chapter 15
Lizzie
My first conscious thought after the door shut was that I had no idea who this guy standing beside me was. Yeah, I knew what Darrton and Ian said about him. But hell. Do I really know Ian, anyway?
“So...” Scotty said, leaning against the now shut door. “This is a little awkward, now isn’t it?”
I let out a laugh. “You’re telling me.”
“You like pool?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Never really played.”
His mouth opened in awe. “Well, dear friend, it’s never too late to learn.”
An hour and twenty painful minutes later, I had a semi-good idea of how to play pool. The rules...yes. Was I good? Hell, no.
Lining the pool cue up, I pushed it against the ball. It missed. “I think you’re winning, Scotty.”
He shrugged and took a swig of the Miller he had in his hand. “Who’s keeping score?”
Eyeing the drink, I glanced up at him. “Are you old enough to be drinking that?”
Scotty’s lips crawled up his mouth into a smile. “Yes, officer, I turned twenty-one a couple of decades ago.” He took another swig.
“Good to know.” I stopped and watched him. How could he be so young and so...old?
He bent down, eyeing the ball, and shot it right into the hole...thingy. He leaned back and admired his work. “How old are you?”
“Unfortunately, I’m only seventeen.”
“Ah,” he said. “The teen years. Drama, drama, drama.”
Nodding, I shifted my feet, “Yeah, tell me about it. Fallen angels, Horsemen, boyfriends trying to screw you, and a best friend you can’t even talk to.
He cocked an eyebrow and leaned on the table. “Sounds like a teen soap opera.”
“It is.” I tried my pathetic attempt at making the shot and it actually went it. One out of thirty seven tries. Go figure.
He tipped his glass. “Lucky shot.”
“Scotty.”
“Ummmhmmm,” he said, squinting one eye and making a clean shot. “What is it, girl?”
I was trying not to click my tongue since Darrton said I always do that when I got nervous. Instead, I played with a string hanging off the end of my shirt. “You know earlier when you said Ian was your dad?”
Scotty laughed, leaned back, and crossed his arms. “Well, he is.”
“Yeah! I mean, I believe you...I just don’t understand how...”
He coughed. “Well, friend, when a man and a woman get horny, they...”
“Hey! Cut it out,” I said with a smile. “You know what I mean.”
He nodded and finished the rest of his drink. “Yeah. I know what you mean. Sit down, kid. I’ll explain the unbelievable to you.”
We walked over to the couch sitting in the corner of the room. Scotty sat and propped his feet up on the table in front of us. His face looked...tired. I hadn’t noticed before but there were black circles underneath his eyes.
“What are you?” I asked before I registered what I had said.
He laughed and pushed his hands through his blond hair. “I’m a half-bred, Lizzie. A mutt.”
“Should I call you mutt?”
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at me. “I’m a Nephilim.”
I had never heard the word before but it gave my spine a chill. “What exactly does it mean?”
“There is a story behind it. In the beginning of time when Lucifer and his followers were cast out of Heaven, they would ‘mingle—’” He gave me a sideways glance. “With humans. That is how Nephils are made. They are half-human and half-angel.”
I furrowed my brow. “So, you’re half?”
“That’s right.” He pointed to himself. “In the flesh.”
“So you’re an angel?” I asked, with a smile.
He cocked an eyebrow. “I sure as hell look like one.” That’s right. He laughed and it was just as heavenly as an angel’s. “But how do you know I’m one of the good guys? What if I’m on the bad side?”
“There are good and bad sides?”
“Aren’t there always?” He stretched his arms out on the back of the couch. “Since the beginning of time there has been good and evil.”
“What determines whether someone is a ‘bad’ angel or a ‘good’ one?”
He sighed and sat forward, his hands clasped between his legs. “First, it could be on how your parents raised you. Secondly, it could be because someone close to you isn’t a good guy. Or thirdly, you always have a choice to do good or bad. It’s within yourself that matters.”
“How could a fallen angel not be good? They’re angels?”
“Think about what you just said, kid. They’re fallen. They would’ve had to have done something to fall. None can be truly good if they have fallen.”
That made me cringe. None could be truly good if they had fallen?
“The truth is stranger than fiction sometimes, kid.” He winked and stood up. “Enough with the heavy. We need to go eat. I’m starved.” He offered me his hand. “Can you cook?”
I looked up and raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t the 1800s. You can cook.”
