by Geri Glenn
We all turn to look at the stairs where Emersyn is standing with her arms wrapped around herself. When her eyes land on Cyrus, she gasps. “Cyrus?”
Chapter Six
Cyrus
-
My heart stops. “Emersyn?” Here she stands, in my fucking living room, looking terrified and white as a ghost. Rushing to her, I move to place my hands on her arms, but she flinches and jumps back, shaking her head. Feeling like I’ve just been punched, I turn to my sister and throw my hands up in the air. “What the fuck is going on?”
She rolls her eyes and sighs heavily. “If you’d shut the fuck up for five seconds, maybe I could tell you.” She looks past me to Emersyn, motioning to a chair. “Honey, maybe you should have a seat. You need to hear this too.”
I watch as her eyes dart nervously around the room, and her aura swirls with conflicting colors. She looks at me apprehensively before scurrying past me to sit in a chair as far away from us as she can get. Moving to stand behind her, I spear Joey with my eyes and place my hands on my hips. “Start talking.”
“Watch it, Cy. I get you’re pissed, but I needed you tonight while you were off ‘living it up.’ I’ll explain what’s going on, but you need to drop the attitude, and for once in your life, shut your goddamn mouth.”
Holding her stare, I simply nod and wait. I have a million questions, and she better have her answers ready.
“You already know I went hunting tonight. While I was walking past a jogging trail, I heard a scream. I ran my ass off to get there in time, and I almost didn’t make it.” Emersyn lets out a shaky breath. I look down to see her eyes locked on the wall above Joey’s head, looking off into space. No doubt she’s reliving what happened to her tonight.
“I found Emersyn being attacked by a demon.” I can feel the blood drain from my face as she keeps talking. “How do you two know each other, by the way?”
I clear my throat, trying to dislodge the ball forming there at the thought of Emersyn being attacked by a demon. “Sociology class. We shared a textbook.”
Joey smirks. “A textbook?”
“Just tell me what the fuck happened, Joey, or so help me God, I’m going to lose my shit,” I growl, done with her bullshit.
“All right! Jeesh. Anyway, I interrupted him. He wasn’t even hiding himself, Cy. He was in his natural form, and determined to have her.” Emersyn shudders, and I can’t help but place my hand on her shoulder, feeling a deep need to protect her. When she feels my hand, she flinches, but doesn’t shy away.
“We fought. That fucker was strong. He almost got me.” Turning my attention back to Joey, my eyes widen. I’ve never known her to mess up and admit defeat, but hearing her now, I can sense an undertone of fear. I guess looking at the bloody rags on the coffee table, it really was a close call, which just makes me feel even more like shit that I wasn’t there to help her. Fuck! I almost lost not only Emersyn, a girl that has worked her way into my very being without even knowing or trying, but I almost lost my sister.
“That’s when Merrick showed up.”
Merrick? What the fuck kind of name is that anyway?
“He kicked that demon’s ass—with my help, of course—and we brought Emersyn back here until we can sort all this out.”
The demon, Merrick, chuckles a little at my sisters’ words. He actually fucking laughs! “Yeah, you helped all right. You helped by distracting him with his dagger in your side.”
His words cause my vision to go hazy with anger. “You think it’s fucking funny that he almost killed her, you stupid fuck?” I snarl, which has Emersyn jumping and jerking away from me.
Merrick stands up and looks at me with pure hatred. “No, I don’t think it’s fucking funny. Your sister was a second away from being bled like a pig, and where the fuck where you, huh? Oh, that’s right. You were out fraternizing with the enemy!”
Before I can say anything to defend myself, or ask what he means by that, Joey steps in between us and gives us both a look that makes us back down. Even wounded, she’ll give us hell.
I’m angry at Joey for being such a bitch and putting herself in danger. I’m angry at whoever the fuck this Merrick guy is for being so damned suspicious, for being there for Joey and Emersyn. I’m angry at the demon for attacking Emersyn. But most of all, I’m angry at myself for not being there for any of it.
