The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga) (6 page)

Jack knew about the things the press had kept out of the paper thanks to a cousin he had on the force and with this type of thing
rarely happening in Evergreen Falls, it was being talked about everywhere. Of course, RJ hadn’t thought it bigger news than the Dravens doing a disappearing act on the town, which was probably why I was only hearing about it now.

I found
, for once, I was bypassing the kettle and going for the hard stuff. I grabbed the first bottle I could see and poured myself enough to down in one. It burned all the way and made me cough but it still felt good. I tried not to think about it but the two elements put together were too much of a coincidence in my world. Could he have done this…my mystery guy? I wanted to say no way ‘cause he had helped me but what if he had been told not to attack me but anyone else was fair game? What if I had been right and he was a Vampire? It must get pretty hungry up in those woods.

“Stop it
, Keira!” I said out loud, pouring myself another shot. I mean a lot of people like Oreo cookies…I mean for Christ’s sake they were like the Nations biscuit of choice, probably having them in most homes. Like rich tea or digestives in England I thought as I swigged another back, this time wiping my chin from the over slurp of what I now knew was Vodka.

I went on like this until I could remember that I hated Vodka neat
, but by that time, I was far too wobbly to move. I woke the next day with the feeling something had crawled in my mouth and died, possibly a rodent, and a head that felt like someone had used it to go bowling! I was also still in the kitchen and had to peel my cheek from the table. That’s when I decided drinking alone was never a good idea or in trying to solve a murder by reading the paper. Nancy Drew would not have approved, nor would she have passed out on the kitchen table drooling over her face, making the newspaper soggy, which happened to be my only source of information.

It wasn’t any better when I finally dragged myself to the toilet and looked in the mirror.

“Well at least I didn’t lose
all
of the article.” I said rolling my eyes on seeing a large section of the print inked and transferred to my face where I had slept on it. I was glad when Frank and Libby brought the baby back so that I could find some normality again to my days.

I tried not to follow the story after that and last I heard it had been declared an animal attack by the coroner and the investigation was dropped. This didn’t put me at ease in the slightest or make me want to
go on any forest walking days out anytime soon. Even after weeks later and still no sightings of the biker booted man, it wasn’t enough to get me into those woods.

So
, with that, I spent my time locked away most days in the house when not at college and kind of became a hermit version of myself. It wasn’t that I had lost my backbone all of a sudden, but considering all my supernatural chums had up and left me to handle things on my own, I wasn’t sure how I would have done this when faced with another supernatural threat.

The other down side to this was that the longer I went without seeing any of my ol
d life, the more withdrawn I became. I would try and think of plans in my quest to rescue Draven, but I kept falling back to a point where all ideas fell back to one question…where to start?

I woke weeks later to the sight of the same old hollow eyes that looked back at me every morning. It was as if you could actually see the missing pieces of me that left only the
shell to function… And function I had to. So, with that in mind, I did as I usually did and got ready for a day I couldn’t wait to see the back of.

“Morning
.” I said to Libby and she looked at me with tired blood shot eyes.

“Is it morning? I can no longer tell
.” She said in a hopeless tone I tried not to match.

“Don’t worry, I will take the next night shift, so you guys can get some sleep
.” At this she found the energy to get up and hug me, putting some much needed hope in her eyes.

The new love of my life wasn’t big on sleeping through the nights but that was just fine by me
, as I didn’t sleep so well myself these days. Ever since I was left alone I wouldn’t do so well and having little baby Ella with me soothed the ache in my soul like no other could. She was the reason I kept myself going, the reason I didn’t fake my smiles when I looked down at her precious face and the only reason I was still living in a place that reminded me of the only man I could ever love, at every turn.

I got up after clicking the ket
tle on ready for my daily fix of Tetley, when I heard a knock on the door.

“Who would it be at this time in the morning?” Libby snapped in her obviously deprived sleep mode. I smiled at her, giving her
an ‘I understand’ pat on her shoulder as I passed to find who exactly it was.

