by Megan Linski
I hear a low growling in the brush that sounds all too familiar. In terror, I slowly turn to find not one, not two, but four hellhounds staring at me. They have me surrounded. Their glowing red eyes shine bright against their skulls, mottled flesh dripping blood unto the fresh fallen snow.
My mind freezes. Cairo was the one who told me to meet him here. Is this the surprise he was talking about, a trick? Did he betray me?
I’m dead, but I make a run for it anyway. I drop my books and backpack and sprint to the other side of the school before I realize that I’m leading them right to the parking lot, and all my friends.
I’m not going to use everyone else as bait while I make a cowardly attempt to escape. I divert my path and head into the woods instead, to lure the dogs away from the school. I reach out for a tree branch so I can climb it, but one of the hellhounds springs over me and snaps its jaws onto the branch, splitting it in two.
The four hellhounds start circling, closing in and cutting off escape. Their rotten smell fills my nostrils so I gag on the scent.
“Cass, get down!” The voice of a brave soul echoes through the woods. Thames has arrived. He leaps over the hellhounds and lands beside me, pushing me behind him so my back is against a tree.
“Thames, we’ve got to get out of here,” I say. Even with him here, the hellhounds are closing in.
“The only way is to fly out, and the trees have too much cover. I won’t be able to pull you through them without setting the entire woods on fire,” he explains.
This literally makes no sense to me. “What are you saying? Thames, don’t be stupid!” I shout.
“I’ve never taken on this many by myself before,” he says, “Should be fun.”
I can’t really describe how else to label what Thames does next except power up. He takes a step forward, and clenches his fists. His entire form begins burning with incredible flame, a halo of smoke and fire instead of light. His skin turns black and takes on the resemblance of ash, his bones poking through. His eyes gleam red just like the hellhounds. Two leathery, black wings sprout out from behind his back, beating ominously.
Thames turns and gives me a wink that makes my inside shutter before he flings himself at the hellhounds. Thames opens his palms and fire beams out from them, wrapping two of the dogs up within a fiery inferno. The dogs don’t seem bothered by the heat, but neither can they move. They snap and growl at the chains of flame Thames has fastened around them.
Thames launches himself at one of the hellhounds. He starts beating it across the head with his fist while he uses his wings to smack another one into a tree. The trapped hellhounds burst out from their bonds and pounce upon his back, gnawing at the appendages. Thames screams loudly and goes toppling backwards, crushing the hellhounds underneath him. He lets out of burst of circular flame, one that’s blue, not red.
This one seems to hurt the hellhounds. They leap away, singed, and lick at their wounds before starting in on Thames again.
Thames rises to his feet and opens his palm. Out of thin air materializes a sword, a gladius that shoots flames out of the tip and from which heat I can feel, even at a distance.
Thames swings the sword brutally at the hellhounds. They jump out of the way, but he manages to slash one and it crumples to the ground for a moment, wounded. He stabs another hellhound with the blade straight through the chest. The cut simmers and steams while the hellhound cries in pain. Thames continues battering at the hellhounds with the sword, but each attack he makes toward one is fended off by another. It’s too distracting to concentrate on all of them at once, so Thames backs against a collection of bushes, putting himself between me and the hellhounds.
He’s outnumbered. He’s not going to make it. We’re not going to make it.
“Cass, run!” Thames shouts. His voice is deep, and scary in this form. It doesn’t sound like him; it sounds like the voice of a devil straight from the underworld. He batters away a hellhound with a barely effective hit. “I’ll hold them off!”
“No!” I don’t want to leave Thames behind.
“Please!” He’s clawing at the ground, trying to drag them away from me. I bite my lip and take his last protest as my opportunity to flee.
The howls of the hellhounds attacking Thames fade into the distance as I proceed farther into the forest. I slow down, and glance behind me. I’m not being chased.
That’s when an eerie presence looms over me, suppressing the air and extracting all sense of hope. Something tackles me from the side. I hurtle through the air and slam against a tree. I cry out with pain as I slide down the trunk, only to be kicked harshly in the stomach the moment I land.
