The Devil's Due (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  I gritted my teeth and stared at her, but all I could see was red. “What are you implying?”

  Something I hadn’t felt for quite some time started boiling up inside me — pure, unspent rage and hatred. It was like throwing gasoline onto a fire. I went from zero to sixty in no time. My inner demon licked her lips at the thought of finally being unleashed. I could feel her scratching beneath the surface. The proximity to another demon always kicked my senses into overdrive, and I was ruled more by raw emotion than by logic. It was a dangerous situation, and Caleb sensed I was close to losing it.

  “Charley…” Caleb warned.

  “I’m implying that I wanted more out of my existence than associating with other demons, I reached for something more. Caleb did the opposite. He couldn’t handle the Realms Above and chose to dwell with lesser beings. Maybe you should consider that and entertain the possibility he’s not as pure and flawless as you think he is.”

  I hissed at her and Caleb had to physically restrain me from launching myself in her direction.

  Charley smiled. “Think about it. Maybe he didn’t want to associate with angels because he had a bit of a dark streak himself.”

  “Thank you, Charley, for helping to smooth over the situation,” he told her crisply. “Maybe we should go. Ryan, do you mind giving Lacey a ride?”

  Ryan nodded, and I started marching back towards the truck, fuming. Caleb caught up to me and touched me gently on the elbow. “Hey, do you mind slowing down a minute? I thought we agreed you weren’t going to do this? Can’t you even try to get along?” he scolded gently.

  I sighed and brought my pace back to a crawl, knowing if I hadn't let my temper get the better of me we would have already gotten past this. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I just can’t handle her acting so innocent all the time.”

  “How do you know she’s acting?” he asked me seriously as he opened the door to his truck. He saw me start to protest and cut me off, “Wynn, I’m on your side. Don’t take your frustration out on me. That isn’t fair. I’m trying to help you out here.”

  I sighed and hung my head in submission, turning towards him and feeling guilty for having ruined our starlit party. My insides were all confused and I reminded myself that Charlene had even received Elyse’s endorsement from on high. I was the only one who was being difficult. “Once again, you’re right,” I admitted. “Let’s go home.”

  He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me on the forehead. “You got it, princess.”

  ~ * ~

  I sat on the futon in his apartment and let out a tired sigh. The black material was worn and old, but felt like home. I had one of the throw pillows on my lap and a blanket on the cushion next to me as I snuggled in for ultimate comfort.

  I’d spent the ride home singing along with the radio and answering his questions about my classes. It was obviously a ploy for him to get my mind off Charley and I was letting him get away with it.

  “Are you feeling any better?” Caleb asked me from the kitchen.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I told him honestly.

  “What kind of tea do you like?”

  I looked up at him confused. “What?”

  “Tea. For drinking. What flavor do you like?”

  “Uh, I don’t really have a preference. Whatever you have is fine. I guess I’m not used to having anyone take care of me … except for Elyse.”

  He pulled a box down from the cupboard and showed to me. “I got some Lemon Zinger, do you want some?”

  “Sure.”

  “Excellent choice, seeing as it’s a favorite of mine as well.”

  I hummed in acknowledgment and bit my bottom lip, repositioning myself on the couch so I could watch him and glance around at the things he’d brought into his home. To be honest, it was sparse — a rudimentary fulfillment of his needs, but I didn’t want to snoop or invade his privacy.

  “You don’t entertain much, do you?” I teased him playfully.

  He chuckled. “No, not really.”

  “I got you something,” I let him know uncomfortably.

  Caleb dried his hands off on the kitchen towel and smiled, coming over to see. “What is it?”

  I grabbed my bag off the floor and pulled out the scented candle I’d picked out for him. It was a large, three-wicked candle that smelled like cranberries. The glass surrounding it was red and decorated with a Moroccan pattern. “It’s just something I picked out from Nadia’s shop, but it smells nice, and I thought your place could use a woman’s touch. I ordered it from her a couple days ago, and it arrived this morning.”

