AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wouldn’t know what to do with that.”
He rose. “Scoot over.”
I easily obeyed, and he lay down next to me, tucking me close to the warmth of his body. “Tell me what happened. How did you get her out, and then how did she get in him? Shouldn’t she have been sent back where she came from?”
As he spoke, he readjusted until I snuggled up tight against him. I wouldn’t stay awake long, not with his warmth cocooning me. “I didn’t get her out. She said she knew how to motivate me. I was going to shove a knife in her gut. Instead, she let me go and then took him so that I’d do whatever it is that she tells me to do.”
“That’s nuts. She really is insidious.”
I nodded, pressing my forehead against him. “I begged her for years to leave him alone.”
“I heard how hard you struggled. It’s one of my talents, so to speak. I can hear the person inside the possession. I can hear you guys in ways you don’t even realize. You were so quiet in the beginning.” He ran a hand through my hair. “That’s what caught my attention. Then I realized you were like me, which freakedme out. An angel blood just hanging around a tent city? Not screaming or crying? Wow.”
I yawned. “Then what happened?”
“You started crying. Screaming. I knew we were getting in trouble, so I sent you to Cruise. I thought he could convince you to get exorcis ed. I didn’t know you’d be you. Magical.”
My eyes were starting to close. “What is Ryker doing? Could you hear him?”
“He was screaming. Loudly.”
That I believed.
I staredat the grilled cheese in front of me. It seemed, in that moment, extremely possible no sandwich ever looked more delectable. Danvers grinned at me. “For me, it was chicken nuggets, but I know how you’re feeling. Eat it. Go on. You’ll even be able to keep it down. Your body is back to being your own.”
I took a bite and closed my eyes as I almost shut down from sensory overload. Flavors rushed through me, so moist, buttery, yet crisp and crunchy. I couldn’t think of anything else until I swallowed, sending the yummy goodness into my stomach. When I finally finished chewing that first magnificent bite, three sets of eyes pinned me in place. Danvers, who was there when I started eating, had been joined by Cruise and Nathan. They all crowded around the same small table in the cafeteria.
“It was good.” I sat back, sighing in pleasure. “Thank you.” Danvers had made it for me, since in addition to other things, he was a chef. When I asked for a grilled cheese sandwich, he laughed at me then proceeded to make it as if it were no problem.
I glanced at his fake uniform and tried not to let concern knot my stomach.
Cruise plopped into the seat next to me. “What do you say to us getting out of here for a while?”
He hadn’t found Ryker so far. Nathan shook his head, answering for me. “She can’t. In fact, you both have dinner with my family tonight. You, too, Danvers, unless you can’t make it because you need to study, in which case, we get it.”
He smirked. “You have no idea how bad dinner used to be at my house. Sure, I’ll come.”
Cruise grimaced. “Maura doesn’t like me.”
“She doesn’t like anyone.” Nathan shrugged. “Tomorrow, we can all go home.”
I didn’t really have a home. Where would I go? And was Danvers staying there? The only thing I knew for sure was I couldn’t do anything until I found Ryker.
Cruise squeezed my hand. “Whatever is bugging you, don’t worry about it today.”
We’d see.
Chapter
Twelve
Maura wanted the façade of a family dinner, while I couldn’t focus on anything past Ryker, somewhere out there, trying to survive a demon possession. Meg, their younger sister, seemed equally tuned out. She looked at her phone more than she looked at her plate. Maura smiled, asking polite questions. Had Ryker survived? I knew the kind of things my demon found a good time, and I couldn’t imagine poor Ryker?—
I shoved it out of my mind, focusing on the chicken. To be fair, it was ridiculously good chicken.
As I chewed a bite, another thought struck me. When was the last time I ate something delicious and didn’t think about the fact I could experience the taste? The thought struck me immovable. I couldn’t chew anymore, frozen by the sheer liberty of controlling my own mouth. I set the fork down as tears rushed down my cheeks, pain at the forefront of my mind.
What happened? Why had so much happened? Why was it still happening? It was the middle of dinner, and even my upbringing taught me it was completely rude to burst into tears at the table. But I covered my face and wept anyway because Icouldn’t help it. I simply couldn’t stop the flow of grief. I pushed my chair back with a screech of noise.
