Milayna (39 page)

I’m dead. This is how it ends. Oh, God. I didn’t think I’d be this scared. Is it gonna hurt? Where’s my mom? Dad? Oh God, please don’t let Ben see.

Tears clouded my vision, and my muscles burned and trembled as I fought to push the knife away from my neck. I felt a prick on my throat; a trickle of warmth ran down my chest. The demon laughed, and Jake smirked.

DO something! Now!

I closed my eyes. “I control my pain.”

“What?” the demon hissed.

I moved my head to the side as far from the blade of the dagger as I could. Bending forward, I swung my head back. My head cracked against the side of the demon’s and the dagger sliced the other side of my neck. I couldn’t help the cry that escaped me.

The hit wasn’t very hard, but it surprised him enough that I was able to twist my hand and break his hold. I swung around and stabbed it in the side of the neck—my eyes locked on its cold, black orbs.

It howled in pain. I watched it turn to black ash and dissolve in the air. I could feel warm, sticky blood oozing down my neck and soaking into my collar.

The demi-demons and Evils scattered in the darkness. The earth shifted under my feet. I stood, drained of every molecule of energy, and watched the pit crumble in on itself until it was just an ugly, brown scab in a sea of lush, green grass.

We filed into the house to clean up. My mother darted from place to place, complaining about the police response time. “I called them when the whole thing started,” my mother complained, wiping the blood from Drew’s face.

“Some fighting teenagers aren’t high on their list when there are robberies and murders going on, Mom.”

“How bad is that cut?” Chay stood in front of me and cupped my chin, turning my head to the side so he could see the cut on my neck. “Deep?”

“Not very. It’s fine.” I tried to brush his hand away.

He grabbed some gauze and sterile water and cleaned the blood away. “I don’t think you need stitches. We’ll have to see if the bleeding stops.” He put a bandage over it and taped it in place. Chay cupped my chin in his hand and peered into my eyes. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” He placed a kiss on my forehead.

“I hurt everywhere.” I gave a small laugh. “But, no. Let me clean your cut.”

He had rubbed the blood with the back of his sleeve, smearing it over his face. Sitting down, he lifted his face to me. I rubbed it gently with a warm, wet cloth.

“It’s not too bad. Just a lot of blood and dirt mostly.” I put butterfly tape across it.

Chay wrapped his hands around my waist, his fingers tight against my skin. “I meant what I said.”

My hands stilled, and I looked into his blue-green eyes. I knew exactly what he meant. My mind centered on the five words he’d said, and warmth built in my chest. A slow, languid contentedness flowed through me. It was different from the jolts of sizzling current I felt when we kissed. But it felt right. It fit, like my body had been missing that piece of the puzzle. The hot stuff still bubbled just under the surface, but this new emotion was stronger, permanent. It took our relationship somewhere new. A better place. Love.

I twirled a lock of his hair around my finger and looked into his eyes. “It was kind of a weird time and place.”

“I know.” He nodded, and one side of his mouth twitched in a half grin. “But our relationship is built on weird. Even so, I meant it.”

I felt the sizzle run up my arm, through my chest, and reach out. The current connected to Chay and his emotions washed over me. I saw anger directed at Azazel. I saw rage directed at Jake—this time, I saw a memory to go with the emotion. It was me. The demon held me with the dagger at my throat; a trail of blood ran down my chest.

I saw protectiveness, caring, trust, longing, love—and there was another vision to go with his feelings. Me. The day he first met me. The day we had milkshakes at his uncle’s shop. Him watching me sleep in his lap at the zoo. Me laughing at something he said, him wiping my tears away after the woman died at the waterway. Memory after memory of me and the emotions he felt with each one.

Tears filled my eyes. It was almost too much. It filled my heart. I knew I loved Chay. I knew it before that night. I couldn’t remember my life without him in it; he’d filled a void I hadn’t known existed. Without him, I was incomplete. But until that moment, seeing me through his eyes, I didn’t know how strongly he felt. And the realization gave me the most exquisite joy. But it scared me at the same time. How could I live with myself if he was ever hurt because of his feelings for me? I looked down and broke our connection.

