28. Chapter 28
Wyatt
N othing made sense, the world seemed to fly by in fast colors. No picture could be made out to the human eye as voices and images came in and out of focus. Bright lights filled his vision and two blurs of bodies quickly took shape. One was of a woman he recognized as Eloise Miller but younger version, no older than thirty. The second was a child with midnight hair and bright purple eyes beside her while she pulled at her jacket’s sleeve. They were outside, dusk ticked closer as the sun fell in the sky.
“Eden Miller, this is an order, you don’t get to disappoint this family do you understand me?” The woman with a familiar voice rang out clearly and another voice could be heard but only a silhouette could be seen. “Give her a second.”
Eloise’s blurred figure turned around to the voice. “No. You and I both know in order to survive we must eliminate; we must act first before they do.”
Who the blurry figure was, Wyatt didn’t know at first, but his attention was brought back to a young and tear stained Eden. She couldn’t have been much older than eleven-twelve but looked more mature and tired than an eleven-year-old should have been.
Eden’s bottom lip trembled as she spoke and her voice was pleading, begging to get out of this situation to be anywhere but right here. “W-What if he is innocent? We don’t know for sure that they are all bad, what if there is some good in him? I don’t want to kill anyone.”
As Eden attempted to calm herself, a cold nail on a chalkboard growl could be heard from the older woman. Her patience had been reached and now she was pissed. Eloise walked up to Eden, Eloise raised her hand and swung so quickly that the only thing that could be seen or heard was air and skin-on-skin contact. Eden’s body hit the cold and damp ground.
“Do not test my patience again little girl, I am doing what is best for you, hell what is best for us! Why can’t you just do what is asked of you?”
She rubbed her hands together to stop the sting from the slap as the child sat back up and brought her hand to her cheek. When Eden pulled her hand down, her amethyst eyes slowly fell to meet what looked to be blood from a busted lip.
“And please stop crying, emotions are a weakness we can’t afford to possess.” Eloise crooned
Smoke filled the air, while their bodies evaporated into thin air as his eyes flew open. He jerked out of bed and Wyatt’s breath came out in heavy bursts as sweat fell from his collar bones. As the rise and fall of his chest slowed over the next few minutes, he ran a hand through his hair. His entire body was covered in sweat and he shivered from the coolness of his room and the memory of his nightmare. The demon slung his legs over the edge of the bed and firmly placed his feet on the cold hardwood. His heart sank as he realized that this wasn’t a dream. It was a memory, her memory.
Five days. It had been five days since he had heard from or seen Eden in class. Every message sent was left on delivered which caused the knot in his chest to sink further and further with each day. Even if she was sick, she’d have to wake up at some point? He stared at his empty phone screen while music played over the speaker on his nightstand. Lost in thought, he peered over to the small, tightly wrapped box beside his speaker in waiting for Eden to open. His thoughts wandered which drowned out the bass from beside him as her violet eyes came to his mind. For only a few seconds he allowed himself to consider the possibility that she suddenly wanted nothing to do with him or even had skipped town for some reason. She wouldn’t have just up and left… Eden was there at the pub and she made sure I knew.
Wyatt ran through the possibilities and opened the last text sent by her as he had done dozens of times over the last few days. I was here. Tell Bas. He had done exactly as she asked and tracked her cousin down and on the grounds that night. It had proven more difficult than he would have preferred at the moment. When he had finally found Corvus and Bastien out at Club Crossroad he had been desperate to know if Eden was okay.
The memory replayed in his mind’s eye. He had all but run to the two at the table and showed Bastien the text. The worried look on Bastien’s face and his silence as he stared at the screen haunted his sleepless nights. He had quickly demanded to know what it had meant but the elf had tried to play it off. After a few choice words he was shut down by a very insistent Bastien.
Suddenly the music stopped and the room went eerily silent. As he returned from his memory. Wyatt frowned and tapped his phone to attempt to start it again but found the touch screen didn’t work. He quickly sat up on his bed and jumped when he was met with a familiar man in a charcoal suit who now sat at his desk. His purple button-up stood out against the black fabric and silver tie he wore practically every time he had seen the god. The moth on his chest opened and closed its wings calmly as the man smiled at him.
