Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 46
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
The sphere began to pick up altitude, as Melissa noticed Joe, with his arms folded across his chest, still talking. Once more though, she could not hear him. Frustrated, she lifted her hand to her face, and tapped her index finger on her earlobe. He shut his mouth, shaking his head in disapproval, as the bubble hovered over the trees. By now, Melissa could see the dozens of tree tops that separated them from the root of the mountain. Unwilling to let any unpleasant thoughts cloud her mind, she smiled herself, enjoying the breathtaking view from above. The trees were rustling, as the wind blew through them, picking up leaves and dust from the soil, as the bubble flew higher. In a matter of seconds, the trees left her line of sight. Sadly, barren rocks and small, dry bushes replaced them, as they neared the entrance of her grandfather’s sanctuary. For some reason she could not fathom, it was wide open. Furthermore, the ground before it seemed intact. A landslide could have motivated Helena to use this strange method of transportation, but there was no sign of a landslide whatsoever. Steadily, the hovering bubble made its way through the gate. The witch was standing right inside in the hallway; eyes closed, arms open, palms facing them. A rumbling noise startled Melissa, as Helena tipped her head down. A simple glance over her shoulder told her that the gate was sliding down. A powerful shockwave shot forward, bursting the bubble, as her eyes snapped open. The entrance was sealed, causing the walls around them to vibrate, as they tumbled to the floor.
“Pardon me, my young one,” Helena spoke in her usual, feathery voice, as Melissa landed hard on her chest. “I had to project my life force to bring you in safely. Azazel is watching Joe. My life force is protected by a spell, as is this structure. Had I not used this trick, this location would have been made known to the demon. Now, follow me,” she added, turning to the left to enter Roman’s library.
“Smart move,” Melissa said, dusting herself off, as she rose from the floor.
“This place looks like a medieval castle,” Joe remarked, staring at the torches on the left side of the corridor, as they ambled off towards their destination. Melissa’s face tightened with worry. Her boyfriend’s life depended on what Helena had to say to them. Her heart skipped a beat, as she remembered their brief discussion in the forest, in particular, the witch’s conclusion:
“He’s beyond redemption.”
“Please, tell me you were wrong,” Melissa thought to herself, joining Helena in the large hall. The witch stood behind her desk. Three, tall stacks of books almost completely covered her form. Helena picked a book from the middle one, and put it down on the desk, as Joe closed the door behind him.
“Azazel,” the witch began, assuming a businesslike tone, “translates from the Hebrew as ‘scapegoat.’ According to the book of Enoch, Azazel was one of the chief ‘Grigori’, a group of fallen angels that married women. He was responsible for teaching people how to make weapons and cosmetics. God had his archangel, Raphael, cast Azazel into the darkness, for shedding blood and bringing lawlessness upon the earth. The Latin Bible doesn’t mention the demon by name, but only speaks of an ‘emissary goat.’”
“What’s with the history lesson, Helena?” Melissa asked while taking a few, slow steps towards her desk. “Is any of that supposed to help us?”
“I am only trying to illustrate that you are up against an ancient demon,” Helena explained, shrugging her shoulders. “He is immortal. You can kill his human vessel, but you will not harm him. Eventually, he will come back.”
“There has to be a way,” Melissa whispered, intensifying her stare. “What about Kate’s book?”
“Marianne’s legacy might be an excellent source of spells, hexes and all sorts of incantations, but it does not mention anything on the subject of eradicating demons,” Helena replied, turning her gaze away from Melissa, in order to look at the book before her, as she wrested it open. “But, do not lose hope. Just because we cannot kill Azazel, that doesn’t mean we cannot break the contract.”
“Break it? How?” Melissa spoke too fast, her voice a mixture of tension and enthusiasm, as the witch flipped through the pages.
“There!” Helena exclaimed, pointing down at a circled passage. “Alistair Baines, a witch much before Khalista’s time, says that the first step to loosen the demon’s grip on a person’s soul is to give up every luxury they have acquired, ever since they made that deal. It makes sense, really. The demon feeds off the power that those acquisitions have over the person. The more the luxuries, the harder it is for the human to forsake them. Baines also quotes a spell to send the demon back down to where he belongs: Hell. Should we succeed, your contract will be void.”
