By now, there were only a few other students in the library. Carefully, I slid it from its shelf and tucked it beneath my arm and added it to the growing collection. Something about the smell of books, and the feel of holding them in your hand, was one of the greatest feelings in the world. I found the time and history trapped inside each one to be completely fascinating. I took my books and went back towards my table.
Over the quiet tapping of keyboards in the background, a hum of white noise grew in my head, coalescing into murmuring voices as I grew aware of it.
“She’s getting close,” one of them whispered. “Should we tell the master?”
“Yes, he wouldn’t like her snooping around.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up until they faded away, at which point I began to collect my things and head off towards the circulation desk. If the voices thought I was onto something, that was a good sign. I’d never understand how the demon frequency worked, but it triggered anytime one of them was close. I could hear their thoughts like we were part of a hive mind — seems like that should come in handy.
The librarian checked out my books and I slid them into my bag before walking out the front door. Everything was dark when I stepped outside and massive Grecian columns flanked a giant stairwell that lead down into the courtyard — a true monolith to the written word.
I padded down the steps and breathed out a tired sigh. My fingers clenched tightly to the strap of my bag as I glanced attentively from side to side. In the daytime, the grounds were a beautiful park gifted to the students as a quiet place to study and enjoy nature. At night though, it became somewhat ominous and the trees took on an eerie shape with the path not so welcoming.
Just then, a claw-like hand shot out from behind me and clamped down hard around my mouth, preventing me from screaming. Fight or flight kicked in as adrenaline flooded through my body and I tried to Blink away from them to safety. My heightened senses were on alert, tingling with electric pulses as they reached for the other side of the garden. I felt my body being pulled away from them, and for half a second it was like I was in two places at once, then I was yanked to right back where I had been.
What just happened? I thought to myself panicked. Why didn’t it work?
Confused, I tried again but with similar results. It was like a tether that would not let me leave.
That doesn’t make sense. Unless … it’s another demon, I realized suddenly.
The danger became more real as any magical advantage I had was rendered useless in their presence. My breath caught inside my chest when a voice came from deep within the shadows, “Bring her here.”
Aidan.
Grubby fingers held down firmly against my lips as I struggled against my attacker, but it was no use, he was stronger than me. Another hand grabbed me by the wrist and spun me around, tugging me off towards the trees and I realized there was more of them.
Oh, God. This isn’t good.
I bit down on the hand trying to silence me, and the demon let out a howl of pain. A piece of the demon’s flesh came off between my teeth, which only fueled my desire to fight back. What I tasted was not blood. It was bitter, foul. A slew of profanity was thrown at me in a foreign dialect and I twisted around to try and kick them in the groin. Despite my efforts, they managed to drag me off to a clearing beneath the trees where Aidan was waiting patiently. “Good evening, pet.”
“She bit me!” the demon told him as his claws dug into my skin.
He smiled knowingly, with his hands clasped behind his back. “I warned you she was feisty. Let’s get this over with.”
Get what over with? What’s he going to do to me?
My eyes darted from side to side, counting how many demons had come to help him. One … two … three … three of them, I thought. And Aidan.
He pulled a dagger out of his vest pocket and said, “Put her on the bench.”
Chapter Four
Kicking and Screaming
I screamed against the gnarled claw of the demon holding me captive.
He and the others dragged me back and slammed me hard onto the bench. One of them pulled the bag off my shoulder. “How do you want her, sire?”
Aidan smiled, the lines of his lean body outlined in the shaft of light coming from the lamp post. “The shoulder will do, for now, just keep her from moving.”
I nearly ripped my arm out of its socket fighting against them, kicking and screaming muffled cries into the darkness.
My heart pounded frantically inside my chest as silent tears streamed down my cheeks. Augh! No, I won’t let you do this!
