Authors: Dawn Brazil
I shook my head. “I faced him and…you know what… I think I should let you see what happened for yourself.”
“What...how can you…” He stopped and gazed at me for a minute, not speaking.
I grabbed his hands. They were moist. “Close your eyes,” I ordered him. Of course, he didn’t. I pulled his face to mine and looked into his eyes. I saw his doubt and his love. He wanted to protect me. I understood. “Trust me. Please.” He nodded, then closed his eyes. Instantly, we were back to the scene on the road.
His eyes remained shut, but the reaction to what occurred shown in his face. His expression changed from anger to shock then elation in a matter of seconds. I played it all for him so he could understand.
Once I was satisfied that he knew what happened, I pulled back. However, he didn’t release my hands. Instead, he pulled me from the driver’s seat to him. I sat on his lap and smiled down at him.
“What are you doing? We have to go,” I said. Though I could sit and hold him the entire night.
He didn’t say anything. My heart, as usual, beat like crazy in my chest. He stroked the length of my face and stared at me. I didn’t say anything either; I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Finally, he spoke, “You’re amazing.”
“We’re amazing. It was Zack all along. All this time. I kissed him, ewww...that’s just disgusting.”
“What do we do now?” He stared so intently into my eyes, I was barely able to speak. He traced a finger along my neck, then my shoulder and moved it around to my waist. I had to take a breath. Even as Amanda, his touch rendered me speechless.
“Nothing. He’s shape shifting…since he killed the body he possessed as Zack,” I finally managed. “That immediately alerted me to something. We’re not dealing with a man. A spirit of some kind, a demon, an angel...I’m not sure yet but not a human man.” I cringed at the thought of a non-human psychotic killer running rampant in Manhattan.
“I was able to discern his thoughts. On some morbid level, Chris, I think the ENO and I knew each other – before this – and were friends. I also know he’s looking for something. I think it has something to do with our power. If he can strip us of our power then he can defeat us easily. I’m not really sure if that’s his main purpose, though. But I do know that he cannot kill any of us. At least not yet. The entire fiasco tonight was a big show...he tried to scare Chloe, but Amanda showed up and he hadn’t counted on that.” I paused and looked down at Chris. His eyes sparkled and his mouth turned up at the corners.
“What?”
I pulled back to study his face more. He ran his tongue across his lips then allowed his eyes to trail my face then the top half of my body. His hands slid to my waist and he pulled me closer. “Continue please,” he whispered.
I bit my bottom lip to reign in my thoughts. “Um…his primary purpose isn’t to end the world – or to destroy humans – it’s to destroy us, the eight of us. We’ve done something in one of our lives that has pissed him off. Bad. If normals are caught in the fray then he has no issue with killing them. But they aren’t his primary target. The game has rules. Rules that I don’t fully understand and honestly hate abiding by. But Chris, I could’ve killed him. I mean, I really think I have the power to do that.”
His lips were to mine before I could complete another sentence. And I didn’t realize how much I needed his touch. Our bodies pressed together, radiated warmth that enveloped me as he rained kisses over me. Faster then slower – as if he wanted to savor every moment. I lost myself in his sweet tenderness. I forgot the dance and everyone else who would be waiting on us.
The electric current rose and fell beneath my skin and our accelerated hearts beat an identical rhythm. “I’m crazy in love with you,” he whispered in my ear. “I want you in every way.”
“You can’t imagine how much I want you.” I stroked the side of his face. “All things in due time, sweetheart.” I rose and took my seat back at the wheel. His eyes caressed me with love as I drove and I stole a few glances of my own. But we drove in silence the remaining distance to the dance.
When we arrived and I saw the large number of cars parked outside the school, fatigue settled in. I was restless and tired of school dances. I’d been to hundreds of them in my previous lives, which afforded me the right to hate them now. But for appearance sake, I guess I had to come.
“Come here,” Chris said. He grabbed me by the hips and slid me to the right when we arrived at the main entrance to the hall. “Do you remember everything?” Hope sprang into his eyes.
“Um, I’m not sure how much right now. I remember a lot. Not everything, I’m sure. Why? Is something wrong?”