“So, all I have to do is quit my job?” Joe asked, narrowing his eyes to slits in nervousness.
“No,” Helena replied, putting her hands on her desk, as she looked up at him. “You have to get rid of every single thing you have purchased since ‘Cross and Associates’ hired you at a very lucrative salary: real estate; cars; jewelry; furniture; electronics… the works. Also, you can’t just quit your job, Joe. You are an established lawyer now, because of that contract. Every law firm in New York will jump at the opportunity to hire you. You have to change your name as well. I know I just said that abandoning these worldly matters would loosen Azazel’s grip on your soul. There is still much to be done to drive the demon out of this world. I will need three of your hairs, Baines’ spell, and one of you will have to drive a silver knife through the vessel’s heart.”
Joe dragged his gaze away from Helena, as she completed her small – but informative – tirade. Melissa’s heart fluttered upon hearing what they had to do. By no means would it be easy; yet, she had faith in herself. She would not think twice about engaging the demon. Still, her boyfriend’s silence, and the fact that his face was twitching with conflicting expressions of guilt and dismay, confused her. Helena had found a way for him to live a normal life. Why was he being so abstruse about it?
“Joe, may I talk to you for a second: in private?” Melissa requested, turning to him. A nod served as her answer. Sinking in frustration, the young blonde turned around. In the few seconds that it took her to stride across the hall, she attempted to guess what had been troubling him, but she found herself at an impasse. Stepping onto the hallway, she crossed her arms over her chest, as she impatiently tapped her right foot on the floor.
“What’s wrong, Joe?” she inquired, her voice monotonous, as he joined her. “I thought you’d be a little more excited. I mean, you just found out that you can break free of this curse.”
“Mel…” Joe began in a whisper, pressing his lips together as a veil of sorrow shadowed his eyes. “My childhood dream was becoming a lawyer. That’s all I know. In order to do what Helena said, I’ll have to give up that dream. I’m going to have to start from scratch.”
“If you don’t, you’re going to have to give up your own life!” Fear cracked Melissa’s voice, her heart thumping against her chest, as tears pooled in her eyes. “Do you want to die?”
“Of course not!” his trembling baritone echoed back at the walls of the hallway, his face twisting in agony, as his arms shot out and grabbed her by the shoulders. “I especially do not wish to die now that I’ve met you.”
“More fancy words…” she sighed, squeezing her eyes shut, as she ran her hand through her hair. “You’re good at that. But talk is cheap. If you really want to live freely…” she paused, “…prove it. Do what it takes.”
“It’s an impossible decision,” Joe whispered, his fingers shaking, as he leaned over her. His words cut like a knife. She couldn’t understand his hesitation. Maybe it was because Melissa didn’t have a childhood dream to pursue. Females of her kind made great cooks, and caring mothers, not career professionals. However, she could comprehend the value of life, and Joe was gambling with his and hers alike. Was this a good time to share the secret of her weakness? No, absolutely not. Melissa would not put him through emotional blackmail. She would not force his decision.
“Not to me,” she countered, as a tear streamed out of the corner of her eye. “You have to choose between less than seven years as a lawyer and a violent death, or a lifetime as a free man.”
“I need some time to think about it,” He muttered, snorting back a sob. “I’ll spend the night at my sister’s. I’ll call you tomorrow, ok?”
Melissa didn’t speak. She merely tipped her head down lightly, realizing that whatever she said to him would not really make any difference. He had been clear, and so had she. Nevertheless, Joe’s indecision hurt and inflamed her. She couldn’t even consider being in the same room with him at this moment.
“Open the gate, Helena!” Melissa shouted, spinning around and walking away, as she struggled to hold back her tears. She expected him to try and stop her. Besides, she had not bothered explaining to him how much his attitude had stung her. Still, Joe did no such thing. The only sound that rang in her ears as she closed in on the opening gate was the one of her own footsteps. Halting a few inches away from the entrance, she looked up at him, over her shoulder. His hollow gaze was blankly staring at her.