“Coming
.” I said after nearly tripping up on a bag of nappies that was now half spread across the floor thanks to my foot.

I finally made it and was still trying to push the knotted hairs that had escaped my plait back from my face as I opened the door. I was taken aback by
the sight of a messenger all dressed in black and complete with flat cap to match. What the other startling thing was, that the boy must have been no more than twelve and was sat on a very old fashioned bike that should have been in an antique store.

I frowned before I managed to smile at the lad.

“Uhh…Hello.” I said wondering why the kid was just staring at me.

“You’ve only just got up…I can tell
‘cause your hair’s a mess.” He said with a slight accent I couldn’t place. Ok, so now I was frowning again.

“Umm…yeah, cheers for that
.” I replied sarcastically.

“I’m just saying,
‘cause the misses said you’d be pretty and all but I’m a guessin’ shit hasn’t been that shiny lately.” He said and I think at this point my mouth actually dropped open with a ‘pop’ sound. Was this kid for real?!

“Is it ever?” Was the only thing I knew to say, that or to scold him for swearing at his age.

“Hey I guess not, so look, I need you to sign this before I can give you what’s in my bag.” He said pulling out a little black book! Oh God, this was just getting weirder and weirder…I mean, was this actually happening or was I still asleep?

“Ok, do you have a pen?” I asked but then I was made to feel stupid by a twelve year old riding something that looked older than my Nan! The look he gave
me nearly had me feeling the top of my head to check that I hadn’t in fact grown a twin from the side of my neck.

“You
’re not very savvy to these things are you…? Look Blondie, just place your finger here and think of Snow White’s mother.” I placed my finger on the pad just as I said,

“U
h?” Which was quickly followed by,

“Ouch! Hey, it pricked my finger!”

“Yep it sure did, just like Snow White’s mother and look what happened to her, kid with bloody coloured lips, husband off with a witch and dead as a door nail! Some people have no luck…here you go.” The lad said, making not a lick of sense and handing me a vanilla coloured envelope. I then watched as he snapped his little book shut, but not before I saw my full name along with my bloodied finger print underneath it.

“Aren’t you a little young to be out here delivering on your own?” I said feeling that I had to at least ask before letting him go riding off on his own.

“Oh well, aren’t you a sweet one, but don’t worry Blondie, I am older than I look…well I’d better be on my way…you do something with that hair now.” He shouted before running alongside his bike and then flinging a leg over to wobble over the gravel drive.

I closed the door
, shaking my head and made my dazed way back into the kitchen.

“Who was it?” Libby asked
, having just made my tea.

“Just some delivery lad
.” I said lifting up the envelope for her to see. I then took my Homer mug from her and sat down to open the letter.

Dear Chosen,

(Electus, C
atherine, Keira, Kazzy, Vixen, My little Keira girl or whatever other name I have not included)

You don’t know me but I know a great deal about you and I think it is time we should meet, in fact I know it is time we should me
et, that’s why I wrote this letter.

Ok
, so I have established we should meet, but now here comes the tricky part.

See the thing is, I am not allowed to write down where I am in the world or tell anyone, so this is where the fun begins. I do hope you like puzzles, well I know actually you don’t because like I said, I know you, but that’s just tough shit as this is the only way to play the game.

So, my first puzzle lies with Leivic at the warehouse. I know you have been there before and that didn’t end well. This time it will be different, I know this because I know this and when I say that, it is because I know I mean it. So first come to warehouse and pick up what I left there for you and then you will need to book a flight to Europe but my letter will tell you the destination.

Your code name will be: Tricks

And the name to get into the warehouse will be: Treats

P.S Be there this Monday no later than 4am and bring a large bottle of water with you. You will also need to bring fifty dollars, a jacket with a hood and a long umbrella with a hooked handle. Oh and to make things easier, wear red, hair down and dark lipstick.

Follow
my instructions, Chosen One and I will help you discover the biggest secret of all…

How to take back what the
Gods took from you.

See you soon

P

“Anything interesting?” Libby asked once I had read it four times and was still in a state of shock. Was it true, could it really be possible or was I running away with myself? The only thing the Gods had ever taken from me was the one man I had ever loved, surely everyone in the Supernatural world knew this!

