Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  My body grew cold. I had known that Demons could bond with mortals, but this was the first detailed account I’d had of it.

  “But we’re bound. I don’t feel the need to obey you,” I reasoned.

  Marcas looked over his shoulder. “You’re not entirely mortal, Blainey. This is why what we are is so different. So dangerous.”

  I moved closer to him despite my discomfort. I didn’t have the comfort level with Marcas that I did with Conor.

  “Why does your brother believe any child we had together would bring redemption to the children of Cain and Lilith?” I asked, confused.

  That had weighed on me back home in Lodeston. I was reminded of it now. Marcas turned completely toward me before moving to lean back against the bed’s headboard. For the first time since we met, he seemed to relax. It made him look the twenty years of age I’d always guessed him at.

  “My brother is insane. He has the same mental problems you see in some humans. There is no way any child between a Demon and a Naphil would bring redemption. But he can’t comprehend that.” Marcas said slowly.

  I watched him. “And yet, he has my aunt and her order convinced that it could happen.”

  Marcas’ eyes met mine. “Yes, and I’m not sure how he managed that. It makes no sense. Once he discovered the existence of a sole normal Nephilim, he became obsessed with the idea that mixing Sethian and Angel blood with the blood of Cain would reverse the curse. He believes this is because the Sethian blood is from the son Adam and Eve had in Abel’s stead. The curse doesn’t work that way. There are no loopholes."

  And yet Damon was utterly convinced that it could happen. What could be more wonderful than gaining redemption? I felt sad.

  “When did your brother go insane?”

  Marcas looked away. “We were only three hundred years old. To you, we would have appeared sixteen. Until the age of thirteen, we age normally. After that, the years pass more slowly. And after twenty one, we quit aging completely in Earth form. Damon was overtaken by bloodlust that year. He’d been fighting it up until then. He went on a killing rampage. He murdered thousands, and it destroyed him. His mind was lost.”

  He told the story with no emotion, but I couldn’t imagine it not affecting him at all. Damon was his twin. I felt tempted to reach out and touch him, but I didn’t. He didn’t like touch.

  “Maria said you and Damon retained your humanity from your father as his first born children,” I said in a hushed tone.

  I was encouraging him to tell me more, but I wasn’t going to force him. The bed grew warm, and I knew Marcas was feeling on edge.

  “We retained the human conscience, yes. We can feel more than most of our kind. It’s what eventually drove Damon insane."

  This much I knew from Maria but hearing it from Marcas made it more real. It made it more personal. What did that mean for my aunt and her order? Would Damon kill them when he was done with them? Marcas seemed to read my thoughts.

  “I told Damon that you would be the end of us all because, by bonding us, he has started a war. The war is coming. The only chance of avoiding it is becoming unbound. Your aunt will be one of its fatalities. Her obsession with the Sethian bloodline has made her blind and maybe even a little insane herself. This isn’t uncommon in religious cults. And that is what she has made her Order. She has turned it into a cult. There are very few pure Sethian descendants left, and she is desperate that the line be restored and preserved,” Marcas said pitilessly.

  I looked at him. Two desperate beings had come together and created the spark needed to start a war between Heaven and Hell on Earth. There had always been a war, but a war on Earth would be devastating to the mortals who called it home. And they had placed me in its center. I wanted to be angry at them, but I felt sorry for them instead. They had done so out of a desperate need for redemption. It wasn’t uncommon for people to do outrageous things in the name of God in order to save themselves.

  “We need the ring,” I whispered.

  Marcas leaned forward and touched my arm lightly. I looked up and he moved back again.

  “I know,” he said.

  I watched his expressionless face. “Why don’t you just take my soul? Honestly."

  His eyes darkened by several shades. The blue seemed almost black. “I know you’re aware my human flaw is mercy.”

  I nodded. “It isn’t because of you and Sophia?”

  Marcas frowned. "No."

  His tone was final. I suddenly envied Sophia. I wasn’t sure why. Marcas was a Demon with as much penchant for evil as any of his own kind. But as fierce as his anger at the world was, I couldn’t help but wonder how much fiercer his love could be.

