Requiem

Chapter Three Four Feet

“Please?” Bex asked, holding open the passenger-side door.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Don’t tell your mom.”

“I won’t!” he said. He took my backpack and threw it in the back as I collapsed into the seat. Within seconds he was beside me, starting the engine.

“You’re so cool,” he said with a wide grin.

“The only reason I’m letting you drive is because you completed your driving course at Cleet. If you can out-drive cops, I’m assuming you won’t wreck the only thing I have left of Jack.”

Bex frowned. “Buzz kill.”

He pulled away from the loft, using his blinker and obeying every traffic law along the way. I watched the trees pass, the reds and oranges signaling the arrival of Fall. Jared’s whereabouts lingered in the forefront of my mind, but the wall I had learned to form around my feelings had long been routine. I didn’t want Jared to make a mistake. or get injured because he sensed my anxiety.

“Coffee shop, Oh-seven-hundred,” Bex reported, pulling behind Kim’s dilapidated Sentra.

I shot him a look of disbelief. “Seriously?”

“Jared said you were to meet with friends Kim and Beth, to be prompt, and keep watch one block north, with front door in sight.”

“It’s me, Bex. Don’t act like a military robot. It creeps me out.”

Bex smiled. “I just want to do this right.”

I returned his smile and gave him a hug. “You’re doing great,” I said before stepping out onto the sidewalk.

Shoving my hands in my pockets to ward off the frosty morning air, I walked toward the front door of our favorite coffee place. The green door swung open and shut with patrons coming and going several times before I reached the handle. Just as I walked in, someone ran into me from behind, nearly sending me to the floor.

A familiar giggle tittered behind me. “Geez, I’m sorry!” Beth said, undoubtedly putting forth every bit of her southern charm. “I was trying to catch you,” she breathed.

My brows turned in. “Okay…why?”

She shoved a piece of notebook paper at me. “This. Josh got this in the mail yesterday, and he gave it to Chad. It’s from Ryan.”

I ripped it out of her hand and scanned it. Everything seemed to be fine. He had completed boot camp, and was now in specialized training; something about explosives and being a weapons expert.

“Great,” I said.

“But he’s doing well! He seems okay, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, returning the paper.

Kim shoved me from behind. “Hey!”

“What is with you two today?” I said.

“I saw Beth do it. Looked fun. Can I kick you later?” Kim said, her expression void of humor.

“No, you most certainly can not.” I turned to order, craning my neck once more at Kim to prove I was not in the mood for her antics.

We settled in at our usual table, grumbling about upcoming tests and papers. Beth shared Ryan’s letter with Kim, and complained about cutting back more hours at work, making their cupboards more bare than usual. As Kim and Beth discussed Chad’s foul mood due to his feeling that his man-of-the-house status was at risk, I had an epiphany.

“What are you getting paid now?” I asked.

“Beans,” Beth said.

“Well…I am the CEO of Titan Mercantile. I need an assistant.”

Beth immediately perked up. “What are the hours? My classes are at quirky times, ya know.”

“I know,” I nodded. “If you can swing at least an hour a day, whenever you can get in, I’ll match the pay you were making this summer. You had a little breathing room then, right?”

“That’s robbery!” Beth squeaked.

“Oh, shut up,” Kim snapped. “Nina has money to burn. She doesn’t even get paid to work there,”

“Yet,” I interceded.

Kim continued,“She’s your rich friend, Oklahoma, take advantage.”

“You have interns for that stuff….” Beth said, shaking her head dismissively.

“They’re busy.”

After a short moment of thought, Beth’s mouth spread into a wide smile. “Really?”

“Really.”

She threw herself across the table, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I can’t wait to tell Chad! I’m sorry…I have to go!” she picked up her things and took a few steps, turning on her heels. “When do I start?”

I smiled patiently. “When can you start?”

“Next week?”

“See you Monday.”

Beth’s already broad smile stretched to its limit. She pulled the door open, walking with renewed energy in her step.

“Public displays of generosity make me a little queasy,” Kim deadpanned.

“Why do you think I did it?” I asked.

“You’re sick,” she said, winking. “So, what do you think about Ryan’s note?”

