He had headphones on. The straight lines of his face were stern with concentration as his arms flexed underneath the bright red T-shirt with each jarring crash of the drumsticks. The beat he created was impeccable. I was amazed by his ability to think just far enough ahead of the sounds in order to place each stick at the exact right place at the right time, all while moving his leg up and down on the pedal in synchronization. It all happened too fast for my eyes to keep up. I was overcome by the beauty of it. I’d never felt such longing. I wanted to... to envelop him, wrap him up. Make him mine.
It was a frightful, shameful desire.
With a final crash, the ting of cymbals was the only sound. He took the headphones off and dropped them at his side, standing up and looking at me.
“Well, if it isn’t little orphan Annie.”
He went behind the bar and took a bottle of water from a large fridge. He drank half of it in one gulp, while I stood there unmoving, then tossed the bottle onto the bar and pulled a silver item from the pocket of his jeans. With a fast flick of his wrist, it opened into a blade. My heart stammered. He watched me watching him, twirling the open knife between his fingers. Who played with knives?
In a few easy strides, he closed the distance between us and was in front of me, very close, with his head cocked to the side. I seemed to amuse him, for some reason. But then his face went cruel, and his empty hand rested against the wall above my shoulder. Our faces were inches apart. His eyes held me frozen in place. I was very aware of the knife at his side, held in his other hand. Coming here had been a massive mistake.
“What do you want?” he growled.
“I just want to talk.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “You don’t have to try to scare me.”
He kept a straight face, and his tone was seductively low. “There’s hardly any room for fear when you’re so bloody turned-on.”
A flash of shock hit me at his audacity. His eyes lowered to my body, but he never moved away.
“Ah, there’s anger now,” he said coolly, “and a bit of embarrassment.”
He was reading me—reading my colors! And I couldn’t see his at all. I felt stripped bare before him, vulnerable. I concentrated on why I’d gone there to begin with.
“I know what we are now.” I wished my voice weren’t shaky.
“Congratulations.” He stood over me for a second more, savoring his power, no doubt, and then walked away, tossing the knife in the general direction of the dartboard and hitting the bull’s-eye. Never missing a beat, he swaggered to a white couch with oversize pillows. He fell back onto it, propping his big, black boots on the white cushions and lounging back with arms spread wide across the back of the sofa. He stared as if daring me to talk.
I had no idea what to say or do. I didn’t know anymore why I’d come. Had I just wanted to barge in and say, Ha, I know what we are! and then demand information?
His face tilted upward with a jerk and his eyes lost their focus, as if listening to something far away. He jumped up from the couch and rushed toward me. I tried to step back, but he grabbed my shoulders, pressing his lips hard against my ear.
“My father is here!”
Fear paralyzed me.
A demon. A real demon was here, right now. I hadn’t factored in this possibility. I’d thought he would be in New York. I wanted to run, but Kaidan pulled me toward the couch and pushed me onto the cushions. He ripped open the front of my blouse, and I sucked in a breath to scream.
Kaidan put a finger hard against my lips to shush me, then grabbed a blanket from the arm of the couch and threw it at me. He swiped his own shirt over his head and motioned for me to take mine off. I didn’t know what was going on, but fear prompted me to follow his lead, wiggling out of my shirt while keeping my chest covered by the blanket.
Kaidan leaned over me. Oh, my gosh. A half-naked half demon was burying his face in my neck! His hot, smooth shoulder pressed against mine. A thrill of pleasure shot through my confusion and fear. I felt the heat of his mouth on my shoulder, and gripped the couch cushion with my hands to keep them from going where they wanted to be, which was anywhere on him.
When the basement door was flung open I let out an involuntary yelp. Kaidan pulled away a tad, but stayed in front of me, turning his head to the door.
“Father.” Kaidan addressed him in a subdued, respectful tone.
I peered under Kaidan’s arm at the tall man who stood there wearing a black suit with a baby blue tie that matched his eyes. His hair was darker than Kaidan’s, cut shorter, and gelled back with a gentle wave. He had a red starburst three times the size of his son’s. The handsome demon man smiled lightly as he took in the sight of the two of us. It even seemed as if he sidestepped to get a better look at me. I pulled up the blanket that had slipped down and revealed my bra.
“My apologies, son. I didn’t realize you had company.” As he moved toward me to eye me more closely I could have sworn his eyes flashed red for an instant. His voice chilled the room. “I never imagined you’d care to entertain female Nephilim.”
“I don’t normally.” Kaidan stood now and moved away from me. “She caught me while I was bored and alone after practice.”
His father sniffed and wiped his nose, as if there were an unpleasant odor in the air.
“You will come up for tea. Both of you.”
He turned and went up the stairs. Kaidan closed his eyes and balled his fists at his sides. My heart was hammering. I rushed to get my shirt back on, pushing clumsy arms through the sleeves, and was horrified to see two buttons had popped off in the middle. I held it shut with trembling hands. Kaidan picked up his red T-shirt from the floor and tossed it at me. I turned away from him and switched shirts. His was gigantic on me, but it was better than exposure. I tried to ignore the fact that it smelled like a total dream: woodsy and citrusy and masculine.
