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“Rise and shine, sunshine,” a male voice sings.
I wake up in a daze and find Kade standing over me with a plate of bacon and eggs. I sit up and take them from him hastily, starving. I can’t even recall the last time I ate. As I devour the food, everything comes back in pieces until I remember everything.
“Did you find anything?” I ask finally after inhaling an entire plate of eggs in a matter of a handful of seconds.
“I did actually. I don’t know how to tell you this but there is almost nothing about them in the police record system,” he explains.
“What does that mean?” I ask through a mouthful of bacon.
He thinks about his answer before sharing it. “Those aren’t their real names.”
I pause, the bacon halfway to my mouth. “What? Are you positive? Why would they lie about their names?”
“That’s what I wondered, but there was something on Jane’s file that was marked. Jane’s fingerprint was an exact match to a woman from Houston, Texas who went missing seven years ago. Jane and this woman Tina are the same physical person,” Kade lays out.
I find myself shaking my head. “I get the feeling that this isn’t all you found out.”
He sneaks a piece of bacon from my plate and chews a chunk off it before replying. “Tina had terminal cancer, three weeks to live when she went missing. There was no way she’d have lived seven years.”
“What are you saying?” I push, not understanding.
“Tina and Jane had the same body, but I don’t think they were the same people. I think whoever Jane is, possessed Tina’s body. I think Jane is some sort of being that can possess other bodies.”
I gape. “Jane was not supernatural in any way. She was completely human. Trust me. I’d know if my best friend wasn’t human.”
Kade gazes at me as if he’s not sure he believes me which rubs me the wrong way. He can’t honestly think that I’m that oblivious, can he? I find myself scowling. Heat floods my cheeks and my head feels as if it could explode.
“If the existence of supernaturals was such an obvious thing, wouldn’t humans know about us?” he murmurs and taps his index finger lightly on the wall behind him as he leans against it.
I get up from my bed and snatch up the last bacon piece, pointing it at him erratically as I simmer. “You have a valid point but I’m just not sure I believe it. I knew Jane. I did almost everything with her until recently. I would’ve known.”
Kade remains quiet as I poke the greasy bacon toward his chest.
We’re interrupted by my cell phone ringing. I lower the bacon back onto the plate and snatch my phone from the bedside table. It’s Darrel. Without hesitating I answer. “Hello?”
“Hey, May, sorry about yesterday. I’m just shocked and you know...it’s all just crazy,” he mutters and places a ragged sigh at the end.
It takes me a minute to get words out. “Oh...hey, no problem. I’m still in shock too. I can’t believe it.”
“Can we meet up? Soon. I’m actually only a couple blocks away. Would you mind if I stopped over? I just need someone to talk to. Someone who knows what I’m going through.”
I don’t hesitate. “Yeah, of course come right over.”
Kade’s head snaps up from the spot on the floor he was inspecting, his eyes widening as he turns his attention to me.
“See you in a few.” Once I place the phone back down onto the nightstand, Kade stands up straight and struts out of the bedroom so fast I barely seem him move.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demand. “Don’t scare me like that. I’m not used to light speed.” I follow him out of the room.
Kade rifles through his small but slowly growing duffel bag and pulls out two long leather objects. I watch as lifts his pant leg and straps one of the objects to his calf and then stands and shoves the second into his pocket. I realize that they’re weapons, and I can’t help but glare daggers at him.
“Do you really need two knives or whatever those are? Darrel is harmless,” I reiterate for the last time.
“First off, he’s far from harmless. I’m rather convinced he and Jane are some sort of demons,” Kade rattles off as he throws his duffle into the porch closet. “Second, I have a lot more weapons on me than a measly two knives, May. Those two were just extras. You can never be too prepared for a demon fight.”
I gape. “Demon? You think my friends are demons? Are you insane?” As I speak the words I find myself off put. Demons. Demons exist too? Oh, hell. Why wouldn’t they? Why am I surprised by this?
“Yes to the first question. Maybe to the second,” he mutters in a grumble and starts opening cupboards in the kitchen.