Moving around to the front of the chair that Emersyn has tucked herself into, I squat down in front of her and look into her green eyes, ones that are filled with fear and exhaustion. “You’re safe now. We won’t let anything happen to you,” I say in a voice that is soft enough not to scare her, but strong enough that she’ll believe me. “Do you know why that demon was after you?”
Her eyes fill with tears as she shakes her head no.
“I can answer that one.” Turning my head, I watch as Merrick leans forward on the couch, placing his elbows on his knees. This dude is way too relaxed in my damn house.
“Start talking, demon,” I demand.
“Half -demon,” he clarifies, clearly not happy with the name. “Let’s get that part straight right now. I am half-demon, half-human. I hate demons just as much as you do, so unless you want more trouble, don’t put me in the same class as those sick bastards.”
I stare at him for a moment before giving him the tiniest nod I can manage. Still kneeling in front of Emersyn, I keep my eyes glued on him. The poor girl is terrified. I wish I could reach out and comfort her, but I’m afraid she’ll deny me. The fact that I still don’t know why the demon was after her, or knowing I probably won’t like the answer, it’s probably a good thing I keep my hands to myself. I don’t need to scare her more than she already is. I just need to know her story so I can fix this and wipe the look of fear and uncertainty off her beautiful face.
“Emersyn here is what is called an Angel On Earth. She’s completely human, but her soul is the purest soul you will ever come across. There aren’t many like her in the world. Demons especially love them because their essence contributes to their powers. Draining Emersyn of her essence would make even the lowest demon very powerful.”
I feel a growl building in my throat. The thought of one of those cocksuckers trying to drain anything out of her makes me see red.
“Settle down, Rambo,” Merrick drawls. “I tagged her the minute I got here, and I’ve been protecting her ever since.”
“Don’t fucking talk about her like she’s nothing more than a job, you piece of shit. And if you’ve been protecting her, where the fuck were you when the demon got her in his grasp?” I snarl.
“Funny you should mention that. I was following a person of interest. Maybe you know him...Trent Nicholson?”
I freeze. “Why were you following Trent?”
“I have reason to believe that your pal Trent may be the one responsible for every single fucked up thing that has been going on around here. I don’t have any proof yet, but my gut tells me that he’s our guy.”
I stand to face him. “It couldn’t have been Trent. I was with him all night.”
“Oh, I know you were. I also know that it wasn’t him, at least not this time. But, if he is who I think he is, he was still responsible.”
Furrowing my brow, I tilt my head to the side. “What are you talking about?”
“Possession.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “What?”
“I think Trent is bringing in lower ranking demons and helping them possess humans all around the campus to gain a foothold.”
My head swims. Trent? “I guess it kind of makes sense. The dude doesn’t have an aura, which made me suspicious in the beginning, but then I got to know him a little. He seems like a good guy. Are you sure it’s him?”
“No. Like I said, I don’t have proof, just a hunch. But tell me...did you notice anyone acting weird while you were with them? Slurred speech, moments of unconsciousness?”
I snort. “Yeah, we were all drinking. Everyone was drunk. Hell, even I was drunk.
”
He eyes me closely and leans back, folding his arms. “Interesting.”
“What?” I don’t like this guy one bit—self-righteous asshole.
“Well, demons can’t get drunk, and in my experience, neither can hybrids.”
I look to Joey. I know when she was at the party, she maybe had one drink, so there’s not enough to even test that theory. But I did. “How can you be so sure?” I ask, needing to know where he’s getting this information.
Merrick shrugs. “When I first got here, I went to a party to scope the place out. I had drink after drink, trying to ‘fit in’ as you would say. But hours into the party, I wasn’t feeling anything at all, while everyone around me was passing out, trying to keep up with me.”
My mind flashes back to earlier in the night when I had started to feel drunk, even though I’d only sipped on the same drink. “He drugged me, didn’t he?”