  Chapter 30

  There are armies amassing on both sides. Time is running short. She will prove to be a leader even as she seems to be a follower. The trumpet sounds.

  ~Bezaliel~

  “Sleep,” Marcas prompted after I’d indulged myself heartily on the food left behind by the member of the SOS.

  The plate left for me was scrumptious, a pasta dish I didn’t recognize with a velvety cheesy tomato sauce I was wary about at first but enjoyed despite my reserve. I stretched out on the bed and stared up. There were faded religious frescoes on the ceiling. The building must be older than it appeared.

  “Is it even night anymore?” I asked Marcas.

  He looked down at me. He was still sitting back against the headboard.

  “Does it matter, Blainey? There will be few opportunities for sleep before long.”

  I knew he was right. There was something terrifying coming. I could feel it in my bones. It made me shudder even as Marcas’ heat made me drowsy. My eyes grew heavy, and I dozed.

  The dream immediately came to me: my father teaching me about the light, the sudden change to rain, the pain, and the fall. I felt myself waking up, and I fought it. I wouldn’t run away this time. I refused to keep letting this dream win. Darkness engulfed me as I fell and then, without any warning, there was light. Brilliant light. It surrounded me from all sides. It made me blind. I’d found it.

  “Dad? I found the light,” I whispered.

  It cushioned me, and I gave myself over to it. I felt warm. I rolled over and found myself waking up … on Marcas’ chest? What the …

  “The dream has changed,” Marcas said from beneath my ear.

  I pushed away from him and moved a safe distance away. He hadn’t moved which meant I had been the one to lay on him. I wasn’t a lax sleeper. I moved like crazy. My cheeks burned.

  “Do you seriously not sleep?” I asked him hotly.

  My embarrassment made me sour.

  Marcas’ gaze moved to the ceiling. “Sleep is a human need. Those things don’t sustain a Demon,” he muttered. I sighed, my thoughts irrevocably on the books I’d read in the past. In many of them, supernatural beings didn’t need to sleep. And he’d said I read too much.

  “Gotcha,” I mumbled as I slid from the bed. I’d had enough rest.

  “Clothes were sent up for you,” Marcas said from behind me.

  I stared at the dresser and saw a pair of blue jeans and a long sleeve black shirt folded neatly on top along with intimate apparel and a pair of socks. I’d have to keep the boots. I looked around the room.

  “The bathroom is to your left,” Marcas pointed out.

  I glared at him over my shoulder. “Could you just shut up?”

  He raised a brow, and I saw an emotion pass briefly over his face that made me pause. Had he smiled? Even just a little?

  “Spoken by the Angel who doesn’t know the meaning of silence,” Marcas muttered

  I had to grit my teeth to keep from flipping him the bird. I’d learned my lesson about biting my tongue. I moved into the bathroom and closed the door.

  The room I found myself in was made up of Tuscan tile with latte colored walls. There was a large claw tub in front of an arched stained glass window. I twisted the knobs and sighed as steam began to filter into the room. I shed my clothes and sank i
nto the water. I had hoped the bath would help with the anxiety I’d been feeling since arriving at Alessandro’s home, but even the hot water couldn’t ease the fear from my body. It infiltrated every pore. After a few minutes, I gave up on relaxing and ducked under the water just long enough to wash my hair, scrub, and jump out of the tub. I pulled on the clothes I’d grabbed off the dresser and was pleasantly surprised to find the jeans fit well even if the shirt was a little on the big side. The sleeves were too long, and I rolled them up hurriedly.

  “What do we do next?” I called out to Marcas as I opened the bathroom door.

  The bed was empty. I looked around the room. Nothing. The bedroom door stood open.

  “Marcas?” I called out as I moved cautiously into the room. The emptiness made me nervous. Why had Marcas left me?

  I made it to the open door and peered out into the hall. “Marcas?” I hissed as I sidled into the corridor. I kept close to the walls. Where the hell could he have gone? I hissed his name again.