  He took it from me carefully and set it down on the kitchen counter. “Thanks, babe.”

  “You’re welcome. When did you learn to make tea?”

  Caleb rolled his eyes and said, “It’s one of the oldest drinks in the world — after a couple of centuries you pick up a thing or two.”

  I smiled, hoping the quiet evening with him I’d been looking forward to wasn’t ruined after all.

  He glanced up at me while putting some water in the kettle. “Can I ask you a question? What is it about Charley that upsets you so much? She seems nice, but you’re intent on hating her.”

  “I’m not sure, she just rubs me the wrong way, I guess. Ryan’s been like a brother to me, and now it’s like I’ve been replaced.”

  “But that isn’t true. You know that, right?”

  “I do, but now he’s dating this girl, and I don’t trust her. If he’s in danger, I wanna protect him from it. No one else is taking the fact she’s a demon seriously. It’s frustrating that I’m the only one who sees it.”

  The crinkle above his eyebrow directly above his nose appeared when he corrected me, “Reformed demon. You talked about her nature being the problem, but it doesn’t seem to be. She brought up a good point that the reason she is here is she wanted out of Hell. She wanted to leave that awful place, doesn’t that say something about her nature? She saw an opportunity to get out, and she took it. We are taking it seriously, and just don’t see that it’s a problem.”

  I sighed, laying my head on the back of his couch. “I’m not sure. She could have gone anywhere, anywhere in the world, Caleb. What are the odds? What does Alabama have to offer a demon concert violinist? It just sounds like it’s not a coincidence. If she’s as talented as Ryan says, why is she in Alabama? Why not New York, or San Francisco?”

  The kettle began whistling, and he turned back towards the stove, pouring the steaming liquid into two ceramic mugs.

  “Well, this should help,” he muttered calmly, handing me a mug. “Tea can do amazing things for nerves.”

  I watched him remove the tea bags and pour honey into each mug before setting them on the coffee table. He sat down next to me, scratching the back of his neck in thought. “What is it?” I asked him curiously.

  “Well, I have a theory, but you’re not going to like it.”

  I picked up the tea and felt the warm ceramic mug within my hands before taking a careful, noisy sip and gesturing for him to continue.

  “You implied that Charley might be spying on you, but I don’t think that’s the case. She seems really genuine. What exactly is it that you’re afraid is going to happen? Let’s talk about this for a minute and try to work through some of your anxiety. Do you think she’s going to hurt Ryan, or come after you? What’s the worst-case scenario?”

  “I’m not exactly sure,” I told him honestly. “I’m just scared. It’s completely irrational, and I know that, but I’m still terrified.” I lowered the cup and rested my head against Caleb’s shoulder. “Why does this have to be so difficult?”

  He took the cup out of my hand and placed it on the coffee table, then turned to me with a seductive smile. Then Caleb’s smooth, low voice was suddenly whispering in my ear, “Come here, I can make you forget all about it.”

  I smiled against his lips when he kissed me and ran my hands through the back of his hair. It started out playfully, but then it became
more urgent, and his mouth and hands were all I could think about. He made a low sound in his throat as he devoured my lips. For someone who was as new to this as I was, he certainly got the hang of it quickly.

  ~ * ~

  My phone rang from my back pocket as I was walking across the terrace on my way to class. The student center was a-buzz with students all bundled up outside. I fished it out, glanced at the caller ID and recognized the area code from Mobile, but not the number. Curious as to who’d be calling me, I answered it trepidatiously. “Hello?”

  A pleasant male voice responded on the other line, “Hello, Miss Hendricks?”

  I stopped walking and cocked my head to the side at his formal introduction. “Yes?” I responded carefully.

  “This is Dr. Lucas from the hospital,” the man told me kindly.

