Immortal Memory (Book One) (23 page)

An angry fire seethed through her body.
“You’ve always been jealous of Zach. And you’d give anything for me
to forget about him. I don’t love you anymore. Nothing will ever
bring us back together, and you can’t make me love you again. Your
brother's much better than you were or ever will be. I loved him
more than I ever loved you. I’ll never understand how you and Zach
were brothers. There’s no chance for us, Tristan, and you can't
scare me.”

His deep laughter sent chills breathing
down her neck. “Oh Simra, you've no idea how it makes me feel to
hear you say it! I knew how you felt all along. It’s not good to
fight being in love, you know? You should release your feelings and
not hold them inside.”

His warm breath drew closer, and he
pulled her against him. He consumed her lips with a soothing kiss.
She became weak in his arms. His kiss melted her to the sugary
sweetness of honey.

Tristan never kissed her in such a
sweet way like he did tonight. His hands were silky and smooth this
time. The demon’s hands were usually rough and cracked. His gentle
hands caused her stiff body to loosen with delight.

She wobbled backwards in the dark
sanctuary when whispers surrounded her again. “Stay away from me,
Tristan.”

Simra’s phone vibrated on the floor and
revealed a tiny light. She snatched the cell to answer it after
pointing the light around her to see if she could find Tristan.
Simra saw no one there. The demon must be manipulating her like
always.

She answered the phone in a rush.
“Yeah, hello?”

Jeff spoke as soon as she picked up.
“Sim, are you still in the church? We have a major problem.
Tristan's keeping me locked me inside my car. I’m parked outside. I
didn’t see anyone at the cemetery. Stay in the church where it’s
safe. I’m calling for backup.”

Simra felt the blood drain from her
face. Tristan might be trying to kill her friend again. He may
succeed this time. Zach couldn’t protect him now. She needed to
think fast on a plan to save herself and Jeff!

Chapter 28

"The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the
hills." - Song of Solomon 2:8

Trying to calm her nerves, Simra began
pacing the floor. “Jeff, the drug dealer could come and kill you!
Please stay hidden in your car.”

Suddenly, all that mattered
was Jeff’s safety. Keeping the detective safe became more important
than her own security. If she had to go out there and face Tristan
herself, so be it. Squaring her shoulders with determination, she
got ready to risk her own life to save Jeff. Her family’s
safety
always
came
first.

A gentle hand rested on Simra’s
shoulder and caused her breath to catch. “Simra, please hide
somewhere inside the church. I’ll take care of Quint and Azazel.
God spared me by causing it to rain and put out the fire. He wants
my brother destroyed. I'm not finished.”

Simra couldn't control a
gasp after realizing who spoke to her. God needed Zach here to
accomplish His will. The demon must be destroyed by her and the
angel. She had to have Zach here with
her
too for many more
reasons.

She loved him and would never let him
go again! The phone slipped from her hands when she realized Zach
kissed her. Bright rays of splendor filled her heart.

Simra snatched her cell from the floor
and tried to hide the shock in her voice. She repeated the words to
assure herself of the angel’s presence. “Zach’s here. He’s here,
and he’s coming to help you. Stay hidden in the car until he gets
rid of Tristan.”

“Alright, Sim. Don’t leave the church.
I’ll come inside when I can.”

“I won’t. Stay safe,” she hung up the
phone and looked for the angel.

Simra’s heart pounded faster when
Zach’s smooth hands framed her face. She inhaled a quavering breath
of his scent of cedar when his mouth consumed hers in a tender
kiss. His lips tasted of fresh evergreen from towering mountains
reaching heaven. Never did anyone captivate her heart like he did.
Simra’s knees buckled beneath her when he pulled away and placed a
gentle hand to her cheek.

Zach caressed the side of her face.
“I’ll return for you. Don’t ever worry about anything happening to
me again. Be careful.” A warm breeze whooshed past her, and the
doors of the church creaked open. He hurried through them at the
entrance of the sanctuary.