  “He’s with Alessandro,” a young male voice said patiently from behind me, and I froze.

  “Uh … okay,” I answered lamely without turning around. I didn’t want to ask him to show me where they were because then I’d look dependent and weak, and I wasn’t having any of that.

  “I’ll be glad to show you the facility if you like,” the man behind me offered helpfully.

  I turned around slowly and found myself staring open mouthed at the lean blond-haired man that came into view. He looked at me rather sheepishly.

  “Ethan?” I whispered.

  Ethan Jacobs shrugged and leaned back against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture was so much like Monroe I wanted to cry. And here I thought Monroe’s oldest brother was away at college.

  “What is this?” I asked.

  He looked up and down the hall before motioning me back into the bedroom. If it had been anyone other than Ethan, the move would have been a suspect one. I followed him back in.

  “I’d ask you the same thing except I suspected you were the one brought here after Mom called about Monroe disappearing,” Ethan said calmly.

  I just stared at him. He noticed my confusion.

  “I work for the SOS, Dayton. I’ve been with them ever since I left home. Our family, on my father’s side, has been involved with them for years,” he said softly.

  I couldn’t quit staring. I thought Monroe’s dad was Wiccan too. Or maybe I’d just assumed that. He had always been gone a lot. And when Monroe talked about Circles, she always chirped on and on about her mom.

  “Does Monroe know?” I finally whispered hoarsely.

  She would have told me if she knew. I was sure of it.

  Ethan shook his head. “She didn’t, but I’m sure mother has clued her in by now. Monroe chose Mom’s path into Wicca so it seemed unnecessary to reveal anything to her about Dad’s occupation."

  I sat on the nearest chair I could find in the room. Why is that people always assumed it was better to keep something hidden rather than be honest? It wasn’t protecting anyone from anything. I suddenly felt bad for leaving Monroe. She had as much surprising information to deal with as I did.

  “Start from the beginning please,” I begged.

  Ethan moved over to the chair and leaned down in front of me. “I assume you know what the SOS is, so I won’t start there. Our group is everywhere. Mainly we are sent where the need for spies is greater or for protection of Solomon’s artifacts. My father was stationed in Lodeston because of your aunt. The Sethian sects can be suspicious at times and your aunt’s order was at the top of our list. Her religious eccentricity was making waves and when the SOS became aware of her involvement with a Demon some years ago, it made us worry.”

  My whole body had gone cold with fear. I didn’t know how to feel about the whole revelation. Had the SOS had spies in the Order? If they had, Marcas and I were screwed. Another thought came to me. Had Monroe revealed the truth about Marcas and me to her family? If she had, Marcas was in serious danger. I fought to play it cool.

  “Your father works for the SOS and married a Wiccan?” I asked suspiciously.

  Ethan smiled widely, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Dad always said there was no saying no to Mom. Mom’s side of the family is as deeply entrenched in Wicca as dad’s is in the SOS. They make their religious differences work.”

  He chuckled. I’m sure he was imagining his parents. It made me smile too despite my fear. My history with the Jacobs family made me comfortable with Ethan, and I decided to take the plunge.

  “How much do you know about me?” I asked Ethan as coolly as possible.

  His eyes searched mine. “Not much. That’s what I came up here to find out. You totally surprised us all, Dayton. Mom mentioned that Monroe had been worried about you recently. She didn’t know why and then you and Monroe suddenly disappeared from Lodeston along with Conor Reinhardt in the company of a Demon. Maybe you should tell me why."

  I read the censure in his eyes, and I looked away. I’m sure he’d heard about the supposed romantic interlude between Marcas and me. In his eyes, I wasn’t an innocent anymore.

  “Have you talked to Monroe?” I asked him unsteadily. I kept avoiding his gaze.

  He sighed. “I have. And I’m not exactly happy with her reply or her circumstances."

  His tone made me look his way.

  “Her reply?”

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “She told me to ask you,” he answered.

  I almost sighed with relief but looked away instead to hide the smile in my eyes. Trusty ol’ Monroe. My body relaxed.

