I took the frame and studied it. Michael and Raphael crowded around me, hovering and peering down at the picture.
“What is it?” Gabriel asked.
The picture was dark, but I could make out a few things. Things that no one else would see unless they climbed up my bedroom window. Things were definitely way different from this angle, which explained why no one else knew what it was. I only recognized the angle because I crawled up my window earlier. “It’s…” I trailed off, not wanting to finish. “…me. Sleeping in my bed.”
“Whoa. That’s just creepy,” Gabriel whispered while looking from the picture to me. “Who do you think did this?”
“I don’t know…” My voice wavered.
“The same person who left that movie in your room. This person is taunting you. Kass.” Michael’s eyes glanced at me from underneath his small-rimmed glasses. “Did you tell anyone what happened that night?”
I shook my head. Why would I tell anyone about what I did—how I killed the boy I liked? No, that didn’t pop up in a normal conversation.
I barely heard myself add, “The same person who did this.” I held up my wrists as proof.
“Then someone must have seen you. Are you sure it was just you and John?” Raphael sat on the other side of me, placing an arm around my shoulder. “Think back. Think hard.”
I closed my eyes and pictured it. Pictured everything. The blood. My rose blade. John’s black eyes. The sound his body made when it hit the ground. It was still too hard, too difficult to think of. “No, it was only us.”
“Are you sure?” Michael asked.
“Yes, I’m sure. No one was there. We were far up the driveway, no one from the road would’ve seen. It was just us, Michael.”
“Well, on that happy note.” Gabriel ran into the kitchen. “Would any of you like some cereal? I’m starving.”
Michael, Raphael and I stared at each other for a moment before we all said “Yes.”
Gabriel poked his head around the wall. “Screw that. I’m not getting you all cereal. When I offered I didn’t think any of you’d take me up on it.”
My face fell. When was the last time I ate?
I got up and walked into the kitchen. Gabriel was in the process of pouring cereal into a bowl of milk. I opened the fridge and found nothing, so I went up to the freezer and found what I was looking for: soft pretzels with cheese in the middle. Ooh, they were delicious little things, even if it wasn’t the right time of day to make them. I took the whole box out and retrieved a plate from a nearby cupboard.
I was going to make ten of them, figuring that would hold me off till lunch. That was half the box, but whatever. I felt hungry all the time. It’s all that business with the purifyings and the Demons and the nearly-dying situations.
Gabriel hopped over to me. “Make me some.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t see why I should.”
“What about that time you asked me to make you a hot dog? At eight-thirty at night?”
“You said no.” And it was weeks ago, before we were even in this house, in North Carolina.
“What?” Gabriel acted surprised. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes.” I nodded while glaring up at him. “Yes, you did. You said, and I quote, get off your lazy butt and make it yourself.”
“Did I?” Gabriel rubbed his chin. “I don’t remember saying that.”
“You did. But I guess I’ll be nice and make you some anyway.” I dumped the whole box out. We needed a grocery store built into our house.
“Yeah, that’d be awesome.” Gabriel said.
I glanced at him, slightly annoyed at his constant mind-reading. “Stop doing that.”
“Stop doing what?”
I chuckled. It was just like him to play the dumb card. But that wasn’t going to work this time. “What do you think?”
“Well, I know you can’t mean stop being so sexy, because I can’t control that. I’m sure we’ve already had that conversation.”
My eyes rolled once more as Michael and Raphael entered the kitchen. “We have decided that it would be best if you do not leave the house today and tomorrow, Kass,” Michael spoke. “And that it would be a good idea if Raphael stayed over until we get this all figured out.”
“What?” Gabriel and I said in unison.
Our Guardian looked from Gabriel to me, saying, “This Demon is clearly playing with you, and until we catch and stop it, there’s no telling what it’ll do next. It even got into the house without our knowledge, something next to impossible—”
Michael fixed his glasses as Gabriel asked, “Who says this sicko is a he? Maybe it’s a she.”
I shot a death glare at Gabriel. He shrugged and said, “What?” Acting all innocent.
“What about school on Monday?” I asked, hoping Michael would say I’d, unquestionably, have to stay home and miss school. Do research and all that.
But he didn’t. He said, “We’ll deal with that when the time comes. Anyway.” Michael glanced at Gabriel and Raphael, excluding me, to my chagrin. “This Demon could have her death on his agenda. So, please do not do anything stupid, either of you.”
“Stupid?” Gabriel was aghast, setting a hand over his heart as if he were hurt. “I never would do anything stupid, Michael. Never. In fact, I’ve never done anything stupid in my whole life.” There was a pause as he grew worried. “Have I?”
As Raphael scowled, and our Guardian simply sighed. “I am not going to dignify that with an answer.” Michael walked out of the kitchen, leaving our teacher alone with us.
He fixed the top of his priest’s uniform. “I have a feeling that these are going to be the longest few days of my life.”
The microwave beeped, signaling that the cheesy soft pretzels were done. I ran over and yanked them out, immediately stuffing one in my mouth. Now that I thought about it, now that I felt the roof of my mouth burning off, I knew that wasn’t a good idea. But it was beyond delicious regardless.
