Love Comes In Many Dangerous Forms

“A demon?” he asked.

I nodded.

“But demons can’t survive on earth,” he reminded me.

“Yes, but ones mixed with another type of species, can,” I informed.

He looked like he was about to say something, but I cut him off, “What I saw was a demon, but I didn’t see the other species of that person. It wasn’t even a person, it was a shadow.”

“That’s exactly what you saw, a demons shadow. The only way for a demon to survive on earth, is for their shadow to come and claim a victim.”

I frowned, “That’s right. But why did it kill Clara and Blaine?”

“Power, money, it was hired…” he trailed off with the possibilities.

“But Clara and Blaine had nothing, they were put into slavery, though, and I don’t think they had any siblings,” I told him.

“Clara didn’t have any siblings, I know that my mom would have known, but I don’t know about Blaine, his history is blurry,” Shane added.

“I guess when we get back, we’ll have to check it out,” if I get back, I amended.

“Alright,” and Zach and Colton appeared out of the darkness.

Colton was the first to notice the vomit, his nose scrunched up, “Gross.”

“Shut up,” Shane sneered at him.

“What happened?” Zach asked, walking over to me.

“Nothing, I just got a little nauseated,” I felt my neck and face heat up as I looked down.

“‘A little’?” Zach started, “That is not ‘a little’, Cassiel. You need to go home.”

My head snapped up and I glared at him, “No. I’m fine, I’m not sick.”

“Yes you are,” he corrected me, like I was still a child.

I felt my teeth dig into the side of my cheek in irritation, “I’m not going back. You can’t make me, but if you want to go back, you are more than welcomed to. I’m going to look for my brother the second that sun comes up, whether you like it or not.”

“Cassie you’re sick, you need to go home,” he told me.

“I don’t ‘need’ to. You just want me to because you think that I need protecting. I’m not that little defenseless little slave girl you met six years ago. I can take care of myself. There. Is. Nothing. Wrong. With. Me.”

“Fine,” he frowned, his eyes narrowed, “but if you get sick again, don’t come crying to me.”

“I won’t,” I sighed walking over to my tent, “Did you guys find anything?”

“No,” Colton said, “of course not,” he muttered the last part.

I glared at him and reached for the nearest object – the water bottle – and chucked it at him, smiling.

“Hey!”

I laughed and heard Shane snickering as Colton nursed his arm, “What was that for?!”

“For being a jerk!” I called back climbing into my tent, “I don’t have to be ‘poise and perfect’ like I have to be at the castle and I don’t have to be a role model for Jimmy. So you better watch your ass, or I’m gonna kick it,” I warned zipping the tent, and changed clothes.

I threw on a jean skirt and a light blue T-shirt. I laced on my tennis shoes and walked outside.

Shane was still chuckling as I walked over to Aidan, “Hey big boy,” I cooed stroking his soft black nose, “What’s our next stop Colton?”

“New York City,” he muttered.

“Wasn’t New York destroyed?” Shane asked.

“Yes which is why it’s the perfect place to look,” I sighed pulling my hair up in a pony tail, “If you were on the run, wouldn’t a destroyed deserted city be the perfect hiding place?” I explained.

“Got it,” he nodded, his lips pursed.

“But where in New York are we going to look first?” Zach asked looking at the map.

“I guess at the edge and work our way across,” I suggested.

“Alright,” Colton sighed, “Do we leave our stuff here, or do we take it with us?”

“Let’s take it with us,” I sighed, “New York is twenty miles away, and it will be better if we take it and camp somewhere closer. Do you have a needle?”

“A needle?” Colton looked confused.

“I’ll explain later,” I waved his question off.

“There’s some in the first aid kit,” Shane answered me.

I reach down into the bright yellow box and took the round tin and retrieved a small thin piece of metal.

I sighed walking over to the river bank kneeling down and pricked my finger. I scrunched my nose as I urged the blood out of the tiny wound with my fore-finger and thumb. And rinsed my finger over in the rushing water.

“So... why did you do that?” Colton asked staring at me funny.

“You know that merpeople can smell blood a thousand times stronger than a shark can?” I questioned.

He nodded and I heard splashing behind me, “Well meet Zane.”

“Hey Cassie!” I heard Zane’s familiar voice chime.

“Hey Zane,” I smiled weakly.

He looked around confused, “I know you,” he pointed to Zach, “but I don’t know you,” and he pointed to Shane and Colton.

“Zane this is Shane Launer, you remember Carly?” I introduced.

“The little girl we saved, right?”

“That’s right,” I nodded, “This is her older brother.”

“You don’t tell me anything anymore,” he accused.

“Sorry,” I apologized, “and this is Colton Nevatrix.”

“You’re the werewolf,” Zane narrowed his black eyes; “he hasn’t hurt you, has he?”

“No Zane,” I sighed, “I hurt him.”

“Good girl!” he slapped his green tail against the water.

Colton glared at us.

“So what you need, girly?” Zane grinned his sharp teeth at me.

“We’re going over to New York City,” I started, “Do you think that you can find a water way over there?”

“I think so,” he nodded; his dark brown and green hair fell in his face.

“Alright then,” I brushed my hands against my skirt, “Let’s get packing.”