I licked my lips and swiped at my eyes. “Me too. With everything in me,” I whispered.

He gripped the collar of my shirt and pulled me down to him. His kiss was whisper soft. So gentle. I opened my mouth to him and pressed myself closer, taking the kiss deeper. He groaned in my mouth. The people in the room faded. The memory of the fight and the circumstances that brought us to that point dissolved. We were just two people realizing how deep their feelings for each other ran.

“Get a room,” Drew drawled, walking by to grab a Coke.

“No. No, no. There’ll be no room getting,” my dad said, and I laughed against Chay’s lips.

Chay pulled back and grinned at me.

He’s mine. How did I get so lucky?

***

“Did you notice Muriel tonight?” Chay asked after everyone had left. We swayed on the swing on the back deck.

I picked at a piece of peeling nail polish. “When?” I knew what he was going to say. I didn’t want to hear it.

“During and after the fight.”

I dropped my hand and sighed. “I didn’t see her during,” I said. “I was a little busy.”

“I caught a glimpse of her. She was just watching. She didn’t fight. And when we came in, everyone had injuries except her.”

I looked at him. “What are you gettin’ at?” As soon as our gazes touched, the electrical cord sparked to life. I sucked in a breath. He was worried and scared for me. Fear was associated with Muriel, but in a different way. He was scared of her. Or of what she could do.

“I don’t know. I just think it’s odd, that’s all,” he said. He gave me a quick kiss—too quick—and our connection was broken. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” I touched my lips with my fingertips, my thoughts a million miles away.

“I’ll pick you up.”

Muriel didn’t fight? Is she going to turn? Has she turned? I didn’t get the same vibe off her that I did from Steven. But I don’t really know how to use this electrical vibe thingy yet, so who knows if I even did it right.

It’d have been a huge victory for Azazel if he got Muriel, my best friend and cousin, to work against me. Someone I’d never suspect, close to me. Someone I loved and trusted.

Chay’s warning rang in my ears. “You don’t know who you can trust.”

***

I had less than twenty-four hours. The next day was my birthday. One minute after one in the morning.

My mom offered to let me stay home from school, but I decided to go. I needed to be with Chay. And I wasn’t showing any fear. I was going to act like it was any other day. Besides, safety in numbers. Staying home alone wasn’t really an option.

Classes dragged on. Instructors babbled about inane subjects. Things I’d never use, even if I did live beyond my birthday. Who cared what x equaled? Or what ROI meant? I didn’t care about the gross national product or microeconomics. What I needed was someone to teach me how to get through the next twenty-four hours so I lived to see swim practice the next day.

I sat at the kitchen table after school. My parents were there. Chay sat next to me, holding my hand. His dad was there, and so was Uncle Rory. The entire group was there.

“We need a plan for tonight. It’ll be bad. There’s no doubt,” Mr. Roberts said.

“The church at the end of the street,” Jeff suggested. “It should offer some type of protection, more than she’s getting here. The demons have weakened it too much here.”

“I don’t know if a church will stop him.” Chay jammed his fingers through his hair. It was mussed and falling over his forehead from him running his fingers through it all day. I reached up and smoothed it back into place. His gaze found mine, and I let myself get pulled into the blue-green depths, hardly hearing what the others were planning around us.

“It’s as good a place as any,” my dad said. “You hide her there. We’ll stay here and try to keep them distracted long enough that her birth time passes before they realize where she is.” He shook his head and rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know. There are so many variables. Not all churches are protected. And some are more protected than others. I… I just don’t know.”

“There aren’t many options left. It’s a place away from here, but not too far that we can’t get to her if we need to. It’s a church. Chances are better that it’ll give Milayna more protection than she’ll have here. Surely, he and his demons can’t do too much damage there.” Mr. Roberts shrugged a shoulder. “At the very least, it’s a place he might not think to look. He’ll automatically expect her to be at one of our houses. He’s not omnipresent. He doesn’t know what we’re doing, planning, saying.” He ran a hand through his hair. He looked so much like Chay when he did that. “I don’t know, my friend. I wish I had all the answers for you.”