“Well if they were both demons, wouldn’t I be dead? Aren’t demons scary, bloodthirsty monsters from hell or something? I’m not religious but I know a thing or two.”
“Where’s your salt?” he demands in a whisper.
“Having a hankering for sodium? You’re warm,” I tease. He moves to the left quickly opening another cupboard and digging through it. “Colder. Freezing now.”
“Where is it, May?!” he growls.
“You’re no fun. It’s on the stove. Right in front of your nose.”
He clutches the shaker and takes off to the bedroom at lightning speed. “You’re not dead because they must want something from you. How is it that your family has gotten so wrapped up in this and you don’t even have a clue about it?”
“My family? What happened to Daniel was an accident.”
“Yes, but what happened to your parents wasn’t,” he snarls.
I freeze. “What?”
He stops and slowly looks up to the roof, his back to me. “Demons stalk the Bryxx border. Every once in a while, they get bored or tired of waiting for Bryxx, so they harass or kill humans. You grew up on that border. You said yourself that your parents were religious. They probably believed in demons. If you believe in them, you can see them and they can hurt you. Even if you don’t believe in them fully, they can subconsciously drive you towards insanity. They probably killed your dad and lots of your family before that. They probably drove your mom to insanity.”
I have no idea what to say or think. “The demons are what you wouldn’t tell me about a few nights ago.”
He nods and then slowly turns to face me.
“What changed?” I ask in confusion. How much worse can this possibly get?
“You deserve to know what you’re in for. I have a really bad feeling about all of this. I put salt down here if things go south, get into this bed room. Demons can’t pass over lines of pure salt.” Kade suddenly has his index finger pressed to his lips. I follow his instruction and keep quiet. A few moments later there is a knock at the door.
I’m surprised when Kade lets me open the door. Of course, it’s Darrel, looking debonair as always in a suit. “May, it’s good to see you.” He stops a few steps after the door frame when he spots Kade seated at the kitchen table. “Who’s your friend?”
“I’m Kade. Who are you?” Kade mutters in a grumble.
Darrel takes a step towards me and embraces me in a hug. In the corner of my eye I notice Kade stiffen uncomfortably.
Darrel turns back to face Kade. “Darrel.”
The two men stare at each other for a long second before I break the tense situation by speaking up. “Darrel, Kade is my temporary roommate, a friend of the family.” It’s not exactly a lie, is it? Well, I wouldn’t say Daniel and Kade are friends exactly, but this is the first thing that comes to mind.
Darrel continues to study Kade and vice versa.
“Kade, Darrel was Jane’s boyfriend,” I explain, knowing he’s already well aware of this.
The following silence is unbearable as they study one another.
“Darrell, has a date been set for Janes funeral?” I ask seriously and begin mixing some punch in the kitchen.
It takes a moment for Darrel to pull himself from his staring contest with Kade and answer me. “She didn’t want a funeral so there won’t be one. She’s being cremated.”
I stop stirring the juice and glance at him in disbelief. Jane not wanting a funeral? Not one part of me believes this for a second.
“Where are you from?” Kade asks Darrel, interrupting our conversation and leaving me to stew in my thoughts. Jane was the most extroverted, outgoing, attention seeking woman I knew. How could she have not wanted a funeral?
Darrel clears his throat. “A small town in Minnesota.”
“Oh, I’m familiar with Minnesota. Which town?” Kade wonders. I know exactly what he’s up to. He’s comparing Darrel’s answers with the information he found on him and received on his fake police investigation call, which wasn’t too much.
“Oh, it’s called–wow I love the colour of those...” Darrel trails off pretending to become distracted by my blinds. This sends warning bells blaring in my head. The last thing Darrel cares about is home decor. I could blame this strange behavior on his loss, but something is off about that as well. He really doesn’t seem as sad or grieving as he should be in this situation.
Kade gives me a dubious look before looking back at Darrel. “What was the population?”
“The town was pretty small about 400 people so not many people have heard of it. You wouldn’t know it.”
“Try me,” Kade tests him.
Darrel leans on the counter next to me. “Cheyenne.”
Kade cocks a brow and taps his fingers on his chin lightly. “I swear your police report said you were from Alabama.”