“Please, don’t fail me, Joe. Choose life. I’ll be waiting.”
Chapter Seventeen
Sunlight was beginning to fade as Melissa walked down the hillside. Under any other circumstances, she would love to gaze up into the sky, at the colors that often took her breath away. All the same, the anger that had stormed through her emotions prevented her from doing so. For her, enjoying a sunset required a peaceful mind, and her mind was anything but peaceful. Melissa was so frustrated that she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. One part of her desired to go back to Joe: to hug him; to rant about her weakness. Nevertheless, a bigger part of her believed that this would not benefit either of them. Why? Because: this would lead to an even more emotional moment. Joe was already under a tremendous amount of pressure. She would not torture him any further. Right now, they were both in dire need of solitude and quiet.
Melissa lengthened her strides, as she left the hillside behind her. Inevitably, the thought of Joe choosing to do nothing about his predicament crossed her mind. It saddened her, but it was one possible choice that she had to take into account. He had referred to his job with such affection that he had left her no choice to be silent about his work dilemma as well as her death dilemma. What would she do if he surrendered to his fate? The answer came fast, surprising even her. Melissa would have to share her darkest secret with him in a last ditch effort to change his mind. Certainly, she could only hope that Joe would not interpret her words as a ruse. Humans found it extremely hard to believe that her kind was truly vulnerable to a broken heart, dying when their partners left them or died. Why should Joe be an exception to that rule? It was at that point that she wished she had confided in him earlier. Yes, a revelation like that would overwhelm him, he could laugh at it, but it would help her avoid such a terrible misunderstanding.
Melissa peeked through the trees, as she climbed the hill just outside the Bradford property. To her astonishment, Joe’s SUV was not parked in the driveway anymore.
“You just missed him,” Julia’s familiar voice ripped through the air, as she sauntered towards her. “Helena used her teleportation to get him here. He looked pretty upset. I asked him what had happened between you two. He wouldn’t say; he just took off.”
“Helena offered him a way out of this mess he’s in, but he has to forsake his life as it is. He’s got to leave everything the demon has given him,” Melissa spoke in a lackluster tone, brushing past Julia. “I think it’s a no brainer. He doesn’t know if he can do that. He says it’s too hard to decide.”
“I have to agree with him,” Julia’s comment and her unusually serious tone froze her to the spot upon which she stood. “It is a huge decision.”
“He needs to choose between life and death!” Melissa grumbled, casting a fierce glare down at Julia, over her shoulder. “How hard is that?”
“What kind of life?” Julia answered her question with a question of her own, her tone calm, as she smiled up at her friend. “He’s making a lot of money as a lawyer. Imagine what it will be like for him to work for minimum wage.”
“I know it won’t be great, but…”
“Great?” Julia interrupted, raising her voice, as she squinted up at her. “Do you even know what minimum wage is? It’s not really a salary. It’s pocket money.”
“Would death be a better alternative?” Melissa let out a pain-ridden whisper, dreading the thought of having to confront her friend as well, as she spun around to face her. “Are seven years of success worth this horrible fate?”
“I’m not defending him,” Julia spoke with a more mellow tone, even as her face hardened. “I’m just trying to explain to you how hard this must be for him.”
“It’s a sacrifice,” Melissa sighed, deepening her gaze. “He forsakes riches to save his life. And mine, but he doesn’t know that.”
“H-He doesn’t?” Julia stuttered, her brows shooting up, as her eyes twinkled. “You haven’t told him? Why?”
“I know I should have,” Melissa admitted, nodding at the same time. “I will, if he chooses to do nothing.”
“Damn it, Mel,” Julia groaned, looking away from her and shaking her head. “The guy can’t make an informed decision without knowing all the facts.”
“Stop it, Julia,” Melissa pitched her voice higher. “I feel bad enough as it is.”
