Inception (The Reaping Chronicles, 1) (9 page)

Chapter Ten

Lucas ~ Misstep

Lucas did have at least a thousand questions for Gabby that had been wreaking havoc in his mind since he had first seen her.

He had spent so much time thinking about her, he was surprised he managed to get anything done at all. Sitting in her car with her, he had the same feeling he had before—that he was connected to her somehow. He’d asked Gran about her, specifically if she knew any Trayners, thinking maybe they had met when he was very young. If they had, maybe that would help to explain why he felt so drawn to her, but at the same time, he knew just meeting when they were children wouldn’t justify the connection he felt.

For now, it didn’t matter. Her hand was in his—her very warm, soft hand—and she told him she felt the same connection.

This is really nuts.

No way had he ever felt anything close to this; no way did he even think it was possible this quickly. He wanted to pull back, be more cautious, but the thought of not pursuing her wouldn’t take hold in his mind
.
He decided last night, after lying in bed for hours as the Sandman abandoned him with nothing but whys running through his mind, that he was going to throw caution out concerning Gabby and dive right on into the deep end.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

As soon as he’d made the decision, he fell asleep, but she came to him in his dreams.

And, damn, they were good dreams.

He was able to touch her face, her hair, lean in as she was looking into his eyes, softly press his lips to hers, and wrap her safely in his arms.

He didn’t know why he felt so protective of her, why he felt she was in danger. But he couldn’t deny the threat he felt to her when Mara appeared. It was strange. Mara had proven she wasn’t to be trusted and could be violent, and she had certainly creeped him out the last time he saw her prior to yesterday’s encounter. But would she come after Gabby? It was a possibility after what she’d done to Gran. He didn’t want Gabby to have anything to do with the girl.

Ever.

“So, how was the rest of your day yesterday?” Lucas asked. It was a lame question, especially with all the others rattling around in his head. But it wasn’t the right time to ask those.

Gabrielle smiled as though she knew it wasn’t what he really wanted to know, but she answered anyway.

“It was good.”

She didn’t say anything else for a few seconds, just let her eyes fall to their hands, still clasped together. She seemed to frown a little, but it was so slight and fleeting that he wasn’t sure. It didn’t make him feel very confident though when, as soon as the expression passed, she let go of his hand, acting like she needed to search something out in her purse, mumbling things to herself. He couldn’t quite understand what she was saying.

She’s speaking in a different language.

Languages had always come easily to him. He even spoke a few fluently, and whenever he tried to learn one, it came easy—too easy—just like so many other things in his life had. But this language, even though it tickled his ears with familiarity, was one he was sure he’d never heard before.

Then, she said a couple of words he thought he recognized.

“What’s reckless and dangerous?” he asked.

Gabrielle stopped searching her purse abruptly and looked up at him, brows raised. Those amazing green eyes of hers were ablaze with curiosity. Lucas felt like she could look into his mind and find out everything she wanted to know, all of his secrets, if she desired to.

“What did you ask me?” Gabrielle’s eyes questioned him as much as her words.

Man they’re intense—intense and mesmerizing.

“I asked, what’s reckless and dangerous? I thought I recognized some of what you were saying, but I’m not sure. I’m pretty good at languages … that’s all.” Lucas stopped talking. Now, those green eyes were framed by a scowl. He didn’t like what he was seeing in them—distrust. He could see it in her expression, but he felt it, too. He could
feel
her.

But …
how
? And what did I say to make her look at me like that?

Everything outside of her car seemed to slow as she stared harder, deeper.

Students running to get out of the rain were now in some kind of a cross between barely moving and a walk. The rain that was coming down so hard that he could barely see more than the blur it caused was now almost frozen—he could clearly see each drop falling. Even the small splash each drop made when it hit something could easily be seen as it came up, then slowly descended to rest again. The tiniest ripples he’d ever seen were everywhere.

Everything is almost suspended.

Then Gabby looked away. Just like that, the spell was broken. Everything moved in real-time again. Things had gotten very strange, very fast.

Damn. I’m afraid to say anything after that. Did I imagine everything slowing down? If the world really did almost completely halt, how?

He ran through the conversation prior to her letting go of his hand in an attempt to figure out where his foot plowed into his mouth. But there was …

Nothing.

Nothing that he could put his finger on, anyway.

