I let go of the knob and took a step back. “Save your energy for later,” I warned. “You’re going to need it.”
By the glowing light that slipped underneath the door and momentarily blinded me, I knew he’d tried to get close to the door and had been shocked back by a string of magical zaps.
“I wouldn’t keep doing that if I were you.” I touched the door and sure enough, it was hot to the touch. “If you try it again you’ll get yourself killed.” I needed info before I got rid of him and if he got himself killed before I could interrogate him, my plans would be ruined. If he really was half demon, I needed to know for sure. That was something the entire magical community needed to investigate and there were Highers who would want to take action.
It took so long for him to respond that I seriously considered going in to check if he was dead, but after about a minute of silence, he said, “I imagine that you’re getting a kick out of this.” His voice was no longer full of humor, and though I couldn’t see him, I had a feeling he was in pain.
“I’ll be back later,” I said, turning on my heel and marching down the hall, up the stairwell, and down the third floor hall before I could begin to have sympathy for him. He was a demon, therefore he was my enemy. Even though he hadn’t tried to hurt me, he could have.
I had no idea what he was up to. And yes, I was very confused by his behavior. What demon took a few spare minutes to stop and chat with a witch? Why did he want me to know he was half human? Wasn’t he afraid of pissing off some underground boss by revealing such vital information? Then again, he was a demon and they weren’t known for their smarts. This was definitely something I had to discuss with Mom as soon as I had the time.
For now, all I could do was get on with my day. I had many things ahead of me, and although I wanted nothing more than to get to the bottom of things when it came to the demon, I had no choice but to wait.
Chapter Three
Little Renee
I hadn’t even reached the door of Mina’s apartment when it swung open and Evan stepped out. The moment he saw me his eyes widened and he let out a sigh of relief.
“Boy, am I glad to see you,” he said.
“I’m sorry I’m late.” I really felt bad for getting caught up downstairs. Evan was going to be late for work because of me. “I ran into something.” Or more like someone. That freaking demon! Why did he have to ruin my day? I shook my head in frustration. Nothing would be fixed with me wondering more and more about him.
“That’s all right.” Evan stepped out of the apartment wearing a black suit, a white button down shirt, a simple striped tie, with a small leather briefcase in hand. “I promised Renee she could get pizza for dinner today, so here.” He handed over a few dollar bills. “You girls can order pizza for dinner tonight.”
I took the money. “Are there any other requests?”
He nodded. “Her asthma symptoms have been acting up since last night. Could you please make sure she uses her inhaler only if she needs it? Oh, and make sure she doesn’t run around. That always makes it worse.” He was obviously worried about Renee and I knew that if it wasn’t absolutely important for him to make it to work he would have stayed home with Renee. But since he was the sole provider for his family, he had very little choice. “The doctor’s number is on the fridge. Call if she gets worse. Or call me and I’ll come home right away.”
I often felt bad for Evan. He had it tough, but I admired that he cared enough for his sisters to do everything he could to make them happy, even if Mina wasn’t grateful half the time.
“I’ll take good care of her,” I said, gazing up at his eyes.
“Thanks, Demi. I owe you big time.” He glanced down and upon noting his tie was a little lopsided, he put his briefcase on the floor and reached up to fix it. “If it weren’t for you I don’t know what I’d do,” he murmured as he straightened his tie.
I smiled. “Well, it’s my pleasure,” I assured him. Taking care of Renee was far from a job for me. I actually enjoyed spending time with the little girl.
“That’s good to know.”
I walked by Evan as I made my way to the doorway. “I’ll make sure Renee is well taken care of. Don’t worry.”
He smiled back. “Thanks. Call me if you girls need anything. Oh, and just so you know, I have a business meeting after work, so I’ll be a little late.”
“Got it,” I said.
Evan picked up his briefcase, took a moment to look in my direction and said, “See you girls later,” before sauntering down the hall.
Shaking my head, I pocketed the money he gave me, knowing full well it was a bad idea leaving it around where Mina could get her hands on it, and continued into the apartment where my best friend and her gorgeous baby sister resided.
As soon as I marched through the door, a tiny figure bolted toward me, screaming, “Demi! Demi! Demi!”
I shut the door with the heel of my foot, bent forward at the waist, and opened my arms just in time to catch the tiny red-headed bundle of joy as she slammed into me.
“You’re exited to see me today.” I picked her up and hugged her. I had no siblings and Renee was more than just the little girl I babysat. I had grown to love her as if she was my own flesh and blood. “What have you been up to?”
A pair of big blue eyes stared back at me in wonder. “Playing.” She giggled when I looked at her and frowned.
“You know you’re not supposed to be running, Renee,” I said.
She covered her mouth with two chubby hands, stifling a giggle. “Sorry. I forgot.”
“There you are.”
I turned to my right just in time to see Mina emerging from her bedroom.
“What took you so long?” She walked toward me. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
I sighed. “As if I’d leave Renee alone with you.”
Mina rolled her eyes at me. “I’m her older sister. I can take care of her.”
“Well, that’s the problem. You can take of her but you won’t.” I placed Renee back on her feet. “Have you eaten yet?”
