I jogged across the empty street. As my foot hit the sidewalk, an eerie shiver swept over my body. The feeling was so familiar that I couldn’t mistake it. I paused on the footpath. Someone was following me. I glanced back, searching the shadows where the streetlamps didn’t reach. No one was there. She was good, damn good, but then I expected nothing less considering her job; hiding in bushes, spying. Still, she couldn’t hide her energy. At least, not from me.
I hesitated, wondering if I should call her out now, but for some reason I held back. Hell, let her witness it firsthand, if that’s what she wanted. Perhaps then she would believe me. I reached for the cemetery gate. Inside, the area was quiet and still, shadowed by mausoleums and old oak trees. As my feet fell upon the soft moss, I felt her following. In the middle of the area, hidden by darkness and shadows, I closed my eyes and sent a mental message.
It was as Jotham was entering that I heard the snap of a branch. I glanced over my shoulder to see Emma standing there. Fully dressed, she wore tight jeans and a fitted green sweatshirt, while her hair was in a lopsided ponytail, as if she’d thrown it up in her haste to follow. I barely had time to be annoyed.
“Did you shut the gate?” I demanded.
“Seriously, what is it with you and cemeteries? No offense, but they’re kind of creepy. Can’t you—” Her eyes grew round as her gaze shifted to take in the area beyond me. “Holy crap!”
Served her right for spying. “I assume Jotham has arrived?” I turned to find the old man watching us curiously, hands folded demurely in front of his green robes. He was all calmness and patience. I envied him greatly. Then again, he didn’t have to deal with Emma.
“He…he…” Emma pointed at Jotham, who only lifted gray brows in response. “He just freaking appeared out of nowhere!”
“Actually,” he said with a smile, those eyes twinkling with amusement. “I used my own energy to merely travel from my chambers to here.”
“Right,” she whispered, then released a stunned laugh. She wasn’t nervous, she wasn’t terrified—she was amazed. The girl wasn’t afraid of anything.
“What a lovely dear,” Jotham said, causing Emma to flush.
Of course Jotham found her charming. He would. The man had a wicked sense of humor. I pulled my glasses off and rubbed the bridge of my nose, frustrated, bemused. How the hell was I going to question Jotham about Emma when she was standing right next to me?
“You needed something?” Jotham turned toward me, as if reading my mind. The old man knew exactly why I’d called: Emma. And he obviously found it amusing that I was now struggling over what to say.
I replaced my glasses. “I have a…problem.”
The old man’s gaze slid to Emma, then back to me. Yeah, he was spot-on. “I see.”
Emma frowned.
“Not her, at least not directly.”
A blackbird flew from a tree, resting on a nearby tombstone. Animals were drawn to Jotham’s ease and serenity. “Then what is the problem?”
“It’s just that…I can’t…”
Emma watched me curiously.
This would be so much easier without her here. “I saw her past. We touched and I saw her past, her memories.”
Jotham didn’t say a word, merely stood there staring at me with those fathomless eyes. That wasn’t good. Wasn’t good at all.
“Is that normal?” Emma finally asked.
Hell no, it wasn’t bloody normal. Jotham held out his arm and the blackbird hopped from the tombstone to his forearm. “Not exactly.”
“What is it then?” Emma demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. When she glared at me, as if this were all my fault, I had to resist the urge to glare back. Like I wanted to see her memories. As if I wanted to be even more connected to her than I already was.
“The elders call it a glitch, a mutation. It has been known to happen at times.” Jotham tickled the blackbird’s throat. “I believe it happened with your friend, Sebastian.”
My blood went cold. We all knew what had happened to Seb.
“But we must be sure that’s what you’ve experienced before we define it.”
Shite, that wasn’t good. I could hear the unspoken warning in his comment.
Emma’s confused gaze went back to me, as if expecting answers. Hell if I knew. As a Protector, it was normal to see a Matchmaker’s matches, but I’d never, in all of my nineteen years, heard of a Protector seeing past life events…until now. Why hadn’t Seb told me?
Jotham lifted his arm and the bird flew away. “I shall head home and see what I can uncover.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, frustrated with his lack of answers. Even more frustrated with the fact that this was all moving much too quickly. We both knew that if Jotham started asking questions, the Consulate would realize I had left without permission. I was surprised they didn’t know already.
Jotham’s hard gaze focused on me. “I suggest you head to France as soon as possible.”
In other words, it was time to tell the Consulate. Yeah, just as I’d suspected…it wasn’t normal to see her life’s events. He might seem calm but I could sense the unease. It wasn’t normal; the relationship I had with Emma wasn’t bleeding normal.
“France?” Emma stiffened. “You’re leaving?”
I didn’t miss the hopeful note in her voice. This time I did glare. “Not alone.”
“What does that mean?” she demanded.
“Children.” Jotham held his hands up, interrupting what was sure to become a heated argument. “I understand that there are many things you need to discuss. But you have something more important to worry about at the moment.”
A shiver of unease whispered over my skin, a tingle of warning. “Bloody hell.”
“What?” Emma asked warily as she scanned the cemetery. She sensed it too; I could tell by the way she stood, legs braced apart, as if preparing for battle.