My dad frowned and nodded. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay. That’s the plan, then.” He looked at my mom, and she gave him a quick nod.

“Then it’s settled. When it starts, Jeff and I will take Milayna to the church.” Muriel pulled her hair back and tied it in a messy bun.

I swung my head to look at the others. My dad was looking at the floor, his hand on his hip. He nodded his head.

Wait! Muriel?

“Okay.” My dad looked up.

No, no. I don’t trust her.

I turned to Chay. His expression told me he was thinking the same thing. He ran a finger down the side of my face and smiled. “Jeff will be with you.”

I nodded and tried to smile back. I couldn’t breathe. It felt like fear was wrapping around my throat like a scarf, squeezing tighter and tighter. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to lock myself in a closet with Chay and my family and just wait until it was over.

I want you to go. I trust you.

All there was left to do was wait.

Less than twenty-four hours until my birthday.

Waiting was the hard part. I wanted to be alone with Chay. I wanted to be with my parents and brother. I wasn’t sure who I wanted to be alone with the most. I did not want to be in a house full of people milling around, waiting for the fighting to start. But that was where I was.

Chay never left my side, not even to get something to drink. I was sure he would’ve sooner died of dehydration than leave me.

The clock became a ticking bomb. Every second counted down to the most important event in my life. Maybe the last event of my life. The sound of the constant tick, tick, tick reverberated through my skull until I thought I’d go crazy.

My hands were slick with sweat, and I had to let go of Chay’s hand several times to wipe them on the legs of my jeans. My heart was in my throat, and butterflies the size of trucks were spinning around in my stomach like a tornado of brightly colored wings. I was sure if I opened my mouth to speak, they’d fly out. So I kept quiet and waited.

It was getting dark, and the autumn chill rolled in. I went upstairs to change into warmer clothing. Chay, of course, followed. He waited silently outside my door until I finished.

“You’re still here?” I asked when I stepped into the hall.

He tilted his head, and his eyes roamed over my face before stopping on my eyes. “Where else would I be?”

“I thought you’d have run away screaming by now.” At his look of confusion, I tried to smile. “Haven’t you heard? Being my friend is bad for your health.”

“I thought I was more than a friend.” He gently pushed me backward into my bedroom.

“You are. So much more. Chay, I… I’m not sure how to say this, but when I told you I loved you, it wasn’t exactly the truth.” I grabbed his hand that rested on my shoulder and kissed his palm. “What I feel for you has to be more than love. No one has ever made me feel like you.” Rolling my bottom lip between my teeth, I looked at the floor. I thought he’d say something, but he remained silent. I took a shuddering breath. “I just wanted to tell you how happy you’ve made me the last few weeks, you know… just in case.” My gaze swept up to meet his.

“Don’t.” His fist hit the doorjamb, and I flinched. “Just don’t.” He looked to the side, his jaw working. “You’re talking like you’re giving up. Don’t you dare give up, Milayna. Don’t. You. Dare.”

I shook my head. “I’m not. I’m not giving up!”

“Then don’t tell me any type of goodbye.” I wanted to tell him I wasn’t, but that was exactly what I’d been doing. So I nodded and squeezed his hand. “Good. Now that we have that settled, I want you to do something for me,” he murmured.

“Okay.”

He skimmed his hands up and down my arms before moving them up to cup my face. “I want you to hold on to something for me until this is over.”

“Chay, I’m probably not the best—” He let me go when I pulled away.

“I’ll want it back, so don’t get too attached. Take your sweatshirt off.”

“What?”

“Take your sweat—”

“I heard you, but there are people downstairs. Our parents are down there. I don’t think me and you playing striptease is gonna be their idea of appropriate behavior.”

He chuckled. “Just do it.”

I pulled off my sweatshirt and stood in just my bra, with my arms across my middle, shivering. My breath hitched in my throat when he reached behind his neck and pulled his sweatshirt over his head. My stomach did a weird sort of cartwheel and my heart, well, it wasn’t sure what to do.

