Demon Heart (The Darkworld Series Book 3) (14 page)

Three hours later and I wondered if anyone actually planned on going into town. Someone had brought a stereo in and turned the sitting room into a rave; someone else vomited into a plant pot; and Howard and Berenice made out in the middle of the “dance floor” with no inhibition whatsoever.

I hadn’t anticipated how fast the vodka would affect me. It was cheap store-brand crap, and it went right to my head and made my legs forget how to stand. I ended up half lying in Leo’s lap, which he didn’t seem to mind.

“Wanna go get some air?” said Leo.

“Sure,” I said.

We stumbled over people on the way to the door. Leo grabbed my hand, swung me around, and kissed me so fast it left me breathless. Unsteady on my feet, I leant on him for support.

“Are you having a good time?” he slurred.

“Uh,” I said, my voice sounding odd. “Sure.”

Really, I’d rather be alone with him, not stuck at Howard’s, but my head buzzed too much for me to care.

He took my hand, pulled me down the hallway. “C’mon.”

I stumbled after him.
Hell, I’m drunk,
I thought, as the world spun.

He kissed me again, trailing kisses down my neck. My skin flared in response, and my fingers shook as I ran them through his hair.

An image flashed before my eyes. Leo no longer stood before me but slumped on the floor, blood pooling around him. My entire body went cold. I trembled, dropping to my knees.

Leo lay still, but as I inched closer, fighting all instinct, he moved, lifting his head. Violet demon eyes met my stare, and a cruel smile twisted his lips.

“Don’t get too close or you’ll get burned, Ashlyn.”

“Hey, you okay?” Leo’s voice broke through the vision.

The world righted itself, and a terrible pain shot through my head. I tried to say something, but my mouth had forgotten how to speak. Leo drifted in and out of focus. But he was alive. Not possessed. Not dead.

“You’re very drunk. Want me to take you home?”

“No,” I groaned, and kissed him.

Someone fell over us. It was Claudia, wild-eyed and dishevelled, but that barely registered. I just wanted Leo. I just wanted to hold him, to know he was alive.

“There you are,” said Claudia. “Someone got killed by a shadow-beast in Redthorne tonight.”

“Uh-huh,” said Leo, pulling me close to him again.

“Wait,” I said, the dull pain in my head receding. “Wait a sec. Um… shadow-beast?”

“Jesus. Yeah, a shadow-beast,” said Claudia. “It attacked her. Remember Dianne Lester?”

“Who?”

“She worked for the
venators.
She was a student. She’s dead.”

Dead.
That word had the equivalent effect of someone dousing me in water. Stark reality replaced the memory of the vision.

“Seriously?”

“Why would I lie about something like that?” She shook her head. “I think you should get home.”

Gradually her words worked their way through my mind. “Someone’s dead,” I repeated.

“Yes. I’m going home. I suggest you do the same. Redthorne’s not safe tonight.”

I staggered upright.

“Um, you should probably learn to handle your drink better. I know Leo’s a terrible influence, but still.” Claudia shook her head again.

I looked at Leo as she walked away. “Someone’s dead,” I said. He didn’t seem to be listening.

“Ash.” He stroked my face. “You’re beautiful. Ash.”

“Leo,” I said. “For God’s sake. Didn’t you hear a word she said? Someone got killed by a shadow-beast!”

“Not here?”

“No, in Redthorne!”

“Well, we’re safe, aren’t we?”

“Are you mad?” I pushed him away from me. “Don’t you care that someone’s dead, and the fortune-teller’s locked up underground, and we’re here getting pissed…”

That seemed to have more impact. “Of course I care.” He stood up from where he’d slouched against the wall. “Come on. We have to get you home.”

“I can walk by myself, thanks,” I said coldly as he tried to half lift me down the hallway. My mind reeled. What had that vision meant? The demon had tried to warn me off Leo―why? Was it a threat? The very idea of something happening to him turned my blood to ice.

