Chapter Two

            Layla had been driving for over ten hours and the exhaustion of constantly watching the road was giving her a headache and her eyes were beginning to burn from the strain. Glancing over in Damien’s direction Layla slowly began to realize he was wide awake. “Damien could you drive for a little while, please? I’m about ready to fall asleep,” Layla asked groggily.

            Damien gazed at Layla as if she were crazy. “Angels don’t know how to drive and those that do are much older than I am. The way they know how to drive is because we obtain all of the vessel’s thoughts and memories when we possess. That’s why I was going to go into Jayson’s body, but this guy hasn’t even begun to learn how to drive yet. So you’re at a loss.”

            Layla groaned audibly, “Okay then, we're going to stop for the night.” She didn’t look at Damien for a while after that but when she dozed off and she heard him scream her name… Layla jolted awake and had to swerve to the left to avoid an oncoming car.

            Both of their breathing came in quick gasps. Layla pulled to the side of the road and put the car in park then turned it off. Staring blankly forward, Layla and Damien then looked at each other, their eyes as wide as golf balls. “Did you?”  Layla asked, wondering if he had helped at all.

            “Yeah.  Are you alright?”

            “I’ll be fine, just a little freaked out at the moment,” Layla replied as she took in a big gulp of air.  Damien nodded in response and Layla turned the car back on and pulled back onto the road. She turned off at the next exit and drove to find a cheap hotel. As she was searching, memories of past arguments with Jayson came to her mind. Layla had always wanted to stay in the fancier hotels and Jayson had always just wanted to lay low. Now as she remembered he'd been right and Layla just wanted to stay somewhere better.  She wanted luxury but now all she wanted was her brother back.

            Damien could tell Layla was lost in her thoughts and he was very conscious of how much she missed her brother. “He loves you very much, Layla, don’t ever forget that.”

            Layla glanced over in Damien’s direction and replied, “I know he does. There wasn’t a day that went by he didn’t tell me.” As she finished her sentence, Layla saw the type of hotel she was looking for.  The sign that read, “Ye Olde Homestead Inn”. The name was a dead ringer for a cheap motel. Neon lights flickered on the bottom of the sign that read, “Vacancy”. There were plenty of trees and flowers around the motel; at least the landscaping was tasteful. Luckily it was back in the forest, which gave it a sense of it being hidden from the rest of the world, secluded. Turning the car to the right, Layla drove into the parking lot. There was only a ground floor of rooms and each one had an assigned parking spot. Neon lights flickered over the main part of the building that read, “Open” and “Check In”. Sighing inside, Layla gazed at the disgusting yellow color the building was painted, along with the rusted orange color that highlighted corners and tried to make the inn more appealing. It seemed as if the architect had been trying too hard to make the building appear appealing. He also had used way too much neon lights, it looked like he had placed them anywhere and everywhere that he could get away with. Parking by the front doors, Layla said, “Wait here.” She stepped out, took a deep breath and walked inside. As she entered, her nostrils were overcome with cigar smoke, alcohol, and sweaty socks. Breathing as best as she could out of her mouth, Layla stepped up to the front desk and dinged the bell that was set on top and waited. While she waited impatiently, she found herself staring at the orange yellow walls, with vomit green accents against different shaped panels.

She heard a door open and almost threw up her lunch from the repulsive smell that came with it.  Looking up sharply, her eyes stinging from the putrid smell, Layla found herself staring at a man in a white tank top that was yellow around the armpits and a cigar in his mouth. As he approached, Layla figured out the horrid smell was coming from the room and him. She smiled as best as she could without cringing and he grinned back. His teeth were yellow from all the smoking and he had sores on his unshaven jaw. His belly hung over the edge of his belted up pants. Layla had come up with two things that, that man needed to bathe and she now understood why Jayson always went in to book the room.

He stopped at the edge of the desk and asked, “What can I do for you pretty lady?”

Layla almost keeled over from the rancid smell of alcohol on his breath. She coughed once before she said, “My friend and I would like a room please.”

A sly look came into the man’s eyes, “Are you entertaining?”

Shock came into Layla’s eyes as she answered quickly, “Most certainly not!  What room is open?”

“You can take room three it has two full sized beds, sweet cheeks.”

Layla glared, “Thanks.” She turned on her heel and stocked out of there as fast as she possibly could. Layla got back into the car and said, “We have room three, two full sized beds inside.” When Damien didn’t answer, Layla turned her head to the side to face him. As she gazed at the empty seat, Layla slowly began to feel panic constricting her chest. He wasn’t there.

Layla had no idea where Damien could've disappeared to and she began to fear the same people who took her brother had snagged Damien as well. How was she going to get trained without Damien? There was no possible way she could make it on her own. As all of these questions bounced around in her mind a knock suddenly came to her window and Layla jumped from fright.  Then her eyes met the hazel green ones through the window, Layla recognized them and she sighed in relief. Once she had fully calmed herself, Layla sighed, “Damien.”

A confused expression covered Damien’s face, as he asked, “What are you doing, Layla? Weren’t you going to drive the car and park it in front of the hotel room?”

Layla’s jaw dropped in shock and slowly a grin sneaked onto her face. Shaking her head, she turned on the car and began to drive. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Damien smile at her.

