Hades Sent : Book One of the Sent Series, page 3
I turn and run out of the apartment while Greve is still writhing on the floor, holding his crotch. I’ll get someone to take me to the pond to wait on Gabriella. Surely, I will lose him.
My feet hit the bottom of the stairs and I cut across the street, almost colliding with a couple of cars in the process. The drivers glare and beep their horns at me, obviously not realizing I am running for my life.
Demons are fast, terrifyingly so. Since they can’t fly, they make up for it in speed. Greve will catch up to me since he is full demon and I’m only half. But maybe if I can manage to find a car, I can outrun him.
Greve shouts at me from across the street with more annoyance than fury. I keep running until a silver Camry stops in front of me. A man is in the driver’s seat, waiting on the light to turn green. This is my chance. I say a silent prayer, reach the car, and pull the door open. The driver looks at me, stunned, and before he can do anything else, I tug him out of the seat. “I’m sorry!” I yell, while closing the door.
Okay. Remember what to do here. Car is idling. Seatbelt is now on. Greve’s reflection appears in the passenger side mirror. Crap. I can’t wait for the light to turn green, so I put my foot on the gas and floor it.
The tires screech in protest along with the poor driver I left behind. He will get the car back, I remind myself. It’s just a little cruise to the pond. Yes. That’s all. Greve falls behind in the distance and for a moment I breathe in a sigh of relief. These missions are not supposed to happen this way! Visions of Greve happily conforming to me and promising not to ever steal again leave as quickly as they started.
He was going to kill me! Well, he was going to let someone else do it. But why? What’s a part angel to anybody? Dad will know. Dad always knows. If I make it back to him. I glance back nervously, hoping to not see Greve running behind me. Dad told me stories of how Mom could catch up to him while he was flying. They would race for fun. A demon and an angel having fun together seems too far-fetched for my mind. It’s basically unheard of.
The clock on the console tells me I’ve got fifteen minutes to get back to the pond, flee from Greve, and find Gabriella. That’s not impossible, right? The car cruises along the highway now, and I figure I’m going as fast as the car can handle. I mean, speeds for me are different than human speeds. But Greve is out of sight, which means good job to me!
My joy lasts less than five minutes because when I look out at the passenger side again, Greve is running right beside the car. He smiles at me, his body completely warped with speed. “Pull over!” He mouths at me from outside the car. Really? Pull over?
I shake my head at him. The pond is just up ahead. He’s right here, by the car, so close that I can probably pin him underneath it. Since he’s part demon or whatever, he won’t die. I have to admit, I would feel a bit guilty if he actually died.
Greve is still looking at me, expecting me to listen to him. I tug on the wheel, swerving the car off the side of the road. I hear a thump, and then the car bounces a little. My feet push on the brake and the car screeches to a stop. My breathing is labored. I hit him! One part of me shouts in victory. What have I done?! The angel part wails.
For once, I tell the angel side to shut it. I refuse to go out without a fight. The pond is there, right through the tree line. Gabriella will be there any minute. I’ve got to face him. I’ve got to face the person I pinned under the car, the person that was trying to get me killed.
Hastily, I open the car door and climb out. Sure enough, Greve lies there underneath the car, with this dumbfounded expression on his face. I can’t help but to giggle a little. “No offense and all, but I’m not going anywhere with you,” I say peering down over him.
His eyes find me and recognition floods his face. He curses at me, but all I make out are the words, “Go.” And “Hell.” He is definitely confused. Hell is where he belongs. “No thanks, Greve. Anyway, this is your own fault.”
“Ireland? Where are you?” Gabriella’s voice comes from across the road.
“Here! Right here! I’m coming!” I shout back at her. As I start to walk toward the trees, I feel a strange sensation that keeps me grounded. It’s a tug at my middle, an unexplained sense of longing in my mind. I long for him. Thoughts and commands tell me to help him. To stay. To help. It’s so overpowering that my knees fall out from under me. I hit the pavement, oblivious to Gabriella approaching me.
