Kevin was panicking.
He paced, muttering to himself as he gestured wildly, trying to make sense of what happened. He still had my shoes in his hand, that he must have picked up as he searched for me.
I sat, cradling the Soulblade in my lap, feeling a strange comfort from its presence. It was like I was holding a part of myself. Which, in a way, I was.
Twice now, I had killed a demon with it, with wildly different results.
Why?
The first time I had been panicked, frightened beyond anything and desperate to escape the demon attacking me. He'd exploded.
This guy… I wafted my hand clearing the air of the few stray ashy bits that were still floating on the breeze coming through the open door.
I'd been angry. Scared yes, but mainly angry and the fear hadn't been for me. It had been for Amy, and for Kevin. I'd wanted to protect them, to keep them safe.
Intent, or emotion, then. That's what affected the knife. What caused the reaction after it was used.
I just needed to figure out how to control that better and I had a weapon I could use to protect the people I loved.
I eyed Kevin.
And to protect boyfriends, I supposed.
"Not possible," he said, turning and waving one of my shoes at the pile of ash on the floor "I don't get it. Don't believe it."
Yep. Full blown panic.
I needed him calm.
There was only one way I could think to do that, and with a soft sigh, I rose to my feet and crossed to him.
He stopped walking as I cupped his chin, turning his face towards me as I slipped my other arm around his waist, holding him still. I stared into his eyes, seeing the confusion and fear there and I managed a smile of reassurance.
"It will be okay," I said.
Then I kissed him.
Deeply.
And kept on kissing him until he responded, his strong arms curling around me, pulling me close as he kissed me back.
With passion.
I pulled back, gasping, cheeks flushed and heat spreading through me, low, and hot.
"You back with me?" I asked, and he nodded. "Good. Now, give me my shoes."
He did so without speaking and I slipped them on, the knife still in my hand. He eyed it warily and I grinned as I stood up straight and held it out.
"Everything I told you is true," I said. "Demons are real. This guy." I gestured with the knife at the pile of ash. "Was a demon and he would have hurt… that girl."
I very nearly said 'my sister' but managed to catch myself in time. There was only so much a guy could take, and the demons thing was enough. Finding out his girlfriend was some dead guy, would probably be too much.
Hell, it was too much for me sometimes.
"T-he… ah… the knife," he said, lifting a hand to point at it. "Where did you get that?"
I considered what to tell him. How much to tell him. How much of what I said might break Orryn's bargain with the parents. I needed to be careful because I was pretty sure if I screwed up his bargain, he would do things to me that I couldn't imagine.
And, I could imagine a lot of bad things.
A shiver ran down my spine at the thought.
"When I was in a coma," I began with a lie. "I was a ghost. While there, I met a demon, and we made a deal."
"A deal." His voice was flat, expression grim, and I pressed on.
"Yes. I woke up, and in return I would need to… well… hunt a demon or two."
Or do his bidding until he considered the debt repaid. I really needed to nail down the specifications of our bargain.
"This is ridiculous, you know that, right?" He was close to the edge. I was gonna have to kiss him again.
I sighed.
"You know it's real." I jerked my head at the pile of ash. "You just saw it."
"No, I saw a man burn from the inside out," he said. "For all I know that knife had some chemical on it or… or… something, that caused that."
"Seriously, dude?" He couldn't see the demons face like I could. Made it harder. My gaze fell on the knife and I shrugged. "Okay, I can prove it."
"How?"
I held up the knife and made sure he was watching. Then dropped it.
There was maybe a second after it left my hand, glittering in the air, before it vanished.
To him at least.
I could still see it, ethereal and fading in and out of reality where it landed on the floor.
Kevin couldn't though. He scanned the ground, looking for it. "How'd you do that."
I bent down and closed my fingers around the hilt; it became solid again. "See."
He pressed the heel of his hands to his temples and went back to muttering, eyes wild and full-blown meltdown moments away.
I dropped the knife, knowing it would probably find its way back to me at some point and gripped his face with my hands, forcing him to look me in the eyes.
"It will be okay." I stared into his eyes, unblinking. "I promise, babe."
It was the pet name that seemed to do it. Calmed him. Brought him something close to normality.
Which was just bloody great. Now, I'd have to use that more often.
"This is messed up," he said, and I offered a wry smile. "Yah, I know."
He clung to me as we walked back to the cars, hand gripping mine so tight it almost hurt. We walked in silence and when we reached the cars, the community centre was dark. The doors closed and shuttered.
I stopped beside my car and turned to him.
"You want to get a ride back with me?"
"My car-"
"Will still be here in the morning."
Probably.
He bit his lip, eyes flicking to his car and then back to me. "Okay, sure."
