Icarians: Poisoned Dreams (5 page)

She kissed him slowly and gently, it was enough to drive his senses mad. He slipped his fingers into the top of her jeans and slowly pulled them down until they fell to the floor, all the while still kissing her. It was as if he were caught between heaven and hell. She deepened the kiss wanting more, wanting him, all of him. Finally he pulled back, breathing heavy. He looked at her then and wished to God that she was stable, but her eyes were already closing. He pulled her blankets back and put her under them. He sat down onto the old chair that was in her room.
"What a night." He said. He laid his head down on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

Chapter 5

Analeigh woke early the next morning to the loud ringing of her cell phone. Very slowly she sat up as she looked around the bedroom. Feeling groggy she saw on her night stand a glass of water, some Tylenol and what looked like a note. She took the water and downed the Tylenol but she left the note alone. She lay back down, waiting for her head to stop pounding and the room to stop spinning. She moaned and covered her head when her cell phone started to ring again.
"Who the heck is calling this early?" she grumbled to herself. Then realization hit her and the memories of the night before started coming back to her like a flood.
She put a hand to her mouth, shocked at last nights events. She scrambled to the note beside her and read it.

Call if you have any questions.

Jaxon.

She stared at the note and almost laughed out loud, if I have any questions? the note sounded so ridiculous. Of course I have questions! He is so pretentious.! She thought shaking her head. She felt her face and sighed. Who was that psycho? She shuddered. Finally she got out of bed. She left her cell phone where it was. She dreaded talking to anyone right now.
Analeigh went into the bathroom and gasped at the purple bruise across the left side of her face. At least there isn't much swelling she thought. She turned on the shower head and stepped into the shower letting the warm water run down her skin, relieving some tension. After she was showered and dressed she went down stairs to make coffee.
On her way down stairs she heard someone knock at the front door. She peeked through a side window and saw Mercedes standing there with two white cups waiting for her to answer. She opened the door. Mercedes saw her face and gasped.
"Oh God Analeigh I am so sorry. Are you ok?"
"I'll live. Is that coffee?"
"Yeah I thought you could use some." Mercedes offered.
"I sure can." Analeigh said as she moved aside to let her guest in. Mercedes hair was pulled back into a conservative bun, she wore a stylish loose fitting blouse and khaki shorts.
She handed her one of the hot to-go cups and continued her apologies.
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea what was going on. I should have paid more attention."
"Listen you couldn’t have known what they were planning, we both had way to much to drink. Please don't blame yourself." Analeigh told her reassuringly. "But you could fill me in on what did happen."
"I don't know much, I was dancing with Trevor and you with Vinson and the next thing I knew Mason was pulling both me and Trevor outside. Mason beat the crap out of him, then he filled me in on what was happening to you, you were passed out on the hood of Vinson’s car and Jaxon was beating the hell out of him, he almost killed the sick bastard. He deserved nothing less if you ask me. Later Jaxon told me the guy almost raped you and he was planning to kidnap you!"
Analeigh shivered and looked out the window. "I feel so humiliated. I never should have drank that much. In fact that’s the most I have ever drank. I would expect something like that to happen in LA, but not here. I was careless."
"If I can't blame myself then you can't blame yourself." Mercedes told her.
"Well I'm just glad Jaxon and Mason were there. Speaking of Jaxon, I owe him a big apology. He really saved my butt last night, then he took care of me and I slobbered all over him like the fool I am. He must think I'm a real idiot." Analeigh said.
"Trust me he doesn’t think your an idiot but he is pretty pissed, mostly at me for being so careless." Mercedes said.
"Well I’m going to go see him sometime today, is he busy?"
"He has a meeting to go to this afternoon but after that I don’t think he has any plans." Mercedes answered her.
"God I just can't believe that jerk, what did he want with me? Well that’s kind of obvious but why me? You were just as drunk as I was, why didn’t they try to take you?."
"I think they would have but I was further away from the door and Mason sort of stopped him before he could make his move- so to speak. Did he say anything to you?" She asked casually.
Analeigh paused for a minute trying to remember. She frowned as she did remember. "Yeah he did, he said I'm going to have a little fun with you before I bring you to him." Sadie looked up interested.
"Did he tell you who "he" was?"
"No, not that I can remember. He was probably just one of those sickos that are into human trafficking or something."
"Yeah your probably right." Mercedes said, but she new better. “Well do you still want to put the furniture back inside?”

