Empower

by Ashley Stambaugh

  She had made it about halfway down the alley, making sure to keep a constant distance between them, when the demon stopped and stood perfectly still. Melina came to an abrupt halt and then clamped her hand over her mouth to try to conceal her breathing. Why was he just standing there?

  “It’s about time you showed up,” he said in a low, rough voice.

  Melina’s eyebrows shot up, and her eyes grew big. Was he talking to her?

  “We need to get to work,” he said as he began to turn around. “We don’t have much time left and—” His voice cut off as his gaze landed on Melina. His eyes widened in shock, and his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “You’re… you’re not...” the demon stammered as he took a step back from her.

  They both stared at each other, neither one of them moving, when suddenly the demon let out a low, menacing growl. Melina swallowed hard as he morphed into his demonic form.

  His eyes turned deep crimson as a black, smoky matter took over his human body. He let out a loud shriek, revealing his gray, jagged teeth. Melina sucked in a sharp breath, and her light shield immediately burst out around her.

  “You,” the demon snarled.

  He knew who she was. But what was he going to do about it? She remained silent as she focused on keeping up her shield.

  He held her gaze for a few seconds longer then vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

  Melina kept her light shield out for a few more seconds, and when she was sure he was gone, she finally let it diminish. “That could’ve gone so much worse,” she said out loud to herself. She let out a long exhale and then ran back toward the street. When she had reached the sidewalk, she glanced down the alley one more time, making sure the demon hadn’t returned. There was nothing. Wrapping her arms around herself, she gave a quick shudder, then turned around and headed back toward her bookstore.

  She didn’t think the demon would be able to sense her from that distance, but he definitely had. He had also acted like he was expecting to have someone following him. Had he mistaken her for another Noxin demon?

  As she hurried the rest of the way back to her store, more and more questions started to pop up in her mind. What did the demon mean when he said that they needed to get to work? If he was referring to their plan then did that mean that it had already been put into play? She and the elders had hoped to stay one step ahead of the Noxins, but were they actually one step behind?

  A heavy sigh left her just as she reached the back door to her store. She stepped inside and was about to head upstairs to her apartment when she heard a faint female voice coming from the front room.

  Is that Tessa? It could be, but I didn’t see her car out back. Hmm… She started to tiptoe her way into the front room when a sudden thought made her stop in her tracks. Wait. What if it’s Maura? Has she finally decided to come after me? She gulped loudly. Will I be able to protect myself from her? I know she was weakened when I released those souls from her, but she’s probably recovered by now.

  Melina swallowed again as she thought about how strong Maura was. When she had attacked her in Lee’s apartment, she had started to break down her protective light shield much faster than any other Noxin demon had done before. She had been so relentless and unfazed. And even when Walter and Henry had come to help, she still hadn’t backed down.

  Melina gave an involuntary shudder. If it really was Maura then she needed to get out of there. She glanced back at the door, about to make a run for it, when she stopped herself.

  “This is ridiculous. Whether it’s Maura or not, I can’t let fear get the best of me.”

  Clenching her fists at her sides, she took in a deep breath. She could feel her adrenaline rising as she tried to bring forth her courage. But just as she felt the courage in her start to rise up, she also felt anger. And along with the anger came the burning.

  She had won her internal battle between good and evil and had reversed the demon powers to do good. Instead of burning people with her touch, she could heal the burn marks caused by Noxin demons. Instead of being able to morph into stealth mode, she could see the Noxins when they were stealthed. And instead of taking souls from human beings, she had the power to steal them back from the demons and return them to the humans.

  But ever since then, whenever she would experience any negative emotions, especially anger, the fiery sensation would start to course its way through her body. It wasn’t nearly as intense as it had been when the demon powers had tried to take over, but it was still uncomfortable. And it wouldn't stop until she found a way to make the negative feeling go away, which usually didn’t take her very long. She didn’t even want to experience the feeling in the first place, so whenever it would arise, she would immediately try to suppress it.

  She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. As she unclenched her fists, she inhaled another deep breath and then exhaled slowly. She didn’t know why this was happening, but she knew it couldn’t be the demon powers trying to take over again. It wasn’t weakening her angel powers or making her lash out at innocent people, and she could always make it go away, so she didn’t see the need to tell the elders. They had enough to worry about.

  About a minute or so later, she could feel the anger and the burning start to subside. When they were completely gone, she opened her eyes. And just at that moment, the mystery woman stepped out of the break room.

  Melina gasped as she jumped back, her protective light shield bursting out around her.

  The woman let out a short cry and fell back onto the floor.

  The dark room was now illuminated by Melina’s light shield, so when she looked down at the floor, she saw a woman with a mess of golden curls over her face.

  “Tessa?” She let down her shield then rushed over to flip on the lights. As she turned back around, she saw Tessa pushing herself up from the floor.

  “Holy cow, Melina! What was that for?”

  Melina hurried over to her friend to help her up the rest of the way. “I’m sorry,” she said as she heaved Tessa up by her arm. “I didn’t see your car parked out back, and all the lights were off in here, so I thought that maybe… oh, never mind. Who were you talking to?”