Gabby was looking out the window, still silent, and he couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Gabby, what’s wrong? What did I say? Whatever it was, I didn’t mean to offend you. If you were trying to keep your thoughts to yourself by speaking a different language, I didn’t mean to intrude, and I promise I didn’t understand anything else you said.”

Gabby finally looked back at him; the same expression was on her face, but the intensity in her eyes had ratcheted back considerably.

Smiling slightly, still seeming confused about something, she finally answered.

“It’s okay … I’m sorry. It’s just that, well, I
had
said those two words. I never expected you to understand them. I was speaking a
very
old form of Hebrew. You might be good at languages, Lucas, but very few hu—
people
would understand any of what I just spoke.”

Lucas could tell she wasn’t finished speaking. She looked at him closely for several seconds, and he worried she was about to do that intense thing again. Instead, she asked him a question.

“Where did you learn the words I spoke?”

Lucas scowled as he tried to think. He focused back on her face and gave her the only answer he had to give.

“I don’t know, Gabby.”

She stared at him a little longer, then seemed to let it go when the first bell for school sounded. He didn’t know why she did, but he was glad. He was feeling a bit odd about it himself, now.

How
did
I know?

“Well,” she said with a more familiar smile, “I guess we can talk more later. Looks like we’re going to get a break in the rain.”

Lucas looked out the window. The rain had all but stopped just as the world outside the car had minutes before, but now, the students continued to move as they normally would; rain fell as rain should fall; he was still sitting with the most beautiful, intriguing girl he’d ever met. Only he felt like maybe he should have just put a toe in first and tested the waters before diving into the deep end; he felt he may be in over his head.

Way over.

Chapter Eleven

Gabrielle ~ Demons Among Us

“
So,” Phalen began, “you want me to scope out the demon scene, huh?”

Phalen took a seat at the kitchen counter’s island. She’d arrived right after Gabrielle and Sheridan finished their work for the day, and her second in command left with Amaziah. Gabrielle was happy to see her friend and found herself, once again, entertained by how different she looked with each incarnation.

This time, Phalen chose long, straight, blue-black hair with the face of a young Asian woman. The one thing that was always constant, regardless of what appearance she took on, was the playful look in her eyes. That look was goading Gabrielle as Phalen waited for a response. Phalen blew a bubble from the gum she was chewing.

A purple one.

It made Gabrielle smile. The bubble fit Phalen’s personality.

“Yeah,” Gabrielle responded. “I’m having a really hard time seeing them. I feel like there is a strong presence at the school, but I can’t raise the Aegis Veil or my own to discern whatever or whomever I’m sensing. Amaziah would make me leave for sure if I did. I know there’s at least one there, but she wouldn’t account for the intensity I’m feeling. Either there’s a
lot
of the Fallen posing as students, possibly teachers, or there’s one around that’s exceedingly powerful.”

Gabrielle was really hoping that the latter wasn’t the case. She’d prefer that it would be numbers instead of power. Numbers would be easier for her to deal with.

“Who’s the ol’ she-demon?”

Gabrielle’s mood shifted in the wrong direction as soon as she thought about Mara. Actually, it was more Mara
with Lucas
that made her blood feel like it was on fire in her veins. Apparently, Phalen caught the change in her demeanor, or maybe the Divine light her human body tried to conceal wasn’t doing a very good job of containing her fiery color when she became angry. Whatever the reason, Phalen’s brows were raised.

She’s very perceptive,
Gabrielle thought.

I can be,
Phalen communicated back to her.

“Sorry, Phalen. I forget sometimes that an angel can still hear my thoughts when I’m in human form. Somehow, it seems like you shouldn’t be able to.”

“Coming through loud and clear, sister.” Phalen smiled and relaxed as Gabrielle’s intensity smoothed out a little. “So, back to the she-demon … what’s what?”

“I ran into her yesterday, that’s all. She doesn’t seem to be all that powerful, though.”

Phalen stared at Gabrielle for a minute, not backing down from Gabrielle’s gaze, with clearly readable disbelief that she was getting the entire story. “Uh huh …”

Gabrielle liked Phalen. She had guts. She was one of the only angels Gabrielle had ever met that wasn’t intimidated by her position. Phalen respected and admired her powers and abilities—that much she made clear—but she showed nothing of being timorous in her eyes or demeanor.

