The door echoes again. More knocks. The banging is almost like point-blank gunfire to my ears.
“Sailor, you up?” a familiar voice calls from behind the door before it slowly peels open. It’s Blaze. I can tell he’s both cautious and skeptical due to my sudden appearance, and he should be. If I were him, I’d find it hard to trust me, too. Going dark for about half a year would ruin just about any relationship.
“I am now,” I groan.
Blaze walks towards my cot with a glass of water, some food, and an assortment meds on a tray. He’s wearing a red and black plaid shirt with a matching pair of black jeans. His sleeves are rolled to his elbows, exposing his forearms. Seeing them reminds me of the demonic seal etched into one of my own.
When he tended to my wounds, there was a chance that he saw the seal. It’s a peculiar situation…the mark from Al and I’s pact is distinct. There isn’t a mark associated with normal possession. The demon makes its entry and is otherwise unnoticed. From what I’ve read, demonic contracts regarding wishes also leave no indicator that a deal has been made. At first glance, my mark can be taken as a badass gothic tattoo, but Blaze knows that I didn’t have any body art of any kind until recently. He also knows that I’m not a fan.
“Well hello to you, too,” he says as he sets the tray on a foldable table by my cot.
“Sorry, you said something? I’m a little out of it right now.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” He frowns. “Sorry to wake you, but you need to eat to keep your strength up. You haven’t eaten in at least two days. That’s crazy enough as it is. I can’t imagine how you’re not hungry.”
“No, I’m hungry. I’m a lot of things right now. It’s just that being roughed up by a mob of demons kind of puts you in a different mental space, you know?”
“Which is why we should talk. It helps. You were gone for four months.”
“We will. Just not right now, okay? I need some time. I’ve been through a lot of shit recently. It’s amazing that I even fell asleep.” I shake my head. “Whenever I close my eyes, I see fucking demons coming at my neck. It’s not exactly something that I feel comfortable talking about.”
“Sailor.” He goes to put a hand on my shoulder, but I lean away, invoking a flash of pain throughout my midsection.
“Don’t touch me…okay? Just—don’t,” I huff. My gaze intensifies while Blaze looks at me, concerned. Confused. What did he do to trigger me? Nothing, honestly. I’m actually grateful that he saved my life. He’s a good guy—a great guy, it’s just that for his own sake I have to keep him at arm’s length. I have a demon sealed inside of me, and I’m not sure how he’ll react. I don’t even know if he’ll believe that I’m still me, let alone the other hunters that don’t know who I am.
It’s complicated…and for that very reason, he’s better off not getting reattached.
“Okay, I understand. Well, here’s your food. I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.” Blaze begins to turn away but I reach out to him, further stressing my injuries.
“Wait. No…don’t go. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice or any of that other stuff. I’m happy that you guys made it to me in time and I’m thankful for everything you’ve done. I’m just so messed up right now. It’s a lot, Blaze. So much has happened.”
“I understand. You were once there for me.” He smiles. “Can you feed yourself?” Blaze asks.
I leer at the bowl of soup beside my cot. “Yeah, I should be fine if I go slow enough…I think.”
“Are you sure? Because I ca—”
“Blaze, I got it.” I reach for my spoon and instantly realize just how bad of an idea it is to act tough. A sharp pain cuts across my side and I retract my hand. “Okay maybe not.” I fall against my cot and grit my teeth. “Yeah, that wasn’t too smart. No, not at all.” I wince. “I’m an idiot.”
“Far from it.” He grins. “Here, allow me.” Blaze grabs the spoon and begins to feed me…which is, well, awkward. Being spoon-fed by my exish-boyfriend isn’t really what I have in mind when I think of recovery; especially after faking my death, but hey, it’s better than starving. I try to focus solely on the spoon while he feeds me, but occasionally, our eyes meet. His gaze is soft. I can’t see any anger or ill intent when he looks at me, but I know he’s wondering what happened to me and the others. He’s trying to give me space, but I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes. How did I, of all people, survive? It’s a puzzling thought—a sad thought, but at least there is a hint of happiness behind them as well. To Blaze, it’s like I’ve returned from the dead. “Ready for your medicine?” Blaze asks after I swallow another serving of bland soup.
