AngelRose

by Ash Night

  “Eli, you idiot! Why did you do that? You almost died! Technically, you died three times! Why did you have to go alone?” She looked like she hadn’t slept in months, her face a mix of relief and anger.

  “Whoa, whoa, hey Zoey, it’s okay.” I nearly fell out of bed trying to hug her. The nurse walked out of the room, saying something about getting a prescription filled.

  “Are you okay?” Zoey asked, hugging me as tightly as she dared.

  I grinned. “Of course,”

  “That’s good. I was so worried. When I found you…you looked so…lifeless…” A fresh wave of tears threatened to overtake her. I kissed her.

  “I can’t remember anything, Zoey. Was I…"

  "I think so, Eli. I saw the monster fading just as I got to you. You were out cold and there was this...this...jellied gloop spattered all around you. Was that stuff the Shadows are made of?"

  I nodded. "The monster...." I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head and bit back a scream. Blacking out, a flashback rushed to the front of my mind. I was looking at the memory as if I were a bystander. I saw me change into the monster like it was as easy as sliding a knife out of a sheath. A surge of power hit me like a brick wall. Then that was it. The Shadow had exploded.

  "Eli! Eli! Are you okay?" Zoey was shaking me. I was lying down, my head throbbing on the pillow.

  "I'm okay, Zoe. Just blacked out a sec," I tried to smile. "Can we go home now?"

  The same nurse came in with some papers and sat down. “I thought you might need this. I advise against it, but since it was confirmed you are eighteen, you can discharge yourself. Keeping you overnight would be best, but-“

  “I want out!” I replied, signing my name on the paper and jumping out of bed, wondering why I was wearing a cloth gown. “Clothes?” The nurse smiled and gave me my bundle of clothes. I rifled though them. “Where’s my pentagram necklace?”

  “Here, Eli. I kept it safe for you.” Zoey pulled my necklace from her pocket and placed it into my hand. The metal tingled with life.

  I kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Zoe. Now can I leave?”

  “Bathroom is right over there. Leave the gown on the bed.” The nurse grinned and left.

  I got dressed as quick as I could. “Eli, maybe you should stay. You were awfully sick.” Zoey pleaded helplessly from the other side of the bathroom door.

  I opened the door to hug her, resting my chin on her hair. “I am fine. I feel great and I can’t wait to be in AngelRose with you.”

  Zoey kissed me. “I can’t wait either.”

  I picked her up and carried her all the way home despite her protests.

  “I see you’re feeling better.” Mrs. Lockhart chuckled as I walked through the door with Zoey in my arms. “We were so worried about you. I still have no idea why you just collapsed.”

  Zoey gave me a confused look. I smiled slyly, setting her down. “I’m sorry to have worried you, Mrs. Lockhart.”

  “As long as you don’t make us worry about our daughter.” Mr. Lockhart clapped his hand on my shoulder. “Welcome to the family, son.”

  My chest filled with so much pride it hurt.

  Chapter 41

  I had been in AngelRose a week and I’d never loved it more. Eli had taken care of all the stronger demons. The ones that were left didn’t bother us. They were afraid of Eli. After all, he was king.

  Every day, instead of it being rainy, the sun shone brightly. We had picnics (ones where we actually ate the food), swam in the river, wandered through the woods, and just sat enjoying each other’s company.

  Eli and I made a deal that he and I would return every six months to spend time with my family with the exception of me coming back after spring break. This would ensure we were giving my world time to repair from the rip that had happened because we had been traveling back and forth too often. After I graduated, I would return and pretend to be in England attending college. Eli could manifest documents to show my parents. It was perfect.

  “Eli, what are you working on in there? Can I see?” I knocked on the door to his stage room.

  In a deep voice, he responded, “Who dares comes tapping, tapping at my chamber door?”

  “Tis I, your darling Lenore!” I replied, coming inside.

  “Nevermore,” he murmered against my lips as he kissed me sweetly.

  “How’s my Edgar Allan Poe?” I asked, sitting down on the stage to watch him work.

  He grinned. “A new play,”

  I smiled. “Figures,” He tried not to grin as my fingers danced across his skin. “Do you think Virginia distracted Poe?”

