The Demon Inside Me

Chapter 8: The Secret Weapon

The storm outside raged on, its furious tempest mirroring the turmoil within my head. I inspected the small red tube of lipstick, and there, etched onto it, were the initials "BH." It was a clear confirmation of what I suspected. The Black Hats, my allies, had come for my rescue. The only thing that troubled me was the potential for casualties during their mission. 

"It's a false alarm, Caiden," I said, a smirk playing on my lips, "looks like someone thinks I need makeup." Caiden, my newly appointed loyal guardian, responded with a disapproving growl, but I couldn't help but chuckle. "Now, now, be a good boy, and let me try this thing on."

I had to activate the hidden device within the lipstick without Caiden catching on. I took a moment to appreciate my mother's room, a place that seemed untouched by time. The light blue walls were adorned with dark-framed portraits of city life. My mother always had a penchant for classic aesthetics. Her bed, simple yet bold, featured dark black metal swirls on the front and back board, with four pillars stretching up to the ceiling. White curtains cascaded down from the tops of the pillars, and polka-dotted pillows decorated the bed. A white stuffed bear sat in the middle, leaning against the pillows.

As I approached the side dresser, my emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Tears blurred my vision as I gazed at the photographs adorning the large mirror. In every picture, my mother was a constant presence: laughing with strangers at a picnic, swimming with friends in her youth, and an older man who seemed strangely familiar, though I couldn't quite place him. But it was the last photo, one of my parents in prom attire, that tugged at my heart. Without thinking, I plucked the photo from the mirror and whispered, "They looked so perfect together."

Caiden stood silently, watching me, understanding the pain I was experiencing. Maybe he lost his parents, too. Underneath all that I could tell, he was questioning the oddity of receiving a package when no one was supposed to know where I was. 

Turning my back to him,  underneath the cap was a small red button.  With a slight press, a small flicker of light briefly flashed. I placed the lipstick back into the cap and turned around, only to find Caiden staring at me with an odd expression. It was as if he had never seen a woman apply lipstick, or perhaps he had caught that brief flicker of light?

Before I could react further, Caiden's strong arms enveloped me, pulling me close to his chest.  I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against me, like a soothing lullaby. 

Regardless, I needed to divert his attention. However, I knew that Mark had delivered the package to my uncle, and he was likely waiting nearby for my response. With the locator hidden within the lipstick, he could pinpoint my location.

"Caiden, I'm starving," I said honestly. This seemed to break his trance as he lured me back into bed awhile he quickly dressed and left the room. 

Rushing to the window, I peered outside, seeing only the forest overlooking the mountains from my vantage point. I was too high up, but descending to lower levels would make my retrieval easier. Grabbing my clothes from the floor, I hurriedly dressed and grabbed the lipstick device. This was my only chance to leave without drawing suspicion, now that I had chosen a mate. No one would question my movements within the mansion.

I bolted down the hallway, taking a sharp turn, and then paused when a loud explosion rocked the building. "Holy shitstick, the hell was that?"  Suddenly, I found myself engulfed in a nightmarish chaos of sound and fury. It felt as though time had slowed down, and my senses were overwhelmed by the cataclysmic force of the blast.

Amidst the chaos, there was a cacophony of shattered glass, splintering wood, and crumbling walls. The walls themselves seemed to tremble and groan in protest as they succumbed to the explosion's might. Dust and debris filled the air, creating a choking, disorienting haze that made it difficult to breathe.