One Soul Book Two

Chapter Thirteen

Harlee POV

It wasn’t just my eyes.  Though those were startling enough.  Almost ice blue in the center, working to a darker color on the outside, almost almond shaped, the corners slanting slightly upwards at the ends with slit pupils..

“What?”  I tried to keep my voice down, but it hurt my ears, and speaking of ears-why were they pointed?  And what was up with my teeth?  The canines were elongated, and as I began to panic, my nails lengthened in front of my eyes.  The eyes that looked so much “Like a cat.”  I muttered out loud, horrified.  The mirror nearly shattered in my grip.

“I’m.. I’m a Demon?”  Tears were pouring from my eyes now.  It wasn’t possible.  I remembered my life, except for the last few years.  My very human life.  I didn’t even know these things were real outside of religious and mythological texts.  “But.. I was born human, right?  I don’t understand..”  Sands sighed.  Ash’s hand settled on my abdomen again.

“When you lost the other baby.. We tried to save you however we could, so we brought you a little further along into your Corruption.”  Ash winced as they said this, and I just shook my head.

“I’m so confused.”  I mumbled.

“You see Harlee, the moment Zeev tried to eat half your soul, you were destined to become a Demon.”  Sands responded softly.

“He did what?”  I shouted.

Zeev POV

The Bonds I shared with the others twitched and burned, tugging at me, annoying me, as they searched for me.  But nothing compared to the hole in my chest.  My soul ached for its other half.

So what does a Demon do when it escapes its Master?  In my case: wallow.

“They’re gonna find you here eventually.”  Gabe remarked, setting a tumbler of alcohol in front of me on the coffee table.  I looked at it bitterly.

“I don’t drink.”  I pushed the glass away.

“Didn’t.”  Gabe corrected, downing his drink in a few quick swallows.  “You can’t lie to me ‘Zeev’.  I see how much of that human soul you’ve let take over.  Why’d you let yourself get so powerless anyway?”

“Trying to escape.”  I grunted, and picked up the glass.  The smell of alcohol burned my nose.  Well that’s different.

“Human senses.”  Gabe grinned.  “You should try it out more often.  Indulge.”  I pegged him with a harsh look.

“As if yours wasn't a punishment, instead of a choice.”  I snorted.

“Touché.”  Gabe responded.  “But then it became more of an addiction.”  He shrugged, pouring himself another drink.  “Bottoms up.”  He lifted his glass to me in a salute and drained the drink again.  I shook my head.

“Go back to your girl Zeev.”  Gabe stood, placing his tumbler on the table.  As he passed me he clapped me on the shoulder.  “Very few of us get to experience love.  True love.  Don’t miss out on it.”  I sighed, shoulders slumped.

“I can’t.”  I murmured.  “We’re both too broken Gabe.  She doesn’t even remember me and my head’s all messed up.”  I waved at my head vaguely.  I knew he could sense the madness swirling within, held barely in check.  Gabe’s hand was still on my shoulder and he patted me once more.

“Then it sounds like you two need to find a way forward together.  Blaze a new path!  Create new memories, make a new future.  All that schmaltz.”  Gabe patted my shoulder again.  “But anyway, I gotta get to bed.  Hotel renovations don’t oversee themselves.”  Gabe chuckled and gave my shoulder a squeeze before walking upstairs.  I lifted the tumbler to my face again, taking another sniff.  Just as bad as it was a minute ago.  I drain it anyway and head out into the night.

Harlee POV

I want to pace, to run, to flee.  The more I learn, the worse it gets.  Zeev had attacked me.  I had sort of figured that out before, but now it was confirmed, and worse: he’d tried to eat my soul.  This last pregnancy, the Demons had stolen some of my humanity to save me, to help me heal.  It wasn’t the first time either, apparently.  And apparently I only had half a soul.  My head was spinning.  As if sensing my distress, the baby.. Demon?  Rolled and kicked within me.  It made me feel nauseous.  I wanted to crawl out of my own skin, and could feel my fragile control slipping.

There was a gentle knock on the door accompanied by my name being called softly.

