All The Wrong Signs

That night I could barely sleep. There was just something about having a demon in your bed that made you not sleepy anymore. I still didn’t fear him. Now I found myself worried about him.

He was asleep. Even in the dark room, I could see the rise and fall of his chest from the light that trickled in through my curtains. It was peaceful watching him sleep. There were no red eyes glaring at me. No angry snaps. He was just there.

Collin had always slept facing away from me unless he wanted something from me. Blaze had started off on his back, but eventually ended up on his side, facing me.

My bed was only a queen, so there wasn’t that much space separating us. Some crazy part of me was tempted to scoot closer to him, to snuggle into his warmth. But I wouldn’t.

I couldn’t.

That I was even considering snuggling with a demon let me know I was lacking affection. While I had fooled myself into thinking that I had been happy with Collin, the fact was even he had neglected me. Sex with him had been more like a chore, something we did because it was expected.

What would sex would Blaze be like?

Feeling my face turn red, I turned away from him, facing the wall. I shouldn’t be thinking thoughts like that. Especially about a demon who had already told me he was more than ready to leave me.

Adjusting in the bed, I froze when I heard Blaze. “Get still.”

I jumped at hearing his voice. “I can’t sleep.” I finally admitted after a moment.

“Try closing your eyes,” he said.

I frowned, trying to decide how to respond to that when he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me up against his chest. My entire body went stiff. I didn’t know what to do.

“Relax,” he said sleepily. “I told you I won’t touch you until you beg me to.”

“Then what do you call this?” I asked.

“I’m going to sleep. I don’t know what you are doing.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. Blaze’s arm was around my waist. His hand on my stomach, holding me against him. My body relaxed, enjoying the heat of his body.

Was this part of our connection? Was he obligated to take care of me?

I was certain I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not with his arm wrapped around me. His breath at the back of my neck. It should have been impossible.

Only it wasn’t.

The next morning, I awoke earlier than normal. Rolling over, I stretched my hand out, feeling the empty bed where Blaze had lain earlier. How long had he been gone?

Getting up, I headed down the hall in search of Blaze. I found him and both of my dogs in the living room. He was at my desk, typing on my computer at an unnaturally fast speed. Luna and Shadow lay at his feet.

Walking up behind him, I had to stop myself from resting my hands on his shoulder to peek over and see what he was doing. Stepping to the side, I saw that not only were his fingers moving unnaturally fast, the screen looked like he was hacking into something.

“What are you doing?” I asked when it was clear that he wasn’t going to explain himself.

Blaze turned, glancing at me, his fingers never slowing on the keyboard. “The Wumbert name disappeared in the late 1800’a. It wasn’t until the 1920’s that the name popped back up in New York. I don’t think that my prison is in the Americas, but I think that the American Wumberts can lead me to Kyler.”

“What are you going to do when you find him?”

Blaze’s fingers stilled. “I don’t know yet. I’m hoping I can follow him and find out where my prison is. If I can somehow destroy the sigil that keeps me enslaved their he can’t call me back. He doesn’t know my name.” He looked up at me, “you are the only human who knows my name, so if it gets out, I will know you yet again betrayed me.”

My jaw fell. “I’m the one who refused to write down your name because I don’t want to be responsible for it getting out. Why don’t you trust me?”

“What is there to trust?” Blaze snorted. “I don’t need to trust you. I just need you not to send me back until I figure this out.”

Angered at his dismissive attitude, I crossed my arms in defense. “That’s not really my problem, is it?”

Blaze laughed. “You want me to sweet talk you? Beg you not to send me back?”

I looked down at him. “Why do you make everything a fight? I told you I don’t want to fight with you. I want to help you, but you…”

“Then leave me the fuck alone, Riley. That is all I need from you. Leave me alone.”

Tears escaped my eyes, and I hated myself for it. I wanted to yell at him. Scream at him. Maybe even through something. But it wasn’t who I was. Turning, I went to walk away from him but before I could get out of his arm reach, he reached out grabbing my arm.

My first reaction was to jerk my arm from him and run. I didn’t get very far, before I felt my feet lift from the ground as his arms wrapped around me, picking me up off of the ground. “Easy, little witch,” he whispered in my ear.

I swung my elbows at him, trying to break free, but his hold was too strong. The only thing I managed to do was turn around to face him. We were pressed chest to chest and I could feel the panic in me building. I needed to get away from him. I needed to think. I needed to process.

Out of anger and panic, I tried to shove against Blaze again. It was like pushing against a brick wall. He wasn’t budging. “Let me go,” I pleaded, looking up at him.

Blaze loosened his hold on me, but still refused to let me go. “I’m not him, little witch. I won’t hurt you.”

