Oh my God," Melanie muttered as she put her head in her hands.

Raphael rose from the sofa and went after Michael. "What do you mean gone? Gone as in missing? Gone as in dead?"

Michael turned around to face him and frowned. "Gone as in she didn't make it home last night. I stuck around near her house as I usually do, but she didn't come back. Just passed her brother on my way back here. He was standing in the field looking at her car."

"So what's that mean? Where is she?"

Michael ran his hand over the back of his neck and looked up at Raphael. "I don't know." Then he brushed past him, back outside.

Raphael followed him. "What do you mean you don't know?"

Michael kept walking toward the back of the house. "Michael? What do you mean you don't know? Have you forgotten your mission?"

Michael turned around, walked directly up to Raphael and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close. "No, I haven't forgotten my mission. This wasn't supposed to happen." He released Raphael's shirt collar and smoothed a hand over it. "She's getting too far away. I can hardly sense her presence anymore. We need to do something."

Michael turned and walked to the cellar. Raphael followed him as he descended the stairs and entered the small armory below.

It seemed like an eternity while Tommy paced back and forth waiting for the cavalry to arrive. Adrenaline coursed through his body and he felt as if he would vomit. The recent news stories kept replaying in his head and he felt uneasy. Memories of our childhood soon entered his mind. He saw me as a little girl again. I was tiptoeing into his room in my long white nightgown and then I was hiding under the blanket fort with him, twisting my hands in front of me, my long blond hair cascading down my back.

Tommy wiped at the corners of his eyes. Then he dropped to his knees and tipped his head back to look up at the sky. God, please don't let her be dead. Then his sorrow quickly turned to rage. If anyone has hurt her, so help me God, I will hunt them down like a dog and kill them.

Finally two squad cars pulled up and parked in front of Tommy's car. One of the officer's talked with him briefly as three other officers investigated the scene. A third car, this one unmarked, pulled up. The man identified himself as Detective Ramos. He began taking pictures from various different angles then returned to speak with Tommy.

Tommy went through the timeline with him. He let him know the diner where I worked, what time I started, and what time I should've been home. He also let him know that I had left my cell phone behind.

"Well," Detective Ramos said as he scratched his chin, "you've given us a starting point. If you think of anything else, please give me a call." He handed Tommy a business card.

"So now what?" Tommy asked.

"Well, I think I've got everything I need here. Now, why don't I follow you back to your house so I can interview the rest of your family members and possibly get a recent photo of your sister to keep for our files and for the media of course."

"Of course," Tommy agreed. "Well, lets go."

Tommy entered the front door with the detective behind him. "Mom, this is Detective Ramos. He's working on Nicole's case."

Detective Ramos offered his hand and my mother accepted it. "Yes, thank you. Please sit down. Can I offer you something to drink?"

"No, thank you, ma'am."

My mother gave Detective Ramos a detailed account on what I did on a day-to-day basis, the friends I hung out with, and the places I went. She even took him to my room and gave him a recent photo of me. The detective thanked her and promised to have the story on the news as soon as possible.

An hour later, Detective Ramos called. "Mrs. Lambert, we've found something on the security tape from the parking lot at the diner where your daughter works. Is it possible for you to meet me at the station as soon as possible to view the tape?"

"Yes, of course. I'll be right there," my mother agreed. She hung up the phone and hurriedly gathered Tommy and Kelly to go with her to the police station.

Thirty minutes later my mother, Tommy, and Kelly arrived at the police station. A young female officer took Kelly to a small waiting area that had a few toys and coloring books, while Detective Ramos escorted my mother and Tommy to one of the interview rooms.

My mother and Tommy watched in horror the fight that took place between Devin and I in the parking lot. "Oh my God," my mother whimpered. At the end of the tape, Detective Ramos stood up and hit pause on the VCR, leaving Devin's image on the screen. "Do you know who this man is?"

My mother shook her head no.

"That's Devin," Tommy answered. "I knew there was something creepy about him," he muttered as he shook his head.

"Who is this Devin character?"

"Just some guy my sister has been hanging around with. I only met him once. She brought him to the house about a week or so ago and her dog had tried to attack him and he left."

"Where does he live?"

Tommy shrugged his shoulders.

"That's okay. What's his last name?"

Again Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry, I don't really know anything about him."

The detective frowned in disappointment and turned to my mother. "Mrs. Lambert, this video along with your daughter's picture will be played on the news shortly. I just wanted you to see it first before it was released to the media."

My mother shook her head. "So you'll find her?"

"We'll do our best. The first 48 hours are usually the most critical in cases like these."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that if they don't find her within 48 hours, she's probably dead," Tommy interrupted.

My mother began to cry.

# Chapter 16

I awoke in the morning to the thin rays of a weak sun rapping at the windows, illuminating everything in misty shades of gray. I could smell the distinct aroma of bacon and eggs cooking and for a moment I forgot where I was. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and stretched. Then I looked around the unfamiliar room and I remembered. I remembered all the hideousness that had become my life.

I dragged myself out of bed and followed the smell of the food cooking. My stomach growled in response to the aroma. I turned the corner of the hallway to find Devin standing in the kitchen at the stove. All the shades were still drawn and the room was dark and gloomy. I leaned over the small kitchen window and pulled the shade up. Devin shrieked back from the filtering light. "What are you doing?"

I stared at him stupidly and extended my hands questioningly as I shrugged my shoulders.

"The sunlight," he squawked.

"Oh," I muttered as I reached for the shade and pulled it back down. "Sorry."

I walked closer to him just as he was spooning some eggs on a plate that was already filled with bacon. "Here, I made this for you," he said as he put the plate down on the kitchen table.

"Thanks. Smells good," I said as I sat down and took a bite. Devin walked back to the table and put a glass of milk in front of me. "Aren't you going to eat?" I asked.

Devin smirked at me and shook his head. "Uh, I don't eat, remember?"

"Oh that's right, you're a blood drinker," I teased. I instantly felt bad, as I watched him look down, ashamed. "Devin, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." I couldn't finish the sentence. I felt really bad for being so insensitive. His eyes met mine again and I looked at him apologetically. "Well, its really good. Thank you."

Devin smiled and nodded. Then he turned his back to me, walked over to the sink and began scrubbing the pan he had used to cook my breakfast. I finished eating and met him at the sink with my dirty plate. He grabbed it from me and began washing it. I grabbed the dry towel.

When we were finished, he just stood there with his palms on the counter and his back to me. I put the towel down, came up behind him, and wrapped my arms around his middle, resting my head against him. "Devin, when do I get to go home?" I whined. "Do we really have to stay here?"

He turned around to face me. He was silent as he leaned closer and ran his fingers through my hair. Then he traced the outline of my face with his fingertips. He leaned closer still, but didn't touch my lips. My heart started beating faster. I gently followed his jaw line with my fingertips, noting how his skin didn't feel so cold anymore under my touch. As I continued to stroke his face, he sucked in his breath and I held mine. Yes, he definitely felt warmer.

Devin let out a moan as my fingers tangled in his hair. I could feel the tension in him as he ran his fingers down my bare arm. I felt his hand tremble slightly as it lingered there. I moved my hands down around his neck and leaned closer. He leaned in closer too and our lips met, just barely touching.

