“No. I don’t have…” I shook my head. “Why did you say that just now?”
“Just my opinion. Does it bother you? I’ll take it back, if it does, but I won’t mean it. And if you want to ditch that guy, I’ll take you where you need to go.”
Like I would take a ride from a stranger?
“Um… Thanks, but even if I wanted to, all of my stuff is in his car.”
She popped a stick of gum in her mouth and offered me one. I took it out of courtesy and stuck it in my pocket.
“Listen,” she said, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but… well… I stole your stuff.”
“What?”
“It’s in my car. I’ll give it back.”
“Are you serious?”
She pursed her lips and nodded.
“You’re a thief?”
“Eh. Sometimes.”
“Give me my things back.”
“Okay, but I don’t see what good that’ll do. You won’t be going anywhere. Your car has two flat tires.” She gave me an apologetic look. “I did that, too.”
I let out a short huff of air. I couldn’t believe this girl!
“There was no other way,” she said, as if her reason held a lot of weight to it.
“No other way to what? Piss me off?”
“What are you talking about? I did it to piss off that guy you’re with, not you. He deserves it.”
“Let me get this straight.” I put my hand on my hip. “You stole my things and flattened the car tires to piss him off?”
“You’re not understanding. I slashed the tires to piss him off. I stole your things because I knew you wouldn’t come with me, unless you had no excuses.”
“Are you crazy? You stole from me, and I don’t know you. Why the hell would I even think about going anywhere with you?”
“Because all those people in the diner—except for the asshole—aren’t people. They’re demons, and they’re here for you.”
I felt a rush of adrenaline throw my pulse into overdrive.
“Who are you?”
“Galilea.”
“Galen’s girlfriend? He sent you?”
“No. Look, I don’t have time to explain. We need to leave. I can only keep the block up for so long, before the demons see you.”
“We can’t just leave Eros here.”
“They’re not after him. He’s in no danger. Come on,” she said, walking out of the restroom, and handing me a pair of sunglasses. “And put these on. Your eyes, they’re all kinds of freaky. I don’t want to look at them.”
I slipped the sunglasses on and followed her into the diner.
“I don’t see demons,” I said. “I see people.”
“Look closer.”
My vision blurred for an instant, making me blink. My eyes regained focus, and then I saw them. There were nine hominoid beings that looked like they had been charred until their skin was brown-red and glossy. They were spread across the room at different tables. Their backs were slightly hunched and both their hands and feet were lined with yellow claws. Wings made of skin stuck out from their shoulders. The part of them that slightly resembled a human was their eyes, except for the blood red irises. What I noticed next made my knees weak. The Turpis had black, long pupils, like mine.
“Their eyes are—”
“Like yours. I know.” Galilea nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
“What, through the front door? But Eros will see me.”
“He can’t see you. None of them can,” she said, pulling on my arm. “I’m already having trouble keeping up the block that’s hiding us. Hurry up.”
“But—”
“Isis, in three minutes, the demons will see you. I’m too drained from holding this block up to fight them. Eros will be caught by surprise, and I doubt he’ll be able to take them all down on his own.”
“You know Eros?”
“How do you think I know he’s an asshole?”
“But he doesn’t seem to know you.”
“I made him forget. We can chat about it later, okay? Now, come on!”
Galilea and I strode through the building. A burning stench of sulfur and ammonia that hadn’t been there before burned deep inside my nostrils, making my eyes water. I used my arm to cover my nose and mouth. I stopped for a second as we passed next to Eros who looked right past me and in the direction of the bathrooms.
Galilea pulled on my arm, and I began moving toward the exit again.
Two more Turpis entered the restaurant as we approached the door. Galilea stopped in her tracks when they spoke to each other.
“Shit.” She turned to look at Eros. “They know he was with you.”
“We can’t leave him.”
