by Jasmine Walt
Slowly, I pivoted around. Suddenly I got hit with something else, something so strong, it almost knocked me over. The breath caught in my chest, and my eyes flew open. Ethan stood feet from me. He was turned away, jiggling the doorknob to the storage closet.
His emotions swirled inside of me. Determination mixed with fear. But he wasn’t afraid of the basement or what we might find. He was afraid of not being able to protect me, of something slipping past and hurting me. I sharply inhaled right as Ethan opened the closet. It was crazy how in tune I was with him.
“Nothing in here,” he called over his shoulder. “Just some nasty green carpet. It smells like mildew.”
I shook myself. “Great. Does that mean the basement has water damage?”
Ethan shrugged. “It doesn’t look like it does anywhere else. The closet smells.”
Hunter pushed past Ethan, eager to sniff the smelly rug. Ethan reached down and grabbed his collar, gently pulling him back. “You don’t want to go in there,” he told my dog. “It’s too dirty.”
Hunter whined and pushed forward, pulling Ethan.
“Hunter,” I said softly, and he turned around. Ethan let go of his collar and Hunter trotted over, wagging his tail. I knelt down to pet him. “There’s nothing down here.” I sighed and stood. “We should probably start with the attic.” I internally groaned, not looking forward to going up to the cold and drafty attic to sort through boxes of crap.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair and nodded. I bit my lip, watching him turn and walk up the stairs. He filled out his jeans perfectly, and his muscles flexed as he walked. I didn’t want to go in the attic. I wanted to take Ethan back to the bedroom and have some fun.
With a heavy sigh, I buried my desire and followed him up the stairs.
The sun had set, and we were still digging through boxes. We hadn’t found a freaking useful thing. I shoved a box of dated clothes to the side. Anger was building inside of me.
How could Aunt Estelle do this to me? She knew her spell would wear off when she died. She wrote me that letter, that stupid, ominous letter that didn’t help me in the least bit. She left me all this stuff, her house, a lot of money…and a death sentence.
I slammed a book back on the dusty floor. If she had called me once—just once—it would have saved me a lot of heartache. I spent my life feeling like an outsider, being told I was crazy or delusional for saying I could see spirits. Even my own parents doubted me and worried for my sanity.
And here lived old Estelle, in her big house all alone, never bothering to clue me in on who I really was. I picked up another book and tossed it aside. It bounced open, and something caught my attention.
“I think I found something!” I said, examining it. “Wait, never mind. It says ‘bird demonstrations,’ not bird demons.” I skimmed the page. “Oh, Aunt Estelle was part of a group that worked with endangered species.” Behind the bookshelf were several old birdcages; one had not been cleaned before being shoved in the far corner of the attic. I wrinkled my nose and moved on.
Ethan ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up all crazy in a way that I found to be oddly sexy. “Let’s put these aside for now. I can’t stand being up here anymore. It’s too stuffy.”
“Agreed,” I said, though really I wanted out of this attic and away from Aunt Estelle’s memories.
I let go of my anger as we walked up the stairs that led to the outdoor turret. Wind blew through my hair. I closed my eyes and held onto the railing, tipping my head back.
Ethan stepped close behind, his arms wrapping around me. I smiled and leaned against him. I turned around in his arms and held onto him, standing on my toes to kiss him.
Ethan pulled me in. I moved a hand to his face, running my hand over the stubble on his cheeks. I shivered.
“Cold?” he asked, pulling his mouth back an inch.
“A little,” I said.
“Want to go in?” He ran his lips along my neck before sucking at my skin. I melted into his embrace.
“No, I like it up here.” My hands traveled down his back.
He pulled his head back and smiled. “Hang on a second.” He gave me one more kiss then raced down the steps. Without his body heat, goosebumps broke out along my arms. I held them close to my body, heart thumping.
Ethan came up the stairs as quickly as he ran down, although this time he was carrying the blankets from the bed. He spread one on the ground and draped the other over my shoulders. And then we were kissing again.
We tumbled back, Ethan gently setting me down on the blanket.
“You are so much more than I deserve,” he said, barely louder than a whisper.
“I feel the same about you,” I said.
Ethan ran his fingers through my hair, eyes locked with his. He was so beautiful and so much more than I thought I’d ever have. I loved Ethan, all of him, and accepted him for who he was.
I forgot about everything bad, consumed All I wanted was Ethan.
His lips pressed softly against mine. He pulled his face back, inches from mine.
“I love you,” he told me.
“I love you, too.”
His lips met mine and soon we were tangled together. I forgot about everything bad, and for a moment, Ethan was the only thing that existed.
21
“What does your tattoo mean?” I asked on our drive back to New York.
Ethan took his eyes off the road and gave me a surprised look. “I didn’t tell you?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, it’s the symbol for the Order.”
I nodded. We were already five hours into the drive home. “Whose zodiac symbols are on it?”
“The founders. They represent the elements: earth, air, fire, and water.”
“And the eye?”
“It’s in the center of the pentagram—which is actually a protective symbol, if you didn’t know—and it’s symbolic for the Order watching and knowing about demons and stuff.”
