The Human Side (The Demon Side Series)

by Heaven Liegh Eldeen

  “What do you have?”

  “Three kings, two aces,” Gabriel replied.

  “That is what you call bluffing.” John tilted his hand to reveal a pair of twos, one three of clubs, a queen of hearts, and a ten of spades.

  “Ah, man.” Gabriel slumped in defeat.

  “Did you think I was bluffing, Ra?” John shuffled the deck of cards as he locked eyes with me. I knew exactly where this lesson was heading. I wouldn’t give him the gratification of his self-righteous speech about what might happen should I mess up.

  “I hope you had fun playing your game, but now we need to figure out what we’re going to do about money and a place to live,” I said to Gabriel, ignoring John’s question.

  “You two are going to need help getting set up. You’ll need IDs to get on and off base. I have some connections at D.E.E.R.S., but I won’t be able to get you military dependent IDs until Monday. Once we have those, we can get you a place to stay and you two can look for work. Until then, you’ll have to stay here. That will give you time to think of your cover story.”

  “Cover story?” Gabriel asked.

  “Yeah, where you’re from, what you’re doing here…details are key. Quantico is used to new faces every day, so you won’t stick out, but eventually someone is going to want to know more than your name.”

  “See, Brother, this is perfect. This will give you time with Etta.”

  “Etta is not to know you are staying here. No one is for that matter.”

  “And why is that?” I asked.

  “Not that it’s any of your damn business, but I am finally on the mend with my daughter. Should this ridiculous plan of yours backfire, I don’t want her trust in me tarnished in any way. Now, Rene has gone to the store to buy groceries for dinner tonight. Etta and Amy will be here as well. You will be on your best behavior, respect my home and my rules, and keep your prowess to yourself until you have your own place. I may have to accept the fact you are in love with my daughter, but I don’t need it thrown in my face. Understood?”

  “Why are you so against me being with her?”

  “You don’t have the best of track records, Ra. What happens to her when you fail?”

  “When I fail? So, you’ve already made your mind up I won’t succeed?”

  “That remains to be seen. Until then, you play by my rules or you’ll find yourself getting stonewalled from every direction imaginable. Do you catch my drift?”

  “You wouldn’t do that and go against Father’s orders? You know what will happen if you do.”

  “Tell me something, Gabriel. Based on my body language, do you think I’m bluffing?” John asked, never breaking our eye contact. In my peripheral vision, I could see Gabriel looking back and forth between us.

  “No. I don’t.”

  “There you have it, Ra. But if you want to know for sure, I dare you to cross that line.” His threat fired me up. His holier-than-thou attitude became perturbing. Kicking my chair back, I stood, ready to send my fist crashing into his face. John’s chest met with mine as Gabriel tried squeezing his body between us.

  “Boys! We are on the same team. Least we can do is be civil toward each other. I do believe I outrank the both of you, and if I must, I will pull that rank,” Gabriel said, pushing John and me apart.

  “I think this game is over. Down the street is a store that can offer better clothing than I can. Take my card and buy a few things to get by with.” John pulled a piece of plastic from his wallet and handed it to Gabriel.

  My brother had a blast trying on different shirts, pants, and shoes. He settled on a black T-shirt under a dark blue silken shirt with the print of a fire breathing dragon, a pair of tan boots and black Dickies pants. Happy with his choices, he grabbed a few of each color and style.

  I, on the other hand, kept it simple with just a few pairs of blue jeans, white T-shirts and black boots. Against his wishes, I made sure I grabbed a few packages of underwear for him and socks for the both of us.

  “Oh, hey guys.” Amy greeted us as we walked out of the store.

  “Hello, girls,” Gabriel replied, with an ear-to-ear smile as he laid eyes on Amy. I knew that smile all too well. It’s how I imagined my face lit up when I saw Etta walking next to her friend. I let my brother do the talking as we trailed behind them. “And where are you two off to?”

  “My dad’s house,” Etta replied.

  “What a coincidence. That is where we are heading. Mind if we walk with you ladies?”

