Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (167 page)

Feeling hopeless, I suddenly noticed something glowing down low, just adjacent to the door. It was something other than the moonlight beaming through the small window. Something was plugged into the wall, and the tip of it was bright so that you could spot it easily. As I reached to examine it with my hand, I was relieved to find that it was an emergency flashlight. I had never been so happy to see one. I grabbed it and looked around to see where I stood. Several tables were lined in the middle of this huge room with stacked clothes: jeans, T-shirts, dresses, and much more. I would have never guessed the storage room would be this big.

As I walked closer to the tables, I thought I saw someone or something. A rush of fear swept over me, and every nerve in my body awakened.

“Who are you? What do you want?” I said out loud, holding the flashlight closer and tighter to my chest as I trembled with fright. But there was no response.

I couldn’t tell what it was at first, until it whooshed past me, almost knocking me over. My heart started thumping faster. A black cloud of fog was what I thought I saw. My eyes were glued to it as it swooped up to the high ceiling and then disappeared. Was it a ghost? I couldn’t believe what I had just seen, but there was something definitely there, something menacing. As it materialized again and whooshed past me, I used the flashlight to hit it, hoping to knock it out or hurt it. But the flashlight went right through it. At that moment, the courage to fight back vanished.

Suddenly the room became extremely cold. It was so cold that I could see the mist flow out of my mouth as my breath became heavy with fear. Shivering, I hugged myself as I tried to find something, anything, to keep me warm. Then I thought of running to the window to scream as loudly as I possibly could in hopes that someone would hear me.

As I turned to run, the clothes on the table came flying toward me. I screamed out loud in panic. Using both arms to cover my face, I tried to reach for the door again. Even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to open it, it was the only way out. I was confused, and I didn’t know which way to go.

Suddenly the black cloud came at me even faster and harder. I kept backing away, shielding myself with my arm as I tried to escape, but it was relentless. It knocked the wind out of me, and I was gasping for air. Then it stopped. Feeling breathless and disoriented, I rubbed my sore arm and looked around.

Realizing I was now at the opposite end of the room from the door, I backed away slowly, taking one baby step at a time, afraid that it may sense my movement again. When I thought I had backed far enough away, I dashed for the door. That was when I felt something cold at my feet. It was already freezing in the room, but this coldness was directed solely at my feet, and the pain stung right through to my bones. I tried to run again, but it was no use. It felt like my feet were cemented to the ground. When I looked down, a long black fog that looked like a slithering headless anaconda started circling me.

The fog took the form of a snake, the thing I feared most. The one thing that would make my skin crawl inside and out was now taunting me, like I was about to be its next meal. The farther it moved upwards, the farther the coldness and the pain spread. As I stood there like a statue, a single nerve jolted through my body like lightning from my head to my toes. I tried to control my panic as my whole body trembled from the cold and fright. Trying to fight back, I looked around to see if there was anything I could use to defend myself against this attack, anything but this useless flashlight and my sore arm, but there was nothing.

The black smoke finally showed its face, but only for a split second before disappearing. Just a glance at the monstrous black face and demonic yellow eyes was enough to paralyze me. The fog seemed to be getting pleasure out of making my blood race with fear, teasing and taunting, shifting back and forth from a fog-like form to a snake. When it became the snake, it took a solid form with its red tongue slithering in and out, looking for the perfect place on my body to strike.

It began to squeeze tighter again, and I could no longer feel my legs. Blood rushed to my head, and I was certain death would be next. I wanted to grab the head of the snake, but I couldn’t. The thought of touching it made me cringe, and I knew my hands would simply go right through it just as the flashlight had. Besides, I was a mere human next to this creature of immense power. There was no way I would win.

Let this be a dream, I prayed. Things like this didn’t happen in real life. I needed to find a way to wake up. Wake up! Wake up! Help! Somebody help me! I screamed inside.

“No one can help you,” it hissed wickedly.

I was so astonished to hear it speak that I was speechless. Then it hit me. Hearing the snake fog or whatever it was speak to me was a sure sign that I was dreaming. Any minute now, I would wake up from this nightmare.

