by A. L. Tyler
Ember was glowing as she smiled at him. “Let’s go swimming.”
She stood and took off in the direction of the water as Acton wondered exactly how hypnotized she was. Granted, he had pushed a little harder than he normally would have because he expected her to fight. Apparently, she hadn’t fought it.
“Ember!” He stood and started after her, catching her just before she ran into the ocean. The water was still that night, and there were no winds. “The water’s cold, darling. You just think it’s warm because you’re high.”
“There’s a spring.” Ember said lightly. “That’s why there’s fog here. Where does the stream go into the water?”
Acton swallowed; his heart was racing, but he didn’t know why. His heart hadn’t ever raced, and if he didn’t know better, he would have thought that she had poisoned him.
“It’s over there.” He pointed. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to get wet, because it’s so cold out—”
“Screw the cold!” She was running again, and taking off her sweatshirt as she went. Acton shook his head as he went after her.
Seeing her standing nude by the water’s edge, Acton stopped; she really was beautiful. In the dark, there was only the soft glow off of the thin spots of the clouds to illuminate her in filtered moonlight. Her short blond hair didn’t touch her shoulders anymore, and she had crossed her arms over her breasts as she took her first step into the water, gasping.
“Em!” Acton warned. He dropped his jacket and stripped as quickly as he could without damaging anything. Ember was already in up to her waist when she dropped in all the way and started to swim. Acton panicked and took off after her. “Em, it’s dark!”
“You can see!” She called after him.
“It’s cold!”
“It’s not that cold!” She responded in exasperation.
As Acton swam closer to her, he realized that she was right; the place where the stream went into the water was warmer, but only if they stayed close to the shore. He had never bothered with the temperature of the water before, so he hadn’t noticed.
“Em!” He finally caught her arm, pulling her back toward the mouth of the stream, keeping her in the channel where the water wasn’t too hot or too cold. “Jesus, you have a death wish…”
“I have a lot of living to do before I die.” She said matter-of-factly.
He sighed. “You’re going to freeze when you get out.”
“You’ll take care of me.” She said, turning to face him. “And I’m not cold now.”
He thought he could see the stars in her eyes. Large and wide, she was staring right at him; he didn’t even know how well she could see in the dark, but it seemed she was mostly guiding herself by touch as she lifted her hand from the water to find his face. She found his lips and kissed him again.
Feeling the beating in his chest reach an almost human pace, Acton quickly subdued the fleeting thought that he needed to stop. He had never known a demon to die of a heart attack, or anything besides a bonfire, but he had never known a demon’s heart to reach such a pace, either, and it was painful. He hissed as he felt her lips on his neck.
“Em…” he said quietly. She didn’t seem inclined to stop, and even as the aching behind his ribs continued, he didn’t really want to stop her. She had her arms around his neck, and he could feel her body pressed up against his in the water, skin on skin, as she lifted herself off the ocean floor to match his height.
He nearly lost his balance on the mossy stones, and she hugged him tighter. Kissing her neck, he looked over toward the shore and realized that they weren’t alone.
He immediately turned so that Ember’s back was to the shore. She was so preoccupied that he doubted she would have noticed anyway.
Creeping through the trees on all fours, a skeleton covered in a thin film of flesh was approaching the water where they had come in. He hadn’t had time to properly regrow himself, and the skin was as featureless as a plastic doll; no fingernails, no hair, and no nose. Just two lidless eyes and a gaping black hole of a mouth on the face of a ghostly pale body with no fat. He scrambled toward them on all fours, like an animal, and as Ember was wrapping her legs around his waist and he was kissing her hair, he wondered how Joseph could even imagine that he stood a chance in the fight.
As the pathetic creature stopped by the water, making no effort to hide himself and waiting patiently, Acton realized that he wasn’t there to fight. Joseph was offering himself back into service; he wanted protection.
For a moment, Acton considered his offer. With Joseph by his side, the games didn’t have to end with Ember. He could seduce her for the first time over and over, and it was a pleasing prospect. However, Joseph hadn’t been smart in not coming to him directly; he had chosen to fool Isaac instead, and that made him a liar and a threat.
Without so much as lifting a finger or blinking, Acton thought the actions into reality. Joseph went to his jacket, lying on a rock by the water, and pulled out the little canister of lighter fluid that Acton kept in his breast pocket. He lifted it over his head, and a thin stream of death came pouring down over his head and shoulders. Then he went back for the matches.
As he stood and struck it, his mouth opened wide to scream, but no sound came out. There couldn’t be any sound, Acton knew, or the mood would have been broken, and he would have to wait longer for Ember. It would be another night, possibly one when Gina had returned, and it would never be as perfect as now.
He felt a shudder run down his spine as Joseph’s panic hit him. It wasn’t like human panic, because there was nothing that could compare to human panic. Joseph stood still, like a mannequin, as the flames consumed his paper-thin skin; he hadn’t had time to fully regenerate, or he might have been more difficult to burn. He hadn’t even had time to regenerate his nerves, and there was no pain.
It was the only detail that could have made the moment more perfect.
