Marked

by Jasmine Derriman

  I just shook my head again and looked away from him. I saw no point in telling him, he was going to forget it all soon anyway, and I didn’t think I knew how to explain any of it anyway. I heard Rhys whisper my name and after about the third time I looked up at him. He face was gentle now, not so angry; I think he was more concerned now. I did the only thing I could though right now. I lunged myself at him, throwing my arms around him, forcing a tight hug. I felt his delayed reaction but I felt his arms tighten around me in response.

  “I love you,” I whispered. “You’ll always be my best friend, no matter what happens right now.”

  “I love you too, but Lily-.”

  I didn’t let him get close to finishing his protest this time and I quickly pulled myself out of the hug and charged towards to door. I tore it open and Isaac and Oliver stood in the hallway. Isaac immediately rose of the wall that he had been leaning on. He looked me with the same kind of concerned expression that Rhys had a minute ago, but I couldn’t look at Isaac now.

  “Do it now,” I turned to Oliver, “and do it quickly.”

  Oliver gave me a little nod before he walked past me and into the bedroom. For a second I heard the sound again of Rhys’ protest, but I just felt myself shut my eyes as tears silently continued to roll down my cheeks. I knew Oliver was erasing his memory, and that Rhys wouldn’t remember anything of the past two days. Eventually, Rhys stopped screaming and I realised it must be done, but I didn’t move.

  “Lily.”

  Isaac’s voice was so soft, so concerned and I flung my eyes open to see him standing quite close to me. I could see the darkness under his eyes, from the lack of sleep, no doubt, but I could also see the cut on the side of his face, a cut Felix may have neglected to heal.

  “When do we go to this council?” I asked him, trying to pull myself together, wiping all the tears from my face and breathing a little slower to calm myself down.

  “I…I want to go soon…tonight,” Isaac stumbled a little. “Once they realise that the three demons they sent after you are dead, they’ll get more desperate. You need to know what you’re doing before you get thrown in the deep end.”

  “I’ll…need clothes or something else,” I told him.

  “We can drop around to your house…if your uncle isn’t home,” Isaac added.

  “He’s working tonight,” I shook my head a little. “He’s doing the graveyard shift; he won’t be home until the early hours of the morning.”

  “We’ll go there before the council then,” Isaac nodded. “Go sit in the lounge room. I’m…going to make sure I get Rhys home first, okay?”

  I think I nodded before I walked back into the lounge room and sat myself down on the lounge, it all suddenly felt like a blur. Felix was the first to come and sit near me and when he did he didn’t say anything and I was thankful for that. I saw Hadley moving around in the kitchen again and I had convinced myself she was going to come out with tea again, but she never did.

  “Are you going to come to the council?” I asked Felix softly, after a long while of silence.

  I saw him shake his head. “Isaac will stay with you. If all goes well you won’t be there long…and if anyone can make sure of that, it’s him.”

  “And why is that?” I frowned, looking at him slightly.

  “In a way…they’ve always likes him…they’ve always been overly curious about him,” Felix explained.

  “And why would that be?”

  “His mark,” Felix answered simply.

  I found myself looking over at Felix, still slightly confused. I realised now that I had never seen Isaac’s mark. I didn’t know where on his body it was, or what is looked like, or what he could do. I have never seen him use any…ability, anything out of the ordinary at least.

  “What is his mark?” I whispered.

  Felix shook his head a little. “Well, that’s just it…no one knows.”

  “What?” I said, sitting up straighter.

  “No one knows what his mark does,” Felix told me. “He doesn’t know either. Our kind has documented every mark known to man…and his just, doesn’t exist. He spent the whole year in the council trying to figure it out…and when he couldn’t the council decided to try not to push it. They thought that maybe if he fought enough demons, he’d eventually work it out. It’s been nearly two years and he still has no idea.”

  “Is that why he has…that blade thing?” I frowned a little. “Since he has no mark?”

  “A telum,” Felix corrected me with a smile. “The blade is known as a telum and it’s not just a sword. It’s made of a crystal that demons find harmful. And to answer your question yes and no. An Insigne with a mark that will not be so useful in battle will usually have one. I have one for example, but you’ll also find that most Insigne’s have one anyway. It’s a lot simpler to kill one with it.”

  “I guess healing doesn’t really help you fight demons,” I joked slightly.

  “Not in the slightest,” Felix agreed.

  “I never thanked you for the head thing, or Rh-.” I felt my throat literally calm up with the use of his name. He wasn’t even out of the apartment yet and I was struggling.

  “Don’t mention it,” Felix said quickly.

  I nodded at him with a weak smile which he returned in a lot brighter fashion. I couldn’t exactly look at him right now, as I found myself with my head now turned the hallway.

  “What will they do now…with Rhys, I mean?” I spoke so softly, I was surprised Felix heard me.

  “Take him home,” Felix answered simply. “Isaac will probably ask Oliver to keep an eye on the area while he’s gone…but as long as Rhys doesn’t remember anything…it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “What…is Oliver going to make him think?” I asked.

