Jolene

He’s not human, that’s for sure. No one can move like that, as fast as the speed of light. Not to mention his color-shifting eyes and those horns. Now that I’ve gotten a closer look, there’s no way they’re fake.

Outside, I may seem perfectly fine, but I’m hanging on by a thread. It’s too much! The snake-headed things, the pictures in the book, my loss of magic, and now being taken away from my life by a horned guy with super strength and speed far beyond a human's capabilities. I feel like I’m going crazy or this is all a really vivid nightmare.

Checking the tub for dead bodies. I breathe a sigh of relief to find it empty. The motel is depressing. It’s the size of a cave, and the bed probably has more miles per hour than a taxi. I should have picked the floor. It looks cleaner. Speaking of cleanliness, I glimpse myself in the mirror and cringe. My hair is matted with a vile smelling reptile goop. The new fine knit joggers and jersey I’ve only worn once are now ruined. Both knees are torn, and my collar is ripped. Not to mention the smell. My face is no better. By tomorrow I’ll have a bruise the size of an apple on my left cheek. It’s already swelling, the red turning purple. Twisting the taps, I grab the hem of my shirt and stop to double-check the lock. It feels odd, stripping with a strange man on the other side of the door. Especially a wildly attractive one, minus the horns, of course. When he rudely smacked my ass, shocking me into submission. I noticed the black curving cylinders and had a powerful urge to touch them. That’s me, ever the curious, no matter the situation. I wonder if they’re hot or cold? Smooth or rough? Would he even feel me touching them? Shaking my head at the absurdity of my wondering thoughts. I try to focus on getting out of here.

Using the entire two bottles of mini shampoo, I scrub my hair until it’s a tangled mess. Thankfully, the smell is gone. I wish I could scrub the memories away just as easily. This whole situation is crazy. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it, let alone planning my escape. For tonight, I’m giving up any attempts and aiming for sleep.

When I step out of the shower, I can hear him talking on the phone but can’t make out the words. Jesus, it’s hot in here. My skin is on fire. I wipe the fog from the mirror to finger comb my hair and halt when I see my reflection. My skin is red! So red it’s purple. Ohmygod! Ohmygod!

“Are you okay in there?”

Squeezing my eyes tight, I count to ten, ignoring Elliot entirely.

When I open my eyes to find them glowing, I scream at the sight. I look down and realize my fingers are on fire, flames bursting from the tips. Another scream tears from my throat, the edges of my vision turning black…

Something warm and big is at my back. I slowly turn toward it, still half asleep.

“Ohmygod!”

Scrambling back, I fall off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud.

“Good morning. You need to relax before you burn the building down.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Everything comes rushing back to me, and I look down at my hands to find them normal. My head swivels to the bathroom, and my jaw drops open. The door is in pieces. I look back to Elliot. He shrugs nonchalantly.

“You were screaming, and the door was locked.”

When did my life get so complicated? Elliott climbs out of bed in his boxers, momentarily rendering me speechless. Wowsers! That’s somebody he’s got there. He’s a walking, talking work of art. More like a weapon with those guns. Every perfectly rounded muscle stretches taut as he extends his body toward the ceiling.

“Get dressed. We have a lot to do today.”

Embarrassingly wiping at my drool, I manage to compose myself. That’s when I realize I’m in my white cotton bra and panties. Forgetting everything else, my anger sparks at the situation. In the last twenty-four hours I’ve been stalked, threatened, attacked, and now taken advantage of. I can’t even dwell on what happened in the bathroom last night. If I do, then I’d have to accept the possibility I’ve contracted something from those reptile things, and I’m not going there. Plus, the fact he’s seen me in so little and we were just spooning has me overwhelmed with humiliation. All of my anger comes pouring out into the next six words.

“I’m not going anywhere with you!”

He swivels toward me from where the bathroom door would be and gives me a trying look.

“We don’t have time for this, especially now that you're transitioning.”

What the hell is he talking about? I can’t handle this anymore. I want to go back to my dorm and pretend all of this was a bad dream, but something tells me that’s going to be impossible. Still, I have to try.

“Listen, I believe you now. I’ve seen it with my own eyes but I want to unsee it. I don’t want any part of whatever this is. So, I’m going back to my life and you’ll never hear from me again.”

