Vala Eminence (14 page)

Compared to all of the other things Denver was dealing with, his drama with Cheyenne was like a breath of fresh air. Throughout the week, he kept his distance, focusing on homework, of all things, just to keep himself from going insane. Once he was finally ready to see her, he made sure to give her an entire Saturday. At least, ideally, that would be how much time he spent with her over the weekend. They were only halfway through the day, but so far, everything looked good. After going into town for a breakfast at one of the local restaurants, the two returned to campus. He didn't have any grand plans, but just being near her was enough for him. She was revitalizing and inspiring.

“So is today the day I get my big surprise?” she asked, leaning into him and clinging to his arm. He'd seen girls do that in a countless number of movies, and never understood the appeal of it for the guy. Who wanted another life-form dangling all over his arm like some kind of a leech?

Experiencing it first-hand changed his mind fast. Cheyenne needed him and anything he was willing to give to her — which was everything.

He flashed her a coy smile. “Babe, if I told you what your surprise was and when you were getting it then it would ruin all of the fun.”

“It's driving me crazy! Please, just a hint?”

“No.” He laughed.

She kissed his jawline. “Please, please, please?”

“Chey…” He shook his head. “Sometime before the end of the month. How's that?”

“Okay, fine.” She pouted. “One more question.”

Denver made sure to let out a loud, exaggerated, sigh. “Hmm?”

“Does it have to do with prom?”

“No.” He rolled his eyes. “Prom is not a surprise. I'm sure it's been marked on your calendar for months.”

Cheyenne also rolled her eyes. He loved when she was sassy. “Halyn has it marked. I guess I wasn't sure if you were going to do something big and romantic to ask me.”

This better not be a hint.
“If I was, I wouldn't tell you about it anyway. Then it won't be so big and romantic. I never got the whole making prom like a marriage proposal thing anyway.”

“Just don't do what Anj is doing to Jewl and assuming. He's making all the plans down to color choices, and hasn't even bothered to ask her to be his date. I'm predicting a fight brewing.”

“Eh, they're always fighting.” Denver shrugged. “If they aren't fighting, I think it would be the apocalypse. They'll fight, break up, then kiss and make up, and then do it all again. It's pretty normal.”

She nuzzled her nose against his arm. “I'm glad that's not us. They're sweet and belong together, I get that, but if you know someone is it… why break up with them? I just don't get it.”

“Are you saying you think I'm 'it' for you? Like, one true love and destiny and all that?” Both of his eyebrows rose curiously.

Her cheeks flushed. “We've talked about this before. I'm keeping you for as long as you'll let me. Hopefully you don't get sick of me too fast.”

“Just curious about your theory there. If someone is 'it', then you shouldn't break up with them according to what you're saying. So then if you plan on keeping me for as long as I'll let you, does that mean you don't have plans to ever break up with me because you think I'm 'the one'?” He was teasing her, and hoped he was obvious about it because he didn't want her to think he was trying to pick a fight. There was also a genuine curiosity behind his question as well. Did she know, deep down, that they were, in fact, destined to be with one another?

Slowly, her gaze rose to meet his and she gave a slight nod. “Yeah, I guess I am saying that. Which sounds crazy because I never really believed in teen romance before. Okay, I lie, I believed in it happening, but to meet your soul mate in high school always seemed way too cheesy and unrealistic. Somehow, I just know I don't think I could be with anyone else. Like if I'm not going to end up with you, then I'll find someone else to take your place.”

“But I'm irreplaceable!”

“Yeah, so I'll be kind of bummed out and unfulfilled. You wouldn't want that to happen to me, now would you?”

He couldn't hold back anymore. He had to kiss her. Drawing her in close, he dipped her back in his arms and leaned down to kiss her with so much passion, he hoped there was no doubt in her mind about his intentions.

When he finally came up for air, he smirked down at her, enjoying the sight of her bliss-filled smile. “Babe, I have no plans of getting rid of you anymore than you do of getting rid of me. You're irreplaceable too.”

