Mesmerized

gets passed down from generation to generation.
    "They took Laura from me." His jaw clenched and he looked away. "They tortured her. There was nothing I could do to stop it."
    Lily sucked in her breath and lifted her hand to her chest. "Did they..."
    "Yes, they killed her in front of me. Trying to get me to talk." His fists were clenched at his side. "They won’t accept my answer, that I’m human and cursed and I have no idea how it works. They killed her because I don’t have the answers. I won’t let them do that to you.”
    Lily was dumbfounded. She had no idea how to respond. She swallowed hard. "How did you get away?"
    "I killed them." Jake's voice sounded detached.
    "Oh."
    "Not that it mattered. They never come after me themselves, they just send hired help." 
    "I'm sorry, Jake." She couldn't stop thinking of Laura and what she must have gone through. Or how hard it had to have been for Jake to watch the woman he loved being tortured to death. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. “How do we avoid them?” 
    “We move around a lot, stay under the radar. I can usually go a decade without seeing them. I can't believe the timing." Jake moved towards her. "I can't let them get to you. It would break me if something happened to you." 
    "Hush, don't worry about me. I always have the compulsion if they come after me. It might actually help, maybe I can send them back with a false message."
    Jake shook his head. "I don't want you to go anywhere near them."  He pulled her close and ran his hands through her hair. Just being near her made his heart feel like it was going to explode out of his chest. 
     
    The next morning, Jake woke Lily up early. They needed to get far away. He had a condo in Florida where they could stay. 
    "Have you ever been on a train?" 
    "Only once when I was little. I don't remember it. I've always thought it would be romantic to ride cross-country." Lily smiled. "Are we taking a train?" she asked hopefully.
    "Yes, we can pay with cash. We'll get the tickets under different names."
    "Sounds exciting. Can I pick my name?"
    "Sure, you can even make up mine if you want."
    "Ok, I want to be Emma Gray, and you can be..." She put her finger to her lip thinking. "Gavin Stevens." 
    "Um…okay. Do the names have any significance?"
    "Just names from romance books I've enjoyed." 
    Jake shook his head. "Let's get out of here. Grab your bag." 
    "Right behind you, Gavin." She giggled and grabbed his hand.
    The train ride was even more beautiful then she had imagined. She loved seeing the little towns as the train rolled along. It was cool to see the ground go from snow covered to alive and green. 
    Jake put his arm around her and kissed her head. "This is nice. I wish we weren't running, but I'm glad to have you by my side."
    "I'm glad to be here. Do you think we should call my mom and check in?"
    “We can do that when we get to Florida. We'll get another phone."
    "Thanks. I feel bad not letting them know where we are."
    "Lily, if you are going to stay with me, you will often have to run and not see your parents for long stretches of time."
    She turned and stared out the window. "Maybe we can take care of your problem once and for all, and you won’t have to hide anymore."
    "If it were that easy, I would have taken care of it years ago."  He clenched his jaw and looked away.
    "I'm not very strong, but my mother is. You have never seen her in action. I really think she might be able to help us. She is very powerful."
    "We'll see." Jake squeezed her hand. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. 
     

Chapter Twelve
     
     
     
    “Wow,” Lily whispered. “This is beautiful.” 
    Jake had opened the curtains in his living room exposing the amazing view of the ocean. The sand was white, almost like the snow they had just left, and the ocean was clear. 
    “Haven’t you been to the ocean before?”
    “Yes, many times, but this is gorgeous.”
    “They call it the Emerald Coast.”
    She turned and wandered around the condo. It had two bedrooms, a full kitchen, living room, and bathroom. It wasn’t cozy like the cabin. It was more of a summer vacation home. She loved it just as much as the cabin, but in a different way. Smiling to herself, she thought that she could definitely get used to living like this. Although, it would be nicer if they weren't on the run. 
    That night, they lay with the windows open, so the roar of the ocean would lull them to