Death's Dilemma (DHAD #2) (22 page)

“Long story.”

“You never cease to amaze me, Cendall. When we talked, I had no idea this is what you had in mind.”

“When we talked, I didn’t either.”

“Who knows about it?”

“Just you, me, and Drake.”

“You haven’t told Trevor?”

“I haven’t seen him,” I said as a sharp pain flared in my gut at the mention of his name.

“Oh... do I even want to ask?

“We didn’t quite see eye-to-eye the last time we spoke.”

“And that’s different than normal how?” she laughed.

“We’ll just say he didn’t agree with me going down to get you yet.”

“It hurts, but it’s expected. Not a rule breaker, that boy.”

“I didn’t really give him a choice. He couldn’t come, so we left.” I left him there alone, after we’d agreed to try together. My hands began to shake.

“Ah, well at least I know he did care.” She smiled. “Cendall, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Well, when I was being drug away, I opened my eyes for a moment, and I thought I saw Dave.”

“Dave is gone.”

“I’m so sorry, Cendall.”

“Did anyone tell Chloe?”

“Not yet.” Truthfully, I’d forgotten that I wasn’t the only one who was grieving, and not knowing was much worse than grief. I’d have to go to her.

“Drake is out there. If I leave for a minute, can you go sit out there with him until I get back?”

“Yeah. It’s just, I feel weird being in this,” she said as she waved down her body. “Am I going to ever get my old body back?”

“I don’t think so. You were dying, and this was really the only solution I could come up with.”

“Okay... I just, you know, miss it?”

“That’s a pretty normal reaction.” I laughed awkwardly.

“Eventually, I’ll just forget what I use to look like and get use to this, right?” she asked, but I didn’t have an answer for her.

“Do you want to forget?” I asked.

“No.”

“I’ll give you five,” I said as I felt her tears coming.

***

“Is she awake? Is it her? Is she okay?” Holy questions, but the worried frown told me I needed to not answer sarcastically.

“She’s great. She just needed a minute. Don’t freak out when she comes out here, alright?”

“Okay.” I went into the other room and quickly jumped on the computer and onto Lacie’s old Facebook page. I printed off a picture of her and put it into one of the picture frames that held a family on the mantle.

“What is that?” Drake asked.

“She doesn’t want to forget.” He nodded in understanding.

The door creaked open, and Lacie took two steps into the hallway and looked our way. Drake raced to her immediately and picked her up in a hug, holding her high in the air as he swung her around. A huge smile stretched across her face as he softly brought her back down to his lips and gave her a gentle peck.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered into her lips as they faced each other. At least someone would get their happy ending.

Chapter Forty

Loose Ends

“Oh god no,” she said as soon as I ported in front of her in her room. “Cendall please don’t tell me.” How’d she know my name? I guess they had probably talk about me, and figuring I’d just appeared out of thin air was likely her greatest clue.

“Yes, I’m Cendall and Chloe, I’m sorry, but Dave is gone.”

“What do you mean gone? Like on vacation or what?” No point in dragging this out.

“No, like he’s no longer with us. I’m sorry,” I said, unsure of what to do with my arms. Was I suppose to hug her? I didn’t know her. I did save her life way back, but she didn’t remember that. She just stared blankly back at me. I went to reach for her, but she collapsed onto the floor and began to sob uncontrollably. I wanted to join her, but I couldn’t. I needed to be strong for the both of us, and for Dave. He wouldn’t want her going through this, which was why I needed to do what I came here to do. I squatted down to her level and put my arm around her shoulder. She leaned into me.

“What happened?” she asked between deep breaths.

“There was a fight, and I’m so sorry Chloe. I tried to save him, but I was too late.”

“This can’t be happening! He’s a Reaper. You guys don’t die…what am I going to do without him?”

“That’s why I’m here. I’m going to make this better.”

She sprang up suddenly, knocking me on my ass. I got up slowly, not wanting to startle her anymore. Apparently, I’d said something that offended her as she jumped up like a tarantula had just had just ran across her foot.

