Immortal Memory (Book One) (15 page)

Simra struggled to free herself from
Tristan’s tight grip. He traveled across town with her in his arms.
The demon’s strength overwhelmed her with a consuming surge of
dizziness. Her heart raced out of control. This might be the end of
her life.

Tristan could be taking her away to be
with him forever. A deep, frigid regret filled her soul. She
mistook him for Zach. The two brothers shared all physical
qualities except their height.

Hopefully, Ms. Hanley would go straight
to the lake house for safety. Maybe the woman would be all right.
However, Jeff was in grave danger. His life might be snatched away
by the hands of a money-hungry murderer. And Simra was
helpless.

Chapter 18

"Remember not the former
things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new
thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a
way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." -Isaiah
43:18-19

Tristan placed Simra on her feet at a
familiar pond. Several gar swam near the shore beside the winding
path. She peered through the forest behind them and noticed no one
around. Birds chirped along the edge of the woods. The sun splayed
its warmth against her back.

The strong perfume of purple wisterias
drew Simra back to their first kiss in this same spot. She would
not be drawn into his game again. Although the place seemed like a
hidden paradise, it filled her with dark memories. A sickness
nauseated her and made her weak. She didn’t know how much longer
she could stand being there with him.

The demon took a step closer to her,
and his grin widened. “I knew you’d remember this place. I still
come here to go back to that special moment every day. Simra, I
love you. I’m trying to change. Zach isn’t good for you. Don’t fall
for his tricks. I admit to having problems, but my brother’s
filling your head with lies.”

Simra turned to leave from this horrid
place. She needed to escape somehow. She turned to him before
breaking into a mad run down the winding path. “I’m not foolish
enough to fall for your lies ever again, Tristan. I trust
Zach.”

Thunder boomed all around, and the
skies darkened. Several flashes of lightning struck near Simra. Her
feet froze in place. Tristan’s captivating blue eyes began to glow.
He seemed to stir up the dangerous storm to stop her from
leaving.

Tristan motioned for her to return to
him. “Come back here, and don’t ever try anything like that
again.”

Her knees wobbled, and she took
unsteady steps toward him. Trying to hide her fright, she lifted
her chin with defiance. “I’m not falling for your tricks. I don’t
care what you tell me. Zach will come for me soon, and he always
succeeds in defeating you.”

His eyes softened to the same shade of
the ocean again. Tristan reached for her hands and pulled her
closer. His breath froze her lips. The demon drew her deep into
haunted memories. “I want to show you something Zach did to your
grandmother. This is no lie. He can’t be trusted.”

Tristan framed her face with his hands
before she could jerk herself free. He consumed her lips with a
long kiss. Flashes of her and Tristan's happy moments together
replayed in her mind.

Simra got transported to the lake
house. The only difference was that it didn't appear remodeled.
Zach kissed a young woman, who looked like her. They kissed in the
same bedroom where Simra slept. Zach pulled away, but the woman
reached out for him again.

"No, I can't do this with you, Lucinda.
It's not meant to be, and it's wrong. You're distracting me from
what God sent me to do, and this must stop between us."

Tears filled Lucinda's eyes. "That's
all I am to you? A distraction? I thought you loved me."

Zach stepped toward her, but Lucinda
ran out of the house. The environment changed to the sandy shore of
the lake. Simra recognized the young man holding Lucinda. He was
her grandfather when he was young. He looked just like he did in
the pictures.

Lucinda wiped tears from her cheeks.
"He told me he loved me, tells me I'm a distraction, and vanishes.
What kind of man does that to a woman?"

Melton lifted her chin with a finger
and gazed into her eyes. "Lucinda-"

Simra’s breath caught in her throat
when the vision faded. Tristan got wrenched away from her by the
angel. Zach’s eyes lit with fire, and he pinned his brother against
a tree trunk. Her ex-fiancé jerked himself loose. The demon slammed
Zach against another tree. Simra’s feet remained glued to the
ground.

