Living Hell

by N. L. Hoffmann

  Ethan scowled. “I only said their egos needed to be knocked down a notch. Just because your kind are so few doesn’t mean we should be kissing your asses! Admit it, Carlos. Every single one of them is an asshole.”

  Carlos chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender. “Okay, you’re right. As my closest friend, I will do this for you. But the more help I can get to handle these demons, the better. I will try to get the other hunters to come. The more we have on our side, the faster we can handle this situation.”

  Relieved, I gave him a thumbs up. “Thanks, man.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes. “Yes. Thanks, man.”

  Brian stood, nodding. He held out a hand to Carlos. “We appreciate your assistance on this. The fewer men we lose because of this training, the better off we are.” He motioned for the demon hunter to follow. “I’ll take you to them now. We’re going out again tonight.”

  The two men walked out of the office, leaving Ethan and me alone. I shoved my plate away with a sigh, placing a hand on my stomach. It was hard to believe two babies were growing inside. In fact, it scared the shit out of me. How was I going to raise two kids? I had no doubt Ethan would be there for me, but if what the demon said was true, how would he react to Drake’s child?

  Squatting in front of me, Ethan grabbed the chair and rolled me closer. He pressed his lips to my stomach, a gentleness in his eyes. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this soft side of him. I didn’t even know if I wanted to stay with him long-term. We’d already been through so much together, but we really just met. Now I was pregnant? What did that say about me?

  “You’re thinking too much, Sophie,” Ethan said, staring up at me.

  “I know. I can’t help it. This is so much to take in, and I have yet to figure out my feelings toward you,” I told him, stroking the side of his face. His stubble was rough against my skin, which was always a huge turn-on for me.

  As if sensing the change in my mood, he knelt and pulled my face toward him so he could kiss me softly. I moaned, feeling warmth spread through my body. He knew exactly what to do to relax me. I didn’t know if that was a sign or not, but it sure felt like one.

  THE BOOK WAS HEAVY in my hands as I walked over to the coffee table. I set it down with a loud thump, then lowered myself to the floor, wiping my hands on my jeans with a grimace. Just knowing it was made from skin...

  Disgusting.

  “I should put gloves on or something,” I mumbled to myself as I opened it.

  The first several pages were blank. I stared at them for several seconds, wondering what the hell was going on, when letters slowly began to appear on the pages, swirling around and forming words, then sentences. Opaque pictures turned more solid. I stared in fascination, hardly noticing when Ethan walked in with my food. The man spoiled me. Even more so now that I was pregnant. Hell, this early, most people wouldn’t even know they were. Would it even show up on a pregnancy test yet?

  Trying to refocus my thoughts, I started flipping through the pages, wondering what I was looking for. Most of it was about wars and future pregnancies that would produce children who’d later influence Witch history. I yawned, already bored. Then I came across more pertinent information. A section that specifically mentioned my children. My stomach filled with butterflies. I glanced up at the food Ethan brought, relieved when I saw it was just scrambled eggs. I didn’t think I could handle anything heavier.

  As I read, I frowned. “It says one of the babies will be dark and one will be light. In the end, one will not survive. The one who does will lead all supernatural kinds.”

  I looked up at Ethan, eyes wide. “One of my kids will die? This book sucks!” I slammed it closed and started chewing on one of my nails. “I can’t let that happen. How can one be evil and the other good? Why can’t they both be good? Is it because of Drake? Does one of the babies become a demon?”

  Ethan sat on the edge of the couch, placing a hand on my shoulder. His face was filled with concern. “It’s hard to say, Sophie. I don’t want to say things will be okay when I’m not even sure myself that they will. The book is truth. What it says will come to pass. Maybe you should read the rest of it.”

  Shaking my head, I shoved it away. It slowly started sliding right back toward me, as if touching it in the first place made some kind of connection. I groaned. “Sometimes I hate magic.”

  Sighing, Ethan opened the book to where I had it, the corner of the page dogeared. Taking a deep breath, I leaned over to read the same section again.