“I’ve finally found you,” it spoke again.

I didn’t wake up, and all I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs, but I couldn’t. All I could do was scream inside my head. “I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. Go away! Please, go away!” I finally managed to say in a hoarse whisper.

“Hisss. This isn’t a dream, Claudia. I’ve been looking for you.”

How did it know my name? What was it saying? It didn’t make any sense.

“I’m going to enjoy you, slowly. I could end this in one strike to your heart, but I was ordered to bring you in alive. So, I am going to savor your moments of suffering. Each strike will deliver just enough poison to make you feel pain so intense, you will be begging me for death. But don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I just want to have a little fun before I bring you in. Let’s play!”

Who would order her to bring me in? It didn’t matter. I would rather die than be in the hands of who knows what. This was it. This was how I was going to leave this Earth. I was looking death right in the eye, and there was no one here to help me. I could imagine Patty finding me, and the guilt that would consume her for leaving me here alone. And my poor mom and Gamma, I was all they had. I would be another tragic death my mom would have to bear that would break her heart. As I closed my eyes to let fate take over, the creature positioned itself and was ready to strike.

“Please forgive me for all the wrong I have done,” I prayed, hoping that the life I lived and the person I was would be enough to take my soul to a peaceful place, a Heavenly place.

“Hisss. How sweet, almost sad. God can’t help you now.” It was mocking me.

I opened my eyes again, hoping that the snake would be gone and this was just a nightmare, but it was still there. Without warning, it lunged toward me. I expected to feel pain beyond what I have ever felt or could ever imagine, but—nothing. Suddenly, the snake loosened its hold on my body, and then let go entirely. As I looked around me, I could not believe the sight that I witnessed.

Michael was wrestling with the fog, now in a beast form that looked like a hideous monster. I couldn’t believe he was here. He wasn’t just a dream, or was I dreaming now? My mind was frazzled. At one point, I had been so sure that he wouldn’t lift a finger to help me, but I was so wrong. He was just as much in danger as I was, and he was here to save me. Every ounce of hope for survival that I had lost was regained.

Somehow the beast wrapped itself around Michael’s waist. I could see Michael struggle to take control. I wanted to help, but I was unable to move or speak.

“Michael!” the beast said in surprise. “I thought you were dead.”

Michael ignored her and started asking questions. “Why are you here? What do you want?” Michael demanded as he positioned his hands around the neck of the beast.

“I want her!”

“She is not an alkin! Get that through your head! Can’t you tell the difference?”

Michael was angry, but he, too, was able to talk with the beast. I knew then that this was not my imagination. He spoke almost with familiarity. This beast was someone he knew, someone he was clearly trying to convince about my existence.

“Who are you working for? Who gave you the order?” Michael demanded.

“Hissss. You think I would tell you? Tell me, Michael. How did you get down here? How did you get through my barrier? I blocked anyone from passing through.”

“You think I would tell you? You think you’re the only one with that kind of power? I have my ways.”

“Hisss. You used to tell me everything.” Its voice was flirty.

“That was a mistake!”

“Hisss! Hisss!” It was livid. “Then you deserve to die!”

“Remember, Julia, I’m stronger than you! You can’t win! Don’t do this! I’ll let you go!”

Julia? This beast had a name. This was more than an acquaintance. How did Michael know it? What did he mean by making a mistake? As Michael finished exchanging words with Julia, he grabbed the tail and managed to set himself free. The fog grew bigger, a huge shapeless blob, and swirled around like a tunnel as it slid underneath Michael. It pushed him up and slammed him against the wall. I gasped in horror as if I had been struck too. He got up as fast as he could, but he wasn’t fast enough as the fog grabbed his leg and tossed him up to the ceiling. Michael fell flat on the ground, lying still. Imagining the worst and clearly not thinking about the fog, I ran toward where he lay.

The fog instantly sensed my movement, took the form of a snake, and lunged toward me like a bullet. Michael shot up and grabbed the beast just in the nick of time. He flung the beast away, but in that instant, it flew toward me and struck near my heart. Even Michael’s reflexes weren’t fast enough. I lost my balance and fell hard onto the floor, crying out in agony.

