by Alex Dafney
I step toward him, taking the dagger in my hand. I hold it down to my side as I walk toward her, the two large Demons still holding her against the wall. As I slowly make my way toward her, I calculate my next move. I’m outnumbered heavily. Three more Demons stand with the Mistress and Bastian. I glance over my shoulder, finding Ian’s eyes trained on me. He makes the slightest nod of his head. Even with him on my side, I don’t see how the two of us can take them all on.
I stop within reach of Eridanus, my brows drawn together in anger. “You’ve had this coming, female Seeker.” Her bottom lip trembles ever so slightly before she swallows heavily, a defiant smile cresting her lips. “You’ll never win this war.” My eyes shift down to her poison arrows that lie along the pavement, a plan coming to mind. I slowly lift my hand that holds the dagger, keeping my eyes on hers as I force mine to burn bright red.
“Get away from her!” I spin around to find Orion standing at the entrance to the alleyway. Cercinus and the man from Eri’s apartment standing beside him. Shit. I look back to Eri, raising the corner of my lip lightly. “Any last words, Dream girl?” Her eyes widen just a fraction, seeming to have realized this is part of my plan. She shakes her head slightly as I lift the dagger over my head.
I glance over to Ori just as he releases an arrow straight for me, quickly darting out of the way and grabbing Eri’s arrows from the ground. I grip one of the Demons that holds her against the wall, spinning him in front of me as a shield against Ori’s next arrow. The arrow pierces through his chest, and I let him fall to the ground. I look over to see Eri handling her own against the other Demon and set my sights on the Mistress and Bastian.
I fling an arrow straight for Bastian, but he steps out of the way at the last second. “I knew you weren’t special! You’re a traitor!” He charges at me, but Ian jumps in front of him, fighting against him as I speed across the alleyway, standing right in front of the Mistress. She glares up at me, a humorless smile cresting her lips. “You’re weak, just like your Father.”
I move my arm slightly, letting the poisonous arrow slide down, holding it in my hand. Her eyes move downward, widening just before I shove it into her chest. She looks up to me as she stumbles backward, clutching the arrow that juts from her chest. “I’m not weak. I’m strong enough to denounce the Demon from within me because of love.” What feels like a rippling wave begins inside me as I stare at her.
I watch as her face begins to turn gray, her body beginning to disappear before my eyes. I feel the searing pain begin in my head, as I turn to find Eri. Orion is helping her from the ground. Ian stands over Bastian, one of the arrows in his hand as he watches him begin to vanish. My head begins to throb harder, my entire body feeling feverish. I hold my hands in front of me, noticing my hands glow red, then turn to blue, just as my eyes do.
Looking across the alleyway I see Eri’s eyes trained on mine, her mouth dropped open in shock. She starts toward me, but Ori grips her arm firmly, pulling her back. I start toward her, even though the pain emanating through my body is unbearable. She continues to fight against Orion, her eyes drifting over to mine, then past me. “No!” She screams loudly, just as a searing pain begins to spread through my side.
My vision is beginning to go in and out, but I still make my way toward her. I fall to my knees on the pavement, looking down at my side that throbs in cold waves unlike the rest of my body that feels like an inferno. I let out a humorless laugh as I see the blade in my side, my blood oozing out of the deep wound. I managed to denounce the Demon, but I’m still going to die.
I lift my head slowly, finding Circinus walking toward me. The black spots before my eyes make it hard to focus on him, but I see the wide smile on his face as he kneels in front of me and I push off the ground, facing him as I sit back on my knees. “Another one turns to dust.” He reaches his hand out, placing it on the handle of the blade and pulling hard. I suck a breath in at the blinding pain, falling forward and catching myself with my hands. I heave shallow breaths, unable to get enough air into my lungs. The whole while I can hear Eridanus screaming.
I know this is the end for me. It takes everything in me to lift my head, my vision beginning to fade, but I find Eri’s beautiful face. Orion has his arms wrapped around her from behind as she fights against him, her teary eyes focused on mine. “I love you, Eridanus.” I fall forward to the pavement, my cheek hitting the ground and everything going dark, feeling as if I’m floating in space.
