Sam sat up straight. “How long is your lifespan?”
“About six hundred years.”
“You live for six hundred years. How many years have you been alive?” Drool could have easily fallen from her astonished open mouth.
“Forty.” Sam’s mouth dropped open even further. He stifled a chuckle with a cough. “Stop worrying, my age is equivalent to a young adult’s in human years. I’m really only about twenty.”
“You look more like twenty than forty.” She wiped the drool from her chin. “How long have you been in college?”
“This is my second year. I figure it’s probably time to stop just taking classes and decide what I want to major in. My advisor is confused by how randomly I choose my classes and thinks I need to settle on one path of education. Maybe I’ll surprise him and actually graduate one day.” He smiled.
“Well, it’s not like you don’t have plenty of time.” Sam dipped her head, trying to hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks were florid. “Am I the first human you’ve been with, I mean, dated?”
Evrik placed his finger under Sam’s chin, lifting it and returning her eyes to his. “Wow, twenty questions, this one’s easy. I didn’t even know what it was like to be attracted to someone before I saw you, human or not. Alea always talked about what it was like to meet someone who makes your heart happy and scared at the same time. She was married before. Unfortunately, her husband, Rhynin, was killed by Valisk—the Kavari leader who attacked you.”
“How horrible.” Sam drew in a terrified breath, remembering Valisk’s red eyes in her dream. “Go on,” she assured Evrik. “I’m okay.”
He paused to make sure, then continued, “Malachi's in love with Alea, and Draylan’s had crushes on other Lightwarriors. I was beginning to think it was never going to happen for me.”
Draylan—Sam couldn’t see him being anything but an arrogant ass. She guessed he was different when it came to non-humans. It was obvious he couldn’t stand humans—the race he had sworn to protect.
Sam moved even closer to Evrik. He wrapped both arms around her tightly and stared straight into her eyes. Underneath their anxious bodies, his cell phone rang.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sam gasped, throwing her head back in protest. Every nerve in her body was raging out of control. It didn’t matter that she didn’t remember him. Her body certainly remembered his touch. Talk about muscle memory. “Do you have to answer it?”
He pulled back from her. “It’s probably Alea. She felt your dream last night. She’s worried about you.”
“Okay, you should answer it.” Sam turned away from Evrik, trying to regain her composure. Her body felt like it was about to ignite into an inferno of flames.
The phone snapped shut, and it was obvious the moment was over. Damn. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He hesitated. “I’m going to talk to her later. Let’s get something to eat. I’ll make you breakfast at my house.” Evrik rose from bed and retrieved his shoes.
His smell permeated through every thread of her cotton sheets. She buried her nose into her pillow and inhaled deeply, breathing him in. She remembered that scent—his scent. “I need to take a shower before we go.”
“Can I ask you a question first?” Evrik asked.
“Sure.”
“What did Chase say to you in his room yesterday? Last night, he told you he meant what he said.”
Suddenly Sam wished she hadn’t agreed to answer his question. “Um, well, he, uh, said he loved me,” she blurted out. She didn’t want to hurt Evrik’s feelings, but she wasn’t going to lie to him about it, either. She figured it was better she left out the part about making out with Chase. She felt guilty enough about Cale.
“Oh, okay,” he said dismissively.
Sam rolled out of bed, planted her feet firmly on the carpet, and stared at him. “Hello, did you hear me correctly? Chase said he loved me.” Sam was shocked at his nonchalant behavior, like someone telling another guy’s girlfriend he loved her was okay. Memory or no memory…this kind of thing was never “okay.”
“I forgot. You can’t remember.”
“And?” she pushed.
“Chase has said it before, and in front of me. It isn’t a secret.”
“And you don’t care?” Sam eyed him from under her lashes.
“Sam, you may not be able to remember, but you love me and only me. I’m not threatened by Chase. Once you get your memory back, you’ll understand.”
“About that?” She crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the carpet. “When do you think Alea will be able to create an elixir so I can have my entire memory back instead of just random snapshots? Putting pieces together like a puzzle is getting really old, really fast.”
