7. Seth
Chapter seven
Seth
“Erin!?” I yelled, barely catching her head before she hit the hardwood floor. I scanned her face and her seemingly fragile body in search of any sign of damage or any effects that lingered from the electricity that pulsed from her hands.
Derik was on the ground with me at Erin’s side, his palm pressed to her chest, sending his power inward in search of internal trauma. Derik’s chocolate eyes met mine as he lifted his hand from her unconscious body. “She’s okay. Just knocked out from her power suddenly deciding to make an appearance. She’s not drained. It was more of a shock to her system.”
Thank God.
I exhaled a sigh of relief, sending a silent prayer that Erin hadn’t suffered any damage. More often than not, the first time our power awakes or comes to fruition, it could leave us worse for wear.
I sent a glance to Libby, our eyes locking. The memory of her initial onslaught of power played in my mind. When the retrocognition hit her, cuts raked across her skin, blood spurting out of each one. We’d been near a site where a Demon had massacred a group of college kids; Libby had rested her hand on top of one of the wooden crosses left by one of the victims’ friends when the vision hit her.
Libby slowed and walked to where I remained on the ground with Erin still cradled in my lap. “She’s okay, Seth. She’s strong. You’ve got to see that,” Libby cracked a smile. “Erin really is electrifying, huh?” She crouched next to us, patting my back.
I laughed. “She really is.”
Erin began to shift in my arms, groaning as she unintentionally angled herself toward me, nuzzling herself into my chest. I smiled down at her, my heart thumping. Wisps of her chestnut brown hair had escaped her ponytail, caressing her face. The rest trailed across my lap and to the floor.
So beautiful.
Using the back of my hand, I lightly brushed away a few strands of her hair from her face, coaxing her awake. Her brows pushed together. “Erin?” I said, barely above a whisper.
Erin’s eyes fluttered open, her sapphire blue eyes blinked up at me, surprise dawning on her face. A pink blush rose across her cheeks and spread down her delicate neck. A chuckle escaped my lips and she bolted upright, stuttering. My heart ached as her warmth left me.
“I…I’m so sorry! I…What happened?” Confusion spread across her face.
My smile widened. “Look down, Snow. Or maybe we should call you Zeus.” She smacked my arm, embarrassed. Then, taking a breath, Erin switched her focus to her hands. They were pulsing. Bites of electricity and miniature lightning bolts skipped across her fingertips, illuminating her striking features. Her eyes sparkled as if they were the night sky on the brink of early morning.
She dragged her breathtakingly sapphire blue eyes back up to mine. They widened, practically bulging out of her skull. “I…Seth. There’s…why is there lightning coming out of my hands?” Erin’s shoulders started shaking. Her lips began to quiver. Barely a whisper, “Did…Seth, did I hurt you?” A tear escaped.
A little spark is nothing in comparison to the things I’ve seen and done, Erin.
I pulled her back to me, my arms wrapping around her shoulders as they shook in an attempt to will her to stop shaking.
She blacks out on me and asks if I’m okay. Go figure.
“Erin, no, I’m fine. Look at me.” I slid my finger under her chin, tilting it upwards so she would look at me. Another tear had escaped down her soft, yet angled cheekbones, matching the jagged outward, no-fucks given facade she puts out. While inside, after everything Erin had been through, her heart beat stronger than she would ever admit and larger than any soul I’ve met. And right now, that heart, its concern, was set on me.
At that moment, as selfish as it was, I wished it were just the two of us. So I could fully wrap my arms around her small—okay, small to me—frame. Hug her close and whisper all the promises I’ve silently made to her over the years since we were kids. Tell her before she learns everything. About Me. About herself, the past. The pain to come. I want to take her and hide away. Tell her…tell her…exactly how much I care for her, always have.
And how I have to do everything I can to keep her safe.
But we weren’t alone. And the risk was too great. I had people, including my band of Nephilim, who relied on me. Who needed me to lead them. Protect them. And Erin, she needed it most. None of us knew what was to come. Between the Demons, the attack in Riverside…the disappearances…I had a feeling that it was only the beginning. And with that, I would do what was required of me; suck it up.
