What Lay in the Dark

by Casey L. Nash

  Chapter Eighteen: Vanishing Trick

  “Egan,” Michael called. “This was inside his pillow case.” Michael put a book on the table. Egan looked up from a box of divination tools and books belonging to Samuel.

  “Why did you look in his pillow case?” Mikayla frowned.

  “If you badly need to keep something away from everyone,” Michael answered. “You sleep with it under your pillow.”

  Egan opened the book. “It looks like a diary, but it’s all written in runes.”

  “Let’s see,” Michael walked around the table. “That’s the Malachim alphabet.”

  “You can read it?” Egan asked.

  “Yeah,” Michael sat down on a chair. “But it doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Write it down,” Egan suggested. “I might be able to decipher it.”

  “Do you have paper?” Michael asked Mikayla.

  Mikayla opened a cupboard and passed Michael a couple of sheets of paper. “I don’t really know I’m comfortable with you reading my boyfriend’s diary.”

  “Are you afraid I’ll find out about the kinky stuff you get up to?” Michael grinned.

  “I’m more concerned about his privacy,” Mikayla said sternly.

  “I don’t really think your boyfriend has much care about everyone else’s privacy the way he enters and exits people’s heads.” Michael began writing.

  Egan said, “That’s Latin.” He looked to Mikayla. “I didn’t think Samuel spoke Latin?”

  “He can’t,” Mikayla replied.

  “I’m guessing Mr. Amazing here can read it, though,” Michael muttered.

  “You’d be right,” Egan replied, taking another piece of paper and scribbling on it; translating what Michael transcribed from the runes.

  “I don’t get it,” Mikayla muttered. “Why runes and Latin?”

  “Because he really didn’t want us to find whatever’s in this book,” Egan replied. “Try one and we might’ve been able to work it out. He never expected us to do two.”

  Egan stopped writing. He passed the sheet to Michael. Michael quickly read Egan’s translations, looked up at him and then at me.

  “What?” Mikayla asked.

  Egan said, “Mikayla, Samuel’s abilities increased significantly a while back. Didn’t they?”

  “Yeah. Just after Ailia got here.”

  “The same time he met his spirit guide,” Egan muttered.

  “A spirit guide without a name,” Michael looked at Egan.

  “The battle at our house,” Egan looked up at me. “What was he doing when you found him?”

  “He was just standing there,” I thought back. “Eyes closed.”

  “I didn’t get hurt until he disappeared,” Egan muttered. “That demon had no hold over me until Samuel got close.”

  “When we went to find the circle from the demon summoning,” Michael said, “Samuel was already there.”

  “He never intended to be there when we arrived,” Egan realised.

  Michael flipped through the book and an object fell out. An old school I.D of Samuel’s, covered in dirt.

  Egan looked at Mikayla, then at me.

  “What are you two saying?” Mikayla asked.

  “We’ve been trying to find out who summoned Ailia’s demon,” Egan muttered, he looked back to Mikayla. “He was here the whole time.”

  Mikayla shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t. He would never do that, Egan, he couldn’t.”

  I began to grasp what they were saying, but I just couldn’t believe it. Surely we were wrong.

  Egan passed the sheet of paper to Mikayla, who read it slowly. She eased herself into a chair as she read it. “It can’t...”

  I stared at all of them. “Egan,” I whispered. “You’re saying...”

  Egan nodded. “Samuel was the one who summoned your demon.”

  I stared at Egan. There were so many thoughts swirling through my head I couldn’t catch hold of one. I didn’t get it. What I was meant to think or feel? I looked around at the people I trusted as the truth came crashing in.

  I had faith in Samuel and he was against me from the beginning. He called a demon specifically to haunt me. He was in my head through all those battles. He was the one who distracted me when the demon almost killed me at Ashleigh’s house. I thought Samuel was trying to save me, but it was the opposite. Samuel tried to get me and Egan killed.

  I didn’t understand what I was meant to do, who I was meant to speak to or who I was meant to put my belief in. Now the truth was revealed, my head was spinning. In the end, I did the only thing I could. I ran.

  “Ailia!” Egan shouted, jumping up as I ran through the door and out to the street. I had nowhere to go. No place was safe for me, so I just ran, not caring which direction I was going or where I was heading.

  I ignored Egan’s calls, running faster when I realised he was getting closer. When I finally couldn’t hear him anymore, I collapsed. A short while ago I was so happy. I finally found people who cared about me, people who I loved. Now I realised that at least one of them thought the world would be better off without me. How could I trust the others?