“She’s been working tirelessly. I’m hoping it’s soon.”
“Me, too,” Sam grumbled.
Evrik waved her into the bathroom. “Go ahead. I’ll watch TV until you’re ready.”
Lauren barreled through the door just as Sam finished drying her hair. It was now closer to lunchtime than breakfast. “Hey, you two,” she said. “You spent the night here?” Lauren glanced over at Sam’s unmade bed. “You always stay at Evrik’s. Why are you here?”
“We decided to do something different last night.” Sam evaded her question.
“So, you guys going to lunch?” Lauren asked.
“I don’t think Evrik wants to eat in the dining hall.”
Lauren grabbed a change of clothes out of her closet. “I just talked to Ann. A bunch of us are going out. Why don’t you join us? They’ve got great wings,” she said enticingly.
Sam looked at Evrik for an answer. “Sure. Let’s go,” he said.
“Let me change out of my clothes from last night and we’ll go. Uh, I need to learn to bring a change of clothes over to Ryan's." Lauren threw her long dark hair into a low ponytail and slipped into the bathroom to change. "We’re meeting down in the lobby in ten.
They arrived in the lobby. Ryan met Lauren at the elevator. Ann and Cody held hands next to the exit, looking all puppy-love-ish. Then a pit formed in Sam’s stomach, a hollow hole that exposed an open sore. Sam wished she had taken Evrik up on brunch at his house.
Chase stood on one side of the lobby. Vicky stood on the other. Chase caught Sam’s gaze and looked away. His side-swept blond hair fell into his eyes, hiding his ocean blues. He didn’t attempt to flick it back into place. Vicky picked at her blood-red nail polish, oblivious to anyone else.
“Sam, are you going to walk?” Evrik asked, tugging her from her statue-like stance.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She blinked and followed the group out the door, staying as far behind Chase as possible. She noticed how his worn jeans hung perfectly around his legs, ripped and holed in well-placed areas.
“We can still go back to my house, if you want. You seem uncomfortable.” Evrik interlaced his fingers through hers.
Sam stared ahead. “Me? No. I’m fine.”
“Then why are you chewing the side of your cheek? You’re going to wear a hole in it.” Evrik swung her arm playfully.
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him.
They walked up the sidewalk to the top of the hill, across from the tall dormitory buildings. There were trees to their left and street parking for the dorm residents to the right. The restaurant was at the bottom of the hill, facing the main road.
They were seated at a rectangular table for eight. Chase chose the chair across from Sam. Sam tried to switch seats and stumbled over a chair. She fell back into the same chair she had been trying to avoid. Vicky settled on a seat at the opposite end of the table after her failed attempt to sit next to Chase.
Chase stared at Sam as she flipped through the menu. Her stomach did somersaults. She didn’t even know if she could eat. She felt more like she had a bleeding ulcer. She suddenly needed a bottle of Tums. This was going to be a fun lunch.
“Hey, Vicky, did you and Chase try that new restaurant uptown last night?�
�� Ann asked, her red curls sprouting from a high ponytail.
Sam gripped the menu. The plastic crumbled in her fingers, cracking hairline fractures through the menu. Chase kicked her under the table. She didn’t acknowledge him.
“It was really good. The restaurant is Italian.” Vicky waved her hand. “I still can’t remember the name, Giovanni’s, or something. Do you remember, Chase?” Her blue eyes sparkled, making Sam feel like gagging.
“Uh-huh,” he mumbled. Sam could feel his stare sear her forehead.
Lauren eyed Chase and Sam suspiciously. Seemingly sensing the tension, she changed the subject. Sam could always count on her roomie. “So, anyway, we went uptown last night.”
“I love dating a football player.” Ann looped her arm through Cody’s. “Since all the bouncers are on the team, I didn’t have to show ID to get in.” Her freckled cheeks blushed, making her look like Strawberry Shortcake. Ann didn’t usually break the rules, let alone the law.