“Another demon,” I muttered.
“It would seem you aren’t the only one who now knows about our Emma. Have fun.” With that, Jotham disappeared. Great help he was. But I knew what he was doing…heading home to find out just how screwed up my relationship with Emma was.
“Demon?” Emma demanded. “Did you just say demon?”
I didn’t respond but slowly turned, searching with my senses. We didn’t have time to appease her demands or her curiosity. There…coming from near the vault where I’d left the other demon. “Another Bubontic.”
“That gray blob thingy you showed me in the vault?”
I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it to a nearby tombstone. “Yeah. Lucky you, you get to see one in the flesh.”
“Wow, my life just keeps getting better and better,” she muttered.
She was taking it calmer than I’d expect most newbies to, and for that I had to reluctantly respect her. “They consume their own kind when one dies. I should have burned it when I had the chance, but a fire would have been noticed. I don’t suppose I can talk you into returning to your home?”
“Not a chance.”
She actually looked thrilled to fight. I resisted the urge to sigh. The sky had turned from black to gray. I had to kill the thing before the sun rose and there were witnesses. I reached into my vest pocket, finding a small bottle. “Here.”
I tossed the holy water. She grabbed the bottle as it twisted and turned in the sky toward her. “Will it kill it?”
“No, just stun it for a bit.”
“Wonderful,” she drawled out. “How about you give me something that can actually do some damage?”
I resisted the urge to scoff. “You know how long I’ve studied?” We moved around a mausoleum. “How many demons there are? How many ways to kill them? You know nothing about my world. Your assault rifles won’t do shite.”
“Yeah, well, I deal with vindictive husbands. I think I can handle a demon.” She followed me, moving impressively silently. “Besides, according to you it’s my world now too.”
Damn it all, she had a point.
I frowned, reached into my vest, and handed her a dagger. If she wanted to fight, let her think she was going to. I just hoped she didn’t hurt herself in the process. “Fine. Here. Aim for the left side, right below the ribs.”
“Why?”
Dear God, the woman never stopped asking questions. Did she not see I was sort of busy here? “Because it’s where the heart is. Every demon has a heart in a different spot. Destroying the heart is the easiest way to kill them.”
She took in a deep, shuddering breath. “Good to know.”
Just like that, my annoyance fled. She might feign strength, but I could sense her nervousness. She’d be a bloody idiot if she wasn’t nervous. An idiot, or insane. But although she was nervous, I also knew enough about her to know she wouldn’t run away. No, she would fight till the end. Even though she’d never in her life battled a demon, never even known they existed, she would stand her ground until she killed the beast, or he killed her. She was going to make my job a living hell, but damn it all if she didn’t impress me.
“Whatever you do, do not let it get its claws into you.” I might be able to survive the poison, but she never would.
“Why?”
“Just don’t.” A car drove down Main Street, the headlights briefly flashing across the cemetery. “Go left,” I whispered. “We’ll meet him around the back.”
She nodded and took off, didn’t even bloody wait for me to explain more. Holy hell, the woman was going to get herself killed. I sighed, heading right. The only reason I didn’t stop her was because I knew the demon was closer to me. I could sense the beast. Emma was in no immediate danger…as long as I kept the demon nearby. Maybe I could kill it before Emma even had time to react. I kicked a rock, sending it skittering across the ground until it hit a tombstone.
The noise had the desired effect, drawing the demon closer. If Emma honestly thought I’d let her fight the thing, she was bloody insane. We each had jobs to do; my job was to protect her, her job was to make matches. Once she accepted her fate our lives would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, I had a feeling it would take some time before she settled into her new role.
Silence, and then the softest shuffle. The beast was coming toward me and he wasn’t in his human form. Good, if Emma saw the demon for what it was, a terrifying monster, it would only help my cause. Hopefully she’d leave the killing to me. A huge dark form stepped out from behind a mausoleum.
“Good morning, you disgusting bastard,” I called out in greeting. There was nothing more amusing than taunting a demon. “Why don’t you tell me how you know about my Matchmaker, and perhaps I’ll kill you quickly?”
The beast lifted its gray lips and growled. His massive shoulders hunched, rounding as he prepared to attack. Fortunately, Emma was still at the back of the cemetery and out of harm’s way.
I held my arms wide, urging the thing to attack. The faster we got this over with, the better. “Come, let’s chat, shall we?”
The demon burst forward, a blur of darkness. I tossed the water toward him just as he hit me. His scream ripped through the air, raising the fine hairs on the back of my neck. The water might have stung, but it didn’t stop him. He hit me hard and we fell together with a thud, his heavy body crushing me into the soft earth. This close, I could hear the sizzle of his skin from the holy water. But my glory was short-lived. My lungs squeezed painfully, the demon crushing me with his heavy weight.
I grappled at my side, reaching for my knife when suddenly Emma appeared, hovering behind us like some damn guardian angel. She raised her right arm, the dagger in hand. Hell, she was going to save my pathetic arse. She brought her arm down directly into the demon’s back. I could hear the swoosh of the blade cutting through muscle and tendons.
