The Devil's Prey (The Demon Within) (18 page)

‘Michel, if you can hear me, I need you please.’
I spoke with a shaky voice. I didn’t know if he could hear me or not, but when I called for him, he usually did come.

‘I came right away
.’ He stopped when he saw me, and an expression I could not identify came over his face.

‘Summer
, who did this?’ It was like I didn’t have to explain what happened to me. I shook my head, because I couldn’t talk about it. It was just too painful.

‘Summer
, who did this to you?’ His voice was firm, yet still caring. I just shook my head again. I could tell he was annoyed, because he was running his hands through his hair. ‘Summer, I need to know who did this,’ he asked again.

I tried to answer, but all that came out were sobs.  It was like I had
lost my voice, like it was being consumed by memories and feeling s I didn’t want. Michel stopped asking, as he could see I was no state to talk. He came and sat next to me in my bed, and cradled me in his arms.

Why was it that the
one time I needed Ethan, he was not there? And why did I feel like everyone was abandoning me? 

‘G
et some sleep, Summer. You need it,’ Michel said, stroking my hair. I shook my head, because I knew what I was going to see the moment I closed my eyes. ‘Go to sleep. I am not going anywhere, Summer, not when you’re in this state.’ I closed my eyes, and bam- I was screaming down the house with memories of the truth and my imagination mixed together. Michel was telling me it was only a dream, but it was a dream that felt so real.

I finally got to sleep around
2:30am. I was cuddled into Michel, using his chest as a pillow. He stayed with me all night, like he said he would, but he had to leave when I woke up because Liam was coming.

‘
Summer, how are you feeling?’ Liam asked as he approached me.

‘F
ine,’ I spat at him.

‘S
ummer, I know you are mad at me, but now I can help you every day. After you clean up from training, we are going to talk.’ He kept his distance from me, because he was afraid of what I might do.

‘
Can I ask you something? Why was I covered in snow before?’ I was still mad at him, but I needed to know.

‘T
hat is tricky, but what you were projecting in your dreams, you were also doing out here.’ He was looking out into the distance outside. ‘Today I have cancelled everything so you can relax, but you must stay in the house.’ He went to the door, but before he left he said, ‘Summer, everything will be ok.’

I had
destroyed about twenty-odd dummies and drained the river of water when Liam walked in. ‘Summer, what are you doing?’ He looked around at the destruction I had made.

‘J
ust letting off some steam,’ I said as I sent a spear through a tree.

‘I told you to take the day off
.’ He approached me with caution.

‘Y
ou know what? I am sick of everybody saying I should take a day off just because something happens to me, ok? I didn’t come here to take a day off just because I nearly sent Italy into the next ice age, all because you opened my bloody memories.  I came here to learn, and learn I will!’ I threw a purple light into a tree.

‘O
k, if you want to learn, then we will, but your work is sloppy. Try this.’ The rest of the holiday was uneventful. I went out with Michel, and he showed me around Italy. We also went clubbing again, but we didn’t drink much after that first night. My training was hard, as I was pushed to stretch my powers to their limits. We also discovered that if I used too much power, or if I overused it or strained it, my nose started to bleed. Liam said I could stop my heart if I pushed too far. In the afternoons, I had daily meetings with Liam, where we talked about me and my life. I always ended up crying or freaking out.

On my last night before returning, I asked Michel, “So what are we doing tonight?” I was hoping we could go out to the club, because after my session with Liam, I really needed to get out of the house.

'I didn't know you wanted to go out.' He was smiling at me.

‘S
o where are we going?’ One thing I had learnt was that Michel was really good at keeping secrets. He wouldn’t give me hints on what to wear, so I was dressed in jeans and a shirt.

‘W
ell, first we are going to play bingo, then go for an evening stroll and be back by 8pm.’ He was being sarcastic, which always made me laugh.

‘C
ome on, where are we really going? Is what I am wearing appropriate?’ I gave a little twirl.

‘Y
es, it is. We are going to dinner at a restaurant my dad took me to when we came here together.’ He offered me his hand.

‘H
a! I knew you had been here before!’ I laughed.

‘Y
ou got me. Now we better go, before we are late for our reservation.’ I took his hand, and we were off.

‘Y
ou know, Michel, one thing I have learnt here is that even though everyone is halfway across the world, I can always rely on you to be there.’ We were having dinner at a homey, casual restaurant where we were eating pasta.

‘W
hy, thank you, and three things I have learnt are that, one, you can kick some serious butt; two, whoever is sending you those messages are going to know about it; and three, I don’t think I have a better friend than you.’

Michel a
sked for the check as we finished. I had told Michel about the messages, and I was glad I did, as he supported me in a way Ethan or Amanda never would be able to- because he understood what it was like to be different.

‘S
o where to now?’ When we left, it was still hot outside.

‘H
ow about the club to end your stay?’ I jumped up and down and gave him a hug. We spent the rest of the night at the club. I think we were probably the club’s favorite customers, since that night we must have had thirty drinks apiece. My fairy tolerance was finally kicking in and I was finding it much easier to hold my liquor, but Michel was still much better at it than me. Maybe demons have a higher alcohol tolerance than fairies.

‘S
o you ready to head back? Early plane trip tomorrow,’ he yelled over the music.

‘Y
es, I think it is, but can we walk? It is such a nice night.’  When we left the club, the air was nice.

‘Y
ou know we have to go back to cold weather.’ I walked haphazardly, crossing my legs in front of each other.

