Chapter 13: Messy Situation

A look of panic washes over Skylar's face and he holds up both hands like someone's pointing a gun at him. "Wait! I-I'm not going anywhere!" he screams in a shaky voice.

"You have no choice," I say simply, hoping he doesn't try anything stupid, like trying to get away.

Skylar's gaze shifts from me to Dominic as Aunt Kelly and Uncle John watch from behind us. "I-I won't go. You can't make me!" he shouts, turning around and looking for a way out. He's about to take off but Dominic is way ahead of him, grabbing his collar before he can take even one step.

"You will come. We do not have time for this," Dominic says, his voice calm but fierce.

Skylar stumbles and yanks his body away from Dominic like a little kid who just got in trouble. "I can walk, dammit!"

Dominic steps away, his glare a reminder to behave, and reaches for my hand. "We must go, now!" he says, jerking his head toward the forest.

The gesture doesn't go unnoticed as Aunt Kelly, Uncle John, and Skylar follow us down a slight hill and through the heavily wooded path. It's light enough to see but we have to walk in single file, navigating past thorny vines and low-hanging branches. After maybe ten minutes, we finally reach the entrance to the cave.

Dominic stops before going in, looking down at me. "Zack is waiting inside," he says in a low voice.

"Good, I need to talk to him." I try to make my way past him, wondering why he stopped us.

Dominic reaches out, pulling my arm gently back. "Do you think your aunt is ready?" he whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"Zack is not the same as he once was." He glances toward the cave and then back to me. "We need to prepare her."

"She'll be fine," I answer, waving my hand like it's no big deal. "She already knows he's come back."

Dominic shoots me a doubtful look but steps aside for me to lead them in.

The cave is beyond dark, but the torches give off enough light to see the way around. Zack is standing by the huge rock where Dominic's crystals remain lined up. He's wearing a dark cloak with the hood pulled up and for the first time since seeing him again, I notice he gives off a subtle light-almost as if he's glowing. He definitely has an otherworldly look, which is strangely mesmerizing. I freeze for a second, taking it in, when Aunt Kelly comes up to my left.

She's trembling with fear or nerves, I'm not sure which, and squints as she tries to make out who he is. Her eyes go wide and her body wobbles into mine, causing me to stumble. Dominic instantly reacts, catching her by the arms. He shoots me an "I told you" look but I ignore it.

"Zack?" Her voice cracks when she says his name.

He pulls down his hood, revealing his new blue eyes. Aunt Kelly gasps before running into his arms. Zack embraces her warmly, smiling down at her.

"Kate told me it was true...but I...I still can't believe it's really you!" She strokes his face with her palm, studying his features.

Zack leans in, gently kissing her cheek. "Yes, Aunt Kelly, we definitely have some catching up to do, but first..." He stops, looking from me and to Dominic. "First we need to discuss what just happened and what we've now started."

"Wait, what we started?" I pop back. "We were attacked!" My words are a little louder than intended, shifting my eyes to Uncle John, who looks slightly in shock as he stares at Zack.

"I'm fully aware of what happened," Zack says calmly. His eyes go to Skylar, who looks confused and scared out of his mind.

"Then where the hell were you when I called for you?" I shout, this time with full intention.

"Clearly, you didn't need me," Zack says, shaking his head. "You will never know your true abilities if you always seek help."

"True abilities?" I scream. "Dominic could have died!"

"Dominic did die," Zack admits, "but you saved him...yourself."

"I kissed him, Zack," I shout, as blood rushes to my face. "I didn't do any saving!" I'm pissed and don't understand why he's being so nonchalant about this.

"He's right," Skylar's shaky voice chimes in. "I saw the whole thing myself. We all did."

Sweet Jesus.

Realization washes over me and my hand goes to my mouth. The floating, the feeling of energy being sucked out of me. Was that me? My power? Did I really bring him back?

"Now do you believe me?" Zack says, smiling. "You've only just begun uncovering your true gifts..." 

I knew Zack was right even before the words came out of his mouth. And somehow, I hadn't understood until this very moment. My confidence, or maybe my newfound independence, has tripled over the past couple of days. I can actually feel a change in myself. I'm no longer wallowing; I have a purpose. I don't understand that purpose, but I have a purpose just the same. It's as if the world has become alive, more colorful, and my senses have been magnified.

"Yeah," I say, grinning back at Zack. "I do. I think I do believe you."

