“Oh. Ok.” I couldn’t stop staring at him. And I wasn’t sure I was capable of stringing together anything more than one-syllable words. He was going to think I was brain damaged at this rate.
“I’m Doctor Grayson. It’s nice to meet you, Milayna.” He held his hand out to shake mine.
I wonder what he’d do if I hugged him instead?
“Same.” I smiled and shook his hand, deciding that throwing myself at him might not make the best first impression.
“I’ll be in later to check on you.” He looked at something on his clipboard, made a note, looked up, and smiled. “I’ll see you in a bit.” He left and, oh man, he looked almost as good from the back as he did from the front.
Wow, God did an excellent job on that one.
***
I was just on the edge of sleep. Someone brushed their lips across my knuckles. Just a whisper of a kiss.
“Chay?”
He put my hand down and patted it.
“No. It’s Xavier, Milayna. How are you feeling?”
Whoops. Well, kinda stupid right this second.
My eyes flew open. “I’m sorry. I… it’s… well, I was…” I stopped and tried to come up with something to say. Nothing came. I blew out a breath.
“It’s okay.” Xavier smiled. “I just stopped by to make sure you were okay. Do you need anything?”
“No.”
“Not even these?” He held up crosswords, word searches, and trashy tabloids.
“Oh! Yeah, those I need. I definitely need those.” I reached out, my fingers twiddling, grabbing for the magazines. “I’m dying of boredom in here. There’re only so many game shows you can watch before you are officially declared insane.”
Xavier laughed. “I’ll remember that. I wouldn’t want to go over my quota.”
“Exactly.” I smoothed my hand over the top of the magazines. “Thank you for these, Xavier.”
“I like that.”
I looked up at him. “What?”
“The way you say my name,” he said.
“Ah. Xav… um–”
“It’s okay, Milayna. You don’t have to say anything.” He bent down and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “Enjoy the magazines. I’ll see you in a couple of days when they spring you.”
“Okay.”
“Later,” he said, waving as he walked out the door.
“See ya,” I whispered in the empty room.
***
I wasn’t quite awake, but I could hear someone in my room. I wasn’t scared. I knew it was probably a nurse. Then I thought it might be the sexy-underwear-model doctor. I smiled inwardly at the thought and pictured him in nothing but his underwear and a stethoscope. Yeah, that was medical care at its finest.
I opened my eyes just the teensiest bit, just a slit, so I could watch him without him knowing it. That was when all thoughts of nurses and underwear-model-doctors or otherwise vanished. Because standing against the wall closest to the door was a man wearing jeans and a black hoodie. One shoulder propped against the wall, his thumb was hooked through the belt loop of his low-riding jeans. His ankles crossed casually, he looked down at the floor. His hood was pulled up, but I knew who it was. I could tell by how he stood. I’d know him anywhere.
Chay.
I tensed, holding my breath. The oxygen monitor picked up on the fact I wasn’t breathing, and a piercing wail filled the room. Chay’s head darted in my direction, and he pushed off the wall. I sat up.
“Chay, don’t go. Please.” I took in a few deep breaths so the monitor would shut up. Thankfully, the room turned quiet. “Chay. I know it’s you. I saw your face. Please don’t leave. Please.”
He stood with his back to me. He flipped the hood of his sweatshirt off. I thought he was going to turn around. That he’d stay.
How stupid I was.
“I saw him.”
“Who?” Muriel licked off a drip of mustard rolling down her finger.
“Chay.”
“Milayna…” She tossed her soft pretzel onto its paper wrapper and wiped her hands on a napkin. “You didn’t see him. You just want to have seen him.”
I shook my head. “No. I saw him. I spoke to him.”
“Oh really? And what did he say? Why has he been gone all this time? Where has he been?”
“You know Chay. He’s quiet. He didn’t actually tell me any of that.” I tore my napkin into tiny pieces. They dotted the table like snowflakes.
“Hmm.”
“Okay, okay, he didn’t actually speak to me, but it was him, Muriel. I swear. I looked right in his face. When I called his name, he stopped.”
“Where?”
I threw what was left of my napkin down. “My hospital room.”
That got her attention. “You mean he visited you in the hospital?”
I nodded.
Muriel leaned forward in her seat. “Have you told anyone? Are you going to tell Mr. and Mrs. Roberts?”
“I haven’t told anyone except you, but I’m going to tell his parents today. They need to know. Maybe they can look through security tapes and find the car he uses or something. Anything would help at this point, I guess.”
“Except false hope.”
I shot Muriel a death glare. “I wouldn’t give them that. It was him. I’d stake my life on it.”
That afternoon, Muriel dropped me off at the Roberts’ home. She waited outside in the car.
I knocked on the door and waited for Mrs. Roberts to answer.
“Hi, Milayna,” she said with a smile. She always seemed happy to see me. I could never figure out why.
“Hi. Um, I have news. I hope good news. I’ve been in the hospital and—”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, ma’am, just got caught on the bridge that washed out during the storm a few days ago.”
“Oh! That was you? I didn’t know. I would have called your mother. Please tell her for me. I’m so sorry, Milayna.”