“He wrote Josh and didn’t write me, that’s what I think,” I sniffed.

“Nigh….”

“I know,” I said, looking out the window.

“You don’t know. You thought he’d stick around, pine for you for years until he’d finally moved to the mountains, vowing to be a hermit until he died of a broken heart. He was in love with you; he did something drastic. Let it go.”

“I do not want him to pine for me. I don’t want him dying because I hurt him, either!”

Kim watched me for a moment, unaffected by my anger. “You don’t look as tired today. Did the dreams go away?”

“No,” I snapped.

“But you slept last night?”

“Yes. Jared left town, and it’s like I fell into a coma or something.”

“Interesting,” Kim said. I turned to look at her, but she was staring out the window as if she were searching for something.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she said, turning to face me.

“You’re acting weird.”

“So?” Kim said in her unapologetic way.

“You’re right. It’s no different than any other day.”

We gathered our things, and then Kim offered to drive me to campus. I nodded in Bex’s direction as subtly as I could, and then yanked on the passenger door of the Sentra. It opened just a crack, and then it was stuck.

“Really?” I complained.

Kim patiently walked around the front of the car, shooing me out of the way. With a light tug, she opened the door without effort, and then returned to her side. We both fell into our seats, and I waited for Kim to go through her routine of a fake Catholic prayer before she started the engine.

“How this car still runs is beyond me. How did it survive your summer road trip?”

Kim shrugged. “She stayed behind. I rented a car.”

“Oh yeah? That far? Pretty expensive. How’d you afford it?” I asked.

Kim slowed at a red light, and waited before answering. “I told you, I robbed a few liquor stores on the way.”

“The truth this time.”

“I just told you,” Kim said, stoic.

“You robbed a liquor store. Like with a gun,” I said, dubious.

“And pantyhose.”

The light turned green, and we rode in silence until we reached campus. Kim helped me with the door, and then we walked together, our first class being in the same building. As we walked, I felt a burning question bubble up inside of me. The answer was potentially something I would forever regret knowing. Regardless, I had to know.

“You didn’t really rob a liquor store, did you, Kim?” I said, feeling ridiculous for asking.

“No,” she said, turning in the direction of her class.

I waited in the hall, watching her walk away. I had been so preoccupied with my dreams, I failed to realize Kim’s stories hadn’t added up, and I didn’t catch that she was using her sarcasm to hide something. But hide what? That was all I needed: Something new to obsess about.

Bex was waiting for me when I walked out to the parking lot, in the same spot the Escalade usually sat. I was still twenty feet away when Bex relieved me of my backpack, and escorted me the remainder of the way to the BMW. He watched me for a moment, with his big, blue eyes.

“Yes,” I said, opening the passenger door.

A large, boyish grin radiated from one side of his mouth to the other, and he enthusiastically commandeered the driver’s seat once more. “Jared called, but you were in class.”

“Convenient.”

“He wanted you to be updated the second you were finished. He hasn’t had much luck. A few leads, he’s carrying them out today, and he’ll be home tomorrow night as promised.”

“Why didn’t he call me himself?” I asked, unable to clear the venom from my voice. The anger stemmed from the pain of missing him. Ironically, letting an emotion slip now and then made it easier to control them.

Bex sighed. “He misses you. He was afraid hearing your voice would make it worse. He didn’t want you to talk him into coming home.”

One corner of my mouth turned up, but I quickly subdued it. “I’ve got to stop by the office for a sec.”

“Yep,” Bex nodded, turning in the direction of Titan.

The evening consisted of homework and dinner. Bex proved to be an accomplished cook, no doubt learning from Lillian as Jared did. He whipped up an amazing Pasta Chick Pea Salad, followed by Peppered Shrimp Alfredo. I was so full by the time he served dessert that I didn’t have enough room to fully appreciate the small slice of cheesecake he placed in front of me.

“You’re spoiling me,” I said, leaning back in my chair.

“I happened to know Jared cooks for you all the time. I’m just trying to continue the lifestyle in which you’ve become accustomed.”

“If you say so….” I teased.

“And I like to cook,” he smiled.

“It’s a wonder I haven’t gained fifty pounds living with Jared,” I said, taking my plate to the sink.

