The Devil's Due (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 2) Page 10

  Who knows, maybe everyone else is right about her. Maybe she is just as confused, scared and lonely as I am. What if all she wants is to be accepted? I started to wonder if perhaps I had been too hard on her, but then her smile came back to me, and the glint of fire in her eyes.

  No, she was up to something.

  If she was a spy, then maybe I could use that to my advantage. She’d know the Demon Lords and be familiar with their plan. If anyone knows how a demon thinks, it would be someone who’d spent time with them, who’d served among their ranks. It presented the perfect opportunity to have insight into their world.

  On the other hand, demons were cunning. I could never be sure she didn’t have something else up her sleeve. Now she’d managed at get her claws into Ryan — making sure he was safe became my top priority. It was just too convenient that out of all the men in the world, she would single him out as a target. Obviously, there were other things at play.

  I tossed and turned back and forth in bed, unsure of what to do with this new information. Eventually, I just decided to sleep on it and let whatever happened, happen. There was nothing I could do about it now. I'd already voiced my opinion on the matter, and it wasn't like I could force his hand either.

  I fell into a fitful and exhausted sleep and left those questions to be answered another day.

  Chapter Six

  Web of Lies

  I perched on the chair in front of my desk with my legs pulled up underneath me, humming along with the radio as I worked on the first real paper for my Introduction to Psychology course. There was a drink and a half-eaten sandwich on the desk beside me, which was perfect for a late afternoon snack. I’d been putting it off all week and was running low on inspiration, but it couldn’t be ignored further. With a tired sigh, I pulled the elastic from my wrist and wrapped my hair into a ponytail.

  When I brought my hands back to the keyboard, I flexed the glamor upon my fingers, letting the scales break through. The tingle of electric power felt marvelous running through them. I released the breath that I’d been holding and peered down at them, chuckling at the sight of it. and shifted back and forth a couple times, watching the skin change from fleshy pink to hard and blackened scales. Each time, it brought a delightful flood of endorphins with each release. I hadn’t let myself indulge in power like that for a long time. The truth was my demon side was starving, begging to be unleashed. I'd kept it hidden for far too long and the voices in my head were getting restless with frustration.

  It felt good to flex those psychic muscles every now and then. If I go too long, they begin to cramp, and I would get headaches from the strain of repressing it.

  Sighing at the catch twenty-two, I glanced back at the screen, and was about to start on the assignment when there was a knock on the door.

  My eyebrows puckers, since we were not expecting any company and I pushed away from the desk, gripping the arms of the chair as I propelled myself to my feet and went to answer it. I yawned, stretching my arms up high above my head as I wandered down the hall.

  There was another knock when I stepped into the living room and unlocked the door to find a scrawny co-ed with dirty-blond hair. His clothes were a mess and he had a frazzled expression when he looked up at me with a stack of flyers in his hand.

  “Can I help you?” I asked him curiously.

  The boy stuttered as he offered me his hand with a crooked smile and checked me over quickly. “H-hey, I’m Shawn,” he stated nervously. “I’m just a couple rooms down the hall from you.”

  I shook his hand awkwardly and blocked his access once I saw he was trying to look inside. “Yeah, I’ve seen you around. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  He grinned at my bemused expression and said, “I don’t want to bother you, but my roommate and I have been tasked with handing out these flyers. Phi Kappa Phi is throwing a huge start-of-term kegger and I thought you might be interested.”

  I raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe when he handed me a flyer. “I don’t know about that. We’re not really into that kind of stuff.”

  He bolstered some courage before adding, “Well, I’d like to see you there,” he told me with a wink.

  Something about him didn’t sit right with me, but I didn’t want to insult our new neighbor, so I nodded stiffly and accepted the flyer graciously. “Okay, I’ll talk to Lacey and see if she wants to go.”

  Shawn smiled. “Sweet. I guess I’ll see you later?”

  “Sure.”