  Realization struck at the recognition of Mom’s doctor, but not why he’d be calling me. I stopped walking and raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Oh. Hey, Doctor Lucas. Can I help you?”

  His voice was cheerful and nearly bubbling with excitement when he responded, “You’d never believe it, but I’m actually calling to let you know your mother is awake.”

  The world around me slammed on its brakes and time was slowing to a crawl. It felt like I’d been punched in the gut when he said those words. My heart was beating fast, and the ground started spinning out of control. I breathed in through my mouth, and it felt like my tongue had swollen — I couldn’t speak.

  I could hardly catch my breath.

  “Excuse me, Miss Hendricks?” he asked, still waiting for me to respond.

  “What did you say?” I choked out in a raspy voice.

  Doctor Lucas cleared his throat, then continued, “She woke up this morning, her vitals are stable, and the first thing she demanded was to talk to you.”

  I started feeling woozy and hunched over on the sidewalk, lowering the phone from my ear to catch my bearings. His voice still called to me from where the receiver rested against my knee, asking to pick up, “Miss Hendricks? Miss Hendricks?”

  “How did you get this number?” I demanded fiercely.

  “I … what?”

  “I’ve only had the number a couple months, and I’m not listed in her paperwork.”

  “Your father provided it,” he responded calmly.

  “Yeah? Well, he’s the next of kin! Look it up under William Hendricks.”

  He paused for a moment while sorting through the paperwork. “I don’t have anyone by that name,” Dr. Lucas informed me. “The emergency contact is Aidan Thomas.”

  My stomach churned as I was startled awake. The bed sheets were tangled between my legs, and a cool sheen of sweat had broken out across my forehead. Still panting from the emotional scene I’d witnessed, I kicked the layers of fabric out of the way and sat upright on the edge of the mattress. I pushed back the long strand of hair that insisted on escaping my ponytail and smacked my mouth to relieve the dryness.

  Mom … back?

  If Mom was awake, that meant she and Aidan had struck a deal. It would mean something terrible was about to happen. That would change everything.

  It still felt like my heart was racing and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so I climbed out of bed and went to get a glass of water. My feet padded down the carpeted hallway, and I let out a tired yawn. I grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and got some water from the tap. For some reason, it tasted remarkably cool and good against my throat as I gulped it down completely. The clock on the microwave said it was two-thirty in the morning and I had no idea what to do with myself in this current state.

  I drummed my fingers against the counter-top and looked back down the hall when a thought occurred to me. It wasn’t my usual coping method, but then again, I didn’t know how demons were supposed to relieve stress so it would have to do.

  ~ * ~

  Sweat was dripping down my back as I repeatedly punched at the form in front of me. I hadn’t worked out like this in ages, and it was amazingly satisfying to burn off steam — I needed it. I was angry … and frustrated … and scared.

  It was a stroke of luck finding this place to begin with; there weren’t any twenty-four-hour gyms on campus. At five in the morning, people were starting to show up, and I was getting sideways glances from the ferocity with which I wailed on the inanimate object. I’d been here for about an hour, and my ribs were sore from rotating along my core, using the positioning Jessica had shown me.

  I punched the bag again, counting along in a slow and steady rhythm. “… 1 … 2 … 3 … oomph!”

  My heart was pounding in my chest with increased adrenaline as my eyes narrowed, trying to remember where the vital organs were located. Breathing hard, I spun around and kicked the punching bag high up near the top. The feel of blood pulsing through my body felt incredible and helped release some of the tension I’d been feeling.

  The dream had frightened me.

  Things had been going so well with school and Caleb, it was easy to forget there were other things at play. I’d been working out with Jessica, but that wasn’t going to do me any good against the Demon Lords. There were still three more trials that could happen at any time, and I was nowhere near prepared for them.

  Physical strength didn’t matter if the full range of my skills weren’t being utilized. Aidan taught me everything I know about my powers, but they were going to waste without proper training. I couldn’t ignore them either — they’re part of me, but I needed a demon to teach me how to use them.

