My only complaint lay in the lack of visitors. Although it’d been several days, Gabe hadn’t tried to visit since he rushed out of here. I hated to admit it, but I was desperately missing the feel of his arms around me. The thought of never seeing him again made my gut twist with anguish, so I tried to keep him out of my thoughts. Not even my father had made an effort to contact me. It was as if the rest of the world had forgotten about my existence. All except for Manuel.
“You’re late,” I told him, making a straight line for the breakfast tray he’d left on the counter. Scrambled eggs piled high upon half a dozen slices of toast with peanut butter. My favorite. I stuffed a slice into my mouth and tried to talk as I chewed. “What’s going on up there?”
“Patrols have been tripled,” he said with a heavy sigh, raking a hand through his shortly cropped hair. “I just got off an early morning assignment. Ferals are flooding the forest. We’re having a hard time keeping up.”
A shard of toast caught in my throat and I choked. How was that possible? I hadn’t gone anywhere near the Hell Gate in several days. Surely, I couldn’t be affecting it all the way from here, if I was really some sort of key.
“Is everyone okay?” I gulped from the glass of milk he’d provided, clearing my throat.
There was one Nephilim warrior in particular who I knew to be a little too self-sacrificing. He wouldn’t think twice to put himself in danger to save a friend. Or me.
“Everyone is fine.” His eyes looked into mine and he furrowed his brow. “Yes, even Gabe. They’re taking all safety precautions necessary.”
I nodded gratefully. If there was one thing I appreciated about Manuel, he didn’t hold anything back. If something had gone wrong, I could count on him to tell me the truth.
“Now, shall we begin?” He gestured to the two mats he’d set up on the floor.
Scrambling to stuff another piece of toast in my mouth, I ran to the mat and plopped down. Gone were the days when I rolled my eyes at my trainer’s method of training. If spending an hour staring at the floor could help me control my demons, I was going to try my hardest.
“Close your eyes,” he said, settling onto his own mat. The knees of his khaki pants were scuffed and there was a brown smear on his gray t-shirt. He obviously hadn’t changed after his patrol in the woods. I was glad to see no bloodstains or wounds on his visible skin. “Feel the nothingness. Breathe deeply and lose yourself in the depths.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and attempted to block out the distractions of the room. Dim stars danced on the back of my eyelids as I licked my lips and breathed in. Clearing my mind had become nearly impossible these days. What with the worries about my demon heritage and the constant danger surrounding my loved ones, I struggled to reach that void that Manuel seemed so eager for me to occupy. Shifting uncomfortably on my tailbone, I urged my mind to get there for once.
“You’re not concentrating.” Manuel’s voice rumbled with a scolding tone. “Think about the nothingness.”
Squinting at him with one eye open, I resisted scowling and instead tried to refocus. This was important. Finding that peaceful part of my soul could be the key to destroying the demon. I had to try.
Relaxing my mind, I waited for the darkness to descend. A hollow noise filled my ears. Like a low wind through a long tunnel, it blew over me. Letting go of my physical attachments to this world, I tried to release and sink into the nothingness, as Manuel had taught. When I could no longer feel the ground beneath my body, I knew I had succeeded. Nothing was holding me back any longer. I could feel the nothingness.
Except, it wasn’t complete nothingness. A nagging feeling in the back of my mind told me that I wasn’t alone. Turning in the darkness of my head, I searched for the source of the unrest. Something was there, watching me. It felt dark and predatory. A lion hunting in the Savanna.
My eyes fell upon a dark mass that writhed in the nothingness of my mind. As I observed its shape, it became more solid, gathering until the smoky ethereal mass formed a human body. Except it wasn’t human. It resembled the shadow of a human, lacking features and details that would’ve made it unique.
The closer I looked at it, the more I realized that the features it did possess seemed to mirror my own. The writhing mass had long dark hair, stood at my height, and had copied my athletic physique. I reached out to touch it and it did the same. Our fingertips grazed, sending a painful shock through my body in tremendous waves. It hissed and recoiled, retreating into a corner.
