Divinity: The Gathering: Book One (49 page)

“Ignore him! You have a choice Berith!” I told her.

“I can’t!” She said
, and then she screamed.

It was a scream of pain
, and more dark fluid began to stream down from her forehead, and soon several dark streaks lined her pretty face, sliding past her red lips, dripping down her chin and her neck. Her legs gave out and she nearly doubled over, but I held her firm and upright though she sagged in my grip.

             
There was nothing I could do. Morning Star was either punishing her or torturing her but I doubt he’d kill her…not yet anyway.

Maybe she hadn’t been acting after all.

Her eyes found mine amid the twisted expression of agony on her face, as she gasped to speak, unsure if she should at this point. The more she defied answering his summon, the more he hurt her. Damn him!

             
Within an instant she began to ghost away, though the look of agony still masked her face. She held a hand to my cheek and I felt her touch faintly. I wasn’t sure what was going to become of her, or if Morning Star knew where she was and now knew where I was, but I wasn’t about to establish a telepathic link to him to get him to stop, not that he would have given a damn anyway. I couldn’t risk it and it angered me that I was powerless to help Berith.

Why I even feel this inclined to do so confounded me.

As soon as she was gone a sheet of paper materialized where Berith had been and I grabbed it before it floated to the floor.

It was a note, a final note she had given me so she wouldn’t have to speak and risk Morning Star li
stening in.

I grabbed it
, and immediately read what she had transcribed in haste:

‘
Keep her away from Morning Star and all others for the sake of every living and spiritual being on this planet…she bears the same identical aura that Eve had
.’

             
I stared at the note for what seemed like an eternity, before finally igniting it while still in my hand, and watching it burn and disintegrate into black bits of ash.

How could I have forgotten and not seen that m
yself? Did Drakael know this? Did any of the angels know this? Of course they all did, and apparently Morning Star recognized it instantly too, before I had.

Maybe I had been trying to forget and block out that fact and memory for a reason.

              Berith had been trying to tell me why so many other dark fallen…why
I
wanted Star so much as opposed to any other divine chosen females…no other female chosen, mortal or immortal since the dawn of time had ever possessed such an aura, and now it all made sense.

XVI: Starling:

I
suddenly felt compelled to open my eyes, not even realizing at first that I had been asleep or unconscious. I rubbed my eyes and blinked to bring myself into total consciousness, and felt strangely refreshed. It was like I had slept peacefully for a long time, and even stranger…I was still in my car behind the wheel, as if I had never gotten out of it to begin with. The driver’s seat was tilted back though, as if I had done it myself in order to take a nap or something. A power nap wasn’t why I came to the park in the first place.

I gasped and sat up straighter, my eyes darting around as I craned my head to glance around the parking lot of the park area. I remember driving here, I
was obviously still here, but…I know I got out and…I know that I had been talking to Drake.

So, where was he? My keys were still in the ign
ition though my car wasn’t running, and all the doors were still locked.

Had I been asleep and dreaming again? No, there was no way I was sure of it.

There were people everywhere, casually strolling with their dogs, walking and jogging along the trail like normal, and not paying any attention to me.

I ran a hand across my forehead and sighed. What was happening to me? I’d begun sleep-walking and now I was losing track of time
, and suffering from narcolepsy?

I glanced at the digital clock di
splay on my dash above my stereo. I couldn’t remember what time it had been when I came out here, but it was now ten forty eight a.m., and my Starbucks coffee was still sitting in the console cup holder. I reached for it, wrapping my fingers around the paper cup and finding that it was still warm, but half gone…like it had been when I ran into Drake.

How the hell had I gotten back in my car? I know I was with Drake and he was talking to me. He told me a story about those four girls
, and he touched my forehead or something like that.

I felt like I
was wandering around in a fog of some never-ending dream, or in a make believe movie. Or I was truly losing my mind and going crazy on some level.

Maybe both because I also felt like I was being watched at the moment too
, but when I looked around the perimeter of the parking lot and beyond, I didn’t see anything or anyone looking at me outright. That didn’t mean there still wasn’t something…some being out there still stalking me either.

In fact, I know I wa
s being watched without a doubt — it was just a strong feeling, but it was better that I didn’t bother to get out and investigate though.

             
I started up the car and drove back to the apartment, figuring I’d do something normal like laundry, which I did need to do anyway.

School, studying and the like was the furthest from my mind. I knew I wasn’t going to finish at this point
, but not because I was giving up or didn’t want to finish. The desire and drive had died a long time ago for many reasons, not just being the dreams and events of the last couple of days.

Sorry Grandma. I said to myself. I hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed in me when we met again.

Joel was sitting on the couch watching television in our living room when I walked in and headed straight into the kitchen
, with a box of freshly assorted donuts that I’d stopped to get, when I remembered we needed more washing detergent.

I hated doing laundry.

The whole having to stay with my clothes while they washed and dried, because there were inconsiderate jerks who had no qualms in taking out your laundry before it was completely dried to do theirs if you left, was mundane and irritating at best.