Greve’s eyes lock onto me. He doesn’t speak or move. He talks to me in my mind. His voice, strong and wild, tells me to stay. My body doesn’t move, my nerves are frozen with confusion. I want to go. I have to go, but then I want to stay. Greve is controlling me at least partially. The demon part, I suspect. My hands move toward Greve even though I didn’t ask them to. I struggle to stop.
“You want to be with me,” Greve purrs. “Stay and I will not harm you. Leave and I will hunt you.”
It takes minutes for me to process what he says. My mind is muttered with visions of Greve and me together. We are breaking curfew, going to parties, racing, and riding. We kiss. We lust. Everything I have ever thought about doing on my own, we are doing together. He is showing me all the desires my demon blood processes and for a split second, I want so badly to oblige.
“No,” I say in no more than a whisper. “Stop it! Stop doing that. It’s not real!”
Greve smiles at me. “How do you know that I’m not showing you our future?”
I shake my head. “Because that’s impossible.”
“Ireland, what are you doing? We’ve got to go.” Gabriella walks over and starts shaking me. She tugs at my hand trying to get me to come. “I’m fixing to leave you here with him. Do you understand me?”
Her words hit me suddenly and my mind feels lifted. “Let’s go. Take my hand!”
She shakes her head at me, annoyed. “Finally! One … two … three …” She lifts me up across the clouds.
Wind blows in my face, clearing it. But the farther away I get from Greve, the dizzier I feel. We are still on Earth, that’s why I can feel sickness, I tell myself. As soon as we break the barrier to get our heaven, I will be okay. Surely. Hopefully.
It doesn’t happen that way. We pass the barrier and the dizziness is so profound, I get sick in the clouds.
“Oh gross!” Gabriella drops me close to the drop-off and runs out of sight.
I’m alone. There’s no one here. Where are the others? Where’s our teacher? What’s going on?
There’s so much to process. I liked what Greve showed me. The visions all seemed so real and I wanted it. If only for a split second, I wanted nothing more but him and the freedom. My ears ring with the pulse of my heart. Earning my wings is something I’ve wanted since I was young. Now, all of a sudden, the thing I want most in the world is not even here. He is at least part demon. A demon, just like what makes up part of me. Am I crazy? Am I delusional? Greve put thoughts and desires in my head and they swirl, timid at first, only to become much fiercer. Demon blood is powerful. Angel blood is resourceful. Together, they work to override the other in my body. And I can’t handle it. It’s all too much. There’s too much energy. It’s all too demanding! My body starts to convulse right here in the clouds. “Dad!” I shout. “Daddy!” Please let him come for me … please let him come.
Chapter Three
Ireland
Warm bed. Clean sheets. My father’s voice whispers across the room. Relief flows through me along with the feeling that my mind is in a fog. My nose feels stuffy and my body aches. I didn’t think this could be possible here at home. Angels aren’t supposed to feel sick or weak. We are healed as soon as we cross the barrier from the outside world.
And yet … Greve affected me in a way I never thought possible. He controlled me if only for a few minutes. That time was enough to force my inner demon and angel blood to intersect. If I can’t control myself around him, then I can’t control myself around others just like him. The thought scares me.
I mumble slightly more or less to myself. Dad hears me and walks over to my bed along with his friend Adam. That must be who Dad was whispering to earlier. They both look down on me, weary.
“Ireland?” Dad places his hand on my forehead.
“She feels warm to me, Adam.” Dad glances over at his lifelong friend. I should have known Adam would be here too. Thank goodness though. Without Adam, our lives would be even harder. He’s in the Higher Authority and sneaks things to us from time to time. I smile at him. How blessed we are to have him.
“Benjamin, I will run some more tests as soon as I can get the machine past the guards and down here,” Adam says to Dad while looking right into my eyes. He is reading me and studying me, as always.
Dad sighs and says, “Thank you. Once again we rely on you.”