Shaking my injured hand, I glared at the creature. “What are you?”
It tilted its head to one side. Its mouth parted slightly, revealing a black hole. “I am you, of course.”
Its voice was ragged and sharp, but definitely female. A presence completely free of my own conscious. My demon. The very part of me that had caused all this trouble and heartache. I hated its very existence.
“Leave me alone,” I said, turning my back on it.
Walking a few steps into the nothingness, I paused and listened for its retreat. Nothing. Peering over my shoulder, I saw the demon lingering only feet behind me, its sightless eyes gazing at me.
“Seriously, I don’t want you here.” I turned to face it once again. My cheeks felt hot as the blood rushed to my face. “You’re nothing but a parasite. And when I find a way, I’m going to kill you off.”
“You can’t kill me.” It chuckled, low and gruff. The sound of it reminded me of the slow grind of a train’s wheels as it came to a stop. “We are one in the same. You kill me, you kill yourself.”
Tossing my head back, I turned on my heel to walk away again. Despite my passive expression, fear had begun to boil up inside me. What if it was right? What if I couldn’t get rid of it? Maybe I’d be part demon forever.
“We’ll find a way,” I shot over my shoulder. I could feel it following me. “Don’t get comfy. Your time is coming.”
“My time is coming,” it gleefully repeated. Its words made me stop my retreat. “The time is coming for the Prince of Hell to escape his bonds and rule this world. He will crush those who oppose him. And he will come for me—freeing me from this prison. You’ll find out soon enough.”
The demon raked its nails across my back, the agony causing me to scream hysterically. I turned and fought against it as my wrists were pulled into a vice. Kicking out with my feet, I made contact with its nose and felt something snap. A light came on somewhere and I shielded my eyes from the brightness, blinded momentarily.
By the time my eyes had adjusted, I realized I was back in the Westward Manor dungeon. Manuel crouched next to me, his hands covering his face. Blood poured from his nose and down onto his t-shirt, blossoming into a crimson bloom. He grimaced at me and walked away. Grabbing a towel from the counter top, he looked up at the ceiling and dabbed at the mess.
“I’m so sorry, Manuel,” I cried, launching myself to his side.
He waved his hand at me, telling me to stay away. I kept my distance and watched mournfully as he gingerly squeezed along the bridge of his nose.
“You broke it,” he slurred in his heavy Spanish accent.
“You’ve got to believe me, I didn’t know it was you.” I bit at my bottom lip, scared at what his reaction was going to be. Would he stop training me because of my outburst?
“It’s no use,” he said, wincing as he spat out some blood into the towel. His brow furrowed with pain. “There go my good looks. I’m ruined.”
I stared wide-eyed at him for an entire ten seconds before he broke out into a grin, his teeth bloody. Realizing that he had been joking, I pouted out my lower lip and punched him in the shoulder. Jerk. Storming away, I dropped myself into one of the cushy armchairs and crossed my arms. This was no time to be joking. We had a serious problem on our hands.
“I met my demon half in the nothingness,” I told him.
His eyebrows raised and the grin melted from his face. “And what was it like?”
“Dark. Evil. And smart. It talked about the coming
Prince of Hell. It can’t wait for him to squash me like a bug.”
Manuel dropped the towel and moved to the chair across from me. “Did it attack you?”
“Yes.” I reached under my t-shirt to feel for the claw marks. My skin remained unbroken, but warm to the touch. “It didn’t like my threats. When it touched me, it hurt. Kind of like grabbing a live wire with your bare hands.”
He considered me for a moment, bringing the tips of his fingers together. Now that the blood flow had begun to decrease, I could see the slightest curve in his nose that wasn’t there before. I’d definitely broken it.
“You should get that checked out before it heals,” I said, pointing to his nose. “They might be able to save your good looks after all.”
He waved the thought away and frowned. “This has been an interesting session. I believe we can learn much through these meditations. Tomorrow, we will attempt contact again.”