That was the last thing Analeigh wanted to do today. She sighed heavily and answered “Yeah its not good to leave it out for to long.”

They both went outside on the patio, chatting and drinking their coffee. Mercedes left Analeigh's house and started toward town. She reached into her hand bag and pulled out her cell phone, she scrolled down until she found Masons number and let the phone dial it for her. He answered on the second ring.
"Yeah?"
"Hey Mason we've got big problems."
"Can you meet me?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm just leaving Analeigh's. I can meet you in ten minutes. Where?" She asked.
"Dunk'ns Coffee House." He replied.
"Sounds good." she said and hung up her phone feeling very tense.

Jaxon was showered, dressed and ready to go to their meeting at twelve-forty five . He still had about forty-five minutes to wait. He sat down and reflected on last nights events. He had left Analeigh's house early. He couldn’t stand to be near her any longer and because he was a coward. He didn't want to face her. She probably didn't remember much of anything. He still had her scent on him, inside him like a brand. He had such a deep need for her, unlike anything he had ever needed or wanted before. Being with her last night, having her so willing for him was just too much for him to bare, and the fact that he almost lost her.

He leaned back in his chair. Today he would meet with the head of each Icarian family within a hundred miles to fill them in on what has been happening, that’s why he called an emergency meeting for this morning, but he still didn't have a clue where to begin. Victor was so close he could feel the gloom and despair he brings with him like a disease. Today the meeting would be held in an abandoned house just outside of Ravenwood. Each time they held a meeting it was at a different time and place, so no outsiders could find them and relay messages to Victor and his followers. He looked at the clock on the wall and said "Show time."

Analeigh had been hard at work all morning and she finally felt like the house was coming together. She was just about done for the day, and had some boxes that she needed to put in the attic and some laundry that needed to be washed at the laundry mat in town. She picked up the two boxes and hauled them up to the attic. She hadn't been up there since she moved in. It too, like everything else, was thick with dust. She sat the boxes down and looked around.

There was so much stuff crammed in there but because of the size of the room you could still move around and get to whatever you needed. She spotted the old chest that her grandmother had filled with costumes, hats, shoes and flashy clothes for them to play dress up in. She walked over to it with a fond smile and opened the lid. She pulled out some of the costumes and was surprised that their condition was still fairly good. She found one of her grandmothers favorite shawls and picked it up and as she went to wrap it around herself a shoe box fell out of it.

Frowning she bent and picked it up, she put the box and the shawl under her arm and went downstairs. She lay them both on the kitchen table. She fixed herself some iced tea and picked up the shawl, it was still just as beautiful today as it was all those years ago when her grandmother would parade around proudly in one of their fashion shows.

It was made of thin heavy blue velvet but the most beautiful part was the amazing people that were on it. Some were shadows and others had their backs turned but they all had these astonishing wings. As she studied the winged people a memory came over her in a flash, it was the night her grandmother had died. She was told it was a heart attack that killed her.
'She was six and something had woke her up in the middle of the night. She found herself outside, she could see a boy standing with a man, a man with these exact wings. He was running for her, he was going to kill her. Then her grandmother was with her and everything went black.'
She dropped the shawl back onto the table. It must have just been a dream that she remembered because it couldn't possibly be a memory she told herself firmly. She went to the box next and opened it. Inside on the very top was a picture of herself and her grandmother.
She flipped it over, at the top it said "Eleanor and Analeigh" there was a note below it addressed to her.
"Analeigh, there are many mysterious and wondrous things in the world I hope you keep your mind and heart open to them all. Love your Grandma." Next to the note taped to the back of that picture was a very beautiful key. It had to be over a hundred years old, She thought.
Analeigh choked back tears as she looked at the picture again. She wished she could have had more time with her. She took the key off of the picture. She gently placed the picture back inside the box and replaced the lid. She wasn't up for anymore memories today good or bad. She grabbed the shawl and a bag of laundry that needed to be washed. She loaded them in her car and left for the laundry mat.