“Please go away Ash.”  I mumbled

“I can’t Harlee.”  Ash spoke through the door.  “Your pain hurts me too.  It affects all of us, but you, Zeev and I have a  different connection.  We care more.  I can hear you in my head, and I want to help  you.. To fix it.”  Ash’s voice sounded pained, but I was shocked again.  More craziness?

“What do you mean, a different connection?”  I asked suspiciously, head beginning to throb.

“Can I.. come in and talk?”  Ash questioned hesitantly.  I rubbed my forehead.

“Yes Ash, open the door and come in.”  These Demons were going to kill me.  Ash barely cracked the door and entered slowly and cautiously. “Damn it Ash, I know you’re trying to be considerate, but would you just get in here already?”  I snapped, then bit my lip, afraid I would hurt their feelings.  Instead, Ash grinned, surprising me.

“You sound like Zeev.”  The grin abruptly faded and Ash walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.  It was silent for several very long minutes.  “I know you’re still scared of me.  And upset.  And don’t understand or remember everything that’s going on..”  Unconsciously, Ash reached for my hand and played absently with my fingers, though whether they were trying to soothe themself or me, I didn’t know.  “I just wish you could trust me..”  Ash murmured.

“What do you look like?”  I interrupted suddenly.  Ash looked at me, startled.

“What do you mean?”  Ash asked, confused.

“As a Demon?”  I took a deep breath.  “I think.. It scares me not knowing.. What you look like.  What you’re hiding from me.”  I answered.

“Harlee, I'm not trying to hide anything.  We were trying to take things slowly because it’s overwhelming, but..”  Ash responded.

“Show me.”  It was almost a demand, and Ash and I both knew it.  Ash stiffened.

“Are you sure?”  Ash whispered.  I inhaled and exhaled slowly before saying the next part.

“I’m carrying a Cambion.. Isn’t that what Sands said the term was?  I need to know what to expect.  Horns, scales, wings..what?  I’m scared, Ash.”  I admitted.  Ash laughed and the sound calmed me.  They placed a hand on my abdomen.

“The baby will look human.”  Ash chortled.  “But I’ll still show you.  I’m pretty big though, so I'm going to move over to the other side of the room.  Please don’t freak out.  I’m a dragon..”  Ash didn’t wait for me to adjust to that, just moved across the room and their body disappeared in a shimmer of what looked like steam.  A pale opal-colored shape lunged out of the steam, shaking its snake-like head.  It had a mane of dark hair, a long serpentine body that stretched across the room, short legs with wicked claws, the pairs of legs spaced very far at opposite sides of the body.  It had a long whip-like tail, wings and asI looked on, it closed its pink slitted eyes briefly and then coiled its body up as if afraid I might reject it.  The scales glittered and changed through a soft pastel of shining colors each time it moved or breathed.  I shut my own eyes as a headache started forming, a burst of memories straining to break free.  Memories of seeing this creature attack, someone calling Ash ‘snake’, and although the dragon did kind of look like a snake, it was more like a..

“Chinese dragon.  Yes, you told me that once before.”  Ash chuckled.  My eyes flew open.

“Ash?”  I sat up straighter.  The dragon had its head laid on its own coiled bod and c****d an eyebrow at me.

“I’m still in here Harlee, this is just the shape my soul manifested as it was Corrupted, or became a Demon.”  Ash said wryly.  I watched the Dragon’s mouth move in amazement and shook my head.

“Wow.”  I whispered, and Ash straightened slightly, head tilted.

“You’re not afraid?”  Ash was stunned.  I was too, if I was being honest, but something about those pretty scales had me fascinated.

“Can I.. touch you?”  I asked cautiously.  Ash’s head jerked all the way up and nearly hit the high ceiling at that.

“I didn’t expect this reaction from you.. Not with.. Everything.”  Ash waved a claw.

“Is that a yes?”  I retorted, preparing to stand, holding my stomach.  Ash eyed me anxiously.  Well I supposed that was an anxious look on the dragon’s face.

“Just stay still, stay still.  I’ll come to you.”  Ash answered, and I watched as the long body began to uncoil in my direction.