Marker of Hope (15 page)

“But it is different. You’re part of this
family.” David said, eyeing Galen. “And Galen
will
respect
you as my wife.”

A moment of silence followed as David and
Galen stared each other down.

“Oh, all right. Fine.” Galen gave in first.
“I’m very happy you’re part of our family, Isis. Congratulations on
your wedding.” He kissed his fingers and touched my cheek with
them. “And congratulations on the beautiful, rabid fetus growing
inside you. Now, where is my Galilea?”

“Thanks, jerk.” I pointed with my thumb to
the wall with the archway entrance. “She’s in the kitchen.”

Galen strutted out of the living room.

“What is wrong with your son?” Alezzander
looked at Nyx. “He doesn’t get it from me.”

“Are you kidding? Have you met yourself?”
Eryx said. “Anyhow…” Eryx dismissed Alezzander’s reprimanding
stare. “On the phone you said you had to speak with us?”

“We’ll fill you in later,” Alezzander said.
“It’s a long story.”

Galilea walked into the living room, a dish
towel in her hand. She turned the corner and headed down the
hallway to her room.

“Gally, would you stop?” Galen chased after
her. “I’m not done talking to you.” I heard a door slam. Galen
walked into the living room. “Galilea isn’t feeling well. She has a
headache.”

“Are you sure it’s not a pain in the butt
named Galen?” Eryx teased.

“Oh my…” Galen put his hand on his chest.
“Hardy-har-har. I can’t contain my laughter. You’re
so
hilarious.”

“I don’t have the energy for this right now.
I’m tired,” Nyx said. “Are you ready to leave, Alezzander?”

“Yes.” Alezzander stood up. “And let’s take
the idiot boy with us.”

“I resent that,” Galen said. “But if you buy
me dinner, I’ll forgive you.”

“I’ll drive,” Eryx said. “No offense, Father,
but you drive slower than Galen thinks.”

Alezzander and Galen scoffed.

“You’ll call us once Tobias has the results
of your blood cultures,” Nyx said to David. It was a request, not a
question.

“I will.” David nodded.

Eileen and Dr. Gunn walked into the house
from the side door.

“Ah, there you two are,” Alezzander handed
Nyx her scarf. “I was about to go tell you we were leaving.” He
turned to the twins. “Eryx, Galen, you remember Dr. and Mrs.
Gunn.”

“Yes. Good evening, Doctors,” Eryx said.

“Hello, Gunn,” Galen said. “And Eileen…” He
walked over to her. “You’re looking much too beautiful tonight.” He
kissed her cheeks. “As always.”

“Why, thank you.” Eileen blushed.

“Do you have anything to eat?” Galen asked.
“I’m famished.”

“I don’t think we have leftovers from the
cookout, but I can make you someth—”

“Don’t listen to him,” Nyx said. “He’s
joking.”

“No, I’m not.”

Nyx slapped Galen on the arm. He pouted like
a reprimanded toddler.

“I have the Lutetium blade, Dr. Gunn,” David
said. He showed the scientist the glass vile. “We’re set.”

“Wonderful news.” Gunn adjusted his glasses
and took the clear tube from David’s hand. He studied the blade
inside. “Should we get started or do you have to leave, as
well?”

“We have time,” David said.

“It may be a while. Gathering the samples
shouldn’t take longer than a minute. The first round of results is
generated in about ten minutes. But the rest—the more in-depth
analysis—those could take anywhere from two to five hours.”

“Do you mind waiting?” David asked me.

“Not at all.”

I saw Galen sneak away. He headed down the
hallway.

“We’ll be waiting to hear the results.”
Alezzander put a hand on his wife’s waist. “Shall we, dear?”

Nyx nodded. “Good night, Eileen and Tobias.
Thank you for having us today.”

“Our pleasure,” Eileen said, walking them to
the door.

“Wait. We’re a person with half a brain
short,” Eryx said. “Where’s Galen?”

“I’ll get him,” I told him. “Pretty sure I
know where he is.”

I walked down the hall to Galilea’s room. The
door was cracked open.

“…and I have a boyfriend,” I heard Galilea
say. “Did you think I would wait around for you forever?”

“Is that so?” Galen said. “What’s this
boyfriend’s name?”

“Frederick.”

When did she get a new boyfriend?
Maybe Galilea was lying to make Galen jealous. But if this
Frederick was real, why didn’t she tell me about him? If she had, I
was such a bad friend I hadn’t been paying her any attention.