Darrel’s jaw slackens.
“Oh, I’m a cop. I was on Jane’s case a few hours before I was pulled off of it due to conflicts of interest, seeing as May and Jane were close.”
Darrel purses his lips before managing to say, “Oh, well I was born in Cheyenne but raised in Alabama.”
Kade smiles. “Who are you really, Darrel? Where’s Jane?”
Darrel flinches and stands up straight from his position at the counter.
Kade nears us.
“Jane is dead, you asshole. Who do you think you are?” Darrel suddenly snaps. I’m super good at reading people and I can tell that Darrel is panicking. He’s been clearly caught in a lie, one he wasn’t so good at hiding. How didn’t I see through him before? Maybe because I wasn’t looking for a flaw in his story.
Kade chuckles. “Her host is dead. I know Jane isn’t human and neither are you. Now you’re going to explain yourself, explain everything and maybe I won’t kill you for good.”
Darrel’s eyes enlarge to the size of saucers and he nods quickly. “Yeah okay uh...so yeah, I lied. I didn’t kill Jane, though, I swear. I didn’t hurt her either. She’s okay. She’s just out of town. I’d never hurt Jane.”
“What do you two want from May. Start there,” Kade demands in an impatient tone.
Darrel nods quickly. “Yeah, sure. Uh...okay, so we don’t really want anything from her, though. We’re just doing our job. We were told to protect her with our lives, but then these vampires came out of nowhere the other night. Like I mean nowhere and tore up Jane really badly. I got out of there while I was only scuffed up. They tore up Jane’s body so bad she had to leave it and go in search of another.”
“Who are you protecting her from exactly and who sent you?”
“We aren’t privy to that information and no one’s tried to attack us before. Well, not until those vampires came.”
“You’re young,” Kade mutters. It’s not a question.
“Yes, sir, this is my first job and Jane’s second.”
I can’t get any words out, so I just slump into the counter behind me, so I don’t collapse.
Kade nods slowly. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“I overheard someone at our last meeting say that May’s father requested she be kept in the dark about everything for as long as possible. I don’t know what that means but that’s all I know really. Oh, and we were instructed not to follow her to Montana. Which was odd because they usually don’t let us let her out of our sight. We’re never more than a few hundred feet away from her at all times. We’ve been watching you come and go from here. Jane said you were a family friend of hers. We were concerned of course, but she seemed fine and you never seemed to want to kill her so we kept our distance.”
Kade shakes his head. “You could get killed for not following orders and not protecting her. What if I were a vampire or one of the people you’re supposed to protect her from?”
Darrel groans. “I know. Report me, Jesus. I don’t always follow rules, okay? Look, she’s fine. I care about her, alright? I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. If I thought she were in danger, then I’d be at her side doing my job, but nothing has even tried to get her in seven years. She’s fine.”
“The vampires attacking you weren’t a sign that maybe you should be watching her more closely?” Kade sounds absolutely pissed off.
Darrel groans again. “No, man, I’m pretty sure they were after Jane and me. You know, just trying to rattle us. They just came in and tried to kill us, didn’t ask anything about May at all. May is our friend, if we thought she was in danger, we’d be watching her closer.”
“Why would you want to be friends with a human? That’s not your way,” Kade hisses.
Darrel glances to me then away from me quickly. “May is more important to us than our own lives.”
Kade sighs deeply. “I want to say that I don’t believe you, but my gut is telling me you’re being honest. Mostly because I’ve established that you’re not very good at lying.”
“Hey, May never suspected a thing, did she?” Darrel rebuts.
Kade changes the subject. “So Where is Jane right now?” Kade rubs his temples.
“Waiting for some girl in the cancer ward to die so she can take their body,” he answers as if this is perfectly normal.
Kade cocks a brow. “Why does she need to die first? I’ve seen demons possess many living beings.”
Darrel stiffens. “Not all demons are psychotic, uncaring assholes you know, guy.”
Kade appears about to argue but instead changes the subject again. “And you have no idea why May needs protected?”
Darrel shakes his head and shrugs. “Nope. Not a clue. We’re just following orders. Why do you get to ask all the questions, guy?”
