Requiem

Chapter Sixteen If I Told You Everything

The rain beat against the window of the classroom, prompting Professor Sawyer to speak louder than her small voice could accommodate. Words squeaked from her throat as she struggled to lecture through the snickers and murmuring of the students.

Her words blurred together as I stared at the blank page of my laptop monitor. The nightmares were absent the night before, but only because sleep never came. The Ryels didn’t return home until just before the sun rose, and even if I could have ignored the worry long enough for my eyes to close for a moment, Ryan’s incessant questions kept me awake.

So…what if she gets shot in the head?

If I die and then Claire dies does she go to Heaven?

What if I don't die but I'm a vegetable?

Can she get knocked out?

So her dad was an angel? Can he see me right now.

His curiosity was insatiable. I finally lost my temper and yelled at him to shut up, but he only smiled and sat quietly long enough to think of more questions. For the first time, I was glad that Ryan was no longer enrolled at Brown.

I twirled the diamond ring around my finger, trying to block out images of what Bex and Claire had described earlier that morning. Their clash with Isaac and Donovan was short-lived, but had the Ryel's been human, it would have been lethal. The vision of Isaac was so vivid and frightening in my mind, the thought of coming face to face with him terrified me. He and Donovan had been commissioned to protect the Naissance de Demoniac, and because they were faced with all three of Gabe Ryel’s children, they decided retreat was the prudent option — but not before sinking four bullets into Bex’s chest.

The kitchen was a bloody mess by sunrise, and although Bex’s eyes were wide with excitement, seeing Claire pluck the remnants of bullets from his flesh left me…well…unsettled.

“Oh, to hell with this, class dismissed,” the professor said in defeat.

I blinked, seeing the other students pack up without pause and leave the classroom. Once the doorway cleared, Kim stood with a smirk on her face.

“Why didn’t you come back to the house with the others?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Two papers due today. I still go to class, you know.”

“So how did it go?” I asked, following her down the hall. My feet scampered along her wide strides.

She shook her head, clearly troubled.

“Don’t do that, Kim. You’re the impervious one.”

“Taking Shax, or Donovan and Isaac head on isn't working. We need to think of another way to get the Demoniac. They know when we’re coming. We can’t distract them because they want nothing else more than that book.”

I frowned, wary of Kim’s uncharacteristic concern. “I still say we don't need it. Your family had the book all this time. You have to know what it said. Didn’t you open it?”

“No,” she said firmly. “I was never allowed to open it.”

“What about your uncle? Your father? Between them and Father Francis, can’t we just get enough information for Jared to work with?”

Kim lowered her chin. “I guess you didn’t catch the part about how we weren’t allowed to open the book.”

“You said it yourself!” The words were louder than I’d meant for them to be. I looked around, and then lowered my voice. “We can’t take it when they know we’re coming.”

Kim nodded, but her somber expression melted away as an idea lit her eyes. “There is one thing they would want more than the book.”

I shook my head. “No. No way, Jared would never go for it.”

“We need them to come to us. We need bait.”

“Think about it. He’s not going to risk my life to save me, Kim. And I kind of hate you for even mentioning it.”

“Hey guys!” Beth yelped in her southern drawl. “Ew. That’s a horrible face,” she said, mirroring my expression.

Kim pulled a cigarette seemingly from nowhere, and popped it between her lips. “We were just discussing how we would use Nina as bait to lure demons,” she said flatly.

Beth’s face morphed into revulsion. “What class are you guys taking?”

The corners of my mouth turned up, and I wrapped one arm around Beth’s tiny waist. “Come on. I don’t want to lose our table at the Ratty.”

The three of us carried our trays the corner spot, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that Ryan’s chair had been filled. His friends surrounded him with wide grins on their faces. They all talked and laughed, making the dead silence upon our approach that much more noticeable.

“Look who’s back in town, Babe!” Chad said, standing to greet Beth.

Beth's tray slapped against the table when she dropped it to throw her arms around Ryan.

“Hi, Bethy,” Ryan said, giving her a squeeze.

“Yay!” Her pageant-smile stretched to its limit, showing every one of her teeth.

