Seraphina: Initiation (15 page)

“Are you going to stare at me every time I
sleep now?” I mutter rubbing my hair off my face.

“If you let me…”

“Not a chance pal!” I joke as I roll over
onto my side to face him. “I didn’t even dream that time, I must’ve
been so exhausted!” I had no idea using powers would be so
physically and mentally draining.

“Good,” he whispers finally taking his eyes
off of me while standing from his position on the coffee table. He
paces back and forth a few times. I sit up slightly and he finally
takes a seat on the end of the couch.

“What’s on your mind Nate?” I ask leaning my
head on my elbow over the edge of the couch as I study his
distressed face.

“Do you have any idea what happened to you
last night? Do you have
any
more memories?”

I look down, definitely not what I wanted to
talk about, “No… sorry I don’t.”

“I … I just feel so helpless…” he
practically screams in frustration. It’s the one job he’s had his
entire life, protection. It’s the one thing he can’t seem to offer
me now. “You know, I went crazy searching for you, and that’s when
I got your voice mail. Then I just went absolutely psycho!” he
tells me unable to look into my eyes, “I searched the whole house
top to bottom, I went to the coffeehouse, your parent’s house
and..”

“Wait!” I scream, “What voice mail?”

He freezes his face grown a few shades
paler, “You mean you don’t remember calling me last night?”

“No,” I tell him hesitantly finally
realizing the gravity of things, I could be doing anything in my
sleep and not remember anything about it the next day. I could be
hurting or worse, killing people in my sleep. I can be the
Lucifer’s killing machine in my alternate universe and wake up the
next day God’s Angel. My hear drops as I see him get to his feet. I
think I hear him walking to his office, he comes back into the
living room and hands me his phone. I look down at the phone in my
hands before peering back up at him making sure it was okay, and
maybe to reassure myself that I can handle what I’m about to hear.
Nate nods me on, I press the key for voicemail and press it to my
ear.

“Nate,” my voice calls before sighing, “One
of us is going to die, I can
feel
it. I will do anything in
my power to make sure it is me,” there is some rustling in the
background before I continue, “Nate I love you more than life
itself, I will protect you even if it means my life.” I hear myself
end the call and I stare at the phone in my hand. I sounded so
normal? No one would ever imagine I was sleepwalking! Why did I say
this? How does subconscious me know one of us is going to die? I
take a breath before making eye contact with Nate. “I don’t
remember any of this,” I whisper.

“You could imagine how I felt then an hour
later I get a call from Amanda saying you are all the way over
there.”

“An hour!?” I practically scream. I could
have done
anything
in an hour!

“Yes it was the worst hour of my life!” he
runs his fingers through his hair trying to force out his
memories.

“At least you remember it!” I suddenly break
into tears. I think the worst part is the unknown. Not knowing what
I was doing, no memories, the mystery… I think I’d rather die.

It’s been weeks and the dreams haven’t
stopped. I’ve woken up with dirty hands, in various stages of
dress, and I’ve hidden quite a few weapons in my nightstand. I’ve
tried to handcuff myself to the bed, I’ve taken sleeping pills that
could knock out a horse, bared and locked my door, put chairs and
furniture in the way to wake me up, but nothing seems to help. I
even tried to convince Nate to lock his door at night—he didn’t
particularly like that one… but what other choice do we have. It
only lasted all of about five minutes. We have tailored my training
to trying to control my mind, but nothing stops the dreams.

I have exhausted every possible option until
now—I’ve just decided never to sleep again. It’s going on 48 hours
and I already feel a crash coming. My eyes are drooping, my vision
getting blurry, and my hands have begun to shake slightly. I’m
getting more irritable and I think Nate notices too, but it’s the
only thing I can do to protect myself…and him. My greatest fear is
that one day I’ll wake up and find that I was successful. I choke
on my thoughts.

“Sera... you need a nap, why don’t you just
take a quick one—”

“No,” I defy him once again.

