Empyreal: Awaken - Book One (7 page)

Court continued to lead Coralie by the
hand through what seemed to match the black abyss. They could hear
swift movement and panicked chatter all around them. Yet, somehow,
through all of the commotion, even with their swiftness of travel
through the room, Coralie felt no one. No one was around them. Of
all the unnerved guests flitting around, bumping into one another,
she felt no one around them.

Suddenly, she felt a jerk of her hand
into an adjacent direction. “Through here...” she heard Court's
voice whisper.

She heard the sound of the side door
opening. She expected for light from the open door to illuminate
the Banquet Room, but there was only more darkness.

She felt another jerk of her arm,
“Come on, this way ... we have got to keep moving...”

It felt like they were in a maze. In
one door, then out the next. Darting in and out, here and there. Up
some stairs and around some corners. Just when Coralie thought they
had come to a stop, Court would jerk her in another direction, and
it was to do all over again.

Finally, they slowed to a halt.
Coralie had almost forgotten the still, darkness that surrounded
them. Coralie awaited some sort of direction from Court. But all
was still.

Silence.

Court squeezed her hand and turned to
face her in the dark. “Coralie, listen to me ... whatever the scene
... when we walk through this door ... just follow me and my lead
... okay?” She stood in silence, not knowing exactly what to
say.

“So, you trust me?”

“I trust you...”

Court allowed a fleeting smile to
sweep his lips. He gave Coralie’s hand another squeeze, giving her
assurance in the dark, and led her through the door.

When the door opened, Coralie expected
to see people running around in chaos. Scurrying in madness and
confusion. Instead, the door opened to a vacant roof top. Court
still holding her hand, quickly led her across the rooftop, to the
other side.

“Court...” she started, hesitantly and
nervously looking around.

Court leaned over the edge of the
building, looking down. He stared straight down to the ground below
them. “Okay ... Let's go!”

“Go? Go where?” Coralie asked in a
nervous tone, disordered and confused at his request.

Court allowed a smile escape, and
said, “Down there...”

Coralie looked over the ledge. “You're
kidding, right?!?!”

Trying to conceal the smile on his
face, he shook his head.

“No way! You can't be serious...” she
continued nervously, afraid that he was.

“You said that you trusted me,
right?”

She shrugged.

“Then, let's go!” He said, holding out
his hand.

Reluctantly, she took his hand, and
let him lead her to the edge of the building's rooftop.

He turned to her and put his other
hand on the side of her face. “You'll be fine... just follow my
lead...” He moved up onto the ledge, overlooking the three story
drop.

Court gave Coralie's hand a tight
squeeze and let go. Then in another instant, he jumped.

Coralie rushed to look over the edge,
knowing that she would see a pile of broken bloodiness. Instead,
she saw Courtland gracefully land in the grassy vacant lot that ran
alongside the building. Court turned and stared up at her,
motioning for her to do the same.

Coralie shook her head,
no.

Again, he motioned, beckoning for her
to jump and join him on the ground below. Coralie back away from
the ledge and looked around, her heart starting to race. As the
panic of her dilemma began to set in, she moved back to the ledge
and took another look down at Court. She looked directly into his
eyes. His warm, inviting, trustworthy eyes.

“You can do this...” he mouthed, “Come
on, now, trust me...”

Hesitantly, Coralie crawled up onto
the ledge. She rose slowly and nervously to her feet, took a deep
breath, and looked toward the sky.

Dear Lord, please catch me, don't
let me hit the ground ... I'm sure it is awfully hard when hit,
trying to defy the laws of gravity ...

“Coralie, Come on ... trust me...”
Court called up to her, as quiet as he could, trying not to call
attention to the two of them.

Coralie looked down at Court for a
single, mere second.

All of the sudden, she heard a sound
come from the direction of the escape door. She closed her eyes
tight, and then jumped.

She could feel the air engulfing her
as she plunged downward from the ledge of the building. A part of
her wanted to open her eyes, to see what was beneath her and how
close she was to hitting the hard ground. But she couldn't. She
couldn't bring herself to open them.

Falling ... Falling ...
her
arms and legs were attempting to flail about her, but she continued
to try to contain them, keeping them close to her body. Suddenly,
just as quickly as she had begun her descend to the grassy
side-lawn, her body stopped.

She didn't move. She was afraid.
Afraid to even attempt to open her eyes. Afraid of what she might
see. Afraid of what she might not...

After much deliberation within
herself, she slowly began to open her eyes. She found herself
staring into Court's calmingly beautiful, blue eyes. Suddenly,
Coralie became very conscious of the fact that she had spent a few
too many moments staring noticeably wistfully at him.

Apprehension set in.

She had just jumped from the rooftop
of a three-story building. Oddly, she realized that her feet were
still not touching the ground. Court was cradling her in his
arms.

Had he really just caught
her? From a three-story fall?

Court continued to allow his confident
leer to show through his lips.

“Nice catch!” Coralie said,
unbelieving of what had just happened.

“More like a safety snatch, really...”
Court said, smirking. Coralie looked at him with confusion, but
before she could say a word, he added, “We really need to work on
your form...”

Court gently let Coralie out of his
arms. As her feet lightly impressed the ground, she felt his hand
take hers. “We're not quite finished, come on, this way...” He led
her stealthily down the stone sidewalk that led to the front lawn
of the building.

