"We should run," Aaron said.
"No, wait," Eden said. "It’s going to try to herd us somewhere, I think."
"Are you sure?" Yuri asked, withdrawing his broadsword from the sheath at his waist and sounding panicked.
"No," Eden said, "but I am equally certain this demon is smarter than any of us. I've seen what those dark shadow demons can do, and they were small compared to him."
A long, tall shadow grew taller on the side of a sea shanty. She heard cackling.
"What's the matter?" the demon asked, mimicking her mom's voice. "You sound scared."
Her friends glanced at her, but she ignored them. She had to think. Now. She had to keep herself and the others from being assembled.
"Don't you want to come and apologize?" the demon said. "Or do you want me to tell your friends about how horrible you were to your poor, dear mom?"
Eden strained to not remember that awful night and the horrible things she had said. It was the only moment of her life she wished she could take back, but she couldn't… But no, she shouldn't be thinking about it now. I have to figure out this demon's plan. Have to.
"Admit it. You are too selfish and immature to bring me along," the demon said, mimicking Eden's voice now instead. "You were always like that. You've always made it perfectly clear you've never wanted me. Well, guess what? Maybe I don't want you either."
Her friends gasped.
"I hate you. I hope you die!" the demon yelled in her voice.
The memory was so vivid she tightened her hand her hand on the sheath of her sword. If she could have, she would have cried — but as a soul, she’d lost that ability. She could feel the pain, but she couldn't shed the tears.
"I loved my mother!" Eden screamed. "I did!"
There was silence and then high-pitched laughter. The demon took on its own deep, sickening, voice again. "She died because you killed her. She died because she was thinking of you when she was driving. If she hadn't been, she would have gotten out of the way in time."
"It's not true," she said, though the fear had always been present foremost in her mind. "It isn't."
"You killed your mother, Eden Schmidt," the demon said. "It is all your fault, just like you feared it was. How does it make you feel?"
"Shut up!" Eden screamed.
Ripping out her sword, Eden lunged forward only to be caught around the waist by Yuri. She swung, focusing on the shadow by the sea shanty. Yuri turned her around and kicked the sword out of her hand. As he pressed her head against his shoulder, she thought about her mother. Did her mom truly blame her?
Though Yuri tried to protect her, she heard the dark shadow cackle in response to her reaction. She tightened her grip on his jacket and pushed him away. No. She was not weak. She had faced Asag on her own; she would not let a pushy demon get in her way. This monster was small compared to what she would have to face later, and she would not let God, her friends, Yuri, or her mom down. It was the beauty of being a human soul. She could always make up for what she had done in the past, no matter how much it hurt. It was something a demon could not understand.
"There is nothing you can say to hurt me," she said. "Demons only have as much power as we give them."
"Is that so?" the demon said in his own voice again — a deep, low booming. A blurry shadow moved to the right and then was gone.
On the ground in front of them, a massive shadow formed with long claws. The being rose and became a massive figure in front of her. The demon loomed over her in his physical darkness and Eden compared him to the white mist figures she had seen earlier. She looked down at her lamp and tried to extend its glow toward the demon, but unlike with the Raiders mist, the light did not harm him. She realized then those mist figures had still been Raiders, even when controlled by their demon lords. It was not the case here. This was a true demon, even if it was a minor one. A little light would not harm it.
"Now you see me," the demon said. "Now you don't."
It disappeared into the shadow between two broken-down shanties. She shone the light on the demon in confusion and then moved to face the main city. She could chase down the demon, or she could search for Thema; she opted for the latter. "Come on," Eden said, waving her friends forward. "He's just a shadow. Ignore him and look for Thema."
Aaron said, "But, Eden—"
"We can't win against him," she said. "I don't intend to try. Right now, saving the world is more important than he is."
"Eden…" Aaron blew out a trembling sigh.
As the group progressed, Eden felt nervous every time she saw the demon shadow dart across her path. She forced herself to ignore it. This time, I will not be tricked. I won't let a demon like this enter my thoughts. I'll try to fight it. I've learned my lesson.
As she walked, she noticed the speed and urgency of the demon’s movements got stronger. He began to appear in the shadows directly in front of her, a physical being; she ignored him and walked around him. There was the sound of loud, guttural growling and the demon appeared directly in front of her again.
"What are you doing?" the demon said.
She did not say a word and continued to walk around his shadow.
With another growl and then a wild, angered hiss, the demon hovered closer and loomed over her. Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him. She heard her friends slow. His breath smelled sour, as if he had chewed upon rotten flesh. She saw his long arm extend toward her, but it was like attempting not to notice the beams of a fast approaching car.
The demon reached for her, grasped her arm, and she was shocked that he was strong. When she tried to raise her sword, the demon dragged her toward him and enveloped her in an embrace of darkness. In the demon's arms, she felt cold and sick. The smell of sulfur filled her lungs. She struggled to get away, but she couldn’t.
"No more playing," the demon said. "I am taking you to my master. He has been waiting a long time to capture you."
"Don't," Eden said.
