Chapter 8
8
W ay too many silly games at the bachelorette party had been played. One involved low-grade spell casting. Matt would have a heart attack when he found out they d dabbled in a bit of magic. Nothing dangerous. Her head swirled from far too many glasses of wine as she ambled up to her room.
Avery set down her wine and flopped onto her bed, her gaze cast toward the ceiling. She forced her eyes to stay open, to focus on the texture of the paint and color of the blades attached to the ceiling fan.
If she closed her eyes, she d think of Eli suffering. His room, two floors beneath her, was a mere few flights of stairs down. All anyone would tell her was that Merck hadn t had time to see him. It d been ten hours. They might ve lost him to whatever was inside him during that time. She couldn t handle losing Eli. She d already lost her immediate family. Eli was all she had left in this world that she loved dearly.
Oh, my.
Yeah, best to admit it. She loved the hell out of him. Always had. Paris solidified it, apparently spell free.
Research time. That s what she excelled at as a grad student-finding esoteric information. The writing up of found information? Not as great at that. Why not put to use access to the world s best libraries and articles? After an hour of perusing articles on demon possession and finishing the glass of wine she d gotten nowhere helpful other than more tipsy. One option was to call in an ordained priest who could perform the Rite of Exorcism, although success wasn t guaranteed. Bet there weren t too many free this close to Christmas. Her best hope was Merck.
Her palms became clammy, and a cool sweat broke along her skin. The thought of losing Eli and not doing anything to stop it, of remaining a coward in this room, of not seeing him in his last sentient moments when he was himself wasn t a headspace she could live in for the rest of the night. Or the rest of her life.
She d do the only thing she could to cool her racing heart and obey the rules of not seeing him.
Reaching for the nightstand, she palmed her phone and found Eli s number.
Three rings.
Avery?
She swallowed hard, her hands trembling to get rid of the fear crashing through her mind. Was this her Eli or the other one?
Breathe. Take a freaking breath . What s happening to you, Eli?
What s wrong? Where are you?
In my room. Probably shouldn t have told him, especially if he wasn t her Eli. I m not in a good head place.
In her early twenties she d called him a few times in the years following the murders of her sister and parents. On that awful day years ago she d been there. Under orders from her father, Eli forced her behind the hidden panel in the back of her parent s closet while witch hunters murdered her family. She d wanted to fight, but he d forced her silence. There d been too many of the hunters. Hidden and powerless, they d heard everything, every brutal moment. The same helplessness she d felt in that dark space consumed her.
Are you hurt or in danger? Eli always got straight to the point.
She rolled on the bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. No. I think I drank too much. It messed up my head with memories of Amber and my parents. That day. Now you
Grab some water, baby. I ll be there in a minute.
No. I m not supposed- No use. He d hung up.
Knock knock.
She hugged the pillow tighter and stared at the door. Shouldn t answer. Wanted to answer.
Pound. Pound.
The world wobbled a bit as she stood. Tipsy. Meant her judgment wasn t anywhere close to 100 percent, a bad state if Eli was Eli. What if it wasn t Eli when she answered the door? What if it was?
Pound. Pound.
Avery, I know you re in there. Open up. Eli s voice came through the door. I m worried about you.
I m not supposed to see you. They ordered me not to because you re not right.
Cast a protective spell. Then let me in.
Slowly, she intoned the long version of the protective spell:
The breath of light
And light of my mind
Creates an enchantment
Of protection and comfort.
As the air I breathe is purified
I surround myself with an orb of gold.
This golden haze is constantly purified
And separated from any evils.
May my space be protected.
She cracked the door.
I brought water. Her held a glass out to her. His eyes were warm, earnest. The draw toward him was powerful, and that might be her only way to judge this to be the Eli she wanted. The one she loved.
She accepted the glass and sipped. The cool water trickled down her throat and lodged in her stomach. Water sloshed in the glass.
She glanced up sharply. Did you poison this?
No.
She swirled the water in the glass.
I swear I didn t, Avery.
You drink the rest of it, then. She handed the glass back through the cracked open door.
He chugged the water. Happy?
After a few seconds of her glaring he cleared his throat. Uh, mind if I come in out of the hall?
I guess you re you. She opened the door wide and wandered back toward the bed.
The door shut with a slam. Eli s presence inched closer and closer, his breath almost erratic and heavy.
She looked him up and down. His long legs encased in jeans with a dark shirt across the muscles of his chest, thick and strong. Simple but sexy.