  Just then Lacey came walking in from the stairwell and trudged down the hall towards us. Her face was emotionless and eyes glazed over like a zombie. I immediately became concerned at the sight of her and ignored the boy completely. I didn’t like the dusky hues that had infiltrated her leafy green aura and left it dull and sad; something was wrong. Shawn didn’t even notice my distraction and tried to lean against the door seductively. “So, do you have a boyfriend, or…?”

  I pushed past him into the hall and said, “Yes, now go away.”

  Lacey came towards me looking morose as Shawn slunk away pouting. I approached her cautiously, with my arms crossed in front of my chest. “Hey, Lace. Everything okay?”

  “What? Oh … yeah, I’m fine. What’s that?” she asked, gesturing to the flyer in my hand. I glanced down at the paper in surprise, having completely forgotten it was there.

  “One of the guys down the hall invited up to a party. It’s stupid, we don’t have to go if—”

  Her aura perked up instantly as she cut me off mid-sentence and grabbed me by the arms. “Oh my gosh, that’s perfect! I just had the worst day ever and need to kill it and some brain cells. We have to go!”

  “Uh, no we don’t,” I reminded her as we went back into the apartment. “I can’t drink, for obvious reasons.”

  Her brow furrowed with confusion as she asked, “What are you talking about?”

  It took me a moment to realize I’d never told that story to her. It was my own secret shame. “Oh crap. I just realized I haven’t told you about that. Remember going to the Murphy’s lake house over Spring Break?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “Well, I may have gotten a little carried away back then and underestimated alcohol’s effect on me. Anyways, I wasn’t thinking clearly and lost control for a bit … and kinda, sorta fed on some of their souls.”

  Lacey made a face and groaned at the story in disgust. “God, Wynn!”

  I groaned in my own self-loathing and agreement of her assessment. “I know! It’s awful and I’m so sorry that it happened. I’m not making any excuses for myself, I’m just saying that alcohol and I don’t mix. Not to mention I can’t lose control of my glamor for an instant. The whole point of these trials is to prove I can be in control and not hurt anyone — it’s a risk I just can’t take. Anyways, that’s why I don’t drink.”

  “So don’t,” she offered trying to be helpful. “Come with me anyways.”

  Looking down at the burgundy t-shirt with a black skull printed on it and gray skinny jeans I was wearing, it took everything inside me not to cringe. My hair was still thrown up in the messy ponytail from earlier with a few strawberry blonde tendrils falling out around my face. “You want me to go like this?” I asked her skeptically.

  Lacey shrugged when she noticed my apperal and headed back towards her room. “Sure, why not?”

  I sighed, grabbing my phone off of the counter and followed her back into her bedroom. “Okay, let me text Caleb and let him know what’s happening.”

  “Maybe he’ll meet us there,” Lacey teased as I typed his name into the keypad.

  I laughed, grabbing my phone off the counter. “Oh, I doubt it. This does not strike me as the type of party he’d attend.”

  Going out with Lacey tonight so I won’t be able to come by, I texted him. Lacey was already throwing stuff around her bedroom and deciding what to wear.

  “Should I put my hair up, or leave it down?” she asked excitedly, pulling her hair up in the reflec
tion.

  I laughed at her and said, “Uh, up, I guess?”

  She glanced back at me over her shoulder and smiled. “Up it is.”

  Caleb texted back a few second later, Okay, have fun. Where are you girls going?

  I deliberated for a moment, trying to decide whether or not I should let him know the truth. Eventually, I decided that brutal honesty was probably for the best and told him, She’s taking me to a frat party, I told him honestly.I didn’t want to go at first, but it sounds like she’s had aawful day and just wants to unwind.

  There was a long pause before he responded and my phone buzzed.BE SAFE. Call me if you run into any trouble.

  I smiled at his concern and slid the phone into my pocket, relieved he didn’t complain or ask if I’d be drinking.

  He trusted me.

