“Irene is starting to get suspicious,” Violet tells the room. We’ve gotten into a good rhythm with her practicing. She seems a little run down, but all new zoanas are overwhelmed at first.
“How do you mean?” Zemira asks.
“She is wondering why I’m spending so much time at the house, but I don’t want to move in. Also, Aaiden mentioned all of you were hanging out with us, but she doesn’t understand why I’m hanging out with a history teacher from the high school or a bunch of other students I’ve never met before.”
“You lost us,” I say.
She blinks as if just realizing we are all here. “Oh right, you weren’t there. Well, we didn’t know how to explain all of you so we said that Percy is a history teacher at the high school, Zemira and Zaphyra are teaching assistants, and you and Phelix are kids that Fiona, Aaiden, and Blythe go to school with.”
“Uh, teaching assistant? You think I’m gonna babysit a bunch of snot-nosed brats?” Zemira asks.
“You teach me a lot.” Violet grins at her.
“That’s one snot-nosed brat.” Zemira bumps her shoulder playfully against Violet’s.
Violet bumps her back. “Anyways, I was thinking we may need to tell Irene.”
Percy’s head snaps up. “That is not wise.”
“Hear me out; eventually, we will probably, maybe, have to come live in the estate,” she says.
The thought seems to still make her uncomfortable. I’m not sure what’s holding Violet back, but there’s something.
“At that time, she’s going to wonder about the five new pals I have over every night, not to mention she’s going to wonder where I got a three-legged dog that’s sometimes a cat—”
“Also, a horse and much more.” Phelix laughs.
“Horse, really? That’s awesome Achilles.” She pets him. The beast soaks it in. “So yeah, our furry friend here will get her attention. I’m thinking if anyone can handle this secret it’s Irene. She lost her husband, her brother, her best friend and sister; Irene is tough. She loves me and I don’t want to lie or create distance with people I love. Life is too short.” Violet grins wickedly. “For some of us that is.”
Violet’s gaze meets mine; whenever it does, the slightest shade of pink glows in her cheeks. I watch the color change and darken. It takes everything inside me not to grab her up in my arms and...I’m not sure what. I shake my head; I shouldn’t be thinking these things about her. It takes even more energy to force myself to look away. Out of all of us, she seems the most self-conscious around me. Even with Percy brushing her off. I can’t help but think, maybe she feels what I feel. When I was in gargoyle form in the graveyard while clutching my hand, I could feel something with her touch. It’s electric, magical. Her most dominant power does seem to be energy manipulation with lightning. It is entirely plausible that the jolts I feel around her are an awareness of her abilities, but then there’s something deep inside me that skips a beat every time I catch her cheeks flushing. Or when I hear her laugh. I have to get a hold on this, it can’t lead anywhere good. The more I am around her, the more I don’t want this thing inside me to go away - it’s been so long since I felt anything like it. One more glance in her direction causes another skip in my chest. I might be in trouble here.
Percy sighs and walks out of the room; that pulls me out of my thoughts. Someone’s going to have to get through to him. Usually Zaphyra is pretty good at pulling him out of his funks. All through Eugene’s convalescence in his last days, it was Zaphyra, of all of us, that kept Percy focused and working. I may need to have a chat with her and encourage her to step in. We all have to keep each other accountable, that’s the pact we made after the Tessa fiasco.
“Let’s give it some more time, but I believe you’re onto something,” Zaphyra says.
Achilles jumps to alert position. This is his job. He is more in tune to the world around us and demon activity than we are. He growls low in his throat.
“What’s going on, what’s wrong with him?” Violet asks.
“Demons,” I say.
“Time to load up and party.” Zemira rubs her hands together.
Chapter Twelve
Violet
At the bank of the Skagit River, firelight glows in the night. Achilles led us here to a bonfire next to the Dalles Bridge that crosses the river. A group of townies has gathered by the water, drinking and listening to music. We left Blythe, Fiona, and Aaiden at the estate because it’s too dangerous for them. Yet nothing out of the ordinary is happening so far aside from the fact there seemed to be an unusual amount of birds flying away from the river. Still, my stomach is upset as I hold the book and what looks like a vase with a cork in it in my arms. I was assured there won’t be zombies here, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be something worse. People walk around us not even thinking twice about the six strangers and their dog that crashed the party.
“Do you sense anything?” Zaphyra asks me. She is in a great mood despite the fact all of these people could be in danger. She keeps getting distracted wanting to dance to the music. Zemira has told me a few times that nothing phases Zaphyra, especially not danger.
“Should I?” I ask.
“It would help.” She bounces off to look around.
I shake my head. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand these gargoyles.
“How are you holding up?” Alex’s voice asks from behind me.
I try to look at him, it’s just hard. Just his presence unnerves me. Especially his eyes. The type of eyes that never miss a thing. He’s like a spiky piece of man candy, too delish not too look at. He’s always staring at me. It would be a lie to think I don’t stare at him right back.
“I-I’m okay, I guess.”
“Really, because your hands are shaking.” He smirks glancing down.
I clutch the book tighter. “I don’t know if I can do this. If I should do this. This is insane, you know that right?” I lower my voice. “We are hunting d-e-m-o-n-s and that’s just not something I ever imagined saying in my lifetime.”
“You are aware everyone here can spell?”
I ignore him. “Especially not a good way to introduce myself to new people up here. ‘Hey, I know I’m already the weirdo who owns the town’s notorious haunted castle, but you know, I moonlight as a teenaged mutant demon hunter - what’s your super power?’”
“As if you wouldn’t stand out even without the intro.” He shrugs.
I jerk my head back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He ignores my question. “You know, if you really need help, I know a few outside-of-the-box methods of distraction to help with your nerves. That is, if you’re up for it.”
He stares into my eyes. The moment lasts a little too long to be meaningless. It starts up an intense flurry of enjoyment making my stomach drop quicker than any carnival ride. I know this look. He’s into me. I bite my lip. His eyes fall to my mouth.
“Did I forget to shave my mustache today?” I blurt out.
I wide grin breaks across his face.
Achilles barks causing both of us to look in his direction. He runs to the edge of the water then starts heading down river away from the group. We all follow. Around a bend we go out of the range of the firelight. The moonlight just barely shimmers over the river’s darkness. Achilles stops only to now growl right at the river.