Keeper of the Innocents
Page 8
Evan turned his attention to her. “For what?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wanna buy a few things.”
“How much is a few bucks exactly?”
Mina chewed on her lower lip for a moment, as if thinking what to respond. “Forty bucks sounds good. Maybe sixty.”
“Are you even planning to join them?” Evan asked Mina.
Mina shrugged. “Maybe.”
Evan sighed heavily. “We’ll talk tomorrow then.”
Mina stomped her feet, resembling more a five year old child than a teenager. “You’re so unfair. Why do I need to tell you what I’m spending my money on?”
“First of all, it’s not your money, since you do absolutely nothing to earn it. You don’t even help around the house or with Renee. And second, every time I give you money, you blow it on things you don’t even need or use only once. I’d like to see my hard earned money used for something other than a pair of shoes you’ll refuse to wear again, tons of makeup, or clothing that’s always a size too small.”
I wouldn’t say it aloud but Evan was right. Mina’s room looked more like a mall than a bedroom. If she decided to put up a yard sale she could make a pretty penny with the amount of things she’d sell.
“I’m your sister,” Mina protested.
“I haven’t forgotten, but you know, even I have my limits, and unless the money’s going into buying text books, you won’t be seeing a dime from now on.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Do you really want me to go into full detail what I consider to be unfair?”
Mina hastily shut her mouth, scornfully staring at her brother.
Aside from being embarrassed by the discussion, I merely waited patiently for it to end. Spending close to seven days a week in the apartment, watching and listening as the siblings argued was something I’d grown accustomed to. I’d seen it many times. And just like every other time, Evan was right to be angry and Mina just didn’t get it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Demi.”
I responded with a nod and watched Evan walk away to his bedroom. He emerged a moment later with a pile of clothes in one hand before disappearing into the bathroom.
“He’s such a grouch,” Mina said. “He should just get a girlfriend or something.”
“That’s hard to do when you don’t have a life,” I defended.
Mina folded her arms over her chest. “Please, don’t go there again. You’re my best friend, yet you’re always defending him.”
“That’s because he’s right most of the time.”
She scoffed. “Whatever.”
“Catch you tomorrow, Mina.” I spun around and headed for the exit.
A frowning Mina followed me to the front door. “I can’t believe you’re going home already.”
Normally, I would have stayed another hour or so to chat a little more or watch a movie with Mina, but my responsibilities for the day hadn’t quite ended. I still needed to take care of the demon living next door. And I used the term ‘living next door’ very loosely when it came to the demon I’d imprisoned in apartment 4B earlier in the day. I still had no idea what his story was, but I was moments away from finding out.
“I really can’t stay. I have something important to do.”
She bumped her shoulder into mine. “Fine. But you’ll stay tomorrow night, right?”
I cringed. That was a promise I couldn’t make. Though I had a responsibility to watch over Renee, since I hadn’t figured what to do with demon boy, my agenda had to be left blank for the time being.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Just as she opened her mouth to protest, I slapped my hand over her lips and added, “It depends on what I have to do later on. Okay?”
She nodded and I removed my hand.
“All right. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Smiling, I waved and slipped out the door as soon as she opened it. “Lock up,” I tossed over my shoulder moments before starting down the stairs.
***
Before rushing into my apartment, where I would need to go in order to find the one item that could determine whether or not demon boy was telling the truth, I made sure to check if the spell I’d cast over the place had held up. Thankfully, as I touched the door it was apparent that everything was as it should be—when it came to the spell, at least.
My prisoner’s silence however, did unsettle me considerably. It was much too quiet inside. I couldn’t even hear the sound of a TV and this really unsettled me. Was he still inside? Had he somehow managed to escape? And if he did, how did he accomplish it without me feeling the effects of him breaking through my magical shield?
Alarmed, I ran inside my apartment, completely disregarding my parents as I rushed into my bedroom—which, thankfully, was restored to its normal self—and scrambled to my knees, searching under the bed for the dagger I kept there. It was kept inside a little black box marked with golden symbols, which prevented it from being swiped or touched by anyone with the exception of the owner—a.k.a. me.
Mom hurried in just as I popped to my feet and turned to face the door. The look on her face stilled my hasty exit right away.
“What are you doing?” she asked. Her gaze wandered over the hand in which I clutched the silver dagger.
“I told you about demon boy, remember?” I whispered so Dad couldn’t hear me. “I have to know if he’s a threat or not.”
“Do you want me to tag along?” Her concern was obvious. No matter the situation, she would always be worried, but she needed to know I was old enough to protect myself. Most importantly, I had a charge to protect and so far the only threat I could think of was demon boy. Unless I found another culprit, I had to make sure he wouldn’t endanger anyone’s life.
“Mom, I can handle this. Don’t worry.”
Reluctant though she was, Mom nodded and then stepped aside. “All right. But if you need me, just call.”
“I will,” I ran out of the bedroom to the front door. Not stopping to spare a glance back, I opened the door and walked out, shutting it behind me.
