Snowscape Trilogy (10 page)

Wrapping my arms around him, he held me tight
against his body and I lost myself for a little while in the depths
of his soothing embrace.

I awoke laying face down on Violet’s bed.

Finally dressed I walked downstairs to find
Violet alone sitting at the kitchen table. “Riel will be back. He
needed to go take care of a few things before we left. He also
thought you and I should talk.”

I sat down opposite her and poured myself a
cup of coffee from the pot she had sitting in front of her. She had
placed a second coffee mug on the table. Psychic or just an obvious
move after the night I had just had. “Left?”

She nodded. “We need to leave town. The
demons know who you are now. Your apartment is gone and your job
will not be safe for you any longer. They aren’t going to wait for
your birthday anymore. Our only chance it to keep you safe until
you come into your full power.”

“Full power?” I asked.

Violet sat back and I
noticed for the first time she did not seem her perky self. Her
hair was disheveled and her cloths lose around her frame. She was
wearing what looked like an old pair of jeans and a faded pink
sweater. Although she had applied makeup, it was clearly not up to
her normal standard. The stress of the situation was starting to
show. “Amy, I cannot tell you much-“ I made to protest once again
this lack of information, but she cut me off “I don’t know much.
The details of your power lie with Riel and Nathan and they have
not found the need to share with me. Nor do I think they will
anytime soon. I do know that on your 26
^th
birthday you come into your
full power… if you remain… untouched.”

“Untouched?” I cocked my head in question.
Her noticing the blush rising to my cheeks was enough to answer my
question. “You mean virgin.”

She nodded. “All I know is that when you come
into your full power you will be able to transcend the planes
between this one and the dream realm easily and that is a power
source the demons are amped to get their greedy little hands on.”
It struck me how fluidly Violet was able to go from the kings
language to modern English within the span of one sentence. The
distraction was nice now that I now faced the question of my
virginity, or possible lack thereof thanks to Nathaniel’s careful
ministrations.

“So on my birthday. I come into my full power
and then transcend?” She nodded slowly, her mouth pressed tight,
answering my unspoken fears. “What does that mean?”

“I have no idea.”

Of course not. “Are you really empathic?”

She smiled and nodded her head. “I have been
alive long enough to be able to read humans pretty well. I can
sense things about their souls or their emotional state.”

“The vanilla latte?”

She smiled. “Amy, I have been looking for you
for centuries. You don’t think I would have asked around after we
had discovered you in Olympia? Kayla told me.”

“Are you a demon like your brother?” I asked
changing the subject.

She shook her head. “No. I’m 100% human.”

“But Sam is a demon?”

“Yes.”

“How is that possible?”

“We are not blood siblings. Although we are
closer than most siblings could be. Samandiriel raised me from a
very early age. My parents died while I was young and I chose to
stay with Riel and wait for the emergence of the new dream master.
I actually became somewhat of a prize to be won in the war between
heaven and hell at one point. Not as much as you are, of course.
Riel raised me to be my own person. Not a pawn to be used by one
side or the other, but you wouldn’t believe how many marriage
proposals I receive from demons because of my ability.”

“How long have you been together?”

She smiled “A few hundred years.”

“But if you’re a human…” she shrugged.

“I don’t know why I stopped aging. I guess
Riel might, but I don’t really want to know. I suppose it has
something to do with my pledging allegiance to an angel of
fertility. Those type of heavenly factors tend to alter your body a
bit and get a girl noticed on the other planes.”

“So you work for heaven? Like an angel?”

“No. I work for Riel. And you now.”

“Why is he protecting me? I thought that
demons wanted to control me. What side is he on?”

“Neither actually. He has always only been on
your side. You see there is a balance that must be maintained
between the demons and the angels. The demons constantly struggle
for the upper hand and the angles constantly struggle to maintain
balance. Both would wish to use you for their own gains, but Riel
and Nathaniel only seek to protect you and you alone. At any
cost.”

“But why? I am beginning to understand this
power I have and why others might try to subjugate me, but what is
their purpose in this? Why are they protecting me?”