Yet I shook with rage, not fear. It was the culmination of everything that had happened recently, from the near-fight in the library to the fortune-teller’s arrest, Howard nearly dying, the Venantium’s warning about Lucifer, and now the shadow-beasts moving in for the kill. The feeling constricted like a vise around my chest. If we hadn’t been pissing about, we might have been able to do something about it―we might have been able to save her.

Even though we knew no more than the Venantium about what was going on.

Tears spilled over before I could stop them. I didn’t even know who I cried for. Was it for the girl who’d just been killed or for the rest of us? The fortune-teller, imprisoned. Howard, lucky to be alive. Melivia Blackstone, who’d died to rid herself of a demon.

It all came down to the demons. And the sorcerers who summoned them.

“Ash?” Leo turned to face me. “Ash, what’s wrong?”

“Everything’s wrong,” I said. “Why is this happening?”

“Because there’s a load of dickheads in the world,” said Leo, pulling me into a tight hug. He seemed to have sobered up quickly. “There was nothing we could have done.”

There’s nothing the Venantium can do, either,
I thought. They’d predicted Lucifer’s return, but plainly they weren’t prepared at all.
And what about Jude?

I
certainly wasn’t prepared for my first hangover. It hit me like a jackhammer the instant I awoke from yet another dream of burning in the fire that destroyed the Blackstone family house. My head pounded, and I groaned and pulled my covers back over my head.

When I dozed off, I fell into another nightmare. This time I lay in the grave where Jude had tried to kill me, watching him summon fire to engulf my demon heart. But the pain somehow brought everything into focus.

It wasn’t Jude who burned me. It was Leo.

Horror ripped through me. Leo smiled sadly, conjuring another flame. I screamed as my demon heart flared up.

“Sorry, Ash. It’s your fault. You have to burn.”

I woke up drenched in sweat, the pendant searing my chest. I’d forgotten to take it off. Gasping, I tore it from my neck. It left a faint red mark on my skin.

Shuddering, I fell back onto the bed, too tired and sore even to think about the dream.

Too bad my subconscious wasn’t done with me yet.

I lay in the grave again, but this time the fortune-teller extended a hand to pull me out. I clambered up the earthy wall, hands shaking with some horrible foreboding.

Coffins lay all around me, open. I ran to the nearest. Claudia, eyes closed, unmoving. Next to her lay Cyrus. Howard. Berenice. Alex. Sarah. Cara.

And Leo stood in the centre, demon eyes shining.

“Sorry, Ash,” he said. “Looks like it’s just you and me. See, it isn’t fair that you get to survive when I’m just another pathetic human. It’s only fair that I get a dark side. Right?”

His face twisted into a smile. A flame danced in his hand, and he aimed it at the fortune-teller.

She didn’t even dodge. The flame consumed her, and she cried out as she burned. Horror choked me, and I dropped to my knees.
No. Stop
―
Leo
―

“Stop!”

Knocking brought me back to the waking world. Someone banged on my bedroom door.

“Wait a minute,” I muttered, sitting up. I pulled on my dressing gown and opened the door.

“You were yelling,” said Alex, blinking at me. “Jesus. Good party? You look like crap.”

“Thanks,” I said, rubbing my eyes.

“What’s up? Leo didn’t take advantage of you when you were drunk, did he?”

“No,” I shook my head hastily. “He’d never do that.”

“That’s good to know. Want to come watch a film later?”

I shrugged. “Might as well.”

“Okay, seriously, Ash. What’s with you?”

Alex’s stare wore me down. “Bad dream,” I relented.

“How bad? Like, apocalyptic?”

“Good word,” I said, forcing a smile. “All death and destruction. The works.”

“Neat. Write it down,” said Alex. “Best way to exorcise your demons.” She burst out laughing at the look on my face. “Now you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Nah, it’s just your face.”

“Very funny. I’m going to go write my essay and maybe die a little. See you in a couple of hours?”

“Sure,” I said.

Exorcise your demons. The irony.
I rested my head on the doorframe with a groan. Maybe I should text Leo, see if he was in any state to talk.