With an evil cackle, the demon squeezed her and caused pain to fill her soul. She screamed and tossed back her head, struggling. The sound of water filled her ears. No. I will not be defeated by a minor demon. Not after I defeated Asag. Just when she thought she might implode, Yuri thrust his sword straight into the demon's eye. The demon didn't gasp or groan or scream. Instead his head reformed as if the sword meant nothing.
She dug around in her pocket, pulled out her bottle of holy water, and threw it in the demon's face. The demon let out a high-pitched scream she was certain every Satan Spawn within a ten mile radius heard. She pushed the demon's arms away and fell to the ground where Adanna and Yuri seized her and yanked her backward against the wall of the sea shanty.
"Agares will not like it if I let you get away," the demon said. "You are meant to be his."
Suddenly, the demon was gone. Eden felt two cold hands grasp her thin waist and she smelled the same sour breath. She shut her eyes and shuddered. Oh, no. He's appearing behind me. She groaned and attempted to move forward, but his grip was too strong.
"I think you're scared." The demon breathed into her ear as Yuri and Adanna swung their weapons at the shadows, which did nothing. "I love fear. I love fear so much I wish to drink the emotion from you."
The demon released a shaky exhale like the wanting sigh of a lover. She willed herself to be brave, but the cold, shadowy hands around her waist made it impossible. She had defeated Asag, hadn't she? What was the matter with her now? She struggled to get away, pulling and tugging with all her might. The demon cackled and held on tighter. He then shoved her against the shanty wall.
Then the impossible happened. The darkness began to overcome her eyes, her mouth, everything. It was like being smothered in tar. Before the darkness stole her sight, she stretched out her hand toward Yuri, who desperately grabbed her.
"Eden! Eden, no," Yuri said. "Let her go, demon!"
She heard the sound of yelling, something cold went through her, and then she heard loud screeching. The arms, which had been pul
ling her backward, disappeared. Yuri wrenched her forward again, and she sprawled on her stomach, stunned. When she rolled onto her back and gazed at the sky, she felt relief. I can see again. I can see. Yet the question of what had occurred burned like a bonfire in her mind.
As Yuri helped her to her feet, she saw a man with golden skin and black hair chasing back the shadow demon with holy water. The demon screeched and fell back into the darkest alleyway and cowered beyond her sight. She could not even make out his luminescent irises anymore.
"I hate those demons," she said. "This is the second time I got trapped by one."
"So did I," Yuri said.
"Well, when were you ever well-known for smart ideas?" a familiar voice said from behind her. "Looks like nothing has changed. You still need me to help you every step of the way."
Eden's mouth dropped open and she thought, Thema. This is Thema. A massive grin crossed Adanna's face and she turned around. Eden turned too. Adanna sprang into Thema's arms, but since the girl was so small and thin compared to her tall sister, the two of them fell to the ground entangled. It was hard to even see her old friend beneath the sea of Adanna's curly black hair. If Eden had not just been attacked by a shadow demon, maybe she would have smiled. Instead she could not manage it, though she did feel relief and was glad her friend was okay. A curtain of darkness was over her heart.
"I take it you two know each other," Yuri said, gazing down at the two sisters. His tense jaw gave away his stress level.
"Oh, yeah," Eden said. "She's the girl I was searching for. I'm so glad she's safe. If only she was one of my souls."
As Eden watched Thema and Adanna hug each other, she felt the darkness within her leave. There was so much love between the two of them. So much. Warmth filled her heart, but she could not help but look down the alleyway and into the darkness.
The dark-haired man re-appeared from the alleyway and ran toward them. His eyes met Eden's at once. He skidded to a stop next to their group and then glanced down at Thema and Adanna.
"Looks like she finally found her sister," the man said.
After leaping to her feet, Thema grabbed her sister's hand and pulled her up. Thema walked over to Eden and gave her a hug. Eden sighed with relief that her friend was all right and hugged her back.
"I'm so glad we found you, Thema," Eden said. "You have no idea how worried I was about you."
"You were worried?" Thema rolled her eyes. "I was the one who was worried. Adanna has never been without me, and you—" Thema poked her finger against Eden's chest. "You could somehow find trouble in the middle of a peace rally. I didn't know how long I was going to have to wait or whether you would come back at all."
"I'm sorry I worried you." Eden squeezed her arm. "If it makes you feel any better, I missed you."
"Just don't leave me again." Thema gave Eden one last squeeze.
After she stepped away from Eden, she hugged Aaron and sent a questioning look at Jared and Yuri, who she had never met.
"Okay, who is the guy who saved us?" Aaron asked. "Thanks for that, by the way. Eden was a goner."
The man sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "My name is Edward. It's nice to meet you. Though I don't think Gabriel is the best place for introductions. Thema, let's take your friends back to our camp, shall we?"
Thema nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to be in Gabriel a minute longer than necessary these days. As you can see, it's dangerous here."
****
Eden, her friends, and Edward sat in the woods with Raider lamps set all around them. The dead, barren trees did little to conceal their presence, and she kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see the red eyes of a dark shadow or some other worse demon she had yet to be introduced to. She wondered whether the demons could track her presence. If they could, then she wasn't the only one in big trouble — her friends were too.
