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

I examined the silver clock and twisted it carefully between my fingers. “It’s slow,” I stated calmly. “That’s good.”

  It became silent once again, and she drank nervously from the mug inside her hands.

  “I owe you an apology,” I told her with an outpouring of emotion. “I misjudged you, it wasn’t fair. You’ve been great to Ryan and me, I’m glad he found you. I’m glad you don’t have to be alone. Being a demon sucks, but maybe we can help each other through it. Ryan’s a brother to me, so that makes you kinda like my sister now — the demon twins.”

  She laughed and wrapped her free arm around me in a hug. “I’d like that a lot.”

  When she released me, she held up her mug in a toast. “To the demon twins.”

  “The demon twins,” I agreed. A few moments of sweet silence passed in our new-found comradery. My feelings towards her had completely shifted — she didn’t have to protect him, but she had. I would never be able to repay my debt of gratitude for that. I didn’t want to say goodbye to another person I love. Now, thanks to her, I didn’t have to — Ryan was completely fine.

  “You know, I could train you,” she stated flatly.

  She was looking at me expectantly, her eyes thoughtful. For once, she resembled someone who had been to hell and back. Even her perfect blonde hair was thrown askew and matted against her face.

  She raised an eyebrow quietly, still waiting for an answer. “What, you’re serious?” I asked her dumbfounded.

  “Of course. I may have lost my powers when I became mortal, but that doesn’t mean I don’t remember how to use them.”

  My jaw fell open slightly. “I, er, that would be incredible! Yes, I’ll take you up on that.” My inner demon smiled — elated at the thought of finally being unleashed.

  “Excellent, we can get started sometime next week, but right now I think we should rest.”

  Caleb cleared his throat, looking up at me from the couch and coming over to speak with me. He and Charley passed on the way and smiled briefly at one another. “We haven’t really had the chance to talk,” he started nervously.

  “No, we haven’t,” I agreed. “I hate fighting with you, it makes me sick.”

  “Me too. I mean, we’re still not okay and don’t see things eye to eye, but it’s time to call a truce. You’re more important to me than winning this argument.”

  I swallowed hard and dug my shoe into the carpet, not allowing myself to look him in the eye. “Listen, about the other day, I didn’t get to explain the other part of Beelzebub’s test. I ended up letting him go and realizing we were both better off. Ryan was my best friend for many years, and I didn’t like the idea of being replaced. But then I realized I’d already done that, because you are my best friend now.”

  He smiled weakly. “That’s nice to hear. You’re my best friend too.”

  I glanced over at Charley and Ryan canoodling on the couch and smiled. “You were right about her, she’s just a scared girl like me. I was wrong to judge her. They belong together.”

  “What about us?” His tone was serious but gentle at the same time.

  I looked up at him and smiled. “We belong together too.”

  When I spoke, I could both see and feel the tension between us lifting. “I think so too.”

  He smiled and took my hands in his, glancing downward at the carpet. “I’m not really sure what the appropriate way of doing this is, but I want to make this official — you and me. How would you feel about having a real date?”

  My eyes widened as I stared at him surprised. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I want to do this right. I want you to have all that. It doesn’t have to be big, but something special besides just hanging out.”

  I smiled as the butterflies began to immediately invade my stomach. “I would love that!”

  He smiled at the girlish giggle that escaped my lips. “Friday night then?”

  “Yes!”

  Caleb wrapped his arm around me, and I wondered where this shift in our relationship was coming from.

  A date, I thought to myself dreamily. What a novel idea.

  I didn’t want him to think I was one of those needy girls who expects flowers and jewelry to keep her happy, I just wanted him. However, the idea of getting dressed up and going out to dinner, letting him treat me like a lady for once … it had some appeal.

  I smiled into his arm and covered my face to keep from laughing. This is going to be interesting.

