***
Sophie snapped back to reality on a gasp. She sucked in a lungful of air and choked on a sob.
Tristan gathered her close to him, letting his heat and strength permeate through her shaking. “Shh. It’s okay. You’re back with me now. It’s okay.” He rubbed soothing circles on her back. Sophie squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on the sound of his heartbeat. Her equilibrium slowly returned. “It was her, Tristan. She did this. To warn us to stay away from her. She tortured him, and he was alone. It’s all my fault.”
“No.” Tristan tilted her chin up so he looked into her teary eyes. “It is not your fault. Akeldama is a demon, one born from the worst betrayal. She killed your brother.”
“I should have stopped it!” Sophie whispered, narrowing her eyes. “I am supposed to be a Guardian. To save people. Look at how badly I failed! I couldn’t even save my own brother!”
“She did this, Soph.” Tristan pulled her closer. “I know nothing I say or do will ever help dim the pain you’re going through, but we’ll get her back for it. I promise. But for now, let’s get you out of here. I know this place is hard on you.”
Sophie couldn’t take her gaze off her brother’s body. The steel table kept shifting to the stone slab and then back again. She allowed Tristan to steer her out of the morgue and then toward Calhoun’s truck.
On the way back to her parent’s house, the trio stayed silent. That was good for Sophie, since she wanted to concentrate on what she’d seen. Obviously Akeldama saw them as a threat or she wouldn’t have used Todd as a warning. Or she was as evil-hearted as they all assumed and would’ve done it either way. Just to satisfy her malignant cravings.
Darkness shrouded the porch as they pulled up. No one had thought to turn on the light in their hurry to leave.
“You don’t have to walk us to the door,” Sophie told Calhoun when he went to open his door. “We’re fine.” She hopped out and headed inside, trying to run from the pain that was engulfing her.
It was faster than she was.
When she walked into the front door of the house, it was like she ran into a wall of suffering. The house’s atmosphere had completely shriveled in the time that she’d been gone. Like the shadows had finally managed to creep inside and take root in the good memories she had there.
Tristan saw the grief on her face and grabbed her hand. He led her through the still and silent house and up the staircase to her room. Sophie immediately collapsed on her bed. Her eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling.
Tristan stopped inside the doorway and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Do you want to be alone?”
It took a few moments before she answered. “No.”
He was by her in an instant. The bed dipped down beside her.
The pain ebbed and flowed through her body like the tides. It would dim and then return more forceful than before, hammering away at what strength she had left.
Tristan leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers.
She lifted her face to his neck and nuzzled there, touching her lips to his skin. She tasted the saltiness of his sweat.
His breath hitched.
The pain dimmed a little more as their souls wove together, creating a barrier.
His arms tightened around her and he kissed her. Hard.
Her heart skipped a beat and then resumed, fast and furious. She tunneled her fingers through his hair, anchoring him close.
Warmth and desire engulfed them, pushing the pain and visions of torture out.
He growled, low in his chest, and a thrill ran through her. She pressed closer.
He groaned, tearing his lips from hers, and pushed her back softly.
Sophie tried to catch her breath and watched him with a feeling of dread.
He sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his mussed hair. His eyes had changed to predatory green. They slowly changed back to their ashen color, and his chest rose and fell in heavy breaths as he tried to regain his self-control. “Jesus, Sophie.”
She shrunk back against the headboard, heat rising to her face. She raised a shaking hand to her lips. Words danced behind them, but she couldn’t force them out.
“What the hell were you thinking?” He shot up from the bed. His lips turned down while he paced. “I could feel your emotions when we kissed. I am not a distraction. You can’t decide to use me to feel better, to block out the pain. Not that way.”
Shame and guilt grew roots in her heart. What was she thinking? She hadn’t intended to use Tristan that way. It was just that when he touched her, all the pain and anger melted away, and she focused on the feel of him. “I’m so sorry.” She looked at him and felt more shame as tears welled in her eyes.
Tristan stalked toward the door. “Yeah, me too.”
Sophie trembled and watched him walk away. The soft click of the door sounded like cannon fire, and she closed her eyes against it.
This time she couldn’t hold back the tears. They rolled down her cheeks and splashed onto her sheets. Sobs heaved up through her chest so hard pain stabbed in her ribs.
Todd was gone. Nothing was going to change that. She knew mourning her heart out wasn’t going to bring him back. That didn’t change the fact that the pain shot through a massive black hole in her soul.
Her tears soaked the pillowcase, but she didn’t feel the wetness as she curled up to it. She only felt the pain.
Chapter Twenty
THREE WEEKS LATER, the pain was as strong as it had been when her world first collapsed. So was her desire for revenge. Even as she burned for Akeldama’s death, she couldn’t find the will to get on with her life. The Demoness was making it hard for Sophie to get her vengeance, having made no attacks on them since Todd. It was as if she was luring them into a false sense of safety.
She trained twenty hours a day. The physical exertion kept her mind off her brother’s last few hours and distracted her from thinking too much about Tristan.
When the others trained with her, after their classes, he was always there. He wore an impenetrable wall of hurt and anger ever since that night and hardly acknowledged her. She missed him. She wasn’t sure how much longer their silent argument was going to continue, she just hoped it wasn’t forever.
