Jason’s face scrunched up in confusion.
I elaborated, “Allison wouldn’t meet my eyes the whole time we were at the hospital, and Lucy never even spoke to me after what happened with Dan. It felt like . . . like they were afraid of me.” I could feel cursed tears welling up yet again. I kept my eyes very wide, trying to prevent them from falling. I didn’t want to cry anymore. You would think I would have run out of tears by now.
Jason rose to sit on the bed and wrap his arms around me. My last thread of restraint dissolved and tears fell in hot streams down my face. Jason held me while I spilled what were hopefully the last of my tears for the situation. We ended up lying on my bed, dirty sheets and all, facing each other. Jason’s greater height put his head a little above mine. My tears had finally run dry. He gently stroked my still-damp hair while I regained my composure. He smelled clean. He had showered at some point, but I wasn’t sure when. I thought about all that Jason had done for my friends and me. He had risked his life for us. Somewhere along the road I had gotten over the fact that he was a vampire and had killed people in the past. After all, I was a killer now too.
So I decided vampire-schmampire. I looked into his dark blue eyes, leaned in, and kissed him for all I was worth. The kiss started out soft, he hesitated slightly. I wrapped the fingers of my good hand in his hair and pulled him closer, making him give in to the moment. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me against him and kissed me like he meant it. When he gently pulled away I was left flustered and without breath. He smiled a small smile and stroked the side of my face.
“You have visitors,” he said. He gently kissed my forehead, and then, just like that, he was up and out the window. A heartbeat later there was a knock at my bedroom door.
“Come in,” I called.
The door swung open and there stood Lucy and Allison.
Allison came hobbling into my room and gently climbed onto my bed beside me, obviously still in pain from last night. “Good morning sunshine,” she said to me smiling. “Glad to see you’re looking better. Non-human healing is so unfair.”
Lucy walked over to my bed with lowered eyes, and sat down beside me. When she finally met my gaze, there were tears in her almond eyes. I waited for her judgment, waited to be called a murderer, a monster.
“Thank you,” She said.
I looked a question at her.
“You saved me Xoe, you all saved me, but you most of all. None of us would be here if it weren’t for you.”
I closed my gaping jaw and grabbed Lucy in a hug. I let her go reluctantly. Allison scooted closer to the wall and I scooted to the middle of the bed, giving Lucy room to lie on my other side. We all lay there looking at the ceiling.
“So,” Allison began, “now that you’re a full-fledged half-demon and all, are you finally going to get over your hang-up about Jason’s past?”
I turned my nose up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said with a haughty air. I knew I’d eventually have to tell them about Jason and me, but for now, I could do without them making girly noises and kissy-faces at the mention of his name.
“Oh come on Xoe, he is so in love with you.”
“You know what Al?” I replied, ignoring her statement. “I think maybe you’re the demon.”
With that we all burst into laughter, and for just a moment were able to forget that our lives as we knew them had been turned completely upside-down.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jason had to leave town for a few days to report back to Dan’s pack and get whatever they were supposed to pay him, and to fill out some forms of all things. I didn’t ask how much he was getting. However much they gave him, it wasn’t enough. He has since returned to Shelby and he’s staying, at least for now. He got himself a nifty apartment and everything. I’m pretty ecstatic about it, though I’ll never admit it out loud. The whole dating thing is kind of new territory to me, but I seem to be doing okay. I finally had to tell Lucy and Allison. They would have found out eventually. The teasing has been ceaseless.
Brian’s still not talking to me. I’m afraid that he never will. I can’t really blame him for not wanting to get involved. I’m sad about Brian, but at least I still have Lucy and Al . . . and Jason. Max still hangs around. He follows Al around like a lost little puppy, no pun intended. She pretends not to notice.
I’m still learning to control my powers. I’ve accidentally lit a few things on fire, but luckily nothing living. Hopefully my luck continues, not just with my powers, but with everything else. Fingers crossed.
