Forgiven Read online

  Daren shrugged. “Okay, then. Let’s head upstairs.”

  “Sure.” She followed the boy that held her heart in the palm of his hand up the steps, with a newly found sense of determination. Would it really be this easy?

  “Hop on the bed, I’ll get the book,” he said as he bent over to grab the leather bound piece of history.

  “Daren, I was hoping maybe we could do something else tonight?”

  “Oh, yeah. Like what?” he asked, looking up at her. She knew he was trying to read her expression. Figure out just what she had in mind. For once it wasn’t his lips that had overtaken hers, but hers that had overtaken his.

  There was a soft plop on the bed beside her before a warm hand met her cheek. He was eager. Ready. There was no turning back now. If Celeste had really wanted this to happen or not was no longer a question. It was going to happen.

  She pushed the book off the bed and pulled him towards her, only to be met with him pulling away. Great, what did I do wrong? “Daren?”

  “Just scooting the book back under the bed. I don’t want anything to happen to it.”

  An invisible blow struck her. Was Daren serious? He didn’t just say that, did he? No, he couldn’t have. Surely he knew how important this was. A gift, one not really wanting to be given, was being offered, yet this boy who’d taken over every waking thought in her young mind was still worried about that precious book? Celeste wasn’t sure how these things went, but she was pretty confident it wasn’t like this.

  “Wait, what was that?” Daren disappeared only to reappear seconds later with a folded paper in his hand. He sat next to her, opened it, and started to read.

  Celeste stared at him in disbelief. Her heart ached in ways she’d never known possible. Painful, raw, emotions inside broke free and slid down her face. She let them fall. Who cared if he thought it showed weakness. Maybe she was weak. “Really, Daren?”

  Celeste rose and stomped across the floor fully intending to leave Daren behind in his own little world, but was stopped just shy of the door by the tone she’d heard in his voice. It was one she hadn’t heard before. “I think you’ll want to read this.”

  Jasie wasn’t sure if he should thank the meddling mist that was Deception for that slight breeze that just so happened to knock the folded paper from the book and onto the floor. It may have stopped one lousy experience from taking place, though his concern was how bad the one that would become of it would end up being. From Celeste’s crinkled nose and pulled low brows, it wasn’t going to be good. Betrayal laced the only word that Celeste had whispered, “Mom?”

  Chapter 6

  One, in their right mind, might think Katelyn's gratitude for that dreadful night nineteen years ago was a bit deranged. Weird. Scary even. Who, in their right mind, would be thankful for coming face to face with a demon? Certainly not any normal human...right? Then again, Katelyn was far from being what the world considered normal. Her life never fit the role of the humdrum, take it one day at a time, living for the moment lifestyle that seemed to fill the void of everyone else’s entire existence. No. That was never enough for her.

  She yearned for adventure. For a family, though hers was a far cry from the loving one she’d always envisioned herself growing up in. For relationships, she could count on no matter how dark the days became.

  It was unfortunate that only one person met that definition in her life, back then. And it was also sad that that particular person was no longer on this side of eternity. There would be no chance to tell her Aunt Cara about the love of Jesus. No opportunity to show her a different version of life. No chance to actually love her unconditionally...though she thought she did at the time. Boy, had she been mistaken.

  The realization of her love being a cheaper, lesser version of all it could’ve been, saddened Katelyn at times. She often wondered how they were both so blind to the deceit, to the hatred. Blind to the confusion and fear that had ruled their lives. Though maybe her aunt hadn’t been blind to it all? Perhaps she had fed off all the negative energy?

  Wondering about the darkness that controlled and overran Cara’s heart would’ve consumed Katelyn if she’d let it. Instead, she learned to turn her thoughts to the decision she had chosen that night long ago.

  The decision to walk in freedom. Freedom of fear. Freedom of guilt. Freedom of sadness. Freedom of all of the lies she had ever believed. Not only about herself...but about God. About love, about life.

  It was there, in those moments...in those thoughts that a renewed sense of worth, of belief, had taken her over. For that, she would always be thankful. For that, she would gladly go through it all again. How could she not?

  Had things turned out any other way, she probably wouldn’t be where she was today. Holding onto bitterness and anger was futile. Those emotions would only bring self-destruction, and finding out there was so much more to live for was well worth laying it all down.

  “Hey, Katelyn, honey, what time are we supposed to pick up, Celeste?” She vaguely heard Trevor’s voice but didn’t respond, lost too much in her own thoughts.

  “Katelyn, everything all right?” A strong yet gentle warmth rested on her shoulder. She raised her arm and placed her hand over her husband’s. “Yeah,” she smiled, “everything is fine.” She glanced at the clock. “Pretty sure we were supposed to be there already.”

  Trevor squeezed her shoulder, “We should probably get going then.”

  “Yes, we should. Time got away from me again. I’ll call and let her know we’re running behind.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

  “I’ll be down in a minute.”

  Katelyn dialed Celeste’s number. Three rings and her daughter's voice was on the other end, “Hello?”

  “Hey, dad and I are running behind, we're leaving the house now.”