  “From what I heard… Oliver will make Rhys forget yesterday, and make Rhys think you are on a holiday,” Felix shrugged. “I guess you might have to text him or something to keep him from calling.”

  I found smiling a little; nothing could really ever keep Rhys away. “I always go to Florida once a year. I haven’t gone this year…I could always say I’m there.”

  “Florida?” Felix questioned slightly surprised.

  “Yeah,” I breathed out. “It’s where I’m from…where my parents a buried.”

  Felix’s mouth was kind of just open, but no sound came out, I think I caught him off guard. “Oh…god…I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head quickly. “You must’ve figured they weren’t around considering I live with my uncle.”

  “Well…it’s not like any of us wanted to exactly ask it,” Felix said quickly.

  I shrugged a little. “I was young anyway…I don’t remember a lot…I just know I like Florida.”

  “You’re in Florida then.”

  I didn’t see Rhys leave and I was glad of that. For now, the best thing to do was to keep anyway from him so I could keep him safe. I had to go on with this, and I knew it. No matter how much I fought or protested or yelled about how crazy it all was, it was truly happening to me and I needed to understand it and be a part of it, because I didn’t exactly have a choice.

  Oliver was the one to take Rhys, and Isaac promised that he would keep an eye on Rhys and my uncle. I realised I hadn’t really had the chance to talk to Oliver, or even thank him for that matter, but that was the last thing I needed to worry about.

  “Honestly, I’m surprised you have a car.”

  I stood in front of a small black SUV, which had been parked in the parking lot under the apartment buildings. I think I only said that because the size of the apartment didn’t really credit Isaac to having any money, nor a nice car for that matter, plus he did live in Brooklyn.

  Isaac however just smiled at me as he opened the driver’s side door. “You’d be surprised the money we actually get for killing demons.”

  “You get paid to do something you were born to do?” I said slowly.

  Isaac laughed this time. “Get in the car, come on.” />
  I sat in the passenger seat in the front of the car with Isaac behind me. Hadley and Felix had come along for a few reasons as I understood it. One, to take the car back when Isaac and I left for the council, and I also think they wanted to make sure I got there safe, not that either of them would admit.

  We stopped at my house for clothes as promised and as I promised my uncle wasn’t home. I was kind of surprised walking into my home that I wasn’t a mess. I tended to the be the one that cleaned up, and whenever I was gone a few days, things started to get out of hand, but I was surprised at how unnaturally tidy it seemed.

  “Ah, I broke into this bedroom,” Isaac said, as he leant against the door frame to my room.

  “It’s not exactly like I made it hard for you, I don’t lock the window,” I muttered.

  “Ah, but you see the fire escape here is extremely unsafe,” he told me.

  I made a little noise in response, but I honestly wasn’t exactly listening as I just chucked whatever could into a bag. It was then however I felt a hand on my shoulder and I spun slightly to see Isaac standing near me.

  “Are you okay?”

  I felt myself swallow. Maybe it was due to the fact that I saw Isaac actually showing some compassion for my situation or the way he looked at me that made me nervous, but I found the nerve to respond.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  I wasn’t so sure if that was true or not, to be honest. I didn’t know if I knew how to be fine right now. It was all happening so quick. It had only been a few days since I had found the mark at the party…but the weirdest part was…it felt right, and it felt real. I knew I was different in some way, I knew there was more to me than just school, a job and life. Part of this didn’t feel like as much of a shock as it really was. It was everything else that was happening, the danger Rhys had been in, the danger I had been in that was making me not want to believe this. I do believe it though, something about this feels like it’s really…me.

  The car ride was mostly silent with only Isaac cursing the radio every now and then when there were ads on, or they were talking too much, or when the same song was repeated on another station. About an hour in I found myself wondering where I was going. How do you even get to the council? I was trusting of Isaac though, I had to be.

  “Where is this place?” I asked, Isaac turning to him.

  I saw him snicker a bit and in the corner of my eye I saw Hadley smile too.

  “What?” I frowned, turning to the back seat.

  “No one really knows where it is,” Felix told me.

  “I…okay, sorry? Are you telling me we are going somewhere that you don’t even know where it is?” I said bluntly.

  “We don’t know where the actual council chambers are…like where it is hidden on this earth,” Felix was trying his best to explain. “That however does not matter.”

  “How does that not matter?”

  “You don’t need a front door to get in,” Hadley said to me. “They’re important people who like to keep their location hidden...you go through a portal type thing to get there. Only those who apart of the council actually know where it is hidden.”

  “There’s a portal?” I frowned.

  “You’ll see when we get there,” Isaac said, still smiling.

  I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest and just looked out onto the road. We had hit the highway half an hour ago and there wasn’t really anything to look at so I was relieved when Isaac took a turn off.

  “Um…hang on. Isaac, that is not the right turn off,” Hadley said suddenly leaning forward.

  “I know,” Isaac answered, not taking his eyes of the road.

  “You know?” Hadley had a bit of anger in her voice…but mostly confusion.

  “We’ve got something else to do deal with before we go to the council,” Isaac said, gripping his hands to the steering wheel.

  “Like what?” Hadley demanded.

