Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set (119 page)

Her father crawled out through a hole in the wreckage as smoke gathered in thicker clouds. “Eliana, hang on,” her father yelled into the hole. Gabby tried to move, to help, but she sat frozen, watching her father work to free her mom.

“Daddy … please, daddy.”

He reached back through the hole as flames sputtered to life from the engine. Gabby watched him pull her mother’s limp body from the car mere seconds before fire engulfed
what
was left of the front seat.

Her father’s voice echoed in the darkness as he sobbed, “Eliana, don’t die. Please don’t die.”

His soot and tear streaked face glowed in the light of the fire. His consuming grief was exposed, there for everyone to see.

“Please God don’t … don’t take her.” She pleaded into the night until her mother’s hand moved. Ignoring her pain, she crawled toward her father and mother entwined in a final embrace. Before she could reach them, her mother’s shaking hand reached up to caress the side of her father’s face. “Bruce, take care of Gabby. Please let her have time to enjoy life before…”

As the condensed vapor of her breath in the cold night air faded, so did the life of her mother.

“There’s more,” Forras whispered in her mind.

She fought against Forras’ possession, gritting her teeth, willing herself to remain in the present, but he won
.

She dragged her scorched leg, reaching out toward her mother’s lifeless form, and she saw him. Kneeling in a snow-covered field not too far from the crash, his wings outstretched and eyes ablaze, was Alexander.
Laughter. Deep sinister laughter filled her ears, drowning out all other sound. She knew that laugh, recognized the way it made her skin go cold. Forras.

Both of them were there.

Someone touched her shoulder and she jolted, the vision vanishing. She glanced up, trying to see through the blur of water in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry.” Alexander wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

The sight of him made her angry. “No, you don’t get to comfort me.” She pushed him away and slid up the wall to stand.

“You’re only sorry you got caught,” Forras’ mocking voice said from behind her. His mark on her abdomen pulsed with the beat of her heart. I wanted to punch Forras and strangle Alexander for taking my mother from me and making me relive it all over again.

Gremory stood behind Alexander, taunting him.

“Leave her alone,” Alexander ordered. “Haven’t you done enough?”

“I’m just getting started.” Forras stepped closer, looming over her with a huge grin on his face. “She’s mine now. You lost, pet.”

Furious she fisted her hands. “I’m not anyone’s,” Gabby bit out. “I’m not a thing you, or anyone else, can possess.” Gabby’s body shook violently, betraying her. She turned to run, to get away from the torture of the truth, but Alexander grabbed her arm.

“No, you have to stay with me. I understand if you never want to see me again, but let me take you home. You’re not safe on your own, not with Forras targeting you.”

“I don’t want you anywhere near me,” Gabby shouted.

“It doesn’t matter. I have all the time in the world. You’ll never get away,” Forras taunted.

Gabby pulled from Alexander, only to fall into Forras. His arms locked around her and everything erupted. Enormous leathery muscles clamped around her, glowing red eyes shone, browns and greens smeared in the darkness, just like one of her paintings—the one that evoked so much pain.

Forras raked his claws across her shoulder and she screamed in agony. Blood ran down her arm, the red mixing with brown and yellow. She pulled away, gritting her teeth against the sharp pain radiating from her neck all the way to her fingers.

Forras stood several feet away. Brown and yellow blood trickled down his wart-covered, gray cheek, the same blood that coated her arm.
His
blood.

The world spun around her. She could hear Alexander calling her name as though from far away. Then the ground quaked and lights exploded as she fled the boardwalk toward the woods.

She ran faster, harder, leaving her shoes behind. Twigs and rocks cut into her feet. Glancing back, she saw the trail of blood behind her but didn’t stop.

A rage, unlike any she’d ever felt before, surfaced from within. As she reached the clearing, Boon and Sammy jumped up from their picnic blanket on the ground.

“Sorry to interrupt your secret rendezvous,” she said. She could hear the hate and sarcasm of her voice but didn’t care.

