Drift (Drift Series) (14 page)

I stuck out my lips as if pouting and shook my head no. I
’d heard about the place but I had never seen it.

“Good, because I
’d like to go there after we leave here tonight, if that’s okay with you. I think you’ll love it.”

I cleared my throat. “Whatever you want to do, as long as I get to do it with you, will make me happy.”

She blushed and shifted her gaze to the collage of melted ice cream, chocolate, and caramel syrup that stained the empty plate—the only evidence of what once was Mount-Saint-Avalanche.

“So, that means it will make you happy when I whip
your butt again, this time on the race track?”

Shade shot out of her seat, pushing it back a few feet
, her chair screeching along the floor. As she bolted for the doors, she fluttered her fingers back and forth as if telling me to “bring it on.”

“That’s it
, chick. You’re finished.”

I dashed from my chair and followed
her. She ignored me, leaving me in the dust.

The carts were so much fun that we raced them four different times. We laughed and bumped into one another every time we crossed each other’s paths on the racetrack. I loved every moment. It made me feel like I was a part of something better than some demon seed from the bowels of Hades. Her joy brought me peace and I savored every morsel of it.

I also, oddly, enjoyed her ridicule for beating me all four races, making her a perfect five and zero against me for the evening. Something I hid from her was that I’d used my abilities occasionally on the track, not for my benefit, but hers. For instance, like me pushing some of the other drivers with my hands and causing them to burn out and crash into the sides of the track. This gave Shade quite the advantage over the other carts, not to mention I intentionally let her get around me even though she would turn around and mock me when she passed. I almost regretted it when she started a loser chant directed towards me. She chanted this while still racing on the track! But what the heck, a small price to pay for her pleasure.

We calmed our adrenaline, rather hers, after the heated racing by tossing a couple of quarters into a video game. This time, I made sure I won.

“Well, well, well. He finally emerges the victor. No wonder Hell had to have you, you’re too weak for Heaven, bud.” She lit into me as we stepped away from the game.

“Eeeeeaaaasy. Eeeeeaasy,” I teased as she giggled uncontrollably. “Be lucky I was feeling generous tonight
. I took pity on you.”

“Oh yeah, right. I made you play by the rules and look what happened…senseless beatings. Enjoy your lowly video game victory.”

“You just keep running your mouth. I’ll remember all this smack talking next time. I think you’ll find the results will be very different.”

Without skipping a beat, she picked up on my hint. “That’s a date, boy. Besides, what are you going to try to do next time to beat me, cheat? ‘Cause you know that
’s all you can do to defeat,” throwing her arms in the air without a ounce of shame, “the Golf and Cart Champion!”

I shook my head in disgust. “Keep it up.”

Shade just exhaled and chuckled. “C’mon, let’s go. I wanna show you the Gardens of Zeus.” She grabbed me by the hand and led me out of the noisy establishment. “This is my favorite place in all of Colorado, it’s gorgeous. You’re positive you’ve never been?”

“Positive.”

During the twenty minute or so drive, sporadic conversation filled the cab. What would be completely meaningless conversations to most, and probably to Shade as well, was packed full of definition to me. I was enthralled with her motions, her voice, and her demeanor in general. I was so into my feelings and thoughts for her that I barely heard a word she said.

“Leo, didn’t you hear me? Turn here, dummy.”

“Oh.” I complied with her request.

After parking, we started a short hike up a small, winding, cement trail that was wonderfully landscaped. A line of solar lights led us through the middle of a tiny canyon. While we hiked, she informed me how there was hardly anyone around here most nights because you couldn’t see everything there was to see. By the looks of the parking lot, it seemed she was accurate. The handful of other cars must have been caretakers or workers. As we continued on, a handful of lighted signs related different facts about the area, and pointed visitors in various directions along concrete winding pathways. Shade was stern about following the main path, determined to show me what was at the top.

“We’re almost there.”

We walked side by side. Her hand reached for mine, this time not playful like before, it felt much more serious. It thrilled me to the core that she wanted to be that close to me.

“Aaaahhhhh. Here we are,” she said as we topped the short hill.