Michael and I made eye contact, and I could see terror in his eyes. I tried to get back up, but I started to feel dizzy, and the room began to spin. My body began to thrash as unbelievable pain jolted me over and over again. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing or hearing because by that time, everything was out of focus, causing me to collapse. The last thing I saw was a blurry vision of what appeared to be a sword between Michael and the beast, and I thought I heard loud screeching sounds that faded out.

“Michael,” I cried inside, unable to speak. I prayed it was the beast’s cry that I heard as darkness surrounded me. I felt like I was floating, as light as a feather. Death must have come, the peace I had prayed for, that I hoped I had earned, would be my reward.

A
s I slowly came out
of the darkness, I couldn’t open my eyes. Hearing jumbled whispers was a sure sign that there were people around me. But then again, was I even sure they were human? Panic struck me, and I desperately wanted to know where I was.

All my efforts to open my eyes did not work, so I decided to lay still and listen. I lay motionless, afraid to make any movement to show that I had awakened. Fearing that I may be paralyzed, I wiggled my fingers and toes slightly underneath the blanket just to make sure. As a sense of relief came over me, I began to wonder if I could even protect myself. So I listened intently, trying to figure out who was in this room and what they were saying.

Even with the bits of conversation I could hear, I couldn’t distinguish their voices because they were whispering the entire time. For some unknown reason, these obscure conversations triggered my memories of why I was here. Thinking about what had happened, my guard was up again, and I didn’t know for sure if I was completely out of danger.

“Is she all right?” I heard her ask loudly and clearly.

Instantly my spirits lifted and I relaxed, knowing with all of my being that I was safe. I was no longer in Hell’s fury. I knew that voice. It was Vivian, and I knew I must be back in Halo City. She was standing at close range…I felt like I could reach out and touch her, but I dared not. I was afraid of how she may react to my display of human affection toward her. Excitedly, I attempted to open my eyes.

When my eyes opened, my vision was still blurry. I saw several figures standing next to where I lay. Slowly I began to focus, and I could finally see Vivian, Margaret, and Agnes. They were smiling at me. I smiled back and quickly looked for Michael. Although I was happy to see them, I needed to see him. Where was he? Had something happened to him? I became concerned and scared.

As I stirred to get up and look for him, I was quickly halted by the grasps of the three angels that were standing in front of the bed. I felt a tremendous sharp pain near my heart, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I remembered at that moment that I had been attacked and bitten by Julia. Hazy memories of the black fog, the snake, and Michael flashed in and out, but were blurry. Panic struck me as I thought about Michael. My heart was pounding rapidly. I needed to see him, needed to know if he was alive.

“Be careful. You shouldn’t move. You need time to heal,” Agnes said as she placed her hands gently on my shoulders and lay me back down.

I didn’t care what kind of pain I was in. I needed answers. “Is Michael all right?” I asked eagerly, hoping desperately to get the only answer I wanted to hear.

“Yes,” Margaret said.

I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Now I knew for sure that it was the beast who had been wounded or killed, and not Michael.

“How do you feel?” Vivian asked as she placed her hand on my forehead. “Good, no fever.”

“Except for the pain, I think I feel fine,” I said, staring at her facial features, thinking how pretty she was. Her long brown silky hair dangled from side to side as she fussed over me.

“We got all the poison out, so you should be feeling better soon. Thank goodness Michael brought you back in time. We were all worried you wouldn’t make it,” Margaret said.

“Thank you.” It was all I could say, feeling embarrassed that I’d caused so much trouble.

“Michael will be relieved to see you have awakened. He carries tremendous guilt for what happened to you. He is ashamed that he was unable to protect you better,” Agnes said.

“But he saved my life,” I spoke quickly.

“I think you should speak to Michael and tell him yourself. Your forgiveness will free him from guilt. I’ll go get him,” Margaret said.

They all left and I was alone, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for Michael to come. I felt my heart quicken, sending excitement and apprehension throughout my body. I looked around at my surroundings. Whose bed was I lying on, and whose room was I in? The furnishings were simple, but nice. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. My heart raced again with anticipation.

