by K. E. Radke
Trouble hasn’t crossed their path until now. Something new in town is visiting them.
And it’s not human.
A cloud of dust trails behind us as we roll down the dirt road toward the farmhouse in the distance. On the porch, Miguel is ready to greet us with Selena by his side. I park near their trucks on the side of the house.
Miguel holds out his arms to Rowan, sauntering down the steps. “Thank you for coming.” He wraps him a warm hug. In a muffled voice, I overhear an invitation only meant for Rowan. “You should visit more often. Selena needs the company.”
Selena bounces into my arms the second I’m out of the SUV and I firmly embrace her since her dad can’t see us. I inhale deeply, caught in memories of innocent hand-holding and first kisses. A childhood crush that can never be more.
She doesn’t know what I am. The part of me that compels her to give me a second glance. Forces her to think about me. And coerces her to think I’m worth fighting for.
Everything I am, pressures her to love me.
It’ll never be real for her.
Untangling my fingers from her onyx curls, I kiss the top of her head and reluctantly release her. She hugs me tighter, pressing her small frame against me like she’ll never let go.
“How long are you staying,” she mumbles against my chest.
“Mija?” Miguel hollers, a keen sense of her growing absence.
She jerks away from me, his voice reminding her I’m forbidden. Her soft brown eyes stare silently into mine as if to apologize. I nod in the direction she needs to go with the corner of my mouth lifted in amusement for her benefit. She bites her bottom lip. Quick as a snake, she’s on her tiptoes and pecks me on the lips, trailing her fingers over the rough stubble on my cheek.
A dopey grin weasels its way across my face when she glances at me one last time before she disappears around the Bronco. It immediately turns into a scowl after she catches me. I lost the power to hold her back a while ago.
Through the passenger side window, I watch her hug Rowan. Miguel spies approvingly with a small smile and slightly raised eyebrows as they tease each other over old memories.
In Miguel’s eyes, Rowan and Selena were meant for each other. The perfect solution to officially bring our families together.
The only problem is everyone knows she’s in love with me.
Selena forced me to be her husband when I was six. Rowan officiated every wedding she planned. He was always the minister and never the groom.
To protect me, my mother kept me isolated as a child, fearing the worst in people. She had a difficult time keeping me hidden because people were naturally drawn to me. Her constant state of panic and fear overwhelmed my own emotions daily. I didn’t understand my powers back then—no one did.
Everywhere I went I was a little ball of anxious energy, never leaving my mother’s side.
Selena refused to leave me alone. Tugged and pulled until I begrudgingly followed. She was happiness and laughter and fun. Being with her was like breaking through a never-ending rainstorm. She saved me from the shadows and never let go of my hand. I didn’t want her to. And I clung to her, not understanding the true nature of our bond.
The one time Rowan said I should take Selena out on a real date, Miguel made it very clear if he ever found his daughter with me, he’d come out of retirement. I felt the threat in every word.
He stopped hunting to protect his daughter from demons. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up with a half-demon hunter. Although, he never had a problem with Rowan being a hunter.
After Miguel made it clear I’d never be good enough for Selena, Rowan distanced himself from his childhood friends. He did it for me.
And I hate that he felt like he had to choose.
People will always lust after me. It’s built into my being. Demons are supposed to challenge every decision you’ve ever made. I’m supposed to tempt you into doing everything wrong. Forever trap you in my clutches. Ruin you to the point you can’t live without me. And then leave to find my next victim.
Understanding the power I wield made me realize everyone is forced to love me. No one can do it naturally.
My gaze falls to my holster, and I make sure the Glock is secured and add a knife to my belt. I join them on the other side of the Bronco.
Miguel shakes my hand enthusiastically with a firm grip. Wrinkles fan out around his dark brown eyes as a smile spreads across his face. “I’ve heard about all the good work you’re doing. You make it look easy.” I may never be good enough for his daughter, but my hunting reputation precedes me. “Anyone need a drink? Valentina is cooking. Mija, grab us something to drink, por favor.”