  “I wasn’t happy to find she’d been left with Lexi and Luther. I don’t trust either of them further than I can spit which is why I’ve sent for both her and Conor. I feel safer knowing Monroe will be here with me.”

  There was accusation in his voice, but I wouldn’t feel guilty. I didn’t have room in my emotions for that right now. I thought about what he’d said instead. Monroe and Conor were coming here? The thought made me both uneasy and excited.

  Ethan’s hand came to rest on my knees. “I need you to tell me what’s going on, Day. Right now, you and your Demon are security risks to us all.”

  I looked down at him. He had no idea. I adopted Marcas’ emotionless expression. My Demon? He was soooo far off.

  “I didn’t know he was a Demon when we first became involved,” I said bleakly.

  I hated the look Ethan gave me at that word. But, at the same time, I felt surprisingly more forward knowing he thought I was tarnished.

  “Involved?” he asked.

  I nodded and looked away again. I had to get used to this lying thing.

  “I met him at Everett’s on my birthday. I shouldn’t have gone, and most certainly not alone, but if it hadn’t been for Marcas I wouldn’t have discovered what I was,” I said softly. Only part of that was a lie.

  I looked back at Ethan. He was watching me closely.

  “A Naphil,” he said.

  I nodded, and Ethan closed his eyes briefly. I’m sure he was telling himself it was impossible I existed too. I was getting used to knowing I wasn’t supposed to be alive. Or, at the least, not supposed to be sane.

  “So Marcas didn’t lie to Alessandro?” Ethan asked.

  I shook my head. Not entirely.

  Ethan stood and ran a hand through his hair. “My God, Day. Part Angel? Your aunt really has covered up way more than we anticipated.”

  She hadn’t hidden it that well. The Demon Lilith had known. She’d even sent her son to kill me.

  Ethan looked down at me. “And Amber?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “We don’t share the same father. We do in looks, but not in make-up."

  I hope he made sense of that. I didn’t have the heart to re-tell the story I’d been told about Bezaliel’s assumption of Daniel’s identity. Ethan nodded. I guess this was not unusual for fallen Angels.

  He stopped next to me and leaned against the wall beside m
y chair. “Why the Demon?” Ethan asked me seriously.

  I looked down at my hands. How did I answer a question like that? Thoughts of Marcas made my heart feel funny.

  “Because, despite what he is, he’s been straight with me where most have lied.”

  This time, I wasn’t lying. I stood and faced Ethan defiantly. The meek Dayton was going to have to go. If Marcas could play this game, I could too. I had come into this situation unhappy, sullen, and unsure, but I was going to leave it by making my own decisions. Choosing to stay with Marcas was up to me now. And I knew we needed that ring.

  “What about you, Ethan Jacobs? How much more am I going to have to be faced with? What is Lodeston? The psycho capital of the world? Or the melting pot for religious disorder? How many people in my life are not who they seem to be?” I asked him angrily.

  Ethan looked surprised. His gaze wandered over me. “You’ve changed, Dayton."

  I glared. “I’ve had to. Answer my questions.”

  Ethan frowned. “It isn’t just you who’s been surrounded by organizations and people who are involved with things the general public aren’t aware of. You’ve just been dragged into it. Are you even aware how big this is? How big the interaction between Heaven and Hell can be? Earth is the platform for their disagreements and the vacation spot for Demons’ ugly deeds. There is a constant battle for the human soul. We are minute compared to this.”

  He began to pace. He had grown a lot since the last time I’d seen him. He’d been eighteen when he’d left home. He was twenty now, but he seemed older. He wasn’t as carefree as he used to be. I took in a deep breath. He was right. There was no telling what was going on out there in the world. If I wasn’t a Naphil who’d been bound to a Demon by his insane brother and an eccentric aunt, I’d still be blissfully unaware of it all. Ethan came to a standstill.

  “I can’t forget why I’m here,” he whispered.

  I stiffened. I knew what he was after. He was here to gather information. I’m sure he’d been ordered to confront me as soon as the SOS discovered his sister and I were close friends. He looked up, and I met his gaze unblinkingly.