Embers (The Wings of War Book 1) (16 page)

“Listen to me.  Don’t get your hair up kid.  I’m not going to hurt her.  But didn’t you notice that there’s something really strange about that girl?  She broke my trance with no trouble at all.  I’ve never heard of that happening before.  Your Ember has got a secret and I aim to find out what it is.” 

“She said she lives on Raven Mountain.  And that she passes by the compound each day,” Ivan volunteered.

So he does trust me. 

“She must be staying with the old woman.” I worked the information through my mind, not coming up with any reasonable explanation about her ability to shield from me. 

Ember turned into the gas station.  I slowed, following at a distance.  Why was I bothering with a human girl? I already knew the answer—I
had
to follow her.  I needed to be near her again. 

When I opened the door, Ivan gripped my arm to stop me.  The kid was strong. 

“You better not hurt her.  Do you hear me?”  Ivan growled.

“Don’t worry about it.  I won’t hurt her. I promise,” I tried to convince him.  I wouldn’t use mind persuasion on him though.  It didn’t work well on his kind.

I slipped out of the Hummer, walking silently up behind the girl.  I could feel the heat coming off her skin.  She was abnormally hot, as if she had a fever.  But she didn’t appear ill.   Her scent reached my nostrils.  She smelled especially sweet, comparable with warm cinnamon sprinkled onto summertime wild flowers.  I breathed in deeply before I found my voice, apologizing to her, and introducing myself.

She jumped and whirled around. I extended my hand to her, hoping she would grasp it.  But she ignored it.  Instead, she looked over at Ivan in the Hummer.

Trying to get her to turn back to me, I said, “I’m sorry I scared you back at the school.  I didn’t mean to frighten you.  My name’s Sawyer McCrae.” 

After an awkward moment, she finally spoke. “I’m Ember O’Meara.”

Her voice was low and sensual, although I doubted she knew it.  She had the movements of someone who was unaware of her attractiveness to the opposite sex.  She hadn’t learned to use her charms yet.

“I know.  Ivan told me about you.” I studied her beautiful face, memorizing the high cheekbones, perfectly spaced eyes and small, straight nose.

“What did he say?” she demanded.

Her anger was irritating.  Why was she so hostile towards me?  She didn’t even know me. 

I shrugged, “Just that you live up on Raven Mountain with the old woman.” 

She hesitated for a second, but then recovered and called out to Ivan, “I have to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow in school.” 

In order for her to pay the cashier, she could either walk between the pumps and myself or go around her truck.  I wondered what she’d choose.  There was no doubt that she was strong willed, but I was betting that she’d take the long way to avoid getting close to me.  I extended my legs to force her to go around.  I was probably being childish, but I couldn’t stop myself from teasing the girl.  It was as if I was twelve again and didn’t know how to handle a crush on the pretty girl at school.  I wanted her attention squarely back on me, even if she was angry. 

She turned the tables however, when she started to squeeze by. Our close proximity sent a shock wave though me.  She was unbearably hot, in a literal sense.   And her scent overwhelmed me.  I wanted to grab hold of her and crush her against my chest, right there in the station and in front of the other humans.  I was teetering on the edge of doing just that, but a warning pulsed in my head. 

I would get burned if I did. 

I shied away from the impossible creature with a breathless, “Excuse me.” 

The girl continued on her way to the cashier’s window without breaking stride. 

I had to get away from her before I did something stupid.  Damn.  I wasn’t used to feeling out of control and it irked the hell out of me.   I jumped back in the Hummer and waited for Ember to get into her own truck.  Without a glance in my direction, she drove over to the store and parked.

I watched her enter the store before I revved the engine, peeling out of the parking lot with a screech that attracted the looks of the humans who were still pumping gasoline. 

Ivan and I were both silent until we were out of town and on the mountain road.  Ivan was the first to speak.

“You are right.  There is something different about Ember.  But I will not allow you to harm her.”

Ivan didn’t have to worry about the girl.  The mad beating of my heart and the warmth in my belly said it all. 

I was the one who was going to get hurt.    

Matthew 26:53

Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more

than twelve legions of angels?

Ember ~ Eighteen

H
e looked as if he was in his late teens, but it was hard to tell.  The hair that hung loosely around his face caught my attention first.  It was longish and shiny dark brown, not exactly the jet black locks he had in my dream, closer to the hue of polished coffee beans. 

He removed his sunglasses, exposing the same obsidian eyes that had looked at me with sadness and later curiosity in the dream world.  His lips were perfectly sculptured and full.

He was as beautiful as an angel.  The irony of the comparison didn’t escape me. 

I was compelled to walk over to him, to touch his face with my hands, to press my lips against his.  I began to take a step forward and was almost lost, when my stomach did a somersault, warning of danger.  I stepped back, breaking eye contact with the young man. 

I was dizzy.  Ivan’s hand was on my shoulder. 

“I’m fine,” I snapped, flinching from his touch. 

Unable to stop myself, I glanced back at my dream guy.  His eyes were still locked on me. Even though Ivan stood close by and stragglers continued to pass by us on their way to the parking lot, I felt completely alone with the apparition from my dream. 

Was he really here, or was I still dreaming?  Maybe I hadn’t even woken up yet. 