Once the car was parked in front of the room, Layla got out and closed the door. As she turned around, she bumped right into Damien. She began to fall back, when Damien's hands gripped the top of her arms and pulled her up against him. Their eyes connected and Layla found she couldn't draw a breath.  His hazel green eyes held hers for a moment, before he released her arms, leaned down and took the room key from her back pocket. He stepped away, a strange cautious look in his eyes. Layla was confused for a moment and she found herself wondering what she had expected to happen. Frankly, Layla didn’t want to admit it especially since Damien most likely heard it while he had leaned toward her.

Realizing she was still gazing into his eyes dreamily, Layla averted her gaze. Nodding her head to no one in particular, Layla strode with unnatural gracefulness to the hotel room. Knowing the whole time she walked, Damien was watching her hips sway. J 

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he was drawn to her in a way he had never been with anyone else. Damien wasn’t going to tell her though; he wasn’t going to allow his feelings to get in the way of what he was here for. All the other angels up in heaven thought Layla was an abomination but Damien saw her as one of them, she didn’t seem to have any demon blood in her. Except when he would do certain things and she would react the way a demon would to him. Other than that, she seemed a normal angel to him; then again, he hadn’t seen her lose her temper yet.

Layla reached in her back pocket for the key and then she remembered Damien had taken it.  Turning on her heel, she said, “Damien, you have the key.”

“Oh right,” Damien answered coming out of his revere. He glided up to her side but he didn’t turn to open the door. He just stood there gazing at Layla, like he was trying to figure her out or something.

Layla gave him a quizzical look before she asked, “What? Is there something on my face?”

Damien shook his head then turned and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he stared at the wallpaper. “Wow!”

Layla entered after him and said, “Yup! Revolting wallpaper as usual and matching carpet, bedding and everything. Amazing.” Sarcasm dripped from the corners of Layla’s words.

Damien gave her an odd look. “What was that for?”

“It’s just I’ve never liked these kind of hotels. Staying in them is very difficult, because they are so terribly decorated,” Layla replied. Not looking at him, she made her way to her bed and set her bag on top of it. It was the one right next to the window with a desk next to it.  The one bed she always took.

Damien followed her and said, “I’m going to take the window bed, Layla.”

Layla turned on him, fire in her eyes, “I always take this one, Damien, and I’m not about to change that because you have suddenly appeared in my life exactly at the time I needed you. No I won’t.” As Layla’s frustration began to grow, her eyes turned entirely white.

Damien took a step away, suddenly frightened. He had finally seen the demon side of her, except her eyes were white not black. Damien knew he had to find a way to calm her down before she hurt him or herself.  “I’m sorry Layla. You may take the bed, I just wanted to keep you safe in case those things came and got you.”

“Why should I trust you anyways, Damien? You haven’t even told me what’s after me. As a matter of fact you are keeping lots of secrets from me. If you are to train me, as you claim, then I have to be able to trust you. What’s coming after us, Damien?!” Layla was beginning to shout and her skin was turning a dangerous red and her veins were turning black, standing out against her skin.

Damien put his hands up, “I understand your frustration, Layla. You’ve lost your brother and now you don’t know exactly what's going on. I thought when I first told you, you were taking everything a lot better than I first thought. You have to trust me Layla; it’s the only way for you to survive this and to save Jayson.”

At the mention of her brother, Layla’s eyes turned back to their sapphire color, her skin turned back to the olive tone and the black lines disappeared. Her hands turned back to their original color. She collapsed onto the ground and began to cry. She just sobbed into the floor. Wondering why this all had to happen to her.

Damien watched the dramatic change that happened at just the mention of her brother. As she cried, Damien wondered what to do. He felt an instinct inside of him and decided to act on it. Striding carefully to her side, he knelt down and proceeded to wrap his arms around her. As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she turned into his arms and cried into his shoulder. They sat side by side until Layla’s whimpers became silent and the sniffles had seized. “Are you okay?”

“For the moment. Damien, what happened there? I totally lost control. I’ve never been that angry and frustrated before. What’s happening to me?” She was terrified and missed her brother terribly; missed his comforting aura, she missed everything about him. Never before in her life had Layla been so angry and the power that surged through her intoxicated her senses entirely. It frightened her and then again, she thrived in it, loved it. That's what scared her the most, the part of her that enjoyed the pounding sensation of being angry.

Damien hesitantly put his hand on top of her head and slowly ran his fingers through her hair as he said, “The anger and power you felt comes from her father. It’s from the demon blood in you. Are you telling me you have never lost your temper before?”

Layla shook her head, “Not from what I remember. Jayson was very good at keeping me calm and content. Now though, I feel the calmness was gone. I'm frightened, I don't like the way it made me feel and yet I did like it too..."

“I can explain that, your demon half thrives in anger and chaos, while your angel half is calm and collected. They contradict each other. No matter what side you use, one part of you will shy away from it while the other will thrive. Missing your brother I cannot even sympathize with you, because I have never been in a situation like it,” Damien said, sharing a piece of him with her. Finally realizing she was really in his arms and she hadn’t moved away, Damien began to panic. This was not part of his mission. Having feelings for her wasn’t right; there was a fair chance she may not make it at all through all of this.