Sophie descended the steps to the symbol room and thought about how worried the others were. No matter how hard they tried to convince her, she wasn’t going back to class. Sitting in the classrooms made her feel passive. Being passive made her feel the pain and guilt. At least this way, she was closer to shattering Akeldama’s demon butt into oblivion.
She passed through the symbol room and into the training area.
Her breath caught, and she stopped short.
Tristan ran on a treadmill, shirtless, while a news program played on the giant flat screen T.V.
Desire sparked underneath her pain. Tristan’s essence reached out to rest inside her. She wasn’t sure if he meant for the spark to happen, or if it automatically had, so she stepped onto the treadmill next to his and upped the speed to match his stride.
He glanced sideways at her. Her heart skipped a beat. He turned his attention back to the news. The local station broadcasted record lows in the temperature.
They hadn’t talked about what happened that night. About how she’d used him to distract herself from the anguish. “Tristan.” Sophie cut the treadmill off.
He stopped his, too, and moved like a predator toward the wrestling mats.
She swallowed and followed him, keeping her eyes on the back of his head. Frustration rolled off him in waves. After not getting anything but cold silence from him, it burst like fireworks on her skin.
She had enough sense to know she was in trouble.
He stopped at the end of the blue mat. His eyes brightened to yellow-green when he watched her take her place at the other end.
There was no one to call time or referee this match. Jackson and Lilli were in biology class, and Morgan and Aidan were visiting his mom in the hospital. Ruth wa
s teaching, Father Kent off doing research. Sophie had no idea where Demetri was. No one was there to stop this if they let it go too far.
Would they let it go too far?
Her heart galloped in her chest. Half of her wanted this fight. She had her own feelings of frustration, guilt, and grief to work out. The other half of her wanted to run and hide at the intense look in his eyes.
Movement caught her gaze. He stalked forward, his smooth motions cat-like.
She stood, frozen. His eyes paralyzed her with their predatory gleam. If this were a war, she’d lost weeks ago.
He stopped right in front of her. Tempted her with his closeness. He placed his hands on either side of her neck.
Warmth immediately permeated her body, and her lips parted. Blood thundered in her ears.
Then, his lips touched hers. It wasn’t a sweet, I-missed-you kiss. He pressed his body into hers, invading her senses, and poured all his pent-up frustration into it.
A tear slipped down her cheek even as she kissed him back. His hurt flowed into her.
She’d made him feel used.
Before she had time to process this, he pulled back. Accusation shone in his eyes. A low growl rumbled in his throat. The animal in him prowled right underneath the surface.
It was time for the final battle. They’d either make up or hate each other forever.
“I’m tired of feeling this angry with you. It’s distracting, and it’s going to end up getting us killed. Let’s fight this out.”
“Fine with me,” Sophie agreed.
He kicked out a leg and knocked her off her feet.
She landed on her back. She wheezed oxygen in and rolled over to her hands and knees.
Tristan watched silently as she got to her feet.
She barely balanced before he attacked again. She blocked the blow to her ribs and counter-attacked with one of her own to his solar plexus.
They watched each other warily and circled the mat.
Sophie’s nerves stretched taut, but her muscles relaxed. They were finally working this out.
He kicked toward her face; she blocked it.
She aimed for his knees; he twisted out of the way.
Kick, block, aim, block, twist, counter-attack. She wasn’t sure how long their dance went on, but she felt the burn in her muscles.
When the sting of the hits were a little too much, they circled each other again. Both panted, lungs on fire.
Sophie’s anger and guilt burned through her. This had to end before they accidentally killed each other.
She dove headfirst; he hit the mat with her on top of him.
Tristan recovered fast and rolled them over. His knees landed on either side of her hips, pinning her down.
She went at him with both her fists. He trapped them above her head.
She tried to catch her breath.
Accusation shone in his eyes as he stared into her face.
Every thought she’d had evaporated. Tension radiated from him. He was furious.
“How could you do this? Treat me like some one-night stand?” His pain sharpened inside her. Her breath caught. “You know how Cecilia made me feel. Used. Worthless.”
“I—”
“No. I’m not finished,” he hissed. His lips thinned into a hard line.
She snapped her mouth shut. Hot tears threatened to fall, but she refused to show any weakness.
“I thought no one could hurt me worse than she did. But you proved me wrong.” His bitter tone struck her. “Being connected to you made the pain a thousand times worse.”
His anguish pressed into her mind and mixed with her own, sparking her anger. “My brother had just been tortured and murdered by a demon, Tristan!” Her voice rose. “And I saw it happen when I touched his cold body. Yes, I acted like an idiot. But I was lost. I wanted the pain to go away. I wanted to forget.” Her voice broke, and she let him feel her own pain. “Then you left me.”
The anger drained from his eyes, leaving his body.
“Sophie.” A world of remorse whispered to her.
She knew she’d hurt him. That hurt her, too. She bit her lip and leaned up slowly. Her lips caught his in the sweet kiss they’d missed earlier.