“Hi,” said a small, sweet voice. A beautiful young girl peered through a sheer curtain that hung where the door would have been. It was Alexa Rose. She was dressed in a cute little white dress accented with a pink bow on the front.

“Hello, come in,” I said with a smile.

“Are you hurt?” she sounded concerned.

“I don’t remember quite all that happened, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

With some hesitation, she asked, “Are you an angel or a human?”

“Would that make a difference?” I responded. I wasn’t sure what I wanted her answer to be.

“I don’t know. I’ve never touched a human before or even been around any…and…and if you are a human, it’s too dangerous for you to be here. You should go home to your mommy.”

“Why?” I asked, trying to hold back a laugh. I was extremely amused by her adorableness and her concern.

“Humans can’t come here. This place is for alkins only. It is the law.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be on my way soon. Are you the only child here?”

“No,” she said, gently swaying back and forth. “I have many friends.”

“How many friends?”

“Lots and lots of them. We go to school together. We learn how to be good angels, and we learn about all the rules we need to follow,” she said, giving me a huge grin.

Her smile faded and she stopped talking, her face uncertain as she turned her head toward the sheer curtain and said, “Michael is coming.”

With a snicker, Michael bent down to her level and said, “Hello, princess. I see that you’ve met our friend.”

His appearance was a total surprise; I hadn’t heard any footsteps. Had it not been for Alexa Rose’s warning, I wouldn’t have known he was nearby. I became breathless when his eyes flickered up and held mine for a second, and my spirits were lifted to know that he called me a friend.

She looked back at him with those puppy like eyes. “I like her. I know she can’t stay here, but…but could she stay anyway?” Alexa Rose begged.

Michael looked at me and quickly turned to Alexa Rose. Very compassionately he said, “I’m afraid not. Humans just cannot be allowed to stay here. You remember the rules you learned at school, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but how do you know if she is not an angel? Humans never come to visit, so she must be an angel,” she challenged.

“That is true, but sometimes things just happen, and we can’t always explain it.”

“Okay, Michael,” she said, sounding convinced.

Michael gave her a hug and stood tall. “Alexa Rose, I need to speak to Claudia alone. I will see you after school. I want you to find Davin for me, okay?”

She nodded, gave me a quick glance, and ran out the door. Then we were alone. There was an uncomfortable silence. As I struggled to find the right words, my whole body tensed, and I wondered if he would be nice, or if he would be back to his old cold self again.

“Hello,” he said with a smile, still standing at a distance.

I was glad he broke the silence first. The smile confirmed what I wanted to know, and I immediately relaxed. “Hi,” I smiled back, wondering if I looked presentable.

He brushed his hair back. He seemed to do that when he was nervous or uncomfortable. “I’m glad to see you awake. I didn’t know how long it would take you to heal or let alone wake up.”

“I actually feel fine. I mean, it’s my first time being bitten by a humongous snake or whatever that fog-like thing was…something that doesn’t exist in my everyday life, but other than that, I think I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound humorous.

It worked. He chuckled softly. It was nice to see him lighten up a bit.

“Yeah, not normal for you humans, but I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better,” he responded as he approached where I lay. “I know I told you not to come here, but I brought you here because the only person who could save you from my mistake was Agnes. She has the power to heal…sometimes…unsuccessfully. I was afraid that I didn’t get you to her in time.” He no longer looked me in the eyes; he looked down as if he was ashamed. “You may feel some pain from time to time, but the pain will go away soon, I promise. Some guardian angel I am.” He paused, glancing sideways, and let out a soft sigh. “I failed you, and I would understand if you couldn’t forgive me.”

I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I could see the guilt through his body language. He clenched his jaw, and his hands became agitated. There was anguish in his eyes. I wanted to touch his cheek, to erase the pain he was concealing.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” As I spoke, his eyes immediately found mine with a look of surprise. “You saved my life, and there is nothing to forgive. You did everything you could. So what if I got hurt? I’m still alive, aren’t I?” I rethought my last sentence, realizing I didn’t know the answer. Remembering the brief conversation with Alexa Rose, she had asked me if I were a human or an angel. Could it be possible that I was dead and they didn’t have the heart to tell me? Was I, now, an angel too?

