31. Evelyn
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
EVELYN
I reclined on the massive plush bed in the penthouse’s master bedroom, the silk sheets cool against my skin. The opulence of the room was undeniable, gold accents on the furniture, a crystal chandelier, and a view of the city lights twinkling below. I was reluctantly impressed by the space.
“Swanky,” I trailed my fingers along the embroidered duvet. At least they had taste. But the grandeur did little to lift the heaviness in my chest. My decision to leave the convent pressed down on me, a reminder of the life I had walked away from.
I spiraled internally as I lay there, staring at the ceiling. With any change comes loss, I reasoned, but that didn’t make the grief any easier to bear. I had left behind my faith, my vows, and the only family I had known since adulthood. A pang of doubt clawed at me. What if I had made a terrible mistake?
At the same time, something deep inside me said this was the right thing to do, familiar, even. It was as if a part of me had always known I belonged here, with them.
I began piecing together my interactions with the demons. Aziz’s cocky charm, Levi’s protectiveness, Ian’s quieter, intense focus, all of them seemed tethered to me in ways I didn’t fully understand.
The thought gave me a sense of control, relaxing tight muscles in my neck and shoulders. They were demons, but they weren’t immune to emotion. The realization sparked an idea. If they were growing attached to me, perhaps I could use that to my advantage. Manipulating demons was dangerous, but I was willing to try.
Determined to access the surfacing memories, I decided to meditate again and see if I remembered anything more. Sitting cross-legged on the plush carpet, I rested my hands on my knees and closed my eyes. I tried to focus on the distant hum of the city.
But my thoughts refused to quiet, circling back to the glimpses of memory I’d already seen. They taunted me—visions of myself standing tall in the Garden, a fierce strength radiating from me. I was a woman unbroken.
I tried harder to grasp the fleeting images, to bring them into focus. Suddenly, a searing pain spiked through my skull. I gasped, clutching my head as the ache spread, sharp and unrelenting. It was like my psyche was rebelling against me.
Stumbling to my feet, I made my way to the living room where the demons lounged. Ian was draped across an armchair, all long limbs and dark allure.
“Ian,” I managed weakly, bracing myself against the doorframe. God, even forming words hurt. “Please tell me you have some ibuprofen or Excedrin around here. My head is killing me.”
Surprise flickered across Ian’s angular face, but he rose from the loveseat in one fluid motion, his golden eyes narrowing. I wasn’t sure if that was concern or suspicion in his gaze. With him, it was often hard to tell.
“I’ll check the bathroom,” he said, brushing past me. The scent of leather and spice teased my nostrils, and I swallowed thickly. Even half-blinded by pain, his presence still made my pulse stutter. I needed to get a grip.
As I sank into the armchair Ian had vacated, I silently prayed that he’d find some kind of magical demon painkiller. Because if my skull kept feeling like it was about to explode, I’d be useless to uncover anything. And I refused to let a little headache stop me from finding the truth about my past.
No matter how much it hurt.
Levi’s hands settled on my shoulders, his touch gentle but firm. “Let me help.”
The sound of his voice was a soothing rumble, and I found myself obeying without protest.
As he stood behind me, his fingers began kneading the tense muscles at the base of my neck and along my scalp. Each touch sent a ripple of relief through my body, slowly easing the vise-like grip the pain had on my head. I’d never realized how skilled Levi was with his hands. Yet another traitorous part of myself wondered what else he could do with them.
Aziz’s deep chuckle pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts. “Hang on, I read something about this on social media.” He unfolded himself from the couch, his movements graceful despite his muscular frame.
I watched through hazy vision as he disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a basin of steaming water. The heat wafted up, caressing my face as he knelt before me.
“Put your feet in,” Aziz instructed, setting the basin on the floor. “It’ll draw the blood away from your head.”
I eyed the water dubiously. Tendrils of steam curled up from the surface, and I could feel the heat from where I sat. “Are you trying to boil me alive?”
Aziz’s full lips quirked in a charming curve. “Trust me, it works.”
Gingerly, I slipped my feet into the basin, wincing as the hot water engulfed my skin. It bordered on unbearable, but as I forced myself to remain still, the heat slowly morphed into a pleasant, tingling warmth. Aziz was right. I could feel the throbbing in my temples begin to recede.
Perhaps demons did know a thing or two about human healing after all.
Ian returned then, a handful of pills cupped in his palm. He extended his hand, offering me a small, white tablet. “Here, take this. Don’t ask questions.”
I narrowed my gaze at the mysterious pill, suspicion warring with desperation inside me. I knew I should probably question a demon giving me unknown drugs, but the relentless pounding in my skull made the decision for me.
Snatching the pill from Ian’s hand, I swallowed it down with a sip of water before I could second guess myself. As I leaned back into Levi’s touch, I sent up a silent prayer that whatever they’d given me would dull the pain without any infernal side effects.
But then again, didn’t the bible teach that making a deal with demons was always a gamble? I just hoped this time, the odds would be in my favor.
The darkness crept in slowly, bleeding into the edges of my vision like spilled ink. I blinked hard, trying to clear the fogginess, but it only seemed to make it worse. The room began to tilt and sway, the demons’ faces blurring into indistinct smears of color.
“I don’t think this is...” I started to say, my tongue heavy and uncooperative in my mouth. The words trailed off, lost to the encroaching shadows that pulled me under.
I was falling, tumbling down into a void that had no end. Distantly, I heard the low rumble of voices, felt hands grasping at me, but I couldn’t respond. My body was no longer my own, disconnected from my consciousness that drifted aimlessly in the black.
Time lost all meaning in this place. Seconds, minutes, hours—they all blended together until I couldn’t tell if I’d been here for an eternity or mere moments. The only constant was the darkness, thick and suffocating, pressing down on me from all sides.
And then, like a strike of lightning piercing the night, images began to flash behind my closed eyelids. Fragmented scenes, disjointed and confusing, played out in rapid succession.
I saw myself, but not as I was now. This version of me was different, ancient and strong, with a fierce light blazing in my eyes. I stood tall and proud, unbowed by the weight of the world on my shoulders.
The visions shifted, and suddenly I was in a garden, lush and verdant. A sense of peace washed over me, a bone-deep certainty that this was where I belonged. But as quickly as it came, the serenity shattered, replaced by a searing pain that ripped through my very being.
I tried to cry out, but no sound escaped my lips. I was trapped, a prisoner in my own head as the memories assaulted me, each one more vivid and agonizing than the last.
Through it all, one thought crystallized with startling clarity, these were no mere dreams or hallucinations. They were real, as real as the demons who watched over me now.
I didn’t know what it all meant, but I knew one thing for certain. My past, my true identity, was intricately tied to the beings who had taken me in.
And I wouldn’t rest until I uncovered the truth, no matter the cost. No matter the pain.