The Agrista (Between the Lines Book 1) (3 page)

  Her brother thought of her as a selfish kid that would never grow up. He often told her she needed to
get over it
, not that he had any idea what
it
was. Marie blamed her rocky relationship with her brother on her father as well. He passed his rotten genes onto Junior and treated him like the golden child while he treated her like dirt, and was clever enough only to do so when no one was around.

  “If Junior only knew half the things he’s done to me!” Marie said through gritted teeth.

  She was thankful for the reprieve from her thoughts when she finally arrived at the hospital. Thinking of her past was only making her angry, and she needed to be as calm as possible to face her mother. Melissa’s condition required the utmost patience and endless understanding, and both came at a price.

  Marie took a deep breath and entered the hospital as if nothing were bothering her. She ambled up to the front desk with a big smile on her face, preparing herself for the worst. She didn’t recognize the receptionist, though that came as no surprise. She hadn’t been to see her mother in several months, and suddenly felt a sharp pang of guilt as she was reminded of that.

  “Hello! Welcome to Syracuse Smiles,” the receptionist beamed.

  “Hi,” Marie smiled at the petite blonde woman behind the counter. “I’m here to see my mother, Melissa Waller.” Before the receptionist could answer, a deep voice with a thick southern drawl boomed from the adjoining room.

  “Is that Miss Marie I hear?” A hefty, middle-aged woman with dark cocoa skin and slate gray hair wrapped tightly in a bun came running out.

  “Izzy!” Marie smiled wholeheartedly as Isabel swept her up in a hug.

  “It’s been far too long, sugar!” Isabel pulled back, grinning from ear to ear. Marie couldn’t help but feel ashamed at the reminder, and it showed on her face. “Aw, don’t worry, sweetie! Your mama’s been just fine. I been taking real good care of her!” Isabel briskly rubbed a gnarled hand over Marie’s back.

  “Oh, I know you take great care of her, Izzy. Speaking of which, I’d like to see her.” Marie retained a smile, but it faded at the edges.

  “She’s meetin’ with the doctor right now, sugar. She won’t be but a minute! Why don’t you come on in here and try some of my famous gingerbread cookies before they’re all gone! Patients love ‘em, and there’s only a couple left!”

  Isabel grabbed her by the hand and led her into the nurses’ station. Marie was pretty sure it was against policy for her to be in here, but Isabel was one to bend the rules. She was so loveable that no one seemed to mind. They sat down at the little round table and munched on the delicious food Isabel had provided, washing it down with milk.

  “Izzy,” Marie paused thoughtfully. “How long have you worked here?”

  “Twenty-five years, sugar! Phew! I can’t believe it’s been that long, though my bunions sure can! Why do you ask, darlin’?”

  “Were you here when my mother was admitted?”

  “Sure was, honey.”

  “What was she like then? I mean, what were her initial symptoms?” Marie looked away nervously, afraid to arouse Isabel’s suspicion.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I’m just curious, I guess. My father won’t tell me anything, and I want to know as much as I can about her.”

  “I just look after your mama, baby. That kind of information is more the doctor’s territory. I suppose you could try talkin’ to him.”

  “No, no, no! That’s quite alright!” The last person Marie wanted to see was a doctor, for fear that they might lock her away, too.

  “Come on, darlin’. Your mama should be back in her room by now. I’ll take ya to her.” Isabel hurriedly cleared away the dishes and led her down the hallway to her mother’s room. Marie knew the way quite well by now, but it was comforting to feel Isabel’s plump hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her.

  Marie peaked into the room and saw her mother sitting in a rocking chair, staring at a wall and looking like one of the undead. No change. A wave of sadness crashed over her as she imagined what her mother might have been like before her descent into madness. Isabel sighed, slinging an arm over Marie’s shoulders.

  “Be patient with her, baby. She’s gettin’ better every day.”

  That was something Isabel said every time Marie came to visit her mother.
She’s gettin’ better every day.
It was a lie, and they both knew it. Her mother was always going to be like this. She was
never
going to get better. It was impossible.

  When Marie’s mother was first admitted, she was put on Suicide Watch for the first couple of weeks. Eventually, when the board of doctors established that she posed no threat to herself, she slowly attained privileges in accordance to what they thought she could be trusted with. Pens and pencils, notebooks, shoelaces, and any other number of harmless objects that could be construed as dangerous in the wrong hands.