I fished my phone out of my bag and skimmed through my messages. None from Leo. There was a text from Cara, asking when I was next available to Skype, but I didn’t think talking to her would help take my mind off things any more than a movie night with Alex and Sarah. I sent Claudia a quick text asking her if she knew any more about what had happened last night.

No idea
, came the rather terse reply.

Was Jude involved?
I asked.

I don’t know. Meet me outside in 5?

Sure
, I texted back.

Claudia already waited in the hallway when I opened the flat door.

“It was just a bunch of shadow-beasts, same as the other night,” she said. “Whoever it is, they must be local. They’re attacking people just outside the barrier limits.”

“You know what we have to do,” I said. “We’ve got to set the fortune-teller free. She was the one who really kept everyone safe, even the Venantium. And she’s the only person who has any clue what’s going on.”

“I know,” Claudia said. “We’re going to have to do something about it. Maybe we should ask if they allow visitors. I can’t think of anything else.”

“Let’s go tomorrow,” I said.

“Sure thing. Just don’t get your hopes up. Have you heard from Leo?”

“No,” I said. “I don’t think he’s in any state to talk to today.”

“That figures.” She gave me an appraising look. “Was that the first time you’ve ever got really drunk?”

“Yep.” I grimaced. “Won’t be happening again.”

“That’s what they all say,” she said, with a half smile.

I rolled my eyes. “It was an accident, okay? Trust me. I shouldn’t have done it―not with the fortune-teller stuck down in the cells and us the only people who can help her.”

“You can’t take responsibility for everyone else’s lives,” said Claudia. “I know, I felt like that when I discovered what I can do. It’s why I considered working for the Venantium at first. The idea of saving people… But you can’t save them from themselves. You can’t stop them from deciding to meddle with demons. Leo knows that, too. Hell, his own mum did it, and it sent his dad crazy. You’ve seen him now. He’s barely human.”

I remembered Mr. Blake’s blank stare, his complete lack of any emotion.

“He’s become like them. Like the demons. He thinks it’s the only way to face them. He doesn’t get it at all. Cyrus and Leo know that, even if they can’t deal with it that well. They aren’t like him.”

“I know.” I felt tears inexplicably pricking at my eyes. “I just wish I knew what he was thinking. He doesn’t seem to care about
anything
…”

“Leo? I’m damned if he doesn’t care about
you
. You’re lucky.”

There was something wistful in her voice. I looked at her. “You’ve never met anyone? You know, another magic-user?”

“I wouldn’t date just anyone because they were a magic-user,” said Claudia. “There’s not much of a selection around here, is there, anyway? Just people like David.”

“Weren’t you manipulating him into giving you information?”

“Unfortunately, he saw through me.” She pulled a face. “And Cyrus is leaving soon. Says he’s going travelling.”

“Oh yeah,” I said.

“He never had any intention of joining the Venantium. I think he wants to get away from here. I’m kinda jealous. Wish I could afford to see the world.”

“Same here,” I said. “But… well, I mean, there are demons everywhere, right?”

“Yeah, but you can’t let that keep you down. There’s crap enough in the world with nothing to do with the Darkworld.”

“True,” I said.

“I’d love to see somewhere new. Guess I should have picked a university with a study-abroad programme.”

“You picked Blackstone because of the Venantium, right?”

Her forehead creased in a frown. “I guess. My parents both came here, but they never forced me to do the same.” She rubbed her head, like it hurt. “I don’t know. It was the only place I got in, anyway. All my other university choices turned me down because of my shitty grades.”

I felt an odd shiver of foreboding, like there was something I was supposed to have done, something I’d forgotten. I unconsciously reached for the pendant and remembered I’d left it in my room. For some reason, that made me feel even more uneasy.

“Anyway, travelling is definitely on the cards.”

“Same,” I said. Much as I liked university―minus all the people who’d tried to kill me―I couldn’t imagine staying here in the middle of nowhere forever. Maybe that was my problem. I felt trapped, hemmed in by the Darkworld.