“Well, we’re shit out of luck.” He led me up toward the door. “Better yet, let’s just go to Philly Bilmos. I know they can cook.”
“Where is Philly Bilmos?”
“Down town.”
“Are we supposed to leave the house?”
He shrugged. “I’m hungry, you’re hungry. We have an excellent excuse.” He smiled.
Scotty drove a Jaguar. Not that I didn’t expect it, since his dad seemed to be loaded. I whistled as I saw it sitting underneath the side carport. “This is nice, Scotty. Could Ian adopt me?”
He unlocked the car. “I bet he would.”
“What kind of car is this?” I asked, sitting down in the passenger seat.
“It’s a Jaguar XKR-S. It goes 0-60 in less than 4.2 seconds, and it can get up to 186 miles.” He started the car, with just a button, I might add, and it purred underneath us. The smell of leather filled my nose and I suddenly envied him. My Honda wasn’t even in the same league or four leagues below his. The chrome was polished inside. I could see my reflection in. Scotty pushed a button on the touch-screen navigation/DVD/CD/GPS—hell I’m not even sure what all it did—and Kings of Leon began to play
I smiled. “I guess music doesn’t differ from angel, Nephilim, to human?”
“Can’t beat this,” he said, backing up and gunning it down the road.
A few minutes later we pulled into 164th Avenue. Scotty swerved his car into the parking lot and killed the engine. “Let’s go, kid.”
I followed closely behind him as we went inside. I smelled the best food I’ve ever smelled.
“This place has the best Philly cheesesteak ever,” he told me. “No other place compares. No exceptions. Period.”
“I guess I know what I’m getting then.”
He turned and looked at me. “You have no choice.”
The waiter greeted us. He seemed to know Scotty. He sat us by the window and went to get our drinks.
Scotty took my menu as soon as I opened it and shook his head. He pointed toward himself. “I’ve got this, Sweetheart.”
I held back a smile.
The waiter returned and pulled out his ticket book and pen. “What can I get you two?”
“Two Philly cheesesteaks, fully loaded, with Cajun fries, extra crispy.”
The man smiled and took the menu. “That will be out in just a little while.”
Scotty nodded and looked back at me. “You’re going to love them. I can tell.”
“How could you tell what I like?”
“I have that gift. I’m a food teller.”
I managed not to laugh but it was hard. “Hmm. Oh really, now, then what is my favorite cereal.”
“Frosted Flakes.”
“Wrong. Mini Frosted Wheat’s.”
“Same damn thing, kid. Frosted is frosted.”
“So not the same thing but I’ll take it. What is my favorite cheese?”
“Gouda.”
I managed a surprised face. “That one is right. People, we have us a food teller in our presence.”
He stood and pretended to bow. My phone, which I had set on the table, started to vibrate. Mom’s name came across the screen.
“Aren’t you going to answer that? It is your mother.”
I shook my head and pressed ignore. “I’m not allowed to answer.”
“Why not?” he asked, leaning against the table.
“Darrton says no one can know where I’m at. They will try to come and get me and make me go home. Then basically Caden and Warren will come and kill me,” I said, twisting my straw around in my cup.
“You weren’t lying. You do live in a teenage soap opera.” Scotty leaned back and shook his head. “How did you get mixed up with Darrton, anyway?”
“Well, he kind of just showed up in my back yard. He was hiding in a bush.”
He chuckled. “Well-hidden, Darrton.”
“He was hurt when he fell.”
“So, it was just the luck of the draw that your house was the one he landed behind? Well, don’t you have the shittiest luck ever?”
“I guess you could say that.” I frowned and watched my phone blinking a red light, telling me I had a text. Scotty snatched my phone up and opened the text. “You ever hear of privacy, Scotty? Or do Nephilim not know what that is?”
“Lizzie, please tell me where you are. I’m so confused. I can’t remember anything, it’s like there are holes in my memory.” Scotty cocked an eyebrow. “Who is Trevor?”
I groaned.
“Ah! The boyfriend in the drama.”
I shook my head as the waiter brought our cheesesteaks over to us and set them down. “He isn’t my boyfriend, at least not any more. I had the biggest effin crush on him ever. We had a fling during the summer and dated for like a week this year.”
“So...” Scotty said, squirting ketchup on his fries and drowning it in salt and pepper, “What’s the problem, Liz. I’m afraid I don’t see it.”
“He–he was kind of pushy.”