Joseph fell to his knees, still trying in vain to scream as the flames grew larger and hotter, slowly melting away the skin, and then the few muscles beneath. His left arm dropped from its socket and into a useless pile at his knees, and then his spine gave way.
Acton felt his throat go dry. He wanted to share the beauty and the torment with her, but he knew she wouldn’t understand. Or, perhaps she would; she had surprised him before.
Her skin was pressed up against his, and her fingers were in his hair and digging at his scalp. With her thighs pressed against his hips and her arms tight around him, he pressed his lips against her neck. He reveled in the feeling as his hands explored all of her exposed skin, and for a moment he forgot to breathe; it all felt so natural. She said his name as he gently pulled her hair and his arm tightened around her waist, and he watched Joseph slowly burn.
Chapter 24
Ember awoke with a start, grabbing the blanket and pulling it to her chest. She had been having the dream. It was a common dream, but that never made it less unnerving. Falling through space, she had jerked awake just before impact. Staring around the room, she wiped her brow, and then her mouth; she didn’t know where she was.
There was a mattress on the floor, and several boxes of books lining the walls. The pile of clothes that had been pushed up next to the closet door gave it away.
She was back in Acton’s room, and she was wearing one of Acton’s tee shirts. The bag of things that Charles had given her was sitting on the floor nearby.
It took her a moment to gather her thoughts. She had gone to sleep curled up next to Acton, on the beach, next to the fire. That had occurred after the water, and the stars.
Ember laid back on the mattress, sweeping her tangled hair out of her eyes—the stars, and the water, and the kissing…and the rest.
He had carried her to shore, and made a fire to keep her warm as he dug out a blanket that he had stashed in a garbage bag near their spot by the spring. Acton had stared into the fire for a while, and then he had moved to sit by her, kissing her long and deep.
It was because he couldn’t let her go.
She slipped out of Acton’s shirt, and then held it to her face and inhaled. He smelled like burning wood and mint. With another light smile, she tucked the shirt into her bag and dressed, walking down the stairs and hearing voices in the kitchen.
Turning the corner, all four members of the Knox family stopped and looked at her. She smiled hesitantly.
“Good morning,” she said quietly, demurely pulling her hair back before realizing it was too short to make a ponytail. Acton gave her a nod; she saw him smile as he looked back down at the table.
“Good morning, Ember.” Asher responded brightly. “You’re looking deflowered this morning.”
With her hand poised on the refrigerator door, Ember froze. Despite the confidence she had felt in the bedroom, she felt her cheeks suddenly color with embarrassment as she turned back to glance at Acton, and then at Asher.
“What?”
Asher snapped his fingers, and then held his hand out palm up. His eyes never left her face. “Pay up.”
Zinny was shuffling over from the stove, removing oven mitts as she came. Isaac was digging money out of his pocket.
“Ignore them. Good morning, Em,” she put one hand on Ember’s hair and kissed her temple. Giving her an encouraging smile, she nudged her toward the table.
Ember let her hand fall away from the fridge handle and went to a chair. She glanced at Acton again and then back at Asher, putting her hands on her hips. “You put a bet on my virginity?”
A wide smile spread across Asher’s face. “I put a bet on Acton’s stupidity. My next bet has Gina killing him within the week, if you want in.”
Acton leaned back in his chair. “He’s going to lose that one.”
“She’s back?” Ember asked, feeling faint as she sat down. Zinny was putting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her, and she looked up to thank her.
“She was coming back, just as I was leaving.” Asher went on. “It was a good thing that I took Isaac with me.”
Across the table, Isaac raised and lowered his eyebrows, looking less than pleased that Ember was inside the house.
Zinny was running her hand over Ember’s hair again, and she was suddenly very aware that she had forgotten to brush it. After the salt water, she was guessing it was going to take a lot of conditioner to get a brush through.
“A word, Acton,” she said with another sweet smile.
Sighing, he stood. “Em—”
“She stays here,” Zinny said curtly. Flashing her eyes at Asher, she frowned. “And anyone that makes her cry is in trouble.”
With another glance at Ember, Acton followed his mother from the room. Asher waited until the front door had closed behind them to smile.
“So, give me details.” He pulled his chair closer to the table. “Pretend I’m your girlfriend.”
“No,” Ember said, trying not to blink. “You’re creepy.”
Ember jumped as Isaac slammed his chair back. Glaring at her, he stood and left.
“He doesn’t like you.” Asher crinkled his nose. “He’s afraid that Acton likes you more than him.”
Ember shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no, we’re not—”
“I agree.” Asher smiled. “His fears are unfounded. Even with you in the picture, Isaac is as close to a soft spot as Acton has ever come, and I’m still sure he would kill him himself if he suddenly had a whim to. But, getting back to the sex…”
Ember made a concerted effort to lift her jaw and close her mouth. Asher liked honesty, so she decided to give it to him. “We went in the water.”
He cocked his head. “You would be dead of hypothermia.”
“By the stream,” she added. “You know, the spring, where it’s warm.”
Sitting back, Ember cringed as she watched him trying to form a mental picture. Slowly, his eyes opened, and then they darted back to her. He stood, walking over and laying a hand on her shoulder.