Suddenly his body went rigid and he broke away. He scowled at me and muttered something under his breath. I stood there in stunned silence and watched as he stormed out the front door.

What did I do? Why did he just leave? Where was he going? Wait... I thought he couldn't be in the sunlight.

Just as I was about to go after him, the door swung open and he stormed back inside. I just stared at him, my eyes wide.

"What?" he smirked.

"Devin, you just went outside."

Devin shrugged. "It's overcast right now. There's no direct sunlight."

"Yeah, but there's something else too," I started.

"What's that?"

I smiled. "When I had my hand on your face earlier, your skin was... well, it was... warmer."

Devin's eyes seemed to brighten right before mine. He brought his hand up to his face and felt it. Then he smiled and walked toward me grinning with excitement. "What do you think this means?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe you're not damned after all."

Devin picked me up and swung me around in his arms. Then he kissed my cheek. "It's because of you, I know it."

"I doubt that."

"No, really..."

"Maybe it's because you're trying to do the right thing. Or maybe it's cuz of what you said about killing those other vampires."

Devin shook his head in disagreement. "No, it's you. You're my salvation."

"Devin, I know you think I'm an angel and all, but that's highly unlikely. I mean my life has been kind of shitty you have to admit. I have an asshole for a father. I was abused as a child. The first guy I ever loved just died. I mean come on, if I really were an angel as you're claiming, don't you think I'd have a better life? And wouldn't I have some sort of special powers or at least know that I was an angel?"

"Nicole, I don't know. I just know that you bare the mark."

I looked at the scar on my finger again. It really was strange looking. It had a soft glow to it again – definitely different from any other scar I've ever seen. But still, that didn't prove anything. I brought my eyes up to meet Devin's once again. "Well from all that I've learned, angels live in heaven, not on this hellhole we call earth."

"Maybe you're on a mission or something," Devin suggested.

I couldn't resist laughing and rolling my eyes. "Okay, Devin, if I'm on some sort of mission, then don't you think that I would know what it is?"

Devin shook his head and frowned. "Nicole, I don't know. I just know that you're different. I felt it the moment I met you." He paused and looked deep into my eyes. "You're vital and radiant. You have a beauty that is not of this earth. And there's a certain innocence to you."

I didn't feel like talking about it anymore, so I changed the subject. "Since it's overcast right now you can go outside, right?"

Devin nodded.

I walked toward the door and opened it. "I need some air. Are you coming or not?"

Devin quickly caught up to me and grabbed my hand. We walked hand in hand through the woods, Devin pointing out different kinds of trees along the way. Soon we came to a small canyon with a river beneath it. The river was unlike any I had ever seen before. Shades of pink, green, blue, and yellow swirled the water and there were thick red bricks crossing it.

"Lets go down there and check it out," Devin suggested.

I agreed and he put me on his back as he jumped down the small canyon. Close up, it was even more amazing. Thick trees that resembled willows surrounded the small river – only they were different than the ordinary willow tree. The long wispy branches of leaves were in shades of red and purple. I'd never seen a tree like it before. "What are these called?" I asked as Devin and I slowly crossed the stones to the other side of the river.

Devin shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Thought you knew everything," I teased. "I mean how old are you?"

Devin laughed. "Twenty-seven technically."

"And how long have you been twenty-seven?"

"About thirty or so years I guess."

"So technically you're fifty-seven," I teased. "I shouldn't be dating such an old man. Guess that kind of makes you a cradle robber." I laughed. Devin grinned and I shoved him playfully as I raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, you're the best looking fifty-seven year old I've ever seen," I continued to joke.

"Okay, okay, have your fun," he said as he put his arm around my waist and pretended like he was going to throw me into the river.

I firmly grasped his wrist. "That's okay. If I'm going in, you're coming with me." I gave his arm a light yank, lost my balance, and we both fell into the water.

"You're gonna get it now," he said as he swam after me. I tried to swim away but he caught up to me effortlessly and dunked my head under the water. When he let me back up, he was looking at me and laughing. "I'm sorry, did I mess up your hair?"

I stood grinning at him and he quickly swam away.

"That's right, you better run!"

He swam back to the rocks and waited for me. When I caught up to him, he put his arms around me and kissed me sweetly. Then he hoisted me back up on the rocks.

"We should get going. We've been gone for a long time and I'm starting to get hungry again," I said.

We walked back to the cottage. I made myself a quick sandwich and sat down on the sofa in the living room. Devin walked over to the small TV and played around with the antenna again until he was able to get a channel to come through somewhat clearly. It was a news channel.

My heart felt as if it would stop when I saw a picture of myself on the small TV. I listened as they explained my disappearance and showed a photo of my car in the ditch. Then they viewed a short video of my fight with Devin in the parking lot. His picture was now posted in the corner of the TV screen. Authorities are asking for help in locating this man, whom is simply known as Devin. Next, my mother and brother were shown on the screen as my mother made a plea for my safe return. Tears stung my own eyes as I saw the agony on their faces and listened to my mother's desperate plea.

My hand went limp and my sandwich fell to the floor. I looked over at Devin. He was pacing back and forth repeating the word "fuck" as he held a clump of his hair in his right hand. I have to do something. I have to let my family know that I'm okay. I need to get out of here, I thought as I eyed the door. Devin followed my gaze then our eyes met. He shook his head. I nodded mine. I stood up and made a mad dash for the door. As I was pulling it open, Devin's hand struck against it, slamming it back shut.

"Nicole, you cannot go out there. It isn't safe," he reminded me.

I looked up at him pleadingly. "Devin, please. I have to let them know that I'm okay."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave. We have to get our priorities straight here."

That pissed me off. I glared at him, then lunged at him, my own strength surprising me. "Fuck you, Devin! They are a priority to me," I said as I punched and kicked at him. He blocked most of my hits and eventually toppled me to the ground. I brought my knee up and felt something hard hit the side of it. The gun! The gun was in his back pocket! I quickly brought my hand around and retrieved the pistol.

Before he could stop me, I pulled back on the trigger and aimed it at his head. He put his hands up and slowly got off of me. Still on the floor, I backed away from him a few feet then slowly stood up, keeping my eyes locked on his the entire time.

"Step back," I ordered.

He walked backward a few steps toward the door. "Now open the door," I commanded.

Devin put his hand on the doorknob and turned his body to the side to open it. I started walking toward the door. He suddenly turned back toward me and brought his leg up in some sort of martial arts move, kicking the gun out of my hand. For a brief moment our eyes met, then our gazes both turned to the gun laying on the floor. I turned to lunge for the gun, but he caught me before I reached the ground. We both fell hard to the floor, him on top of me. I tried hard to reach for the gun, but suddenly he was sitting on top of me with his knees on my arms pinning them to the floor. I bent my knee and brought my leg up, then down, kicking him in the back. He winced, but didn't move.

"Will you stop it already," he yelled.

"Get off of me," I yelled back.

"Think about it, Nicole. If you go back there, that's just what 'they' want. They'll be waiting for you. You're stupid if you think otherwise."