“I think he did.”
Exhaustion washes over me. I’m so tired, and I feel like a complete idiot. Father Martin would kick my ass if he knew how close I came to being taken out by a demon just because I wanted to fit in—with demons, no less. I shake my head and turn to Emersyn. She’s sound asleep in the chair, her head bent at an awkward angle so she can maintain her hold on my hand.
Immediately concerned and worried that something’s wrong, I drop down to my knees and shake her to try and wake her up, but I feel a hand on my shoulder stopping me.
“She’s okay. I put her to sleep. She’s exhausted, and with all the information she just heard, she needs to rest.” Merrick informs me, but it only serves to piss me off more.
“You put her to sleep? Are you out of your fucking mind?” First of all, I have no idea how he did that, and second, he could have hurt her.
“Calm down, Cy, it’s fine. Merrick isn’t going to hurt her. He’s been helping her, and he’s going to help us,” Joey says.
Sighing heavily, I run my hand down my face. “Look, I’m tired and done with this conversation for now. I’m going to bed, and we can work the rest of this shit out when we wake up.” I narrow my eyes at Merrick. “You can see yourself out.”
I ignore the roll of his eyes and turn to Emersyn. Scooping her up into my arms, I start moving towards my bedroom. She doesn’t even stir.
“She’s sleeping in my room,” Joey calls after me, but I ignore her. I barely know this girl, but I do know that right now I need her, and there is no way in hell I can stand being apart from her after finding out that she almost died tonight.
Lying her on the bed, I feel my heart warm as she inhales my scent from my pillow and snuggles deeper into it. Changing into a pair of flannel pajama pants, I crawl into the bed behind her and nestle into her back. Listening to the sound of Emersyn’s breathing is the best lullaby I’ve ever heard. My head barely hits the pillow before I fall fast asleep.
-
Joey
-
Once my brother is up the stairs, I turn to look at Merrick. “Well, that was fun.”
He breaks out into a smile. I don’t remember ever seeing him smile. It’s a good look for him.
“Yeah, your brother is actually comical when he’s pissed. I should do that more often. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun since I got here a few months ago,” he laughs.
“Wow, I was being sarcastic, but okay.” I have never liked to see my brother genuinely pissed off, and wouldn’t like to see him when he’s beyond reachable either. My brother has a temper which is not fun to watch. I mean, I know I can handle it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
It’s strange. Tonight, I was hoping it was Cyrus coming to back me up, but instead, I got Merrick. A part of me was glad that it was him instead of my brother. But when I saw that he was a demon, I knew I should have been wary. Maybe a part of me was, but I was more intrigued. Watching him take down that demon so fast was sexy. Even now, knowing he’s a demon, it doesn’t dampen how intensely I feel in this moment. It does, however, dampen my panties. I’ll have to think about all this later.
Then, seeing him with Emersyn, the way he cared for her and watched out for her, it was...sweet. I didn’t understand it at first, but watching him with her, I knew deep down he was good. I may have tried to tell myself that I wanted him here at my house because it would be safer for Emersyn and easier for me to handle him if I was wrong, but I think I just wanted him in my home. I wanted to feel closer to him in some way.
“Well, I better get going. Wouldn’t want to give your brother cause to try and kick my ass to defend your honor or anything.” Merrick says with a smirk on his face.
Laughing, I shake my head. “My honor, huh?” I didn’t think people even talked like that. Even at the convent, it was never mentioned. We never had time to think about it, and frankly, it never bothered me. But, since I met Merrick, I’m really thinking about it. Not saying I’d just hand it over to him, I’m not a complete moron, but maybe if things pan out, he might be the one.
“Well, I don’t have any siblings, but I’d bet if I had a sister that looked like you, I’d defend her honor with my dying breath,” he says without any trace of laughter or deceit.