I actually felt myself shaking and then smile for the fi
rst time in weeks. Could this person be on to something or was I walking into a trap!? I don’t think I cared if that could be a possibility as nothing in the world could have stopped me from being at the warehouse and following those instruction to the letter.

I felt my blood begin to thaw after all this time and I felt like jumping up and down and screaming
, just to release the other self of me that I had locked away ever since that heart breaking day I said goodbye to Dominic Draven.

“Not really, just college stuff
.” I said realising I hadn’t answered my sister and I think if she hadn’t been so tired then she would have noticed the first big grin I’d had on my face for a long while.  

“So
, summer break is coming up, have you thought of any plans yet?” She asked over her mug and I picked up my own, took a long drink and answered her question.

“I think I might do some trave
lling.” I said, then got up eager to get upstairs and start planning. I got to the door and turned back to Libby’s question,

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked where to…you know…travelling?” She repeated and my smile widened as I said with utter certainty…

“Europe.”  

Chapter 6

It’s all in the Planning

That very day I started getting things ready but soon realised I would have to go shopping to get most of the stuff I was instructed to bring. It didn’t take a genius to guess that the letter had been written to me by Pythia the Oracle. That was the only explanation for it
, but this just led to more questions, like for starters…wasn’t she supposed to be missing?

This was just the tip of the question iceberg that was boggling my mind and I found
, on my drive to the shopping mall, more than once my hands would grip the steering wheel in frustration. However, by the time I pulled into the car park, I knew one thing for certain, there was only one person who could answer all my questions and that person was one I vowed to find…
Pythia.
 

The M
all was quiet but it was a weekday and I was thankful for it. First stop was the easiest item to get as I knew just where I would find one. So I walked straight up to the counter at the expensive men’s store that specialised in suits and business wear. I remembered seeing one of the faceless fancy metal mannequins dressed in a pin striped suit and holding an umbrella on top of a suitcase. I only remembered it because I was laughing with Libby, as someone had gone to the trouble of making it out like he was hailing a taxi or Cab, as they say here. We laughed at the idea of anyone doing that in a place like Evergreen.

However
, it all became clear when I walked up to a snotty nosed assistant who looked at me as though I came in shaking an empty can for spare change at her.

“Hi, there’s an umbrella in the window I would like to buy
.” I said as nicely as possible, given the look she gave me. She looked thoughtfully at her manicured nail before finally taking me on.

“
It’s one hundred and fifty dollars, so may I suggest Wal-Mart where you can get one for about ten bucks, that would suit you much better I think.” She wrinkled her nose up at me which, added to her behaviour, reminded me of a little pug dog. At that point I took a moment to ask myself if it was worth biting back, but then when she flicked her hand motioning me to leave, I decided ‘oh Hell yeah’, it was worth it.

“It’s a shame you don’t have one more expensive
, but I am sure my boyfriend will understand… I will take it.” I said with a fake smile. At this she dropped her relaxed pose and stood up a bit straighter, only to cock her hip out to one side.

“Oh yeah, and who’s your boyfriend then?” She said one hand on that bony assed hip of hers.

“Ah Miss Johnson, what a lovely surprise, how are you my dear?” The owner of the store came from the back and Miss Attitude lost her Pug bitch face like it fell off her in seconds.

“Hey Mr Stanton, how are you today?” I said remember
ing the same guy who had served Draven and me once when I dragged him in here shopping. I had wanted to buy him something and settled on a tie that matched his eyes when his other side came through. I felt a pinch to my chest when I remembered what the first thing he’d done with that tie when we got home…I had been right, it was a perfect match to the purple that flashed in his eyes as he found his release. I had to swallow the memory down like a lead weight wrapped in sandpaper.

“Oh please
, please, call me Thomas. So, what can we help you with today? I hope Mandy is taking good care of you?” He said and for a second I saw a flicker of worry in her make-up caked eyes. Good, I thought, serves her right.