Burying her head deeper into the crook of Damien’s neck, Layla suddenly flinched away from him and stood up inhumanly fast. She shook her head and dashed out of the hotel room. Once outside, she kept running. This couldn’t be happening, she didn’t know why she had run, but something had scared her. The way she felt in his arms scared her, while part of her enjoyed it and wanted to stay there forever. All these conflicting feelings were confusing, Layla, and she didn't know what to do about it because she had never felt that way before. As she entered the woods, Layla blindly made her way through the foliage. She didn’t care if she got lost; all she wanted was to clear her mind.

After several minutes of running, Layla tripped over a branch and fell onto her face. Groaning, she tried to rise but her muscles were shaking terribly. Layla lay in the dirt for a couple more minutes before she was able to get up. As she slowly straightened up, she found herself staring into two bottomless black pits. Gasping, she stepped back and fell on her back. She had tripped over the branch again. “What’s the matter princess? Don’t you recognize me?” the man flashed his teeth and his eyes stayed that completely bottomless black color.

“Where would I know you from?” she whimpered.

The man grinned and Layla winced away from him. She didn’t know who this man was, and then he said, “I’m your uncle, Layla. Your father was my brother. We’ve been the ones after you. The demon pack and I. Now if you would be a good little girl and come with us, we would be most obliged to you.”

Layla scrambled away from him as more demons showed up around the clearing. She could sense most of them more than see them. Anger was building up again and she didn’t want to explode like she had almost done with Damien. She was about to stand up when she heard Damien, “Layla!”

Her uncle’s head snapped up and his nose wrinkled as he hissed through his teeth, “An angel.” The rest of the pack finally stepped out of the trees and Layla was terrified. “Grab her,” he ordered to the demon by his side. Layla screamed as she was lifted from her feet and thrown over the demon’s shoulder. Damien was too far away to reach her and by the time he would reach the clearing where she actually was, Layla would be gone.

Layla was about to scream out Damien’s name before someone gagged her roughly. Heat began to burn in her hands and her eyes turned white again. The black lines reappeared on her face and arms and Layla began to struggle. Her uncle turned just in time to see her and he said, “Someone cool her off before she blows us to heaven!” A demon with blood red eyes stepped forward and placed her fingertips on Layla’s temples, before Layla knew it… Her world went black and any hopes of seeing Damien again seemed to be dissipating.

Chapter One

Darkness eased its way into the nooks and crannies of the small village of Wetherbond England. People were switching their lights off and turning in for the night. Through the fading light a girl made her way through the hills. Layla turned and gazed at the slowly falling sun. Soon these hills will be crawling with these peoples worse nightmares, Layla thought to herself.

Layla’s topaz eyes searched the horizon for the sign. Her brother, Jayson, had a plan; they were to meet up, but he wanted to go ahead and check to make sure that everything was safe. He told her he was going to give her a sign. “Maybe a white flag,” he had said. A strong breeze began to blow and Layla’s dark curly locks billowed behind her. Wrapping the jacket tightly around her torso as a chill climbed up her back, Layla hissed, “Hurry, Jay. I'm freezing out here.”

A shiver ran up and down Layla’s spine. Hugging the jacket closer to her body, Layla began to mutter to herself about Jayson being a slow-poke, but then she saw it. Up on a hill side, she saw the white flag rise. Smiling to herself, Layla began to jog her way to the flag. When she arrived, Layla’s eyes made contact with her brother’s dark brown ones. Another breeze came and Layla’s hair blew in front of her and Jayson’s wavy dark hair fell into his eyes. As he smiled a twinkle came into his eyes and he chuckled. “How can you laugh at a time like this, Jay?” Layla hissed.

"You looked funny that’s all. Your hair was in your face and everything.”-He paused then added in a more somber tone-“When all of this is over, we are going to find a house and never move. Then you will find a guy who will fall in love with you. You’re too gorgeous for your own good, Laylie,” Jayson commented with an amused expression.

Layla loved the nickname her brother called her. He had called her Laylie for as long as she could remember. It held a significance to it that she couldn't explain; it held true compassion in it. “Can’t hide from the truth, Jay,” Layla admitted casually. She sighed as she added, “This isn’t going to end soon, Jay. I can feel it in my soul. They aren’t going to stop hunting us. There’s got to be something better for me out there, like something important is riding on the waves about ready to crash into me." Shrugging, Layla wound her arms around herself.

Jayson shook his head as he strode over to Layla. Enveloping her in his arms, he consoled, “Laylie. I promise you that I won’t let this be your whole life. Your whole childhood was lost because of this and three years of your teenage years. I am responsible for you.”

"You’re only partly responsible for me, Jay. If it weren’t for you I would still be in a foster home or something.” Jayson hugged her more tightly, but then a twig cracked behind them. Layla jumped. Jayson, on the other hand, pulled a sword from his side. It was the only thing they could use to protect themselves. It wasn't that bullets and modern warfare wouldn't work... The creatures of the night was old fashioned and anything modern wouldn't just make them confused, but also curious. Slowly a pale man, that seemed to glow in the moonlight, came out to meet them.  Layla gripped Jay’s arm tightly. “It’s him.” Was all she was able to say… It was the man who had haunted her since she could remember. Always there, giving her nightmares of the supernatural realm.

The man smiled at Layla, “Hello my sweet. We meet again.” A cold trickle crawled up and down Layla’s spine and Jayson’s grip around her waist tightened. The expression on the beast’s face was something Layla had only seen in the scary movies she sometimes secretly watched. It was of intrigue with a hint of an animal quality and yet there were his eyes. They were so peculiar; they were completely white, except for his pupils, which were crimson. Layla coiled away from him as he took a step forward. She heard Jayson hiss through his teeth, like he always did when he was upset, and the thing stopped short as he tilted his head to one side. “Interesting. You don’t know what I am and yet…you still stand your ground. Why is that?”

