Chumley led me out into the hall and into another room, which had large glass doors that opened up into the gardens.
I glanced around at the room, which looked like a music room, with a piano and a few other instruments spread around the room.
I guess this was where Creeper learned to play the piano.
I inwardly groaned at the name.
I needed to start calling them by their names. Chumley had said they liked their nicknames, but he and Jack had normal ones. Not the other two. I felt guilty for them now.
“Food’s good here, isn’t it?” Chumley said as we stepped through the open doors and out into the yard.
“Yeah, I feel sorry for Diane though,” I murmured. I hated that my questions had led to her getting a little upset.
“Humans get upset over things like that apparently,” he shrugged.
I frowned at him.
“Does anything upset you?” I asked. Earlier in my room, they’d all been talkative and rather bubbly, but emotions were hard to gauge with them.
“I don’t know. We’re still learning emotions. We started developing them two years ago apparently. Slow progress, but the other students seem to be grateful,” he said.
“So, you guys had no emotions for two years?” I baulked.
“Yes. We are soldiers. Protectors. That was all we are, or were. Dezikiel took special notice in us and started teaching us about morals, feelings, that sort of thing. Jack got right into it, so he’s the most… acclimated of us. Then we became proper students. Apparently, according to what the others say, we were harsh. We didn’t care about our words. I understand now that they can hurt others. We also aren’t meant to attack those around us,” Chumley grumbled.
“You attacked people?” I arched a brow at this.
“We’re hellhounds. If someone disagrees with us or does something we don’t like, we’re supposed to put them into line. At least, that’s what we thought when we came into being. Apparently that’s not the way this world works,” he sighed.
Wow. My hellhounds were… hellhounds.
He glanced over at me, noting my concerned expression.
“Don’t worry, we’ve come a long way. I can even sometimes tell when I’ve upset someone, although Jack is more in tune. We’ve learned what most emotions are, so we can recognize them. And we seem to feel some of them too apparently. Like with you, when you came here this morning, we were overjoyed. That’s the emotion Jack said it was. Because we really wanted to finally see you, not just with our projections,” he grinned at me with that stunning lopsided smile that made butterflies flutter in my stomach.
“I’m glad you’ve come so far,” I said, taking in my surroundings as I squashed down the butterflies.
The gardens were quite beautiful, with a massive range of flowers and an assortment of colors. There were topiaries as well, and hedges lining the walkways.
We turned down a gravel walkway, with wooden archways that had vines covering them like netting, creating a gorgeous tunnel of blooming white flowers.
“Bug has adjusted well, although he can’t leave the mansion. The rest of us can go on trips out, assist in tasks. Except Bug,” Chumley sighed.
“Why?”
“He has trouble maintaining his human form.”
“What’s that mean?” I gasped, causing us to halt.
“He sometimes begins to revert back to his hellhound shape if he gets too flustered. He can’t control it easily,” Chumley admitted as he turned to me with those deep, dark eyes.
Even though they were as black as night, they didn’t bother me. They were rather mesmerizing, in a way.
“Poor thing,” I murmured as he continued walking. So Bug had never left this place since coming into being.
No wonder he was so on edge if he ever appeared when I was out and about. He didn’t know a thing about this world.
And now the books made so much sense.
“Creeper has struggled with emotions the most, he can’t wrap his head around them. I know he feels them, but he dislikes them. Doesn’t like not being able to control everything about himself,” Chumley chuckled.
That sounded right for the quietest of my hellhounds.
My hellhounds. I still couldn’t believe they were actually mine. That their sole purpose was to protect me.
In a way, it made me sad. They’d picked up hobbies and were clearly adapting to this life. Why shouldn’t they have their own goals and dreams?
“The gardens are quite beautiful, I’ve never seen anything as beautiful in any of my explorations out of this place,” Chumley stated.
“How far have you travelled?”
“Only locally, but I get to see a lot with the internet. That was something I still remember struggling with. Now it comes so naturally. Many things that seemed utterly bizarre now make complete sense. Like showering,” he said, turning to me with a straight face.
I had to refrain from laughing.
“You went out a lot with me,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but the city, it’s not as nice as the country or the mountains. There are some beautiful places out there. Now that you’re with us, maybe we can see them,” he said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.
Seeing him clearly excited made me happy.
And I was learning so much about my hellhounds.
“You said you were created in Hell. Does that mean you remember it?” I asked. It was something that had been bothering me since speaking with Xander. A demon who’d come from Hell.
I wanted to know what it was like. Was it really the fiery torture pits? Or was it something else?
“No, I just know that’s where I came from. When we were created, it was like we were engineered with some core coding, at least that’s how Dylan put it. He works with computers. I think I know what it means, like we already had knowledge. Like walking and understanding language, etc,” he said.
It was a good way of putting it. And being here had expanded that coding.
But I was starting to get the feeling my guys were like Amish people. Or slightly medieval.
At least Chumley knew the internet.
I’d need to learn more about the four of them.
