Wish Upon A Demon

22.

CHAPTER - TWENTY TWO

I shut my locker.

The transition’s side effects had wearied off eventually. I had spent the majority of time in bed either clutching my head due to the pounding or trying to adjust to the symptoms without the demon boy’s help. Soon enough, they were gone, and I felt much, much better. Demon boy explained that there would be more symptoms arising, and I would have to learn to adjust to them as well. Sunlight would hurt my eyes for a couple of days, maybe even a week, and I had to be careful of the constant mood swings, and not to mention that I had to learn to stay in control.

Zylen made me picture control as a string of a guitar. One hard tug and it would snap. And that everybody would get to witness the ugly side that came along with the perks of being a demon. I didn’t want to lose control. I didn’t need more reason to hate becoming a demon, which happened without my knowledge and consent. And I believed, I would be fine, if only I didn’t lose control. My phone buzzed from within my pocket. Balancing a few books, on one hand, I took it out to see that there was a message from Nolan Shaw. And once I opened the message, to say I was relieved would be an understatement. It seems he couldn’t meet up to do the project this week and would send his part once I texted him my mail ID.

I didn’t waste time in doing that. The last thing I wanted was to enter that neighborhood which successfully gave me nightmares. Tucking my phone back into my pocket and inserting my books into my bag, I swung my bag over my shoulder, getting to my next class.

“What did you see, Faye Martin?” That taunting voice questioned.

I looked up into the forest green eyes of Michael Kingston. I knew I couldn’t blame him for what his family could have done to mine since I knew he was my age when the accident took place and probably didn’t know how to spell hunters. Yet, every time I looked at him, all I could think of was how I had been polite and interacted with his family members. His mother was kind, but that too could be a front she put up, hiding her true self. But despite all this, I wanted to know something. I wanted to know why. Why the hunters thought it would be perfectly okay to kill innocent people who never wished them any harm, nor ever caused them any harm. Why they thought it was fine to take a little girl’s family away only because they thought that they could cause harm. Why?

“What do you think I saw?” I ask, staring into his eyes, not backing down. “I think you saw enough...enough to prove that I’m not any normal teenage boy,” Michael says. The hallway is clear as all students have dispersed to their classes, and if he didn’t move, I would be late for mine. “You’re right. I did see something. I saw something that proved you weren’t a normal teenage boy. But it also proved something else, Michael.” I stop, earning a deep laugh from the hunter in front of me, who cocks his eyebrow a second later. “It also proved that you and your family or clan or cult or whatever, you’re nothing but monsters.” I take a step towards him and for the first time, I see his step back because of me. And if I’m seeing right, I see a little amount of fear in his eyes.

“Monsters who don’t care about others, monsters who don’t give a chance for the innocent to explain, monsters to take actions based on irrational judgments and monsters who are driven by the force of revenge merely for the sake of power.” I bump against his shoulder as I walk past him, whispering the last words.

“That’s who you all are.”

Demon boy had been a right about a lot of things in my life from the moment he swept in through the balcony like a tide. But the one thing he was most accurate about was how I would grow to dislike Michael Kingston and everyone like him. Cause right now, I was beginning to feel hatred for them growing inside me.

The bell chimed as I walked in.

I was walking home from school when I had the craving for hot chocolate.

My dad was working late tonight, and the house was going to remain empty, which made me consider going to the nearby café, The Riverdale Perk to be exact. It was quite cold in Ontario at this time of the year, the temperature dropping to below 0 degrees, making it impossible to step out without being properly clothed. And it was also the perfect weather to go to a warm café and have hot chocolate. My house was just a few minutes away so it wouldn’t be difficult to walk home either.

I was walking to an empty seat when I crashed into someone.

Plates were about to go crashing down when all of a sudden I had them caught and in a pile. “Nice reflexes.” The girl commented. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger onto where I had seen her. “I mean, thank you.” She adds, pushing up her glasses. “You’re welcome.” She smiles a bit, receiving the pile of plates and placing them on the counter. “I’m Alexandria Monroe.” She extends a hand. I grasp it, finally realizing that she was the girl I had bumped into in the school hallway a few weeks ago. “Oh, that’s right, I was wondering where I had seen you.” She smiles and we let go of each other’s hands. My smile falters when suddenly, my conversation with Michael earlier this day pops into my head.

I think Alexandria noticed me drifting into a sour mood, because she speaks up a second later, “Rough day?” I nod at her question. “So, what can I get you to make this day better?” She asks, stepping behind the counter. “A hot chocolate, please,” I ask and she nods, walking away. I sit down on the empty seat, resting my aching back. Maybe this was one of the symptoms; nevertheless, it was killing me. Alexandria comes back almost three minutes later, placing the steaming hot cup on my table. “I’d love to talk, but my manager is really mean, so I guess I’ll see you later?” She asks. “Sure,” I say, smiling.

As she’s walking back to the counter, I notice the little bell chimes again, and a woman enters inside. I don’t miss the way she nods at Alexandria like they knew each other, and I certainly don’t miss the way her clear blue eyes roam the café before they settle on me. She walks over, flipping her jet-black hair behind. “Do you mind if I sit here?” She asks, her voice calm and giving nothing away. I nod. When she sits down, it is then I that observe her eyes, surprised to find that they have a tint of purple. She’s one of us, a voice whispers in my head.

I didn’t want to be included with the demons, but at the same time, I was positive that the woman sitting in front of me, giving me a warm smile was a demon. She doesn’t order anything and doesn’t fidget nor stammer, instead, she makes herself comfortable before talking to me. “Hello, Faye.” Her voice is beautiful. I’ve also seen her somewhere. I might have caught a glimpse of her in the demon kingdom, but I knew there was somewhere else that I noticed her. “The Kingston’s family picture.” She answers the question I thought of. Then it hits me. The day I was taken to have dinner with the Kingston’s, I remembered seeing their family picture and she was there. This woman was there.

Then why did she resemble a demon?

“You can’t be a demon and a hunter,” I say before I can stop myself. She smiles lightly, a hint of dimples appearing on her cheeks. “I am-was a part of the hunters,” She nods. “Until I fell in love.” She stops and continues, “With a demon.” I didn’t know why she was unveiling her secrets to a stranger like me, but something told me that she knew more than I did, and she was here to warn me about something. Or someone. “I betrayed my family for the love I found in the kind they loathe. They didn’t kill me though, and I am grateful for that. But I wouldn’t take it back. Living with the demons, amongst the demons has made me realize that misunderstood – wrongly judged.” I watch her as she speaks in that soothing voice of hers.

I blink, and then ask, “I’m sorry, but your name is?” I ask. I didn’t mean to be funny or sarcastic, I just wanted to know her name, “It’s Dawn. Dawn Rose Michaels.” She says, smiling. “This is probably the first and last time you’ll talk to me – the only time I’m allowed to talk to you.” She stops and continues. “However, I took this opportunity to warn you.” The purple in her eyes deepen. “The demon kingdom is not your world Faye, stay away from it.” I’m confused by her hard tone.

It’s like this woman who I met a few minutes ago, cares about me. “There are things you don’t know, and will not be told either. People who you trust, the ones that are closest to you, the one that visits you every day, all of them are tricksters, and you have to stay away.” Her eyes rise up like she caught of sight of something or heard something in her head and she cups my hand. “Get yourself out of the game before it’s too late, Faye.” And with fear in her eyes, she lets go of my hand, the warmth from her being replaced by coldness, and walks out, giving another nod to Alexandria whose gaze followers her until she steps out, disappearing into thin air.

I rise up, leave a five-dollar bill on the table and walk out.