Lauren directed her attention to Sam and Evrik. “What did you two do last night?”
Chase spoke before Sam could answer. “Sam said she didn’t want to go to dinner with me and Vicky. She suggested I still go, so technically I didn’t do anything wrong. Instead of going to dinner, Sam decided to go to bed early, so whatever happened after that—Is. Not. My. Fault.”
A decided silence fell over the suddenly motionless group of eight. “Well—” Sam retorted, hiding her face in the menu as she spoke, “I’m glad Vicky and Chase had a good time at dinner. I never said it wasn’t my suggestion, but I didn’t suggest what happened after dinner, either.”
“Uh, I—I don’t really know where this conversation is going, or what the two of you are talking about,” Lauren said, turning to Sam. “I just wanted to know what you did last night.”
“Is there a problem?” Vicky shouted from the far end of the table.
“No, Vicky. I have no problem with you,” Sam answered, lowering the menu and looking disappointedly at Chase.
Chase kicked her again, breaking his not-so-warm-and-fuzzy stare to speak to Vicky. “It’s nothing. Sam’s mad at me. Sam’s with Evrik, but she’s mad at me for some reason.”
Sam kicked him back, shooting daggers into him with her stare.
“You know, I’m sorry for bringing it up. I have my own soap operas to watch, okay?” Lauren said. “Why don’t we figure out what we want to order? I’m so glad I have a fake ID, because I suddenly need a drink.” She raised her hand to signal the waiter.
After several more moments of uncomfortable silence, Chase scribbled something on his napkin and passed it to Sam. Evrik was on the phone with Alea. What, are we in elementary school, Sam thought? He was passing notes while the teacher wasn’t looking? Reluctantly, Sam read it anyway.
We need to talk.
I have nothing to say to you.
Stop being so stubborn.
Bite me.
Real mature. Please?
Fine. Just stop writing on the napkin!!!
Lauren noticed their napkin-passing. “What is wrong with the two of you?” she whispered fiercely to Sam.
“Evrik and I are fine,” Sam said, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“Not you and Evrik, you and Chase. You’ve been acting weird since Friday night.”
“I’ll talk to you about it later,” Sam whispered back. Evrik ended his phone call.
Lauren took note and nodded in agreement.
After a horribly awkward lunch, Sam decided it was best to get it out of the way and speak with Chase. If she didn’t, the juvenile behavior would just continue.
Evrik pecked her on the forehead and asked her to call him later. Everyone else headed back to the dorms.
Chase and Sam cut through the center of campus, both silent.
CHAPTER 13
Malachi hunched over the kitchen table, thumbing through the Virtus Liber. He scanned the pages of the thick, sallow-paged hardback, looking for any information about the sanguis demon’s abilities.
“Any luck?” With her hands on her hips, Alea anxiously drummed her fingers on her pelvic bone, pacing back and forth behind Malachi’s chair.
“Not yet.”
“How could this have happened?” Alea exhaled in frustration. She felt horrible for her dear friend. Evrik was barely holding it together, though he would never show Sam. But Alea could feel it. They all could feel his pain. Even Draylan, who didn’t see the point in caring about a human. When Evrik had first fallen in love with Sam, Draylan had said, “We have a job to do—protect humans, that’s it.” But human or not, Alea knew too well what losing someone felt like. She wouldn’t let it happen to Evrik. And as much as Draylan grumbled about it, neither would he. He loved Sam in his own way—they all did.
Malachi’s finger stopped at a passage in the book. “I think I’ve found something.”
“What is it?” Alea leaned over his shoulder to look.
“According to this, sanguis demons have used their ability to do more than just seduce demonic women.” Malachi slid the book over to her. “Start here and read.”
”The sanguis demon is a powerful seducer. No beings are immune from his control once he has touched them. His blood will seep into the blood of his victim, creating total domination. There are only a few who can resist him—the highest Infernus royalty and the most divine.”
“I know all of this,” Alea groaned. Malachi looked at her sideways. “Sorry, Chi, I’m just frustrated.” She sighed and fluttered her hand. “Keep reading.”