The breeze of the fan ignited goose bumps on her skin. She was more than aware of the carnal way he casually licked his lips and the hungry spark in his eyes.
Cue the wave of heat scorching down her abdomen straight between her legs. Hot and tingly. She ached for his touch.
TV? he asked.
What? Not what she expected to come out of his mouth. A suggestion of naked on the bed or in the shower, perhaps. A proposition she d have to say no to, but it deserved consideration for one last hurrah before he ended up permanently possessed.
But TV?
He picked up the remote and clicked through a few stations. How about the Deadliest Catch? Looks like a rerun.
I saw this one. Hands on hips she blocked his view of the screen. What the hell is going on with you?
He slouched on the sofa and patted the spot next to her. Like old times when you called. We ll veg. Think about what s real.
I don t want to veg with all that s going on. I want it straight from you.
Fiery blue eyes popped up to hers. You want it straight? Fine. I ve got some sort of fucking evil spirit in my head trying to mind meld me. No, I think it doesn t want to meld. It wants to take over and get rid of me. The only thing that keeps her-and, yes, it s a she-from total control is you. Something about you keeps her at bay. I don t how long before she ll bust through even this barrier. I don t know how to get rid of it. I don t know if I m going to go total psycho at any moment. Right now, I m good, but if I say run away, I mean it. That straight enough for you?
Better. She sat next to him and set her cell phone on the side table. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. For endless minutes they watched in silence.
Relaxation didn t come for her. Everything about this was temporary. What if he flipped while she was next to him? Exit strategies flashed through her mind. Through her terror, she whispered, I don t want to lose you.
I don t know what s going to happen. Eli shifted to find a more comfortable spot.
If we get through this-
We will. I will, he interrupted. We have to.
Matt wants you to come home. He cares about you. We all do. Your home is here or wherever we are. She gazed up at him, tears in her eyes. I want this you. But I want it all the time or any time I want.
Me, too.
What happened in Paris? She fiddled with the edge of the sofa armrest.
Something that makes me want to come home. He pulled her tighter against him. Why were you thinking about that day your family got killed?
I loved them and they got taken away. Now you re getting taken away. She might as well have posted her love on a neon sign.
I have to tell you something. It s burned a hole in me since that day we hid. Right when the witch hunters began their attack, your father ordered me to leave the fight. He wanted me to save his daughter. I did. He met her gaze. I think he meant for me to save Amber. She was the next in line to get the powers, the one I was vowed to protect with my life. I didn t even think when I grabbed you and forced you to safety. The thing is, even if I had realized what he d been asking-to save Amber-I still would ve chosen you. He pushed a strand of hair off her face. I already let your family down once. I won t do it again. I promise.
She rested her head on his chest. You ve never let me down. You ve said some dumbass things, hurtful things sometimes, but you ve always been there for me.
He pulled his hand from around her and lifted her off his chest to lean forward. With his elbows on his thighs, he massaged his head. Hurts.
You good? She scooted a bit away from him.
He glanced up, his eyes still warm but reddened. What if I said the spell gave us an excuse to do what we d always wanted? Maybe when your mom read the cards she meant you.
Oh, my.
That was her heart doing summersaults inside her chest. If they were destined to be together for the rest of their lives it made all the feelings and longings legit. There wasn t a spell. Shannon lied.
No spell?
She shook her head. Do you love me, Eli?
I don t know if I d recognize love, but you re the one in my soul. You re the one saving me right now. You have my soul. He lifted the amulet around her neck, put it back, and patted it against her chest. I haven t got a lot of time, Avery. I don t know what Merck can do, but I m thinking he better do it fast.
Let me text him. She sent a quick message. Nothing dinged back right away. Her gaze lingered on his face while waiting. His look stirred her longing to belong to someone, but not just any someone. Him.
He stared at her lips as she moistened them. His mouth parted. The fullness of his lips, the definition.
This wasn t a kissing moment. No kissing. You chased after my sister.
Chased? Never. We were coincidentally together a lot of time. Everyone believed your sister and I were a thing except us. He cast her a wry smile and softly added, Nothing like Paris ever happened. Your father made me vow to stay away from you, you know. He was determined Amber and I give each other a shot. I never wanted Amber. For you, though, I broke my vow to your father and to my responsibility as a Sentry druid because I couldn t ignore this anymore.
Eli s hands cupped her face and tilted it up for his kiss. This is what I want. You.
