Immortal Memory (Book One) (13 page)

Mandy slipped into a pair of day
clothes, and they got into the car. She began driving to the lake
house and turned down the radio. “You know, Zach seems really nice.
He’s done so much for you. I’m starting to believe you two are
falling for each other. That’s kind of creepy, but at least he
seems much more trustworthy than Tristan.”

Simra’s gaze followed the highway,
which led to the dirt road. “Zach’s nice, and he’s done much for
me. I owe him for how he’s saved my life countless times. I never
wanted to trust God until I met him. But I’m not falling for Zach.
He isn’t human, and he’s Tristan’s brother.”

Mandy drove into the driveway of the
dark house. She parked the car and turned it off. Mandy took a
brief glance at Simra and looked at the old home again. “Something
about Zach’s house is so peaceful and serene. Maybe it’s because
the place is protected from evil. Grandma seems to feel at home
when she’s here.”

Simra followed Mandy out of the car
with their suitcases. She unlocked the front door with the key
hidden underneath the doormat. “Right. It’s very safe here, which
is why it’s best that all of us stay.”

Mandy helped their grandmother inside
the house. “I think it’s best that all of us are staying here too.
Especially for you and Grandma’s sake.”

Although it relieved Simra that they
made it, she still had to keep an eye on their grandmother. She
wouldn’t dare let the angel take Lucinda’s soul. “It’s best for all
of us, but you and Grandmother should get some rest. It’s
late.”

Lucinda led them to the back bedroom
and plopped onto one of the beds. The woman’s eyelids began closing
to fall asleep. Mandy yawned and stretched. Simra couldn’t find it
within herself to settle down. The demon wouldn’t stop chasing her.
The horrifying look in his glowing eyes drove her to the edge of
insanity.

Simra never left her family alone in
the bedroom after her cousin changed clothes and slid under the
covers. Mandy drifted off to sleep in the bed next to their
grandmother’s. Tristan would harm anyone who got in his way of
Simra. She closed her eyes and prayed for protection against the
bothersome demon.

They must destroy her ex-fiancé soon.
Every person she loved would be dead if they didn’t find the
corpse. She glanced at the time on her shiny silver watch. She and
Zach could still try to find the body tonight.

Mandy’s eyes looked so deprived of
sleep earlier. Lucinda seemed to need assurance that her family
would be safe. Simra placed a gentle kiss on Mandy and her
grandmother’s cheeks. They weren’t aware in their peaceful slumber.
A tear slid down Simra’s face.

There must be a way to resolve the
conflict between herself and the Lord. Why would He allow this
manipulative demon in their lives? How could He let the demon rule
over her and her family? And He allowed the demon to kill her
parents and curse her and Lucinda. She needed answers
tonight.

Simra turned to search for Zach and
flipped on the lights in the dark kitchen to find no one there. She
imagined what it was like when Lucinda stayed here years ago. Did
it look the same?

The floors creaked with every step she
took. The cabinets and shelves appeared to be remodeled. The aroma
of cedar and evergreen candles made her think of sitting around a
fire.

“Zach? Are you here?”

Nothing. Only the frogs and crickets
chirped outside the house. He didn’t have any neighbors. She never
felt as alone as she did tonight. The chilling thought of Tristan
caused her to swallow a heavy lump in her throat.

Her shoulders jerked when someone
placed a gentle hand on one of them. “Grandmother? I thought you
were asleep. Come. Let’s get you back to bed.” She took her
grandmother’s hand, but Lucinda refused to go.

The woman slid into her granddaughter’s
arms and held Simra close. “Look to God. Stay ‘way Azazel. Let
go.”

Everything within Simra snapped to
coldness. Lucinda told her those exact words just before she became
too ill. The only difference was that Lucinda spoke much clearer in
the past.

Tears slid down Simra’s cheeks, and she
framed Lucinda’s face. “Grandmother, I’m so sorry I never listened
to you. I wish there’s a way I could return to the past and fix
this. I broke up with Tristan, but he won’t leave us alone. I’m
going to take care of you and Mandy. I won’t let him or Zach hurt
you. I promise.”

Lucinda left Simra standing alone and
broken when her words became jumbled together and unclear again.
She followed Lucinda back to bed. Her grandmother slid under the
covers and fell into another peaceful sleep. Another tear fell down
Simra's cheek. She turned to go into the den.

“Zach, make your presence known! I need
answers.”

Nothing happened. Simra’s heart raced
in thunderous beats. She paid no attention to the creaking floor as
she paced back and forth. Her mind swarmed with endless
possibilities.

Did Tristan do something horrible to
him? Perhaps Tristan sent Zach away permanently before he began
killing her family. All of them were in the demon's way.

A sharp light shot through the house
and aimed straight at Simra. She slipped backward and fell on her
rear against the front of the couch. The bright beam almost blinded
her. It came out of nowhere. Covering her eyes couldn’t even keep
it from her view. Warmth enveloped her body when the light grew
more bearable.

She gazed into the beauty of it to see
a lone man walking toward her. “Zach?”

Zach placed a gentle hand on her cheek.
His firm, tender voice sent ripples of splendor through her. “Wake
up, Simra. You're not dead. God still needs you. Accept Lucinda's
death.”

Simra’s breathing grew uneven, and she
drew away from him. “No, I won’t allow her to die. I’m breaking the
curse before that happens.”

Zach frowned, drew closer to her, and
caused Simra’s insides to melt. No more words were spoken. Much
frustration reflected in the dark blue depths of his eyes. Her eyes
ached from the increasing need of sleep.

The vivid rays of the strange light
amplified her drowsiness. The beam loosened her stiff muscles from
head to toe. The light and Zach faded away.

