by Alexia Black
No.
He didn’t elaborate further. Did I have to use torture to get answers out of him? He was seriously starting to piss me off.
Does it affect everyone around you?
Yes.
So, you can kill anyone?
If they are weak, yes.
Oof, that was a low blow. Intentional or not.
Are you going to tell me what you are?
No.
Seriously… it could kill me and you don’t want to tell me…
It’s for your own safety.
Before, I could tell him what exactly I thought of that, Callum stumbled into the room, reeking of alcohol.
I wrinkled my nose. He had been missing from noon yesterday, and I had a feeling he had been drinking since then. Incubi were known for their high alcohol tolerance, so, to achieve this level of drunkenness he had to have been drinking for almost a day.
He stumbled towards me and flung his arms around me like a lost sailor finding land. I froze, what was going on?
Murmuring my name, he pulled me close to his body and started kissing up my neck.
Chapter 12
“Callum,” Aiden growled, pulling him away by his collar, just as my knee collided with Callum’s stomach, narrowly missing the spot I had been aiming for.
The guards reached for Callum but Aiden reacted faster. He trapped Callum in a headlock and dragged him away from me. But I, being fate’s puppet on a leash, had to follow right behind them.
“What is your problem?” Callum yelled. “Fuck off,” he struggled in vain to get Aiden to loosen his grip.
One of the guards, Chelsea, caught up with me, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thanks,” I rubbed my neck uncomfortably. “That was unexpected.”
“I should’ve reacted faster. I hadn’t pegged him as a threat,” she apologized.
“Not your fault. I don’t think he is a threat but I didn’t expect him to act like this.” Nothing about him had shouted sleazy when I’d met him. I fisted my palm. I can’t believe he kissed me like that. I should’ve plunged my dagger into his heart without hesitation.
“Callum?” Daryl and Travis came into the hall together. The guards were all staring but none of them moved from their places; they wouldn’t, unless Callum got into either of our personal space again.
“Go, sleep it off. We need to talk when you wake up,” Aiden said, pushing Callum into his room.
“Stop ordering me around. You are not my dad,” Callum growled, wriggling out of Aiden’s grip. “Don’t think you can boss me around like a little bitch.” He grabbed a lamp and smashed it on the floor.
“Callum. Stop this,” Aiden said, frustration leaking through his voice.
“Can either of you explain what is happening here? Cal, you look like shit spit you out. What happened?” Daryl’s words were harsh but his voice was gentle.
Callum glared at Daryl, “Stop pretending that you care, man. I know neither of you give two shits about me. Go back to playing your stupid little happy family. See if I care.” Without another word, he stomped out of the house.
I could feel the ripple effect that statement had left on the three. Daryl looked hurt, his hand gripping Travis’ tight. Travis who had been silent throughout the entire exchange looked shocked at Callum’s words. Aiden stood still, his entire body taut, like a bow string, ready to snap any minute.
“What did you do?” Daryl yelled at Aiden, uncaring of how many pairs of curious eyes were looking on.
“Nothing,” Aiden didn’t elaborate, maybe unwilling to let them know why he had gotten angry at Callum. I, fortunately, had no such problems.
“He came in drunk and grabbed me. Then he fucking started kissing my neck. Aiden pulled him back or I would’ve killed him,” my voice didn’t waver but the numbness from the shock was slowly fading.
“Cal touched you…?” Daryl asked.
What elitist bullshit was he on? Why was he talking about me as if I was untouchable.
“Aiden, is that really what happened?” Travis asked.
“Yeah,” Aiden confirmed my statements. “He has been acting weird the last two days. He was drunker today than he has ever been before.”
“But,” Daryl looked confused, “why would he touch someone?”
I blinked. They were talking as if Callum was touch averse. But, then why had he acted like that?
“We need to check him into rehab. His organs are more liquor than flesh at this point,” Travis said.
“But, he had started doing better. He won’t go back to rehab,” Daryl started to protest.
“No buts, we need to get him help,” Travis’ tone brooked no argument.
I stood there invisible while they continued worrying about him as if he was a child and didn’t just try to molest me. Of course, what else could I expect? I wish I could leave this place, and go back home, but here I was, a prisoner again. Only this time, instead of being chained to a room, I was chained to a person. The fates had exchanged one prison for another.
“Argh, it’s all her fault,” Daryl stormed away, anger in every step. Two seconds later, their bedroom door almost flew off with the force he had shut it with. Travis shook his head and hurried after him.
I stood beside Aiden, my nails digging into my palm. Why is it my fault?
“I’m sorry for Callum’s actions. He is not usually like this. I don’t know what came over him today. I will make sure he doesn’t come near you again,” Aiden said. His apology was sincere. As if he was going to be a magical barrier between me and Callum. But, he wasn’t the one who had to apologize and I had no expectation of receiving one from Callum.
A movement caught my eyes. “The marks are moving,” I said, blinking in surprise. I had never seen them actually move before, only noticed after they had stopped. The iridescent marks slithered across our skin, in tandem, like a snake. It extended past our palm, covering just the index fingers, and stopped. The wait seemed almost expectant, like, the marks wanted to move across the space between our hands and be one.
