Fate's Path

“Who actually wants to stay behind and help Responsum with potions?” I asked, not too surprised when Kiera shot her hand up. Jamie’s followed hesitantly into the air but a smile lit up her face. The two moved to the back of the group with the antisocial demon. “The others are coming with Seymour and I, right?” I didn’t wait for responses before I continued speaking. “Remember, stay close to Seymour so in case he jumps, you can make it through. Going with this big of a group is already a really shitty plan, so try not to fuck up and get separated from me.” Seymour nudged my hand with his snout and I smiled at him. “Ready, boy?” He barked and bounded to the door, and we followed quickly.

The second I was through, I lost my balance and rolled on the damp leaves. The smell of dirt and wood filled my nose and I grumbled. Connor stole the words right out of my mouth. “Damn. Another fucking forest.”

“Head count!” I called then listed off everyone to which they grumbled a response. “Leo?” There was no response and I cursed. “He must have gotten distracted and forgot to jump through.” Just as I said this, a muscular body appears in front of me, seeming to have been thrown. I am knocked backward as Leo lands on me. I groaned in vague annoyance before laughing for a reason that was unbeknownst even to me. “You jerk! You landed on me!” I shoved Leo off and he tumbled with a laugh into a puddle of mud. Hex rolled her eyes and practically yanked my arm out of its socket, pulling me to my feet. I helped Leo up and bit my lip to keep from laughing at the new mud stains covering him.

“Come on, before we lose Seymour.” Connor touched my arm and I jolted. Eric was ahead of me, but his eyes were locked on mine. He moved to be next to me, and between Connor and I. I took Eric’s hand in mine and started to follow the rapidly barking dog. Everyone stayed a safe distance from me while sticking in an acceptably close range.

We walked in silence, following the barking. It was clear he was saving me from more awkward situations. I was definitely thankful, plus this gave me another reason to be close to Eric. To keep him safe. I gave his hand a slight squeeze then furrowed my brow. Eric seemed to be thinking the same thing. ‘What happened to the barking?’

There was a loud yelp and a receding whimper. “Seymour!” I broke out into a run, shadows fell around me. I found the dog limping towards me. His leg was cut and dripping a silver liquid. “Oh, darling. What happened?” I dropped to my knees and he placed his paw in my lap. I lifted the paw and shouted for Hex to hurry. She practically just appeared beside me, eyes already closed as she wrapped her fingers around Seymour’s injury.

She mumbled some incoherent words in a strange language. She pulled her hands away after a moment and smiled, then patted the dog’s head. “There you go. All better.” She stood up and dusted off her bare knees. “Glad I came along?”

I bit back the growl in my throat and smiled. “Surprisingly, yes. Since Kiera stayed behind, you are the only healer that I know of with us. Please stay close to Eric.” Her eyebrows raised as I grabbed her wrist.

“Why him?”

“He’s smaller than us.”

“And? He is capable of taking care of himself. So, tell me why you want me closer to Eric.”

I looked past her, noticing the others hadn’t caught up yet. I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I just need to know he is safe. I would normally never admit this to anyone except Eric, but I care about the boy. I want to make sure he has someone near him that can save him if he gets hurt.” She nodded in understanding just as Marcus got to us with the rest of the group. I released Hex’s elbow.

Her eyes locked on Eric instantly and Hex placed a hand on top of the boy’s head. “How’s it going, Kiddo?”

Eric flinched and looked at me. “How’s Seymour? We all heard the yelp.”

“He’s good, thanks to Hex. He should be able to jump more.” The dog did a little happy jump in the air and barked. “He must have made a mistake and accidentally got himself hurt.” I patted Seymour’s head, then clicked my tongue and he turned and took off. “See? All good.” I laughed and followed after him. Thankfully, they all gave me space. Room to think. And as I followed Seymour, I did just that. I thought. Connor and Logan. I can’t have both of them. I feel a connection to both of them. Maybe if I just try to stay away from them, then I can figure my feelings out. Then I can protect Eric better. I glanced behind me and groaned, they both had their eyes glued to me. This was going to suck. Seymour barked then jumped through a tree, I followed. Hex and Eric were the first ones through but after them, only three followed. Chris rammed into me. Connor stumbled and Logan tripped over him when they were through. Chris grabbed my hand and dragged me forward.