Accidental Ashes
Book Two
Chapter One
I was sitting comfortably on the green loveseat in my living room. Jason was beside me with his arm around my shoulders. I curled my legs up against his lap, content, then glanced over at the larger blue couch where Lucy, Allison, and Max sat.
In the few months since we’d met him, Max had managed to get us all addicted to watching soccer, which we were all doing now.
Suddenly, Max leapt out of his seat, spilling popcorn on the carpet. “Go! Go!” he shouted.
It was World Cup time, and the game was USA against Mexico. One of the USA players had the ball and was running ahead of all of the opposing team toward their goal. Now, I hadn’t quite gotten a grasp on the rules yet, but I could tell this was a good thing. The rest of us jumped out of our seats and joined Max in cheering the player on. One of the Mexico Players was gaining on him.
“Ruuuun!” Max shouted while clamping his fingers onto his shaggy, sandy colored hair as if in pain. To say that Max was enthusiastic about soccer was an understatement. When you’re around someone that devout, you can’t help but get caught up in the excitement.
I watched the TV screen, unblinking as the Mexico player surpassed the USA player. Suddenly they collided and both went down. One of the refs came running up to the fallen players, blowing his whistle and yelling something at the USA player. The USA player got to his feet and started yelling back. Uh-oh. The ref whipped out a red card and threw the USA player off the field.
“What!” Max shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “That ref is delusional . . .” Max began a tirade, his pale green eyes squinted in anger.
I got caught up in the moment and started yelling at the TV along with Max, feeling a sudden surge of anger at what Max deemed an unfair call.
Then the TV exploded. Crap. Did I mention that I’m a half-demon?
The past few months had been eventful, to say the least. A stranger named Dan had come to town. He happened to be a werewolf. Because of him, my best friend Lucy is a werewolf now too. With the help of Max (also a werewolf), and Jason (vampire), we had managed to rid ourselves of Dan. I won’t go into the grisly details on how we rid ourselves of him. Let’s just say that the event made me question my moral fiber more than a little.
Amid all of this chaos, I found out that my dad, whom I’ve never met, is a demon, making me a half-demon. Demons aren’t bad or anything. Well, not all demons are bad. At least, that’s what Jason tells me. I have an inkling suspicion that he only says that to make me feel better. Yet, seeing as I’m the only demon I know, I’ll just have to take his word for it.
At the explosion my friends all went completely silent, then turned in slow-motion to regard me as one. I looked back to the TV. The screen had completely shattered, and the frame was a charred mess. Heaps of black smoke poured out of its smoldering innards to fill my living room with an acrid stench.
I stood under the pressure of their gazes only long enough to turn on my heel and run across my living room. I went right out my front door, slamming it behind me. I heard the door open and shut again as I ran toward the tall pine trees that border my house. The scent of pine and crisp air hit me, instantly clearing my senses. I wasn’t sure I wanted them cleared at the moment.
This had been happening to me a lot lately, the blowing up of random appliances thing. When my powers as a half-demon first manifested, I had burned my frien
d Brian just by touching him. Since then, I’d graduated to blowing things up or just lighting them on fire. My powers were related to my temper, and that temper was mighty hard to control these days. Even the most insignificant things could make me mad enough to do some real damage. I couldn’t control it, and the threat of what could happen weighed on me constantly.
I stood trembling in the dark, silent trees, my arms wrapped tightly around me. I would not cry. I would not cry about the stupid TV. The moisture that I felt slipping down my face was simply a raindrop. Yeah, a raindrop, that’s it. I heard footsteps behind me, then felt arms gently wrap around me from behind.
I leaned back against Jason’s chest and tried to take comfort in his presence. I unclenched my arms and rubbed my hands across the blue flannel shirt that encased his arms. I felt a slight bit of tension leave my body, but not nearly enough.
“You don’t need to be so upset about it,” he murmured. “We all understand.” Jason talks kind of funny, probably due to the fact that he was born in 1883. He had picked up on many of the nuances of modern speech, given the fact that he’d been around to see it evolve, but he’d spent most of his life as a vampire alone, so some words didn’t sound quite right.