I saw Galilea walk past the door. I stepped
to the side to avoid being seen. I felt guilty listening in, but
Galilea listened in on my conversations all the time. Not that it
was right that I did it to her in turn. But I was curious about
what she was saying to Galen, and, after all, the door was
open.

“He’s lovely,” Galilea said, “And I’m going
on holiday with him to Cabo as soon as I get the chance.”

“Cabo? That’s our vacation spot.”

“Was,” Galilea said. “Sadly. For you, I mean.
I’m not the one groveling.”

“Is this what you want from me—to get down on
my knees and beg you to take me back?” Galen asked her. “Because I
will.”

“I couldn’t care less what you do. But before
you make a fool of yourself, you should know it would be in vain. I
don’t want you anymore.”

“I don’t believe you.” Galen walked to her.
“You love me, Galilea.”

“Do I? More importantly, have you ever loved
me?”

“How can ask me that?” Galen asked, indignity
in his voice. “You know I do.”

“Funny. I don’t remember hearing you say the
words ‘I love you’. Like ever.”

“Galilea, don’t be melodramatic. I’ve always
shown…”

Galen and Galilea continued to argue. Now, it
really did feel wrong to be listening in on their personal matters.
I decided not to knock. Maybe this time, they’d work things out. I
was sure Galilea still loved Galen; though, why, I didn’t know. And
Galen wouldn’t be there if she didn’t matter to him, would he?

I took two quiet steps back, away from the
door, and made my way to the living room.

“Is he coming?” Nyx asked.

“No. He’s talking with Galilea,” I said. “I
didn’t want to interrupt them. It sounded…serious.”

“Well, I’m not waiting for him.” Eryx opened
the front door. “I’m exhausted and hungry. I’m sure he can find his
way to the hotel.”

“I’ll drop him off once we’re done here,”
David said.

After brief goodbyes, Eileen excused herself
and went to bed, but not before preparing a cup of tea to take
along. David and I walked with Dr. Gunn to the lab.

***

It’d been more than two hours and Dr. Gunn
was still working in the lab in the garage. We decided to wait in
Galilea’s living room, sans Galilea. My cheek was pressed against
David’s chest as we sat on the sofa. My eyes were closed, but I
wasn’t asleep. I heard footsteps, yet kept my eyes shut.

“What happened in there?” David asked.

“Usual. She’s playing hard to get,” Galen
said.

“You’re an asshole to her, you know? You
should treat her better.”

Dream boy curses when he thinks I’m
asleep. Noted.
I felt Galen take a seat on the couch.

“I’m beginning to think she hates me,” Galen
said.

“You think? It’s been about a hundred years,
and you’ve never introduced her as your girlfriend to anyone.”

“We date,” Galen said. “We don’t do the
girlfriend-boyfriend bit.”

“You’re going to lose her, and you’ll regret
it.”

“Eh… She’ll come around. Sooner or
later.”

“You, my brother,” David said, “have far too
much confidence in your words.”

“Ah, so now that you’re wed, you want to give
me relationship advice?” Galen laughed. “Because you’re wise beyond
your years having endured heartbreak and betrayal? And speaking of
betrayal,” he paused, “I’m not convinced the child in her womb is
yours. How do you know she didn’t fuck your best friend?”

I clenched my teeth, felt David’s chest rise
high.

“You’re playing with fire, Galen. Don’t talk
about her that way. And for Deus’s sake, don’t start this here. Not
now.”

“Fine. But I can’t help but wonder. If Eros
comes looking for his bastard, what are you going to do—let him
fuck her again?”

“Shut your mouth,” David growled.

“David’s right. You
are
an asshole,” I
said, sitting up. “And a huge dick.”

Galen laughed a cynical laugh that made the
tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. I heard
footsteps in the hallway and turned to see who it was. Galilea
appeared at the doorway to the living room.

“What the…” Galilea’s eyes widened.
“Isis…Isis, get away from him.” She reached behind her back.
“Galen!”

“Galilea, put down that dagger,” David said.
“He’ll leave, if that’s what you want. There’s no need for
violence.”

“Galen!” Galilea screamed louder.

“Galilea, you’re scaring me,” I said. “What’s
wrong with you?”

Galen walked up behind Galilea. But he was
also sitting on the couch. I glanced from the couch to the
hallway.

But how?