“Come on!” Chris forced my attention onto our surroundings and my throat closed up. Before us was a field of beautiful flowers, just like in my dream. Instantly I looked at Chris but his eyes gleamed with their usual childish excitement. Seymour was bouncing around in the flowers, then rolling in a puddle of mud. Chris released my hand and ran to play with Seymour. Logan tapped on my shoulder and I turned to see him holding a beautiful thornless red rose. I smiled as he slid it behind my ear. I remembered Demon sliding the diamond rose behind my ear a few days ago and stepped slowly away from Logan.

“Thank you. For the rose.” I turned and walked away from him. Hex was attempting to get Eric to smile. He only did when she accidentally tripped into a puddle. A moment after she fell, Eric came up behind me, scaring the wits out of me.

“Hey, Piper.”

“Hey, Eric. What’s up?”

“Not much. Hopefully saving the world.” I smiled at his response as we started walking forward, no place, particularly in mind. Maybe the other side of the field?

“I’m sorry for dragging you into all of this.” My voice trailed off when a faint metallic aroma filled my nose. “Blood.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know exactly.”

“Follow the scent.” I nodded and sniffed the air, he followed me further into the field. A treeline formed a barrier at the end of the field, thorns cut my skin as I kept walking. The pain barely registered as I bent down and lifted a book from the dirt. My mind went fuzzy. Eric grabbed my wrist as flames licked the thorns around me, and Eric practically ripped me from the trees. I straightened my back and smiled at him.

“Thank you, Eric.” My gaze was on the book and my nose was wrinkled, “This is where the smell was coming from.” I showed him the cover, the layer of blood was thick and fresh and already staining my hands.

“Ew.” His expression did not match his comment. Eric was fascinated with the journal. I wiped away enough blood that I was able to see a name followed by three letters. Celene SJD.

“Let’s go.” I started running back, the journal tucked under my arm. Eric ran beside me, managing to keep pace. Celene... where had I heard that name before? It sounded so familiar to me. Celene, CJ, CSJD. “Guys!”

Connor and Logan reached me first, Connor took the book tenderly from my hands. “I recognize the initials,” He said, looking like someone had just punched him in the gut. “Where did you find this? The owner of this journal is dead.” He flipped open the books to what appeared to be a blank page. He looked like he was reading something but I saw nothing. “She wrote about us.”

“Who?” I asked, and could see the pain in his eyes when he looked at me.

“My mother. Celene Shade Jeanne-Demgel. This is her handwriting.” He ran his fingers over the blank page. He must have seen the look of confusion on our faces because he started to read aloud:

“Today, my baby boy was born. He is a sweet little boy. Responsum and I have named him Connor Shade Demgel. He is a third Demon, a third Angel, and a third human. We have decided to call his other sides Darius and Angelus.”

Connor skipped several pages and continued reading.

“Little Jeanne Shadow Demgel was born a week ago. I have been meaning to write but have been so busy with the newborn and still teaching Responsum to be at least half-normal. Jeanne is already promising to be a strong individual. Her powers aren’t quite like Connor’s but she is still barely a baby.”

He flipped to the last page and his voice sounded weaker.

“I don’t know how to say this, 10-year-old Jeanne disappeared and was found dead today. Connor didn’t take it well. He has locked himself in his room. I would write more but I have to go out and get some ingredients for Responsum’s potions.”

I touched his hand and he responded to the question I didn’t have to vocalize. “That was the day she died. I didn’t even get to tell her I loved her. I was just so angry. Jeanne died and I blamed everyone else.” He wrinkled his nose. “How do I know this? I can’t remember this happening. Who is Jeanne?”

“From the sounds of it, your sister. How do you remember your mother and father, but not the sister who’s death broke you?” Hex asked, staring with a look of intensity at him. “If I lost my sister and reacted like that, I would remember her.”

“Why can’t we read it though?” Eric inquired, squinting at the book.

Hex spoke up. “Probably a spell. Most likely a blood spell to prevent anyone not related to the writer, from reading it. And if they have this spell, it must mean something was hidden in it that she only wanted her kids to be able to read.”