I lost my footing and fell forward catching myself with my hands. “Oaf!” escaped my lips from the impact and pinpricks ran up my arms from the awkward way I fell. I sighed, flipping my hair out of my face and turning back to see my own shadow standing over me.
What the…? Another demon? No time to stare.
I tried to stand up, but my legs weren't moving. I looked back and saw that the shadow had my ankle in its hand. I felt the slight pull before being dragged down the stairs. I reached out to hold onto something, but there was nothing. My stomach and chest bounced off the steps and I finally got a grip on the banister. The shadow jerked harder and I lost my grip, causing me to miss the rest of the steps and land on the floor. The shadow flipped me onto my back. I grunted and fought back, but it was like fighting air. “Stop! Get away from me,” I yelled.
This was bad. If I didn't do something... I was in danger of dying. AGAIN.
The shadow stopped fighting me. It hovered above me. All it took was a second and the shadow jumped through me. No, my stomach knotted. It was inside me. I was present in my own mind, but not my body. I watched through my own eyes as I stood up and started walking to the kitchen. I tried talking, but no words came out. I lost control of every part of myself.
Where was Killian? Hasn't he noticed yet? Surely, he could sense I was in danger, right? What if... he really stopped protecting me? I was so sure he would be there. Maybe Ryan had been right? I was foolish to put trust in someone that wasn't human. My panic grew as my body went to the counter and grabbed a kitchen knife.
This was it, I was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.
Killian. I whispered his name in my mind. The shadow—Me grabbed the biggest knife we had. The light reflected off the clean blade as I brought it above my chest with both arms. It was at that moment I realized that I couldn't always be saved. Yet, I didn't want to die. I couldn't die, not like this. My desperation crawled through me. No matter how screwed up my life was, I didn't want it to end. So, I had to find my own way.
This was my body, my body, my body! My mind was clear; my reason was strong. I saw the knife shake in my hand. I could feel the shadow inside me, an invisible yet strong force. One that didn't belong. It was a darkness that rested against my control and I couldn't shake it off. I started to push at it. I could feel the strain, the tug and pull, the inner battle within myself that couldn't be seen, only felt.
The knife aimed at my chest began to move and I used all my strength to fight against it. The shadow pulled halfway out of my body with a strange winding noise as it did. “OMIGOD, Melanie!” Mom's high pitched scream broke my concentration for a moment, but I blocked it out. I closed my eyes, realizing I gained some control as the shadow was forced out of my body more.
Not soon enough, the knife was already in motion. I couldn't stop it so I forced it to move just in time cutting into my shoulder. I screamed as the knife pierced my skin and went through to the bone. Mom shocked and horrified, said things to me I couldn't understand.
I felt my willpower and energy leave me as the shadow was almost all the way back inside me. I used what strength I had left to call his name. “Killian.” He was there before I finished saying it. His eyes caught on, growing dangerously dark as he noticed the knife embedded in my shoulder. He looked frightening, I'd never seen him look so scary as he strode toward me. I lost control over my body and I couldn't tell him about the shadow so I could only hope he knew. And he didn't disappoint me. His hand went inside my chest and my whole body jerked. He pulled the shadow out, but the shadow latched onto me trying to go back inside. Its effort was futile against Killian. With a bit more pull from Killian, the shadow ripped away from me. I gasped for air, dropping my hand from the knife embedded in my shoulder. My whole body shook from the pain I was in. My shirt was covered in blood and so were my hands. Mom’s sobbing broke through my rattled mind and I looked up to see her staring at me, horror and fear filled her expression. Her eyes bounced from me to Killian as he disposed of the shadow.
After destroying it, he ran to my side. I shook my head, clenching hard against my teeth. “What?” Mom eyes were wild and unrecognizable. “Why did you try to,” she broke in loud sobs again as she brought her hand over her mouth. She looked terrified. I fell against the counter feeling dizzy. Killian hurried to hold me up. I pushed him away slightly.
“Please.” I looked up to meet his eyes. “My mom. Do something, she's freaking out,” I pleaded.