I touched my index finger to his, curious to see what would happen but nothing did.
Aiden withdrew his hand. “I will never understand these.”
“That makes two of us,” I sighed. This day was getting shittier by the minute.
* * *
A few hours later, I was kicking the punching bag, when Travis walked in.
“Tired of reading?” Travis asked.
“Yeah, I was going cross-eyed.” And I had a lot of anger that I needed to let out before I kicked the hell out of Callum and Daryl, and got fired from the company. Dad would support me, but never publicly.
“Any news on Callum?” Aiden stopped the treadmill, slowing down his walk till it came to a standstill.
Travis sighed, looking like a very worried parent. “Not yet. Probably went to see that girlfriend of his. But, I have good news,” he said, relief shining through his tired smile.
“Your attacker has been caught.”
Chapter 13
“Really? Is it someone you know?” I asked.
“A crazy fan. Wanted to keep Aiden like some display doll,” Travis’s nostrils flared. “Fucking lunatic. Our team has already pressed charges. That fucker is going regret the moment he thought of kidnapping him.”
“But, how did he open the portal to the demon world?”
“He is some druid academy drop-out who went into hiding a few years back. He stole some of their old texts before leaving. The druid high council had put him on their wanted list with a price because he had taken some of their most forbidden dark magic books.”
“Did the druids tell you how he managed to teleport the demons here?”
It was something that had bugged me then but I had pushed it back because of everything else that had happened. The demon had appeared out of nowhere. How did it appear right in front of the room? Unless, teleportation spells were also a real thing. But, even if that was the case, how had they locked onto a point
here to transport. If the thing had somehow locked on Aiden’s soul and teleported, then shouldn’t it have landed inside the room?
“It wasn’t the druids who caught him, it was your team. They should know.”
“That was very anti-climactic,” Aiden yawned, exhaustion lining his eyes. He stretched. His t-shirt rode up exposing an inch of skin, completely covered in scars. I quickly averted my eyes and turned my gaze back to Travis. There was a warning in Travis’ eyes. I wasn’t meant to see Aiden’s scars.
I nodded, promising him my silence.
“No more need for bodyguards. Make them leave as soon as possible,” Aiden said.
“It would be a good idea to keep them for a few more days,” I said. Something about this entire thing was bugging me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“No,” Aiden said, a stubborn set to his jaw. “They need to leave as soon as possible.”
“Fine, I will let Selene know,” Travis said.
I’m not gonna lie, I was really curious to know what their big secret was that they didn’t want people monitoring them.
My phone pinged as if warning me to reign in my nosiness.
Caught the demon summoner. Roommate was a druid. Snitched. Summoner didn’t put up fight.
Too easy capture. Keep an eye out.
Did the guy say how he got his demon past our security?
He is not cracking.
Thanks Grandpa
Let me know if something new happens
Why would someone who went through so much pain for his obsession over Aiden just surrender himself that easily? He had been in hiding for so many years and then suddenly got caught? I knew our teams were good but if Bart thought something was fishy then I was inclined to trust him.
“Daryl is calling you both for lunch. I will talk to the security team.”
“Thanks,” Aiden said.
We finished our workout and took turns showering. I scrubbed my neck raw where Callum had kissed me till skin had started to peel off. I pressed my palm against my mouth and sobbed soundlessly. I was scared but more than that I felt dirty. I wish I was back home with Sam. I’d never felt more alone in my life.
I waited in the bathroom till the redness of my eyes and puffiness of my cheeks reduced. I couldn’t even make myself think about saving Sam. I just wanted to break the bond and get as far away from them as possible.
* * *
We were entering the dining room when fragments of conversation floated in. One sounded like Selene, the other was definitely Travis.
“The final decision belongs to the client but I would like to highly recommend the continuation of our service. I will take my team back now, but please contact Blazewood Securities if you would like to resume the service, at least for a few more days till we are completely sure Mr. Riversend is safe,” Selene said.
“Thank you for your concern and hard work. We will let you know if we change our mind.” With the way Travis said that, I don’t think he or Aiden were going to.
Aiden and I set the table as Daryl brought in the dishes. I didn’t want to sit for lunch with Daryl after all the shit he had said, but, I made myself sit opposite to him. Because, no matter what I wanted, fact was I was stuck here, my apartment didn’t have enough space for both of us. And if the bond took time to break, I couldn’t afford groceries, not unless I managed to get back to my job again and get paid. Maybe, I could ask Bart for a loan? But, I didn’t know how long I would be stuck here. Ugh. I didn’t want to take advantage of his affection for me.
Unlike yesterday, today’s lunch was a somber affair.
“Did Callum call?” Daryl asked suddenly.
Aiden shook his head.
“It’s all her fault. She changed him,” Daryl stabbed the potato.
“What did I do?”
“Huh?” he blinked at me in confusion. “Not you,” he continued stabbing the potato. “His girlfriend. He has been different ever since he met her. The person you met today. That isn’t the real him. He doesn’t even like touching anyone much less forcing himself on anyone. I know she is ruining him. I just know it. Otherwise why would she avoid meeting us so much? We don’t even know her name.”
