Divinity: The Gathering: Book One (65 page)

“Is there some reason why Ry looks like a va
mpire?” I then quipped with a smirk.

Ray laughed heartily at that one, “Where do you think you humans got the idea of vampires from?”

I couldn’t help but smile at that one.

             
It was colder outside than it was earlier, and it was late by the time I got back to the apartment. I had never felt so glad to be home right now, but I really wished it had been Cam to bring me. I almost began to feel as if I’d never see him again for some reason.

“Thanks Ray, good night,” I waved after getting out of the suburban.

“Good night, we’ll be around.” He smiled and waved.

Ry was parked adjacent in the parking row b
ehind us, and I waved at him too.

He saluted back.

              There were several groups of students, all along the sidewalk near the entrance way to the front of my apartment building. It was buzzing with chatter, people on their cell phones, some of the girls were crying, and I immediately began to think the worst.

The shadows struck again.

“Hey, what happened?” I asked the girl who looked at me with puffy eyes.

She sniffed, “I don’t know yet
, but we’re all trying to find out. There was some accident with the fire show that got out of control at the concert and the fire spread freaking fast. A lot of people got trampled so there’s a lot of injuries and fatalities from what we’ve heard. They’re not letting anyone near the area right now,” She sobbed with a hand over her mouth.

My mouth fell and my gut wrenched. I guessed everyone out here had friends or relatives that had been there. China could have been there
, but she was home, where had Joel been?

“Oh my God,” I whispered. I had known som
ething like that was going to happen.

I felt sick. All those people, the kids I saw there too.

              I immediately ran towards the lobby of my building, fumbling with my ID badge; I scanned it and ran up the stairs as fast as I could in heels; almost tripping through the heavy wooden door while pulling it open. I ran down the corridor with keys in hand, and cursing at how shaky my hands had become when I tried to insert the key into the lock.

I finally got the door open. The apartment was dark except for the overhead light above the stove; the way China always left it for me. I ran
to the television and turned it on, taking care not to have the volume up in case China was sleeping already. I scanned a few local news stations until I came to the one showing live coverage of the horrific scene.

             
The fire blaze was huge in the distance, and the screams of ambulances and fire trucks could be heard behind the reporter who was going over the current events. It looked like some burning inferno in hell, and I paled — feeling somewhat responsible, because I had seen the shadows and I knew that something catastrophic was going to happen, but I hadn’t said anything.

“Officials aren’t clear on the exact cause of this devastating fire and investigators won’t be able to begin the work until all the hazards and the fires have been cleared. Eyewitnesses say that a pyr
otechnic show during the group Army Oblivions performance, set off a chain reaction of explosions that quickly ignited several nearby banners and kiosks,” The reporter began and then it cut to a lanky girl who had been crying, her eyes were wild and her dark make up had been smeared around her eyes and face.

“I don’t know…it happened so fast…it was like the singer was introducing the next song and he said something like let the gathering begin
, and then the flames shot up from the sides of the stage, and they didn’t even look like normal flames, they looked like snakes and dragons. They were nowhere near anything that could catch on fire, but stuff did and people all thought it was part of the show until someone started screaming, and then everyone was running all of a sudden. Oh my god, I still can’t believe it…” The girl sobbed and sniffed, still in shock and disbelief.

The scene cut back to the reporters in the newsroom, “Unbelievable and tragic. Traffic is being diverted and the entire area has been blocked off within a mile radius as fire crews and EMS continue to arrive. What we know is so far officials have stated that there have been reports of a multitude of injuries and fatalities…” I turned the volume all the way down to near mute.

I felt numb as I swallowed; feeling a cold lump that had formed in my throat. I quickly jumped up to change out of my dress, stockings and boots into sweats, a t-shirt, jacket and my Chuck Taylors. I needed to check on Joel too, and after getting a straight to voicemail again when dialing his number; I was getting really worried about him now. That was unlike him, worst case scenario his phone was lost or broken but I doubted that. I was getting scared and worried for him.

I knocked on China’s door with my car keys in hand before leaving.

“China?” I called.

She didn’t answer.

I knocked again and opened the door.

“China?” I called again.

I flipped on the light and to my shock — she wasn’t here.

Her bed was made
, and hadn’t even been slept in at all.

What? She had called me and told me she was home, that she was sick.

Oh my god…no — I said to myself, now looking through my phone in disbelief to make sure she had indeed called me.

             
I knew something sounded off and different about her, but I couldn’t place it and now she wasn’t here, which only meant one thing.

It hadn’t been her.

She had still been at the concert.

Then who or what had called me from her phone then?

My heart beat wildly with fear and trepidation, fuelling my adrenaline.

No, no…please no! My mind screamed as I ran out of the apartment and shot back downstairs.

I think Ray and Ry were still out in the parking lot. I could catch a ride with them, and explain to them what was going on and why. I don’t think I would have been able to drive myself right now without getting into a wreck, and if anyone could get us into the concert to get my friends — beings with magical powers could.