Adam smiles at me and then to Dad. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I should go before someone notices me gone. Take care, Ireland. I will be back as soon as I am able and we will talk then.”
I return the smile. “Okay. And thank you.”
Dad leaves to walk Adam out of the house and then returns to me. The look on his face makes me feel ten times worse than before I woke up. When he looks at me, his blue eyes are afraid and timid. He’s frightened of me, I think. How can I scare my own dad? It’s true we don’t look a lot alike. He has the standard white hair and blue eyes. Dad is pale with a tiny frame. But don’t let his size fool you. He’s the strongest person I know, both inside and out. And right now, all I want to do is tell him I’m okay. That everything will be okay, although nothing is guaranteed.
Dad sits at the edge of my bed, by my feet. “Honey, tell me honestly, are you okay? Adam says you were convulsing when you came back. I’ve watched the recording and I just don’t understand what happened.”
My stomach aches just thinking about how Greve made me feel. Surely, Dad can tell what happened if he and Adam looked through the logs. They saw the recording and heard what Greve was trying to do. Surely they did. I rub the bar code etched into the skin on my wrist. I was scanned and checked in before I left. The higher authority has all recordings and all feeds. They can tell exactly what happened. But, by the way my father’s brows scrunch together, I can tell he didn’t see what I witnessed.
“I’m okay.” Our hands find each other. “Things are a bit fuzzy still, but nothing I can’t deal with. Don’t worry.”
“Ireland, you still didn’t tell me what happened. Why did you not apprehend the boy? You ran an innocent over, child. Please tell me … did he threaten you? There was nothing on the tapes. Not a single indication of threats or pursuit. And you know what that means … they will want you out.”
No proof? How can that be? “Dad!” I bolt up so I can look him in the eye. “Are you serious? Of course he threatened me! He said he was going to take me. That there were people wanting me. I had to do something. It’s all got to be there.” I knew the higher authority was after me. They set me up somehow.
He sighs at me, tired. “Are you for certain? Are you sure you … didn’t get carried away? I know it’s hard for you to control yourself sometimes.”
Suddenly, I feel like crying. Is my demon blood prevailing so much that people think this of me? “It is hard sometimes but you know me, Dad. You know I would never ever hurt anyone on purpose.” Well aside from kind of running over Greve, but he doesn’t really need to know that.
Dad stares at me as if trying to decide what to believe. Finally, he sighs and touches my cheek. “I believe you. The problem is the higher authority. I’ve seen the recordings and there is nothing on them to suggest this boy was after you. Adam can only persuade them for so long. Even his power is limited. They will want you out. I can’t bear to see my little girl plucked out of here and away from me. I just don’t understand it. What did this boy want? Tell me what really happened.”
I start from the beginning and tell Dad everything, leaving out no parts. When I finish, he knows exactly what happened and what Greve said and I can tell it frightens him.
“Okay. I will recount what happened to you to Adam. He should tell the others and we will have to see what they say. But in the meantime, you will stay put here on our level. No running around. No creating mischief. I’m afraid they have been after us for a long time, child. It’s your word against all of them and we have no place here. You understand?”
“I’m sorry. This is not how I pictured today going. I didn’t ask for this. You know that.”
Dad smiles and kisses my hand. “You hybrids never ask for any of this. This is my punishment more than yours. Be back in a little bit. Get some rest.” He pats me on the head like he did when I was little, and walks out of the room.
Chapter Four
Ireland
I wake to sounds of someone knocking on my door. My eyes flutter open and it takes a second to comprehend someone is out there waiting on me to answer. I’ve been in my bed for two days trying to regroup and heal from the Greve incident. My sleep has been heavy and my dreams terrifying. More than once, Greve took me and tortured me. I shudder at the thought.
The knocking continues, so I reluctantly call out, “Come in.” No one has come to see me aside from Dad obviously. Even though I didn’t expect anyone to.