“I will, but first let me take the knife out.”
I grabbed his hand. “Please.” My mom was barely keeping it together. No, she was already lost in what she thought she saw. I couldn't stand seeing her like that. Most of all, I couldn't stand the look she gave me when I stabbed myself. She couldn't have known that it wasn't me, but a part of her found it so easy to believe that I could hurt myself. The fear in her eyes had been because of me. And that hurt more than any physical pain.
He nodded, understanding my feelings and went to her. She backed away from him shrieking and terrified. His hand moved to her head quickly and she fell backwards. He caught her and gently laid her down in the floor. He hurried back to me.
With Mom taken care of I was finally able to notice my whole body shaking from the pain. I whimpered as I slid down the counter onto the floor. He bent down next to me and I shook my head. I cried out when his hand moved toward the knife in my shoulder. “I need to take it out.” He told me gently.
“It's gonna hurt. I can't handle any more pain,” I cried. My pain tolerance was low, but now that the danger was gone, I couldn't handle it.
He pressed his finger and thumb underneath my chin and raised my head so that I was looking at him. “It's not gonna hurt,” he promised.
I nodded, calming my tears and closing my eyes. I felt the weight of his hand touch the knife and tensed. The pain numbed instantly. I opened my eyes as he jerked the knife out. Blood gushed at a faster pace, and Killian cupped the wound quickly. I saw the light and the flow of his power healing me. When he removed his hand, I was healed. I sagged in relief against the counter.
The kitchen was a bloody mess. My blood. It covered the floor around me. My shirt was covered and so were Killian's hands. I saw Mom’s feet poking out around the corner of the bar in the middle of the kitchen and knew I needed to get her in bed before her alarm went off for work. I also needed to clean the mess. I started to get up and Killian grabbed my arms to help me up. I was too exhausted to shrug him off.
He went to the sink and washed his hands. “Go wash yourself up. I'll get rid of the mess,” he told me with his back turned toward the sink.
“My mom.”
“I'll carry her to bed,” he added softly. I went upstairs and peeked in Alex's room. He was sitting in front of the TV with a pair of headphones on. From this distance, I could hear the headphones perfectly. It was a good thing he couldn't hear anything. I shut his door. He continued his game unaware of what happened downstairs.
I showered and scrubbed the blood off. I stood there with the water pouring over me until my skin tingled and turned red from the scalding temperature of the water. I slipped on a baggy shirt and loose shorts and bagged up the clothes that I had been wearing. I went back downstairs with the bag and tossed it in the trash. The kitchen was clean. Not a drop of blood left on the floor. He used his power again. I hurried to Mom’s room and quietly opened the door. She was sleeping. I sighed and went to my room
Killian was there waiting on me. I went inside and shut my bedroom door behind me. He sat on my bed, shoulders slumped in defeat. My entire being fluttered in his presence. I grabbed my chest, willed myself to remember the past week. I was tired and upset, somehow I didn't want to have this conversation tonight. All the time spent waiting on him. All the questions I had suddenly felt like a barrier between us.
Right now, I just wanted to crawl under my cover and hide. I almost died. Where were you? Then I felt foolish for even caring so much.
“You
can go now; I'd like to get some rest.” I stood awkwardly at the door. I was almost positive that nothing could prevent me from falling asleep the moment my head hit the pillow—even my own thoughts and worries.
“I'm staying.” He finally picked his head up. “You can rest, though.” He stood up and the distance didn't matter, he was freakishly tall and imposing. He only felt even more so when we were alone. Why did he have to be so big and manly making me feel so... small? He stepped closer before bringing his hand out to trace the curve of my neck. A shiver ran through me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was different. A new feeling. I inhaled sharply before sliding to the side and away from him. His eyes followed me—always. Like I was something to study and learn, every part of me, everything I did. I felt like he calculated everything.
