The Human Side (The Demon Side Series) Read online

  Creeping in, as to not wake anyone, I nearly jumped from my skin when a light in the living room turned on.

  “Care to explain why I received a call from a family friend that you attacked him?”

  “It’s a simple misunderstanding.”

  “I wouldn’t call a broken nose and fractured jaw a misunderstanding. However, you will have a chance to explain your actions and apologize tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Apologize?” The thought of that twit, let alone John telling me to apologize to him, had crossed the line.

  “Yes. Tristan will be over for lunch tomorrow, and you will apologize to him. That is an order.” John walked up the stairs.

  “How dare you give me an order then turn your back to me!”

  Gabriel blocked me from advancing behind John on the stairs. If not for the fact he would overpower me in my current state, I would rip him apart for such disrespect.

  “My house, my rules. You’ll be sleeping in Etta’s room tonight. There are extra pillows and blankets on the bed. Goodnight, boys.” John spoke, keeping his back to me.

  As we came to Etta’s door, I looked back at John’s. I knew he wouldn’t be asleep. I could go in and lay down just how the rank system really worked, but Gabriel led me by my arm into the room.

  Expecting two large men to sleep on a twin size bed must have been a joke. After offering the mattress to each other, we decided to sleep on the floor. My anger must have shown as I threw a pillow.

  “Speak your mind, Brother.”

  Telling Gabriel I didn’t want to talk about it would be pointless. He had a notorious reputation amongst our brothers as pushy when it came to us venting our troubles. “The nerve of him giving me an order is one thing, but to apologize to that arrogant, sniveling, snake Tristan is a different insult. I should go in there and crack his jaw.”

  “Calm yourself. You know that will prove nothing. Let us pray.”

  Facing each other as we knelt down, foreheads touching, we joined hands and silently prayed. I kept my prayer simple before asking the questions foremost in my mind. Have I done enough? Did I show enough of my Demon side? Could I return to being my true self? His answers were as plain as my invocation. In unison, we said Amen, closing out our conversations with Father.

  Gabriel took his spot on the floor, pulling his blanket over his bare chest, as I remained on my knee. I hadn’t received the answer I wished for. Father required more from me. What he asked of me may prove more than I could handle.

  I would have to not only face the Demon in me, but I would have to ask him to come out and play with Etta. Could she handle it with all that is happening to her again? Would she gravitate toward me, or would I send her running for the hills this time? Would I be able to hold back once I’d started? I started to believe the risks weren’t worth the possible outcomes.

  “Rahovart?”

  “Yes, Brother?”

  “Do you think a human and Angel can have a relationship?”

  “I believe they can, but the rules prevent us from doing so.”

  “But aren’t we changing the rules by being here?”

  “I suppose we are. Is this about me or a special blonde, curly headed girl?”

  “There’s something about her. You know who she reminds me of?”

  “Who, Brother?” I asked.

  “Do you remember Charoum? She was a Seraphim in the third choir.”

  “Yes, I remember her. I also remember a very young Cherubim who had quite the crush on her. He would practically stalk her on her way to chapel.”

  “I did not stalk her. We traveled the same path home. She just happened to leave before me.”

  “Uh-huh. Sure, Brother. And I suppose standing behind the feast at the Equinox celebration watching her dance the whole time isn’t stalking either?” I said with a hearty chuckle.

  “Never mind.” Gabriel huffed as he rolled over, facing away from me.

  “Oh c’mon, don’t be like that. You weren’t half as bad as I was with Abihail. You remember that time I followed her from the courts, trying to work up the nerve to ask her to the Resurrection party, and I followed her right into the women’s quarters? Imagine seeing thousands of women changing into their ceremonial robes, and there is Abihail, swatting me with her shoes and calling me a foul and tainted soul. As I ran out, I smacked right into Father and big Jay. Oh man, I thought Father would rip my wings off right on the spot.” As I suspected, my remembrance of an easier time sent Gabriel into a chuckling fit.

  “I do remember that. You couldn’t look Abihail in the eyes for a month. But I believe this to be more than a boyhood crush. Tonight when she sat next to me, something awakened right here in my stomach…a fluttering of sorts, like when Charoum would sit near me at morning reflections.”

  “What happened to Charoum? I haven’t seen her around since I’ve been back.”

  “Her number came up.” Gabriel’s face sank with disappointment. Charoum had been chosen to receive an earthly form. Starting from a birth, she would live life out as a human on Earth. Should she choose a good life, she would return home. Should she choose a bad life, she would go to Hell after her passing, meaning Gabriel might face her in battle one day.

  He once had every intention on working up the nerve to ask for her hand in courtship, but on the big day, he had been pulled from his usual duties as a healer. For three days, no one had seen or heard from him. When he returned, he bore the wings of an Arch.

  The first years were a difficult for him. During a battle, we had come close to losing Ramiel. Gabriel had broken the news to his wife, Ooneimme. Witnessing her reaction caused Gabriel to swear off any possible relationship. Though we all knew he still kept an ever watchful eye on Charoum, he never acted on his feelings.

  “Though the veil closes at birth, I believe our soul remembers our home. It is in our nature to be drawn to it. Her spirit is as pure as fresh snow, and she will return home, Brother.”

