In the end Lily collapsed on one of the sofas which meant I no longer had a dance partner. So I left the music on but walked out of the room and danced around the kitchen while tidying everything up. Eligos came in not long after.
“How much energy have you got left?” he asked, smiling.
“Err, a little bit, why?”
“Just wondered; I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Not many people have,” I said, dancing past him to tuck all the chairs under the breakfast bar. “Don't you ever just let go and have fun.”
“Actually I was just about to,” he said, grabbing my hand.
He pulled me close to him, keeping hold of my hand and wrapping his other arm around my waist. I put my free arm around his shoulder and he started dancing round the kitchen with me, twirling me round sometimes and dropping me back over one of his arms. I’d never seen this side of him before and I loved it; I couldn’t take the smile of my face.
“Wooo-hooo!” Lily shouted when she walked in.
Both of us just burst out laughing.
Then the music went off.
“Hey!” Lily shouted. “Put it back on!”
“We didn’t touch it!” Jake shouted back.
We heard a loud smash just before all the windows imploded. Eligos grabbed me and sheltered me from the flying glass.
“What the hell…” I heard Tyler shout.
We ran out into the hall just as Tyler opened the door and walked outside. We saw something hit him and knock him out of our view. We all ran to the door. Tyler was on the floor dazed.
“Keira!” Eligos shouted just before he pulled me out of the way of a flying brick.
It hit the wall just a few inches away from me. We all turned around to see four guys standing on my driveway; they all threw energy balls at us. Eligos put his hand up and created a barrier just in front of us all; as soon as the energy balls hit it they vanished. Then he sent shockwaves out at them while Lucian and I threw energy balls back at them. Two of them hit the floor but the others came running at us. Danny and Jake stepped forward and sent static electricity at them both, but it didn’t stop them; it only slowed them down slightly.
I watched as Eligos’s eyes changed. He walked down the steps of the porch towards them; they tried to stop running at us too quickly and slid backwards on to the ground. They struggled trying to get back on their feet, and trying to back away from him. The two who had been hit by the energy balls disappeared as soon as they saw him. He held his right hand out and his sword appeared; it was so big, easily three-quarters the size of him. The flame appeared around it and he swung it at the guy closest to him, decapitating him in one swift blow. Like all the demons before him, he dissolved into the air before his head hit the ground. The other guy then vanished. Eligos looked around him before his sword disappeared; he turned around and walked back towards me, his eyes now blue again.
“Did they know you?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Who were they?”
“Army rejects,” he told us all. “I wouldn’t worry about them; I seriously doubt they will come back.”
“Well, if I’d just watched you cut my friend’s head off I don't think I’d come back either,” Lucian said.
“Yeah, sorry about that; I get a little bit carried away sometimes. I forget I’ve got people with me.”
“Don't be,” I told him. “Don't ever be sorry for killing them.”
“So will he go back to Hell now?” Lily asked.
“No, he’s gone for good,” Eligos told her. “My swords have the power to kill a demon’s soul. End of story.”
“Oh!” she said, rather shocked. “So why didn’t it kill the creature that was with Argyle? You ran it through its chest.”
“That was a different sword; I wanted to play with him for a bit.”
“Why?” Tyler asked.
“Because I was pissed that he had hurt Keira. Why else?” Eligos told him.
“Let’s go back inside. I think I need to tell you all what Lilith told me,” I said.
“Go and put the kettle on,” Jake said. “We’ll fix the house up and meet you in the living room.”
I walked in the kitchen with Eligos and put the kettle on. Then I lost my temper a little and slammed my fists down on the worktop.
“Calm down!” he said.
“No, every time I try to have a bit of fun someone or something has to spoil it.”
“I know I wish I could stop it for you; if I could stop it right now I would.”
“I know you would.”
He walked over to me and put his arms around me. I stood there with my head against his chest, hugging him for a moment. He’d never done this before; normally he didn’t like to touch me for longer than he had too. But today he’d danced with me and hugged me. What was going on?
Once the kettle had finished boiling he let go of me so I could make the drinks, then helped me take them through to the living room. He sat down on one of the sofas and I sat next to him. A moment later everyone else came in and sat down.
“Everything's as good as new,” Tyler told me.
“Thanks.”
“OK, so what’s going on?” Jake asked.
I told them about the maps and what Lilith had told me about the families. I don't know what surprised them more, the fact that entire families were disappearing off the face of the planet, or that there were other people out there with power in them.
“So that’s why you’re staying,” Danny said to Eligos.
“Yeah.”
“You’re staying here?” Tyler said, glaring at him.
“Yes, why, you got a problem with that?” That was the first time Eligos had risen to Tyler’s nastiness.
“I just wondered that’s all,” Tyler told him.
“So she thinks we’re going to be on the disappearing list?” Lucian said.
“Yeah, and she’s worried; she said to tell all your families and get them to protect themselves,” I told them all.