“Excuse me, Sir…” Galilea called out to Eros, watching the two demons walk toward him. As if in slow motion, Eros turned to look at Galilea, and then at the Turpis that were less than five feet away from his table. Eros’ shoulders tensed.
“Do you have my order, miss?” Eros asked Galilea.
“Yes, I have her.”
“Go. Now!” Eros said.
Galilea grabbed my arm and hauled me out the door with long, quick strides. On the other side of the building, behind a dumpster, a small gray car was parked, hidden from plain view.
“Get in,” Galilea said.
“Are you just going to leave him?”
“My block is depleted. I have no other choice.”
I had just closed the door, when the engine roared to life. I felt my stomach drop as the car flew down the long strip of road.
“Dammit! Dammit!” Galilea said, hitting the steering wheel with the heel of her hand. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”
“Wait, Galilea. This isn’t right. We have to go back. Turn around.”
“You’re crazy! There’s too many of them. They’ll kill us, too.”
“Turn the car around or let me out. I’m going back.” I said, taking off the sunglasses.
“No,” Galilea said.
“Let me out!”
I grabbed the steering wheel and twisted it. Everything beyond the car windows became a green and gray blur. I could hear stones bouncing off the car’s metal body as it spun, raising a tornado of dirt all around us. At last, the car came to a stop, and the engine stuttered before it died. It took a moment for my eyes to regain focus. Then the adrenaline kicked in, and I started to shake.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Galilea pushed me. “Are you stupid?”
“We—we can’t leave him. He’s outnumbered. We abandoned him.”
Galilea tapped the steering wheel with her thumb and looked out her window.
“Fine,” she said. “I hate having a conscious.”
She shifted the car into gear and drove at full speed. It took just two minutes to see the small building ahead of us. We were a few hundred feet away from the gasoline station, when it turned into a colossal cloud of fire. Galilea slammed on the breaks. Three more explosions followed. I felt my heart stop.
Galilea and I looked at each other.
“Is he—?”
“Dead? Most likely.” Galilea nodded. “This is bad. This is really bad.”
I watched with my jaw hanging as what was left of the building went down in flames. I couldn’t breathe. Eros was dead. I felt the sting of tears in the corner of my eyes. Another person was gone because of me.
“We have to go,” Galilea said, reaching for the car’s gear stick. “We can’t be here.”
As the car began to move in reverse, a mass of burned flesh crashed onto the hood. From the other side of the window, a demon’s eyes peered into mine. With its serpent tongue, the Turpis licked the glass, leaving a gel-like residue. It raised an arm, preparing to smash the window in and I froze.
“No!” Galilea yanked me out of the passenger seat and over to her side.
The Turpis’ hand hit the glass, and in that same instant, an object crashed into the creature’s side, sending it flying off the hood. Galilea sunk her
foot on the gas pedal, and the car shot back in reverse. Through the front window, I saw two figures wrestling on the ground—one with fragments of scorched wings, the other covered in black soot. Galilea slammed on the breaks and shoved me off her.
“We have to get out of here,” she said.
“Wait, is that—? It’s Eros!” I said, unlocking the passenger side door.
“No, Isis, don’t!”
My feet had just touched the gravel when a loud clank came from the car’s roof. A seared, clawed hand slid between the open car door and me. I screamed and Galilea jerked me back against her, away from the demon’s hand.
The car door slammed shut, and I heard a horrible shriek, similar to that of a dying swine. The Turpis’ severed hand and wrist tumbled onto my legs. I scrambled to get away from its still mobile fingers, but it clung to the fabric on my knee. I felt its claws ripping into my jeans, but then suddenly, the hand stopped stirring. I slapped it off my leg, and I watched as it rolled on the car floor. The stench of ammonia and sulfur penetrated the interior of the car, causing us to cough and gag. I put my arm over my nose and mouth and wiped the moisture from my eyes. Filled with horror, I scanned all the windows searching for the demon.
