Runes of Truth (A Demon's Fall #1)(12)
“I know everything there is know about her, but I am bound never to speak a word. I promised her father I would keep her secret and protect her. That is why I am telling you all I know, because you will be protecting her in a way on your travels,” he says.
“Who is her father?” I ask.
“I cannot say,” he replies, almost sadly, and lifts his hood, walking to the door and opening it up. “Good luck, Protectors.”
“That was . . . weird,” Connor says as Keeper Grey shuts the door after him.
“I’m coming with you,” I tell them firmly.
“Why have you changed your mind?” Trex asks, genuinely surprised, if his voice is anything to go by.
“To keep you fuckers alive, that’s why. You will need me,” I say, and both Connor and Trex laugh.
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself, fine,” Trex says walking away, opening the door and looking back over his shoulder. “But take a damn shower, you stink brother.”
I laugh, walking into my bathroom, as Connor leaves, to do just that.
Evie
“Do you have food?” I ask the man, who pushes me away, and I fall to the ground. The demon doesn’t even look back as he walks away, and I look down, bursting into tears as rain pours down on me, and I sink further into the mud. My fifth birthday was two days ago, and the last time that I had eaten. My parents screamed as I accidentally set their rug on fire. They said I wasn’t human, that I was unnatural, and I had to leave. I screamed and screamed at them to not leave me, but they did.
“Hey, are you okay?” a woman asks, running over and picking me up off the floor. She holds me close, folding her cloak around me as I cry, and she rubs my back. The woman waves her hand, a blue light covering her hand, and I hear a door open. The woman carries me into the warm room, putting me down on something soft but I’m too scared to open my eyes.
“Hunny, you are safe now,” she says soothingly.
“I’m alone now,” I whimper.
“No, not anymore,” the woman says. I open my eyes, seeing a dark-skinned woman kneeling in front of me. She has long black hair, a weird mark on her right cheek, and a big smile. She has on a long dress; big grey eyes, and I don’t think she is a demon. I don’t know what she is, but she seems nice.
“I’m scared.”
“I know, but if you will trust me, I won’t leave you alone. The world isn’t good all the time, but I think if you can do one good thing, it’s a step in the right direction,” she says and stands up. “Do you like hot chocolate? I have some I can make you and then get you a meal.”
“Yes, please,” I whisper, and she smiles before walking away. I was never alone from that day on, even when I thought I always would be.
“Here, stop here,” I say to the taxi driver when a street light flashes in my eyes, and snaps me out the horrible memory. My human adoptive parents left me here on my fifth birthday, and never looked back. I guess I was lucky they thought I was a demon, even though the blue hair should have tipped them off, and they left me here where the Protectors couldn’t find me. The taxi driver instantly puts the breaks on and stops the taxi. He gives me a questioning look at where we’ve stopped. It looks like an empty field, but only supes would be able to see what it really is. I pay him, getting out of the taxi and watching as he turns around and drives off. I smooth down my tight, red dress, hoping that the dagger on my thighs can’t be seen. I hate dresses. The wind pushes my hair in my face and reminds me that I left my hair down, so it covers up the knife attached to my back. One bonus for having waist-length hair. Weapons aren’t really allowed here, but everyone brings them. It’s too dangerous not to. I have to wait ten more minutes for the Protectors’ car to turn up. Connor gets out first, shocking me a little to see him looking normal. And hot. Very fucking hot. His blonde hair is styled to the left, he has on black trousers and a loose blue shirt with a few buttons undone. I can’t see any weapons on him, but I’m not stupid enough to think he hasn’t hidden weapons somewhere.
“Wow,” Connor whistles, looking me up and down but my attention goes to the stranger that gets out of the back seat. He has messy black hair, a white shirt that is undone except for two buttons at the bottom, so I can see all the black ink covering his chest. It stops just before his neck. I lift my eyes to his green ones, that remind me of Trex. This must be the brother who I can’t remember the name of.
“You didn’t say she was fucking gorgeous, Con,” the brother muses, eyeing me up like a snack. The door smacks shut, just as Trex walks over.
“That’s because she is working with us, Nix, not here to fuck us,” Trex says, making me laugh, and his eyes narrow on mine.
“What is funny?” he asks as I roll my eyes over his tight, dark-green shirt–the way every button is done up–and his black trousers. He still looks too formal, but it will have to do.
“Your denial that you want me. I can see it,” I grin, and he scowls at me. “Anyway, boys, try to keep your mouths shut in here. Demons aren’t fans of Protectors.”
“It is our job to keep them in line, so I expect not,” Trex replies dryly.
“Keep in line, yes. But you guys send them to hell so much for just living, they hate you,” I tell them honestly. Most of the time, the demons are unfairly accused, and there is no trial to find out what happened, they are just sent back to hell without questioning. I turn around, walking to the small gate and pushing the wooden revolving gate which lets us through the barrier.