“I have to take all of these?” I ask as I leer at the assortment of pills on my food tray. Red, pink, yellow, and white…four horse pills that I’d rather not deal with.
“Red and white ones are for moderate pain. Pink is to fight infection. The yellow one is another pain one but it packs a punch.”
“Any of this make me sleepy?”
“Just the yellow one.”
“Well, give me all of them except the yellow. I’ll save it for a rainy day.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. I’ve been out for two days. I’m pretty sure I’ve had my fill of bed rest. I actually wouldn’t mind walking around a bit.” Blaze picks up a pill and places it on my tongue; the glass of water, not far behind. I take a sip and force it down before clearing my throat.
“Easy,” Blaze comments.
“I mean, it’s not like I’ll run away or anything,” I say after coughing. A stabbing pain erupts in my gut but I try my best to keep a straight face. “I have no weapons, I’m injured, and I have no idea where we are. I’d just like to take a stroll, God willing. I’ve been through a lot and sitting here processing things isn’t really my cup of tea. It adds to the whole ‘feeling helpless and pathetic vibe’ I’ve been trying to shake. I kind of need it to kick rocks.”
“I see your sense of humor hasn’t left you,” Blaze says before he feeds me another pill. “If I let you go outside, will you open up about everything that happened up until now? No pressure.”
“All pressure.” I stare at him blankly.
“Four months is a long time to be going at it alone in the field,” he says and then deeply sighs. “We’re just trying to help.” Blaze raises the glass to my lips and I sip before gulping down the second pill.
“I know.”
“Well, let us.”
“Sure, but only if I stop getting treated like a prisoner.”
“Prisoner?” He furrows his brow. “What kind of prisoner gets bedside service? You know that these precautions are for everyone’s safety.” Blaze feeds me the final pill and eases up from my cot. “I’ll talk it over with the guys and see if we can work anything out with your situation. Taking you out for a bit shouldn’t be a problem as long as we have some safety measures.”
“Cool.”
“I’ll be back in about thirty minutes,” he says as he makes his way to the door. “Your meds should be kicking in by then.” The door closes and I recline against my elevated pillow, dropping my act.
“This freaking sucks,” I say under my breath, venting my frustrations. More than anything, I hate staying still. Morgan, the waitress from the coffee house, is dead. Ben is M.I.A, and the demon that did this to me is still at large. Even with Sphinx, he wasn’t able to possess me, I’m assuming because Alfonse already inhabits my body. He told me earlier that chances are the demon probably knows I’m not a Nephilim; that I’m just an ordinary girl with a soul-sucking demon latched onto her soul. What Al didn’t tell me is that in order to know that to be true, they had to have some sort of confrontation, a battle of the wills. There was a time when Al had to fight whatever was trying to possess me. I don’t know the politics, but I doubt Al is the type that would want to share. He claims to be weakened, but in order for him to fight off a full-powered demon after keeping me alive, he’d have to have been stronger than opposing demon
to begin with. Extremely stronger. When we made the pact, he was barely tethered to this earth. He was dying. It’s been about four months since then, and he still claims to be in rough shape. Over time he has gotten stronger, but by how much, I don’t know. At just a fraction of his full power, hunting’s never been easier. My senses are sharper, my body is stronger, and my aim is better. I can see colors with much better detail and even the most subtle of sounds I can pick up. I’m far from superhuman with him around, but I’d be lying if I said he didn’t give me an edge—that’s exactly why I need him back. Before I passed out, Alfonse did whatever he could to ensure I survived until the other hunters rescued me. His time was limited, but he was able to get my body back on the road to recovery and brief me before he was suppressed with Holy Water two days ago. Assuming they gave me a standard dose, the Holy Water should be long-gone from my system by now, but even then, Al still isn’t in the clear. Blaze told me that this place was warded against demons. I’m all for keeping the bad guys out, but I’m pretty sure it’s messing with Al. The sigils in my apartment were enough to keep him at bay, and I’m no pro. The craftsmanship of a slew of hunters is more than enough to keep him down, especially with his power weakened. In order to get back on track, I need to get out of here. If he’s exhausted most of his energy, I should be able to keep him under control during my recovery, which is perfect. That’s more time I can use to my advantage to get what I want—revenge for my family’s murder. I guess getting beaten five ways to Sunday does have its benefits.