"Eden, aren't you happy to see me at all?" Thema asked, bringing her back from her thoughts. "Aaron told me all about your little adventure, but you've hardly said a word all this time."
As Eden and Yuri sat on a log, he placed his hand on top of hers, gazing at her with concern in his green eyes. It appeared Thema, even after their prolonged absence, had also noticed the change in her personality. She appeared concerned too.
"I'm just worried," Eden said. "We aren't well concealed out here, are we?"
Edward regarded her with a cocked head. "We move all the time. We've done our best to keep the Raider lamps hidden by the trees."
How did he meet Thema? She was grateful he had saved her, but no one had told her why he was with the girl.
"I see," Eden said. "Thema never told me why the two of you are together."
"I don't know myself," Thema said, gazing at him. It wasn't the look of a girl in love, just blatant curiosity. "I felt drawn to him, I guess. There used to be a group of us, but the demons got to them. He didn't have a goal besides self-protection, and I just had to keep myself safe until you guys came back. We kind of just ended up together."
Nodding, Edward turned and stared at her. "At first, I didn't believe Thema when she said she was friends with you."
Eden glanced from side to side, expecting him to be talking to somebody else. The way he addressed her, it was as if he spoke of some pop star or famous actress. When she met his eyes again, she saw he still gazed at her with the same intense expression.
"I don't understand," Eden said. "What do I have to do with it?"
"You're, well, you," Edward said. "Everyone has heard about what you did. About how you faced down Satan and managed to get away. People speak everywhere about a blonde-haired girl with strange eyes who is going to save the world"
No. No, no, no. She stood abruptly, upset. The more people who knew who she was, the easier it would be for the demons to find her.
"This isn't good," she said.
"Why?" Thema raised an eyebrow.
"It’s just…" She stared down at Thema's confused face and let out a shaky sigh. Okay, calm down. "I think I need a moment alone. It's not a problem. It's just… me."
Yuri stood up and gazed at her with wide eyes. "Do you want me to go with you?"
"I just need a minute, Yuri," she said. "Sorry."
"But you shouldn't be alone," Yuri said stubbornly.
"I won't be far."
Either way, she was the only one who Agares was hunting. She turned with a lantern in hand and had walked a couple of feet away when she became aware she had a tag-along. She turned and looked straight into Yuri's eyes.
"Oh Yuri, why?" she asked.
"Just minutes ago, you were attacked by a wild demon," Yuri said. "You shouldn't ask me why."
"I just need to breathe, or…" She sighed. "Okay, not breathe."
"I'm not here," Yuri said, standing against the tree with a serious expression on his face.
As she stood there, staring through the darkness, she began to feel something she had never felt as a soul before — exhausted. She was done plunging headfirst into adventures and fighting demons and Satan Spawn. She was done being hunted by everything evil. A knot of anger sat in her stomach as she gazed through the trees.
It took her a moment to figure out who she was angry at. She was angry at God. God had sent her here like this, hadn't He? God had wanted her to do this task for Him. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't He have chosen someone — anyone — else. Maybe she could have been normal if she hadn't died. Maybe she could have gone to college or maybe she would have traveled the world and discovered some artsy hidden niche. But now she was stuck here.
Before this, there had been times when she had felt cheated, but not to this point. She stared up into the sky and all she wanted to do was scream. Just once, she wanted to be normal. She didn't want to be the quiet outcast with odd parents like she had been when she was alive. She didn't want to be the person chosen for these difficult tasks after she had passed on.
"Argh!" She kicked a rock and sent it flying into a nearby tree. "I hate this. I h
ate this place, I hate the demons, and I hate being here. Why did it have to be me, huh? Why? Why am I being chased by every demon in existence, and I—" She shuddered, "—have to worry about being here."
She balled her fist and punched a tree; it sent shooting pains up her knuckles and arm.
Yuri cocked his head and frowned at her. "Feeling better?"
"A little," she admitted.
"I figured you needed to blow off some steam," Yuri said. "You can only be perfect for so long."
With a frown, he approached her and hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around his back. She let out a sigh.
"Let's run away together," Eden said, though she knew it was unrealistic.
"Okay," Yuri said, sounding unsurprised.
"I've always wanted to go to Hawaii," she said. "Once, my mom went and she brought me this necklace made from seashells. I wore it every single day until another kid tore it off my neck at school. I cried and cried, but we could never find another one like it. One day, my dad came home from work, though, and he had a box full of seashells. He said one of his co-workers went to the beach every year and had collected them. I made my own necklace. It seems like so long ago."
"You miss your parents, don't you?" Yuri said.
"Yes," Eden said. "I miss my mom and dad so much it hurts me. That's why, when the demon said I killed her, I…"
"You didn't kill her," Yuri said. "There is a reason why she died. There is a reason why you died. There is also a reason why you are here. And when we're finished in Purgatory, we'll go everywhere together. We'll go anywhere you wanted to go. God will owe it to you."
There was silence. She pressed her head against Yuri's chest and gripped his clothes. I should stop relying on him like this. It's going to become a weakness. But then she realized love would never be weakness, only strength.
Chapter Three
Where All Souls Meet Page 3