I followed Kaidan up the stairs, attempting to convince myself that having tea with a demon and his knife-slinging son was nothing to be scared about.
We came to a formal living room, where Kaidan’s father sat in an armchair and motioned for me to sit on the love seat nearest him. Kaidan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his bare chest. His father looked up at him and chuckled low.
“Look at my boy standing there,” he said to me. “Such a caveman. Son, find a shirt and join us.”
Kaidan walked out as a woman came in carrying a tray with a delicate tea set. She poured three cups of steaming tea, and then looked to Mr. Rowe for approval. He gave her a crooked smile, causing her aura to redden, and then he nodded her away with a pat on her bottom before returning his attention to me. Gah!
“What is your name?”
My throat was too dry to answer on my first attempt, so I swallowed and tried again. “Anna.”
“Anna, my name is Pharzuph, but among humans I go by Richard Rowe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a badge so unusual.” He stared at my chest with a bit too much interest, and I had to refrain from crossing my arms. Kaidan came back in wearing a black shirt and sat on the love seat, keeping clear distance between us.
“Do I recognize the color of Belial?” Pharzuph asked. I didn’t like how he spoke, as if he were practicing his lazy, sexy drawl on me.
“I... I’m sorry?” I asked.
“Belial is your father’s dark angel name,” Kaidan explained.
“Surely she knows that,” Pharzuph scoffed. But as he looked at me he got that same look of confusion Kaidan had worn the night we met.
I coughed and swallowed again, keeping my breathing even in hopes of calming my aura. I wanted to take a drink of the tea to wet my throat, but I didn’t want to spill it.
“I just found out I’m Nephilim. Kaidan explained some things to me.”
My voice came out calmer than I’d expected. I was careful to say only that I’d learned from Kaidan. I didn’t want to talk about Sister Ruth or Patti.
“And how did the two of you meet?”
“By coincidence
,” Kaidan answered for me. “She was at one of my gigs.”
“I take it Belial has not taught you what it means to be of the Neph race, then?”
“No. We haven’t met.” I shifted, still in disbelief that I was sitting here explaining myself to a demon who looked so normal.
“I assume he doesn’t know of your existence? I daresay he would not have neglected your training otherwise.” Pharzuph appeared relaxed, amused even, but his tone was cold and calculating.
I didn’t answer, opting for a small shrug. Playing dumb felt like the best option here.
“I can assure you that I will have him informed at once. But in the meantime, you cannot be left unattended. Kaidan will show you the ropes. First things first—you reek of innocence. Yes, that’s right. I can smell it—your virginity.” He said it like a bad word, and my face flushed hot. “Like overripened fruit. Not to mention your emotions hanging about your person for all to see. How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
He leaned forward and smacked his knee with astonished laughter at my answer. “A sixteen-year-old Neph virgin! How do you expect to be a bad influence to humans if you aren’t behaving badly yourself? I assume you at least partake in substances with your peers?”
“Yes.” Surely I could be given a free pass if I stretched the truth to a demon.
I tried to process all he’d said. A bad influence on humans? Oh, boy. And what had he called me? Neph? Ah, short for Nephilim.
“You must not be partaking enough or you wouldn’t still have your virtue. Get my bag, Kaidan.”
His bag? That sounded like creep city. Pharzuph picked up his tea and sipped it until Kaidan returned. Pharzuph pushed aside the tea tray and opened the small black bag, laying out vials of powders and liquids, baggies with various dried plants, silver pipes, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia that made my skin crawl with revulsion and need. Please, please don’t ask me to do any of these.
“Which draws you most?” he asked me.
Steady. It was hard to choose. My hand slid toward one of the powder vials and pointed.
“Cocaine. Very nice.” He leaned back and sipped his tea again, eyeing me.
I let myself breathe when Pharzuph’s phone rang. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen, and pushed a button to silence it.
“I must return to work. Anna, I trust you won’t mind spending time with my son?”
I shook my head.
“Of course you won’t. Kaidan will take good care of you. He’ll have you working to the best of your abilities in no time at all. Don’t take too long about it, though. Learn what you need to learn, and get to work.” He turned his attention to Kaidan now. “I’m expecting company this evening and you are to join us. Marissa is bringing one of her nieces.”
“Yes, Father,” he replied, eyes darting away from me.
Pharzuph stood and was dialing as he left the room. Kaidan packed up the little black bag.
“Have you ever been to Lookout Point?” Kaidan asked me. He made an exaggerated nod, as if I should play along. I tried to sound natural, though it felt like I’d just survived a series of small heart attacks.
“No,” I said.
“Well, then, that’s where we’ll go.”
We left together in his shiny black Hummer, which felt extremely conspicuous. It was as large as my bedroom. What boy needed a huge Hummer all to himself? As he began driving, he pointed to the odometer and held up five fingers. Five miles? Then he put a finger to his lips. Could his father hear within a whole five-mile radius? I turned enough to peek at the black bag he’d tossed into the backseat as we got in. Kaidan saw me looking.
“You’ll love the view at Lookout Point.”
“Great,” I said, turning back to watch the road ahead. It was a notorious place for losing one’s virginity. I was thankful when we passed the turnoff for Lookout Point and I could breathe a little easier.