“I got these. Go rest,” Bex said, pulling the plate from my hands.

“Quit it. It’s fifty-fifty around here.”

“Yeah, but I can do them faster,” he smirked.

“True,” I said, yawning.

I trudged up the stairs. Gluttony, in addition to weeks without a proper night’s sleep, left me nearly debilitated. My sluggish arms struggled with the pink striped pajamas I’d managed to pull from the drawer, and once my body collapsed to the mattress, I was unable to open my eyes.

And then it was morning.

No Jack, no Gabe, no Shax. I had slept an entire night without a single dream, much less a nightmare. I remembered nothing. A full night of sleep was less than a memory, and it was strange to feel rested.

The smell of bacon grease filled the air. I bounced out of bed, and trotted to the railing.

“Did you sleep?” I asked Bex, who was bouncing to a tune in his head.

“Yeah,” he called. “I was all prepared to tend to your early morning psychotic episodes Jared keeps talkin’ about. I’m disappointed.”

“Well, I’m not,” I said, retreating to the shower.

A night without the dream didn’t make sense. We had been by the office; I had even spoken briefly to Kim about the dreams, and…nothing. Whatever it was, I had to believe the nightmares were over. Sleeping all night in Jared’s arms without waking up screaming and soaking the sheets with my own sweat was definitely something to look forward to. I was even more excited for him to come home.

“Did he call?” I asked, tightening my belt as I descended the stairs.

“No, but Cynthia did.”

“Oh? Did she say why?”

“I don’t know, Nina. Maybe because you haven’t spoken to her in three weeks? She starts noticing when she runs out of charity events to keep her busy.”

“Okay, okay,” I said, picking up my phone.

“Good morning, Darling,” Cynthia said before the first ring finished.

“How are you?”

“Busy, busy. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? I haven’t seen you in…you know I don’t remember? How ridiculous. Come to dinner. Six o’clock.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“See you then, Dear.”

“That was quick,” Bex said, sliding two eggs from the spatula onto my plate.

“Thank you. And it always is. She’s not one for lengthy phone conversations.”

Bex replied with a nod. He was becoming so much like Jared — not one for many words, but it was obvious what he was thinking just by the slightest change in his eyes. Not that a child of Lillian’s would be any different, but I was so proud of the man Bex was quickly turning into. He made me feel just as safe as Jared or Claire, and he was one of the kindest people I knew.

Bex was a constant reminder of the night Shax’s henchmen tried to capture me in Lillian's home, and the subsequent months I spent without Jared. Every time Bex was around, each time someone mentioned his name, the sound of Harry Crenshaw's vertebrae snapping resonated in my mind. Bex killing anyone seemed so impossible, but I knew better than anyone that impossible didn’t exist.

The ride to Brown was long. Each passing minute of each class was an eternity. Even lunch seemed to drag on. The clock demanded my attention within minutes of the last time I had looked at it. Normally the irritation surrounding me would be unbearable, but catching up on lost sleep seemed to help.

“Is that a no?” Beth asked, nudging me.

“Huh? I said, realizing I had missed a large chunk of the table conversation. We sat in our usual spot at the Ratty, with one chair remaining empty in honor of Ryan’s absence. It was then I noticed a second chair was also empty.

“I said have you heard from Kim? She wasn’t in American Public’s class. She’s not here. I tried her cell, but got her voice mail.”

“No, I haven’t,” I said, glancing around the Ratty. “Not since this morning.”

Beth frowned, leaning against Chad, as she always did when she was unsettled. “She never misses class.”

Our lunch table was relatively quiet after that, making the minutes pass even more slowly, if that were possible.

The afternoon seemed like an eternity, and by the time Bex dropped me off at the front entrance of Titan, I was crawling out of my skin.

Sasha seemed the likely target to vent my frustration, but she wasn’t in. Annoyed, I rode the elevator to the third floor, settling on Grant as a second choice.

“Afternoon, Peanut,” Grant called from his office.

“Piss off.”

Instantly, I felt better.

“If you didn’t own the company, I would fire you for insubordination,” he said with an amused grin.

