A Night of Flame and Blood

by Elisabeth Huerta

  The explanation to get a vision was easy. All you had to do was open your mind to the possibility that demons are out there. You have to know in your heart that you are a seer. And when that feeling of truth settles over you, you have to relax, stay calm and take deep breaths like if you were meditating. You have to concentrate, to feel the energy zooming through your body and eventually the process comes so naturally to you it’ll be like breathing.

  Apparently though, it was easier said than done. As soon as I saw how easy it was, I did exactly what it said. I cleared my head. I let myself believe in demons and in being a seer. I concentrated. I was in tune with my body. I even sat crossed legged with my elbows on my knees and my fingers forming a ring. All I was missing was saying “oooommmmmm”.

  “It’s not working.” I hissed. “Why isn’t it working? I did everything it says.”

  “Obviously, you’re not going to get it on the first time.” He drawled. I was actually hoping for exactly that to happen.

  He leaned against a massive tree and studied me closely. “With a bit of practice, you might get it. But don’t expect it to be over night. Remember that it takes Seer’s years to master their powers. That’s why they start their training so young.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. “Then how am I ever going to save myself from the demon you say is after me.”

  “By staying inside your house.” He looked at me expectantly. “Or with me.”

  Having Daston as a constant bodyguard, the thought did not sound as bad to me as it should.

  I threw myself backwards on the ground and let out an annoyed breath. “Why did this seer even choose me anyways? It’s obvious I can’t do this. Maybe even they realized that.” I flinched.

  “What is it with you and your constant lack of self-esteem?” He asked pushing himself off of the tree. “Can you really not see yourself for who you really are?” His eyebrows were pulled tight together. I had annoyed him.

  “Well, this may be hard for you to understand since you have the whole female population licking your hand, but it’s hard to believe that you’re worth something when everyone else says the opposite. I have lived years with people leaving me—people I called friends—and now I learned that the one who made me unlovable left me too.” My voice rose, I was starting to get angry.

  His expression turned tender. He had scratched a part of me that I didn’t let anyone see. “You are not worthless. You have something—a gift—but that doesn’t mean you are worthless. Remember what I told you, everyone else is just afraid of you. You could take that as a bad thing, but you got to admit you use it to scare people purposely sometimes.” I guess he knew about my staring at people to get them to back off.

  “It has its perks.” I agreed. “But I’d rather no one be afraid of me. To be normal, or to at least have had some guidance.”

  He grimaced. “Your guide being lost is unfortunate. But it has nothing to do with you. Guides never make a mistake when they choose a seer. Especially since they have to make sure that the kid is strong, mentally. The things seer’s see is not something just anyone could handle. The fact that you are here talking normally is proof enough that you’re equipped for the job. A regular person would be a raving lunatic having seen the things you have.”

  He was trying to make me feel better. A tiny smile slipped through my lips. “Thanks.”

  “Getting into the habit of thanking me, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t be an ass.”

  “That’s like asking me to not breathe.” He grinned at me good naturedly.

  “I noticed.” I teased back. Daston had a way of making me feel better that I was grateful for. He made me forget about the anxiety and panics that were settling in my body making them into a low hum, so easily ignored.

  I lifted myself off the ground and dusted the dirt off my pants.

  “So now that you’re done with your self-loathing let’s get down to business. First unbuckle your pants…. kidding.” He said once he saw my face. “Seriously now, if you want to master this whole seer thing you’ve got to meditate every day. Especially after you’ve just had a dream.”

  I gave him a questioning look. “Why?”

  “Because you’re more open to your powers when you’re sleeping. It’s easier to get in tune with your seeing capability when you freshly had a vision.” I shivered a little. Why did everything have to go back to my dream? Can’t I ever get a nice vision, maybe one where demons are the ones that are getting killed, instead of the innocent.

  “I guess I could try that tonight. Hey Daston.”

  He quirked up his eyebrow. “Yeah?”

  “You said that demons could be anyone I know.” He nodded. “I guess I was wondering, is there a way to know who is a demon, any sign they might give?”

  “I wondered when you were going to ask me that.” He looked resigned. “And the simple answer is no, there is no sign, but sometimes it is easy to tell, because the person starts acting different. If it is someone you know, you might be able to know sooner. But if you do not know the person, then you would never be able to tell that they are acting different.” He shook his head in disgust.

  I nodded along to his explanation. It all suddenly made sense. Why Daston was saying that I would never suspect who they are. It wasn’t just because they look like regular people, it’s because they could be people I know. People I would never suspect because I’ve known them for years.

  Someone like Derik, I realized, who a couple of days ago, was the geeky kid sitting in the desk behind mine. He was gawky, tripping over his oversized feet, and had a nervous tendency of biting his nails to the quick. Seeing him yesterday against the doorway looking calm and composed, even a bit sinister, I saw none of the old Derik there. The only thing this new Derik and the old one had in common was their looks. Everything else, from his posture to the look in his eye, was different.

  And more importantly, Derik, wanted me to stay away from Daston. Why would he want me to separate from him? There was only one reason I could think of. Derik wants to get me alone.

