Authors: Laura Hawks
Logan became antsy instantly. He didn’t want Jasmine to go. “Wait!” he exclaimed, startling them both with the volume of his plea. “Wait,” he said again, more calmly, and turned. His mother had shown him how to pick the blooms with a shear located nearby, so as not to ruin the vines, and he cut one for Jasmine, handing it to her. “You can have this. It won’t last long, but it will remind you of coming here for a few minutes longer. And you are welcome to come back and see it. Whenever you want. I… I would like it if you came back.”
“I would like that as well, Logan. Thank you again.” She took the flower he offered her and then leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
She wasn’t sure why she did. It was a spontaneous move on her part. She was sure the urge was a result of adrenaline for sneaking away, seeing the roses and meeting such an interesting boy who was sweet, unlike any of the douches she knew back home.
The touch of his lips against hers was startling. She felt her stomach lurch and tighten, dissimilar from anything she had ever felt before. What was this new sense she had of wanting more from this boy she just met? More time to get to know him? More opportunities to explore the garden and, of course, more time to kiss him and experience all the new feelings he evoked. She felt things she hadn’t comprehended even existed until she leaned over and planted one on him. Uncertain of her own reaction, she turned and ran back to where she could return home.
Logan was stunned. His body responded in ways unfamiliar to him and he was surprised by the reaction. He had just started to lift his hands to wrap around her in order to deepen their kiss, but she had already broken free of it, turned and ran towards the back of the house and gods-only-knew where. He stood there, gazing at the nothingness that once was her, stunned she kissed him. His first kiss. Was it hers, too? When realization dawned on him she would not be returning, at least not tonight, he entered the house only to find Shara entering the back room and seeing him come from outside unescorted.
Shara stopped when she saw the young lad enter the house without any guards in attendance; a frown creased her brow. Dressed in a simple jeans and t-shirt, her dark hair pulled back tightly into a bun, she recently added glasses to her look. Shara said she didn’t need them, other than she thought it gave her a more professional appearance and she liked that idea. It was her way to seem more mature now that there were children in the home for the past fourteen years.
Shara looked over her shoulder then rushed to Logan’s side, pulling him into the room and shutting the door firmly, locking it.
“What in heaven’s name were you doing out there? And alone? You are no longer a two-year-old. You know better than to leave the house without an escort. What were you doing outside anyways? What was so important you had to go out there?”
Logan tried to think quickly. He didn’t want to get Jasmine in trouble, but he didn’t want to lie, either. “I thought I saw someone out there. I didn’t think. I just went to look.” He hoped she wouldn’t query him further. While it was a partial truth and considered only lying by omission, he prayed it would satisfy Shara. “I just didn’t think. I’m very sorry. Please don’t tell Mom or Dad.”
Shara shook her head. “You know if they ask me, I have to tell them the truth. But, if they don’t ask, I won’t volunteer the information. You must be more careful, though.”
Logan hugged the woman, whispering a thank you, before running back up to his room and to the window where he first saw Jasmine. He knew she would no longer be there, nor waiting for him. She would have headed back to wherever she was from, hopefully with more success than he had sneaking back into the house.
Shara watched him leave before looking around again warily. Once she was sure everything was taken care of and she wasn’t being noticed, she continued down the corridor to the rooms below. It was where the demons were held when they had been caught trying to escape or committed some other crime. She traversed down here often in the days of old to find Azamel administering or overseeing the punishment of a prisoner personally.
It wasn’t the prisons, however, where Shara was headed; it was the quarters just before them. Knocking lightly as she opened the door, she entered the room, shutting the door tightly behind her after double checking yet again that no one followed or saw her.
Chapter 2
Five years ago:
Clarissa knocked on the door, before cracking it open to peer inside. Logan waved her in and she entered, shutting the door behind her.
“Good morning, my handsome son.”
He laughed and kissed her cheek. “You only say that ‘cause I am your only son.”
“I say that because you have grown into a very handsome man who would turn any girl’s head. And when they get to know how intelligent and sweet you are, they will lose their hearts forever.” She reached over and cupped his cheek gently. “You have no idea how it has saddened me you have been trapped here and not out meeting the women of the world. It’s not fair to you. You should be able to date and find the love of your life.”
Logan scooped her up in a big hug, twirling her slightly. “You are the love of my life and always will be.” He set her down and kissed her forehead. “However, I am sure you did not come into my room this morning for reaffirmation of a son’s adoration for his mother.”
Clarissa grinned up at him. Twenty-four and he was going to break every woman’s heart. Logan had his father’s rugged good looks. Dark hair, a strong chin and a well-developed form, but his most outstanding feature was a combination of both her and his father: his eyes. Where Clarissa’s were a vibrant emerald green, Mel’s were a stormy, icy blue, which sometimes seemed to glow with an inner light. Of course, that was when Mel wasn’t so angry his demon threatened to come out. When that occurred, they would turn either yellow or red depending on the ferocity of his anger, something Logan had only seen once in his lifetime when he was four and very grateful for not having such a thing happen more often.
Logan had been very worried for several nights after seeing his father’s demon rise up. Logan was very afraid a demon lived inside of him also, scared what it meant and when it might come out. Worse, he was afraid of what it might do if the demon inside were released, but both of his parents assured him he was demon free. The worst he could possibly be would be a wolf-shifter like his mother. After not sleeping for a couple of nights in fear of a demon emerging out of his young body, Azamel decided the young lad needed to know he was safe from having a creature hiding inside like his father.
Tucking the child into the safety of his arms, Mel explained things.
“Destruction, my demon’s name, was given to me as a punishment for a crime I didn’t commit,” Mel told his young son as he tucked him into bed.
