“And who made sure Bella got to school on time and with all her stuff?”
“Did you do that?” she asks teasingly, giving me a smile.
“I’m just saying, you didn’t have to do everything by yourself this week.”
“Hmm, yeah, I guess you’re right. Life this week has been just…so…nice.” She leans toward me.
“Nice? That’s all you can say about it?” I lean toward her.
“Yeah,” she says, breathlessly, almost whispering. “Nice.”
We kiss, and I can feel the smile on her lips. I start to push her onto her back, hoping we will do more than kiss, when there is a banging on the front door.
“Whoa, what?” she asks.
I jump up and run to the door. Oh no. They can’t have found me.
“Damon?” Tamzin calls, following me.
“Stay back,” I tell her. I open the door, blocking the entrance with my body. But there are three of them, and they catch me off guard, sending me hurling back into the house. Tamzin screams, and I hear Dash barking.
“Hey there, old man,” one of the demons says. The three of them look like they fell out of a cyberpunk video game with neon hair and piercings.
I utter demon-speak, calling for Eisheth to come to my aid, but she doesn’t come fast enough. Two of the demons grab me while the third grabs Tamzin, knocking Dash out of her arms. Dash cries and limps off.
“Dash!” Tamzin cries, but the demon holds her fast.
“She is a pretty thing,” the demon says, wagging her tongue in Tamzin’s face. “I might just possess you for fun. Oh, the things I could do.”
A spark flies across the room, hitting the demon in the face. There is a whirlwind of light, and Beverly appears.
“Begone, you foul beast!” Beverly says. The demons laugh, but they stop laughing when Beverly attacks the female demon again, making her disappear in a puff of smoke. The demons let go of me and lunge for Beverly. I grab one of them, holding him back. The other one fights with Beverly, but then, in a puff of black smoke, Eisheth appears. She grabs the demon that was fighting with Beverly, practically ripping him in half. The third demon, knowing he didn’t stand a chance, disappears on his own.
There is a still moment of silence as we all look around, making sure there is no more immediate threat. Then, there is a blood-curdling scream. It’s Tamzin. The shock seems to have worn off, and the horror she just witnessed washes over her. I run to her side.
“It’s okay,” I tell her.
“Are there any more?” Beverly asks.
“What was that?” Tamzin asks.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I’m trying to hold her, calm her down, but she is inconsolable.
“Bella!” she runs across the room, but Bella is already there.
“I called Beverly when I heard the explosion,” she says as her mother scoops her up in her arms.
“What was that?” Tamzin asks again.
“You should have told me you were being tracked,” Eisheth says to me.
“I didn’t think they’d find me so soon,” I say.
“You knew about these things?” Beverly asks, her hands on her hips.
“Dash!” Tamzin ducks behind the couch and picks up her little dog, who is whining. “Oh, Dash! No!”
“Where is Mr. Darcy?” Bella asks, panicked.