  Michael’s words finally made sense. I finally saw the reasons behind his warnings to trust no one. But it was too late. I’d trusted the people who saved my life. Samuel was the one who managed to warn everyone of the dangers ahead, but he’d only known because he was good friends with the evil creature causing it. I had proof of that now.

  Mikayla made sure I was always told the truth, even when it was easier to make up stories. She helped me find myself; understood my problems. She was always making sure I was coping. Mikayla was truly the best friend I ever had. Now I didn’t understand if she really wanted to help me or had ulterior motives. After all, she was sleeping with the guy who attempted to kill me.

  Egan. Egan was my whole world, but how was I to believe in him now? One of the only people Egan trusted turned out to be the person causing the whole mess. Egan could easily be working with Samuel. How did any of us known? Of course, I might be able to trust Michael, but was it even worth it? Michael told me not to trust him and right now I didn’t understand how I ever trusted anyone, including him.

  “Ailia?” I knew Egan’s voice instantly and stood up, backing away. “Ailia…”

  “No. Go away.” I ran down the street and into Egan’s house — the house I now lived in. I wasn’t sure how I thought that would help me. I suppose it was habit. This house was my only safe haven for the last few months. Even when the demon attacked there, I felt safe. Safer than I should have. It wasn’t safe anymore. Nowhere was safe.

  “Lia!” Egan cried.

  “What are you going to say, Egan?” I cried, turning to face him. “You know what? I don’t even care. It won’t... I can’t... arrgh!” I turned away, frustrated I couldn’t get enough thoughts together to form a sentence.

  Egan grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him. He forced me against the wall and kissed me. I tried to fight it, to get rid of the feelings I got when Egan kissed me, and get away, but Egan was too strong. The wall helped him hold me in place. I thought about using magic, but my mind just didn’t want to do anything. I had to give in. I relaxed. My arms snaked their way around his neck.

  Egan pulled back and held my face in his hands. “I love you.”

  The words were so simple, yet held so much emotion and passion. I could barely think, but felt the increasingly familiar feeling of warmth and safety. “I love you too,” I whispered.

  “I’m just... I’m sorry. I should have realised earlier.”

  I shook my head, “I trusted him,” I muttered. “Egan, I trusted all of you. Now I don’t even know...”

  “I know,” Egan spoke gently. “We’ll work it out. We can always work it out.”

  “Egan, how am I meant to... what do I do now? I don’t know who any of you are anymore. I thought Samuel was trying to help me. Egan, how do I know if I can trust you?”

  “You d
on’t,” he whispered. “It’s a hunter’s curse Ailia. You never know if people are who they say they are.”

  “Do you trust me?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he admitted. “I do.”

  “Why?”

  Egan smiled. “I don’t know, Lia. I just trust you. You were the girl who came into my life and refused to leave. You fought the demons when you should have run away and hidden. You chose to stay with me even though you knew it was the worst possible thing you could do. You tore my world into pieces, Ailia. I never expected you to do that, but I can’t help but love you for it. What’s your gut telling you? You have good instincts, that’s for certain. Follow them.”

  “My instincts didn’t work with Samuel!”

  “You trusted him because you felt like you had to. Not because your instincts told you to.”

  I gazed into Egan’s eyes. They were so open and loving. The usual fire in them was replaced with something else. I got the feeling I was the only person to ever see this side of him. I realised then if I could trust anyone, it was Egan.

  He was the one who saved me so many times, even though he believed he was better off staying away. He was right next to me every time I was scared. After all, it was never really the house which was the safe haven; it was the man who lived in it.

  “Ailia,” Egan murmured. “Do you trust me?”

  I nodded.

  “We’ll always have each other, okay? Even if we can’t trust anyone in this world, we still have each other.”

  I nodded. Egan wrapped his arms around my waist and I tightened my arms around him.

  “We know who did it now,” Egan whispered into my ear. “We’re half way there. We just need to find a way to cut the connection with him. Then we can take on your demon. You’ll be free. We can start a new life, Ailia, no demons involved.”

  “I thought you could never do that.”

  “I can try. For you, I can try.”

  I smiled. “Egan, the moment someone even showed a slight sign of demonic activity you’d be running straight to their doorstep. You’re too protective of people.”

