by Jaime Reed
Just when I was about to make a run for it, Nadine joined our murderous party. Her mouth formed a perfect circle as her eyes shot between the two of us.
“How did this happen?” She stepped in and closed the door behind her.
“I just found her in here on the floor having some sort of fit. She was clutching her chest. And then she died,” I explained, shooting dagger stares at Caleb.
As if it was the most natural thing to do, Nadine knelt down and held the victim’s head in her hands. She lovingly brushed the loose strands from the woman’s face. “Caleb, how could you let this happen?” Nadine’s voice broke with anger.
He slowly recoiled like an animal backed into a corner. “This isn’t my fault. I was coming out of the bathroom and I heard someone yell for help. And that’s when I found Sam in here.”
Nadine zeroed in on Caleb as if trying to stare a confession out of him. Taking a deep breath, she declared, “We need to call police. Caleb, go take Sam home. I’ll stay behind.”
“I’m not going anywhere near him!” I hissed, finally reaching my feet.
Caleb stiffened. “No, I can’t let you—”
In a blink, Nadine was on her feet and in Caleb’s face, pushing him back a step. Her balled fist hovered at her side, waiting for confirmation to “disable target.” “You cannot be here. This is third time you are near someone who had sudden heart attack. The police will suspect and I can’t afford to have you caught. Now go!”
The command, though not directed at me, tracked whip marks across my back. I almost tripped over my feet to leave. I raced past the restroom hallway, not sparing a backward glance or a second thought. The corridor leading to the lobby was empty and judging by the drums and bongo beat, the poetry meeting was still in session. My feet didn’t seem to move fast enough, but I wouldn’t stop until I reached the murder-free sanctuary of my house.
A few stragglers huddled together in the parking lot, laughing and carrying on, blissfully unaware of the mayhem inside. That didn’t shake the creepy feeling that I was being watched, and watched hard, for the sheer intensity left me sensitive to the slightest brush of danger.
With every step, it drew closer, its presence closing in on me from all sides. My heart battered my ribs, my lungs scrambled for air as my feet ate up the distance to my car.
Not even ten feet from refuge, a strong force yanked me around. A scream caught in my throat when Caleb crowded my personal space, a presence that relieved and terrified me in tandem.
Caleb held me captive, demanding my full attention. “Sam. Why are you running?”
He had the audacity to look mad, like corpses were par for the course, and I was just being uptight.
In light of my growing hysteria, I met his irate stare dead on. “Did you kill her?”
“No,” he answered firmly.
I judged and convicted him in silence, my expression cold and unfeeling as stone.
“Not every woman who has heart problems is my fault. It wasn’t me. I would never hurt anyone.” His sincerity made me want to believe him, but the evidence against him piled sky high.
“Then how come she knows your eye color?” I asked.
He balked. “What?”
“The last thing she said was something about lavender eyes. Who else around here has lavender eyes, Caleb?” I accused.
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t me. Sam, I—”
“Let go of me.” I tried to wiggle out of his hold, but the iron clasp trapping my arms wouldn’t budge. As a backup plan, I focused on my knee making contact with his crotch, but he blocked every attempt. My claws were out, and he had a hard time keeping them from his eyes.
“Not until you listen to me. I don’t need to feed off women. All this time I’ve spent with you, have I once fed on you?”
“What about the one in the bookstore, or the others? What about Garrett? You’re out of control, Caleb, and I can’t be anywhere near you.”
“That was an accident,” he insisted, still holding me hostage. He held an opportune position to inflict harm, but simply kept me in place.
Realizing it was no use, I stopped struggling. “A lot of those keep happening around here. And how does Nadine know about the attacks? What did she mean she can’t afford if you’re caught?”
He stumbled with the answer, searching the parking lot for an excuse, or an escape. He calmed his breathing and wrestled for composure before saying, “Sam, knowing what I am and what I’ve told you, is it really a shock that I wouldn’t be alone?”
15
It took me a minute to drink in the reply, and I almost choked.
Once the dust cleared, I found my voice again. “You’re telling me Nadine is a sentient thing?”
“No, but the spirit inside her is,” he amended. “She’s a Cambion, too—the female kind I told you about.”
I just stared at him. “Are you sure you two aren’t related?”
He shook his head and finally released me. “Our families go way back, but she’s from an older bloodline. I hadn’t seen her since I was fifteen, so I looked her up and found out she was in school on the East Coast. I figured it would be good to at least know one person in town, so that’s why I moved here. Turns out, we both wanted a place that was under the radar.”
“In Williamsburg?” I asked incredulously.
“Why not? It’s a beautiful town. It’s quiet and peaceful,” he disputed.
“Well, it was before y’all showed up.” I swiped a hand over my face, hoping the action would provide me with a clean slate of thought. Caleb told me he and Nadine were close, but it never even occurred to me that she was also a Cambion. She seemed so normal. Sort of.
Not willing to take on the full blame of this oversight, I rounded on Caleb. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“It’s not my secret to tell.”
I stepped back, aghast. “What? Did she threaten to kill you, or something?”
