Atonement (Heaven Sent Book 1) Read online

  “He’s not going to do anything. If he were, he would have done it already.” Kelly stood and stared in his direction.

  The demon rolled his eyes and shook his head back and forth, obviously agitated by the intrusion. Before she could take a step toward him, he vanished and then the remaining heaviness in the air lifted with it.

  Gen stood. “We need to go home, now!” Gen walked off toward the water taxi.

  Deb stood up and reached her hand out to Antonio. “It was nice finally meeting you, Antonio. Kelly has told us so much about you and your brethren. I’m sorry our visit was short-lived.” He shook Deb’s hand and then she turned to pay the bill.

  “I’m afraid we have agitated your sisters. Not the way I was envisioning our first meeting,” Antonio smiled at Kelly.

  “I know, it’s my risk taking that’s upset them and there’s a lot going on. I told you to drop the cloak because I knew you had my back,” Kelly said. “Unlike us, your powers are not weakened in human form.”

  “I will always have your back. You are a part of our family now too. We will never forget how you risked your life to save Novo during the surge of Harac’s Hellions. You were a warrior on that battlefield,” Antonio recalled.

  “Thank you, but you guys are the real warriors. I just wanted to help. I need to go now, but please come visit me soon. I’ve missed you all so much,” Kelly said before giving him a brief hug.

  “I will, but please, watch your back. I doubt that was the first time that demon was following you guys. A demon that powerful stalking a Guardian, it can’t end well,” Antonio remarked.

  “My family and I will handle him, that’s what we do.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Gen teleported to the house first, she felt her sisters arrive seconds later. She had insisted they all teleport once they were away from the water taxi and no longer in human view. Kelly had no problem with it, while Deb wanted to argue the point, but didn’t.

  The house was quiet. No one was in the front parlor, which is where Gen assumed Tom had brought Lacey to sleep off her drunkenness.

  “Ok, where is everyone?” Kelly called out.

  “Someone’s in the kitchen,” Deb replied.

  Gen entered the kitchen to find Lacey slumped at the table next to Tom. Her shiny black hair was matted on one side of her face. Her beautiful brown eyes were glassy and bloodshot as she held an ice pack to her head. Greg sat reclined at one end of the table with his arms behind his head and his feet up on a chair.

  “You don’t look so hot my friend,” Kelly said to Lacey.

  Lacey looked like she was about to vomit. “I don’t feel well. I don’t think I’m made to drink alcohol.”

  “Well, perhaps it was the quantity,” Greg offered with a smirk.

  Kelly added, “Next time go with the ‘less is more’ approach until you build up your tolerance.”

  “We don’t have time for this,” Tom said dryly. “She can get the Drinking 101 lesson next time.” Tom waved his hand back and forth between them. “Where have the three of you been? We were worried.”

  Lacey seemed to perk up, she lifted her head in surprise. “Next time I come by … you mean I can come here after today?” she asked.

  “Well it’s not like we’re moving anytime soon,” Kelly quipped.

  Tom scolded them. “You guys need to focus. You know we can’t communicate with you when you’re in human form. Why would you risk being in human form with all that’s going on?”

  “Wait,” Lacey blurted out. “I didn’t know you had telepathy, that is so cool. I wish I had that with my peers, but then I don’t think I want anyone else in my head. Unless you can block it, can you block it out?”

  Gen tried to refocus the conversation. “We really should get everyone together to hear her story, then someone can take her home to sleep off the rest of her hangover.”

  Gen communicated out loud with the rest of her family. “We need all you guys back at the house, we’re in the kitchen. We have more information and Lacey’s awake.”

  “Gen does that count as telepathy if you’re speaking out loud?” Lacey asked, no one answered.

  One by one, the rest of her brothers teleported into the room. Michael arrived last bringing Harry with him.

  “Oh Lacey, you look a little pale, have you had any water?” Harry asked.

  “No,” Lacey replied. Harry dug a bottle of spring water out of the fridge and handed it to her.

  Gen felt the heaviness in the room. It’s like storm clouds hovering, she thought.