At Blaze’s words, I lost it. I wasn’t even sure why his words had upset me so much. Maybe it was because I felt alone. I felt lost. I had no-one. My sister Hollie was all I had left, and she had her own life, her own problems. Lakyn, while she had been a good friend, I didn’t really know her.

I don’t know when Blaze had pulled me into his arms, or if I had leaned in to him. But I soon found myself crying into his chest. Blaze had his arms around me, whispering something into my ear, calming me down.

I wish I understood his language. It was foreign, beautiful, and forbidden.

My head lay against Blaze’s chest and although I knew I needed to stand up straight and get away from him, I had no desire to. He had somehow become my safety net, and it was important to me he listen to me. That he understand me.

“I didn’t send you away Blaze,” I said, looking up at him.

He sighed, “I know you didn’t. I was just pissed off at the whole situation and took it out on you.”

I never really thought I’d get an apology from a demon. Looking up at him, I wondered if he was really evil or if demons were misunderstood. Just because you had bad people in the world didn’t mean all of us were bad. Was it the same with demons?

Blaze’s eyes moved up over my head, staring into the kitchen. “Someone is at your door.” Not even a full second later, my doorbell sounded.

As Blaze’s arms unwrapped from around me, I felt the loss immediately. At that moment, I didn’t care who was at my door. I just wanted to be back in his arms. I wanted to feel the warmth and comfort that only he could offer.

Instead of just standing there awkwardly, I turned to my door. I wasn’t worried that it was Collin. I had a feeling Blaze would be able to pick up on him. Without even looking through my peephole, I opened the door.

“Lakyn,” I said, confused.

“Hey,” she said, looking down. “I just wanted to come apologize to you in person. I’m sorry Riley. I didn’t think you’d get so upset.”

I really did not know what to say to her, with Blaze standing right behind me. If I told her it was ok, I was afraid he would get mad all over again. That was something I was not prepared to go through again.

“Have you been crying?” Riley asked, looking worried. “Are you ok?”

That was the question, wasn’t it?

The answer was no. No. I wasn’t, and I hadn’t been in a very long time. But I couldn’t tell her that. I couldn’t tell anyone that.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I lied. “You know how it gets sometimes.”

Lakyn looked at me, unconvinced. “Do you want to maybe go eat breakfast with me? I can wait while you get ready.”

My mouth was set to say no, but Blaze stopped me, grabbing me around my waist and walking up so close to me that his body was pressed against mine. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear. “Go eat, little witch. I will be here when you return.”

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Umm yeah. Sure. Come on in.”

Blaze released me as I stood to the side so that Lakyn could walk in. As she walked, she turned her head from left to right as if she was looking for something, or someone. Did she think I had lied to her about Blaze being gone? Maybe she thought that was why I was acting weird.

I waited for her to ask about him, but when she didn’t, I lead her to the living room. “You can turn the tv on if you want. I’ll just be a minute.”

Turning to walk down the hall, I expected Blaze to stay in the living room and stand guard over Lakyn. I was surprised to find him following me to my room. Did he want to talk to me, or was he just guarding his sigil from her impulsive attacks?

Shutting my room door, I turned to face him. “I really don’t want to go.”

Blaze studied me. “You can’t stay locked up in this house forever, Riley. Plus, you need to eat. I need you to eat.”

I nodded, turning to pull a pair of jeans out of my dresser. Was I supposed to change here in front of him? I wasn’t an overly modest person, but I’d never changed in front of someone I barely knew.

Without trying to overthink it, I pulled my pj shorts off, quickly shimming into my jeans. Digging for a shirt, I looked over my shoulder. “I thought you didn’t like Lakyn.”

“I don’t,” he said simply, watching as I pulled on a t-shirt. “But I don’t think she wishes you any ill will.”

He walked forward, grabbing my hand. “You protect this as if it was your own life.”

I nodded, looking up at him. “I don’t want to go.”

It was true. I didn’t. But it wasn’t for the reason he’d assume. I didn’t want to leave him. I didn’t want to come back and find him cold again. This version of him made me feel safe.

Blaze reached out, moving my hair out of my eyes and behind my ear. “All you have to do is call me if you need me, little witch.”

“Blaze…”

He lifted a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Do not tell her I’m back. Find out more about her for me. Something with her just doesn’t sit right with me.”

I opened my mouth to ask him more questions, but he shook his head. “You only have to call Riley.”

Before I could stop myself, I threw myself into his arms. I was prepared for the sting of his rejection, so when his arms wrapped around me, I let out a sigh of relief.

He was what I had been missing my whole life, and it hurt to know he was only a temporary figure placed here by complete accident.