His eyes fluttered closed. Sophie pulled back and rested her head on the mat as his eyes changed back to the ashy color she loved. The grip on her hands loosened.
“I’m sorry, Tristan,” she whispered. She let the regret show in her eyes and in her heart.
Emotions rippled across his face. He sighed and rolled off to lie next to her.
The silence stretched on. She broke it again. “I know that an apology probably doesn’t mean anything. What I did was wrong, and I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.”
She turned on her side. Faint bruises formed on his arm and one appeared on his face. When had they become these people? Ones who held in emotions until they became volatile and then beat them out of each other? She gently touched a bruise on his jaw.
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. He intertwined their fingers. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you when you needed me the most.”
Tears clogged her throat. She swallowed against them. “It was my fault.”
They both knew she wasn’t just talking about what she’d done to him.
He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. What happened to your brother wasn’t your fault.
His essence fully enveloped her when he spoke into her mind. The tears fell hard now that Tristan was with her. He was joined with her again, and she could hide nothing. He stroked her hair, murmured comfort, and held her until the violent sobs quieted to sniffles.
***
A few hours later, Sophie, Lilli, and Jackson were studying some research Father Kent had dug up when Aidan and Morgan walked into the training room.
Aidan’s fire glowed just beneath his skin, and his lips were pulled back in a sneer. While both of them radiated unease, Aidan’s emotions boiled inside him.
Sophie exchanged looks with Jackson and Lilli. She thought twice about asking what happened when Aidan went straight into throwing massive fireballs at the demon effigy.
Demetri watched silently while Aidan brushed a flaming hand over his brow.
Ruth came to stand by the girls. “What’s wrong with him?”
Morgan licked her lips. “His mom took a turn for the worse. He shouldn’t be training right now. I tried to talk him out of it.…”
Sophie placed a hand on her arm. Morgan might not realize how deep her feelings for Aidan went, but Sophie knew.
“It’s probably best for him to get it out of his system,” Jackson said. “He can’t keep it buried inside. He’d probably explode.”
Father Kent and Tristan walked in from the weight room. They stared at Aidan as they stood with Demetri.
Aidan kept going, giving all he had into the fire. Sophie began to sweat from the heat pouring off him.
A table burst into flames near Demetri, and the girls jumped.
“Enough, Aidan.” Morgan stalked up to him.
Aidan snuffed the flames immediately.
She gripped his chin and pulled his face close. “You will stop this nonsense, do you hear me? I hate that your mother is sick, but you will not destroy this church.”
His eyes were full of anguish, but he managed a small grin for her. “Yes, princess.”
“Good.” She let go of his chin.
The pain in Sophie’s head sharpened as Aidan’s unease settled into something else. She suddenly had the urge to run. “Something’s wrong!”
Tristan crossed to her and placed a hand at the back of her neck. “What is it?”
The pain increased, and she cried out. “Not me. Someone’s coming!” Dark shapes twisted in her mind. Intense pressure told her they were close.
Heat rushed and pushed her through the air. Pain blossomed when she landed against Tristan, who’d blocked her impact into a concrete wall. As she and Tristan s
lid to the floor, she thought Aidan’s emotions had actually exploded. Through the fuzziness of her mind, everyone’s pain and confusion battered her.
The darkness slithered through her mind, and she became sure Aidan didn’t do this.
Smoke and heat blanketed the room. Sophie blinked against the sting in her eyes. Morgan, Aidan, and Lilli helped each other stand. Black soot covered all three over myriad scratches.
“Jackson!” Lilli’s voice pierced through the ringing in their ears. She scrambled over chunks of wood and concrete while she searched.
Tristan pulled Sophie up. His eyes changed. She sensed the animal close to the surface.
“Jackson.” Lilli’s relief brought tears to Sophie’s eyes.
Jackson levitated a few pieces of wood off himself and then gathered Lilli into his arms.
Through the smoke, Sophie saw Demetri and Ruth pounce to their feet.
“Look out!” Morgan shouted as a shadow of smoke slunk toward Father Kent. “We need to get out of here!” Ruth ran to the gun racks. She unlocked the case and threw a gun to Demetri and then Kent.
A tremor rocked the room, and Kent stumbled.
Jackson cursed as a smoke shadow came up from behind and flung him to the floor.
Lilli screamed and tried to grab at it. Her eyes widened as her hands passed through it, and she staggered back a few steps.
Another tremor shook and knocked Sophie to the floor. She sat up, pain radiating through her ribs. Her mind filled with whispering thoughts, none of them kind. Her head pounded with each heartbeat.
A shadow solidified behind Father Kent. He was reaching for the gun he’d dropped from the first tremor and didn’t see it. Without thinking she leaped up and darted toward him.
Her lungs ached. She leaned down, braced for impact. Her shoulder connected with the shadow as it started to solidify.
They hit the floor so hard her jaw snapped together.
All she could smell was sulfur and smoke. The dark and undead eyes focused on her. As it solidified the rest of its body, Sophie gasped. Its pale skin was blue with death, and black veins ran across the body.
“Jesus!” Aidan rushed the one that solidified by Jackson. He balled his fists and shot them out. The shadow laughed, the whisper of it echoing in their minds.
Awakening Page 15