I tilt my head at him and squint. “You didn’t bring me here to kill me, did you? What’s on the other side of those trees?” It’s mostly a joke…
Neo bends over and laughs. “The house is in there, duh. It’s surrounded by trees and overgrown flowers. It’s probably why people are so nervous about it being a mystery. Because it’s so hidden.”
He trumps down the driveway in his tan boots and gestures with a hand for me to follow. I guess, if all else fails I can just dry him out like I did to Titus. Of course, I’m still not sure how I did that, so it’s likely not the most solid plan.
I follow behind Neo into the wild unknown. The road turns to the left and in the center of all the overgrown vegetation, an old worn-down yellow house sits, looking like a home lost in time. It’s quite beautiful, in a messy sort of way.
Neo and I enter through the front door, which squeaks like a banshee. Random pieces of unmatched furniture sit around the front room. It’s shockingly clean inside though, considering it was abandoned at some point a long time ago. Dust speckles some of the higher shelves that are hung along the hallway, but the kitchen is clean and smells like chocolate.
Neo watches my perusal of the house. “It’s nice, right? No cable though.”
I just raise my shoulders in a shrug. “I prefer reading.”
He lifts his hands in a “there-you-go” way. “That’s great! There are tons of books in the spare bedroom.”
“I don’t know why people would see this place as haunted . It’s actually pretty cozy,” I say honestly.
He nods and looks around. “I agree. I’m just glad I heard about it. I was in a pretty gross hotel for a few days before finding this place.”
“I definitely understand. The Oaks Hotel isn’t too bad, but it smells so weird all the time and I don’t know where it comes from!”
Neo laughs and scrunches up his nose. “You know, Seers are pretty good at sticking together. Would you want to stay here, in that other room with all the books?”
I’m silent, not sure how to answer him. I don’t know if moving in with a strange man is the greatest plan, but on the other hand, it’s nice to have someone to talk to and we could protect each other.
I squirm a little, and Neo sees it. “You know, I’m a good person. I want you to know that. I’ve been on my own for too long, and it can really suck being in that situation. You absolutely don’t have to stay here, but if you want to, I always have food in the fridge, and I will never make you feel uncomfortable.” He chuckles and absently rubs his right arm. “Except for right now, of course.”
I nod. “Thanks, Neo. I think it would actually be really nice to stay here. Just until I find what I’m looking for.”
He grins from ear to ear. His face stretches so much from the smile, that small lines form around his eyes. “Awesome! Let the fun begin.” He claps his hands together. “First step, let’s go see if we can get you some sort of bed in that room.”
***
Neo and I are both sprawled out on opposite sides of the living room in the “haunted” house. We are reading in silence, and trying to stay out of the cold that has swept through Granbury.
Neo got himself sucked into a massively gory thriller book that I refused to even glance at. I’ve had enough thrill lately, and probably forever.
I found a sweet romance novel in one of the piles of books. It’s titled Come With Me and I am currently hating myself for even starting the book. I can’t stop thinking about Gavin. Each time the adventurous female main character sees the man she loves, her heart races and she goes weak in the knees. I miss that feeling to my very core.
I am just flipping the page to chapter twelve, ready to learn the sexy farmer’s deep dark secret, when Neo gasps from the other side of the room. I roll my eyes without looking at him.
“I knew that book would be too scary, Neo!” I laugh, releasing a small snort.
He doesn’t respond, so I sit up and look over at him. His book is on the floor and he is sitting up completely straight with his eyes partially closed. Only a small slit shows the gold in his eyes.
I drop my own book on the sofa, and rush over to him. “Neo?” He doesn’t respond so I shake him. “Neo, wake up!” I shout.
I start to freak out. I don’t have a phone to call an ambulance. I don’t even know if he needs an ambulance, or if this is some sort of Seer thing that I haven’t learned about yet. I touch his face and he feels cold, but he is breathing.
I sit back against a small wooden table, and just watch him for a minute. His breath is quick, but he stays completely stiff, unmoving. I’m ready to start yelling at him again when he finally starts to flinch.