"Good, because we still need to talk about the Demon attack," Zack says, looking to Uncle John.

Uncle John perks up, as if suddenly paying attention. "Wait a second, I don't know how the hell you're suddenly alive," his hand waves up and down at Zack, "much less standing in a cave, talking to you about some kind of demon attack, but I swear, I didn't know that guy actually was one." His words are defensive, his eyes darting nervously around to each of us.

"That might be true," Zack pauses, "but you were taking money from him-right?"

Aunt Kelly's eyes go wide. "Wait, he gave you money? Why?"

I watch Uncle John's Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallows but it seems he's too scared to answer her question.

"You want me to tell her?" Zack asks. "Or would you like to tell us all the truth?"

Aunt Kelly's expression shifts to a tight scowl as she straightens up her back like she's preparing herself for more devastating news. Uncle John glances at her and looks down, squeezing his eyes shut as his fingers rub against his forehead.

"I...I needed it to pay someone back," he finally blurts out.

"Dammit, John! Your fucking gambling almost got us all killed!" Aunt Kelly cries, the rage in her eyes sending a chill down my neck. "Do you realize if Kate hadn't been there, Dominic would be dead right now? That we all could be dead right now?!"

"That's just it," Zack chimes in. "The Demon," he pauses and looks at me, "was after you, Katie."

"Wait a second, are you saying Uncle John led him to me?" My voice rises an octave. "How could you do that? To pay a debt?!"

"Hold on." Uncle John's hand goes up. "I don't remember anything after meeting that dude in the motel parking lot. I don't even know how I got to the cemetery-I swear."

"The Demon influenced you," Zack explains. "You were under his control by then."

"Well, that explains his black eyes," I say, watching his fear change to confusion.

"We can work out the details later, but for now, we need a plan," Zack says, rubbing his hands together.

"Hold on! The knife." Aunt Kelly interrupts, narrowing her eyes at Uncle John, capturing his full attention. "I did that!" she says like she's just putting the pieces together. "I'm the one who got it away from you!"

"What knife?" Uncle John's eyes dart to each of us as another level of confusion covers his face.

Aunt Kelly takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "The one you had around Kate's throat, you son of a bitch!" she shouts, her voice full of fury.

"I swear to God, honey, I didn't know!" Uncle John pleads, but she looks away as if disgusted by the sight of him.

"It doesn't matter now," Aunt Kelly whispers as a single tear drops down her cheek. "When we get home, I'm-" She shakes her head, struggling to speak. "It's over."

Uncle John's face goes white and he rushes to take her hand but she jerks away.

"Please don't, baby. Please don't do this..." His voice drips with anguish and if he were anyone else I might actually feel sorry for him. But I don't. I can't forgive him for treating Aunt Kelly like shit all these years and trying to make up for it with seven little words.

"I hate to break the news," Zack's voice soaks up the dreadful awkwardness, "but no one's going anywhere-at least for now. It isn't safe for any of you and we have to do everything we can to keep you safe."

"Um, that's impossible," Skylar interrupts, frantically looking for an exit. "I-I have football practice! And Thanksgiving is in two days! I can't stay here!"

Zack looks over at Dominic and he nods; apparently they can communicate subliminally. Dominic picks up one of the crystals and hands it to Skylar. "Take this and squeeze it in your hand."

Skylar looks up at Dominic as his fingers fold around the crystal. "What is this?"

"It will help you," Dominic says simply.

Skylar falls silent, squeezing the stone without question, and his knuckles go white. A flash of light completely illuminates the cave; I have to cover my eyes from the blinding light. The cave goes dark after a moment and I cautiously open my eyes, waiting for my vision to adjust back to the darkness. Skylar's gone, nowhere in sight.

"Skylar? Where did you go? Skylar?!" I call for him, realizing how frantic must I sound.

Zack takes my hand. "He's okay. I sent him home. He won't remember a thing."

"You sent him home?" I ask, trying to get closer to Dominic, the bright light of the flash still messing with my vision. "Don't they know about him? The Demons, I mean?" 

"Unlikely," Zack answers. "I'm pretty sure the only Demon who saw him was Malum and he's dead." 

I hear his words but it's still hard to believe Skylar won't remember any of this. "What if he tries to find me again?" 

"We'll be ready," Zack replies almost absentmindedly. "Speaking of which...Dominic, there are four crystals remaining?"

He nods, shifting his eyes to me.

Something isn't right.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to drag it out of you, like everything else?"