Selena retreats into the house, peering over her shoulder at me with a tiny lift to her mouth. The heat rises up my neck. Miguel’s eyes narrow, bouncing between us. Rowan shakes his head while chuckling and gives me a you-sly-devil look.
That woman will literally be the death of me.
Rowan clears his throat to drag Miguel’s attention to him. “What do you have for us?” he asks now that we’re alone.
Miguel levels a distrustful look at my six-foot frame. Probably wondering if he needs to go over the rules about being near his daughter. The last conversation happened when I was a teenager. Now my height makes him look up at me, and I work out every night. He can try to intimidate me again, but it’s not my fault if I end up laughing.
Tension amplifies with the growing silence. Miguel’s emotions are twisting around him. Flashes of suspicion leak through the calm demeanor he’s trying to hold on to. Anger is forced back when Rowan glares at Miguel with hard eyes. “You wanted the best. So, we’re here,” Rowan reminds him.
Miguel nods, relenting to the fact he needs us. “Maybe a ghost,” he whispers the word and peers over his shoulder to make sure no one heard him.
Rowan and I exchange a look. “Maybe?” I raise an eyebrow.
Miguel nods and shakes his head. “A ghost skeleton,” he says, but the skeptical expression on his face proves he doesn’t believe his own words.
“Do you have any mental health issues that run in your family?” I question politely.
Rowan elbows me in the side with a chuckle and Miguel glowers at me.
“You are your mother’s child,” Miguel deadpans.
“Let’s pretend it is a ghost,” Rowan begins. “Has anyone died recently?”
“No one we know. It showed up, and I checked all the wardings. It’s been stalking my house the past three nights. And Valentina doesn’t want me following it until we know what it is,” Miguel explains.
“We should check the obits,” I suggest.
“Every time you come down, you want to know who died,” Luis shouts from the doorway and startles all of us. His little brother Pedro peeks out from behind him. “Mom says to come inside. It’s too hot to be out here.” He looks at Rowan. “You bunking with me? Like old times?” His eyes hit me. “You too buddy. It’ll be a Ruger boy sandwich.”
Miguel rolls his eyes. “I always thought Selena would be the one to join our families.”
Luis comes out as his dad goes inside and drags Pedro with him. It’s always awkward when we visit. Luis was one of Rowan’s best friends growing up. The age difference between us made it difficult for the three of us to hang out. I usually ended up by myself.
Luis stares at us suspiciously. “Y’all going to tell me why you’re here?”
“Visiting.” The word is a lie, and he knows it.
“I hate it when you lie to me,” he says with a sigh. It’s like looking at a younger version of Miguel, only he has Valentina’s green eyes and sharp nose. “But I’m really glad you’re here. How long are you staying?”
“Not long.” I usually answer all of Luis’s questions because Rowan hates lying to him.
“Good, then I can catch a ride back with you to Miami. We can hang out like old times.” He grins hopefully, waiting for us to agree.
We don’t have to crush his plans, h
is parents will do it for him.
The older Luis gets, the more questions he asks. It’s only a matter of time before he figures out the truth. Sometimes I think Miguel is a fool for hiding it from his kids. And sometimes I wish was one of them.
“No, you won’t,” Miguel cuts into the conversation with a hard edge. “You’ll stay here and help with the farm.”
We all look up at his father eavesdropping from the threshold. They argue in Spanish. Rowan and I retreat to the Bronco. We look at each other, the unease strewn across our faces. Every time we show up, the animosity grows between them.
Living on the edge of two worlds can tear families apart. It’s not a battle anyone relishes to win. Because sometimes a win is really a loss. The secrets are kept to protect them. And at some point, they’ll argue it’s not our job.