“Makes sense.” I felt stupid for not figuring that out on my own. “Did you have to get it?”
“Not anymore. It used to be required. I’ve even heard that it used to be branded onto the skin.”
I thought about how painful that would be and turned away. I could almost smell the burning skin. Hunter shifted restlessly in the backseat. “Can we stop soon? I think Hunter needs to walk around.”
Ethan nodded. “Walking sounds good. I hate being in the car for this long.”
I did too, though being in a car for that long with Ethan was a different story. We stopped for lunch, taking our food outside in the chilly November air so Hunter wouldn’t have to be alone in the car.
Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, we got back into the car to start the long drive again. I groaned when I saw that the GPS said we had almost five hours left until we reached our destination.
I took off my shoes and curled my legs up, using my coat as a blanket. Ethan and I talked about anything and everything for about an hour. Then I was too tired to stay awake. We had sex once more the night before, so neither of us had gotten much sleep, but it was worth it. I rested my head against the door and let my eyes close.
I napped for almost half an hour. I stretched my arms over my head and wished we could stop and walk around again.
“Want me to drive?” I yawned.
“Nah, that’s okay,” Ethan said and took a sip of his coffee.
I reached over the center console and took his hand. “Where did you go when you left?” I asked.
“Huh?” he asked, flicking his eyes to mine.
“When you left for a long time in September. Where did you go?”
“Canada.”
“Yeah, I know that. I mean what were you doing?”
It took him a minute to recall what happened. “We were hunting Rusalka.” I opened my mouth to ask what that was, but he kept going. “They are evil water sprites. They trick people, usually men, down to the water’s edge by acting like they are d
rowning or by sitting naked, washing their hair. They look like beautiful women from far away, but once you get close, you can see their true faces.” His expression showed disgust. “Anyway, once they have you in the water, they torture and kill you.”
“Kinda like a siren?” I asked, rubbing my thumb against his palm.
“In a way, yeah.”
“How did you find it?”
“It wasn’t easy. These things can hide under water and ice for months. But there were reports in the paper about five men drowning in the same lake within two months. The way they died seemed suspicious, and the one man who got away described the Rusalka perfectly. No one believed him, of course.”
“Did you find it?”
He nodded. “And killed it.”
“How?”
“Cut off its head and burned it in a fire infused with wormwood.”
“Fun.”
Ethan shrugged like it was no big deal. That was the life of a demon hunter.
22
I felt a little guilty when I trudged downstairs Monday morning to ask my bewitched father if I could stay home from school. Under the influence of the Agreeance Spell, he cheerfully encouraged me to go back to bed. I slowly forced myself back up the stairs. Hunter ran ahead of me and jumped onto the bed. I lay down next to him and slept until sometime after noon. I called Ethan as soon as I got up.
“What are you doing home?” he asked right away. The sound of his voice made me smile.
“I used the Agreeance Spell to make my dad let me stay home and sleep.”
“Nice. You just get up?”
“Yeah. I still feel tired though,” I sighed.
“Me too.” I could tell he was stretching. “I’m still in bed, actually.”
“You’re so lazy,” I joked.
“Want to come over?”
“I do,” I said with a smile. “I’m gonna shower then head over.”
“Okay. See ya soon. Bye, Annie.”
I showered quickly but thoroughly. I dried my hair and pulled it into a ponytail. Since I never knew what a day with Ethan could entail, I pragmatically dressed in jeans, a black fleece zip-up over a long sleeve, teal shirt, and black Nikes. Seeing my camera on my dresser reminded me that I had a photo project due soon. I shoved it inside my bag and dashed to my car.
I had to remind myself not to speed on the way to Ethan’s. I smiled again as I walked up the steps that led to the house. I had hoped he was home alone, but Julia answered the door.
“Hey, Anora! How are you?” she asked and stepped to the side, welcoming me in.
“I’m all right. You?”
“Oh, the same. It’s been quiet around here, which is nice.” I followed her into the kitchen. “I think he’s still sleeping,” she said, seeing me look around for Ethan. “He really cares about you, you know.”
I tried to hide a smile. “I hope so. I really care about him, too.” Julie picked up a towel to dry the stack of clean dishes on the counter. I grabbed another one and helped.
“I don’t think he’ll ever admit it,” Julie said as she dried a plate, “but I think he really wanted to find someone to settle down with.” She dried off another plate. “Oh, not in a marriage way,” she added quickly. “I mean settle down with in a relationship sort of way. Like to share himself.” She put that cup away too. “Wait, that sounds dirty. And it’s not like he’d never get married. Though you’re too young to think about that. Being in the Order can be very lonely. You’re constantly lying and pretending to be somebody that you’re not.”
“I can relate to that,” I said ruefully. “It’s very tiring to put up that front. Ethan’s a great guy—”
“—he is,” she interrupted.
“—and I just…” I hated talking about my feelings to strangers. My cheeks flushed. “I just feel so lucky to have found him.”
