I whirled around as soon as I stepped outside. “This! This is what you were trying to warn me about,” I accused him. “Did you know they were together?”
“What? No, of course not! I …” he sighed. “At least now we know who the demon is.”
I snarled at him. “Oh, you think?”
“Wynn…”
Just then, Ryan came out the door behind us, looking confused and hurt. “You’re leaving?”
“Ryan, you can’t be serious. You’ve got to break up with her.”
“What? No way, Charley’s great. I’ve never been happier. I thought this is what you wanted. I’ve moved on, now we can be friends.”
“No, I'm afraid we can't. There’s something you don’t know about her — she’s dangerous.”
Ryan rolled his eyes at me and said, “Because she’s a demon?”
I stared at him for a moment dumbfounded, then exploded at him, “You knew? You’ve been dating a demon for the last three months and never once thought to bring up that once crucial detail?”
His yellow aura swirled with anger as we were talking. “Of course I knew! I thought you and Charley would really hit it off. You have a lot in common with her. You’re a demon, she’s a demon. She was so excited to meet you. I thought you of all people would understand.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Ryan took a step back, surprised and dejected by the curtness of my rejection when he responded, “I’m sorry you feel that way. Give me a call when you’re ready to talk.”
He turned to go back inside, and Caleb touched him on the shoulder in a conciliatory manner. “Hey, man. Sorry about that.”
Ryan nodded with a sigh and opened the door to go back inside where Charlene and Patrick were waiting.
As soon as he left I turned to Caleb with my arms crossed in front of my chest and demanded, “What was that all about? Were you just apologizing for me?”
Caleb sighed. “Babe, I’m just trying to smooth things over. It’s a tough position to be in.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s dating a demon!”
He raised an eyebrow to challenge me and waited for the “whoops” of my statement to sink in. His blue eyes were clear and sharply intelligent, able to see right through the chinks in my armor if he wanted to. Once I realized what I said, I felt my cheeks get hot, not from embarrassment, but adrenaline. “No, please,” he encouraged. “What were you about to say?”
“I just … that’s not fair. It’s different with you and me.”
“Why?”
When I opened my mouth to speak, none of the words would come. My arguments weren’t based in reason, it was emotional.
Caleb came towards me when he saw that I was struggling and said, “Maybe you should try not to be so hard on her. Of all the demons in the underworld, she was the one who wanted to leave. Doesn’t that say anything to you?”
“OR,” I countered instantly, “she was sent here by Aidan to spy on me and is using Ryan to make that happen.”
“Honestly, I think you’re overreacting.”
“Why is it that just because I’m emotionally invested that means my argument is invalid?” I demanded furiously. “Yes, maybe I’m overreacting but that’s because I take this seriously. Don’t you remember the first thing you told me about witches? It’s not power that makes people dangerous, it’s their nature. I don’t care if she has powers, that girl is evil and I don’t want her hanging around my friend.”
Caleb sighed, “When I became human I lost most of my powers, which means she probably doesn't have any either. She's just a sad, lonely girl who wants to make friends like you do. I—”
“Some people are opportunistic, Caleb. Especially demons. You’re being naïve.”
He scoffed at my implication. “Are you actually trying to school me on something I already know? You’ve encountered, what four Demon Lords? That’s hardly makes you an expert, dear. I’ve been fighting demons for centuries.”
“I still don’t like it,” I insisted firmly.
He took a step back, drawing away from me, and said, “Okay, you’re obviously upset. I’m sorry. I’ll let you be alone to try and sort out … whatever this is you’re going through. Give me a call when you’re ready to talk.”
His words were kind and apologetic, but what I saw in his eyes was, “I respect you, and I fear you, and I’m going to walk away now.”
I wanted to kick myself for making him feel like that — I didn’t want him to be afraid of me. He leaned down to kiss me on the cheek, seeming morose and not wanting to incur my wrath any further, then started going home. I crossed the parking lot towards Riverside Hall, fuming the entire way.
