Felize Navidad began, following an advertisement for a pancake dinner at the firehouse that evening. This information barely registered with Drew as he attempted to process what he’d just witnessed. The illusion had popped, the wool freed from his eyes, and now Drew saw Artem for what he truly was, the demon he’d been born. And it disturbed Drew, the way Artem was able to control that man, prompting him to walk out in front of a moving vehicle. At present he should have whisked them away from the scene before someone pointed a finger in their direction, but his hands were shaking and he questioned his ability to drive.
A glance at Artem revealed him to be sitting there like a chastised child, having adopted his favorite pose; hands in his lap, head down. There was a stab of guilt as Drew realized how he must have reminded Artem of the troubles the demon faced back home.
Drew closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, composing himself. “Please explain to me what I just saw.”
“He wanted to hurt her,” Artem spoke, practically whispering. “All these nasty thoughts running through his head…He’s what you call a bad apple. Some people are too far gone, too tainted to be saved by the good graces of another. There had to be a way to stop him and I figured…” He shrugged. When he looked at Drew it was with wide, imploring eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”
Drew let it sink in, seeing what Artem said as being plausible. It was evident throughout history, people who saw the world covered in blood and mayhem, their intentions running decidedly toward devilish. Still…
“Is what you did how demons operate on a regular basis?”
“Yes, in a way. Only my brothers and sisters would have egged him on, encouraged him to hurt her and make sure he did, thus dooming himself for all eternity.” As an afterthought Artem added, “Having seen his aura I can definitely say he’s got an unpleasant afterlife.”
Auras, Artem could see auras; Drew was tempted to ask what his looked like. Instead, he focused on the setting of his moral compass. What Artem did, influencing the guy, getting into his mind, it was agreeable wrong. However, it was a fine line for sure, considering if what Artem said was true, and had the demon lied to him yet?
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay. I guess what you did back there is…a good thing, especially since it prevented him from victimizing someone. Just…next time let me in on it, okay?” What the heck was he saying, next time? How long did he plan on keeping Artem around?
Granted, after their little shopping trip, and before the incident, Drew found he enjoyed the demon’s company. What that said about him was worth pondering at a later time. For now, he wanted to drop off their purchases, then return home so they could discuss what Artem planned to do next. Was he going to return to the place from which he came—Drew had a hard time of thinking of it as the mythical Hell. Then again, there was a demon riding shotgun in his sedan.
Pulling out of the parking lot, Drew tightened his hold on the steering wheel. At this point it was safe to say his world had been turned upside down. There was a whole new list of possibilities and things to question. What else was lurking in the shadows or right under his nose? Drew wanted to ask Artem.
Then again, did he truly want to know what horrors might be waiting?
“I’m sorry,” apologized Artem. He sniffled. “Seems I’m always doing the wrong thing. I can’t get being a demon right and then when I do, I somehow don’t.”
“We’ll figure this out,” Drew said, more for his benefit than Artem’s.
Quite unexpectedly, Artem plastered himself to the passenger window, hands framing his face as he looked out at the park. “That looks like fun. What are they doing? Can we do that, too?”
Leaning forward to see around him, having pulled up to the curb, Drew spied a handful of people out on the lake. The city always waited until the ice reached the optimal thickness to avoid any and all potential hazards, then they set up shop renting out skates. Drew figured there were about ten people going in circles, and one overly fancy show off.
Artem stared at him with childlike glee, eyes sparkling, and Drew melted a little more, the incident with the criminal easing from his mind.
“Okay, let’s give it a shot.” Something told him the demon had little to no experience when it came to ice. Things could get interesting. Besides, it put off the needed conversation, pushing it back again.