What Lay in the Dark

by Casey L. Nash

  ***

  “Egan? Are you alright?” I asked. Egan sat on the couch; a pile of unmarked tests on his lap. He paid no attention, instead choosing to stare at the wall opposite him.

  Egan blinked. “I’m just thinking.”

  “About?”

  “Things.” He turned to his tests and ticked or crossed answers.

  I stared at him silently, wondering what was going through his head.

  The door opened drawing both of us from our thoughts.

  “What’s up?” Egan asked when Samuel walked in.

  “Ashleigh. Now.”

  Egan’s eyes widened. He threw the papers onto the couch, jumping up.

  “What’s happening?” Egan asked, running through to the kitchen. He reached up to open the cupboard which he retrieved the notepad from earlier.

  “The demon is going insane. We need to get rid of it as soon as possible.”

  Mikayla poked her head in the door. “Ailia?” she asked.

  I nodded at her.

  “Ailia,” Egan said, walking over to me with a notepad and a flask of water. “You don’t have to come,” he said seriously.

  “We both know that I do.”

  Egan sighed, “Are you sure?”

  I nodded.

  Egan took my hand and led me from the house. The simple gesture made me suddenly unsure of myself. A nervous flutter entered my stomach and refused to leave.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  The four of us ran down the road to Ashleigh’s house. Egan was unusually silent on the way, but didn’t let go of my hand. We neared Ashleigh’s house quickly.

  “Stop worrying,” I whispered to him. He squeezed my hand gently.

  A piercing scream sent us sprinting down the footpath and bursting through the front door. Ashleigh was curled up in a corner, muttering to herself while the lights sputtered on and off. Her clothes were torn and there was a small cut on her arm, but apart from that she seemed physically unharmed. Emotionally, she was a mess. Her eyes widened when she saw us. She tried to back away, but was pushing herself into the corner of the room. Mikayla wasted no time in going to her side to comfort her.

  “Where is it?” Egan asked Samuel.

  “I can’t get hold of it,” Samuel said, looking around the room. “It’s moving too quickly.”

  “General area?” Egan asked.

  “That way,” Samuel pointed. The three of us ran through a door into the kitchen.

  “Shield,” Egan muttered into my ear. I instantly drew a shield around me the way that Michael taught me. I extended it to cover both Egan and Samuel as well.

  A knife on the kitchen chair floated in midair and suddenly flew toward me. “Back!” Egan cried, pulling me from the blade’s path. I felt the air rush beside my cheek and knew that was way too close. The knife lodged itself in the wall behind me.

  The kitchen window slammed itself shut, causing me to jump. My eyes were wide in alarm. I had no idea where to look. How was I to protect myself from this thing? I called on more energy in an attempt to make my shield stronger.

  “Can we trap it?” Egan asked.

  Samuel shook his head. “It’s moving too quickly, we don’t have the time.”

  Egan muttered something beneath his breath.

  “Egan!” Mikayla cried out.

  Egan led us back into the room where Ashleigh crouched, ducking another flying knife as he went and turning to check both of us were okay.

  The light in the entry room was shattered, leaving small bits of glass all over the floor. It took a moment before my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I felt my heart beating loudly in my chest. Was every hunt like this? A mirror smashed in front of us. Ashleigh whimpered.

  “Let’s just do the whole house,” Egan decided. Samuel nodded.

  “What the hell is going on here?” a familiar voice said. I turned to see Kieran fly up to the ceiling and crash into it. “Not funny Egan!” Kieran yelled sarcastically. “Clever, but not funny!”

  “Not a joke,” Egan yelled back. “Can you get him down?” Egan asked me. I looked up at Kieran and imagined white light surrounding him. He dropped and Egan caught him.

  “Why are you guys here?” Kieran asked.

  “Not important,” Egan moved. “Stay with them,” he told me. “Shield them.” I nodded and Egan ran into another room. Samuel followed.

  “Kieran!” Ashleigh called.

  “Ashleigh!” Kieran hurried to her side, but was thrown backwards. I ran to help him up and guided him to Ashleigh’s side, shielding him as he went and extending the shield over Mikayla and Ashleigh when I got there. I crouched down beside them. Ashleigh moved closer to Kieran, who put his arms around her.

  “There’s things,” she muttered to Kieran. “They’re trying to hurt me. It’s destroying everything.”

  “It’s okay,” he whispered to her. “It’s all going to be alright.” I heard a light in another room shatter.