“There's no way I'd be able to fall asleep if you're here.” That was a lie. The safest I felt all week was right here with him. I couldn't deny that he made me feel safe. Which also made it the most exhausting moment as well. But my body burned with anger when I thought about how safe I felt right now and how I waited for him all week. He managed to both calm and annoy me. “Why bother protecting me now? You haven't all week, why start again?” I crossed my arms over my chest. I knew I was acting childish, but I couldn't stop my actions.
He sighed. “You're right. It's seems I'm only ever healing you instead of protecting you.” I wasn't expecting him to agree so easily. I looked down. “But I've never left your side, Melanie. I would never go so far away to put you—”
“Then what about what just happened?” I glared, raising up my head and meeting his dark pooled eyes. “Just a moment longer I would have been,” my voice wavered and I couldn't hold my eyes with his any longer. “It was hard. Fighting against something inside your own body, looking out but unable to do anything. It was frightening and I couldn't fight that control any longer.”
He took my hand while I was distracted. He gave it a gentle squeeze. “That will never happen again. I would have detected any other demonic attack but shadows are different. They have no presence. I hadn't expected him to use one, which was foolish on my part.” He hesitated. “I'm thinking it would be best to stay by your side all the time.” His voice was different, deeper and husky. Which was strange, the room was strange. I was thinking strange things. The small lamp on my nightstand cast a glow over his features. I simply looked at him. And the more I did, I wondered what part of me had found him displeasing to the eyes? Okay, he did look scary, but not so much anymore. More like mysterious. I'd admit, he was truly handsome. Rugged and chiseled to what I'd consider perfection.
“You must hate that,” I whispered feeling a tad shy. How random but yeah, that was me. “I know how much it displeases you to protect this Human,” I mocked his tone.
I didn't miss the smile that tugged at his lips. I had never seen him smile like that. Sure, I had seen his cocky, know-it-all smiles, but nothing as real as this one. He laughed slowly before saying, “Oh, Melanie.” He moved the hand that was holding mine and brought it up to my cheek. He lazily rubbed his thumb across it. “If I'm not mistaken, it sounds like you've missed me a great deal despite pretending otherwise.” I forgot how to breathe with the playful way he spoke. “I didn't come around this week, not because I didn't want to. I thought you were afraid of me after you saw what I was.” His hand left my cheek, dropping at his side. His smile was sad and forced as he looked at me.
I moved past him quickly sucking air back into my lungs. “I'm not afraid.” Then stopped walking and sighed. “Okay, that was a lie. You scared the crap out of me last week. But that's only normal considering you turned into a skeleton figure that wielded a giant weapon. I mean, really.” I turned back around and went back to face him puffing out my cheeks. “Would it have been so hard to say, 'oh hey, I turn into walking bones sometimes' or something.” I lifted my arms in frustration. “So, yes I was afraid. You were super scary that night and I was still shaken up afterwards when I reacted coldly toward you. But I've had all week to think about whether I'm afraid of you.” I took a deep breath and looked at him. “No, I'm not afraid of you.” Mostly.
Killian looked unsure, but his smiled seemed more genuine than before. Then I remembered something important. “This is probably gonna sound insane, but you wouldn't happen to be the Grim Reaper?” I lifted my eyebrows with half a smile as I waited for his answer.
“You finally figured it out?” He scratched his chin, looking up. “Yeah, I am.”
My jaw dropped. Thinking he was and knowing he was Grim Reaper were entirely different things. “Really?”
Something wicked flashed in the depth of his eyes before his lip curved into a smile. “Not every day you get to meet Death in the flesh.” He held out his arms and I snorted. Was he always so vain? “Did you just snort at Death, Melanie?” his voice grew dark and dangerous. I shivered. The feeling of constantly being afraid and feeling safe around him always left me confused.
“N-no,” I stumbled with the word. “I just find it hard to believe that Grim Reaper would be protecting me. You said so from the beginning yourself,” I added.
He sighed. “I did. It was a request. From Heaven.”
“Heaven?” I let the word sink in and looked to him in disbelief. Heaven wanted me safe?
“Yes, need I remind you that you're a dangerous weapon in the hands of a demon. Heaven can't allow that to ever happen.”