  “I’m more protective of you. It’s worth a try, isn’t it? All those things, marriage and kids, we could have that. Maybe.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “More than anything,” Egan looked down into my eyes.

  “I’d love that. We have to get rid of this demon.”

  “Yes.” Egan kissed my cheek.

  “Where are the others?”

  “Michael and Mikayla? They’re talking. Mikayla’s not overly happy about Samuel summoning demons either, you know.”

  “It’s weird.”

  “What’s weird?”

  “They’re soul mates. It’s weird.”

  “I didn’t think you believed in soul mates.”

  “I don’t, but if they are soul mates... there must be a fair age gap.”

  “Why? How old’s Michael?”

  “Thirty-eight.”

  Egan raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

  I nodded. “That’s what...ten years?”

  “Eleven, to be exact. I guess when it comes to it; age is only a count of the years you’ve been here. It shouldn’t tell us who we can and can’t love.”

  I smiled. “So if a forty year old married a ten year old…”

  “That’s just sick,” Egan replied.

  I laughed.

  “We should go back,” Egan told me. “They’ll want to know where we are.”

  I nodded and broke free. He took my hand as we walked through the door and onto the street.

  “Can we trust them?” I asked.

  Egan looked at me, confused.

  “Michael and Mikayla.”

  “I don’t know,” Egan sighed. “They haven’t done anything to hurt you though.”

  “I didn’t think Samuel did anything to hurt me, either.”

  Egan squeezed my hand. “Samuel didn’t do an awful lot to help you though, did he?”

  “He sent you to the fire didn’t he? When my house was burning down.”

  “Yes, but honestly I think he intended me dying with you, not saving you. And even if that didn’t work, he had more cover. It was a win-win situation for him.”

  “What about helping Michael train my shield?”

  “He was getting to know your mind. It makes it easier to enter.”

  I sighed.

  “Ailia, I won’t let someone so much as brush your shoulder if there’s even a chance they might hurt you.”

  “You know, if we banish this demon and try to live a normal life...”

  “Yes?”

  “Will you still be this protective?”

  “Probably,” Egan smiled.

  “I feel sorry for any future daughters.”

  “I’m not that bad.”

  I looked at him.

  “I’m not! I just don’t want you to get hurt!”

  “Egan,” I pulled my athame out of its sheath and held it up. “I have a knife now.”

  “Yeah, I know, you can protect yourself. I just can’t help it, okay? Everyone has a flaw.”

  “A flaw?” I asked with a grin, sliding the dagger back into its sheath.

  “Are you saying I have more?”

  “You scare the hell out of people. That could be considered a flaw.”

  “I thought that was a good thing,” Egan muttered. “I’m a demon hunter. I have to scare people away sometimes.”

  “Egan, you threw a knife at a fourteen-year-old girl’s head.”

  “No. I threw an athame above a fifteen-year-old girl’s head. That was for her own good.”

  “Yes. And tomorrow morning when you walk into that physics class with a knife to cut your apple, what’s she going to think?”

  Egan frowned. “I didn’t think of that.”

  I smiled.

  “Did I freak you out when we first met?” he asked.

  “A little bit. But, I think you made me more curious than anything.”

  Egan looked at me. “Maybe I should have thrown a knife above your head.”

  “I don’t think that it would have worked.”

  “Why not? You don’t care if guys throw knives at your head?”

  “Egan, I spent half my life living with a guy who threatened to throw knives at me. In fact he did once. Lucky he was a terrible shot.”

  “You were safer if you ran, you know that?”

  “Safer? Maybe. But not happier. Even with demons I’m glad I didn’t run.”

  “So am I,” Egan whispered, opening Mikayla’s door and walking inside the dimly lit house.

  “Hey,” Mikayla spoke, standing up. “Michael thinks he can cut the connection between Samuel and the demon. We just need to get closer to Samuel.”

  “So how do we find him?” Egan asked.

  “I’ve got that covered,” Michael called.

  “Ailia,” Mikayla whispered. “I’m sorry. If I had any idea what Samuel was doing...”

  I shook my head. “You didn’t know.”

  “I knew he was acting weird,” Mikayla muttered. “I thought it was just a phase.”

  “He fooled all of us Mikayla,” Egan told her. “We can’t blame ourselves for that.”

  “When he thought we were about to find out,” Michael spoke. “He skipped town.”

  “So where is he now?” I asked.

