I watched as the men talked, trying to come up with strategies. After about five minutes, I zoned out, bored. Carlos was right. We had no advantage. We had no plan. Hell was coming to Heaven and there was no stopping it.
THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER Ethan said he’d bring me breakfast, I took Taco and went to the office. The day before had really taken a toll on me. I wanted to stay in bed this morning, but I had to find out about the necklaces, training and the status of the evacuation.
Ethan and I didn’t talk much before bed last night. After Carlos left, we were too exhausted to think about much of anything. I had questions about what the Mages said in the car, but they could wait. Maybe I was being too lenient, but I was too tired to give a shit.
A knock at the door had me looking up. Maggie smiled warmly, holding a glass of juice. “I decided coffee isn’t good for the babies, so you need things like juice.”
I scowled. “But I like my coffee.”
She nodded. “I know you do, but caffeine is bad for them. You can only drink so much of it. I’m sure you’ll have withdrawals, but I can work with that. I’ll just wean you off slowly.”
I snorted. “I’d rather hear that from my doctor.”
“Oh, didn’t you know?” She beamed. “I went to medical school! I can totally be your doctor.”
Stunned, I stared at her, not sure what to say. “I–”
“Good. I’ll start setting up appointments. I guess you’ll need them more frequently since the pregnancy is progressing at a faster rate.”
I raised my hand to stop her. “I’m not sure how I feel about you being my doctor.”
Maggie’s face fell. “Oh.”
Feeling bad, I forced a smile. “You know what? Let’s do it. Schedule all the necessary appointments.” I’d rather avoid it completely, but I knew that for the sake of the babies, I needed to make sure I got the proper care.
Excited, Maggie smiled brightly again. “Great! You’ll be my first official patient!”
What?
I started to say something, but Ethan walked in with my breakfast. Maggie hurried past him, leaving me in stunned silence. Noticing my expression, Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, setting the food in front of me.
The scent of eggs, hash browns and sausage wafted up at me. I hummed my approval, ignoring his question because I was too hungry to care. Snatching the plastic silverware from him, I opened the packaging.
“This smells fantastic!”
“While you eat, we should probably talk,” Ethan said, pulling a chair up to the desk.
I would not let this stop me from eating. I was starving. The babies kicked around to let me know they totally agreed with my decision. Taking a forkful of hash browns, I started chewing.
“The fairy tale you heard growing up is actually in the book you’re supposed to read. You never finished it, so you missed out on some important information.” Ethan stared at me, as if waiting for me to say something.
“Okay,” I replied around a mouthful of food.
“Do you remember the whole story?”
I shoveled some eggs into my mouth. I moaned, eating some more. Everything was so good. I could do without the conversation. My food deserved silence while I enjoyed it. But Ethan kept talking.
“Sophie, I don’t want you mad at me.”
Sighing, I set down my fork. “From what I remember, the story was about two people who were destined to be together. Their powers combined, making them a rather impressive duo. In the end, the guy dies at the hands of their enemy. The woman was left alone.”
Nodding, Ethan ran a hand through his dark hair. He focused on me. “They got the fairy tale from the book, turning it into their own story that was told to young children.”
“Some story. It’s traumatizing.” I shook my head, grabbing my fork again.
“Well, the true version is even worse. It says you and I are destined for each other. That part you already know. But it also says our powers can combine, making us special among our races. We’ll be admired for being what they call the ‘True Lovers’. As the prophecy continues, it describes a moment in time where I will die by the hands of a demon.”
I started choking on my food. Ethan jumped to his feet, coming around the desk to slap me on the back. His expression went from sad to worried within seconds.
“Here. Drink some juice,” he said, grabbing the glass.
Pushing him away, I got up, coughing. “You asshole!” I choked out. “You knew you would die this whole time and never told me?” Tempted to punch him, I took a step forward. He stayed completely still, giving me the chance to do it. Breathing hard, I stepped away, throwing my hands up. “I can’t believe this!”
“It’s the only way to save you, Sophie. I have to die to prevent your and the children’s deaths.” Ethan came over to me, grabbing my hands. “Look at me.”
I stared down at our hands, tears coming to my eyes. This was something I didn’t expect. I thought he would eventually betray me, like Drake. Instead, he once again tried to put me first.
“Ethan, we can stop this,” I whispered.
“Just like we can stop the demon from taking over Drake?” Ethan pulled me in for a hug.
Squeezing him, I lay my head against his chest. I didn’t want to let him go, almost afraid Drake would come out of nowhere and kill him. Letting him out of my sight was not an option. Both Ethan and Drake were destined for death. Did the Ancestors know this already?
Chapter Eighteen
I watched Carlos and Ethan spar. When Carlos nearly fell on his face as he failed to follow through with a kick, they both laughed. I smiled, glad to see Ethan in a good mood, especially after our conversation earlier that morning. Then I recalled his words about dying at the hands of a demon. Thinking about it again made me want to cry. It didn’t help my hormones were all over the place.