The invisible force. It’s attacking me again. It only takes me moments to realize that the force isn’t unknown, but a demon, a real one. A choking sound emerges from my throat.
The demon picks me up by my shoulders and tosses me again. I fall into a briar patch. Thorns pierce my skin and tear at my clothing. Without explanation, I feel my body forcefully being ripped out of the patch. I levitate in mid-air, my feet kicking out uselessly at what’s got me.
A crushing feeling enters my chest. It starts out small, then increases in intensity, squeezing the life out of my organs. My eyeballs pop out of my head as my heart is crushed beneath an invisible hand. My skin begins to go pale from lack of blood flow. Every part of me is screaming in pain as the hand literally reduces my still heart to nothing more than a crushed pulp.
Then the force lets me go, and I flop limply to the ground. I give a loud scream of pain as blood begins rushing back into my veins, giving precious life. My vision fades, body pounding furiously, painfully, as I slowly black out into darkness.
A few moments later, I awaken. Groggily, I raise my head to determine what’s going on.
Cairo has arrived, glowing with light. His wings are extended, fully visible as he carries a large, golden sword. It’s Grecian in make, something I imagine a god would carry. He circles something, his eyes fixed on a creature unseen. Cairo raises his sword and batters at the demon, but his weapon is deflected by something that I can’t witness. If I had to guess the demon has a sword, too, and he knows how to use it.
Cairo and the demon batter back and forth, Cairo using an advanced set of complicated maneuvers to outwit the demon. He jumps high into the air and swings his sword back and forth as he does so, stabbing low and high.
Unexpectedly, Cairo’s sword comes to an abrupt stop, and there’s a wretched screaming. It’s high-pitched and painful. I cover my ears and cringe, curling up into a ball as the demon wails.
Obviously, Cairo landed a hit. Cairo wrenches his sword out of the demon, and draws it backward to drive it inside for a killer blow, but he stumbles forward. Must be a miss. Cairo swears and pulls back his sword, but the air in the area physically lightens and the dark foreboding that came over me is no more. Too late. The demon has fled.
Cairo’s wings and the sword disappear. The shimmering halo around him ends. He stoops down to my side, his face wrought with worry. “Cassia? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” I wince. “Just kinda hurts.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t have a heart attack.” Cairo helps me to my feet. “I’ve never seen a human survive a demon attack like that before.”
“Why was it here?” I put a hand to my temple. I have a headache.
“We’ve been playing cat and mouse with the demon for weeks. It’s been chasing us just as much as we’ve been chasing it,” Cairo explains. “Thames and I didn’t think it’d dare to get this close to the school while we’re here. Guess we were wrong.”
“Thames.” My heart pounds. “Is he all right?”
“Here.” Cairo grabs onto me. “Close your eyes, and hold on tight.”
In a flash, we instantly appear at the place where we left Thames. We must’ve teleported.
The bodies of two hellhounds lie beside Thames. He’s still in his demon form, on the ground and unmoving. His flaming sword hisses on the for
est floor.
“Thames!” I say, scared. He raises his head weakly. Cairo lets me go and holds out a hand for his brother. Thames takes it, and gets up off the ground. As he does so, the sword and his wings vanish. The ash that’s collected on his body falls to the ground until he’s left with clear skin again. He’s the Thames I know once more, and not the frightening creature he was.
I bolt forward and hug him. He returns the gesture, though he looks a little winded.
“What happened?” I let go of Thames, and turn to Cairo. “Why were those demons after me?”
Cairo frowns. “It was my fault, Cass. I wanted to ask you something. I thought behind the gym was the best place to do it. I had no idea demons were waiting there.”
“This is strange.” Thames speaks for the first time in a rough voice. He coughs once, and a puff of ash falls out of his mouth before he clears his throat to speak again. “A demon usually never attacks a human twice, let alone multiple times.”