Getting close enough to demon boy wasn’t going to be easy. I had the unnerving feeling that he would either fight or try some dark magic on me. I was prepared for both. One way or another, I was going to get the truth out of him. Granted, I would prefer for things to sail smoothly, but demons were unpredictable, and if he took after his evil side, he could really hurt me or worse. Not that he had so far, but I had to be cautious just in case.
I knew I would only have about a second or so to make a decision, and if demon boy intended to fight back, I wouldn’t get a chance to do that. It was scary to think I might have to face death sooner than I’d intended, but this wasn’t the first time I went in search of a demon to vanquish and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. It came with the trade.
Closing the gap between his front door and mine, I removed the incantation, turned the knob, and allowed myself access to his small, but neatly organized apartment. Wasting no time walking in—even though the lights were off and it was too dark for me to make out anything but the outline of the furniture—I shut the door behind me and locked it.
As soon as I stepped inside his apartment, all sense of apprehension left me. I turned into the Keeper Witch I was born to be and methodically inspected the room with my gaze, trying to catch a glimpse of my demonic neighbor. Nothing stood out and this really put my nerves on edge. Where had he gone to? Why couldn’t I feel his presence? Not being able to sense him was a bad sign. I knew it. Was aware of it. But even then I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I had come to do a job and I wasn’t leaving until I’d either proven him wrong or right.
Unable to tell whether or not I was alone, I backtracked to the door, keeping my eyes forward as I moved. Since demon boy had caught me off guard once already, assuming he wouldn’t do it again was pushing my good luck. He had the advantage over me. I had stepped into his territory. I had pissed him off. My ring had no effect on him and he knew all of this.
I was halfway to the door when movement to my right caught my attention. It was only a slight shimmer, barely detectable by the untrained eye. My witch skills however, kicked into full gear and I was able to zone in on it right away. The smoky form told me clear enough I wasn’t alone and whatever was in the room with me had the intention to strike.
My body automatically shifted, facing the oncoming threat with a speed and poise I didn’t think I possessed. Squaring my shoulders, I clutched the dagger’s handle tighter in my right hand, and kept my gaze focused ahead of me as I was finally able to detect the other presence in the room. Though I hadn’t detected more than one presence, there was no way for me to know if there was something else in the room.
As the foggy figure approached, rushing through the room in less than five seconds, I swung my right arm upward, slicing through the air—and something else. One moment the opaque figure was bolting across the room toward me and the next, the smell of smoke permeated the apartment. I watched as the figure took on a more human-like appearance and I could easily distinguish that the possibly six-foot frame standing at arm’s length could be none other than demon boy.
Hissing furiously, he doubled over for a moment, clutching his left arm to his chest as he spat out a few oaths and a couple of curses, too. Not wanting him to recover, I warily stepped forward with the intention of inserting the dagger into his arm. The only way I could prove his human—or half human nature was to see the color of his blood. Demons’ blood—no matter the type of demon—was always black. If demon boy was really half human, he would have to bleed just like any other human.
Of course, I didn’t really know whether or not this was true but I was willing to give the theory a go. I had nothing to lose and something important to prove.
Unfortunately, this plan had a huge con, too. Since the dagger was made to destroy evil, the moment it cut through a demonic entity, whatever blood remained on the blade would evaporate within seconds. My ancestors had made it so that no one would ever be tempted to use demon’s blood for anything. Because I hadn’t gotten a quick enough glimpse of the color of his blood due to the speed, suddenness of the attack, and the darkness that impaired my vision, I was pretty sure whatever blood had gotten on the blade was already gone and that only meant I had to try again.
As if I didn’t have my hands full already.
It should have been an easy step from the very beginning. With the lights off however, I was a sitting duck. Mentally cursing myself for not thinking to turn on the lights right away, I moved back toward the door, keeping the arm holding the dagger extended in case demon boy decided to have a second go at me. I hadn’t taken more than three steps back when he straightened, eyes gleaming a deadly shade of red as he stared at me through the blackness.
The second I caught sight of those red eyes my entire body went numb, and a serious case of déjà vu hit me. I’d seen those reddish orbs before in my dream—nightmare. There was no mistaking them for something else. I’d been dreaming about him all along. Had the whole scenario been some kind of vision after all?
As I stared at him, I lost full sense of time and the severity of the predicament I was in. I couldn’t react. Demon boy was linked to me in some weird way. I understood that, but what really got to me was not knowing how or why.
Biting down my fear, I stopped and met the challenge I could see in his deadly looking eyes. It took but a moment for me to realize he was getting ready to do something. And in less than a heartbeat I figured out what that was.
I sensed more than felt him move, so fast my eyes could barely detect him. I had thought he was very capable of taking me down quickly and efficiently, and boy was I right about that. All I could easily distinguish when he rushed me was a blur, and this right before I swung my arm down, missing his chest by an inch, if not less.