The demon shivered, groaned, and collapsed atop me. The weight would have killed a human. I wasn’t sure whether to be grateful, or embarrassed that she’d just come to my rescue. The sticky tar of the demon’s blood seeped down around me, soaking through my clothing. I shoved my hands into its shoulders and heaved the carcass away. It fell to the ground with a thud that shook the cemetery.
Emma grinned down at me. “Well, that was easy.”
I looked away, frowning at the quickly decaying carcass.
Shite. She was right…this just kept getting better and better. If Emma could protect herself, why the bloody hell was I here?
Chapter 7
Emma
The brilliant sunlight brought with it a harsh reality that didn’t leave room for magic and demons. I moved across the street toward the coffee shop, practically oblivious to the early morning traffic. Although it had been hours since I’d killed the demon, hours since I’d last seen Owen, my hands still trembled. I’d never killed anyone…anything…whatever it was. Should I have felt nervous? Guilty? Grateful? Oddly, all I felt was numb.
A car honked, startling me. Every noise was a threat, every shadow a potential enemy. My entire world had changed. Nothing felt safe anymore. Slowly, I glanced up and down the street, peering into the familiar faces of my neighbors. Who could I trust?
Shaking off my unease, I pulled open the door of the coffee shop and breathed in the familiar aroma of pastries and coffee beans. This was reality. This was where I belonged, in this world of humans and nonmagic, in Michigan with Lizzie. Tony stood behind the counter, smiling at a customer. It was all so achingly familiar that my heart twisted painfully. What if it were true? What if I suddenly had the ability to match people? What if Paula and Tony belonged together? What if my entire world were about to change, whether I wanted it to or not? No. I steeled myself. I wouldn’t accept that I was not in control of my own life.
I moved to a table near the windows and picked up a newspaper, hiding behind it. I was vaguely aware of the bell above the door jingling, announcing the arrival of another customer, but I continued to watch Tony, studying the man and my feelings for him.
Lizzie suddenly appeared next to me. “Okay, Emma, seriously, what’s up with this Owen guy?”
“Sit down!” I hissed, latching on to her arm and jerking her into the chair next to mine. I swore she’d been born merely to blow my cover. “Can’t you tell when someone is hiding?”
“Good God, you’re spying again?” She glanced around the room, her long auburn ponytail swishing across her tanned shoulders. “Who is it this time?”
“He’ll see you.” I gripped the edge of her chair and pulled her closer, the legs screeching against the floor. “And I’m not working. At least, not really.”
“Who?” she whispered, leaning close to me. “Who are you spying on?”
I lifted the newspaper, hiding us both. “Tony.”
“Tony?” She stiffened, frowning. “Since when do you not want Tony to see you? You’ve always gone out of your way to make sure he notices you.”
Flushing, I slid her a glance. “You know?”
She grinned. “About your little crush? Uh, yeah. You get all flirty and girly when he’s around.” She brushed her ponytail over her shoulder. “So in other words, the total opposite of how you normally act.”
It was my turn to frown. “I’m not Attila the Hun.”
She sighed, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm. “I don’t mean that. You’ve never had a problem talking to him before. Why not just go chat?”
“Because I don’t want to chat with him. I’m…” What was I doing? Sitting here waiting to see if some sort of magical love potion would go into effect the moment Paula arrived?
“Ridiculous,” I muttered, tossing the paper down. Yet, I couldn’t deny that what Owen had said up until this point had been true. Crap, what if he was right about my matchmaking abilities? What if those demons were only the beginning in a long line of threats? I glanced at my sister. My sweet, innocent, totally clueless sister.
“Hey,” I said. “I need you to stay at Beth’s for the next couple of nights.”
Lizzie raised her brows, her brilliant blue eyes showing her shock. “Seriously? You’
re that into Owen?”
I flushed. She was totally getting the wrong idea. I’d never lied to Lizzie before about anything important, but I didn’t see how I could tell her the truth. This new world I’d suddenly found myself a part of would eat her alive within seconds. “Yeah. I am.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Emma, you just met the guy. I mean, I’m glad you like him, but don’t you think you should wait before getting that serious?”
I looked heavenward and sighed. She would never let it rest. Maybe I should have just told her the truth. If anyone would believe in magic, it would be her. But I wasn’t about to have this conversation here…in a coffee shop while waiting to see if the guy I had a thing for would fall in love with my neighbor. “Let’s go home.”
I started to push away from the table when the door opened, the bell overhead ringing. There on the threshold stood Paula. My shoulders sank, my heart followed. I swore I didn’t believe in these newfound powers, so why did I have the sudden urge to shove her back outside before Tony noticed her?
“There you are.” She gave me a hesitant smile. Obviously she was confused. We chatted in the halls and I fed her cat when she went on vacation, but we were far from coffee-drinking buddies. Besides, she was in college, and didn’t have any desire to hang out with a seventeen-year-old high school student.
“Hey,” I muttered weakly.
Lizzie slid me a confused glance.
“Hey, Lizzie.” She turned her smile to my sister. I could admit that Paula was pretty in an understated way. Her smile was contagious and her eyes always friendly. But it didn’t make the vision of her and Tony kissing any easier to take.