I opened my mouth to retort. Today hadn’t exactly been a picnic. If my demon could hurt me like that with one little swipe of its claws, there was no telling what it could really do. A big part of me wanted to just avoid contact.
The old me would’ve left it alone. Avoided conflict. Of course, that was before the old me came across what I thought was an injured demon in the forest. Look where that got me...
Reluctantly, I nodded at Manuel. As much as I didn’t like the idea, he would guide me through it. I could trust his leadership.
Pleased with my cooperation, he migrated toward the heavy duty steel door that kept me prisoner in the dungeon. With a sigh, he knocked on it three times and waited for the guard to open it.
“There’s one last thing,” he said with a flick of his hand. A few droplets of blood flung from his fingers. “It’s better if you hear this from me. With the major increase of demons escaping the Hell Gate, the village of Hanna has become unsafe. A majority of their residents took up refuge in your human cities. However, a small band of them have deigned to call Westward Manor home until this situation is resolved.”
My eyes narrowed as I stared at him. “Does that mean...?”
“Yes.” He nodded curtly. “Your grandmother is here.”
I wouldn’t believe it. The last place on Earth I’d expect Granny to run to would be a Nephilim fortress. Luke and Gabe wouldn’t allow it. I wouldn’t allow it, either.
Over my dead body.
Chapter Twelve
The knock at my prison door several days later nearly gave me a heart attack. A guard had already dropped off my supper for the evening and I wasn’t expecting another training session with Manuel until tomorrow. Besides, none of my guards even bothered knocking before they came trouncing into my cell. It was another perk of the dungeon suite. No guarantee of privacy.
“Hello?” Treading softly toward the door, I listened carefully.
With news of the feral attacks increasing out there, one couldn’t be too careful. But then again, I sincerely doubted ferals would have the decency to knock before entering. And I was weaponless. They couldn’t trust a demonic freak like me with even a tiny silver dagger. I didn’t stand a chance either way.
“Who is it?” I asked, swinging the door ajar.
Two sets of eyes stared at me from the other side. In the millisecond it took me to blink, I realized who they belonged to. With a squeal, I launched myself into Raquel’s arms and smiled at Ashley over her shoulder.
“I’ve missed you, roomie.” Raquel’s voice was muffled as I suffocated her against my shoulder.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
She had no idea how much I missed the soft buzz of her snores at night, her trashy TV shows, and the girl talk that would keep us awake into the early hours of the morning. I never wanted to live alone again. Not after this. Nothing was as lonely as this dungeon.
“You’re alive.” Ashley threw her hair over her shoulder and smirked. Placing one manicured hand on her hip, she fixed me with her skeptical gaze. “We were worried they’d already carried out your execution. Guess you’re sticking around.”
“Guess so,” I replied wryly. Coming from Ashley, that was almost a love ballad. I guess I’d have to take what I could get. “You’re not getting soft without me to compete with up there, are you?”
“Not a chance.” She marched past me, into my quarters. With a disdainful toss of her head, she snorted and turned a circle. “Is this it? How do you survive?”
“One day at a time.”
Rolling my eyes at Raquel, I led her in and gave them the grand tour. Four individual cells in total, mine included. The main living and eating area. And the guard observatory station which had been left empty since the day I got here.
I guess they trusted me enough to give me that much privacy. But I knew there was always a guard on duty, just outside that thick metal door, listening to my daily activities. I wasn’t truly ever alone. And yet, that made me feel all the more lonely.
Once the tour was complete, I squirmed awkwardly next to the kitchen table and pressed my lips into a thin line. Two sandwiches weren’t going to be enough to feed my guests. And I’d finished the protein bars Manuel had dropped off this morning.
“Uh...I’d offer you something to eat for supper, but all I have is what they brought me an hour ago.” I pointed to my food tray. “Not exactly appetizing.”
“That’s okay.” Raquel clapped her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet. “We’re here to escort you to dinner. You get a reprieve.”
“A reprieve?” I looked to Ashley for help. “What does she mean?”