“The sanguis demon has been used to kill those who will reach immortal status. His blood can seek the predestined immortal. The immortal are the most threatening. Those who cannot be killed cannot be defeated.
“What does that even mean?” Alea asked, rolling her eyes in frustration.
“I’m not sure yet, but there has to be another reason he’s here. It doesn’t make sense.” Malachi hesitated. “He wouldn’t risk exposure just to seduce Sam.”
“Are you thinking it was opportunity? He saw Sam and wanted her. Sam was just a ‘good time,’ a conquest?” Alea felt there was something more. The sanguis demon was up to something.
“Could’ve been, but that doesn’t explain Sam’s memory loss. It seems like too much of a coincidence that she would lose her memory the same night the sanguis demon lured her from Canton.” Malachi skimmed the passage again. “But there’s nothing written in here about the sanguis demon being able to alter or take away memories.” Malachi flipped the page and continued to read aloud.
“All that is good must protect the chosen few; it is their duty. Without divine beings, evil will control all. What secretly enters underground will be unleashed unto human society.”
Malachi ran his hand through his black spikes. “Alea, I think there’s something much bigger happening here.”
“But he hasn’t been back. Maybe he’s gone. It was a one-time thing.”
“He’s not gone.” Evrik entered the kitchen, scuffing his boots across the tile floor as he walked.
“What do you mean?” Malachi looked up from the book.
“His name is Cale Ember, or at least that’s the name he gave Sam.” Evrik flipped a chair backward and straddled it. Dark bags had formed below his eyes. The lack of sleep and worry were obviously taking a toll on him.
“Did Sam remember what happened in Baltimore?” Alea handed Evrik a bottle of water. “Drink this; you don’t look well.”
“Sam’s seen him twice since that evening. She just told me.” Evrik shook his head, pounding the table with his fist. “How could I have been so stupid? Why would I believe him? Of course he wouldn’t leave. He was here for a reason.” Evrik crushed the plastic bottle in his palm and water poured out over the table, seeping into the jagged crack his fist had created in the wood. “I just wish I knew what he was up to.”
Malachi read the passage to Evrik.
“Do you have any idea what it means?” Evrik asked.
“Alea
and I are trying to decipher it now.”
“Let’s start from the beginning and break it down bit by bit,” Alea suggested. She looked at Malachi. “Read the first section again.”
Malachi flipped the page back.
“The sanguis demon is a powerful seducer. No beings are immune from his control once he has touched them. His blood will seep into the blood of his victim, creating total domination. There are only a few who can resist him—the highest Infernus royalty and the most divine.”
“We already know what he can do. His blood is the chemical. He has to touch in order to control. The chemical needs to seep into his victim’s bloodstream through her skin.” Alea rubbed her forehead as she thought. “That last sentence, can you read it again?”
“There are only a few who can resist him—the highest Infernus royalty and the most divine.”
“We know who the Infernus royalty are,” Evrik said. “The Angeli Casi.”
“And their predecessor, Lucifer himself,” Malachi said.
Alea nodded her head in agreement. “What about the divine? Who would be the most divine beings?”
“Don’t forget the angels,” Draylan commented from the great room.
“Dray, what are you doing in there? Come help us figure this out,” Alea snapped.
Draylan appeared in the kitchen, taking a seat next to Evrik. “I’m helping. I just said—angels.” Draylan ran his finger over the four-inch splinter in the table. “Nice crack, Bro.”
“Okay, so far we know the sanguis demon can’t seduce the Angeli Casi and the divine angels.” Alea motioned for Malachi to read the next section.
“The sanguis demon has been used to kill those who will reach immortal status. His blood can seek the predestined immortal. The immortal are the most threatening. Those who cannot be killed cannot be defeated.”
“The sanguis demon has been used to kill those who will reach immortal status,” Alea repeated aloud.
“The Angeli Casi are fallen angels, granted royalty by Lucifer,” Malachi added.
Emanare (Destined, #1) Page 9