Renee nodded enthusiastically. “Cheereal.”
I smiled at her mispronunciation of the word cereal. She was as cute as a button, especially when she tried to hold a conversation.
“Right, well, go into the living room and watch some TV while I talk to your sister, okay?” I tugged on one of her long red curls. She had a full head of red curls that reached halfway down her tiny back, and whenever she ran, skipped, or danced, they bounced up and down as if they were made out of springs.
Taking my hand in hers, Renee said, “I want to show you something, Demi.”
“Renee, I need to talk to Demi.” Mina practically growled at the little girl, forcing her to cower behind me.
I gave Mina a look of disapproval. “All right, Renee, show me.” Coaxing Renee to leave the safety of my legs, I took her hand and smiled. “What is it?”
Chancing a glance at Mina, Renee slipped her hand in mine and tugged on my arm. “It’s in my room.” She pointed in the direction of her bedroom.
“Okay, let’s go.” I ignored Mina’s snicker and allowed Renee to guide me into her bedroom at the end of the tiny hallway.
She quickly opened the door and released my hand, rushing toward the tiny toddler table at the other end of the room. I walked in and watched as she picked up the sketch pad I’d bought her a couple of weeks ago and brought it to me. Though only four years old, Renee had already shown not only an early interest and appreciation for art, drawing, and sketching, but she had demonstrated a talent unique to a child so young. I mean, the amount of details she paid attention to whenever she sat down to sketch were absolutely mind blowing.
Evan had already mentioned something about wanting her to further her talent, which I thought was a great idea, except she needed to complete Pre-K first.
Beaming, Renee strolled over toward me and handed me the sketchpad.
“You drew something?” I asked, intrigued.
&
nbsp; She had sketched many wonderful pictures in the past few days. Everything from cats, ponies, puppies, flowers, and her favorite, butterflies. And each picture was stunning.
“In there.” Renee pointed to the sketchpad.
I nodded and took a seat on her bed. I opened the sketch pad and flipped through the pages, taking a moment to study the new pictures. She had sketched her favorite teddy bear, Mr. Snuggles, her pet goldfish, and her bedroom.
The girl had an uncanny ability to be precise and leave out nothing. Though she was still four, too small to be able to draw like a professional, she was better at drawing than I was.
“These are beautiful, Renee.” I looked at her and smiled. She smiled back.
I flipped to the last picture, another layout of her bedroom, and she pointed to the full length mirror she had copied from the one in her room.
“Look, that’s my friend.” She pointed to an odd looking face with hollow eyes staring back through the mirror.
“Who is that?” It was only a drawing. I knew that, but something about the face unnerved me.
“My friend.” She spun around and pointed to the full length mirror hanging from the wall next to the closet door. “His name is Azuel.”
“Is he your imaginary friend?” When she looked at me as if she had no idea what I’d just asked, I added, “Can Mina and Evan see him, too?”
She shook her head from side to side. “No. Only I can see him.”
I nodded. “Oh.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant. I mean the girl was just days away from turning five, so this could only be her active imagination. She did like to pretend she was a princess and Mina was her wicked stepsister so maybe this was part of her imaginings.
Then again, this could be something big. After all, I just found out that there’s a demon living one door down from the apartment I shared with my parents, so Renee’s imaginary friend could be something much worse. Demons were known to take many shapes and forms.
With the dream also hanging over my head, I couldn’t afford the luxury of just thinking nothing of the things that probably appeared to be more than what they were. I couldn’t leave anything to chance.
“He’s good,” she said, beaming. “And I like him.”
“I’m sure you do.” Closing the sketchpad, I set it aside on the mattress and smiled. “Do you think you can introduce us some time?”
Her smile wavered.
“What is it, Renee? Is something wrong?”
She tugged on one long red lock, much like I always did. “But…you…can’t see him. Only I can.” She seemed a little unsure of herself.
Somehow, her statement served to ease some of my worries. Maybe this really was a product of her imagination. Though I couldn’t be sure, I decided I’d ask Mom when I got the chance. She’d know if I should be worried.
“I love your new drawings.” I took her in my arms. “But you’re running out of space. I think it’s time for me to get you a new pad. What do you think?”
Renee squealed in excitement. “Yes, yes! A new pad. Can we go tomorrow?”
“Okay, we’ll go buy one tomorrow.”
She wiggled out of my embrace and dashed for the door, screaming. “Mina. Mina. Demi is going to buy me a new pad!”
“Renee!” I called out to her and she stopped and turned to look at me. “No running.”
She shrugged her tiny shoulders. “Sorry.”
“Walk, okay?” I scrambled off the bed and followed her to the living room. I could understand her enthusiasm. The girl preferred to sit down and draw rather than play with her toys. And she had plenty of things to play with. Evan had been very generous with his sisters. He always made sure they had everything they needed, and then some. But Renee enjoyed drawing. It was her passion.
Renee and I walked into the living room together. Climbing onto the couch, Renee made herself comfortable next to Mr. Snuggles. I snatched the remote control from Mina’s hand and used it to flip through the channels until it landed on the Disney Channel.