To the others, lunch with Ryan was a celebration, but as the questions about his last days at war, how he got hurt, and why he’d waited so long to tell them came, I grew nervous. So did Ryan.

He stood. “Well! I have to go home…get the old uniform on.”

“I bet you look great in it,” Lisa smiled. “I love men in uniform.”

Kim rolled her eyes. “I’m out, too. Let’s go, Nina.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, looking up at her.

“Yeah. Where’re you going?” Ryan said.

Kim tugged on my arm until I stood. “To class, Detective,” Kim said. “That okay?”

Ryan glanced at me, and then shrugged. “Just asking.”

Kim gestured for me to follow, and we walked to the parking lot. She glanced up once, but didn’t stop to explain why. Her long legs and quick strides had me struggling to keep up, and I was panting by the time we reached the Sentra.

The light sprinkles still falling from the gray clouds gently disturbed a large puddle near Kim's car. She barreled through it, splashing my jeans with dirty water.

“What’s your hurry?” I asked, annoyed.

“I'm taking you to Quincy. We could talk to my father to see what he knows, and if he knows what I think he does — nothing — we present my idea to Jared.”

“But, I have class!” I protested.

“Jared doesn’t show it around you, Nigh, but he’s desperate. He knows something is coming. They’re planning something, and we’ve got nothing. We have no idea how to protect you when we don’t know what we’re protecting you from.”

“Demons,” Ryan said. “Isn’t that all we need to know?”

“No,” Kim said. “And you’re not invited.”

“Well, that’s too bad. Because I’m coming,” he said. He opened the car door behind the passenger side, and slammed it behind him.

Kim looked to me.

“Jared will follow us,” I warned.

“So?” Kim said. “He’ll want to know what my dad has to say…if he says anything.”

I looked around; the Escalade was notably absent. “I haven’t heard from any of them all day.”

“Does being in the dark make you feel better? You should know by now why they keep things from you.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I said, afraid of the answer.

“Just get in the car,” Kim said, settling in behind the wheel.

The drive to Quincy was silent, but when we slowed to a stop in front of a large gate, Ryan and I shared a collective gasp.

“This is your house?” Ryan asked. Staring in awe at the looming mansion ahead.

“Yep,” Kim said, keying in a code.

The gate opened slowly, and then Kim accelerated slowly. The gravel drive crunched beneath the Sentra's tires.

“No way,” Ryan said, his mouth hung open.

“Yes, way,” Kim said, turning off the engine.

Ryan and I leaned against our windows, amazed at the colossal building in front of us. It wasn’t a home, it was a fortress.

“If you’re so rich, why do you drive this piece of shi—,” Ryan began.

“The Sentra serves her purpose,” Kim interrupted.

I stepped onto the gravel drive. It snaked all the way to the large, detached garage. Her house was bigger than mine, and far more equipped with security. Cameras were mounted on every corner, and the black iron fence blocking general traffic from entering the drive spanned the entire estate.

Two large dogs ran with great leaps, barking wildly until they reached us.

“Hey boys!” Kim said, giving them both loving, vigorous scratches. When the reunion was over, she turned to us. “This is Zeus, and the little one is Hera.”

“Neither of them are little,” Ryan said.

The dogs led us to the front entrance, wagging their tails with such fervor, their entire back half wiggled with the movement.

Kim opened the door, revealing a vast foyer. A small, round table stood in the center of the room, boasting an incredible vase that held beautiful, long-stemmed flowers.

“Charlie!” Kim bellowed into the air, causing the dogs to bark. “Charlie!” she said again. Her voice echoed across the marble tile.

Two men entered the foyer, both no less than six feet, six inches tall. They were nearly equal in their massive size, and so intimidating that I realized I was unconsciously cowering behind Ryan.

The largest of the two had a full, brown beard. When his eyes focused on Kim, he held out his arms, and a wide smile broke across his face. “Boo Boo!” he said, his booming voice reverberating throughout the house.

Kim made her way to him quickly, and as tall as she was, the massive arms that encircled her made her seem tiny. Kim’s feet came off the ground as the man arched his back, and then returned her to earth after a few sweet moments.