“I know you’re all used to it by now,” I said between sniffles. “I just hate not being able to control it. What if it’s one of you next time?”
Jason squeezed me a little tighter, keeping me warm despite the fact that I was only wearing a gray cotton t-shirt and jeans in Oregon, in December. He brushed his lips against my cheek. “We must simply be sure that we don’t make you mad,” he said, trying to lighten the mood, “though it is a somewhat difficult task these days.”
I struggled out of his arms and turned to point a finger in his smiling face. “This is no time to crack jokes.”
He put his arms up in mock surrender. “Oh no! Don’t burn me!”
I pouted as I returned my hand to my side. “I could, you know. I could hurt you, or Lucy, or Al, or Max.”
Jason lowered his hands and took on a more serious tone. “You will not harm us. You have more control than you think. Otherwise, you would have blown me up a thousand times over.”
I crossed my arms and pretended to consider what he’d said. I nodded. “True, very true.”
Jason smiled. “Come now my little demon, back inside.”
I stomped my sneaker-clad foot on the hard, damp soil. “Half-demon,” I corrected sharply.
“Of course,” he conceded. Before I could react, he picked me up and threw me across his shoulder to carry me back inside.
I fake struggled, shouting, “I’ll burn you! Don’t tempt me!”
Jason paused and hoisted me up, getting a more secure hold on me. “I am well and truly terrified.” He easily held onto me with one hand while he opened the front door and walked us inside.
By the time Jason managed to plop me back down on the couch, Lucy had swept up all of the TV bits and was emptying the dustpan in the kitchen. Jason left me to help Max lift what remained of the TV frame to take it outside, where it would await a ride to the dump. Poor TV. I didn’t know how I was going to explain this one to my mom. I mean, appliances only catch fire so often. The toaster and the washing machine had each already met their untimely demise.
Jason returned to sit beside me on the couch, wrapping his arm around my shoulders again. Allison came to stand in front of me while shrugging on her fake-fur lined coat. She pushed her long, honey blonde hair behind her ears, then leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “We’re taking off Xoe. Call me tomorrow.”
I gave her a feeble wave goodbye. Lucy leaned over the back of the couch to give me a hug, enfolding me in her petite arms and long, pin-straight black hair. As soon as Lucy backed away, Max gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze, and soon I was alone with Jason. For a little while anyway. My mom would be home from doing her Christmas shopping soon.
I snuggled up against Jason’s broad, muscled chest (not over-muscled mind you. I like my men lean). His hand lifted to stroke my pale blonde hair. It had grown long enough to brush past my shoulders. I was overdue for a cut.
I turned my head so I could look into Jason’s deep blue eyes, and I do mean deep blue, like the color of the sky just before it turns to black. I’d never seen eyes that could be that dark and still manage to look blue until I met him. “Sorry I’m so messed up right now,” I said quietly. “I just can’t seem to get used to all of this demon stuff.”
Jason smiled down at me warmly. “It’s a lot to take in. You are doing well, given the circumstances.”
I looked back down at my lap, feeling like a failure despite his encouragement.
Jason continued to watch me, being far too observant for his own good. “What’s wrong Xoe? I can tell you have something to say.”
I debated for a few seconds on whether or not I wanted to tell him. I sighed. Here went nothing. “The dreams started again.”
Several months ago, before my life went to hell-in-a-hand-basket, I had started having these dreams, and I always awoke with a fever. I dreamed of fire, then I found out that I was part demon. A wolf was in one of my dreams, and my best friend got turned into a werewolf.
Once things had calmed down, I’d finally confided in Jason about the dreams. The only other people who had known were my mom and Lucy. Jason had instantly come to the conclusion that I had a minor gift at premonition, and it had come out in my dreams.
Jason’s arms tightened around me slightly. “Tell me.”