  “Lacey, please tell us your story,” Michael said.

  “Wait,” Gen jumped in. “We have something that just happened that we need to tell you first.”

  Tom’s eyebrows arched upward. “Something that just happened, while you were in human form?”

  “Yes, after we left the bar, we took Kelly to a restaurant on the waterfront. We were obviously in human view at that point.” Gen paused, as Michael sighed heavily and Kelly rolled her eyes at him.

  Deb jumped in before Gen could continue. “It was a good thing we did go there, given who we ran into.”

  “Who did you run into?” Frankie asked.

  “I’m getting there,” Gen said impatiently. “When we got to the restaurant, we were able to sit outside away from the dwindling crowd. Once we had our order, we started rehashing everything we knew so far and discussed what our next steps were going to be. We noted how the air feels heavy lately, laced with anger and hostility. Kelly was talking about the increase in demonic interference, while Deb was caught up in the sensation of evil being nearby.” Gen’s thoughts were interrupted as Lacey grumbled something that sounded like agreement.

  “Sorry,” Lacey said to Gen. “The heaviness mixed with anger, it’s true. Lately, the sense of danger is so much more pronounced. And evil clings to the area, sometimes lingering long after the encounter is over. It’s like the air is poisoned by the presence of something.” What little color there was left in Lacey’s face drained.

  “What is it Lacey?” Harry asked.

  “I feel it now, but—”

  Gen finished her thought. “You didn’t feel it earlier, before we got home. That’s because something’s following us and bringing it with him.”

  “What?” Michael bellowed. “Who’s following you?” He moved toward the windows and looked outside.

  Kelly offered, “Don’t bother, you won’t see him, he’s cloaked.”

  Now Tom stood up and moved away from the table heading to a different window. After a moment of peering outside, he asked, “Are you sure it’s cloaked? From us? What could be that powerful?”

  Gen answered, “Let me finish the story and then Lacey needs to tell us about Sebastian.”

  Forget storm clouds, it’s like a powder keg in here, Gen thought.

  “Fair enough, please continue,” Harry told her.

  Gen began again, “As we were discussing the sensation of evil hanging in the air and how sometimes it comes and goes, we heard sirens. The police were enroute to our bar to deal with some guy who had too much to drink.”

  “A drunk guy at a bar is hardly cause for alarm, Genevieve,” Michael said gruffly.

  Gen shook her head in agreement before replying. “Then Antonio showed up and told us some demon was watching us, one we couldn’t see.”

  “Wait, what?” Frankie asked.

  “The Antonio?” Dan added.

  Greg took his feet off the chair, his typical casual demeanor changing to vigilance.

  Defensively Kelly asked, “Why does everyone keep asking me that? I only know one Antonio.”

  “Apparently,” Gen added, “Antonio was tracking this demon from a different realm, and it led him right to the dock we were eating lunch on.”

  Tom was suspicious. “Antonio transitioned into human form and approached you?”

  Deb answered before Kelly could. “He was in human form, but he barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant before Kelly jumped in h
is lap.”

  “I don’t think it was quite like that,” Kelly defended.

  Gen quickly agreed with Deb. “It was a little over the top, even for you.”

  “Come on,” Kelly remarked dryly “He’s just a friend and I haven’t seen him in forever.”

  Gen finished the story before Kelly could argue further. “Anyway, he came to the table and asked us who the demon was, and why we were in human form when such a powerful entity was nearby. Then we had to tell him we had no idea what he was talking about.”

  Deb added, “He offered to expose the demon, using his powers to break the cloaking and Kelly told him to do it.”

  Michael’s sharp tone reverberated through the room. “Are you serious? Why would you do something like that? That was reckless, Kelly!”

  Kelly rebuffed Michael’s remarks. “If that demon wanted us dead, he would have attacked us before Antonio arrived while we were vulnerable, and unaware of his presence. I was betting something that powerful, suddenly finding itself visible, would realize what Antonio was and not want that fight.”

