“Why don’t you tell me!” she yelled. “It has to be something to do with your kind…something beastly.”
The vile look in her eyes could burn him to shreds if looks were capable of such things. Good thing they weren’t, even though they were capable of hurting his feelings. Whatever. Why did he even give a damn about the look in her eyes or any of that other bullshit? It was clear that she saw him as a monster and his only job was to keep her safe. The option of convincing her that what she had seen the other night was only a dream was pretty much out the window.
“I got attacked,” she said softly, then slowly fell to the ground, too tired to fight him any longer. “You’re watching me, aren’t you?” She looked up at him with disdain in her glare. “Watching me like some fucking guardian angel…Only you’re no angel.”
“I heard you—”
“You’re one of them.”
“Nat, I think you should—”
“You know, before now, I tried to convince myself that it was all just a dream. That none of it was real, that I was safe. You made me think I was crazy. Well then, explain tonight.”
Axle could sense her fear. He could taste it and he could touch it, almost as palpably as he could touch her hair. Her hair stood up, disheveled, as though she was seconds away from being struck by lightning. He took her hand, and for the umpteenth time she brushed him away, staring at him as though he was the monster.
“You’re safe now,” he said, and added, “Trust me.”
She closed her eyes and her chest fell in a deep heave. It was like she had been holding her breath for hours. He sat beside her on the floor, stealing side glances at her. She had seen things and had been forced to go through things that no human should have to experience. He wanted to keep on telling her that she was fine, but even he didn’t believe the words well enough to utter them.
They heard the sound of metal clanging outside and while she jumped to attention, he barely flinched. He slowly rose to his feet and took a glance through every window in sight, but there was nothing amiss.
She offered him the bat as he stepped toward the door, but he declined with a head shake. He didn’t need the object to rip a demon apart, even though it was shockingly very effective at inflicting pain.
Outside the apartment, everything seemed normal. The only metal in sight was a long nail rolling back and forth on a broken car plate. Maybe someone had thrown the plate and that was what had made the sound. But then, he would have heard the sound of a vehicle or feet moving.
He took a stroll around the apartment, and even the backyard, and found nothing. On his way back into the apartment, he found a speck of dried blood on the pavement. He paused for a minute to be sure that was what it was, then he smiled. It was not easy to make a demon bleed.
“Don’t tell me it’s still out there?” she whispered, staring at him with eyes as wide as tennis balls.
“It’s not. I found nothing there.”
There was a huge look of relief on her face that was easily replaced by fear. He knew what she was probably thinking—if it wasn’t the demon out there, then what was it?
“Did you see its face?” he asked.
He saw the memory flash in her eyes. She shuddered and hid her face between her knees.
“Nat, it’s alright, you’re safe. I’m right here.” He touched her arm again, and this time she didn’t push him away or cringe at his touch.
“It was the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen.” Her voice broke into a whimper. “I can’t get it out of my mind. What was that? And you…what are you?”
“What you saw was a demon—”
“A demon?” She scoffed. It was like she didn’t believe him and at the same time believed him so much that it terrified her.
“You’re human, you shouldn’t be able to see a demon—and they shouldn’t have any business with humans, least of all you. I can’t explain how this happened, but I can promise that it isn’t going to happen again. I can promise to keep you safe.”
She looked at him and scoffed again. “I don’t need you to keep me safe. You pose just as much threat as that ugly, deranged demon. How do I know you’re not the one behind this?” Her eyes darted to what now seemed to be her favorite weapon, the bat. But it was too far away for her to reach easily, so he had no fear. If she wanted to fight him, she must really exaggerate her strength.
He could not believe what he was about to do, but he was going to beg her if that was what it took for her to let him stay. He would blame himself if anything happened to her. He tightened his grip on her hand.
She tensed at first, and then he felt her relaxing under his touch. “I don’t feel safe.”
“Oh, but you are.”
She shut her eyes and her breath came hard and heavy.
In a minute, an idea struck him. It was one that he knew she would most likely object to, but the more it lingered in his mind the more it seemed like a likely option.