“Well,” I began, “the fire’s back, for starters, but this time none of my friends or family are there.” I had seen my mom and my friends consumed by the flames in my previous dreams. “At first, I think that I’m alone, then I feel a presence at my side. I blink, and when I open my eyes, there is a man silhouetted against the flames. I can’t see him, but I somehow know him. Then, he turns away from me and jumps into the fire.”
Jason was silent for a moment. He snuggled a little closer to me, if that was even possible. “Do you have any idea what it means?” he asked finally.
I shook my head morosely. “Not a clue, but I don’t like it.”
“Nor do I,” he replied quietly. “Have you told anyone else?”
I shook my head. “Nope. There’s no sense in worrying the others. It could be nothing.”
He gave me a very knowing smile. “Or it could very well be something. It can’t hurt to have everyone on their guard.”
“But on guard for what? We don’t even know who the man in the dream is.”
“All the more reason to be prepared for anything,” he countered.
I pursed my lips into a pout. “So, in other words, you’re not just going to let me ignore it in the hopes that it goes away?”
He grinned down at me. “Like you did with me?”
I shoved away from him playfully. “I did not.”
“Yes, uh-huh,” he replied. “You utterly refused to admit your feelings for me until after we almost died.”
I raised my eyebrows coyly. “Who says I have feelings for you?”
He grabbed me and pulled me close again. “I’m a vampire,” he answered dramatically. “We can sense these things.”
Our banter was interrupted by the sound of a key in the door. A few seconds later, my mom walked in, hands full of shopping bags. She threw her bags on the floor and stripped off her khaki, knee-length trenchcoat to reveal dark-wash jeans and a dark brown, cable-knit sweater. Her newly shoulder length, dark brown wavy hair blended into the sweater so that you couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other began. She walked toward us and threw her coat across the back of the loveseat. “Hey you two, what are you . . . where’s the TV?”
I smiled nervously.
“Not again?” my mom sighed loudly in her rich, throaty voice. I like to lie to myself and pretend that my voice sounds like hers, but in reality mine’s an octave or so higher. Though our voices are the least of our differences. My pale skinned, green eyed genetics were obvio
usly not passed on from my mom’s side. Our looks are on opposite sides of the color spectrum.
I nodded, while attempting to hold my nervous smile in place. “I think, maybe, we have like, an electrical problem or something?”
My mom put her hands on her hips. “An electrical problem that causes household appliances to spontaneously combust?”
Jason and I both shrugged.
My mom stared at us skeptically, then turned to re-gather her shopping bags. I couldn’t imagine what she actually thought about the exploding appliances. She had played it pretty cool so far, but her observant patience could only last so long.
My mom stopped to regard us again before she went up the stairs to her bedroom. “I’ll call the electrician tomorrow.” Then, when she reached the top she shouted. “And it’s 9:00!”
9:00 was my boy curfew, 11:00 on weekends. After that, Jason either had to go home, or if we were out, I had to come home. Jason reached up and touched my face, gently guiding me toward him. He leaned forward and met my lips for a chaste kiss. His lips were warm and soft against mine. I lifted my arms to wrap behind his neck, twining my fingers in his tousled dark brown hair. The kiss turned a little less chaste. Before I knew it, I had scooted onto Jason’s lap. His arms circled my waist and pulled me against him. I sank into his warmth, feeling my troubles melt away.
This was a relatively new feeling for me, feeling absolutely safe in someone’s arms. My dad had never been around, and as hard as my mom tried, she just didn’t really fit into the big, strong protector role. Up until now, I’d always felt that I simply had to protect myself. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it could be lonely. In other words, it wasn’t about needing to be protected, I just enjoyed finally having the option. Our little session went on for a while longer, until I reluctantly pulled back.
I met his dark blue eyes again and almost dove back in for more. Sadly, I managed to restrain myself. “See you tomorrow?”
He gave me one more gentle kiss. “You could not keep me away.”
The Xoe Meyers Trilogy (Xoe Meyers Young Adult Fantasy/Horror Series) Page 16