  The second Melissa had gotten all of her privileges back, she tried to kill herself. Fortunately, she failed, but she’d lost too much blood and oxygen, and it had left her slightly brain damaged. She could interact – though she often chose not to – understand basic conversation, and function okay overall, but something was missing. Most of the time, she was neither here nor there. Marie knew very well that her mother would never leave this place, despite Isabel’s boundless optimism.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” Isabel gently nudged Marie into the room, thinking perhaps she needed a little push.

  “Hey Mom. It’s me, Marie.” Marie slowly crossed the room and sat down in a chair across from her mother. “How are you feeling?” She placed her hand atop her mother’s. Melissa sharply looked up at her in a startled response. “I need to ask you something. I know it’s been a very long time, but do you remember why you came here?” She waited for an answer, but Melissa retained a stony silence. “Do you remember what you saw before you came here?”

  A flicker of panic flashed across Melissa’s face. It only lasted a split-second, but Marie saw it very plainly. She felt encouraged that her question had at least prompted a reaction from her mother. It may have not necessarily been useful, but it was something, and something was more than she’d seen in a while.

  “Mom, what did you see?” Marie struggled to keep her voice calm and even. Melissa looked like she was about to say something, then stopped herself short. “It’s okay. You can tell me,” she attempted to muster up an encouraging smile, but its insincerity only seemed to frighten Melissa more.
Ugh, this is pointless!
“Mom, I have to go.”

  Normally, Marie would try to visit with her mother for a couple of hours, but she couldn’t handle this right now with everything else that was going on.

  “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll come back soon. I love you.” She leaned forward and gave Melissa a quick peck on the cheek. The simple sentiment always felt awkward. Six years later, and her mother still felt like a stranger.

  Marie escaped the room as quickly as she could. She didn’t want her mother to see her upset,
ever
, and she was having a hard time keeping her emotions in check right now. Melissa was constantly on the brink of falling into a million pieces, and it would only take the slightest provocation to push her over the edge. It saddened Marie that she could never truly be herself around her mother, but there was no way around it. She had learned to accept their unorthodox relationship for what it was.

  It took all of her strength to resist sprinting down the hallway and out the door. She forced herself to slow down to a walk, but kept a brisk pace. Just as Marie pushed the door open to make her escape, she heard the rambunctious nursemaid calling to her.

  “Marie!” Isabel bellowed from the hallway, standing with her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me you were thinkin’ of leavin’ without saying goodbye!” she wagged her finger in mock scorn, but ended her statement with a large, goofy grin. “I have something for you!” Isabel was panting by the time she’d reached Marie, even though she’d only run about twenty feet. “Your mama wanted you to have this.” She handed Marie a folded up piece of faded purple construction paper.

  “What is it?”

  “Got me, sugar! Now, give me a hug goodbye!” Isabel wrapped her up in a bear hug.

  “Bye Izzy,” Marie smiled, returning her embrace.

  “Don’t wait too long to visit again, ya hear?” Isabel released Marie from her grasp, grinning from ear to ear.

  Marie examined the mysterious parchment the second she was alone in her car. The first thing she noticed as she pulled the corners apart was the writing at the top. It read:
To Mommy, from Marie
, written in little kid’s chicken scratch. She was shocked that her father had actually delivered it.

  Below the writing was a picture. Of what, she wasn’t exactly sure. It was drawn by a little kid, after all. After a thorough examination, she finally deduced that it was some kind of cat-dog hybrid.
Little kids and their imagination,
she snorted. After staring at it for a few minutes, she had a sudden realization, but she wasn’t exactly sure what it meant.

  The creature in the picture had silver eyes and blue wings. She thought back to the terrifying eyes she’d seen last night, and the peculiar feather she’d found a couple of days ago. Why had her mother given her
this
picture? Is this what she’d seen when she first started losing her mind? It wouldn’t be that odd for a parent to pass on their mental condition to their offspring, but to have the same visions at the same age? Surely,
that
was unparalleled.

  Marie must have seen this creature as a child for her to be able to draw it. That is, providing the creature actually existed. No. That was much too far-fetched.
Was I always this crazy?
She scoffed. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. She peeled out of the parking lot, wanting to put as much distance as possible between her and what was most likely her future abode.

  When she finally arrived home hours later, she saw Amelia’s car in the driveway, but she didn’t see her anywhere in the house. She figured that she was probably holed up in her room studying, especially since she didn’t do anything last night. Amelia was a devoted student, almost obsessively so.