  “Can you sense it?” Mikayla asked me. I closed my eyes and opened my mind, feeling around for the dark energy belonging to the demon.

  “It’s in another room,” I told her, only slightly comforted by the knowledge the demon wasn’t right here. She nodded.

  “What are you two on about?” Kieran asked.

  “You know exactly what’s going on Kieran,” Mikayla told him.

  Egan and Samuel returned to the room we were in. Egan flipped through his notebook, reading aloud from it. The words were in another language, so I had no idea what he was saying. Egan ducked a flying object, but continued speaking.

  I didn’t understand how he could look so brave, act so calm. It was comforting in a way. Hearing his voice made everything better. The warmth in my heart when I watched him helped overcome the freezing air.

  “You’re telling me a demon is doing this?” Kieran asked, drawing my attention away from Egan.

  “You got a better explanation?” Mikayla retorted.

  “Mikayla, demons don’t exist!” Kieran cried.

  “Yeah? Try telling them that.”

  Kieran looked towards Egan. “I’m dreaming,” he decided. “I have to be. It’s the only explanation for all of this.”

  “Kieran,” Mikayla said firmly. “We have given you an explanation. You just refuse to believe it.”

  Egan’s voice got louder and more powerful. The flying objects came more regularly, but Egan ignored them. Nothing could distract him.

  “Kieran,” Ashleigh said. “They’re trying to help. They’re trying to stop it.”

  “No,” Kieran shook his head. “I’m actually dreaming.”

  Mikayla slapped him.

  “What was that for?” Kieran cried.

  “That was me waking you up.” Mikayla grinned.

  “Arrgh,” I felt sudden pressure in my head.

  “You okay?” Mikayla asked.

  I ignored her, fighting to keep the shield up.

  “Ailia?”

  “It’s trying to get into my head,” I told her.

  I could feel the shield faltering. I drew on more energy. Mikayla slipped her right hand into my left. I could draw on her power as well as my own. Even if she couldn’t use magic, she still had the energy.

  The next one was different, stronger. I gasped, dropping the shield for a second. I tried to bring it back, but it was too late. That second was all it took. The sudden pain I felt in the left side of my body was so intense I couldn’t help but scream. I was thrown to the other side of the room.

  “Ailia!” Egan cried, dropping the notebook and rushing to my side.

  “You’re meant to be banishing it,” I wheezed.

  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Mikayla leap up to stand beside Samuel. Kieran tightened his arms around Ashleigh, constantly whispering in her ear. Egan lifted my top and pressed a hand to my burning skin, noticing the sticky red goo leaking from the left side of my stomach. I screamed at the touch.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he murmured, tak
ing off his own shirt and pressing the material to my wound.

  “How bad is it?” Mikayla called to Egan.

  “We’re gonna need Sean down here,” he replied. Mikayla pulled a mobile phone out of her pocket and dialled.

  “Is it really that bad?” I asked.

  “Stop talking. You need your energy.”

  “That’s a yes,” I murmured. “Arrgh,” pain shot through the wound. I felt my eyelids drooping. In this moment, sleep sounded really good.

  “No. Lia! You’ve got to stay with me! Eyes open. Look at me.”

  I smiled. “You called me Lia.” The nickname set a spark off inside me.

  Egan shrugged.

  My eyes started closing again, but I forced them open remembering Egan’s instructions. I stared into his eyes. There was a whole world in Egan’s eyes.

  My body felt lighter, and the pain started to fade away. My whole being vibrated gently.

  “Egan, you were getting the demon,” I reminded him.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he told me. “This is more important.”

  I tried to shake my head, but couldn’t move. What was happening?

  “Ailia?” Egan asked, looking me over.

  I felt fine; as healthy as I was just minutes ago, when I shielded the others from demons. It confused me, but I went with the flow nowadays. Nothing really made sense anymore. Smiling, I stood up, a little bit shaky on my feet.

  “Egan?” I took another few steps forward, watching Mikayla and Samuel keeping a look out in all directions. I felt a bit like I was floating, but figured it was just a side effect of the demon hurting me.

  “Ailia, say something,” Egan begged.

  “I’m right here, I’m fine,” I told him, turning to see him leaning over me. That wasn’t possible. I couldn’t be in two places at once. “Egan?”

  I moved forward. My body lay still under Egan. This couldn’t be real. I searched for an explanation.

  “Ailia?” Egan’s voice was louder. More urgent.