Phalen prodded further. “Are you going to tell me what’s really up? Or am I going to have to figure it out on my own?” She waited for several seconds to tick off the clock, then continued. “Because as we just confirmed, I’m a
very perceptive
type of gal, and I
will
figure it out.”

Gabrielle sighed, wondering how much to tell Phalen.
How much can I trust her?

“You
can
trust me, Gabrielle.”

Gabrielle looked at her and smiled.

“Stop doing that, Phalen.”

“Can’t. It’s in my nature. Stop thinking without blocking what’s going on in your noggin.” Phalen replied with a smirk.

“Fine. I will.” Gabrielle smirked back. After a long pause, and another long stare-off between the two friends, Gabrielle told Phalen what was going on. She started at the beginning and left nothing out, divulging her little secret that had turned into a huge dilemma.

She wanted to be with a human. At least, that was what her human body and emotions were making her believe she wanted. Which one it really was, her true desire or one created because of her human body, she didn’t know for sure. She
did
know that if she made the choice to be with Lucas, if that was ever even something that would present itself as an option, it would mean joining the ranks of the Fallen. It was completely forbidden by the laws Yahuwah set in place for all angels. She would not be forgiven. He destroyed life on Earth once already because of the many angels who had disobeyed that law.

When Gabrielle finished, Phalen stared off into the distance as she let the implications sink in. When she spoke, she still focused on the same unseen thing she’d been looking at through the silence.

“Wow, Gabrielle … I mean … just …
wow
.”

“Yeah.
Wow
.”

“You say something’s different … or,
off
, about Lucas. Like what?” Phalen finally focused her eyes back on Gabrielle.

Now Gabrielle fixated on something in the distance only she could see as she thought back to the conversation she and Lucas had as the rain pummeled her car. She’d seen him later at lunch and in the class they shared. He walked her as far as he could to her next class and later, after school, they’d chatted for a few minutes, but there seemed to be something between them now. Something unseen but definitely interfering with the ease they’d had together the day before and for the first part of the conversation that morning. There was a wall building, but was it hers or his?

Or are both of us piling on the stones?

She was sure at least part of it was her. She’d had a moment in the car, knowing that being with him was absolutely not the right thing to do, that it would have only one end—a heartbreaking one.

Gabrielle realized Phalen was still waiting for an answer. She took a breath, then began to explain.

“I was speaking Enochian to myself this morning when he was in the car with me, scolding myself in a
come to my senses
moment.” She glanced at Phalen and saw a little relief in her eyes. “Don’t get your hopes up. It didn’t last … at least not completely. I am thinking more rationally about it now, though. Anyway, Lucas repeated a couple of the words.”

“He understood the Divine language of angels? How can that be?”

“
Exactly
. How
can
that be? He shouldn’t have been able to. And I don’t believe for a second that he just got lucky. The words don’t sound anything like the languages spoken on Earth—not even close.”

“Yeah …” the word trailed as Phalen stared off into the distance again. She came back quickly this time, though. “Gabrielle, you asked me to come to help you because you are having a difficult time sensing demons with all the protection you’re under.” Phalen stopped as if she expected Gabrielle to know where she was going. “Is there any chance he could be one of the Fallen? That, for a moment, he let his guard down and slipped up?”

“It would explain some things … but I don’t think that’s what it is.”

“You
don’t
think … or don’t
want
to? Because I wouldn’t be so sure. I’m looking forward to getting a gander at this guy. Not only because he’s somehow made one of the most powerful angels ever created desire him, but also to see if he has
black goo
for blood. What color are his eyes?”

Gabrielle smiled. “The bluest blue you’ve ever seen.”

“No chartreuse around the edges anywhere?”

“Not a speck.”

“Hmm … maybe contacts … but they’ve never been able to wear them. Their tears are too caustic.”

Gabrielle didn’t want to admit it, but Phalen raised a good possibility that she hadn’t wanted to ponder or voice—good and terrible. It would clarify more than why he understood Enochian; it would also explain why she could sense him so strongly and why he was involved with Mara. Not that he’d have to be a demon to be involved with one, but it made the idea more reasonable in her mind.

But, if he is a demon,
why
would he make me feel so at peace … less broken?

None of it made any sense.

“Gabrielle, are you sure he’s not a demon?”

Gabrielle thought through everything she knew about him so far, which wasn’t much really. But she knew how he made her feel. She couldn’t believe a demon could give her the sense of peace he did.