“How could you possibly make this any better? He’s gone…He won’t be back. Nothing could make this better!”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you more upset. What I simply meant was that I’m going to take your pain away.”

“How?” She didn’t finish her thought as her eyes went wide and then narrowed like I’d just killed her mother again.

“NO!” Chloe screamed in sheer panic. “You will not take him away from me.”

“He’s already gone. I’m sorry.”

“You will not take him away from me.” She brought out a knife like that had the power to stop me. She rushed me, and I grabbed her right arm that held the knife. She struck me again in the face with her left fist. It landed square on my nose. Black circles clouded my vision temporarily, but I blinked rapidly, and they quickly faded.

“It will make you feel better. I have to,” I said as I grabbed her other arm and forced both of them to her waist.

“I want to keep him here forever,” she shouted in my face. “Even if it is only in my mind. YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM FROM ME.” The mascara was running down her cheeks, and her voice was barely understandable at the pitch she was screaming at.

“I can’t let you, I’m sorry.” She’d be in danger knowing about us, and it would only lead her to suffering.

“Fuck you! Yes you can. You saved me, didn’t you? You weren’t supposed to do that either.”

“Fine,” I said, and the tension in her shoulders eased.

“Thank…” She started to say as I head-butted her. I caught her unconscious body before it hit the cement below. I laid her on the ground and placed my hand on the side of her head, wiping her mind clear of anything Dave related. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. It really was better this way. Hundreds would pay for what I just gave her, wouldn’t they? To forget their pain and live guilt free? Dave would have wanted it this way. He would have wanted her to live her life. Once you’ve experienced love like they’d had, that wasn’t something you could just forget or get over. Tears stung in my eyes as Trevor popped into my mind. What that meant I didn’t need to think about right now. I looked down at her swollen eyes. I had to take it away so she could live, right? But if this really was the right decision, why did I feel so shitty about it. If I was given the choice to forget about Trevor, would I want to forget what we did or didn’t have? Had we had what Dave and Chloe had? Did I throw that all away by not letting us figure everything out together?

Chapter Forty-One

Trapped

“We have to go back there and help her,” Lacie yelled at Drake when I ported back. “Good. Cendall is here. She’ll agree with me.”

“On?” I asked.

“Okay. Well, I started remembering some things while you were gone. You see, there was a lady there they were keeping caged. She healed me when I first got there. I think she was an Angel or something— I don’t know it’s all hazy—but I swear remembering her calling me her daughter. The Demon kept threating my life if I wouldn’t cooperate, and then she’d heal me and he’d beat her. It was sick—going from inches from death to life in an instant. But I distinctly remember him saying make your daughter cooperate.”

“Daughter?”

“So he stole your parents?” This didn’t make sense.

“No, they were sent away, and I haven’t heard anything on them being captured.”

“She had blonde hair like me. That, I could make out, but my vision wasn’t really all there from the beatings.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get there quicker.”

“It’s not your fault, Cendall. He just wanted something from me that I couldn’t do and didn’t have. He just kept yelling, ‘You will tip the scale. You will port me to the gates, little girl,’ over and over. He thought I had powers that I didn’t possess. It felt natural when she called me ‘daughter’ though. Like, at first, she tried to deny to the Demon that I was hers, but he already knew somehow. She asked about my sister, too, when he left us alone, but I could barely talk. I tried telling her I had no idea what she was talking about, but I don’t think she could understand me at that point.

“There’s another one of you out there?” I asked.

“Not that I’m aware of, but this lady said there was, and that if I didn’t know her, that was good and meant that my sister was still alive and the secret was safe.”

“That’s odd. I can try and find out, but I swear, Lacie, I was told when I got the assignment that your parents were sent away for their protection a long time ago. Do you remember any other distinct features about the Angel who healed you?”

“I saw her left hand, where she had a dark silver ring which had a ruby birthstone. I think she was tall…” Ruby birthstone, like my families.

“Do Guardians have family rings? We could start there. None of this makes sense, but it has to tie in somehow. Why would a Demon keep an Angel captive?” Trevor would probably know, but I doubt he’d be okay with what I’d done to keep Lacie alive. He’d probably never want to talk to me again. Tears began to fall from my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but the last time I’d seen him kept coming to my mind. What would I have done if he’d done that to me? I’d never talk to him probably. I secretly hoped he was a better person than me.

