Even if we argued she always had enough common sense to let me know where she was going and when I could expect her back. We had developed this unusual security system to avoid butting heads with our loved ones and of course, to avoid getting caught on those days we’d gone to parties she shouldn’t have been at.
This time however, there was no text, no note, no clues where she had gone.
Mina had always had a difficult personality but lately she was acting up more than usual and I couldn’t help but contemplate this change in her. What had gotten into her? Why was she moodier than usual?
I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts. I had barely made it to the couch when the sound of jiggling keys outside the apartment door caught my attention.
I waited in silence as the doorknob turned, first to the right and then to the left, the door swiftly opening as Mina made her way inside with two plastic bags in her left hand.
The moment she spotted me standing beside the couch, her eyes grew wide and her mouth split into a mischievous grin.
“Demi! Demi.” She used her right elbow to push the door closed moments after setting foot inside the apartment. “Did you see your next door neighbor?”
The second those words slipped out of her mouth I understood what the excited look on her face was all about.
“I saw him,” I replied softly.
She frowned instantly. “You did? When? And how come you never mentioned him to me? I thought we were friends.” She hurried into the kitchen, where she set the plastic bags on top of the table.
“I…didn’t think it was important.” I nearly winced at how insincere my reply sounded. My next door neighbor was a lot more important than Mina realized, but unfortunately that was an aspect of my life I couldn’t share with her.
“The hottest guy I’ve ever seen moves in next door to you and you don’t think it’s important to share this information? Why?” To my utmost surprise she reached into the plastic bags and started taking groceries out and setting them on the table. “Is he off limits?”
I knew I should have come up with something better to say. She tended to get the wrong impression pretty much about everything and now was no exception.
“No. It’s not like that.” I sounded a little too defensive even to my own ears.
“Then what’s with all the secrecy?”
“What secrecy? I…just…didn’t remember to mention him.”
She stopped bobbing for groceries long enough to stare at me. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say.”
I made my way toward the table, pulled out a chair and sat. “What are all these groceries for?”
“Nice save, Demi.” She finished setting all the groceries on the table, folded the plastic bags into little squares, opened a cabinet under the sink, and tossed them into a basket I knew was filled with at least fifty other tiny plastic squares.
“I already told you it’s not like that. I really don’t want to talk about him, that’s all.”
She made a face at me. “Since when are boys not a subject you want to talk about?”
“Since now.” I folded my arms on top of the table. “Are you happy now?”
“No. What, you guys had a run in or something?”
“Let’s just say we haven’t gotten along so far. Now, can we drop it and talk about something else? Like, what’s up with those?” I pointed to the groceries on the table.
“You’ve known him long enough to not get along?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I pointed to the groceries again, hoping she’d take the hint and drop the subject once and for all. “Explanation please.”
“Fine. I can see you’re not going to budge.” She picked up a can of condensed cream of chicken soup and said, “These are for tonight’s dinner. I’m making chicken noodle casserole.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Mina cooking? What had gotten into her? “Are you sick? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
“Very funny, Miss Redding. Your sense of humor is incredibly refreshing.” She spun around and started moving about the kitchen.
I laughed softly. “Sense of guilt getting to ya?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She had her back to me and I knew she was avoiding eye contact.
“Chicken noodle casserole is my favorite dinner,” I said.
“So? I…could just be in the mood for cooking.”
A burst of laughter escaped my lips. “Yeah, right.”
This time she did turn around to meet my gaze. “Damn it, Demi, you know me too well.” She smiled.
“I would have settled for an actual apology.”
Mina’s smile faded. “You know I don’t do too well with those.”
I nodded. She could go through the trouble of going to the grocery store, shop, come back home and cook a meal but couldn’t force the actual words out her lips.
“I accept your apology.” I rewarded her with a reassuring smile.
“Thanks.”
“Do you need help?”
She shook her head. “I’d prefer it if you spit out all the details of how and when you met…what’s his name?”
I shook my head. “Rhyzel.”
“That’s right, Rhyzel.” She took a moment to turn in my direction. “See how well you know him? You remember his name while I can only remember that face.”
Since I preferred to avoid talking about my next door neighbor, I opted for asking how her relationship with her new love interest was going. Thankfully this tactic worked and she soon forgot all about Rhyzel and filled me in on how well things were going. I listened in silence and watched as she made her best effort to cook my favorite dinner.
It was a side of Mina I didn’t get to see often. Watching her cook was just one of those things that happened once in a blue moon. Soon after she started dinner, Evan walked in through the front door and even he was astounded by Mina’s sudden interest in the culinary department. He was so taken aback by her actions he wasn’t even bothered by the fact that she’d gone out after he told her to stay home and help out more.
Well, he’d gotten his wish. Mina cooked, after all.
