by Megan Hepler
Felix, oh Felix. What have you done to me?
****
Demona sat in the car beside Balen, as was their normal routine. He drove towards their destination. They were doing some as any other day; checkups on different species to make sure they were following the laws.
Don’t think about Felix. “How did you get those scars?” Demona asked.
“I got this one,” Balen pointed to the series of scars across his forearm, “from our very own Lobo Blake.”
“Really?” Demona asked, “How?”
“Lobo had attacked a home outside of town, in an attempt to feed and turn a few more wolves. My partner, at the time, and I were sent to intervene. When we arrived we found Lobo had slaughtered the husband. He had turned the wife and two children. Before entering I sensed we would have trouble bringing Lobo in… It took both of us to bring him down, all while the mother and children watched from the corner of the room. In the process I received this as Lobo viciously fought to defend his new pack.
“What I had not sensed was how dangerous the mother would be. TGHC had no idea that Lobo had turned her previously. The two had arranged to kill her husband and turn the children. After my partner and I subdued Lobo we went back for the others. The mother viciously attacked us in an effort to keep us from separating her from the children. My partner suffered fatal wounds,” Balen said.
Don’t think about Felix. She glanced out the window watching the suburban houses, the perfectly cut lawns, and the minivan after minivan pass by.
“After bringing the mother down, I was easily able to get the children under control. By the time reinforcements arrived my partner was already gone,” Balen said. He cleared his throat and his brows creased.
“I’m really sorry,” Demona said. She placed her hand on his shoulder.
He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. Their eyes met, in one of those awkward moments.
“Salina Bergfalk was my partner for a short time afterwards, until Foss was hired. Then, Salina became his partner.”
After a few moments of silence Balen spoke. “This one,” He pointed to the large scar on his neck and shoulder, “is from a witch that thought it was a good idea to throw a poisonous potion at me.”
“Ouch! I hope she got what she deserved.” He was made for this job.
“Oh, she did.”
“You really are a dedicated agent. Maybe one day I will be just as good.”
****
A few days later Demona received a call from Felix.
“Hey, beautiful,” Felix said.
“Hey, how are things?” Demona asked. She sat on the balcony staring at the evening sunlight streaming through the clouds.
“Eh, Mom is getting stronger. That’s the good news.”
“Uh-oh, does that mean there is bad news?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It looks like I am going to be here for awhile.”
“Oh.” Demona rose to a sitting position. She fiddled with a loose string on her shirt.
“How are things with you?”
“You know, the same old stuff, boring job, and all that.”
“Yeah,” Felix said. “Hey, I have to go. The doctor just came in. I will talk to you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye,” Felix said.
The phone clicked and with that the conversation was over. Demona went to sit on her balcony and stared over the town. Clouds passed slowly over the crescent moon. A twinkling star peeked through the cloud cover as if winking at Demona.
I can’t expect him to ditch his parents for me. What kind of person would I be if I asked that of him? Oh, Felix. I don’t want to lose you!
Days passed and Demona spoke with Felix on several occasions. Their conversations never lasted more than a few moments. They were always cut short by the doctors or nurses that needed to speak with Felix, or when his mother called for him. Eventually, Felix’s mom went home, but both parents needed him full time with their failing health. Felix’s calls grew fewer and farther between.
Maybe, he is just too busy to spare me any thought.
Demona lay on her bed for long hours every night lost in thought. She often cried herself to sleep and other nights she suffered from insomnia. The loneliness gripped at her harder than it had ever before.
Demona had made a few attempts to call him. Usually she reached his voice mail or he was too busy to talk. Demona walked through the weeks in a fog. She could barely remember what happened in the days before.
Why can’t I shake this feeling? He’s gone. I need to move on.
Demona knocked on Hannah’s door. Hannah answered immediately and invited Demona inside. Hannah’s colorful room was a shock to Demona’s eyes; she had been spending every spare moment locked in her dark apartment.
“Hey chick, how are you?” Hannah asked.
Demona found Kaleb sitting at the kitchen island flipping through a surfer catalogue.
“Hey… Look, I hate to bother you guys, but can we talk?” Demona asked. She looked back and forth between them both.
“Sure,” Kaleb said.
Demona plopped herself down on a stool near Kaleb. “I don’t know what to do.”
“About what?” Hannah asked.
“Felix. Things were going great. We both admitted our feelings for each other before he left. We were talking on the phone now and then.” Demona looked at her hands placed in her lap. “Then he stopped answering my calls, or calling me back. I haven’t heard from him in like two weeks.”
“I know things were kind of crazy for him in the beginning. His mom is doing much better now. Last I talked to him he wasn’t sure if he was coming back,” Kaleb said.
“Did he say anything about me?” Demona asked. A lump rose in her throat.
“No,” Kaleb said. Kaleb stared in Hannah’s direction, their eyes locked. “So, I guess it is over,” Demona said.