“Most humans don’t survive the first encounter,” Cairo says. “Cassia has just been very unlucky.”
“I don’t think it’s coincidence Cassia’s gotten caught up in this,” Thames objects. “The demon wants her.”
My face blanches. Cairo cracks his fists.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cairo spits. The thought is enough to make him angry… enraged. “She’s a normal human girl. What could a demon want with her?”
“Demons manipulate and toy with humans for a living. Maybe this one is fixated on Cassia,” Thames argues. “If so, we need to protect her. She needs to be careful.”
“Cassia is fine. There isn’t a demon after her,” Cairo says harshly. “She’s just unfortunate enough to keep ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“You’re being stupid. You just don’t want to admit she could be in danger because the thought terrifies you,” Thames says. “It’s better to be cautious. Even if the demon isn’t after her, we should—”
“Thames. Just drop it.”
Thames isn’t convinced, but he doesn’t say anything. He merely turns away, sullen and brooding. Cairo’s jawline is set like stone.
“What is it you wanted to ask me, Cairo?” I say, trying to change the subject before the boys get into it again. “It must’ve been important if you wanted to talk to me without anyone seeing.”
Cairo smiles. He then brings out a small box of chocolates, tied with a rose, out of his hoodie. “I was wondering if you wanted to be my date to prom,” he says. “I know it’s kind of early, but girls are already asking me, and I want everyone to know that I’m already going with you.”
A blush rides all across my body. “Me? You want to go to prom with me?”
“Of course. Do you want to?” His gaze is eager.
“Yes!” I take the presents from him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’d love to! I’m so glad you asked!”
Cairo’s eyes are dancing when he looks at me. I turn around, and see that Thames looks like he could blow his top. His whole face is red, teeth clenched. Awkwardly, I open my mouth, but Thames vanishes on the spot. He’s teleported somewhere else.
“Do you think he’ll be all right?” I pretend I’m asking about his injuries during the fight, but we both know I’m asking about something else.
“It’s okay. He’ll get over it.” Cairo seems guilty, but then he puts a hand on my shoulder. “Would you like to go out with me tonight?
“Sure.” My mood brightens. “Where?”
“Out to dinner. Maybe a movie.” He shrugs. “We can stop by my place first, so you can meet my mom.” He pauses. “Do you want to meet my mom?”
Meeting his mom? This is getting kind of serious. A bout of nausea, accompanied by a threshold of nervousness, permeates my gut. “Do you think she’ll like me?”
“She’ll love you,” Cairo reassures. “She’s a very sweet lady. You have nothing to fear, I promise.”
“Okay.” I nod slowly. “I’ll go.” I consider my clothing, wishing I had worn something nicer than jeans and a t-shirt today. If I knew I was going to meet Cairo’s mom I would’ve stood in front of the dresser for an hour determining what to wear.
“Great.” Cairo and I begin the long walk back to the parking lot. I wish we could teleport, but I guess then people would see. He opens the door to his truck for me when we get there, like always. I hop in, text Isolde, and he blasts his techno music on the way to his house.
Meeting Cairo’s mom has got me distracted enough. Yet something Thames said is also nagging in my ear. Could there be a demon after me? Impossible. Yet, maybe it isn’t. But for what reason? What would a demon want with me, an average human girl? There’s nothing special about me.
I sigh as the trees go whirling by. All I know is Thames didn’t seem happy that Cairo invited me to prom. Not in the slightest. If I didn’t know better, he seemed jealous.
I bite my lip anxiously. I then put my head against the window and hope Thames is okay.
Cairo’s mansion doesn’t look any smaller the second time around, nor am I any less intimidated. Cairo takes my hand and leads me through the foyer, to a kitchen I swear had to be on Food Network, shiny appliances and restaurant-style stove included. Do these people have the best of everything?
Leaning against the farmhouse sink and the granite countertop is a woman with thick glasses, her brown hair topped into a messy bun, a doctor’s coat draped over an olive sweater. She’s reading a magazine, her lips pursed with interest as she surveys the pages. When she hears us enter, her eyes flicker up, and she gently puts down the magazine.