“Oh Mandy has been just dandy and was just about to show me your selection of umbrellas
.” I said shooting her a look as if to say, you’re a lucky cow that I am not vindictive like you! I saw her release a held breath and then say in her nicest tone,

“This way Miss Johnson
.” I followed her to the section where men’s accessories were displayed and with her boss still watching us we both kept up the charade of being friendly.

“Who the
Hell is your boyfriend?” She whispered to me and I laughed without answering her. I looked at the umbrella while she gave me all the sales spiel and half way through her, ‘Luxury Micro fibre and hi-tech fibreglass ribs’ I interrupted her and said,

“I will take it
.” She blushed and nodded, taking it over to the counter to ring it through the till. I didn’t really give two hoots about what it was made from, all I cared about was that it had a curved old fashioned handle, like I had been told to bring. I still had no clue what this list meant, but I wasn’t about to doubt the fates on something like this. Hell, if she had told me to turn up in a bikini, shaking my behind with half a fruit stall on my head, singing ‘Copacabana’ by Barry Manilow I would have!

“Would you like it gift wrapped?” She asked when prompted by her boss and I felt a little evil as I enjoy
ed seeing her uncomfortable expression whilst trying to be nice.

“That won’t be necessary, thank you
.” I said smiling but, once I paid for my purchase and said my goodbye to the owner, I leaned over the counter.

“Some advice for next time… never judge a book by its cover
‘cause sometimes that cover is going to judge you back.” I said as I left the store, leaving the snotty attendant asking her boss who my boyfriend was. I had to smile at hearing her little gasp when he told her.

The rest of the shopping went more smoothly until it came to buying something red and I knew that unless
I was going to turn up in workman’s overalls in maroon, I was going to have to buy a dress. As expected it was going to take time…

Three hours
later, I was on my way home.

Once I had everything ready I was itching to get going but I had two whole days to wait. For that time I was
as edgy as Hell and the only time I would calm was when I was looking after Ella. I don’t know what it was about her, but as soon as someone placed that cute little bundle in my arms, it was like being injected with liquid ‘happy’ mixed with a sprinkle of ‘serene’.

Of course
, after trying to stay awake and survive on a few hours sleep each night, it finally caught up with me. I went to bed to read, under the pretence of going to sleep like everyone else did, but I knew I would have to leave the house at about 3am if I was going to make it on time to the warehouse, because tomorrow was the big day. I was just turning the page when I felt a shift in the air that had the hairs on the back of my neck prickling.

I set the book down and looked around my room
, but it was just as it always had been. No shadows stood in the corner or at the bottom of my bed and my windows displayed only the darkness the night brought. Then I jumped as my bedside lamp started to flicker before a pop sounded, plunging the room and my vision into a black void. My heart was pounding as I was still for seconds wondering if the power had blown. I really didn’t fancy getting up and fumbling around in the dark.

“Close your eyes
.” I would have screamed at the sound of a voice in my ear, but a hand clamped over my mouth to prevent it from ever being heard. I started shaking my head in the dark as blind panic set in but then a hand came up to my face and smoothed back my hair before turning to brush the back of a hand down my cheek.

“Ssshh and
calm…
my Vixen
” That name! I instantly went still as if a deep freeze had taken over my body and allowed only my mind to spin out of control. How?!

“That’s it, calm for me
.” That voice! I soaked it up like a sponge that would keep me alive from its liquid. I needed it to breath.

“Come now, close those eyes for me
.” This must have been a trick! It had to be I thought, even as I did as the voice told me to. Was there ever going to be a point in my life where that voice couldn’t pull at me like a Master with strings attached to his hand?

“Good girl. I need light to play
.” He hummed and as soon as I inhaled I felt my frozen limbs melt deeper into the bed I lay on. The sound, the smell and then the touch. This was the last element to confirm one of Heaven’s sons now sat at my side.

“Draven
?”
I whispered so quietly, too afraid that this bliss would leave me too soon.  His fingers grazed down my neck as softly as if I had been made from petals and I took in another lung full of his delicious scent. I sensed the glow of soft light through my closed lids and had to use all of my willpower not to open my eyes.