“You can’t be using your powers and not
sleeping, your going to eventually pass out! It’s really important
that you learn to control it…”

Nate begins yet another lecture and I start
to zone him out. Staring at his gorgeous blue eyes as he tries his
hardest to get through to me. Doesn’t he understand? Doesn’t he
know I’m doing this for him! I don’t want to hurt him! I could care
less about myself and what kind of pawn I’m playing, but it’s the
waking up with daggers at his throat that make me want to rip my
eyes out of my head. I feel the frustration build up, my eyes
clench shut and my fists curl until I feel my nails in my palm
against my temples. I just want him to shut up, I just want
silence—I need to think. I need my space! Gradually I drift off
into a quiet happy place. Nate has become all but a murmuring
whisper and my mind can finally process by myself.

What does all this mean? I’m a danger to
everyone… even Nate. How can you protect someone your subconscious
wants to kill? How can I learn from a man I’m becoming more
powerful than?

I feel hands on my shoulders, “Sera…” I hear
murmured somewhere outside my head. Slowly opening my eyes, I feel
my hands on my ears and Nate staring at me with a strange look on
his face. It’s a mixture of curiosity and awe, that’s when my eyes
begin to notice the reflection of my own face in the clear bluish
field around my head. I drop my hands to my sides and watch as the
bubble around my head pops into thin air.

“Sera…” Nate repeats keeping his hands on my
shoulder for his own reassurance.

“Yea,” I mutter blinking a few times to make
sure I was seeing correctly, did I just daydream that?

“What was that? Did you just create a force
field around your head?” Nate breathlessly states as he begins
pacing back and forth in front of me while chewing his finger.
Was that what I did?
“Sera! You’re a genius!” he comes to
some mental conclusion and breaks into a jog to his office. I
follow close behind him trying to sneak a peek at this infamous
office space. To my surprise, he leaves the door open behind him. I
wander in to this mysterious space that seems to take up the other
half of the house underneath my bedroom. My eyes adjust to the
different lighting, the windows are covered and the room is lit
only with lamps. His L shaped desk situated in the corner is where
a three-screened computer desktop is situated. Filing cabinets line
his walls and on the opposite wall is a huge map of Angelica with a
dry erase board scattered about are various notes scribbled on it.
As I’m drawn deeper towards the side with the map I notice a
television playing the news with faces upon faces of missing
persons flooding the screen as if on repeat. I silently study the
faces before continuing to the map of Angelica, and it’s
surrounding towns.

“What’s this?” I ask poking a red pin
sticking out from the map.

“Intel,” he responds over his shoulder.

“Of what?” I ask somewhat aware of the
answer.

“Red pins indicate disappearances, green
pins are break-ins, and the blue ones are where you, personally,
encountered demonic activity,”

“Jack’s shop… you gave it a blue pin?”

“I told you I don’t get a good vibe around
him, that place is swirling with evil—if you weren’t so blinded by
feelings you could sense it too.”

I gasp and spin to look at Nate as he
continues entering things into his computer. The screen pops up
with some symbols and he spins in his chair towards me. In one
swift motion he’s on his feet coming towards me.

“Sera, do you think you can form a shield
big enough to protect the house?” I blink a few times, can I do
that? Why didn’t I think of this before? Am I strong enough to keep
it up?

“I can try,” I tell him, I will try anything
to be able to sleep again.

“Sera, we can’t try until you get some
rest…”

“Ugh,” I let the defeat out in one sigh
because I know he’s right. I can’t even focus to form a simple
thought let alone gather my emotions to shield again. “Alright, how
are we going to do this?”

“Well, usually you close your eyes …” he
mocks linking our hands and guiding me out of his office.

“Not sleep! I mean are we just going to let
me fall asleep and wing it or are you going to watch me? Do you
have a game plan?” I start to get frantic, maybe paranoia is
starting to set in. I hear that’s the first step in insomnia.

“Relax Sera, everything is going to be
okay…” he tells me pushing me up the stairs towards my bedroom. “I
will be here every dream of the way…”

I finally relax some before climbing into my
bed. My head hits the pillow and I blink once taking in Nate’s
worried yet still gorgeous face before oblivion hits me.