  “Not at all.” Amy giggled as Etta lightly shoved her with a roll of her eyes. Being braver than me, Gabriel took a few rapid strides to catch up with the girls, taking his place next to Amy.

  She fell for a Demon once, but the question remains; will she do it again? I held back, allowing the trio space as Father’s words rattled through my head. How can I do what I’m required to do? How far can I push without breaking?

  “Oh, how cute.” Amy stopped and pointed at a window displaying stuffed English bulldogs clad in camouflage and the dress blue uniform Marines wore.

  “Oh, those are way cute. We should get one for my dad,” Etta added. There’d be no better time to get the ball rolling.

  “Why in the world would you buy a full grown man a stuffed animal?” I asked, sardonically.

  “Because it’s adorable, and he’s my father,” Etta retorted.

  “Only a child would think such a thing. It’s ridiculous if you ask me.”

  “Well, good thing no one asked you.” She stormed into the shop and returned, stuffed animal in hand.

  “I think your father will love it,” Gabriel said, shooting me a shut-the-hell-up glance.

  “How much did that stupid thing just cost you?”

  “None of your business.”

  “Too much I bet. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found it in the morning’s trash bin.”

  “What is your malfunction, dude?” Etta snapped around and faced me on the porch of John’s house.

  “I just hate seeing people waste their money on pointless crap.”

  “What I do with my money is my choice.”

  “You’re right. It is your choice. You’re lucky it isn’t mine, or I’d tear that ugly thing’s head off and put it where it belongs…in the dumpster.” She clenched her jaw; the sight twisted my stomach into knots.

  “Dick.” Amy placed her arm around Etta and led her into the house, slamming the door behind them. Relieved they were out of sight, I practically collapsed on the steps of the porch.

  “Well, if you were going for asshole, I think you accomplished it.” Gabriel sat next to me as I cradle my head in my hands.

  “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “You haven’t the choice anymore, Brother.”

  “There has to be some other way.”

  “Afraid not. The deal has been made. You’re bound to it.”

  John stormed out onto the porch and hurled the decapitated head at me. “Does someone want to tell me why my daughter just ripped the head off of a stuffed toy and threw it at me?”

  What could I say in response to a seething father who had his daughter go berserk on a helpless toy and chuck its remains at him?

  I glanced over at Gabriel hoping he’d give me the answer, but he simply stood there shaking his head. Knowing I needed to speak quickly, I opened my mouth and prayed whatever came out wouldn’t add to John’s already flaring temper. Before a single syllable had a chance to exit my lips, John marched back into the house and slammed the door behind him. I winced.

  “It’s started,” Gabriel replied.

  Chapter Five

  I sat alone on the porch for what seemed to be an eternity, doubting the decision I had made. At the time, it seemed to be my only option. In retrospect, maybe I didn’t think it through.

  “Grubs up.” John scuffed his shoe against my thigh. When I walked into the house, I was met with a death glare from Etta as she sat at the dining room table. Everyone had already assembled, leaving one chair
available opposite her. No sooner had I taken my place, a hard thump hit my shin, causing me to jerk, knocking my knee under the table and spilling a few drinking glasses of water all over the lace tablecloth.

  “I’m so sorry,” I exclaimed, reaching for the cups. Etta and Amy shared a snicker.

  “It’s quite all right. I’ll get that. Sit back down,” Rene insisted. After Rene cleaned up the mess I made, everyone passed food around the table. I had seen some pretty heinous things in my life, but nothing compared to the meal before me. The aroma of the roast smelled off and the peas were drowning in a thin, white liquid. You could have thrown my baked potato at a car door, and I am sure it would have blown a hole right through it.

  “Hungry?” Amy asked Gabriel. Glancing over, I almost choked. His plate brimmed with meat, peas, bread, potatoes and atop it all, a whole stick of butter.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Nervously, Gabriel glanced at our plates. I waited for a retort from Amy, but instead she met my brother with a coy smile.