  Marie went straight to her bedroom, clutching the drawing tightly in her hand as she threw herself onto the bed. She stared at the picture for a little while, eventually flipping it over just for kicks. There was something written on the back. It read:
My frend, Alicks,
spelled terribly wrong, of course, and barely legible.

Alex…
Marie tapped her chin speculatively.
I’m pretty sure people would’ve noticed if I had a friend that looked like that
, she laughed to herself in an attempt to bring some levity to her own mood.

  She suddenly stiffened, feeling as if someone had entered the room and was watching her silently. She turned to see, but there was no one there. The fine hairs at the base of her skull sprang to life as a cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck. It was as if she could actually feel someone’s eyes on her, slithering across her skin and leaving a trail of gooseflesh in their wake. She felt naked; stripped of the privacy of her own thoughts as they were pulled to the surface and written clearly on her face.

  “I can’t take this anymore!”

  She violently shot up out of bed and headed straight for the backdoor. She stormed out through the kitchen in a huff, not even realizing that she’d left the door wide open behind her.

  “Who or
whatever
you are, just show yourself already!” Marie shouted at the top of her lungs; a luxury she could afford living in the country. “I can’t stand this anymore!” She couldn’t believe she was actually confronting her fear, though it was more out of frustration than bravery. “Just…” Marie was interrupted by the sound of crackling tree limbs just several feet away. Something
big
was coming her way.

  Finally!
She felt victorious and horribly frightened at the same time.
I have to know!
  She was determined to stand her ground, and face whatever was out there.

  She trembled as she listened to the brush underfoot amplify the creature’s footsteps as they steadily grew closer. She began second guessing herself as the noise grew louder, knowing whatever was out there would emerge into the clearing at any second. She wanted to run away, but she was too scared to move. Cemented to the ground, she stood frozen in fear, barely breathing as her heart hammered in her chest.

THE UMBRA

 
T
he creature slowly stepped into the patches of moonlight streaming through the trees, revealing its massive form in a hazy silhouette
.
Marie had never seen anything so beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

  A lush bluish-black undercoat covered in sparkling silver stripes and rosettes clung to its sleek, muscular, catlike frame. Its facial bone structure was similar to a fox’s, but its paws were as big and powerful as a wolf’s. Both were surrounded by a thick mane of silver fur that gleamed as if it contained fractured moonbeams.

  Its wings, made up of multitudes of the same kind of feather she’d found the other day, had a span of nearly twenty feet. One feather was beautiful enough. To see so many of them together gave the creature’s wings the most hauntingly beautiful glow, making it appear angelic.

  She assessed its temperament as she stared into its ancient eyes, burning with intensity. Those same silver eyes that Marie saw on the other side of her bedroom window just last night, and hadn’t been able to get out of her head since.

  She stood trembling, unable to pry her gaze from the magnificent beast that stood before her. The creature stood perfectly still, mirroring Marie’s fascination. It waited a few moments before taking a careful step toward her and ripping a scream from her lungs.

  “Marie!” Amelia burst through the doorway and rushed to her side. “Are you alright?”

  Marie stood achingly still, fear and shock rendering her speechless. Amelia’s face immediately relaxed into an irritated scowl. Marie always acted strange after visiting her mother, though she seemed to be acting exceptionally peculiar these past few days.

  In moments such as these, Amelia couldn’t help but wonder if Marie would eventually end up in Syracuse Smiles right alongside her mother, Melissa. Feeling somewhat guilty for having the thought, she buried it in the back of her mind and turned her attention to the situation at hand.

  “Marie,” Amelia’s voice quickly shifted from panicked to infuriated. “You left the damn door open and screamed like you were being murdered! What the hell! Marie? Marie!” Amelia grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, hard. Once she realized she couldn’t break Marie’s trance, she turned to see what she was looking at. “You’re probably freaking out over nothing, as usual.”

  Amelia stood a mere few inches from the
creature as she examined the area surrounding them. She looked in and behind surrounding bushes, looped around trees and kicked away dead brush, searching everywhere nearby until she was satisfied.

  “Marie, there’s absolutely nothing out here. Why are you freaking out?” She stood with her hands on her hips, so close to the creature that they were practically touching.