  “Most likely, he said. “She was the love of his life, after all.”

  “I hope so.”

  His lips captured mine in a deep kiss. “I know she was. He never recovered after her death. He went mad.”

  “Will you go mad if I were to die?” I asked pensively. I bit my lip, awaiting the answer. Eli didn’t reply for several minutes.

  “You will never die, Zoey. I promise.”

  “Everyone dies, Eli. And I really want to know. Will you be okay if I do?”

  No, Zoey. Like Poe, I’d go completely mad.

  “Zoey, watch this!” Eli dove from the highest slippery rock I’d ever seen. My heart dropped like a stone as I heard a hard slap as his body hit the water. He came up grinning. “How was that?”

  “Two point five and that’s for giving me a heart attack!” I laughed. The awkwardness from our earlier conversation had melted away and we were happy once again.

  Eli swam over to me and pulled himself on shore. He stood before me, dripping wet in swim trunks. My eyes were glued to his washboard stomach. He laughed. “My eyes are up here.”

  “Oh, believe me, I’d get just as lost in them.” I said to his stomach. Suddenly Eli picked me up and jumped in.

  For some reason, it gave me less of a heart attack to have this happen than to watch Eli jump off the cliff. My stomach dropped, but I knew he wouldn’t let me drown. He kissed me underwater and hugged me tight, bringing me safe and sound to the surface. I clung to him.

  “How about that?” I felt his muscles working smoothly like a well-oiled machine to keep us afloat. The effort didn’t faze him in the slightest.

  “Eleven point nine.” I replied, kissing him. He jumped on shore with me in his arms and then we just instantly appeared at my bedroom door.

  Setting me down gently, he grinned. “Dinner will be done in five minutes.”

  “Getting slow, are we?” I chuckled. I kissed him once more and entered my bedroom. While still making vulgar comments to tease me, Eli was still a perfect gentleman. He never entered my room without knocking. He never pressured me into anything. We cuddled and that was it. I’m sure all I had to do was say the word and we could do more, but he was patiently waiting for me to make the first move.

  I looked on the bed. Five outfits were folded neatly on it. Three of them were lingerie. Eli imagined something new and even more scandalous every day and always pretended to be sad whenever I didn’t pick one of them. One day I might just have to wear one of them just to see what he’d do.

  “No sexy outfit?” He asked when I came down to eat. He was setting the table, something he always did by hand. It was habit. He told me his father used to beat him if he didn’t set the table. Maybe he thought I would, as weird as that thought was.

  “Too much clothing,” I replied as I slid into my already pulled out chair. Eli pushed me in before finishing setting the table.

  He smiled. “'Bon appétit,” The food magically appeared with that word. It was an all you could eat buffet. Mouthwatering smells assaulted my nose. Juicy turkey sat in its own juices on one plate. On another a rack of ribs. Melt-in-your-mouth steak sat on yet another. And even foods I’d never heard of were on the table. Eli navigated through the different foods with ease. I didn’t even know where to start.

  Sky nibbled from a plate on the floor. She purred her delight while she chewed. Eli helped me choose foods he kne
w I would like. By the end of the meal, I thought I’d be in a food coma forever. “That food was delicious! I doubt I could count how many miles I’ll have to run to burn this off.”

  He laughed. “That’s one of the best parts of AngelRose. You could eat and eat and eat and you won’t gain a pound.”

  “Really?” I replied. He nodded and carried me to the couch where we cuddled in front of the fireplace. The question that had been on my lips all week finally slipped out. “Is the monster inside you really gone?” I cursed myself as soon as those words fell out of my mouth.

  The change in his face was startling. His eyes turned from liquid to ice cold steel. He looked scared out of his mind. “Don’t you trust me?” The hurt in his voice was raw.

  “I do, Eli, I do. I just want to make sure-“ That I’m safe? That he won’t flip out on me anymore? That he’s sane? “That you won’t be scared to be with me. I love you and I want you to be as happy as I am.”

  His eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights. “I am happy! I only want what’s best for you. Are you not happy here?”