"I can take them."

Devin laughed. "You can't even take me. Come on, who's on top of who right now?"

I tried to wriggle out from under him, but it was useless. I let out a long exhale and glared at him. "This is my family we're talking about. Did you see my mother's face on the news? My God, Devin, she probably thinks I'm dead."

"Nicole, I know that's your family and I'm real sorry about it, but think about it. If you go back, you're not only putting yourself in danger, but your family too."

"What do you mean? Why would 'they' want to hurt my family?"

"For exactly that reason," Devin answered. "Because they know that they can get to you through your family."

I was silent as I thought about what Devin had said.

"They're not stupid, Nicole. They know by now that I'm not coming back with you. Your house will be the first place they look."

"You're right. I'll stay," I lied.

Devin got up off of me. We were both breathing heavily from the struggle. I rubbed my arm and then the other one as I felt a dull throbbing pain. Bruises had already begun to form where his knees had been. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and noticed him doing the same.

"So now what?" I asked.

Devin shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet."

"Well that's real comforting."

He looked me in the eyes. "I said I haven't figured it out yet. I will though. I just need a plan B."

"Why don't you tell me more about this 'dark army' so I know what we're up against," I suggested.

I listened intently as he told me all about Kya, Damien, and all the new vampires that were created with the distinct goal of killing the weak and turning the strong. The whole thing sickened me. He went on to explain that Kya wasn't "created" as he had been. She was a beast straight from hell in human form – one of Satan's own.

"Well now I see why you never invited me over," I joked.

"Very funny," Devin frowned.

"So how many are there?" I asked.

"Well, there were twelve, less the seven I told you I took out. Then there was another one I took out, so that leaves four."

"So with the four new vampires, Kya, and Damien, we're talking six total? That doesn't sound so difficult. Can't you just crush them with your bare hands like you did them rocks? Or can't we just shoot them?"

"It's not that simple. With me not returning, I'm sure Kya's had more vampires created. Who knows how many there are now! And as far as 'crushing' them, as you had put it, both Kya and Damien are much stronger than me. Because I haven't been drinking human blood, I've become much weaker."

"Great! So now what?" I asked as I nervously bit my lower lip.

Devin pulled me to him and nestled his head against my neck. "I don't know yet. But I won't let them get to you. I promise."

I felt sick. As hard as Devin tried to comfort me, I couldn't be comforted. The Dark Army scared me. I thought of my family – my mother, Tommy, and sweet little Kelly. I worried that they would be hurt in Damien's efforts to find me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to any of them.

I devised an escape plan in my head and decided to carry it out when Devin was asleep. I figured that was my best chance. I kept my thoughts to myself, knowing he would never let me leave willingly.

# Chapter 17

Soft moonlight filtered through the drapes as I lie awake in bed. I listened intently to the sound of Devin's breathing next to me, searching for a sign that he was in a deep sleep. Everything was quiet – too quiet. I swear I could hear the sound of my own heart pounding wildly in my chest and the sound of my own blood coursing through my veins.

Devin's breathing became heavier and steadier. My eyes darted nervously to the night stand on the other side of Devin. Even in the dark light of the moon, I could still make out the small black pistol. I lay still a few more minutes – listening.

When I felt confident that it was all clear to make my move, I slowly inched my body toward the end of the bed. I tried not to make a sound as I placed my feet gently on the floor. I crouched down on my knees, put my palms on the floor, and slowly crawled around to the other side of the bed.

Devin stirred. I held my breath and listened as he tossed and turned on the bed. Soon his breathing returned to normal. Close call, I thought as I allowed myself to breathe again. I inched my arm up to the nightstand and carefully clutched the cold black steel. Then I slowly crawled back around the bed and toward the bedroom door. Thankfully it wasn't closed all the way – it was still open just a crack.

I glanced back in Devin's direction. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. I felt bad that I was leaving him, but it had to be done. I needed to find a way to let my family know that I was okay. Besides, it was me that the dark army wanted. I wasn't going to let my absence put any of my family members or Devin in danger.

I gently pushed on the door and it creaked. I held my breath again and dared a look in Devin's direction. Sleeping – he was still sleeping! Thank you, God! I took a deep breath and pushed the door open just enough to squeeze through it. Once I was in the hallway, I turned back to get one last glimpse of Devin. "I love you," I whispered before closing the door until it was just opened a crack.

I quickly stood up and tiptoed down the hallway and around the corner to the front door. I slowly turned the lock and opened the door. Then I closed it gently behind me and let out the breath I was holding. I sprinted to Devin's truck parked behind the cottage. When I reached it, I opened the door and jumped inside, quietly closing the door. My hand went to the ignition. Keys – where the hell were the keys? I could have sworn Devin left them in the truck.

I felt around on the seat. Nothing. This is not happening to me! I continued rummaging around the inside of the truck when I heard the passenger door open. My heart stopped – or at least that's what it felt like at the moment.

"Going somewhere?"

I brought my head up and looked over at Devin. He looked pissed. I raised my eyebrows and smiled pleadingly. "Devin, please..."

"Just where do you think you are going?"

"I have to let my family know that I'm okay. You don't understand."

"And you don't understand that you're not going anywhere without these," Devin mocked as he dangled the keys in his hand.

"Please give them to me," I begged.

"You want them?"

I nodded.

"Well come and get them then," he smirked.

I slowly got out of the truck and slammed the door, keeping my eyes on him. If he wanted me to come and get them, then that's what I was going to do. As I walked the length of the side of the truck, I slowly removed the pistol from my pocket.

I walked around the back of the truck and rounded the corner to the side of the truck he was standing on. He stood there – arms outstretched, keys in hand, as if mocking me. He grinned and I grinned back as I lifted the gun and pointed it at him.

"You're not gonna shoot me, Nicole."

"Give me the keys," I demanded.

He shook his head no. I pulled back on the trigger. "I said give me the keys," I repeated.

"You wanna shoot me, go ahead. But I'm not giving you the keys. I'm not gonna help you get yourself killed."

I stared at him trying to see if he was bluffing, but it soon became obvious that he was serious. If I wanted the keys, I would have to shoot him. We stood there staring each other down for what felt like an eternity.

"Come on, shoot me! It's what you want, right?" Devin challenged.

I think we both knew that I couldn't and wouldn't shoot him. I released my finger from the trigger and backed up against the side of the truck in defeat. I slid down the side of it until I was sitting on the ground. I put my head in my hands and began to cry. In no time, Devin was beside me.

"Shhh," he whispered as he put his arm around me and grabbed the gun off the ground. He put the gun in his back pocket then stood up and lifted me into his arms. I cried into his shoulder as he carried me back inside and laid me back down on the bed.

He got in bed and lay down beside me, wrapping his arm around my waist as he kissed the back of my head. I sobbed silently until sleep finally overtook me.

My mother barely slept a wink since my disappearance. She was a bundle of nerves with constant worry that like the countless others on the news, I would also be found dead. To make matters worse, she was still watching my cousin Kelly, whom cried for me all the time and wondered where I was. All my mother would tell her was that I had to leave suddenly, that I loved her, and that I would be back.