My feet were aching by the time I made it back, and up three flights of stairs. Once I was in my room, and the door was shut behind me, I called out to my sister, hoping there was something she could do to help. “Elyse!” I called out into the night. “Elyse, I need you!”
There was the now familiar fluttering of angelic wings, and a flash of light before Elyse and one other figure materialized in my room. “Wynn, what’s wrong?”
“The men in my life have gone crazy, that’s what!” I fumed at her angrily. “I’m the only one seeing reason. Did you know there was another demon wandering around Tuscaloosa?”
“Oh … I was afraid that might happen. I hope you’re not angry, but I brought Seroquel with me.”
I glanced at the figure standing next to her and recognized the matronly figure immediately. They both shared the angelic blue aura that marked them as part of the divine race. “Oh ... I, um … of course, I apologize, Great One. I’m just a little taken aback that’s all.”
Seroquel smiled, her kind blue eyes crinkling slightly around the edges. A pale gray veil covered her light brown hair and fell around her shoulders; she reminded me of the Virgin Mary. Something about her made me feel loved and safe, it was lovely and sweet. “That’s quite all right, my dear. And please, call me Sera.”
I smiled tightly. “Sera…”
“Now what’s this about another demon?”
“Her name’s Charlene, and apparently, she’s dating Ryan.”
“Oh, we already knew about her,” Seroquel told me. “And I can assure you, she’s not a threat.”
“NOT A THREAT?”
Elyse cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Listen, Caleb’s old companion, Maya, she left the Order. She’s gone rogue.”
A chill crept up my spine as she said it and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, remembering what Caleb told me. He’d told me she was near hysterical when he left and was dragged away during his trial. That must have been the start of the downward spiral from which she’d never recovered. Now I felt even guiltier and wrong-footed for having yelled at Caleb.
“What do you mean?” I asked them carefully.
“It means she’s officially a fallen angel.”
“What’s that?”
“Bad news,” she informed me seriously. “That kind of training, mixed with a sense of righteous indignation on a vicious rampage is a lethal combination.”
“So why are the Elders warning me about this, when they didn’t seem to care at all when I was attacked by Lucifer a few weeks ago?” I asked her flatly. “I’m still on probation, am I not? Why didn’t they send someone to stop him?”
“Michael has been barred from appointing another Guardian since you sent away your last one,” Elyse informed me. “He took that as a slight, and truthfully many of the others don’t seem to care.”
“Caleb says you want me to fail,” I told them bitterly.
“That may be true,” Seroquel conceded. “But while I can’t speak for the others, I for one am an ally. So is Raphael, he’s been advocating on your behalf.”
“Raphael?”
Seroquel laughed softly and responded, “Oh, he’s hilarious. I think you’d quite enjoy him, but for now let’s talk about those visions. What can you tell me about them?”
“Um, I can try. It started a
fter my test with Mammon, he wanted to give me something. I didn’t know what to ask for, so I asked for knowledge. Ever since then I’ve seen things, visions of people. It’s like I’m right there watching it happen. One time I saw Caleb, I asked him about it. He said that because Mammon is a djinni, he would try to trick me.”
“Well, Caleb is right. Mammon is a djinni, of course he’s going to twist things for his advantage — you knew that. You may have asked for knowledge, but the djinni gets to interpret what that means. Not all knowledge is good, and it can be manipulated with half-truths if you only know part of the story. Lucifer manipulated that exact power and used it against you the night Elyse died. Anything that comes from a demon is guaranteed to have strings attached, it’s a double-edged sword. However, since you asked for them, there’s nothing I can do. What I’m concerned about it is the Cassandra Complex,” she told us solemnly, casting Elyse a sideways glance.
My sister appeared just as confused as I was.
