Chapter 5: Amnixiel
Reid awoke to screams and the bed moving. Kayla laid in bed covered in sweat and a blood-curdling scream tearing from her throat. Her body was thrashing around uncontrollably. "Kayla?!" Reid yelled as he tried to calm her with touches. Until her elbow collided with the side of his head causing him to jerk back. Her screaming hadn't subsided. "Kayla! Babe!" He yelled trying to grip her arms but, the thrashing around had made that task difficult.
Suddenly everything was silent and she laid there motionless, "… Kay- Kayla?" Reid's voice asked the silence in the room after the screaming was deafening to him. "Kayla?" He asked again his voice more urgent as he hovered over her, his hands gripped her upper arms and pulled her upright against his chest.
"No, no, no. Kayla?" Reid shook her slightly trying to wake her. Her head just flopped back her neck bearing no weight.
"Kayla?!" He cried out his fear evident in his voice, "No, c'mon baby." He pleaded trying to will her eyes open now. A moment passed and panic overwhelmed Reid thinking the worst for his girlfriend.
Her eyes sprung open suddenly as she sucked a gulp of air into her lungs. Her eyes searched her surroundings as they focused on Reid, gasping in breaths of air. Reid watched her eyes water as her hoarse voice filled his ears, "R- Reid…?" The tears spilled over as her body shook.
"I- I died. I was-was burned to death." She told him not making much sense, but Reid caught on quickly as he pulled her to him in a hug. He held her as if she were about to be torn from him in an instant. "I mean-. A- Adrienne. She- she was burned to death. Reid I-." Her voice broke as her tears spilled down her face. "I- I was so scared." She admitted burying her face in the crook of his neck.
"I- It's alright Kayla. You're-. You're safe now." He told her his hands sliding through her long red hair. "I'm here." He soothed.
She nodded against his skin pushing herself as close to him as she could. "I was scared too." He told her as he pulled her back to look at her. "I thought I'd lost you. I-I thought-." He began cutting himself off at the mere thought of her death.
She gave him a watery smile. Her arms still around his neck as she pressed her lips to his. Their labored breathing filled the room the remaining fear was banished as they just stared at each other. "I- I should call the guys." He said leaning over towards her nightstand to grab his phone.
"No." She cut him off grabbing his wrist, stilling his movements. "N-not yet. Please. I- I need a minute." She told him as Reid pulled back. Kayla pulled him to lie down with her. Her body always touching him in some way.
"I- I can't take this anymore." She said softly. Her mind just kept replaying the pain of burning to death, and the torture- as if it'd happened to her. "I don't know how they- the accused dealt with their torture, and the looming executions. It- it's too much." She admitted.
"I know baby. We're trying to find a way to stop this. To do that we need to figure out what this even is." Reid told her his hand rubbing up and down her back. She'd rolled over and was lying on him- closer to his side while his arm went under and around to her back. He continued the soothing circles hoping to calm her down. His curiosity now eating at him as he lifted his head to look at the mark on her back. He saw an angry red line now connecting it all together. There was a circle, almost in a 'C' shape- however, the open part was at the top, and the mark dead center was a diagonal line, the top of the diagonal line was connected to the bottom-most part of the circle. "What the fuck?" He breathed as he watched the burn appear out of thin air.
"What?" Kayla asked her voice alarmed.
"The- the mark. It's changing. Although I think it's done. Everything looks connected."
"What does that mean?" Kayla asked sitting up now looking at her boyfriend with wide eyes. Reid just shook his head not knowing what to say.
"I think we need to visit Pogue's dad. Just us." He finally told her as he got up from the bed and, started to get ready.
"Babe… It's like 4. You think he'll still be at the college?" Kayla asked as she followed suit. Reid looked at her after sliding his arms into the zip-up hoodie he was wearing.
"I know he is." With that, they were off to Ipswich College.
Pulling onto campus was like entering a totally different world- everything was chic, and modern compared to the well preserved, old village they'd driven through to get here. The clouds started rolling in, "You ready?" Reid asked once he parked the car reserved for visitors. Kayla breathed in and got out quickly wanting to get this over with. Reid quickly got out and locked it before racing to catch up with Kayla.
"He's in the history department. It's this way." Reid said pulling Kayla up the nearest set of stone steps into the building.
"Are you sure we can just show up like this?" Kayla asked uncertainly now at dragging another person into this confusion.
"It's fine, Red," Reid replied stopping to look at the nearest labeled office. He was half paying attention as he led around the corner and down three offices. He stopped at an open doorway. The room was on the smaller side with a desk lamp illuminating a section of the desk where an older man sat. He looked up and pushed his glasses up over the bridge of his long nose.
"Reid?" He asked confused looking up from his stack of papers.
"Hey, Mr. Parry," Reid said as he gently, but sternly tugged Kayla into the room behind him. "Wha-what're you doing here?" He asked even more perplexed when his gaze fell on her.
"Kayla." He said with a nod. Unfortunately, the incident with Jake had been what they'd all come together to discuss. They'd all wondered how'd she'd even received the power- it caused a bit of a buzz among the elders within the Covenant. They'd had a whole lot of question that the guys and her couldn't answer. They'd all thankfully stuck with her through the endless questions and the judgment of acceptance. Kayla blanked out thinking back to the final meeting months ago before she'd left with her family.
All the guys and Kayla were waiting in the sitting room at the old Danvers' house. Kayla sat on the couch anxiously waiting for the four elder men to make a decision. "Hey…" Tyler's voice interrupted Kayla's racing thoughts. "It'll be fine."