  “You gambled and got lucky today,” Michael replied. “There is no guarantee that streak continues with decisions like that.”

  Kelly yelled back at him, “We saw the damn demon! Are you interested in that? I doubt your ‘bull in a china shop’ routine got you anything close to what we got today, Michael.”

  “Let’s calm down,” Deb said trying to de-escalate the rising argument. “We have more to share and I think we’re traumatizing Lacey.”

  “I didn’t know Guardians fought amongst themselves,” Lacey said timidly.

  “Well, not all Guardians are a ginormous Irish family,” Kelly said as she plopped down at the table next to Lacey.

  Breaking the momentary quiet Xavier asked Gen, “What did the demon look like?”

  “And what did he do when he realized the cloak was down?” Dan added.

  “Male,” Gen told them. “He appeared to be more than seven feet tall, a large hulking presence. He wore a long white trench coat and his skin was whiter than an albino’s. He had bleached out blonde hair that was of medium length and he wore it slicked back. He was nearly translucent, except …” Gen paused as she recalled his face.

  Lacey filled the silence. “His eyes, were they intensely green?” Her voice trembled as tears trickled down her face.

  Kelly reached out and covered Lacey’s hand with her own.

  Gen agreed. “Yes, his eyes were a brilliant green color. Lacey, you’re saying the demon we just encountered is the same one that killed Sebastian?”

  Lacey nodded. “It was awful, what that demon did to Sebastian, I can’t imagine the pain he must have felt.”

  Lacey did her best to pull herself together. She closed her eyes for a moment before launching into her story. “We had just finished recording an encounter and were making our way to meet some other Historians. Sometimes, I walk a bit to clear my head before I go home, but Sebastian didn’t want any of us to walk alone anymore. Historians believe we’re being targeted, even though no one else apparently believes that.”

  Greg interrupted her. “Why do you say that?”

  Lacey was emphatic in her response. “Because if they did, they would have done something about it! We are not part of this fight, we’re neutral. This should never have happened.”

  “She’s right, Sebastian should be alive,” Harry replied.

  Lacey continued. “I felt something arrive and knew right away it was evil. I assumed we had happened upon another encounter. It wouldn’t have been the first time that happened. We split up and I raced to a nearby hiding spot and waited. Sebastian walked just beyond the tree line out into a field. He was so brave; he didn’t fear it or at least he didn’t appear to.”

  Gen felt the onslaught of questions forming in all her brothers’ minds. Just hang in there, guys, give her the space to tell her story, her way, Gen told them telepathically.

  Lacey went on. “The entity wouldn’t show himself. I felt the air tightening around me like a noose. I got so scared I called Sebastian for help, but he never moved from where he was in the field.”

  Lacey fought the urge to stop, the memories obviously painful, but she pushed through and kept going. “I called out to Sebastian again, but he never looked in my direction. Instead, I heard him calling my name. He was looking around as if he could no longer see me. I tried to move, but I couldn’t. My legs were frozen, my arms felt pinned to my sides. My heart started to race. I yelled out again ‘Sebastian, I’m here, I’m right here!’ but he never turned toward me.”

  Lacey’s face tilted away, her eyes glazed over, and her body stilled.

  She’s reliving it, Gen thought.

  Lacey’s voice quivered. “That’s when I saw him, the demon, his white coat a stark contrast against the backdrop of the tree trunks. He seemed to float toward me, even though leaves rustled under his feet, I don’t think they ever touched the ground. Then he smiled and my whole body shook in revulsion. A horrific shriek broke the peacefulness of that suburban wooded area. It was Sebastian, he was being attacked. I could hear his bones cracking, the sound of his lungs choking on his own blood, and the shattering sensation of being beaten. At that distance I nearly experienced his death and I could do nothing to help him, I could do nothing to help myself.”

  Lacey’s head fell into her hands as she began to sob, and the entire room fell silent. Deb moved into the seat Tom had vacated and did her best to comfort Lacey as Kelly did the same from her other side.

  Letting her grieve is the best thing we can do for her now, Gen thought.

