18. Erin
Chapter eighteen
Erin
After I threw on my shorts and T-shirt combo, I plastered on some mascara and chapstick before tossing my hair up into a ponytail. There was no point in adding lip gloss when we were about to devour some much needed tacos. Not to mention that, although I’d already donned the out-of-character booty shorts, I didn’t want to make it overly obvious what exactly went through my head after the heated little food stand off between Seth and I earlier.
I slipped on my Converse before heading out to Seth’s massive living room. Libby and Seth were huddled together on the couch looking over a bunch of papers. Derik perched on one of the bar stools at the island in the kitchen scrolling on my laptop.
Everyone is so…engrossed.
My slim surge of confidence dwindled at seeing Seth and Libby so close. I shoved it down and redirected my attention to Derik.
Not important.
A few moments of delusion and weirdly fantasizing about my best friend, means nothing.
I strode to where Derik squinted at my screen, clearing my throat.
“Hey Derik, you know, you’re supposed to ask someone before hacking into their laptop.”
“It wouldn’t be hacking if I asked, now would it, Pipsqueak?” He clipped.
“Smartass,” I slid into the seat next to him. “What do you need it for anyway? You could’ve just asked, you know.”
I peered unsuccessfully at my laptop, the screen unreadable with the protector I had covering it. After I’d dropped the damn thing for the third time within a week of owning it, I caved and chucked out way too much money on a heavy duty laptop case equipped with an attached screen cover.
“Yeah, but pissing you off is more fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “It takes more than that to piss me off. You’re just annoying. And you didn’t answer the second part of my question.”
“Technically, you asked two separate questions, Snow”—he sent me a sideways glance— “but if you really want to know, I’m trying to find out more about those disappearances from Riverside. It took me a minute to find your browser on here though,” I panicked. Derik must’ve sensed it because he added, “Don’t worry, I didn’t check out your porn history, Short Stuff.”
I smacked him on the shoulder. “I don’t watch porn, you dick!”
Seth shouted from across the room, “I call bullshit, Rin. I see some of those novels you read. And the ones you’ve stolen off my bookshelves out here. Nice try.”
“I do not!” My ears were burning. I whipped my head around and stuck my tongue out at Seth. “And even if I did, they’re your books in the first place, you hypocrite.”
His eyes sparkled. “Which is why I know exactly what’s in between those pages, Rin.”
I snapped my head back to Derik and my laptop, grumbling. “Whatever.” Sending all three of them into a fit of laughter.
I waved my hand at the screen. “What did you find out, Dickwad?”
“Captain Dickwad to you, missy.”
I looked at him confused as all hell, eyebrow arched, and my mouth hanging half opened. “Captain? Captain of what? S.S. Ass Hat?”
“Nope, Captain just makes me sound even more like a badass than I already am,” he claimed.
“You’re an idiot.”
“True, but the ladies love it.” Derik waggled his eyebrows.
“I’m sure. Now, for the love of God, Dick-for-Brains, what did you find?”
Derik sighed, propping his elbow on the counter, his chin seated in his palm. “Nothing good. They weren’t just isolated to the area around the plant like we originally thought. It seems the disappearances were scattered across the whole city. Over half of them were women. All single and living alone. The men that were taken follow the same profile. But that’s what we already knew from the police reports and our own.”
He scrolled down the page. “What we didn’t know was that all the disappearances were tipped off anonymously. The first and last call placed within fifteen minutes of each other. And after some more digging, the phone numbers that were used to call in, were all local landlines from around here. Not Riverside.”
“So what does that mean then?” I leaned forward, glancing, unsuccessfully, at the screen.
Freaking screen cover.
“It means that either the Demons have one hell of a phone number generator pinpointed here in town. Or they have some of their lackeys stationed out here. Watching and waiting for their orders.”
A shiver ran down my spine. My body tensed, my voice a whisper, “Which would explain why they found me here.” I gulped. If I’d been at my apartment, who knew how long it would’ve been before Seth and the others found me or what else would’ve happened.
“She tastes just as delicious as she looks.”
I snapped myself out of the downward spiral before it dragged me under.
Derik responded vacantly, “Yeah, but if that was the case, we still don’t know why they think you’re this damn ‘Key’ or why exactly they wanted you. No offense, Erin.”
“None was taken til’ you added the ‘no offense’ part.” I deadpanned.
“Gotta cover my bases.” Derik shrugged.
“Uh huh.”
“But anyway, the connection there is still in the air.” He leaned back in the stool. He flipped a stray blonde curl that fell in front of his face and crossed his arms before swinging around to face Libby and Seth. “You guys got any ideas?”
Libby held up a finger, as she stuck her nose further into the papers her and Seth were digging through. We both cocked an eyebrow.
She shot up from the sofa and raced over to us. “Actually, yes!”
Seth strolled behind her, stopping next to my stool with his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. I stole a sideways glance; the fantasy I had earlier replayed in my mind. My eyes roamed, taking in the way his jeans sat perfectly on his hips, the material molded to his muscled thighs, waist band slightly dipping down from where his hands were pulling on the fabric, giving me a glimpse of the top of his boxers and the smallest patch of beautifully toned stomach.