Simra pressed a button on her phone to
show light and lead the way for her to hide in a room in the back
of the building. She took steady, quick steps to a door. Simra
needed to stay safe until Zach drove Tristan away. Jeff must also
catch the drug dealer.

A dim light from the window revealed
several steel chairs in front of a small podium. Simra dared
peeking outside, but her breath caught in her throat. Jeff’s bright
headlights were near the front of the church. Zach unlocked his
car, but Tristan sneaked up on the angel from behind. The demon
placed a hand to his brother’s head to send him away.

Jeff hurried from the car when two more
cop cars spun into the driveway beside him. Jagged streaks of
lightning flashed and booming thunder hovered over them. Tristan
turned to see the police searching the area outside the church.
While the demon was distracted, Zach jerked around to face his
brother. The angel shoved him onto the ground.

Simra scanned the area for Jeff and the
other cops but didn't see them. Quint must have got away. The crook
wouldn’t come to the church unless Tristan gave him a feeling that
he should be there.

A loud bang came from the sanctuary.
Simra’s knees became numb, and her feet remained glued to the
floor. She turned around and noticed the door staying closed behind
her. Simra’s breathing grew rapid, and her stomach twisted in
knots.

She held her breath and gazed back at
the window. The storm raged, and she saw no one outside the church.
Maybe Zach or Jeff came inside the church to find her. The drug
dealer might be gone.

Simra took cautious steps toward the
door and opened it to find the sanctuary still in complete
darkness. She dared walking out into the open of the room. Simra
called out their names in a hushed whisper. “Zach? Jeff? Is that
you?” She jerked forward when a gun clicked behind her.

The person placed the end of the weapon
to her head. “You in a lot o’ trouble wit’ me now, woman, and you
won’t get away from me dis time. No one holds me in
prison.”

Her heart dropped to her churning
stomach when she realized her life was in the hands of Quint.
Simra’s breath caught in her throat when the lights blinked through
the sanctuary. She kicked him in the groin to escape. The drug
dealer fell and groaned in pain.

The gun slipped from his hand to the
floor, and she kicked it far from his reach. Zach rushed out from
behind a door in the back of the church and glowered down at Quint.
Fire reflected in the angel’s dark blue eyes.

Simra yearned going outside to tell
Jeff that Quint was inside the sanctuary. She rushed toward the
doors but came to an abrupt halt. The deafening thunder boomed
close to the exit. Simra almost stumbled backwards from the
earsplitting sound vibrating the thick walls of the church. The
furious rain beat down against the roof.

Tristan couldn’t come inside the
building. It must have enraged him to know Quint was getting
arrested again. The demon should also be infuriated at God for
sparing Zach.

The doors of the church
swung open when the two cops rushed inside with their uniforms
drenched from the angry rain. However, Simra could only focus on
Tristan standing outside the building. The glowing fire in his eyes
devoured her with fury. He seemed to be waiting for her and Zach to
come out of the church. Never did Simra see such rage in Tristan’s
eyes with his trembling hands clenched by his sides. The demon must
be destroyed.
Tonight
.

The dangerous storm appeared to have no
effect on the persistent demon. The cops slammed the doors shut
after they ran inside the place. Simra’s blood froze. Icy needles
pricked her flesh from seeing Tristan's hideous glare. Facing the
vile creature and destroying his body might be impossible. When he
was furious, he seemed to become more powerful.

“Sim? Sim? Can you hear me? What’s
wrong?” Jeff gripped her shoulders and gave his friend a gentle
shake. The other two officers handcuffed the drug dealer and
carried him away.

Jeff blocked her view from looking
outside the doors. “Sim?”

Simra placed a hand to her brow and
turned to the detective. “Sorry. I saw Tristan. He’s so angry, and
I’ve never seen him look so…so terrifying. Please guard Quint
better this time, and be certain he doesn’t escape. I know Tristan
helped him get away last time. Use all the restraints you’ll
need.”

