Broken (Book 1, The Watcher Chronicles, Paranormal Romance) (7 page)

Now I feel like I should have paid more attention in all those bible school classes Mama Lynn made me go to as a child.  I feel sorely under prepared to handle what Mason is telling me.
  My mind is rebelling against the whole God is real thing even more so than the devil being real.  Being a Watcher agent puts me in direct contact with people who seem to be made out of pure evil.  Evil I can believe in.  A benevolent God?  Not so much.

“So how did you stop Lucifer from destroying the universe?”

“I didn’t.  A woman by the name of Lilly did.”

“A human?

“Half human, half archangel.”

I feel my eyes narrow on Mason.  “
Is she the hybrid you were referring to when you asked Allen if he thought I was one?  Is that what you think I am?”

“Lilly is the only human who has ever been able to kill
like you did tonight.  It seems a logical conclusion.”

Could that be what my father was?  Is that why he always had a golden
glow around him?  I almost divulge this knowledge to Mason but decide not to.  We will know in the morning if his suspicions are correct.  If they are, which I sincerely doubt, I can always tell him my secret then.

“
Faison would probably call you crazy for thinking there’s anything angelic about me.  I’m about as far from an angel as you can get.”

Mason’s lips form a lopsided grin.  “You’re more similar to us than you might think.
  We aren’t infallible.  And who is Faison?”

“She’s my sister.  Adopted sister I guess would be a better term.  Mama Lynn had already adopted Faison when I went to live with her.  We instantly bonded which is one reason I think Mama Lynn adopted me too.  She didn’t want Faison to lose me.
  And by that time I couldn’t face losing either one of them.”

“I can tell they’re important to you.  Your face lights up when you talk about them.”

“They’re my life,” I admit.  “I can’t imagine not seeing them everyday or at least talking to them once a day.”

We’re silent for a while.  Mostly because I’m still trying to absorb everything
Mason has told me.  I feel like he’s giving me time to get my thoughts in order so I can make sense of everything.

“So Lucifer’s the one I need to blame for the Tear,” I state, finding a new target for my anger.

“He’s the one responsible for its existence.  I suppose if you want someone to blame it would be him.”

“How did this Lilly stop him from destroying the universe?
”

“Her love for a brother Watcher is what saved us in the end. 
After she stopped Lucifer, God lifted the curse of hungering for human blood from those of us who never drank it and made the Watcher children who never drank human blood completely human so they can live out normal lives like they were meant to.  He gave us, the Watchers, the task of finding a way to seal the tear Lucifer’s anger made.”

I s
it up straighter.  “So there
is
a way to seal it?”

Mason nod
s.  “We’ve been searching for it since that day.”

“And you haven’t found anything in fifteen years?”

“Not until today,” he says, looking pointedly at me like I hold the key to everything.

“I’m no one special,” I say shaking my head
, not liking the way he’s looking at me.  I’m no ones savior.  “You’ve got the wrong girl.  I’m nothing like this Lilly you’ve mentioned.”

“No, you’re not Lilly,” Mason agrees.  “But there is something about you that’s different.  You can’t deny that
.  You saw and felt for yourself what you were able to do to that demon tonight.”

I take a sip of my coffee as a distraction
.  I drain the cup dry and excuse myself saying I need another cup as a way to gain a moment to myself.

When I get into the kitchen, I sit my cup on the counter in front of the coffee machine and stare at it absently, not really seeing it.  I suddenly realize I’ve just received too much information at on
ce.  I need time to process it all.

Mason comes into the kitchen with his now empty cup.

I look over at him.  “Do you want some more?”

“No, I think I should be leaving.”

I feel myself do something I almost never do: panic.

“What if he comes back tonight?” I ask, not sure if my plasma pistol will be enough to fend off the devil himself.

“I don’t think he will.  It’s not his style.  But if it would make you feel better I could stay here with you for the rest of the night, just in case.”

Now I feel like a chicken.  I shake my head.  “No, you don’t have to do that.  If you say he won’t come back tonight, I trust your judgment.  If anyone should know his habits
, it would probably be you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Then I’ll be here at eight in the morning to pick you up.”

I nod.  “Ok, see you then.”

Mason goes back into the living room presumably to get his coat.  I wait for the distinct pop which is normally associated with a
Watcher’s phasing but never hear it.  I walk into the living room to see if anything is wrong.  When I get there, Mason’s already gone.

When I get up the next morning, I don’t feel like I slept at all the night before.  It’s not far from the truth.  The last time I looked at the clock it was three in the morning.  I know I tossed and turned after that and finally fell into a troubled sleep.  The red numbers of the digital clock by my bed say its seven, time to get up.

I take a quick shower and get ready.  I’m not sure what Mason expects me to wear
to my new job with him so I put on my Watcher uniform as a safe bet.  I decide to hop in my car and grab some breakfast at Paw Paw’s before Mason is due to arrive.  As I walk down the steps from my porch, I see my friend and neighbor, George Grady, walking to his white Ford F150 parked in his driveway.

“Hey there, Jess!” He calls out waving a white gloved hand.

I can’t help but smile at what George is wearing.  George is a tearer who came from a planet where all the men resemble Santa Claus and all the children look like elves with pointy ears and rosy cheeks.  During this time of year those tearers make a killing playing mall Santa or working at private parties for the rich.  The planet they come from was dubbed the North Pole by the media and unfortunately it stuck in everyone’s head.  I vaguely remember the real name of the planet actually being quite pretty but can’t remember what it is for the life of me.  Every time I ask George if his planet is where our Santa Claus stories originated, he just smiles and says everyone should be allowed to believe in magic every once in a while.