The telephone rang and my mother jumped to answer it. It was Detective Ramos letting her know that all my acquaintances had been contacted and it had led nowhere. As my mother was on the phone, Kelly asked if she could play outside. My mother mindlessly told her it was okay.

Kelly ran out the back door, excited to be going outside. The weather was warm and she wanted to play with the new plastic ball Tommy had bought for her. As she was playing with it, a strong wind blew it further away from her. She ran to catch it, almost getting it several times as it continued to blow further from the house. Eventually it hit a tree and stopped. Kelly smiled victoriously as she continued running to retrieve it.

As she approached the tree, a man stepped out from behind it. He picked up the ball. Kelly stopped and stared up at him. "Does this belong to you?" he whispered gently as he held it out towards her.

Kelly silently nodded her head as she looked up at the man with the dark blond hair and piercing brown eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm a friend of Nicole's. She asked me to come pick you up so she can play with you," Damien answered as he smiled sweetly at the child and extended his hand.

Kelly smiled and put her hand out to hold his. Damien dropped the ball and picked Kelly up, covering her mouth with one of his hands.

My mother hung up the phone feeling eerie. The 48-hour time period had elapsed, which didn't give her much hope of my being found alive. To top it all off, she had watched the news that morning only to be informed of dozens more disappearances. She paced the kitchen floor back and forth. "Kelly!" she called out as she suddenly remembered her young niece. She ran out the back door. Not seeing her anywhere, she began screaming her name.

Tommy heard my mother's screams and came running out of the barn where he had been tinkering around with an engine. He assisted my mother in the search for my six-year-old cousin. Not finding her anywhere, they both ran back into the house. They did a thorough check of the interior and came up with nothing. My mother felt as if she would pass out as her and Tommy exchanged horrified glances and she picked up the phone to dial 911.

# Chapter 18

I awoke suddenly with an eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. Devin was sitting in the chair across the room watching me. He stood up and walked toward me when he realized I was awake.

"You're up earlier than usual."

"Just couldn't sleep well. I have this horrible feeling that something is wrong."

"Like what?"

"I don't know exactly. I just sense that something terrible has happened," I replied as I stormed out of bed and down the hallway. Devin was close behind me as usual. I walked into the living room and turned on the TV. The news was on as I had expected. My heart caught in my throat when I read the bottom of the screen. AMBER ALERT – Kelly Shaw, Age 6, Southern Illinois. Next to the alert was a small photo of my cousin.

My mouth dropped open and I looked over at Devin. "That's my cousin," I whispered. I stood up and paced the floor, becoming frantic. "Oh my God! Devin, that's my cousin. She's been abducted. We have to do something."

Devin nodded silently.

I heard the reporter on the news mention Kelly's name and my head instantly turned back to the TV. The screen displayed a full-sized photo of my cousin, then a photo of my home. I listened as they explained that Kelly had been taken right from my front yard and of course nobody had seen a thing. Then they went on to question a possible connection in her disappearance with mine.

My heart felt as if it would rip in two as I stared at the photo of my sweet little cousin with her big blue eyes, light brown curly hair, and sweet dimpled smile. Who had taken her? Was she hurt? Was she hungry? Was she cold? Was she afraid? Was she even still alive? Was she being tortured? A million thoughts were running through my head as tears slid down my face almost unnoticed. I tried to quiet my imagination, but I couldn't stop thinking about what they might be doing to her at this very second.

I was nearly hysterical when I walked over to Devin, grabbed his arms and started shaking him. "Did you hear what I just said? My cousin is missing! We have to do something!"

Devin was silent for a few moments then he let out a smirk. "Motherfucker," he whispered as he shook his head.

"What?" I whispered as I looked up at him, my eyes glazed and vulnerable.

"I bet I know exactly who took her."

"Who?" I demanded.

Devin ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. Then he exhaled loudly and looked over at me. "Damien," he whispered.

"Oh my God," I exclaimed as I put my hand over my mouth. I felt sick to my stomach. "Why her? Why my cousin? I don't understand. It's me they want."

"That's why they did it – to get to you."

"Well, they win! There's no way I'm letting my cousin get killed because of me. Come on, we have to go save her."

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I must go alone."

"Are you crazy? You said yourself that they were stronger than you."

Devin frowned and sat down to think for a minute. Then an idea came to him. "I know how I can gain strength."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, and how is that?"

"Isn't there a Red Cross Center around here?"

"How the hell should I know? I don't even know where we are."

Devin stood up and walked toward the door. "I'm almost positive we passed a Red Cross building on the way up here."

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at him questioningly. "Okay, and if there is – then what? What are you getting at?"

"Blood."

I thought it over for a minute. "Oh," I whispered.

"I haven't got much time. I need to go now."

"I'm coming with you," I said as I gave him a look that said I was serious and crossed my arms over my chest.

He smirked and shook his head. "Too dangerous."

"I can't just sit here and wait, Devin. She's my cousin! Besides, what if you don't make it? You haven't told me where they're keeping her."

"I'm not for sure on this, but I'll bet they're keeping her at the house – the same house I lived in."

"Which is where?" I asked.

"It's just off of Route 170. An old white farmhouse, set far back from the road and almost completely hidden by trees. It's about a quarter mile after the bend."

He looked up at me as I nervously chewed my lower lip. He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my forehead. "I'll make it."

Devin walked out the door and I followed him. As he started the truck, I opened the passenger side door and jumped inside. He put the truck in gear, leaned over, opened my door, and pushed me out. I fell to the ground but was quickly back on my feet. I chased after the truck until it was no longer in sight.

Devin kept driving down the country back roads until he came upon the brown brick building with the big overhead sign that read 'Red Cross'. He was thankful that there were only two cars in the lot. It was around lunchtime, so the cars probably belonged to staff members. He parked his truck on the side and grabbed the shiny black pistol.

Devin approached the building, gun in hand. The sleeves of his sweatshirt, which he had pulled down over his hands to conceal his weapon, hid the gun. A plump elderly woman with gray hair tied up in a bun sat behind a large desk. She looked up and smiled when he walked inside. "I'm sorry, sir, but we are closed for lunch right now."

Devin looked around nervously. Not seeing anyone, he approached the woman and pulled the gun out, pointing it at her. "Guess what - you just reopened!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, Jesus!" she exclaimed as her eyes grew wide.

"The blood bank – take me to it," he commanded.

The woman swallowed hard. She was visibly shaking all over. Devin pulled back on the trigger and aimed it at her face. "Now," he demanded. " I don't have much time."

The woman's knees were shaking as she led Devin to the room and opened a large refrigerator, which contained countless bags of human blood. "Please, don't hurt me," the woman pleaded.

Devin smirked as he grabbed several bags of the blood. Then he turned to face the frightened woman. "I'm not going to hurt you." He held on tightly to the bags and turned to leave. Once he was at the door, he turned to face the woman again. "You call the police and you're dead," he warned.

The old woman nodded her head in agreement. "I won't. Please, just take it and go."