“I know you well enough to know you aren't just saying that, but I can't help but wonder if you're feeling okay,” she teased.

“Like always, I'm feeling awesome, Babe. Get used to the compliments.”

“You know, there isn't a whole lot I do know about you.” Her grip on his arm tightened and he noticed her gaze fall to the ground.

Denver waved a hand in front of him, trying to stay casual. He didn't need to worry her or confuse her further. “Because there isn't a lot to know.”

“Sure there is. Are you an only child?”

“I don't know.”

She frowned. “Do you remember anything about your parents?”

“Sometimes I think I have a dream about my mom, but I don't know what she looks like. Nor do I remember her voice, come to think of it. My dad is even more mysterious,” he said quietly.

“Mystery seems to run in the family.” She cracked a small smile. “How did you get to be at Vala? Have you been here long?”

He had to stop and think about that one. How long had it been? “I've been here ten years, I think. I got here when I was nine-ish.”

Her smile widened. “So you're not a creepy eight-hundred-year-old vampire!”

“I'm a lot of things, but never creepy.” He winked.

“You know what I mean.”

Sighing rather dramatically, he rolled his eyes. “No, I'm not a vampire or any kind of ridiculous age. But I'm still here past my deadline.”

“Why?”

The question actually caused him to falter momentarily. His feet tripped on a crack in the ground, and for a moment he thought perhaps he was showing the panic he was feeling inside because her brow furrowed ever so slightly.

With a nervous laugh, he nudged her. “So I could meet you!”

“Oh, whatever! Really, why?” She nudged him back.

Because it's safe here.
“I don't know where else to go. I have no family, no life direction, and my grades suck too much to get into college. My fault, but the idea was to keep flunking so they had to keep me until I could figure it all out.”

When she frowned, he instantly wished he hadn't said anything. He was on the receiving end of her pity, and he didn't want that.

It was getting harder for him to keep things nonchalant. “Chey, it's not a big deal. I'm gonna figure it out. I've got a few ideas now on what I can do. Which is good because the school kind of wants me to graduate this summer.” He glanced at her, curious of her reaction.

Cheyenne cocked her head to the side and gazed up at him again with both eyebrows raised. “Who wants you to graduate this year?”

“The school board.”

“I didn't realize the school board cared so much about your education,” she mumbled.

“I didn't either, but they do.”

“And what happens if you don't?”

“I'll probably be kicked out either way,” he said.

Her frown deepened. “How long have you known about this?”

Groaning, he shook his head. “Not long, if that's what you're wondering. Either way, it doesn't matter how long it's been because I figured something out and I'm not so worried about what I'm going to do after the fact anymore.”

“That's good, I guess. That you have things figured out, I mean. Why didn't you tell me sooner? About them kicking you out, I mean.”

“I didn't want you to do the girl thing and freak out. If I told you before I had a plan, you'd have worried yourself sick.”

“I'll forgive you for it this time. Next time, I might not. Secrets aren't something I like.” She gazed down at her hands. “Most of my life was kept from me, you know? And when I was with Zes, I continued to live in secrets and it destroyed our relationship and made everything worse. I don't want to go through that again, and I don't want you to either. After a while mysteries get exhausting — especially when they don't seem like they'll ever be solved.”

He bowed. “Thank you for being so gracious, Princess. I'll be sure to not keep any more secrets from you… after the surprise of course.”

“Ugh, you and that surprise again, you're killing me here!”

“I'll stop mentioning it then.”

“Thank you.” She rubbed his arm with her hand. “I'm glad you have a plan, and I hope I'm part of it. There's so much you can offer the world. It's nice to see you're finally realizing that.”

“You make me feel like I can do anything.”

“Because you can.” She kissed his nose.

Things couldn't get any more perfect between them. His Cheyenne was awake and thriving and more beautiful than ever. He leaned down to kiss her lips, savoring the soft warmth coming from off them. Just knowing she believed in him was enough to make him believe in himself. Of course, she was the only one who ever had that kind of confidence in him. Usually, he was on his own. He certainly had an ego big enough to help him get by, but having someone else in his corner made everything he was doing worthwhile.

