When We Spirits Awaken

Chapter 9: Messages

I flopped onto my bed, exhausted, and stared up at the ceiling as I ran my hands along my comforter. I did not realize how much I had been craving this moment after a long afternoon of training, but I did. The soft comfort of my bed, the artificial light beaming on my face and--

The sound of a cellular phone vibrating on my desk. 

I groaned and pulled myself off my bed, apathetically walking to the still-shaking phone. I had not checked it all weekend and knew now was as good a time as any.

Touching the home button, I watched as my screen quickly came to life, glowing as I typed in my password. Once I was in I went to my menu and clicked on the unheard messages with the number seven written beside it in brackets.

I hit the speaker button and put it down on my bed, listening as the recording of a woman's voice retold me that that I had seven new messages.

Shade, who was sitting on his haunches next to my bed, stared at the phone and tilted his head.

"You're nosy, aren't you?" I asked him when he caught me looking at him after a few seconds went by without me hitting play.

"My apologies. Would you prefer if I left the room?"  he asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Ignoring his remark, I looked back to my phone and clicked the play button.

'Hey, Lillyana... I know you've been avoiding me for the last few days, and I get it. We need to talk... Oh, it's me, uh, Kaleb.'

That was one.

'It's me again hope you're having a good weekend. So, I guess you can give me a call... or I'll just see you on Monday...'

Two...

'Lillyana, I know what's going on, I do understand. Can we please talk? Okay... Hope to see you Monday."

Three.

I hit pause and looked at the remainder of the messages.

"Are they all from that go--" I gave Shade a warning glance before he finished his thought.

"That absolute gentleman that I had the pleasure of meeting earlier this week?" he huffed, changing the rest of his thought with a tone that made it very clear he liked his previous one better.

I hit the "delete all" button before answering. "Yes."

"And what exactly is it that he knows is going on?"

"If I knew, do you think I'd be sitting here as confused as I am?"

"I didn't think Jadus would work so quickly."

"What are you trying to imply?"

"Come now, Lillyana. You are a smart girl, how can you not see it? Clearly he's working with Jadus."

I glared at Shade. "No."

"Don't you find it odd that he just so happened to get so close that he was driving you home on the first day of school? That he's clearly fighting for your attention.  How else could Jadus keep attacking you with this spell? He must have a bigger connection to this world."

"It's not Kaleb."

"I know you think that he's--"

"Shade, enough! Aside from Emily he was the first person to befriend me. No matter how annoying or how twisted the situation may be, I at least respect that. As for that," I pointed to the phone referring to his messages, "that was because the last thing he got before I started ignoring him was one-word answers or unfinished sentences."

"Fine, don't expect me to restrain from chewing his arm off if I have to."  I was hoping for his facial expression to give away that he was joking; he wasn't.

We sat there in silence and stared at each other before Shade finally broke away, shaking his head and walking towards the balcony.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Just in the back for a while."

"Are you that mad at me?" I asked, trying not to sound hurt.

He looked back at me. "No, I go out every night and do a patrol of the area," he said nonchalantly, which made me feel a little better.

"I've never seen you go out before..."

He walked back over and nudged my hand. "You haven't stayed up this late since we came here."

I glanced at the time on my phone screen. No wonder I was so tired, it was already one AM.

With a swift goodnight Shade leaped off the balcony and disappeared into our back yard, leaving only the night behind him.

As I pulled the covers up I looked back at the phone resting back on my desk. The messages started replaying in my mind and as I lay my head back on the pillow I could not get my mind off of the four I deleted before listening to...