“She doesn’t have to threaten anyone,” he mocked, though it sounded weak and unconvincing.
I caught his averted glance. He did that a lot when Nadine was around. Just the mention of her name made him bristle. I saw the fear in his eyes when she confronted him, how he backed down like a cub to an alpha lion. All these things added up to one hair-raising conclusion. “You’re afraid of Nadine? Why?”
He didn’t bother to deny it. “Well, because she’s a female Cambion, and she’s Nadine. That alone is enough to scare anyone. But I respect her more than anything else.”
“What’s so bad about Cambion females? I mean, more than normal.”
He seemed to find my ignorance adorable. “Like the rest of the animal kingdom, the female of the species is more deadly than the male. Even full-blown demons don’t mess with Cambion females. They’re like praying mantises. You piss her off, she’ll eat you alive. Literally.” His tone carried a note of urgency, as if a mob hit awaited anyone who leaked this information. Though intriguing to a degree, the seedy underbelly of this mystical world only pissed me off more.
Holding my keys tight in my grasp, I inched toward my car. “I would’ve appreciated a heads-up about another Cambion in town. What about your brother? Have you seen him lately?”
“No. He left a week ago.”
“You sure about that? Does he have the same dietary issues as you do?”
Caleb’s gaze iced over. “No. He would never hurt anyone.”
“I wish I could say the same for you,” I shot back, then hit him with another speed round of twenty questions. “What about the rest of your family? How come you never mention them? What did your father do to you? It had to be bad for you to close yourself off, but I can’t let you keep secrets from me, not anymore. Because honestly, what’s to stop you from hurting me?”
The words hit their mark, sending Caleb rocking back from the impact. His head bowed, his shoulders drooped and arched inward. No one with depraved ambitions could look so wounded and defeated.
For reasons that ha
d evaded me since the beginning, this guy valued my opinion. A supernatural being that could drain me dry and dump my body in the woods actually cared what I thought about him. My gut tightened, my heart pulled in three different directions, but I just couldn’t deal. More to the point, he hadn’t answered my question and wasn’t going to.
“Caleb, this is too much for me. Every time we hang out, someone’s at death’s door. I’m sorry, but I can’t get involved in this.”
The lines and angles of his face twisted in pain. “You’re right. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I just want you to know that I would never hurt you.”
Somewhere behind the armored tanker of my soul, I felt the truth of his words. But that insurance didn’t cover everyone else. “If you know the risks, then why do you keep luring women in? Why can’t you shut it off?”
“I can’t just shut it off. My spirit has a will of his own.”
“Then fight it, fight off the women. Don’t let them come near you!”
He winced. “I don’t fight. And I’m not gonna hit a woman.”
“You don’t need to,” I argued. “Just get them off you. I don’t really like to fight either. I just let instinct take over.”
“I can’t rely on my instincts, Sam. My instincts tell me to feed and sate my hunger. If I allow Capone to take control, even for a moment, I might not get it back. He’s way too eager; his draw is getting stronger, more unstable because he wants more energy than I’m willing to give. Women are coming after me left and right, complete strangers that Capone will suck dry if they get too close. It’s like he wants them to, just so he can attack. I’ve never had to deal with this type of aggression before.”
“It’s only going to get worse, Caleb. People are dying.”
Clearly offended, and not in the least bit amused, he held my gaze and wouldn’t let go. “For the last time, I didn’t kill anyone. I swear on my mother’s grave, I had nothing to do with that woman’s death.”
“Maybe so, but it will only be a matter of time before you do. And I don’t want to be around when it happens.” I walked away and climbed into my car, leaving Caleb and his willful roommate to their own devices.
16
It came as a surprise when Nadine texted me the following morning.
She wanted me to meet her at her office, which was code for the sunken garden in the middle of the William & Mary campus.
I jogged down the steps toward the vast lawn where the locals played Frisbee and lounged in the sun. I trotted across the path, watching Nadine approach from the opposite side. Her flowing blond hair and long-legged stride caught the attention of every man within a block radius. Under closer observation, the concept of her harboring a man-enticing spirit didn’t seem that far-fetched. I noticed how men reacted around her, but I never would’ve stitched those pieces together.
Meeting me halfway, she presented a cup of frozen dessert. “A peace offering.”
“What is it?” I eyed the cup suspiciously.
“Strawberry shortcake slushy with vanilla ice-cream filling.” She waved the cup under my nose, fully aware that slushies were my Kryptonite.
I licked my lips, then asked, “Is this a bribe?”
“Maybe. We should talk, yes?”
“Indeed.” I snatched the cup from her hand. “Caleb told me what you are. Why didn’t you tell me about your affliction?”
If the revelation surprised her, she covered it well. “We don’t talk about it; just something we live with.”
I nodded, not knowing what else to do. If I had a life-sucking spirit in my body, I wouldn’t broadcast it all over town either.
She found a vacant spot on the grass and took a seat. I watched her for a moment, trying to add this new information to the sum total of Nadine. I wasn’t afraid of her, but this latest development was something that would take some getting used to.