  I reached out to hug him but he flinched away from my touch as if I was a poisonous spider. “I am happy, Eli. I love you.”

  “They all say that. They always do. You, Elena, Mother. You’re all the same! Why?” He sounded incredibly hurt, close to crying. He was the small boy on the beach again. “You always leave. You’ve stayed the longest…but in the end, you will. No one ever stays.” His voice was barely above a whisper and tears shone in his eyes.

  “Your mother, Elena, they were different. I’m different. I won’t leave, I promise.” I said, praying for that sad look in his eyes to go away.

  “That’s just another lie! Stop lying! Just leave already! You will, so what difference will it make if you leave now or later?” His voice rose to a level that shook the panes of the stained glass windows. The monster was leaking through, poisoning the boy I loved once again, stealing him from me and taking his soul into the deepest depths of Hell.

  So, I ran.

  Zoey, Zoey, Zoey, come to us. We need you to free us please! Eli has had us trapped for many years. Go to the forest. We will lead you to us. Please help.

  I awoke from my sudden daydream with a start. The voice, like a chiming of bells, echoed in my ears. It sounded like the tinkling of the ice sprites that had almost frozen me to death, but much friendlier. That was a good sign, I guess.

  I took a deep, calming breath, but the voices kept repeating themselves. With each step, they grew louder, more urgent. I wandered through the forest for a good two hours, following their direction. They were hidden very well, I noted, as the path twisted and weaved, generally becoming more dangerous with every step. I nearly twisted my ankle tripping over enormous snake-like roots from the ancient trees and had my hair snagged on a low branch more than once during the long trek.

  The voices stopped once I had gotten to a tree that was forked down the middle, the gap getting smaller toward the base of the tree. Hanging from the left split branch was a small old-fashioned gold lantern. Inside shone with what looked like a few dozen little fireflies. They flitted around, trapped within the glass prison.

  We’re fairies. The voices said. They actually sounded annoyed. I frowned. So much for being grateful.

  “Why did Eli trap you in here?” I asked.

  The monster did. Eli wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t for the monster within him. He’s normally very nice. He respects us. The fairies said in a sad tone.

  “He is nice. The monster just makes him do a Jekyll and Hyde sort of thing. I’m sure he’d be sorry if he knew what he’d done.” I replied, trying to soothe their hurt feelings and trying to convince myself he hadn’t meant those nasty words he’d shouted at me. He wanted me here. I had to believe that. We’d fought too hard for him send me away again.

  And you are not afraid he’ll ever hurt you? They tinkled softly, although that didn’t make the question any less painful.

  My gut twisted as I thought of that night in my bedroom. The monster had been so close to ending my life… “No, he won’t.” I replied, my voice quavering slightly, a betrayal to Eli. Suddenly the seed of doubt was planted, sprouting fast. Eli wouldn’t hurt me. I tried to believe that. It shocked me that I was seriously having doubts. Eli had been nothing but kind to me, save for that night and what had happened a few hours ago.

  You deserve better. Someone who won't hurt you. You need someone that you don't have to walk on eggshells every time they enter a room. Eli is growing stronger, more unstable. The monster within him is becoming more hungry. It wants out more than ever. We can feel it. With every word the fairies said, the more I felt like rushing to find Eli and have him discourage their lies. After all, he was okay. He was in control.

  Wasn't he?

  That thought tore my heart in two. A tear slid down my cheek and I let it fall to the ground. Dropping to my knees, I realized just how big of an undertaking this was. Was staying in AngelRose really the right thing to do? Hugging myself against the chill of the autumn night, angry tears fell. Why couldn't I stop asking that question? Why couldn't anything in this godforsaken place ever be simple? I loved Eli. I loved him more than I'd ever loved anyone, enough to leave my family and friends, so why was the thought of staying with him so hard to understand?

  AngelRose was like a deadly addiction. At first, you romanticize it, it's fun, but then it spirals, showing its true colors. You recognize it for the Hell it really is, but by that time, you're in so deep, you can't leave. I couldn't leave Eli. He couldn't leave. We were both trapped by love.

