Part 7 (1/2)

”Make sure you leave one capable of telling Azazel of our message.” Arie said giggling.

We were obviously making our threat viable enough as two of the demons fled back into the woods. My only hope was that my message really would reach Azazel. He was the key. It was time to escalate the situation, get the ball rolling. Looking over at Cyril and Arie, I wasn't sure they agreed.

Chapter 19.

It was dead silent. I wasn't really sure where I had wandered off to in this city. The sun had set, leaving only the shadows of trees and lamp posts to frighten me enough to think about turning around and going back home. Doing my best to hop over the puddles that the latest rainfall had brought, my mind wandered to Athen. Things felt so pointless without him. My mind, body, and soul ached for him. I wanted to be touched by him, or glance at his smirk, or stare into his eyes - anything to remind myself that he truly existed. That the last few months were not a dream turned nightmare. It was foolish to think that my wandering would lead me to him somehow, but it was the closest thing I had to hope. Doing every move wrong in the book, from running into him at the library, to going out of my way to see him at the hospital, put me in this position.

When he was first taken away from us, I swore to myself that I wouldn't fall into the traps that Athen fell into. I was going to follow the rules. I was going to get him back quickly and without issue. That was the plan, and I truly believed it. The pull I felt to him, however, was indescribable. It was like a drug. A little was good at first, but then I needed a little more...and after that, a little more. My first little Athen fix at the library satisfied me for a little while but not long enough. It was if the thought of losing him forever couldn't override the immediate need to be in his presence. It was uncontrollable. I now fully understood how he messed up enough to keep me away for 50 some years because at this rate, it seemed like I was on track to do the same.

The one emotion that has taken me completely by surprise, however, was the anger - the madness that crept in when I least expected it. Anger at Athen for not being able to fight the demons off, anger at myself for not warning Athen, anger at Cyril and Arie for not controlling me better. For instance, why am I trekking the streets of Victoria hoping to run into him? Maybe they gave up on me playing by the rules.

The clapping of footsteps began getting louder behind me. It was an urgent pace and that of a woman's. My pace began to quicken unexpectedly, not wanting to see who might actually be behind me. The level of fear that was always brewing right at the surface made me lengthen my stride even more. There was a coffee shop at the end of the street that looked pretty busy, right where I needed to be. I jetted up the sidewalk towards the safe haven, only to look behind me and see Lilith, the serpent. She nodded at me, with her large grin and kept walking right past the coffee shop. I felt the breath that I had been holding in slowly escape as I climbed up the stairs to the Starbucks. Feeling the defeat of not finding Athen but running directly into her made my stomach turn to knots. I couldn't believe she was back so quickly. I thought our victory against her would have bought us more time before she began interfering again. Fighting her in the hospital had given me a little too much confidence and seeing that she was alive and well, still roaming the streets of Victoria, only made the urgency that much more to find Athen again, before she did.

The wooden door swung open with a woman dressed in khakis and a thin, red sweater draping her shoulders, holding her pot of gold, with a man following right behind her. They were both laughing as if there wasn't a care in the world, their world.

”Thanks.” I was able to utter to the couple as he held the door open for me. I went up to the counter, ordering an Island Oat bar and a Cinnamon Dulce latte. Not wanting to admit defeat and call Cyril and Arie for a ride back to the house, I thought about all my options. My drink was called, which I grabbed quickly and stepped back from the counter, only to have deja vu flood over me. I scanned the entire coffee shop, realizing that everyone was in their place, exactly like my dream. The only two missing were Lilith and Athen.

My head started spinning, and I was lightheaded. I did my best to steady myself using one of the overstuffed, velvet chairs they had near the fireplace. The tiny sweat droplets began to form at my hairline. I was a mess. I never expected for this dream to become a reality, especially after my hospital encounter. Sure that I had disrupted destiny enough I never let myself see otherwise. Lilith's defeat should have sent her far away, yet she was back quicker than I ever imagined.

With every swing of the front door bringing in more customers, my gut twisted into a tighter knot making me cringe with pain. Seeing Lilith outside on the sidewalk now made sense. We had scared her off but not enough. She was back, but was she back with Athen or was she ever truly with Athen? I grabbed my phone out of my coat and texted Arie. I needed them now. As my dream played out directly in front of me, I went on the other side of the chair where I could position myself for the door to swing open and reveal the greatest disappointment of my life. I was placing my coffee on the table when I felt the blast of air ripple through me. It was him.

Seeing Athen, gorgeous as ever made my heart begin to swell. The pain from not being able to run over to him and jump in his arms, made the tears begin to form, and I didn't know what else to do besides stare. Then it hit me, Lilith was nowhere to be found. In my dream she was waiting for him at the counter, and he only had eyes for her, ignored me completely. She wasn't in here, but this was my dream. Maybe the hospital disrupted things enough. The theme park ride of emotions that were inching their way through my body made me so nervous, I knocked over my latte.

The laughter bounced off the walls like I had heard so many times before. Athen's beautiful voice reaching every part of my body as I prayed for us to magically reunite in this very moment. Nothing prepared me for being this close to him. His smile was beyond welcoming, and I knew it was directed at me. The baristas came running over with towels to sop up the beige-colored liquid as best they could. But I felt like I wasn't even in the scene that was playing out. All I could do was watch Athen hoping for some sort of recognition. He ordered his drink and came to stand near me while he waited. Why he wasn't running out the door after seeing me, I didn't know. I'm sure he would have had to recognize me from the hospital. These two realities were playing a cruel joke on me, and I was willing to surrender anything to be with him again. I was completely stuck. I didn't know whether to play into the old act, or ignore him, or what. My entire body began getting so warm, I didn't know if I'd be able to act even a little civilized being so close to him.

”Hey, miss. What was your order? This one's on the house.”