I finally get annoyed enough that I snap out of my daze. I really have to stop doing that. “His name is Kade, Darrel.”
The boys both look at me as though they forgot I was even here.
“Guy, what questions could you possibly have about any of this?” Kade asks with clear snark.
Darrel ignores him. “All this time, we worked to keep this secret from her and now I find out she knows about demons? That would’ve been fricken awesome to know. I hate this damn body. Look at my hair?” Darrel ruffles his brown locks. “It’s so gross and greasy. Humans are so ick. No offence.”
“I just found out about demons today actually,” I answer vaguely and pour myself some punch. “A few minutes ago.”
“And you’re not the slightest bit freaked out?” Darrel asks dubiously and grabs an empty glass I set out on the counter and pours himself a glass as well. He pokes my arm and scowl at him. “I always thought you’d have a mental breakdown if you ever found out.”
Kade answers for me. “She’s known about the Bryxx for a few weeks, so it wasn’t a huge shocker.”
“Did you tell me that if I didn’t know about them they couldn’t hurt me, and I couldn’t see them? I can see him.” I recall. “I’ve been able to see him for years.”
Darrel answers for Kade, I see Kade purse his lips in frustration. “Yeah that’s true but only when we’re in our true forms. While we’re possessing a body, that doesn’t work. As for the hurting you thing, we only have access to the abilities that the body were in can use. As I’m in a human body, I’m pretty much just human. If I were in a Bryxx body, then I’d be faster and stronger and all that.”
“If you’re supposed to protecting her, shouldn’t you be in a stronger body?” Kade asks. “You are so incompetent. How did you even get this job?”
Darrel shrugs. “Again, I’m just following orders. If needed, I could always jump out of my meat suit. Not the end of the world. As for how I got this job, that I’m not really sure. My uncle probably put in a good word for me. He’s high up somewhere.”
“That makes no sense unless whatever you’re protecting her from can’t sense what you are in a human body.” Kade shakes his head and crosses his arms.
Darrel chuckles. “Well the only thing that would be is a vampire obviously.”
Kade clenches his jaw and nods. “A vampire. Why would a vampire be after her, though? That makes no sense.”
“The only thing those leeches want is blood. That’s all they care about,” Darrel growls. “Those little bastards are a pain in my ass. A pain in everyone’s really. I’m not sure why we don’t just get rid of them all.”
I can’t help but have flashbacks of my encounters with vampires. They’re definitely not very friendly.
An awkward silence fills the air for longer than necessary before Kade shrugs. “I have nothing. My inference is that something about her blood must be special but that’s all I have.”
“Me too,” Darrel agrees. “Hey, what are you anyway? Obviously not a demon the way you bash us, you Bryxx?”
Kade nods slightly, his expression emotionless. “You can’t tell?”
“Nah, too young. What are you doing out here? Don’t you guys travel in packs or something? I’ve never run into a Bryxx thank god, but that’s what I’ve heard.”
Kade rolls his eyes. “I got kicked out. They think I killed someone.”
Darrel stiffens. “Why would they think that?”
“I’ve been under suspicion or watch I guess for a few years after an altercation and this murder has a lot of evidence that corresponds with that altercation and so I was first to be accused, and since I didn’t have an alibi, and I wasn’t working where I was supposed to during the murder, I was accused.”
“But you didn’t do it?” Darrel asks, his eyes turning into slits.
Kade growls in his chest. “Of course, I didn’t.”
“So, uh, are you going to kill me? Isn’t that what Bryxx do? Kill us,” Darrel sputters, all his anxiety coming out at once.
Kade heaves a sigh of annoyance. “No. You mean no harm, keep an eye on May and I will, too. You don’t need to be by her side all the time because I will be. But if I need back up, you better be close. You’re a harmless, sad excuse for a demon, kid. You’ve been around her for seven years and not hurt her so be glad I’m not feeling like killing you today.”
Darrel nods once, and I watch as he slowly approaches the front door. He’s making his escape.
“Thanks for stopping by, Darrel,” I mutter and take a sip of my juice.
He nods once. “I’ll be around.”