He gave her two pats before walking from the room. “Welcome to the family, Em.”
Ember swallowed as his footsteps retreated, leaving her alone in the silence to ponder his meaning.
After finishing the eggs and bacon that Zinny had left for her, Ember returned to Acton’s bedroom. Grabbing a box of books, she sat on the edge of the mattress and started to go through them. They were all old, and well-kept, except for the one dog-eared paperback that Isaac had returned to her.
“Em.”
She looked up to see Acton standing in the doorway. The house had become so unnaturally quiet that she had been sure that she was alone. Even as she looked at Acton, the sound of Zinny doing dishes down in the kitchen started up.
“You read,” she said from behind her box of books. “A lot.”
“I like the written word,” he replied, folding his arms across his chest. “I use them to study. They’re filled with useful information about people, and what they feel, and how they act. I learn how to manipulate my victims through those books.”
Ember smiled wryly. “I think you read them to escape.”
“Is that why you read them?” He asked loftily.
“Yes.” She said, looking back down and running her hand over the spines. She picked up the book that Isaac had given her. “This one is about two sisters. I used to think that maybe I would have a family like that, and a garden like that, and a bedroom like that—”
“A bedroom?”
“Yeah…” Ember stopped. “The sisters have this bedroom, with this ornate poster bed and pillows and rugs and drapes. I never even had a foot board back at school. I guess it’s kind of silly to dream about those things.”
Acton didn’t say anything. Ember sighed, shaking her head.
“Acton, I don’t know why you want to keep me, and I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but when you’re tired of me, don’t tell me.” She said, taking a deep breath to look him in the eye. She shook her head a little. “Just do it. Just do it and make it quick, when it’s time. I don’t want any warning.”
Acton walked into the room, slowly dropping down next to her on the mattress. He pulled Ember down next to him, and as she laid her head on his chest, she hoped, just for a second, that he was going to protest.
“We made a deal, Em.” He said quietly. “Before any of it started. You agreed to all of this. I wanted to take something from Gina that she swore I never would, and you helped me to do it. In return, you wanted a family. So, here we are.”
Ember closed her eyes, but she didn’t feel sad, even knowing that it had been part of his plan. It was a strange thing that she didn’t feel threatened by him, even though she knew she should. There was a growing tension between them, and even as it pained her, she knew it pained him too; he couldn’t cut the ties any more than she could, or they would both go spinning into oblivion.
“What did you take from her?” She asked. “Me?”
When Acton spoke again, his voice was incredibly level. “I’m young, as demons go, and for reasons unknown to anyone but Gina, she decided that I was capable of reform. It only made me want to prove the opposite. Now, I’ve proved it. You’re a Knox, with all of the rights and privileges therein.”
With her eyes still closed, Ember mulled the words; it was as close to a declaration of friendship as Acton, or any demon, was likely to get. “What do I do now?”
“You can do whatever you want, as long as I approve.” Rolling onto his side, he bent over her to kiss her, and she let him.
When he finally moved away, she stared up at him, slowly shaking her head. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
“You’re who you always were.” Acton said lightly. “You were hiding before. I only helped you to realize it.”
She shook her head. “You hypnotized me, and you control people, like the
y’re puppets—“
“No.” Acton’s voice was calm. “I’ve never been able to control you, and the hypnotism only works when you let it. It was all you, Em. It was always you. Even on the nights that I made Joseph erase your memory, I’m convinced that you had a choice in allowing him to do it. You wanted to forget those things, but you always remembered little bits and pieces. The pieces that you wanted to remember.”
Looking toward the window, she watched the clear blue of the sky, hedged along the bottom by the dark silhouettes of the evergreens. It had been a long time since she had seen a blue sky, and somehow, it seemed empty without the stars. She believed him.
“You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just come along with me, and I’ll take care of you. Someday, maybe we’ll take your half of the island from Thalia. Maybe we’ll take her half, too. You never know.” He lowered one hand to rest on her hip, but broke the kiss when she started to press her body against his. Ember exhaled slowly against his lips and opened her eyes.
Acton disentangled himself and got up from the mattress. Lifting herself up on her elbows, Ember watched him pause in the doorway.
“Asher likes to watch movies,” he said, without looking back at her. “He talks through a lot of them. He only watches horror flicks, and I think he thinks he’s reliving his glory days. Does that bother you?”
Pursing her lips for a moment, Ember shrugged. She shook her head. “Did he really change? When he was infected?”
“I didn’t know him before,” Acton replied. “He’s older than I am. But, I know he hasn’t killed anyone since coming here. He’s very fond of you.”
Ember nodded, looking down. “Isaac isn’t.”
“He’ll come around,” Acton said quickly. “But Asher is going to want to watch a movie later. You can join us, if you would like to.”
He left. Ember laid back down on the bed. Zinny was still clanging around, doing dishes in the kitchen, and she heard Acton having a brief exchange with Asher in the hall. Outside, Kaylee was laughing, though Ember didn’t know why, she thought that Kaylee must have stolen Isaac’s socks from him…again.