"You don't know that," Kayla told him softly. The dingy house was dark, and it put Kayla on edge, given that it had been just 2 weeks since the fight with Jake in the woods. She had kept her secret hidden well- at least until the parents had gotten involved. She wasn't sure what the elder men would do now that they knew there was another- outside of their covenant- that had the power.
"Yes, we do." Reid's firm voice came from the doorway, breaking the silence. He'd been standing there with his arms folded wearing a sour expression given the fact that he hadn't been allowed to go down with the rest of the men. "But, I've ascended!" He argued with his father at the doorway into the basement.
"That's beside the point. Caleb is only allowed down now on account of him being the only heir to his family line. Besides after his fight to save the rest of us- within the covenant. He deserves to have a voice in matters."
"And, what the hell do you think I was doing getting my ass handed to me practically last week?!" Reid snapped at his dad.
"Reid James Garwin! I said enough." His father snapped. Ever since then they four of them sat in silence, just waiting.
"We-we're here about a symbol we'd seen," Reid said pulling her out of my memories. "We- we'd had a couple questions about it. I figured who better to ask than you, Mr. Parry." He finished as he released Kayla's hand and moved to sit on their side of the desk.
"Ah." He said as he leaned over and flicked a switch on the wall next to his desk. A brighter light clicked on overhead as Kayla followed Reid's lead and sat next to him. "How can I help?" He asked as he took his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes.
"If- if you're too busy… we could always come back." Kayla began her eyes flicked from Mr. Parry to Reid.
"Nonsense." He said waving off her concern. He seemed to perk up a bit before saying, "I needed a break from the paperwork anyways."
"Okay…" Reid trailed off purposefully cutting off any protesting. "There was this symbol Kayla had seen during her trip throughout Europe- I- I vaguely remember seeing it somewhere before, but I- I can't remember where. I was thinking you could help me out…?" He finished convincingly.
"Mmm." Mr. Parry pretended to weigh his options. Kayla glanced to the gold-plated nametag and waited, "I think I can do that. It's kinda my thing." He responded causing Reid to chuckle. There was a slight pause when he asked, "So… what's the symbol?"
"Babe, did you bring the photo?" He asked Kayla. She just looked at him the confusion plain on her face. "You forgot it?" He asked with a little groan of annoyance. He turned his attention back to Pogue's dad suddenly. "Do you uh. You have pen and paper?" Reid asked. "I can draw it out for you."
"Uh. Sure." Mr. Parry responded now rummaging through his desk before pulling out a sticky pad and a pen. Reid quickly drew out the 'C' looking circle. He drew the line going down from the center point and the small diagonal line that was attached to the top of the center line. He turned the pad around and put the pen back on the desk.
"This- this is…" Mr. Parry started.
"Caleb and Pogue came in with a picture of it. Yes." Reid stated not lying anymore. Kayla looked over at him surprise written on her face.
"Where-? Who-?" Mr. Parry began.
"It's probably better the less you know." Reid shrugged nonchalantly. Kayla sat there her mouth open with how Reid was speaking to the elder man. None of the other elders would've allowed it.
"Reid." Mr. Parry began removing his glasses and placing them on the desk. "You know I respect what you did those months back, but if you're in trouble and you need help-."
"No sir." Reid cut him off, "What I mean is…" Reid began feeling how rude his last statement was. "We aren't in trouble. The covenant is safe- we're safe." He said with a wave of his hand. There was a silence and Kayla could see Mr. Parry not buying it.
"Mr. Parry. Please." Kayla butted in now, "The symbol has to do with me. My- My lineage, I think." Kayla elaborated.
"Well, my dear- that I sincerely doubt." He replied with a smirk.
"Wh- why?" Kayla said her interest sparked.
"This- this symbol." He said looking down again. "I did some research on it when my son and Caleb left. I- It dates back to biblical times."
"Like… Jesus?" Reid asked as he glanced at Kayla quickly.
Mr. Parry nodded with a shrug. "More like Angel's and Demons." He replied. "Mostly demons. This symbol, in particular, is for Amnixiel-." Suddenly someone poked their head through the doorway cutting our conversation short.
"Allen?" A woman asked. Her petite form was standing in the doorway.
"Oh. Deborah, hi." Mr. Parry said sitting up straighter.
"The Dean just returned from his last appointment. He's headed out but if you leave now you might catch him." She told him before making a quick exit. "Thank you!" Mr. Parry hollered.
"Alright, kids. If- if you don't mind. I'm meeting with the Dean for the upcoming school year. I better go." Reid and Kayla nodded as everyone stood. Pogue's father was a tall lanky man; his 6 foot 3 frame leered over Kayla- she was always on the shorter side of things at her staggering 5'3.
"Thank you." Reid said as they shook hands only to have the professor do the same with Kayla as he said something about, 'give your parents my best.' Reid and Kayla stood out in the hall just staring. Reid's drawing was still in his hand.
"Well… at least now we have a starting point." Reid shrugged.
"Fancy a library date?" Kayla asked with a smirk as she snatched the little paper out of his hand with a chuckle. Reid just rolled his eyes as pulled her out and exited the building.
Alright, all! Chapter 5 is out. I'm trying to stay optimistic but this story hasn't quite kicked off yet. I think the mystery of it all isn't moving fast enough for you all. Drop a review and let me know what you think about it. I was hoping with the views the first on garnered this would be at or about at a similar level. Anyways, as always Thank you to each and everyone one of your views! It keeps me writing.