  How can she not see it?
Marie looked back and forth between the two, utterly baffled. “I s-saw a s-s-snake! It s-startled me. I g-guess it s-slithered away? I’m okay now. S-sorry.” She slowly blinked several times, willing the creature to disappear every time she reopened her eyes.

  “Honestly, Marie! Perhaps you shouldn’t stargaze until you can manage to not freak out over every little thing that goes bump in the night!” She puffed out her flaming red cheeks and stormed off, muttering angrily to herself. “I have to study!”

  The swift slam of the door brought Marie back to her senses, however unreliable they might be. She turned her attention back to the creature that so casually resided in her backyard. It was the perfect picture of innocence as it curiously stared back at her.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, seeing stars beneath her lids as the pressure of pins and needles expanded in her sockets. Her breaths came fast and shallow.

  “Oh my god! I really
am
crazy!”

  “You’re not crazy,” a soft voice whispered.

  “...said the voice in my head.”

  “Open your eyes.”

  Marie slowly opened her eyes. The creature was nowhere in sight, and a man stood before her now. The man was just as magnificent as the beast had been. She opened her mouth to scream again, but only a raspy whimper escaped her lips.

 
“Please don’t scream again! She can see me now,” he pleaded with her
.

  The man took a step forward into the thick ribbon of moonlight that wove through the hills, making himself more visible. He was beautiful. Chin-length, silky black hair fell in waves around his sharp, angular face, occasionally brushing over exotic eyes that consisted of several blues swirled together with a silver starburst spiking out around his pupils. Eyes like that could hypnotize. Eyes like that could bring a woman to ruin.

  Bronzed skin, flawless as marble and stretched thin over thick cords of muscle clung tightly to his lean frame. He was well over six feet tall with broad shoulders, well-defined arms and a trim waist. He took another step forward, sharpening her focus. She stared at him in awe as the moon reflected beautifully off of his perfectly sculpted abs.

 
My god,
she mused. How could such a beautiful man exist outside of paintings and Hollywood screens? Her eyes scrolled lower as the moonlight illuminated him fully, and she was hit with the sudden realization that he was completely nude.

  “My name is Alex. I’m h-” his introduction was cut short by Marie’s shrill scream, quickly muffled by the palm of his hand.

  “You’re not real,” she whimpered.

  “Yes, I am. I’ll show you.” Alex released her from his grasp and began stalking toward the house.

  She mindlessly watched him progress toward the backdoor, and suddenly snapped back into reality when she imagined Amelia’s reaction to a naked stranger walking into the house.

  “Wait!” she hissed. “Just wait here, one second.” Marie hurried into the house, relieved to find Amelia’s bedroom door closed.
Thank god!

  Marie rushed into her room and grabbed the first pair of sweatpants she found on the floor. They would probably be a foot too short for the imitation Greek god that was waiting in her backyard, but they would cover up what counts. Marie ran back outside and quietly closed the door behind her, trying not to alert Amelia.

  “Here, put these on!” she hurled the pants at Alex, who let them fall at his feet with a consternated expression. She found herself absentmindedly staring at him while he dutifully got dressed, and quickly looked away when she felt herself blushing.

  “Okay,” she took a deep breath. “I don’t know how bringing a half-naked stranger into my house is supposed to prove my sanity, but at this point, why not?” She breezed in through the door with Alex hot on her heels, stopping dead in her tracks when she spotted Amelia sitting on the couch. “Taking a study break?” Marie laughed nervously as she struggled to keep her cool.

  “Yeah, just for a little while. You broke my concentration, and now I can’t focus,” Amelia said limply while flipping through the channels. “Taking a break from being scared of your own shadow?” she teased, looking up at Marie. “Er…” Surprise contorted her features as she gazed up at Alex, who looked like the poster boy for Playgirl.

  It didn’t escape Amelia’s notice that, besides him being shirtless, he was wearing
Marie’s
sweatpants. Her lips twisted up in a knowing smile.

  “Oh. I get it,” Amelia smirked. “
That’s
why you were screaming.” Marie grew awkward and speechless while Amelia’s implication flew right over Alex’s head.

  Marie, by Amelia’s standards, was a prude. As she observed the half-naked man that stood beside her tremulous roommate, she couldn’t decide if she should worry about her or encourage her. A little male attention might do her some good. Seeing her shove her inhibitions aside and live a little was at least a step in the right direction.

  “I apologize for Marie’s abhorrent lack of manners. I’m Amelia. And you are…?”