Coralie began to hear voices. The
voices were getting louder as the two neared the front of the
building.

The Benefit guests
, Coralie
thought … the vacating guests had stopped their fleet from the
building and congregated on the front lawn to discuss the strange
event. She quickly scanned the faces for her parents.
No luck.
Where are they?

Court paused just before they reached
the corner of the building and turned to Coralie. “Follow me and
act as if you are still attempting to settle from the
panic.”

Act?
Coralie
thought.

Court smiled at her unspoken thoughts.
“Come on,” he said, leading her around the corner. Court looked so
calm and unshaken. He led Coralie through the crowd of traumatized
guests, who were flowing out of the front doors and filling the
lawn. The inquisitive chatter surrounded them, as they continued
toward the end of the lawn.

“Where are we going?” Coralie
asked.

“I'm taking you home.” Court said with
such assurance, continuing to make their way afar from the
evacuated building.

“But what about my
parents?”

“They have already left.”

“Without me?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know that for
sure?”

“Look, I've told you before, you are
going to have to trust me. And we've got to go,” he looked up, back
toward the building, “... like now...” he continued, leading her
through the crowd as they all stood, gawking in question at the
pitch-dark building. “Through here.”

As Coralie followed Court, through the
sea of people, she felt the urge to glance back at the building.
Giving in to her sudden urge, suddenly she wished she
hadn't.

She saw a dark figure standing in one
of the windows. In a moment, it was gone. The figure had vanished
into the darkness.

She quickly looked away from the
building, and continued to follow behind Court, who was leading her
away from the horde of people.

They stopped at the last row of cars
in the parking lot. Court let go of her hand and threw his leg in
an up and over direction, mounting a stark black motorcycle.
Coralie watched him as he reached back into the pack that rested on
the back of its seat. He held something out to her, a motorcycle
helmet. “Safety first...” he said, with a grin.

“Uh, no, thanks...”

“Well, you're not going to walk home,
are you?”

“You cannot expect me to just hop onto
the back of this …
thing.
”

“What? Are you afraid of this?” he
asked, playfully patting the handle bars.

“There is NO WAY that I am riding that
thing
... are you crazy?”

“Coralie, come on, look at me ...
you’re going to tell me that you are afraid of riding a motorcycle
... with me ... but somehow you were able to muster enough courage
to leap off the rooftop of a three story building...”

She shrugged.

“
How many times do I have
to tell you in one night...” he switched the helmet to the other
hand and then held out his free hand, “you can trust
me...”

Coralie took his hand, as he helped
her climb onto the back of the motorcycle. She gathered the bottom
of her dress in her un-held hand and threw her leg over the back of
the seat.

Court reached back toward her, helmet
in hand, “Here, put this on...”

“What about you?”

He grinned. “I'm not worried about
me.” He cranked the motorcycle's engine, revving it a few times.
“Put your arms around me...” he said, as he directed her arms, “...
here...”

She gently slid her arms around his
waist, and then rested her body close against his back. Court
smiled. “You ready?”

Coralie shook her head from side to
side.
No.

Court let a loud, bellowing laugh
escape his most perfect lips. “Hold on tight,” he said, revving the
engine again, this time letting go of the brake.

Coralie tightened her grip around him
and closed her eyes.

“Cal, I'm worried about her...” Katelyn
sighed.

“Kate, you always do. She will be
fine.” Cal said, consoling his wife's words.

She looked out of the car window at
the dark, moving scenery. “But Cal ... her face ... so filled with
confusion and fear ... she must feel so alone...”

“She's fine ... Courtland is with her
... so, stop worrying ... she is not alone...”

“I guess...” Katelyn sighed again,
watching familiar trees come into view, as the car turned into the
drive. “It's time, Cal. We need to explain – No, we owe her an
explanation. Tonight was not planned. She could have been hurt...
or worse, she could've been –”

“I know, Kate, and I promise that we
will talk to her ... but the time has to be right...”

“The time is right ... right now. Cal,
we need to do this, we need to make things right.”

Cal stared out of the front
windshield, slowing the car and putting it into park. After those
words, he allowed silence to sit in between them. It hung heavy
like fog. He knew his wife was right. They had to tell their
daughter the truth ... he knew it wouldn't be long until their
methods of keeping this life from her would not work anymore. In
fact, he could take a good guess that the process of the truth
unfolding had already begun.

* * * * *

The wind was cool on Coralie’s face,
as the two of them sped through the dark night on Court’s
motorcycle. Swiftly passing through traffic lights and bypassing
street lamps, at such a pace, they were all start to blend
together.

Court weaved in and out of traffic,
once coming so close to the edge of a vehicle it caused her to
flinch, tightening her arms around his mid-section. She closed her
eyes tight, but she could feel the smile resting upon his
face.

They slowed to a stop. Coralie opened
her eyes, recognizing the circle drive in front of her
house.

She unfastened the strap of her
helmet, took it from her head, and shook her hair, hoping that it
would reshape around her face. She hurriedly tossed and fixed her
hair, in hopes, before he looked at her.

Court dismounted the motorcycle
casually swinging his leg over the seat so that both legs were now
firm on the ground and stepping toward her. He stood, reaching out
his hand to help her from the seat.

She took his hand and he pulled her
toward him. She stood close to him, nervously. He smiled, and then
motioned for her to walk ahead toward the front steps.