Devin gave her one last glare, turned, and walked out the door. He peeled out of the parking lot as fast as he could, trying to put as much distance between himself and the crime he had just committed. He felt bad for scaring the poor old woman, but it needed to be done. He needed human blood for strength if he was to have any shot at beating Damien and the others.

When he felt he was at a safe enough distance away, Devin reached over across the seat and grabbed one of the bags, ripping it open. He quickly gulped it down, the sickeningly sweet taste making him gag. Still, he forced down bag after bag as he felt himself getting stronger with each one.

I couldn't believe that Devin just left me there like that. I know he thought he was protecting me by doing so, but it still didn't make it right. I was full of adrenaline and rage as I walked down the quiet country road. I must've walked for nearly two hours before I finally heard a car approaching. I stood off to the side of the road and put my thumb out. Yes, I was hitchhiking. I couldn't believe it myself, but it was the only choice I had – the only choice and the only chance.

The driver pulled over. It was a woman, maybe in her late forties with sloppy scraggly hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed, buckteeth, and big glasses that made her look like a bug. She leaned over and rolled down the passenger window. "Need some help?" she called out.

I walked up to the window. "I had a fight with my boyfriend and he left me out here stranded. I could really use a ride," I replied, trying to appear as innocent and pathetic as I could.

She opened the passenger door and I climbed in. "Thanks," I said as I smiled over at her. The woman introduced herself as Candy. I barely paid attention as she tried to make small talk. All I could think about was my cousin and who had taken her. I would get to Damien and Kya somehow, even if it killed me – even if it meant I had to learn how to kill.

"I'm kind of in a hurry. Could we maybe go a little faster?" I asked impatiently as I looked over at the speedometer.

She looked over at me in disbelief. I stared back, sizing her up.

"Look, it was nice of me to offer you a ride," Candy stated as she slowed her truck to the side of the road. "But I can see that you're obviously ungrateful."

She stopped the truck and asked me to get out. I didn't think. I just reacted as I lunged at her across the seat and put my hands around her neck. She tried to kick me in the face, but I pulled back, still keeping my grip on her throat. I released one of my hands, punched her hard in the face, opened her car door, and threw her out of the vehicle. "Hey," she yelled after me as I slammed the door shut and floored the gas. I didn't have time for this shit. I needed to save Kelly – and possibly Devin too. I was unprepared for what lie ahead – that much I'll admit. The only plan I had was to find the farmhouse Devin spoke of and pretty much figure out the rest once I got there. I was winging it and I knew it.

I was scared – petrified really – but the adrenaline and rage coursing through my body kept me moving forward. I had to stay focused. My cousin looked up to me and there was no way I was going to fail her when she needed me the most. And my mother was going to know that I was still alive. I owed her at least that much.

I saw a gas station coming up on the right. I slowed the truck and pulled into the lot. Then I filled up the gas tank and went inside. The attendant informed me of my location out here in the boonies. I bought a map and he helped me study it. From what I could tell, I was still hours away from my destination. It would be nearly dark by the time I reached it.

As I was exiting the gas station, I eyed a payphone across the parking lot. I remembered seeing one of those coin holder things in the truck. I jogged back to it and grabbed some quarters, then ran up to the payphone and dialed my home number.

My mother answered on the first ring, her voice sounding fragile and stressed.

"Mom, it's me Nicole," I said, trying my best to sound calm.

"Nicole? Oh my God! Honey, are you okay? Where are you? I've been worried sick over you? Kelly's been kidnapped," she blurted out.

"I'm fine, mom," I started to say.

"It's so great to hear your voice," she interrupted. "Just where the hell have you been the past few days? And why haven't you called me sooner? And what happened to your car?"

I interrupted her stream of questions. "Mom, listen, I can't explain it all right now. I just wanted you to know that I'm okay. I think I know where Kelly is and I'm going to get her."

"Where is she? You've seen her? Who took her?"

My mother was frantic and I felt really bad for that, but I couldn't tell her everything that was going on. That would just worry her more. Besides, how would I even go about trying to explain to my mother that I'd gotten myself involved with a man that turned out to be a vampire and that Satan's army wants to kill me because I'm possibly an angel?

"Tell me where she is and I'll go and get her," my mother continued.

"I'm sorry, mom, but I can't tell you. That's hard for me to say to you, but it's not safe."

"Not safe? What do you mean not safe? What's going on, Nicole?"

"I can't tell you everything right now. It could put you in danger. So you just need to trust me, okay? Can you do that for me, mom? Can you trust me?"

"Nicole, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry, mom. I don't mean to scare you. But right now, the less you know, the better off you are. There is something going on and I can't tell you what. All you need to know is that I'm alive, I'm safe, and I'm going to get Kelly and bring her back. Now you just stay inside and lock the doors. Can you do that for me, mom?"

"Nicole," my mom started again.

I cut her off. "I love you, mom," I whispered into the phone before I hung up.

I ran back to the truck and took off. I had a long way to go and a short time to get there. Devin already had quite a bit of a head start on me. Also, I didn't know exactly where I was going - which was another advantage that he had, for he knew exactly where he was going.

I tried to stay on the back roads. I figured there probably wouldn't be many cops, if any, so I could get away with speeding. Also, I worried that Candy would report her truck stolen and I couldn't afford to go down for that. Really, I couldn't afford to stop at all until I reached my destination.

# Chapter 19

Devin saw the old farmhouse in view and he parked his truck. He didn't want to pull into the driveway or yard. He thought they would surely hear him if he did that and he wanted the benefit of having the element of surprise.

The sunlight filtering in from the side of his dark sunglasses burned at his eyes. He walked slowly, darting behind trees to hide himself. At last, he was close to the house. He listened intently but didn't hear anything. He crawled slowly on his hands and knees around the perimeter of the front of the house until he was just to the side of the big bay window. Slowly he brought himself up and peered around at it. Shit! The drapes were closed, as he pretty much knew they would be. I mean these vampires were so far away from the light that they couldn't see in it. Darkness had become their custom and their reality. It had been his too – that is, until he met me. I would be his salvation. I had my doubts on that, but he seemed sure of it.

"Shit, now what?" Devin whispered to himself as he scratched his head. He thought about just breaking the door down and opening fire, but his handgun only held thirteen rounds and he didn't have any extra bullets. He was sure that Damien and Kya had created God only knew how many new vampires when he didn't return with me.

He looked up at the sun. Darkness would be approaching soon. The vampires were probably all sleeping inside. And the girl... well who knew where they were keeping her. His guess would be that either Damien or Kya herself was keeping watch over the small child. He felt some comfort in knowing that they probably wanted the child alive to use as bait for what they really wanted – which was me.

Devin heard a vehicle approaching and his head spun around to look. Driving right toward the house was an old Ford pickup truck. Who the hell could that be? He thought. But his question was soon answered when I emerged from the truck and slammed the door closed behind me. My face was stone cold determination as I walked toward the house.

As I approached the house, a figure darted from around a tree and grabbed me. I opened my mouth to scream but a strong hand quickly muffled it. I began kicking wildly until I heard the familiar voice. "Shhh... Nicole, it's me. I'm going to uncover your mouth. Don't scream," Devin pleaded.