Julia looked at me with sappy eyes. “I’m glad you guys found each other too. Having to move here and being part of the Order again was hard on him. Since he met you, he’s been his old self. No, better than his old self. I’ve never seen him so happy.”
I felt awkward and thrilled at the same time. I wasn’t a share-my-mushy-feelings kind of girl.
“Ethan’s been like a brother to me for the last ten years. I…I guess what I’m trying to say is—”
“You hurt him and I’ll cut you,” Sam added in a voice so stern that Julia and I laughed. She appeared in the doorway.
“Hey, Sam,” I said with a smile.
“Hey,” she replied flatly. “So I heard you guys didn’t find what you were looking for.”
“Not at all.” That frustrated me beyond words. “It doesn’t make sense. In my dreams, I’m very clearly walking down the stairs in the Victorian. But the basement there looks nothing like what I’ve been seeing. In the dreams, the walls are crumbling, red brick, and the floor is dirt. It’s not the same place at all.”
“I know how frustrating it is,” Julia said in her gentle voice, “to see something and not be able to place it. And you want to think you saw it for a reason, but you can’t find one.”
I almost forgot she saw things, too. “What do you do then, when you can’t place it?”
“Keep looking. If there is a reason, you’ll find it.” She set the towel down. “I’m gonna go grocery shopping. I’ll be back in a while. Nice seeing you again, Anora!” she called as she walked to the closet and put on her coat.
Crap. I looked at Sam, feeling awkward. Should I try and talk to her? Or slink upstairs to find Ethan? I wanted to do the latter but didn’t want to be rude. I hated social situations like this.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Ethan,” Sam said flatly.
“Yeah, I really like being with him.” I smiled like I did when I was nervous.
“I can tell. I’m surprised.”
“Surprised about what?” I narrowed my eyes a bit.
“I’m surprised to keep seeing you. You should know that Ethan usually goes through girls really fast. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing one for more than a month.”
“Oh,” I said, not really buying into what she was saying. But I was curious. The Ethan she was talking about didn’t sound like the one I knew and loved.
“It’s funny, really. Once I asked him how many girls he’s been with, and he couldn’t even remember.” She faked a laugh. “He’s such a player.”
I nodded. I really wanted to go find Ethan now.
“So your trip was pretty useless then?” Sam asked me, going to the fridge.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Ethan said and rounded the corner. Thank God.
“Hey, Ethan!” Sam called merrily.
Ethan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Been here long?”
I looked up over my shoulder. “Not too long.”
“Whatcha girls talking about?” Ethan asked.
“You.” I flashed a smile.
“Ethan,” Sam said, causing him to turn slightly to her. “I saw in the paper a small story about a teenage girl found dead from massive blood loss. And the wounds were on her neck. I think we should check it out.”
Ethan shrugged. “Sure. You should find out more info first.” The light in Sam’s eyes dimmed.
“Are vampires real?” I asked, suddenly excited.
“I’ve yet to see one,” Ethan said.
“Oh, well that’s good, I guess.” I think I was a little disappointed there, to be honest. “Want to go to the barn with me? I have a photography project due soon, and I haven’t taken any pictures yet.”
“That’s fine. Can we ride the horses?”
I squeezed Ethan’s hands in excitement. “Do you have to ask?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sam fume and slam the fridge shut. Without a word, she stormed out of the kitchen.
“What’s up with her?” Ethan wondered.
I stared at the spot where she had stood, reading her energy. “I think I know,” I said. I twisted in Ethan’s arms and looked into his eye
s. “Can I ask you something personal?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t think it’s a big deal, but, Sam told me something.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “What did she say?”
“She told me that you go through girls—a lot of girls, for that matter—really quickly, and that basically, she was surprised that you haven’t gotten bored with me yet.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a frown. “Do you believe her?” he asked, sounding offended.
“No,” I said weakly. “It’s not you I’m doubting. It’s just…” I trailed off, casting my eyes to the ground. I didn’t know how to say how I felt without offending Ethan. I loved him and he loved me, but I couldn’t help but worry things would backfire because, well, that’s how things seemed to go for me.
“Annie, don’t doubt my feelings for you. I told you I love you, and that’s the truth.” He took my hand and led me to the living room couch. We sat, tangled around each other.
“Want to know something funny?” he asked, and I nodded. “I’ve never had a real girlfriend before.”
I looked at him incredulously. “You? No way.”
Ethan nodded. “I won’t lie, I’ve been with a few women, but because of the Order, I never got close to anyone.”
I wondered what he considered “a few.” I went with my gut and didn’t ask. “So you’re with me for the convenience then, right?”
“Yep. That and you have big boobs,” he said with a smile. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.” I smiled weakly; it wasn’t the first time I’d heard that. “I love you.”
My smile gained strength. “I love you, too.”
“And I’m going to risk sounding like a sap by saying this, but I wish I met you years ago. If I could take back the past, I would. So yeah…I’ve been with a few others, but none of them mattered.”
I ran my hands up and down his muscular arms. “It’s okay,” I said quietly. “I don’t care about all that stuff anyway.”