Between (43 page)

“
I have no choice.”

“
Since when do you follow them?”

“
Claudia, stop fighting me. It’ll only make it harder for both of us. Don’t you know how much this is killing me?”

“
No, I don’t. You don’t care about me. I’ll never forgive you for this. You didn’t give me a choice. You took that from me.”

Claudia’s words stung Michael sharply through his heart. Her words hurt so much, he wanted to stop. The last thing he wanted was for Claudia to think he cared so little for her.

“
It’s okay. You can hate me. It’ll make it easier for the both of us. You won’t remember, but I will. One day you will understand. But I hope you don’t remember this day.”

“
Michaaaeelll!!!” Claudia yelled from the top of her lungs. Her desperate last plea was long and drawn out. Claudia’s force of will threw Michael to the ground. Her voice was so earsplitting and powerful that it shattered the windows. Michael sheltered her with his wings, preventing the flying glass pieces from cutting her. The alkins too had to cover themselves from the darting, shattered chips and the excruciating pain from her voice.

Fighting Michael in her mind weakened Claudia. She didn’t know she possessed that kind of power. Angered and perplexed, she collapsed on her bed. Michael wasted no time and took this moment of weakness to lie next to her, cuddling her tenderly, trying one last time.

“
Michael,” she said weakly, staring lovingly into his eyes as she spoke in his mind. “It won’t work forever. It may work temporarily. I’ll never forget you, no matter what you try to do to me. Memories are not kept in the minds, but in the hearts. Remember what I told you; it’s not what you say, but how you make someone feel. You are my ocean, my constant. Your love will live in my heart and I won’t let you go…ever. Your love…is magical. I could never love anyone…the way I love you.” She managed to give a short smile. Her fragile body sunk in deeper on her bed as her hand dropped from Michael’s cheek.

Michael’s tears streamed down his face. He hadn’t shed tears in all his angel lifetime, but today was the first time he ever felt pain beyond what he could imagine. His heart burned, flaming with anger and bleeding for his love that wouldn’t remember him after today. “I won’t promise you only because I know how much you hate that word. So I swear to you. I swear to the moon, the stars and the sky that I will love you for eternity. I will help you remember us when the time is right. Though I won’t be with you, I’ll always be here,” he placed his hand on her chest where her heart pattered rapidly. “I will be the sun that keeps you warm, the whisper in the wind and the cool breeze to brush your hair. I will be your constant. I will always protect you no matter where you are. This I swear to you.”

With his last word, Claudia inhaled a long deep breath and managed to whisper her final words, “I love you…as high as the sky and as deep as the sea.” Her fingers uncurled, her heart beat steadied, and she lay there, fast asleep.

“
I love you more,” Michael cried. His fingers wrung the blanket tightly as his body shook. Screaming inside from pain, he buried his face on Claudia’s stomach and cried her name, “Claudia!!!”

Tears poured down Michael’s face again. He had lost his love. It was as if she had died. This is what he would feel for the rest of his life. Though he would carry her memory with him, she wouldn’t remember his name, she wouldn’t even remember him if she saw his face. She wouldn’t remember their times together, the times he took her breath away and when they first met in Crossroads.

Davin couldn’t stand there and watch his friend in agony any longer. As he wiped away any evidence he had been crying, he rested his hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Let’s go. There is nothing for you here now.”

Michael sat up, still clinging onto her and gazing at his love. He outlined the delicate frame of her face, smiling, thinking about the better times they’d shared. Tenderly, he kissed her soft lips, drinking her in for the last time. “Te amo.”

Davin’s hand slid down to his arm and pulled Michael away from Claudia’s hold. “Let’s go.”

Michael hesitantly moved away from the bed. Caleb lifted Claudia and placed her head on her pillow. Vivian started to pull the blanket over her body when she noticed a T-shirt that looked familiar.

“
It’s Michael’s,” Caleb said.

Vivian held the T-shirt, debating what to do with it. The right thing to do was to take it with her. Any evidence of their existence had to be taken. But she too was upset. It wasn’t fair.
Who do they think
they are
, she thought. She tucked it under Claudia’s pillow and shrugged her shoulders when Caleb gave her a questioning look. The alkins gave her a goodbye kiss on the cheek, leaving behind their first earthly friend, leaving behind someone they cared for so deeply, more than they’d ever thought possible. With tears streaming down their faces, they exhaled a deep breath and vanished.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Michael sat in the corner of his room, motionless. He felt so empty and had never felt so alone like he did today. Unable to comprehend his body shivering, he held himself tightly, curling up into a ball. Strangely, every inch of him hurt. His muscles ached like he had the flu and his bones felt stone cold.

Finally, he uncurled his body, pushed his legs out and leaned back, contacting the wall. He felt something jiggle from his jeans belt loop, and he cradled it in his hand. It was a picture of them together; the little trinket Claudia had given him for Christmas. Claudia hooked it there so he wouldn’t lose it. He thought his heart would crumble, but surprisingly, he felt nothing.

Michael heard footsteps. He didn’t bother to look up to see his visitor. Davin walked in and saw Michael at the lowest level possible. He walked over and sat next to him. “I can only imagine your pain. I feel a tremendous loss too, but yours must be thousand times worse. We will find a way,” Davin said as his heart broke seeing Michael so frail. He wrapped his arm around Michael, giving him a sideways hug.

Michael didn’t answer.

“
I know you would give up everything for her. I know how much you love her. There will come a day when you two will be together because true love conquers all.”