  “Let’s bless this mess before it gets cold,” John said. After which he released a prayer longer than the Dead Sea scrolls. He blessed everything from the nuclear meat to Rene’s sobriety and thanked her for preparing the meal I was sure would send us all running for the commode.

  The group sat in silence as the clatter of knives and forks scraped against the ceramic pink plates. As I gnawed on a piece of what may have been rock disguised as a pea, the girls softly giggled. Etta glanced at Amy with a sly grin. As she returned her attention to her plate, she noticed me watching her. Her eyebrows furrowed, scrunching up her freckled nose. And with that, I did what any other gentleman would do. I sent a return kick into her shin under the table.

  “Ow! Mother…fudger!” Etta slammed her knee into the table and jolted up out of her chair. I couldn’t contain my laughter as she hopped around on one leg. Gabriel released a laugh that resembled an asthma attack.

  “That’s enough. Etta, sit down. Ramen, keep your feet to yourself.” John banged his fork onto the table. We all resumed eating in silence.

  “So, Etta, do you and Amy have any plans for tonight?” Rene asked.

  “We were thinking about going to the movies.”

  “Perfect. You can take the guys and show them where the base theater is,” John added.

  “Um, well, we weren’t going to the one on base. We thought we’d hit up Potomac Mills.” The girls shared a glance, telling me they were lying about their plans. Based on John’s glare, he knew it, too.

  “Even better. I am sure the guys would love to see the mall.”

  “Oh, I doubt they want to tag along while we try on clothes.”

  “We’d love to escort these ladies to the mall.”

  I wanted to smack my brother, but not for offering us up for a night out with the girls. He had yet to learn not to talk with mouth full and sent chunks of potato flying my direction.

  “Then it’s settled. You fellas keep an eye on these young ladies.” John folded a few twenty-dollar bills and handed them to me. Not a word was spoken for the duration of the meal. Everyone helped clear the table as Etta washed the dishes. The way she banged them around in the sink and dish rack gave me the impression something had upset her. Seeing an opportunity to get close to her, I grabbed a towel and began wiping off the cleaned dishes.

  “I don’t need your help.”

  “I’m not doing it because I think you do.”

  “Now you have manners?”

  “Listen, I think we started off on the wrong foot.”

  “Yep. The same foot you stuck in your mouth.”

  “I’m trying to apologize.”

  “Don’t. I only accept apologies from people who matter.”

  Her snide remark cut me. I had every intention of responding, but held it when John stepped between us with his back to me. Over his shoulder, I noticed he handed her something with a glass of water. With a kiss to her forehead, he left the kitchen. I could hear him and Gabriel talking in the living room. Returning my attention to the dishes, I watched as Etta tossed four pills into the drain.

  “Shouldn’t you have taken those?” I asked.

  “Shouldn’t you keep your nose out of other people’s business?” she replied as she flipped a switch, turning on the garbage disposal.

  “You say a word to my dad, and I’ll kick your butt.” And with that she walked away. I finished up my chore and went into the living room.

  “Well, we’re going to go get ready,” Amy said, as Etta left without so much as a goodbye.

  “You girls need the car?” Rene asked.

  “No. We have my mom’s minivan, or better known as the Mormon mobile. We’ll stop by in an hour to pick up the guys.”

  John plopped down on the couch next to Gabriel and turned on the television to a show about how various products are made. Gabriel became enthralled as they showed the process of making surf boards. Only a few minutes into the program, Rene got up and disappeared upstairs.

  “Keep close tabs on Etta tonight. She didn’t take her medication. She’ll be vulnerable,” John whispered.

  “I thought she didn’t need them anymore? The veil closed.”

  “It would have closed if someone didn’t leave a feather behind or keep sneaking into her room.”

  “So she remembers?”

  “Not everything, but she knows she has a ‘Guardian Angel’ that watches her sleep, and when she’s awake, all she sees are Demons, thanks to you.”

  “Demons?”

  “What, you think just because you brought her back it all went away? With every one of your visits, the numbers of attempts on her life have multiplied, and with those, more memories flood in her head.”

