Seraphina: Initiation

Seraphina

Seraphina

The Seraphina Series

Book Two

Copyright © 2014- Hutchinson Publishing

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be used or
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written
permission of Sheena Hutchinson except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in a critic article or review.

ASIN:
B00NE4Q7J2

ISBN-13:
978-1502319609

ISBN10:
1502319608

Cover art by Andy
Garcia
www.AndyG4rcia.com

For more information visit
www.SheenaHutchinson.com

Dedication:

This book is dedicated to people who are struggling,
encountering obstacles at every turn and beginning to lose faith.
Just know that you are going down the right road when you encounter
opposition at every turn. The Devil doesn't want you to
succeed;

This is your Initiation— Prove him wrong!

Loading the last box into the trunk of my
car, I turn to lock eyes with my mom. She’s been trying to hold
back tears all morning. I would have left by now, but she insisted
on making brunch for me. Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen
her make crepes before. Her curly auburn hair is wrapped around the
reading glasses on the top of her head, but I don’t have the heart
to tell her. My dad comes onto the porch to put his arm around her
comfortingly. I close my eyes taking a mental picture of this
moment. This, I want to remember forever.

“Well, that’s the last of them,” I state out
loud closing the door of my trunk as I pretend to wipe dirt off my
hands.

“Call us as soon as you get there,” mom
yells at me as I’m walking around to the driver’s door.

“Yes mom,” meant just to amuse her.

“Are you sure you have everything?” she
calls again.

“Mom where do you think I’m moving? Hong
Kong? I’m sure I’ll be back soon! Geez!” as the sarcasm escapes my
mouth I find my mind wishing it were true. I start the car pausing
to take one last glance at them, they are standing there arm in arm
waving goodbye to me as I struggle to hold back tears. I take a
deep breath and wave an excited goodbye before pulling away and
wiping the escaping tear off my cheek.

Driving down the long winding road to Nate’s
house I finally have time to myself to think. I haven’t had much
time to myself since I came to this epiphany. After Lucifer
appeared in my mirror and threatened all that I love, I came to the
decision it was time to move in with Nate. Nate, my overprotective
fallen angel –I guess “boyfriend” is what he can be called now.
Have I mentioned I only met him a week ago? Good thing I told my
parents I was going to live with a ‘friend’ they didn’t question me
further because they know my only friend is Amanda.

Speaking of Amanda, I can’t help but crack
up when I picture her face as I told her that I’m moving in with
Nate. I had gone over to her apartment, Chinese food in hand, to
explain in person the decision I came to. I don’t know how I
actually found the words to explain to her all that has been going
on. I mean yeah, she knew about Nate and the car accident when he
stepped over the line while being my Guardian Angel, but I didn’t
tell her my “heightened senses” are pretty powerful and people want
me for all the wrong reasons. After the initial shock wore off and
she was able to pick her jaw back up off the floor, in typical
Amanda fashion—She bombarded me with a zillion questions. From: Can
I read minds? Can I fly? Am I crazy for moving in with a stranger?
–to have we hooked up yet? Are we sleeping in the same bed? Good
thing I planned on sleeping over because that’s how long it took me
to answer her slew of questions. I don’t think we went to bed until
the sun came up. God, I’m going to miss those nights. I shove back
another tear as the lump in my throat doubles in size.

Moving out is hard for me, I’m not going to
lie. I’ve spent the last twenty-five years of my life in the same
Easter-egg-purple room. To leave it all behind except for a few
frames and keepsakes and of course my clothes, was hard for me.
Yeah, I shed a few tears sleeping in my bed last night. But, when I
woke up this morning I promised myself not to dwell on the past,
only to focus on what the future holds. Dwelling in the past will
only make you crazy thinking about all the would-haves and
could-haves, the present that is what you have the ability to
change. Honestly, I think moving on is a part of life. That’s not
the part I’m upset over. It’s the unknown that scares me, the fact
that my presence alone is dangerous. Then there’s also the fact
that I don’t know when I will get a chance to see them all again is
the one thought that finally makes the tears fall.

I make the final turn onto his endless
curving driveway as I wipe the remainder of my tears. Excitement
begins to flutter up to the surface. I have a confession to make, I
never told Nate I was coming. I knew he would already know. By the
time I pull up to Nate’s log home of perfection a huge smile
crosses my face. I don’t know why, but there’s just something about
him that makes my insides do backflips.

Climbing out of the car, I don’t even have
to shut the door before I see the large, solid front door of his
handcrafted house, open. I glance up to see Nate standing there,
shirtless, hair still wet from a shower, with his arms crossed, and
he’s wearing nothing but jeans that show off his perfect physique.
In his hands appears to be a hot cup of coffee because I can see
the steam spiraling up against the cold December afternoon.

“You knew I was coming, didn’t you?” he
smiles jumping down the steps towards me. His eyes never leaving
mine as he walks up to me with his chestnut hair glistening under
the sun, his blue eyes shining with happiness, combined with the
smirk on his face finally makes the butterflies inside me take
flight. He stops in front of me and stretches his hand out to put a
stray hair behind my ear before handing me the cup of coffee as he
kisses my forehead in greeting.

