The Grey Tier (15 page)

I rinsed out the glass and set it on the counter, walking back around to the stool to grab my sweater and sling my purse over my shoulder.

I moved towards the door. Suddenly, I felt an icy cold sensation pull at the back of my neck and yank on my long hair so forcefully, I thought it was being ripped out. I was momentarily paralyzed.

Now, you know me . . . I am not one to swear. But every now and then, there is a time and a place for cussing. This was one of those times.

“Oh, shit! What the hell?!”

I forced my legs to move forward as the mysterious entity kept tugging on me from behind. I reached the door and quickly threw it open without bothering to shut off the lights. I locked the bar up from the outside and sprinted for my van parked across the street. Once inside, I started up the engine and peeled out of the lot.

Driving up La Ceinega towards Sunset, all I could think was my father had been right in his assessment about this city. Maybe it was not a city of angels after all. Maybe, it was demon-filled and, like Lucas had warned the other night, the dark side was out to get me.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“TELL ME MORE about the portals and the tiers. How it all works.” Lucas and I were in my bed—no, not like that. But I can dream, can’t I? I was so happy when I came through the door and found him in my bedroom, especially considering what happened right before I left Nick’s. It was scary enough when someone followed me home, but at least it had been a human. Whatever was in the bar with me this evening was most definitely not. Actually, when I think about it, I am not sure which is worse.

Anyway, Lucas was on my bed scratching Cass behind her ears. Mac was lying next to him. You know how in movies and books, animals are usually freaked out by
the dead
? Yeah, well, my two pets were definitely breaking the stereotype.

“But first I have to tell you, I found out something about the eagle feathers.”

“You did? How?”

“It took some work, but I searched out a Native American spirit. Evie, I would like you to meet Hototo. It means ‘he who whistles.’ Hototo?” Lucas called out.

A Native American man of about twenty-five or so slowly came into sight in front of me at the foot of my bed. At first I didn’t know what to say.

“Evie? Are you okay?” Lucas asked.

Oh sure. “Uh, yes.” I smiled and nodded, sitting up and smoothing my shirt.

Hototo wore a pair of Levis and a light grey T-shirt. His hair was slicked back into a pony tail. He had the same purplish colored eyes as Lucas, only with a bit more gold flecks.

“Hello,” Hototo said. “Lucas asked me to come and see if I could give you answers.”

“Uh-huh.” Smooth, Evie. Real smooth.

“He’s told me about your gift and how you found the eagle feathers as a child.”

“Okay.” I couldn’t help wonder what the guy must be thinking seeing Lucas and I lounging around on my bed. Awkward. Focus Evie!

“Here is what I can tell you about the eagle feathers. They are sacred to most Native American tribes. No one is allowed to possess an eagle, alive or dead, or the feather from an eagle, unless they are of Native American blood.”

“Oh! Well, as it turns out, I do have Native American blood in me. Cherokee.” I found my voice. “On my mother’s side.”

“I know. You would not have received these if that wasn’t true.”

“Right.”

“The feathers are used in powerful healing ceremonies,” he added. “And even for shape shifting.”

“Whoa. Wait a minute. Shape shifting?”

Hototo laughed and looked at Lucas. “She’s cute.”

“Hey!” I said.

He winked at me. “I will try to explain shape shifting. It may help in the future with the eagle feathers.”

Hototo sat down in my desk chair and wheeled it closer to the bed. “You see, shape shifting is the transformation, mentally or physically, of one’s self into an animal. Shape shifters can regularly assume an animal or human form.”

“Wait . . . you mean, like werewolves?” Both of them looked at me in surprise. “Should I even bother asking if vampires exist?” I let out a nervous laugh.

“Yes, like werewolves, and no, vampires aren’t real.” Phew!

Hototo glanced over at Lucas before continuing. “There are two types of shape shifting: changing your light body in the astral plane to a power animal, and changing your physical form on the Earth plane into a physical animal. My guess is your power animal is the eagle.”

“Wait, you mean I can shape shift?”

Hototo shrugged his shoulders casually. “Possibly.”

This was only a tad overwhelming.

“Let me get back to the eagle for a moment. The white and black tipped feathers from the eagle,” he continued, “were often used on the masks of the Pueblo Indians to give the appearance of white and black clouds. The bald and the golden eagle symbolize heroic nobility and divine spirit. The eagle is the messenger from heaven and the embodiment of the sun spirit. I think you are a messenger of healing. Your sister’s disappearance was no coincidence, and you receiving the feathers wasn’t one either. The feathers are helping protect you, and they may also help you find your sister Hannah.”

Now I was really interested. “But how?”

“The feathers may carry memory in them for you to discover. They may guide you into seeing what happened to Hannah that night. I will try to track some of my ancestors and see if there is a way to access the memory. Or, if you learn to shift into your power animal at any time, then you may also find your answers.”

“Okay then,” I said, trying hard to swallow what Hototo had told me. I looked back at Lucas who smiled and shrugged. Me turn into an eagle? Feathers with memories? And I thought Bob and Janis getting high in my family room was bizarre!

Hototo stood solemnly. “I must be going. I hope I helped,” he said.

“Thank you.” I think.

Lucas also thanked him, Hototo left, fading away until he’d disappeared entirely.

The first thing that came out of my mouth as I buried my head in my palms was, “Spirits and power animals, eagle feathers, shape shifting? I mean, I’ve had my so-called gift now for sixteen years and still haven’t gotten used to it. Now all of this. I can’t wrap my brain around it. I thought he was supposed to help.” I looked over at Lucas. “What happened to him anyway? How did he die?”