  I couldn’t train myself.

  I needed a demon to teach me how to be a demon. Otherwise, my time on Earth was limited.

  I frowned, realizing once again how far I still had left to go. Rather than dwell on the unfortunate truth, I kicked and punched the bag repeatedly until I was out of air. “Yah!”

  The final blow hit with such force that it came back and knocked me off my feet when I wasn’t expecting it. When I landed on the mat, most of the air was knocked from my lungs, and I decided I was done. For a moment, I lay there on the ground looking up at the ceiling and watching it spin. Slowly, I began to feel more confident and crawled over to my bag.

  I threw my hand wrappings into the zippered pocket and examined the scars that lingered on my palms. The skin had been flayed off by grabbing a rope without the proper protection when I’d been working in the theater — another reminder of my past with Aidan and that this feud between us would continue. I probably saved a couple of lives that night, but in the end, I was the one who lost everything.

  I grabbed a quick shower in the locker room before heading home. The cool night air was frigid against my skin. Long shadows spread out across the sidewalk in the distance with the faintest hint of predawn light. The sun had not yet risen in the horizon, and a nervous tingle kept creeping back in the corners of my mind.

  I just wanted to be alone to think. Walking was good for that because it was therapeutic, it unlocks your mind and put things in perspective. Besides, during the day, you have to worry about cars, people and getting caught trespassing on private property. Walking in the morning lets you see the world in a whole new way. To see it for what it really is: beautiful and horrible. Jaded.

  You’re stupid for being out this late, it told me. Aidan didn’t finish his lovely artwork on your shoulder. He could come back for you anytime.

  I had the same eerie feeling someone was watching me. My shoes scuffed against the gravel as I walked, knowing the logic was sound. He was never one to give up that easily. He sure does love to gloat.

  Glancing nervously from side to side, I decided to expedite the return trip home and blinked forward a couple hundred yards. When I felt no one had seen me, I repeated the action to get me home safe quicker. Not that being home would make me safer by any means, but at least the illusion was present. I knew if Aidan took me from my house, Lacey would be there to hear it — she could get Caleb. Then it wouldn’t be a missing person’s report, at least they would know what happened.<
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  I made it back to Riverside in one piece and grabbed a pop tart from the counter before going to change my clothes. Lacey would be getting up soon, and there was still some time for me to get some homework done. Professor Harris had given me some amazing reading the last time we spoke, and I was beginning to look at her as a mentor.

  Once my appetite had been sated, and my clothes changed into something more appropriate, I opened my laptop and started writing from the prompt.

  Wynnona Hendricks

  Humanities 101 Section 2

  Professor Harris

  What Truths Can be Found in Art from the Past?

  Oh, Professor, this is going to be too easy!

  ~ * ~

  I gasped when Caleb’s hands grazed the contour of my hipbones. He smiled against my lips, pleased by my reaction as my fingers knotted in his hair.

  As our relationship progressed, he began picking up subtle cues to what I liked, but whenever it felt like he or I were beginning to lose control, the other would put an immediate stop to what was happening. I wasn’t ready to take that step, and neither was he.

  That was rarely a problem for us, however, and I’d grown accustomed to his touch. Kissing him was an absolute necessity, much like oxygen or breathing. We’d been making out in his apartment for about an hour, but who knows — whenever we touched I lost all track of time. I never realized how much I needed the calm, faithful consistency of his companionship until recently.

  “I love you,” he breathed out passionately.

  I couldn’t think coherently with his lips against my skin and sighed his name out in response between gasps of intermittent pleasure, “Caleb.” I liked the way saying it tasted on my tongue. He was mine, and I was his.

  Our lips moved together in frenzied passion until he carefully brought his hands to mine and calmed us with a bit of ragged breathing. Our candle was burning on the coffee table, and the entire place was beginning to smell like cranberries. “We’re not in any rush,” he assured me.