I drove through the estate first, moving slowly past the block of flats. I had to be sure she'd made it back safe.
With a sigh of relief, I saw her, sitting on the wall like she always did, phone in her hand, none the worse for wear.
I'd saved her.
She didn't know it. Never would. But I'd saved her.
I'd been the big brother she needed.
It wasn't ideal. None of this was. But for the moment it was the best I could do, so I'd take it.
We stopped at a pub on the outskirts of the city centre. It wasn't anything special, just your average eatery, but it was busy, and the atmosphere was pleasant which boded well. Leaving Harehills had left me feeling like a lead coat had been removed.
That oppressive atmosphere of the place pushing down on me all day until I'd just become used to it. Which meant I noticed it all the more when I left the area and it lifted.
I was famished and I managed a full burger, and a handful of fries before I gave up, my stomach aching. Chloe wasn't exactly a big eater, which was probably why she was so slim, and I'd loved to wolf down my food when I was alive.
It was yet another adjustment.
Kevin didn't speak much and mostly pushed his food around the plate with his fork, lost in thought. I watched him for a while, wondering if I had broken him and feeling a twinge of guilt at the thought.
"You should stay over tonight," I said, wincing. I was inviting a guy to sleep in my bed. Again. What the hell was happening with me? "It'll be good for you."
"Sure."
"A bit more enthusiasm would be appreciated when your hot piece of ass girlfriend asks you to spend the night," I teased.
That brought a flicker of a smile and a flash of the guy I had first met.
"Any other night, I would already have you there," he grumbled. "Today's been a bit much."
"It's okay." I shrugged. "Still not suggesting anything other than just sharing a bed. But the company would be nice."
Kevin paid the bill without thinking, moving by rote, his mind occupied, and I drove us home. The parents were there to greet us, and I sent him up as I fended off their questions.
Yes, it went well. I enjoyed it. Was really good to serve the community. I do feel better about myself and my life choices. Thank you for asking.
And so on.
Eventually, I escaped, and found Kevin sitting on my bed, legs crossed and chin in his hand, his expression distant.
"Should we have… I dunno, called the police?"
"And say what?" I scoffed. "Er… there's a pile of ash that used to be a man, can you come scoop him up?"
"I mean… he was still a man."
"A demon."
"Yeah, but wasn't he possessing someone?"
That was a good point, and I wasn't entirely certain of the answer. I knew who would be though, and I shooed Kevin other and plopped down cross legged on the bed beside him and reached for the laptop.
The response from Anna was immediate, and I nodded as I read. "Yeah, apparently some of them do possess people. Who knew?"
"So… you killed someone?"
"No." I shook my head vehemently. "The demon did that. It had already taken the soul and was wearing the hollowed-out body like a puppet made of meat."
Like I was doing with Chloe.
I stuffed that thought deep down inside myself.
"The person he was, was long gone. Even if the demon had been excised, there wouldn't have been anyone left. Just an empty shell."
That didn't reassure him as much as I'd hoped it would. He continued to look troubled, and I shifted over, pressing against him as I shared the laptop screen between us so that he could see it.
Up close, I could breathe in his cologne, and that strong, masculine scent beneath it that apparently, Chloe's body really liked.
I bit my tongue and just grimaced. The things I had to put up with to stop the guy falling apart.
We sent more questions to Anna in private messages, and she replied to each and every one. After a while, she sent her phone number, suggesting it would be quicker and easier. I saved it into my phone, and we continued using that.
Soon, Kevin began to calm. His breathing becoming regular and even, and I could hear his steady heartbeat where I rested with my head against his chest as I typed, with him looking over my shoulder.
"Back in a minute," he said, and I sat up and watched him as he headed to the bathroom.
I pursed my lips and then glanced at the messages I was exchanging with Anna. I wasn't sure if I should mention the demon I'd killed as that would raise a lot of questions I couldn't really answer, and definitely didn't want to answer over the phone.
But there was a question she might be able to answer for me.
"Do you know the names of any demons?"
She answered immediately. "Some, yes."
"Have you heard of one called, Orryn?"
The three little dots appeared on the screen indicating she was typing a message. Then they stopped.
I waited.
Then waited some more, glancing at the door to the bathroom, expecting him back any minute.
The dots appeared again and then came the reply. "I know of an Orryn. Heard rumours. How do you know that name?"
"What rumours?"
"How do you know the name????"
The door opened and Kevin stepped out, a smile lighting his face as he saw me watching him.
"I'm okay, babe."
Ah, the pet name was back. Yeah, he'd be fine.
I glanced at the phone and then pressed the power off button. That would be a conversation for another day. When I was alone.
"Come on," I said, with a soft sigh as I patted the covers beside me. "Let's get ready for bed."