Death feels different than I thought it would. Everything is pitch black. There are no senses. No sight, no noise, no smells, no feeling, just darkness and my thoughts. It’s a funny thing that I can remember the way the fall breeze blew against my face. The feel of Eridanus’ hand in mine, or the way her lips fit perfectly against my own. I can almost feel myself smiling at her memory. I let out a heavy sigh in my mind, thankful that I was able to save her at least, and thankful that my love for her was what stopped my complete transformation.
Chapter 14
I’m still in complete darkness, but I swear I can faintly hear something other than my voice in my head. I focus hard on the sound. A steady beeping noise and hushed voices. “It’s been days, Eri. You need to let him go.”
“I can’t!” I can hear the tears in her voice but can’t seem to find anything in the darkness. I try to look down at my hand, feeling a tingling sensation where it should be. Except I can’t find it in the darkness. I think hard about moving my hand, hearing her gasp lightly. “He just moved his hand, Orion! He’s coming back to me.” I feel a tingling against my forehead, moving down my cheek. “Come back to me, Ashley. Please, come back to me.” I try to focus on her touch but am again surrounded by the darkness.
My eyes flutter open, barely slits as I look around the dark room. I can’t move anything, but at least I’m not locked in the darkness of my mind. “Fuck. You are not waking up now.” I shift my eyes over to where the voice comes from, finding Orion standing over me with a scowl. He flings his hands up at his sides in exasperation as he walks away from me mumbling. “If Eri takes it on me because she missed you waking up, I’m going to kill your half dead ass.” I hear a door slam, my eyes closing on their own accord.
I hear the beeping again, keeping my eyes closed and focusing on the noises around me. It’s so nice to hear something other than my own thoughts. I try to wiggle my fingers, finding them heavy. I open my eyes, finding the strange room once again, except now it’s obviously dark outside. I tilt my head to the side as I hear a gentle snore, finding my face in white blonde hair. “Eri.” I barely whisper.
Catching movement from the corner of my eye I turn my head slightly, noticing the stiffness in my neck. Ian steps over next to the bed I lie in, bringing his hand up, placing one finger to his lips. He nods his head down toward Eri who softly snores against my chest.
“She’s been awake for days and becoming a bit delusional. Let her sleep away the crazy.” A smile crests my lips as I move my thumb along her back. “I don’t know if she can sleep her crazy away.” He chuckles lightly, reaching next to the bed and grabbing a glass, filling it with water from a glass decanter.
I squint at the decanter in his hand. “Where are we?” His lip pulls up to one side as he thrusts the glass toward me. “The Enchantresses. My favorite place to be.” I take a large gulp of water, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. I give a content sigh, causing Eri to stir against my chest. I pass the glass back to Ian, mouthing my thanks.
He sits the glass on the table beside the bed, hitching his thumb over his shoulder before whispering. “If you don’t need anything else, I’m going back to Celia’s room.” I raise an eyebrow at him as rolls his eyes, turning his back to me and walking toward the bedroom door.
I pull Eri closer to my chest, wincing at the pain in my side, but keeping her locked tight against me as I rest my other hand on her thigh that rests on my legs. I place a kiss to the top of her hair before closing my eyes, letting sleep consume me again.
Wh
at seems like a short time later my eyes spring open. Eri’s head has shifted on my chest, her face tilted up toward mine as she whimpers in her sleep. Her brows are drawn together, a worried look on her face. “Ashley, no.” My own brows draw together as a single tear slips down her cheek in her sleep. I lift my hand from her thigh, placing it on her cheek.
“Wake up, Eri.” She scrunches her face, her brows still drawn together as she mumbles. I softly pat her cheek, not wanting her to go through whatever nightmare she is having. “Wake up, babe. I’m right here.” Her eyelids lazily flutter open, her eyes zoning in on mine. I give her a small smile, watching as her face turns to shock, her eyes widening as her mouth drops open.
She sits up quickly, causing the bed to shift and that pain in my side to ache. I pinch my eyes closed as the pain dies down, feeling her hands land on my cheeks roughly. I open my eyes as she begins to shake my head like one of those magic eight balls. “Don’t leave me, Ashley! I know I’m not dreaming, dammit! I saw your eyes!” The look in her eyes is no short than maniacal as I lift my hands, placing them on her wrists and giving a little pinch. “You’re not dreaming, Dream girl.”