Dominic glances at Zack, then bring his eyes back to me. I can tell he doesn't want to talk about it, but he suddenly blurts out, "I had to earn them."

"Earn them? Why? How?" I ask. His face is a mask of indecision. I wish he'd just elaborate. Why all the secrecy?

"Kate, it does not matter," he says. "I will get more." 

Zack sucks in a breath and closes his eyes, shaking his head as if Dominic just shared a secret. A rush of adrenaline mixed with sorrow-or it's maybe dread-begins to churn in my gut. I'm still getting used to the direct line to Dominic's emotions because it's beyond intense. I have to take a step back and reach behind me for a flat surface, anything to keep my knees from buckling. Dominic immediately reacts, catching me before I fall.

"She is weak-maybe I have taken too much from her?" he asks, looking to Zack.

"She only needs rest. Take her to your quarters," Zack says, darting his eyes to Aunt Kelly and Uncle John. "You two, come with me."

Dominic wraps his arms around my back, holding me steady against his chest. I have no choice but to close my eyes. The chaos of the past however long it's been hits me all at once. I hear feet shuffle and low conversation fill up the cave, but my lids are too heavy to keep open. I close them, succumbing to the sudden exhaustion. A pair of hands slip underneath me, lifting me up as if I weigh nothing. I inhale the familiar masculine-with-a-hint-of-rosemary scent of Dominic's skin and sigh. This feels right. It feels like home, which is something I haven't had in a long time. I can finally let go and allow someone else to take care of me.

My body sways back and forth and I manage to force my eyes open for a moment. Darkness surrounds us, but there's a small speck of light at the end of the passageway. The constant motion as the air sears past us makes me wonder. Is he running with me? Are we flying somehow?

Am I dreaming?

Yes, I must be.

"You are not dreaming, my love," he whispers in my ear. "You are transitioning."

I barely hear his words as everything around me slowly fades to black.

* * *

Heavy footsteps yank me out of a dream, my eyes flashing open and darting around the room. Where am I? My mind is fuzzy from what feels like a heavy sleep as I begin to rub my eyes-but wait, I know that walk; I'd know it anywhere. The massive door slowly creaks opens and even before he walks through, I can smell the earth on his warm olive skin. I pull myself up as Dominic's eyes lock with mine and I watch his lips curl into an almost seductive smile. 

"Good morning, my love." His deep, hushed voice send goosebumps all over my body and my stomach growls at the smell of bacon and eggs permeating in the air. For a moment, I feel like I have to literally hold myself back from ravaging the tray like a wild animal. I've never been this hungry before. Ever.

"We must discuss a few things," he says, sitting next to me and placing the food tray on my lap. "But first, you should eat."

You don't have to ask me twice.

I force myself to only pick up one strip of what tastes like the most amazing bacon I've ever eaten. I'm not sure if it's because I'm beyond ravenous or if there's something about this place that makes the food taste magical. Dominic tilts his head like he's reading my thoughts and takes my free hand. "From now forward, your senses will be like nothing you have experienced before." 

"It's amazing. Did you make this?" I ask between bites.

"No," he answers, looking amused at my enthusiasm. "We have kitchen stewards who make all of our meals."

"You mean like cooks?"

"Yes." The corners of his lips curl up revealing straight, white teeth.

"Very cool. So," I pause, chewing the huge bite of eggs I just shoved in my mouth, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

Dominic looks away for a second and swallows, like he's choosing his words carefully. "Do you feel any differently?" He has something in his hands that I didn't see until now.

"I-I'm not sure. I don't think so, why?"

He shifts, getting closer to me. "While you were sleeping... Well, your body, or I should say your appearance changed slightly."

"What do you mean changed?" I accentuate the last word.

"Do not be alarmed." He releases my hand. "It is a natural progression for a Seraph to undergo physical adaptations." He finally reveals what he was holding as he pulls out a mirror and turns it to my face.

I feel my eyes go wide at the reflection staring back. It isn't me, but a complete, one hundred percent enhancement of me. Like I've gone through one of those really cool camera filters with added hair and makeup. My eyes are no longer the chocolate brown they once were. Now, they're what look like a cobalt blue, almost the color of Zack's, but much deeper. And my lashes are thicker and blacker, like they're false, but not. My straight chestnut brown hair is now slightly wavy with cinnamon tones, accentuating my rosy cheekbones and crimson lips. I can still tell it's me, but I look like a different person, or a different version of me. And one thing stands out more than anything else. I actually look older, like I've aged at least five years.