The Galen sitting on the sofa grinned. I felt
a cold chill run up my spine, and I stiffened. His eyes shifted in
color from green to blood red, his irises long like a reptile’s.
Immediately, the rest of him took on the shape of a demon.

CHAPTER 18

The Turpis reached for my throat, but I
leaned back, avoiding its claws. With a one-armed grip, David
heaved me off the sofa. My legs soared up, and the demon’s clawed
hand caught my ankle. I kicked at it, but I didn’t land a hit. The
demon yanked hard on my leg, and David lost his hold on me. I flew
forward, landing on the demon’s chest. Its sticky arms caged me in
quickly.

“Leave her alone, you son of a bitch!”
Galilea charged at it, Galen at her side.

I struggled to loosen the demon’s grip on my
arms and managed to free one of them. David reached for me,
desperation splayed across his face. I screamed out of frustration
and fear.

The demon pressed a sharp nail into the side
of my neck. Everyone froze, including me.

My pulse thumped quickly, the vein in my neck
tapping at the creature’s claw with every beat. I felt beads of
sweat escaping my pores, causing my forehead and upper lip to
dampen. David held my stare, fear in his eyes. As much as I wanted
to run to him, I was at the demon’s mercy. Seconds seemed to tick
by like years as I waited for something—anything—to happen.

A gasp came from the right side of the room.
Eileen stood immobile below the hall archway. The sound of glass
crashing on the floor—her teacup—caused the demon to turn. Before I
could understand what was happening, I found myself skidding across
the floor. My head hit the wrought iron leg of a buffet table.
David pounced on the Turpis, but it punched him in the stomach, and
he fell to the side.

Galilea kicked it in the face, and it flew
back. The demon landed at Eileen’s feet. She screamed. Galilea
shoved her away from the creature, and Galen threw himself at the
beast. As they wrestled on the floor, the Turpis pawed at Galen’s
face. Galen moved with swift movements, evading the demon’s clawed
limbs. But as fast as Galen was, the demon was a millisecond
faster—fast enough to seize Galen’s face in its large talon. Galen
groaned in pain, his face blistering under the demon’s grip. My
insides quaked, fearing for Galen’s life as I watched him squirm,
then let out a scream of agony. I jumped to my feet and grabbed a
small, marble statue. I took one step toward Galen and the Turpis,
but stopped when I heard David speak my name. I turned to look at
him. He was still down, recovering from the demon’s blow.

“Don’t…” David wheezed.

I glanced at Galen, who was losing the fight.
I didn’t know what to do. I was the only one capable of helping him
at this point. Just then, I saw Galen’s dagger slice down,
mutilating the demon’s arm with a clean cut. The demon let out a
deafening screech and kicked Galen across the room. Galilea went at
the demon. The Turpis caught her wrist, and she screamed in pain as
her skin sizzled. She dropped her dagger, and the demon recovered
it from the floor.

“Galilea!” I charged forward.

“Isis, stay back,” David said, pushing
himself off the floor. He reached under his shirt and darted toward
the demon, a dagger clenched in his fist.

The beast rose to a hunched stance, dark goo
trailing from its shoulder. It shot me a chilling look and growled.
With the flick of its wrist, the demon hurled Galilea’s dagger at
me. David jumped in the blade’s path. A second later, David hit the
floor. The dagger’s handle stuck out of the side of David’s
stomach. An ocean of bright red blood formed around him.

“
No
!” My jaw shook. I glared at the
demon. Keeping an eye on the creature, I bent down to take David’s
dagger.

“Run,” David said, gasping. “Isis… run.”

“No. Not anymore.”

I felt a hum in my chest. A strange
vibration. It felt like rage and fear, but most of all, it felt
like strength.

“I’m right here,” I said to the Turpis. “What
are you waiting for?”

The demon took slow steps in my direction.
The hum in my chest grew louder. I felt the vibration crawl up my
trachea and arrive at my throat. When the Turpis was a few feet
away, I opened my mouth to spew words of hatred at it. Instead of
the chain of curse words I thought to say, I heard a rumbling
growl.

Was that me?

The demon stopped midway through his stride
across the living room. It looked as confused as I felt.

“Hello, handsome,” a male voice said.

Stunned, the demon turned its head. Eryx
carved his dagger into the demon’s neck. I secured the dagger in my
hand with both hands and jammed it with all my strength into the
beast’s head. It jerked and fell lifeless on the floor. The body
crumbled into a pile of gray dirt and seeped down into the stone
floor.