A set of soft taps at my door rallies my attention. It hasn’t even been more than five minutes and he’s already back. “Come in,” I say. Not that it matters. My room is allegedly guarded. I’m far from calling the shots around here…but I’m not a prisoner. Ha. Okay.
“Turns out thirty minutes was more like three. We got the green light to bring you out, but not for too long,” Blaze says as the door swings open. I open my mouth to ask what he meant by ‘we’ but then I see her; another girl. One I haven’t seen before. She’s about my age, slightly taller and of similar build. Her face is pale but her complexion works in her favor, highlighting the red hair flowing out from her ponytail that rests on her shoulder. “You were right when you said being in here all day wasn’t doing anybody any favors, so we’re going to be taking a little stroll. Maybe talk for a bit about what’s been happening and bring each other up to speed. You can stand, right? If not, I can bring something along to help you out.”
“Only one way to find out,” I say with a grunt as I slowly push off from the base of my cot. Most of my injuries were to my upper body. A messed up shoulder from a bullet wound, various cuts and incisions by shrapnel and sharp objects, a few grazes, and a handful of tender ribs. I’m sure there’s more but after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher and then electrocuted, details typically tend to get a little fuzzy. The new girl locks eyes with me while I steady myself after standing for the first time in two days. She seems to be neutral to this whole experience. She’s tough and I’m one hundred percent certain this isn’t her first rodeo.
“You alright, Sailor? I can go find a—”
“I’m fine,” I say, cutting him off and ignoring the pain flaring across my gut. I wrap my arm around the curve of my stomach and stabilize myself against the folding table near my bed. “Who’s the new chick?”
“Oh, her? That’s Abby.”
“Sailor,” I say as I flick my head up. “Nice to meet you.” Abby curls her lips into an awkward smile.
“She’s pretty handy,” Blaze adds, cutting the tension in the room.
“I bet.” If she hunts half as good as she looks, I wouldn’t be nearly as banged up as I am now if she were with me at Vickie’s.
“She helped clean you up after we…uh…rescued you. Are you sure you don’t need help with anything?” Blaze asks, flustered.
“I’m fine. Blaze, really. If I need anything, I’ll be sure to let you know. I’m in a bit of pain, but once the pills kick in, I’ll be good to go. I’ll even carry the yellow one you gave me as a backup if it makes you feel any better.”
“It will,” he says assuredly, his composure making a swift recovery. I stuff the pill into one my pant pockets, which Abby apparently dressed me in while I was unconscious. “Thanks.”
“Don’t sweat it…so where are we, anyway?” I ask in my best effort to get Blaze’s mind off of my wellbeing.
“Well, we’re still in Illinois, if that’s what you were wondering. Not too far from Hickory Hills. It’s about twenty minutes out from Chicago. You were in Seward when we found you two days ago.”
“Damn, that far, huh? That’s about three hours from here.” My eyes drift towards my ruffled sheets.
“Yeah, those demons were looking to vanish, and they would have if we didn’t track your phone.”
“Heh, I guess that piece of junk came in handy after all.”
“Yeah, it meant finding you…and hopefully some closure,” Blaze says, his tone deeper than before. His eyes unveil a layer of pain and grief as they peer into mine. It’s only for a second, but it’s more than enough. We briefly exchange eye contact, and I find myself at a loss for words. Abby glances at him and he averts his gaze to the ground, breaking his sight away from mine. “We should get going. It’s only going to get darker,” he says before checking his pistol and tucking it back into the waistband of his pants. Blaze begins to walk towards the door and Abby follows suit. He pauses before he reaches the exit and turns to me. “Hey, Sailor?” he asks.