  Was I dead? Was that what this was? Was I a ghost staring at my body and the man who tried to save me? I fell to my knees beside Egan.

  “Egan,” I murmured, feeling a tear run down my face. There were so many things I wanted to say to Egan in this moment. The thought I’d never speak to him again felt like a sabre through my chest.

  “Egan, I’m right here.” I tried to place my hand on his shoulder, but it went right through him.

  Egan frantically searched for a pulse. A sign of life. I felt his fingers press into my neck and wrist. It was a strange sensation; someone was touching me but was really touching a different form of me. I wondered if all ghosts felt like this when they first died and there were people trying to bring them back to life.

  “Ailia,” he whispered. “You can’t leave me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I replied. “Egan?”

  I screamed his name, praying he would hear me but knowing there was no way he could. “Egan,” I whispered. “Please...” I couldn’t say anything. My head was spinning.

  This morning I wasn’t even sure if I believed in ghosts and life after death. Now here I was, a dead person still speaking and seeing, but I couldn’t be seen or heard. “Egan, I…”

  A growl from behind me cut off my words. I turned to see a black shadow in an unrecognizable shape. I squinted at it slowly making out unclear features. I distinguished glowing red eyes and what I believed to be some kind of tail. There were shapes by its sides, but I couldn’t tell if they were arms or wings. All I knew for certain was that the thing was terrifying. I backed away slowly, but it followed, its snarls getting louder as it went.

  “Egan?” I cried, knowing he couldn’t hear me, but calling for him out of habit anyway. In the last few weeks he was always there when I was scared. I wished he could hold me again; pull me close to him and whisper that everything would be okay. It all seemed so trivial then, but right now I wanted nothing more. I stared at the unknown creature menacingly moving towards me or what was now me.

  I knew that if Egan were in my position he would be able to fight it off. I was too unsure of what was happening to me. Even so, I didn’t have a choice. I owed that much to Egan and to myself. If this was the demon, if this was the thing which killed me, I knew I had to take it down with me. I changed my stance, preparing for a collision with the thing.

  Suddenly the door burst open and the shadow changed course, moving towards it. Michael came running straight over to my body. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “I have no idea,” Egan replied. “She’s got a pulse and she’s breathing, but she’s not here.”

  “What?” I turned towards Egan. I could hear. I was breathing. I had a heartbeat. I wasn’t dead. But then what was I?

  The shadow growled again, turning back and moving towards me faster than anything I had ever seen. I did the only thing I could think of – I raised my right hand and shot white energy from it, raising my eyebrows in surprise when I realised I could see the magical energy as well as feel it. The shadow fell back.

  “Samuel?” Mikayla called out. “Where’s the demon?”

  “It’s still here,” he replied.

  I ducked as the shadow swung something over me. One of the shadows arms – I think they were arms – swiped at my head. I shot more energy at it. It made a horrible noise similar to the squeal of a chainsaw.

  I looked back at Michael and Egan. Michael was staring into my eyes. “No,” he muttered. “It can’t.”

  “What?” Egan cried desperately.

  “She’s projecting.”

  I could no longer feel my heartbeat. For some reason I missed the comforting noise thumping inside my chest. It was colder now. The closer the black shadow got, the colder the air became.

  Egan stared at him. “But that means...”

  The shadow moved at me again, this time aiming low. I jumped, realising you could jump a lot higher when you didn’t have a body to weigh you down.

  “It means she’s in the astral plane with a demon.”

  “What?” Mikayla cried, turning around. The shadow monster pushed her while she was distracted causing her to fly across the room. She hit the wall next to Kieran and Ashleigh.

  “If that thing gets to her while she’s on the astral plane...” Egan couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “What?” I cried. “Egan, what happens to me?”

  Of course, there was no answer. No one could hear me.

  “Ailia,” Michael called. “You need to get back into your body. Now. All you need to do is think about it and you’ll be back.”

  I thought about it, but nothing happened.

  “Ailia?” Egan called.

  “She’s not coming back,” Michael whispered.

  “Which means?”

  The black shadow raced towards me again, I reached out and punched it. It fell backwards a little, but jumped up and started moving towards me again.

  “I don’t know. You can always get back. It’s the first rule of astral projection. I’ve never heard of anyone getting stuck on the astral plane. Egan, she has to be fighting that demon.”

  Egan stared at Michael, unable to say anything. I sent more energy at the demon and it went sprawling back.