“Will you tell me what happened then?” Logan asked, his eyes wide with the anxious fear and curiosity of a youthful child.
Azamel hesitated. He wasn’t quite sure this was something his son should know, but then again, he realized his son should understand the complexities of his own heritage. Mel sat down across from his son and began his story.
“I had just turned sixteen. Although my brother was older by two years, I was the more responsible, better liked sibling. Which in and of itself was amazing considering who our parents are: the god of the dead, Chipiapoos, and the goddess of evil, Beloitah.
“With parents like those, we weren’t the most favored of kids or usually given the benefit of the doubt. We still needed to be trained in our given tasks for adulthood in preparation for the duties we would assume, the place we would take within the cosmos. The choice would be up to Chipiapoos’ brother, Nanaboojoo, god of protecting humanity. He would be able to look into our souls and determine our place in the realm of the gods. This was usually done on our eighteenth birthday and my brother, your Uncle, Jes’Sakkid, was to undergo the ritual in a couple of days.”
Mel continued telling the story of how he came to be the host body for the demon which was to reside within him. He had to find a way to let the story he had told only once before flow from his lips. He didn’t wish to scare Logan, but he did want his young and impressionable offspring to understand that he would never punish his son as he was punished. Never subject him to accusations without getting the entire story and there would never be a time when he would allow his son to be punished by carrying a demon inside. Azamel knew first-hand how difficult it was to adapt to another thinking being inside, and more so how it felt to be betrayed by those he cared for and trusted. He would never expose his son to such atrocities or perfidies as he, himself, endured all those centuries ago.
Mel knew he had two years to go before it would be his turn to get his assignment from Nanaboojoo and he planned on making the most of his free time with Nokomis, who would later become the goddess of the crops. She was a beautiful maiden with long, black hair, which she always wore braided down to her hips, and flowers strewn about her head. She had large, doe-like eyes and skin as smooth and tan as the softest of calf skins. To Mel, she was pure perfection.
Azamel had planned a quiet picnic along a babbling brook to spend some private time with her. He had the blanket spread on the green field by the water under a shade tree. A rabbit was being roasted on an open fire spit as he waited for her to arrive. He leaned leisurely against the tree when he heard a sound in the brush. Quickly, he stood and held out a bouquet of wildflowers he had picked for her.
However, who came through the brush wasn’t Nokomis but his parents, Nanaboojoo, Jes, Coyote and several other gods and goddesses. Mel dropped the flowers on the ground and wondered what was going on, totally surprised by this turn of events.
Nanaboojoo led the tribe, Mel’s parents and his brother trailed behind him. The rest of the crowd was even further back. Mel moved to meet Nanaboojoo, standing strong and firm despite his youthfulness and uncertainty.
“Azamel, you have been accused of desecrating the sacred lands of your forefathers. What say you?”
Mel thought about how astonished he must have looked as he heard the accusation. It was absurd. “I say you’re not correct. I have broken no laws, least of all being disrespectful to our ancestors.”
Mel looked back at his parents, his brother. Surely they believed him? However, only accusing eyes from his own family greeted him in return and he felt worried for the first time in his life. He turned back to Nana, just as the elder materialized five dead deer, slaughtered and gutted. Nana then opened a satchel and unveiled a decorative ceremonial blade which Mel recognized immediately as having been given to him by his father on his tenth birthday. The metal was covered with dried blood. Deer’s blood. Mel felt his stomach sink as he realized what the implications were.
“I didn’t do this. I swear I didn’t.”
Coyote moved up to stand next to Jes and, with him, he had Nokomis by her hand. That alone tore Mel’s heart to shreds. Mel knew Coyote also vied for Nokomis’ attentions, but until that moment, Mel didn’t think he had anything to be concerned about. Now, as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes, he saw only hatred. He didn’t understand it. Why? What had he done to be accused thusly and not have anyone believe him?
“Is this not your dagger?” Nana asked him quietly.
“Yes. I did not kill those deer, though. I have not used the dagger for anything in the past week or so.”
“Yet, it is covered in the blood of the sacred animals which roamed the holy lands. How do you explain this?”
Mel again looked around at the others. He searched for just one who would stand by him.
“When were they killed? Surely, the timeline will be my alibi.”
Nana looked down at the carcasses and studied them for a moment silently before he raised his head to face Mel. “Twelve hours ago. Can you account for your whereabouts then?”
Mel almost breathed a sigh of relief. “I was with Nokomis then. We had spent the evening watching the stars on a blanket and discussing our future.”
Mel was sure she would step forward now. He glanced over at her and bestowed a soft smile as he saw her move up to Nana. She would tell them the truth. She would vouch he did not do this dastardly deed. She leaned over and whispered into Nana’s ear before she turned back to Mel and gave him a look of pure disgust before turning her back on him. His heart broke into a million pieces. She betrayed him? Did she not tell them he was with her?
Anger burned within him that she would be so cold. He loved her, did that not matter? He was innocent. Why did she lie? Why did she go off with Coyote? He was so astounded by the turn of events, he barely noticed Nana talking again as he watched Nokomis’ retreating back.
‘Wait! What?’
His attention snapped back to Nana who was sentencing him. He was to carry a demon within. It would either consume him or Mel would find enough power to control it most times. For the times he lost the eternal battle with the demon, the beast would tear him to shreds over and over again, causing the most excruciating pain possible.
The others, his parents and brother included, circled around him and began chanting. A black mist from the earth swirled in answer to the call of the gods. Its wispy tentacles floated about, spinning as it rose up on Mel’s body.