“Stop it!” a voice booms from inside. Valentina appears beside Miguel with a washcloth in her hand. The arguing stops immediately. “Luis, you will not be going anywhere. Gage and Rowan work for a living. They can’t just hang out.” She stares daggers at them. “They came to relax and you’ve made them so uncomfortable. Shame on both of you.”
Exiting the house, she beckons us from the porch. “Come inside. Don’t make me come get you, it’s too hot.”
When we hesitate, she narrows her eyes. “Now.” The word is patched together with patience she’s stealing from someone else.
Valentina’s beauty comes from her caring nature. You can’t help but love her. She’s the mom everyone wants because she does it so damn well.
“Yes, ma’am,” we say simultaneously and march up to the door.
She shuts the door behind us, leaving Miguel and Luis on the porch.
***
Valentina set up our sleeping quarters in the den. It’s next to their room, where they can hear our every move—and anyone else’s if they stop by for a late-night visit.
We spend every minute under Miguel and Valentina’s overprotective watch. It forces Luis to keep the conversation about the farm or school, and Selena to keep her distance from me. My eyes glaze over, tuning out the mundane topics.
There’s a shift in mood as the sun shifts lower in the sky. Potent waves of anxious dread curl around me like creepy fingers holding me hostage for death to arrive. Valentina’s gaze flickers to the windows more and more, probably wondering when she can pull the curtains closed without suspicion rising. Fear thickens in the house like a living fog, threatening to choke me.
Miguel’s eyes land on certain areas of the family room. I casually rub my pounding temple, leaning to my left as Selena drones on about her friend’s eyebrows.
Valentina stands and stretches. “I forgot to put the gardening tools back in the barn. Honey, will you help me put them away?”
Miguel waves the beer in his hand. “Let me finish this first.”
“I’ll help you,” Rowan offers before I can speak up.
“Me too.” I rise out of my chair, practically charging for the exit.
She points at Miguel. “Lucky for you, they volunteered.”
Lies roll off their tongues like pros in a never-ending con. Their masks of deception were perfected years ago. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume we were in for a good-ole, uneventful night of family catch up stories.
Rowan and I recognized the old hunting signal. Ask for help with a chore normal people avoid. Anyone interested in the new job volunteers to help. It’s an easy way for hunters to gather privately without the oblivious tagging along.
“I guess I can help too,” Selena chimes in, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Her eyes dart to me for a second.
“Mija, you can go blow up the air mattresses for them please,” Valentina politely commands. No doubt she left them deflated on purpose.
Leading the way to the barn with a flashlight, Valentina makes a show of pulling the barn door open and switching on the lights inside. She hangs the flashlight from the string on a nail, and coos at her cattle. The cows blink sleepily at us from inside, twitching their ears. From the house’s illuminated back window, I can see Miguel’s silhouette.
My hand is on the knife at my belt and I see Rowan and Valentina scanning the dark for something that doesn’t belong. It’s difficult to see anything but the stars, but Miguel mentioned it glowed.
“Thank you for coming,” she says in a warm, motherly tone. “The kids miss you. And I know it’s hard for you to lie to them. But I am so grateful, and you know I love you as my own.” Her gaze darts between Rowan and me. “Selena can’t keep her eyes off you, Gage,” she teases. In a serious voice, her gaze lands on me. “Be kind to her.”
It’s a loaded sentence. A warning as much as it is a simple request. She’d never say it out loud, but if I wanted to date Selena, I’d have to tell her what I am—and I can’t do that without shattering the life she has.
Rowan’s anger hitches up a few notches. The corner of his mouth twitches, but he keeps the neutral expression on his face. Rowan is convinced people’s perceptions of me will change once they hear about all the lives I’ve saved over the years. He doesn’t realize my actions don’t change the fact I’m still half demon.
“I’ll keep my distance,” I promise in a respectful tone.
She takes a deep breath before she begins in a low voice like someone can hear us. “I know what it is. Have you ever killed a Baykok? It’s a Native American legend.”
“Never heard of it,” I declare when they both gaze at me expectantly.