Shade politely pulled me forward. Straight in front of us was a spectacular view. The garden was aglow from solar lights. I finally saw what she meant
when she said this place was full of sanctity and beauty. The landscape was absolutely breathtaking.

I stood in wondrous awe. The scene was an explosion of colors. So many reds, blues, purples, oranges, greens and so on. The only thing that interrupted the precise arrangement were many winding walkways and the handful of stunning statues. I saw a cross, an angel, a handful of Greek mythological gods and goddesses…hence the name Gardens of Zeus…marble benches polished to a mirror shine, and picnic tables sprinkled here and there for people to sit and admire the spectacular sites hidden all over the place. All the bright green shrubs were precisely trimmed in perfect shapes. Some spiraled up in a corkscrew fashion, others were cut perfectly round; the more complex bushes were trimmed into more Greek gods and goddesses. One was so lavishly done that you could make out one of the deities holding a pitchfork of some kind. Even the air seemed different than anywhere I had ever been. It seemed lighter. I imagined an array of scents I could only dream of.

In the middle of this overwhelming beauty, resting under a huge white painted arch that read “Gardens of Zeus,” was a large, layered waterfall statue that streamed flowing water into a gigantic base. People threw wishing coins into the tiled pool of standing water that shimmered at the bottom. In a sense, this lovely piece of architecture added the cherry on the top of this eye-gasm sundae we were standing in. The tranquil sound of the dripping water acted like some kind of beacon, guiding us around the area. Not to mention, the sound was hypnotic. It’s all that could be heard as one paced the grounds.

I guess a look of eternal bliss must have been radiating from my face. Shade observ
ed my every expression.

“See
? I thought you’d like this place.”

“It’s awesome. How did you guess?”

“By the look on your face.”

“I figured since you told me that everything you get around, after awhile anyway, withers and dies, I just thought you’d like to see the bloom of life surrounding you again.”

I couldn’t believe her caring words. This magnificent specimen of a human being actually took the time to plan an outing like this for something like me. No matter what it is that I am, or what I may have done, her only thought was to take me to a place of such vibrant life, such growth, that I could get a momentary escape from the mundane existence that was my fate. She was truly like an earthbound angel.

“Thank you for this. This is the most beautiful sight I
’ve ever seen.” I stared deep into her adoring eyes. “Well, almost.”

She spoke not a word and drew me around the garden by my hand. As we walked, she occasionally stopped and buried her nose into the blooms whose vast fragrances I was certain filled the air around us. I constantly had to remind her that I couldn’t smell anything but smoke and she would squint her face and give me a “That sucks
.” The only thing I could think to do in response was shrug and soldier on.

We had almost arrived at the center of the
garden. Shade tugged me even more ambitiously in the direction of the marvelous water fountain.

“C’mon, let’s toss a coin into the fountain from under the archway. They say your fondest wish will come true if you honestly believe.”

We stopped beside the base of the fountain.

“Great, I wish my arm would not come out of socket from you yanking on it.”

“Fine.” My weak joke backfired as she swung her hand out of mine. “I guess you don’t wanna hold my hand anymore.”

“I didn’t say that!” I reached for her hand again.

“Nope, you had your chance, demon boy.”

“Fine, fine.”

“Now, take out a coin and we’ll both toss them in at the same time, okay?”

“Okay.”

We reached into our pockets, selected a random quarter, and placed them on top of our thumbs.

“Make a wish,”
she ordered.

I willed my wishes to the surface with everything in my soul. No question: I wanted to be with Shade for eternity, I wanted no harm to come to her, I wanted a second chance at life with her in it somehow. Yeah, I know, that’s three wishes. But one
and the same.

“You done?”

I nodded.

“Then, let ‘em fly!” she shouted.

The coins flew into the air and plopped in the water, taking bizarre twists and turns before hitting the bottom of fountain. Playfully, Shade slapped her palms together in front of her face. “What did you wish for?”

I looked at her with disgruntled sarcasm. “Why do people always ask what someone else’s wish is when they know it
’s supposed to be a secret so it will come true?”

“Geez, sorry I asked. Keep your little secret.”

“Okay, fine. What did you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you. It’s a secret. But you can still tell me yours.”

I could only giggle at her extreme cuteness. “It was a two part wish. First part was for endless wishes, and the other was to know what your wish was.”

