Chapter 9 #2
“You knocked into the shelving before anyone could catch you. I’m sorry.”
“That’s OK.” I tear my eyes away from her to confirm what I already suspected, and they land on a midnight purple cushion. “Thanks for that.”
Selene bites a deep-red painted lip. “Seemed like the least I could do considering. Do you um, do you remember what we were talking about?”
Right. That. I sift through my memories, the inside of my head feeling more like the stuffing of the cushion it was resting on. Something about my phone not working… and the map into town and…
I jerk backwards, away from Selene. Away from the witch who said that I’m a demon. And what the fuck was that grey thing?
“Ah, so you do remember.” She looks disappointed, and for some unfathomable reason I feel the urge to comfort her, but I resist the bizarre compulsion. For all I know, she’s making me feel that way.
“Yes,” I reply, mouth bone dry and then, before I can think better of it, “Are you going to hurt me?”
Her bright-blue eyes widen in what seems to be genuine shock. “What? No. Jared, I know this must be an awful lot to take in, but I promise nobody here is going to hurt you, especially not me.”
“But what about that thing? What was it?”
“That was Michael. He’s a gargoyle.”
“Eve,” Selene whisper-scolds the girl who’s peeking out from behind the closest shelving unit. She looks about sixteen and shares Selene’s dark hair and fair skin, making me wonder if they’re related. Does that mean she’s a witch too?
“What?” She shrugs. “He asked. Can’t be any worse than telling him he’s not human.”
“Eve,” Selene repeats in a stern tone. “Give us a moment.”
The teenager, Eve, ignores Selene completely, focusing her attention on me instead. “Do you want to meet him?”
“Meet who?” I ask, my mind still foggy.
“Michael.”
“Who?”
“The gargoyle,” she says in an exaggerated spooky voice before switching back to the chirpy tone she’s been using fast enough to give me whiplash. “Do you want to meet him?”
“Um…” I hesitate, unsure how to answer that.
“I promise I’m not dangerous, dude!” the boy—or is it gargoyle?—calls out from somewhere further inside the shop.
“Seriously? That’s exactly what someone dangerous would say,” Eve snarks.
While that’s pretty much exactly what I was thinking, there’s something about these two that’s making me feel less panicked—maybe the fact they’re bickering like a pair of normal teenagers.
“OK.”
“You don’t have to,” Selene starts, only to be cut off by Eve.
“Better he do it now so we know if he’s going to freak out again rather than letting him out on the street only for him to run screaming when he sees someone else in shifted form.” Shifted what?
Selene sighs. “You make a good point.” Eve grins, looking smug, only to have Selene wipe the expression from her face. “But don’t think I won’t tell your mum about all of this.”
“But I didn’t—”
“Listen to your aunt? No, you didn’t.” She turns away from her sulking niece, her blue eyes searching mine. I’m not sure what she’s looking for. “You’re sure?”
I’m not sure of anything right now. Standing on shaky legs, I do my best to fake a smile.
“Yeah.” Something in my heart believes Selene when she says they’re not going to hurt me but, while I always trust my gut, given I’ve just taken a knock to the head and there’s bloody magic in play, I think it’s wise to exercise some caution.
Better to face the unknown on my feet instead of at an even bigger disadvantage on the floor.
“Yes!” Eve bounces on her heels, then I hear soft, deliberate footsteps approach.
“You ready, man?”
I’m not sure why, but I look to Selene. She gives me an encouraging smile.
“Yes.” Bracing myself for the worst, I’m shocked when a normal-looking, if a little lanky, teenage boy steps around the corner.
“Is this? Is this some kind of joke?” Maybe I really was being hazed.
I was sure what I’d seen was real, but what if it wasn’t?
What if I’m more messed up from everything with The Raven than I realised?
“Woah, no. I just thought you might do better seeing me like this first,” the boy replies, hands held up in surrender while my breaths rapidly saw in and out of my chest. “The gargoyle shifted form is one of the more intimidating ones and, since you’re not used to shifts I thought it might be helpful for you to see there’s someone you recognise as a person underneath all the scary. ”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Michael, thank you,” Selene praises. “You good?” When I nod, she turns her attention back to the boy. “Please shift when you’re ready.”
The boy shrugs off his jacket, then unbuckles and removes his belt, passing them to Eve with one hand while holding up his baggy jeans with the other.
At Eve’s eye roll he blushes. “What? Not all of us can afford a lot of enchanted clothing. All my t-shirts are, but even normal coats are expensive.”
“Fine, but you don’t need to be so dramatic about it. He was probably worried you were going to get naked,” she replies, making the poor kid’s blush deepen.
Then it happens. Grey bleeds into the peachy tone of Michael’s skin along his arms, up his neck and over his face, the flesh hardening to stone.
His body expands, and the jeans and t-shirt that looked ridiculously baggy on him only moments ago now fit snugly against this taller, more muscular version of the boy.
And it is still him. His facial features are the same, but now there are horns growing out from just above his hairline, pointing back at a slight angle.
Then something flutters behind him, and I remind myself not to panic before looking.
He has wings and… is that a fucking tail?
“Holy shit.” I knew there had to be something weird happening here, but I never imagined this could be what the town is hiding. And if Selene was right about the boy being a gargoyle, does that mean she’s right about me too? “I need to go.”
“Jared, are you sure you’re OK to leave right n—”
“I’m fine,” I cut off Selene’s question more sharply than I intended.
Taking a slow breath, I release the death-grip on the strap of my satchel and try again.
“Sorry. I’m fine, but this is too much. I need to go.
” They’re going to let me leave, right? Edging closer to the door, I look between the three of them.
Seeming to realise asking me to stay will only scare me out more, Selene sighs.
“OK.” She looks more upset than the situation warrants, given I’m the one who just had their entire world turned upside down.
I pull on the shop’s door, relieved when it swings open.
“Wait.” I halt with one foot out the door.
Unable to resist one last look at Selene, I turn my head to find her looking at me, piercing blue eyes full of compassion.
“If you have questions about being a—” Selene clears her throat and tries again, “If you have questions about demons, you should ask Huxley. Also, one of the spells I sensed on your amulet is there to make sure you never want to take it off. Now that you’re aware of the magic, that spell might not have the same sway.
I strongly recommend you not remove the dampener until you know more about your abilities. ”
I nod, then speed out of there like my life depends on it.
While something in my gut tells me Selene would never hurt me, for the first time I don’t think I can trust my instincts.
My sense of self-preservation was forged in a world where humans were the scariest thing out there.
Now everything has changed. The world is suddenly larger and more terrifying than I ever imagined, and I need to figure out what to do next.