Chapter 15 You Terrify Me
Chapter Fifteen
You Terrify me
NORA
I take a step forward, eyes wide and voice unsteady. “Ere?”
He screams, the sound pained and hopeless and absolutely terrified. My heart shatters.
“Ere! Where are you!?” My words are hoarse as I yell out for him, the scent of death and decay lingering in the air.
Keeping my hand pressed firmly against the wall is all that keeps me steady as I hobble down the alley to search for him. “Ere… oh god. Please be okay. Please be okay.”
The sound of flapping wings thunders overhead and then Kairos drops down from the sky, landing on the pavement in a defensive crouch. His black wings are spread wide, and his bright green eyes are pinned on me. “Run. Now.”
I back away as he pulls out a dagger and it lights up in his hand, the glowing weapon chasing away the shadows around us.
I turn to run. A loud thud sounds out behind me, and slowly I turn back toward Kairos to face it.
My unsteady legs shake and my heart trembles within my chest, hoping and praying that Ere is okay.
He’s not okay.
A scream tears out of my throat, my knees throbbing and aching as I collapse on the unforgiving cement.
My throat burns from the screams I can’t contain, but the tears that fall burn even hotter.
I take in the thick, black substance splattered across his torso, exposed by the t-shirt that’s now ripped to shreds and barely hanging onto his body at all.
The blackness drips from him, meeting the pavement with a hiss as it sizzles and steams and then evaporates into nothing.
“Please, just breathe,” I whimper, sobs escaping my quivering lips.
I place my hand on his chest, the slight rise and fall of it giving me hope that he can still be okay.
He’s alive. Kissing his forehead, I wipe my tears and push myself to my feet.
Four sets of red eyes are locked on Kairos as he spins and leaps and slices at large, scaly bodies.
He admitted that monsters are real, and that he kills them, but this is not at all what I imagined.
Their pointy teeth drip with the black substance that stained my parents’ skin, the same substance that now stains Ere’s skin, too.
They tower over Kairos who is at least six foot two, their spiked tails thrashing and their claws lashing out at him as he fights them all at once.
I hate them. I want them all dead. In fact, I’d like to slaughter them all myself.
“Nora… please… go,” Kairos begs, only glancing my way briefly before jabbing his dagger into one of the thick, scaly heads.
The dagger glows brighter as he drags it across another monster’s throat, its black blood dripping until suddenly the body shatters into pieces and turns to ash.
I won’t let them hurt anyone else I love.
They will fucking pay for what they’ve done, even if it kills me.
I run to Kairos, stealing the other dagger from the strap on his thigh, pointing it at the beasts who now focus on me.
They taunt me, their glowing eyes narrowing into slants and their jaws widening as they let out a menacing growl, then snap their sharp, needle-like teeth together.
The sound is like shattering glass, but I ignore the terror that spikes my heart rate. I clumsily stab at one of the monster’s hearts and it leaps away, rolling across the ground and sending chunks of cement flying.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Nora!? I told you to run!” Kairos waves a hand, and a whirlwind of air pushes the monster back who advances toward me, then he leaps on it and tackles it to the ground. Black blood splatters as he jams his dagger straight through its heart.
It shatters and scatters in the wind. He’s slightly more viscous and terrifying than the beasts are.
“I refuse to be a coward, Kairos.” I step forward, slicing at the monster whose wide mouth curves up into a disturbing smile. It lets out a deep roar and slaps my hand away. “I’ll never sit back and not at least try to protect the ones I love.”
I lunge for the scaly body, using one hand to hold onto it as I stab it over and over in the abdomen.
It growls and I growl back, screaming and stabbing, its black blood dripping down my fingers and searing my skin.
I smile as its crimson eyes burn into mine, and just as I lift my dagger to meet its face, Kairos glares at me as he raises a sword and slices its head from its shoulders.
The bloody, wide-eyed head rolls across the pavement, and I watch with satisfaction as it shatters to bits.
“Do you enjoy coming close to death? Is that what this is?” Kairo’s palms spark with electricity and he gathers a large orb of lightning between his hands, sending it flying through the air.
It hits its mark. Lightning surrounds one of the two remaining beasts and stuns it so it can’t move. It falls to the ground in a fit of seizures. My eyes widen as I realize the extent of his power.
“No, Kairos, as you know, I’ve had plenty of brushes with death lately, and none of them were particularly enjoyable,” I grunt, charging at the last monster. I clench my teeth and prepare for the impact of my dagger against its heart. “But I do enjoy watching these things die.”
I reach the beast, and it stretches its arm out to grip me by the throat.
Claws tear at my skin, its hold tightening around my neck.
I gasp and choke, kicking and scratching at it as the monster lifts me into the air and tosses me into the brick wall.
I’m not sure whether the sound that echoes in my ears is from the brick or my bones cracking, but pain shoots up and down my spine as I slam into the wall and my shoulder aches as I land on the ground in a heap.
It happens too fast to even scream, let alone to try to gather up the strength and run.
It leans down and clamps its mouth around my thigh, the pointy teeth digging in and sending a hot, prickly pain through my entire body as they slice and tear through my flesh.
I scream, scratching at its head with my nails as it bites down harder, refusing to let me go.
Everything hurts. The fiery pain courses through my body like poison, spreading and latching onto every nerve and fiber of my being until all I feel and all I can think of is that pain.
My vision blurs and I feel myself slipping into oblivion, a comforting numbness caressing my skin and slowly replacing the pain.
Ashes rain down on my skin as Kairos ends the creatures life.
“Mio!” He yells, and then hushed words that follow are all I hear.