Gabriel reached for one. “Wait a second. Does this mean Raphael is going to be using our bathroom or Michael’s?”
My small shoulders shrugged. “I don’t know. But who cares? We have these hot cheesy pretzels. Life is good.” I held up another one, mentally adding, for now.
“I’ll toast to that,” Gabriel laughed and gently touched his with mine, as if they were two wine glasses.
As we both shoved them in our mouths, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking, deep down that life wasn’t good. Life sucked. My life was on the line. Again, already. Whoever or whatever was following me, stalking me, and basically terrorizing me, was getting closer and closer. The stakes in his game were increasing. I wasn’t certain if I’d live to see that dumb dance all seniors in high school look forward to. What was that thing called?
Prom.
Just look how bad things had gotten so quickly. Give it a few more weeks, and at this rate, the apocalypse was going to happen, no doubt.
But I probably wouldn’t live to see the day, anyway. Since, you know, someone was playing with me and probably wanted to kill me. Just another day of the life.
It was seven. Right after dinner. Michael was downstairs reading the newspaper, Gabriel was taking a shower, and I was alone in my room, except for Raphael, who just sat there on the windowsill reading some prehistoric book about Demons.
I never thought that staying in a huge house like this with what I would call my family all day would be boring, partly because I never thought it would happen, but, well…it was boring.
I was so bored. I was just Googling random things on my computer. For the last thirty minutes. A sigh escaped me as I rested on the back of the chair. I held up my wrists.
They looked horrible, to say the least. Even after they healed up, they would still look bad from all the scarring. I was dumbstruck on how this happened. The not-knowing part killed me.
I switched my computer off and spun around on my chair, making a lot of noise.
Raphael remained mot
ionless, his face in that book.
What crappy company he was.
I stood and made my way next to him. I sat on the windowsill and examined the page he read. It was in another language. I was so freaking bored that I asked, “What are you reading?”
Without tearing his eyes off the page, he replied, “The eating habits of the Inuit Amarok.”
“Wow. That’s some pretty interesting stuff.”
“Yes. Apparently they prefer female victims who wander alone at night.”
“Hmm. It’s a miracle they haven’t eaten me yet, then.” I was just trying to drag this conversation out, because I didn’t know what else to do.
“Do not be absurd. These Demons were hunted to extinction centuries ago.” He still hadn’t taken his eyes off the damn book yet.
I wondered how long it would take for him to stop reading that book and look at me. I decided to find out. “Why?”
“Other Demons hunted them for sport.”
“Why?”
“Their coats were said to have the ability to make them almost completely invisible.”
“Then how did other Demons kill them off?”
“There were not that many to begin with.”
“Why?” I felt like a little kid, always asking why. But it was kind of fun, not going to lie.
“I do not know.” He turned the page, still not even sending a glance in my direction.
I waited a few seconds before asking him, “So…what are you reading about now? Still their eating habits?”
“No. Now I am reading about what they do to girls who are stuck in their own house and who are purposefully trying to annoy the person who is supposed to be on watch.”
“Hmm. That’s oddly specific.”
Raphael closed the book and stared at me. “Is there a reason for this, Kassandra, or do you simply enjoy pestering me?”
I moved my dangling feet back and forth. “I’m bored.”
“And what, exactly, do you want me to do about it?”
I smiled. “Entertain me.” He gave me a look. So, I decided to say quickly, “I’m just kidding. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
“Fantastic.” Raphael turned his attention back to the book in his hand.
I thought back and remembered the talk we had earlier. I bit the inside of my cheek. I really, really wanted to know what the girl he had loved was. Like what kind of Demon she was. But if I asked, I wasn’t sure that he would answer.
Awe, who cared? If I asked and he didn’t answer, then I was no further than where I was right now. But if I asked and he did answer, that was a plus.
“So,” I began, trying not to be awkward but ending up being completely awkward anyway. “Do you remember the talk we had yesterday? You know, about—”
“Yes, I remember,” Raphael interrupted and glanced up at me. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, do you also remember when I asked you what she was, and you said—”
He interrupted me once more. “I know what I said. Why?”
“What was she, Raphael?”
“I told you, she was a very bad—”
Now it was my turn to barge in the middle of his sentence. “I know, but I want to know what she was. What type of Demon she was.”
“Does this come from some foolish curiosity of yours?” Raphael countered harshly.
I figured it’d be easier to just agree with what he said, so I did. “Yes.”
“Do you really want to know, Kassandra?” I nodded, causing him to abruptly shut his book and place it on his lap. “Do you recollect one of my first lessons to you and Gabriel?” I tried thinking back, but he carried on, “That’s what she was.”
Gabriel opened my door, saying, “Raphael, I’m here to relieve you.” His blonde hair was wet.
Without another word, Raphael stood up and walked out.
I watched him go, thinking back. One of his first lessons, as in Daywalker skull lesson? As in, his girlfriend was a Daywalker? Oh, boy.
“Okay, so…” Gabriel dived on my bed. He flipped to his back and set his head on his hands. “Tell me about this dream with the electricity thingy.”
