Page 9 of The Book Reader
Narrowing my eyes at him, I stand up. I know how much he hates magic; he avoids all the supernatural parts of our world at all costs.
“I’m not playing Mekhi; I have no fucking idea what I did or how. Please, just drop it. We have to look after her. I’m fine.” The word “fine” is a word that I’ve begun to feel safe with. If you tell people you’re fine, it shuts them up and stops them from asking you questions you know they will not like the answer to.
I turn toward the bed when I hear a soft sigh. Rushing over, I sit down at the foot of it and watch her as I whisper, “I need her, Mekhi. Something inside of me is telling me to look after her. I need to do this.” The bed dips down and warm arms wrap around me. I lean against him, thankful that he is with me.
“What are you doing?”I ask, confused that he is hugging me and not running out the door, laces my voice.
He settles on the bed, chuckling softly.“Tonight? I’m sitting with my best girl and staring…” I laugh at his words and then lean further against him.
“I’m not staring, but I’m glad you’re here.”
The blonde makes a light sound again and turns on the bed. Both Mekhi and I move a little closer. I reach out, touching the hand that’s resting on top of the coverlet.
“You’re safe now. When you’re ready to wake, we’ll be here. You won’t be alone.”
Chapter 5
ARIANNA - 2025
Picking up my bag and keys, I scan the very untidy living room and smile. Mekhi, Lucy, and I decided that last night was “fashion show” night, and the evidence is chucked all over the place. With a laugh, I shout as I open the front door, “Tidy up, Mekhi. Lucy has been working since this morning, and I’m not home until late.”
Mekhi groans from under a pile of clothes before a shoe comes flying almost hitting me in the head “Hitch, I need my beauty sleep. Bitches go!”
Laughing again as I close the front door. I pull my coat tighter around my body; the night is cold, so I pick up my pace. Nights like tonight always give me the shivers; it’s almost like the darkness is watching me, waiting to snatch me up the first chance it gets. Walking around the corner, I slowly come to a stop, facing the entrance of the park, I stare for a few moments, taking in the small playground.
To the left side is a broken swing. There was going to be a skate park, but the work stopped for some reason. You can still see the holes that were dug. Some of the framework went up, butnothing else. It gives me the chills. There’s a pond next to one of the slides. It’s empty now and has been sincethatnight.
Pulling in a slow and steady breath, I step over the threshold and let my shoes sink into the wet grass. This is the park where I found Lucy five years ago, and I still can’t find it within myself to walk any further in than I am now. It’s almost like time has stopped, frozen by what happened that night. And just like me, the park can never move on.
That night almost feels like a dream. The only reason I know it wasn’t, is because the woman I found has now become one of my best friends. She moved in with Mekhi and me that very night. Lucy fit us both so perfectly that neither Mekhi nor I wanted her to go.
It was difficult for the first few nights, Lucy woke up scared, having nightmares that went on for weeks. The whole thing freaked Mekhi out. He kept a log of her activity in case sheactuallyturned out to be a killer. Mekhi refused to go anywhere near her. He had even moved out for two nights until “she beastie,” as he called her, wasn’t trying to stab him. The thought of it makes me laugh even now; she never tried to; she was just a little jumpy. But when she realized we wouldn’t hurt her, she settled in just fine. Lucy had no memory of what had happened to her or any of anything from before that night. Maybe one day she will remember, and these nightmares will be over. Until then, we will make sure she is safe.
A shiver runs over my body, and my head snaps up, my Wiccan powers coursing through my veins in warning, making my fingers tingle. I scan the park and just by the broken swing I see the outline of a man—he’s tall, maybe about 6ft 5in, his long blonde hair blowing around his face in the wind, his yellow eyes staring at me with intrigue, before they shift to red. He’s handsome, if you like your men of the daemon variety. Me? I want my men human.
Fisting my hands, I begin to whisper a vanishing spell, but before it’s out of my mouth, the daemon’s body starts to shake and fade, shimmering.
He must be one of the more powerful daemons; those are the ones that can move like that. I’ve seen many of them moving in and out of the club in the same way. Some fade, others pop like someone has clicked a finger. The more deadly and scary ones can shimmer.
We had to place wards around the club to prevent any daemon from entering. When we first opened it, it caused too many fights and deaths.
Daemons love a sneak attack.
Glancing around the park, trying to see if I can see him again, but he’s gone. “Who are you?” I say mutter to myself. My whole life, I’ve been around magic. Still, it’s not until recently that destructive daemons have been emerging from wherever they have been hiding.
Turning on my heels, I leave the park and head towards the club that Lucy and I own. After the first few months of getting Lucy settled in, we tried to find her a job, which was proving difficult to say the least. One thing Lucy didn’t like was being told what to do, so instead, we opened a club. I had money left over from my inheritance so I was able to buy it.
This isn’t your usual club. Ours is a place where daemons and humans can come together in peace and have some fun. Some humans like to be around daemons--I guess they like the danger of it. We have two rules: no fighting and no killing. This policy has led to our club often being the place where high-powered daemons and rival clans settle their arguments.
As I walk closer, I hear the pumping beat of the music, and it makes me smile. I love working there. Not only does it make me feel at home, but I love seeing how much everyone loves being there.
I walk past the end of the line of daemons and humans waiting to get in. A few wave at me, hoping to skip to the front, but that’s not my job. I leave that up to Manny—my head bouncer and scraper daemon is enormous; with thick arms and the biggest neck of pure muscle I’ve ever seen. But he has a kind face and deep orange eyes.
I reach the door and Manny grins at me. “Good evening, miss, how are you doing?” His voice is deep but always happy.
Looking up into his eyes, I smile. “I’m doing well. Any trouble?”
He laughs. “You already know the answer to that one.”