  I looked up from him and saw Lacey sitting quietly in the corner. Her brow was furrowed in thought, and she was clearly distressed, even her aura was shifting and pulsing wildly. I patted Caleb on the chest to bring the situation to his attention before going over to check on her.

  “Hey, Lace. Is everything okay?”

  She broke from her trance-like state and looked up at us with teary eyes. She stared at me, then shifted her gaze to Caleb. “That girl ... you knew her,” she stated calmly. “That’s why Charley called you.” Her voice was audibly tense, choosing her words carefully. “There’s something you’re not telling me. I spent my childhood having people take my instincts for granted and telling me I was crazy, but I’m not. The night Elyse died you were talking to someone, pleading with them not to take her.”

  I was about to protest when she cut me off immediately. “None of this makes sense! It’s too convenient for you to be here, to show up out of nowhere exactly when I decided to start looking for you. I-I don’t believe in coincidences anymore. I was so happy, and I wanted a brother so badly that I didn’t worry about it at the time, but the truth is, you’re impossible. I heard you and Charlene talking about how that girl had been your partner, but how can that be if she was an angel?” she paused, looking straight at Caleb. “You’re not human, are you?”

  Caleb swallowed hard before answering her question. “I am now.”

  I saw his face, he was trying to decide how much to tell her without hurting her. It was every family’s nightmare that someone had been forgotten. What happened to Alejandro, the real Alejandro, was horrific, and he didn’t want to inflict that knowledge on her.

  “But … you’re not my brother.”

  Well, today’s already gone to hell, so this might as well happen, I thought to myself miserably. Adult life is so freaking complicated.

  “No. No, I’m not,” he responded simply. I went to sit beside her, and she stopped me halfway. “Who are you?” she demanded angrily. Her eyes were red and puffy, with her hair a bit undone. The hue to her aura had taken a subtle tremor to it, vibrating softly when she moved. Lacey had been there for me in my darkest hour, and I wanted to repay the favor. I just wished there was some way to take away her pain.

  Now it was my turn to speak. “He’s the one who saved me after Aidan triggered by demonic side. He vouched for me during my trial and he’s also the one who helped Elyse cross over.”

  Lacey started crying quietly and wrung her hands together. “Okay, if you’re not him, but you’re using his identity, what happened to Alejandro?”

  “He died a couple years ago, I helped him cross over as well. When I gave up my wings with the Angelic Order, I needed a way to exist on the mortal plane. It was the easiest way to justify my presence. I’m sorry, Lacey, I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t want you to find out like this. I chose him specifically because he had no contacts.”

  “Why wasn’t he in the foster home? They would have taken care of him.”

  “I’m not sure,” he told her honestly. “I didn’t ask him many questions. All I know is he ran away and there was no one there to help him.”

  Lacey cried. Painful, heart-wrenching tears escaped as she mourned the loss of the brother she never knew, but wanted desperately. Now we had another thing in common, though, losing a sibling was something I wished I could have spared her.

  Caleb was heartbroken too. He didn’t like inflicting pain on anyone, and even though he never said it, I knew thinking of Lacey as his sister and having that connection meant the worl
d to him. He had no other family, and in some small way, it made him feel not quite so alone.

  Neither of us knew what to say, so we just let her cry and offered any comfort she would let us.

  “If it’s any consolation,” he told her slowly, “had I been blessed with a sister like you, I would have been honored to be your brother.”

  Her cries grew louder, and she launched herself towards him in a hug. She cried into his shirt and left tear marks on the fabric. “Thank you for saying that.”

  “No problem. I mean it, though, Lacey. I am truly sorry, and I wish Alejandro could have known you.”

  She nodded, taking a moment of silence to grieve. “Alejandro is gone, but you still don't have any family either. They sent you here without any contacts, anyone to take care of you.”

  Caleb sighed and ruffled his fingers through his hair uncomfortably. “No, I don't have a family, but that doesn’t mean I need to be a burden on yours.”

  “So, what do you want me to do, pretend I never found that connection to you?”