  “Yeah, okay. See you soon.”

  Before Katelyn could say anything else, Celeste ended the call. Katelyn stared at her phone and tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that crept in around her. She placed her phone in her purse and grabbed the house keys.

  In no time at all, Trevor and Katelyn had pulled up in front of Stacey’s house. Trevor pushed down on the middle of the wheel, and an annoying noise briefly filled the air.

  Katelyn looked at her watch. Too many minutes had passed. “I’m going to go get her,” Katelyn said as she opened the car door. “Be right back.”

  One knock later and a worried Stacey along with her mother stood next to a parked car and two perplexed and concerned parents.

  How can this be happening? A million scenarios flashed through Katelyn’s mind. She watched as Trevor dialed Celeste’s number for the third time. Their daughter wasn’t where she was supposed to be. There had been no school project. The past month had been a lie.

  A shiver ran through Katelyn and caused the fine hairs along her arms to stand on end. Her heart beat faster. Something was wrong. She sensed it now. Sensed the despair, the heaviness in the air as it blew against her, weighing her down. Lord, how did I miss this?

  “She’s not answering, Katelyn.”

  Katelyn stood shaking as she watched Trevor in what seemed like slow motion make his way over to her. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her trembling body next to his. Her head moved slightly up and down with every breath Trevor took.

  Katelyn tried to push the gulp in her throat back down, but it fought relentlessly to be released. Finally, it won. Tears dampened her cheeks. Her insides trembled. “Trevor, I don’t have a good feeling about this. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.”

  “It'll be all right. We'll find Celeste.”

  Nothing Trevor said or could say, would lessen the awful feeling. It was not possible. The last time this kind of unease pressed this heavily against her soul had been years ago.

  “They’re back, Trevor. They’re after our daughter.”

  It was at that moment a dark figure came walking out of the shadows. “Mom, Dad?”

 
“Celes-,” Katelyn started to speak but quieted at the shake of her husband’s head. “Get in the car, Celeste.”

  It was strange; the fear that mingled with the authority in Trevor’s tone. It had been so long since Katelyn heard a quiver in his baritone voice. It caught her off guard. Lord, help us.

  Katelyn knew now where all the restlessness came from. Internally she chastised herself for not seeing the signs sooner. As much as she disliked her daughter being the enemy’s target, there was a little sliver of peace deep down inside that was thankful she finally had a direction to pray in.

  It was just the beginning, that was the cold hard truth of the matter, but being able to rest in the One that held the ending ignited a fire inside. One the enemy would be sorry was ever re-lit.

  Chapter 7

  Other than a sigh and the occasional humph from the backseat, the ride home was a relatively quiet one. It gave Trevor time to think things over and pray before the confrontation that was coming. He pulled in the drive and placed the car in park before shutting it off. Trevor followed Katelyn and Celeste into the house then shut the door behind them. He prayed God would give him the strength to remain calm.

  “What were you thinking, Celeste? We were worried sick about you.”

  “Sorry, Dad. I just wanted to be with my friend. I guess you wouldn’t understand how that feels though, right?”

  His daughter’s sarcastically laced response caught him off guard. This young woman wasn't the same person who’d left his presence a couple hours ago. Could so much really change in such a short amount of time? Katelyn had to be right, he determined. They’d missed something somewhere.

  “You know we do, so where is all this coming from? What’s going on?” Katelyn asked. Celeste crossed her arms. A small smirk rested on her lips. “Why, mother, whatever do you mean? I’m a perfectly normal hormonal girl, just testing my boundaries.”

  “What?” Katelyn answered.

  Trevor started to say something but stopped at the nod of Katelyn's head. “I’ll give you two some time to talk,” he said instead.

  “What’s the matter, Dad, can’t take the heat?”

  Trevor stopped and faced his daughter. He looked her in the eyes. He didn’t like what stared back at him.

  Emptiness.

  He shook his head and gathered his thoughts. “Celeste, I love you. You are my only child. I adore you and want only the best for you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, for all of us. So your disobedience to us, to God, weighs heavily on my heart. Your mother and I do not want to see you go down the wrong path. There’s too much at stake. Your life is too important. Maybe you’re too young to fully understand what that means, I don’t know? But you were entrusted into our care. I hope you come to realize that we do what we think is best for you.”

  “Trev, let me talk with her for a little while.”

  “Yeah, sure.” He turned and continued in his original direction. Defeat carved itself in the deep, bunched up lines between his brows, and he started to pray, "I need Your guidance, Lord. Even if I don’t like them, I need answers. I don’t know if my words got through to her, Lord. From the look of hate in her eyes, I doubt it.

  The backdoor rubbed against the welcome mat as he pushed it open. “What do I do?” he whispered. “And Katelyn's feeling earlier. That look on her face.” He sighed. “Where did my little girl go? The one that used to sit on my lap and read me stories. The one that wanted me to kiss every scratch. The one who trusted me with all her secrets? Where did she go?”

  “She’s still there,” came a whisper.