When Ethan glanced in my direction, I smiled, pretending I was in a good mood, despite everything. He turned away, continuing to spar with Carlos. Both were training on how to fight demons, learning the best ways to make sure they were killed. The demons of lower power were easier to kill, unlike Drake’s demon, whose identity I had yet to learn. We needed to talk to the Mages again. How much information they were willing to give remained to be seen.
Playing with my new necklace, I glanced down at the clear stone. It turned red when demons were around, as did the demon’s eyes in response. Both were only visible to the wearer. This magic Maggie came up with impressed me, just like everything else she did.
Brian came over to sit by me, taking a break from sparring with some of his men. He was drenched in sweat. When I tossed him a towel, he smiled, wiping his face.
“I bet you wish you could be doing this, huh?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t remind me. Being on the sidelines sucks.”
“Unfortunately, it comes with the job as High Mistress.” He nodded toward my stomach. “And those don’t help.”
“Thanks.” I chuckled, shoving his shoulder, then immediately regretting it when my hand came away wet. Grimacing, I grabbed his towel to wipe it off. “You need a shower.”
Climbing to his feet, Brian grinned. “I have more sparring to do. Shower can come later.”
“Don’t get chafed.”
Laughing, he jogged back toward his men. He was a good guy. I was glad he led the Nightshades. If only I could get along with the leader of the Magicteers. That was another project. He was supposed to be a fantastic leader, but his communication skills were lacking. He acted like a crabby old man, even though he only looked to be in his late thirties.
Yawning, I rolled a new towel so I could rest my head on it when I lay back. I closed my eyes, trying to think happy thoughts. A nap sounded good. I hoped I didn’t pass any gas in my sleep. That would be embarrassing.
“You’re going to sleep on the floor? Seriously?”
I opened one eye to stare at Jenna. She had crept up on me
without setting off any of my alarms. She was good. Really good. When I glared at her, she laughed, jabbing me in my side. I flinched.
“Quit being a grouch. You should just go home and sleep for an hour,” she suggested, turning to stare at the Nightshades.
“I have stuff to do today. As High Mistress, I should be supportive of my teams. By being here, watching as they train, they at least know I’m interested.”
“Pervert.”
I gasped. “Not even.”
Jenna nodded, rolling her eyes. “Right. You only have eyes for the Mage. I still think Drake is a better piece of ass.”
“Even with the demon?” I asked, surprised, watching her sit down next to me.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Seeing this new side of him was kind of shocking. I’m not sure he’s the same man anymore.”
“He’s not. The demon is slowly taking over. One day, I’m afraid we’ll wake up to no Drake at all.” Saying the words hurt. I clenched my fists, refusing to get upset. It was almost as if the marriage situation didn’t matter anymore. The demon was so much more important. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, and he was undeserving of it.
When Jenna stayed silent for a while, I glanced to see where she was looking. I found her staring at Kevin, who still hadn’t come to see me since he’d arrived on campus. It kind of annoyed me. Confronting him was on my list of tasks. Who would want their best friend dating an assassin? What if she pissed him off? What if she broke up with him and he went psycho? Not that I could picture him going crazy, but still, it was something to consider.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Kevin?” I asked.
Jenna looked at me in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t act coy. I know you two went out on a date.”
“Mikey has a big mouth.” Jenna frowned. “I didn’t want people to know until I was sure I liked him.”
“You had to like him a little bit to go out with him, Jenna. I know how you are about dating.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re practically a virgin.”
Jenna shoved my shoulder. “Whatever!” She grinned. “I like him...a lot. He’s really sweet once you get past the killing part.”
We both laughed, finding the entire thing amusing. I looked over at Ethan drinking from a water bottle. He was drenched in sweat, shirt off, skin glistening. I couldn’t get over his tattoos. I could spend hours tracing them with my finger. Who knew there were so many protection spells in just symbols alone? I planned on getting some of my own, but now I had to wait for the children to be born.
My phone buzzed next to me, rattling across the gym floor. Both Jenna and I looked down at the screen, seeing Roark’s name. I groaned, not looking forward to the conversation.
Picking it up, I pressed it to my ear. “Hi, Roark.”
“Sophie, Drake wishes to see you.”
“Why didn’t he call me himself?” I asked, suspicious.
“He’s afraid you won’t come because the demon made an appearance last night. I told him what happened. At least up until I left.” We were both silent. He sighed, growing impatient. “Will you come?”
“I don’t know. It could be a trick.”
“He’s panicking. I think you’re the only one who can calm him down.”
“You want me in the same room as a panicking Vampire?”
He snorted. “Please. You’re Vampire. What damage could he do?”
“Um... Rip my heart out?”
“Sophie...” His voice had turned pleading.
“Roark...”
“He feels like he has no one. You’re the only one who shows compassion for him. Well, besides me, but I only show so much.”
“Yeah, you’re a sensitive man, Roark.”
“I know.”
I grunted. “I was joking.”
Roark laughed, surprising me. “Will you come to the mansion?”
“I guess. I don’t know what you expect me to do. This sounds like your job as his brother.”
“You know I’m no good with feelings.”
Sighing, I looked over at Ethan, who stared at me. I frowned. He responded in kind. “Fine.”