"What-I mean, how did this happen?" I ask as I stare at my reflection.

"The longer you are in a Seraph's presence, the faster the transition happens-it was only a matter of time." Dominic squeezes my hand and pushes away the tray of food, pulling me close.

Ever so gently his lips touch mine. "You are no longer Kate Bassett," he whispers. "You are now officially our Queen." 

"I...I don't know what to say." I pull back to look him in the eyes. "I mean, you told me I was Queen but I certainly didn't feel like one. Heck, I'm pretty sure I forced it out of my mind because I didn't really believe it, either." I pause, realizing I'm wearing some kind of a white, silky nightgown. I hold the mirror back up to my face. "But now...now it's all starting to make sense. The bond we share and the fact that I could actually breathe life back into you..."

"That is your biggest gift." The expression on his face becomes more serious, his voice more stern. "But you need to use it wisely. You must be certain the person you save is worthy of being saved."

"Worthy?" I repeat.

"Yes. Otherwise the process will take too much out of you."

"Okay, so, I take a nap or something and recharge?"

"It doesn't work that way." Dominic's nostrils flare a little and he takes the mirror from my hand. "Saving someone unworthy could kill you."

Gulp.

"So as long as I don't try to save a Demon or someone evil, I'll be fine?"

The apprehension draping his face is starting to make me nervous but I keep going.

"I mean, now that I can sense things and I know you'll always be close, it shouldn't be rocket science," I rattle off, trying to make it sound a little less ominous in my head. "To know if someone is worthy, I mean. Right?"

"Partly true, yes." His expression doesn't waver. "However, like yesterday, I was not able to be at your side."

He's right. Aunt Kelly and I were on our own. But we did manage to fight off the Demon who had taken over Uncle John.

"Thankfully, Malum is dead," Dominic points out. "He is, or I should say, was one of the most powerful Demons in the underworld. But there will be more and we must be prepared." He places the mirror next to the bed and takes my other hand.

"Like getting more crystals?" I ask.

"Let me worry about those," he says in a hurry, and it's obvious that topic is off limits.

"Well," I take a deep breath, "I guess I should brush up on my fighting skills and learn some Latin." I smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"That will all come to you naturally. Soon, you will discover more physical abilities and you will also begin to easily interpret different languages."

Wait, he's right. I did manage to free myself from Uncle John's grip. And apparently the Latin will come on its own. I wonder what else I can do...

As if reading my mind, Dominic grins and nods. "Yes, you can also teleport."

"I thought it was Aunt Kelly who helped me escape, but it was me...I did that?" I whisper, trying to replay it in my head. "Hold on, the knife," I blurt out. "She yelled something in Latin and it practically ripped its way out of Uncle John's hand! That really was her."

"Yes, as we discussed before, her gift, among many others is telekinesis," he explains as my mind begins to race with more questions.

"Will she transform?"

"Yes, but not as significantly as you."

"When? Will her eyes change?"

"They already have. They are no longer brown, they are green."

Holy crap.

"Okay, but I don't understand how she already knew Latin," I say, my eyes suddenly dropping down to his sexy, plump lips.

He must sense I'm slightly turned on; he smiles and scoots a little closer. The crazy-enhanced scent of his skin is starting to arouse me in a whole new way and I have to practically talk myself out of ripping off his cloak.

His eyelids grow heavy and I know he's feeling it too. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close enough to kiss but answers my question first, his voice low and deep. "Her transformation had already started before the attack. It is typically gradual, except for Seraph Masters. And you, of course."

I nod and look into his eyes but don't say a word. I want him to kiss me. I want to feel his body against mine. I want him like a woman wants a man. Slowly, he leans in, tenderly touching his lips to mine as his palm gently cups the back of my head. He presses a little harder, opening his mouth, the rush of his warm breath sending another surge between my legs. It's glorious and stimulating and I don't want it to stop. His hands begin to move to my torso, rubbing my back as his delicious tongue dances with mine.

I want more.

I need more.

Suddenly he pulls back and takes in a deep breath, like he's coming up for air. "We cannot let this go too far," he whispers. "We have not been officially joined."

Pushing back the heavy blanket of lust, I try to process his words. "You mean like," I pause to wrap my brain around it, "get married?" I swallow, our faces only inches apart.

"If you will have me, yes."