  “And what if they attack tonight? What can we do? We’re only human,” Gabriel chimed in.

  “I’ll sense an attack, but I can only flash short distances. I can pull off multiple flashes, but it can be draining. Depending on where she is, it may take me a while to get to her, and even then, I won’t be at my full strength. Should you need to act, hold on to him for dear life. The physical contact should drain him enough to level the playing field by the time I arrive.”

  “What about her Guardians?” I asked.

  “They got pulled off her detail when you came down. The big man didn’t want them confusing you with a threat.”

  “She’s completely unprotected?”

  “I’m all she has right now.”

  The more I heard, the more I knew I had made a huge mistake in my choice to come to Earth. My being here had put her in danger. A strange series of beeps came from outside, interrupting the conversation.

  “Your ride is here. Remember what I said. Don’t let Etta out of your sight tonight.” A large white mini-van idled in the driveway. Etta hopped out of the front passenger seat and into the back as we approached.

  “Benjamin, you’re up front.” Amy wore tight blue jeans and a short sleeved, yellow, frilly shirt that hugged her form. She stroked the seat next to her.

  “You look amazing,” he said, taking a little too much notice to her exposed cleavage.

  As I sat in the row of seats behind him, I noticed Etta’s outfit. Her attire consisted of black slacks that might as well have been painted on and a red and black striped corset that revealed too much skin for my liking.

  She had pulled her hair up into a curly mess atop of her head, and her shoulder length, silver dangling earrings didn’t quite distract me from the layers of paint on her face. As if she were unsatisfied with her attempt to look like a prostitute, she finished off her appearance with four-inch stiletto heels.

  “You’re going to the movies in that?” I’m sure my tone gave away my disapproval in her choice of wardrobe. Without answering, Etta climbed over the back of the seat to the third row behind me.

  “Oh, we’re going someplace much better.”

  “But you told John we were….”

  “Screw what we told my dad. If we told him we were going to a concert in D.C., y
ou think he’d let us go?”

  “A concert?” Gabriel inquired.

  “Not just any concert. An ILLnigma concert,” Amy added.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” My opinion fell on deaf ears as Amy turned up the radio in the van as she drove down the freeway. After forty-five long, grueling minutes on the road, we arrived at a parking garage. Feeling a chill as I stepped out of the van, I removed my over shirt and placed it on Etta’s bare shoulders.

  She quickly removed it. “What are you doing?”

  “It’s cold out. I thought you might like something a little warmer on.”

  “If I need to warm up, I will. Oh, here they come.” Etta pointed to a sleek black BMW M3 convertible as it squealed around the corner and took the parking spot next to us. As the over six-foot tall, older man stepped out of the vehicle, he pulled his black shoulder length, wavy locks back into a half ponytail. Etta approached him, twirling, arms outward, allowing him the whole spectacle of her outfit and everything it didn’t hide. If his whistle didn’t annoy me enough, their flirtatious hello certainly finished the job.

  I hadn’t prepared myself for watching another man wrap his arms around my Etta, pulling her into him. Before I lost my temper, a thin, ginger-haired, pale man interrupted their embrace.

  “I did not see this coming,” Gabriel said as I stood back, watching the four give each other rounds of hugs and hellos. It took a moment for the other men to notice us. Etta looked over her shoulder a few times, I imagined explaining our presence.

  “Oh hey, Tristan, this is Ramen and Benjamin. Benjamin and Ramen, this is our buddy Tristan. And over there, talking to Etta about math class finals, is Logan.” Amy blithely made the introductions.

  I ignored Tristan’s attempt at shaking my hand.

  “Are we ready to head inside?” Etta hollered. Everyone agreed. Wanting to figure out the situation between Etta and Tristan, Gabriel and I held back a few steps as we walked into an enormous packed theater.

  “It seems I have competition.” I pointed my chin at Tristan as he wrapped his arm around Etta’s upper back. “How old do you think he is?”

  “Late twenties, early thirties perhaps, but I don’t see any competition in him,” Gabriel replied.