  It took Lacey another fifteen minutes on her hair, before she and I finished getting ready and headed out the door. On the way out I made sure to lock up behind us, in case our creepy neighbor decided to stop by again. As we walked across campus, Lacey talked about her and Phil. He’d gone off to school in Auburn, which was difficult for them but they were trying to make the long-distance thing work. The way she talked about him made everything sound so easy — and for them it was, there was no mystical involvement. I hummed in acknowledgment when it seemed appropriate, but it got me thinking about my own relationship. When the conversation made the inevitable shift to me and Caleb, she wanted to know everything, including questions that I didn’t know how to answer. I was beginning to get a little self-conscious when we arrived on sorority row.

  The street was lined with massive white buildings with Greek elements incorporated into their design, including Corinthian columns or a piedmont on the front. My jaw fell open at the sight of so many fantastic mansions and the scale of unbridled hedonism. I knew the school received generous donations from its alumni, but not like this.

  “Holy cow!” I mentioned to Lacey quietly. “Did you know about this?”

  “No,” she breathed in awestruck wonder like I was. “Let’s go check it out.”

  I grinned, following the music to where everyone was gathering inside. A perfectly good couch sat in the middle of their lawn and students were packed for as far as I could see with red solo cups in their hands as they mingled with each other on the grass.

  “Are you sure about this?” I asked her seriously.

  Lacey grinned. “Absolutely.”

  As we made our way inside, Lacey made a bee-line for the dance floor and I got left behind, until eventually the two of us were separated. There was a couple making out in the stairwell and the smell of booze was nearly palpable as techno music blasted through the sound system. When I made it to the kitchen I recognized the sorority girls from earlier, leaning against the counter. One of them was wearing a low-cut sundress that bordered on obscene, and the other was dressed to match except her hair was straightened within an inch of its life and dyed an unnatural blonde. Ugh, please no.

  Just as I was about to turn away and avoid them, I was spotted by the one in a mini skirt who notified the girl beside her. Their makeup was overdone, and they smiled thinly, coming over to say, “hello”.

  “Well, well, well…” miniskirt addressed me condescendingly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was overly pleased at finding me there and pursed her lips together in a smile. “I thought you weren’t interested in the Greek lifestyle.”

  I sighed, turning to address her statement and said, “My roommate and I just came to blow off some steam, that doesn’t mean we want to pledge.”

  The girl chuckled softly, glancing back at her companions for reinforcement. “I should say not, that ship has already sailed. But since you’re here, feel free to enjoy our leftovers.”

  My eyes narrowed with disgust at the analogy and I said, “Listen…”

  “Kristy,” she informed me icily.

  “Kristy, I wasn’t trying to insult you by turning down your invite, but it’s just not me. I wasn’t even planning to come here tonight, but Lacey made me. Can you please just let it go, so we can enjoy the party?”

  Both of them smiled and giggled to themselves maliciously. “Oh, I see. Now you want to prove how you’re the ‘bigger’ person and prove you’re better than us!” she crooned to the sorority girls around her. They snickered as their leader, Kristy, placed a hand on her hip and flipped her blonde hair across her shoulder. “You looked down your nose at me the other day, and you’re doing it again now. You go enjoy the party, but remember one thing: this is my world, and you are an unwelcome guest, so tread carefully.”

  “It’s the frat’s party,” I reminded her coolly.

  Kristy’s smile widened, exposing her bleach white teeth. “Do you know who the head of this frat is? My boyfriend. And I have that man wrapped around my finger like you would not believe. So, the same rules apply. Keep your chin up love, you’ll learn who’s boss around here soon enough.”

  Ick, I thought to myself annoyed. This is why I never hang out with the popular crowd; the people are terrible. That’s all sororities are — a popularity contest. When they finally left in their wedge toe shoes, I sighed and headed over towards the pizza. Well, as long as I’m here …

  I grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and decided to enjoy myself, looking around the room to keep an eye on Lacey and see if I knew anyone. A guy came up that I vaguely recognized to grab a beer from the cooler and glanced at me in his peripheral. His aura was shockingly orange with swirls of yellow dancing in between. He was built like a linebacker, with broad shoulders and spiky blond hair with a bit of stubble on his face. “Hey, do I know you?” he asked me conversationally.