Jeff gripped her shoulders and gazed at
her with assurance in his eyes. “We’ll do everything we can to keep
that scoundrel locked up. I’m more concerned about keeping you safe
from Tristan. You still staying at the lake house?”

“Yeah. Zach’s protecting me, and it’s
up to the two of us to destroy the demon. I think you should come
with us to the abandoned house tonight. Zach can’t come inside the
place since it’s protected by demonic prayers and symbols. Somehow,
we’ll have to bring the body out so Zach and I can end this. I’ll
need your help getting the corpse out of the place.”

“Where’d you say the house’s
located?”

Simra gave him the directions and told
him what street before Zach interrupted her. “It’s not far from
this church. Tell your friend to be prepared. I suspect there’ll be
trouble ahead of us in that place.”

She repeated to Jeff what Zach stated.
“Be ready for trouble. I know you’ve arrested Quint, and there’s
paperwork to be recorded on him. Can it wait, or can someone else
take care of it? Tristan’s growing more furious by the minute. We
need you. I have the ingredients to destroy the body, but they’re
at the lake house.”

Jeff took his phone and dialed
someone’s number. He turned in the opposite direction. “Hold on a
second, Sim. I’ll see if I can help you now. Someone else may be
able to handle the documentation. It has to be completed as soon as
possible.”

The thunder booming around the church
caused her muscles to tighten into knots. She turned to Zach, who
placed his comforting arm around her waist. Tristan might do
something horrible to them once they left the church. Her tight
shoulders loosened with delight from the warmth of the angel's
arms.

A part of her wanted to draw away from
Zach when she remembered how he hurt her grandmother. But she was
too relieved he returned. And something was different about Zach
since God spared him.

“Simra, you must face Azazel. It’s up
to you and me to destroy him. There’s not much time. Have more
faith. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. The
Lord will do the same.”

Jeff interrupted them, and his eyes
wavered. “I can’t come with you right now. They need me at the
station, but I promise I’ll come to the house. I’ll meet you as
soon as I’m done and will call you when everything’s finished. It
shouldn’t take long. Don’t you think we should wait until tomorrow
anyway? It might be safer during the day.”

Simra turned toward Zach, then back to
Jeff. “It has to be done tonight. Tristan’s up to no good. We’ve
made him very angry, and his anger will grow worse the longer we
wait. Call me when you’re done. The demon’s dangerous. It’s getting
out of hand, and it can’t go on any longer.”

Jeff reached for Simra and squeezed his
friend with a tight hug. “Be careful going back to the lake house.
You have a way back?”

Simra returned his hug. She became more
afraid for the detective’s safety than her own. “Yeah, Zach will
take me. Stay safe. We're all in danger, and it’s even worse now.
Tristan might succeed in killing you next time.” She shivered at
the disturbing thought.

Jeff placed a reassuring hand on
Simra’s shoulder. “Have faith, Sim. Place all your trust in God.
He’ll protect us just like He saved me when I had the
wreck.”

Simra nodded and closed her eyes for a
brief moment to say a silent prayer. She prayed for God to protect
her loved ones and herself while they finished the mission. Then,
her emotions became clouded with what she and Zach discussed
earlier. God didn’t intend for Tristan to marry her, for it wasn’t
His will.

Therefore, it wasn’t His will for her
to die so young. She had her business to run. Most of all, she
needed to find a cure for her grandmother’s curse. Simra had many
missions.

She opened the door with a slight crack
and watched Jeff leave without any harm done to him. She turned to
Zach and took a quavering breath. “You think he’ll kill me this
time?”

“No, I won’t let my brother hurt you.
Go ahead. I’m right here.”

Simra reached for the black iron
doorknob of the double doors but hesitated to open them. Her blood
ran cold just to remember the anger in Tristan’s eyes. Going into
the face of danger caused Simra’s insides to quiver with dread.
However, she knew they must chance it. They stepped into the silent
night air around them. The storm went away, and the pouring rain
with heavy winds stopped.