Page 71 of Demons of Eden

He grins brightly while I groan and try to hide my face.

Despite everything though, I think I’m starting to feel glad that the bizarre mixture of events had caused it to be ineffective. Somehow, it’s brought me so much more than the unexpected demon baby growing inside of me. While that may be endlessly complicated, this…this is nice. It feels good to be here with all of them.

Ineffective contraceptive potions, apparently now the true peak of romance. Who’d have guessed?

The rest of breakfast is comfortable but charged with something I can’t fully explain. They all seem dedicated to protecting me and this baby, even now, after Torrin lost his friend because of me. Suvi eventually arrives with a charm for my bracelet as well, and by the time I finish eating, I’m more than ready for a nap.

Growing a baby is so damn tiring.

I’m taking a minute outside for some air, apparently still safely within the demon-warded zone—although I still feel protective eyes watching me through their window—when I see my brother, Forrest.

It’s been so long since I last saw him. With us living so far apart, time just seems to sneak by us these days. I try to run over to him, feeling boosted with a fresh burst of energy from the happy surprise, but it’s honestly a lot more like an awkward waddle.

“Trees?!” I gasp excitedly, stepping into his open arms for a hug.

“Hey Den, happy birthday to my favourite little sister!” He grins down at me before glancing up at the building and staring at the Fletcher Hunting sign with open suspicion and maybe a touch of hostility.

“I’m youronlysister. What are you doing here?” I ask, super happy to see my older brother, but also very confused, especially by the glaring going on.

“Look, it’s not safe for you here. I heard what’s going on, and I’ve come to bring you home,” Forrest explains, and I go to take a step away from him.

“What do you mean you’ve heard what’s going on?” It’s then I remember that I haven't told any of my family that I’m pregnant, yet he doesn’t look the least bit surprised.

“Eden!” Rio shouts from the doorway, and just as I turn to see the demon hunter lurching toward us, Forrest grips my arm.I look back, spotting a familiar-looking oversized key in his other hand. One that happens to serve as a pre-spelled teleportation object going directly to our family’s home.

I only have time for two quick thoughts before I feel us falling.

The first is that at least with the key, I know it’s really him.

The second is just,Goddess, not again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Oh, sweet hell's bells,” I groan, wobbling on my feet as we arrive. I awkwardly bend over, resting my hands on my knees as I suck in deep lungfuls of air. I feel like I’m going to be sick.Ugh.

This is the worst. Before recently, I’d only had to teleport maybe four times in my whole life that I can recall, all of them with our family’s key. Now I’m constantly being tossed around this world and others, like it’s going out of fashion. Someone has obviously cursed me. I swear the key method never used to feel this awful.

“Here, this should help.” My brother hands me a small vial, cork already pulled, like he’d anticipated this. I down the contents greedily. The dizzy feeling, as well as the sensation of impending vomit, quickly fades, and I sigh with relief. Small fucking mercies that he prepared for this. I’ll go gently when I murder him for this stupid kidnapping.

Do I have a sign on my head that reads, ‘Come on over and kidnap this witch—teleportation advised’ or something to that effect? Because this is starting to get ridiculous.

“Next time, a simple phone call will suffice,” I hiss, then take a deep breath before I look up and glare furiously at my big brother. “What the hell was that?” I throw my arms up.

“You weren’t safe there, not betweenthat demonand the hunters. It’s like you have a death wish or something.” Forrest crosses his arms over his chest, not looking the least bit apologetic. “Kit and I want you here, where we can protect you.”

“How did you even know that I needed protecting? Not that I do. The demon and those hunters you just stole me from? They already had it covered!”

“That’s not what—forget it. Let’s try this from the beginning, do you remember Katia?” he asks, instead of simply apologising.

I nod, holding back a sigh and hoping he has a damn good explanation for this. Katia’s a part of the coven he and our parents are in. The same one I’d grown up with. From what I can recall of her, I’m pretty sure she’s certifiably insane. Makes great baked goods, though. I never cared or complained about any of the odd things she’d come out with because she always brought the best treats over when it was our parents’ turn to host gatherings.

“Well, I don’t know if you knew about this, but she’s prone to visions.”

“That makes a bizarre amount of sense,” I admit, seeing some of my memories in a slightly different light with that knowledge.

While rare, true seers are always at least a little bit crazy, and more often than not, absolutely batshit. Something about being bombarded with so many possibilities leaves cracks in the psyche. Eventually, it can get to the point where neither they nor anyone else can be sure what’s a real vision and what’s a delusion. It’s not an ability I’d wish on anyone, and most people consider it an unlucky curse.

“Katia recently came to me and said she’d had one where you were pregnant with a half-demon baby. At first, I thought she was confused because it sounded too insane to be true. She’s been saying all sorts of stuff about you recently that makes no sense at all, Den,” he says, his expression somewhere between sympathetic, baffled, and a tiny bit guilty, like he’s blaming himself for something.

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