“A sister like me?” I’m genuinely curious. I don’t know a lot about the female human race, but just from my first few days here, I can tell they are always digging and fishing for compliments. It’s like they need people to say nice things about them, even if they aren’t true, to make them feel good about themselves. When, really, if you feel good about yourself and on the inside you are yourself, they should feel good about who they are.
“Yeah, like you. Every time I’ve seen you, you have this confidence about you that makes everyone stop and stare. Women are jealous of you and want to be you, and don’t even get me started with what the men around here think of you. You know that this world is full of evil, but you never let it dampen your spirit or get to you. I can tell that you’re a fighter, and I really like that about you. So yes, if I had a sister like you, I’d do everything in my power to protect her, even if she didn’t necessarily need protecting.”
Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone speak about me like that. I think I know why human girls seek compliments now. It does make you feel good, or maybe it just feels good because of who it comes from.
“I don’t know what to say,” I murmur as I drop my head in embarrassment.
“You don’t have to say anything.” Reaching out his hand, he places his fingers gently under my chin to lift my head up to look at him.
“I meant every word.” That’s all he says before he leans in and places a soft kiss on my cheek, then turns on his heels and walks out of the house, closing the door quietly behind him.
Holy fuck. I’m in deep shit.
I don’t know how long I’ve been lying here in my bed, but it feels like an eternity has passed. I can’t sleep because I can’t shut my brain off. I’d like to say that it’s leftover adrenaline for my near-death experience, along with all the information I got tonight, but I have a feeling it’s from something, or someone, far more different.
Letting out a harsh breath, I get up and put on some old worn jeans and a black sweatshirt. I figure I’ll take a quick look around the house to make sure there’s no one out there that could be looking for Emersyn, then I’ll hit the books and try to learn all I can about this imminent war that Merrick spoke of. I have a feeling it may be a good idea to bring Father Martin in on this new tidbit of information, but I want to hold off until I have more details from some research and talking with Merrick more.
Tiptoeing out of my room and down the stairs, I head out the back door without turning any lights on. I don’t want to alert anyone to my presence if there is someone watching the house, waiting in the shadows.
It’s a bit chilly with the moon completely hidden by the clouds, but I have no problem with that. I’m just glad I put on a sweatshirt. Seeing in the dark is not an issue for me. My eyes adjust faster than a normal human.
Doing a
quick sweep around the back of the house and along the side, I make it to the front and hear rustling behind a huge tree that sits off towards the side of our property. My heartbeat picks up and I reach for a trusty knife, only to find I didn’t bring it. Damn, I never forget my knife. It’s like a part of my body. What the hell was I thinking? Disappointed in myself, I fist my hands tightly. Guess I’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way, using my body as a weapon.
I quietly make my way towards the tree, careful where I step to not make a noise. I’ll need the element of surprise on my side to give me as much leeway as I can get. It’s been a while since I’ve fought with just my fists, or without anything extra to help me. It’s not like I need it, but it makes me feel stronger having a weapon.
When I get close enough, I find Merrick, asleep against the tree. What is he doing out here? Why not ask to stay in the house, or give me a warning that he’d be out here keeping watch? Not like he’s doing a lot of watching though, unless watching the back of his eyelids count.
Standing here, watching him sleep, I realize that he’s probably been watching Emersyn like this constantly. He must be so tired. His face is all hard angles and purely masculine, but there’s a softness to him too. He’s breathtaking.
Not wanting to get caught staring, I squat down and gently shake him. “Merrick, wake up.”
He wakes with a start and bolts to his feet, almost knocking me over in the process. He’s also summoned his sword in the span of a second. I stand up and wait for him to settle himself. Maybe waking him wasn’t the best idea. I know when you feel like you’re on alert, then to be woken so suddenly, it’s not a good combination.
When he realizes there’s no danger, he relinquishes his sword back into oblivion and looks at me with concern. “Joey, what’s wrong?”
I laugh to myself with how quick he is to conclude that something’s wrong. He doesn’t even seem embarrassed that I caught him sleeping outside my house.