I nodded in agreement and he released his hand from my mouth and let me go. "What's going on? Have you found her?" I whispered.

"What are you doing? I told you to stay put. It's much too dangerous for you to be here," Devin scolded, ignoring my questions.

I could tell that he was upset, but I didn't care. "I told you I wasn't gonna be left behind," I reminded him. "Now where is she? Have you found her?"

Devin smirked in defeat. "Not yet," he admitted. "All the drapes are closed and I can't see inside. I don't know where they're keeping her."

"Well let's just go inside and see, shall we?"

Devin grabbed my arm to stop me. "We have to be smart about this. We can't just go running in there. I've thought about that already and this handgun only holds thirteen bullets. I'm sure there are more vampires than that."

"Well, look what I found in the truck." I grinned as I held up a small handgun of my own. "Fully loaded too."

Devin grinned back. "That's great, but it's probably still not enough."

I pushed past him. "I don't care. I'm going in. The more time we spend out here arguing, the less chance I have of finding my cousin alive."

"I think it'd be best if we waited until dark. Then I'm sure a bunch of them will be heading out. We could hide out and wait until most of them are gone. I don't think they'll hurt her."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "In case you've forgotten, she's full of human blood – innocent blood too."

"You're right," Devin responded.

"Really? You're actually going to agree with me for once?" I teased.

He smirked and took a few steps toward the front door. "I want you to stay right behind me, okay?" he commanded.

I shook my head.

"And if anything happens to me, I want you to run, okay?"

I frowned and nodded. He reached out and held me tightly. Then he pulled away and looked at me nervously. "Lets do this."

Devin turned the knob on the front door. As he had expected, it was locked. "Stand back," he ordered as he kicked the door in. I followed him inside. A few vampires were asleep on the sofa and some on the floor. I followed a few feet behind Devin as he made his way across the living room. A few of the vampires started to stir. As one opened his eyes and began to get up, Devin brought his gun up and shot him in the heart. The man fell straight back.

The noise of the gunshot woke the remainder of the vampires in the living room. Devin turned toward me and whispered in my ear. "I'll do my best to hold them off. Go upstairs. I'll bet that's where they're keeping her."

I nodded and slowly made my way to the staircase. I turned around just before I was about to go up and saw that Devin was fighting off a couple of vampires at once. I saw one coming at him from behind and I just reacted. I jump kicked the man in the back of the head. He fell to the floor and I shot him in the head.

"The heart," Devin called out as my victim started pulling himself up from the floor.

I aimed my gun again and shot him in the heart. Then I dared a look at Devin again. He was fighting off so many. Walls were being broken, windows were being shattered – it was insane. But so far, he was still standing and I was grateful for that.

I turned back and quickly ascended the stairs. I slowly opened the first door I came to. It was just a bathroom. There was nobody inside. I slowly crept down the hall to the next door. I opened it and saw that Kelly was inside tied down to a bed. Beside her were two female vampires asleep in chairs. I quickly ran to her side and touched her face. She opened her eyes.

"Nicole," she whispered, her voice weak. A new rage filled me as I took in her appearance. Her eyes were red-rimmed and blood shot and she displayed a huge welt across her cheek. It was obvious that someone had hit her.

"Yeah, honey, it's me. I'm going to get you out of here," I whispered back. I pulled a knife out of my boot – another item I had found in the truck – and began cutting at the thick ropes that tied her. I got one of her arms free and saw something out of the corner of my eye. One of the vampires in the room had awoken and was coming right at me. I stood up and rested my palm against the bed as my left leg shot out and struck the vampire in the throat. She went down hard. Then I sat on top of her and put my hands around her throat, squeezing as hard as I could until she lost consciousness. I could have just shot her, but I was afraid of the noise attracting more vampires.

I returned to Kelly and resumed cutting the thick ropes. Just as I had her completely freed, the vampire I had just struggled with was on her feet again. To make it even worse, the second female vampire that was in the room was also awake now and approaching me. I picked Kelly up and told her to close her eyes. Then I aimed the gun, shooting one and then the other.

I heard footsteps from down the hall and stopped dead in my tracks, gripped by an overpowering feeling of dread. Damien or Kya? A new fear overtook me as I walked over to the window and opened it. It was already getting dark outside, but I could still see that you could get on the roof right from the window and slide down. Then it was just a short drop to the ground. I put Kelly down and turned to face her. "Whatever happens, I want you to keep running," I said as I dug the small flashlight out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"But I want you to come with me," Kelly whined as she started to cry.

"I can't right now, honey." I firmly grabbed her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Listen to me, Kelly. I want you to run straight past all of those trees out there. Keep running until you reach the road and then go left. Stay on the side of the road and flag down the first driver you see. Tell them who you are and they'll help you." I kissed her forehead and put her out the window. She whined for me. "Go, Kelly! Run! Run and don't stop. I'll be right behind you just as soon as I can."

I shoved Kelly through the window and encouraged her to jump down. Just as she had jumped and I was about to follow her, the door swung open. I turned my head to look and found myself staring into Damien's eyes. He looked different to me now – hideous really. He grinned as he approached me and I felt as if I would vomit.

"Leaving the party so soon," he smirked. I could see the blood lust in his eyes and I was petrified. "I've been looking forward to this moment," he grinned.

"Fuck you, asshole," I replied coldly as I reached for the pistol in my pocket.

"Do I sense some hostility?" Damien asked with mocking sweetness. He clenched his jaw. His jaw was so tight that I could hear his teeth grinding in frustration. His dark eyes bore into mine, full of unwavering hatred and blood lust.

I pulled out the gun and pointed it at him. I shot at him and he dodged the bullet. I kept pulling the trigger, but each time he managed to escape it. Before I knew it, I was out of bullets.

"Tsk... tsk..." Damien said as he shook his finger in the air and advanced on me, shaking his head. "You've been a very bad girl."

"Devin!" I shouted. "Devin, help me!" I pleaded.

Damien grinned at me as he got closer. I put my hands up ready to fight.

"Just look at the fighting spirit in you," he chuckled. Then his expression changed and he smiled at me as he reached for my hand. "I'm not going to hurt you," he grinned.

I took a step back. "I'm about to knock that smirky little grin right off your face," I warned. Then I grinned myself as I punched him hard in the face, my fist connecting with his jaw. I watched as his face turned several shades of rage. Then he shook his head and laughed as he rubbed his jaw. I shook out my hand, which was throbbing from the impact. He grabbed me by my hair and swung me against him.

Still firmly grasping my hair, he leaned his head down and I felt his cool breath on my neck. "This is going to be fun," he whispered.

I brought my foot up and kicked him in the groin. He keeled over and I punched him several times in the face then kicked him in the chest. Knowing he'd be right back up, I ran for the window and ducked through it onto the roof. Then I jumped down, my boots making a thud as I hit the ground.

I heard footsteps approaching and I turned my head to look. I let out a shrill scream and ran to my "borrowed" truck. I had almost made it when his arms crushed around me – one of his arms tightly around my chest, pinning me, his other elbow around my arm, his hand covering my mouth. I sunk my teeth into his hand, but his skin was too tough. I couldn't puncture it.

