The Light Tamer (19 page)

Otto moves his arm.
Holy mother of all things sacred, he’s waking up
! His body stays lifeless. I don’t see any rapid eye movement to betray him. I set the diamond on the floor near his feet.

“Everyone, I want you to hold hands,” I say and take Amber and Caleb’s hand in mine. I take a deep breath and tap into my inner voice that is screaming in my head. “Focus on the light, your light from within. We are banishing Erebus consort to Nyx, he is the god of darkness. Our strength of healing and light will overcome the darkness. We are the catalyst to remove him from our world. Back to the Underworld and never return Erebus!” I yell, not knowing how I knew what to say.

In a swift moment Erebus is upright, eyes wide and face twisted up. “You child! Who do you think you’re dealing with, a mere human? Damn you all to darkness…I see the desire behind your smiles and childish ways. Amber, you can be my queen. I see your proclivity to the dark. You know you want it!” He holds his hand out to Amber. Like a moth to a flame I watch her get sucked into some type of trance.

“AMBER! He is lying to you! He is DARK, you are LIGHT. Stay with me, your bond partner is out there, we will find him,” I yell at her. Her face is full of desire and yearning to go with him. “Erebus, you are NOTHING TO US! You don’t belong here, I banish you to the UNDERWORLD. I lift my hands up and a ring of light appears above our heads. Amber pulls on my hands to be free. “Don’t let go of her Clark!” I scream.

“You all will be cursed for every day you walk this earth. I will return, stronger and you won’t have the vessel.” He reaches for the diamond, I watch as an arc from the ring of light to the diamond stretches across us.

“Amber my love, I’ll be back for you…maybe not tomorrow, but one day.” He turns and faces me… “I’ll love every moment of
your
death. Here’s a little reminder.” He reaches across and growls with anger. His hand brushes my forehead, shooting visions of the future to me…one of darkness. Less than a moment, he pulls my hand as he is whisked away.

Amber loses grip on me… her blood curdling screams vibrate through my soul. The silence takes me. I’m gone forever, one touch, in one moment, I’m gone from earth. No more Caleb, no mom or dad…the end has come. Wait, can I? Is it possible to reverse the end? Time, take back the seconds…how long is fifteen seconds when forever is gone?

“
Do it baby, come back. I love you, come back to me. I can’t take your light, please… you can Chazzle back to us. Jessie, your smile must be seen every day of my life. Please come back to me, I need you. You are my water, my light, my love, my desire, my forever…come back
!” The male voice in my head says to me frantically. Chazzle? Oh, right, I can get back fifteen seconds. It is over. Take me back to my love, into his arms, where I belong.

Falling…I’m falling into…out of…no, I’m out of the abyss. My body is like a wet noodle, falling. There is Caleb, I reach out to him as I fall…and then…it happens. His hand touches me as he breaks my fall. A cry out from the boy named Caleb. He screams and fear is surrounding me. I’m disconnected…what does that mean? Sharp jolts of pain run through me as the arms hold me, rock me…leans over and kisses me. It’s different. It feels odd…that kiss doesn’t fit me. Oh but his arms are strong…I snuggle into him. He is the one that I belong with now.

“What’s your name?” I whisper.

“Clark.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Jessie, baby I want you to wake up. Everything worked out, we banished him,” the male voice said. He’s been here before, always calling me
baby
. People are always talking, and I’m never able to open my eyes.

A door creaks; I try to turn my head to see if someone has come into the room. My head won’t move, my arms are too weak to lift me.

“Any change?” The girl asks.

“Amber, something’s wrong. I can’t hear her, I can’t sense her. Amber…I think I’ve lost her,” his voice catches.

I hear rustling of clothes and the squeak of a chair moving across the floor. “B, you need to get your ass up and help us figure this shit out. Caleb is about to have a heart attack if you don’t wake up. Earth to Jessie, come…on, wake your scrawny ass up. I’m going to hit you and knock you into reality if you don’t wake up soon.” A voice says, I think it is the one he calls Amber.

Another squeal of the door and it sounds like more than one person walking across the room. “Doctor, it’s been three days and she still hasn’t opened her eyes,” a woman’s voice says. Is that…mom? It is! I know her!

Mom! I’m here, don’t let them tell you I’m not. Something is wrong. I feel like something is missing.

“Cases like this are a waiting game. Her vitals are good, her color is good, and her blood-work is good,” a deep man’s voice says.

“I get that, I do. I’m a nurse, but it is hard being on the receiving end of grim.”

My eyelid is pulled open and a light is shined into my eye.
Could he be a little gentler? Just because I’m unable to move, it doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything…sheesh
. The sound of the door breaks into my thoughts again.
Grand Central Station around here
.

“Hey, did I miss anything?” The boy that told me his name is Clark asks. I feel his hand take mine into his, sending a wave of electricity through me.

“No, you didn’t miss anything. I don’t understand why you’re so freakin’ annoying. If anything changes, we’ll text you. Be gone with you,” Amber says.

I like her style, rough and tough and won’t take any shit.

“I’m not going anywhere, so suck it up,” Clark says.

“All of you…out. I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but this isn’t good for her. Caleb, you need to go take a break. I’m sorry doctor, but this is part of the mystery… One minute she is madly in love with Caleb,” her voice shifts like she turned her head. “The next minute, Clark over here is hovering around her like a sick puppy. They swear she didn’t get into a fight with Caleb, but it’s all sketchy. All of you, now…go. I’m sorry doctor.”

“Leave that light on for her, she doesn’t like to wake up in the dark,” the boy named Caleb (I think) says. “Please.”