A small smile curved her lips into something almost pleasant. “She means, we finally convinced Silvia to give you a little break from the dungeons. It’s only for an hour, but it’s something. Enough time to break you out of this hole.” She lifted her nose as her eyes swept the place. “I really don’t know how you survive.”
My mouth fell open the slightest bit as I soaked in what she said. They were letting me out, after two weeks spent pacing the same tile floors, wondering what was going on out there.
I’d take an hour. Heck, I’d take five minutes. Just enough time to reassure myself that the world hadn’t imploded since I’d been imprisoned and my life turned upside down.
“Are you sure that’s safe?” I asked, holding onto the back of a chair. For everything pulling me toward the exit, there was an equally opposing force warning me to hang back.
“No one’s going to hurt you,” Raquel offered, her eyes growing wide. “I promise.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
I’d only just discovered the demon inside of me. With Manuel’s daily meditation sessions, I’d made contact several times during the time I’d been down here. So far, we’d established that she had the ability to lash out at me. Temporarily hurt me. But who knew if she could do more?
What if she took control? It was what she longed for. I could feel it every time I made contact—her urge to finally be rid of me. She was an unwilling passenger in my body, along for the ride. It was only a matter of time before she tried to push me out.
“We’re going to make sure it’s safe,” Ashley said, stepping forward, her eyes flashing. She lifted up the bottom of her golden blouse just enough to let me catch a glimpse of a silver dagger strapped to her belt. She frowned at me, meaning in her eyes. “I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep the innocent safe.”
Lifting my chin, I nodded at her, grateful for her presence. If there was one thing I could count on about Ashley, it was her fearsome take-no-prisoners attitude. If something went wrong, she’d put me down. No hesitations. It was better that way. I’d hate to hurt someone. Especially someone I loved. I couldn’t let the demon do that.
“Let’s go,” Raquel said, jumping up and down. The white skin of her belly played peek-a-boo beneath a short and very tight t-shirt with a picture of the Cookie Monster on the chest. “The clock’s ticking.”
They led the way out the door. I half expected for Silvia or
her man-power, Oscar, to stop me at the exit. Tell me it was a mistake. But no guard stood duty and no one was there to tell me to turn around.
We ascended the stairs and pushed through the door that led to the grand entryway. The dim light of evening filtered in through the soft drapes that covered the windows. I relished the natural light as it hit my skin. Despite my fears, the manor looked exactly the same as it did two weeks ago. The feral demons hadn’t overrun and burned it to the ground. A tense breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding released from my chest.
A few Nephilim scurried up and down the stairs, but no one seemed to have noticed me. I grasped for Ashley’s wrist and squeezed, pulling her aside for a quick word.
“Does everyone...?”
“Know about your demon side?” she finished. The muscles of her arms tensed beneath my fingers. “Not yet. It’s only on a need-to-know basis. They all think you’ve been part of a special training program with Manuel—an isolation training program.”
I nodded. Good to know not everyone hated me. Yet.
“And Gabe?”
I wasn’t sure if I could handle seeing him right now. Not with the way things had ended between us. My body ached for his touch. I wanted nothing more than to talk to him again. To see his face light up with that smile reserved only for me. And his lips—how I wanted to press mine against his. Just the thought of it brought heat to my stomach. But those were no longer privileges I deserved. Until this dark entity inside my soul was scrubbed clean, we couldn’t be together. That was that. Seeing him would only make it harder on the both of us.
“He’s on patrol,” Ashley whispered. “With Adam. They’ll be gone until late this evening.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about.
The girls led me into the massive manor dining hall. A few dozen circular tables dotted the room, alongside a line of rectangular tables loaded up with a tantalizing selection of food. My mouth began to drool at the sight of them. The scent of the buffet hit my nostrils and I moaned. The aroma of every herb and spice danced in my sinuses, followed up by the scent of baked goods for dessert. They hadn’t exactly starved me in the dungeon, but there was nothing compared to a Nephilim buffet line. My stomach growled at the sight of it.
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