Chapter Fifteen – Kirk
There was something odd in the air tonight. I could feel it. It made me pace the house, walk into rooms and then forget why I went in there in the first place. Back and forth, I just couldn’t stop myself. Somehow I knew that something was going to happen tonight…but what was it? I had no clue.
I leaned on the kitchen counter and looked out the window, taking in the sight of the full moon that sat in the sky, completely unobstructed. I felt my blood pump faster, so I gripped the counter harder, nearly cracking it.
I was thinking about that girl again. Why? Why did I often catch myself thinking about her? It made no sense. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like her at all. She was the prime suspect of John’s disappearance. But…there was just something about her.
It was wrong. I was wrong to think that, but I couldn’t help myself.
I had never found myself so…captivated. I was the reserved one. I was the good one. Always. Yet I couldn’t help myself. Though I didn’t like her, I thought of her. How strange was that?
She was still a girl. Still a child.
But that didn’t stop me from thinking about her…about what I would do to her. What I would eagerly do to her. It was wrong on so many different levels.
She was Alyssa’s friend. Her only friend, actually. She had been friends with John as well. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that John had thought about her in a way a friend shouldn’t.
The mere thought of that pissed me off, even though John was gone. John knew to stay away from girls. At least, I thought he knew. We’d been over it time and time again.
And to top it all off, I was sure that girl knew something about his disappearance. I had asked her, but she didn’t tell me anything. Then I asked her. I used my power on her and she still refused to say. How she restrained herself, I had no idea.
I’d never met anyone that could resist my manipulation.
But then again, I’d never met anyone like her either.
So young, innocent…vulnerable. I licked my lips.
That’s it. I needed to get out of the house now, otherwise I’d keep thinking about her. I needed to go. But where? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I grew restless, more so than I was minutes ago. When I got restless…I got hungry.
And I did not want to get hungry.
Chapter Sixteen – Kass
I glanced to Michael, who was spread out on my floor, next to my bed. He must have fallen asleep while watching me sleep. Imagine that. I looked to the window. Raphael dozed off as well. I turned my attention to my door. Gabriel was also slumbering.
They weren’t too good at keeping watch while I attempted to sleep, were they?
I sat up and, for some reason, tossed the sheets off of me. I got up and snuck my way over to the door. Why was I stepping over Gabriel and silently turning my doorknob? I couldn’t say. Why did I walk down the stairs to the first floor, to the front door? I had no clue. Why was I heading out, into the pitch darkness of the night, all by myself, even though Michael forbade any of us leaving? I had no idea.
Something called me, forcing me to do this, as if someone whispered in my ear, get up. I had no control over my legs. They were walking to wherever it was they wanted to go.
I grabbed the fence that surrounded the front of our yard, trying to pull myself back, to stop myself from walking. But my legs had a mind of their own. I lost my grip on the fence. This wasn’t good.
It took me about fifteen minutes for my mind to grasp where my legs took me. The graveyard. Why was I going there, and why did my stomach feel like it was tossing and turning, threatening to come up?
I made my way through the rows and rows of tombstones, and suddenly remembered my dream. The one I had before my wrists were cut up terribly. The one where Gabriel died. This could not be happening. No. I refused to believe my
dream was a premonition.
Not while I had any fight left in me.
Finally I had control of my legs, so I halted as soon as I saw someone standing by a tombstone, leaning on it and clutching a black rose.
His eyes were closed, the blackened rose held up to his nose as he inhaled its scent. The silver moon’s light illuminated his black hair, his wide, strong frame. Dress clothes hung on his muscular body. For a moment, I thought I stared at John’s darkly handsome face, but it wasn’t his black eyes that opened to look at me.
It was a pair of light hazel eyes, set in tan skin.
Who was this guy? Why did he look so achingly familiar?
“Someone left you this,” he was slow to say, twisting the rose in his fingers, its thorn pricking him. “It would seem that you have a demented secret admirer.” He took few steps closer to me, still gripping the black rose.
I was frozen from sheer shock. Why did I feel like I knew this guy, that I met him before?
“I don’t see why, though. You’re not stunningly beautiful or anything like that.” His intimidating stare sized me up. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re cute for a little Purifier. But looks aren’t everything, you know.”
He knew I was a Purifier? That wasn’t public knowledge. The only people who knew about Purifiers were Purifiers, Guardians, and those who worked for the Council. Or…Demons, I supposed. Did that mean this guy was in need of some purification? If so, I wouldn’t object. He was pissing me off.
He lifted the rose to his nose, inhaling the scent. “It does smell nice, I’ll give him that. But the color? Black? Who gives a girl a black rose? You see—” He stepped closer. “—if I were him, I’d stick to the old-fashioned color. Red.” The man blinked, changing his eyes from green to blood red. “Red is my favorite color.”
“You…” I managed to choke out, the severity of the situation dawning on me.
“Ah, so you remember me, I take it, little Purifier?”
Of course I recognized him. His maroon eyes. I shook my head, not understanding what was happening. My mind flashed back to him beating the crap out of me three years ago, nearly killing me. I distinctly remember staking him. And then in the graveyard, during the Osiris thing.
The Nightwalkers Saga: Books 1 - 7 Page 23