The crowd was still on the sid
ewalk outside, and as I ran all the way down the walkway towards the parking lot —I was stopped short…in both shock and relief, though I wondered why he was even here.

It was Drake.

“Drake? What are you doing here?” I asked in confusion.

He smiled, “I wanted to see if you were alright.” He said.

What made him think something was wrong with me? I’d never told him where I lived either…angel or not, there was something that was not right about this situation.

Of course
, he didn’t know that I had been out with Cam either.

“I’m okay but I’ve gotta go. There was a bad fire that broke out at the concert downtown…” I b
egan.

“I know
, but you won’t be able to get there. Traffic is blocked. Either way there won’t be much you can do.” He then said.

“I have to! My friends might have been there!” I shouted as tears formed in my eyes.

I knew he was right but I felt helpless, I couldn’t lose them even if there was nothing I would be able to do, I had to try and do something.

“There are emergency crews already there, it’s their job. Just pray.” He soothed.

              I looked at him through my tears and in my realization I remembered…he was the angel, if any being could do something —he could.

“Prayer won’t work right now! There’s no time! I need your help please Drake. Would you please make sure my friends China, her boyfriend Steve and Joel are safe and okay? I’m praying for you to help me please, help them…I know what you are!” I sobbed and blurted
aloud, no matter how silly I sounded or who heard me.

He looked at me with suspicious peculiarity, “You know what I am?” He repeated at me
, as if I’d lost my mind.

             
Tears were streaming down my face now. I didn’t have time for this. I didn’t want to lose anyone else I loved…I couldn’t.

“Yes.” I sobbed.

He licked his lips and paused, as if he were ruminating something, and then he looked at me.

There was a strange glimmer in his eyes just then.

“Come.” He held a hand out to me.

“Please! Can’t you just…” I cried, unable to catch my breath.

“Can’t I just what? Come with me Star, I’ll help you,” he replied with his hand still out for me to take.

             
There was something different about his face; he no longer held the iridescence that he had beneath the surface of his skin, like when I first met him in the church, and he no longer looked like Antonio Sabato Jr to me anymore, he appeared — strange.

             
But even though Cam didn’t confirm that he was an angel, he didn’t deny it either, so I assumed he was, and then it came to me at that exact moment. Earlier in my room, when I had searched for anything regarding whether or not demons could disguise themselves as angels — the disembodied whisper I had heard in response had been — yes.

             
Someone had called me pretending to be China, to get me to come back home, back here — where Drake shows up out of nowhere.

I eyed him for a moment
, taking a tentative step towards him, and the closer I got…the more the static sensation began to build.

‘
They can’t hurt or claim you unless you willingly give yourself to them’
…it was both Cam and Drake’s words in my head just then.

I gasped and stopped short
, realizing what he had been trying to get me to do with his hand out. There remained a gap of two or three feet between us.

“What’s wrong?” He asked in his calm voice.

              He took a step towards me. I took a step backwards turning around to see the group of people still outside and further up the walkway, and then over to the direction of the parking lot where Ray and Ry were still sitting and watching, I hoped.

“Star, stop and think. Remember what I’ve told you. This is the very reason why I said that you must be vigilant and watch for demons. They come in all forms, you’ve been around them r
ecently and they’ve messed with your state of mind. They are very cunning and deceitful, and you of all people need to be aware and understand that,” He then said.

             
I almost believed his words when I turned to face him again, but something in the back of my mind urged me to continue to back away from him. So I did, and then I turned around and began to run back towards the parking lot; my eyes frantically darting around for Ray’s suburban or Ry on his motorcycle.

             
Once there I began to scout the rows of parked cars. I didn’t see Ry or Ray or maybe they were on the other side…I couldn’t remember! Surely they could see me though couldn’t they? Maybe Drake had been right, never trust demons. Maybe this had all been a set up. On the verge of a full-blown panic attack, with tears burning my eyes, I ran for my own car. I nearly slipped on the pavement when I skidded to a halt, caught in the glare of two super bright headlights — coming straight at me.

                          
 
XXI: Cam`ael:

T
hough I wanted so badly to continue to kiss her, I knew it would lead to other bad things, and I already wanted her more than anything in my existence…even more than I had wanted Eve. There was no way I could participate in getting her either condemned or marked. I cared too much about her, regardless of what she would become.

             
Nothing could have compared to both the rage and shock of seeing Morning Star at the door right at that moment, and having no idea why or what he planned at his unannounced arrival. He had the power, the cruelty and the instability of mind to do anything deadly at any given moment.

             
I supposed he was paying me back for the way I had dropped in on him last, but I knew that this unexpected arrival consisted of much more than that. Morning Star never made a personal appearance unless he planned on doing or taking something and it was evident what he wanted to take by showing up here.