“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” I questioned with an unsettling look.

He approached me, closing the gap between us as he leaned forward, and looked straight into my eyes and answered. “Yes. You are still alive.” Amused by my question, he laughed and lifted his right hand, raising it toward my cheek. I could feel my blood fuse with excitement and desire. How badly I wanted him to touch me just once, if that was all it would ever be. Please don’t stop, I thought to myself.

As he realized what he was doing, he immediately dropped his hand and backed away in surprise. A feeling of disappointment raced through me. I wanted to feel his touch, his warmth. I closed my eyes, knowing this fantasy I was having needed to stop. I simply breathed him in, enjoying every sense of his presence. I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t called my mom and Patty, as I promised I would, when I got home. How would I ever explain?

As I started to say that I needed to call my mom and Patty, and that I needed to go home, he spoke simultaneously, “You need to go home.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” I said.

We both smiled, and he shyly turned away. I was seeing a whole new side of him. His sweetness made him that much more attractive, and his smile melted my heart. I thought at any given moment I would lose control—that is, until I tried to get up. Without realizing the depth of my pain, I turned to get up. I felt a blazing pain that ran through my body. It felt worse than the first time I had tried to get up. It was like being stabbed in my chest while my whole body burned. When he realized I was in pain, Michael immediately swept me off my feet and cradled me in his arms.

“Breathe…deep breaths…relax,” he whispered into my ear. I weakened at the sound of his voice, and my body went limp. After the pain subsided, I turned to look at him to let him know I was feeling better, and our eyes locked. Everything went silent. In that moment, nothing else mattered. I felt like I was floating, as if we were dancing across the sky. It seemed never-ending as he stared into my eyes.

“Let’s go,” Davin interrupted, waving his hand while Alexa Rose stood right behind him. We quickly turned away, hoping not to get caught. With me still in his arms, we left the room. Phillip, Agnes, Margaret, Vivian, and Caleb walked in and smiled at me.

“I would like to take her back home, if it would be all right with Claudia?” Michael asked Phillip as he lowered me down gently.

Phillip was just about to say something when he was interrupted by Alexa Rose.

“Nooo!” Alexa Rose shouted. Everyone turned to look at her.

“I’ll be right back,” Michael said calmly.

“But, it’s too dangerous.” There was fear in her voice.

Michael picked her up and hugged her warmly. “You worry too much for a child. I’ll be right back.” He reassured her.

“Promise?” she asked as she placed her head on his shoulder.

“Promise,” he repeated after her and gently placed her down. “I always keep my word.”

Phillip turned to look at Michael, “Don’t stay too long. Caleb, Vivian, and Davin have my permission to go down and help you if you need any assistance.”

“Did I hear you correctly? Did you say my name?” Davin asked Phillip, unsure of what he heard.

“Yes, Michael may need your assistance, and if he does, Paul will take over as gatekeeper.”

Then Phillip looked at me, “I’m sorry you had to experience such an ordeal. We hadn’t expected that you would get noticed that soon. Michael and I already spoke about what happened, but do you remember anything the beast said to you?”

My memory was hazy, but I was a little surprised at the few details I could remember. “I don’t recall much, but I do have some recollection of it saying something like it had been looking for me,” I responded.

Phillip, Margaret, and Agnes looked perplexed by my words. They didn’t say anything, no words of guidance or comfort, as if they were confused themselves.

Unexpectedly, Phillip placed his hand on my shoulder and kindly said, “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this all out.”

Phillips words confirmed what I was thinking. We’ll figure this all out meant they didn’t know the reason why I was in danger. My gut feeling told me that this wasn’t over, and I was still in the path of danger. Or perhaps I was overreacting.

“They need to get going,” Davin interrupted.

“Very well, be safe.” Those were the last words I heard from Phillip as Michael and I were transported back to Fashion Wear.