Shade leaned back and laughed like crazy at my witty banter
.
“Very good, demon boy, but you’re still not gonna know what my wish was…at least not yet.”

“Fair enough. I guess this doesn’t work after all. My second wish didn’t come true.”

We laughed. I turned my gaze to the tall archway looming above. Shade stopped laughing and looked at it with me
.
“Beautiful, huh? A lot of people come here to get married.”

“Marriage.” I scoffed at that word. “Something I
’ll never know. Not sure I ever knew what it was when I was alive.”

She grabbed my hand again and placed her other one upon my cheek. “Never, never say never, Leo.” She touched the meteor hanging from her neck. “Remember, it was you who gave me this, and told me that anything is possible, so, have faith in your convictions and practice what you preach.”

I lowered my head ever so slowly to hers as I whispered, “You are so strong, so certain. You have a power in you that could rock the Heavens and put out the flames of Hell. I have a feeling that your coming into my life is like a final snowflake that lands upon a freshly powdered mountainside, triggering a landslide. I would risk it all for you, and my decision to do so may push things into motion I can never take back.”

I placed her hand on my chest. She gasped for air. “Y-you have no heartbeat. No heart.” She peered at her hand.

“If I did, it would be pounding out of my chest right now. Remember, I only appear human.” Her hot breath huffed upon my lips as we stood motionless, staring at one another. We knew what we both wanted to do next, but we were unsure how to approach it.

We circled our lips around. It was me who began to turn away, unsure.

“Wait. I want to.” She pulled me to her by grabbing me around my neck. Just before our lips met, an overwhelming pain pierced my body like millions of hot daggers. I recoiled in agony.

“What? What is it, Leo?”

I groaned. “Love…or passion. I’m a demon and these are the most powerful of human emotions. These are feelings of ecstasy for man. These are the emotions that link Heaven and humanity together. It’s sacred. I-I’m discarded and forgotten, forever banned to such a gift as love. So to have it happening to me, around me, or with me is tormenting, forever meant to discourage me from ever feeling it again. It causes great pain to a demon, experiencing physical love; it truly is pure Hell for me to even
almost
feel.”

Her look of pity nearly brought me to my knees. I didn’t want that from her. But before I could react, she spoke further.

“Even though it hurts, can you still kiss?” She laid her hand across my face. I feared looking at her.

“Yes. I-I guess, I can.”

The torture I felt inside was absolutely horrifying, if I could just muscle through it, I could do what I had been dreaming of with her all along…kiss her.

“Then…kiss me.”

CHAPTER 12

FREE

More pain was coming if I went any further. But not to be denied, she guided my lips to hers. The initial contact caused an agonizing sensation like hot bobby pins piercing every square inch of my lips. Along with that, my body felt like it was being stabbed a billion times repeatedly.

I eased away again. She pulled me back and kissed me hard and deep. Our lips moved together, like the swaying of a midnight ocean. Shade never faltered and kept me honest, kissing me for what seemed like a passionate lifetime, a lifetime I was most willing to devote to her if I could.

Our arms wrapped around each other tighter and tighter, we squeezed so close a piece of paper wouldn’t fit between us. I took the chance of uncovering my enormous wings in a public place. With a swish, my full wingspan slung out on display. The sound caused Shade to open her eyes. I hoped the bold move wouldn’t freak her out and was relieved to see that she closed her eyes again, unfazed.

Being that she seemed comfortable, I surrounded her with my wings, holding her in a near cocoon, sealing her in the safety of my double embrace. Although I was in extreme pain, I no longer cared. I forever wanted to stay in her loving grip, pasted to her warm
, full, red lips.

Without warning, our kiss broke. She looked at me curiously as she circled her tongue across her eager lips.

“Y-our…your face. Your eyes.” She staggered back a step.

“What about them?”

“It looks like every vein has risen to the surface of your pale white skin. Your eyes. Your pupils…they turned from that astonishing, sparkling, silver blue that captivate me, to solid pools of dark black.”

“The hound of Hell in me is feeling the torture of loving you; therefore, it wants the pain to stop and tries to surface. But I fight it off…along with the pain. It is only pain and anger that brings forth the beast within.”