  “That is probably for the best,” he agreed.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Caleb, but I can’t do that. If there are angels, I think one of them might still be looking out for you. They put us in each other’s path so we could help each other. You may call it coincidence, but I consider it the work of God. Maybe it was Alejandro, he pushed me in your direction so you could take care of me when he couldn’t. I don’t know. But I don’t think it was a mistake.”

  “Do you still want to be my brother?”

  His eyes softened as he placed his hand upon her shoulder. “Of course, but Lacey … I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are! I set out to find my brother and the universe sent me you. You still need a family, and if you want to be part of mine, I’ll keep your secret.”

  “You really want me to be in your life like this? Even though it was a lie?”

  “Yes. I’ve always wanted a brother, and you still are. I just adopted you.”

  ~ * ~

  Long after they had left, I was alone in the apartment looking through some papers in my bedroom. What Lacey had said about adopting Caleb as her brother really got me thinking about the fluidity of human relationships. I was happy for them, but it also got me thinking about the transcendent forces that bind all of us together, that ineffable connection of familial love that Lacey and Caleb had found with each other and chose to be a part of. Because, when it really comes down to it, what is family if not the people we choose to share our lives with, and love and support no matter what? Sometimes that comes about through biology, others are people we choose for ourselves.

  Maybe Lacey was right, maybe there was some higher plan that had put them in each other’s path, but that’s how families are made.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tainted Love

  After my French midterm, I left campus to meet Charley at the shelter. We’d agreed to meet there once a week to practice my skills. I was still nervous about using powers and opening myself up to her, but I was willing to become vulnerable once again and step out of my comfort zone. I had to try.

  I walked here all the way from campus and was beginning to get tired, when we came upon the yellow-paneled building. It had large wire fencing all around it for the animal yards in the back and on the glass doors out front was a sign that said, “Start your furr-ever family!”

  When the door opened a cheerful bell signified our arrival. There was a kennel in the waiting area with some kittens playing with a catnip mouse. I smiled, walking over to them, but they started hissing at me furiously. I pulled my hand back in alarm just as a middle-aged woman came walking in from the back and met us at the counter. “Hey there, can I help you?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m here to see Charley?”

  The woman smiled. “I’ll let her know you’re here.”

  “Thanks.”

  A few minutes later, the blonde bombshell that was Charley came walking around the corner. Most of her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, except for a few messy bits that fell out around her face and the back which was too short for any style, leaving a shock of teal on the back of her head. She was wearing a polo t-shirt with the company logo on the front and not a stitch of makeup. She looked so positively normal that if she hadn’t been surrounded by the cloud of deep purple smoke, I would have thought she was like any other girl.

  “Hey!” she greeted me happily. “Would you like a tour before we get started?”

  I chuckled nervously, “Sure.”

  I followed her around to the back where the hallway was lined with kennels, filled with dogs and puppies all waiting to be adopted. Some of them barked at us as we passed, others wagged their tails and paced back and forth, eager to be let out. “This is where we keep the larger breeds,” she announced.

  The thick, musky smell of dog was unavoidable, and large bags of food were piled up against the wall. I knelt to look at one of the chocolate labs, and it snarled angrily, crouching down by its food bowl. “Hey there, boy. What’s your name?”

  “That’s Hugo, he’s a bit of a handful,” she lamented. “He doesn’t take well to strangers.”

  Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth the dog barked and snapped viciously at my fingers, so I jumped back in surprise. Charlene leaped forward to protect me and scolded him immediately. “No, Hugo! That is not okay, Wynn’s a friend. I want you to be nice.”

  Her presence seemed to calm him down immediately, and he went from being a vicious beast to a lovable pup in an instant. Her eyes narrowed, and she reached out her hand to pet him as the dog sat down and licked its lips adoringly. He began to whimper and hang his head in shame before she turned to me apologetically. “Sorry about that, he’s a tough one.”