By the time I reacted to his abrupt attack, he had knocked the dagger out of my hands and wrestled me to the floor. I didn’t go without a fight, though. I flailed my arms, punching him at least once in the lower jaw and kicked him in the shins, twice. Judging by the soft groans that escaped his lips, it must have hurt, too.
I had thought myself prepared but I was proven wrong. He rushed at me before I could think to scan my brain for any spells that might repel his approach.
Much to my dismay, he was not only much bigger than me, but much stronger, too. In no time at all I found myself sprawled on the floor with my hands pinned at each side of my head, staring up at a pair of angry looking, glowing red eyes. Every scary detail of that ludicrous dream came back to haunt me.
Refusing to show fear—even though by this point I was scared shitless—I lifted my chin and glared back. I wasn’t even sure he could see my reaction in the dark, but just in case he did, I found the strength to reward him with a glower that probably matched his own.
While he stared, I searched the mental inventory of spells I’d stored in my years of practicing magic. There had to be one that would work on him. It would help tremendously if I knew what type of demon he was. Spells usually work better when they match the being I intended to vanquish, but since I had no time to find that out, I would have to make do with one of the most powerful spells I knew.
“I can practically see the wheels in your head spinning,” he declared, his voice sounding awfully calm in spite of the little number I’d just pulled on him. Then again, he’d just knocked me down to the floor and pinned me against it. “I bet you’re even wondering how you’re going to get out of this mess.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself. “Actually, I was thinking about what I’m going to do to you once I get back on my feet.”
“If you get back on your feet you mean,” he hissed, forcing a wave of apprehension to wash over me.
Before I could form a response, demon boy added another word—one I couldn’t understand. All he had to do was say a single word in a language I couldn’t understand and the lights flickered on. I looked on as the room filled with light, providing me with clear view of the couch and matching love seat, plasma TV, entertainment system, and laptop sitting on top of the coffee table. Though my inspection was brief, I could tell demon boy had good taste when it came to décor. I wasn’t sure yet whether the apartment belonged to him or not, but it sure showed pride of ownership.
“Suddenly mute, witch?” he said, catching my attention once again.
It was difficult to talk with him straddling my waist, with his chest hovering about an inch or two over mine, and with his lips so close to my face I could feel his warm breath feathering over my skin.
“Why don’t you get it over with?” I shot back. He had me on the floor, pinned underneath him, and if he wanted to seriously hurt me, he could. I could do little to stop him—or so he might think. Just because I was caught in a precarious situation that didn’t mean I was helpless. But as far as he was concerned, I was at my wits’ end. If he wanted to get rid of me he could give it a good try. So why wasn’t he?
“You know, that really hurt.” He nodded to his left arm and I glanced to the side, finding the five inch gash on his forearm easily. It was red, puffy, and opened enough to reveal muscle and tissue. It was a grotesque injury that revealed that at least one part of him was demon. The sight of smoke escaping from the wound was enough to confirm that.
“Too bad I missed. I was aiming for your heart.” I could tell my comment hit home by the way his nostrils flared.
“If you want to kill me you’re going to have to try harder than that.”
Trying to determine his state of mind was difficult since his eyes slowly returned to their natural greenish red coloring as he studied me.
“Let me up and I’ll give it
another try.” I wiggled my arms for emphasis but he only laughed. His laugh however, lacked mirth. He was anything but amused. “I’m pretty sure I won’t miss next time.”
“Like I’d give you a second chance to stab me.” He glowered at me.
“To be fair, I didn’t stab you. I sliced your arm open. Had I stabbed you with my dagger, you’d be dead by now.”
“Either way, I won’t give you another chance to try.”
“What are you afraid of? That I just might send you to hell this time?”
“I thought you came here to find the truth, not to kill me.” And this is when this messed up scenario got even weirder. He actually appeared genuinely hurt. For a mere fraction of a second I could read the disappointment in his eyes but before I could make sense of it, demon boy looked away.
“You can’t blame me for trying.” I hated myself for blurting that out. Slicing through his arm with my dagger didn’t feel as satisfactory as it should have. Quite the contrary. It felt as if I was the worst person in the world. Of course, I tried to argue with myself that the guy had tried to attack me but it seemed my mind refused to listen.
“No. I can’t,” he finally said. “And you can’t blame me for this.”
I opened my mouth to respond but that only made it worse. Just as I focused my attention on finding something resourceful to say, he closed the gap between us and kissed me.
Chapter Seven
A Kiss Will Reveal The Truth
There I was, with death seemingly looming over me, thinking that I’d be a goner, and then this ruggedly handsome demon had the nerve to kiss me. I was shocked at first, but then the sentiment escalated to anger and even some revulsion. He was a demon, for Christ’s sake. How could I feel anything but?
It wasn’t so much the thought of him kissing me what made me think this way, but knowing he was a demon and that he was purposely invading my personal space. Worst of all, I felt helpless in more ways than one. Not only was I trapped, unable to stop his assault, but given the chance, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.