This is so much bigger than us. Than all of us.
I sucked in a breath, forced out a laugh, hiding the thoughts that trampled through my mind.
Erin kept her attention on me, her eyes grounding me. The thought of simply losing myself in the beauty of her gaze gripped me. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. My lips parted only to be interrupted as someone cleared their throat across the room.
“Miss Snow, I assure you that Seth is okay. We’re all concerned about you at the moment considering the fact that you are the one who collapsed.” She snapped her head in Josh’s direction, her eyes wide once more.
“Oh,” Erin blinked. “I think…I’m good. Just…frazzled.” A reddened hue returned to her cheeks.
Josh took that moment to stroll over to where we were huddled on my hardwood floor. He reached his hand out to help Erin up. I bit my tongue.
Back the fuck off.
She placed her hand in his, her lips forming a smile so beautifully bright I swore I felt my heart scream.
“Thank you,” Erin said, her voice an octave higher.
Josh met my glare, a glint in his freckled eyes. A wave of nausea rushed through me. I caught the faintest smirk before he returned his attention to Erin, both of her feet now firmly planted on the floor, her hand still in his.
I have no claim on her.
Years of firmly planting myself as her protector ensured that.
Josh consistently worked to get a rise out of me with his old gentlemanly ass bullshit. I get it. Josh was a few centuries older than the rest of us but he irked me. I was unsure what it was about him but it was as if he had this air circling him that screamed, ‘I’m above you. Above this.’ As if we were lesser. It made my blood boil.
Breathe . It’s not worth it.
I reminded myself. I was worked up and without a valid reason. I rolled my shoulders to shake off the little green monster that lingered beneath the surface. Shifting my arm behind my back, I pushed my hand against the floor, propelling myself up to a standing position to match Josh’s towering stance over Erin.
I dusted myself off, for no reason other than to keep my hands busy and resisting the urge to grab Erin from where she was standing with Josh, only a few inches between them. He pulled her closer to himself than I thought.
Too close.
The lick of jealousy crept its way into my chest again.
“So Zeus, any ideas on how you spurted those bolts out of yourself there? Ya know, for research purposes,” Derik said, breaking the building tension between Josh and me.
Erin growled, the fire beneath her surface returning. “First of all, don’t call me Zeus. I’m not some horny-ass Greek god,” she yanked her hand out from Josh’s and threw it on her hip, glaring at Derik. “Secondly—“
“Okay, so Bolty, got it.” Derik smirked.
Atta girl.
My mouth twitched while Erin crackled.
“Ugh! Stop, dude! I don’t want any weird nicknames!” She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply to steady herself. “Secondly, I have no damn clue what I did. It just kind of happened, jackass,” Erin's nostrils flared as she fixed her piercing eyes on me. “Any ideas? It didn’t happen until I touched your arm.” A faint blush graced her cheekbones.
“I’m not entirely sure either, Erin,” I ran my thumb and pointer finger through the stubble on my chin, contemplating. Her eyes followed the movement. “More than likely, it was probably just random timing. I mean, you’ve been around us most of the day and I don’t think I was the first person you’ve had physical contact with, right?” I could feel Derik grinning beside me. Libby had a glint in her eye; Josh, a shadow of some sort, passed across his features, and Erin…the peach tint that caressed the angles of her face deepened and spread down her neck, stopping at the collar of her shirt.
She began fumbling over her words. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Just weird timing. Josh helped me when I fell out of Derik’s truck at the plant and…after Libby had her flashback. Then on the drive here I was stuck between Josh and Derik.” Her eyes rapidly flickered between each of us. Mostly Josh and me. Erin bit her lip and her gaze finally landed on me.
My heart skipped.
“Don’t sweat it. It’s no big deal. For the time being”—I relaxed my shoulders as I smiled at Erin—“let’s focus on how you’re going to do it again.”