Eleven
I sat in my room, alone now as I rested on my bed. I’d decided I needed some alone time after the walk with Chumley.
Everything I’d learned since this morning was quite unravelling, and I was doing my best to remain calm.
So there were other things out there apart from angelics and demonics. Vampires, werewolves, witches, you name it, it was most likely real, or it originated from something.
And to think just yesterday I was stressing about my unemployment and being crazy.
How things had escalated.
I was surprised with myself at how well I was handling it.
I guess breaking down and freaking out wasn’t going to be of any use, but I wasn’t even anxious.
Maybe because I’d grown accustomed to such strange things, like my hellhounds, that it now finally made sense, even if it was so otherworldly.
A knock on the door made me sit up, and I called out to whoever it was that it was unlocked.
As if summoned, all four hellhounds entered, with Jack taking up the rear.
“Apparently, birthdays are a celebration day,” Chumley beamed.
I smiled at this as they all walked over, and then noticed Jack was holding a tray of cupcakes. What was the bet he was the one who had instigated this?
Now that I thought back on it, I’d never celebrated my last few birthdays, although they all seemed to be around on those days.
“Cake is the traditional thing we’ve discovered, as everyone celebrates their birthday, and gifts are big too!” Chumley beamed, while Jack and Bug exchanged amused looks.
Maybe Chumley and Creeper were the main two still struggling with the more human side of things. Jack studied it, and Bug did a lot of reading in general, so he’d probably picked up a lot.
They all clambered onto my bed, sitting cross-legged as Jack offered me the tray of cupcakes.
“Happy birthday,” he smiled warmly, and for some reason my stomach flipped at the gesture.
“Thanks, all of you,” I murmured, looking around at the group.
I plucked one of the cupcakes, wondering if they’d commissioned the hooded figures to make them. Somehow, I doubted any of them knew how to cook a whole, and these rainbow colored cupcakes looked far too elaborate for them to have done.
I bit into it, loving the sweet vanilla with a raspberry swirl.
“We got you presents too,” Bug said after he demolished his cupcake. He scampered off the bed, disappearing out into the hall and returning with a box.
He joined us back on the bed, opening up the box.
“This is from Chumley,” he smirked, pulling out a TV remote and glancing at Jack. Jack kept a straight face as Chumley lit up when I accepted the remote.
I inspected it, wondering what was so special about it, and pressed the power button.
My TV turned on.
I wanted to laugh, but the sheer delight on Chumley’s face stopped me.
“I set up your Netflix, added in all your favorite shows,” he grinned. “And you can always call upon me to be your Netflix buddy, like always.”
Ah, now that made a little more sense. I pressed the button for Netflix, waiting for the load screen to move to the profiles.
Sure enough, the little ninja icon was labelled Lily, and opening it up revealed my preferences had been set.
And he’d gotten all my most loved shows right.
He’d paid so much attention over the years, and I leaned over to give him a hug, touched by the personal gift.
“Thanks Chumley,” I said, squeezing him. He stiffened at this, then hesitantly hugged me back.
When I pulled back, he was giving me a strange look, but he masked it with a smile.
“This is from me,” Bug said as he pulled out a kindle.
“Oh, thanks!” I smiled. I’d always considered getting a kindle.
“I’ve pre-loaded it with some books I liked. Getting one of those has been one of the best things. I asked Dezikiel if he had a spare one anywhere that I could set up for you,” he grinned.
Right. I’d forgotten that money was probably an issue for them. Being hellhounds, I doubted they had any. And something told me jobs weren’t something they’d be doing anytime soon.
“Thanks Bug,” I said as I gave him a hug. He was less hesitant to hug me back, and I drew in his rather charred scent. They all seemed to smell like that, but I quite liked it. Probably a hellhound trait.
“And this is from Jack,” Bug said, pulling out a small navy box. I accepted it, flicking my eyes to Jack, who was watching me carefully.
I opened up the small box, and smiled at the bracelet it contained.
“I had Hadley and Diane take me somewhere and help me choose something for you,” he admitted as I inspected the charm bracelet.
It had a music note on it, a book, a pentagram, and a small black wolf.
“The wolf represents us,” he informed me.
“It’s beautiful, thank you,” I beamed, giving him a hug as well before trying to put it on.
After a few failed attempts with all of them watching me, Jack finally helped me do up the clasp.
I liked the jingle of it as I inspected it on my wrist. Sterling silver too, so I could wear it in the shower.
How’d he pay for it though? Guess I wouldn’t ask right now.
“And last but not least, Creeper’s gift,” Bug said, his smile faltering as his dark eyes flicked to Jack.
Creeper had been rather emotionless through it all, and now was no exception as he just watched carefully.
Bug pulled out the object and handed it to me, dropping it into my hand.
I stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out if there was something special about it.
It was… a rock.
“Thanks,” I forced a smile, giving Creeper a hug.
He tensed up, frozen in place and unwilling to return the gesture, which made it massively awkward.
“That’s okay,” he said, frowning at me as I pulled away.
