Chapter 18 Aurelie #2
Now he’d gone too far. “Yes. How fortunate that my parents died in an accident,” she said through gritted teeth. “They were
so badly mangled I wasn’t allowed to view their bodies, but I suppose that’s a blessing, too.”
There was a long, awkward silence, and then Daisy slapped her hand on the table, startling Aurelie and Des. “There has been
one bit of good news! Des is getting a promotion next week,” she said, nudging him with her elbow. “You’re looking at Lieutenant
Commander Whitlow. Or you will be, soon.”
“Congratulations,” Aurelie said stiffly. What was he doing here? She was certain he hadn’t come for the hot chocolate or the company. Was this his excuse to check up on her, or was
he intending to arrest her here, tonight? If so, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. Or at least a very long-winded speech.
He grunted what she supposed was meant to be a thank-you. Fortunately, the waiter arrived then with their order, and soon
Daisy was telling them excitedly about the hot chocolate, and Des and Aurelie found there was no need for either of them to
speak.
Several times, while Daisy chattered on about her cousin and her children and how she’d be going to live with them next year,
Aurelie glanced at Des to find him watching her. The first two times, she looked away immediately, her cheeks reddening. But
the third time, she forced herself to meet his gaze.
This time, he looked away first, brow furrowed, and stared into the dregs of his hot chocolate.
Aurelie smiled as though she’d won a battle, though she wasn’t exactly sure what she’d gained.
At least if he planned to arrest her, she’d gotten to drink her hot chocolate, which was admittedly delicious.
When they were finished, Aurelie reached for her purse to pay. She flinched when Des placed his hand over hers, just for a
moment.
“I’ll get this,” he said. “No one should be responsible for Daisy’s insatiable sugar addiction.”
“But I invited her,” Aurelie protested, her hand aflame where he’d touched her. Who was this Des? she wondered. The first
few times she’d encountered him, she’d thought him as one-dimensional as a blank sheet of paper. But each meeting revealed
that there was more to him than she’d originally given him credit for.
“There’s no use arguing,” Daisy said, already standing and pulling on her gray Iron Guard peacoat. “Des always insists.”
“She’s right,” Des said with a shrug, pulling on the same coat, albeit considerably larger. “There’s no use arguing.”
Aurelie followed them outside, feeling more than a little unhinged. It was probably all the sugar, she told herself. Perhaps
the cold air would help clear her head. The streets had emptied out a bit by now, and she was looking forward to getting back
to her laboratory. She had more runes to interpret, which was proving challenging. Professor Sheldrake had been impressed
with her progress, but Aurelie had never felt so lost in a subject. Fortunately, engraving the runes was the final task, so
she had time yet.
Aurelie sighed, ready to be on her way. “It was nice seeing you, Daisy. And thank you again for the hot chocolate, Des.” She wasn’t entirely sure how she’d gone from vowing to despise this man until the end of time to thanking him, but here they were.
“We’ll walk you back,” Daisy said, already linking arms with Aurelie. “And again, there’s no use arguing,” she said out of
the corner of her mouth. “Des will insist.”
“I will,” he agreed from behind them.
Aurelie rolled her eyes but acquiesced. Perhaps he’d wait till she was back at campus to arrest her. She almost wished Daisy
would leave them alone so she could confront him directly. At the same time, the thought of being alone with him again terrified
her, given how absurdly she’d behaved the last time.
“How have things been on the demon front?” Aurelie asked. The gates loomed up ahead, representing safety in more ways than
Aurelie could count. “Quieter?”
“Much,” Des answered from behind her. “I assume that has nothing to do with you staying behind the gates of late.”
She turned to scowl at him, and just as she was about to turn back, she caught a flash of red eyes in the dark.
Aurelie didn’t have time to scream or even think. Instinct kicked in, her hand reaching into her pocket for her iron blade
as she placed herself squarely between Des and the demon.
“Aurelie, what are you—” Des cut himself off when he saw the creature for himself. It was a natia, crouching in the snow not twenty feet away.
From the corner of her eye, Aurelie saw Des reach for his sword, realize he didn’t have it, and swear before pulling his own
blade from his coat. “What the hell is going on?” he asked as he stepped in front of her, much to her annoyance.
“You tell me,” Aurelie said, peeking out from behind Des. The demon was a boy, about seven years old, with dark hair and skin so pale it seemed to glow in the darkness. She knew natia were hungry, but to attempt to take on three adults was brazen in the extreme.
Daisy had deliberately separated herself from Aurelie and Des, hoping to draw the demon’s attention, but it was focused squarely
on Aurelie. She could feel its eyes tracking her, the pointed red gaze impossible to read. For a moment, she had the terrible
thought that it might attempt to speak to her.
“Aurelie, get behind the gates,” Des hissed, his stance low and wide. He was preparing to attack.
Normally, Aurelie would have argued for the sake of it, but something about this demon, the first natia she’d ever encountered, was frightening in a way the somnia hadn’t been. Demons should look like monsters, not this eerie approximation of human children. And with those red eyes fixed
on her right now, there was nothing she wanted more than to be behind the safety of iron. She turned and sprinted for the
gates.
She screamed as a different natia leapt into her path, a girl that looked quite similar to the boy. Twins, perhaps. She heard Daisy call her name, but she
didn’t have time to respond before the girl came for her, her sharp teeth bared behind her curled, snarling lips.
