Daughter of Night (A Daughter of Nyx novel)

Chapter Six

"Is he easy to work for?"

He pulled up outside of Jonathan's home and turned to her.

"In working for him, I've seen things that you couldn't begin to comprehend. Things that he hunts. Things that he protects people from. He's made of nightmare stuff, but he's not a monster and I would follow him anywhere."

Chevonne watched the green eyes watching her and she could see the truth in his statement. The resolve.

"Thank you," she said softly and he nodded.

"Don't tell him I said any of that stuff, okay? That stays between us."

"Of course not, and besides, with luck, he'll find my bad guy and I'll never see him again."

James gave her a look that she couldn't read.

"Come on," she said, looking over her shoulder at the townhouse. "Let's get this over so you can get home."

~~~

The next few days passed in that fashion. He would show up, she would leave with him, they would talk while she sorted through Jonathan's belongings. She would box things up and they would go by the charity drop off. He would take her home and she would drink wine in front of her window until her eyes grew to heavy to stay open.

She learned that James had a family in another state. A family he had lost to drug addiction. A family he was working on getting back.

In return, she told him about the man who's things he was helping her with. How he had stood by her side after the accident that stole her memory. The amount of times he told her stories of the things they did in school. The way he was there for her, holding onto her while she cried, because everyone, including her family, pulled away from her.

She realized that she was able to laugh sometimes at the memories. That it didn't kill her to think about the past. It hurt. It would probably always hurt. But she could live with that.

Then, everything changed.

After clearing out his closet, she found a panel in the back wall. She stood staring it it. Just because these revelations were always horrifying in the movies didn't mean it would be now. It could be a safe. That wouldn't be unheard of.

James must have seen her stiffen because he asked her if she was okay.

Keeping her eyes glued to the wooden door, she tried to say she was fine. But she couldn't because she wasn't. Having never believed in the supernatural, the paranormal, until his death, had that never happened, she would have known then what evil felt like. It surrounded her, teasing her skin, filling her lungs.

Clearing her throat, she asked for a box. A new one. Because she didn't want anything in the hole in the wall touching anything else.

A shaking hand slid fingers beneath the small indention and she pulled, wondering for a split second, if she was the new Pandora. Expecting streams of black smoke to rush past her on the way to freedom, she was surprised to find a few books and nothing else.

Her knees almost dropped out from under her as the air left her lungs in a slightly hysterical laugh.

"I must be the worlds oldest child," she said when James stepped up beside her.

"It's okay," he said, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "You got shoved into a world that most people will never know about. It's okay to be afraid sometimes."

"Thank you." Taking the box from him, she took the books, still expecting to feel that evil, but it was gone and perhaps it was the fear of the unknown that was going to be the death of her. "I think that's enough for today. How about we knock off early. We should be able to finish up tomorrow and you can have your weekend free."