Outside, I saw Eros and the handless Turpis battling to the death. Eros had the Turpis in a headlock, but it managed to peel away from his grip. The Turpis gave Eros a blow to the head, and Eros went down cold. The demon hurled Eros in the air into the bushes. Then it turned its head and looked at me.
I sank back into my seat, but Galilea wasted no time in squeezing through the space between the two front seats. Kneeling on the floor on the back part of the car, she lifted the backseat. She pulled out a dagger that was identical to the one Eros had attempted to use on me.
“Take it,” Galilea said. “Don’t think. Just aim between the eyes.”
From her boot, she fished out a set of brass knuckles and stepped out of the car. I looked at the dagger in my hand and swallowed. My hands were unsteady as I opened the car door. I followed Galilea to face-off the demon.
“Isssissss,” the Turpis hissed.
“You know things are bad when the spawns of hell know your name,” Galilea said. “Remember what I told you. They’re fast, so act on your first impulse.”
The demon walked toward us with slow steps, cocking its head as it glared at me. If its lips hadn’t been so burned and deformed, I would’ve sworn it was smirking.
“Isssissss,” the Turpis said again.
I had never heard my name sound so hideous. I could feel sweat forming on my palms. I raised the dagger, and my hand trembled. The blade’s handle started slipping from my grip, and before I could take it with the other hand, it landed with a clink on the ground. The demon charged toward me, and Galilea jumped forward between us. The Turpis lowered its head and slammed into Galilea’s stomach. Galilea flew to the other side of the car, and I was left alone, staring into that macabre face.
I scanned the ground for the dagger, but the Turpis was standing on it. I felt its searing claws at the back of my head. My head jerked back as it pulled my hair, forcing me to look into its wicked face. Suddenly, a shiny metal tip appeared between its brows, and the Turpis rolled back its eyes. Horrible wails cut through the air, sending pain straight to my eardrums. I saw two hands take hold of the demon’s horns, and then I heard a loud crack. The demon’s head split in two, vermin spilling from the inside out. It fell on the ground where its body turned into black ashes. A small segment of earth parted, and the Turpis’ remains seeped in through the crack like a small whirlwind. The ground shifted back into place, closing the gap, and I watched in disbelief. As I stared at the ground, a hand reached for the two daggers that rested where the demon’s ashes had fallen.
“You shouldn’t have come back,” Eros said, looking up at me. “Are you alright?”
I held back the impulse to hug him because I knew he’d react in some way that would only irritate me.
“I—I thought you were dead.” I could hardly get the words out.
“For a minute, I thought I was, too. Where’s Galilea?”
“Oh, no! Galilea…” I said and ran to the other side of the car.
Galilea was sitting with her back against a tire, holding her stomach.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“No, I’m not. Look at this.” She lifted her shirt and pointed to two smoking holes on her stomach. “That bastard son of a swineherd! How am I supposed to wear a bikini, now?”
“She’s fine,” Eros’ voice came from behind me. “That’ll heal in a few weeks.”
“Not before the summer ends. I had plans.” Galilea frowned up at him.
“You should’ve thought of that before you tried to steal her away from me. Why, may I ask, did you do that? It’s not nice to take what doesn’t belong to you.”
“Excuse me, but I don’t belong to you,” I said.
“Yet,” Eros said. “So, Galilea?”
“Can’t say. I’ve sworn an oath and all that deity crap they make us do.”
“Who made you swear?” I asked.
“Can’t say that either. We need to get out of here before another horde comes. Did that thing touch you?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“Did it burn you?” Eros asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Let me see,” Eros said, moving aside the strands of hair covering the back of my neck. “Not a scratch.”
“Nothing at all?” Galilea looked puzzled.
“See for yourself.” Eros extended his hand out to Galilea to help her up. She didn’t take it.
“I don’t need to see,” Galilea said, standing up on her own. “Let’s go, Isis.”
“I don’t think so,” Eros said. “Isis and I have an agreement. She’s coming with me.”
