Branded (3 page)

“Morning, Jessica.”

I jumped violently when I heard his voice, slopping milk all down my front. I looked toward the door and stared obviously at the face there. Alex had showered again and gotten dressed. Perhaps I had not seen him clearly last night but the man before me was completely heart-stopping. I had been right the night before, he was well muscled but the shirt he wore that clung to his chest enhanced the effect blissfully. He was well tanned and I remembered he said he had been in Africa. His face nearly glowed with the effects of the sun and it complimented his facial features wonderfully. His jaw was square and strong, his nose was slightly broad but it complimented his face perfectly. And again, those piercing blue eyes. A slight shiver worked its way up my spine.

I realized I was staring and embarrassed, looked down at my mess and was glad I had not gotten dressed yet for the day. At the same time I was beyond embarrassed to be seen in my pajamas again.

“Sorry,” he said, trying to stifle a chuckle. “I didn’t mean to scare you again. I guess I should have knocked.”

“That might have helped,” I said as I set the bowl down and grabbed a kitchen towel to dab at my soggy front.

“I’m going up to Bellingham to get some stuff,” he said and I silently wondered if he was really staring at me or if I was just sadly wishing he was doing so. “It would be kind of nice to have some food in that fridge. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”

I paused for a minute but didn’t look up. The answer of “yes” almost slipped through my lips before I could stop it. I quickly bit my lower lip and set the towel back on the counter. “I actually just went up yesterday to get some things. Thanks though.”

“Ok,” he said with a slight smile. “If you’re sure.” I nodded my head, again biting my lower lip. I held my breath and counted to five so I wouldn’t blurt out that I’d changed my mind.

“I’ll see you later then,” he said, flashing a brilliant smile. My heart gave a strange little twist as I watched him hesitate in his place for a moment. I hoped the expression that crossed his face for the briefest moment was disappointment. A moment later he walked out the door.

I gave a soft groan and flopped onto the couch. This was bad. How could I possibly make it work to have Alex here? Things were going to get too complicated for me.

And this was his house now. It could get really awkward really fast.

Or it could be really nice…

Stop it,
I scolded myself. I couldn’t let those kinds of thoughts surface. I couldn’t let myself develop feelings like that again. No matter how just being around him these two short times felt like rain falling on a long dried out desert. I couldn’t allow feelings like this to continue any longer.

Relationships for me were impossible. I had learned that the really hard way once before. And besides, why would Alex ever be interested in someone as crazy as me?

My locker vibrated as I finally managed to get it open.

The thing had never opened easily since I had been assigned
it last year. I dug into my backpack, pulling out a book from
my last period.

I heard the snickering across the hall, despite the
steady flow of students that trudged through the halls of
Bonneville High School. Two girls stood together, the queen
bees of the popular crowd, whispering to Steve Fenn. My
chest filled with flutters as his eyes met mine momentarily.

“She’s so weird,” he chuckled as his eyes darted away
from mine, back to the Barbie’s at his side.

“Doesn’t she ever sleep?” one of the girls sneered.

“Talk about bags.”

I buried my head in my locker, pretending to be
looking for something. Pretending like I hadn’t heard their
cruel words.

The wings on my back suddenly felt like a beacon. I
felt sure that everyone in the hall could see them through my
shirt. They might as well have been a billboard attached to
my forehead stating FREAK.

I shook the memories off. This wasn’t high school.

The past was the reason why I had chosen my solitude. I could scream in peace here.

As I lay there patronizing myself, I had an important realization. I had the feeling Alex wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. I was going to have to sleep sometime. The perfect time to do it was going to be while he was out.

I knew there wasn’t going to be much time as I ran into my room and closed the door. I pulled the thick drapes over the window and crawled anxiously under the covers.

For most, sleeping under pressure would be impossible but when you slept as little as I did this wasn’t difficult. My body may not need as much as everyone else but it still needed some.