When we came up against the hard edge of the bench I was forced down by six hands, pressing me violently against the concrete surface. One arm was pinned under my own chest, the other was wrenched and twisted back so that any shift felt like it would break. As my bones and muscles were forced against the unyielding surface, I started crying. No gentle tears this time, but crazy hysterical sobs induced from both anger and fear of what he’d do to me. Aidan snickered at my imposition and knelt beside me to whisper in my ear, “Don’t worry, love. This will all be over soon.”
With a sudden violent tear, a claw ripped open the collar of my shirt and pulled it across my back to expose my naked shoulder. The sound of ripping fabric sent a whole different wave of terror through me. Angry tears pricked at the corner of my eyes, waiting to see what he had planned. Then a sharp, new pain pierced me as his blade dug deep into my flesh.
I could feel the skin being sliced in slow, deliberate cuts. Over and over again I screamed into the bench, my vision narrowing to a tiny black tunnel, but there was no one to hear me — not in this secluded area of the park at this time of night. Something wet dripped down my arm, and I pulled back hard against the demons holding me down. As my adrenaline-fueled body struggled to push and squirm free, Aidan scolded them loudly, “Keep her still!”
“Master, I might break her arm,” one of the demons rasped.
“Then break it!” Aidan spat out acidly. “Bones will heal.” His voice was sharp, cutting, a contrast to his more restrained tone. His features shifted to their usual mask of detachment, and I had to tilt my head higher to meet his intense gaze.
His knife cut into me once again, and I screamed hoarsely into the wooden bench. When I felt the dagger dragging across the open wounds again, I jerked back and now kicked the face of the demon behind me. The force of it caught him off guard and he let go, howling in pain as he clutched his broken nose. A few others struggled to hold me down, but luckily for me the blood on my arm had made it slick.
Aidan cursed as I slipped past and focused my energy into a psychic weapon that coalesced in the palm of my hand. There was a sharp burst of pain as a jagged spike shot out of my arm. I’d only used this power once before, fighting off vicious weeds that held my mother captive in the world of dreams. I sliced it down in front of him, but he managed to deflect it, clipping the arm of his shirt. Aidan stalked towards me, fury in his eyes and white-knuckled around the dagger dripping with my blood. I threw my hand out once again as if to push him away, this time shooting him right in the stomach.
Before he had the chance to come at me again, there was a pulse of negative energy and I felt the shock wave ripple through my skin. When I looked over in the center of it was the giant human-spider hybrid. Her long black hair was in the same dreadlock braids I remembered from the first time I saw her in the Grove.
“What are you doing?” she asked Aidan brusquely.
He huffed in annoyance at her intrusion and said, “She’s mine, Asmodea.”
“And she will be, soon enough,” the spider responded calmly. “But there are rules. You’re not helping your case by doing this.”
His eyes narrowed with unspent fury as he glared at her.
“Patience,” Asmodea cautioned.
The Demon Lord groaned and put the knife back in his belt before disappearing in a puff of smoke. The instant he was gone, the other three followed suit. The
edge of her mouth lifted into a smile as she burst into a cloud of smoke and I was left there alone in the darkened park.
I panted, hormones and demonic energy flooding my system, making my limbs shake as I realized the encounter had ended. I quickly grabbed my bag off the ground and blinked as fast as I could down the sidewalk, teleporting repeatedly from one darkened corner to the next because it was faster than walking until I was safely home. Lacey balked at my bloody silhouette on the threshold as I threw the door open.
“Wynn? What happened?” Her aura swelled with concern as I stumbled past her into the living room. “Oh my God. I’m going to call an ambulance.”
“No!!” I gasped, when she reached over for the phone. “Caleb … get Caleb.”
~ * ~
Lacey sat beside me on the couch, pressing a cold compress against the open wound on my shoulder. I hissed in pain as the icy water trickled down my back and the material made contact with the stinging cut.
“Shhh … It’s going to be okay,” she reassured me. Her words brought no comfort when I saw her eyes were dark and how deeply concerned she really was. “I’m not sure the bandage will be enough. It might need stitches.”
