by Adria Wade
She nodded. “I already knew it would come to this.” She went inside her pocket and took out what looked like a long chain with brown gemstones on it with a pentacle for a charm, and she placed it in my hand. “This is a witch’s ladder. My friend Sawyer made it for me after I foresaw a threat against me. The brown gemstones are called tiger’s eyes and they reflect danger away, so if Silas comes after you, this baby will protect you from him.”
“Thank you.”
“You still have time to think it over. We won’t do the killing ritual until night fall, anyway. We’ll need the influence of the moon to do something as powerful as killing a demon.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Come. I need your blood.”
I forced my legs to move forward as I hesitantly followed behind her. This whole ritual thing made me nervous, especially since I had to shed my blood. She led me to the pentagram where black candles flickered all around the symbol.
Hunter handed her a dagger, sending a wink her way once their eyes met. She bit down on her lip, trying to hide the smile she couldn’t keep from showing as she bowed her head.
I held out my hand, flinching as the sharp point sliced open my palm.
“Let your blood drip in the center of the pentagram,” Violet said.
I watched as the blood dripped from my hand and painted the floor in red. Violet winced as she cut her palm and let her blood run from her hand and onto the pentagram below. As I stood before the pentagram, I could feel my blood pulsating through ears as my heart thumped hard against my chest. I was nervous.
“Okay, it’s your turn,” Violet said.
Demetrius walked toward me. “Have you changed your mind yet?”
“I’ll let you know if I do.”
He shook his head in disapproval. “Okay then. In order to break the bond, you must call on him. You already know to say his name.”
I nodded.
“Get ready, guys,” Violet said.
Athena, Lucas, Hunter, and Kyle moved closer with their amethysts in hand, preparing themselves for Silas.
“Now close your eyes and focus. Be sure to put a little power in your voice when you call on him,” Demetrius said.
I shut my eyes and took in a deep breath as I focused on nothing but Silas. “Silas.” As his name came flowing out, my voice was a little shaky, but I managed to put the right amount of force behind it.
Silas suddenly appeared in the center of the pentagram with a lost and confused look on his face as he quickly took in his surroundings. Athena, Lucas, Hunter, and Kyle moved in a swift pace, placing the crystals around the pentagram, trapping him.
He glared at me, the red immediately taking hold as his hands clenched tightly together. “Paige, what are you doing to me?”
The intensity and fire that raged on in his eyes intimidated me, made me afraid even, but the anger of what he did to me sparked once more at the sight of him. My eyes hardened.
“I’m doing what I have to do. I refuse to be bonded with you any longer.”
His face suddenly filled with panic, and his breathing grew heavier. “Don’t do this. You break the bond and I won’t feel when you’re in distress.” His eyes pleaded, begging me to change my mind, and I could have sworn that I saw fear lurking in his eyes, but I was dead set in my decision. I wouldn’t allow him to take from me any longer. His days of ripping pieces of my soul out of me were over, even if I did decide to keep him alive.
“I’m in distress because of you.”
“Now, repeat after me: I unbound myself from you, Silas, and free myself of your evil ways, so that you shall no longer have control over me. Say it five times,” Demetrius said.
“I unbound myself from you, Silas, and free myself of your evil ways, so that you shall no longer have control over me.”
“Do you really believe that I’m evil?” Silas asked.
Just as I was about to repeat the chant once more, Silas’ question pulled me out of my focus. I stared at him, at a loss for words because I wasn’t sure what he was, but I also knew that he wasn’t everything he made himself out to be.
“Don’t stop chanting! You can’t!” Demetrius yelled.
I jumped at his sudden outburst and began to chant, pushing back the doubts that came storming through my mind. I closed my eyes and blocked Silas out. I refused to let him distract me anymore. He fed off me, he made me suffer for hours and hours of non-stop unbearable pain, and for that, I must take the power he had over me away.
“I unbound myself from you, Silas, and free myself of your evil ways, so that you shall no longer have control over me.” I practically yelled the chant at him as the thought of him hurting me sparked the fire of anger and bitterness within.
I repeated my words as a gush of wind swirled around us and the candles began to flicker. As I spoke the last words of the chant for the fifth and final time, I was hit in the gut from a force so powerful that it knocked the breath right out of me. I bent over, holding my stomach as I gasped for air. Silas had experienced the same as he, too, was bent over, winded from the blow, trying to catch his breath.
“It’s done,” Demetrius said.
I straightened my body and tried to rub the ache from my stomach. Silas’ eyes shut as he held his head. His body leaned forward before he caught himself. He must have felt light-headed. He shook away the feeling as his hardened eyes set on me.
I kicked one of the amethysts away and freed him of his prison. “Go before I change my mind about setting you free.”
With sorrow in his eyes, he shook his head, looking defeated. “You have no idea, Paige.” He then disappeared.
I didn’t know what he meant by that, but at the moment, I couldn’t care less. The sorrow that wrapped around my heart was all I could think about. I looked down at the pentagram where Silas once stood. I could feel his absence already. I knew that when he left, there would be no friendship, there would be nothing at all, and that thought left me swimming in a sea of melancholy. I couldn’t let Eli see the hurt. I didn’t want it to cause any more problems between us, so I closed my eyes and tried my hardest to push the pain aside.