Reel it in, Erin.
I sat a little straighter in my seat, placing my hands in my lap, folded over each other. “Let’s hear it.” I plastered on a smile, crossing my fingers it didn’t give away the dirty thoughts floating through my head.
My eyes darted to Seth again, and I caught him staring down at me. I sent him a small smile as well. His eyes darted away, settling on Libby. My smile fell, the corners of my lips turned downward. I returned my attention to Libby and where she stood between me and Seth.
“The articles we were reading through—” Libby started.
“Wait articles? There are articles on this stuff? Like just out there on the web for anyone to see?” I blurted.
“No, they’re articles from one of the larger libraries that specifically house hundreds of years of information on our kind, Angels and even Demons. The books and histories are housed in various libraries across the globe. These ones specifically, are from the Nephilim Library here in town. The Library of Cherin. It’s actually underneath the library you work at.”
“What?” I was racking my brain for any mention of a hidden library in the year I’ve worked there.
There’s entire fucking libraries on this stuff? How is it that we are not common knowledge if there’s all of this history and info out there? Am I just that out of the loop?
Irritation pricked my skin.
Seth jumped in, “You wouldn’t have known about it. It’s hidden from humans and Nephilim who haven’t gone through the change yet. And Cherin, specifically, is warded from the Demons too. By some ancient Angel barriers, put in place before Raphael fell.”
“Oh.”
Well isn’t that fucking convenient.
What else don’t I know about that’s going to be dropped in my lap like some damp towel?
I’m about at my limit of this crap.
Libby started again, “Yes. Anyway, the articles didn’t have much more to go on about the ‘Key’ and the specifics of it. But what they did mention were instructions, or rather warnings of sorts.” She gulped.
“The Key will bring the end.
Evanyia will rise once more.
Destruction will befall the kingdom.
The men and women, cower.
Hidden away.
Eight to bare, five to power.
The Key, the answer all seek.
The Key bares all.
The power, undiscovered.
Child of The One. Daliyis.
Child of The Queen.”
Libby’s eyes darted between the three of us, to see if we understood. I, for one, remained clueless and absolutely lost.
Uhm. So…we’re fucked?
Derik spoke first, “What the hell does that mean? I heard zero instructions in there, Lib.”
“What I’m gathering from this, ‘The Key’ is what will bring Hell upon the world, essentially. But we already knew that. So, the part further down,” Libby flipped the paper around, pointing to the bit she’d recited. “Eight to bare, five to power. Add those together and we have thirteen. There were thirteen individuals reported missing. Eight women and five men. And they’re now ‘hidden away’. And more, considering how they disappeared, they’re probably terrified. Hence the ‘cower’ portion.”
“What would ‘bare’ mean then? Or ‘power’?” Seth mumbled, his brows furrowing.
Libby met my stare, pity peaked out before turning back to Seth. “I have a feeling that means what the Demons seem to enjoy the most, when it comes to human women. Forcing themselves on them. And…potentially baring children.”
I felt my eyes glaze over, my vision unfocused. An image of Erebus flashed before me, the evil glint in his amber eyes as his tongue flicked out, tracing my jaw—
A hand bumped against my side, sparks of electricity singed my hip, bringing me back. I took a deep breath, steadying my heartbeat that hammered in my chest. Seth moved in close to me so that his arm was resting against me. Libby shifted to stand on my other side between Derik and I. I leaned into Seth, silently thanking him.
“But as for how Erin is tied into any of this, I’m lost. We don’t know what or who Daliyis would be or the Queen. I’ll have to do more digging,” Libby pinched the bridge of her nose. “Erin, by any chance, does the name Daliyis sound familiar in any way, shape or form?”
I shook my head. “No idea. Even if we’re looking at the literal sense of ‘Child of The One’, my dad’s name was Ben. Ben A. Snow. When I was little he would always joke about it.” A memory danced in the far corners of my mind from before he hightailed it out of my life.
“Erin, have I ever told you where my name came from?” He grinned, his salt and pepper hair falling in his face as he bent down to kneel in front of me. His whiskey-colored eyes sparkled against the pure white fluff piled on the ground behind him, the beginnings of our snow-fort.
I rolled my eyes at him, laughing. “Ugh, yes, Dad! Like a thousand times.”
His deep laugh reverberated, my heart warmed as it always did back then. “Well, let me tell you again. Can’t have my little snow angel forgetting now.” I chucked a snowball at him, smacking him right in the face. He shucked one right back at me.
“It had been snowing for days and your grandma had enough of it. Then I came along. She saw the snow outside and settled on Ben. Ben A. Snow, because it had Ben-a-Snow-ing. It’d been snowing. Get it?”
I gathered another handful of snow and threw it at him before he slung another snowball right back. We laughed for hours. Flinging snowball after snowball at each other.
We were happy. The two of us.
That was the winter before he left me alone.
A sadness filled my chest. “So name wise, no match. And as far as the Angel thing,” I shot Seth a glare and cleared my throat. “I have no idea about the whole ‘The One’ business. You have any input on that, Seth?”