‘Y
eah, I know, but think of the snow.’ Michel had his hands in his pockets. He knew, like me, that this would be the last time we got a whole night together before we were restricted to morning runs again.

‘I wish you would come on the plane with me to keep me company
. Did I tell you last time I had to sit next to an old fat man who snored the whole way and wouldn’t wake up when the plane landed?’ I laughed, hoping I wouldn’t have to sit next to someone like that again.

‘N
ope, you never told me. So, Summer, why the walk?’ He knew me too well. I never do anything without reason.

‘I just wanted more time
, and to say thanks for everything. You were there for me when others weren’t. I had an amazing time, and thanks for everything you didn’t have to put up with from me, but you did anyway.’ I gave him a big huge as thanks. ‘You do know words won’t be able to describe how grateful I am for everything you do.’ I let go of him, and we keep walking.

‘W
ell, thank you, and you really- and I mean really- showed me how to party and get sloppy drunk.’ He laughed.

‘Y
ou are never going to let me live that down!’ I tucked my hands into my front pockets.

‘N
ope, same way you ended up in jail.’ We were both laughing as we walked through the streets of Italy.

‘O
uch,’ I said, rubbing my back. I felt like I had been stabbed by a pin.

‘S
ummer, you ok?’ Michel sounded worried, probably because of the expression of sheer horror on my face.

‘O
uch, Michel, lift up my shirt.’ I knew what was going on, but I was hoping I was wrong.

‘S
ummer, it’s happening again.’ He ran his finger along where the words had been written.

‘W
hat does it say?’

He was silent.

‘Michel
, what does it say?’ I raised my voice a little.

‘
Come home, Pure. I am waiting for you.’
His voice sounded scared as he pulled my shirt back down. ‘Summer, they are waiting for you back home.’ He had taken my hand, and I was grateful because otherwise I might have fallen.

‘I
t’s alright, Michel. I am ready for whatever they throw at me.’ He let go of my hand. ‘Come on, let’s just go home.’ We continued walking home in silence. Every once in a while, I would rub my back, but nothing more was done beyond that terrifying message.

The moment I stepped off the plane in shorts, a
singlet and sunnies, I was freezing my ass off. Michel had warned me to wear warm clothes, but I didn’t think it would be that cold. Once in the terminal, I could see Ethan, Amanda, and Lauren waiting for me, but my gaze was on Michel, standing far back, saying,
welcome home.
I couldn’t help but laugh. 

‘Amanda
!’ After I turned my attention back to everyone, I ran up to Amanda and gave her a huge hug. ‘I am so glad to see you! I have so much to tell you about Italy, and my training, and everything! It was just amazing! I wish you could have come with me. The weather was beautiful, as you can see, and you got a haircut! I like it!’ I was talking really fast again.

Amanda
smiled at me. ‘Ok, Summer, slow down! I missed you too, and might I say we have lots to catch up on.’ She really emphasized the word
lots,
and I knew what she was talking about.

‘U
m, hello? I am here,’ Ethan said, waiting patiently. I was surprised he was even talking to me.

‘O
h, yeah. Ethan, good to see you, too.’ I didn’t kiss him. I just gave him a huge hug, because I still was annoyed at him.

‘O
k, let’s get home. I have so much to show you, Amanda. You won’t believe what I can do!’ The whole way home, we both talked about our holidays, and what we did. Her holiday wasn’t as exciting as mine, but she still hadn’t mentioned about anything about me going clubbing. I guessed she was waiting to talk about that at home, where she would rip my head off.

‘Welcome home
, Summer.’ That was the first thing Lauren had said to me since I arrived.

‘Lauren
, I am really sorry for what I did, but it wasn’t completely my fault,’ I said. I could see Ethan and Amanda look at me strangely, but I didn’t care.

‘T
hat’s ok,’ Lauren said. I was surprised, but decided not to question her. The only reason I did it was because Liam thought it would help me let go of some of my anger, but I still felt like the same old me.

‘C
ome on, Amanda. I have to show you something!’ I ran out of the car, through the house, and into the training area.

  ‘Summer
, it is cold, and you are wearing nothing!’ She chased after me.

‘I am fine
.’ When we both arrived, everyone stopped and looked at me- one, because I was back, and two, because I was wearing hardly anything in freezing weather.

‘Summer
, you are going to get sick! Get changed first, then you can show me.’ Amanda was trying to make me go inside, but I wouldn’t budge.

‘P
lease, let me show you.’  I ran to the middle of the training ground and broke out into a mild fury.

‘See? T
old you I wouldn’t be cold.’ I could feel myself heat up as I held the fury. Everyone had stopped and was watching me. I placed my hands in front of me, and felt for the rain droplets on the leaves. I moved them in front of me and soon had sixteen droplets floating around.

‘T
hat is beautiful,’ someone said.

I then close
d my eyes and thought of snow. I opened my eyes and looked into the sky. Tiny white snowflakes started to fall, and my rain droplets were now tiny bits of snow floating in the air.

‘I
t’s snow, everyone…snow!’ Everyone was so fascinated by the snow that they didn’t realize I was rearranging the whole place so that everything looked more like a training place, instead of just dummies placed randomly around the clearing.

‘O
k, people, back inside. Summer, stop the snow, ok? It’s not meant to be snowing yet, so don’t mess with things that you shouldn’t.’ Lauren sounded jealous of what I could do. I stopped the snow, and I noticed someone just beyond the trees, waiting for me.

‘Summer
, come inside,’ Amanda said.

‘Y
eah, just a minute, ok?’ I waved her off, but she watched as I went into the woods.