“Are you okay?” Eli’s voice was soft and soothing.
I looked up at him, and gave a half-smile. He ran the back of his hand down my face. His knuckles gently slid over my skin, and I leaned into his touch, feeling his comfort calm me at once.
“I’m just tired,” I said, my voice low and sad.
“Maybe you should get some rest. Silas can’t enter your dreams now that you broke the bond.”
“Yeah; sleep would be nice.”
His brows pinched together as his penetrating eyes searched my face. “Something else is wrong.”
I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“Haven’t you learned yet? You can’t hide from me, Paige Jacobs. I can read you like a book.”
I placed my hands on either side of his face and brought his lips down on mine, savoring the soft touch of his lips moving so smoothly against mine.
“I’ll see you later,” I said.
I walked out of the training facility, desperately needing a moment to myself. As the sun touched my face, I sucked in a breath, feeling my tears fall down my cheeks. I walked to the manor. Now that I was away from everyone, I was finally ready to release the grief that I kept bottled up. I may not have meant anything to Silas, but he meant something to me and I couldn’t help but to feel hurt.
As I reached Eli’s bedroom, I wiped my eyes and let myself fall on the bed, hearing paper crinkle beneath me. My brows knitted together, and I lifted my head to find a piece of paper lying on the bed where my head once rested. I read the note.
‘There is light to every darkness. I’ll be waiting at the café. You have the questions and I have the answers. If I know you at all, that’s tempting enough for you to come see me. - Silas
“You’re damn right it is.”
Silas and I had much to discuss, and I knew that at the end of the day, I would possibly h
ave to make the most dreaded decision of my life, and it would leave me even more broken than I already was.
Chapter Twenty
I slipped on my converse before tucking my dagger in the back of my pants while Eli stood in front of me, scowling down at Silas’ note. The moment I decided to meet with Silas, was the moment I made the wise decision to bring Eli, and Eli only, along. I didn’t want the whole gang there, especially not Demetrius, who would only complicate things for me. I needed answers and I didn’t want to jeopardize my chances of getting those answers if everyone came along. He needed to feel safe, not threatened. Besides, Eli was more than capable of protecting me if things went awry, which I doubted will since we’d be in a public place and Silas wouldn’t dare show his true self to a bunch of oblivious humans. Everything should be fine…I hoped.
“‘There is light in every darkness’. I think he’s trying to pull a fast one on you. Remember, manipulation is his game.”
“I need answers.”
“Oh, and you think he’s going to be forthcoming with you?”
“He has before. The night we were together in the café after he saved me from Andie, we talked.”
He was silent for a moment as his eyes searched mine. “It wasn’t all allure, was it?”
“What do you mean?”
With a look of disappointment on his face, he broke his gaze and looked down. “I thought that when the bond was broken, his enchantment on you would go away like it was supposed to. It didn’t. You still feel for him. Now I know that your feelings for him weren’t forced on you. They’re real.” He shook his head. “What is it that you see in him?”
I stood and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’m not in love with him, if that’s what you’re getting at. I told him I wanted to be friends. If I was in love with him, I wouldn’t have settled for friendship. I’m in love with you, and I only want you.”
I could only hope that he would see how sincere I was.
“What is it that you see in him, Paige?” His brows rose as he waited for my answer.
I sighed. He wasn’t going to drop this. “He’s charming. He’s playful, and he has a gentle side. I liked that. I don’t even know if that side to him was his true self now. I’m not sure if I ever knew him at all.”
“What made you fall in love with me?”
“Everything. You’re my warmth and my comfort. You’re so incredibly adorable, and you make me laugh. I love that you call me thumper.”
He laughed, and I smiled.
I grabbed his face and kissed his lips. “You told him you would win, and you did.”
He smiled. “Okay, fine, but I don’t think meeting with him is a good idea. Did you not see how he reacted when you summoned him? He was pissed the hell off. I can’t help but to think that this is retaliation against you.”
I folded my arms. “Oh, are you afraid of his demon side now that you saw him angry?”
“It’s not about being afraid. I’m clearly not. It’s about making wise decisions. You can’t just meet up with a demon who was slowly killing you. I would feel better if you let the rest of the gang come along as well.”
“No; absolutely not. I don’t want to scare him off. He has to think that only I came, which means that you wouldn’t actually be able to come in.”
“Wait, so you actually expect me to stay outside? Are you crazy, woman?”
“Well, you’re a hybrid. Your ears should be abnormally sensitive to sound, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“And you know what my voice sounds like.”
“I’m not guaranteed a visual of you. That’s my problem.”
“If I suspect that he’s up to something then I will tell you to come in.”
“I don’t know. It still doesn’t seem very smart.” Annoyed, he balled the paper up and threw it. “The fact that you still care for that monster baffles me.”
“You mean angers you.”
“Yeah, that, too.”
