CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

 

 

“Such a shame he couldn’t disintegrate like a vampire does when he dies,” I quipped. Yes, I made jokes when I was nervous. And right then, my nerves were beyond frayed. I stared in both consternation and horror at the dead body of the incubus. “That is what happens when vampires die, right?” I turned to Alex for confirmation. He tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile.

“Yes, it is. Am I going to be your living, breathing Google for monsters?”

“Probably. Wait, is that offensive?”

“Not in the least, Catherine. I’m not a delicate flower.”

I laughed, pleased to note it was only slightly hysterical, and then sobered quickly. “We’d better call the police.”

“That seems the practical thing to do.”

“Or do we need to call the other…group…you mentioned?”

“That’s not necessary now,” he answered without explanation.

I guess we’d deal with that later. I focused on the issue of the dead body. “How are we going to explain this? Even though he’s the killer, there’s still only circumstantial evidence that he is. And our word. Against the dead guy on the floor. Do you see where I’m going?”

Momma slunk out of the bedroom and approached the dead incubus. She sniffed at him, hissed and took a swipe at his head. Satisfied the beast was dead, she meowed up at the two of us and then padded softly back into the bedroom. I assumed I’d find her later, either under the bedspread or under the bed itself. Alex and I faced each other.

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured me.

I hesitated.

“I promise it’ll be okay, Catherine.”

“Okay. I trust you.” I grabbed my phone off the dining room table and unlocked it to call 9-1-1. Alex put his hand on mine.

“Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” With the threat of Michael gone, I found my about Alex returning. “I’m angry that you lied to me. My instincts tell me what you said earlier tonight was the truth. That you…amplified…a little at the audition and then accidentally entered my dream that night. And you haven’t done either since. I know that. But…”

He smiled. “Trust your instincts.”

My return smile was a ghost of his. “I don’t know whether to believe my feelings.”

“You can. I promise that after that first day—”

“I know.” And I did. Completely. I smiled then.

He frowned.

“Why are you frowning?”

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth about your abilities?”

I dug my foot into the floor, looked anywhere except at him, while I gathered my thoughts. “It’s something I’m still coming to grips with.”

“Have you always been an empath?”

Tears flowed from my eyes at his simple question and he reached for me before pulling back. “I’m sorry. What did I say?”

I shook my head, waited for the tears to pause. I had to spit the words out. “After my mother came back into our lives, my father and I shared her.”

“Like shared custody?”

A small smile flitted on my lips. “Something like that. I had recently graduated high school. The next few years were bliss. There had been such a hole in our lives after my mother died, that getting her back, even in such a peculiar way, made us whole again. On the night of my 21^st birthday, while out celebrating with friends, I started having these weird impressions when I talked with people. I chalked it up to mild inebriation. It didn’t stop. If anything, it became stronger. Everything people said triggered a truth or deception response in my brain. I tried to ignore it, but it was tough. I thought I was going crazy. Then one day, while visiting my father, he had a coughing fit. I asked him if he was okay. When he said yes, it pinged as a lie. I dismissed it. Six months later he was dead. Lung cancer.”

I tensed when Alex wrapped his arms around me, and then I relaxed. He rested his chin on the top of my head. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured.

“Thank you. I never challenged him. Maybe if I had, he would still be alive.” My voice cracked on the last word.

Alex pulled back, used the pad of his thumb to wipe the tears from my cheek. “Catherine, you are not responsible for your father’s death. If he lied to you, he knew what was going on. What could you have done to make things different?”

Tears fell faster and my voice dropped. “I don’t know what treatment he was getting, if any. Maybe he thought with my mother back, I’d be okay. He never recovered from her death, even when she returned.”

“Oh, honey, this is not your fault. Do you think your father would want you living like this?”

I shook my head. “No. He wouldn’t.” I inhaled deeply and let out a trembling breath. “And that’s why I’ve tried to pay attention to my gift. Not dismiss it. But I did anyway.” This last said harshly as I ripped myself from his arms and turned to look out the windows on the city below. “I knew you were hiding something and rather than push it, I ignored it. And you used me.”

Alex put his hands on my shoulders from behind. I stiffened and he released me, though didn’t move away. “I know.”

I closed my eyes, let the hurt wash over me.

“If I could go back and change it, I would. I don’t know what compelled me to even try. I haven’t gone into someone’s dreams since the beginning, even accidentally. I…” he stopped.

I glanced over my shoulder at his head hung in shame. The rest of my body turned and I faced him. “Look at me.” The expression of hope in his eyes floored me. “Do you genuinely want a relationship with me?”

“Yes.”

The truth of his simple answer filled me with such lightness. A smile burst onto my face and I threw my arms around him. He responded eagerly.

“We’ll figure this out as we go,” he promised me and I knew he was telling the truth.

And then I remembered the dead body. With a sigh, I disengaged and pointed at Michael.

“Oh yeah,” Alex muttered. “I forgot about him.”

I giggled and then bit my lower lip. “Actually, I have another question.”

He watched me warily. “Yes?”

“Earlier, I could have sworn I saw the demon beneath his human mask. Was that my overactive imagination?”

Alex’s eyes widened at my observation. “You saw that?”

“It was real?”

He shook his head ruefully. “Yes, unfortunately. Humanoid demons are interesting. They have human form but the demon soul can sometimes become visible.”

I felt the blood rush from my head. “Do you—?”

Alex laughed loudly. “Thank goodness, no. With a half-incubus, my demon essence is just that. Essence. It does not have a physical manifestation at all. At all,” he repeated for emphasis.

I sighed in relief. “Okay good. Wanted to make sure you weren’t gonna grow devil horns at some point.”

Alex caressed my cheek. “No, I’m not.” He glanced at Michael’s inert body. “Guess it’s time to call 9-1-1.”