Soon after that I went out with Lily. We went shopping and bought a few new tops and CDs. We went for a walk along the harbor and had lunch in the café where we first went when we arrived in Salem. We didn’t get home till around seven and we were both starving. Lily was about to cook us something when Eligos walked into the kitchen.
“Don't cook her anything, Lily,” he told her.
“Why not?” she asked.
“I’m taking her out.”
“Where?” I asked him.
“Do you like Italian?”
“I do, yes.”
“Good, because that’s where we’re going. Now go and get changed; if you’re hungry we can go now.”
“Give me ten minutes,” I said, walking upstairs.
I changed into a nice, sexy black dress. I put all my hair down and even wore high-heeled strappy shoes, which wasn’t like me. When I walked down the stairs I saw Eligos in the hall waiting for me.
“Wow!” we both said at the same time. Both of us laughed.
He looked amazing. He had jet-black jeans on, a black silk shirt and a red tie; he had really smart black shoes on and a thigh-length black coat. His hair fell perfectly, slightly over his left eye, exactly the way it was the first day I met him. When I walked closer to him I saw he had cast the spell on his face; he said he wasn’t in the mood to be stared at. He wanted to have a nice night with me. We told Lily not to wait up and that we would see her tomorrow.
He drove us to the restaurant in town. He opened all the doors for me and wouldn’t let me pay for anything. We sat at a table next to the window and ordered our food.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” I smiled.
“Well, we haven’t done anything together except fight, and I think we need a bit of normality in this relationship, don't you?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“We haven’t even been on a date, so I thought we deserved one.”
“How did you know about this place?” I asked him.
“I asked Danny. I don't know the town and told him I wanted to take you out. He said this was the nicest restaurant in town.”
“It is, but it’s also the most expensive.”
“Don't worry about the cost, just enjoy yourself. Money isn’t a problem,” he told me as he poured me a glass of wine. “You can’t put a price on happiness.”
“You know when I first met you, I wouldn’t have thought you had a romantic bone in your body.”
“Part of me didn’t want you to like me, so I tried to be as sarcastic as possible instead of nice.”
“That didn’t last long though, did it?” I said, smirking.
“I couldn’t help myself.”
“I remember telling Lily that I had to stop thinking about you and liking you. I told her I’d never get to be close to you and that you didn’t like me in a romantic way.”
“What did she say?”
“She said it was obvious that you did, and that one day I would see it for myself. I used to moan to her constantly,” I confessed.
“About me?”
“Yeah, I kept telling her how much I wanted you and how you never got close to me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching over the table and holding my hand.
“I’ve got you now, that’s all that matters.”
The waitress came over with our food and lit a few candles on the table.
“I used to go home, look in the mirror and shout at myself,” he told me. “I’d stand there shouting, “You idiot, she will never want you” and “Show her what you are, let her be disgusted and then get over her”. But I didn’t want to get over you; I wanted to be with you so much.”
“I understand why you thought you had to hide, and I won’t ever hold it against you.”
We enjoyed our meal and then went for a slow walk along the harbor. It was a beautiful clear night and the moon was full; the light from it reflecting off the sea. We had our arms around each other as we walked and talked about everything. When we reached the end of the deck we sat down for a while, looking out across the ocean.
“You know, Crystal said she wanted to stay here. She said it was so beautiful compared to Hell,” I said.
“I can understand her in a way, but it’s no excuse for what they are doing. They can come here whenever they want, and stay as long as they want. As long as they don't cause harm and they don't expose themselves, nobody would care,” he said.
“They wouldn’t be able to stay in the same place too long though, would they?”
“No, I think people would question why they didn’t age.”
“Did you spend a lot of time here before you met me?”
“No, not really. I’d come every now and again, just to see how the times were changing. Other than that, I was OK where I was.”
“Didn’t you ever get fed up of being alone?”
“I did, but not very often. If I had nothing to do and I was just at home, then I would think “Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to come home to”. But other than that I was OK; I’d gotten used to it. Like I’ve said, I’d never been interested in anyone anyway. I thought I was meant to do my job and that was it.”
“Well, you do know you’re stuck with me now, don't you?”
“I hope so.”
We stayed out another hour or so before heading home. When we pulled in the drive we saw the house was dark. Lily and Jake must have gone to bed early. We walked in and locked up.
“Do you want me to stay like this?” he asked me as we curled up on the sofa in the living room.
“No I don't.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do I have to slap you?” I smirked.
“I just wondered that's all; you may have wanted a nice face to look at.”
“Right, that’s it.”