Nobody responded. Hannah and Kaleb both were now watching her carefully. Demona could not fight the tears any longer and stormed out of the apartment.
Chapter 9
Realization
Demona waited in the office for Balen to show up. Bergfalk and Foss were still there when she arrived, but were both filling out reports from their shift. Demona had barely eaten her rations that morning and dazed as she watched Agrippa stapling forms together. Occasionally, he glanced in her direction, but neither made an attempt to converse.
“Hello,” Bergfalk said. “Hello.”
Demona had not even noticed that Bergfalk was standing beside her
“Hey!” Bergfalk said.
“Yeah,” Demona said.
“About time,” Bergfalk said.
“Sorry, it’s been a rough morning,” Demona replied.
“It looks more like a rough couple of weeks,” Bergfalk said. “I notice you do not speak to anyone while in the office. You should try to talk. Try and do something or people will think you are being rude.”
Demona stood there stunned. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“Whatever your issue is, you need to straighten it out, before you get yourself hurt in the field. Or worse, get Kerrick killed because of your inadequacies. Do not be selfish! There is a dangerous world around you.”
Demona noticed that Agrippa and Foss were watching the exchange carefully.
“If you put Kerrick’s life in jeopardy, you will have us to answer to,” Bergfalk said.
Demona left the hostile environment and waited in the parking lot. When Balen got there she climbed into the passenger seat. He stared at her for a moment, but ran into the building before returning to the car.
Demona sat in the car beside Balen. She had been so lost in thought that she had not bothered to watch where they were going. She had not even bothered to read the field report on their upcoming assignment.
Balen stopped the car outside a townhome on a street that looked to have once been a neighborhood consisting of multiple homes. The sidewalks ran up and down the
block. Through patches of weeds were old crumbled foundations, which indicated where homes once stood. A broken mail box post with the box still attached lay on the ground next to a foundation, it gave the neighborhood a haunting feel to what may have once been a neighborhood full of loving families.
“Grab a stake and protection charm,” Balen said.
Demona went to the back of the car searching for the needed items. She then took her place behind Balen. Demona slipped the charm around her neck.
“Ready?” Balen asked.
“Yeah,” Demona said.
They walked into the lonely townhouse, which stood awkwardly on the vacant street. Old wooden siding lay waterlogged around the outside. The windows had been blacked out with newspaper. The light streamed through the windows in patches around the dim room. Doors were shattered and hung off of their hinges. Demona stepped over junk and trash that was scattered about the floor. As if the neighborhood had not felt strange enough, the house felt unnatural.
Balen searched the first floor thoroughly. He turned every corner cautiously and opened every door he could find to make sure nothing was hiding behind them.
“First floor is clear,” Balen said. He came back to where she stood and he sifted through some items scattered across the floor.
“Okay,” Demona said. She began to climb the stairs, reaching almost three quarters of the way up. She put her weight on a creaky step. The creak ricocheted off the walls, and Balen’s head jerked up in her direction.
“Demona, get down!” Balen yelled.
Something flew at Demona and knocked her backwards. She fell, in what seemed like slow motion, as several more objects flew down the stairs and out of the door in a blur. Demona’s vampire reflexes aided her in grabbing the railing before her body tumbled backwards down the full flight of stairs. She caught herself, but not before she managed to slide a few steps and skidded to a halt. She was certain she had sprained her right ankle after a loud pop sounded, when it caught and twisted in between the railing spindles.
Balen rushed up the stairs towards her. He placed his arms around her waist and turned her around and seated her on a step. He examined her leg gently as he moved it from side to side, checking for any broken bones.
“It isn’t broken. You’re lucky. Otherwise you would have had one long, painful night of healing. What were you thinking?” Balen asked.
“What do you mean?” Demona grimaced when she bumped her ankle.
“What were you thinking going up the stairs? I didn’t check the second floor yet. Why didn’t you wait?”
“I…I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing.” Bergfalk was right, I put Balen in danger.
Balen stared at Demona intently as if looking for something. He pulled Demona to her feet and slowly helped her hop the rest of the way down the stairs. With each hop she clenched her teeth. Then, he helped her into the car and took his place in the driver’s seat; his hands gripped the wheel tightly.
“I am taking you home. I will pick up your rations and drop them off on my way home,” Balen said.
Demona hobbled over to her sofa and propped her foot up on the coffee table. As long as she stayed off her feet, she would be back to normal by the next morning.
“Rest while I am gone,” Balen said. He turned and walked out the door before she could get anything else out of him.
She must have nodded off, because she woke to a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Demona asked.
“Balen.”
“Come in.” Demona readjusted herself on the sofa.
Balen entered carrying her rations. He handed it to her and sat in the chair across from her. She sat the cup on the table before her.
“You need to eat,” Balen said.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you are not,” Balen said. “You need to eat. You have been looking tuckered out for days.”