Caleb is my boyfriend? Who is Clark
? The door and footsteps, too many to count but it sounds like I’m alone. Dot, dot, dot…darkness. I’ve no idea how long I’ve been out but someone is in here with me. My hand is picked up by someone with really cold hands.
I like it when you rub my hand, it feels good
. The hand is soft and feminine and it flexes my hand back and forth.

“Jessie, honey it’s time to wake up. You’ve been out for too long.”

Grandma! I’d never ever forget my grandma. I’m right here, I’m awake…sorta. How long is too long. They aren’t going to kill me are they
? I feel the wave of darkness and then nothingness.

Suddenly I feel kisses on my forehead and whispers in my ear.

“Baby, please wake up, it’s me Caleb. I’ve snuck in here every night to sit with you. It’s been a week since I’ve seen those beautiful eyes. Remember that first sno-cone and your tongue turned green? You looked so adorable that day. Think about that time we went out to the beach and watched the sun go down. I didn’t tell you then, but your hair was big and puffy and you didn’t care. I love that about you.” I hear him laugh quietly. “Oh yeah, remember when Amber tried to go jogging with us and she faked a twisted ankle? She’s been very subdued this week. You’ve been so good for her. I know she misses her brother and I think you’ve been like a sister to her. Oh, oh, oh…I almost forgot to tell you. Your friend Jersey, she sent me a message on Facebook and wanted me to tell you to get well soon. Consider yourself told.” His voice is a whisper, but it still is on my nerves.

No, I don’t remember all of that crap. All of your blathering is keeping me awake.

The door opens; there is a commotion in the hallway.

“You can leave Caleb, this is getting old…you sneaking in the room every night. I told you, I’ll protect her. She’s mine, get that through your stinkin’ head. I’m tired of it. I told you before; I didn’t plan to break your bond. It happened, now deal. Go touch Jasmine or something. She’s a firecracker, and she’ll go all the way with you.” Clark says.

Something screeches across the floor and anger fills the air. “If you touch her, I’ll kill you myself. She is not yours Clark. I’ll figure this out and get the bond back with her. You’ll use your bond for self gratification, you’re sick.”

“Dude, you’re wrong. This hot thing is not just for self gratification, she’ll be gratified too.”

More rumbling and it sounds like someone has stumbled across the room.

“I thought you were a good person Clark, please leave her alone,” his pathetic pleading continues until I force myself asleep. Blah, blah, blah is all I hear.

Hours, or maybe minutes pass but I know it’s the same day.
Damn, I wish someone would give me a freakin’ heating pad for my back.

“Jessie look, I’m sorry for talking to Caleb like that, but he’s living in a fantasy land. He is not taking it well that
you
and
I
are bound now. I’ll be eighteen soon, and you know what that means. You got it sexy, which means we are bound forever. Forever! School starts next week and we will blow their socks off. We’re going to look bitchin’ walking into school together. If you’d hurry up and get the hell up, we can go surfing this weekend. I’ll teach you how to be a beach babe. Your hair could use some sun; you’re a little pale for my taste too. No worries, I’ll get you tan and blonder. This bound shit is in the way of my surf time…it’s okay; you’ll find a way to make it up to me.”

And like that…my eyes open.

“Jessie?”

“Mmmm,” I reply.

I hear a buzzer and someone asking if they can help. Clark tells them that I’m awake, that’s when I realize I need to heave and purge.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Jessie, its Caleb on the phone.” I hear my mom say as her footsteps get closer. “You need to talk to him Jess, he’s hurting.”

“Fine, give me the phone.” She hands the phone to me and turns around angrily as she walks off. “Stop calling me. I’ve told you at least seven hundred million times that I’m bound to Clark. Leave. Me. Alone.”

“Just know…I love you.” He says softly.

“Okay, bye.” I say and hang up.

My bedroom door swings open. “Why are you being so mean to him,” Amber says.

“He won’t get over it, for cripes sake. I’ve been home from the hospital two days, he has called at least five thousand times. If you’re talking to him, tell him to get a life.”

Amber hops up on my bed and wiggles her shoes off, before placing them on my bed. As usual she has miniature art painted on her big toes. “Can you blame him? A week ago you were playing tonsil hockey with him every five minutes. Now, you have shunned him. I’m just saying, you should be nicer to him.” She grabs the remote control to the planetarium star show on my ceiling.

I climb onto the bed and we both lie back and stare at the burst of ‘falling stars’ on my ceiling. “Look, Clark is my boyfriend now. It isn’t complicated, it just is. I can’t change what has happened, but something has changed my mind about Caleb. He keeps saying I told him I loved him. Whatever, I’d never say something like that.”

“B, you did and you are
in love
with him. I don’t know what Otto did to you, but he made Clark catch you and break the bond. I was there, I saw it happen.”

“If you’re here to gripe at me, you can leave too. Isn’t it clear that I’m tired of the conversation?” I snap.

She reaches over and pinches my arm. “I’m the bitchy one, you’re the sweet one…go back to sweet. You were so much better as a nice person. By the way, Ms. Ward came in when I did. She is sharing some tea with your grandma, your mom is leaving for work. Come on, we’ll go find out what Fate has to say about this shit.”

I run my fingers through my hair and check my teeth in the mirror.

I hear loud voices as I come around the corner into the kitchen.

“I think you intentionally set her up. Her mate was Caleb, not this arrogant boy Clark. You have the ability to change things around, fix it,” Grandma Gayle says.

“That’s all fine and dandy, but her future is fading from my radar. I haven’t had a case like this one in a long time. I can tell she is still light, but her time is indeed limited. She has to weave this part of her story, I can’t.” Mrs. Ward says.