BRIAN WAITED IN THE foyer of the Vampire mansion again. I only brought him along because I didn’t want Drake murdering Ethan. Keeping them away from each other was the only way to keep them both alive.
Felix led me down a hallway I had never been in. There were paintings of past Vampires hanging on the walls. I didn’t recognize any of them, but I assumed they were leaders at some point. Zander, the leader prior to Drake, had been in office for a long time, so the paintings were old.
Drake waited in what I assumed was his office. He glanced up from his paperwork, smiling when he saw me. “Sophie! I’m so glad you could make it.” He stood to walk over to me.
I hesitated, examining him. He seemed like the usual Drake, so I allowed him to hug me. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
“I wanted you here so you could fill me in on everything that has been going on. Roark only knows so much. I know the demon has been taking over my body.”
Trying to figure out if he was telling the truth, I examined his face. The demon could be trying to trick me. Not able to tell, I sighed and took a seat in one of the chairs, watching as he made his way to his own. Both my demon necklace and his eyes glowed red, but that just meant the demon was inside him, didn’t it? Deciding to just go with the flow, I proceeded to explain what the demon had been doing and what happened the night before. He watched me in silence, barely showing any kind of emotion. When I finished, I waited, clasping my hands in my lap.
“He’s been doing all this and I knew nothing. How is that possible? I should be able to see everything he does.”
Gasping, I stood up quickly, backing away from him. Drake watched me. At first, he looked confused, then he smiled.
“Something wrong, Sophie?” he asked.
“You’re not Drake.”
“What makes you think that? It’s me, Sophie. I wouldn’t lie to you.” He stood up, coming around his desk.
Suddenly, he was on me, hand squeezing around my neck as he pressed me against the wall.
I gasped for air, staring at his face inches from mine. This was not Drake...and hadn’t been for a while. When he came to my house claiming he wanted to talk about the babies, I should have known. Drake didn’t remember details when the demon took over, so he would have never known what the demon said about the babies.
“You figured it out. Bitch. I should have realized you were smarter than I gave you credit for.” His nails dug into my neck. “This whole time, I thought I had you convinced.”
“You’re a liar,” I rasped, trying to pry his hands from my neck.
Drake chuckled and released me. “Demons lie.”
My legs buckled under me and I fell to the floor. I rubbed my throat, glaring at him. I wasn’t sure how fast my healing would take care of the pain. At that moment, I was just worried about the children. I had to let Brian know we needed to leave. Magically disappearing would be easy, but leaving Brian behind wasn’t an option. If I did, they’d kill him.
“What do you want?” I asked, climbing to my feet, supporting myself against the wall.
“To talk. I want you to back off so I can do something I’ve been planning for decades.” He sat behind his desk, looking relaxed, as if nothing happened.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I’ll kill you and the Mage if you don’t.”
“We can’t let you bring the Demon King into this world.”
Smiling, Drake stared at me. “I knew somebody would tell you. If it wasn’t the demon hunter, it would be the Mages. You Witches aren’t educated enough to know everything that has to do with demons.”
I was willing to bet there were books about demons in my office. I just had yet to read them. Time was something I didn’t have. If my life would calm down long enough, I would be able to learn about all there was in my library.
“I refuse to l
et you do it. I don’t care if I have to die in the process.”
I clenched my fists as I fought the urge to attack him. There was so much rage inside me, I could barely contain it. Just thinking about all the damage he’d done was enough to have my magic seeping out of my hands. I felt the wind pick up in the room, lifting my hair.
Drake raised an eyebrow, amused by my show. “You would risk your children? Tsk, tsk, Sophie. I highly doubt you would put those babies at risk. You’ll do as I ask, or I’ll make them suffer an eternity of pain, just as I am doing to Drake. They’ll never escape my clutches. Never have a chance at a normal life. Do you know what I could do with children like yours? They’re powerful, special. I can sense it.”
“You need to leave Drake’s body. There are so many other ones you can take over. Why do you insist on using him?” I asked, ignoring his comments about the babies.
“We’re attached, Drake and I. I have no choice but to use this body. If I leave it, the power remains with him. I can’t allow that to happen. I’ve lived without my demon powers for too long. Do you know what it’s like living like a human?” He scrunched up his face. “It’s a horrible experience. I wouldn’t recommend it.” Drake steepled his hands. “The choice is yours, Sophie. Let me do what I came here to do, or lose your precious cargo.”
When he looked back down at the papers on his desk, I thought about throwing some kind of magic his way. But when he looked back up at me, I saw confusion in his face.
What the fuck is going on?
“Sophie? What are you doing here?” Drake asked. He got up to come around the desk, opening his arms.
I stepped back into the wall. “Don’t.”
Drake frowned, lowering his arms. “What’s the matter?”
“The demon was just here, Drake. He’s taking over your body and you have no clue when he does it.” I felt my lip tremble as my emotions got the best of me. “He’s come to my house pretending to be you and even lured me here as you, asking to see me. I can’t do this. I can’t risk the children just because you may need me.”
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