“Unfortunately, not really. My uncle didn’t give me specifics on your dad or what Angel he was or anything before he passed, just that he was one.”
“Well, that’s no help.”
Wait a damn minute.
“You’re uncle passed? When did that happen? I thought your Uncle Nicholas was still alive.”
Fuck. I totally missed that. Oh my god. Seth…
“Nick…he passed a while ago.”
My heart tightened at the pain that flashed across Seth’s features. “I’m so sorry, Seth. I had no idea.”
He shrugged, his voice thick. “I didn’t tell you. It happens. Especially with what we are. It’s a part of the job, unfortunately.”
“But—”
Seth placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “It’s alright. But about your dad, I only know what I know, Rin. Sorry, Sweetheart.” He flashed an evil grin my way, chasing the mournful atmosphere away.
He’s always been so good at that. Just flipping the switch on the drop of a dime.
Heat swarmed its way through my skin, my cheeks turned red. Another flash of my daydream spread through. It was as if he knew what he’d been doing to me.
For the last couple of weeks actually.
“Coolio,” Derik slid in, saving me from more embarrassment. “Well, now that we have some of the death, doom, and destruction covered, how ‘bout we head down to The Taco House and grab those tacos? My ass is starving.”
I never thought I’d say this, but thank you Derik!
“Me too!” Libby perked up, pulling myself and Derik out of our seats and to our feet. “Let’s go!”
“Alright, I just need to grab my keys to lock up and we can go.” Seth circled around the island and grabbed his keys off the holder on the wall as the rest of us ushered ourselves out his front door.
The Taco House was a ten minute drive from Seth’s place and after some nagging from Libby and me, Seth caved and agreed on driving instead of an agonizingly long walk. I rode with him while Libby hitched a ride with Derik in his truck.
I sat ramrod straight in the front passenger seat of Seth’s little car. He had the bass turned up, the thumping from one of the Indie rock bands he liked vibrated the car. I stuck my hands under my legs to keep them from freezing, as the warmth from earlier in the day had diminished into a frigid, sunless breeze and left me shivering.
Shorts might not have been the best idea.
Seth turned the volume down on his car’s dashboard. “We’re going to figure this all out, you know.” He rested his hand on the center console while gripping the steering wheel with the other. I fought the urge to reach out and grab it.
Stop it, Erin.
Friends. No touchy.
You’re just hot and heavy because of this whole supernatural transformation bullshit.
Seth is off limits, you ding dong.
I let out a sigh. “If you say so.”
His hand twitched. “And for all we know, this whole ‘Key’ bullshit is just that. Bullshit. We’ll focus on the connection there and how to find the missing victims and that might lead to more answers.”
“Maybe.” I watched out the window, the outskirts of our small town slowly paced by. It felt like the weight of the world had lumped itself right onto my chest, squishing me from the inside out. The fully-leafed trees flew by, couples laughing ignorant to the reality of the world as they knew it.
There’s so much that they don’t know.
Ignorance is bliss. I get it now.
Seth’s finger lightly brushed against my thigh. I held my breath. He squeezed my knee, reminding me of how my dad would when I was little.
“It’ll all work out, kiddo. Just take a breath.”
My chest tightened further. It’d been almost a decade since he left, and it still left a hole in me. I hoped, even though I lived hundreds of miles away from the home I grew up in, that one day he’d just walk back in my life. That I’d have my dad back.
That’s never going to happen though.
He left me. I was nothing.
I am nothing.
Seth squeezed my knee again, bringing me back to the present. “Hey, Erin?” He rasped.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what exactly happened…when you were gone. When they took you. And I’m not going to ask,” he paused, his breath hitching. “But I recognize that look in your eye you’ve had since you came out of it this morning. I promise you, even if I have to burn the world to do it, I will end him. He won’t hurt you again.
But if you try…you could die.
He could kill you.
And you’d be gone. The only family I have left.
And it would be my fault.
A tear slid down my cheek, I kept my sight trained on the townscape outside his car window.
“I’ll kill him myself, Erin. He won’t hurt you again. Not under my watch.”
My vision unfocused, as I fought the sob building in my throat. I pulled a hand from underneath me and slid it in Seth’s. He curled his fingers around mine and gave them a squeeze. A promise.
I choked out a whispered thank you and thought back to my dad again.
Then I realized that my mind and hormones had played me. Seth saw me as someone to protect. Like we were blood. The feelings that had surfaced, they were one sided.
Another tear slipped down my cheek, as my heart broke a little further. I was a burden. Not that he’d ever admit it. And if roles were reversed, I would never think that of him. But he always felt responsible for my safety. When he had no reason to. I couldn’t risk him like that.
I’ll kill Erebus first. I’ll do what I need to and you…save those people.
I won’t be a burden to bare any longer.
I promise.
I blinked back the tears and squeezed his hand back. I turned to look at him, flashing the most convincing smile I could muster, fingers crossed he didn’t see the truth. I swept a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
I released a breathy laugh. “Well. How about those tacos, huh?”
He gave me a curious look, confused. We’d parked and were sitting in The Taco House parking lot. Derik and Libby were already standing at the curb, waving at us to hurry up.
“Yeah.”