I had never so willingly fallen asleep. The comfort that I might be able to hide the truth of what I experienced eased me into the darkness in just a few short moments.

My heart was beating painfully fast as I sat on the floor of my cell, my hands holding onto the cold, steel bars with every ounce of strength I had. After only a moment, I heard footsteps and saw Adam come into view. His face was expressionless as always and he walked at a slow, steady pace toward me, the gold chain hanging limply in his left hand. His wings nearly drug on the floor. They were beautiful and menacing all at the same time as the light danced off them.

He reached the end of the tunnel and drew a silver key and unlocked my prison. My heart hammered and I was certain he could hear it. I drew in short, labored breaths as he bound my hands. Fourteen… fifteen…sixteen…

He tugged me down the tunnel and I restarted my count. Soft whimpers escaped my throat and I felt a tear roll down my cheek but Adam did not turn and offer comfort.

He stared forward, his expression solid as stone.

The count to sixty-two ended all too soon and I was brought to my place in the center of the stone catwalk. I closed my eyes tightly under my white covering and tried to block out the sound of rustling wings.

“Crystal Daniels,” the leader of the council began. It was a female today.
My name is Jessica, my name is
Jessica,
I chanted in my head. My ears started ringing.

“The deeds of your life have been accounted for and judgment will be passed. Your actions must be made known.”

A soft whimper slipped from my lips and tears started rolling freely down my face as the sound of wings filled the air and the demented laughter began. I was ever grateful for the sack that covered my face. It would only make them laugh all the more to see my tears. It was almost impossible to hear the beautiful voices that descended from above. It seemed there were far more that came from below.

“Crystal Daniels, your deeds will now be revealed,” the beautiful man before me said. I could not help but lift my head as the scrolls were produced and unraveled. To my slight relief they seemed almost equal in length.

By this point I should have known better than to hope.

Crystal had obviously been some kind of prostitute and had done many unladylike things in her lifetime. I already sensed the few good things she had done in her life would not be enough to save her, or me.

When the end of the list was read, my breathing picked up to double. A strange wheezing came from my throat and my head spun. It was time.

The condemned council members were to cast their votes first.

“Down,” the first said with a demented chuckle.

“Down,” the second.

“Down,” the third and fourth.

There was a pause and I turned to the man who was the leader of the condemned. His hesitancy was surprising.

Normally the condemned voted for everyone, even the ones who didn’t deserve it, to be cast down. The leader was the occasional exception.

He seemed to be studying me, debating what the fate of Crystal Daniels would be. There was something in his black eyes that made me shudder more than normal this time. I knew he could not see my face as it was covered but something made me feel exposed and vulnerable under his intense stare.

“Up,” he finally said after what felt like an eternity.

My heart fluttered and I turned hopefully to the blue eyed angels.

The first shook her head, her mouth in a tight line.

“Down.

“Down,” the second.

There was a slight pause before the third said, “up.” There was an even longer pause and I could tell my face was soaked with tears. There had already been enough votes placed to grant me a branding.

“Down,” the fourth finally said.

“Up,” the fifth, and leader of the exalted said, the sadness in his voice evident.

I could not force a scream from my lips as the deranged laughter exploded from the walls. I heard Crystals name screamed until the name itself seemed a condemned word.

I looked up at the council and my eyes rested on the leader of the condemned. He stared at me with that strange expression on his face as if trying to understand something.

He seemed to be searching for the answer to a question he had been asking for a long time. It only lasted a fleeting second though before the wicked grin spread on his face and his powerful wings projected him toward me.

I dropped to my hands and knees, both shaking so hard it was difficult to retain my position. I swept the hair from my neck.

The all too familiar searing white hot pain began in my neck and shot through my body. I could smell burned skin and hear it sizzle as the rod was pressed into my neck.

I was tugged to my feet and my eyes couldn’t focus as I looked ahead to the council again.

“Crystal Daniels,” the leader spoke again, his face still downfallen. “Judgment has been placed.”