“Yeah?” I freeze in place, curious as to what he has to say.
“Don’t try to run off again. I’m serious. No one likes a ghost.” My mouth opens, but I don’t bother responding. There’s no point. I did abandon him, after all. Blaze turns his back towards me and leaves while Abby waits for me at the door, clenching her elbow with her hand. She looks at me, but its short lived. I guess she can tell what happened between us is off limits.
Leaving everybody high and dry was a choice I made four months ago. And it’s a choice I now live with. How stupid was I to leave the only guy who cared for me, all for the sake of revenge? Blaze thought I died that day along with my father and everyone else. I let him suffer for four months without giving any inkling that I had survived. He had no one left. He suffered alone, and I’m to blame. And to make things worse, now, of all times, I’m dangling a string in front of him and manipulating his emotions just for a chance to get better by the hands of a demon. I’m worse than shit.
Just how selfish am I?
****
The crinkled leaves and muddled roads make for harsh travels. Walking sucked while I was in the safe house, but now I have to factor in dodging tree limbs, weird rodents, and foot holes. Behind the abandoned building, there’s forested grounds, hence the name of this place, Hickory Hills. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never been, even though it isn’t too far from my home. No point. It’s just a bunch of trees and trails. If anything, places like this are often breeding grounds for the supernatural. I wouldn’t be surprised if I we caught a witch out here doing something sketchy, or a vamp, for that matter. “Are you sure this is safe?” I finally blurt out into the clearing. “There’s like, no one here.” Less than a quarter mile out in the elements and I get cold feet. I guess being wounded and unarmed will do that to anyone.
“That’s why we chose this spot,” Blaze announces as I trail behind him. “This place is pretty much isolated. We did a perimeter check by the square mile. No sign of paranormal activity, or anything really. Sure the forest is large and we haven’t checked out every nook and cranny, but this area is safe. That much we know. The same goes for the surrounding areas we have under our control.”
“Okay.”
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“No, you’re good; it’s just that this sucks. But, I have to move, you know?”
“Yeah, I feel you. Limping down the sidewalk in the middle of a city would only draw attention. At least
here you can take as long as you want to get the led out without enduring a ton of questionable looks.”
“So you’re not secretly judging me? Funny.”
“No, but I do know when you’re being stubborn. Let’s take a break, grandma. Come on.” Blaze walks over to a nearby smoke pit. “Pop a squat on that log over there while I get some branches.”
“Grandma? That’s new.” Rather than sitting on the log, I sit on the ground in front of it. Bending down that low isn’t fun, but it’s worth it in the long run. “For the record, it’s not my legs, it’s my midsection, but I’m starting to feel a bit better now.” I lean my back against the base of the log, easing the pressure off of my ribs. “Must be the pain meds working their magic.”
While I get comfortable, I watch Blaze wander off to collect a couple of branches. He says a few words to Abby, but he’s too far for me to hear what he’s saying. She’s been giving us some space this whole time, but it’s still kind of awkward. I still barely know anything about her.
“Yeah, I doubt it,” Blaze picks up after walking back, branches in hand. “You always were a tough cookie.” He drops the pieces of wood into the pit, squats down, and lights them on fire. “Like, super tough,” he finishes with a dorky fanaticism. The fire brings warmth to his face and a familiar glow to his eyes.
“Still am.” I smile from behind the flame. Nights like this somehow bring me back to when Blaze and I were out in the field together, before everything went to shit. For the three years my father and I followed the trail of my mother’s murderer, there were a lot of nights where all we had was the darkness of the night and each other. Sometimes after a hunt, all you could do was watch the night. Whether it was driving out on an open road, taking a walk, or just being in the presence of someone you cared about. It feels like forever since I had someone who can relate to this mess, even without knowing the full story. Just having someone there in general is nice. Even when you weren’t hunting demons or tracking the supernatural, just knowing that someone cared about you, you know, for the typical ordinary human shit, meant the world.
Sailor Ray and the Dark Descent (The Pact Book 2) Page 6