  “He’s moving,” Michael replied. “I’m trying to get a fix on him.” Michael lifted his stone on the chain and leant over the map again.

  “What happens now?” I asked. “Do we go after him?”

  “No!” Michael spoke forcefully. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  I opened my mouth to object, but Egan cut me off. “He’s right. It’s too dangerous for you to go after him.”

  “What do you expect me to do? Sit around here and hope you guys can cut the connection?” I was exasperated. “I’m in danger wherever I go. Don’t tell me I can’t come with you!”

  M
ikayla smiled. “You’ve come a long way from the girl you were when I first met you, Ailia.”

  “Ailia,” Michael moved towards me. “I never thought I’d tell you this, but you have to trust us. If you go after Samuel, you’ll only make matters worse. Stay here. Learn to fight the demons properly. You’ll need to be ready for when the connection gets cut, because the first thing that demon is going to do is come after you. Besides, you’ll be with Egan.”

  “What?” Egan sounded shocked. “No. I’m going with you.”

  “Think about it, Egan,” Michael said. “Samuel will expect you to go after him. You’re way too protective of her to let him go. If it’s Mikayla and me chasing him it’ll change things. It’s a course of action he won’t expect. You need to stay with Ailia. That demon is just getting stronger and someone has to make sure it doesn’t get to her. She needs you, Egan.”

  “But…”

  “He’s right, Egan,” Mikayla spoke. “You both need to stay here.”

  “Do you really want to leave her behind?” Michael asked.

  Egan looked at me and put an arm around my waist. “Okay,” he whispered.

  Michael looked to Mikayla. “You don’t have to go.”

  “Yes I do,” she replied. “At the very least I need answers. I want to understand why he did it. If I get to help you in the process, that’s even better.”

  Michael nodded.

  “Go home,” Michael told me. “Get some sleep. We have plans to make. We’ll speak to you tomorrow.”

  Egan looked at me and I nodded. He took my hand and led me from the house, placing an arm around my shoulder as we walked back to our house.

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  Egan sighed. “I think they’re right. You can’t go with them and I can’t leave you here. We’re stuck.”

  “So we just trust them to handle it?”

  “We don’t have any other choice, Lia.”

  “You don’t think…,” I swallowed. “You don’t think Mikayla knew?”

  Egan shook his head. “I don’t think she had any idea.”

  “So what are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to wait. I’ll teach you to hunt if I must.”

  I smiled. “Finally.”

  Egan looked sideways at me, but didn’t comment. A raindrop fell on my head. It was starting to rain.

  “We should get inside,” I told him.

  “We’re almost there.”

  “Why don’t you have a car?” I asked.

  “Don’t like them.”

  I stared at him and smiled as the realisation hit me. “You’re afraid of driving.”

  Egan swallowed. “Shut up.”

  “You can handle demons, but not a car?”

  “Let’s not talk about that.”

  I laughed.

  “And I forbid you to ever tell Andy,” Egan added.

  I laughed again. Egan smiled as he opened the door to his house and allowed me inside. Egan pulled me to him. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

  “Of course,” I replied, wrapping my arms around him.

  Egan gave me a worried look. “It’s not easy, you know.”

  “I’m okay,” I insisted. “It’s weird, sending Michael and Mikayla after Samuel. I’m really not sure how to feel about it, but I’m okay.”

  “Ailia, are you sure you can handle this? The demon’s going to get a lot stronger, and quickly. It’s going to do everything it can to stop us from breaking that connection and Samuel won’t be holding back now that we know.”

  “Egan! I can handle it. I went to battles with you and came out of all of them.” Egan’s hand gently brushed the scar on my hip. “Yes, even that one,” I said. “I know it won’t be easy and yes, I’m scared, but I want to take this thing down.”

  “You won’t have Michael teaching you to use magic anymore.”

  “No need,” I replied, shifting myself out of Egan’s arms and walking to the table. I held up the book Michael gave me. “It’s all in here.”

  Egan smiled. “You have everything sorted out, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “I just need you to teach me the other stuff.”

  “Okay,” Egan agreed. “I’ll teach you almost everything I know.”

  “Almost?”

  “Well, no one can know as much as I do.”

  I smiled and shook my head.

  “You know it’s going to be a lot of work, right? Hunting isn’t easy.”

  “I know that! I’ve been there with you, remember?”

  Egan nodded and moved towards me, wrapping his arms tightly around me again. “I’m sorry,” he murmured into my ear.