“Insubordination requires disregard of a command. I simply responded to your greeting,” I said, stopping abruptly at my office door.

“Is that what you had in mind?” Grant asked, shoving his hands in his pockets, oozing with pride.

“I….” I stumbled over the words, reading the letters once more.

Nina Grey

Acting CEO

Jack Grey

CEO

“It’s barely dry,” Grant said, teetering back and forth.

I looked out the closest window, and anywhere else in the room other than the door to hide my expression.

“It’s fine,” I said, pushing past him, and shutting the door before he could speak again.

Taking a deep breath, I let my body melt into the door. The office still smelled of mahogany, wood polish and the slightest hint of tobacco. It was as if the room had frozen in time the second he died. I could almost hear him talking loud and authoritative on the telephone.

I walked across the room slowly, noting the pictures of him with members of Congress, plaques, a coat of arms, and degrees adorned the walls. To my disgust, the large painting of my mother and me still hung between the two large windows over-looking Fleet Rink.

“That’s going to have to go,” I said, collapsing into Jack's large, black leather chair.

The stack of unopened envelopes was my first order of business, and then I read my company emails. Bored as I was, at least it kept my mind from Jared and the time. Just as the sun began to set, my cell phone chirped.

“Hey Bex,” I said through a yawn, “almost done.”

“Well that’s good news, Sweetheart,” Jared said.

“Hi!” I said, my voice far too high to feign anything but elation. In reaction, I leaned over to look out the window to the street. No black Escalade.

“You’re not coming home tonight, are you?” I said, deflated.

“On the contrary. I will be home at ten. Is that too late for dinner?”

The road noise should have given it away, but I had expected to be disappointed. “Where are you?”

“On the road,” he said.

I sighed. “Do I need security clearance for that answer?”

Jared laughed. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. Bex tells me you had a good night’s sleep last night. Is this true?”

“It is. No bad dreams.”

“I look forward to watching you sleep the whole night through, then.”

“See you soon,” I smiled.

My steps were light as I made my way out of the building, and I couldn’t contain my smile when I sat in the passenger seat of the BMW.

“You talked to Jared,” Bex said with a knowing smile.

“He’s coming home,” I smiled.

“We better go move his stuff around and hide his home gym,” Bex smiled, pulling away from the curb. “He’ll hate that.”

I laughed. “You’re in charge of the home gym. I’ll mix up the forks and spoons.”

“I got it covered,” Bex said with an mischievous grin. “You have dinner plans.”

“Oh. Right,” I said, sinking into the sink with a huff.

Bex sped to Cynthia’s faster and with more precision than any television car chase I’d ever seen, much less been a part of. He jerked the wheel, and let the Beemer slide, counter-clockwise, into the loft’s parallel parking spot.

“One of you will get pulled over one of these days, and I’m going to laugh,” I said, trying to steady myself once my feet hit the pavement.

“Our boss has plenty of money to bail us out,” he smiled.

“I won’t bail you out. I’ll laugh.”

“Even if it was Jared?” Bex said, escorting me up the iron steps.

“Especially if it was Jared.”

“I don’t believe you. And if Claire found out about it….”

“You’re right. I’d bail you out,” I nodded.

I changed clothes quickly, and then followed Bex to the Beemer once again, letting him drive like a controlled maniac to my parents' home.

Arriving within minutes, Bex jumped out of the driver's side to open my door. We traded small talk as he walked with me up the concrete steps, both of us hoping it would be one of our shorter visits. Just as I reached for the handle, Cynthia opened the door, startling me.

“Mother….”

“Agatha is ill today. I’ve barely been able to tend to dinner. Of all days for her to get sick….” Cynthia said, looking uncharacteristically disheveled. Her eyes targeted Bex.

“Good evening, Mrs. Grey,” Bex said.

She nodded politely. “Will you be joining us, Bex?”

“No, Ma’am. Simply covering a shift.”

Cynthia’s cold eyes narrowed at him as she held out her arm to usher me into the house.

“I'll wait here,” Bex whispered.

“Probably safer,” I mouthed.

She wasted no time. “And where is Jared?”

“Er…resting,” I said, cringing at my words. Surely I would be better at lying on the spot by now.