Aurelie was suddenly grateful for all her prior interactions with demons. Without them, she might not have anticipated how
fast demons were. But all she needed was one cut. She ducked left, the demon missing her by inches, and whirled. Somewhere
behind her she could hear Des and Daisy struggling with the boy, but she couldn’t afford to be distracted.
The girl leapt at her again, and Aurelie struck out with her blade, narrowly missing the demon’s shoulder. It seemed to rattle her, because she paused for a moment, head cocked to the side.
A soft, oddly resonant voice in her head said, It’s you.
And then something slammed into Aurelie, sending her sprawling into the snow.
Aurelie couldn’t breathe, and for a moment she was afraid she’d been attacked by some other unseen demon. She struggled to
lift her knife and found her hands pinned at her sides. “Get off of me!” she screamed. Or tried to. Her lungs were being crushed
under the weight of—
She opened her eyes to see Des looking down at her, seemingly as stunned as she was. His wide eyes were just inches from hers,
and the fear she saw in them was almost as shocking as the feeling of his weight on top of her. She was fortunate she was
on snow and had sunk down a couple of inches, or she might have been flattened.
For a moment, time stretched into something endless. Des’s eyes roamed her face, though she had no idea what he was searching
for.
“I’m all right,” she whispered finally, and he scrambled off of her, lifting her to her feet before she could process what
had happened.
“The girl is dead,” Daisy panted behind them. “The boy got away.”
She was speaking to Des, but he was still focused on Aurelie, his hands on her shoulders, his eyes scanning her body as though
he couldn’t believe she was in one piece. She still held her iron blade in her right hand, though it hung limp at her side.
It was a wonder she could even stand.
“I’m all right,” she repeated, and that seemed to bring him back to himself.
“What the hell just happened?” he asked no one in particular, running his free hand through his hair.
Aurelie took a deep, shuddering breath. “I believe they were twins. They looked very similar, and it would explain them appearing
in the same place at the same time.”
Daisy nodded. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” she said, patting Des on the shoulder. “I was afraid the giant here had squished
you.”
“That would have been quite the headline,” Aurelie said with a surprised laugh. “ ‘Destroyer Whitlow Crushes University Student
to Death.’ ”
Daisy let out her own puff of laughter. “Destroyer?”
Aurelie shrugged. “It fits.”
Des shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s a play on Destrier,” Aurelie replied.
His eyes hooded in annoyance. “Thank you, Aurelie. I understand the play on words. I meant the demons. They attacked simultaneously.
I’ve never seen two demons coordinate an attack before.”
“The connection between twins is extremely strong,” Aurelie explained, sheathing her blade and starting for the gates. She
hoped her knees wouldn’t give out before she reached them.
“But to take on three adults like that?” Daisy shook her head in a similar disbelieving manner to Des. “We should get back
and tell Commander Yew. Someone needs to track the male.”
“Redding and Bowie are on duty tonight,” Des said. “I’ll find them.”
Aurelie fumbled for her key in her collar with shaking fingers. All she wanted was to get to her lab and change into her softest
nightgown and go to sleep. The runes could wait till morning.
“No,” Daisy said. “We’re going back, Des. We’re not properly armed. If Aurelie hadn’t had her own blade to defend herself . . .” She trailed off, and suddenly both Des and Daisy were staring at Aurelie in a way she didn’t care for at all.
“What?” she asked. “The guard gave it to me. He thought it would be a good idea for when I leave campus, after the attack
last month.” It was a good lie, all things considered. Aurelie was rather proud of it.
“Whitlow? Shaw?” A pair of guards was coming toward them from across the street. “What are you doing out here?”
“I’ll explain,” Daisy said, sharing a look with Des.
Dash it. Aurelie finally fished her key out from her collar and held it aloft. “I should get back. It’s late and I have more studying
tonight.”
“Not so fast,” Des said, stepping between her and the gate. “You’re telling me you just got that blade tonight?”
“Yes . . .”
“And you’re that comfortable wielding it.”
“It’s not that hard,” Aurelie said with feigned offense, skirting around him. “Handle in hand, pointy end in demon.”
His eyebrows lowered in what Aurelie now knew was not a good sign. “Aurelie.”
“Des.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
She turned away from him, inserting her key in the lock. “I’ve told you everything. Go home.” She gasped when he slammed his
hand against the gate, holding it closed.
“Aurelie.”
She groaned and turned back to him, once again finding herself caged by him. She could easily duck under his arm and leave, but considering the gate was behind her, that wouldn’t get her any closer to her lab. “What do you want, Des?”
“I know you know I took the drawing.”
She sighed in annoyance. “Of course I know.”
He leaned closer. “I know you wrote that letter to Daisy to get to me.”
She shrugged. “That was merely an added bonus.”
He placed his other hand against the gate, right next to her head. “Where did you learn how to fight a demon, Aurelie? What
are you doing in that building?” He jerked his head toward Easton Hall. “Why are demons following you around Wisteria?”
“I don’t know!” She hadn’t meant to lose her temper, but she was cornered and tired, and without adrenaline coursing through
her anymore, she was afraid she might actually collapse. She was leaning heavily against the gate now, the iron bars pressing
into her spine. She shivered as the snow that had made its way inside her collar melted down her back.
The truth was, demons were following her. There was no denying it. No denying that the somnia had spoken to her before, that the demon tonight had, too. No denying that she was in completely over her head.
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her vision tunneling.
Des’s furrowed brow was the last thing she saw before she fainted.