“How’s the Santa Claus business?” I ask.

George chuckles making his little round belly shake like a bowl full of jelly.

“Can’t complain.  I do love seeing all the kids get excited about Christmas
on this planet, makes me feel almost like I’m home.”

I try to smile, knowing George and I have had a lot of talks about the family he left behind
in his world.  I wave goodbye and wish him a good day.  When I get into my car, I feel even more determined to find a way to seal the Tear to prevent other families from being ripped apart but only after I rescue my parents.  I know it’s completely selfish to think that way but getting my parents back has been my main goal for most of my life.  I’ll either get them back or die trying.

Paw Paw’s
parking lot is crowded when I get there.  Everyone knows Beau makes his special yeast cinnamon rolls on Wednesday mornings.  It’s almost a sin if you live in the neighborhood and don’t get one while they’re still fresh from the oven. I find half of my neighbors already standing in line for their share of the rolls when I walk through the door.

I know a lot of people who come into the store just passing through our
quaint community find Beau unusual.  Not a lot of pure blooded Chinese men have a thick southern drawl, but Beau’s family was one of the first to settle in Cypress Hollow.  After his ancestors worked to construct the railroad system, they settled here and helped build a community with their hard work and perseverance.

Beau
is standing behind the counter carefully putting half a dozen rolls into a white cardboard pastry box for Vern and Sadie Myrick.  Vern and Sadie have always reminded me of the couple in the
American Gothic
painting except I’ve never actually seen Vern hold a pitchfork.  

“Mornin’ Jess!” Beau says to me from his position behind the counter, which sets off a cacophony of greetings from the other people present.

Mama Lynn looks up from her phone and motions me over
to her position in line.

Mama Lynn was
forty years old when she adopted me.  At fifty-five, she’s still a looker with her bobbed, slightly graying red hair and striking green eyes.  She’s a little plumper than she would like to be around the middle, but when she complains about her weight, I just give her a big hug and tell her she’s perfect to my eyes.  George, aka our friendly neighborhood Santa Claus, has had a crush on Mama Lynn since he was placed in Cypress Hollow by the Watcher agency.  I think the only thing holding George back from asking Mama Lynn out on a real date is the outside chance he might get sent back home through the Tear one of these years.  As things are, he said he felt like he would be cheating on his wife back on his planet if he acted on his feelings for Mama Lynn.  So, he’s kept his feelings for her to himself, never allowing their relationship go beyond friendship.

“How did things go last night?” Mama Lynn asks, giving me a
peck on the cheek when I come to stand by her.  “You know these last two years you’ve been on call when the Tear opens have worried me to death.”

“Ever
ything went fine,” I tell her, not feeling like going into a long discussion on what actually happened the night before.  “In fact, I got a promotion of sorts.”

“Really?”  Mama Lynn smiles at me with pride.  “What kind of promotion?”

“I’ll be working with a group stationed out of Colorado.”

“
Colorado!”  Mama Lynn says in alarm.

“You’re not moving are you
, Jess?” Sadie turns around to ask me.

Everyone
else in line goes quiet, waiting to hear my answer.

“I’m not moving,” I
answer Sadie and anyone else interested.  I return my attention to Mama Lynn.  “The Watcher in charge is supposed to pick me up and bring me home every day.  So don’t worry.  I’m not going anywhere.”

“Phew, you had me worried there for a minute.”

We reach the front of the line and Mama Lynn orders three cinnamon rolls.

“Faison still hasn’t made it back from the hospital,” Mama Lynn tells me
with a shake of her head.  “Poor thing will probably be starving by the time she gets back home.”

I hear the bell above the
front door of the store ring as someone enters behind me.  I notice Mama Lynn staring at the newcomer and turn to see who it is.

Mason
is standing in front of the door.  I look down at my watch and see that it’s exactly eight.

“Can I help you?” Beau asks Mason
as he hands Mama Lynn her box of cinnamon rolls.

“He’s with me, Beau,” I say walking towards
Mason.  “Sorry,” I tell him.  “I just came over to get a roll for breakfast.”

“I was worried,” he says
in a low voice, not saying what he was worried about because we both know.

I find his concern for my welfare
unexpectedly considerate.

“Who’s your friend?” Mama Lynn asks
with a welcoming smile as she comes to stand beside me.

“Mama Lynn this is Mason Collier.  He’s my new boss.”

Mama Lynn holds out her hand to Mason.  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Collier.”

Mason shakes her hand.  “Like wise.
  And please call me Mason.  Jess has told me a lot about you.”

Mama Lynn hands me the box of cinnamon rolls
all the while smiling like sunshine at Mason.  “Take these to work with you.  I’m sure Mason here would like to try one.”

“What about you
and Faison?” I ask.

“Oh, I’ll just grab some more.  I know you’re late for work.”

I kiss Mama Lynn on the cheek.  “I’ll call you when I get home,” I promise her.

When Mason and I step outside, I say, “Sorry for not being at
my house when you showed up.  I thought I would make it back there before you came.”

“It’s not a problem.  Are you ready to go?”

“Sure, but I need to drive my car back to my house.”

“I can
move it for you.”

Before I can ask what he means,
Mason walks over to my car and places his hand on the roof.  He and the car both disappear for a fraction of a second before he reappears in the same spot.

“What can you guys
not
phase?” I ask, trying not to freak out that my car just magically dematerialized in front of my eyes.