Oh dear Lord, is he gonna take his clothes off, too? That’d be the best damn birthday present. Ever.

Disappointment flooded me. He wore a T-shirt underneath, but when he slipped out of his sweatshirt, it rose up and… wow… I was sure I forgot to breathe.

Damn, look at those abs. Can he be any more ripped? Breathe, I must remember to breathe. But, oh, is he screaming hawt. And if those jeans were any lower, I wouldn’t give a damn that my parents are downstairs.

“Lift up your arms,” he said. I just stared at him. “I’ve seen you in a swimsuit. Seeing you in a bra isn’t that much different. Although seeing you in a bra next to your bed is kinda killing me right now, so please lift up your arms.”

I did as he asked. He very gently lifted his sweatshirt, pulled it over my head, and held it while I slid my arms in the sleeves. He lifted my hair out of the collar before he placed his hand behind my neck and pulled me to him.

His mouth moved over mine; his velvet tongue dipped between my parted lips. He tasted slightly of apple cider and smelled of cinnamon and something all him. I sighed at the feel of him. He pulled me closer, kissing me deeper.

My fingers itched to run over his hard, muscled stomach. I moved my hands from his waist and slipped them under his shirt. My fingers grazed over his rippled abs and followed them to the tapered oblique muscles that dipped into the waistband of his jeans. He groaned and dropped his hands to my waist. He pulled me even closer to him, kissing me deeper still. When he lifted his head, we were both breathing hard and I was more than a little dizzy. It was pure bliss, a toe-curling kiss. The only kind he seemed to give—not that I was complaining or anything. The guy was a kissing god.

“Wow,” I breathed.

“Yeah.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “Now listen, Milayna, this is very important.”

“Okay.”

“That’s my favorite sweatshirt.” He grabbed a handful of the front of the shirt and yanked me toward him. “I want it back in the morning. It’s only on loan for tonight.”

I let out a breath and a small laugh. “Okay. On loan. Got it.”

“I’m serious. I want it back two minutes after one tomorrow morning.” He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my forehead.

I closed my eyes and squeezed back my tears.

***

For the next hour, I sat on the couch next to Chay, his arm protectively around my waist, his thumb rubbing my skin just above my jeans. I wrapped myself in his sweatshirt. I loved how it felt. So soft and warm. It was so big on me that it draped over me like a blanket. And it smelled like him. I’d bend my face forward and inhale his scent, fresh and outdoorsy. It calmed me.

At eleven thirty, I smelled sulfur.

“It’s beginning,” I whispered. No one answered me. Chay pulled me closer to him.

With the smell of sulfur came the goblins. They ran around my yard, playing like they always did. We tried to ignore them, but their singing grated on my already fraying nerves.

At eleven forty-two, the demi-demons and Evils showed. They stood silently in a line in my front yard.

At eleven fifty-five, the ground shook and the dirt parted. A hole emerged, like someone was drilling their way out of the earth.

We walked outside. The first gray arms appeared, hefting themselves out of the hole. I’d never seen more than two demons at a time. That night, there were a dozen, maybe more, fighting to get out of the hole at the same time.

My parents kissed me. My mother was crying, and my dad was determined. “It’ll be fine, honey.” They pushed me toward Jeff’s car.

Chay pulled me around to look at him. He framed my face in his hands and kissed me hard. “I want my sweatshirt back.” He gave me a crooked grin. “And the person inside it.”

I nodded and pulled his face to mine for another kiss.

“Go with Jeff, Milayna. You can’t be here,” he whispered, his lips skimming over mine when he spoke.

“You take me!”

“I can’t.” And he was right. Next to me, Chay was the strongest demi-angel in the group. If something were to happen to me, he was next in line to lead. He had to stay and fight. Both of us gone would weaken the group too much.

“Go! I’ll be right behind you.”

The smell of sulfur and charred flesh stirred in the air. I knew they were coming for me. I threw the dagger to Chay and let Muriel and Jeff push me through the open car door. This was it. Dozens of pointless fights brought us to this point. A culmination of the stupidity of flying fists and staining the earth red with blood.