“How?” I asked as his hand continued lower and I heard the hum of pleasure in his growl.

“No questions my Love…don’t think, just…
feel.
” He said against my skin before he tasted my neck. I moaned and arched up to him, knowing this was crazy, but that I would have been even crazier not to accept this feeling. To say that I had missed it was just not enough. It was like dying in a drought and suddenly finding yourself swimming. And at this point, I didn’t care if I drowned.

When his lips touched mine and his hand found the core of me
, I was released from the spell and I woke from my invisible bonds. I reached up, buried my hands in his hair and took his lips at greater need. My eyes opened to find Draven as I always remembered him, in the only place he should ever be…in my arms.

It was perfect, stunning and soul consuming all at the same time. It was my Heaven and I had died with him.

He kissed me to a fever pitch and took my orgasm with him when he finished. I came screaming in his mouth as his fingers played me into a fine tune that all nine circles of Hell could have heard. I gripped onto his granite shoulders, just for something to anchor myself to as I floated into my euphoric bliss. It was like saying hello to an old friend and with every wave that crashed into me, it was like another hug to my soul. Of course I hugged back.

“I take it you miss me?” Draven said on a laugh before kissing my forehead too gently for my liking.
Hell, I wanted him to mark himself to me so hard, I wanted to feel crushed, to feel imprinted against every last inch of his skin. I think if I could have crawled inside of him I would have.

“You left me
.” I said in a small voice that was close to breaking. He laid his forehead to mine and whispered,

“I know
.”

“But why, why did this happen?” I asked him and his eyes seemed to melt at my question.

“Because there are other ways of the path to take, ones that may take us in opposite directions, but there is always purpose in the destination.” I shook my head, not understanding.

“Then take me with you
.” I said over his lips, but he pulled back.

“I can’t”

“Why?” The pain was clear in my question and I saw him wince at it.

“Because you don’t belong where I am, you belong in your own world Keira
.” He stated softly.

“No!” I said as he started to get up from me. I reached out to him but he moved quicker and before long he was stood over me at the side of the bed.

“Yes Keira. I am sorry for this but it must be done. You must be made to watch me go and know that you can’t follow.” He looked so lost saying these things, like he was forcing the words from his lips in a painful process.

“No Draven
!…don’t do this…” I said feeling the tears roll down like little rivers of pain.

“I have no choice and my time is at an end. I am being summoned back. This is for your closure
, Keira and my chance at seeing you one last time and to tell you I am sorry. I never meant for it to be this way, Keira but the fates have left me with no other choice. Please understand, everything I have ever done is because I love you and that will remain so until my soul is nothing more than mere black desert sand.
I will always love you…”
He said moving away from me back into the shadows and I shot out of bed after him.

“NO! Draven
, no!” I shouted and followed him into the darkness. I ran and I ran but my room had become an endless corridor of space. As though someone had taken my walls and pulled them back like a slingshot in time. I kept running as I saw him being pulled backwards by invisible hands of light.

“Draven! I am coming with you!” I shouted as I started to gain distance. I then saw a light at the end
, behind where he was headed and just as my mind told me it was Heaven, the closer I got I realised the cruellest fact of all. Draven wasn’t going back to Heaven at all. He was going back to Hell!

“NO, NO, NO!” I screamed!

The flames licked out at the shadows as though they were feeding from them and soon the hands that I saw on Draven became black and charred around his arms. They burnt through his skin where they touched him and I reached out to him one last time even through the burn. He was just being pulled back into the breasts of Hell’s keepers when I lunged for him.

I flew at him on
ly to fall straight through him as his body disintegrated into nothing but the black desert sand he spoke of. I landed on the floor in a heap and was frantically waving and kicking my limbs out as if I was burning up in the pits of Hell.

I finally came to as I opened my eyes to see, not only my lamp still lighting the room but my book was open and next to my head. It took me a mi
nute to focus but when I did, I found the first words on the page closest to my head,