  “What for?”

  “I should have known, Ailia. I should have been able to stop him.”

  “Egan,” I sighed. “You did everything you could.”

  Egan lifted an arm and played with my hair. “I just don’t understand why he would do that.”

  “I think that’s something we all want to know.”

  Egan nodded and smiled. “That’s not important right now anyway.”

  I gave him a questioning look.

  “Forget Samuel,” Egan said. “We still have each other.”

  I bobbed my head in agreement.

  “You should get some sleep,” he told me.

  “I’m not sure I’ll be sleeping tonight,” I replied honestly. After finding out one of my friends was trying to kill me, I didn’t want to let my guard down. Even around Egan.

  “We’ll stay up then,” Egan said with a kiss to my forehead.

  I nodded.

 

  It was nearing dawn when Michael and Mikayla finally arrived at Egan’s house. They entered silently and stood by the door.

  “Hi,” I greeted them.

  “Hello Ailia,” Mikayla spoke with a smile. “I’m not surprised to see you up. You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”

  “Nope,” Egan and I said in unison.

  “So, what’s happening?” Egan asked, dropping my hand to stand up. We were sitting on the couch.

  “We’re going to start in Ireland,” Michael replied. “Then we’ll follow Samuel wherever he goes.”

  “So you’re going on a global wild goose chase?” I asked.

  “To start with, yes,” it was Mikayla who answered. “But it shouldn’t take too long for me to work out his thinking patterns and we can figure out exactly what he’s trying to achieve.”

  “You’re sure you can manage that?” Egan asked.

  Mikayla nodded. “I know him inside out, Egan. Pair that with psychology and it should be fine.”

  “Then I’ll kill the connection,” Michael continued. “That’s when you two need to be ready. Chances are the demon will freak out and try to kill you Ailia.”

  “Comforting,” I nodded.

  “That’s why I have to teach you to hunt,” Egan grumbled.

  “Yes,” Michael sighed.

  Mikayla and I shared a glance and smiled.

  “You’ll need to continue training your shield,” Michael told me, standing up. “And keep the athame close. We’ll be in contact, but we may not be able to warn you when we get to Samuel.”

  I nodded, standing up next to Egan.

  “You’ll look after the others, won’t you?” Mikayla asked.

  “Of course,” Egan replied.

  “There’s some spirit guide stuff in the book,” Michael told me, referring to the leather bound book resting on the dining room table. “Pass it along to Brenden.”

  I nodded again.

  Michael sighed and looked to Mikayla. “We should go.”

  “We should,” Mikayla agreed reluctantly.

  “Keep in touch,” Egan instructed.

  “Of course.” Mikayla walked over and hugged me. “Don’t let him boss you around too much,” she whispered into my ear, before stepping back and pointedly gazing at Egan.

  I smiled. “Absolutely not.”

  Mikayla grinned and hugged Egan as w
ell.

  “Be careful,” Michael warned.

  “You be careful,” I replied.

  Michael smiled, hugged me and hesitantly shook Egan’s hand. “Look after her.”

  “Just make sure you find him.” Egan stepped back and slid an arm around my waist.

  Michael nodded.

  “I’ll give you a call once we’re in Ireland,” Mikayla told us.

  “Good luck,” Egan said.

  They opened the door. Egan and I followed them out, giving them a half hearted wave as they got into Mikayla’s car. The first rays of light shone over the horizon as they drove off. Egan put a hand on my cheek and gently kissed me.

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” I whispered as his lips left mine.

  Egan smiled. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed.

  It wasn’t just a maybe for me. Even as Egan put an arm around me and walked me into the house I knew everything would be okay. I just knew.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Mum and Savannah, for helping me with the early revisions of this book and for being honest and pointing out the flaws. (Egan walking into a newspaper – classic.) Also to my editor for helping to make this the best it could be.

  Of course, to Skye. Your constant nagging for the next chapter kept me writing this, without you it might not have been finished.

  Thanks to Andrew Jobling for your ‘one word at a time’ online course, which gave me the direction and guidance I needed to publish this book, and Kit Foster for your wonderful work on the cover.

  Finally, thank you to my amazing friends and family, for not only putting up with me while I did nothing but plan, write and edit What Lay in the Dark, but for your constant love and support.

  Other Books by Casey L. Nash

  A Whisper in the Night

  ***

  Connect with Casey online at https://www.caseylnash.com/