She flings herself at me, straddling my lower half as her arms circle my neck. The pain in my side makes me grit my teeth, but I snake my arms around her, pulling her to me as she sobs against my neck. “I thought I lost you. Orion and the Enchantresses said you were a lost cause, but I knew you’d come back to me.” A small smile crests my lips as I run my hand up her back, tangling my fingers in her long hair. “I had to come back. You claimed me.”
She sits back, staring down at me. “Are you sure I’m not dreaming?” I laugh lightly, instantly regretting it as a sharp pain shoots through my side. I grit my teeth, dropping my hand to my side where the pain emanates, having to slide my hand under her thigh. “What the hell happened?” I look up at her as she glances down to where my hand rests beneath her leg. Quickly she shifts herself off me, sitting next to me on the bed with her legs resting under her. “Fuck times sixty-three. I didn’t think about your stab wound. Here let me check it.”
I lift my hand, allowing her to pull the sheet down from my chest. “Sixty-three? Last I saw you, you were on eight. How long have I been out of it?” I glance down as she gingerly pulls a bandage from my side, revealing a long line of stitches. She sits forward, stretching her arm out and pulling a string on a lamp that sits upon the table next to the bed.
I squint my eyes as the bright light illuminates the darkened room, watching as she sits back on her legs, inspecting the wound on my side. She stands from the bed, walking toward a door on the far wall. “I’ll be right back.” I not so patiently wait for her to return. I know she’s only been gone for mere seconds, but it feels like a lifetime.
She opens the door, giving me a tight smile as she walks toward me. “Not even going to lie. This is going to hurt like hell.” I glance down at her hands, finding a familiar small blue bottle, and a bandage. I give a small shrug as she sits on the edge of the bed, uncapping the cork from the bottle with her teeth, and dabbing a cotton cloth to the top. “How bad could- Fuck!” I pinch my eyes shut, gritting my teeth together as my side feels like it’s burning off.
“Big baby.” She snickers as I keep my eyes closed. “What’s wrong?” I open my eyes to find Eldora running into the room in a next to nothing negligee, Orion right on her heels. A very naked Ian runs in behind them, followed by Cecelia in all her naked glory, a riding whip in hand. I lift my hand to cover my eyes, resting my head back on the pillow. “You had to bring me back to the witch house.”
Eri chuckles as she dabs more of the pain inflicting liquid on my side. “We’re fine. You known the Demons act tough, but they can’t handle a little Holy Water.” Everyone in the room laughs softly as my eyes spring open, staring at Eri who wears a small smile as she focuses on my side. “I’m still a Demon? I thought I denounced the Demon within me?”
She looks up to me, tilting her head to the side as a sympathetic smile forms on her lips. “You did denounce, but you still have lingering, side effects? For lack of a better word.” She gives a small shrug of one shoulder, glancing back to the crowd gathered in the doorway. “We’re good. Y’all should go back to bed. Or, whatever it is you were doing.”
Cecelia flips her whip in the air, a loud crack vibrating through the room as Ian stands to attention. He gives us a salute with the hand not covering himself before following her out of the room. Eldora crosses her arms over her chest, raising one eyebrow with a look of contempt on her face. “You don’t smell near as great as you did before.” She turns, bumping her shoulder into Orion as she walks out the doorway.
His eyes follow behind her as he scowls, turning back to Eridanus. “You’re sure you’re alright?” His eyes flit over to mine, his scowl deepening. “I’d love nothing more than to kill him.” Eri lets out a long sigh as she stands from the bed, placing the blue vial and the cotton cloth on the table. “You’re not going to kill him. It’s illegal to kill a fellow Seeker.”
He lets out a low growl, his eyes moving from mine to his sisters. “Fine. I’ll be in Eldora’s room if you need me.” He starts out of the room as Eri lets out a low whistle. “Didn’t know you were into the kinky shit, brother.” He looks at her over his shoulder, his brows drawn together, but his cheeks tinted with a blush. “Shut up, Eridanus.”