“So you are saying alcohol and his girlfriend made him do it? That’s not an excuse for what he did,” I was struggling to control my anger.
“No, it’s not an excuse,” Aiden said. “What he did was inexcusable. It’s just,” he paused, “knowing him, it’s hard for us to believe that it’s really him. I won’t ask you to forgive him. I don’t think any of us can. It’s just hard seeing him change so suddenly.”
My anger died down. I had only met him a few days back and I was taken aback by his actions, but they had known him for years so the shock must’ve been even worse for them. It made me feel better that none of them, including Daryl blamed me. They believed me. They were just having a hard time adjusting to the notion that someone they had known all these years had ended up being a stranger to them.
“What is he doing with his life? Getting blackout drunk every day,” Travis said, harshly cutting into the steak.
“I had always thought Incubi couldn’t get drunk,” I cut into another piece of the steak.
I hadn’t noticed the silence till I was halfway through the steak.
I stopped chewing. “Um, why are you guys staring?”
Aiden’s brows were drawn low, “How did you know Cal was an incubus?”
Oh that. “It was just a guess, but thanks for confirming.”
“You are very good at guessing,” there was an edge to his voice.
“I am,” I said, not bothering with false modesty. “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to survive in this field. The world isn’t kind to those without power.”
He looked away. “True,” he said, so soft I knew I wasn’t meant to hear that.
“Guess what I am then,” Daryl propped his chin on his palm. He had an impish grin on his face, a curious expression in his eyes. But his posture held a slight tension that his slouching didn’t manage to conceal.
Almost everybody had a mask they defaulted to. Daryl’s was his almost childlike mischievousness.
“I don’t know,” I lied. Knowledge was power and I’d rather they not view me as an enemy because I knew their weaknesses.
“You’re lying,” Aiden said sharply. “How much do you know?”
Daryl reached over and pulled my dinner plate towards him. “This is my house. As long as you live here, you have to live by my rules. If you can’t, then feel free to leave,” he said with a cruel smile, knowing very well I couldn’t.
I tamped down the flare of anxiety his words had brought on. I hated this helplessness. It was like I was back under grandma’s heels again. Back to square one.
I pulled the plate back towards me. “You are a Fae. I don’t exactly know how old you are but a few hundred years at least. Travis is a vampire and Aiden is definitely not a Waterdragon.”
“You are a dangerous one, little human.” There was a vicious gleam to Daryl’s eyes as he let his mask fall, “For your safety, I hope you are not a nosy one too.”
“Not at all,” I lied. “It was just an observation. I have no interest in knowing further.”
“Good,” he smiled, the mischievous façade back on his face. “So what do you do when you are not working? What are your hobbies? Tell me more about yourself.”
I saw Aiden and Travis let go of a breath they had been holding when Daryl’s expression had suddenly changed. Neither commented on Daryl’s conversation with me and looked rather relieved that Daryl was back to normal. They looked eager to pretend as if nothing happened.
I took the very obvious bait of subject change Daryl dangled in front of me. “Nothing much, I don’t really have any hobbies.” The one hobby I had wasn’t something you shared over lunch with supernaturals when it centered on finding ways and weapons to kill them. “Most days I am too tired from work to do anything other than sleep,” I let in a bit of tr
uth too. Good lies became great lies when some truth was also mixed in.
Travis snorted, “Sounds like someone I know.”
Aiden glared at him.
“So violent,” Daryl said, fully back into his usual cheerful persona. I decided to count my blessings and not accidentally piss him off further even though I knew he wasn’t going to kill me as long as I was bound to Aiden.
“One time,” Daryl started “he didn’t sleep for three days trying to finish the album and ended up sleeping during the meeting with the marketing department. If it wasn’t for me he would’ve face planted right into the sushi.”
I laughed, unable to help myself at the image Daryl painted and also because I was trying harder than him to bring back the lighthearted atmosphere from yesterday. I really didn’t want to sit through lunch being threatened by a Fae. But, maybe, it was due to the innate charm the Fae possessed, that magical aura that could turn comforting or deadly in the span of a second, with Daryl back to being in a good mood and I could feel my fear and apprehension also magically lessening.
The look on Aiden’s face expressed his feelings on the pure betrayal, “Stop exaggerating. I wouldn’t have face planted on the sushi.”
“You would have,” Travis chimed in, quietly passing me water. “We had to carry you back to the hotel because you wouldn’t wake up.”
“I carried you princess style,” Daryl flexed his arms.
I snorted out water, unable to help but laugh at the image of Daryl of carrying the always serious Aiden like a swooned maiden. I don’t know if that had really happened, I didn’t trust Daryl not to exaggerate, but I truly hope it did. If only to see the way Aiden was currently fuming, promise of death and vengeance in his eyes.
“What happened when he woke up?” I asked.
“That’s the best part,” Daryl leaned forward, palm curved near his mouth as if he was whispering a secret, like I was a friend and not someone he had threatened minutes back. “He forgot where he kept his lyrics.”
I gasped dramatically, giving him the reaction he was looking for. “Oh nooo, what happened then?”
“Then the executives called us for a meeting to decide which songs to keep in the album.”