Page 23 of Unbinding the Demon
“Wait! Yes, actually! I can’t believe you found some! I’ve been looking for them all season!” I exclaimed in excitement with a small bounce. “Let’s pick a few!” I laughed as he smiled down at me. We then walked over to the patch together. With a smile, I held the basket out, letting him place three of the crimson and amber-ringed fans inside, and he gave me a smile in return. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach from the way he was looking at me, and I almost forgot how crazy he was... almost.
11. Whispers Under the Willow
By the time our mushroom excursion came to an end, the clouds had parted to reveal the high afternoon sun. Vibrant autumn colors embellished the branches above us as we followed a narrow, winding stream deeper into the forest. Sunlight glittered over the surface of the water and reflected up beneath the leaves, casting sparkling waves of light on their underbellies. The stream led us to a small hilly meadow with a set of short, narrow waterfalls cascading over some mossy rocks. We decided it was a suitable spot to stop for lunch.
We walked over to a large yellowing willow, its wispy branches mournfully whispering in the breeze. The tree stood next to the small waterfalls and draped its flowing arms from the top of its lofty, rounded crown, all the way down to the grassy earth below. Ashton took my hand in his and led me beneath its weeping veil. We sat on the lush grass as the small yellowing leaves danced like a whimsical curtain around us.
I hated to admit it, but I wasn’t having a terrible time with him. And believe me, I wanted to. I wanted him to reveal his true psycho nature and give me a reason to tell him to fuck off! But he never did. Other than his unsolicited touches, he was a gentleman to me the entire time. I found myself laughing at his jokes and enjoying our awkward small talk. He was strange, but he was growing on me.
“Don’t even think about it,” Ashton said, his voice stern as he glared at Belzar, who had just jumped into the stream and was now approaching to shake himself off. Belzar seemed to understand him perfectly. He dipped his head down with a little whine and pranced back into the water. I giggled as Ashton scooched a little closer to me.
“He seems like a very well-trained dog,” I mentioned while watching Belzar jump up and bite at the water, causing a shimmering sequence of splashes to fall around him. I pulled a pre-cut veggie and cheese sandwich out of the basket and unwrapped it.
“He’s not trained; he’s just smart.”
“That’s still pretty impressive.” I took a bite of my sandwich, then held the other half out for him. “Would you like some?”
“Thank you.” His eyes moved over my body with an unmistakable hunger. “But I’d much rather have you for lunch.” I choked on my sandwich upon hearing his words. With a soft laugh, he reached into the basket and pulled out the journal. “You brought this with you?” He raised a brow.
“Yeah, I thought it would be nice to read out here in the peace and quiet.” I shrugged, trying to seem indifferent about both his racy comment and the fact that I’d brought the journal. “I didn’t exactly plan to have company.”
God, I hope his ego doesn’t inflate because I brought along the book he gave me.
“I’m glad that you brought it. Have you read anything that piques your interest?” he asked with a smug smile and a proud twinkle in his eyes.
Yep, his ego is inflating like a hot-air balloon.
The corners of my mouth drooped as I considered whether I wanted to tell him about my coincidental connection to it. His curious eyes searched my face as he patiently awaited my answer. “It seems interesting, although I haven’t gotten to the part about the skin book yet.” I glanced down and fidgeted with the hem of my dress. I didn’t want to dampen the mood by telling my sob story about how my aunt had died.
Disappointment flashed across his face for a brief second, but a cunning smile quickly replaced it. “Well, I thought it was interesting that you share the same last name as the woman who wrote it.”
What the living fuck? How the hell did Nancy Drew over here figure out my last name?
“Wait, how do you know my last name?” I glared at him with suspicion.
“It was written at the top of your essay.” He shrugged.
Well, I guess that made sense. It was still weird that he’d noticed and remembered that detail, though. “Alright,” I said, and then squished my lips into a straight line, putting my sandwich down. “If you must know, I was surprised to find out that the journal belonged to my aunt.” My words were mumbled as I gazed down at the grass beneath me. I wasn’t sure why I had told him the truth instead of pretending that it was just an odd coincidence.
A look of mild annoyance flickered in his eyes. “Well, I suppose you could just ask her about it then. It would seem that interest in human leather-bound books must run in your family.” He shifted even closer to me as he spoke, but I didn’t look at him. My gaze stayed on the grass.
“I can’t, actually. She passed away a few years ago.” I began vacantly picking at the little blades, imagining each one screaming in agony as I plucked them from the dirt.
“Oh. I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said, his voice filled with what sounded suspiciously like rehearsed sympathy.
His warm arm slithered around my back, and his thumb began caressing my upper arm. I would have tried to scooch away, but I felt rather comforted by the caring gesture. “It’s all right. I’m not even that bothered by it. That's actually how I'm able to attend Mount Greybirch. She worked for the school as a guidance counselor and they offered me free tuition as compensation.”
He seemed to buy into my lie about how I felt, but the truth was, I was very bothered by it. My Aunt Elowynn had always been there for me when my deadbeat parents were too busy getting drunk to even remember they had a daughter. She had been more of a mother to me than my actual mother, and I had relied on her for so much. Then she was ripped away from this world, leaving behind an empty hole inside my heart. I still had parents in a technical sense, but losing her made me feel like an orphan.
“She probably would have wanted you to have it. And who knows, maybe the journal might even reveal some unfinished business that you could help her attend to.” He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear with gentle care, which made me blush a bit.
“I think you’re right. She would have wanted me to read it. Besides, her journal has been really interesting so far. I’ve gotten a whole new insight into her life. Like, for example, I never would have known how obsessive that weird priest guy was with her. He actually invited me to the church the other day. I didn’t plan on visiting before, but now I’m definitely not going.” I laughed and then looked up at him. His face darkened at the mention of Father Adelstein.
“Good. I don’t want you anywhere near that man,” he said sternly, his voice filled with ascendancy.
“Um, well, no offense, but you’re not my father.”
He swiftly seized my shoulders and pushed me onto my back, his towering figure looming like a dark cloud over my body. His long hair fell to the ground beside my head and curtained the view to my left. We were almost nose to nose, with his menacing face just inches away from mine.
