10. Seth
Chapter ten
Seth
I spat out my coffee, spraying it all over the barista on the other side of the coffee bar Libby and I sat at. That earned me a death glare from the pink-haired pixie behind the counter. And bellowing bat of laughter from Libby leaving her snorting and clutching her stomach.
“Why? Why would you think I’d need to know that, Lib?” I held back a gag. I loved my friends but…I did not need to know their sex lives. Libby, on the other hand, as innocent as she seemed, often had zero filter and laid it all out on the table. It was not something I wanted to picture. Her and Derik.
“Oh my God, Seth. Take a chill pill,” she laughed. “Me and Derik haven’t actually done anything. He won’t make a move and I can’t take it. He’s just so scrumptious and I could climb him like a freaking tree. The pure muscle on that man. Partnered with that dirty blonde hair of his? Gah!” She started fanning herself with her hand. “He’s like right out of a damn dream.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Is this really what you wanted to talk about? Don’t you have any girlfriends you can talk about guys with? Ya know, ramble on about your sexual frustration to them?”
Hearing about another guy’s dick size or the hots you have for him is the last thing I want to hear right now. Let alone, the guy who’s like a brother to me.
She pushed her bottom lip out, pouting. “Seth,” Libby whined. “You know I have like zero friends outside of you guys. I don’t have the time for it, and they wouldn’t understand. Especially with the gag order and not being able to tell people what we are, remember?” She sighed and hunched forward in her stool.
True. If we told humans about the dangers that were truly around them, they would flip and the world would fall into pure chaos.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you have a point but I’m sure you could make it work.” Libby was always a magnet for women and men alike. Partially because of her looks but also because she was a beaming ray of sunshine. To the point where it could become overbearing. I tried to be positive, but she was on a whole other level. I sipped what remained of my coffee. “But what did you really drag me out here for?”
Libby fidgeted with her coffee cup, either trying to gather her thoughts or avoiding what she wanted to bring up. Which only meant it was probably another subject I wanted to avoid thinking about.
I grumbled, “Just spit it out, Lib.”
She sucked in a breath. “I…”—she shot a glance at me before looking away—“I’m worried. About the increase in Demon activity, especially with the fire at Riverside and the disappearances. We still haven’t found anything and it's been a few days since it all went down. We’re usually quicker on these things…but I’m worried about you too.” Libby’s eyes met mine, searching.
I feigned ignorance. “I don’t know what you mean. Josh, Derik, and the others are working on it, and I’m picking up the loose ends.”
Or trying to , at least.
“You do realize I know you better than that. And so does Derik. What’s really going on, Seth? Let us in.” Libby rested her hand on my shoulder.
“Lib, I don’t know.” I shrugged her off and crossed my arms, leaning against the coffee bar. She waited. Her wide-eyed stare bore into my flesh. I caved. “I just…I’m scared. She’s new to this world. And…I couldn’t protect her last time. What if it happens again? I…I can’t lose her, Lib. We don’t even know what she’s capable of. I haven’t had any inclination from any of the guides, not even Nicolai.” I buried my face in my hands.
“So does this mean you’re finally being honest with yourself? About her?”
I didn’t respond. My lips pressed together.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then,” Libby said. “Seth, she’s going to be okay. She just started experiencing all of this. Give it time. Have some faith in the girl. She’s got some serious fire. And as for the guides, you know they always have a stick up their buttcheeks. The only one with any heart or fraction of giving an honest damn about being blunt and to the point, is Nicolai. So if he hasn’t visited you or said anything then either he doesn’t know or he’s been gag-ordered about it.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Excuse me, I’m always right. Thank you very much,” Libby retorted, back to her typical bubbly tone. “So, until we hear anything, stop being such a party pooper. Maybe take that chill pill I mentioned and let some things play out.” She winked.
“I’m always chill, Lib. And on the other subject, she’s never so much as glanced at me in that way. I don’t see anything happening there and I don’t plan on ruining anything or putting her in danger. You know how these things go: Demons discover who’s important to us and they become targets. She’s already got one on her back with being Nephilim. I don’t want to make it bigger.”
“I get that, but you don’t have to play savior all the time, Seth. You deserve to be happy, too,” her eyes softened. “Take a chance. It just might be worth it.”
Maybe Libby’s right. But even beyond the risks…she deserves better than me…better than what I could offer her. She deserves the world. She—
A tingle raced up my spine, sending chills down my arms and the blood in my veins turned to ice. A panic began eating its way through me.
Something’s wrong.
“Libby. Libby. Something’s not right.” I frantically looked around the coffee shop, searching for the cause. And found nothing. I focused on my heightened hearing and sense of smell to see if I could pick anything up. Nothing.
It’s just the two of us. I can’t pick up any Demons.
A cold sweat dripped down my face, my hands suddenly clammy. I stood up, sending the stool I was just in crashing to the floor.
“We need to go. Now. ” I yanked Libby’s arm, and we ran out of the coffee shop.
We ran at a faster-than-should-be-humanly-possible speed. There was no time to be concerned with passersby seeing us. My breathing grew shallow. Shades of black and cream blurred images darted in and out of my peripheral vision.
Shit.
I felt a tug. It was as if a string were attached to the muscle that pounded within my chest.
“The house.” Realization dawned on me.
Erin.
A growl ripped from my throat.
Libby must have reached the same conclusion. We were both sprinted at full force, the lactic acid building.
Erin, please. No. No. No.
They couldn’t have found her. Not this soon.
We turned the corner onto my deserted street. The panic welled through my entire being. We bounded up the stairs to my front door. It was flung open. The living room was trashed. Streaks of black scorched the walls, fractals spread in every direction. Libby took to searching the living room, weight area, kitchen, and guest room. I followed the black marks, leading me back to my bedroom. I stood frozen in the door frame.
In front of me, the room that had once been was gone. Fractals covered the floors and walls. Scorch marks, singed fabrics, pillows that continued to burn, and books were scattered throughout the room. Blood splattered along the walls.
No.
I fell to my knees.
Libby gasped behind me.
My worst fear had come to life.
“She’s gone.”
This is all my fault.