“Let me ask you a question first. Have you
looked into Nathaniel’s eyes?” I nodded, too taken aback by the
memory to say more. “You saw in them what is opposite of
Samandiriel’s?” I twisted my ring and settled back against the
seat, remembering the swirling opal colors. “You first lesson of
the dawning day: always look into your opponents eyes. A demon will
reveal its true nature though its eyes. With the exception of Riel
and Nathan, they will always show you their true nature in the
essence of their eyes.” She sat back and took me in.

“Why are they the exception?”

She pursed her lips and thought to herself
for a second. “You are remaining very calm Amy. I don’t know that I
would react the same way had I been in your place.”

I took a small sip of my coffee. “I guess.
I’m actually felling sort of numb right now. Maybe it’s the whole
destiny thing. I just want to react, not emote. Does that make any
sense?”

Her lips tightened across her face and she
nodded. “I guess I am feeling enough emotion for both of us
anyway.” Suddenly I reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
“Thank you,” I said. “I would have been charred alive if it hadn’t
been for you. How did you know I was being attacked?”

Smiling wide, “We weren’t far and saw the
smoke. I live only to serve, Ambrosia. And you wouldn’t have been
charred. The fire was only set to draw you out. They cannot kill
you, you are immortal.”

This jarring new concept set a question on my
lips, but I suddenly jumped as the front door slammed shut. “Riel.”
Violet said calmly.

Samandiriel sauntered in freshly showered and
bereft of the soot I had last seen on him. He now wore soft dark
blue jeans, and a loose fitting white T-shirt that stretched across
his formed biceps. He was also once again wearing the dark rimmed
reading glasses that hid the true nature of his eyes. Sam walked
into the kitchen and barely glanced in my direction. “Are we rested
and ready?” he asked Violet. The rested part resonated within me
and I had the dawning suspicion that Samandiriel must have known
what had occurred in his sister’s bedroom while he was gone. Heat
rose to my cheeks.

“Yep,” she answered, standing up and looking
towards me with an apologetic shrug. Sam walked out without a
second thought. It could not have been more obvious that he was
ignoring me.

I dumped my remaining coffee into the sink
and followed Violet out the front door following their shadows to
the car. Getting in I realized that Violet had once again
effortlessly evaded answering all of my questions about the true
nature of why Nathaniel and Samandiriel were protecting me.

Chapter 13

I didn’t ask where we were going. In all
honesty it didn’t seem to matter. I was suddenly so exhausted I
couldn’t keep my head up so I curled up in the backseat of Sam’s
SUV under Violet’s jacket and fell into a deep sleep as the sun was
continually rising in the distance.

When I opened my eyes I found myself in a
vast expanse of desert that bordered the shore of a narrow river.
Without concentration I knew it was the Nile and I could tell that
I was alone. “Nathaniel?” I asked barely above a whisper. All that
returned to me was the soft sound of water lapping against the
shore and the wind bristling past with each grain of sand.
“Nathaniel?” I asked louder. Where was he? “Nathaniel!!” I screamed
at the top of my lungs. Nothing. Frustration building up inside me
I closed my eyes and focused on his face. His soft iridescent eyes
and black cowl swept head. I was the master of this realm. If that
was true then I would be able to find him.

I pressed my eyes deep in concentration and
could smell the change in the air. I could smell the moss and the
deep dark greens of the woods. I felt ground crunch beneath bare my
feet and when I opened my eyes he stood in front of me. A soft
smile touched his face. “Impressive,” he said simply.

“Where were you?”

He looked confused. “I was right here.
Waiting for you. We don’t have much time and you are already being
hunted. The easiest way for you to learn right now is to create a
little desperation.”

I nodded. “Great. Seeing as how my best
friend is dead and I am on the run with a demon and an immortal
human that tends to lie all of the time, I would consider you
successful at making me desperate.”

He grimaced slightly and his aggressive
demeanor fell from his stance. “Are you safe?” I nodded with slight
trepidation. “You’re with him?” I nodded again. He turned away with
a sigh and suddenly disappeared.