  “What is it?” He asked. I realized I had been staring at Daston throughout my entire revelation. I probably looked like an idiot.

  “Nothing,” I answered quickly and snapped my face away from his so he wouldn’t see my blush.

  He took a step closer to me. His foot made little sound against the dirt. “You looked like you were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. What is going on in that brain of yours?”

  I wasn’t sure if I should tell him about my suspicions of Derik. His look of concern broke my silence. I told him everything, starting from meeting Derik in the cemetery, to the weird encounter he and Rebecca had, ending with the warning Derik gave me to stay away from Daston.

  “What do you think? Could Derik be a demon?” I asked.

  “It’s definitely possible.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully with his hands before his eyes looked at me suspiciously. “What were you doing in the cemetery anyways?” Crap, maybe I should have lied and said I saw him at the grocery store.

  “I was… you know, taking a walk with my dear sister.” I said weakly.

  His eyes narrowed. “A walk in the cemetery?” He said skeptically.

  “Well—“

  Something clicked in his head. “You saw something there, didn’t you?” He realized.

  “No, I…” I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. I knew I had to come clean.

  “You what?”

  My head bowed forward. “I saw something there.” I confessed. I was not quite ready to tell someone about Michelle. I had planned to avoid this topic for as long as possible. It was my little secret, I was not comfortable sharing it, but Daston was expecting an answer. So, I told him. It all came out in a torrent. The reoccurring dreams about Michelle, the portal to the underworld opening, the black mist, everything I had kept inside of me came out. I did not leave anything out.

  When I was done, I felt oddly better. I had been keeping that secret s
o tightly bound within me, it felt good to let it out.

  I felt so good, in fact, that it took me a while to notice that Daston went deathly still. He was frozen in his spot beside me. He was as still as the trees surrounding us. The little pebbles on the ground had more life than he did at the moment.

  I sensed that something was wrong, and only Daston knew what. I shook him, hard, by the shoulder, barely causing him to stir. “Daston!” I yelled and kicked him hard in the shin.

  “Ow.” He turned to look at me—finally moving. His face looked angry, but then it changed into something murderously furious.

  “You,” He pointed an accusing finger at me, “you saw him, and you thought it was smart not to tell me!” He did not quite yell but his voice was louder than usual. There was an edge of venom in his tone. “Why would you keep something like that from me? Aren’t I your demon consultant; if you see a demon you’re supposed to tell me. This whole thing I’ve been doing is to keep you safe. And you choose now to tell me that you’ve seen him.”

  Daston paced back and forth in front of me, nearly pulling his hair out in frustration.

  “This is big, huge. He’s seen you. He knows for sure who you are now.” The end of his shirt whipped around him as he continued his pacing.

  “What are you talking about? Doesn’t he already know who I am?” Isn’t that why he’s been trying to keep me safe this whole time, because the big bad demon knows that I’m a seer.

  He stopped in front of me, rubbing his hand against his temple. “No. I thought the demon only knew there was a seer here, not who they were. But if you saw him in his true form then he knows exactly who you are.”

  “What do you mean? It’s not like I was really there, how could he see me?”

  “Because, when he’s in his true form he can see you with his demon eyes. Those eyes are so powerful they can see anything, even a seer.” He sounded exhausted. “Fortunately for you, a demon can’t survive long in its demon form when on Earth. That’s why it needs a human body. And humans are just humans, they possess a normal eyesight. Demons can only see what their host see.”

  “Fuck.” He saw me. The demon actually looked at me. The eyes in the smoke, it was real. Were real, even when I was little, I saw the eyes, the eyes that stared at me like if they could see me—did see me. I placed my hand on my head to keep steady. I was feeling woozy. The cool air from the forest did nothing to clear my thoughts. Fear climbed up my chest. “How long could a demon last without a body?” I asked. My voice was remarkable composed, revealing none of the panic I felt.

  “A couple of hours at the most… Brianna, are you alright.” Daston looked at me for any signs of distress.

  A couple of hours, would a demon leave a body for a couple of hours to torment a small girl? If the girl was a seer, he would. If the girl was unprotected, he would risk getting out of his human body to track her. But why did he stop?

  “I’m fine. Never been better, actually.” My voice sounded hallow even to my own ears. There was nothing funny in this situation. I couldn’t even make a joke—which was the way I chose to handle most stressful situations. My life had gone off the deep end in a week. It had turned from semi-normal to a complete freak world where demons run lose and seers fight them in some sort of ongoing battle that no one knows about.

  “We should go. This whole thing was a bad idea. I should have never approached you.” His face was full of remorse. “I am sorry, but I need to take you home now. Don’t go anywhere else.” He said fiercely. “Remember you’re safe at home.”

  “Or with you,” he turned his face away from me. “Or with you….. right?” My voice quivered.

  He didn’t look at me when he answered. “I don’t think that’s an option anymore.”

  I wanted to ask why but he was already walking away from me—going in the general direction of the car. I hurried to catch up, he was walking fast.