I grabbed a fistful of his hair with my free hand and yanked as hard as I could. He quickly and effortlessly jerked his head free and clamped his fingers around my wrist. His grip on my wrist tightened and I thought it would snap in two. I whimpered in response.

Damien laughed. He eased his grip on me and I tumbled back and broke free. I saw his fist coming at me but I couldn't move to block it. It slammed into my cheek hard, knocking me down. He dragged me to my feet and pulled me across the grass.

His fist came at me again, connecting with my stomach. Again I was knocked to the ground. I keeled over then fought the pain as I scrambled back to my feet and managed to get the truck door opened. I dared a look in his direction. He hadn't moved, but his expression shook me. He was smirking at me arrogantly with devilish delight.

My whole body shook in a violent tremor as I jammed the key into the ignition and turned it. I put the truck in reverse, turned the truck around, and sped away. I looked in my rearview mirror and he was still looking at me, that same stupid grin on his face. It can't be this easy, I thought. He's not just going to let me go now. Surely he'll come after me.

Michael closed his eyes for several seconds. "It's happening," he said as he opened them again and looked over at Raphael and Melanie.

"What are we waiting for?" Raphael asked as he stood up.

"I'll go get the car," Melanie offered.

Michael put up a hand to stop her. "No, you must stay here. It's far too dangerous."

"But I want to help," Melanie insisted.

Michael ignored her and turned to Raphael. "We haven't much time. I'm driving; let's go!"

Melanie jumped in the backseat and Michael frowned at her. He didn't have time to argue with her, so he let her tag along.

"Damn it," Michael yelled out as he pounded the steering wheel. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

My mother saw the flashing lights as the squad car pulled into the driveway. Her heart pounded wildly as she walked to the front door and pulled it open. She started walking toward the car before the officer even got out. She watched intently as he got out of the driver's side, closed the door and walked over to the other side of the car. He opened the rear passenger door and Kelly bounded out, running toward her.

My mother fell to her knees and opened her arms. Kelly rushed to her and they hugged each other tightly. Tears streamed down both their eyes as the officer approached them.

The officer smiled at the encounter. "It sure is nice when I can assist in reuniting loved ones," he commented.

My mother stood up and picked Kelly up into her arms. Tommy came through the door and Nevaeh snuck past him and took off running. "Damn it," Tommy swore. Then he looked over at mom and Kelly and relief washed over him.

"It's okay," my mother told Tommy. "She'll come back." Then she turned her attention back to the police officer. "Where did you find her?"

"She stopped a motorist out on 170. They recognized her from the amber alert on TV and brought her to the police station."

My mother nodded her head. "And my daughter?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, still no news there."

"She said she'd be right behind me," Kelly interrupted in a whisper.

"What was that, honey?" my mother asked.

Kelly repeated her earlier statement and recounted her escape. The officer asked her several questions, but Kelly couldn't remember where it was that she had been held. All she could tell them was that there were a lot of "scary" people there.

I couldn't think anymore. My cheek was on fire from the blow and ringing filled my ears. I rolled my window all the way down to let the cool night air hit my swollen cheek. Shit! Shit! Shit! I pounded the steering wheel with my fist and tried to concentrate on the road. There wasn't another car in sight, which wasn't uncommon for this time of night. Most people from around here were farmers. They went to bed early and were up at the crack of dawn. When I saw that all was clear, my thoughts soon returned to Kelly. Was she okay? Had she made it back to my house safely? I felt terrible for leaving her, but I had no choice. As long as she was with me, she was in danger. This "dark army", as Devin had called them, would stop at nothing until I was dead or one of them. One thing I knew for certain – I'd rather die than to ever become what they are.

All I could think about was my mother, my brother, Kelly, and Gina, and how much my death would hurt each one of them. I could feel the hot tears as they poured out in a flood down my cheeks as memories danced around in my head.

The first was of my mother – her sweet smile lighting up her face as she playfully chased my brother and me around when we were kids. Then I saw my brother – trying hard to soothe my fears as we huddled together under our fort of blankets. Next, I thought of Nevaeh – she had taken to me instantly and tried to follow me everywhere. I saw her as she dashed after Devin, teeth snarling. Tommy was right; she had been protecting me.

I could faintly see bright lights illuminating the inside of the truck. I glanced in my rearview mirror. Another vehicle was fast approaching. I was certain that it was Damien. I panicked and hit the gas harder. Something ran out across the road and I turned the wheel hard, trying to avoid hitting it. As I swerved, my truck ran off the road and into the deep ditch. It rolled a few times and finally came to a stop upside down in the field.

I heard footsteps approaching as I frantically tried to free myself from my seatbelt. I finally managed to get it unbuckled and climbed through my open window. Damien was walking toward me and he wasn't alone. With him was a woman I had never seen before and a man I recognized from earlier. The woman had long black hair that framed her pale white face. She was young and just stunning to look at. That was, until she got closer and I saw her red eyes. Kya! This must be Kya – the one Devin warned me about.

For a moment I was frozen in fear. When I finally willed myself to action, I took off in an adrenaline-fueled sprint through the tall corn stalks. I figured if anything, maybe I could hide myself. I ran and I ran and I ran, my lungs burning. Suddenly I felt a strong grasp on my hair and my head was yanked back.

"As if you could outrun me," Damien laughed.

I spit at him, kicked at him, and violently swung my arms at him. It was of no use. There was no way I could take him down. But I wasn't going to give up without a fight. He still held roughly onto my hair, so rough that I felt it would all be pulled out if he gripped it any harder. He flung me from him so hard that I flew a few feet and hit the ground with a loud thud. Still I staggered up and aimed a kick at him, right in the groin. My foot connected and he just laughed.

In one quick movement of his arm, he had me in his grasp again. His hands tightened around my throat. Tightening more and more as his breathing appeared to accelerate excitedly. White lights appeared in front of my eyes, but still I refused to give up. I kicked at him again. His grip left my neck. I clutched my palm to my throat, gasping for breath. The cool air stung as it rushed into my lungs. Sweat trickled down my cheeks and my heart pounded wildly in my chest.

Then his thick fingers dug into my jaw and held my head in place. Damien pulled back his arm and slapped me hard against my already swollen cheek, snapping my head around. I flew backward a few feet and fell bonelessly to the ground. I whimpered helplessly as he walked toward me. I turned my head to search for some form of escape and saw the female watching in sheer delight. Next to her, standing with his arms crossed over his chest, was the other man. I was trapped. Now he was going to do something really awful. I just knew it.

Just as I had that thought, the woman came forward. "Let me do it," she commanded. Damien gave a grudging nod of agreement and stepped back.

I looked up at the woman, my eyes desperate and pleading as I screamed out in rage and fear. She laughed at me, her own eyes empty and spiritless. The hatred she felt for me was overpowering to say the least. Everything about her radiated such an intense hatred that it surrounded her like a thick, all-consuming, black cloud. It was soon evident that I was experiencing a one-on-one confrontation, personal and bitter, with pure evil. She snatched the back of my head, holding it in place. I begged - my pleas muffled, gasping sobs. She laughed softly in my ear as she jerked my head back against her. Then she bore down on me, clamping her teeth down on my neck.