  “One of my brothers,” Tessa said as she held her cell phone up in the air. “He gave me a ride here this morning since my car’s in the shop. Right after he dropped me off, I realized I’d forgotten some paperwork in his truck, so I called him to have him bring it back to me.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Are you okay?” Tessa asked as she finished brushing herself off. “You seem a little shaken up.”

  Melina let out a long exhale and then gestured toward the back of the room. “Let’s head up to my apartment for a while before we open the store. I need to tell you a few things.”

  Tessa remained quiet as they made their way upstairs, but as soon as they sat down at the kitchen table, the questions came flying out of her mouth.

  “What’s going on? Why did you make your light shield come out when you saw me? Are you in danger?” Her bright blue eyes were wide as she waited for a response.

  Melina folded her hands in her lap and then looked up at Tessa. “I thought you might’ve been Maura.”

  “Maura?” Tessa asked as she raised her eyebrows. “Wait. Why would you think I was Maura? Have you seen her lately or something?”

  Melina shook her head. “No, but I’ve seen some other Noxin demons over the past few days.”

  “You have? But I thought you said you haven’t seen any for over a month now.”

  “Yeah well, I hadn’t… up until two days ago.” Melina told Tessa about the Noxin demon she had seen skulking around an old building and about the one who had run from her. She then recalled the encounter she had just had with the Noxin in the alley. “With their sudden emergence, I can’t help but think that Maura’s going to show up any time now seeking revenge for what I did to her.” She hunched her shoulders forward as she protectively crossed her arms in front of her.

  “Wow,�
�� Tessa said. “So you think this means the demons might be starting on their plan?”

  “Yeah,” Melina said as she gave a small nod. “Unfortunately, I do.”

  “What does Walter think of all this?”

  Melina shrugged. “I haven’t told anyone but you about the encounter I just had with the demon in the alley. And when I called to Walter to tell him about the first two demons I saw, Cecil and Helene showed up.”

  Tessa perked up. “You met Cecil and Helene? How did that go?”

  “It went well… after my initial shock wore off.” Melina let out a short laugh and then continued to tell her what she and the elders had talked about.

  “Goodness,” Tessa said. “If all of the elder guiding angels are that worried then the Noxin demons must be putting their plan into action soon.”

  Melina nodded, a grim expression on her face. Yeah, she thought to herself. If they haven’t already.

  Chapter Five

  The morning was busy, which was typical for the bookstore on a Saturday, but it was even busier since Melina and Tessa were the only ones there. Gwen was out of town visiting family, Hallie and Christine, the two high school girls who worked at the store part-time, had to help out at their school for a basketball tournament, and Carl was sick. But as busy and stressful as it was, it made the day fly by. Before they knew it, it was five o’clock and time to close the store.

  Tessa rang up the last customer and ushered him out the door while Melina got started on shutting everything down. She turned off the computers in their office, and after Tessa finished locking up the front door, she flipped off the main lights.

  “Do you need a ride home?” Melina asked as she gathered up her phone and purse.

  “Yeah, that would be great,” Tessa said as she pulled on her coat and then grabbed her purse out of their office. “My car was done this afternoon, but it was easier for my brother to take it back to my place instead of driving it all the way here. So this saves me from having to call a cab.”

  Melina slid on her coat and headed toward the back door. Tessa followed.

  With it being mid-February, the sun still set fairly early, so it was already starting to get dark outside. Melina eyed the shadowy areas with a wary gaze, looking for any sign of movement. She quickly unlocked her Jeep and climbed in.

  “So,” Tessa said as they took off down the street. “Do you have a date with Lee tonight?”

  “No, I actually don’t have any plans,” Melina said. “You?”

  Tessa shook her head. “Nope.” A couple seconds of silence passed, then Tessa gave her a mischievous look.

  “What?” Melina asked, followed by a short laugh.

  “When’s the last time you and I went out for a night on the town?”

  Melina shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s been a while, I guess.”

  “It’s been more than a while,” Tessa said. “It’s been months. We should go out tonight.”

  “Um,” Melina said as she glanced down at her plain brown long-sleeved shirt and jeans. “I’m not really dressed for a night out.”

  “What are best friends for if you can’t share clothes with one another?”

  “That’s true but… you’re five nine and I’m only five four.”

  Tessa shrugged. “Okay, so my pants would be too long for you, but we wear the same shirt and shoe size.” She glanced over at Melina. “Just wear the jeans you have on and you can borrow a top and a pair of heels from me. We’ll do a dressy casual night out.”

  “Okay,” Melina said. “You’ve talked me into it.”

  “Yay!” squealed Tessa as she threw her arms up into the air. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Seriously, it’s been way too long. We haven’t had a night out since…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced down at her hands. “Well, you know. You’ve just had so much going on.”

  “Yeah.” Melina slowly nodded her head then turned her gaze back to the road.