She should push him away but couldn t make herself do it. Her mouth opened in wanton invitation when he quested for it. His tongue flicked inside, teasing and tasting as his hands traveled down her body. Avery s blood seemed to thicken. She leaned into him as the only solid thing in the rushing vortex of sensation he sparked in her.
Suddenly, he wasn t at her mouth. He wasn t pushing this where she needed it to go. He kissed her forehead and turned to gaze at the TV, the profile of his face so rugged and strong. You have a good life here, Avery, a happy life without me in it. The idea of leaving you alone, of never kissing you again hurts more than any other pain I ve ever felt. Eli gazed her. His long fingers caressed the side of her face. So much longing. His hand dropped away. This feeling is fleeting. This isn t real, especially if there wasn t a spell. You need to let all of it go. Let me go.
What? That s not what you just said. The gods are giving us a chance, aren t they?
He shrugged. Unhelpful. Noncommittal.
Holy crap. After all that he was pushing her away?
No. I don t buy it. The hurt almost doubled her over. She shook her head. He was pushing her away on purpose. He wanted to her to get angry. This had to be his attempt to keep her safe.
His hand shook as he massaged his forehead again. He moved to the far edge of the sofa away from her. All tremors left his hand. He slouched back against the sofa.
You better? she asked.
Yeah. It went away, finally. He touched the back of her neck, a delicate swipe of his fingers that sent a chill, but not one of desire. This was the repulsion she felt with the other druids when they touched her.
He cocked his head. A half smile tilted his lips. You like that, darling?
She jumped off the couch with a mid-air turn that didn t work out. Her butt hit the floor. With a scramble, she got to her feet.
Between the cocky smirk and dullness of his eyes, Eli wasn t running the show anymore.
She muttered another protective spell, although wondered if the protective spells would be effective against this demon. Her heart pounded so hard she felt dizzy, but adrenaline kept her alert.
Eli? I really need you right now. Slowly, she backed toward the door.
He touched his chest and in a high sing-song voice said, Eli, Eli His tone lowered an octave. There s no Eli here. He let you go, which means I win.
He lunged for her, snagging her arm. She yanked away with a self-defense move she d learned long ago from her father. Arm free, she sprinted for the door.
Suddenly, Avery s air was gone. Eli s large hands trapped her in a tight chokehold from behind that had her clawing and gasping for breath. Whatever gave them a powerful connection before had been severed.
He said in a bored tone, You, my dear, are a problem. One I must take care of.
Avery scratched at the fingers around her neck. No use. She head-butted him.
He released her with a howl to grab his nose.
She realized she was free and gasping for air, not running like she should be. She resumed her scramble for the door.
He caught her again, this time putting her in a headlock. Calm down.
Above her, the florescent light blurred as pressure increased on her windpipe . The moment she felt the pain around her neck and lightheadedness was too intense to equate with survival, the pressure lessened.
That s it, he said, smoothing her hair as if she was a dog. He released the headlock to rotate her.
She panted for air.
Why do you want Eli? It came out raspy and barely intelligible.
I didn t care who I got, although I would ve preferred a woman s body. I needed someone who could get me close to that asshole Merck and his bride. I ll murder her while he watches. Can t wait to see him suffer like he made me suffer.
He put a hand on either side of her face and began chanting. The language sounded old, Eastern European perhaps, not that it mattered. A slithery aura surrounded her, fought to overtake her, and kept her immobile.
Your soul will be mine. Eli leaned in and began inhaling deeply right in front of her mouth.
No longer did Eli stand before her. His image completely disappeared. In his stead stood a female whose blonde hair had the texture of yarn. Gray, elephant-like skin sank between her bones. She had stud piercings everywhere-face, neck, shoulders, down her arms. Pale, almost white eyes held hers as she battled to keep her soul.
Her mind connected with the entity attempting to steal her lifeforce. The images crowding her brain were pictures of those who d lost their souls before her, the long ago tormented and deceased. They were the victims of a necromancer.
Not a necromancer, my dear. The necromancer. Come to me, she coaxed.
No.
The creature lifted Avery s wrist. With a disgusted hiss she attempted to remove the bracelet Merck had given her, but touching the talisman burned the evil spirit s skin. So be it. Death, it is, then. She resumed choking Avery.
Suddenly, Eli s image was back, and the necromancer was gone. He pushed Avery away with such strength she slammed into the wall and slid down to a butt sit. Her shoulder throbbed.
Jump, wheezed Eli as his body fell to all fours. His face contorted as if about to seize. Go. Can t hold
Eli rose above her, but no longer Eli. Now it ends.