He grins back at me and I all but melt right on the spot. Taking my hand, he says, “Come on, I want to show you the lake. It’s my favorite place.” He leads me out of the garage and the door closes behind us. He sighs, “I don’t know when we will be back again. Time is crazy between the realms. I’ll keep her as sheltered as I can while I’m gone. What would you like to see?” He smiles and I’m taken aback. This is not the male that has been pushing me away since the morning we met and I’m not quite sure what to make of it, except that maybe he’s finally ready to explore that there may be something more between us.
10
Treading Carefully
(Daxell)
I can tell that she’s trying to figure out what’s going on with me, so I just make my way down the gentle slope to the sandy beach and out on to the dock, calling out over my shoulder, “Are you coming?” I don’t so much hear but sense that she has followed me and for a few minutes, we just stand there together, listening to the night around us. The water gently lapping at the shoreline.
“It’s nice here.” She says quietly, “How long have you lived here?”
“It was a gift from my parents when I turned twenty-one,” I say studying her profile in the swiftly fading light.
“And how long ago was that?” She turns those brilliant blue eyes of hers my way.
“Six earth years ago.”
She smiles, “So, you’re a little older than I thought.”
It’s my turn to laugh, “Well, if you must know, I’m over fifty if you count my time in The Underworld.” I wait for her reaction.
Her eyes widen and her eyebrows arch, “You look good for fifty.”
“Are you still interested in an old man like me?”
Her eyes narrow, “I told you before, I’m not interested in what you are, but rather who you are. I’m sure that your time here and in The Underworld has shaped the man and the demon that you keep hidden from the realms.”
I turn away from her and stalk back to the house, it pisses me off that she can read me so easily, “Are you coming or not?” My voice is rough and deep, my anger barely contained. I’m not sure what to make of her intuitiveness. The more time that I spend with Lillie, the more my demon demands to come out and play and I can’t allow that to happen. My internal struggle to keep that part of myself contained is ripping my insides to shreds.
“Wait, Daxell.” She calls after me and before I can reach the door she’s in front of me, appearing out of nowhere. She looks regretful, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean … Wait … Dax? Your eyes, they’ve changed. It’s as if they’re swirling with … Hellfire.”
My voice is but a snarling whisper, “Don’t push this, honey cheeks. You may not like what you find my other half to be,” pausing, I assess her, she doesn’t back down, in fact, she reaches up to cup my cheek and I turn away, knowing that I’m only moments from shifting, my voice has taken on a growling tone, “please LJ, not yet.” I back away, breaking contact with her. My internal struggle is real and my beast demands to take control, wanting to challenge this female, wanting to claim her as his own, wanting to break her down until she will only do his bidding. Snarling, I grip the railing of the porch and it splinters into fragmented pieces under the abuse of the claws that have emerged in my partial shift.
Behind me, I hear LJ begin to croon a song from the distant past, a lullaby of sorts, “Goodnight, My Angel”, and my beast stops to listen to her beautiful lilting voice and it soothes us both. As the song comes to an end, I turn and she looks angelic, I can’t help but look down at my partially shifted hands that begin to shift back. I sense my demon quiet as he recedes into the background. For the first time in my life, I sense a contentment within him. Something that I have never sensed before, and for the first time ever, someone has labeled my beast an angel, and if I’m honest, he really likes that.
“Are you okay?” LJ asks quietly.
“He wants you,” I say roughly, “I don’t think he will let you go easily now. Are you afraid yet?”
She shakes her head, “Nope, but I’m pretty sure that you’re scared to death.”
I don’t deny her statement as I usher her into my cabin in the woods. Looking around, I grab a bag and pin her with a look, “Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah, come on demon boy, you’re coming back to my place, and we’re going to work on uncovering information on the New Raven Order. Then, we’re going to The Underworld to warn Luc.”
“LJ, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not, you’ll be there to protect little ole me. Not that I need your protection. Dax, you have no idea what I’m capable of. Come on now. It’s time to go, we have lots to uncover.”
11
Getting to Know My Demon
(Lillie Joanna)
After Dax showed me around his place, he grabbed a bag from his bedroom and locked up. We’ve been back at my place for about an hour and Dax has been unusually quiet. I decide to fix something to eat while demon boy comes to terms with whatever has him in such inner turmoil. Deciding on something simple, like steak, steamed broccoli, and mashed garlic red potatoes, our meal quickly comes together. Finding Dax on the back deck, I call out, “Hey, can you give me a hand with this and we can eat outside.”
Leaning against the doorjamb, he asks, “How can I help?”
We quickly