“It’s okay, really. I’m back to normal now.” I laughed nervously. “Anyway, while I was in the hospital, I had a visitor. It was… well, I’m nearly certain it was Chay.”
Mrs. Roberts grabbed the doorframe for support. I reached out for her, but her husband got to her before I could. “How do you know?” she whispered.
“I called his name, and he stopped. His back was to me, but I got a pretty good look at his face before he turned. His hair is a little longer than it was, but otherwise, he looks the same. Healthy.”
“Did he say anything?”
I bowed my head. Tears stung the back of my eyes, and I could feel my lip tremble. I bit it to keep from crying and shook my head.
“Oh, come here.” Mrs. Roberts pulled me into a hug and smoothed my hair down my back. That was all it took. I started crying. Not dainty little tears like you saw on television or in movies, but big, fat tears coming out of your eyes and stringy snot out of your nose kind of tears. The kind only true heartbreak brought.
When I realized I was getting her sweater snotty, I stepped back. I wiped my tears on the back of my hand, and Mrs. Roberts handed me a tissue for my nose.
“Um, if you hear anything…” I shrugged.
“You’ll be the first person I call, Milayna. I promise.”
“Same for me.” I turned and started down the porch steps when I blurted it out. “Why do you tolerate me? You and Mr. Roberts? How can you stand to look at me?”
“What? I don’t know what you mean,” she said quietly.
“I’m the reason he left. If it hadn’t been for me…” Those damn tears started again.
“No, you’re not. Abaddon is the reason Chay left, Milayna, not you.” She reached for me.
I shrugged a shoulder and shook my head. “I’m so sorry I’m the reason your family is broken. He’d be here…” My voice broke, and I covered my mouth with my hand. I started crying harder and ran down the rest of the steps, straight to Muriel’s car waiting at the curb.
“Are you okay?”
> I shook my head. “Let’s just go.”
***
That night, the hobgoblins showed. I sat on the swing outside on the back deck, a quilt Grams made wrapped around me to ward off the autumn chill. I waited not so patiently for the goblins to finish their playtime and decide to tell me why they were there.
Friendly, the more sociable of the two, tried to climb a large oak tree planted at the side of the yard, his stumpy little legs too short to wrap around the trunk. He laughed with glee as he slid down to the ground. It didn’t take much to entertain him. I’d always thought he was a little on the slow side.
“Someone should really tell them their legs are too short to climb trees.”
My heart froze. Chay had said those exact words to me once. But it wasn’t Chay’s voice. My heart started to beat again, but felt heavy, tired. Xavier. I looked up at him and smiled.
“Hey,” I said, scooting over so he could sit down. “What are you doing here?”
He nodded at my demon friends running through the yard. “Didn’t think you should be alone. Muriel said she was in the middle of something. I think that something is Drew.” Xavier chuckled.
I smiled and nodded. “Very well could be,” I said with a laugh. “So they called you?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.” I knew Muriel was more in the middle of playing matchmaker than she was in the middle of playing with Drew—although it was probably both. She’d been trying to get Xavier and me together since Chay left. She threw us together every chance she got. It was usually uncomfortable for both Xavier and me, but Muriel seemed oblivious to that fact. Or she didn’t care.
“So, have they said what they want yet?”
I sighed and pulled the quilt tighter around me. “Nope. They’ve just been running around like toddlers on candied crack.”
Xavier chuckled. I had to admit it was a nice sound. It kind of made my stomach do weird things.
We sat in a comfortable silence, swaying on the swing, waiting for the little demons running through my backyard to tire and deliver their message. I wanted them to go back to Hell where they came from so we could go back to what we were doing before they interrupted us.
“Are you feeling better?” Xavier asked.
“Yeah. Thanks.” I looked over at him and smiled. Wrong thing to do. He looked at me too intently. His face was too close, his blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight, his cologne smelled too good, and he looked way too sexy with a lock of hair dipping over his forehead. I was a goner before I even realized it.
Xavier lifted his hand and cupped the back of my neck, pulling me gently toward him. Just a little pressure was all it took. I leaned into him. His lips were soft but not mushy, moist but not wet. They caressed mine, hinting at wanting more.
“Xavier,” I breathed when his kisses moved from my mouth to my neck.
He pulled back and looked at me, a frown pulling at his lips. He nodded and turned away.
“I’m sorry—”
“Still, Milayna? After all these months without a word, you still wait for him? I’m here now. I want you now. Can you say the same about him?”
I looked down at my hands. “No,” I whispered.
“Then why can’t you let go?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying.”
“Not hard enough,” he mumbled.
“You don’t think this is hard for me? You don’t think I look at you and wonder why I can’t feel for you what you feel for me? You’re sweet, charming, gorgeous, and any girl would be lucky to have you. And you want me.” My voice caught and I took a breath. “And here I am with some major malfunction of the brain that prevents me from moving on from a guy who not only left me but tried to kill me first. Don’t you think I haven’t thought about how ridiculously messed up that is, Xavier? I’ll be the first to admit I’m royally screwed up.”