He closes the door behind him as Eri laughs. She turns back toward me, a warm smile on her lips. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Cold? Hot?” I roll my eyes at her as I shift myself upward in the bed, pinching my eyes shut at the pain in my side as I rest my back against the headboard and pat the bed next to me.
She climbs into the bed, curling her legs up beside her as she rests her hand on my shoulder. I lift my arm, slinging it around her shoulders and pulling her to me. Pain be damned. “I missed you.” She nods slowly against my chest before lifting her head, her teary eyes finding mine. “I thought I lost you.” She chokes on a sob as she lowers her head, resting it on my chest as she snakes her arm around me.
I drop my chin to the top of her head, pulling her closer to me. “Everything was dark. There was nothing. I thought I was dead.” She nods her head slightly, pulling back from me to look in my eyes. My chest clenches at the tears that slide down her face, her not bothering to cover them. “Did you mean what you said in the alleyway?”
I tilt my head to the side, giving her a confused look. She opens her mouth as if she’s going to say something, then snaps it shut, wiping her hands under her eyes. She waves a hand toward me in a nonchalant way. “Forget what I said.” I stare at her, the puzzled look staying on my face as I replay that night in my mind. “How long have I been like this? That. Whatever.”
She lifts her eyes to mine, a sad smile cresting her lips. “You’ve been here at the Enchantresses, unconscious, for almost two weeks.” I nod slowly, looking across the room. “How long was I at the Fortress?” I look over to her as she shifts her legs under her, sitting back on her legs as she keeps her eyes trained across the room. “Another two weeks.”
I sit forward, reaching for her hand even though the pain in my side protests. Gripping her hand, I lace our fingers together, her eyes drifting back to mine, filled with tears. “How long were we here? You know, before.” She tilts her head to the side, raising one eyebrow at me. “Two days.” I nod my head exaggeratedly as I run my thumb along the back of her hand.
“And how many days were we at your place?” She lets out a long sigh, giving me a pointed look. “I already know you regained your memory of the past.” I chuckle lowly as I pull her hand toward me. She lifts off her legs, sliding onto her side next to me. I slide down into the bed, rolling to my side, and facing her. “How many days?” I whisper into the quiet room.
Her lip lifts at the corner slightly as she looks up, obviously counting in her head. I chuckle at the amount of time it takes her. She looks back to me, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. “I can’t do math, but I can damn sure kick your ass.�
� I chuckle lightly as I remove my hand from hers, wrapping it behind her back and pulling her to me.
“We were at my place for three days, your place for two. I think we were on the road and at the Enchantresses for five. So, five and five, plus two weeks in the Fortress, another two weeks here, not to mention the time before when I referred to you as Dream girl, we’ve known each other for well over a month.” She nestles her face into the crook of my neck as I keep my arm around her, running my hand along her back. “Make your point, Ash. I’ve been awake for almost a week straight.”
I let out a heavy sigh, not knowing if I want to continue with this conversation for fear that she won’t feel the same. She pushes off my chest, propping herself up with one elbow as she looks down at me with pinched brows. “What are you talking about, Ashley?”
I stare up at her, the woman of my dreams, my Dream Girl. A smile crests my lips as I grip her hand in mine that rests against my bare chest. “I love you, Eridanus. I know you claimed me to protect me from the Coven, but you claimed me before that. I knew you were the woman of my dreams the first time I saw you in that alley outside the club. I knew I wanted more with you during our stay in that shitty hotel in Canada, and I knew I could denounce the evil within me just by gazing into your gorgeous green eyes.”
She stares down at me. Her face void of emotion, but her eyes shimmering with tears. I take a deep breath, staring up at her. “Claim me, Eri. Claim me as yours until the end of our lives, because I claim you.” She stares at me for a long moment, her hand clenching mine, her fingernails digging into my palm before barley whispering. “Are you serious?”
I fight off the urge to laugh. If she only knew how serious I was she’d be running toward the door. Instead I grip her hand in mine, sliding our joined hands toward my face and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. “I’m more than serious. I love you, Eridanus.”