  Michael reached down to his belt and pulled the athame out, pressing it into my body’s hand.

  “What’ll that do?” Egan asked.

  “It’s a magical tool. There is a chance it has enough magic in it to be used on the astral plane.”

  I closed my hand around the solid black handle. I looked down. Michael was right; I was armed with an athame. I sent energy through it at the demon and only realised then how much stronger magic was with the weapon. The demon cried out, making a ghastly noise I couldn’t describe. I winced, refusing to let myself cover my ears to shield them from the sound.

  “There has to be something we can do!” Egan yelled.

  Michael shook his head. “We can only wait and hope it doesn�
�t hurt her.”

  “There has to be something,” Egan insisted, taking my other hand. I smiled at his touch and the tingling sensation that ran up my arm.

  The demon stood back up.

  “Egan there’s no point,” Michael told him. “There is nothing we can do. If she can’t bring herself back, then neither can we. She won’t even be able to feel your hand right now.”

  I looked down at my hand and back at Michael. I felt Egan’s hand as clearly as if I was in my body.

  “Egan!” I yelled. “He’s wrong! I can feel it!”

  The demon charged at me and I tried to move out the way. It hit me hard and I cried out, thrusting the athame into it to get it off me. It screamed again and ran in the other direction.

  “You’re wrong,” Egan insisted. “You have to be wrong. There has to be an exception.”

  I had an idea. It was a long shot, but it was an idea. The demon growled harshly, turning around. I imagined a build up of white light around the athame.

  “There’s only one exception Egan. It’s almost impossible. I…”

  “What is it?” Egan demanded.

  The demon charged at me again. I threw the athame, imagining it flying straight into the centre of the shadow.

  “Soul mates,” Michael replied. “If you’re her soul mate, she will be able to feel you. But that won’t bring her back.”

  I stared at Michael. Did he just say that?

  I heard a vicious sound like a freight train screeching to a halt and a supersonic jet taking off, all rolled into one. I turned to see the athame landed exactly where I wanted it to. White light shone through the shadow of the demon; the heavenly, bright rays almost too brilliant to look at. The noise got louder, I couldn’t bear it. My hands went straight to my ears, blocking out only a small portion. Suddenly it stopped. The shadow was gone completely.

  “To hell it won’t!” Egan yelled. He leaned forward and kissed me.

  My lips tingled and I felt like I was falling very fast. Suddenly everything was back. The pain was searing through my body. None of that mattered while Egan’s lips were pressed against mine.

  My hand reached up to touch his cheek. The pain of my stomach was forgotten, replaced with a feeling of ecstasy. Egan pulled back. Neither of us said anything, not that anything really needed to be said. Everything Egan felt shone clearly in his eyes and I suspected the same of my own. A sudden jolt of pain brought me back to reality and I screamed.

  “Ailia,” Michael spoke. “This is going to feel really warm.” He removed Egan’s shirt from my side and held his hand above the wound. I felt the flesh under his palm instantly heat up, the energy moving through my body and setting every inch on fire.

  “The demon?” Egan asked.

  “I think it’s dead,” I told him.

  Egan opened his mouth, but didn’t seem to have anything to say.

  Michael looked at Egan. “You turned my little sister into a demon-slaying warrior,” he muttered.

  Egan ignored Michael and squeezed my hand. “How was it?”

  “Terrifying,” I told him. “Have you ever seen a demon?”

  Egan shook his head.

  “I still don’t know what they look like,” I told him. “It’s horrible.”

  “You’re okay now,” Egan murmured.

  “That’s all I can do,” Michael said, releasing the warmth. “It’s still pretty bad. She’ll need a medic. Even then, she might not…” Michael returned Egan’s shirt to the wound and applied pressure.

  “Egan got Mikayla to call one,” I told him.

  “They have a little bit of sense then,” he muttered.

  “I like them,” I told him.

  “I know you do,” Michael said with a slight smile.

  There was a knock at the door, which was open anyway. “Mikayla?” Sean asked.

  “Yeah,” Mikayla replied, directing Sean to me.

  Michael moved out of the way, allowing Sean to kneel next to me. He lifted the shirt back off me and looked at Egan shocked. “This is a bite mark!”

  “Don’t worry about that now,” Egan told him.

  “But this... her stomach was ripped open. Egan, this looks like a shark attack.”

  “Is there anything you can do?”

  “I don’t know,” Sean said, looking me over. “She’s losing a lot of blood. It’s a miracle she’s made it this far. I can stitch it, but there won’t be time for anaesthetic to set in. Even then...”