“God dammit,” I swore under my breath. I
close my eyes and let the cat and mouse game begin. I chased him
through several landscapes and places. Each catching only a
fleeting glances of his black attire before losing sight of him
altogether. Time lost all meaning as I chased him through and
through and I could feel myself begin to grow weaker although not
in the physical sense of the word. After what felt like hours I had
found myself besides a park beach that sat within the confines of
what looked like Central Park. I could see the skyscrapers jutting
up in the distance and could taste the burnt smell of hot dog
vendors nearby. I had once visited New York when I was just out of
high school and had considered moving there even. I had found the
city dirty and congested, but still full of wonder and people. The
whole town with its hustle and bustle had made me loose all sense
of comfortableness, leaving me open and vulnerable. I left within
two weeks and had made my way north towards Maine.

I sat down on the bench to take a moment to
rethink my strategy. Nathaniel was trying to teach me something
here, and it was becoming clear that it was not simply to follow
him around like a puppy dog. I rubbed my hand over my eyes and
cleared my mind. He had told me that I could evolve; take over the
landscape I found myself in. Every time I wanted to I would find
myself by Nathaniel’s side, he would know I was there and then
leave. With a jolt it hit me. I grinned to myself in satisfaction
before closing my eyes. I pictured him standing there in front of
me: the soft black folds of his robe caressing down his perfect
frame. I could see the dark sweep of his strait black hair as it
fell in a messy tousle against his face.

When I opened my eyes I saw
him standing in front of me. He made to move, to leave just had had
countless time before, but his eyes widened as he realized that he
couldn’t. He couldn’t move, couldn’t blink, and couldn’t breathe. I
could not control
him
but I could control where we were. A soft field surrounded us
but every blade of grass stood perfectly still. Every grain of
pollen stayed floating upon the breeze without movement. It was as
effortless to me as was breathing. I held my hand up to him,
feeling each molecule of the air fall through my fingers. The power
that I felt was euphoric as I stared at him. Suddenly a deep
longing overtook me and I could taste his kisses on my lips. I
recalled the feel of his fingers delving deep inside me and I was
overcome with a sensual need to have him touch me again.

I reached up and ran my hand down the length
of his arm. He could not speak, but I saw his eyes follow me with
pride and fear all the same. I slowly ran my fingers down the soft
crushed velvet as I had longed to do for every moment of every
dream I had had since birth. I was in complete control now and I
wanted nothing more than to torture him with the same sense of
anticipation he had always held over me. I walked around him,
circling like prey and I could see the fear in his eyes grow. This
was not the outcome he had expected. I leaned in close to him and
spoke gently into his ear. “You’ve tortured me my whole life, you
know: the unanswered questions; the longing to know the truth” I
stopped and stared into his opal eyes and I could feel the air
stretch against me as he fought and pushed with all of his essence.
“I have you.” I trailed kisses down his cheek and to the nape of
his neck. My hands ran down both of his arms and despite the force
I held over his body, a ripple of ecstasy skimmed across it. I lost
myself in his scent as I nestled my lips into his collarbone. My
hands reached down and I could tell was enjoying my attentions. As
desire overtook me and I pressed myself against him, I could feel
his will fight against me in a sudden surge of power. For the
briefest second I lost my concentration and dropped my control out
of the stillness of the air.

Nathaniel quickly grabbed my wrist and held
it behind my back, nuzzling himself into the crock of my neck.
“You’ve done quite well. But you have to be careful the power does
not overtake you.”

I flinched back as if doused with a cold
bucket of water, but Nathaniel held me tight and close against his
frame. All sense of power, anger, and frustration I felt suddenly
rinsed out of me and sunk into the earth. Abhorrence set upon me as
I realized what I had just done. Not just held him in my grip, but
the sense of absolute authority I had let overpower my mind. I
looked to him, confused. Suddenly frustrated tears started
streaming down my face and I spoke “What just happened?”