Page 2 of Demons of Eden

“Eden,” I reply, picking up my replacement drink and clinking it against his, our eyes meeting with a rising sort of intensity as we both throw them back. They’re obviously not meant to be drunk as shots, but maybe the rush of alcohol will help crush the last of my nerves, and help me let loose a little bit. Ash clearly has the same line of thinking, finishing his right as I finish mine, quickly gesturing for another round to be brought over. It’s delivered as speedily as the last.

“Eden?Like the Garden of Eden?” It’s said with so much obvious humour tainting the words that I can’t help but think there’s another layer to the joke in there I’m somehow missing.

“Not sure why they picked it,” I answer, a smile stretching across my face as I think about his own name. “And you’re named after…burnt remains?Somehow, I think being named for an interpretation of paradise isn’t so bad when you think about it like that.”

“Hmm. When you put it that way, I can see why a name like Eden suits you…”

CHAPTER TWO

This isn’t exactly my typical way of ending a night out…

The thought makes me smile as I follow Ash into the small, yet stylish, hotel. Usually these outings end in Suvi and I propping each other up while we get something delicious and unhealthy to eat, followed by finally crashing out together on the bed. Normally we fall asleep halfway through some utterly insane conversation. Once we even debated for over an hour on what kind of ghost we’d choose to share a house with if we were forced to live with one.

I still stand by my pick. My answer being a monk who took a vow of total silence. It was chosen with the sincere hope that said vow continues after their death, too. The last thing I need is a noisy, free-loading housemate, or for my ghost roomie to get gossiping with local spirits about the weird shit I do when I’m home alone. Strange midnight snack choices, cursing inanimate objects, and uncoordinated dancing are all things a witch should be able to do in the privacy of their own homes, without the fear of ghostly judgement.

Suvi, however, had simply stated, ‘a really super hot one.’ After contemplating several other options aloud, anyway, and dismissing all the obvious ghosts you’d want to avoid, likepoltergeists, the ghosts of killers, or their victims, etcetera. Though she did amend her choice after hearing my answer and argument for it, also picking a silent monk—who just so happens to be really, super hot.

Goddess, I love my best friend.

We haven’t really had a fun night like that since my last birthday, though. Considering I turn twenty-seven in a little over a month and a half, it’s been much longer than I’d realised. Between sales of my charms and potions picking up and Suvi’s new job as a healer, I guess we’ve both been a lot busier than we used to be when I first moved out here. Just like how she was too busy to join us tonight. She keeps getting all the grunt work and night shifts, likely because she only moved here a few months before I did. None of that coven-raised special treatment the others get for her, either, although they do have to be outwardly nicer to her.

Every witch knows better than to piss off their healer.

“Are you okay?” Ash asks as we reach the elevator tucked away at the back of the empty lobby. His finger hovers over the button to call it down, like he’s waiting on my answer before deciding whether or not to press it.

Realising I have been a little quiet and in my thoughts for the last few minutes, I’m quick to wave off his concern. “Sorry, I was just thinking about my friend.”

“Oh? Well, if there’s someone else whose company you’d prefer?” Ash questions, much more teasingly this time. He hits the button and uses his other hand to grab mine, tugging me closer.

“She’s my best friend; of course I’d prefer her company,” I reply, matching his playful tone. I pointedly run my gaze over him before meeting his eyes. “But…you’ll do, I suppose.”

“And I’ll do you,” Ash replies with a grin, dragging me into the elevator the second the doors slide open. I snort, and hereaches up to rub the back of his neck with his free hand. “That was uncharacteristically lame of me.” He clears his throat, and I bite my lower lip, leaning into his warm body.

Well, I’ve made it this far; there’s no point in holding back now…

“It’s okay. I thought it was charming.” He’s honestly been so cool and collected all night that the flirty fail is actually kind of cute, like I managed to get him a bit flustered and off his game.

“Your best friend is Suvi, right?” he asks, quickly changing the subject as the doors start to close again, his arm curving around my waist.

I’m surprised by Ash using her name, but I did tell him about her, didn’t I? We’d spoken a shocking amount at the bar, drinking and flirting until the place had started emptying out. He’s a good listener, the kind that’s probably able to get anyone to spill their darkest secrets with enough time—and some alcohol to loosen the lips. He also had some really funny stories to tell, some of which have to be at least a little exaggerated with how insane they sounded.

In just a few hours, Ash managed to spark my interest in a way no one else has in a long while, pulling me right out of the pity party I’d fallen into earlier. So, when he asked if I wanted to come back to his hotel, I didn’t even pause to think about it before I agreed. It’s not like me at all, not that I have any moral objections to the idea of where this is going. However, the only few times I've hooked up with strangers have been so disappointing they put me off the whole experience. Since those encounters, I’ve tended to stick with boyfriends or people I’m casually dating instead.

The last random guy I hooked up with had been completely underwhelming inallaspects. Less than ten minutes after going into the bedroom, I simply stopped, got dressed, and left. All the while he sat there and pouted about it, like it wasn’t his faultfor thinking that jamming a couple of fingers in and out three times counted as sufficient foreplay. I shudder at the mortifying memory, causing Ash to hold me tighter, his hand rubbing up and down my back like he’s worried I might be cold.

“Yes, I did mean Suvi,” I finally answer, smiling up at him. Talking about my friend brings me little sparks of joy. I didn’t realise how much I’ve been missing her lately. We have to try and make more time for our friendship, not just talk about doing it while feeling resigned about our busy lives.

“It sounds nice. Having someone you care for so deeply,” he muses, and I nod again in agreement. I can’t help but notice how it sounds like he doesn’t really know that feeling himself, which is surprising, given how much of a people person he seems to be. The idea of him being alone or lonely doesn’t sit right in my head.

“It is. I’d have gone crazy in this city without her,” I reply a little more quietly. The silence between us stretches for a moment too long, turning the air around us a touch uncomfortable. I’ve always hated silence. “I don’t really do this,” I blurt, the words escaping me like they have a will of their own. Which they must, because I sure as hell didn’twantto confess that.Fuck.

“Do what exactly? Flirt with handsome strangers?” Ash asks with a grin, apparently more than willing to quickly move on from the serious, quiet vibe that had lingered there for a moment.

“Oh, I flirt with plenty of strangers. I just don’t usually follow them home,” I joke, trying to hide the awkwardness I feel behind the confession, but one glance at his eyes has me spilling my secrets like I’m under a spell. “I haven’t had the best experiences,” I mumble, feeling shy about the admission. Embarrassed, I find myself staring at the numbered floor buttons to avoid his face as I’m sure mine must be turning red.

“You were hurt?” The growl to his words is a low rumble, but it happens so suddenly it still manages to surprise me, pulling my head back up to look at him. The elevator doors sliding open with a ping saves me from answering for a moment. Thankful for that convenient timing, I go to take a step out, but Ash holds me back, searching my face for an answer. It’s clear he won’t move until he gets one.

“No, not like that. I meant they weren’t very…um…satisfyingexperiences,” I explain, stumbling over my words. The intensity in his eyes slowly fades to something softer, and the corners of his lips curl back up into his near-constant smile.

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