I just wish I didn't have to keep so much from her. This is killing me.
Taking in a cleansing breath, he was ready to take a leap of faith. Shouting from up ahead stopped him from doing so.

“Stay out of my business Akuji, or I'll make you regret it!” The distinct voice of Johnathan Orinda echoed across the school grounds.

“It is my business if you are doing something that is going to hurt your wife and your unborn child! If she will not stand against you, I will do so for her!” Mr. Thantos was shouting, and Denver had never heard the dark angel raise his voice before in all of his time at Vala.

Curious, Denver and Cheyenne ran to the entrance of the main building. The two men were fighting right outside of its doors. Or rather, Mr. Orinda was lying on the snow and Mr. Thantos towered over him, wings out stretched. Behind him was a sobbing Mrs. Orinda.

She shook her head. “Please, don't hurt him.” Denver realized then that she could have been talking to either man. Mr. Thantos might have been an angel, but Mr. Orinda was also a powerful warlock with a number of tricks up his sleeve.

“It's not what you think,” she whispered.

Shaking his head, Mr. Thantos stormed back into the building mumbling a sour sounding “Congratulations.”

“Are you okay?” Mrs. Orinda knelt down to help her husband up. He took her hand, grumbling quietly.

Denver watched the two of them, wondering what had even happened to begin with. Even he had to admit it seemed too interesting of a story to pass up despite his hate of gossip. But, the glare Johnathan was giving him was enough to make him tug Cheyenne along toward the dorms. Something in Denver's gut told him he was the reason for that fight.

Denver extended his hand toward the light which guarded his room. He'd been working on learning how to enhance his wards. Since no one else seemed inclined to help him, he figured he'd take some of Jonathan Orinda's advice and start seeing what his limits were. As it turned out, his limit was his own imagination.

Granted, he wasn't the most creative person on the planet, but when it came to knowing how to protect himself, he could think of some good ideas on how to stretch the light so it covered more space. He could also come up with plenty of fun ways to end Lucien's sorry excuse of a life. Maybe that made Denver vindictive and just as evil as the demon, but enough was enough. Lucien couldn't continue living, or at the very least he couldn't continue to roam free.

The light Denver was playing around with grew, stretching itself thin so that its appearance became less of a blinding white and more of a hazy covering. A weak ward, but it was still a ward all the same. Perhaps it would be enough to slow anymore demon assassins down. He wasn't sure. Ceete had been powerful. Would the others be just as strong?

I could make the light stronger.
But to do so would have involved taking more of his own internal light from within his own heart. It wasn't a complicated spell by any means, but he was afraid to let too much of his “goodness” go. That small light in his heart was the only thing that made him different from Lucien. If light was the only thing to penetrate and defeat darkness, he'd need as much of it as possible. A shame, because the light was fun to play around with — much more fun than the darkness, and he had more dark than light inside of his heart.

Ceete was sitting in the corner of his room, watching from a chair with her feet kicked up onto his desk. “I think you are getting a handle on the basics of your magic, but you will never understand how to use it fully until you gain all of your power.”

“I know. I plan on getting all of my magic soon.” Denver grunted as he called the light back into him. He replaced it with darkness, working on conjuring up a black orb of magic. Once it was around the size of a softball he tossed it between his hands.

Slowly, Ceete sat up, her feet moving to the floor. “You mean you are going to see your father and have him give you your inheritance?”

“That's the plan.”

“He is crazy now. He might not want to.”

“Then I'll have to go with my backup plan.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“Put him out of his misery,” Denver said softly. “He shares a cell with the Devil himself. That has to be a form of torture.”

“If only you knew.” She shivered.
Odd, to see a demon act afraid of something
.

Denver sat down on his bed. “You need to tell me everything you know about that dungeon so I can make it down there alive.”