”Um, the barista's talking to you.” Athen's lips were moving. He was talking directly to me.

”Huh? Oh, sorry. You don't have to do that. I'm so sorry.”

”Well, we will just look at your cup if you don't tell us.” The barista was such a friendly guy.

”Cinnamon Dulce then.” I said, trying to play as if I was somewhat human.

”That's totally embarra.s.sing.” I said under my breath, more to me than anyone.

”I've a feeling there's been worse moments for ya.” Athen said, winking at me as he grabbed his drink on the counter. It was like before with him. My heart knew the familiarity before my mind did. I only hoped that he recognized that we were tethered to one another somehow, if not tonight - soon.

”Quite possibly.” I said trying to keep up the charade.

”You know,” He said, ”Have I seen you around before?”

Totally puzzled now, I didn't know what to say or do. I wanted to touch him, maybe only a little, like an accident - possibly trip into him or place my hand on his back - anything, to quench the urge that was literally growing stronger by the second.

I grabbed my bag quickly before I did something I'd regret. Darting to the counter to get my newly refreshed drink, I forced myself to barely look at him. The pull was too great. I had to escape.

”It's a small town.” I said flas.h.i.+ng a smile, doing my best to make it outside to wait for Arie.

I didn't care that it was dark outside or that Lilith was now roaming the streets again. I had to stay away from him before I did something stupid, again. The stirring was almost more than I could handle. The lightheadedness was wrapping around my consciousness, making everything so fuzzy. All I could think of was my fingers caressing his face, bringing him towards me, his lips softly meeting mine. I was so involved in my own thoughts, I didn't even realize that he had snuck up behind me.

”Not sure what I said to make you hurry out the door to wait outside in the cold and dark night for, apparently, n.o.body.” His smirk was more than I could handle, as he looked around the empty street. It was like the old Athen was standing in front of me, my Athen, only he didn't know it yet. He didn't know we belonged together. He didn't know me or did he? His confidence overflowed, exactly like I remembered.

”I'll let you be.” He said grinning and nodding at me, spinning in the other direction, but not before raising his arm and patting me on the shoulder. My world was spinning. I needed him to pick me up and carry me to wherever he was going. We needed to be together, and all I could do was watch him walk away to somewhere I couldn't find. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs to not leave me, but I knew it would do no good. It wasn't time.

As he turned down the block where I couldn't see him any longer, I saw Athen and Cyril pull up. I ran to the car, almost unable to utter anything that made any sense.

”My dream. It was my dream, only different. But it was my dream. Guys, we were able to change my dream. She wasn't there. He didn't ignore me. He saw me. He touched me!” I exclaimed, slamming the door.

”Whoa! What are you talking about?” Arie was completely confused, but not nearly as much as I was.

”Remember the dream I had where Lilith, my nemesis the serpent-eyed woman, blah-blah, was waiting for him at a Starbucks and I was there only when he came in he completely ignored me and went straight for her? Well, that just happened! Except she wasn't there! Everyone else was, but she wasn't there! I ran into her outside, but that doesn't count. Anyway, he saw me partially because I spilled my drink all over the place, but then he initiated a conversation. I freaked and ran outside, only to have him right behind me, joking with me. It was like he didn't remember me from the hospital fight, which I can't imagine, or I don't even know what.” I ran out of air and took a deep breath in ready for round two.

”Which way did he go?” Cyril asked, looking at me in the rearview.

”Down the block, to the left. Why?”

Cyril put the blinker on as we turned left towards Athen's direction scanning the sidewalks.

”He probably rode his Ducati here. I'm sure he's long gone.” My disappointment was felt with every syllable.

”Yeah, probably. Thought I'd give it a shot though.”

Unable to do much but think about his fingers touching my shoulder and the electricity I felt merely by being in his presence, I knew the evening was shot. I wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl under the covers and sleep all of this away until Athen reappeared.

”I think he knows. I think he knows enough, at least, to not be scared, Ana. This doesn't make sense otherwise. I think it is out of our hands for now.”

”Well, as long as it doesn't fall back into Lilith's hands, I think I'll be okay.” Saying the words more to myself than to anyone else, my jaw clenching in agony as I thought about the months alone with her he had possibly had.

Cyril had dropped Arie and I off back at the house and decided to take a drive. I didn't blame him. My curiosity was killing me, but I felt that anything I interfered with only screwed things up. Besides, the encounter with him had made me exhausted or maybe depressed not sure which. The familiarity surrounding his every move, whether it was his sense of humor that came out with the baristas, or the curl of his lips, or the clench of his fists while he laughed, created a stir of desire deep within me that if I couldn't quench it soon I didn't think I could go on much longer. The idea of complete ignorance seemed almost blissful at this point.

Arie was up and around in the kitchen, and I was hiding out in my bedroom. Cyril wanted to case some of the streets down the direction that Athen went in, looking for his bike. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know or not. At this point, I felt like I'd go knock on his door and mess everything up.

Looking up at the white rose that I had now hung upside down on my wall to dry reminded me why I shouldn't give up. Why I needed to stay in this reality and not exit into the otherworld. He was getting close.

Grabbing the iPad off my dresser, I flipped open the case and began checking our email. The destruction was becoming undeniable in many locations, and the battles were going to begin soon. Whistler was becoming a hotbed of activity again. I wasn't sure if we would wind up going up there soon or not. I hoped not until we got Athen back.

As I was stretching out on my bed, a single light was reflecting off my window. I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, but it seemed larger than a flashlight. Regardless, my pulse began quickening as I thought about someone lurking outside staring at me- especially with Lilith already back in town possibly ready to pounce.

”Hey, Arie!” My voice was cross between a whisper and a hoa.r.s.e yell. Unsure if she heard, I tried again. This time footsteps came running down the hall.