  After several minutes, Deb spoke first. “How about some tea? Gen can you put the kettle on please?”

  Gen went to the stove and placed the kettle over the open flame. Pulling down a mug she dropped in a tea bag.

  Now she can begin to heal, Gen thought. We could all use a little of that.

  Deb cleared the last of the cups from the table. Once Lacey left, everyone else cleared out. Michael had warned against doing anything unsafe, but by the look on Kelly’s face she knew her sister would continue bucking his advice.

  As Deb passed the living room, she saw the flashy headline of breaking news come across the TV screen. Gen sat cross legged in a chair with a tablet in her lap that was streaming more news and Deb knew she would be immersed for several hours. She did not envy her sister’s gift for seeing the demonic amongst those stories.

  Kelly maneuvered around the study frantically sifting through piles of books, and Deb peered in to check up on her. “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Fine. I’m still trying to find those books I borrowed from the Vatican.” Kelly held up air quotes as she said the word ‘borrowed’ and Deb smiled.

  “The Vatican has books on demons?” Deb asked.

  “You wouldn’t believe what the Vatican has books on,” Kelly retorted.

  “Alright, well I’m heading up to lie down for a bit,” Deb told her. “I have a little headache. Gen’s watching the news, so she’ll be busy for a while.”

  “Do you need us to try and heal it?” Kelly offered.

  “No, I’ll be fine, nothing a pinch of rest can’t fix.” Deb smiled and left the doorway. Making her way up to the second floor she thought, thirty minutes and I’ll be good as new.

  She entered the room and felt a wave of nausea wash over her. The light gray walls were blurry, and she fumbled for the small desk chair that sat closest to her and felt a hand steady her instead.

  Startled, she turned to find Marcus standing in her room, confusion took over and her thoughts were scattered.

  “What are you doing here? How did you get in?” Deb asked.

  His smooth voice tried to calm her. “Breathe Deb, you’re fighting the sensation instead of letting it settle over you. The seasickness and brain fog will pass in a minute.”

  “Stop, stop doing whatever you’re doing Marcus.” She felt like she could barely stand and suddenly found herself sitti
ng on the bed. Looking up at Marcus she saw the curtains from her windows billowing around him as they swayed in the air of the open window. As he loomed over her, he appeared to be wearing a cape. She shook her head to clear the jumbled thoughts away.

  Just as she was about to yell out for help, the confusion receded, and she regained her vision, bringing her surroundings into focus.

  “I need to speak with you in private, Deb. I have been waiting for hours outside your house for everyone to leave, I couldn’t wait any longer.”

  “How did you know where we live?” she asked.

  “I need your help, please, we need to leave here, now.” Marcus held out his hand to her, but she didn’t reach for it.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. Who do you think you are coming in here like this? What did you just do to me Marcus?”

  He hesitated, looking back at the door almost as if he felt someone coming.

  “What are you doing?” Deb asked.

  She saw then that he was breathing heavy, whatever he was doing was taking a toll on him.

  “Marcus, are you cloaking, is that why I felt the way I did? It won’t work for long, I can see you’re out of practice, you’re already exhausted. It’s only a matter of time before it falls and then my sisters will know you’re in the house.”

  She watched him shake his head in agreement. “I haven’t slept in days, that’s why I’m exhausted. I didn’t want to do it like this, I wanted you to just come with me. I’m sorry.” Reaching out with both hands he grabbed hold of her upper arms and pulled her from the house.

  For a moment Deb thought she was dreaming; maybe she had fallen asleep and all of this was just a mirage. The air around her was still, there was no sound, and the image of the tree-lined riverbank stood frozen as if she were looking at a picture and not standing in the actual location. Then time caught up and instantly the environment thundered to life. The wind whistled swaying the trees as the shrubs that lined the foot path rustled. The river’s small waves lapped against the side of the embankment drenching the soft grass. The sun began its descent cascading yellow streaks of sunshine through the trees and over the calm water. She wasn’t dreaming, she was at her favorite spot in the city, and she felt Marcus behind her.