“What’s wrong?” Sammy ran over to Gabby but she shoved her away, knocking Sammy to the ground. Her new strength empowered her. There was no more pain or sorrow, just unadulterated hate and fury fueling her, urging her on. No more being a victim. She could handle herself.

Boon ran to her. “Gabby, you’re bleeding! What happened?”

She nearly laughed. “Nothing. I feel great.”

Boon studied her. “I bet you do. For another couple of minutes, anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” Sammy looked between her and Boon.

Boon approached cautiously. “Can I look at your shoulder, Gabby?”

“Why not.” She jerked her arm toward him.

“Where’s Alexander?” Sammy shrieked.

“Who cares?” Gabby shrugged. “Poor little Boon. You’re so pathetic. Why do you hide from him?”

Boon ignored her and leaned in to sniff her shoulder. “Sammy, find Alexander. Now. We might only have minutes left.”

Sammy took off into the air, a blinding light spreading out below her.

“Why do you sound so concerned? Everything is great, amazing, stupendous. I’ve never felt so alive before.”

“Gabby, you have to listen to me.” Boon gripped her arms. “You have to fight it.”

“Fight what?”

“The poison. It’s going to be painful, excruciatingly so, but you have to be strong.” Boon gave her a gentle shake. “Look at me.”

What was he talking about? “I don’t know about you, but I feel fantastic. I could take on the world right now.”

“I know. It’s a euphoric sensation, but it’s going to pass. You’re going to hate everyone and everything. You’re going to want to cause pain to everyone you love. You’re going to feel like…a demon.”

Alexander appeared, knocking Boon to the side, a navy hue surrounding him. “Are you alright?”

Gabby shoved him away from her and he stumbled back several steps. “What do you mean, am I alright? What do you care? You murdered my mother.”

Her skin started to burn.

“Gabby, stay calm. You’re just going to make it worse,” Boon said in a soothing tone.

“Shut up, Boon,” she snapped. “You don’t even like Alex.” Gabby wanted to destroy both of them. “Are you going to tell Alex, or shall I?” she taunted him.

“Gabby, don’t!” Sammy yelled.

“Sweet, dear Alex, love of my life.” Acid dripped from her tongue as she spoke. “Liar, murderer.” The burning sensation in her abdomen rose up into her throat until she could spit fire. She knew she could burn them all to Hell just with her words. “Your sweet, little innocent sister here and poor pathetic little Boony have been getting it on behind your back.”

“What?” Alexander’s voice sounded weak, broken.

“Alexander, focus,” Boon insisted. “Gabby’s losing it. We have to get her someplace safe before we can’t control her at all.”

Alexander turned on Boon. “How can I trust you?” he growled. “You could be lying. All of you are liars.”

“You don’t have to believe me. Just look at her.” Boon gestured toward Gabby.

“Alexander, please,” Sammy begged. “I’ll explain everything later. I know you see Boon only as a demon, but—”

“Demon? Oh, dear little Sammy, really? How perfect. Your brother despises demons. He thinks he’s better than them. Even though he’s nothing more than a demon with wings,” Gabby purred.

“Don’t listen to her.” Boon tried to grab Alexander but he pulled away. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

Gabby laughed deep and loud. “Please, Boon. I know exactly what I’m saying, and don’t try to change the subject. We’re talking about you and Sammy and your sordid love affair. So, Alex, what do you think their babies will look like? Fangs? Greenish-red eyes? Wings or no wings?” She laughed again. “That would be a sight.”

The burning intensified. She lunged to attack Alexander, intent on killing him and sending him to Hell. There would be no stopping her. She could feel the strength and power surge through her body. She threw him to the ground.

“Come on, fight back,” she spat at him. “Aw, are you going to cry now? Poor Alexander isn’t as good as he thought he was. He’s no better than the scum he hates.” The skin on her arms started to bubble in front of her eyes. She jumped on top of him and pummeled his face with her fists. He didn’t turn or shield himself. His eyes stayed cool, staring up at her, his wings invisible.