  “You know, if the baby is darkness, we can bind his powers until he’s old enough to learn how to use them responsibly,” Ethan suggested.

  “You can’t change what’s written in this book, Ethan.” I stared down at my stomach. “Can the book be rewritten? Can we rewrite what’s already there?” I blew some hair out of my face.

  Shrugging, Ethan closed the book, obviously tired of dealing with it. “We can ask your grandmother.”

  “I can always call her,” I said, remembering the phone number I had.

  A sudden bright light made me squint. As I glanced around to see where it was coming from, I realized my necklace was glowing. Ethan’s eyes widened as he looked at me, not sure what to do. The light became so bright, we had to shield our eyes. A rumbling noise filled the room. Wind started to whip around, blowing my hair around my face. Freaking out, I tried to pull the necklace off, but it wouldn’t budge. Dumb thing had yet to trust me enough so I could take it off. Maybe it predicted I would react this way.

  The rumbling noise increased, hurting my ears. I placed my hands over them, feeling something wet. When I pulled them away, I saw blood. I looked at Ethan, seeing him staring at his own blood-covered fingers. What the hell was going on?

  Closing my eyes to will away the pain, the noise slowly started to fade.

  “Sophie...” Ethan tapped my arm.

  Looking around, I saw we were in the Ancestors’ white room. Ethan tried to move around, running into the invisible barrier. He looked at me questioningly.

  “That’s to protect us,” I sighed. The last place I wanted to be was the Ancestors’ torture chamber.

  Hooded figures began to appear around the barrier, flickering in like a bad movie reel. It only took a couple seconds before one of them smashed into the side of the barrier, a large tongue coming out to lick it. The creature’s nails scraped along it.

  “What the fuck is that?” Ethan asked, pushing me behind him so he could protect me if the thing made it through.

  I almost laughed. I remembered the first time I visited the Ancestors. They were creepy as hell, and if there were any other possible way to communicate with them, I would have pushed for the change. But they liked things on their terms. Which was why this forced visit concerned me. If they pulled me and Ethan to their chamber, it was probably about Drake. It had to be. My mother warned me, but I’d forgotten all about it.

  “That’s an Ancestor. They can’t keep their human form,” I said, watching as three more attacked the barrier, showing razor-sharp teeth. “I have no idea why they change forms, but it scares the shit out of me. I’m afraid the barrier won’t be there one day. They’ve attacked me before.”

  “We have a message for you,” one of them hissed.

  Turning around, I tried to find the one speaking, but another one started talking.

  “You must do what we are about to ask. Failure...”

  “...means your life,” another finished.

  I took a deep breath, debating if I wanted to ask my question. Feeling secure in Ethan’s arms, I asked, “What is it that you want us to do?”

  “Not you.” A bony hand came up to point at Ethan. “Him.”

  “Your Mage must kill Drake. You are not up to the task because you allow your feelings to get in the way of what is important,” one whispered.

  I pulled out of Ethan’s arms. “Why can’t you help Drake? Why do we have to kill him? I know you can save him!”

  One of them slammed up against the bar
rier, hissing, making me stumble away. “You dare speak to us that way? How dare you disrespect your Ancestors!”

  “She only wants to save him. If there is a way, why not allow him to live? Why must it end in death?” Ethan asked.

  One slammed against the barrier on his side. He jumped and glared, obviously getting annoyed. “There is no saving the Vampire. The demon is in control now. Kill him, or the Mage will take his place.”

  The roaring noise returned, the room spinning. Ethan grabbed me, trying to keep me on my feet. Suddenly, we were back in the living room. Dizzy, I fell onto the couch, unable to hold myself up. Ethan stumbled, hitting his legs on the coffee table.

  “Motherfucker!” he ground out in pain.

  Stunned, I stared at Ethan, who looked back at me with the same expression. The silence between us was heavy. Basically, I had to make a choice between Ethan and Drake. Drake was probably already lost to the demon. I felt tears well up in my eyes as the reality of the situation hit me. Ethan walked over, sitting down on the couch and wrapping his arms around me.