  “Daston.” I huffed out. I was still a couple of steps behind him. Every time I would start catching up, he would quicken his steps. “Daston, wait. You’ve got to answer me. I don’t understand what’s going on. Daston!”

  “Stop yelling.” He didn’t stop in his steps, but at least he was talking. We passed tree, after tree. The heavy tangled branches were thinning the closer we got to the intersection. We were leaving the darkness of the forest, trading it in for the light that was starting to break through the trees. “It’s not safe anymore. Even this little safe haven of ours is a danger.” He pointed to the trees around us, yellowing and browning. “They take everything from us until we have nothing, don’t they?” He muttered angrily.

  Daston had lived with the cruelty of demons far longer than I have. He knew far more than I did. I had to trust that he knew what he was doing. I did what he wanted me to do. I kept my mouth shut and walked to his car.

  His muttering had quieted down to a low hum by the time we got to his Mercedes. He gripped the wheel hard with his hands I thought he was going to break it. I knew what he was doing. He was channeling his anger towards the demons to the wheel. He did not loosen his hold the whole car ride. I kept waiting for his hands to relax, they did not.

  “You’ve got to understand something.” He told me once we were almost at my house. His eyes kept glancing towards my face. “You can’t trust anyone, just yourself. You have everything you need. You’ve got to practice, practice your seeing and practice the methods of demon trapping from the book. That’s the only advice I could give you.” Perspiration dripped down the side of his cheek, rolled down his neck, and disappeared under his shirt. He wasn’t sweating because it was hot in the car; no it was more than that. Daston was nervous, afraid, and so many other things. I wanted to kick myself for not telling him sooner about the dreams.

  “Where are you going to be?” I hadn’t missed the fact that he didn’t include himself. It was all you, you, you.

  “I can’t be there.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he knows who you are. And by now he should have figured out that I’ve been helping you. Staying with me now would be suicide.” He cringed. “I have to keep you safe. If I stay near you, I wouldn’t be doing that.”

  “But why do I have to stay in my house. Wouldn’t that be the most obvious place to come looking for me?”

  “Yes, it would.” He said calmly. I almost punched him for sounding so calm when discussing my impending doom. “But the beauty of a home is that you have family. And the ties of family are something so strong nothing could tear it apart. Not even a demon. Your home is the center of your family, a demon cannot cross it. It is the safest place you could be in.” Daston told me confidently. I wondered how he knew so much. How long did it take him to learn everything he does?

  Daston dropped me off in front of my house but not before he delivered the big blow. As I stepped away from his car and trudged towards the house the whir of an automatic window reached my ears. I turned around and met Daston’s stare.

  He looked at me shyly, his Adams apple seemed to get stuck in his throat when he swallowed. “Before you go, I want you to know that I really did like you.” He said thickly, sucking in a quick breath. My heartbeat accelerated. “And don’t be offended if you never see me again.” My heart stopped. What? “I’ll try to help you from afar from now on, but don’t expect to ever see my face again.” He looked at me pleading. “It’s for the best, trust me.”

  And then he was gone. He did not give me a chance to answer back. He drove off, leaving me with the shocked expression glued to my face. Did he just leave me, permanently? I couldn’t believe it. Daston couldn’t be gone from my life. The thought was unthinkable. It brought pain to my chest for some unknown reason. Surely, I will go to school tomorrow and see him. He will sit in the chair next to mine and it will be like this never happened. He might even crack several sexual jokes at my expense for believing him.

  I could imagine what he would say, well Brianna it seems like you just can’t get enough of me. Are you so worried
that I won’t come back to give you your regular poundings? Where do you want it anyways on the desk or on the chair? Yes, that would be something he would say tomorrow.

  But when tomorrow came I found myself sitting next to an empty seat in class. I did not want to think much of it. Daston was allowed to miss a day. He was probably busy doing whatever demon hunters do. I would see him again; he might even surprise me after school.

  The squeal the chair legs made against the floor made me aware of the person next to me. I knew who it was without having to turn around. I could sense him. His presence caused a stirring in the pit of my stomach—and not in a good way. It was more of the feeling you get before you throw up. Derik Ligarthy was sitting next to me. His move was calculated, I could see the wheels turning in his eyes.

  He turned his whole torso towards me, looking at me with what can only be described as the product of the new Derik. It was a look so cold penguins wouldn’t even be able to survive it. “Looking lonely over here Brianna, thought you might need the company of a man since yours seems to be missing.”

  My fingers clenched hard, nearly crushing my pencil. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” I gritted out. “I don’t have a man. As for Daston, I hardly know him.” That was technically true. I didn’t know his past, where he went to school before this, where he lived, who his stepparents were. Nothing, I hardly knew anything about the boy who knew everything about me. He knew too much, and I knew too little.

  “Now, Brianna, we know that’s not true. Daston has you around his pretty little finger from what I heard. He says go, and you go. A snap of his fingers and you are there beside him. I got to say Brianna, I am disappointed. I always pledged you as being independent, guess I was wrong.” He sneered at me. His muddy brown eyes were challenging me. His words were intended to get a rise out of me, but I was not having it.