He asked in a smooth drawl, “So, Ivan, who is your pretty friend?” 

His voice was low and husky and it sent a pleasing tingle down my spine.

Before Ivan could answer, I told him, “Bye,” and spun on my heels.  I continued down the sidewalk as fast as I could walk, without slipping into an all-out run. 

The infatuation I’d had with the sweet boy who had guarded me while I slept disappeared. 

He’s real.

When I reached the truck, I jumped in, took a deep breath and closed my eyes.  Gradually, my heart slowed and my breathing became normal
. 
As if seeing an image from a dream come alive wasn’t bad enough, he’d used some kind of hypnotic magic on me. 

Sudden embarrassment heated my face.  I’d
almost
acted like a complete slut.   

When I peeked toward the curb, I was relieved that the Hummer was gone.  I fumbled with the keys before getting the truck started.  I pressed the gas pedal a little too hard, causing my head to hit the headrest with a
whack
when I moved forward.       

As nervous vibrations still rocked me, I drove through the town hardly seeing the stores, restaurants and buildings that I passed.  I almost missed the grocery store and had to break suddenly.  I turned off the road and pulled up to the gas pumps first. 

The tank was almost full when the husky voice slithered up behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, whirling around to see Ivan’s friend standing there.

“I’m sorry I scared you back at the school—I didn’t mean to frighten you.  My name’s Sawyer McCrae.”  He held out his hand.

I looked past him at Ivan sitting in the Hummer.  He smiled, lifting his shoulders apologetically. 

I ignored the hand, but being conditioned to respond to someone introducing themselves, I answered, “I’m Ember O’Meara.” 

“I know.  Ivan told me about you.”

I was tightening the gas cap, trying to avoid his gaze, when I became brave and chanced a glance at him.  He was taller than Preston by a couple of inches, and he was muscled as if he was an Olympian.  He wore a snug, gray t-shirt that outlined his chiseled chest, faded denim jeans and black biker-type boots. I couldn’t remember what he’d worn in my dreams, but it definitely wasn’t what he had on now. 

The wicked grin that was now lifting the side of his mouth was completely different from the sad, lonely look, I remembered him having.  Meeting his gaze, I wasn’t as nervous as I had been.  I was suddenly too angry to be afraid. 

Why did he have to be so arrogant in real life?   

“What did Ivan say?”  I asked sharply.

He shrugged, “Just that you live up on Raven Mountain with the old woman.” 

I didn’t remember mentioning Ila to Ivan.  But I wasn’t going to show him my confusion. 

“I’ve got to get going.” I called over to Ivan, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ivan lifted his hand in return.

I needed to pay the cashier, but Sawyer blocked the way.  He seemed to understand my dilemma, purposely leaning against the pump and extending his legs so I’d have to step over them to get by or walk the long way around
.

I wasn’t going to allow him to intimidate me.   I began to squeeze by him.  As I passed near him, my temperature rose and my heart pounded out of control.  When he realized how close I was going to get, he stepped out of the way, murmuring, “Excuse me.” 

He was already in the Hummer when I finished paying.  I ignored him, driving to one of the parking spaces close to the entrance of the store.  I glanced over my shoulder at the Hummer that still sat in the same place as I walked into the store.

I had a difficult time shopping.  My mind kept skipping back to his eyes, and then to how he smelled.  It was an earthy forest scent, not what I had expected.  I picked my brain, trying to remember my dream, and wondering why he’d comforted me with his presence when I was asleep, but in the light of day he was completely irritating. 

I hurried through the aisles, grabbing shampoo, conditioner, pencils and

notebooks off of the shelves and hardly noticing the brands I chose.  Absentmindedly, I selected a package of note cards when I passed the display so that I could write Timmy and Piper.

                 Pulling the list out of my pocket, I quickly pushed the cart down the freezer aisle to pick up the gallon tub of ice cream. On the way to the register, I plucked the candy bars from the boxes.

When I walked back out into the warm sunshine, I shaded my eyes with my hand and immediately searched where the Hummer had been parked.  It was gone.  Instead of relief, I experienced a twinge of disappointment.

What is wrong with me?

The drive up the mountain gave me plenty of time to think.  I suspected what Ivan was, but I wondered what kind of creature Sawyer was.  Ila seemed to know about the commune.  It was high time that she gave me some answers.

The dreams however, I’d keep to myself.  She didn’t need to know everything. 

              When the fort came into view this time, I slowed the truck.  The hair on my arms and neck rose and my stomach tightened into a knot.  Every part of my body screamed to get away
. 

Speeding up, I held my breath until the wooden wall was behind me.   

It was hard to believe that Ivan, and even Sawyer lived there—a place that sickened me with fear whenever I was near it.

By the time I pulled up to the cabin and shut off the engine, long shadows were stretching down its logs. 

I got out of the truck quickly and took the porch steps two at a time.

Ila wasn’t going to blow me off this time.

Acts 12:23

Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. 

Ember ~ Nineteen

B
efore I reached the door, Angus nearly knocked me over with his enthusiasm.  I gave his face a quick rub of acknowledgment and then turned back to my mission. 

When I looked up, Ila was standing there.  Her sudden and silent appearance rattled my nerves and I paused to collect my thoughts.