Slowly, his body relaxes and his eyes flutter open. He looks scared at first, but then his golden eyes fall on me. He watches me with his head at a slight tilt and his eyebrows drawn together in the center of his forehead.
“You okay, El?” he asks, as if everything should be totally normal.
I scoff and my eyes widen. “Seriously? I’m not okay at all! You just went catatonic for like five flippin’ minutes, Neo!”
He lifts his shoulders. “Yeah, I had a pretty crazy vision.” He looks from side to side, confused. “I thought you said you’ve had them before.”
I rub my temples with my index fingers, completely lost. “I’ve had plenty of visions, but I have never had one like that before.”
“Whaddya mean?” he asks.
“Well, when I have a vision, it basically knocks me out. It’s like I faint and wake up in a fog, confused.” Maybe I’m the weird one...
Neo closes his eyes and laughs hysterically, making me want to punch him. “I guess you’ve never seen anyone fully developed have a vision before then?”
I shake my head. “Shockingly, no. Is it always like that for full Seers? Like you just freeze and kind of close your eyes?”
He nods. “Yup, basically. I haven’t passed out from a vision since I was seventeen.”
I groan. “Neo, I will be nineteen in two weeks… I am so incredibly pathetic!”
He lays a hand on my shoulder and smiles at me. “You’re not pathetic, you just haven’t had enough training. Why don’t we work on some stuff together? I’ll teach ya.”
I subtly move away from his touch but smile back at him. He really is a good person. “Absolutely. Then maybe I can find the demon.” The thought of being stronger is appealing to me, especially if I plan on confronting Barron. “When should we start?” I ask.
He sits up straight again, but stays alert unlike before. He looks down at the watch sitting on his wrist. “We can start right away, but we just need to do one thing first.”
“What is it?”
“We need to go find a Wicca girl named Luna and save her life. Tonight.” He says it so matter-of-factly that I don’t immediately get the urgency.
He jumps up from his seat and it becomes clear. My heart starts to race. “Who are we saving her from?” I ask.
“A demon. So, ya ready for round two in the same number of days?” he asks me, way too upbeat.
I take a deep breath and stand with him. “Let’s go, partner.”
Chapter 4
It’s just after eight at night when Neo and I hop out of his gray Chevy Malibu in front of a cute little bake shop. The sign says “Cuppy’s Cakes” and the outside is painted a bright pink. I love it instantly.
I head for the front door, but Neo grabs my arm to stop me. “El, we can’t go in the front. We need to go ‘round back. That’s where she’ll be.”
I nod and follow his lead quietly. We sneak down the narrow pathway between Cuppy’s Cakes and the hair salon next door. My shoulders scrape against the brick buildings as I squeeze through after Neo.
He stops just before we reach the end of the walls. He peaks around the corner and waves me closer. I stand just behind his back and crane my neck around the building.
A girl, probably high school age, with light skin and brown curls sitting atop her head is sitting
in a lawn chair and talking on her phone. “Yeah, mom. I know. I just closed up and I’ll head home in a few.” It’s quiet and then she laughs sweetly. “Okay, okay. I get it. Love you, bye.”
She sets her phone down on the chair and stands up. Neo takes a deep breath just before a female voice comes from the dark end of the yard, near a small flowing creek.
“Well hello, sweetie. Nice night isn’t it?” A woman with bright blue eyes steps out of the dark and smiles at the girl.
I’m not sure how I know that she is a demon. Her eyes are normal, but there is a sinister way about her that causes my skin to crawl. I can almost feel the cold coming off of her from across the yard. She is gorgeous, with long auburn hair and dressed in a very seductive skin-tight black dress. The dress’s neckline hangs low in the front, revealing an amazing amount of cleavage.
The young girl steps away from the demon. “Hi, uh… we’re closed for the night, maam.”
The demon’s face shows faux-disappointment and her lower lip sticks out. “Oh, darn. I was really hoping for a treat.” She shrugs and whips her head to the side, flipping her hair to her back. “What’s your name, little girl?”