“Hunting accident. Shot by his brother.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. “That’s awful.”

Lucas nodded. “I know this is a lot to process, but I am here to help you. We can provide you with information, but we can’t always give you answers. Those will often have to come from within you.”

I glanced sideways at him. “I know, but to be honest, I don’t know if I want your help even then. I mean, if you can’t give me the answers, and I have to go on some scavenger type hunt to get them, what’s the use? It could take my entire life, and even then I might not find the answers. I think I was doing fine before all of . . . all of this.”

He sunk back onto a pillow and frowned.

“I’m sorry. It’s just a lot.”

“It is, but Evie, I’ve told you, you are a wanted woman, and I am here to ensure you can continue helping others using your gifts. The safer I keep you, the closer I get to leading a lighter, more peaceful existence myself. Will you work with me? Will you help find the answers?”

I sighed and then looked into those amazing eyes of his and uttered, “Yes. I don’t think I have much of a choice.”

“Okay. Let’s start from the top. What more do you want to know? What will help you process all of this?” he asked.

I closed my eyes, and his fingers took hold of my hair as he twisted slowly, gently through it. Every part of my body, from my eyebrows to my toes, felt alive and zinging with energy. But I also felt drunk and lethargic, like I could drop into a deep sleep at any moment. “I want to know everything about your world.”

I could feel him shift his position next to me. “My world
is
your world,” he said, his deep voice doing funny things to my insides. How was it that in this short period of time I had real feelings for someone/something who wasn’t exactly real? And, I sensed Lucas was feeling it too.

“What do you mean by that? You’ve said it before, but I don’t understand.”

“Okay, so the tiers, right?” He said, beginning to slowly massage my scalp.

“Uh-huh.” Oh my. Earth to Evie’s brain, come in brain . . .

“I told you we live in various shades of grey, which range all the way from the black to the white. You know how color spectrums work?”

“Sure.”

“The variations between colors are slight.”

“How many tiers are there, then? And what makes one different from the next?”

“There are hundreds, with each variation being minutely closer to the white or closer to the black. It’s all based on vibrations—the ones humans and spirits give off. But, there are truly only three vibrations that are extra strong. The white, the black, and the grey.”

I laughed softly, “I guess all those old Westerns were right then.” He looked down at me, questioning. “You know, the bad guy always wears the black hat, the good guy wears the white . . .”

He nodded earnestly, “Exactly! The white is all about the good things—love, joy, happiness. The black, well that’s obvious. The grey represents choice and balance. Each of us in the Grey Tier has free will, but most other tiers do not. The grey is the equalizer.”

“The Black Tier is obviously home to bad spirits.” I said as a slight shiver hit me.

“Yes. Asuras who are governed by the Asat Order.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out more, especially not after my experience tonight, but I needed to know. “Tell me, what does it mean that I am your project?”

He laid his head back on the pillow and let out a sigh, his breath (it’s the only thing I can think to call it, even though I know he wasn’t exactly breathing) swirling out of him in an indigo haze. He looked at me with those stormy eyes. His fingers reached out and grazed my forehead, my cheeks, and finally, my lips. I could feel myself melting into a puddle of molten Evie. “Let’s not worry about it right now.”

“But you said you would teach me. Tell me stuff.”

“For now, I can only tell you what you need to know.”

I sighed. “Okay. Can you tell me if there could be a portal at Nick’s?”

“The bar?”

“Yes. You said portals are created when someone dies in violent ways or isn’t ready to go.”

“I did.”

“I think maybe Nick left a portal, or one was created at the bar when he died.”

“It’s possible. But why do you think so?”

“I felt a presence there tonight when I closed up.”

“A presence?” The aura, around him darkened suddenly and he frowned.

“Yes. Like I know when you’re here, even before I see you. This was different though. I didn’t feel warm and comforted. I felt cold and afraid and I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. It also felt like something was pulling on me—something strong.”

Lucas didn’t say anything for a moment or two, and I shifted uneasily on top of the covers.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“I think I need to check it out. It could be a couple of things. It could be an Asura from the Black Tier . . . or, it could be Nick.” A flare of hope lit in me. Would I see Nick’s spirit? But then I recalled how uncomfortable and frightened I’d felt. How could it possibly be Nick? He’d never intentionally try to scare me. Lucas nodded slowly as if sensing the direction of my thoughts. “He could be stuck there, and you sensed what he felt prior to his death. His spirit, if it is him, is likely still in a state of simple energy, and he could be trying to warn you.”

“A warning?” That was a lot better than the “being attacked by evil spirits” scenario.

“And wait . . . you could go there? To Nick’s Place? But I thought you couldn’t go through portals built by spirits who contain a different vibration or exist on a different tier.”

“It isn’t impossible, it’s just . . . complicated.” He stood abruptly and began pacing around the room. If he’d been alive, I’d have said he seemed agitated. Clearly the idea of something going down at Nick’s was troubling him. “It depends where I need to go. If I only have to travel a couple of tiers up or down to gather information, it’s kind of like you traveling to another country. I have to obtain permission . . .”

“From the Bodha?”

He stopped pacing and dropped back down onto the bed. “Yes, and also from certain spirits within the tier I am going to. Each tier has its own hierarchy. And then, when I am in the other tiers, or going through portals I haven’t been invited to come through, I have to follow specific rules that vary from tier to tier. If I don’t abide by those rules, I am sent back out and forbidden to reenter.” He reached out and grabbed my hand, as if it were the most natural and common thing for him to do. I tried to pretend it was no big deal for me either, but I was doing a massive happy dance on the inside. The best part was that every time he touched me, it felt good and there were no horrific visions.