“How?”
“Get your fathers to renew the spell on their house to stop any demon or spirit entering. If they find themselves being attacked, tell them to stay inside and call us,” Eligos told them. “And after what’s just happened I’d get in touch with them right now.”
“Tell them to use the ones we found in that book at Danny’s,” I advised. “And to use more than one.”
All of them phoned home and told their parents what was going on. Each of their dads said they would look into it straightaway.
“We can’t put it on this house though can we?” Lily said to me.
“Not unless I move out for a while, and I’d have to take Eligos with me too I’m afraid.”
“No, don't do that; we need you here,” Jake said. “Both of you!”
“I’ll keep my eye on the news and see if they mention anything on any more families,” Lucian told us.
Keep your eyes peeled for anyone you don't know lurking around. Even if they look like a regular human being,” I told them all. “You know how deceiving they can be.”
Chapter Fifteen
Too Close
It was Monday morning. Lily and Jake had just left for work, the guys were staying home with their parents to help them cast more spells on each of the houses, and Eligos was still asleep. Everyone had gone quiet since the attack on Saturday. It was always the same, someone would attack us, and then everything would go quiet for a few days. Then just as we started getting happy and cheerful, something would come and stop us.
I sat outside on my swing looking at where my grave had been. Tyler and Jake had finally moved it and I felt comfier sitting outside now. I was sitting with my shoes off, my legs tucked under me and with a nice cup of coffee in my hands. I kept thinking about Eligos dancing around the kitchen with me, and how he had hugged me for the first time. I’d enjoyed every minute of it; being so close to him felt even more amazing than I thought it would. It was as though he had finally let that s
ide of his personality come to the surface. I hoped I would get to be like that with him again sometime soon.
I finished my coffee and put the cup on the ground next to me. Then I stretched my legs out across the seat and went into my own world again for a few minutes. It was a nice day and I had a pair of shorts on, so maybe I would get a bit of a suntan.
“Good morning,” I heard Eligos say.
“Hey.”
He walked over to me, picked my legs up by my ankles, sat down next to me and put my legs back down so they were resting on his. He kept one of his hands on my ankles. It was nice; his skin was always cooler than mine. I stared at him wide-eyed; his behavior was very unusual.
“Where is everyone?” he asked, looking down at my legs.
“Work and at their own houses. It looks like it’s just you and me today,” I told him. “Well, until about six.”
“Good, I’m not used to being in a house full of people.”
“No, you’re used to being alone.”
“Don't start!” he said, turning to look at me.
“I’m not starting anything; I’m just saying it as is it.”
“What are you going to do with yourself today then?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I don't know; I haven’t got much to do.”
“Talk to me then, tell me something I don't know about you.”
“Like what?”
“I don't know. Something you haven’t told me yet.”
“OK, err, when I was fourteen I got suspended from school for throwing a scalding hot pizza at one of the teachers.”
“Why did you do that?” he asked, laughing.
“Because she shouted at me for using ham for the topping instead of mushrooms. I hated mushrooms and I didn’t see the problem with using something else. She screeched at me in front of the rest of the class so I retaliated. It was either make her wear the pizza, or launch her across the classroom.”
“Fair enough,” he said, still laughing. “I can imagine you doing that actually.”
“Your turn. Why not tell me what you’re hiding from me?” I said.
“No, try again.”
I sighed and went to get up, but he tightened his grip on my ankles.
“I haven’t been this close to a woman since I was a regular human being,” he told me.
I sat back to listen to him but he didn’t loosen his grip on me.
“Even previous to my death I’d only been close to one woman. And I didn’t really like her.”
“Why haven’t you been close to anyone?” I asked.
“Because of what I won’t show you; it tends to keep women away from me. But it doesn’t bother me anymore. I’ve gotten used to being alone.”
“Don't you miss being cuddled or kissed?”
“It’s been so long since I kissed someone that I’ve forgotten what it feels like. As for being cuddled, I don't think I ever have been, so I couldn’t tell you if I missed it or not.”
“Never?”
“Not that I can remember,” he said, stroking my leg slightly with his free hand.
I stared at him all the time he was doing it but he never looked at me.
“How did you die?” I asked.
“I got hurt in a battle, badly hurt. I knew I couldn’t live like that, so I finished myself off. That’s another reason I ended up going to Hell.”
He was getting warm in the sun and sat forward slightly while he took his top off. He put it on the ground next to him. That's when I saw his tattoo. It more or less covered the whole of the top half of his back. It was the same symbol that was on his ring.
“Wow!” I said, sitting forward and touching it.
He turned his head quickly to look at me, but he didn’t move my hand away from him. I traced some of the drawing with my fingers.
“That looks amazing,” I told him. “When did you have it done?”
“I didn’t have it done by choice; it was mandatory when I became a Grand Duke and received my seal.”