“Damnit Xemos, haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Wyatt clenched his jaw, frustrated at the timing of the god’s appearance.
“Why? You weren’t doing anything.” The tall man folded his hands in his lap.
“What do you want? I wasn’t doing nothing, I have things to figure out and someone to find. Besides, last time I checked you and I should have stayed strangers.”
“Do you really believe I want to be here right now? As I understand you’ve gotten involved with one of my devotees, Curse Bringer?”
He flinched at his old nickname, Wyatt’s body tensed and his eyes widened as Xemos brought up Eden. His mind reeled and his jaw dropped as he pictured her in an attempt to remember if she had the same silver markings he had seen on Lennox over the years. His eyebrows came together as he realized since it was winter, she always wore long sleeves and he hadn’t seen her bare arms. Shit, if he’s lying just to mess with me… But if she really is, he’ll know she’s missing. He decided to keep her disappearance to himself for a moment and crossed his arms over his chest.
“What the hell did you just say?”
“You, Curse Bringer, have gotten yourself in with one of mine. Isn’t that ironic? Haven’t you noticed the silver markings on her arms? Though- maybe you didn’t, they are relatively new. I thought you out of anyone would notice first. Though that would be pretty tough when she disappears for almost a week.”
“I suggest you shut up now, or I will rip your throat out with my teeth Xemos. I don’t have to play nice and you know I won’t if it comes to it.”
“What bothers you more? That she’s missing and I know exactly where she is or that she said yes to me before you?” He asked and leaned forward in his chair.
Before his mind could process it, Wyatt’s feet started to carry him forward. All he saw was red in the corners of his vision and it was as if he had been removed from his body which left him with absolutely no control over his actions while he was forced to watch. He crossed the short distance and in a stupid move gripped god’s shoulder tightly. The smell of spearmint, leather, and sea salt filled the room.
Deep down he knew the man in front of him could take him down. They had only come to blows once over the centuries when Xemos had almost killed him for the curse on the Cade family. The two rivals glared daggers into each other’s eyes as sparks formed in his. His anger and fear for Eden’s life caused his magic to boil to the surface.
“You better tell me where she is right now or so help me Lucifer I will kill you. This better not be a joke.”
“If I tell you immediately you will go running off- I have a deal for you. No jokes, no lies. Not today from either of us.” Xemos gripped his wrist and forced his hand down while he moved to stand.
Quickly, Wyatt applied enough pressure to cause the man to sit back in the chair. A moment of pause fell between them as his eyes darted between his overzealous action and his trapped wrist. This time the dark-haired man rose once more and stood to meet Wyatt face-to-face at his full height now a few inches taller than him.
He lifted his chin up defiantly, Wyatt ripped his hand from his grip. With a breath he took a step back to prevent himself from any more drastic choices . For Eden. He gathered himself and narrowed his eyes back to Xemos.
“You have 30 minutes.” He spoke calmly for the first time since his appearance.
“Fine then, right into it. Eden Miller’s life changed course when Eloise adopted her. Since she’s gotten darker falling into the trap of duty instilled in her. That is until this year. She’s starting to question everything she knows and has come to me for guidance. You, unfortunately, are the key. In time, she will either have to open herself completely to you and your friends or continue down the path her family has put her on. In order to help her, I’d like to give you an advantage. No devotion, just a promise to keep her safe.”
“Don’t you think that's what I was already trying to do? Where were you when Nick was cornering her?” Wyatt challenged.
“I was there, you were also there.” He pointed out. “There wasn’t a need for me to make an appearance.”
“Wait, I’m sorry I must stop you for a moment. I am a Crossroads Demon and Curse Maker am I not? How am I the key?”
“When you released that curse on the Cade line you bound yourself to them.”
Wyatt paused and ran a hand through his hair as the words hit him. If his heart beat, it would have stopped then and there. Eden is a Cade? Eden- Eden is Gemma. I’m dating my best friend’s daughter? Guilt found its way to his chest as he remembered the night Lennox had shared her past with him for the first time. When they finally became friends after years of anger at the other. She had said the curse was the entire reason she left Gemma to make the deal that eventually killed her.