  “A-Alex! His name is Alex!” Marie sputtered, still blushing. Alex stood quietly, completely uninterested in making pleasantries with the chirpy little redhead. His sole purpose was to show Marie that she wasn’t the only one who could see him, and therefore,
wasn’t
crazy.

  “Nice to meet you, Alex. Speaking of manners!” she jumped up from the couch. “Would you like a drink? You must be parched from all that physical exertion!”

  “Amelia!”

  “Then again, maybe not. Look at the shape he’s in! Damn!”

  “We would both love a glass of water, if you wouldn’t mind,” Marie said through clenched teeth.

  “Oh, I see. Want to be alone again, do you? I don’t mind at all,” she winked at Marie before sauntering off toward the kitchen.

  “Okay, she can see you too. But,” Marie found herself choking on her forthcoming words when she turned to see Alex stripping. “Ah! What are you doing?!” Alex offered no explanation as he transformed back into the creature she’d initially encountered.

  “I’m back!” Amelia announced merrily as she walked into the living room. “Where’d your friend go?” She failed to see the huge beast standing right in front of her. She did, however, notice Marie’s sweatpants in a ball on the floor.  

  “My goodness, Marie. You have a room!”

  “Oh my god. I’m going!”

  Once they were in her bedroom, she locked the door. No need for further interference from her nosy roommate. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She had no idea how she’d kept it together this long, between Amelia’s accusations and Were-Fabio here.

  “Alright,” Marie gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. “Can you please change back into your human form or whatever, so we can maintain
some
level of normalcy here?” She closed her eyes and braced herself. “And this time, put some pants on and
keep
them on!” When she opened her eyes and saw Alex wearing her Betty Boop pajama pants, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Well, at least you’re a lot less intimidating now.” Once she managed to regain her composure, she launched into an interrogation. “What are you, and why have you been stalking me?”

  “I am an Umbra. My kind exists solely to protect royal blood of Galaxies abroad.
My
sole purpose is to protect you, the final heir of Quinque.” He politely inclined his head toward Marie. “If I were to fail in this, I would cease to exist.”

  “This is all so...” Marie trailed off, murmuring. “If this is a practical joke, it’s quite cruel, and impressively elaborate.”

  “My next words hold no humor,” Alex began grimly. “I regret to inform, I have lost one of my kin, just as you have lost one of yours.”

  “Did something happen to my brother?” Marie’s heart sank. “Is Junior okay?” she asked, panicked.

  “He is quite well, and not of royal blood,” he reassured her. “Your brother
Cerin
has been killed. You would not know him because your Mother was able to spare you his fate, but he was a great man.”

  “I see…”

  She wanted to feel sad about the news, but she didn’t know Cerin. She barely knew Alex at this point! She maintained a stony silence out of respect for his grief, but could only hold her tongue for so long when her mind was brimming with questions.

  “I have a million things I’d like to ask you,” she blurted out. “First and foremost, why have you been stalking me?”

  “I wanted to give you a chance to remember me.”

  She stared at the piece of purple construction paper on her nightstand, reminded of the depressing visit she had with her mother earlier today. She wondered how her mother had known to give her that picture. Had she seen Alex in his other form as well?

  “Can my mother see you too?”

  “Your mother
here
could see me when she was pregnant with you, because at the time you were of the same body.”

  “What do you mean, my mother
here
?” Her mother
here
had given birth to her. How could she have another mother?

  “Your true mother, Lady Evangeline, used all of her strength to hide you from those seeking to claim her life and yours. You were still in her womb at the time. It took all of her strength to put you into another woman. It was the only way to assure your safety.”

  That was more than Marie could wrap her head around, and she immediately pursued another avenue. “Why
now
?” Alex was taken aback by her sudden shift in mood. “Why are you suddenly making yourself known to me
now
?”

  “This has all been a waiting game,” he sighed. “The first drop of blood has been spilt. Your brother, Cerin.”

  “A waiting game for what, exactly? A war? If you’ve truly been observing me, you’d know that I hate confrontation, and I can barely walk a straight line, let alone fight.” Alex opened his mouth to reply, but Marie didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Am I the only one that can see you in your other form?”

  “The only people that can see me or any Umbra in our true form are my siblings, and the people we protect.”

  “Why is that?”

  “So we can better protect our creators, by keeping them hidden,” he began to fidget impatiently.