By the time dinner was ready Renee woke up from her nap, and once Evan freshened up, we gathered around the table and ate dinner while chatting amiably. Renee chatted away about where we’d gone and what I’d bought for her. She was excited, exuberant, and joyful as always and her enthusiasm seemed to be contagious, because even Evan and Mina soon started joking and making fun of each other.
I laughed in the midst of it all. Although Mina and Evan tended to bring out the worst in each other, from time to time they tolerated each other’s presence, if only to enjoy a moment of peace. And for those rare occasions when they behaved like a family, they appeared genuinely content with their living arrangements.
After dinner, I helped Mina with the dishes. Once that task was completed I hastily excused myself, saying that I wasn’t feeling very well and need to lay down for a bit. When Mina started to protest, I improvised by making myself look as sick as possible. It wasn’t easy, seeing as I was bad at lying, but she must have bought it because she urged me to go home and get some rest.
Before making myself scarce, I tugged on one of Renee’s red curls and promised to be back first thing in the morning. She agreed with a smile, and after giving me a big bear hug, she skipped away to the living room and joined Evan on the couch. I finally retrieved my shopping bags from Renee’s room and hurried out of their apartment and downstairs to mine. As much as I wanted to stay longer and keep an eye on Renee, there was another pressing matter I needed to take care of.
Even if Rhyzel had managed to make me feel guilty, I still wasn’t entirely convinced that he was innocent of using his demonic powers to stalk me. For what purpose he might go to the trouble of doing that I had no clue, but if he was guilty of any crime, it wouldn’t be long before the truth came out.
Wit
h my mind so occupied, my attention span was in the low side, so as I rushed through the front door, I nearly tackled my own mother.
“Demi! What’s with all the rush?” Mom had a look of concern on her face.
“Sorry.” I took in her appearance and furrowed my brow. “Going somewhere?” I asked, noting how well dressed she was.
“Your father and I thought it would be very disappointing to waste a perfectly good Sunday evening, so we’re going out for dinner.”
“Some place fancy, I suppose.” I gestured down to her black cocktail dress, stockings, and black high heels.
“Yes.” She grinned. “Don’t wait up.” She winked at me and I suppressed the need to roll my eyes. “If something comes up, let me know. I’ll have my cell on all night just in case.”
“Mom, don’t worry. I can handle the fort while you’re gone.”
I only hoped if an emergency did arise I wouldn’t have to rely on her help. I was trying to prove my worth as a Keeper, after all.
“I know, honey.” She touched the tip of my nose with her index finger—a move she did when she was having one of her I’m-a-proud-mom moments. “Let’s go, Robert. We don’t want to be late for our reservation.”
Dad walked out of the bedroom he shared with Mom dressed in a pair of tan colored pants, a white long sleeve button down shirt, and a pair of brown loafers.
“Aren’t you going to be a little hot with that shirt on?” Mom smiled as she took in Dad’s appearance.
“I’m sure they have air conditioners where we’re going,” he replied. “Besides, I don’t want people looking at my psoriasis and thinking I’m contagious.”
“You look great, Dad.”
He looked at me, puffed out his chest, lifted his chin, and said, “I know.”
I couldn’t hold back the burst of laughter.
Mom giggled. “Let’s get a move on, Romeo.”
Setting all joking aside, Dad offered his arm to Mom and said, “Let’s get going, then.” To me he said, “If you need us, call.”
“Sure.” I stepped back as they headed for the door. “You kids don’t stay out too late, ya hear?”
Mom glanced back at me over her right shoulder and smiled. “We’ll try not to be too late,” she said just before she pulled the door closed behind her.
With Mom and Dad gone, at least one thing would be much easier to do.
Since I was in a mission to find out whether Rhyzel had been honest with me or not, I knew the only way to find out was through my magical abilities. Even though my magic would provide answers to a certain point, I knew it would only do so much. For all I knew, his magic could very easily block mine, or at the very least, use it to his advantage. But I was sure of one thing, it was worth a try.
Stopping by my bedroom to deposit the shopping bags in one corner, I then strolled into the far side of kitchen where the doors to the pantry was located, opened one of them, and stepped inside. Moving aside a few cans of vegetables, I reached to my left and pressed on a button that was cleverly camouflaged by the decorative wallpaper. It released a secret door to a hidden shelf behind the actual pantry where Mom and I kept our potion making supplies and the huge bronze bowl we used to mix them all in.
I took out the bowl and a few herbs. I walked out of the pantry, leaving the doors open. I would put everything back anyway, so why bother sealing everything up again? Placing the bowl on the kitchen counter next to the sink, I grabbed a cup, filled it with water, and then poured it into the bowl. Setting the cup aside, I reached for the herbs, tore them into tiny pieces and gingerly released them into the water so they floated on the surface. I repeated the same process with several other different herbs.
Once I was satisfied, I held the bowl with both hands, recited a few words, and watched as a tiny whirlpool formed inside. After several seconds, the rush of moving water came to a stop, the herbs vanished, and I could see the liquid acting as a one way mirror. I could clearly make out Rhyzel waking up that morning and getting ready for work, followed by images of him driving to work on his neon green and black bike, and soon after him being berated by someone I could only assume was his boss.