  She knelt and scratched him behind the ears with such affection I was visibly impressed. I watched her for a moment and saw she was smiling. I was beginning to see why Ryan liked her; they both clearly love dogs and have a shared interest in the arts. They seemed to work together in a way I hadn’t noticed before.

  Maybe she IS good for him, I thought.

  “Wow, you’re really good with them,” I complimented her.

  She smiled and glanced pointedly down the hall to make sure no one else would overhear us. “When I lived in the underworld I was the caretaker for Belphegor’s pet dog, Cerebus,” she told me quietly. “Compared to that, these guys are easy! Aren’t you, Hugo?”

  The dog bounced happily in its cage, panting and licking his lips as she made faces at him. I smiled at her confession, admiring the tattoo on her arm as it emerged from beneath the sleeve of her shirt. The stylistic watercolor pattern depicted the Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. I found the artwork fascinating and particularly well done, but when I examined it carefully, a brand became visible, hidden within in its pattern. My shoulder started hurting at the sight of it, and I remembered how Demon Lords usually mark the members of their houses. It was different than Aidan’s sigil, though it made sense if she had a different master.

  Sometimes it was easy to forget Charley used to be one of them.

  Her fanciful design covered most of it, but I saw it glowing faintly beneath her skin. “Does that mean you were in Belphegor’s house?” I asked her plainly.

  Charlene sighed, standing up to face me. “Yes, I worked in the kennels.”

  “That must have been hard,” I prodded.

  “Are you asking me if I enjoyed being a demon?” she asked me flatly.

  “No! I was just trying to make small talk.”

  She grinned, putting her game face on and asked, “Well, are you ready to practice?”

  I nodded with a sense of determination, and said, “Yeah, let’s get started.”

  ~ * ~

  I sighed, looking myself over in the mirror one last time before Caleb arrived. I spent the morning combing and curling my hair, and fretting over the right outfit. I was rubbish at picking out clothes or doing my hair, so Lace
y had graciously decided to stand in the doorway and laugh at me.

  “It’s not funny!” I told her bitterly, trying to keep a straight face as I did so. Red splotches from my blushing were bubbling up on my skin. It started along my collar bone and as the anxiety and heightened emotion rose, it spread to my neck and across my face. It was the curse of being a redhead and having an overactive adrenal gland — it worked like a built-in lie detector.

  The strapless yellow dress flared out around my hips and fell just below the knee. It exposed Aidan’s sigil on my shoulder, and I pouted at it angrily. Secretly I’d always wanted to get a tattoo, but I was hoping when that happened I’d be the one who got to pick it out. I’d twisted my hair back into a bun on the side attempting to tame the madness, and a few wispy tendrils still fell around my face. It was simple, elegant, exactly the way I was hoping this night would be.

  “You need to relax, Wynn. The dress is gorgeous on you.”

  “The stupid probation necklace doesn’t go with anything, maybe I should change—”

  “NO,” she insisted firmly. “We’ve gone through a dozen outfits already, this is it.”

  I sighed, glancing at my reflection at in the mirror. My cheeks were flush, and I had butterflies in my stomach. Lacey came up beside me, rubbing my arm in a reassuring manner. “It’s going to be alright,” she told me calmly. “What are you so worried about anyway? It’s Caleb, you’ve been together for months!”

  “I know, but this is different. It’s official,” I argued feebly. “There are labels and stuff.”

  Lacey rolled her eyes at me. “You’re over-thinking this. Just go have fun, okay?”

  I nodded weakly and dried the sweat off my palms. I was scared because it mattered now. I was crazy about him, and there was a real possibly of a future with us together, but if I entertained that line of thinking, that dream risked being taken away from me. I wanted it to be a dream forever, so I would never have to wake up.

  Lacey had disappeared into the kitchen, and I exhaled a nervous sigh. When I caught sight of my leather jacket hanging on the back of my chair, a wicked glint twinkled in my eye.