“Hey, I was watching that,” Mina protested.
“You have a TV in your room,” I said. “Renee is watching cartoons in here.”
She snickered. “You sound more and more like Evan every day.”
“Well, good. At least one of us does.” I took a seat next to Renee.
Mina ignored my comment.
“So, what’s up?” I shifted on the couch so that I faced her. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
Mina straightened up quickly. “Well, as you know, I’ve had a crush on Albert for a long time.”
I bobbed my head up and down, already regretting where the conversation was going.
“And I finally built up the courage to call him.” She squealed much like Renee had moments before. “We talked for like an hour. It was so great. He’s so great!”
Her excitement was unmistakable, but even as I sat and pretended to listen to her, my concentration was on the demon trapped in the apartment below. I was really worried about him. More like worried about what he said. Could it be true? Was he really half human? And those eyes, my God. He was absolutely striking.
“Earth to Demi.” Mina slapped my thigh. “Are you even listening to me?”
I jumped up a little at the contact. “Yeah, Albert, right.”
“You don’t even know what I just said.” She folded her arms over her breasts.
“Something about you calling Albert or something like that,” I muttered. “Don’t you have a boyfriend, anyway?”
She shrugged. “Had a boyfriend. He dumped me.”
My eyes widened. “What? When? And how come I’m just finding out about this now?”
“Mason dumped me for Johanna.” Mina scowled. “He actually called me to tell me. He didn’t even have the nerve to tell me face to face.”
“When did this happen? And why didn’t tell me before now?”
“He dumped me yesterday.”
I frowned. “I was here yesterday.”
“He called me around eleven last night.” She clarified my unspoken question. “He was a real a-hole about it, too. Even had the nerve to say that I wasn’t wild enough for him. That I—”
I held my hand up. “You need to keep this conversation PG-13.” I glanced to my left where Renee was quietly watching Doc McStuffins, and sighed in relief as I noted she was too engrossed on the TV to pay attention to us.
“Anyway, that’s that. We’re through.”
“Don’t you think you should give yourself some time before you go out with someone?” I asked. “Isn’t it too soon to be thinking about someone else already?”
Mina shook her head. “I like Albert. Besides, why should I wait? Mason certainly didn’t.”
“Just because he moved on that doesn’t mean you should, too.”
Her face scrunched. “What’s your excuse?”
I blanched, momentarily taken aback by her question. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I blanched again when I realized I’d just used a word I shouldn’t have and Renee was sitting within arm’s reach.
“Samuel and you broke up two months ago and you haven’t even tried to get back in the dating scene.” Mina snickered.
God, she said it as if it was such a big deal. So what if I hadn’t dated since then? I was allowed to have some time to myself before I even thought about dating again, right? Besides, I hadn’t met anyone I found remotely interesting, much less attractive. Well, with the exception of demon boy downstairs, but he was strictly off limits and quite possibly a huge threat to Mom and me.
“That’s different. Samuel and I were more like friends, anyway. We broke up because we realized we weren’t in love or anything like that. And we were honest with each other about it, too, which is why we decided to just be friends,” I explained for like the twentieth time. “Besides, your situation isn’t the same. I know you’re in love with Mason. I loved Samuel but was never in love with him.”
Mina folded her legs, b
ringing her knees up to her chest. “If he expects me to mope around, he’s dead wrong.”
“You don’t have to mope around, but give yourself some time.”
She smiled. “What for? I’m not the kind of girl that stops living just because her boyfriend dumps her.”
It almost felt as if those words were directed at me, but I wasn’t sure. I hadn’t stopped enjoying myself just because Samuel and I broke up. We had made that decision together. He hadn’t dumped me for someone else and I hadn’t wanted the relationship to end because I was interested in someone else. We were just more like friends than a couple and we treated each other that way, and the proof in that was in the many times during the week when he would either text or call me just to keep in touch. If either of us had any unresolved issues or felt as if the breakup had been a mistake, we would have said something about it, but we didn’t. We chatted amiably about everything except our nonexistent relationship, and that was that.
I knew it was hard for Mina to understand that because she had fancied herself in love with Mason, but that just wasn’t me. I had come to care a lot about Samuel, but eventually caring had not been enough.
“We’ll be going to college soon. You’re bound to meet a different lot there.” I poked her arm with my finger. “Can you imagine? College boys?”
Mina hugged her knees, looked at me, and grinned. “I can’t wait.”
I laughed. “You see? All you have to do is wait. There’s only six more weeks before we move to campus. What if you meet someone better?”
“Gosh, do you imagine how awesome that’ll be?” she said. “Us. College girls. We’ll be able to party all the time and not have to worry about our parents—or guardians—bitching about it.”
I gave her a hard look over her poorly chosen words, but it went totally unnoticed by her. In her mind, Renee wasn’t even in the room with us.
“College isn’t just about partying.” I pressed my back against the couch.
Mina released some air. “We both know I’m not good with books and the only reason I’m going to college is to get away from Evan.”
Keeper of the Innocents Page 4