“I see.” She glanced at the ground, still hugging me as I continued to hold her within my dual grip of my arms and wings.

“Your wings, I’ve never been this close to them
—they’re huge. How can you just hide them and then bring them out like you don’t have them attached?” She freed one arm from my waist and ran it along the top of one of my wings.

I smiled at her, enthralled with her curiosity as she ran the charcoal-ash colored feathers through her fingers, feeling the texture.

“Wings are, and always have been, spiritual, whether on an angel or demon. It’s when we display them, for whatever reasons, they manifest into physical wings, so we can still move about in secret in this physical world. Angels, as I’m sure you’ve seen in pictures, really do have breathtaking white wings, while demons have these dark, ashy looking wings, not nearly as beautiful as a heavenly soldier’s feathers.”

Her hand caressed every inch of my wings. Although her touch was soothing and sensual, I continued to hold back the sweet pain of passion.

“I still think they’re beautiful. I think you are beautiful.” She looked at me with sincerity. “I-I know that your being here has something to do with Darryl trying to kill me.”

Her words shot through me like a spear of truth. I dreaded this conversation, but I didn’t expect it would
arrive at a moment like this. I was embarrassed and ashamed, but determined to tell her the truth. I owed her that much.

“Again, you are a brilliant observer
, girl, and it’s true what you say. I was sent here to recruit Darryl into demon service. In order for him to become one, we had to tip the scales in our favor, tempt him to do an unspeakable act. Unfortunately, that act involved…killing you. It was me the entire time silently whispering in his ear, in his head, feeding his jealous thoughts about you. It was me who pushed him into drinking all the time, and it was me who tempted him to bully you in Sandra’s driveway. I wasn’t there to witness his actions, because I couldn’t bear to see him hurt you. It was also me at the party that helped plant those thoughts in his head, forever in his ear about you. I…was in the room…in the shadows, when he was hurting you. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t sit back and do nothing.”

She placed her finger upon my lips. “Leo, I don’t care what you did. I know it was
n’t your idea to do me harm, because, well, you wouldn’t have saved me. You were just following orders. I’m glad you were there, and in a way, I’m glad your demon boss sent you here for Darryl, because otherwise, we wouldn’t have met.”

I couldn’t believe what she was saying. She ha
d such inner beauty. I knew the truth had to pain her. This thought humbled me, making it hard to look into her eyes again. “Shade, I-I’m so sorry.”

“Sssssshhhhh.” She placed her hand back on my face. “Leo, I forgive you. Forgiveness. This is something Heaven should do as well for a beautiful soul like yours.”

Suddenly this warmth consumed the emptiness inside me. This triggered a sense of emotion I felt the need to share with her. “I’ve never felt anything like what I feel for you. I think…no, I know, it’s love. Shade, I love you.” The pain awoke again, but I didn’t let it show.

“The pain hit you again, huh? The blackness rose in your eyes and your veins surfaced again. Well, do the best you can to get used to it because…I love you too, Leo.”

Her words parted me like an arctic wind; never were sweeter things spoken to a creature like me. The only thing I could think of was moving in for another kiss, so I did.

After a short, but firm peck, I rested my cheek
on the top her head while she placed her ear against my chest. We stood there motionless for a while.

“Have you ever wanted to fly?”

Shade shot her head up. “Hell yes!” A look of enthusiasm came over her that almost frightened me.

I released my grip around her and moved behind the unsuspecting girl. I placed my arms around her waist, locking my wrists together on her stomach and whispering in her ear, “Then, hang on.”

Shade wrapped her nervous arms around mine like she was wearing a demon backpack. I started slowly, flapping my wings, raising a great gust of dirt. We raised off the ground, swishing the plant-life with each curl of my wings. Shade’s stomach twitched beneath my hands and I tightened my grip. She exhaled a breath of nervous anxiety from the sudden weightlessness.

“Don’t worry. You are as safe as in your mother
’s arms. I got ya, girl.”

She stuck her chin over her shoulder and smiled, then gazed back at the earth that
grew further and further away from our feet.

Finally I leveled off at a respectable height and flew over the top of the Gardens of Zeus.