She closed her eyes tight
and whispered a prayer to the heavens. “
God, please surround me with Your loving presence and cast
out all evil. Let Thy will be done. Amen.
”

A violent storm hovered. Heavy
raindrops splashed across Simra’s face. Blazes of lightning
zigzagged all around, and deafening thunder boomed louder. Her eyes
scanned the path and forest for a route of escape.

Maybe her faith got weakened by what
Tristan showed her in the vision. Zach had no right to hurt Lucinda
in such a way. Most likely, he intended to break Simra's heart too.
She started to run but couldn’t restrain a piercing
scream.

Lightning struck a towering tree
standing on a hill beside her. One of its wide branches collapsed
on her leg. The heaviness spread an excruciating ache through her
limb.

She couldn’t move from underneath the
branch in time. A sharp surge of pain shot through her leg until it
numbed. Rain poured in masses from the dark sky. The water in the
pond began to rise. Simra shivered when the brothers caught a
glimpse of her. They looked furious, and the raging storm grew
fiercer.

Although the heavy winds picked up,
they didn’t stop Zach. He never gave up on sending Tristan away.
Simra struggled moving the enormous branch off her leg to escape.
Zach rushed toward her as Tristan watched them from behind.
Jealousy ignited in the demon’s glowing eyes.

A throbbing pain continued traveling up
her leg. She whimpered from the disastrous ache. Simra’s gaze
remained on Tristan’s dark scowl. She almost didn’t notice when the
branch was removed. She still couldn’t move her leg. Simra drew
away from Zach in uncertainty.

Zach reached a soothing hand to her
cheek. “I can heal your leg if you allow me to return you to
safety.”

"Where's Jeff?" she asked.

"He's safe," Zach replied with
reassurance.

The pain he caused her grandmother
haunted Simra. What Tristan showed her through his kiss took her
back into another time. It couldn’t be a trick. Lies were only told
in words.

Doubt consumed her in trusting Zach
when he said and did such horrible things to Lucinda. What puzzled
Simra was why Lucinda still seemed fond of him. Zach hurt her. Did
Lucinda not see that Zach would hurt her granddaughter
too?

Simra’s heart dropped when Tristan
appeared behind his brother to catch him by surprise. The demon
placed his hand on Zach’s head. Tristan mumbled words with clenched
teeth in a foreign language.

She thrashed her upper body about in an
attempt to escape. It would be too late if she didn’t leave now.
Simra crawled away and cried in tortuous pain. She couldn’t get
away in enough time.

She lifted her head to the
darkening skies, and rain poured through raging winds. Simra closed
her eyes to whisper a quiet prayer to God. Faith began building
within her.
“
God,
thank You for saving my life. Thank You for other blessings You’ve
given me in this cruel world. Please deliver me from evil in this
frightening place. Thy will be done. Always.
Amen
.”

The pouring showers turned into a light
mist, and she dared opening her eyes. The brutal winds softened
into a calm breeze. The striking flashes of lightning vanished into
the clear skies. Zach’s face changed from a look of pain to
fierceness as though gathering all his strength.

He stood to place a firm grip on
Tristan’s head. The angel mumbled something in another dialect.
Zach urged his brother to the rippling waters in the
pond.

Simra’s faith built even higher at how
the violent storm composed into calmness. She repeated her same
prayer in silence. Tristan grimaced with a cry of pain leading to
the heavens. The demon stumbled backward into a deep part of the
pond.

Rage shadowed his evil glowing eyes.
Tristan sank and disappeared into the bubbling waters. This wasn’t
the end of him. The demon would come back for her and wouldn't stop
until he got destroyed. If they didn’t find his body soon, she and
her family might die.

They needed to find the corpse before
it was too late. She lifted her chin with defiance at Zach. There's
no way she would fall for the same tricks he pulled on her
grandmother. Simra knew she must remain on guard around
him.