  “Just do what you can,” Egan replied, holding my hand tighter.

  Sean nodded and opened an enormous orange case full of medical supplies, pulling out everything he’d need. Egan stepped over me so he was out of Sean’s way, putting down my left hand and picking up my right. He turned my head so I was looking at him instead of Sean’s equipment.

  “Don’t look at what he’s doing,” Egan instructed. “Just keep talking to me, okay?”

  I nodded.

  “I’m going to give you some anaesthetic anyway,” Sean said. “Hopefully it’ll set in at least a little bit but, I’m not going to lie to you, this is really going to hurt.”

  I nodded again.

  I looked into Egan’s eyes, ignoring the pain. “Michael’s gonna be really mad.”

  Egan smiled. “I think he already is.”

  “You know the sad part,” I squealed as I felt a sharp pain. I went to look down, but Egan pushed my face back gently with his free hand.

  “What’s the sad part?” he asked.

  “He’s going to be mad at you when he should be mad at me.”

  “I think he should be mad at me,” Egan stated. “I dragged you into this.”

  I cried out again.

  “Squeeze my hand if it hurts,” Egan instructed.

  When the next wave of pain came, I squeezed tightly. “It’s like I’m having a baby.”

  Egan smiled, “No babies, Ailia.”

  “Did you ever want kids?” I asked softly.

  “It’s dangerous for anyone to be around me, Ailia. I can’t bring kids into my life. You shouldn’t be in my life.”

  I screamed again. Egan reached over me to take my other hand. Both of his hands covered mine. His eyes never left mine.

  “Did you want kids?” he asked.

  I laughed, wincing and almost passing out, the pain was excruciating. “I would make a terrible mother.”

  “I don’t know about that,” he smiled, eyes shining with tears.

  “Why are you crying?”

  “I’m not,” he said. I reached up to wipe a tear from his eye. “I’m just worried about you,” he admitted.

  “Because I might die.”

  Egan nodded.

  “You shouldn’t worry about me so much.”

  “I can’t help it,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to go.”

  “You told me to leave,” I recalled. “You told me to forget about you. To go as far away as I could.”

  “You should have,” he murmured, touching the corner of my eye. “It would have been so much easier. None of this would ever have happened.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Why did you want me to go?”

  “I was trying to protect you,” he told me. “I wanted you to be safe from this stupid thing I call everyday life.”

  “It’s not so bad,” I murmured.

  “This isn’t how it’s meant to be, Ailia. You’re meant to meet a nice guy, someone who doesn’t try to get rid of you. You could be happy together, get married. Have kids, without any fear of them getting caught up in all of this.” Egan winced as I cried out again, “You could have a normal life. That’s how it’s meant to be.”

  “No,” I muttered. “This is where I’m meant to be. Right here, with you.”

  Egan breathed out heavily. “Ailia, I can’t be any of that. I can never be a husband or a father. My life is too twisted for that.”

  “I don’t care,” I muttered. “I know how terrifying your life is, Egan, and I don’t care.”

 
“I do,” he whispered. “You could be so much more, Lia; if I hadn’t dragged you into this stuff...”

  “I still wouldn’t be happy.”

  “You can’t be happy like this.”

  “I am. Egan, for the first time in my life, I actually have something worth living for.”

  “That’s an ironic thing to say at this moment,” he smiled.

  “That’s why I’m not going to die,” I told him, screaming as I did so. “I don’t care what you say. This is exactly how it’s meant to go. I am exactly where I’m meant to be. You know that.”

  Egan squeezed my hand. “You’re a lot braver than I expected.”

  I smiled, “I’m not brave.”

  “Yes you are. Most women wouldn’t be able to deal with any of this. You... you’re not going to stop fighting, are you?”

  I smiled. “Nope.”

  “Why? Ailia, you shouldn’t want this. I’ve told you how bad this life can be, why would you ever want to live it?”

  “For you,” I whispered.

  “We’re done,” Sean announced. “But we’re going to have to take her to a hospital.”

  “No,” Michael interrupted, stepping forward. “We can’t.” Egan solemnly nodded in agreement.

  “We have to,” Sean argued. “She’ll die otherwise.”

  “Egan?” Michael asked. Egan nodded. Michael knelt down beside me and held his hand over the wound. I felt the warmth of Michael’s energy.

  Sean gasped. “How are you doing that?”