“I’m Luna. What’s yours?” she says, her voice giving away a slight shake.
“My name’s Tori. It’s nice to meet you little Luna. Would you like to come with me to play with my friends and I?” The demon sounds so sweet, but I know her kind of “play” isn’t something anyone would enjoy.
Luna shakes her head and her curls bounce from side to side. “I’m sorry miss, but I have to go home. Thanks though.” She takes a few more steps backward.
Tori’s smile falls as she glares, making her look older and much less pretty. “That’s okay. You don’t have to say yes. You’ll come with me either way.”
Before the demon can move in to grab Luna, Neo appears between the two. His speed is so incredible, I don’t even see him run. He smiles at Tori and she seems completely unimpressed.
“Move, boy.” She snarls at him, with a hand on her round hip.
Neo holds his ground, unflinching. “I’m not gonna move. You either leave, or you die. Which’ll it be, demon?”
Luna gasps at Neo’s words. “She’s a demon ?” she shouts.
I step out of the dark then, and walk to Luna’s side. “Hi, Luna. I’m El. Don’t worry, okay? Neo is very strong and he won’t let anything happen to you.”
Tori frowns. In a flash, her eyes flick from blue to complete black and I am taken aback by the sudden change. I’ve always thought demons used some sort of contacts like Seers, but I was so wrong.
Tori bends forward, her shoulders slumping and legs spread, ready to attack. “So, two little Seers, huh? What fun.”
Neo clenches his fists. “It’ll only take one, don’t worry. So, we gonna do this thing or what?”
Without warning, Tori charges at Neo, but he is too quick. He dodges her attack, and grabs her by the neck as she speeds by. He slams her to the ground, still gripping her throat. The demon lets out a scream and rolls away from Neo.
Before Neo can grab her again, she jumps onto his back. Her legs wrap around his waist and her arms tighten around his neck. He falls to the ground from the pressure she holds him with.
Neo tries to shake her off of him, but she clings onto his back like a raincoat. Tori winds her head back as far as it can go without letting go of Neo, and then slams it into the back of his head. He goes down, unconscious. Tori climbs off of him and turns to me.
“Your turn,” she says with a growl.
I pull Luna behind me as she shakes from fear, and I face the incoming demon head on. “Don’t come any closer, demon!” I shout, hoping to scare her away.
She laughs at me, the sound echoing inside of her somehow. “Oh, poor little girls. You’re so scared. I almost feel sorry for you both.” She sticks her bottom lip out again. “I know I must’ve been like you once, but you see, I’ve changed.” She inches closer to us. “Honestly, pathetic little girls really should be taught a lesson.”
I feel heat spreading through my body, and I hold onto it with all that I have. Tori comes even closer to us. With each step she takes toward me, my power increases.
I keep my eyes on her black ones, but speak to Luna. “Luna, step back, okay? Whatever you do, don’t touch me.”
A cold breeze hits my back as Luna steps away from me. The demon continues her stalking, completely unaware of what is building up inside of me. Not that I’m all that sure what it is either.
“There’s no need for her to step away, hon. As soon as I’m done with you, I’ll find her anyways.” She sounds so confident in her threats.
She is only inches from me when she stops. The smirk on her face is so cocky, that I want to smack her. Instead, I just lift my hands and grab both sides of her face gently, still holding my power back. I worry that I won’t be able to duplicate what I did to the last demon, but I don’t care. Whatever I release will have a kick.
Tori sighs at my touch and clicks her tongue. “Oh, I’m sorry but I don’t want to kiss you, sweetie. Thanks for flattering an old girl like me though.” She grins at me.
I don’t respond. Instead, I push all the heat inside of me to my hands. The demon’s cocky grin drops and she gasps. Her skin doesn’t dry out like I thought it would, but my power still knows what to do to take control.
I watch in amazement as water from the little creek rises from the ground and circles the demon’s head where my hands hold onto her. The water spins faster and faster around her head and tightens in closer, drowning her in an inescapable current. She makes a gurgling sound inside of the floating whirlpool.