I gritted my teeth, leaning forwards against the arm of the couch and buried my face into the pillow.
Our living room resembled a crime scene with all the medical supplies and blood-soaked clothing that had been unloaded onto the coffee table. I’d changed into a tank top to expose my shoulder as we cleaned up the lacerated flesh, but the result was pretty gnarly.
“AUGH! That stings!”
Before she could apologize, the door flew open and Caleb burst in, red in the face with his aura swirling wildly. “Where is it?” he demanded. “Where did that filthy, lying demon hurt you?”
She looked at me nervously in response to the feral and borderline murderous glint in his eye as I sat up on the couch and removed the compress. It was red with blood when I pulled it from my skin and felt the burning sting of the open wound.
He came towards me and knelt beside the couch to see what Aidan had done. Caleb’s jaw tensed when he saw it, and he attempted to keep his temper in check. “I’ll kill him,” he snarled furiously. I’d never heard Caleb sound like that before — he was serious. “He can’t do this!”
I sniffed back a sob to control the tremors in my chest and blubbered, “Apparently, he can.”
Caleb was on his feet in an instant, fuming, “No, you don’t understand. He can’t do this. There are laws protecting you against this exact thing. He’s trying to forcibly claim you as part of his household, but your soul is still on trial. Why didn’t the angels intervene?”
“Caleb!” Lacey interrupted his frantic rambling. “Wynn’s hurt. We’ll deal with that tomorrow.”
He nodded and angrily ruffled the back of his head. “Sorry, you’re right. Wynn, is there anything I can do?”
I reached out to him, tears streaming down my face, “Can you just hold me for a minute?”
My voice cracked and must have gotten to him because I saw his fury melt when he took a seat beside me on the couch and wrapped his arms around me. I was still shaking from the attack and my chest convulsed as I tried in vain to control my breathing. “I’m so sorry, Wynn,” he whispered against my hair. “I let you down.”
I nuzzled my head against his chest and said, “There was no way you could have known. Besides, it’s not your job to protect me anymore — you’re just supposed to care about me.”
Caleb sighed and kissed my forehead before taking my face in his hands and looking me in the eyes. “That’s where you’re wrong. I know you don’t need rescuing from the trials, but this was different. It’s not okay. I should have been there. I might not be able to fight your trials for you, but this didn’t have anything to do with that. I should have protected you and he—”
“Didn’t finish,” I told him quietly.
“What?”
“He didn’t finish. I’ve seen the completed symbol on my mother, but this is only halfway done. I broke free.”
We gazed at each other nervously as I returned the compress to the cut and winced again in pain. “He might come back?”
I nodded carefully. “I’m counting on it.”
Caleb shook his head angrily. “The Council should have sent someone, but they didn’t.”
“But they did,” I responded flatly. “It was, um … the spider. I can’t remember her name, but she told him to back off.”
He blanched. “Asmodea? I guess that would be one way to handle things, but the Guardians should have come regardless. It’s their job to keep the Demon Lords in check. They had to know what was happening and they still chose not to act; that’s choosing sides. It can only mean one thing, they want you to fail.”
Lacey stopped what she was doing and we all became silent as the truth of his statement sank in. I swallowed hard, peering up at him with a teary smile and whispered, “I know.”
I laid my head against his chest and he gently stroked my hair. “It would make me feel more comfortable if I slept here tonight,” Caleb stated calmly. “That way at least I’ll know you’re safe.”
I glanced over at Lacey and she gave a subtle nod of approval.
“Okay, but it will have to be on the couch. I’ve only got a twin sized mattress.”
He chuckled dryly and said, “Believe me, I can sleep anywhere. The couch is fine.”
Without a word, she went over to the linen closet and came back with a spare blanket and pillow. She handed it to him solemnly, thinking about what had happened, and began cleaning up the bandages.
“Thank you, Lacey.”