“Hmm….” she said, clearly unconvinced. She didn’t press the issue, I assumed it was because of the fact that I was safe. Beyond that she didn’t bother to question.

The table had been set, but I helped bring out the soup and salad, and entrée.

“I’m sorry I always have to ask,” I said, waiting for her infamous scowl.

“You're predictable,” she snapped. Her expression soon smoothed as she scanned the table. “I thought I would try something different. Chicken Coconut Soup, and wild mushroom fricassee over Polenta.”

“Whatever that is,” I said, overwhelmed.

“Nina, really. You act as though you were fed take-out your entire life. I have always enjoyed cooking.”

“And you never cease to surprise me,” I said, smiling.

She didn’t ask about Jared’s whereabouts again. We stumbled over the small talk, and politely discussed the weather. Cynthia hadn’t mentioned my father since I returned home from the hospital. I wondered if she ever would. The residual circles under my eyes were a brief topic of conversation, and then I helped her clean the dinner dishes before saying goodbye.

“Dinner was uneventful?” Bex asked, holding the passenger door of the Beemer open.

My eyes narrowed at my former home. “She’s up to something. You’re sure she hasn’t called or talked to Jared?”

“Haven’t heard a word,” Bex shrugged.

At the loft, I found myself struggling to stay awake to witness Jared’s homecoming. Reality television kept my attention for a while, but I finally trudged up the stairs in defeat.

“Aw…but they’re going to get in the hot tub in a second. The girls get in a cat fight, its funny!”

“Wake me when he gets home,” I said.

“Aye, aye, El Capitan,” he responded.

“You know you’re not supposed to speak foreign languages to me,” I grumbled, falling into the bed with my clothes on. My voice wasn’t loud enough to travel to the first level, but Bex could hear, regardless.

“I wasn’t…never mind,” Bex said, too involved in the hot tub disco party to argue.

Just as I closed my eyes, they popped open again. The alarm clock on Jared’s side read nine-thirty.

“You okay, Nina?” Bex called up. “Bad dreams?”

“No,” I whispered. Just that minuscule bit of effort was all I could manage. I hadn’t realized I was so tired, and it was so much easier to fall asleep without the fear of screaming myself awake.

Ice was beneath me, and my bare toes wiggled against the smooth, shiny whiteness below. That was the only way I was aware it was dream — my feet were warm and comfortable. My father’s office window came into view above me. I was standing alone in the middle of Fleet Rink. Soon my naked feet were adorned with a pair of new ice skates, and Jack stood in the window, smiling down at me. A crowd of people, young and old, circled the space where I stood. Sporting matching red noses, their misty breath puffed out with each word or laugh.

I waved to him, and he waved back. Pushing forward, I could hear the blade of my skate scratching the surface of the ice. Looking up again, I noticed Jack was no longer smiling. Instead he bobbed in and out of visibility, pacing back and forth in his office, and then I saw Gabe.

They were arguing.

Oh no, I thought, feeling the tugging feeling again. No!

Back in the dusty, stale office, I landed on all fours again. Anger surged through me. My nights were just returning to normal. I wanted to sleep all night in Jared’s arms. I wanted him to see that things were getting better, that I was getting better.

“I’m not doing this again!” I yelled, storming Jack and Gabe.

They ignored me, repeating the same scripted dialogue from before.

“Stop!” I said. “I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Jack?” Gabe asked.

My mouth formed around each of Jack’s words. “Are you sure it’s her, Gabe?” He paused for Gabe’s answer, and then continued, “Then you know the answer.” I shook my head from side to side as I spoke along with him, copying him like a toddler, angry and snide.

A ferocious rage overtook me, and I grabbed the book from Jack’s hands.

Time stopped. Several times before, I had attempted to physically interrupt, and failed. Jack, Gabe, and the book were always very real, but when I tried to interfere, they were the consistency of a hologram. This time the book was in my hands.

Gabe’s head turned up in quick motion to face me, his eyes a solid black. “Ars Notoria,” he whispered in a voice not his own.

The change of events frightened me. I stumbled back, away from my father and his friend. They were frozen in time like everything else in the room. Even the moonlit dust motes were hanging motionless in the air, but I could hear the screeches of the demons as they approached.