Xavier nodded once and smiled. “Of course you’re trying. And I’m waiting. As long as it takes. I’m waiting until your dysfunctional mind decides to right itself and chooses me.” He slipped a stray curl behind my ear. The tips of his fingers ran down the side of my face.
I smiled. “Dysfunctional mind, huh?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed a hand up and down his face. His hand froze, and he stared at the yard.
I turned to see what he was looking at. We had an audience. Two hobgoblins stood at the edge of the deck.
“You won’t have to wait too long, Xavier,” Scarface said.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because the Brothers are here, and they are going to take care of the situation.”
Fear slithered down my spine and sweat broke out on my forehead.
“What particular situation would that be?” Xavier asked.
“Milayna and her brother. They can’t be allowed to merge their powers when the brother turns eighteen. Azazel wants to take care of him now so there’re no mistakes. The Four Brothers are going to help. They’ll take care of Milayna and her brother at the same time. A two-for-one bargain.” He smiled a deformed smile.
“Did you like the game, Milayna?” Friendly asked, clasping his hands in front of him.
“Which one? The one Vann made up?”
“Yeah!”
“Not particularly.”
“Why not?” Friendly’s eyes went black as coal, his lips thinned and pulled across crooked, yellow teeth. He didn’t look quite as friendly anymore.
“People don’t like those kinds of games.”
“Vann won’t like that, Milayna. He’ll have to think of another game for you,” Friendly said just before he vanished in a little puff of smoke.
“Oh, Milayna, I’m supposed to tell you he’s back.” Scarface said before he vanished. The only evidence of their visit was the stench of sulfur and the faint smell of charred flesh.
He’s back. Chay.
***
The next morning, both my parents were at work and Benjamin back to school. I had the house to myself. It was bliss. I watched daytime television until my brain went numb—it was great. In between my favorite shows, I cleaned for my mom.
During one of my cleaning fits, the phone rang. I almost didn’t answer it. But I hurried to check the caller ID in case it was Ben’s school. The call was from Mrs. Roberts, Chay’s mother. I hadn’t talked to her since the day I broke down on her porch a week ago. I almost didn’t answer. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about it, but something nagged at me, so I picked up the phone?
“Hello?”
“Where have you been all these months, Chay? We’ve missed you so much,” Mrs. Roberts said, crying.
“Hello?” I repeated.
“I was around.”
I sucked in a breath at the sound of his voice. My eyes immediately filled with tears.
“You had us so worried, son,” Mr. Roberts said.
“Sorry, Dad, I just needed time.”
“Chay, no one blames you for what happened, especially Milayna.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t,” I whispered.
“I should call her,” Mrs. Roberts said, her voice growing louder. “She’ll want to hear that you’re home.”
“No, Mom, I’m not ready,” Chay yelled. I flinched.
“I just thought she’d want to know,” Mrs. Roberts said quietly.
He doesn’t know she called me. The line is open, but Chay doesn’t know I’m listening. She kept her promise to me even when he didn’t want her to.
“Oh, geez, I’m such a blonde some days. I left the phone off the hook. Chay, will you hang it up for me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I heard rustling as he walked to the phone. It grew louder when he picked the receiver up. I expected him to click it off. What I didn’t expect was for him to put it to his ear.
“Hello?” he said.
I clamped my hand over my mouth. I held it tightly against my lips, partly to keep my cries muffled and partly to keep from screaming his name. After all the months of worry, scared that I’d nev
er hear his voice again, just a mere telephone line separated us—a line that spanned the distance of a few houses. I could be out the door and to his in less than five minutes.
It took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to run to him.
Wind. Flying debris. Trees toppling.
I hated the visions. I hated how they made me feel just before and during one. My stomach twisted and my throat grew tight, like a growth was swelling until I couldn’t breathe around it. My head pounded and the blood rushed behind my ears.
But what I hated most about the visions was that they were too vague. I had glimpses of times and places. Things that would happen, maybe a look at the person I was trying to help, but there was never enough information. The vision that day was no different.
A vision of trees and litter blowing in the wind didn’t tell me jack crap about anything. For all I knew, it could’ve been about something that was going to happen in the next state. I just didn’t have enough information to step in and change anything. So I waited.
As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait long.
Wind blowing through the subdivision. Pieces of roofing and patio furniture fly through the air. Trees fall, branches break, the wind roars around me, and then a whisper in my ear…
Himmel is coming.
I opened my eyes with a sharp intake of breath.
“Himmel, Himmel, which one is he?” I muttered to myself.
I ruffled through the pages of notes that covered my desk. When I shoved a pile of books out of my way, they landed with a succession of thuds on the floor. The pencil cup fell over, spewing its contents across my desktop; I swiped them away. I had one mission. That was to find out exactly what kind of demon Himmel was. I found the dog-eared piece of paper and pulled it from the stack of notes.
Himmel, the demon of the sky and air. Oh, this is so not good.
I ran downstairs. Ben lay on the floor in the family room and played with his green army men. He had them all lined up side by side and was running them over with his remote-controlled truck. I wondered if there wasn’t something seriously wrong with that child. My mom was fixing dinner—judging by the smell, it wasn’t going to be edible—and my dad wasn’t home from work yet. Maybe he could bring take-out.
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