“It’s even more beautiful from up here! Look, there’s the lookout point where you can see into the canyon and view the river below. But I guess I don’t have to take you to the observation point now. The view is far more exciting from this vantage point!”

Sure enough, there was this little overlook, safely guarded by what I could only assume were thick glass security shields, held together in sections by sturdy white painted steel poles that kept the sightseers from falling into the canyon below. If one couldn’t fly, that truly would be a breathtaking view. But she was correct, our point of view was way better.

“Aren’t you worried someone will see us?”

Her hair hit me in the face.
I removed one of my arms from holding her and brushed a few strands out of my mouth, disregarding the very possible danger, besides flying, of being seen. “Aaaahhhhh, to Hell with ‘em,” I joked as Shade laughed with me. “Besides, how can anyone see us if we’re moving so fast?”

“What?”

I roared out a devious laugh and hit the gas.

Shade screamed, “Whoooaahh” as our speed increased. I dive-bombed into the canyon below. The g-force caused the back of her body to stick to the front of mine.

She continued to yell, both terrified and overjoyed at the same time, as we flew at a breakneck pace to the canyon river. Just a few feet before hitting the water I smoothed out our flight path and soared diagonally just above the surface.

“I could touch the water!” She held out one arm toward the river.

“Don’t do it, girl, the velocity could cause you to break, or even lose that arm! Now, hold on tighter. I hope you don’t get sick easy!” I blasted into an upward curve and did a few corkscrews. Shade could only bellow out in loud screams and panic-filled laughter as I soared towards the sky while pulling off a couple of loop-de-loops on top of it all.

When I stopped circling and darted throughout the valley at high speed
, still narrowly missing some of the jagged red and brown rocks that stuck out from the canyons walls, Shade spoke up again.

“This is so intense! But slow down for a sec, I wanna do something.”

I slowed to a respectable and steady pace. She stuck her arms out to the sides of her body. “This is magnificent! It feels like I’m flying all by myself!”

“Should I let go then?”

“You better not if you know what’s good for you, boy!”

I could only giggle.

“I’ve always wanted to fly.”

“Well, how does it feel?”

“Better than I could have ever dreamed. I love it. We’ll have to do this again, hopefully in the daytime.”

“Good, I’m glad you like it, and we will…many times, I hope. As long as the coast is clear,” I replied with heartfelt joy, even though I had a sinking feeling Christian
’s wrath was coming soon. But nonetheless, I was happy she was living out a dream with me.

We flew for another few minutes until the all too familiar sound of a cell phone ringing came from her pocket. Shade pulled her arms in, and fumbled around in her clothing.

“Don’t drop it,” I kidded her.

“No joke.” Finally she placed the phone against her ear. “Hello…Hey
, Sandra, what’s up, girl? What? No, I have a window down.”

I chuckled. If only she knew
.

“Wait…what? What’s going on? You and Mark are at Miller’s Hill?”

I leaned into her ear and let out a small, “Woohoo,” knowing Miller’s Hill is the top make-out spot and was also, of course, the start of Darryl and my testosterone-filled race. Shade just rolled her eyes.

“Hold on, let me roll up the window so I can hear you.” She pointed down.

Complying with her request, we gracefully landed on one of the many canyon peaks. We hit the ground at a nice pace and I released the chatting girl. She walked a few paces away with her back to me, pushing one finger into her other ear so she could hear better. She spun around with a look of great concern on her demeanor. “What now? Who’s there? What are you talking about…what?”

“What, is Scruffy getting a little too fresh?”

She tossed her hand up, letting me know that what was happening on the other side of the phone was no joking matter. “Sandra. Sandra, what’s going on? Hello? Hello?”

Her finger hit the end call button then
she feverishly tried calling back her friend.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. I couldn’t really make out everything. I heard her say something about a few guys and girls surrounding her car, threatening them or something. I could hear Mark in the background telling whoever it was to back off, then Sandra screamed and the phone lost signal. Leo, we gotta get to them.”

“C’mon. We can get the car later.” I hurried behind her again. “Hold on as tight as you can. We
’ll get to them. I promise.”

Wasting no time, I leaped into the night sky.

Being where they were, I had a sneaking suspicion I already knew the answer to my own growing concerns about my friends. I just hoped we weren’t already too late.