He cocked an eyebrow with a fry hanging out of his mouth. “You mean he wanted you?”
I nodded and took a bite of my cheesesteak. “This is delicious.”
“Are you avoiding the subject, Miss. Lawrence?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I guess he did.”
“And you didn’t want him?”
I nodded. “I did. At first...I mean...no I didn’t I was scared...I wasn’t ready and he wouldn’t leave me alone about it.”
He nodded. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“Yeah.” I laughed. “I can.”
He fluttered his eyes in an eye roll. “Where does the ‘holes in the memory’ thing come in?”
“We can thank Darrton for that. He kind of saw him trying to...”
Scotty choked on his fry. “Good God, and Trevor is still alive?”
“Barely. It wasn’t pretty. Darrton was...mad.”
“Yeah, I can tell he cares about you. It’s not even really in his nature now to love. I’m surprised you got under his skin the way you did. You must be one hell of a kisser, kid.”
I blushed. “Shut up.”
“Awe, you’re blushing, sweets.”
I flipped him off.
“Now, that’s not ladylike.”
I ignored him and took another bite. Suddenly, an eerie feeling started crawling up my back. I glanced around and saw a girl looking at me from the bar. Her eyes were squinted and her dark hair was cut in a short bob, close to her head like Halle Berry’s. Her skin was a milk chocolate color. I looked back at my food and tried to eat some more.
“Scotty, the hottie,” I heard someone say. The creepy girl was standing next to our table. Her hand on her hip and a sneer was directed in my direction.
“Ariel, how are you, dear.” Scotty stood up to greet her but she excused him with a hand wave and took a seat right beside him.
Her hazel eyes narrowed. “Scotty, you’re not going to introduce me to your girlfriend?”
“Oh! I’m not his girlfriend.”
Scotty rolled his eyes. “Lay off, Ariel. This is Elizabeth Lawrence.”
“Your girlfriend?” she asked again.
Scotty sighed and glanced over at Ariel. “Lizzie is not my girlfriend. I think she has enough guy trouble without me. She is one of my dad’s friend’s daughters. She is staying in town for a little while.”
She leaned forward. I coughed. “So, are you Scotty’s girlfriend?” I asked.
Scotty leaned back, shook his head, and mouthed, “Hell no.”
“No, who wants to know?” she asked.
“Just wondering.”
“Hmm.”
“Ariel is a Nephil, too, Lizzie.”
“Why the hell would you tell her that, Scotty? Maybe I didn’t want her to know about me? You being a Nephil, is your business to tell, but me being one is not?” Her eyes darted back to mine. “Are you a Nephil?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m...just human.”
“How do you know about Nephilims then?”
“Because of Scotty.”
“She knows Darrton,” Scotty said, finishing off his food.
She stopped and looked back at me. Her face had changed, it was scared. “Oh, Darrton.”
Scotty laughed. “Speaking of Darrton and fiery Horsemen,” he said, nodding his head toward the TV hanging in the corner. “Looks like someone has made their way back to America.”
The news channel showed a flash of videos and images that were a plague of red. My skin crawled in a slither down my back.
“They’re in Rhode Island,” Scottie said. “They’re making their way across the country.” Scotty placed his drink down and reached into his wallet, throwing a fifty on the table. “Let’s go. We need to get hidden before Warren and Caden find their way to us and rip us to shreds.”
Ariel followed us out to Scotty’s car and crawled into the back seat. “Why would they want to find us, Scotty? What did we do to them?”
He sped off, heading home. “They don’t want us. They want Lizzie. Darrton refused to kill her and Warren and Caden want her dead because she knows too much. So now they are coming to kill her.”
Ariel scoffed. “So this is all her fault? They will come looking for us because of her?”
“No one invited you, Ariel. You didn’t have to come. I’m here to protect her while Dad and Darrton go and try to find Ferdia.”
“Well, I’m staying.”
“No bitching then.” Scotty swerved around several cars. “Lizzie, you’re tense over there. It’s going to be okay.”
I cleared my throat. “What exactly can a Nephil do? Do you have, like, powers or strength?”
“We have strength. We fly...ya know, the normal stuff.”
“Yeah, normal.”
Ariel made her way in between our seats the best she could. “We also have an ability to save one person’s life. If they are dying.”
Scotty nodded. “Yes, but in return we die. We give our life for the one that we are trying to save.”
“That sounds like witchcraft.”