“I like it,” I said, sitting back again.
Then I noticed the ones on his arm, and when he sat back I saw the one on his other arm. I also noticed how toned, but slightly pale, his body was.
“What about the ones on your arms?”
“I had them done a few years ago,” he said, looking at them.
On his left upper arm was a large Celtic-looking cross, the bottom of which disappeared into a sea of flames. And on the right was a pentagram with what looked like an energy ball surrounding it.
“They’re beautiful!” I told him.
“Thanks.”
“Do you want some coffee?” I asked.
“That would involve you moving, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, yeah.”
“In which case the answer is no,” he said, holding my ankles again.
“Fine, I’ll do it the other way then,” I smirked, as my eyes turned white.
The kitchen window opened and my cup floated inside. He looked at me and grinned. I loved it when he did that; he looked so cheeky and cute. A few minutes later two steaming hot cups of coffee came floating over to us.
“Thanks,” he said, taking hold of the cup.
“Anytime,” I said as I took mine and my eyes went back to normal.
We sat outside until just after one in the afternoon, by which time we were hungry and he finally let go of my legs so I could move. We went inside and I fixed us some lunch. Sadly, when I took it into the living room for him he had put his top back on. Once we’d eaten I took him into the chill-out room and pushed him back on to the largest sofa. It was so big that two people could lie side by side on it. I turned on the TV and put a movie on, before closing all the curtains. When I turned to look at him he was lying across it. “Perfect!” I thought to myself. I climbed over him and lay with my back against the back of the sofa. He looked at me and one of his eyes squinted a little. I moved his right arm up so it was above his head for a moment.
“What are you doing?” he asked me.
“Showing you what a cuddle feels like.”
I lay my head on his chest and pulled his arm down so it was resting over my shoulders, before wrapping my arm around his waist and putting my leg slight over his. His whole body went tense for a moment, but he didn’t move away from me.
“Now relax and enjoy the movie,” I told him.
When we were about fifteen minutes into the video he was completely relaxed, and when we were halfway through, he started running his fingers through my hair. I didn’t draw attention to it in case he panicked and moved away from me. I just lay there smiling to myself, enjoying being so close to him, breathing him in as much as I could.
When the movie finished I leaned up on my elbow and looked at him.
“That was quite good” he said, stretching.
“Yeah, it wasn’t bad.”
“What time is it?”
“Three thirty,” I said, turning to look at the clock.
“What time do Lily and Jake get back?”
“Normally about six.”
He looked me in the eyes for a moment with a soft expression on his face. Then he ran the backs of his fingers slowly down the side of my face. I leaned forward to kiss him; as soon as my lips touched his he pushed me away and stood up quickly.
“I’m sorry,” I panicked.
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so close to you.”
“Eligos…”
“I can’t do this anymore,” he said, turning to look at me. “I’m sorry.”
He disappeared.
“No, Eligos, I’m sorry,” I said, standing up. “Come back.”
He didn’t answer me or come back and I started to get upset. Why had I been so stupid? I knew he would react this way and yet I still did it. Why did I always push him? First I bug him about what he is hiding, when he’s obviously not comfortable talking about it, and now I come on to him when he didn’t want me to. He had never pushed me to tell him anything and
he had never put me in a position where I would feel uncomfortable. I had to apologize to him. I had to tell him I was sorry for being so selfish. I walked into the kitchen and wrote Lily a note saying that I’d had to go away for a bit and that I didn’t know when I would be back. I stuck it on the front of the fridge and walked outside locking the door behind me. I stood in the garden and closed my eyes.
“Lilith, Mother, if you can hear me, I really need you,” I said loudly. “I need you to bring me to Hell, please.” I waited and waited, stood completely still with my eyes closed. “Lilith, please!”
Chapter Sixteen
Scar
I gave up and opened my eyes, only to find myself standing outside Eligos’s castle.
“Thank you!” I whispered, hoping Lilith would hear me.
I was about to knock on the door when I heard something smash. I jumped a little and looked around me but I couldn’t see anything. Then I heard it again, only it was louder this time and I realized it was coming from inside. I walked in without even knocking and followed the sounds of glass and pot breaking. I walked into the living room and found him looking out of one of the back windows, with his back to me.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I looked around the room.
Everything was broken, the little coffee table was in half, chairs had their legs broken off and the big mirror from over the fireplace was smashed into a thousand pieces on the floor. Ornaments had been thrown against the walls and now lay on the floor broken.
“Eligos, answer me!” I demanded.
“How did you get here?” he asked coldly, still with his back turned on me.
“I called out to Lilith.”
“Just leave.”
“No, not until you listen to me, I need to apolo…”
“I can’t do this anymore,” he told me. “I can’t be around you.”
“Why?”
“Because you drive me crazy, that's why. I’ve never felt like this before, and I can’t keep feeling like this.”