  “That’s reiki energy,” Michael replied.

  “That’s impossible,” Sean muttered.

  “Welcome to my world,” Egan murmured under his breath.

  “It will speed up the healing process,” Michael explained. “It should get her back on her feet without a hospital.”

  “She could still die.”

  “It’s a risk we have to take,” Michael whispered, looking at me.

  “Okay,” Sean said. “One last question. How the hell did she wind up like that?”

  “You really don’t want to know,” Egan told him.

  “You’re right, I don’t, but I have to find out. It’s part of my job.”

  Egan sighed. “Mikayla? Want to take him for a walk. I’m going to get Ailia home.”

  Mikayla nodded and led Sean outside. Egan let go of my hands in order to pick me up. I lay my head on his shoulder. “We’ll be okay,” I whispered.

  “I hope so.”

 

  “It’s all true!” Kieran whispered as Egan placed me carefully on the bed. Michael stood at the door, staring down at us with the sort of expression you’d expect from a security guard or a really angry mother.

  “Afraid so,” Egan replied, pulling the blanket over me and sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “How is it possible?”

  “It’s not,” Egan replied. “But that doesn’t make it any less real.”

  “What do I do now?” Kieran asked.

  “You move on. Live life. Perhaps try to understand, but never go too deep. Fall too far into it and you can’t get yourself out.”

  “It’s worth it sometimes,” I spoke softly, placing my hand on Egan’s. Egan glanced at me, but didn’t say anything. “You should go back to Ashleigh,” I told Kieran. “She won’t want to be alone right now. You were there. You experienced everything she did. Try to stop each other from going mad.”

  Kieran nodded and left the room.

  “What were you thinking, Egan?” Michael asked.

  “He didn’t have a choice,” I told him.

  “But he could’ve done more. Should have done more.”

  “What more could he do?”

  “Michael’s right. Lia, I should’ve been able to do something. Anything.”

  “I told you, you can’t protect everyone. You can try, but it won’t always work.”

  “You were the only person I wanted to protect.”

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done,” I turned to Michael. “You should go back to your hotel. Get some rest.”

  “But…”

  “I will still be here to argue with in the morning.”

  Michael sighed. “You’d better be.” He slowly left the room, glancing back before he walked out.

  Egan waited until Michael was gone before standing up to flick off the lights.

  “I don’t like the dark,” I whispered.

  Egan slid into the bed and wrapped his arms around me, careful not to put too much pressure on my stomach.

  “Only a fool isn’t scared of the dark,” he whispered.

  “Are you happy?” I asked.

  The question caught him off guard. “Yes. Ailia, I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “Ailia, I fight demons. That’s not something to be proud of. Every day I could die. I can never be anything I want to be for you. All I would be doing is putting you in danger.”

  “Egan, I don’t care about the danger or whatever else. I can learn to protect myself. I mean, I just survived the astral plane with a demon. I know you didn’t expect me to do that.”

  “You could still die. Ailia, I should never have brought you there. I should never have let you in on the demon thing at all. You’re in danger as long as you’re with me.”

  “I’m in danger without you, too,” I replied. “Have you even thought about the times you’ve saved me?”

  “It only takes one mistake,” he whispered. “One slip up and you’re gone.”

  “I don’t care. How many times do I have to tell you? Egan, I want to live with you. And if that means demon fighting and dying, then fine. I don’t care as long as I’m with you.”

  “Then promise me one thing,” Egan said, pulling himself back so he could look at me. “No Romeo and Juliet moments.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you’re doing this, Ailia, if you seriously want to live my life and if there’s no way that I can talk you out of it, then either one of us can die at any moment. If I die, I don’t want you to follow. You need to find something worth living for. Even if it’s killing every demon in Europe, which is not what I’d want you to do with your life, but if that’s all you have left...”

  “Okay,” I whispered, “But the same goes for you.”

  “Okay,” he whispered back.

  We lay in silence for a while, Egan playing with my hair. I tried to get to sleep, but couldn’t. Too much transpired.

  “You’re allowed to sleep now,” Egan eventually whispered in my ear.

  I smiled. “It’s not as easy as I thought it would be.”

  “I know,” he muttered. “A lot of scary stuff happened to both of us today.”

  “It was worth it though.”

  “You think?” Egan asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

  “Yes, I do.”

  The next thing I knew, Egan’s lips were on mine.

  One moment of this was worth all the death and demons the world would ever throw at us.