“We’ve learned to not be afraid of anything,” Layla blurted out with difficulty. Her tongue felt like lead and tasted as such, it took everything within her to even answer him...

“Oh but my dear. You do know what I am, don’t you? What else drinks human blood?” the man cooed from where he stood.

There was something so off about him in just the way that he held himself. As Layla studied him a little closer, she gasped. He didn’t seem any older than she was and it created curiosity to being to stir inside of her, which always ended in trouble, with a capital T. Taking a step forward, the boy licked his lips as Jayson grabbed her arm, “Laylie, don’t go.”

“I’ll come back,” she answered apprehensively. “What’s your name?”

The question threw the boy off for a moment, “Why do you want to know?”

“Just answer the question. You arrived at the last place we stayed at. Why were you there?” Layla was intrigued. She and Jayson had been trying to figure out what these creatures were, but not knowing where a library was or even knowing how to look for books, it was impossible to find anything. Being under-educated really stunk.

The boy tilted his head in the other direction and a grin spread across his face, flashing his teeth. Layla flinched, but did not back away from him. “My name is Damien Speckerd and you’re Layla Smith.”

“How do you know my name?”

Damien laughed and his eyes flickered to a different color. Shocked for a moment, Layla took another step closer; his eyes were a hazel green. Shaking her head, Layla took several steps forward. Before she knew it, Layla was standing right next to Damien. He smiled down at her and said, “Wrong question because you see… I don’t tell my dinner how I know who they are.” Layla had no time to react as quickly as lightning Damien had jabbed his teeth into the side of her neck…

Waking up with a start, Layla’s hand flew to her neck. Sighing, she rose up from her pillow. “What a wacky dream,” she whispered to herself. It had been only a few days since her last nightmare. They had plagued her from the moment Jay and helped her escape from the orphanage. Layla was turning sixteen in a couple days and Jayson had just turned eighteen. They had been orphans since Layla was seven and Jayson had always taken care of her. Being transferred from orphanage to orphanage was tough on them. After being together for years they would end up separated and miss the other immensely. Layla’s life had been harder than Jayson’s, because Jayson was older he was released earlier than she. Layla had always found it difficult to make friends and when Layla was twelve, Jayson broke her out of the orphanage and they had been on the run ever since. They had been hiding all over Europe. Layla had never seen so much of the world in her life and there was much more to see. The strangest part was that she never saw who was chasing them, but Jayson said that they couldn't afford to stop and see who they were. They always had to stay one step or two ahead of them.
 Layla slid out of bed and kicked her brother’s bed next to hers in the hotel room. “Jay, dude! Wake up.”

 Jayson rolled over to his side with a groan. “What time is it?”

 “Seven-thirty. It’s time to get back on the road, big bro. Now get your butt out of bed.”  Layla always didn’t have a very good mood after she woke up from one of her nightmares. For some reason, they were always about Damien Speckerd. Never in her lifetime had she run into anyone like him. He was creepy, but what was even weirder was Layla didn’t know why she kept dreaming about a vampire and the freaky, strange glowing rock in the ruins of some old English fortress. The one real thing about the dream was Layla had always been terrified of dark, evil things. They just didn’t give her a good vibe.

 Shaking Jayson once more for good measure, he groaned. Layla, then, made her way to the washroom to get ready for the day. Layla found her toothbrush and toothpaste and began to brush her teeth. Staring at her reflection, Layla wondered about her strange dreams and what they meant. Jayson had always teased her about being some sort of psychic because most of her dreams came true. Shaking her head, Layla thought, that’s impossible. Vampires are not real and glowing rocks are most certainly non-existent, unless you count spilling the contents of a glow stick on one. Layla’s hair was in curly knots. Sighing, Layla took a brush to her hair and brushed out the knots. She had been a fitful sleeper lately, and she couldn't figure out why as she turned on the water. Once it was warm, Layla shut the washroom door and undressed. Stepping into the shower and bath combo, she turned the shower on. Gooseflesh rose on her skin as the water hit her back. Layla slouched into the warm water and then put her head under the water. She soaked and washed in the shower until a thunderous boom hit the door.

 Layla started as she heard Jayson exclaim loudly, “Laylie, it’s my turn for the washroom. I have to get ready too, you know!”

 “Give me just a moment, Jay,” was her answer. Stepping out of the shower, Layla grabbed a towel, her bottle of mousse, brush, facial things, and make-up. She opened the door to see her brother in the way, “Excuse me Jay.”

 “Oops, sorry sis.”

 Layla nodded and sauntered out of the washroom. When he closed the door and locked it, Layla dried off, and towel dried her hair. As she pulled on her pants a knock came to the door. Strutting over to the door with towel in hand to her hair, in her jeans, and a tank-top, she answered the door. Shock covered her entire face but she hid it quickly. The boy at the door had hazel green eyes, with slightly curly dark hair, his skin threw her off though it was golden brown. Layla studied him as he gazed at her up and down. His jaw line was strong and Layla could tell he was muscular under the v-neck sweater he wore. Layla was first to come out of her trance. “Is there anything I can get you?” she asked politely.

