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11
Iawoke to find Bug had left at some point during the night, and Chum had come in to take his place instead.
I stared up at the ceiling, vaguely aware that I’d had a strange dream, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t draw anything forth from it. Only that I’d been in a forest with my hellhounds and enjoying it with them. But something sat uneasily within me.
“Bug said he thought you had a nightmare, but when he went to wake you, you calmed back down. You okay?” Chum asked from his seat in my reading nook where he was playing a Switch, although he’d turned it off now that I was awake.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I murmured as I stretched and sat up. I frowned though as I tried again to remember, hating this odd pit in my stomach. Why couldn’t I remember? Had it just been a silly nightmare?
Probably. I’d had a few since the Charlie incident, so it was most likely just that.
Chum just gave me a soft smile before he gazed out the window.
I checked my phone and groaned at the time. I needed to hurry and get ready if I wanted to make breakfast.
* * *
After breakfast I headed to the gym room to do some workouts that Miss Sage had taught me. I had to keep my body in tip-top shape apparently, even if I was a demonic with powers. I normally just worked on my powers outside, but she’d pulled me aside a few weeks ago saying I should still try to strengthen my body.
It was my first time in here since the Charlie incident, and I was dumbfounded by how much easier I was finding the weights and exercises. I was lifting double the weight of dumbbells from before, and I wasn’t even finding it that hard. I wasn’t even puffed after a set of goblet squats, let alone working up a sweat.
I frowned as I put the dumbbell back, thinking that maybe when the special hellfire started, I’d become stronger.
Why had it changed me though? And why was it so powerful? I certainly had felt stronger since then, but now it was obvious.
I mulled over it as I worked on some deadlifts, making sure to focus on keeping my posture correct like Miss Sage had shown me.
My hellfire was incredible now, and I could wield it with ease, and now my strength had drastically increased.
Was this the power I’d gotten from my father? And if so, just how powerful were he and his brothers? That thought worried me more than anything, especially with his brothers after me. Was I really that dangerous and a threat?
I was pulled from my thoughts as someone else entered the gym, and I glanced over. Xander gave me a small wave and an uneasy smile as he strode over to join me. I set down the bar I’d been using for deadlifts, wanting to move to doing some bicep curls anyway.
He sat down on the bench beside me and started doing his own circuit of workouts with the weights on offer.
“Do you really even need to exercise?” I asked as I started doing my own movements. “I mean, technically you’re dead, or at least your host body is. Does gym really do anything for you?”
“No, not really. I can make this body do things for me, but I can’t alter it. Working out is not gonna make my muscles change, but it does make me feel good. I can still eat and drink, but I don’t really need to do much of that. My body still functions as if it were somewhat alive,” he answered with a shrug before doing his bench-press. “Besides, since the whole Charlie thing, everyone has been a little standoffish with me. I won’t lie, I feel a lot more welcome around you. Despite everything, you don’t treat me any differently,” he said as he easily bench-pressed the giant weights.
Being a demon, he definitely had far more strength than any ordinary person, but with my newfound abilities and strength, I wondered if I could do the same.
Although that damn bar looked awfully intimidating.
“I’m sorry the others are a bit funny around you, I really would’ve thought they knew you well enough by now,” I said with a sigh, guilt gnawing at me on behalf of the others.
“It’s not your fault, and I don’t blame them. Having a demon here who has retained his soul is a rare occurrence, and with what happened with Charlie, it’s understandable that they’re nervous and wondering where my loyalties lie,” he said as he finished doing his bench-press reps and set the bar back on the stand. His voice was completely level, not having lost any breath which amazed me.
“You’ve been here quite a while though,” I pointed out as I continued my bicep curls.
“Not really all that long.”
Compared to the others, I knew that was true, but still. I trusted him. He’d never given me a reason not to, and being a demon wasn’t enough of one for me. After all, I had four hellhounds protecting me. Being from Hell wasn’t a concern of mine.
“Truth be told, Hadley and Diane haven’t really treated me too differently, thankfully. They seemed a bit uncertain at first, but got over it quickly, which I’m glad for,” he said with a small smile.
He was actually rather cute with his chestnut brown hair that spiked up at the front and those dimples that appeared when he smiled. His eyes were rather grey in color, which I found intriguing. But I had to remind myself that this was not his true body. This was somebody else’s form, just a suit that he was wearing.
“What did you look like? When you were human?” I asked curiously as I sat on the floor to do some stretching.