  “Oh,” Felix said suddenly. “We are really going to do this now?”

  “Do what?” Hadley almost yelled.

  “He’s…taking us to the house…the house we saw Lily at,” Felix explained.

  “What?” I asked surprised. “Why?”

  “Haven’t you wondered why Felix and I were there that night?” Isaac said looking at me.

  I shrugged at him. “To party?”

  Isaac laughed at me. “Usually that would be correct, but not this time. We were there fulfilling a request of the council. You see, Lily, a demon owns that house.”

  Chapter Nine

  “How does a demon own a house?”

  I was leaning forward in my seat now, looking directly at Isaac, but also maintaining a good view of the backseat. Hadley didn’t look as confused now as she was before, she seemed to understand, and she honestly just seemed annoyed now.

  “Technically the demon doesn’t own the house,” Felix told me. “The human does...but the human that owns the house is…possessed by a demon.”

  “I don’t get it,” I admitted, shaking my head.

  “Rhys made sure you went to that party because whoever messed with his mind needed you there. But think about it, Lily. Do you even know whose house it was? Did you even see people there you know?” Isaac asked me.

  I found myself shaking my head as I thought about it and realised. “So we are going to kill this demon?”

  “Eventually,” Isaac nodded. “First…I want to know who it’s working with and why it had a room full of Insigne research.”

  “You’re going to interrogate a demon?” I asked surprised.

  “That is the idea of it,” Isaac nodded. “It’ll have answers about you…I know it.”

  It was silent pretty much until we reached the house, not that it was far drive from the turn off, a lot shorter trip then I remembered since last time I was here, and I was glad I didn’t have to walk there, although that time I was in heels and skimpy dress. Isaac parked the car and we all got out, with Felix and Isaac going to the trunk and both pulling out their blades. They both had them in holders and the both pulled them over their head so the blade was now on their back.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  I heard Hadley but I couldn’t see her. She was on the other side trunk for the car and I hadn’t moved from the door I had just gotten out of, and I didn’t think they realised I could hear them.

  “What about this is isn’t a good idea, Hadley?” I heard Isaac ask.

  “Lily, that’s what,” Hadley answered.

  “Lily? Isaac asked surprised.

  “She doesn’t know how to defend herself against demons. She got lucky with that other one,” Hadley said.

  “If you saw her fight it…you wouldn’t be saying that,” I head Isaac disagree.

  “That’s just instinct, Isaac,” Hadley argued. “All Insigne’s are born with the instinct and natural ability to fight…doesn’t mean she doesn’t need training. That’s not what I’m worried about anyway.”

  “Then what is it?” Isaac demanded.

  “If she…she really is what we think she is…then don’t you think the council would want to make sure she was definitely alive?” Hadley asked. “We can’t send her in there hurt, or even with a scratch.”

  “She is right,” I heard Felix finally speak.

  “Then we watch out for her, alright?” Isaac said. “Protect her at all costs. Happy?”

  “Not really because I don’t want to have to in the first place,” Hadley answered. “Gosh, why do you always drag me into these stupid situations?”

  Together we all slowly walked to the house and they all made sure I was behind them. I wasn’t going to say I overheard what they talking about, why should I? I probably did need protecting. Hadley was right, I did get lucky with that first demon, and I probably wouldn’t be so lucky the next time.

  “How long did you guys say this guy had been possessed for?” Hadley asked as she opened the front door.

  “About three years from wh
at we can tell,” Felix answered.

  “It’s strong,” Isaac nodded as Hadley took the first step into the house.

  “Do you know what type of demon possessed him?” Hadley asked.

  “Not sure,” Isaac admitted.

  “Well that’s going to be helpful,” Hadley muttered.

  I was the last to step into the house as Isaac shut the front door behind me. It was amazing now, how the house seemed much bigger than last time I was here, but that was probably due to the absence of all the people.

  “Well the good news is, we haven’t been attacked yet,” Hadley said, shrugging slightly, but I could tell she was being entirely sarcastic.

  “Maybe it’s not here?” I suggested.

  Isaac shook its head. “It’s here. We’ll split up. Hadley and Felix stay down here. Lily, stay with me, we’ll check upstairs.”

  I knew why Isaac wanted me upstairs, whether he was going to say it or not. He knew Hadley didn’t want to be burdened with me, so keeping me with him was his best option. We walked slowly as he got to the top of the stair case. The place was oddly quiet, which was also unnerving, but Isaac was poised and ready. We were close to the end of the hall when I gradually just felt myself stop. I had been here not too long ago, looking at this same door, looking at the same mark.

  “Peace,” I whispered suddenly.

  “What?” Isaac asked, turning suddenly to look at me.

  “This mark,” I pointed to the mark carved on to the front of the door. “It means peace.”

  Isaac shook his head a little. “I’ve never seen it before.”

  “I…I don’t know how I knew that,” I said blinking.

  “You never do,” Isaac said.

  Isaac gave me a look and I found myself returning it. We were both thinking the same thing. If I knew a mark by just looking at it, well that meant something. I didn’t necessary mean that I was this chosen one, but it meant something and I knew it too.