“So, wha—”
“If you don’t eat the hunger will consume you. You live in a building full of humans. If you stop eating you know what will happen. The blood rage will take over and one day you will wake to find yourself surrounded by bodies. You do not want that on your conscience.” Balen got up and began to pace the room.
Demona grabbed the rations and proceeded to slurp the thick red substance through a straw. She glanced at Balen over the cup.
He watched to make sure she finished her rations. When she did, he sat once more and stared at her expectantly.
“What?” Demona asked.
“What’s bothering you?” Balen asked.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. You were lucky you did not meet telos today. If those demons had not been in such a rush to leave you; you would have died. There were at least three of them hiding in that house. There is no way, that even with my help, you could have survived an attack by three demons at once. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you withdrawing the past few months. Something is on your mind and it’s preventing you from thinking clearly. You know better than to go ahead without me checking things out first.”
Does Mr. Cold Hearted actually care? Sure he seemed to have a concern for her as his partner. He always made sure after a confrontation that she had not been injured. This seemed deeper. Balen seemed like he was genuinely concerned about her.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Demona said. She sat back, crossed her arms, and looked away from him.
Balen got up and came to sit next to her. “Look,” he said. “You will talk about it, or I will be forced to file a form about this incident. Your incompetence will be noted, is this what you want?”
Demona snapped her head in his direction and glared at him. “You wouldn’t!”
She did not need any more trouble at TGHC. If Darius assigned Demona as a field agent for punishment, because of her actions in the office, she could only imagine what would be in store for her if she failed as an agent. Demona speculated that he would probably stick her in the dungeon and throw away the key.
“Why don’t you understand that you almost got yourself killed? If you don’t talk we can’t solve it. If we can’t solve it, then you could end up in another situation similar to today’s. I don’t I want another dead partner.” Balen waited for her response.
Demona was still reluctant to discuss guy problems with her coworker, but Balen gave her no other choice. She waited awhile longer and tried to find a way to explain to him how she had lost what she felt was the love of her life. However she seemed to word it in her head, it always came out sounding ridiculous. Demona decided there was no way, but to just tell him what was going on.
Demona still sat there with her arms crossed. “There was a guy—”
“A guy!” Balen said.
“Yes, a guy! You asked me to tell you what’s wrong!” Demona bit her tongue, when she saw his stern deep brown eyes. After a few moments she managed to change her tone.
“His name is Felix. We saw each other a few times, things were going really well. I thought… I thought I might be falling in love with him,” Demona said.
Balen stood and paced the room. “The guy from the warehouse? He’s human. You never should have allowed that to happen!”
“I know. I knew it was trouble to begin with. I should’ve never agreed to see him again. He has no idea what I am,” Demona said.
“What happened?” Balen asked.
“Things were going really well and then he had to leave. I don’t know when… if he’s ever coming back.” The tears welled up Demona’s eyes. She had attempted to conceal them, but a tear spilled down her cheek. “He stopped calling and I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Stick with your own kind, Demona! Our job is to prevent exposure and here you are putting yourself into a situation that could end up very badly. Not only is it risky for you, but for all of us,” Balen said. “I don’t have the words to make it better. But I do have an idea to take your mind off of him. I have never been good wit
h relationships, but one thing has always helped me in situations such as this. I will pick you up in the morning and we will see how things go.”
“How what goes?” Demona tried to slow her sobs.
“It is long overdue. Tomorrow we are going to begin your training. It is time you learned to defend yourself and control your mageia. Rest, because tomorrow is going to be a long day. I will meet you at TGHC in the morning. We are going to make a trip to Terra Hollow and gather supplies.”
“Ugh! I’m never going to be as good as you. There’s no point in training!”
“How do you know until you try?”
“I just do.”
“You are not getting out of it that easily. You are my partner and its time you start acting like one.”
“I thought I already did. I saved you twice!”
“No, you act like a tag along. The only reason you saved me was by luck. Frankly, I am tired of watching your back all of the time. It’s time you start contributing to our assignments. I’m sorry if it seems harsh, but hopefully your training will take your mind off of this problem and return your focus to work. I’m not a babysitter!” Balen stood and showed himself out of the apartment.
Demona rested her head on the back of the sofa with a sigh. He is right. Even if she managed to save Balen’s life every time they found themselves in a sticky situation she could not hide in her apartment for the rest of her life. She needed to back up Balen more than she currently was and she needed to learn to defend herself.
Tomorrow would be a long day, so she stayed on the sofa and propped her foot up for a while. She would need all of the strength she could get for the following day and for her injury to be completely healed. After, Demona hopped to her bed. She laid down and found a comfortable position to lie in. I will be a better partner.
Chapter 10
Training
In Terra Hollow, Demona and Balen took the exit to the right of Club Chamber and into a monstrous cavern. Along the sides of the cave were several exposed floor levels. It’s like the stepped pyramids.