“Um—about that—” I said.
“You gave me your word.” Eros frowned.
“I changed my mind. I got a better deal with no strings attached.”
“Bargaining for wives again, Eros?” Galilea cocked her brow. “Tsk, tsk. You’ll never learn, will you?”
“How—?” Eros narrowed his eyes.
“I’m not the same stupid girl you knew thousands of years ago. I know things. Don’t cross me, or those things may end up as whispers in the wrong ears,” Galilea said, and Eros gave Galilea a cold stare. “Now, let’s get moving.”
“You’re serious about going with her—breaking our arrangement?” Eros looked at me.
“It’s a good opportunity, and I’m taking it. I don’t understand why you’re so surprised. After all, isn’t that what you did to me?”
I opened the car door.
“Don’t say your good-byes just yet,” Galilea told me. “My stomach is killing me, and I don’t trust your recklessness behind the wheel, so—” She glanced at Eros. “You’re driving.”
“Him? No. I can drive,” I said.
“Why do you have to use excuses?” Eros gave Galilea a hostile look. “Why can’t you just ask me to come along in case you run into another horde? Why can’t you just ask me for help?”
“I’m doing you a favor. I can make us all invisible if we do come across them.”
Galilea opened the back door, and pulled herself onto the backseat.
“You’ve always been so proud, Galilea,” Eros said, “and you’re still not very bright. I wasn’t planning to let you leave without me in any case. But if you use your abilities again to make me forget anything—however insignificant it may be—I’ll strip you of even the most minimal love that Galen feels for you. I’ll strip you of every ounce of love that anyone has ever, or will ever, have for you. And I don’t care who you run to and tattle about the things you know.”
Galilea’s lips were tight as she stared back at Eros.
“That’s low, even for you,” I told him. “Like I said, you never cease to amaze me.”
“You don’t know her. She plays just as dirty.” Eros glanced at Galilea one last tim
e before he slid into the driver’s seat. “And Isis, for future reference, an agreement with a deity cannot be broken. The deal stands, my sweet.”
“But—”
“You would’ve been better off selling your soul to the devil,” Galilea said from the backseat.
“I think I did,” I said.
I stared out the window watching the green and russet blur of trees and mountains race by and thinking of how much I had screwed up. David was back in Athens, and it wouldn’t take long before he put two and two together and came the conclusion that I had left with his best friend. I knew it was unforgiveable, but I hoped that someday he’d understand that, since he wouldn’t do it himself, it was the sole option I had to save him.
The unexpected and second worst part of my plan-gone-wrong was that I was in a car with two people I didn’t trust and who didn’t trust each other. I doubted they trusted me either. What a fine entourage I was stuck with. I glanced at both of them through the rearview mirror. Galilea was asleep in the backseat, and Eros’ brow was knit tight as he concentrated on the road.
I wondered what Galilea’s and Eros’ story was. They hated each other—that was evident—but why? The fact that Galilea wouldn’t say who had sent her to find me intensified the distrust I already felt. What secrets did she know about Eros? What was her interest in helping me find my father?
“We’re making a quick stop,” Eros said, turning off of the main road.
“Why?” I asked.
“How can I meet my future father-in-law covered in grime and wearing torn clothes? I need to find a shop and get cleaned up, my sweet.”
“You haven’t met your end of the bargain, so don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.” I crossed my arms. “And I told you to stop calling me that.”
Galilea placed her chin over the driver’s seat, next to Eros’ ear. “She hates you,” she said in a loud whisper. “Just like the rest did.”
“That depends on who ‘the rest’ are,” Eros said, “because if you’re referring to yourself—as I remember—you were the one begging me to take you to bed.”
Galilea turned to look at me with her cheeks flushed. “That was a long time ago. I was naïve.”
“Not much has changed.” Eros looked at her through the rearview mirror. “I would suggest that you keep your mouth shut before you start to regret having opened it.”