When did it become so hot? I wondered as I felt heat pulsating through my body. Then there was silence. The night had grown hushed, the kind of quiet where you could hear a pin drop. Or was I just imagining it? Where was I again? And where were Damien and the other guy? And where was Devin?

As my body convulsed violently and fire filled my veins, I forced myself to sit up. Something surged in my chest, hot and painful. I squinted my eyes, my pupils refusing to cooperate. My heart raced, the beat irregular. Everything seemed different somehow. Like it was red and hot. Was the world on fire? No. The pain twisted inside of me, non-relenting, pulling at me from deep inside and taking me to the very edge of what I could stand. My breath caught and I felt light headed. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and opened them again, forcing myself to focus harder. Red spots formed before my eyes. I blinked. My eyes squeezed shut again. I felt so much horror, because I knew the truth. I had known what they were and I knew what I was becoming.

I felt the pain overtaking me, gripping my very being. I would have fought it, but I was too tired. My strength was gone. So I let myself disappear into the red, hot darkness. The lights grew dimmer behind my eyelids as red-hot bolts of pain ripped through my body. It was a savage, fierce, stabbing agony that felt as if it would rip my body to pieces. I felt myself sinking into a dark swirling vortex of nothing. Afraid, I forced my eyes open again. New spots formed before my eyes, these white and dizzying.

I think I may have been in and out of consciousness through the pain. The next thing that I remember was hearing voices arguing. The voices belonged to Devin and Damien. Devin! There was also a female voice which I was sure was Kya's. "Fight it, Nicole! Fight it!" I heard Devin call out to me.

It took all the strength I could muster to bring myself up to a sitting position. My eyes roamed, seeking the whereabouts of the voices I could still hear. Finally my eyes locked on Devin's. He was fighting Damien while Kya stood back and watched, grinning cruelly. Devin! I had to help Devin! That was all I could think of at the moment.

I forced myself up only to stumble and fall back to the ground. The fire burning inside me felt like it was getting hotter by the second. I screamed out as I forced myself up a second time. Again I fell to the ground. I'll not go down like this, I thought as I found the strength to pull myself up a third time. My legs were shaky, but this time I did not falter.

It took awhile for my eyes to focus on the scene that lie in front of me. Devin and Damien were tearing each other apart. And Kya... Wait, where was Kya? I closed my eyes and reopened them. Then I saw her. She was heading right for me – a look of sheer determination and hatred displayed on her face. Bring it on, bitch, I thought as I forced myself into a fighting stance. My own fierce determination startled me. Suddenly, when she was maybe twenty or so feet away, she stopped. She seemed to be listening to something I couldn't quite hear. Then she turned and began running in the opposite direction. "They're coming!" she yelled.

I heard a blood-curdling howl. Nevaeh? Was that my dog I just heard? I turned my head in the direction of the noise. Yes, it was my dog. She was attacking the other man that had been with Damien and Kya. I watched as she tore him apart and he screamed for help.

I turned my attention back to Devin and Damien. Only now I didn't see Devin. It was just Damien standing next to a crumpled body. Oh no, Devin, please don't be dead, I thought as I stumbled forward toward him.

"They're coming. We must leave now," Kya repeated to Damien.

"Why don't we stay and fight?" Damien asked.

"No, we're not prepared for this kind of fight." She turned her head to watch as my dog tore apart the other male vampire she had brought with.

Damien shrugged his shoulders and followed Kya back to the vehicle and they took off.

I finally reached the crumpled body lying in the field. It was Devin all right. I fell to my knees and began stroking his hair. I heard Nevaeh growling. She was still tearing that man apart. I turned my attention back to Devin. "It's going to be okay," I whispered. It was then that I noticed that his neck was broken and several of his limbs were separated from his body. He had fought for me and he had lost. He had died trying to protect me! It was all my fault.

I heard a familiar bark and turned my head to look. Coming toward me was my dog, Nevaeh. As she got closer, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me. Then she let out a loud moan, sat down, and howled at the moon. I turned my head and saw that the man was no longer writhing on the ground. He was now motionless. I leaned over Devin and tried to put him back together as I cried. It was no use. He was dead and I needed to accept that.

I pushed myself up and decided to go home. As I walked down the lonely dark country road toward my house, I couldn't ignore the burning feeling in my throat. My world of nightmares had become my reality and I knew what I had become. My own face turned to stone and I released my pent up breath in a low hiss. Then I burst into uncontrollable laughter as I walked on. Nevaeh soon followed me, but she kept her distance.

"Shit!" Michael yelled out as he pounded the steering wheel.

"What is it?" Raphael asked.

"It's happened. We're too late. I can't sense her presence at all now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that either she is dead, or she has become one of them," Michael replied as he looked over at Raphael. "It means we have failed."

## Keep reading for a preview of

Avengers of the Unavenged,

## Book 2 in the Protector's of the Light series...

## Available Now!

## Chapter 1

I continued to walk down the dark lonely country road, laughing hysterically to myself. I mean what else was I gonna do? My nightmares had become my reality. Both the men I had ever loved were now dead and I was now a vampire. I shuddered at the thought.

I had given it everything I had... and I had lost. Sure I still had my life, but I was now marked for damnation. Devin's words repeated themselves in my mind. 'Nicole, you're an angel'. I laughed even harder at the memory. Some angel I was! Devin was obviously delusional.

I felt the cold metal of the St. Michael medal I wore against my chest. I clasped it in my hand and pulled it off, then stared at it. "Some help you were," I snarled as I threw the chain with the medal on it to the ground and kept walking. I could hear Nevaeh cry out several feet behind me, but I didn't look back.

In no time, I had reached my house. The lights were all out and I was pretty sure everyone was sleeping inside. I crept around to the back door, retrieved the spare key under the mat, and unlocked the door. I slowly pushed it open and walked inside.

The house was quiet, as I had expected. I tiptoed up to my room, careful not to make a sound. I reached my bedroom and turned on the light. The brightness burned my eyes, so I quickly turned it off and switched on the nightlight instead. I looked down at myself and noticed how dirty and disheveled my clothes were, so I decided to take a bath and change them.

As I entered the bathroom, I came face to face with a mirror for the first time since the "incident". I couldn't believe my eyes as I took in my new appearance. Aside from the swelling, welts, and bruises, I was quite stunning to look at. It was how my new identity was designed after all, right? I mean everything about me was supposed to invite people in, wasn't it? Attract them to me so that I could move in for the kill? My stomach churned and I spit at my reflection in the mirror.

I decided against taking a bath. I just lifted my old dress over my head and pulled on a new one. As I left the bathroom, my throat burned – a painful reminder of my thirst. I tiptoed down the hallway and stopped at the first room I came to. It was my mother's. I slowly opened the door and peered inside. She was asleep with Kelly cuddled up next to her, clutching tightly to the teddy bear I had bought for her. I took a few steps forward toward them and stopped dead in my tracks. I could actually hear their hearts beating and smell the sweet blood as it coursed through their veins. Suddenly my thirst was all I could think about.