“Nigh…Ryan…this is my dad, Charles Pollock. And this is my uncle Bruce.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, watching as my hand disappeared into each of theirs when I shook them.

Ryan did the same, but he didn’t seem intimidated at all.

“How’s school, Kimmie?” Bruce asked.

“I’m not really here to catch up. I brought Nina to meet you.”

“Oh?” Charles asked, suddenly suspicious.

Bruce reached behind him, but stopped, looking beyond me.

“Let’s all just relax, here,” Jared said from behind me. I turned to see both of his arms outstretched in front of him, his Glock securely between his hands.

Bruce glanced at Charlie, me, and then at Kim, grudgingly pulling his sidearm slow and careful from behind him to the ground.

“It’s okay, Bruce,” Kim said.

Jared released the hold he had on his weapon, and then stood beside me, placing it on the table next to him.

Bruce pulled another gun from his back, pointing it at Jared's face, but then his shoulders dropped. “How many of them are there?” he said.

“Three,” Claire said. I turned to see her in the same stance as Jared. “And if you pull a weapon on us again, I’ll blow your knee cap.”

“Bruce,” Kim said, shaking her head in warning.

Bruce put the second gun down, and then pulled up his pant leg, revealing another gun. He set all three side by side on the ground, and then stood.

“You sure you don’t want to check the other leg?” Claire asked, her weapon still drawn.

Bruce sighed, and then reached down, pulling a rather large hunting knife from a holster. “That’s all of it.”

“Kim,” Charles said, stiff and nervous. “What’s going on, here?”

Kim reached out to her father. “Nina is my friend, Dad. And she’s important. These people are here to protect her. They’re not here to harm us.”

Charles nodded slowly, and then touched the arm of this brother. “Easy, Bruce.”

Bruce relaxed, then, and Claire stepped out of her rigid stance, replacing her gun in its holster.

Jared turned to me. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Don’t cuss at me,” I said, immediately defensive.

Anger lit Jared’s eyes. “You…you have no idea how dangerous it is for you right now.”

“Maybe I would if you would just tell me.”

“If I told you everything, you wouldn’t want to leave the house. And I don’t want that for you,” he said, his eyes dark. “But you can’t do certain things, Nina, and running off with two humans without telling me where you’re going is one of them.”

“I’m sorry,” I huffed. “I thought you’d just follow.”

“Oh,” Jared said, taken aback. “You did?”

“Oh, Christ, let’s hear what Kim has to say and get out of here,” Claire snapped.

I peeked at our audience, embarrassed about the outburst. “Sorry,” I said, clearing my throat.

“The book,” Kim said to Charles.

“Kim!” Bruce said. Charles touched his brother’s arm, and Bruce immediately silenced.

“They know,” Kim said.

“You’re the son of Gabriel, aren’t you?” Charles said, in awe.

“One of them,” Jared answered.

Bruce’s face turned red. “Thief. If he wouldn’t have taken the damn book none of this would be happening.”

Claire took a step forward, and Jared gripped her shoulder. “You call my father that again,” Claire seethed, “and it will be the last words that come from your mouth.”

“They're going to help me,” Kim interceded.

“What?” Charles said, confused.

“Jared promised to help me return the Demoniac to the Sepulchre in Jerusalem.”

Charles' eyes darted to Jared. “Is this true?”

“Yes,” Jared said. “I need time to study it, but after that, you have my word.”

Charles took a step back, and then walked several steps away with Bruce right behind him. They conversed in low whispers, and then returned.

“We can't trust them,” Charles said, finality in his tone.

“None of that matters, now,” Kim said. “We’ve all got some history, here, that’s apparent. But we need to focus on the problem. Dad, Nina is the women in the prophecy in the Naissance de Demoniac. Does that mean anything to you?”

Charles’ eyes shifted to mine, and then he scanned me from my hair to my shoes. “No,” he paused. “Who is she?”

Kim turned to me. “I told you. We’re not allowed to open the book. He knows nothing.”

“Is that why you came here?” Jared said, livid. “I could have told you that! If Charles knew anything, Gabe and Jack wouldn’t have taken it in the first place!”

“It was worth a try, because our next option was the last resort.”

“What are you talking about?” Jared said.