 “Yes, I was hoping you had an extra glass. I’ve run out.” He said.

 Layla nodded, “Come on in.” Stepping aside, she allowed the boy to walk in. There was a grace about him that made Layla’s heart flutter and then it struck her. This was the same guy from her dream, the vampire. Layla’s hand flew to her mouth in surprise. Luckily, he didn’t notice her change in behavior. Layla made her way towards the kitchen area of the hotel room. Gracefully, Layla tossed her towel onto her unmade bed. Grabbing a glass, she turned to return to his side to give it to him. But, to Layla’s surprise, he was already standing right behind her. Blinking, Layla could’ve sworn he was over on the other side of the room just a moment ago, unless he had followed her quietly. It didn’t make sense to Layla. He had been over there and now he was staring at her with intent and curiosity.

Somewhere off in the distance, Layla heard a door open and heard Jayson’s voice, “Laylie, did you make break-?” His sentence ended there as he saw the boy in front of his sister. “Layla?”

 Layla’s head snapped over in his direction and an expression of embarrassment and shock crossed her face as she said, “Oh hi, Jayson. This is… Oh I don’t believe I caught your name.” She was gazing at the boy in front of her.

 “Damien Speckerd. Nice to meet you and you two are?”

 Layla gasped this time not catching it before it escaped from her mouth. Her hand flew to her mouth for the second time that day. Could it possibly be just a coincidence? No, she thought, it couldn’t possibly be true. I must still be dreaming. She just couldn’t believe it, maybe she really was psychic, and this guy seemed to answer the question. His facial features were nothing like the guy in her dream and his color of skin was definitely off. His eyes were the right color after they had changed from that creepy red. Shaking her head, Layla said, “Layla Smith and this is my brother, Jayson.” Jayson nodded his head and Layla burst out laughing.

 “What’s so funny?” Jayson asked innocently.

 “Jay, you’re in a towel.”

 “I was coming out to grab my clothes and get dressed in the washroom,” he answered defensively.

 Damien had gone strangely quiet; Layla studied him for a moment from the corner of her eye. “Well, thanks for the glass, Layla.” He began to walk away. “Jayson, I can’t particularly say that it was a pleasure to meet you.” A smile threatened to appear at the edges of Damien’s lips.

 Layla became mesmerized by the way his eyes sparkled when he was amused. “You're welcome,” was all she managed to get out before he opened the door and exited. As soon as he was gone, Layla glanced at Jayson with a glazed over look in her eyes; like she had been in a trance and had just barely awoken from it.

Jayson began to make his way toward her but changed his mind once he was half way there. Instead he grabbed his clothes and went back into the washroom to change. Layla on the other hand was still staring stupidly at the door. She just couldn’t believe that the guy who had been haunting her dreams for little over a month had shown up at the hotel her and her brother were staying at. Layla didn’t know how long she had been standing in the same spot but suddenly she felt someone behind her. Turning around, Layla found herself face to face with her brother. She jumped out of her skin when he asked, “What are you doing, Laylie? Your beautiful hair is going frizzy and breakfast still hasn’t been made.”

 “Oh right. Sorry. I kind of forgot,” Layla answered subconsciously.

 Jayson tilted his head to one side and commented, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, sis. Are you alright?”

 “Yes. Yes. I’ll be fine, Jay. Just let me finish getting ready. We may have to just buy breakfast today with one of our credit cards,” Layla replied. Turning back around, Layla stumbled over to her bed. When she had what she needed, Layla went back into the washroom. She put the mousse in her hair, scrunched it with her hands while she blow-dried it. Grinning at her reflection, Layla thought that her hair was cooperating fairly well that day. Layla’s dark, luscious hair fell in perfect ringlets to right below her shoulder blades. Straightening her swooping bangs, Layla couldn’t help but wonder where she and Jayson were going to stop next. One never knows when you’re on the run. They carried fake credit cards, license information just so that they wouldn’t be caught and might be able to live a somewhat normal life. Layla had four fake credit cards. On one she was Shaylee Robinson, on another she was Rebecca Stewart, on the third she was Abby Hart, and the last she was Anna Goodrich. She also had licenses to go along with them. Shaylee and Abby were eighteen, Rebecca and Anna were nineteen. Layla was lucky to pull off those ages, and she could do it because she was able to appear at such an age. In most of Europe you had to be at least eighteen to drive a vehicle and Layla was only sixteen.

Sighing, Layla gazed at her masterpiece of a face. Being gorgeous to her almost felt like a curse, because no matter where they went, one guy would remember her. Possibly more. Who knew? She didn’t. Taking one more look in the mirror, Layla sighed and pulled the washroom door open.

When she stepped out, Jayson asked, “Are you all packed, Laylie?” He turned around and a shocked expression appeared on his face.

Studying him for a bit, she asked, “What’s wrong? Did I smear my mascara?”

 “No, you just looked like mum for a minute there. It sort of caught me off guard. Sorry.”  After he spoke, he snapped his head down to his bag and finished putting his meager things into it.

 Layla found it odd that every time Jayson had an episode where Layla looked like mum, he turned away. Never explaining to her why he would react that way. It really made her perturbed, but she knew no matter how much she pushed, he wasn't going to give in. The Smith family stubbornness was what Jayson called it. Shrugging off Jayson's latest episode, Layla took out her own bag and in a matter of minutes, she had packed everything up. All her belongings, though few they were. Moving to speak to her brother, Layla said, “Where are we going, Jay?” She glanced up to see Jayson was nowhere to be found. “Jay?” she said. “Jay?!” this time she said it more frantically.