One question weighed heavy on her mind
as she tried to fight sleep. Was Lucinda all right? Her
grandmother’s life might be slipping away at the moment. Simra had
to fight this heavy wave of sleep to protect her! But the sleep
began to overpower her.

Chapter 15

"Purge me with hyssop, and
I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." -Psalm
51:7

Simra’s eyelashes fluttered open to see
a brilliant crystal white winter dazzling all around her.
Evergreens covered the towering mountains in every direction. Their
crisp clean scent smelled so familiar. Thick, heavy snow blanketed
the trees.

Tiny snowflakes drizzled from the sky
onto her skin. The warm breeze kissed her face and made her feel
like she was still in Texas. She took several steps in the snow,
which didn’t melt in the warmth. Serenity embraced her soul. How
did she get here?

She only recalled trying to save her
grandmother from a dope dealer, a demon, and a charming angel. This
had to be a wonderful dream. No such place existed in the world.
She recalled the picture at her cousin’s place of her, Lucinda, and
Mandy.

The painful memories of them making
snow angels haunted her restless heart. Although far from Texas,
she couldn’t escape the guilt pulling her into a dark hole. Those
happy moments with her grandmother were gone forever.

Simra never experienced such security
as she did in these winter mountains. The demon and all evil in the
world seemed so far away. Only God's extravagant creations existed
here. She needed answers about Zach and about her grandmother
overcoming the curse.

Maybe God would give her the answers
she sought with such desperation. Something about the place unwound
her spirit. Every concern she had was left at home. Simra allowed
the gentle snowflakes to fall into her hands. Strong, gentle arms
enveloped her from behind. She welcomed their comforting
presence.

Zach’s calm, gentle voice melted her
soul like warm caramel. “You look even more radiant when you’re at
peace with the world around you.”

Never did a man's arms comfort her this
way. She cherished these sweet moments with him. Whereas, she would
have pushed him away in the past.

A smile formed across her lips, and her
cheeks warmed. “This place is beautiful. I feel so safe with you
here.”

Zach turned her around to
face him. “I’m glad you feel that way. You can stay at peace if you
allow it. Remaining stuck in the past keeps you in a dark and
vegetative state. That isn’t what God wants for you. He wants you
to wake up and accept the past. Overcoming the past will bring you
closer to the Lord. If you don’t allow Him to help you, you
will
die."

“I don’t understand. Tristan's the one
who hasn't let go of the past. He won't move on.”

Zach lifted her chin with his finger.
“Tristan’s only a small part of it. Let go of what happened to your
grandmother. The curse was placed on her, and she's at rest now.
Acceptance is the only way to peace. It's over. Let it
go.”

He paused and added, “Everything works
together for the good. You might not understand now, but you will
later. Every human eventually dies from something. God didn't want
death in this world, but Satan's the reason for so much despair.
But the time's coming when there'll be no more tears. Only joy. And
you'll be with your family again. For now, wake up and enjoy God's
new blessings.”

“It's over? Did I miss
something?”

Zach stepped away from her and nodded.
“It can be over if you choose, Simra. Look at the past differently,
and wake up. I know how terrible you want freedom.”

Her breath caught in her
throat when she gazed at the top of the mountains. There were
several snow angels standing all around them on every cliff. No,
they were
real
and
beautiful angels! At first, she mistook them for the snow angels
she, Mandy, and Lucinda made years ago.

“Zach, look at the angels! Real
angels!” She turned with excitement to face him. “They’re so
exquisite.”

“They’re sad for you, Simra. They’re
God’s angels. They want you to allow Him to help you. Stop
replaying the past over and over again. Let go of the guilt. The
past is gone forever. Face and accept the present so you can go
into the blessed future awaiting you.”

Simra shook her head with a brutal
force. A part of her died inside when he began to reveal what she
denied. “I don’t understand what you’re speaking about, Zach. This
is a dream, and I’m about to wake up any moment.”

Zach placed a firm hand on her
shoulder. “Stop running from the truth. Your grandmother’s already
passed to the other side and is at peace now. She wants you to move
on and have freedom.”

Chapter 16

"But seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to
you." -Matthew 6:33

Zach, the angels, and the snowy
mountains began spinning around Simra. She stumbled backward into
the snow. Everything became dark, and she fell into a deep sleep.
The rays of lustrous sunlight awoke her with a start.

Simra gasped in astonishment when she
found the alluring paintings of mountains on the walls. Zach must
really love the mountains. Was it a dream?

Simra was so flustered that she barely
noticed him standing over her. “Where’s Grandmother? What have you
done?”

Zach gave her a dark frown and motioned
for her to stand. “She's fine. Let’s get to work. We have duties
today, and my parents need me.”

Simra bolted up and ran into the back
bedroom to check on her grandmother and Mandy. Both were gone, and
she felt the blood rushing from her face. Simra turned to Zach and
panicked. “What'd you do to them?”

She snatched a note from Mandy off the
table. Her cousin took Lucinda to work so she could keep an eye on
her. Mandy wrote that she knew Simra would be busy with Zach. Her
cousin explained how Lucinda couldn't be left at the house by
herself. They would return that evening. Mandy would be off from
work by then.

Simra closed her eyes in relief and
held the note close to her heart. Then, she turned to the angel and
tried grasping everything he said. Why did Zach tell her Lucinda
already passed away in the dream? It must not have been
real.

However, every part felt like it really
happened. The snow, the evergreen trees, and Zach’s touch sent
spirals of splendor through her body. It warmed her skin to
remember the way it felt in his loving embrace.

Tristan might bother Mandy and Lucinda
at work. Panic rose from the depths of Simra’s heart. She must
restore her faith in God. Zach kept saying how she needed to let go
of the past to be free. She didn’t grasp what he meant. Simra took
his hand and followed him.