“Fight back!” Gabby yelled, trying to get him to change. She wanted to conquer him in his angel form.

Boon and Sammy each grabbed one of her arms but she jerked free.

“Alex, come on! We have to get her home,” Sammy pleaded.

Gabby jumped to her feet and turned to fight them all, but her arms erupted in flames. She waved them up and down like a wingless bird trying to take flight then fell to the ground, rolling to extinguish the flames, but her entire body exploded in an inferno. The pain was maddening and she could smell her flesh melt. “Help me. Help!”

“Boon, help her! What do we do?” Sammy reached for Gabby.

“No, don’t touch me.”

“We have to get her home, right now,” Boon commanded. “The hallucinations have started. She’s going to be out of control soon.”

Hallucinations? Was he mad? Couldn’t he see she was burning alive?

“I’m so sorry, Gabby. So very, very sorry.” She could hear Alexander’s words and hated him all the more, but she couldn’t respond. The pain and rage empowered and crippled her at the same time. Maybe if she gave into the pain, it would stop. But something warned her that if she did, it would only be the beginning.

Chapter Twelve

Alexander shoved Boon out of the way. “Let me do it.” He fell to his knees and slid his arm under her neck to lift her, only to jerk his hand away in searing pain. “She’s burning up.”

Gabby thrashed about on the ground, screaming with rage, and he cursed himself for not listening to Grace. This was all his fault. If she died, he had no one to blame but himself.

Boon helped him up. “Alexander, you can’t help her. Even with the powers you once possessed—”

“I can’t lose her!” Alexander jerked away, his eyes glued to the tortured figure on the ground. What had he done? She was the only person on this Godforsaken planet he cared for more than Grace or Sammy. A strange heaviness covered his heart, a sense of loss he’d never felt before, not even when he fell from Heaven. His insides twisted and he doubled over, unable to rid himself of the overwhelming pain of loss.

Pain, sadness, and fear collided in a sea of emotion. His heart ached with each beat, as if it had been created for another purpose. Not just to pump blood through his body. How he yearned for her wasn’t just physical, or emotional, but a combination of both. He couldn’t think of a word to describe his emotion, except love. He loved her and he couldn’t lose her now. She was the piece of him he’d left behind in Heaven. The one that made him whole again, even here on Earth.

He placed one hand on her shoulder and the other on her waist.

Ignoring the burning pain that radiated from his palms, he summoned every ounce of light within his body to keep his hands against her flesh. His head spun. The horrific sensation of falling forever into a sea of darkness invaded his mind. The evil radiating from her body forced him to relive the feelings he experienced the day he was banished from Heaven.

His eyes burned and his body trembled. He cried out, panting, but forced himself to continue.

“Alex, stop!” Sammy the back of his shirt and yanked him away.

He choked and gasped for air, watching Gabby through watering eyes. Her body had curled into a fetal position, her screams growing louder with each second.

She was dying, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He had failed. “What’ve I done?” He beat his head against the ground.

Boon ran past Alexander to Gabby. “There’s no more time. We need to go.”

“We’ll never make it to our house and we can’t take her back to Alex’s car. It’s back at the pier.” Sammy paced around, snapping sticks under her feet. “What are we going to do?”

“Gabby’s house,” Alexander whispered weakly. “Her dad shouldn’t be home yet. It’s our only choice.”

But did it matter? Was there anything anyone could do to save her now? He desperately wished there was. Life would be meaningless without her.

Gabby thrashed about and he reached to touch her but halted. Instead, he rested his body next to hers on the ground, trying to remain as close as possible without physical contact.

“Alex is too weak. I’ll fly her home.” Sammy reached down, but Boon took her hand in his.

“No, Sammy. You can’t change into your angel form. It could kill her or you. When she’s in this state, she’ll drain anything not of this world. We can’t take the chance. We’ll have to walk.”