“It’s safe now,” he said. “Your friend Jay brought you?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I was listening when you showed up, of course. I had to make everyone leave.” He sounded put out. I remembered how upset the girl was who’d been kicked out.
“Oh. Sorry. Can I borrow your phone to call him?”
He handed me a high-tech gizmo that I turned in every direction before he took it back and got the touch screen to show a phone keypad. I dialed Jay’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Jay. I just wanted to let you know that, um, Kaidan is going to drive me home.”
“Ohoho!” I couldn’t bring myself to laugh with him, but I saw Kaidan grin out of the corner of my eye. “Sounds good, chica. Call me later.”
I couldn’t figure out how to hang up, so I passed the phone back to Kaidan.
“Where do you live?” he asked. “Here in Atlanta?”
“No. Cartersville. It’s over thirty miles away. Is that okay?”
“Yes. He’ll expect me to be gone awhile.”
My stomach was still churning from the encounter with Pharzuph, not to mention Kaidan’s own perplexing actions toward me. He’d been cold and confrontational when I got there. And then his father showed up and he was... what? Protective? It made no sense. Even now, he was driving me home instead of taking me somewhere secluded and introducing me to the dreaded black bag, among other things.
“Who’s Marissa?” I asked, surprised by my own nosiness.
“Nobody,” he snapped. His face went hard and his jaw clenched. Why was he mad?
“You are the most baffling person I’ve ever met,” I mumbled.
“Me?! Neph don’t just show up uninvited to one another’s band gigs and homes unless they’re looking for trouble.”
Had he felt threatened by me? The thought was so absurd that I laughed at the irony.
“I didn’t even know I was Neph until after that party,” I said.
“I realize that now.”
“Only, you were right. I’m like you, but... I’m also not.” I paused.
“I’m listening,” he prompted.
I’d said too much. I was crazy for wanting to tell him about myself. There was something about him that made me want to abandon all caution. But he was in his father’s back pocket, and I shouldn’t risk it.
“Never mind,” I said.
“No. You may as well tell me now.”
“How do I know you won’t run back and tell him?”
“I don’t tell him anything if I can help it. Maybe you didn’t notice, but I tried to protect you from him back there. I thought if I could distract him and make him think I was working, maybe he would leave us and not see what you were.”
“I did notice.” My voice softened. “Why did you do that?”
“I’m not sure.” He glanced at me, but pulled his eyes away again, studying the road. “I suppose I wanted to figure you out for myself. I wasn’t expecting him home until later this evening. He’s usually not home during the week, but I suppose Marissa called him. You caught me off guard when you showed up. I wasn’t listening, and that’s not like me.”
Although I couldn’t see his colors, I believed him. Still, I didn’t like the insecurity of not knowing for sure.
“Why can’t I see your emotions?” I asked.
Kaidan let out a single laugh, as if the answer were obvious. “Because I don’t want you to.”
He could hide his colors on purpose?
“Is that something you can teach me?”
“I suppose. It would take time to learn, though.”
More time with Kaidan wouldn’t be so bad. Then I remembered—that was exactly what his father wanted.
“What will happen if I don’t, you know, do all of the stuff your father told me to? Because I’m not going to.”
“Oh, really?” He sounded amused. “And why not?”
“Because, well, drugs—you saw what they do to me. There would be no moderation. I just can’t do it. I won’t. And I’m definitely not going to push them
on other people. And as far as having... you know...”
“What?” he asked.
My chest heated and it spread through my face and limbs.
“You’re too embarrassed to say it? Sex. Go ahead, give it a go. Sexsexsex.”
“Please just answer my question. What will happen if I don’t?”
“We could both be punished. If you refuse to be ‘trained,’ then you’ll need to lie low. Don’t come to my house again, and don’t do anything that might come to his attention. Neph are the least concern of the demons in our world. You’ll be forgotten and overlooked within a matter of days. But if he finds out you’re still a virgin, you’re on your own. I’ll tell him I tried and you refused. And you should know that if he does pursue you, and you continue to outright refuse to do as you’re told...”
I nodded for him to continue, hanging on his words. “What will happen?”
“What do you think? You’re dead.”
My stomach dropped. Patti had known this kind of danger was out there when she made me promise to stay away from him. How could I have been so reckless? I walked into a demon’s den! What if Pharzuph checked up on me and found out I was still a sober virgin?
“I don’t get why it’s such a problem that I’m a virgin, or why you have to be the one to...”
“Would you prefer another?” He spoke seriously, but there were undertones of amusement that irked me.
“No, I mean, it’s not that. If it’s the two of us, how is that supposed to be a bad influence on humans?”
“It would be part of your training to make you well-rounded in your sinful nature, so you can lure more humans. I don’t think it’s worth the risk to stay a virgin. I understand you’re afraid of becoming addicted to the drugs, but what’s your reasoning behind not having sex?”
Geez, could this conversation get any more personal? I squirmed a little in the seat.
“I want to wait until I’m married,” I admitted, crossing my legs and uncrossing them again.
He laughed at that. Loudly. I shot him a look.