“Why is it here?” Rowan queries. “Miguel said it’s stalking your house.”
Crickets and cicadas fill the silence between us. “It’s here for me. I think it followed me home from one of my recent jobs.” The words rush out her mouth, barely audible. “I’ve been hunting.”
My mouth opens slightly in shock, but I stay silent. Guilt snakes its way around me, pouring off her, reigning over the fear and rage spinning around her.
She’s been lying to her husband, and can’t give him all the information without confessing about her extracurricular activities. Her sanity is slowly corroding away with all the lies she needs to keep straight.
“It’s a hunter of people who hunt animals—and apparently the paranormal too. The weapon of choice is a bow and arrow with poisoned arrows.” She exhales, but continues, “It paralyzes its victims with the poison and rips them open to eat their livers. The best way to track it is by the bone popping sound it makes.
“You do realize you just handed it a buffet by bringing us here,” I point out and rub the back of my neck. “We should have met somewhere else and led it away from your house.”
“I can’t—.” Valentina’s eyes brim with tears when they land on her house. “If I leave—what if it goes after my kids? It followed me home. But what if the target changes? I can’t leave them defenseless.”
“So you brought us here as bait.” Rowan puts it all together.
She blinks back the tears. “You are my kids too,” she says adamantly. “I would never have agreed to it, but your mother insisted you could handle it.” She clasps her hands together. “Please, understand.” Her voice cracks under the guilt.
“We would have come even if you said no,” I declare stubbornly. “Nothing could have stopped us.”
Valentina inhales sharply, relief cascading over her features. “Miguel will guard the kids. We will kill the Baykok.”
“How do we kill it?” Rowan asks the inevitable question.
I already know the answer before she replies.
Her face crumbles under the pressure to keep her family safe without shredding their safe world to pieces. Secrets she’s kept for decades are on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be released so she doesn’t have to hold them in anymore. “I don’t know.”
Three little words hunters never want to hear when they’re up against a supernatural threat.
It’s time for me to take over. “We go down the list,” I begin in an authoritative tone. “Silver, holy water, salt, fire, bless
ed stakes, and if all fails—slicing its head off.”
Valentina and Rowan nod.
“What’s the legend say exactly?” Rowan queries. “Maybe—.”
The lights in the barn flicker in and out. Our eyes are on the lightbulbs when they rapidly blink out one at a time. Silence envelops us. Not a sound from the roaring cicadas or lazy cows.
Frantic bellows ricochet off the wooden walls—the cows sensing a new presence. The illuminated windows on the house are soft pinpricks in the distance.
Back to back, our breaths are heavy with anticipation of an attack. The cows shuffle in their pens restlessly mooing. My gun is aimed in front of me, but none of my senses are picking up a lurking creature. They refuse to adjust to the black abyss. I feel like the sky fell on top of us without the stars.
Something pops in the distance. Every few seconds it sounds like someone cracking their knuckles. A slow, tantalizing noise, patiently waiting for the right moment to use them. Inhaling deeply, I finally pick up a pungent odor of rotten meat left out all day in the sunlight.
Closing my eyes, I can hear footsteps. A constant swish of grass.
“It’s not a ghost,” I whisper. To my left, I push the person beside me out of the way so I can shoot, but nothing’s there.
No one says a word as I concentrate on the silent night.
I whip around to find the house in the distance, but there’s nothing but a black hole.
“It’s at the house,” I whisper with dread and take off in its direction, using everything but my eyes to guide me there. Screams slice through the night and it’s like a punch to the gut as the sound leads me to the people I need to protect.
Faint illumination in my periphery makes me spin around only to find Rowan and Valentina running to catch up with the flashlight to lead them. I surge forward and try to gain back the momentum I lost.
The house comes into view faster than I expect it to, and I almost crash into it. I rebound off the wall and bolt for the front door. It’s still intact and when I turn the doorknob, it’s locked. So much for a quiet entry and the element of surprise.