I sighed, pulling myself away from him and stood up from the couch, limping off towards my bedroom. He quickly stepped up behind me and offered his arm for support, which I accepted graciously. Any movement with my back was met with searing pain and I hissed angrily at the unexpected jolt of electricity that rocketed through my spine.
Neither of us spoke as he opened the bed for me and helped me climb onto the mattress. To protect the raw skin around my shoulder, I had to lay down on my stomach, which was uncomfortable at best. A few small tremors still shook me as I sniffed back a few more tears and buried my face into the pillow.
“Do you want the blanket?” he asked me quietly.
I shook my head. “No, just the sheet.”
The next thing I knew he was pulling it up around me, and taking great care not to cause me any pain. I grabbed the fabric when it was in reach and repositioned my weight to try and get more comfortable.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“No, thank you for coming over though. I know it’s silly, but I just needed you here.”
He scoffed lightly in the darkness and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m very glad you did. Try to get some rest, I’ll be right out here if you need me.”
“Okay.”
He shut the door, and the only light came from the cracks around the edges where it crept in from the hall and from the moonlight in the window. It was eerily quiet as I listened to his footsteps retreat, and the moment he was gone I let myself drift off to sweet oblivion.
I awoke early the next morning to the smell of coffee.
The dull gray light of sunrise filtered down through my bedroom window as I rolled over stiffly on the mattress and threw my legs over the side. My back was sore. My neck was sore. Everything hurt and I wanted some Ibuprofen. I let out a tired sigh as I stepped out into the hall to find the medicine in our cabinet. Caleb was already up and folding the blanket we had loaned him so that he could return it to the closet. “Hey,” he greeted me with enthusiasm once he saw that I was up. “I was hoping not to wake you.”
“Ugh, I came out to get some Ibuprofen,” I told him dazedly, with my arms clutched tight around my chest. “Are you heading off to work?”
He sighed and took a sip from the mug on the table, before standing up to get the bottle down for me. “Yeah, the crew has to meet at
six. Do you need me to pick anything up for you?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot,” I mumbled dumbly as he handed me the pills. “No, I’ll be okay. I just need some rest.”
Caleb nodded and quickly finished the rest of his coffee, putting the mug in the empty sink and rinsing it with some water. “Sorry, I have to leave. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I love you.”
I smiled at his confession and kissed him briefly on the lips before he grabbed his coat from off the chair and headed out the door. I tried to smile for him as it fell shut behind him, and stared down at the pills in my hand. “Alright, pharma gods,” I told them sarcastically. “Do you’re thing.”
I swallowed them with a swig of orange juice and blanched. With Caleb’s departure, I wandered back into the bedroom and lay back down to get more sleep. Soon, the medication started to work and my pain was gone.
~ * ~
I sighed, checking some log-ins on my computer after shooting an email to Nadia. My new job at the rec center wasn’t exactly intellectually stimulating, but thanks to a well-struck interview, I managed to get hired. The last few days I had to wear a bandage underneath the sleeve of my uniform to hide the gnarly scar. I was responsible for checking student IDs, renting clothes and assigning lockers to anyone that came in. Most of the time it was boring, but I needed the extra money to try and ease the burden on my father.
Glancing at the screen, I realized it was almost time to lock up, so I grabbed a spray bottle and washcloth from the supply closet to wipe down some of the mats. The building was completely vacant, except for a couple of stragglers and me. I couldn’t wait to clock out and go spend some time with Caleb. I sighed to myself and went to clean up the weight room when something pricked at the back of my subconscious.
“How remarkably common,” the masculine voice echoed from across the room. “Must you really bow to the whims of society and join the working class?”
My teeth gritted at the sound of it, and I whirled around to see Aidan standing unmistakably on the other side of the mat. His white-blond hair was in the same high fashion style I remembered; it went with his incredible good looks and dark brown eyes.
The Devil's Due (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 2) Page 6