Although I couldn’t hear actual sounds, I only had to look at the older man to know he was pissed and quite possibly acting like a total ass. Rhyzel, although visibly angry, refrained from responding and simply took the scolding with his head held high. After several minutes, the older guy dismissed him with a wave of his hands and Rhyzel stalked off, his lips in a tight, thin line.
I have to admit that a part of me felt wrong spying on him, but what else could I do? I needed to know if he was the one spying on me that morning. The color of the creature’s eyes were the same color as Rhyzel’s were last night as he tackled me to the floor and I had pointed the accusing finger in his direction because it made sense.
No other demon I had ever seen had eyes that color and it would be too much of a coincidence if Rhyzel turned out to be innocent.
As I watched him work at a huge warehouse where he was a forklift operator, I realized that he had time to do nothing else. The guy didn’t even take a bathroom break. Even when I could see what he’d done in five, possibly six hours of labor in a matter of minutes, it was enough for me to know he hadn’t used his supernatural abilities at all.
He had worked his shift, clocked out, and ridden his bike to Linda’s Café and Grill, where he bumped into me. Having seen what I needed to see, I recited a few more words to allow the images to stop, emptied the water into the sink, placed the bowl back into its hiding place, and closed both the door to the secret shelf as well as that of the pantry before stalking into my bedroom and slumping onto the bed.
Part of me was relieved to know he had been telling the truth but another part of me was very confused. If not him, then who? I’d seen a figure in the glass of the craft store looking back at me—a cloaked figure with glowing red eyes. A figure I had assumed had been Rhyzel.
It just didn’t make sense. What was really going on? The mystery figure hadn’t appeared at random. I was almost certain of that. It had targeted me. But why? What did it want? And why hadn’t I seen it before?
As I laid there staring at my bedroom ceiling, I pondered the possibility that maybe Rhyzel might know something. Just because I didn’t actually see him do anything else but work, that didn’t mean he wasn’t somehow involved. I had no definitive answers, but I wasn’t ready to give up yet. If anything I was more determined to find out who had put a hit on my charge.
It was a stretch, but it was the only lead I had. Before Rhyzel came along I hadn’t experienced many things.
It had to be more than coincidence that he had been involved in the incident which caused my visions to stop. He had said that I’d saved him, but somehow I had the feeling there was something more to what happened that night. My gut instinct told me he had left out vital information or maybe twisted his words around to make it seem like I’d been a victim of freak accident.
Maybe Rhyzel really was the connection. Maybe he wasn’t directly involved, but whatever was happening had something to do with him. Maybe he was hiding something important.
Maybe, just maybe, he was totally innocent and I couldn’t see beyond him being half demon and immediately assumed that if something bad was going on, he was a part of it.
I exhaled loudly. Of course, these were all possibilities I had to explore thoroughly, and as I drifted off to sleep, I wondered how or when I was going to get the answers I so desperately needed.
Chapter Thirteen
Life is Unpredictable
The dream wouldn’t let me be. No sooner had I drifted off than the terrors of the same vivid dream assailed me.
As the horrifying beast lifted an arm, which I knew was about strike the side of my face, I swung my fists, trying to connect with any part of the creature’s body that would elicit a release and allow for a rapid escape, but the voice calling out my name was familiar and totally human like.
“Demi, wa
ke up,” the voice said. “Open your eyes.”
Wake up? Was I not dreaming anymore?
I did as instructed and opened my eyes, quickly noting I was in my bedroom but definitely not alone. Acting on my survival instincts, I flailed my arms and tried kicking at the intruder sitting on the foot of the bed near my feet. But being quicker and of course, bigger, the intruder had no problem putting a stop to my attempts simply by grabbing onto both ankles and pinning my legs to the mattress.
“Demi, are you still dreaming?” the voice sounded a bit irritated and this caught my immediate attention.
I stopped fighting back and sat up, surprised when I caught sight of what appeared to be wings, spread out on each side of the individual that nearly touched the walls of my room, tip to tip.
“Ezekiel?” I asked still half asleep. “What are you doing in my room?”
What the hell was going on? Why was the gorgeous hunk of an angel in my room in the middle of the night?
“Something very important has come up,” he replied.
I sat up immediately. “Renee? Something’s wrong with Renee?”
“No.” Ezekiel picked himself off the mattress. “If you haven’t felt any unusual disturbances then I can only assume she is fine.”
Rubbing the haze out of my eyes, I rested my back on the headboard and concentrated on the dark angel’s voice.
“Then why are you here?” I asked curiously. I was surprised he was there, but I really wanted to know what brought him to me. Wanting to look at him without a veil of darkness shrouding his good looks, I reached to my left and flipped on the lamp resting on top of the nightstand. “I thought you said—”
Keeper of the Innocents Page 15