“Either way, I don’t think he’d jeopardize the life of the woman he loves,” Julia’s opinion sent shivers down her spine, shocking her to her core. A glimmer of hope lit inside her, even though she had no idea how her friend had reached that conclusion.
“The woman he loves?” She asked, though her voice was but a whisper.
“I came here looking for you, about an hour ago.” Julia spoke, her eyes sparkling with excitement, as a broad smile burst upon her lips. “I found his writing on the table. He’s written like twenty poems for you; he mentions you by name in five of them. A man doesn’t do that, unless he’s hopelessly in love.”
“Thanks a lot for the insight, Jules, but actions speak louder than words,” Melissa uttered, her voice soft and strained, like someone had stabbed her in the back and she was still recovering. “A single action is worth more than a thousand poems. Anyway, I’m too drained to talk about this anymore. Goodnight.”
Without much thought, she turned her back to her friend, as the scene in her grandfather’s sanctuary replayed in her mind. Every question, every answer, every emotion swirled like a hurricane deep inside her, gripping her heart like a vice. Was this what love was supposed to be: angst and turmoil? If it was, Melissa was better off without it. Her heart was too delicate, too fragile to take part in this emotional war, one that was guaranteed to send her to her doom.
Chapter Eighteen
The warm night enveloped Melissa – providing refuge to her fearful thoughts – as she found shelter in the peace and quiet of her roof. Accompanied by the moonlight, the thousands of stars that graced the dark sky, and the town lights of her birthplace, she would – once again – attempt to find meaning in “words”, told or untold, and actions she anticipated but had yet to witness.
Despite Julia’s attempt to convince her that he was indeed in a very difficult position, she was still mad at him. If his will to free himself of the demon’s hold was strong enough, he wouldn’t have been torn by indecision. Even so, she still missed him: his lips; his deep voice that gave her goose bumps; his penetrating eyes; and that glorious smile that could melt away her fears. Just imagining what they would do under the moonlight intensified the sense of loneliness that had engulfed her, ever since she had left him. Yes, he had failed her, but his power over her had not waned whatsoever.
“That’s what love is all about.”
The little voice inside her acted like a wakeup call. No, love was not just about pain and anger. It went far deeper than those two emotions. More than anything, it was a matter of faith, a strong belief that wouldn’t wither in the face of adversity; the same belief that didn’t allow her to abandon Joe in this dark hour. It remained the exact hope that kept her eyes wide open that night, thinking about him, wondering if her initial assessment was right or not.
The sight of a pair of headlights, up on the road into her birthplace, did not come as a surprise. It was almost midnight. Many of her kind liked to frequent Shandaken and the other towns close to Paxton. Human bars were irresistible to shifters. The same set of headlights later squeezed through the bushes, as the tall vehicle approached the town limit. But, it never entered the little town. Instead, it turned right, and into the Bradford property. She recognized the roar of the powerful engine at once. It was Joe’s Escalade, skidding across their driveway. Melissa found herself at a loss. What was he doing here, just four hours after they had last seen each other?
He stepped out of the car, and, right away, she noticed that he had a surprise for her. His natural finished, acoustic guitar was in his right hand.
“Up here,” Melissa waved at him. Joe threw a glance up at her, wearing a tiny smile, but did not stop. Instead, he continued to stroll towards her cabin.
“What will you do now, Joe?” She thought to herself. “Will you play ‘Dust in the wind’, hoping to calm me down? Will it be a ‘goodbye’ song I’ve never heard of before?”
Melissa’s heart was pounding like a drum as the sound of his heavy footfalls on the staircase grew louder by the second. She drew in one deep breath after another, in a vain attempt to ease her jangling nerves. Fear rose and washed over her like a massive wave, drenching her in a cold sweat, as he emerged from the darkness of her stairway. Still holding his guitar, his smile broadened, as he continued to close in on her. Unable to voice her anxiety, Melissa preferred to remain silent. Finally, Joe halted before her, and then bent his knees slightly to ease his guitar against the wall behind her.