“Hey, good morning,” I smiled looking at him c
uriously, and wondering why he hadn’t called to tell me he’d be over.

Something was beginning to burn in a small sauce pot on the stove. I peeped into the pot and spied the white, thick, pasty, bubbling gravy mix with browned edges on the verge of turning into a burnt layer of skin on top.

I quickly turned the stove off, and moved the pot over and off the heat.

China was apparently making bi
scuits and gravy for breakfast, more than likely for Steve since we had already eaten BLT’s; there was a pan of three buttermilk biscuits already baked on the stovetop as well.

“Morning, you’re up early. I thought I’d find you praying at the throne still,” Joel smiled
, already perched on a barstool when I turned around.

I gave a half smile and put my things down after setting my store bags on the counter.

“Nah, I got that over with early this morning. How long have you been here?” I replied.

“I just got here. I forgot you go to the Y on wee
kends, but I figured I’d take the chance that you might have stayed home when I texted you this morning. I was about to leave but China left something in her car and asked if I could watch that pot for her real quick,” He told me with a nod towards the stove.

“Oh you mean the one that was burning? Uh, my date won’t be here until seven,” I kidded
and thumbed back towards the stove, as I slid the donut box towards him.

“Hey, I have no idea what that is or what I was supposed to do and I promise, I didn’t come to spy on you and your date.” He said innocently with a shrug of his shoulders
, and a roll of his eyes. He wasted no time pulling out the Boston crème filled one, and biting into it.

I laughed and he chuckled.

“I actually came over to check on you and see what you were doing today before your date. China told me you have some big ass scratches that looked pretty bad all across your back, and neither one of you guys remember how it happened.” He then said.

I felt my skin grow taut with agitation at China’s big mouth and for Joel to even mention
it. It didn’t even burn or hurt anymore and I hadn’t thought about it again since this morning —with relief…until now.

I held my hands out matter-of-factly, shrugged my shoulders and laughed.

“I may have been a bit wasted, what can I say? China exaggerated, it’s nothing. I apparently fell on something but it isn’t bad,” I waved off.

I thought about all of that again all at once
, at the mere mention of my own words.

I was still really worried about that in particular too
, despite recent events and it made me feel ill.

“She said it looked like someone or some animal scratched the shit out of it.” He then said.

I sighed and looked at him wryly.

“What you want me to take my shirt off and show you?” I raised a brow
, leaning with one hand on the bar counter, and my other hand on my cocked hip.

Joel grinned big.

“Didn’t work,” I shook my head with a half smirk. I turned to get the milk from the fridge.

“Damn
, alright. Well, what do you have planned for this morning then?” Joel then asked through a mouth of donut, which didn’t take him long to finish halfway already.

I laughed a bit at his candor and truthfully, the thought of being with Joel and wanting him to be my first entered my mind just then too. I blushed and laughed to myself internally at his reaction if I just turned around and told him straight up right now
, that I wanted to know if he’d like to have sex tomorrow night after the movie. I’ll even bring the condoms.

I immediately erased that thought, feeling as if he’d be able to tell by virtue of my now burning red face when I looked at him again.

“Why, what’s going on this morning?” I asked.

“Well, since you don’t wanna go to the show I figured maybe you wanted to cruise the booths and pre-show events for some free stuff and food,” He then said waggling his brows.

              I sucked in a breath and wrinkled my nose, pulling out a glazed donut myself with a fleeting thought of what happened at the park and Drake for a split second as I paused.

“Not a good enough reason for me to go with the exception of hanging out with you as an ince
ntive, but China wants me to go anyway. She’s gotta cover it for a project so she says, so I’m going, but I’m not staying and I need to do some laundry first though, which may take an hour or two.” I told him as I took a bite of the sweet pastry.

He held a hand to his chest and gave an adorable smile, “Aw baby, I’m touched. Yeah I know. I don’t want you to risk not getting back in time to get all dolled up for your date, who I do want to meet,” He raised a brow and reached for a paper towel from the roll
, after popping the last bit of donut into his mouth.

“Where’d you meet this cop anyway?” he then asked
, like a father grilling his teenaged daughter about her new boyfriend.

“Dunkin Donuts. You want some milk?” I said with a smile and then asked him
, while getting a cup from the cabinet to pour some for myself.

Joel chuckled and shook his head no, “I’m good.
So then you don’t mind if I tag along with you guys then?” he then asked raising both brows expectantly this time.

             
I knew Joel had a lot of friends. He was close with two of his roommates, but I had to wonder why he wasn’t asking some other girl or one of his other female friends to hang with to this thing.

“With me and my date or me and China?” I smirked jokingly.

He gave me a wry look and laughed, “Keep talking and I will be sitting in between you two just to make sure he remains a gentleman.” He kidded.

I laughed, “Ok dad. Of course we don’t mind
, but you won’t be alone I’m sure Steve is going too.” I said.

“Alright, well just text me when you’re done and I’ll swing back by and pick you up
, unless you wanna meet there.” He then said.

I thought for a moment as I sipped my milk, “You can pick me up.” I told him.