Elliot folds his arms, not looking at all pleased.

“Well, that’s going to be impossible.”

I turn back around, giving him my nastiest expression. Saved for Karen’s only.

“Are you telling me I can’t leave?”

I try to cram as much venom in my voice as I can.

“No, it’s impossible because you are part of that world.”

Now I’m just downright, snappy.

“Not if I walk away!”

He shakes his head, smirking at me like there’s a hidden joke I’m not in on, and begins walking towards me.

“It doesn’t matter if you're in your dorm, this room, or a thousand miles away. You're not just a witch Jolene… you're also a Phoenix.”

Okay, that was unexpected. He’s lost it. Total fucking looney tunes! Last I checked, I had no feathers, beak or wings. So, unless he’s calling me a city, we’re done here. I walk past him and he calls out the moment my hand touches the knob.

“Jolene, tell me, are you able to use magic right now?”

How could he know? I hesitate, a shiver skitters down my spine.

“Why would you ask me that?”

Is this somehow because of him? Or those things? It’s been a minute since I last tried. I quickly murmur a simple floating incantation and get nothing.

“You won’t be getting your power back until you 're fully transitioned.”

My eyes study his as I try to discern his lucidity. With a put-out sigh, I sit back down on the bed. He watches me as I deflate, both physically and mentally.

“Fine, I’ll bite. I’ve got nothing to lose. What do you mean by transitioning?”

I stare at my feet in a daze. Seconds later, I feel the bed sink next to me. Elliot tucks my hair behind my ear. The gesture feels familiar, like he’s done it before. It’s the strangest sensation since I know we’ve just met, but it feels… right.

“Don’t worry. In a couple of days, you’ll be back to your normal self. I want to explain it to you but there’s someone who could do it better… Will you come with me?”

My smile is forced; laced with anguish. I never realized how much my ability meant to me until now. The fact my powers are dormant has left me feeling bare, stripped to nothing. I feel raw from everything that’s happened, but I refuse to become a shell of myself. Magic is a part of me; yes, but just a part. Besides, it’s very possible he’s right, it’s just temporary. I mean, that spell I pulled last night was big. Like huge, maybe that’s what happens when you use too much too fast.

“Where are you right now?” He asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

Elliot grasps my chin. It feels like he’s looking through me, reading me. I’ve never noticed his eyes before. I always thought they were blue but right now they appear a deep indigo, so deep they seem to glow. Taking a deep breath, my nose fills with his woodsy scent; it’s intoxicating. A blush spreads as my thoughts turn erotic and my thighs clench reflectively. Elliot clears his throat, making my eyes flutter open. A flash of heat warms my body, he’s so close. I’m sure he’s about to kiss me. Our breath mingles and I’m still as stone. Just another inch… his lips brush mine, it’s soft and innocent but affects me more than any make-out session I’ve ever experienced. The realization has me greedy for more. I push back, applying more pressure, and a faint moan escapes me at the sensation. Elliot reciprocates, pulling me closer. He turns the kiss into something far more carnal. His tongue darts between my lips, entangling with mine. I can’t think, only feel, as he expertly seduces me with his tongue. Elliot breaks the kiss to push me back on the bed for better access. His stubble scrapes against my cheek as his teeth graze my neck. I throw my head back, burying my hands in his hair. My eyes pop open when I grasp something hard in my hands. With a quick screech, I jump back, panting. My eyes are riveted to his horns. When he palms himself, I notice the thick bulge in his jeans. My eyes bounce back and forth between both, for similar reasons, edging on fear.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” he asks.

Trying to find the words, I stutter and focus on the first shock.

“Your… horns!”

It feels tremendously weird coming out of my mouth. He feels his head and turns away, righting himself in his lower area. Elliot groans, it’s laced with pain and I try to peek around his large frame to see what’s causing it.

“Sorry, I forgot you're not used to things like, these.”

He points to the thick black lengths on his head. The deadly points are curling up and I watch as they begin to recede back in his hair.

The event gives me time to come down from the clouds and realize what I’m doing is careless. I berate myself for the moment of weakness. Am I that starved for affection that I lock lips with… with a…?

“What are you?”

Elliot pauses whatever he was doing on his phone and stares back at me. Just when I think he didn’t hear me, he answers.

“I’m a Nephilim demon.”