***

My eyes flutter open to my pale hands
against romantically red satin sheets. I feel the warm embrace
around me and spin around in the strong arms of Jack. His blue
green eyes smile at the sight of me. Nuzzling his face into the
nape of my neck. My red hair making his curly blonde ringlets pale
on comparison against our pillows.

“
Jack we have to get up and go to work…”
I try and reason.

“
I’m calling in sick!” he announces
pulling the red sheets up over us.

“
Jack!” I pretend to sound like I mean
business, but it falls short once his lips meet mine. The soft lips
trace their way across my jaw line to my neck and I can’t help the
moan that escapes my lips. “Jaack,” I whisper yet again losing all
firmness as my fingers lose themselves in his curls. The passion
between us heats up as the red sheets around us blur into a swirl
of skin and red. Swirling and foaming into a deep dark ocean, until
silence fills my ears.

I open my eyes to the darkness. Jack is
nowhere to be found. “Jack!” I scream out for him.

“
Seraphina!” I hear called behind me,
only it’s not Jack’s voice. It’s much deeper, darker. I slowly turn
around to face a dark hooded figure behind me. Flames flicker in a
line behind where he stands. The color blinds me against the
darkness as the heat makes me turn my head way.

“
Lucifer,” I acknowledge his presence,
“What do you want?”

“
It’s funny to see the desires of your
subconscious played out in front of you isn’t it?” he asks bringing
up a projection of me and Jack rolling around playfully in bed. The
smile and happiness behind my eyes is undeniable.

“
Dreams are not necessarily your
desires,” I combat and he makes a noise similar to a laugh, but I
ignore it and continue, “To what do I owe this honor?” I mock him
with all the sarcasm I can conjure.

“
I decided to give you another chance
before all Hell breaks loose… literally,” I can’t see his face
because it’s hidden under his hood, but I feel him wink at his own
cleverness. “Join me Seraphina. You have no idea how much more you
can be with me! You will have no limitations.”

“
I don’t seem to have any limitations
now...” I quip back to him so fast he has to change his
tactics.

“
I know you, I know your deepest desires.
You find your powers enchanting. Imagine drawing power from
something bigger than yourself. I know you want to, I know you will
do anything for the ones you love. I can give you the power to do
all that and more.”

“
Why, what do you get out of all of
this?” I’m not stupid, I know every Demon has a game plan.
Everything is a calculated chess move to them.

“
You will fulfill my prophecy, you will
change my world Seraphina,” he tells me taking a step towards me, I
hear slithering with each step he takes coming toward me and with
it carries the poignant stench of evil.

“
What prophecy is that?” I’m trying to
hide the desperation in my tone, I need to find out all that I can
before I awaken.

“
Ah, little one—first you must join me.
Join me,” he whispers close to my face, I feel the heat of his
breath, but never see his face. His arm extends out of his cloak
and it’s black, grotesque at first, but then transforms into a
normal human hand.

“
Why can’t I know what I’m signing up
for?” I try once again.

“
It’s in your DNA Seraphina, you were
made for me. I will have you– one way or another.”

“
I highly doubt that,” I practically
laugh in his face.

“
You mock me?” I feel the tone in his
voice deepen further, yet I don’t falter.

“
No, not you—I mock your faith in my
abilities!”

It’s his turn to back away from me. “Your
abilities?” he looks startled at first before he collects himself,
“Seraphina do not take me for granted, I have been going easy on
you hoping that you will change your mind!” his scream echoes in my
mind a few times before he continues, “I will not make that mistake
again! Next time I come for you it will mean death!” I suck in a
breath, I knew this was coming but to have it screamed in my face
with such hate and disgust makes my eyes tear. Maybe this isn’t me
at all, maybe he effects me so because deep down… I am good.

I’m still sucking in a breath as I sit up in
bed. I blink twice before the darkness disappears and I see Nate is
out of his chair in seconds. He climbs over the edge of the bed and
crawls towards me coming to a sitting position next to me.