When she arrived at the laundry mat, she brought her things in and went to the counter. She handed the woman across the counter her grandmothers shawl to be dry cleaned. Analeigh loaded a washer with her clothes and sat down next to it to wait. About an hour later when her clothes were washed and dried she left the laundry mat, her grandmothers shawl wouldn’t be ready until Monday afternoon.
Now she had to go and get ready to face Jaxon.

Chapter 6

Jaxon waited inside the empty house for everyone to pile in. When it appeared that everyone had arrived, he stood up and cleared his throat. The house its self was old, but clean. It wasn't very big so he hoped the meeting would go smooth and it would end as soon as possible.
"Ok if I can have everyone’s attention please, I'll get started."
Just then Mercedes appeared and walked up to him. She leaned in close to him so that no one else could hear.
"I talked to Analeigh today, I asked her if Vinson had said anything to her that seemed unusual. She said that he said he was going to have a little fun with her before he brought her to him." She told him. What Mercedes had just said basically summed up what Jaxon already feared.
"Was she sure?"
"Yes."
"Ok, thanks for letting me know." He watched as Mercedes went to stand with Mrs. Gray, she was one of the oldest Icarians alive.
"I called this meeting today to make you all aware that Victor Cole has indeed returned."
Everybody started talking at once. Jaxon went on.
"Also, late last night Analeigh Evans was almost kidnapped by an Icarian. At the time we didn't suspect that it had anything to do with Victor, but I just got word that there is a good chance that the kidnapping was ordered by Victor himself. He has also been getting to her through her dreams. He has made it quite obvious that he is after something of great importance to him, we think that he's after the Book. Eleanor Chapman may have been in possession of it fifteen years ago and now Victor thinks Analeigh has it."
"Does she have it?" Someone asked from the crowd.
I don't believe Eleanor passed on information about us to Analeigh, if she did, Analeigh hasn't found it yet. That brings us to one more thing we have to discuss, we have to tell her about us and the danger everyone is in, not just her but human beings and Icarians. On the one hand if we don't tell her and wait to find out without her knowing then we risk the chance of Victor getting to her first, but if we tell her, she can help us. Or she could run." Jaxon stopped to let what he just told them sink in.
"We need to vote because this affects everyone. All in favor of telling her raise your hand." He paused to see three fourths of the room raise their hand.
"Ok the majority of you think it is best to tell her and I agree."
"Who will be the one to tell her?" Mrs. Gray spoke.
"My sister Sadie and I will be the ones to tell Analeigh, we have been around her, she’s getting to know us."
"She won't believe you and if you convince her, she will turn on us." Blake Dartin spoke from the crowd.
"No she won't, I have seen what kind of human Analeigh is and she wouldn't do that." It was Mercedes who spoke defending Analeigh.
"When will you do it?" Mrs. Gray spoke again.
"We don’t know yet but soon." Jaxon answered.

Jaxon spent the next half hour answering questions. Finally the meeting broke up and everyone left. Mercedes stayed behind with Jaxon.
"Look Jaxon I'm really sorry about what happened last night, I know I screwed up big time. I should have never drank that much. I took Analeigh to Harry's last night with a different agenda, I wasn't focused on what I should have been and it almost cost Analeigh her life. I truly am sorry, believe me when I say I am focused now."
"Well I have to admit, I haven't been entirely focused myself. So I can understand." Jaxon said after she finished.
Mercedes threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. They both turned to leave when he stopped.
"What agenda are you talking about?"
Mercedes suddenly nervous shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter now."
"Oh yes it does!" Jaxon insisted.
"Well I have been pushing you guys together, that’s why I invited her there on that particular night, I believe you guys belong together, I always have." She confessed.
Jaxon sighed "Yeah I already knew what you have been up to, but now isn't the time to be worrying about my love life. Agreed?"
"Sure.” she said and they both left.