The Birthmark

The Jeep passed the border into Arizona, Garren still driving after a good ten hours.

“Why don’t we stop for the night?” I asked, looking over to see him staring intently at the road ahead.

“No, we need to put as many miles as we can between us and them.”

“Garren, you’ve driven through three states. I think we can stop to get a few hours of rest.”

He just shook his head, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

“Garren,” I said softly, “What did you see?”

His knuckles turned white, but he still didn’t answer.

“Garren, please, I should know what they’re doing.”

He took a deep breath, “I saw them making a sacrifice.”

I frowned, “They’ve made sacrifices before and you’ve never acted like this.”

He glanced at me, “That’s because they were just sacrificing to a god that doesn’t exist. This time they made a sacrifice to Keahi.”

“Who?”

“Keahi. She’s the demon responsible for keeping the flames burning in Hell.”

I shrugged, “So? What’s she going to do, give them the power of fire?”

I scoffed, really? They think fire can harm me?

Please, I am fire.

Garren sighed, “You didn’t read the book your father gave you, did you?”

I glared at him, “He handed me a ton of books. Do you really think I read them all?”

Garren looked at me like I was insane, “He only gave you ten books, Jalen.”

“They were all hardback and over three hundred pages!”

“You’ve had over a hundred years to read them.”

“Yeah, well, why don’t you read them?”

“I did, in less than two months.”

“Fine. Why don’t you summarize this specific book for me?”

Garren sighed, “Before God cast Lucifer from Heaven - before Lucifer took over Hell - Keahi was the Angel of the Flame. She was cast out with Lucifer for treason and is now Lucifer’s second in command. Anything that has to do with fire Keahi’s got a hand in it.”

I frowned, “Even my bird?”

Garren shook his head, “No, your bird is a part of nature. God created her before Lucifer and Keahi were cast out of Heaven. She has no control over you.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Her power is different than yours. She doesn’t need the sun’s rays to reheat if she uses her powers too much.”

“Is that why we’re in Arizona?”

“Sort of, I’m hoping we can get closer to the equator. I’m thinking southern Colombia or northern Brazil.”

I shook my head, “Brazil won’t work. That’s where the Amazon Rainforest is.”

Garren looked at me, raising a brow, “You didn’t read the books about your history, but you know where the Rainforests are.”

“Well, dur, it involves water. I have to know where the Rainforests are.”

“Alright, Brazil’s out. So I guess our destination’s Colombia.”

“Sweet. Wait. There’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t speak Spanish.”

~*~

Garren pulled into a Walgreens parking lot, setting the brake and turning the key to off.

“Come on.”

I followed him out of the Jeep, “What are we doing here?”

“We left our passports back at our last place. We need to get new ones.”

“Oh, I thought we were stopping for ice cream.”

He turned to look at me just as the automatic door opened, “Ice cream?”

“Well, yeah,” I pushed past him, entering the store, “I thought you were going to get me ice cream since you didn’t give me any when you tied me to the chair.”

I ignored Garren’s sigh and heading toward the ice cream freezer, but was pulled back when he latched onto my elbow.

“We’re not getting ice cream.”

He dragged me to the photo counter, holding me by his side as he talked to the girl.

“Hello, we’d like to purchase a couple passports.”

The teenager popped her gum, “Sure, no problem. Go stand in front of the blue banner.”

Garren gave me his ‘stay here and don’t move’ glare and walked to the banner, turning to stare at the camera.

The teenager snapped the shot and then turned to me, “You’re turn.”

As I passed Garren on my way to the banner I reached over and pinched the back of his hand, hiding the motion so that only Garren and I knew.

I felt his glare as the teen took my picture and when I walked back to his side I gave him an innocent smile, “That’s for denying me my ice cream.”

He rolled his eyes, but I knew he wasn’t really mad.

“Alright, your passports will be ready in a few minutes. Feel free to browse through the store. I’ll call your names on the intercom,” the teen said through her gum.

My smile grew as I thank her. This time it was I who latched into his elbow, dragging him all the way to the ice cream freezer, “I want ice cream.”

Garren just gave me a droll stare.

I sighed, “Please. I want ice cream, please”

“That’s better. You should never forget your manners, Jalen.”

“Really?” I asked as I pulled a pint of double chocolate chip cookie dough from the freezer, “I shouldn’t forget my manners when it was you who tied me to a chair?”

“You’re acting like it was the first time,” Garren turned and walked to the register, pulling his wallet from his pocket.

“The fact that it happens continuously worries me. What’s next, you’re going to tie me to the bed?”

Garren slowly smiled, his eyes full of charm, “Aw, now you’ve gone and spoiled the surprise, babe.”

I scoffed, handing my ice cream to the elderly lady behind the register.

I watched Garren as he chatted with the lady, trying to seem just as nonchalant and easy going as Garren was.

But it’s starting to become almost impossible. The feelings I have for him continue to grow.

When I first met him, back when my father and the rest of my Protectors were alive, I had the biggest crush ever. That crush soon led to fantasies and dreams. Now, with it being just us for so long, I keep falling more and more in love with him every day, but he doesn’t share my feelings. I know he loves me, but it’s more like a brotherly love. For over a century he’s never shown me anything more than his concern for my safety.

I sighed, filled with my own thoughts when laughter brought me back to reality.

“My, do you two remind me of Greg and I back when we were younger.”

I forced a smile. A lot of people mistake us for a couple, but they were always wrong.

“Thank you,” Garren replied, like he always did, “Jalen and I have one of those unique relationships.”

I no longer had to force my smile when he trailed a finger down my cheek.

“That’s just like Greg and me and we’re still going strong after sixty years of marriage.”

“Congratulations, that’s a lot of love,” Garren said as he grabbed our bag from the lady.

“Yes it is, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

I quickly turned away as Garren’s named sounded from the intercom, not able to take anymore talk of love.

~*~

Keahi looked out over the men and women before her. All of them were kneeling, their faces pressed into the dirt.

She knew all about them and the little bird they hunted. She knew why they called upon her, the most powerful of all things fire.

And she already knew she’d help them. It would be fun, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t mess with them.

“Who dared to call upon me?”

Her voice echoed through the dank cave, causing some to cower.

But one man stood out. He was kneeling in front of the group, closet to her, and he seemed to carry himself with authority.

“I did,” the man looked up, his dark eyes filled with malice, “my name is Antonio.”

Keahi smiled, her red eyes gleaming.

Yes, this would be oh so much fun.