  “Even though it’s a difficult one, you do have a choice, Sophie. We could find a way to save him.”

  “If he doesn’t die, they will kill you instead.” I threw up my hands. “How does that make sense? What do you have to do with anything?”

  Ethan brushed hair out of my face and looked at me. “My death would only be a punishment for them. They will take care of Drake, despite what you decide. But if we can find a way, you could possibly save him.”

  I sighed, slumping into him. So much had changed between us, I was surprised we were this close. My need to huddle into him and try to disappear kept growing the longer I sat there.

  I pulled away, brushing away the tears. “Everyone says there’s no way to save him. I think we have to face facts, Ethan. Drake’s disappearing. The demon is taking over. The longer we wait, the more bodies there will be.”

  Nodding, Ethan lifted my chin. “Whatever you decide, I support you completely. Just say the word and I’ll do what needs to be done.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The two Witches battled to the death. At least I thought they were Witches. When I watched them, fear in my heart, I sensed so much more. The power rolled off them in waves, suffocating. I knew if the wrong one won the fight, the world could possibly fall into dark times. People would live in fear as the Dark One destroyed cities, destroyed races. There were a lot of unknowns. The Light One would bring all races together, despite those who’d do anything in their power to make sure it wouldn’t happen. The supernatural would follow, worshipping the strength hiding within the Light One. But if the Dark One managed to gain the upper hand, there would be no stopping the end of the world. His desire to destroy all that was good would consume him completely.

  Shooting up in my bed, I looked around the room, gasping. I glanced down, seeing Ethan’s hand over my stomach. He had no idea how dark one of the twins was. My kids would eventually fight each other to the death. If my dream was any indication, there was no way to save Drake’s child. I knew in my heart that his child would allow darkness to consume him.

  What was a mother supposed to do when she realized that bringing a child into the world could be devastating? Lives depended on my decision. Could I destroy my own child to protect everyone around me? There had to be a way to save them. I couldn’t just abandon my child when they needed me the most.

  HEARING CRUNCHING NOISES, I opened my eyes and blinked, feeling Ethan’s arm stiffen around my waist. When I glanced up to look into his face, his eyes were wide. He called to his magic so quickly, I found myself gasping on the power.

  “Put your magic away, Mage,” a voice from the left side of the room said.

  I sat up, calling to my own magic, then realized who the voice belonged to. Mary. The Lady of the Lake must have sensed I needed to talk to her. I didn’t even make a call yet.

  I looked at her sitting in the chair and frowned. These people didn’t respect my space. They showed up whenever they wanted to. It was a miracle it hadn’t happened during sex yet.

  Ethan glanced at me. “We need to spell your place. This is getting ridiculous.”

  I snorted. “You’re telling me! I had to deal with it with you, too.”

  Chuckling, Ethan wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to him. “But it was worth it.”

  “Jury is still out on that one. Now I have babies to worry about.” I rolled my eyes, grinning.

  Mary smiled. “You two are cute together. I do love when things work out.”

  “Oh, right. You set this up.” I sighed, pulling away from Ethan. I kept forgetting she was the one responsible for him coming to me in the first place. Though I invited him to help me with the Witch situation. Rubbing my temples, I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. It was starting to give me a headache.

  “Calm down, Sophie. Just because I know how the future will pan out doesn’t mean you should blame me for every event. I didn’t plan everything, you know?” She dug into a box of cheese crackers and tossed a couple into her mouth. Taco came flying into the room and sat on the arm of the chair. He waited patiently, mouth hanging open. Mary tossed him a cracker. He grabbed it out of the air, doing a flip.

  What a weirdo.

  I shook my head, looking around for my robe. All I wanted was a normal life. I guessed that ship sailed as soon as my mother gave birth to me.

  Finding the robe on the floor, I grabbed it, wrapping it around my body so I could climb out of bed. “You could have called to let me know you were on your way. I would have made breakfast.”