“Right,” I muttered. “How can I forget with all these demons after me?” I added with venom. But that also made me think of another thing I wanted to ask. “Killian-Grim.” I held up my hand. “Whoever. There's something I'd like to ask.”
He nodded for me to continue. “When my dad passed… there was a cloaked figure standing next to him seconds before he,” I coughed, straightening out my voice. “Was that you?”
He studied me a moment before replying quickly, “No.” I frowned. “I am Grim Reaper, but I have many other Reaper's that do my job for me. I would never get a moment to myself if I tended to every dying person.” I nodded understanding, but I couldn't help feeling disappointed.
“So, what do you do exactly?” I asked, fiddling with the bottom of my shirt. “Send the dead to the afterlife?”
He went to my bed and sat down, running his hand through his hair. A habit I caught him doing a lot. He placed his elbows on his knees and looked up. That was when I noticed my legs were sore from standing and joined him on the bed. I placed one leg underneath my butt and turned around to face him. “I send the dead to Heaven or Hell. If they were kind and good people, honest for most of their life; they ascend to Heaven. The ones that are evil and corrupted, they descend to Hell. I'm the middle, I make sure they get where they need to go.”
I nodded. “What about the ghosts? Why aren't they leaving?”
“They hide from Reapers. Ghosts are still attached to something in the living that causes them to run from the afterlife. Love, hate, anger, jealousy, revenge. Any emotion can turn into a weapon against them if it’s strong enough that keeps them with the living.”
“That makes sense. There's this boy I know that has an ancestor following him around. She's always judging girls that get close to him. She's so grumpy.” I shook my head thinking about her and he laughed.
“Sounds like her reason for staying was love. She wanted to watch over her family.”
I grinned. “Yeah, I figured as much. Still, she's got a mean mouth on her.” He never stopped smiling as I spoke which made me think that he might enjoy listening to what I said. Ryan listened to me. Tess occasionally did when I talked about ghosts. But neither could understand my world. Not like Killian. “So, about this demon that is after me.”
He stopped smiling as if remembering his whole reason for being here. “You ask a lot of questions for someone that was almost killed.” I shuddered thinking about the pain I felt when I was stabbed.
“I'm just tired of not knowing anything.”
“Tomorrow. Let's talk a
bout everything. Tonight, you should rest.” He patted the bed and gestured for me to lay down.
I yawned. I was tired. I was only ignoring it because he was finally here. “Yeah, I am sleepy.” I admitted and slipped into the covers. I turned around to face him once I was underneath. I scooted the pillow closer to where he sat.
“Do you need me to help you sleep?” he whispered softly, touching my forehead.
I shook my head and a grin spread across my face. “No, I think I'm good.” The smile told me he liked my answer. “Are you staying?” I looked up from the pillow at him.
“Yeah.”
“Don't you sleep?”
He laughed. “I'm insanely powerful.”
I rolled my eyes. “You're so vain,” I told him.
“You didn't let me finish.” He moved closer. “I'm powerful, but I still require some sleep but nowhere near as much as humans.” I closed my eyes and listened as he spoke.
“Oh?” I whispered drowsily. “You should sleep then.”
I heard him laugh again before I drifted asleep.
Chapter Eleven
When I woke, Killian was gone. I stared up at the ceiling as I thought about last night. I had almost died a lot lately, but Killian was back at least. Mom had witnessed everything. I closed my eyes trying to block out the images of the way she looked at me. At least she wouldn't remember. But I would.
I found myself disappointed that Killian wasn't here. I thought he wasn't going to leave my side? I climbed out of bed, shaking my head, not liking the directions my thoughts were taking me. It was doing that a lot lately. Thinking about him and wondering where he was. I shouldn't care as much as I did.
There was a knock on the door downstairs. I heard Alex yell for Mom to answer it. One of them opened the door. The voices were low and I couldn't make out anything else. I shrugged my shoulders. It was probably Ryan. With the way we left things last night I was surprised he would come today. Ryan wasn't someone to give up. That meant that I would end up having to say the same mean things over again. I changed out of my pajamas.
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