He clenched his hands into fists, he felt his nails dig into his palms as he did his best to keep his composure. Everything in Wyatt froze as he blinked and stared at Xemos. Lennox had always spoken of Gemma but she had been human at the time. Neither of them had seemed to consider the possibility that somehow the girl would find her way here. The curse had never allowed more than one girl to be born at a time leaving no siblings. No other possibilities. This curse had haunted him almost as deeply as it had the family.
His eyes slammed shut, guilt grew in his stomach like lava. He often thought about the consequences of his drunken night, mothers lost loved ones, daughters lost mothers, and homes ripped apart from the seams. It had all stopped with Lennox but at a heavy price. How they managed to make it through after all that still to this day tugged at him.
He turned his gaze from Xemos and fixed his eyes on the wall of photos above his desk. He didn’t understand how he didn’t make the connection before as he looked at the photos from his and Eden’s date and photos of Lennox he had taken over the years. The two had the same facial structure and bright purple eyes, the similarities had been distorted slightly but it was still there and now that he knew it was clear as day.
Lennox had always explained they had gone from a steel blue to purple after her devotion to the god in front of him and realized it must have passed with the magic Xemos offered. Wyatt crossed his arms, she had forgiven him a long time ago for his stupid mistake, and Aron… well he had helped Wyatt turn into the man he was today. He had shown him humanity, he had learned the ways of right and wrong, and how to ask for help and forgiveness. As hard as it was, he decided it was best to put this new information aside for the time being and finally moved to face Xemos once more. His face hardened as he asked the one question he needed an answer to.
“Where is she?”
“She’s safe at the Miller Family home.” Xemos answered.
Without another word, he turned and started to make his way to his door. However, before he got more than a few steps a hand grasped his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. Wyatt’s head snapped back in his direction and this time sparks snapped between his fingers as a warning. The look on Xemos’s face hardened.
“You’re forgetting my deal. I still have twenty-five minutes.”
“You have as long as I stick around. I’m off to go bust down the Miller’s door to make sure she’s okay.” Venom leaked into his voice.
“If you go you’ll never know what I have to offer. Eloise is dangerous, Mr. Steele. I will strengthen your magic to help you get her back. You’re going to need it.” A smirk crossed Xemos’s face.
“Anything to keep her safe.”
The god let his hand slide from Wyatt’s shoulder down to his shoulder blades the moment he agreed. His eyes turned the same purple as the girls as a sharp sensation dug against his back and into his skin. The feeling of electricity buzzed through his veins in retaliation as the glowing thread of magic within the demon was taken from him and stardust trailed its way the opposite direction and forced its way in. Wyatt had no idea how much time had passed. Finally the fire in his back dimmed and the pressure of Xemos’s hand slipped away.
A second of silence followed as the magic settled. Xemos took a few steps back and Wyatt straightened. It took an additional few minutes for him to catch his breath. His eyes met the man’s gaze where there was a look of satisfaction. He said nothing as he stepped further away and extended his arm toward the door in dismissal. Wyatt followed his hand and peered over to the door. Quickly, he started to walk toward it again before he stopped with his hand on the doorknob.
“Something I never thought I’d say to you…. Thank you, Xemos.”
“Don’t mention it, Curse Bringer.”
“Don’t mention that… That’s a part of me that I want to keep from the public eye Xemos, do you understand me? Eden Miller is to never know of the past. Only four people know and I tend to keep it that way. They respect my decision to forget that portion of my life.” His eyes hardened, and his mind flashed back to a demon he had long forgotten and would often go out of his way to avoid.
With a nod of confirmation, Xemos faded away from his room in a swarm of moths that had disappeared in seconds. He turned the knob and swiftly made his way down and to the left of campus. Within a few minutes, he was pulling open the garage door and starting his motorcycle. With a loud roar, it thundered to life as he pulled away.
“Let’s go Sydney, we’ve got a princess to save.”