  “You know our rates are dropping, Rahovart. We are losing more and more every day. The odds are not in her favor.”

  Seeing his face crushed any hope of offering him comfort. No words would change his mind that the scales had tilted in the favor of Lucifer. Having been to Hell, I knew he spoke the truth. Each day carried a new flood of fresh souls. Being my stubborn self, I wouldn’t give up that easily, but before I could begin my argument, my ears picked up a faint noise on the stairs. Cracking the bedroom door open, I spied Etta tiptoeing up the stairs.

  Chapter Eight

  “In the closet, now,” I whispered as I reached for my bedding. Leaving the door to the cramped closet ajar enough to peek in the room, I watched as Etta turned on her lamp. She sat on her bed, pulled a cell phone from her pocket, and placed it on her nightstand. Next, she removed her socks and shoes, and then followed with her shirt and jeans.

  The Angel in me said look away, but my Demon wouldn’t allow my eyes to budge. Watching her curves sway as she went to her dresser and pulled out a long nightgown was intoxicating.

  “Where is it?” she asked herself as she shuffled in a drawer before closing it. She turned and faced the closet. Panicked, I searched for a place to hide. With boxes stacked against the walls, there had been little room for Gabriel and me, leaving one direction to go…up.

  I hadn’t been in the attic since I left Etta. It’s the one place I never wanted to be in ever again. But I had no choice. Ever so quietly I pushed open the board of the attic access, allowing Gabriel to go first. I made it in before she opened the door. With her in the closet, I couldn’t risk the noise of returning the attic access cover. Of all nights, why did she choose to sleep at her father’s tonight?

  From above, we watched Etta as she went through a few boxes of clothing, pulling out a pair of fuzzy purple pajama bottoms. Gabriel motioned for me to cover the access as she walked toward her bed. She had left the door open, giving me a perfect line of sight to her. After dressing, she slid under the downy comforter. She grabbed her cell phone and
pressed button after button for what seemed to be a good two minutes. As I sat watching, I wondered why anyone would need to push so many buttons, when her phone rang with a tune I knew all too well. Our song played for a second before she answered the call.

  “Hey. Are you okay?” she said as she answered her phone. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Dad made him come with us. Are you still coming for lunch tomorrow?” I knew who she was talking to. Pushing my rage aside, I listened closely to Etta’s side of the conversation.

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “What, I can’t text a friend in the middle of the night just to see if they’re all right after being attacked by a barbarian Jarhead?” After her insult, I wanted to jump down, smack the phone out of her hand and show her what a barbarian I can be, when the sound of her sobbing distracted me from my anger.

  “They’re getting worse. Tonight’s seemed so real. I could feel him, like literally feel him licking my toes.”

  “No I haven’t taken them. I’ve been trying to meditate like you said.” I racked my brain trying to understand why Tristan wouldn’t want Etta to take her medication.

  “I’m at my dad’s.”

  “If I tell you, do you swear not to tell my parents? I don’t need to add to my dad’s argument that moving back in is the best answer.”

  “When I’m here, I feel safer. I don’t see the bad guys. I see the good guys. There’s one that just sits and watches me. And if I’m going to hallucinate, I’d rather see gorgeous green-eyed Angels than a deformed, six-horned, half man, half bull with a tongue that makes Gene Simmons look like a chump.” Gabriel and I snapped our eyes at each other.

  We only knew of one six-horned Minotaur in the legions. Vetis, the Lord of Corruption. Before the great divide, he held a position as Lucifer’s advisor in the courts. After a dispute with Father, Lucifer fell. Vetis had been first to follow him, but before doing so, he spread false rumors of Father’s indiscretions. With his spotless reputation as an upholder of truth, and with his elegant speech and smooth tongue, he convinced others to join him, which resulted in a third of the population falling.

  A common misconception was that Lucifer appeared as a snake in the Garden of Eden. At the time, Lucifer had just begun to build his kingdom, and with every Angel on the lookout for him, he never left his throne room. In his stead, he sent Vetis, a master of lies and deceit, to the Garden. In record time, he returned with the story of Eve’s transgressions. Lucifer couldn’t risk losing Vetis, who had been proven irreplaceable, but still needed the use of his particular skills.

  Giving him reign over thirty legions of four-horned Minotaurs, the fourth largest division in Lucifer’s army, Vetis trained each one in the mastery of deception, corruption, and lies. When a soul needed to be turned, a soldier would be sent so Vetis could remain behind the safety of the gates. So for him to visit Etta in person could only mean Lucifer needed to be sure his new plan would work without a hitch.

  “Alrighty then. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

  Turning off the light, Etta rolled over, pulling her comforter over her head. Cautiously, I returned the attic cover to its place.

  “Do you think it’s him?” Gabriel whispered.

  “I don’t know, but it would explain a lot about her appearance tonight.”

  “If Lucifer did in fact send Vetis to corrupt Etta, he sent him with plenty of protection. He’ll be untouchable.”