“Head inside, make yourself at home,” he
suggests opening my trunk and begins to unload my boxes.

“I’m not a wimpy human anymore, ya know! I
can carry a few bags!” I fire back as I open the door to the back
seat and throw a backpack over my shoulder. Closing the car door, I
take a deep breath admiring Nate’s house once again. It’s just as
magical as I remember with the high pitched roof with glass panels.
I guess it can be considered
our
house now. Walking through
the front door into the high vaulted foyer, the smell of freshly
crafted pine makes its way to me and I can
’
t help but feel like I
’
m
at home. I let out a sigh of relief because I somehow know deep in
my soul I made the right decision. I turn and climb the large
staircase on the right slowly admiring Nate
’
s gorgeous crystal chandelier dangling over the
foyer. Once I reach the landing I open the door on the right, which
I remember waking up in a few days earlier. Dropping my bag down in
the middle of my new room, I place my coffee cup down on the mantle
of the fireplace as I take it all in. It
’
s just as I remembered with the four-poster
mahogany bed draped with white linen, the endless bookshelves,
comfy green chair in the corner that looks like a replica of my
spot in the coffeehouse, and of course the roaring stone fireplace.
I really want to make this place my own, but as I glance around I
come to find that there isn’t any piece of furniture I would move.
It
’
s
perfect
.

Accepting the fact that this room only needs
a few homey touches, I spin around to tackle the closet. Opening
the double doors of the closet, I stand back in shock when my eyes
adjust to the light. It’s huge, almost the same size as my room. He
also fully stocked it with clothes, shoes, and jackets. There isn’t
a single spot for me to put anything I brought. I don’t know
whether to be flattered or offended. The back wall is a solid unit
holding a store-sized amount of shoes and combat boots I never
thought I would need. Along the sides are drawers and countless
shirts assorted by color dangling from hangers. In the middle of
the room sits a long dresser with drawers for more intimate
clothing and situated on top is a round mirror and some hand
crafted jewelry boxes. I mindlessly walk deeper into this
magnificent closet when my eye catches on a bureau with two doors
at the far corner. My curiosity wins the best of me as I walk over
and open it. Opening one of the double doors apprehensively, not
knowing what to expect. I
’
m happily
surprised at what I find inside, it
’
s a
black suit. Reaching out to touch it, I notice it
’
s made of a durable yet breathable material that
feels almost like that of a bullet proof vest. On the backhand side
of the double doors are knives, daggers, as well as a bunch of
weaponry I
have
only seen in movies.

“You like the closet?” Nate
’
s question snaps me back to reality and I jump a
little as I turn to face him standing in the doorway of my
closet.

“Are you kidding?! This must be what Heaven
looks like!” I twirl around joking without thinking. Watching his
reaction, I see slight humor before the sadness creeps over. Seeing
that I have unearthed some underlying pain I quickly respond,
“I
’
m sorry! I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s
fine,
” he
mumbles while walking toward me, cupping my face in his hands
before continuing, “This is my Heaven now,” he softly states
kissing me on my forehead before turning back towards the door.
I
’
m processing what he said while I watch
him walk away from me. I notice how his back flexes without his
shirt on with every step he takes. Biting my lip, my heart begins
racing and I can feel my skin flush with heat as I think,
if he
keeps it up I
’
m not
going to be able to keep my hands off him
.

“Sera…” he pauses in the doorway to my
closet and turns to face me before continuing, “I may not be able
to read your mind, but I can sense your emotions.” With a
flirtatious grin, I turn to my left and look over at him from the
corner of my eye as I turn a knob to a door on the opposite wall
and disappear inside.

Switching on the light, I
’
m shocked by how bright it is. It
’
s a bathroom, but I seem to forget where I am
because it
’
s completely different from
the rest of the house. There is no visible wood craftsmanship,
it
’
s all white tiles and white marble. I
have a huge double marble sink with drawers underneath, a wall
length mirror that fills the gap between the sink and the ceiling.
Turning to the other wall I notice a standing shower and a separate
tub. It
’
s the bathtub that really grabs
my attention. Situated in a little nook with three paneled windows
with a more vertical view of the cliff and winding river below,
it
’
s large and all marble. Leaning over,
I notice it even has jets! On the ledge of the tub is a basket over
flowing with bath supplies including my favorite lavender blossom
shampoo and cucumber body wash,
how thoughtful
. I twirl
around in disbelief biting my nails as I continue to admire my new
bathroom until something catches my eye. It
’
s a vase on the sink with the most gorgeous flowers
I’ve ever seen. Call me strange, but I’ve never really had a
favorite flower, all I’ve ever received from guys were roses. These
flowers are hands down the most gorgeous arrangement I’ve ever
seen, if I had to pick a favorite flower this would be it. They are
pink and orange with open petals like a lily, but multiple layers
like a rose. They are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. My
fingers reflexively extend to touch them and I
’
m surprised to find that they are real, fresh even.
He definitely knew I would be coming today. I lean in to smell them
and they have an intoxicating scent like sweet perfume.
Leave it
to Nate to know my favorite flower even if I don
’
t know it myself
.