“What’s it signify?” I asked, wondering if there was something special about it.
“Nothing. I found it,” he shrugged.
Okay then.
He was a hard one to understand.
I turned the cool black rock over in my hand. It was smooth, and I wondered where he found it.
“We wanted to just make sure you knew we hadn’t forgotten about your birthday,” Jack said after giving Creeper an odd glance.
“But we also know that you probably want a bit of a break to process everything, so we’ll leave you alone,” Bug added quickly.
Jack nodded, clearly thinking the same, while Chumley just sighed and slid off the bed.
Creeper just looked around at us all with a masked face, before he rose too.
“Just yell out if you need us, we’re in the same hall,” Jack said, flashing me his gorgeous smile.
I just nodded, thanking them again for their presents.
When the door shut, I contemplated watching something on Netflix, or reading a book.
I jingled my bracelet before sitting the rock on my bedside table.
Why a rock? Did it mean anything?
How strange.
I ended up just lying on my bed, thinking about all the incredible things I’d learned in such a small amount of time.
And tonight, powers would awaken within me.
That scared me a little. What powers would I possess?
Mr Baron could sense powers. Maybe he could tell me what would be awakened?
Chumley had shown me their offices on the way to lunch, so I could go see if he was in.
Yes, I’d do that.
Sitting here wondering wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
“How can I help you, Lily?” Mr Baron asked as I sat down at the chair before his desk at his request.
He wore a brown button-up vest over a white undershirt, and sophisticated brown pants. He certainly looked like a high-end professor.
“I was hoping you might be able to tell me what powers may awaken tonight?” I admitted, getting right to the point. No use beating around the bush.
“Sadly, no. I can only sense them once they’ve awakened. But being of such special bloodlines, I’d imagine you’d possess far greater abilities than some of the other students,” he mused as he sat down behind his desk and shuffled some papers before setting them to the side.
“What powers does everyone have? I know Diane and Hadley are witches and can cast spells,” I said. Maybe understanding what the others did would give me an idea of what I could potentially do.
“That’s true, they’re extremely good witches too. Their demonic side amplifies their powers. Diane is actually capable of reading minds on occasion now, and Hadley has telekinetic powers. So moving things with her mind,” Mr Baron said, causing me to just stare in shock.
“Your hellhounds have the most strength of all the students, and extremely quick reflexes. And the ability to shift into actual hellhounds, which we try to deter them from doing. They can take on a more feral state if they do, become more animalistic and wild. Flynn, Matthew, and Thomas, all possess greater strength than humans, and a mastery over weapons. Xander can possess humans, and has some telekinetic powers, but not to the same extent as Hadley.
Paris and Wayne are twins, not identical though. And they both share the ability to work with shadows. It’s almost like they can teleport if shadows are present. Paris has mastered knives, both in close combat and throwing, while Wayne has a preference for guns, and has perfect aim. Both excel in close combat.
Dylan has a special touch with electronics. It’s like he can possess them and make them do whatever he needs. A valuable ability indeed. Then there’s Hershel. Hershel has the ability to dual possess animals. Not even
Xander can do that. It means he can possess a dog or a bird while still being within his own body. Only animals though, not people.”
I just slumped back in my seat, utterly stunned by this knowledge.
They had badass powers. And my hellhounds were the strongest? Wicked.
“There are many, many abilities and powers that demonics can possess. Those with stronger, higher bloodlines can possess even greater abilities. Some can control elements, freeze time, summon spirits, possess both telekinetic and telepathic abilities, the list goes on,” Mr Baron sighed. “So there’s no way of even guessing at what you may have. But you’ll find out soon enough.”
“Will it hurt?” I asked after a moment.
“No, awakening is not painful. But things become clearer, you understand everything so much more. And we’ll teach you everything else,” he reassured me with a small smile.
I cocked my head at this. What did he mean by that? He was a little strange, he didn’t have the same incredibly calming presence Dezikiel did.
What was Dezikiel anyway? Every time that thought entered my mind, it was gone just as quickly.
“Is that your power, sensing others?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m a demonic as well. Born when a witch altered my mother’s unborn child. You see, before she interfered, I was set to be born without limbs. So my mother struck a bargain with a powerful witch. I ended up a demonic. Able to read what abilities others have. This has proved useful, especially here as an instructor,” he said as he clasped his hands together, his elbows resting on his desk.
“Did you do anything before being an instructor?” I asked, noting that he seemed to be thinking of something else as his eyes flicked away for a moment.
“Yes, I did,” he said, drawing in a deep breath.
A moment passed, and I realized he wasn’t going to elaborate.
“What about Miss Sage?”
“Also a demonic, a weapons and close combat master,” he said, clearly not fussed about telling me everything.
“And Dezikiel?”
“You really are a curious one, aren’t you,” he chuckled as he leaned back in his seat. “You’ll find out soon enough. Now, why don’t you go enjoy your birthday, I hear there’s something special coming at dinner,” he said, winking at me as he moved to look over some paperwork.
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