Ethan grabbed his phone from the table next to the couch. He started scrolling through his contacts, then put it to his ear. Listening to one side of the conversation, I knew he was calling in the Magicteers to take Drake to the prison. We would have to put more safeguards on it this time so if the demon reappeared, he couldn’t escape again. Would he reappear?
The Magicteers, considered the police force of the Witch world, showed up five minutes later and loaded Drake onto a stretcher. I didn’t come up with the name, so no one could blame me for how ridiculous it sounded.
I was surprised he wasn’t awake already. Maybe exhaustion made him pass out. The demon did have him running across the nation. There were a lot of questions I had for him, including what the asshole had been up to.
DRAKE, FRESHLY SHOWERED and wearing a gray jumpsuit, stood in the cell. With a frown, he looked down at himself, then at me. “You couldn’t give me some of my own clothing?”
“I could have given you Mikey’s or Ethan’s, but not your own. The Vampires from the mansion already cleaned your clothes out of my place. The only reason you are still here is because they don’t know,” I explained, pulling up a chair to sit outside his cell.
He sighed, sitting on the edge of the cot. “When am I allowed out of here? It’s obvious the demon hunter can’t sense the demon in me anymore.”
Instead of answering, I asked, “Where did the demon go, Drake?”
Truthfully, we hadn’t decided when he would be released. We knew once the Vampires found out he was captured, they were going to want him immediately. I wondered if they would allow him to resume his leadership role. Part of me thought he wasn’t ready.
“I’m not sure. One minute, I’m ripping someone’s guts out, and the next, I find myself lying face down in their blood. I could no longer sense the demon.” Drake shrugged, running a hand through his hair. He hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at the floor.
He looked pathetic. I felt bad for him. This wasn’t the way I wanted him to be treated, but everyone was right. We couldn’t be sure the demon was gone just yet.
I twisted my rings on my fingers as I debated asking the next question. “Do... Do you know why he murdered all those people?”
Drake nodded, still staring down at his bare feet. “He couldn’t control himself. The bloodlust was too overwhelming, so he attacked anything that moved. His erratic thoughts hardly made any sense to me.” He looked up at me, pain on his face. “I tried to stop him, Sophie, but nothing worked. He was far too strong for me. I don’t even know how I took control the last time, but he was a lot stronger this time and enjoyed having his powers back.”
“Do you still have his powers?” I couldn’t allow my feelings to get involved. But this broken Drake was almost too much for me to take. He seemed so helpless and lost. I wanted to comfort him, but I knew it might not be welcome. Plus, I was afraid. The demon scared me more than the Ancestors did. Which said a lot.
“I do,” he replied, looking over at me. “But you have strong barriers this time around. What did you use?”
With a slight grin, I made like I was zipping my lip. “Top secret.”
He chuckled, standing and pacing the cell. “How long am I going to have to be in here for observation?”
“Until Carlos releases you.”
He stopped and looked at me. “He wants me dead.”
Sighing, I nodded. “In his job, that’s all he knows. There are few people he can save with an actual exorcism. You were beyond help, yet he now can’t sense the demon. That’s why he’s suspicious.”
“Ah.” He nodded, understanding.
I stood, pushing the chair back where I had gotten it. “I guess I should go. Let me know if you need anything. I requested better food for you since you aren’t an actual prisoner.” I smiled at him. “I’ll get you some clothes, too.”
When I turned to leave, Drake said, “Sophie.” Slowly, I turned around, afraid to hear what he had to say. He pressed himself against the barrier, looking into my eyes. “I love you.”
“I know.”
ETHAN WAS WAITING FOR me when I got back to my place. Exhausted, I set my things on the island in the kitchen, then stretched my back. Frankly, I was just glad to have Drake back in one piece.
Stepping up behind me, Ethan started rubbing my shoulders. I let my head fall back onto his chest, enjoying the relaxing sensation that flowed through my body. I groaned, my eyes closing.
“How did the questioning go?”
I sighed and pulled away, kicking off my heels, then headed toward the other side of the kitchen where a bottle of wine already breathed. I poured myself some and took slow sips as I debated what to tell him. It wasn’t a big deal if he knew everything, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about him knowing Drake still loved me. That was expected, right? I mean, I still loved Drake, but my feelings for Ethan confused me and I had no idea what to do about them.
“He got the impression the demon was unable to control the Vampire bloodlust. That’s why he went on a rampage. He wanted more and more blood.” I shrugged, leaning a hip against the counter.
My kitchen was small, but it had all the best appliances. It was usually clean because I was hardly at home. More often than not, Mikey brought me food. Rarely did I make something, and when I did, it was because he raided my fridge.
“What did he say about the demon disappearing?