  Lee had said last night that her supernatural life wasn’t a burden to him, but did Tessa think it was? She had always been so supportive, but maybe she did feel like it was a nuisance. If that was how Tessa really felt about it, then Melina was going to show her differently. They were going to have a fun night out together, and there would be no talk about her powers or Noxin demons.

  A few hours later, Melina and Tessa pulled up in front of one of the clubs in the downtown area. Tessa hopped out and handed the keys to her bright red Mini Cooper over to the valet.

  “Wow,” Melina said as she watched the car drive away. “Valet parking. Are you sure we’re not underdressed?” She glanced down at the black sweater and heels she had borrowed and then looked back up at Tessa.

  Her friend giggled and shook her head. “We’re fine. Trust me.” She grabbed Melina’s hand and pulled her toward the club. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  As they approached the front entrance, the doorman gave them a polite nod and ushered them in through the door. They were instantly greeted by thumping music and loud chatter. Tessa shimmied out of her coat and handed it over to the attendant at the coat check.

  “I still can’t believe you left your coat in the car,” Tessa said to Melina as they headed into the club.

  Melina shrugged. “I didn’t want to have to mess with it, and it’s not that cold out to me tonight. I’m glad there wasn’t a line to get in, though. I might’ve gotten a little chilly if I had to stay outside for very long.”

  “No,” Tessa said. “There wouldn’t have been a line. It’s too early.”

  “Nine o’clock is too early?”

  Tessa laughed. “Let’s go get a drink.”

  “Okay,” Melina said.

  As she followed Tessa toward the bar, her gaze wandered around the rest of the room. Most of the club was fairly dark. Other than the dance floor, which was aglow with various neon colors, the only light source came from dimly lit wall sconces. It was difficult to see things in a lot of detail, but from what she could make out, the place already had a decent-sized crowd.

  A lot of people were out on the dance floor, but there were several others who were sitting at tables or on randomly placed sofas, drinking and talking with one another. The bar, which was surrounded by a semi-circle of chairs, had a nice crowd, too. Melina wondered if they were going to have to wait in line when suddenly Tessa pulled her over to two empty barstools. They both took a seat as the bartender approached them.

  “What can I get for you ladies?” he asked.

  Tessa smiled at him. “I’ll have a Cosmopolitan.”

  “Cosmo it is,” he said as he gave Tessa a quick wink. “And what about you?” He turned to Melina and flashed her a grin.

  “I’ll take an Amaretto Stone Sour, please.”

  “Excellent choice,” he said and then whirled around and grabbed a couple of glasses.

  In no time they had their drinks in hand. Tessa took a small sip and then turned around to survey the room. “I don’t like to hang out up at the bar,” she said. “Let’s go find a table.”

  Melina nodded and then followed after her friend. As they walked through the room, she gazed around at all of the people. She knew she had told herself that she wanted to have a night free of anything supernatural, but she couldn’t help herself from trying to see if any of them were Noxin demons. From what she could tell, they were all well kept, and none of them had any remnants of soot on their face. It was hard to be sure in the dark, though.

  She shook her head and tried to refocus. Tonight was supposed to be a fun evening with Tessa.

  “There’s an empty table over there,” Tessa said as she pointed over to the back right corner of the room.

  Melina nodded. “Let’s go grab it up before someone else does.” She followed Tessa over to the table and they both took a seat.

  They remained there for a good half hour or more, chatting about work and other happenings. Melina tried to keep the focus on their friends and the bookstore and away from anything supernatural.

 
; “So what’s Lee doing tonight?” Tessa asked.

  Melina shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly. I texted him earlier when we were getting ready at your place, and he just said he was going over to his buddy Greg’s. I don’t want to seem like a needy girlfriend, so I didn’t ask for specifics. He doesn’t have to tell me where he’s at or what he’s doing all the time.”

  Tessa nodded. “Yeah, if I had a boyfriend, I’d try to be the same way. You know, not annoying or clingy. I’d be a good girlfriend.” She turned her face away and looked out onto the dance floor.

  Melina watched her friend closely. As Tessa stared out in front of her, a forlorn expression came over her face. Melina didn’t usually listen in on any of her friends’ thoughts out of respect, but right now she wondered what Tessa was thinking. She tried to listen in but heard nothing. Hmm… She had mentally blocked out the loud roar of thoughts when they had first arrived at the club, but she should’ve been able to hear Tessa since she was sitting right next to her.

  I guess she could be daydreaming, Melina thought to herself. Then she wouldn’t be thinking any actual words, just processing mental images. But is she wishing that she had a boyfriend? I thought she enjoyed her single life.

  She continued to study her friend for a few seconds when her phone beeped. As she pulled it out from her purse, she saw that it was a text from Lee. A smile appeared on her face as she tapped her screen to open the message.

  “I hope you two are having fun. Maybe you and I can do dinner tomorrow night.”

  Melina hit the reply button and was about to type back a response when she heard a man ask Tessa if she would like to dance. She looked up at her friend just in time to see her stand up and take the man’s hand.

  As Tessa started to walk away, she turned back to Melina and nodded her head toward the dance floor. “Come on. It’ll be fun.” She flashed her a quick grin and then disappeared into the crowd.