Tell Me Ariel, Are You Mine?

Chapter 28 - The Mark

                                               Chapter 28 – The Mark

I felt like I'd entered a nightmare. Dante's face in the car reminded me how long this drive was going to be. This was going to be an endurance test and the silences to come would be unbearable.  

I looked into the side view mirror and silently cursed at the sight behind us. Nate's car was blaring music as he tailed us, he could be seen nodding and mouthing lyrics to his favourite old skool hip hop tracks. He had taste, but still. I rolled my eyes and sighed and I felt Dante look at me briefly. Dante was always a sure driver, confident and focused, but I feared he was far from focused right now. He was anything but.

I wanted him to give up the weight of his troubles to me, if only for a moment. I could take it. But he'd been quiet since Nate blasted him about me. Subsequently I couldn't bear to hear anymore and chastised Nate myself. I'd blasted him to defend Dante and rightfully so. But Dante didn't want me to. He'd told me it was okay, he didn't need or want a mouthpiece, he could speak for himself and was letting Nate get it all out because though he didn't want to go as far as to say he was right, he thought his concerns had been legit. He would listen to any concern if it involved me, he'd said.

He'd called Jacey for me but I didn't want to know what her response had been despite the fact he'd turned on the charm. Scarily though, I would never have guessed from the way he spoke to her on the phone that he'd just killed a pair of demons. He was too convincing, I almost wondered what else he could convince a woman of.

I had no doubt that by the time I got back to work Jacey would ask me into her office, have a sit-down with me while filling out a standard procedure form of concern and tell me my work had not been up to par lately. In fact my 'work' was an overstatement, it was more like 'what work?' Just how much 'work' had I done in recent weeks? I hadn't done eff-all. I was being paid to do what exactly? Dodge demonic dangers Jacey didn't know existed and spend copious amounts of time with demonic milli/billi/trillionaires? She'd probably tell me it was time to terminate my contract. I'd probably be jobless, though Dante was dismissive saying he'd simply employ me. But no, I felt like that would be relationship suicide. It was healthy for us to work for different companies, I didn't need my boyfriend to be my boss and besides, I loved my job. I just hadn't been proving it lately.

After Dante and Nate were forced to work together to destroy those two 'legion' demons, Nate had been adamant he wasn't going anywhere and would follow us for safety. So as you know, he was currently tailing us. Dante was adamant we didn't need it; more specifically, I didn't need it if he was by my side, but you know Nate by now. He wasn't convinced and was coming anyway.

Nate's words had hung high over Dante. He'd been quiet for much of the journey. I would ask him if he was okay, he'd nod, say the odd monosyllabic word and man-grumble, but look completely preoccupied. His mind was not even on the road but we'd managed to make it home without his distraction proving dangerous. Earlier he'd said that those demons hadn't proved anything about my safety, but secretly I had a feeling he thought it had.

When we got to the house, Dante was quick to take my hand and walk briskly through the front door, effectively locking Nate out. But the agreement was that Nate would hang around, much to Dante's annoyance. Nate was not about to back down, and though they'd had words, Dante pretty much relegated him to a shed. There was no way he'd be let into his house but his hunter skills and weaponry would prove useful.

Thing is, despite clearly wanting to, Dante wouldn't lay a finger on him. He wouldn't do it because of me even though every part of him wanted to wring his neck just to get him off his back. But it was okay, I'd told him he'd get special dispensation from me if he really wanted it just this once. He smiled at that.