“I don’t understand. You said yourself that there was something off with him. He wasn’t acting like an incubus should, which sparked my curiosity and put doubt in my head. I can’t kill him if I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do. I can’t have doubt in my head, because I will always wonder.”
He looked me dead in the eyes. “I have a really bad feeling about this.”
“So don’t come along. I have a dagger; I can take care of myself.”
I turned and pulled the flask filled with fireball and took a nice, long drink, feeling the burn warm my insides as it took the edge off. The heavy always floated around me, attacking me all at once, and sometimes a girl just needed a break. Alcohol would help with that.
“Paige!”
I winced as Eli’s firm hand tightened around my arm and he spun me around to face him. He pinned me with a frown and reached for the flask that I quickly moved out of his reach.
“It was only one drink. Don’t have a cow.”
“It’s always one drink with you. I’m trying to help you, and you’re making it really hard because you’re not even trying to stop.”
I took a step back as the bed pressed against the back of my legs, stopping me from moving any further. He used his agility to catch my wrist. I tried to pull my wrist from his grip, but his hold was too strong. He grabbed the flask and yanked it out of my hand, jerking me forward along with it.
“Alcohol can’t always be your way out. I gave you a solution. The training facility should be your addiction; not this.”
He turned and made his way to the door. With anger boiling in the pit of my stomach, ready to blow, I followed right behind him.
“Give it back!”
I shoved him, my hands slapping his back so hard that it stung my palms. The hit did nothing to him but stir the creature hidden within. I heard him growl as his body tensed. My heart leapt into my throat, and I instantly backed away from him. He was losing control of his temper. He spun around and threw the flask. I flinched and ducked out of the way as the flask spun into the air and crashed into the window behind me. Trepidation and shock coursed through me. I couldn’t believe he just threw the flask at me.
He pinned me with a murderous, icy glare. “You look pathetic!” His voice was abnormally deep now that the wolf awakened.
My lips parted as I lost my breath. It was as if his words knocked the air right out of me. My heart slowly withered away. He actually thought I was pathetic.
“And you’re just figuring this out?”
I couldn’t let him see how much it hurt. I shut my eyes for a moment, forcing back my tears before I turned, pulling my focus on my luggage as a distraction, and zipped it closed.
I heard him exhale. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown the flask at you. I didn’t want to hurt you, honestly.”
Your actions didn’t. Your words, however, did.
I tensed for a moment as his arms wrapped around my waist. With my back pressed against his chest, he gave me a nice, tight hug before placing a kiss on my shoulder. His touch soothed me instantly, taming the anger and hurt. It was nice how he knew exactly what to do when my anger got the best of me. No one ever knew that when I was hurting or lashing out, all I really wanted was to feel comforted, because inside, I was scared. I had so many raging emotions that I didn’t know how to deal with or even express in any other way. No one had the patience to handle me, yet he did, because he understood me in a way that no one else did, and for that, he would always be endearing to me.
I had to swallow my pride and apologize to him. I shouldn’t have put my hands on him. It did nothing but make me feel bad.
“I’m sorry I hit you. I won’t ever do it again.”
“It’s okay. You didn’t hurt me. I can handle it, remember?”
“You shouldn’t have to.” I turned in his arms and placed a kiss upon his lips. “Let’s go meet with the demon. You’re all the protection I need.”
****
The café was flowing with people as I wal
ked in, and it immediately put my mind at ease knowing that I was surrounded by people, who with their presence alone, were the reason I would survive this meeting.
I looked around for Silas, finding him seated at a table, tearing up a napkin. When he looked up and saw me, the corners of his lips rose into a smile. I didn’t have it in me to smile back. I walked to the table and sat down.
“Is that a genuine smile? I’m not sure with you anymore.”
His smile slipped. “Would you believe me if I said yeah?”
I shrugged. “Probably not.”
I noticed the difference in the air. It was devoid of any lust, and not once did his allure pull me in.
“Would you like some coffee?” he asked.
He bit down on his bottom lip as his eyes drifted away from my gaze, only for him to glance at me. There was a vulnerability that I saw on his face, and he wouldn’t look me in the eyes for too long, which led me to believe that maybe he felt guilty for what he did. But with him, I had come to realize that I didn’t ever really know.
“No; I’m fine.”
“So, your boyfriend finally succeeded in turning you against me.”
“Oh, I think your actions helped with that. I suffered all night long. I endured hours of pain, and I was afraid that I was going to die.” My voice cracked as I tried but failed to hold back my tears.
He frowned and looked away, as did I.
I cleared my throat. “And it wasn’t Eli. You can thank Wikipedia for that.”
“You searched me, huh? Well, you should know that Wikipedia doesn’t have all of the facts. If you wanted to know more about me, why didn’t you just ask? I like to remain a mystery, but for you, baby, I would answer almost all of your questions.”
It shocked me to see how nonchalant he was about the situation.
“Oh? Almost all?”
He shrugged. “Some topics are hard to talk about.”
My eyes hardened. He was seriously making me angry. He wasn’t taking any of this seriously, and it left me wondering if I was only wasting my time.