“Cassia, this is my mother, Clara Cross,” Cairo says, gesturing to her. His one hand stays wrapped around me. “Mom, meet Cassia.”
He doesn’t introduce me as his girlfriend, but Clara seems to know what he means. Clara crosses the room. She shakes my free hand gently and nods to me. Cairo releases his grip.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Cassia. It’s about time my son brought a girl around.” She shoots a glance at him, and Cairo returns it sheepishly.
She looks like Thames. But I can see a lot of Cairo in her, too. Both boys take after their mom. She’s absolutely beautiful.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I try to give her a pleasant smile and hope it doesn’t look like crap.
“Cairo, there are some groceries in the car,” she says to him, without taking her eyes off me. “Can you bring them in for me? I’d like to get to know Cassia a little more.”
Soundlessly, Cairo obeys, as if this was something they already agreed upon. A stint of fear, and a sharp edge of irritation at Cairo, passes through me. Is this some kind of interrogation? Did he set me up?
“Don’t be alarmed,” she says at my bewildered expression. “I just wanted to speak with you on some matters. More or less the situation.”
I swallow. “I know that Cairo’s a Nephilim. It doesn’t bother me.”
Her gaze cracks upward. She picks up a pot of coffee, and pours some for herself before handing me a mug. She guides me to the dining room table.
“I just don’t want you to think any less of me, you see,” she starts. “Falling for two men. Or two creatures, you might say.”
“I don’t think any less of you,” I say, astounded. Why would she care what I, a random teenage girl, thinks of her? “Things happen. Life happens.”
“Yes. Cairo told me that you’re in the foster care system.” She sits across from me. “You probably understand.”
My throat swells. “Cairo and Thames have different last names,” I say. “Was that intentional?”
“Thames takes the surname of his father. Or at least, the name he gave me.” She sighs. “I knew better, the second time around.”
“What made you fall for both of them?” The question sprouts out of my mouth before I can stop it. I feel like more than anyone, this woman can relate to my situation.
“It wasn’t intentional.” Clara puts her hands around the mug and stares out the window, into
the mist. “Both of them had a very attractive personality, you could say. They just drew me in. I like to think they cared about me. I certainly cared about them.”
I nod. Thinking of Thames and Cairo, I can understand exactly what she means. “Do you think they’ll ever come back?”
Clara lets out a disheartening chuckle. “So you’ve heard Thames’ stories.”
Her eyes are sad. “No, I don’t believe they ever will. Cairo’s father couldn’t if he wanted to, I’m sure. Our love was one I sought for comfort, after Thames was born and his father had to leave. Thames’ father did love me, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I’m sorry.” I reach out to grasp her hand, and she looks up in surprise. “You did the best you could. It was out of your control.”
Clara nods, and pulls her hand away. “Yes. I suppose.”
She takes a steadying breath. “I’ve encouraged Cairo to live his life for some time now, a normal life,” Clara insists. “I hope you can give it to him.”
A heavy responsibility sinks onto my shoulders at her words. “I… I can try,” I say. I just hope I don’t mess it up.
The door snaps behind us. Cairo has reappeared. “The groceries are in the pantry, Mom,” he says. He’s staring at us.
“Thank you, honey,” Clara says. She gives a strained smile, her two lips pursed and tight. She stands, taking her mug with her. “I hope you two have fun tonight.”
“We will.” Cairo’s eyes are on her as she exits. It’s not until she’s gone before he returns to me.
I stare at my cup. I don’t know what to do with the coffee before Cairo steps forward and takes it from me. He pours it down the sink and then turns around.
“I’m sorry about that,” he confesses. “She just wanted to make sure… you know.”
I hold my breath. “I get it. Whatever.”
Cairo seems relieved. He steps forward and takes my hand again. “Do you want to take a tour of the house? You’ve only seen a part of it.”