The terrifying sensation began crawling under my skin. It moved as if new bones were growing and rearranging under the surface. I heard my flesh tear and my own pair of wings burst forth.

The black eyed ones burst from their position on the wall and leapt at me. Hands covered every surface of my body and just before I thought I would pass out, the darkness came to met me with mercy.

I was slightly disoriented when I woke, unsure of what time of day it was. I searched frantically for my clock on the nightstand. Ten forty-six. I’d been asleep for over three hours. This was longer than I had hoped for. I listened intently, searching for any indicators that Alex might have returned. When only silent walls answered, I lay back on the bed with a huff. If he had been home I had no doubt he would have heard me scream. I knew I had, I always did.

The trial came back to me and something disturbed me. I had stood hundreds of trials but this one was different.

Just slightly. The leader of the condemned had acted strangely. Almost as if he wanted to see the face under the sack. My face. I shuttered at this thought. The sack was my only defense or protection in the nightmares. I did not want to think about what might happen if they were to see the person on trial was not in fact the face behind the mask.

I shook my head, trying to clear these thoughts. I was overreacting. I was over thinking this. What did it matter?

It was supposed to be just a dream.

If only it was just a dream.

I heard the door open upstairs and I sprang from the bed. I wouldn’t let him find me supposedly back in my bed at almost eleven o’clock. I ran into the bathroom and started the shower. After closing the door I quickly undressed and after a brief glance in the mirror at my reddened scars, I stepped into the scorching water.

I tried to listen for sounds of activity above me but couldn’t make anything out over the sound of the water running.

Washing so much hair took time and it was a menace sometimes. I really needed to get it cut. It always took almost five minutes just to wash and rinse it.

“Hey, Jessica?”

A scream escaped my throat as I jumped and frantically wiped shampoo from my eyes.

“Alex?!” I screeched. “What are you doing in here?”

“I needed to ask you something. It’s not like I can see anything.”

I would have thought he was trying to be like most perverted guys who would try and sneak a peek but his voice sounded so innocent and almost hurt, I couldn’t tell him to get out immediately like I initially wanted to.

“You could have knocked first,” I said. I was immediately grateful the shower curtain was a solid white vinyl instead of the common clear.

“I did but you must not have heard me,” he said and I heard him take a seat on the toilet. “Sorry for scaring you. I seem to be doing a lot of that.”

I found myself half smiling. He was right. Every time we had talked thus far he had scared me half to death first.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come up and have dinner with me tonight?” he asked. “I like to cook but it’s not a whole lot of fun to cook just for yourself.” A small laugh almost escaped my lips but I managed to hold it back. From first look at Alex I would have never thought he was the chef type. And that this question was important enough to him that he felt the need to barge in here while I was in the shower.

“Ya,” I said. “I guess that would be okay.”

“Great,” he said as I heard him stand and could almost feel the grin the beamed from his face through the shower curtain. Somehow I was sure it was there. “I hope you like Thai food. It’s my specialty.”

“Sounds great,” I chuckled.
Thai?
Even more not what I would have expected.

I heard the door click shut and then faintly heard my bedroom door close.

I shook my head in slight disbelief as I finished rinsing and turned the water off. The man knew no boundaries. He was incredibly presumptuous but seemed to be completely oblivious to this fact.

I wasn’t going to admit to myself the extra amount of care I took in getting ready for the day. I did not even realize I was putting a little bit of make up on until it was already done. I had even chosen my favorite pink sweater to wear.

I shook my head at myself as I walked out the door. I was pathetic.

Part of my everyday routine was to check on Sal. She was reading one of the books I had bought her and she seemed to be near the end of it. She wouldn’t say much, just a few mumbles and nods when I asked her questions. She was rather unsociable the last few days. But that was normal for Sal. She seemed to have cycles of either being a nonstop chatter box or almost completely mute. I wasn’t going to pressure her. She’d already been through enough in her life; I wasn’t going to add any stress.