“I don’t think we have to worry about that.”

“If you say so.”

Gabrielle laughed. Phalen always said the same thing when she was going to take a leap of faith with her—Phalen’s way of letting her know she had Gabrielle’s back and was on her side.

“I say so.”

Both Gabrielle and Phalen knew they would find out soon enough, anyway. When Phalen saw him, she should be able to tell if something wasn’t right unless he had a very powerful veil in place, making him a very powerful demon if he did.

“Tomorrow,” Gabrielle said in almost a whisper, “we should know.”

Gabrielle didn’t realize her brows were drawn until she felt them relax as Phalen lured her attention to her outstretched hand, holding something in purple wrapping.

“Gum?”

Gabrielle and Phalen rode to school the next morning with the intention of not only finding out what was making her feel so uncomfortable, but also if Lucas was one of the Fallen.

She still didn’t feel like she was going to be disappointed with what Phalen told her about Lucas, but her confidence had waned a little after the dreams she’d had last night. Maybe it was the mere idea that he could be one of the Fallen in disguise, but her dreams about him weren’t of the happy variety. As usual, she couldn’t remember details, but the feelings she woke with several times during the night were ones she couldn’t mistake—absolute trepidation and sadness.

“Hey, sister,” Phalen said as she looked at Gabrielle from the seat next to her.

Phalen had changed her appearance, once again. She was back in the same one she had used the day they went to the beach to test out Amaziah’s theory that Gabrielle would be spotted quickly—fair coloring, blue eyes.

“That’s what I’m calling you from now on by the way,” Phalen continued. “At least when we’re not going through life-and-death stuff.” She waited, as if to see if Gabrielle was going to protest. When Phalen got a smile and an amused shaking head back, she continued. “Anyway,
sister
, have you decided what my
role
is going to be in your life? I mean, you’re suddenly showing up with a tall blond with legs for miles and an ‘I dare you to mess with me’ attitude and you’re going to say what, exactly, when people ask you who I am?”

Gabrielle laughed. “I hadn’t thought about it, really. I guess we can just make you my sister. My
adopted
sister. We certainly don’t look like we came from the same gene pool.”

“K … that way it will make more sense when I call you
sistah
.”

Gabrielle found herself laughing again. Phalen had a way of making her want to smile even when she didn’t know if there was much reason to.

Phalen reached into her pocket and brought out a pack of grape bubble gum.

“Phalen, you may be addicted.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if this stuff is yum. I could be wanting worse things on Earth.” Phalen moved forward in her seat so she was looking Gabrielle right in her eyes. “Like a romantic relationship with a human,” she said with a wink, then sat back.

“We all have our vices, I guess. Even angels.”

“Agreed, but mine won’t get me booted from Heaven.”

“I know … but … it
feels
right.”

“How can a relationship between you and a human be
right
?” Phalen waited but got no answer. She tried again with a different question. “Are you sure you’re not just trying to use him to forget about Javan?”

‘Ouch.’
Gabrielle thought, but this time, she expected Phalen’s reply.

‘Yeah,’
Phalen responded,
‘I thought that might sting a bit, but maybe you need to consider the possibility.’

“You have a point. I will.”

“Hmm … “

Gabrielle looked at Phalen quizzically. “What?”

Phalen watched Gabrielle while blowing one of her purple bubbles. This one ended up so big that Gabrielle worried she’d be helping Phalen get the grape stuff out of her hair. Instead, Phalen sucked it back in her mouth.

“I just expected more of a retort from you on that one. You getting soft?”

Gabrielle laughed. “Not hardly, Phalen. Since I try not to think about Javan, I just hadn’t thought about that angle. I need to, though, before Lucas or I get in any deeper. Besides, you’re always looking for a fight, so you’re always waiting for a retort.”

“Not with you, sister, not with you. I’d be a fool to ever want to go up against The Angel of Karma. And I’m no fool.”

“No, Phalen, you’re not,” Gabrielle said with a wink. “We’re here.”

They arrived before most of the students so Phalen would have a chance to get accustomed to the surroundings. She would be able to discern the Fallen better if she already had a handle on the different energies in the area.

While Phalen studied the first prospects unloading from their cars and getting off busses, Gabrielle searched for Lucas. As the clock ticked off the minutes before the first bell, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Still no Romeo?” Phalen asked without looking at Gabrielle.