The endgame.

***

Midnight, my birthday.

Jeff raced down the road to the church. He and Muriel hurried me inside, closing and bolting the door behind us. It wasn’t until I turned and looked up at Jeff that I knew something was very wrong. When I looked at Muriel, I saw the same wide-eyed expression I was sure was on my face.

Jeff sneered. I always thought he was nice looking in an understated way. Dark hair but light eyes. Lean, but muscled. He was quiet and soft-spoken, but always friendly. But just then his normally friendly smile was cold and his light eyes glinted like shards of glass. “You knew there was a traitor in the group, yet you came with me like an idiot.”

‘Jeff and Shayla used to date,’ Chay had told me. Why didn’t that sink in? Then I saw him in the hall helping her pick up the books Lily dropped.

As I scrolled through my memory, I could pick out things that alone wouldn’t cause alarm, but stringing them together, they all pointed straight to Jeff. Him stopping to talk to Shayla and Lily at the restaurant, Jeff not doing anything to help when Drew and Chay were hurt until he was told to call 911, holding the door open for Shayla and following her out of the school.

My heart sank. It wasn’t Muriel I should’ve been afraid of. It was Jeff. Bile rose in my throat, and my body shook so badly that my teeth chattered. I had to grab onto Muriel to keep from falling.

“All this time, I thought it was you. I’m so sorry, Muriel,” I said close to her ear. “I’m so sorry for doubting you.”

“Me? Why me?” she whispered. Her hand squeezed mine tighter.

“You’ve been standoffish, we didn’t talk or text anymore, you didn’t help me when Jake was pulling me toward the pit, you—”

“Yeah, you don’t have to keep listing things. I admit I’ve been weird. It’s no excuse, but I’ve been scared. Everything was way more intense than anything we’d seen before, and I panicked. I let you down, and I’m so sorry. Maybe if I hadn’t been such a coward, we wouldn’t be here now.”

“Don’t. Don’t you dare blame yourself. This was hard for all of us. So you were scared. That’s normal. No matter what happens tonight, It. Is. Not. Your. Fault. I love you, Muriel.”

Big tears rolled down Muriel’s face when she hugged me. I could feel them pooling in the curve of my neck. “I love you, too. We’ll beat this.” She gave me one last squeeze, letting go when she felt me stiffen. “What?” When I didn’t answer, she followed my gaze.

I saw him. I swallowed back my fear and tried to stand straight, show no weakness. But my body trembled and my arms wrapped around my middle almost without my consent.

He looked just like he did in my dream. He had the appearance of a man, unlike his demons.

“Hello, Milayna. I’ve waited a long time to meet you face-to-face.” He leaned against a pillar leading into the church’s sanctuary, his hands clasped in front of him.

“Azazel,” I whispered. “But—”

“What? We’re in a church?” He laughed. “You thought you’d be safe here? Stupid girl. Churches are open to any who wish to enter. There are no protective powers here to keep you safe. Come in, come in.” He motioned us further into the church.

When I didn’t move, Jeff shoved me hard and I stumbled forward. He grabbed Muriel by the arm and jerked her to stand next to me. “When he tells you to do something, you do it!” Jeff screamed. Spittle flew from his mouth, and the sound of his voice echoed through the old church. I wanted to cover my ears, but I forced my hands to stay at my sides.

“Now, now, boy, there’s no need for screaming,” Azazel said.

I felt two hands clamp down on my arms. I looked, but I already knew what I’d see. Their unnaturally hot skin burned through my sweatshirt. When I saw the sickly gray flesh of the demons holding me, I gagged.

The demons held me in place as Azazel circled me. Jake appeared out of the shadows and grabbed Muriel, restraining her. Steven, Lily, and Shayla stood next to him and watched. The hobgoblins waddled back and forth in front of them. Azazel’s angels flew overhead. Their black wings flapped, and the fabric of their black robes billowed around them. Their banshee-like screams pierced my ears.