  Tension, the arrogant demon he was, filled the room with his dark and wispy mist. It concealed his body and left only his red, beady eyes to be seen. Eyes that quickly darted back and forth between the two humans in front of him. He was good at causing trouble, and that’s what he’d come here to do. He whispered something into Celeste’s ear. A sinister grin parted his thick, cracked lips, just enough to reveal the sharp points of his teeth, and he waited to see the look on the face of the young puppet’s parent.

  A squeal of laughter cut through the fog, leaving a clear space to linger for a moment before coming back together. This mission would be an entertaining one.

  Uneasiness and peace fought for the starring role in Katelyn's own insider film. She knew now, without a doubt, what filled her house. What was at work in her daughter’s life. Several times she’d unknowingly looked through the lanky demon across the room from her. And more than several times an old familiar tingle ran across her shoulders. She patted the empty place next to her on the couch. “Come, sit down.”

  “Why? So you can drill me with all the same stuff dad just did?”

  “No, not exactly the same.”

  “Great.”

  “Celeste, you do know what you did was wrong, don’t you?”

  Celeste grumbled through gritted teeth. “Why? Why is wanting to spend time with my friend wrong?”

  Katelyn sighed. Everything about the present situation sent warning bells blasting off inside her. Had it really been almost twenty years since she’d had a very similar conversation with her parents?

  “There’s nothing wrong with hanging out with friends. Your father and I both want you to be able to do that. To go and spend time with others and build lasting relationships. But when you feel you have to lie about it and hide it... honey, that’s a whole other story. That has us concerned for you and your well being.”

  “You just don’t understand! He’s not a bad person!”

  Katelyn wished she didn’t understand. She’d prayed for an open and honest relationship with her daughter for years. One that was so very different than that of hers with her own mom. Her nerves tingled, every one of her senses on high alert. “Wait, you were with a boy tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  “Were you alone?”

  “Yes, we were alone.”

  Images ran through Katelyn’s mind, turning her stomach.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. Nothing happened. You made sure of that.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “May I go now? It’s late, and I’m tired.”

  Katelyn glanced at the clock on the DVD player across the room. “You’re right. It is late. But I think there’s still a little more we need to talk about.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, why don’t you start at the beginning. What happened that made you think this behavior is okay?”

  Celeste’s narrowed eyes stared in her Mother’s direction. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I get that. But we need to. I can’t help you unless you talk to me. Unless you are honest with me.”

  “Honest, huh,” Celeste laughed, “honesty is important to you, is it?”

  “Of course it is. You know that.”

  “Well, mom, to me, keeping secrets is not being very honest, is it?”

  Katelyn was shocked by her daughter’s accusation, though she tried to not let it show. She and Trevor had always been as open about things as they could. Katelyn searched through her memories for something she may have kept hidden; something other than that night so long ago. Surely her daughter wasn't referring to that? How could she even know about that anyway? Ultimately, though, she came up empty. “What have I not been honest about, Celeste?”

  “Funny you’re the one asking me that question. You know what, maybe we should just calm down. Sleep on things and start over in the morning. What do you say?” Celeste said with a sneer.

  Katelyn leaned back under the frightful force of Celeste's words. She grabbed the armrest next to her, now fully aware of the secret her daughter was talking about. “Those words,” she whispered, “my words. How?”

  “Pretty much your exact words, if I’m correct. And I’m sure the how will come out in due time.”

  Nothing more was said.

  “I’m going to bed now.”

  Katelyn sighed and watched her daughter walk away. “How does she know?” she questioned.

/>   Chapter 8

  Two figures, massive in size, took up almost the entire space of Celeste's room. Matching grins had crept over their thin, charcoal lips, revealing the jagged points of yellow stained teeth. “See, Ackmen. I told you there would come a time when a door would be opened, and we’d be right there, waiting.” The yellow mist from Melti’s breath filled the air, coating everything around them with a cloud of putrid pixie-dust-like substance.

  “She’s not a Burnsten.”

  “Not fully, no, but the Burnsten blood runs through her veins nonetheless. Curiosity, at this age, is such a fun thing to play with.”

  “Katelyn’s response to her own words echoed back at her was priceless,” Ackmen cackled.

  “Yes, we must be careful now. Katelyn will know we’re back. Her prayers will most certainly call on a war.”

  “Necklim?” Ackmen questioned.

  “I wouldn’t doubt it,” Melti answered.

  “Great, just who I want to see.”

  “Your quivering tone says otherwise. No confident demon should shudder at the name of an angel.”

  “I don’t like him, Melti. You know that,” Ackmen hissed.

  “None of us do.”

  “His threats,” Ackmen interjected.

  “Have remained unfulfilled,” Melti responded.

  “For now.”

  “Ackmen, do you not believe in your ability to win in a battle against the puny angel?”

  Melti’s sarcastic impression didn’t go by unnoticed. He could tell by the look on the low-ranking demon beside him. Weakness.

  “I do.”

  “You should. Necklim got lucky when he took out Latar. We won’t give him that chance again.”

  Ackmen joined with Melti and directed his stare in the young girl’s direction. There was no sense in worrying about what might happen. There was no time for that.