“No, not really. It’s just…you told me something on Tierra. You asked me to remind you here on Earth. You told me to tell you when we all gathered to dance and the ENO was stuck in a tree.”
“Really, I was very literal, huh?” I laughed until my side hurt. Chris didn’t join in, so I calmed myself and tried to wear the same serious face he wore. “I don’t remember saying that. But I guess today’s the day for you to tell me.”
“Yeah.” He cast his eyes down and frowned as if he smelled something foul. “Um…you said the twelve of us and the ENO are one and the same. You said that one of us could not be trusted. You saw it in a dream. And you made me remember this one thing, word for word: ‘The greatest lie man has ever told himself was he is the superior being.’”
“Okay…that’s weird. I wonder who the person is we shouldn’t trust. And what’s up with the twelve of us stuff? And how the hell did I tell you something on Tierra that the ENO just said to me? Now. Here. On Earth.”
“Shit. The ENO said that.” He frowned. “I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not sure if you were literal or if the person we can’t trust is actually one of the eight of us. It could be one of the others that make us the twelve. But I’m not sure about the twelve of us part either.” He ran his hands through his hair. “We just need to be careful.” He inched closer and cupped my face in his hands. My heart raced at his touch and his chocolate and mint breath sent my pulse into overdrive as he spoke. “I’ll never let anything happen to you. My life is insignificant without you.”
“I’d be lost without you, too. That’s why I know we can do this, Chris. We can defeat him and all his mind games. Us and the–”
“Were you going to say, The Great Eight?” Sam said. “So glad you didn’t forget us.” She had an easy sideways grin as she walked up with Joseph in tow. And I couldn’t help but laugh.
I missed her so much!
Raja and Phillip were beside her. Raja dazzled everyone in a cheetah print strapless dress. Jill and Scott brought up the rear with identical black and red outfits.
“We could never forget our family,” I said. I opened my arms for everyone to join us in an embrace. “We can do anything. We can defeat the ENO and send him to Hell where he belongs.” I looked around at the seven people embracing me. Just a short time ago, I was frightened of my own shadow. Now I was fighting demons, or whatever the ENO was – and enjoying the challenge.
Everyone looked happy and hopeful. I smiled at my new friends’ enthusiasm. “This has been a crazy couple of months for me. I’m Chloe and Amanda, I embrace them both. It’s easy to rage against who you should be when you don’t really know who that person is. But it’s fulfilling to become who you were meant to be. And despite everything, we’re all here together. Something the ENO hadn’t counted on.” I lifted my head high, cleared my throat, and said, “We’ll fight him until our last breath.”
“To the death,” everyone said.
“To the death,” I whispered, hopeful.
Then a fleeting vision crossed my eyes. I saw it – a heinous act. A shiver tore through me. Chris tightened his grip around my waist and his eyes met with mine. He was asking me what was going on. I pulled away from his stare and shrugged my shoulders.
I took a deep breath. My mind could scarcely comprehend the revelation in my vision.
I knew who the traitor was. I saw that person do the unthinkable.
They killed everyone.
The traitor was…
….me.
<<<<>>>>
About the Author
Dawn Brazil has a degree in English and has always had a love for words. But she had to stumble through a few careers before she decided to do what she loved. She lives in Texas with her husband and three kids and many, many, many books.
Finding Me
is her first novel. But definitely not her last!
Facebook Page: Author Dawn Brazil
Acknowledgements
I am a girl. A single solitary person unto myself but this girl alone cannot take credit for this work. My family – husband, daughters, and son all deserve a grand gesture of appreciation, like a vacation. Preferably with me included but without my laptop for a while. Thank you for your understanding and patience and for calling me crazy and obsessed when I couldn’t hear it. But loving me in my face.
Two of my early cheerleaders – both Tara from Michigan and Tara from Florida – thank you, thank you, thank you. For believing in this story, in this girl, in these characters even when I doubted myself. There are many others who deserve a thanks for their part in helping me to stay focused and on track…too many to mention here. But you all know who you are.
Love ya!
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