  “Um…”

  “Sorry, it’s the red hair,” he explained, gesturing to the blaring physical feature I kept tied back into a ponytail. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”

  I chuckled at the awkward mention of notoriety and broke eye contact with him embarrassedly.

  “Yeah, well I’m glad it made an impression.”

  “I think we’re in the same Humanities class, Professor Harris?”

  “Oh yeah,” I acknowledged with a smile. “I have seen you in there.”

  “Well, welcome to Phi Kappa Phi,” he said conversationally, gesturing to the room we were standing in. “I’m Matt.”

  “Hi, Matt. Are you in the Frat?”

  “For about a year,” he confirmed. “Glad you were able to make it; cute girls are always welcome.”

  I chuckled nervously. “Thank you?”

  He leaned up against the counter and pointed to my shoulder. “I like your ink,” he complimented in an attempt to keep the conversation going. “Who’s your guy?”

  My guy? I mocked his tone internally. That’s new.

  “That was more of an accident really, but thanks for noticing,” I offered, sounding more and more disinterested.

  “Are you serious? I’ve never seen scales done like that before, it’s really impressive.”

  My eyes grew wide as I realized the glamor must be fading. Oh no. I thought he was talking about Aidan’s handiwork. If I illusion it away now it will be even more suspicious.

  I smiled thinly at his compliment and tried to brush it off, “Just lucky I guess. Sorry, I don’t remember what the shop was called. Do you have any tattoo’s yourself?”

  “Not yet, I have some planned out in my head, though. Can I get you a drink? We’ve got some Heineken, Bud Light, Jack Daniels if you’re into that.”

  Glancing past him, I could see Lacey on one of the tables dancing with a cup in her hand. She was smiling and swaying her hips in time with the music. It made me smile to know she was having fun, but at the same time I wanted to kick myself for losing track of her.

  Matt eyed me curiously, still waiting for an answer, so I turned him down in the politest way possible and offered an apologetic smile. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m the designated … escort.”

  “Oh, come on, live a little. A single bee
r won’t kill you,” he teased. The orange waves of his aura swirled around him in a convection pattern and I felt the ache of my dormant hunger stir, tempting me to take a sip.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I’m really not much of a drinker.”

  “Okay, okay,” he laughed. “Do you wanna get out of here and mess around, or what?”

  I scoffed at his bold an inappropriate suggestion before telling him point blank, “I have a boyfriend.”

  He grinned, leaning in suggestively and said, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

  “Dude! Not interested,” I barked at him.

  His face hardened at my outright rejection and turned his cockiness into anger. “I think you’re lying,” he told me.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at him when he said that, out of the absurdness over what was happening and insisted, “Right, except the part about having a boyfriend — I actually do have one of those, so why don’t you go on and scuttle?”

  Matt frowned, his anger rising as he moved uncomfortably close and demanded, “Oh, yeah? Where is he then? What’s his name?”

  “I’m under no obligation to give you that information,” I snapped. “Now leave me alone.”

  He grabbed my arm when across the room, I saw the familiar dark, brown hair walk in through the door. I stared at it, surprised. “Caleb?”

  He followed my gaze and sneered when he saw Caleb standing there, taking in his t-shirt logo and dirty pants. “Is that him?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes.”

  “A groundskeeper?” Matt mocked, moving closer as he grabbed me by the wrist.

  I brushed his hands away and gritted my teeth, snarling at him, “Yeah, you got a problem with that?”

  As I moved to leave, he reached for my arm again and tried to stop my passage. “You’ve got to be kidding me! That guy’s a loser, he—” BAM!

  The next thing I knew my hand was grabbing his hair, smashing his face into the counter as I bared my teeth with rage. “Call him that one more time,” I challenged.