The door opens quickly as Faith steps into my bedroom. She stares at me for a moment before coming closer.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, suddenly embarrassed of my appearance and my room. Faith is from the higher levels. She lives in a second story apartment that is fully furnished with all the essentials. My room consists of a bed, dresser, and a mirror. I have a couple of books on my dresser and pale yellow walls to help decorate my space. The difference makes me so uneasy. I know she is somewhat like me because of her eyes. How is she continuing to hide her true self?
Faith shrugs at me and says, “I heard what happened the other day. The higher authority is very angry, you know.”
“Yeah, why do you care?”
Faith comes closer and takes my hand before sitting on the floor. “Is it not obvious? Come, Ireland, you know we are similar. I’ve seen you staring at me.”
I stare because you are different. The problem is, can I trust you? I lean over toward the side of the bed so that I can see Faith fully. “Yes, I study and analyze everyone,” I respond, with more or less the truth.
“I see,” she says and her eyes glare at me. “Well, if that’s the case then I am wasting my time, clearly.” Faith stands and stares at me. She’s giving me another chance. Another moment before she leaves me. It is now or never.
“Wait. You’re right. Your eyes …” Please don’t let her be a spy for someone. I can just picture it. The higher authority running through the house, taking me by the arms and throwing me to Earth, while laughing with glee. A cold shock runs through me.
Faith turns around and smiles. “Yes, Ireland. My eyes … the byproduct of me being a hybrid. That’s my secret. Now, tell me yours …”
“But you already know my secret,” I answer crossly.
“Yes, I do. That demon mother of yours left you in a dire state. If she was going to give you her genetics, she should have stuck around long enough to show you the benefits.”
“You … can’t be part demon,” I stutter. Faith has blonde hair, green eyes, and she’s pale. Nothing about her screams, “Hey! I’m part demon!” Not like me.
“No, silly.” She sits on the side of my bed. I scoot my legs over to make room. “This …” She waves her hand over her body. “What I have is human. I’m part human and part angel. You may not think you are very lucky, but you are. You have your dad.”
I wait, patient for her to tell me more. So many times I wanted and needed someone to talk to. Only when I’m sure Faith isn’t saying anything else, I respond to her.
“You have both of your parents, right? Mr. Michael and Mrs. Harmony aren’t you’re real parents?”
Faith shakes her head. “They are cover-ups. Pure angels sure, but not like me. I have a human father and an angel mother. Dad is down there. I’ve seen him a time or two, believe it or not. He has helped me most although he doesn’t understand.”
I can’t help but notice she left out her mother entirely. Michael and Harmony seem harmless as most angels should be. They are on the higher authority and that’s a problem. They are in my way of getting my wings. They are in the way of everything.
“What about your mom? Are you close to your false parents?” I wonder if I should have called them that. That’s what they are … fake. Everything seems that way to me. There’s a big gaping hole around me that can’t be filled because the atmosphere keeps changing. Never can we, as hybrids, figure out how to fill in all the pieces.
Faith looks uncomfortable at the mention of her mother. “I don’t want to talk about my mother. Maybe later, when the time right. To answer your other question … Michael and Harmony are everyone’s dream parents on the outside. They do care for me. They also hide a lot of things, obviously. This brings me to why I really came here.” She leans in closer and whispers, “Meet me near the drop-off after dark. I feel like making this relationship on more even ground. You know a lot about me already. However, I don’t know a lot of what happened down there and it’s important that we talk about it. I know things. Important things. It’s time we catch up.”
I swallow down air. “I can’t leave this room. I’m forbidden. If someone catches me … I will be out of here.”
Faith gets up as if not hearing any of it. “Like I said”—she smiles—“you have that demon blood in you. If you want to know what I know, you will find a way. Don’t disappoint me.”
Chapter Five
Greve
The girl wasn’t supposed to get away from me. No one has ever gotten away before … and yet … Ireland Grace did. She fought against me. I don’t know if I want to kill her immediately when she comes back to Earth or take her. For demons it’s usually one side or the other, lust or a kill, pain or pleasure. Ireland the angel will be back. That’s not the question. My concern is what I’m going to do with her.