I grabbed one of the cushions and hit him with it repeatedly. It turned into full-scale war. I ran out and he chased me down the hallway and into my room. I grabbed one of my pillows and threw it at him, then tried to run into the bathroom before he could get me back. Just as I got to the doorway he grabbed me and started tickling me. I tried to break free from him but I had no strength through laughing. He picked me up and threw me on the bed. He ended the spell and his face went natural as he stood at the end of the bed and stared at me. I sat up, grabbed his tie and used it to pull him down on to the bed. He lay over me, looking me in my eyes and stroking the side of my face. I pulled myself up and kissed him. The kiss became more and more passionate as he ran his hand down the side of my body. My stomach did a somersault as I realized I was finally going to get my own way with him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Point Reyes Station
I woke up around eleven the next morning, which was unusual for me; normally I’m up at the crack of dawn. I was lying on my side with Eligos snuggled up behind me; his arm was wrapped around me and his head was resting against the back of mine. I lay there for a while stroking his arm and smiling to myself; I’d always wanted to be like this with him and now, finally, I was. Last night was amazing; every time I thought about it I got butterflies in my stomach. I was in a world of my own when he lifted his head and saw that I was awake.
“Good morning,” he said, squeezing me and kissing my shoulder. “How long have you been awake?”
“Only about ten minutes.”
I turned around so I was facing him, and we wrapped our arms around each other. Even though he had just woken up, he still looked gorgeous. His eyes were closed but he knew I was staring at him, and he smiled slightly.
“What are you smiling at?” I asked.
“I know you’re watching me; I can feel your eyes burning through my head.”
“I wasn’t actually.”
“Liar.”
“Oh well, maybe I was, I can’t help it.”
He opened his eyes and stared at me for a moment.
“Do we have to get up today?” he asked, smirking.
“Not re…”
I was interrupted by Lily banging on my bedroom door.
“Keira, hey, wake up!” she shouted.
“I am awake.”
“I’m coming in, Eligos isn’t …” she started to say as she walked in the room.
“I’m not what?” he asked her.
“…up walking around or in your room,” she said, a big grin appearing on her face. “Hmmmm, have a good night did we?”
“Very,” he told her.
“Good, well you can be happy about it later; there’s something you both need to see,” she said as the grin left her face.
“Can’t you just tell us?” I groaned.
“No, you really need to come down.”
She had turned serious now, and that meant something wasn’t right. She walked out of the room while we got washed and dressed, then we reluctantly made our way downstairs.
When we walked in the living room Jake and Lily were waiting for us. We didn’t have to ask them what the problem was; they had the news channel on. The anchor man said:
“Relatives of the residents of Point Reyes Station, California are at a loss as to what to do next. Jonathan Tanner was the first to notice there was something wrong in the small town when he went to surprise visit his aunt yesterday morning. Our correspondent Clare Williams is on location with Mr Tanner.”
“Thank you, Robert. Yes the town has a very eerie feel about it this morning. This is usually a busy little community, but today the streets are empty, and the shops are still burning. Schools are destroyed, and there isn’t a soul to be seen. I’m here with Jonathan Tanner who was the first person to discover the strange disappearance of the residents and the destruction of the town”
“Jonathan, can you tell me what happened when you first arrived yesterday morning?”
“I drove here to surprise my aunty who I hadn't seen for over three years. She lived on the outskirts of the town. At first I was driving through the woods and everything seemed OK, I could smell something burning but I just thought it was someone burning wood. When I got to the start of the town I couldn’t believe my eyes. All the buildings were either on fire, burned to a cinder or they had collapsed. Automobiles were over turned; people’s belongings were all over the street. Kids’ bikes were bent and twisted out of shape and in the middle of the road…”
“What did you do next?”
“I drove very slowly to where my aunt lived. Her house was burned to a cinder, and so were her neighbors’ houses. I ran around looking for people, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. It was as though I was standing in the middle of a war zone, but without the people. I searched everywhere for people, but the church, the shops, parks, police station, everything, was destroyed. That’s when I knew I had to get to another town and tell them what I knew.”
“Thank you, Jonathan…”
I sat down on the sofa with Eligos in silence and turned the TV up. What the hell was going on? How could a town be destroyed over night? I carried on listening to the reporter:
“Police and the FBI are at a loss, along with the townsfolk’s relatives. It seems this small town of around 1000 people has been wiped out overnight. I also have Detective James Valero from San Francisco here with me. Detective, what can you tell us up to now?”
“I really don't know what to tell you. I’ve never seen anything like it. We have forensic teams searching through the debris but as of yet they haven’t found anything. Firemen and police officers have been searching through the rubble and the surrounding woodland, but they haven’t found any bodies. It’s as though everyone who lived here has just disappeared…”
“What's going on?” I said out loud. “How can so many people go missing?”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing since I first heard the story,” Jake told me.
“Come on, darling, you’re the one who knows all about wars. Help us out here,” I said, turning to Eligos.
“They’re recruiting,” he explained, standing up and walking towards the window. “Their confidence is growing. They started by taking a few families and now they attack a small town.”
“Recruiting for what? What are they going to do next?” Tyler asked, walking into the room with Lucian and Danny.
“We heard about it earlier this morning and thought we best come over,” Lucian said, sitting next to me.