I looked at the crowd of people around me, feeling the negative, hostile energy in the air. It was in that moment that I recognized we had finally come to the last leg of the journey. Getting the book back into our hands had always been the only choice, which was why Gabe and Jack had come to me with the answers at night.

“I have to distract Shax long enough for you to get the book,” I said softly.

Jared turned to me, his eyebrows squeezed tightly together. “Are you serious?”

“No, Jared, she’s trying to be funny. Of course she’s serious,” Kim said.

“Bad idea,” Ryan said.

I reached out to to him, touching his cheek with my fingertips. “It’s the only way you’re going to get the book.

Jared glanced at Claire, and then back to me. “We’ve been trying to get the book to save you. It doesn’t make sense to put you in danger in order to get our hands on it.”

“This is stupid, let’s go,” Claire said.

Kim held up her hands. “Wait. Just wait. We all know she doesn’t have much time left.”

Kim saying aloud what everyone else knew — and had hoped to keep from me — felt like a bittersweet release, but the siblings' expressions were ashamed.

Jared’s eyes hit the floor.

“Did I miss something here?” Ryan said, shifting his weight. For the first time since we'd arrived, he seemed uneasy.

Kim’s eyes met mine. “Both sides are talking. You know too much, Shax wants revenge, and you pose a threat to Hell just by being alive. We could pluck out your uterus today and they would still end your life to prevent a miracle. You are going to die, anyway, Nina. It’s time we resort to desperate measures.”

“Christ Almighty,” Charles whispered.

The air was absent of sound. Everyone’s eyes were on me, but I couldn’t reply. I could barely breathe.

“I’m not going to let that happen, Nina,” Jared said. “We can figure out another way.”

“Is it true?” I said, looking up at him.

His eyes fell away from mine, and I knew the answer.

“Why is this happening?” I cried, pulling away from his grip.

“Nina,” Claire said as I passed.

I ran outside into the rain. Since the day Jack died, my life had spun so far out of control it was hard to remember what my life was like when I was just like any other girl. It wasn’t fair. Eli had instructed me to be strong, and not to mourn the normal life I once had, but I didn’t want to die — especially for a choice I didn't make.

Jared was immediately behind me, encompassing me in his warm arms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice pained. “Let me find another way.”

“No,” I said, wiping my nose. “Let’s just get it over with.”

A few moments later, the rest of the group joined us. They all waited patiently for my answer.

Charles fidgeted. “I wish there was some way we could help you.”

Kim hooked her arm with her father’s. “I'm helping them,” she said, her eyes strangely soft and sad. “I won't leave her side until it's finished.”

Charles nodded, squeezing his daughter to his side.

“Okay,” I said, shaking off the fear. “How are we going to do this?”

“This is crazy!” Ryan said. “Tell her, Jared! There’s no way we’re using her for demon bait!”

Jared cringed, but he didn’t speak.

Claire grabbed my hand. “We choose our own fate, right Nina?” she said, managing an encouraging smile.

“Yes,” I said. “If it’s going to happen, I want it to be on my terms.”

“You’re all insane!” Ryan said, horrified. “I feel like I’m watching you all sentence her to death!”

Kim opened the door to the Sentra. “Now all we need is a plan,” she said.

Jared tugged on my hand. “Ride with me.”

I squeezed his fingers in mine, knowing he faced the same fate as I. The ride home was quiet; no radio, no talking, just the noise of the road under the tires, and the rain pounding against the windshield.

The window wipers danced back and forth, clearing the rain drops long enough to let the next droplets splash into their place. Headlights from oncoming cars whizzed by, but they were driving slow because of the weather. It was Jared that was disregarding the speed limit by at least thirty miles per hour.

The decision to use myself as a distraction was mine, but the plan was up to Jared. He would be forced to map out our every move, hoping that it was perfect enough to spare our lives.

“We can do this,” Jared finally said, lifting my hand to his lips. “It’s going to work, and we’ll have the book, and then we can save you.”

“I know,” I said with a small smile. “I trust you.”

“Sweet potato fries,” he said, his cloudy eyes glossing over.

“Sweet potato fries,” I smiled back.