Scotty nodded. “It is. Well sort of...when the angels were damned to Hell in the beginning, they weren’t good. They were bad. One of the archangels that was damned had fallen in love with a human. When he died, she wanted to save him. She went to a witch and begged to have the power. She gave her life for his. And so on...”
“That’s creepy.”
Scotty shrugged. “I guess it could come in handy.”
That didn’t really make me feel good. Why would we have to worry about that? God, I hoped that nothing happened that would lead to that.
When we got to Scotty’s house, Ariel barged in like she knew her way around. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
I waited until she had made it upstairs before I said, “What the hell is wrong with her? Either she is just an utter bitch or she slept with you and you ditched her.”
Scotty acted taken back. He placed his hand on his heart and said, “I can’t believe you would suggest that I would take advantage of a girl?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Well, seeing as your father is always drinking...I’m just saying maybe drinking runs in the family and maybe being a drunk lover runs in it, too?”
He laughed and I followed him toward the living room. A flat screen pulled down from the ceiling and Scotty pulled up the Netflix screen. “So, what are we watching today? Any request, ladies?”
Ariel walked in the room and squeezed in between Scotty and me. He pushed his blond hair from his face and rolled his eyes.
“How about Angels in the Outfield?” I suggested.
In unison they both looked at me.
“Are you trying to be funny?” Ariel rolled her eyes and kicked off her combat boots, while propping her feet on the table.
Scotty laughed. “Angels in the Outfield it is then, since we have no more takers.”
We watched Angels in the Outfield and Scotty ordered a pizza. I didn’t say anything but it always shocked me that angels ate regular food. I mean come on? In the stories vampires drink blood, werewolves, eat people and what about fallen angels...to my surprise anything that humans eat. Whatever.
Ariel fell asleep on Scotty and he left her there snoring while we went upstairs. “She always does that,” Scotty said.
“Does what?” I asked.
“Falls asleep, on purpose.” He rolled his eyes and gagged. “She is one of my dad’s friend’s daughters. Her mother is a fallen as well. I’ve known her since I was young. She was born in the ’60s, and ever since we were kids she has been a bitch. I don’t know what it is. She isn’t a nice houseguest.”
“She wants you, Scotty,” I said, smiling and walking into my room. I tried to block out the Iofiel that was above the door but seeing it formed a knot in my throat.
Scotty leaned in the doorway and watched me sit down on my bed. “He’ll be okay, ya know.”
I didn’t look up at him; I pressed and drew my fingers along the threads on my bedspread. “Yeah, I know.”
“You’re scared, I can sense it.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Is that another gift?”
He scoffed and came over and sat beside me. “No, it’s a hunch. Because you wouldn’t be human if you weren’t.”
I chocked back a cry. “I am scared. So scared. What if they take my family? What if they take Millie? Or Trevor? It’s still not fair to him whether I hate his guts or not. They didn’t do anything wrong. They’ve been dragged into this because of me and...Darrton, he could die. He could die fighting for me.”
Scotty stared at me, his dark eyes watching every move. “You left someone out.”
I wiped my face. “Who?”
“You. What if something happens to you? Aren’t you worried about that?”
“Rather me than them.”
He smiled. It was a sympathy smile but he smiled. He stepped forward, sat beside me, wrapped his arms around me, and whispered into my hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You’ll be fine. Darrton and Ian will be back soon and everything will be okay,” he promised.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
He didn’t reply. We both knew he couldn’t promise that. Scotty got up and went toward the door. He looked back before he left. “Get some rest, Iofiel. You deserve some rest. It’s been a long day for you.”
I nodded and turned my back, so he couldn’t see the tears wanting to escape.
After my shower, I slipped into a pair of Victoria Secret’s pink flannel PJs. I sat on my bed with a wet head and looked at my phone. I had 46 missed calls just today and 62 texts. All from my parents, Millie, and Trevor.
I looked through a few and my blood went cold. Underneath was a text from my Mom it said, Can’t find Samantha. Please call us, Lizzie. Millie says she talked to you the other day.
I scrolled down. This one was from Millie. Just heard your sister is missing, please come home. I’m so scared.
My phone fell from my hands. What do they mean, missing? She had to be there. Who would have taken her? Who would have not brought her back after ten minutes of her rattling mouth? My stomach churned. This is not happening.
I dialed Darrton’s number and cried into my hand.
“Hello!” Darrton said, panic and menace in his voice.