Chapter Forty-Two

Well, Hello There

My arm slammed down onto my alarm just as it started going off. I’d set it to get up early this morning so I could try and piece some of this puzzle together. I rolled out of bed and stepped out of my room to start coffee for everyone.

I heard the front door click open, and my mouth dropped as Trevor walked in. He walked straight up to me with saying a word. I put my hands up, and they connected with his chest. I tried getting out a word, but the look he was giving me made my breath catch. He kept walking forward, pushing me across the room until we slammed into the back living room wall. I tried to free myself but to no avail. He hung his head down to mine and took deep breaths.

“Don’t ever fucking do that to me again,” he demanded as he slammed his hands against the wall, letting them land on mere inches from the sides of my head. I watched the dust settle on my shoulders. I guess he was upset.

“Okay.” Was all I said, and his lips were on mine with a hunger he’d shown me only once before. “I’m so…god…Cendall,” he said as he pulled away for a second but then dove back in. “I’m so happy you’re alive…If had died, and I never got to tell you, that I, Cendall…I’m so glad that I guessed you’d be here. I would have looked forever until I found you,” said between ravenous kisses, but he froze as the door clicked open once more.

“Who else is here?” His head snapped in that direction just as Lacie walked around the corner.

“Oh, hey Trevor.” As soon as the words left her lips, she slammed her hand over her mouth, and her eyes went wide. That girl couldn’t hold anything in.

“Lacie?”

She nodded her head and ran back into her room.

“What did you do? I came here because I had a feeling, if anywhere, you’d be here, and I thought I’d be bringing you good news that I could feel Lacie’s presence again on earth, but you obviously already know that.”

“Yup,” was all that came out.

“Did you see what happened?” he asked.

“Yup”

“Did you put her in that?”

“Yup.”

“So, not only are you going to be expelled from your realm, but they probably won’t let you work for mine anymore either. How did you do it?”

“Long story.”

“Damn it, Cendall.”

“I umm…” I wanted to explain later and continue on with what we had been doing prior to him turning into angry Trevor.

“I’m so fucking mad at you! I can’t believe you just left me like that. We are supposed to be in this together. I thought we had an understanding. After all that’s happened...” I can’t lose him popped into my mind as all the feelings I had tried to push away for so long came rushing into me at once—the first time I saw him, our wrestling matches, the first, second, and last time we’d kissed.

“I know. I’m sorry, but I had to.”

“I know that, too. I’m so angry with you, but…you’re alive…and I thought…Fuck I thought I lost you, again. I’m so sick of playing this game with you. I need to know something right now.”

“Okay,” was all I could get out as I felt his body trembling against mine.

“Do you want me or not, Cendall? No more games, no more lies, just tell me the truth. I deserve that answer at the very least after all of this.”

“You still want me, even though I’ll be looked at almost as badly as Demons for doing this?”

“That should be obvious by me standing here. Horns or halo Cendall, I’d take you either way. But I need to know if you feel the same.”

“Yes,” came out without any thought as I kissed him and then pulled away. “I’m sorry. I’ve wanted you for so long now, and I’m sorry I made excuses. I’ve actually been thinking about it for so long, and I’m so sick and tired of fighting against this….”

He slammed his mouth back on mine, and I melted into him. He lowered his hands to my hips and pulled us together.

I heard a deep growl that made me stop moving my lips and open my eyes. Had Trevor just growled at me? His eyes were still closed. As I pulled my mouth away from his, he started a trail of light kisses down my neck. I froze in place as I looked past him and saw where the growl had come from.

“I suggest you get your hands off my daughter’s hips unless you want a face to face meeting with your maker, Guardian,” Dad said in a tone I hadn’t heard since I had ported to earth alone when I was twelve. Trevor stopped and turned slowly, pulling away from me. He reached for his spear, but I shook my head slightly. If he pulled that out, dad would finish him off.