I sat next to her and crossed my legs. “What happened to the woman?”
“Paramedics took her away,” she said. “They say her weight caused heart attack.”
“You believe that?”
“No. There was sign of struggle. Something scared her.”
“Why did you stay behind?”
“Someone had to talk to the police. Perhaps now Caleb will allow me to help him. I kept quiet for too long, and this is out of hand.” Nadine took a sip of her blueberry slushy. As if reading my thoughts, she stated, “Caleb did not attack the woman. Deep down, you know this.”
“Then who did it? Are there more like you here?”
“Not sure. But I will find out.” Nadine’s brows puckered in contemplation.
“Could another Cambion be involved?” I asked.
“It’s possible, but this is not in our nature. It’s not healthy to consume entire life. We take a little. A whole human life gives us great power, but corrupts the insides. You crave more and become more like demon with each life.”
“What kind of power?”
“Caleb told you the origin of these spirits, its descent?” Seeing me nod, she continued, “The spirit reverts back to that, becoming true demon: immortal, indestructible, able to manipulate thoughts and physically transform their bodies into anything you desire. But your humanity is gone and your soul is trapped within for eternity.”
Riveted, I leaned closer. “How many lives would a Cambion have to take to get to that stage? Just give a ballpark figure.”
“Human life is great, and holds much energy. From what I hear, it takes weeks to digest; it’s very large. Six should begin the change, twelve may complete it. Is estimate, of course. The spirit wants to become whole again through us, but our humanity keeps it tame.”
Swallowing hard, I thought of Caleb. If he suddenly decided to go buck wild and eat enough people, he could upgrade to full-blown demon. The only thing holding him together was a threadbare shroud of humanity. It wouldn’t be long before the fibers would tear, and I shuddered to think of what would break free. But the topic intrigued me. “Have you ever met one of the originals, a real incubus?”
“Yes. Most terrifying moment of my life, and I begged for more. I pray you never meet one.”
Remembering what Caleb said about Cambion females, I had to ask. “Did you eat him?”
She didn’t answer, but for the briefest, infinitesimal portion of a second, a look of pleasure stretched her lips. That one look rendered the subject closed.
Taking the hint, I ran down my list of possible suspects. “You think Haden killed that woman?”
Nadine’s nose and lips bunched together as if she smelled something foul. “No. Haden is a lot of things—and I mean a lot—but he is no killer. He’s peacemaker of the family.”
“What about his father? What happened to cause so much tension in their family?”
She pondered the concept for a moment. “Love is strange thing with our kind, Sam. It’s what we fear, what we crave, what we live for, and what we die from. If you know nothing else, know that.” She held a distant, almost glassy sheen in her eyes. “There’s much pain in that family from the death of the mother. Caleb turns his back on them and everything with it, including the being within. His reclusion is the root of all his problems. This is not healthy. He must feel, connect, or he will starve. I tell Caleb this many times, but he refuses. He’s a good guy, Sam, but he needs to deal with his demon properly.”
“It’s not a—”
“I call it as is,” she snapped. “My family hates that word, but I have no time for political correctness. It must be dealt with. I handled mine, and Caleb needs to, uh, man up and do the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“He must collar his demon.”
“Capone.”
Nadine stopped mid-slurp. “What?”
“His sentient being is named Capone,” I said. The D word suddenly made me uncomfortable. It sounded derogatory, too similar to a racial slur for my taste. The label seemed to define Caleb, condemn him, and his situation wasn’t that cut and dry. There was stil
l hope for him.
A smile pulled at Nadine’s blue lips for a second before vanishing. “He finally named his?”
“Well, I thought of the name,” I bragged.
She nodded in approval. “It’s good start to interact with spirit. Caleb denies that it is part of him. He tries to separate himself from it. That doesn’t work. He has to work with it, not against it.”
“How?”
She lay back, resting her weight on her elbows. “For one thing, they need to connect. He needs to get in tune with his own feelings. Caleb told you it feeds off energy, yes?”
I tossed the concept in my head. “Kinda.”
“Since we don’t want to feed on others often, the spirit feeds from us, consumes our excitement, our joy, our energy, our anxiety. Caleb is in dangerous role reversal where demon dominates, and he feels powerless to stop it.”
“Can you break that down a little more for me?”
Nadine flung her head back, reveling in the sunshine. “Demon souls cannot exist in physical realm without a body and energy. They try to possess weaker humans for control, but the human body dies eventually. To have immortality, it saves pieces of itself through human offspring.”
“Like a living horcrux,” I surmised.
Nadine glowered at me. “A what?”
“Has anyone in the Cambion community read Harry Potter?” When Nadine shook her head, I threw my hands up. “Never mind. Go on.”
“Uh, okay. As spirit passes down generations, one body after another, it loses influence. Caleb and I come from old bloodlines that developed tolerance that Caleb must now put into action.
“I have a body, energy, and a soul. I have what my demon lacks, so I wield all power. Since the spirit lives in my house, I call the shots. If I wish to feed from person, I do. I know how much to take and when to stop. I know what will sustain it between feedings. A good source of energy is joy.”