The dimensions of the room stretched, and the wood groaned and creaked. As I worked to keep my feet beneath me, I gripped the book tighter in my hands. The possibility of taking it back with me crossed my mind. It was the only reason I would be able to take it from Gabe.

I looked to the large window and closed my eyes. “It’s just a dream,” I said softly, confident the fall would wake me up. Opening my eyes with the Naissance de Demoniac in my hands wouldn’t be the most impossible thing that had ever happened to me.

In a full sprint, I bound for the window, bracing myself to leap through the glass and into the night, but before I could, a searing pain spread throughout my hands. I abruptly stopped and threw the book to the ground. Although the leather no longer touched my skin, the parts of my fingers and palms that had been in direct contact with the binding were charred and smoldering. My hands shook violently as the burns traveled up my arms, and I wailed at the intense heat spreading throughout my body; it was as if I were on fire. The sensation was unlike anything I had experienced before, but I couldn’t imagine anything more excruciating.

The sound emanating from my throat didn’t sound like my own as I protested the torture consuming me. Any moment the demons would come, and I would beg them for death.

A hole opened up beneath me and I fell. In that instant the pain was gone, and a soft, cool mattress was beneath me. Jerking to a sitting position, I held my arms in front of me. They were peach and unblemished.

Jared and Bex stood next to the bed with terror in their eyes.

“She was at least four feet above the bed!” Bex said, his eyes wide. “Has that happened before?”

“No,” Jared said, his expression exponentially more intense than the agonized look I had been accustomed to waking up to. He was afraid.

“Above the bed?” I asked, confused.

Bex sat on the bed and watched me for a moment, then took the sheet and wiped the sweat from my hairline. “You were seriously hovering! It was something straight out of the Exorcist!”

I hoped for one moment that Bex was being Bex, trying to make light of the situation. Gauging the storms in Jared’s eyes, it was true.

“How is that even possible? What does that mean?” I said, frightened.

Jared looked away.

Bex tugged lightly on my shirt. “Same dream?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I was angry…so angry that I took the book from them. It was in my hands.”

“You’ve tried that before and your hands went right through it.” Jared said, his eyes on the floor.

“Not this time. I was so damn mad that I screamed at them, and then grabbed the book. And then Gabe…he looked at me.”

Jared knelt beside me, then. I touched his face. He was desperate for guidance from his father. “It wasn’t him,” I warned. “His eyes were solid black. Like Shax’s.”

Bex shook his head. “How can that be? If it were d— them I would have known. The whole time you were stretched out…suspended…there were none.

“Bex,” Jared warned.

“Not a single one,” Bex continued, lost in thought. “They crowd Mom’s house more than that.”

“None?” Jared asked. Bex nodded and Jared stood up again, and then began to pace. Finally, he spoke, “Something’s wrong.”

“But you can feel them, too,” I said to Jared. His question to Bex puzzled me.

“I can. Bex is more tuned-in to their presence — more so than any hybrid. His sensitivity to them rivals Samuel’s.”

“Sometimes I can tell when they’re even thinking about coming around,” Bex added.

Bex’s frown instantly alarmed me. My mind raced over every second of the dream, trying to think of something that might help. I wasn’t sure why they were so disturbed, but for Bex in particular, uncertainty was not something they handled well.

“Ars Notes something,” I said.

Jared’s face transformed from worry to anger. “What?”

I searched my memories again. “Gabe said ‘Ars Notary’ or ‘Ars Notes’…something like that.”

Bex looked to his older brother. “Ars Notoria.”

“That’s it!” I said. “What does it mean?”

Jared sat on the edge of the bed and tenderly touched the sides of my jaw, looking into my eyes. “It means we’re going to have to get a Naissance de Demoniac. And not just any bible. Shax’s. My father is trying to tell us something.”

My brows pushed together. “What are you saying?”

“It’s not demons doing this to you,” Bex said, seeming vexed.

“That leaves one thing,” Jared said.

“You think it’s Gabe,” I said, horrified.

Jared pulled me closer, and then leaned his cheek against my hair. “We need that book.”