I’m paralyzed. I can’t move or blink or control even a single muscle in my body. I’m surprised I’m even still breathing. All I see is darkness as the black poison invades my senses. Kairos was right. Today is the day I die.
My only hope is that Ere makes it out of this alive.
I’m lifted off the ground, and the warmth of strong arms holding me tight to a muscular chest brings peace and comfort to my mind.
I drift in and out of consciousness until Olivia shrieks my name, jolting me awake as I’m placed on something soft and familiar.
My couch. I’m home. I’m alive. A large hand grips mine.
A tingly sensation starts in my fingers and spreads from there to the rest of my body.
I can move again. I wiggle only my toes and fingers at first, too afraid to move anything else and feel the searing pain again. But it’s gone.
Opening my eyes, I groan as my temples throb and my throat burns from so much screaming. Olivia paces back and forth in the kitchen, running her hands through her wavy hair as Katie talks to her and she nods every now and again.
“Ere!” I jump to my feet, swaying slightly and Kairos reaches out, placing his hands on my hips to steady me.
“Look at me, Nora.” He swallows, searching my eyes, pain flashing within his own. “Are you okay?”
I nod, taking a deep breath and forcing myself to not look away. I’m not okay. I won’t be until I know Ere is okay, but I allow him a moment to assess me and take in the damage. “I’m fine, thank you. I feel infinitely better than I did before, thanks to you, I assume?” I give him a small smile.
He nods toward the larger sofa against the wall. “He’s fine, okay? Please relax. You’ve been through a lot yourself.”
I rush to Ere’s side and kneel in front of him, his breathing steady and his skin no longer covered in the dripping, black poison. “Thank you for helping him.” I glance over my shoulder at Kairos, and he simply nods and then takes a seat on the other couch.
“I feared you’d use my own weapon against me if I didn’t.” He leans back, glancing at Katie who is glaring at him and not at all trying to hide it.
“Is he going to be okay?” I brush Ere’s hair away from his eyes as I lean forward and kiss his cheek.
Olivia pulls me to my feet, wrapping her arms around me and holding my head against her chest, squeezing me tight.
“What the hell is going on, Nor? I’m sort of freaking out right now.
Katie gave me a quick rundown when you guys just appeared in the middle of the living room out of nowhere, but—what the actual fuck?
Do those two men have wings?” Her voice is high-pitched and frantic and her eyes dart around the room like she doesn’t know who or what to focus on.
“Sounds like you’re all caught up. This is your dream come true, Liv. You’ve always wished for magic and monsters to exist, and well…they do.” I shrug, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to sit.
Wait, two celestials?
“Your boyfriend will live to see another day, Nora. My man Ro always saves the day.” A stranger plops down between Olivia and Kairos, tucking his wings in tight and wearing a bright, wide smile.
“Who are you?” I glance at the man and then at Katie, who doesn’t seem surprised to see him here.
Katie takes a seat in the recliner on the opposite side of the room. “You haven’t had the pleasure yet of meeting Bromios.” Her nose scrunches up as she gives him one of her fake, forced smiles.
I get the feeling she doesn’t like him, but I’m not sure why.
The man leans forward and extends his hand. Katie rolls her eyes but smiles as I slowly offer my hand to him, assuming he’s just going to shake it.
“Call me Mio.” He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it once, just a soft quick brush of his lips before leaning back and throwing his arm over Kairos’ shoulder.
“Olivia, this is Kairos. Kairos, my sister Olivia, which I’m sure you already know.” I shake my head, glancing at Ere and hoping he’ll wake up soon.
“If you want me to wake him I can.” Mio stands and comes to my side as I take a seat on the edge of the couch where Ere lays, staring down at his still body. “We weren’t sure how much you wanted him to know of this… of us. But it’s your choice.”
If this is a part of my life now, these creatures and magic and monsters, then I need Ere to be a part of it. I don’t want us to keep secrets from each other.
“Please wake him. I have a million questions, but I’d prefer he be here with me. I need him to be.” My vision blurs as tears prickle at the corners of my eyes.
Kairos stands and makes his way over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“If it’s what you think is best. But we have a lot to share with you.
” His eyes shift to Katie, and she nods.
“If you think he can handle it then I’ll wake him myself.
If he freaks out, though, I give Mio full permission to knock him back out so you aren’t pissed at me.
You terrify me a little.” His crooked grin makes me smile, even with all the madness that’s happened tonight.
He’s so close to me, and as I look up at him his eyes swirl and hypnotize me in a way that makes me never want to look away.
I need to look away.
“Wake him. He can handle it. He loves me and will accept anything that’ll be a part of my life.” I turn away and he sighs behind me.
“As you wish, princess.” Bright, white light pulsates in his hand, swirling around his fingertips as he places them to Ere’s temple.
Olivia jumps up, covering her mouth with her hands as she steps up closer. “Holy shit. I can’t believe this is real,” she breathes. “I always hoped the world was a magical place, but seeing all of this… it’s unbelievable.” She huffs a laugh.
I shouldn’t be surprised that Olivia is taking all of this new information about the world we live in so well, considering her love of all things creepy and strange.
But she’s handling it better than I am. I’m freaking out on the inside, just hiding the fear and confusion running rampant in my mind.
But this is what she has always dreamed of.
She hoped to one day stumble upon something weird and magical, and she has.
I get why she’s thrilled. Ere on the other hand, I’m not sure how this will play out.
All I can do is hope for the best and believe in us always.
I’m not even sure how the hell I’m taking all of this without the comfort of tequila or the rush of adrenaline in my system.
It’s going to be okay. Everything will be just fine. It has to be.