I finally pull my hands away from her face, and the water splashes to the floor at my feet, falling like a waterfall. Tori drops to the puddle in a heap and doesn’t get back up.
I stand in amazement at what just occurred and turn to see Luna’s eyes as wide as they can go. She looks at the demon on the ground, and then at me and smiles. Yeah, actually smiles.
“That was freaking insane!” she shouts at me, clearly hysterical.
“She’s incredible, ain’t she?” Neo says from behind me.
I spin around, glad to see that he is okay and wrap him in a big bear hug. He chuckles against me and tightens his hold. I lean back to look at his face and his eyes darken slightly. My breath picks up like it always does when Gavin looks at me that way, but it’s still not the same.
I nod and pull away from him, forcing a smile. “I’m glad you’re okay, Neo. I was worried.”
He shakes his head. “I wasn’t worried at all. I knew you could handle it.” He looks past me to Luna. “Are you okay?” he asks her.
She holds her hands up, showing her unharmed self. “I’m great, thanks to you guys.” She laughs. “By the way, you both are going to be in some big trouble…”
Chapter 5
The demon woman sinks into the earth slowly as her body is taken back below the ground, where it belongs. As I watch, I feel like I’ll never get used to the death of a demon, though I might have to if I stick to this path. The process is bizarre to say the least. One minute there, and the next gone. I turn and follow the other two away from our crime scene.
“What exactly do you mean, Luna? What kind of trouble are we in?” I ask the dainty girl as we walk to the front of Cuppy’s Cakes down the same narrow alleyway.
Her curls bounce up and down on her head with each step she takes. “I just mean that, since you saved me from that demon, my mom is going to have some major questions for the both of you.” She pauses at the front of the store and whips her head in Neo’s direction. “And you, Neo. You shouldn’t have come here.”
He rubs a hand through his thick hair and his lips form a thin line. “I don’t care what your mom thinks of me, Luna. I had a vision ‘bout you tonight, and I couldn’t let you just die!”
I hold my hands up between the two of them. “Wait, wait, wait. You guys know each other?” I give them both pointed looks.
/> Luna laughs and throws her tiny hands on her hips. “Lying again, huh Neo?” She glares at him.
Neo shakes his head at her and turns to me. “Sorry, El. I don’t know her very well, but we have met before.” He glances at Luna who stands with arms crossed and a broad smirk. “When I moved to this town, about two months ago, I met Luna’s mom at this shop.” He points to the cupcake store. “She is the owner, and offered me a job. I declined the job, so she offered me a place to sleep instead.”
Luna chimes in. “She said he could sleep in the shop, but he chose to try and kill my mom instead.” She snaps the words out in clipped sections.
I gasp and turn to Neo. “Really, Neo?”
He holds a hand up in defense. “Woah, woah. That is not the story, Luna!”
I close my eyes and place my index fingers on my temples. I rub in small circles. “Okay, I think I need the story right now… the whole story, please.” I look toward Neo and raise my eyebrows.
He takes a deep breath. “I think that’s best. For you too Luna.” He looks pointedly at her and she shrugs.
“Whatever. Go for it,” she says.
“So, I was staying in this shop for a bit. Miss Lydia, Luna’s mom, had made up a bed for me in the storage room. It wasn’t too bad,” he says. “One night, I had a vision, but it was very foggy and messed up. What I thought I saw was Miss Lydia standing over Luna with a broomstick. Luna was on the floor, obviously hurt and cryin ’ her eyes out. To me, it looked like her mom was beatin ’ her with that broomstick.” He slouches and looks defeated. “I thought it couldn’t be true, so I ignored it. But after my run ‘round the block the next day, I got to the shop and saw the exact same situation I had seen in my vision.”
Luna sighs. “So he attacked my mom.”
I cover my mouth with my hand. “Oh no. Neo!”
Neo shakes his head and his eyes lock onto mine. “I know, I shouldn’t have, but I wanted to save the poor girl and I honestly thought I was. Anyways, I barely got Miss Lydia to the floor when she did some crazy voodoo on me and I was knocked out cold.”
Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 Page 26