  We can help, Zoey. Free us please and we can help him banish the monster once and for all. Please. We've been stuck in here so long. We'll be forever grateful. The fairies continued to chime excitedly.

  My hand hovered over the simple metal latch. What if they were lying? What if they weren't? They wanted to be let out and they deserved to be free, didn't they? Eli wouldn't want them locked up. Besides, if they were telling the truth this horrible feeling would go away. The monster would be gone and I'd finally be able to fully trust Eli. That was enough reason for me.

  Flipping it up, the fairies rushed out, whizzing past me in a sea of sparkling fairy dust. They were like mini Blue Angels, dipping and looping through the midnight sky in a sort of magical dance. The chiming grew in excitement. I watched mesmerized. Behind me a loud yowling noise started.

  I turned and saw Sky puffed up like a furry black balloon. Spitting furiously, her angry blue eyes seemed to glow in the night like two burning hot coals. I'd never been afraid of a cat until now.

  "Sky, it's okay. They said they'd help Eli." I kept my voice gentle, but it did nothing to calm her down.

  "Yeah, about that." A rough voice grumbled. The hair on my arms stood up at the sound. I whirled toward the voice and a hulking Shadow loomed over me. The fairies were gone. A black form shot past me. Sky hissed at the Shadow, standing her ground between it and me.

  The Shadow laughed. "You were so easy to trick, girl. You have just cost Elijah his life. He'll come rescue you and die in the process."

  I fell to my knees. "No, please don't hurt him! Please."

  "Give me one good reason why I should let him live. He locked me in a damn box for a week!" The Shadow bubbled almost as if its anger was causing it to literally boil.

  "Why did you trick me?" I shouted. "Why not just compel me to get you out?"

  The Shadow's laughter seemed to reverberate in my chest. "I cannot do that, little girl. I am not a demon. Well, technically, I am, but not in the sense that Elijah is."

  "Eli is not! He has a demon inside him, but that isn't him! He's separate from it!" I felt like my world was spinning out of control. Eli was not a monster. He was sweet. He would never hurt me. He wouldn't.

  "You are wrong. Elijah can never be human. He acts like it so he can pretend to relate to you. The fact is he does not. He never will. He pretends to be human, but that's just a facade. He's a dem
on through and through. Denying he is anything but is the ultimate stupidity.”

  "No! He’s sweet! He is more human than most people!" I yelled, tears running down my face.

  The bubbling of the Shadow increased. Sky took this moment to attack. Her claws sprang out. The Shadow shot out some of its gloopy skin and slammed Sky into a tree. The tiny black cat lay unmoving, her eyes closed.

  "Sky!" I cried out. My stomach dropped. The Shadow lurched forward. A scream bubbled on my lips, but I couldn't find my voice.

  I was frozen.

  Chapter 42

  The worse my dreams were, the more I feared I was losing my sanity. I assumed that Zoey was safely asleep, but I couldn’t help but worry about what could happen while she slept. The demons in my dreams could hurt her. I couldn’t lose her. She was all I had.

  I was once again worried my father was right. I’d killed half my family and that happened for no reason. The chances of me hurting Zoey were slim, I hoped, but the violent nightmares had me worried those might be a precursor. It was a bad sign.

  Demons, screaming in rage, blood-thirsty as Hell itself, haunted my dreams, seeking a way to escape. They clawed at my flesh with the burning fingers of the undead. My dreams were filled with torture and pain. At my worst, I would go days without sleep, stretching the limits of my sanity even thinner. Zoey deserved better. She deserved so much more than an insane Eli. She deserved me at my best.

  And she could never have that. AngelRose had poisoned my mind beyond repair. This dark, romantic place was as deadly as a black poison. Nothing could change me. I was a withering red rose in a garden full of black roses. My mind was spiraling into the darkness of my soul. I wasn’t good for Zoey. She deserved better. She’d always deserve better.

  I was a broken doll, a toy unfit to be loved. I was a puppet with broken strings, unable to become a real boy. I was a demon cast from Hell for having a forbidden emotion. Too evil to be an angel, not evil enough to reside in Hell. A fallen angel that belonged nowhere. I was in a private Hell and there was no way out. Hell was inside me.