 “What?!” came from somewhere by the door.  Grabbing her bag, she dashed to be next to him. “Little jumpy there, Laylie?”

 “Kind of. So, where are we going?”

 “I was thinking Wetherbond England. How does that sound?” Jayson smiled down at his sister. “We’ve never been there before. What do you think?” Glancing down at her, Jayson became confused. Layla had been acting strangely lately. First she woke him up already irritated, then she took forever in the shower, which she normally didn't do. Secondly, the guy who came to borrow a glass seemed a little suspicious; especially with the trance he left Layla in after he left. Something was up and Jayson knew it. Shaking his head, he asked, “Did you have another one of those nightmares, Laylie?”

 Layla nodded, “Yeah and this time it was… Never mind.”

 “Nah. Come on, tell me. I can handle it,” Jayson teased. Layla shook her head and Jayson dropped it, much to Layla’s relief. Jayson was silent for a moment, before he asked, “So how does Wetherbond sound?”

Thinking for a moment, Layla shrugged, “Sounds good.”

After two days of travel, they finally arrived at Wetherbond England. Immediately, Layla was suspicious of the small town with ruins of what used to be a very large stronghold. Sighing, Layla didn’t have a good feeling about the place; it all seemed a little strange to her like something just wasn’t right. But, she had agreed with her brother to come along and behave herself. As she stared out the window of her brother’s old 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, Layla thought it was strange they were trying to lay low and Jayson had to drive an old classic car. Any guy who loved the classic cars would be interested in the car, but it was Jay’s baby and Layla wasn’t going to be the one to break the news to him. Layla didn’t mind the car either; it was a nice fit to her brother’s personality.

The car came to a stop and Layla found herself staring at one of those cheap motels that usually were always accompanied with horrid wallpaper. You know the ones with the ludicrous designs and if you don’t know then good for you. No one should live with something as nasty as that. Layla groaned and Jayson rolled his eyes, “You promised, Laylie.”
           "I know, but Jayson... Seriously?!" Layla whined.

Jayson sighed, “We can’t do anything else. We have to lay low, sis. You know that.”

“Yeah, but…”

Jayson interrupted heatedly, “No buts. I’m sick of you complaining about where we are staying. If you want to be taken back to an orphanage then go ahead and find a more expensive motel room, but I am staying here. I doubt you would even be able to find a better one in this small town.” Layla didn’t say anything. She knew she could be a pain, and Jayson had always been kind and sweet to her.

Once the car was unpacked and they were in their room, Layla sat on the edge of the second double bed as she stared at the wallpaper. This time it was a pattern you would find in the bold printed carpets that you could find in old Victorian homes. It was a mesh of green leaves, blue flowers, and the weird intricate designs that would be on those old carpets.  It’s not as bad as the others, she thought positively. But it’s still repulsive. Groaning as she fell back onto the bed, Layla wondered if life could be any more depressing. Always on the run, not having a single friend except Jayson it was a lot for a sixteen year old to swallow. Oh, and it was her birthday. Yippee! She was sixteen, finally, and had no one to celebrate it with, and Jayson probably forgot about it completely. “Where is he anyway?” she thought aloud. Sitting up quickly, she listened for any sound that would suggest he may have gone to the washroom. Not hearing anything, she shrugged and decided to see if he was working on the car. He had mentioned something was wrong with the fuel pump and he was going to see if he could get a new cap for it. Layla personally thought it just got over-heated and needed something replaced, but Jayson was convinced Layla knew nothing about cars. Scoffing, she flew open the motel door to see the car still there, but no Jayson. Becoming even more concerned and worried, she walked down to the little café area, peeked into the window and didn’t see him. “Great,” she hissed. “My brother has left me with his car and no idea to where he might’ve gone.”

“Maybe I can help,” a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

Whipping herself around, Layla gasped to see Damien. “How did you know where we were?”

“I followed you of course,” he said in a way that made you think he was going to add, “duh” at the end. Which he didn’t, he just stared at her curiously as the shock expression disappeared into fear.

Oh gosh! I hope my nightmare doesn’t become reality too, Layla pleaded in her thoughts. “Why did you follow us?”

His facial expression turned to a complete dumbfounded look. “I’m here to help, remember?”

“Help with what?” Layla asked skeptically. “You said nothing about helping; you only came into the hotel back in Birmingham to get a glass.”

“And to let you know I’ve been the one who has been giving you the dreams. Jeez! You are surely untrained,” Damien said in irritation.

“What do you mean untrained? I have no idea what you are talking about. What would I be trained for?” Layla was becoming even more terrified. What in the world was Damien talking about? What was she supposed to be trained and prepared for?

A look of desperation and fear crossed Damien’s face, for a moment.  But, only a moment, before he cursed, “You mean you have no idea.  Why you are always having these dreams and how they are always becoming reality?  You’ve got to be kidding me.  Didn’t Jayson tell you anything?  Didn’t he train you?”

Layla was so confused, what in the world was he talking about?! “What do you mean by Jayson hasn’t told me?  What hasn’t he told me?”