Chapter 19

"Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off." -Proverbs 23:18

Simra squirmed when Zach placed a
gentle hand on her sore limb. “Please don’t touch it. It
hurts.”

Zach’s gaze softened. “It’s severely
bruised. I’ll take care of it at the lake house where it's
safe.”

“I don’t think I should be with
you-“

“Simra, I know what you're thinking. I
loved Lucinda, yes. I didn't want to hurt her. I couldn't help how
I felt about her. I couldn't be with her because it was against
God's will. She understood soon after I left and forgave me. Azazel
failed to show you that part because he's trying to turn you
against me. He's trying so hard to win you back.

"I apologize for leaving you alone with
Mom. She's at the lake house. I owe you very much for your help,
but I discovered Tristan’s plans for distracting me. My brother
wanted to capture you. Come. I’ll take you back to my
place.”

Simra didn't feel like arguing. She
wanted nothing more than for the throbbing ache in her leg to
cease. She didn’t stop Zach from taking her back to the lake house.
Maybe the angel knew how to heal severe bruises. After all, he
could make a demon disappear.

Zach paused before opening the screen
door. The angel placed a soothing hand on her cheek. He slid his
other hand over her damp hair. Simra’s heart burned like hot
coals.

“Your leg will feel better soon, and
you can change into some dry clothes. My mom will be happy you're
all right."

Simra nodded and tried to fight getting
lost in his compassionate eyes. He helped her inside, and she found
Ms. Hanley sweeping the floor. Relief washed over Simra to find the
woman safe. Ms. Hanley stopped cleaning and rushed toward Simra and
Zach.

She squeezed Simra with a tight hug.
"You're all right! You're soaked. What happened? I got so worried
when you didn't come back inside the house. I didn't know what to
do and didn't know what to tell the cops. So I came here praying
you'd be here soon."

Tears filled Simra's eyes from the pain
Ms. Hanley endured because of her. Simra returned her hug with an
affectionate squeeze and explained what happened. "I'm so sorry
about everything. I'm responsible for what Tristan's doing. If only
I'd stopped this sooner. Then, everyone wouldn't be in so much
danger."

Ms. Hanley framed Simra's face with her
hands. "No, it isn't your fault. I've always known Tristan had a
darkness in him. On the other hand, Zach seemed too perfect to be
human. I should've never conceived someone so evil."

Zach stepped between Simra and Ms.
Hanley. "Stop blaming yourselves for Azazel's actions. That's what
he wants. Only Azazel is to blame for all this chaos. We'll get
through this."

Simra glanced from Zach to Ms. Hanley
and repeated what he said. "I promise that Zach and I will end
this, Ms. Hanley. Just promise me you'll stay here where it's
safe."

Tears filled Ms. Hanley's eyes. "Zach's
here? I promise. I'll do whatever you say. I love you, my sweet
son. I'll never stop loving you with all my heart."

Although his mom couldn't feel him,
Zach rested a gentle hand on Ms. Hanley's cheek. "I love you
too."

"He loves you too." Simra cringed when
she tried to walk on her own.

Zach helped Simra into the bedroom onto
the bed. "We'll give you medicine for pain and dry
clothes."

Ms. Hanley followed them into the
bedroom. "You're hurt. Is there anything I can do?"

Simra hated asking the woman for
anything as Ms. Hanley had been through enough lately. Zach's mom
was the one who needed care. "My leg's severely bruised. You have
anything for pain? Can you also hand my suitcase to me? I need to
change into dry clothing."

"Of course, dear. We have Lortab here.
I'll get it for your leg." Ms. Hanley handed Simra her bag and left
the room to get the medicine.

Zach's warm gaze burned through Simra
before he walked out to give her privacy. Simra struggled to remove
her drenched clothes without hurting her bruised leg. She slipped
her blouse and jeans off and dried with a towel. Simra changed into
a dress and rested her head against the pillows. She glanced toward
the window at the vivid afternoon sun.