  “Oh, breakfast! What a fabulous idea.” Mary leapt out of the chair, making Taco nearly fall to the floor. “I’ll make us some. I’ll do what grandmothers usually do.” She beamed at us, then hurried out of the bedroom.

  I looked at Ethan. “Shit. What did I just do?” I asked. He shrugged, giving me a look that said he didn’t really want to find out. “I’ll close the door so you can climb out of bed.” I chuckled, running my hand up his bare leg.

  Grabbing my hand to stop me from traveling any farther, Ethan gave me a pointed look. “Don’t start what you won’t be able to finish.”

  Laughing, I climbed out of bed, heading out of the bedroom. Closing the door, I looked around, seeing Mary bent down, looking inside my fridge. I had no idea what was in there since shopping hadn’t been one of my priorities lately.

  Mary hummed as she pulled out eggs, bacon and sausage. Then she looked through the cupboards and came up with a box of pancake mix. “Looks like you have everything!”

  “Did you check the expiration date? Some of that could be from three months ago.”

  I shrugged when she looked at me with raised eyebrows.

  “These boys need to take better care of you.”

  “One man, Mary. I only have one man.”

  She sniffed, probably deciding not to comment on how I ended up pregnant with babies from different fathers. I didn’t want to listen to a lecture, but then again, how long had she known about this? Reading the book should have been my priority when Ethan presented it to me. Maybe then I would have been more careful about sleeping with anyone. I would have cut myself off completely.

  Yeah, right. Who am I kidding?

  As Mary began to cook, Ethan walked out to join us. He raised his eyebrows at the food on the counter, obviously surprised there was any in the house. I sat at the dining room table and placed my feet up on a chair across from me. It was a little weird having a woman I barely knew cooking in my kitchen. She acted as if we’d known each other my whole life. But I was kind of creeped out. Ethan seemed to feel the same way because he walked around the kitchen aimlessly, as if he didn’t know what to do. Finally, after pouring two glasses of orange juice, he sat next to me.

  Taco flew over to the table, grabbed an apple out of a bowl and started chowing down. Every time he bit into it, some would fly in my direction. Annoyed, I flicked a piece back at him, smacking the littl
e guy in the head. He huffed out angrily, charging at me, then coming to a stop when I pointed at him.

  “I dare you.”

  “I thought you two would get along,” Mary said, somewhat surprised.

  Shrugging, I bopped Taco on the head and frowned. He started chasing my hand with his mouth hanging open, like he wanted to bite me. “He has an attitude problem.”

  Mary threw her head back and laughed. “That he does. Something he’s had since birth. You would think he would be more cooperative after two thousand years.”

  Ethan, who had just taken a sip from his glass, started choking, spewing juice out of his mouth. After coughing a few minutes, he strained to say, “He’s that old?”

  Looking at her, I shifted because I was becoming uncomfortable.

  “Oh my! You’re already starting to show!” Mary cried out, running over to me. Her hands shot to my stomach. To my horror, it protruded slightly.

  I looked up at Ethan to find him staring.

  “That’s impossible. It’s too soon,” he said.

  Grinning, Mary moved away from me and patted him on the shoulder as she passed, walking back into the kitchen. “Now is not the time to get cold feet. You helped put those babies in there.”

  His mouth opened and closed like a fish. Finally, he said, “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  “How the hell am I showing already? I shouldn’t for several more weeks!” I stood up, nearly knocking Taco over because he’d come closer to check out my expanding girth. Moving quickly, he ran over to the bowl of fruit and blew fire at me in warning. “Oh, chill out. When you’re about to explode babies, then you can throw a fit.”

  Taco huffed at me and started tearing at an orange with his claws. He shot a glare in my direction, slowly taking a bite out of the exposed fruit. Little bastard was trying to psyche me out.

  Shaking my head, I placed a hand on my stomach, feeling the slight bump. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Did that mean I was further along than I thought? When I looked at Mary questioningly, she sighed, obviously annoyed that Ethan and I were in a panic over something so trivial.