“They’re recruiting for the war. They’re taking people, killing them so their bodies can be possessed. If they have managed to do this, I dread to think what they will do next,” Eligos continued.
“Do you think they will attack more towns?” Danny asked him.
“Yes I do. If I was starting a war, that’s what I would do.”
“What about the police though; surely they will catch on.”
“That demons are kidnapping people? I hardly think so.”
“He’s right,” I added, “People won’t have a clue what's happening. They’ll probably blame the government. Possibly accuse them of weapons testing or something.”
“I agree,” Eligos said. “Similar things have happened before.”
“Like what?” Tyler asked.
“Like things I don't want to discuss, thank you.”
“All those poor people!” Lily whispered. “What about the children? What would have happened to them? They’re not big enough to fight,” she asked, looking at Eligos.
“They will have been killed” he told her.
“Why though? Why not just leave them there? They haven’t done anyone any harm.”
“Because that’s how they are,” Tyler said nastily while looking at Eligos. “Demons, they’re nothing but heartless, torturing, sick, twisted and demented bastards.”
“HEY!” I shouted, standing up. “I’m not any of those things and I’m a demon. Neither is Eligos.”
“Really?” he said, walking so he was standing around a foot or so away from Eligos. “He said it himself: if he was starting the war he would do it.”
“Tyler, I’m going to say this once, shut your mouth and get out of my face,” Eligos warned, glaring at him.
“No, come on, demon, tell them all what else you would do, given half the chance?”
“TYLER!” I yelled.
“Shut up, Keira!”
That pushed Eligos’s patience and temper to the limit and he snapped. He punched Tyler and sent him flying over the coffee table and on to the floor. He was out cold, blood running from his nose. Lily and Lucian ran over to help him and to try and bring him round.
“The next time he gets in my face like that I’ll do a lot more than just punch him,” Eligos shouted before he walked out of the room.
I ran out after him. He walked into the garden and sat on the swing.
“Calm down!” I said.
“He’s a pathetic child and I don't know how you all put up with him. I’d have killed him by now.”
“He only does it because you have Keira,” Danny added, joining us. He stood in front of Eligos. “I’ve known Tyler all his life and I was always closer to him than Jake and Lucian were. I’ve never seen him like this before; he’s completely changed. He hates you, not because of what you are or who you are, but because of whose heart you own .He wants Keira and he wants her to want him.”
“Tough shit!” I said. “If he likes me that much he should want me to be happy.”
“If he doesn’t back off and behave himself, he’ll end up with more than a bruised face,” Eligos said, standing up. “I need to get out of here for a while.”
“Where do you want to go?” I asked him.
“I’m going home for a while.”
“OK,” I said, standing up too.
“On my own, Keira,” he told me as he started to disappear. “If you need me, shout.”
A second later he was gone.
I sat back down on the swing and Danny sat next to me.
“Will he be OK?” he asked me.
“Yeah, he probably just needs to calm down.”
“You’re not impressed,
are you?”
“Not in the slightest. I’m getting really fed up now. All I want is to be happy and for people to be happy for me. If the shoe was on the other foot I would be happy for them.”
“I know you would. Maybe that punch will teach him a lesson.”
“I doubt it,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “You know part of me just wants to run away.”
“What, from everyone?”
“No, not everyone, just him, but this is just how it’s going to be and I’m going to have to get used to the horribleness.”
I told Danny I would talk to him later and made my way upstairs to the gym room. I spent an hour attacking the punching bag. I’ve never punched or kicked something so much in my life. I punched it so hard my hands swelled up. Nobody came in to see me. I think they all knew I was annoyed. All I wanted was for everyone to get along: surely that wasn’t too much to ask? It had taken me months to get Eligos to let his guard down, and to let me in; now I had him, I didn’t want anything to ruin it. I loved him so much, and now I knew he loved me, I just wanted us to be happy together. What would Tyler do or say next? Surely Danny must be right. He’d pushed him enough now and he’d have the bruise to prove that. Would he really want to go down that road again? He knows he wouldn’t stand a chance against Eligos, none of us would.
Once I’d finished in the gym, I got in the shower and got dressed before making myself some lunch. Lily came into the kitchen after me and shut the door behind her.
“Are you OK?” she asked me.
“Yes.”
“I heard you in the gym; you were swearing your head off in there.”
“I was annoyed at what had happened and I needed a release.”
“When is Eligos coming back?” she asked.
“I don't know, why?”
“I just wondered. I don't blame him for knocking Tyler out. I wouldn’t want Jake letting someone tell me to shut up like that either.”
“That isn’t why he hit him; he’s sick of Tyler being funny with him. I’ll tell you something else too, it’s a good thing Eligos held back; otherwise he could have killed Tyler. He’s pure demon, don't forget. He is incredibly strong, he has to be careful when he’s messing around with me or even holding my hand; the life in me means I still feel pain easily…Why can’t Tyler just stop being a jerk?”