“Your destiny,” Damien snapped.  He studied her up and down and realized that she really hadn’t been trained.  Was her brother so stupid?  He really hadn’t gotten her ready before they had come for her?!  Damien cursed again, and slammed his fist into a pole.  Layla gasped as Damien hit it and the pole bent and made a mold of Damien’s fist in it.  “Sorry,” he said.  “I forgot you don’t know anything about your heritage.” Glancing from side to side, Layla actually watched as Damien became anxious.  Just as she thought she saw some perspiration appear on his forehead before he blurted, “Let’s go inside your room.”  Nodding her head, he added, “Lead the way and don’t look back.  No matter what you hear.”

Skepticism snuck into Layla’s mind about Damien, she didn’t want to listen to him. As she studied his eyes, she just knew that he was telling the truth.  She couldn’t explain how, but it was just something she knew by instinct. Shrugging it off subconsciously, she began to lead the way to the motel room. When they passed by Jayson’s car, Damien whistled. Layla chuckled slightly. Any guy would appreciate a beauty like that. Entering the motel room, Layla plopped down on the edge of her bed, while Damien stood and began to pace the room. After several minutes of being patient, Layla snapped, “Will you just say it already?!”

He hesitated another moment before he said, “You, Layla, have a very special destiny before you. One not even Jayson could prevent you from walking into. He put off your training for too long and now the things you have been running from have taken him from you. Without him knowing too.” Damien shook his head in disbelief, “The idiot didn’t know what had hit him… Anyway, you are very special to a secret corporation who work for the British royalties. That’s why Jayson was always moving you around Europe, to keep you as far away from their grasp as he could.” He paused again and just stared at Layla for a while. There was something uneasy about his glance, it hid some truth and she had a feeling he wouldn’t tell her.

“I thought we were running away from the Orphans Inc., I had no idea the government was after me. Why didn't he tell me and why am I so special, Damien?” she hesitated to ask.

“You have a gift, one that is peculiarly rare to find in this generation. Someone like you hasn't been born to Trilling’s in centuries. The secret corporation that is after you gathers people like you and uses them for their own uses. Sometimes those uses are to study and experiment on them. Jayson didn't want you to have to go through that; he was smart in running from them. I finally figure out why you're so special to the P.O.T.G. it's because you’re parents were of a mixed breed,” his expression changed to awe, like a child just finishing a hard puzzle.
            “Wait! Species… my parents died in a freak accident. And what the heck are Trilling’s?” Layla questioned.

Damien shook his head, “It was no freak accident. They broke the rules and that was their punishment.” He stopped and went deep into thought. Layla wondered if he was trying to figure out if he wanted to tell her or not. After a few moments, he seemed to make a decision. “You’re mother was an angel and a powerful one. You’re father on the other hand was one of lower breed, he was a… hmmm… what do they call it now? Oh yes. Your father was a creature of the night and extremely powerful. Trilling’s are people like you, the child of both an angel and a demon or any creature of the night. Anyway, back to my story.

“Your father was leader of his pack and knew how to keep them in line if they messed up. Your mother was also at the head of her game. The way they met was your mother, Jonalee, was lost in the woods one night. She had no idea where she was going; she had a sword on her for protection. All angels carry one, because they don't know what sort of creature they might run into that may not be affected by magic.

“Your dad was running with his pack, when he smelled something off. He wasn’t able to pin-point it, so he left someone in charge while he went to check it out. He ended up stumbling upon your mother, cold and lost. At first he figured to just leave her alone, but when he saw her eyes, those beautiful topaz eyes, he couldn’t help it… he just had to help her.” A dazed look came into Damien’s eyes as if he were thinking back into a previous life.

When he went to continue, Layla rudely butted in, “What creature of the night was my father?”

Damien gave a subtle glare at Layla before he said, “I already told you that, you’re father was a demon. Demons and angels don’t mix. They’re not supposed to mix. Mixing is dangerous and is forbidden. A demon works for the devil, Satan, and an angel works for God. Mixing is something none of them ever dream about. No one wants to be responsible for a Trilling. Your parents were so madly in love they didn’t care. They would take the risk to be the one’s brave enough to raise a Trilling.”

Layla couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t even human to begin with. She was some mixture of two mortal enemies or immortal in this case. Pondering all that had been said, she couldn’t believe she was half-demon, half-angel. How could that be possible? She appeared fairly human to herself, besides the abnormal dreams and beauty. Glancing up at Damien, she asked, “What about Jayson? And why was my mother down on earth and not in heaven where she was supposed to be?”

A fire burned beneath Damien’s stare and Layla was suddenly frightened. But, as soon as it had appeared, the fire dissipated. “Your mother was on a top secret mission. No one knew about it, except God himself and the one person who was right above her. Your mother was only one person away from being on the right hand of God.” Layla was shocked. Her mother was that close to God. Layla had never believed that there was a God. How could she? So much bad was in her life and she never was able to make friends. As if seeming to answer her thoughts, Damien said, “Making friends is hard for someone who has such powerful blood in them. The demon side of you frightens people away, but the angel side draws them in even when they don’t want to.”

“So, what’s my destiny Damien? You seem to be coming closer to what I am supposed to do,” Layla sassed.