Covering his face with the palms of his hands, Michael muttered, “I’ve lost her. And if she ever finds out that it was me who did it, she will never forgive me.”

“
Of course she will. When that time comes, she’ll understand.”

Michael disregarded his words. “I’ve hurt her. I didn’t mean to. She fought me with everything she had. She wouldn’t let go. It must have pained her to fight me the way she did.”

“
You had no choice.”

“
There’s always a choice. But I’d rather know she lives on Earth. At least I can hold onto hope. If she were taken, I would never see her again.”

“
You’ll make it through this. You’re not alone. I’m here with you.”

Davin’s words touched Michael deeply. He didn’t know how he would get through this ordeal, but having Davin by his side and giving him comfort gave him a sense of hope, even if the feeling lasted only for a few minutes. Michael was always the stronger one, but today he needed Davin in a way he’d never needed him before. He leaned into Davin’s arms and cried. He poured out his pain, all the mixed emotions that burned inside him.

As they sat in silence, Davin noticed an incomplete oil painting of Claudia resting adjacent to a table. He also saw paint brushes and other tools. Tools he couldn’t identify, but tools he knew Michael used to make his creations.

“
Michael, Katherine will be here shortly. I was told she needed to speak to us.”

“
Not now,” he muffled through Davin’s shirt.

“
I don’t think you have a choice,” he replied, hearing footsteps, but felt puzzled when it sounded more like scurrying sounds.

“
Michael!” Alexa Rose called out loud as she entered, panicking.

Vivian pulled Alexa Rose into her arms just as she entered. “Sorry. She insisted on seeing Michael, but when I told her later, she escaped me.”

Michael didn’t move. He continued to hold his position, lost in Davin’s arms.

“
What’s wrong with Michael? Please tell me!” Her tone, usually sweet, turned angry and bratty. “Let go off me!” she yelled. “I want to see Michael.”

“
Let’s go. Michael isn’t feeling well right now,” Vivian said, still holding onto Alex Rose as she wiggled to be set free.

“
But we can’t get sick. What’s wrong? He’s mad at me,” she whimpered.

Michael wanted to say something to comfort her, but he couldn’t move or speak.

Vivian carried her out the door as Katherine walked in.

Seeing Katherine enter, Davin pulled Michael up from the back of his shirt to stand. Davin bowed his head and Katherine returned the greeting.

“
Please, sit,” Katherine insisted, but they continued to stand.

Facing Michael, Katherine became concerned, seeing him consumed with depression, and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I can imagine how difficult this must be for you, but know that you did the right thing. We would have placed her fate in the hands of the Royal Council, insuring that you’d never see her again. But I didn’t come here to lecture you. I came here because I need your help. Perhaps your service will help you through this torment. You’ll have to live with your pain for the rest of your life as I am dealing with mine, but in time, I promise it will be…different.”

“
What is that you need from me?” Michael asked flatly.

“
I’m going to tell you about a group of demons called blood seekers.”

“
We’ve never heard of them,” Davin said.

“
That’s the reason why I’m here. Both of you have been sheltered in Crossroads. What happens on Earth has not concerned the alkins.”

“
But we learn about the different types of demons that exist,” Davin said. “Surely we would have heard about these blood seekers. Unless...”

“
Yes, Philip decided to disregard those demons since it brings up controversial issues. There has been a disagreement of how these blood seekers came to be. Let me tell you about the myth I believe to be true.”

Davin shrugged and prepared to listen while Michael’s eyes showed no emotion or caring.

“
You remember the story of Cain and Abel, don’t you?”

The names caught Davin’s attention. His eyes grew alert, ready to listen. “Yes, of course.”

“
Let me refresh your memory. Cain murdered his brother, Abel, out of pure jealousy because God preferred Abel’s gift over his. As his punishment, he was cursed by God and transformed into a demon we called blood seeker. The demons you know possess the human body, but Cain does not. He was forced to walk the earth alone, night after night, for all eternity. Part of the curse was that he feared the sun because it burned him; therefore, he was forced to have no contact with civilization. Also, he could not consume his daily food. The only thing that could satisfy his hunger was blood. So he would come out at night to hunt the mortals. He was ravenous for blood because human food poisoned his body.

“
Cain met a powerful witch named Lilith who some believe to be Adam’s first wife.”

“
Adam had two wives?” Davin asked, feeling astounded. “Who knew?” Davin chuckled at this newfound revelation.

Katherine furrowed her brow and continued. “Nothing to be proud of,” Katherine scoffed and continued. “Lilith has also been called the goddess of night, a demon and the bearer of disease, illness and death. She showed Cain how to use his own blood for magic and to evoke his unknown mystical powers. From Lilith, Cain learned how to create others of his kind. This process is called embracing.

“
A mortal must be bitten by a blood seeker; the venom or poison in their saliva combined with a few drops of the blood seeker’s own blood begins the transformation. The mortal body ceases and the immortal body takes over. Now this can only happen as long as the mortal is not drained of too much blood; there must be enough to keep the heart beating. As the blood seeker’s blood and venom enter the mortals system, the heart pumps it through the entire body, and the embrace begins.”

“
Wow. This sounds unbelievable,” Davin commented. “Do the mortals become one of them right away?”

“
The full process can take hours or weeks depending on conditions from the mortal body. Illness, broken bones, anything that ailed the mortal body begins to repair and heal. The heart beat slows and breathing is no longer much of a necessity, as less oxygen is needed.