Sensing our confusion, Seroquel stood up and put on a somewhat formal air. “She was an oracle in Greece who foresaw the downfall of Troy. Naturally, she tried to warn them, but no one listened to what she had to say. Knowing the truth of what was happening and having the complete inability to stop it drove her to an early grave — it drove her mad. By the end of her life, she was screaming at them, trying to make them understand, but they thought she was crazy.”
I swallowed hard. “What an awful way to go.”
“I want you to try something,” she urged. “I want you to clear your mind and try to infiltrate my mind. See if you can find something from my past and bring it up.”
“You want me to do what?”
“We need to find out whether or not these visions are something happening to you, or if you’re somehow bringing them about yourself. That’s important.”
“Okay…” I muttered slowly. “Here goes nothing.”
I cleared my mind of everything and took a few deep, calming breaths. By sheer force of will, I tried to possess the woman’s head and was frustratingly disappointed. I rolled my neck to the side and cracked my neck, determined to try again.
You can do this.
The second time I tried, it gave me a headache. “Take your time,” she soothed me.
I breathed out and allowed my mind to clear. It felt like my spirit had left its body and was being pulled out of my head. It was light and weightless, making me dizzy before I concentrated harder and focused that energy to Seroquel. I could see her in my mind’s eye, sitting before me exactly the way she had been. Then we were transferred to another place I had never seen before.
There was some resistance as my vision fought through layers of internalized repression and I could see into Seroquel’s mind. It was like cutting through fog, and I couldn’t make sense of it at first. An invisible force kept trying to kick me out, and I was constantly hanging on to keep the connection open.
The air felt thick, and my breathing was shallow as I looked around the foreign land her memories took us to. It was green and overgrown with trees and shrubbery. Ruins of an ancient fortress were covered in mossy growth and scattered within a surrounding wall. It was clear that time and nature had reclaimed this place as its own and was not inhabited by the world of men. Through the portcullis door to the outside, I could see a dark and foreboding mist, creeping through the trees.
I stepped over to the stone wall and brushed my hand against the mystic carvings which had been chiseled into its surface. It felt familiar somehow, like I’d been here before. Confused, I looked out into what once must have been a courtyard and saw a magnificent tree. It had leaves as red as flame and white bark that stood in brilliant contrast to the surrounding foliage.
Five angelic warriors stood guarding the sacred tree with flaming scimitars in their hands.
It’s the Garden of Eden, I realized suddenly.
My mouth fell open as I looked around the hallowed place to see what had become of human’s origin. It was still unbelievably beautiful and overrun with plants and trees, but there was no sign of any wildlife. The only creatures I saw were the Cherubim which had been sent to guard the tree. In the distance, I heard two women talking and went in search of where to find them. It didn’t take me long before I saw Seroquel gliding peacefully on top of the ruins wall, with a woman’s figure by her side.
Using my demonic powers, I blinked onto the ledge beside them so I could listen to their conversation. As soon as I appeared beside them, I realized the other woman was in fact made of earth herself. Instead of skin, it looked as if she had been carved out of earth and clay. Her hair was made of leaves, and her cold and lifeless eyes were nothing more than what you’d find on a statue. Yet, she walked and talked as well as I could, and more importantly, seemed to have an intimate relationship with Sera.
They were friends — you could see in the way they interacted with one another and the familiar conversation that flowed between them. “And how is Michael fairing?” the woman asked her casually. “Is he still busy training the new recruits?”
Seroquel smiled. “A never-ending project, I’m afraid. The Guardians work is never done. As long as forces of evil seek to corrupt the world of men, we will forever be bound to protect them.”
The woman nodded, placing her hands behind her back and looking out across the forest and the endless depths of the world beyond. Something in her eyes was sad as Seroquel placed her hand upon her shoulder. “Lilith?”
“It’s nothing,” she insisted. “But at times it feels quite lonely here.”
Sera frowned and wrapped her arms around the creature in a warm embrace. “I know, my dear. I know.”
