The Truth Behind Those Eyes

Chapter Forty-Eight

"So?"

"When the Four Prophets come together they can hear each other, feel each other. They become one another. They are connected to every demon in Latébris. When they unite ... They speak as a collective." She paused, praying that Josh would make the connection. His eyes darkened as he took a step away from her, his baffled stare becoming hostile.

"I like you Josh, I really do and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you but we don't belong together." She swallowed and clung tighter to Ezekius.

"Josh, I am the lost Prophet they've been waiting for. I'm part of the group that makes up Unus. When I turn, when my eyes go black, I'm your enemy, you said so yourself. I'm not part of this world. I'm not a Power. That's why the demons of Mortemb came after me so hard, they know and they want to wipe me out before I could join the Proph--"

"What the hell have you been telling her?" Josh screamed as he lurched over Nikki to grab Ezekius but before he could connect the demon had taken Nikki and shifted to the barren land of Latébris.

Nikki kept her eyes open as she surveyed the desert like landscape, the orange, scorched dust stretched for miles over the jagged rocks and crevasses. The black sky was decorated with three flaming balls of fire, each of them periodically spitting out tongues of flames. But despite the three suns the desert was cold and Nikki shivered. She scanned the horizon for any sign of shelter but they were surrounded by nothing but sand.

"I can move through the worlds because I'm a demon. That's why it doesn't kill me isn't it?"

She didn't need an answer, but her companion confirmed her suspicions.

"So what about David? He's human."

Ezekius shook his head. Their hands connected and he showed her David drinking a glass of red wine. No, not wine... Blood.

"He drinks demon blood to enable him to move between our worlds."

Yes.

"Okay," she bit her lip and winced, "no backing out now. Take me back to Sam's, but stand behind me and keep close." She sighed and looked at Ezekius. "I know what I need to do. Once we're done we can go back to David's."

He nodded before bowing.

"Is your voice really so bad?"

She was surprised when the demon smiled, his thin white lips pulling together tightly but he declined to answer, instead her vision trembled like the air in a jet-stream, until she found herself back in the bedroom. She was in the opposite corner, farthest from the door with her back pressed against her demon. Josh was in the open door way.

"Josh."

He turned, his face livid.

She threw up a hand in front of her. "Stop! If you hurt him, you hurt me. Now please ... Sit down and listen, for me. I have to say this before I go."

She could tell she had his attention as his eyes whipped from the demon behind her to hers. His confusion was plain to see.

"I'm telling you this because of what we've shared, because you've protected me and cared for me and because there's something between us that has to end now. I've joined with the Prophets so I know what I've said is the truth. You've seen it with your own eyes, first at the car and then with the Hounds. There's no point fighting this, it's my destiny and the more I fight it the more confused and dangerous I become."

"No. You're no more a demon than I am and you sure as hell aren't evil." He took a step towards her.

"Has it ever occurred to you that what you've been told isn't strictly true?"