  “We’ll have to warn John in the morning of what he’s up against. For now, we need some rest.” I allowed my brother to take up the space toward the back of the attic. I didn’t want to be near where I used to dwell. Gabriel fell fast asleep practically before his head touched the pillow. With no options to stretch out, I sat against a beam next to the access.

  I had hoped sleep would come to me as swiftly, but I was not so fortunate. My mind raced with thoughts of gloom. Even if I came in my Angelic form, protecting my love from Vetis would prove difficult. I would have to march against him with an army of my own. Hours passed before my body’s need for sleep overrode the relentless wandering of my brain.

  In the midst of dozing off, I awoke to a strange noise coming from below. Opening the attic access, I peered down into the dark room. A shadow drifted around Etta’s bed. I leaned over but couldn’t make out who or what stood over her. Looking back at my brother, I realized there was no way to wake him without giving away our presence. Unsure of the possible threat, I slipped down into the closet.

  “You cannot hide here, my sweet girl. It will be a matter of time before you succumb to me,” the whisper of a male voice said. A bolt of white struck the intruder, turning him into a blackened wisp. On impact, both the stranger and flash disappeared through the window, shaking it. I guessed John flashed straight into the mystery guest. I rushed to the window to check for any sign of him outside, when the overhead bedroom light startled me.

  “Are you real, or am I trippin’?” Etta asked. At a loss for words, I slowly turned around.

  “Answer me. Are you real?” She got out of her bed and walked toward me, stopping at arm’s length. I hadn’t a clue what to say. I’d play along and allow her to believe my being in her room was merely a dream or hallucination. Or make up some other reason for my presence. As I opened my mouth, unsure what would come out, Etta pinched my arm.

  “Ouch! What the hell?”

  “Ha. You’re real!”

  “Yes, I’m real. Damn it. You didn’t have to pinch me to find out.”

  “I did ask first, and I can never be too sure nowadays. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to talk to you.”

  “What would you need to talk to me about at five in the morning?”

  “I don’t know. I figured we should finish the conversation we had on the river.”

  “So you break into my dad’s house to talk to me about whores, root beer, and busted lips?”

  “Yes. I mean no. I mean….”

  “Relax, devil dawg. Don’t burn up what brain cells you have left trying to think of a good lie. I don’t care why you’re here.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No, I don’t. It beats what I thought was in my room.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Nothing.”

  “No, tell me, I want to know.”

  Etta released a deep sigh as she settled on the edge of her bed. “Bet my dad didn’t tell you you’d be babysitting his psycho daughter at the mall, did he?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked as I sat next to her. Of course I knew she had never been psychotic like she believed, but for the mission’s sake, I played along.

  “I’m schizophrenic. I see and hear stuff that isn’t real.”

  “Is that why your dad gave you those pills?”

  “Yeppers. Just like the Matrix. Take the red pill, you’ll feel like you’re living inside of a computer with digital F.B.I. agents chasing after you. Take the blue pill and enjoy the ignorant bliss of numbness.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “What? You’ve never seen the movie Matrix? Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne?”

  “Nope. I don’t watch many movies.”

  “Did you grow up in Amish country or something?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Why? Your name is Ramen, which I don’t believe for one second. You have no idea what the Matrix is, and sometimes you talk funny. Not to mention Benjamin’s lack of food knowledge and the way he looks at everything. It’s as if he’s never been to Earth before. So, why don’t you tell me who you really are?”

  Etta’s incredible attention to details would get me in trouble. I had to divert her line of questioning without completely ignoring it. So I did the first thing any other man would do who wanted a woman to shut up. Planting my lips on hers, I kissed her.

  The moan she released stirred up the passion deep within me. Cupping her face in my hands, I parted her lips and allowed my tongue access into her sweet mouth. As I reached a heightened state of e
uphoria, something pushed me from her, but struck me against the side of my face, knocking me to the floor.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Etta exclaimed as she stood in front of the window, fists raised and ready to send another crippling blow.

  “I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Well, you can help yourself to the door now.”

  As I got to my feet, I noticed something in the distance traveling at a high rate of speed toward the window. John must have been flashing back to the house. Etta must have seen my reaction. As she turned to the window, I tackled her to the ground, just in time for the flash of white to pass through the window and vanish through the wall.

  “You saw it!” Etta proclaimed excitedly.

  “Saw what?”

  “You saw the light, too.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” I had screwed up by knocking Etta out of the way, but had John’s flash hit her, it would have killed her.

  “Liar.”

  “Call me what you will. Won’t change the fact I have no clue what you saw,” I said, as I rose to my feet. I had to get out of the house while keeping up the appearance that I had snuck in. Opening her window, I climbed out and dropped to the ground below, spraining my ankle, and took off limping down the street in the direction of the river.

  Chapter Nine

  Mesmerized by the rising sun over the tree tops, I tried blocking out all thoughts of the mess I had created. The golden yellow and crimson red glare of the sun’s rays shimmering on the water resembled the flames that once set my territory. At the rate I was going, Etta would never say the words I so desperately needed to hear, not only trapping me here again, but Gabriel as well. In frustration, I kicked the sand.

  “Good morning, Brother.”

  I turned to find a cheerful Gabriel. “Morning. I take it you got out before she saw you?”