Damien had to admit it, but Layla was much better prepared for this than he thought she was going to be, maybe she possessed too much attitude, but better prepared anyway. She didn’t freak out or tell him that he was nuts. It was interesting how she was taking it so well. There had to be some sort of turmoil going on in her head or maybe it made so much sense that it filled in all the missing pieces. Damien sighed, “Your main focus now, is to go and get that glowing rock from the old ruins of the former stronghold, Beldington. I am to take you there and you are to also train along the way. As for your destiny there is a prophecy, but I have not been given permission to tell you, yet.”

He stopped and waited for anymore questions, but Layla did have one, “What are you Damien?  Demon or Angel?”

Damien smirked, “I am an angel. I am here to train you properly just like your brother never was able to, but this isn’t what I really look like. Its close enough, but I needed a guy that would catch your attention. He had to have a face you would remember, always.”

Layla was about to nod, but then she remembered an unanswered question. “Wait!  Damien, you never answered my question. What about Jayson?”

“What about Jayson?” he retorted.

“How do I save him? Did we have the same parents?” Layla asked.

A sad look came into Damien’s eyes as he looked away from her. “No,” he said. “We will get Jayson back in time, but we have more important matters to deal with. Yes, you did have the same parents and that was why they were killed. They created two offspring, one with mixed blood and one who was lucky enough to be human. There’s nothing special about your brother, besides his charm and wit.”

Layla sighed as she hissed, “Lucky him.” Then she added, “Then why was he supposed to train me in the first place?”

“What was that?” Layla shook her head as to indicate nothing, then Damien replied to her question, “He was going to train you by being a vessel for me, but since he didn’t want to. I had to find some other vessel and track you guys down; now on to more important matters. First, do you know how to drive your brother’s beautiful car?”

Layla nodded, “Yes, he taught me how. Today’s my birthday, you know.”

Damien shot a glance at her. “Yes, I know. You’ve become sixteen and make every guy who meets you drool until their mouths go dry. You’ve been in six or seven different orphanages your whole life, if I am remembering correctly. You’ve had two boyfriends, both of them betrayed you with the one friend you had. At least when you were settled in a couple places for a while and Jayson had sent you to school. Hmm… Oh yes. You have been quite the troublemaker and Jayson has found it difficult to hide your magical gifts from you. People cower from you when you smile to widely at them; it’s a curse from your father. Everyone fears you when you do. You are excruciatingly beautiful and are not just attractive to humans and demons, but there are a fair few of angels who would love to have you.” A twinkle came into his eyes and Layla’s jaw dropped to the floor. She was in total bewilderment. How did he know all of that? Had he been spying on her, her whole life?! “No, chérie, I haven’t been spying on you your whole life. But, being your trainer I was obligated to find out everything I could about you. I just had to do it without you knowing. Now about that car, it’s no longer safe here.”

Layla nodded in spite of her bewilderment. Grabbing her bag, the keys, and her wallet, Layla led the way out to the car. She swung the driver’s door open the same time that Damien did with his.  In one fluid motion, they both entered the car. Layla stuck the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot.

Once on the road, she asked, “So, where exactly are we going?”

“You’ve seen it in your dreams, where the rock is hidden, Layla.  Why don’t you think long and hard,” Damien commented.

Doing as she was told, Layla began to think back on her bizarre dreams. Out of nowhere it came to her. She remembered the old English Stronghold ruins and within a pile of some rubble she had seen a rock giving off an unearthly glow. She didn’t know where exactly that was, but Layla knew that the adventure before her was going to be tedious but in a way Layla was excited to get going. For so long she had wanted to know why she was having dreams and why they continued to come to pass. She had wanted to know every little detail of her past, things that Jayson would never give her. Layla was going to get Jayson back. No matter what it took.

She glanced over in Damien’s direction as she remembered the first time that she had dreamed about him. A question formed in her mind as she asked, “Why did you make yourself a vampire in my dreams? Why not come as an angel instead of something creepy?”

Damien laughed in a way that made Layla shiver. Once he was done with his laughing fit, he replied, “I only give the dynamics of the dream, the main plot. You were the one who imagined me as a glorious, hideous creature of the night. I think it was the way your mind made me seem more real to your subconscious.”

The answer made sense to Layla, but she still wondered about her brother and worried that she might never see him again. As Layla thought back on their conversation, she realized that Damien had told her exactly where they were supposed to go to get the stone. Smiling in contentment, Layla pressed her foot more onto the gas pedal to speed up on the road. She saw Damien glance at her from the corner of her eye and she answered, “I know where we are supposed to go. You let it slip earlier in our conversation. We find it on the outskirts of the Beldington stronghold, right?”

Damien was flabbergasted. Layla was surprising Damien right and left.  The capacity of her mind to be able to remember every detail of her life and conversations that most people would forget, she remembered. Even without training, Layla was far ahead of most young angels in training. He didn’t know about the demon stuff, but he figured that it would be the same there as well. Realizing that she was expecting an answer, he replied, “Yes, I did say where we were going to be heading. Well done, Layla.”

Layla involuntarily smiled at the evident appraisal in his voice. “Well, it’s a three day drive to get to the Beldington stronghold. I have some money, unless…” Opening the middle area of the front seat, Layla found Jayson’s wallet and smiled. “Yes! We have the Jayson’s fake credit cards.  Thank you Jayson for never taking your wallet out of the car.” Giggling to herself, Layla put the wallet back in and closed it up.  Putting her hand back on the steering wheel, they continued on in silence. It wasn’t like an awkward silence; it was comfortable and kind of cozy.