When she spoke, Seroquel gazed right through me as if she knew I was there. It chilled me to the bone that across time and space she could sense me, witnessing their familial bond. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I felt the vision fading, and I lost my grip on connecting to her memory. I was pulled away and came reeling back into the present with Sera watching me curiously beneath the infinite blue orbs of her crystal eyes. “That’s quite an impressive gift you have,” she informed me bluntly. “It’s an interesting phenomenon to be on the giving end for once, instead of the receiving.”
“Thank you…?”
“From what I can tell, it’s not a burden that’s being placed on you, it’s the other way around.”
“I’m not sure I see the difference.”
“Well, rather than have these visions happening to you, you are in fact the one who is retrieving the information yourself. It must be triggered by strong emotion. Your mind actively searches for pieces of information and pulls it out by force of will. If you want them to stop happening, I suggest you disconnect from others and try to remain calm. Heightened emotion will only make things worse.”
I sighed. “Ah, oh good, controlling my emotions is something I’m an expert at,” I mumbled sarcastically.
Seroquel smiled. “Well, I must be off — I have other duties to attend to. Be careful and keep any eye out if you catch wind of anything regarding Maya. Remember, Lucifer himself was no more than a fallen angel.”
Aidan, I thought to myself bitterly.
Elyse cleared her throat as she glanced briefly at my shoulder with sisterly concern. “He tried to mark you,” she whispered softly. “If Maya knows why Caleb left, then she’ll come after you as well. Angels that have left the Order are not bound by the same laws we are. They disregard law and order, becoming vigilantes that take justice into their own hands.”
I wasn’t used to seeing Elyse frightened, she was always so calm and tranquil, but her aura swelled with fear on my behalf.
“I know,” I told her calmly.
“No, you don’t! Maya thinks she’s right, she’s a true believer, that makes her more dangerous than some of the Demon Lords you’ve already met.” As she spoke, her clear blue aura shifted to a darker hue. I wasn’t as familiar with the angelic pigment, but it wasn’t encouraging ... in fact, it ma
de me nervous.
“Okay, I promise to be careful. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”
Seroquel nodded and shimmered from the bedroom before I had the chance to thank her. I turned towards my sister and said, “Elyse, I need you to do something for me.”
“Sure.”
“I need you to find out more about Charlene.”
Elyse sighed. “No can do, sweetheart. I’m not getting involved with this, but for the record, I agree with Caleb.”
I felt a childish sting of shock and betrayal that she didn’t come to my side immediately and agree with the looming threat. None of them made any sense to me and it felt like I was screaming into the void. Elyse disappeared, and I was left alone, gaping at the empty sidewalk before deciding to go inside.
~ * ~
Three hours later I was tossing and turning in my bed, thinking about what she said.
The fan circulated cool air throughout the room, but I still felt hot and uncomfortable. Angrily I threw the covers off and laid my head back against the pillow, frustrated with the blankets.
What’s wrong with me? I wondered to myself. What’s wrong with them? And what is Ryan’s damage that he’s attracted to such dangerous women? First me, and now another demon? Come on, that got to be more than just coincidence, it’s his type.
I couldn't understand why Ryan and Caleb were so blindly accepting of Charley’s intrusion into our lives, so I let it fester a little longer. It's the same loving acceptance they had extended to me as well, that I was grateful for each and every day. Even Elyse had sided with them, was I so wrong to be cautious?
You’re being judgmental and cruel, my subconscious pricked at me. Heaven knew I was in no place to be passing judgment.
God damn it, now I know she's here. I can’t exactly ignore it.
Angrily, I stomped out into the kitchen to make myself some tea — it always managed to calm my nerves. I grabbed a mug from the cupboard as the water heated on the stove and crossed my arms in front of my chest with a vicious scowl. For whatever reason, I couldn’t make up my mind about whether she was an enemy or ally — it was upsetting. I didn’t like doubting myself.
The Devil's Due (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 2) Page 9