“Darrton, oh my God, they have her!”
“Who, Elizabeth. They have who?”
“Samantha, my sister, they have her I know it.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Darrton, please tell me you are coming home. I don’t need to be alone right now. I’m freaking out.”
“Elizabeth. You have got to listen to me and calm down. We will get her back, okay? They won’t kill her. They are only using her to get to you. Please, calm down and breathe. Where is Scotty?”
I sniffled. “Downstairs, I think.”
“Stay close to Scotty tonight. They are coming for you, not Scotty. You have to stay close to him. He can protect you better than you can protect yourself.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
“Elizabeth, I have to go, please listen to me, Iofiel.”
I nodded as if he could really hear me. Finally, I mumbled, “Yes. I promise I will listen. I’m going to get him now.”
“Elizabeth.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be back for you soon.”
The call ended.
It took me five minutes just to get up from the bed and walk downstairs. Scotty was sitting in his armchair with a beer in his hand, reading the newspaper.
He looked up and his eyes skimmed down me. My face flushed and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. Damn it, I forgot to put my bra back on.
He cleared his throat and stood up. “Is everything okay?”
I shook my head and bit my tongue to keep from crying. “No, they have my sister. They took my sister.”
He furrowed his brow and ran his fingers through his hair. “How old is she?”
“Twelve.”
“Bastards,” he mumbled.
“Would it be okay if you slept in a room close to mine tonight?”
Scotty’s face softened. “Of course, kid. Let me get ready and I’ll be up in there in just a couple of minutes.”
“Scotty.”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you for this.”
He winked. “Anytime, kid.”
I turned to go up the stairs but stopped and asked, “Where is Ariel?”
He sighed. “Thank God, she went home.”
I smiled and walked up stairs.
About three minutes later, I heard a slight rap on my door. “Come in. It’s your house.”
Scotty leaned up against the door frame. He had his shirt off and a pair of basketball shorts on. He wasn’t big, but he had long, lean muscles in his chest. “Yes, but it would be awfully rude of me not to knock. You are a lady and I am a gentleman and it is late at night. I’ve got to make my bed for the night.”
I blushed. Is he staying in here? “You don’t have to stay in here. You can stay in another room. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
He brushed me off. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, kid.” Scotty put a blanket on the floor and I threw him a pillow from the bed. Once we were settled in, I relaxed. At least this would help a little.
“Scotty.”
“Yes.”
“Are you scared?”
“About the Horsemen?”
“Mmhmm and what they are doing. Turning all of us against each other?”
“They won’t hurt me. They won’t hurt a Nephil. They are trying to rid the Earth of humans. We are like them. We have been damned to Earth by God. They won’t hurt us. But I’m scared for the outcome of the world. I’m scared I’ll wake up one day and not ever see another human again. Or get to fall in love, or have a normal life.”
“Do you think they will make it? Do you think they will get the rest of the world?”
He was silent for a while. “They’ve been doing one hell of a job right now, but I think that if Darrton is careful enough, they can sneak up on them and defeat them. If Ferdia helps, they will have a better chance than without him. If Warren and Caden get to them before Ferdia, their chances are slimmer.”
“How do you know their names?”
Scotty was silent for a second and my body quaked. “All fallen angels know who they are.”
I sighed in relief. “I hope this all works out okay. I just want my family and friends to be safe. I want Darrton to be safe. I want to be safe.”
“Darrton will make sure you’re okay. He’ll make sure that nothing happens to you or your family. As much as it’s a shock to say that he does, I think, he loves you. He’s never loved anyone since he died. It’s not his nature to love, so I know that he does love you or he wouldn’t be fighting so hard to save you. Not that I can blame him. You’re pretty awesome, kid.”
I smiled up at the ceiling. “I’m glad two people think so.”
“Three, Trevor.”
“Gag me.”
“I’m sure he would.”
“Ah! You pervert. That’s disgusting.”
“Hey, just saying, kid.”
“Thanks for coming in here, Scotty. I’m glad I’m not alone.”
“No problem. You better get to sleep. I’m an early bird and, plus, Dad and Darrton will most likely make it back home tomorrow. We wouldn’t want anything to happen tonight.”
That sentence made a chill run over my body. “I hope they’re back tomorrow.”
“Hey, Lizzie?”
“Hmm,” I said into the side of my pillow.
“I’m sorry about your sister. We’ll get her back.”
“I hope so.”