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Chapter Nineteen

Jeb woke me up this time. The nightmare was about being burnt at the stake. A while ago, banshees were easily mistaken as witches and commonly burnt.

There was a mob around me, pitchforks raised in rage as they cheered for the fire to burn me. The worst burn I had ever gotten in my life was from touching the stove when it was too hot, so obviously being burnt alive was quite the agonizing experience.

I screamed, and screamed. The sound of his laughter in the back let me know that he found my pain to be amusing. Then I was yanked back into my consciousness, faced with Jeb’s red eyes and ashen face.

“You...” I panted, struggling to draw breath. “Should drink blood.”

“I’m fine,” he assured me. “I’m more worried about you. That sounded like more than a nightmare.”

I sat up, rubbing my face then dragging my hands through my hair. “I... uh... I need your help. But don’t tell Arthur about any of this.”

Jeb thought about it. “I’ll help you. What is it?”

“These nightmares that I’ve been having.” I took a deep breath. “Someone’s in them, someone else is controlling them, I mean.”

“Do you think that it’s a demon?”

“I think so... He tried to kill me in the first dream. Then he said that there were better uses for me.”

Jeb looked up thoughtfully. “What else?”

“He wants something from me. I think it’s Arthur. He,” I cleared my throat awkwardly at the moment, “acted as Arthur in the second dream that I saw him in. And he’s a demon, I think... so...”

“And you said he only appears in your dream? That he hasn’t interacted with you while you’re conscious.”

I nodded.

“May I ask why you haven’t told Arthur? He’d understand it better than I do. But I have an idea, at least.”

I didn’t want to be rude and demand him to tell me, so I answered his question with, “It’s complicated--Arthur is... complicated. Anyway, what do you think about it?”

“There are some demons that cannot get out of Hell. They’ve been tethered down, it’s almost impossible for them to escape on their own. That said, those are the strongest demons out there. It isn’t uncommon for them to have legions of other spirits that have sworn their allegiance to their superior and go out into the human world in place of their master. If the demon is only speaking to you in your dreams, that means that he can’t here.”

“Do you know who it is? What big baddy has it for Arthur? I mean, I can’t imagine that there’d be a lot of these demons out there.”

“Yeah, I know who it is.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“If Arthur hasn’t told you this yet, it’s definitely not for me to say. I told you that I’d help, and I did. The rest you’re going to have to get from Arthur.”

I took in a deep breath, leaning back my head and looking upwards. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“Be careful. Even if the demon can only reach you in your dreams, there’s a lot of damage that can be done. They are powerful and malevolent. The fodder that you’ve seen up until now is nothing in comparison to them.” Jeb’s expression conveyed that of grave seriousness. “I cannot protect you from your own mind, Camille. That, you will have to do on your own.”

I chewed on my lip. “How?”

“When he approaches you, are you aware that you’re dreaming? That none of it is real?”

“Yes.”

“Stop that. Think of it as reality. He can hurt you, he can take over your body. You have to be on alert. That’s the only way to fend him off.”

“Okay... thanks.” I didn’t want to know what the demon could do to me, but judging from Jeb’s face, there was a real threat. But thinking of it all as real... A shiver passed through me.

“No problem.” Jeb stretched out his arms. “Arthur called last night, said he needed another day maybe. He moved faster than usual, I guess.”

“All right. Can I use your shower?”

“Yeah, it’s that door over there.”

I smiled a little and got up, grabbing my bag and scurrying over to the bathroom. It was small, not that I was expecting a lot from it. I turned on the water to the shower, then threw my clothes into a pile on the floor. I got in before the water had an actual chance to warm.

It didn’t bother me, though. The cold permeated my skin and to my bone, but I just ignored it. I scrubbed at my face, at every inch of skin that I could reach and not caring that I was rubbing it raw.

Jeb’s words about the dreams being a reality made me sick. That would’ve meant that I let Fake Arthur... touch me--it being a dream and it actually happening were two whole separate concepts. My scrubbing strength increased. My gag reflex started to kick in, and I tried my best to fight against the very real urge to vomit.

My defenses crumbled quickly. I busted out of the shower, throwing the toilet lid up and emptying my stomach contents into it. After I finished, thick spittle dripped down from my lips and fell into the toilet.

I started to dry heave, having nothing to throw up. “Oh my God,” I groaned, wiping my mouth. And I had liked it, at first, anyway. It wasn’t even just that. He had burnt me at the stake. He had drowned me with the black water. He had choked me. All of it wasn’t just some bad nightmare. “Oh, God.”

I stood up and flushed the toilet, jumping back into the shower to wash my hands and face. I felt tears burn my eyes and slide down my face, mixing with the water.

I knew that Jeb had heard me throw up and start crying, but he didn’t say anything when I finally exited the bathroom. He looked at me, understanding in his eyes.

“I asked my neighbors for some eggs... hope you like cheese omelets,” was all that he said.

I didn’t tell him that I hated cheese omelets. Instead, I sat down and ate the food quietly, grateful that he had gone through the trouble of making it for me. His fridge was just as empty as it had been the day that he’d bought it, I presumed. Well, no, there had to have been a case of beer because he had drank some last night.

Not that I understood why. Vampires had high tolerances to... everything.

“Thanks for cooking,” I told Jeb after I finished eating. “Did Arthur, uh, call you again?”

“No. Why, miss him?”

“I can live without him, I’m not dependent on him. I’m just... worried for him, that’s all.”

Jeb arched a brow. “Okay. But you should be more worried about yourself. Arthur can handle himself. Can you?”

“Not really,” I answered honestly, staring into my cup of water. “Doesn’t mean I can’t worry.”

“True.” Jeb smirked, fiddling with the weird, knock-off Rubix cube he held. “He’ll be fine. Seriously. He’s strong, even among Nephilim.”

I shrugged. “Isn’t he, like, over fifty percent angel?”

“That and his father was a big shot.”

“What do you mean ‘was’?”

“Ask Arthur,” Jen countered. “Jeez, he really didn’t tell you anything. I feel kind of bad for you.”

I snorted. “Only kind of?”

“Yep,” he verified. “It’s better for you that way.”

“Knowledge is power,” I repeated his words from last night. “Not that I know what that means to me right now. Who has the power?”

Jeb just shrugged in response, walking away from me then.

I put my fork down in annoyance and drank the rest of my water, almost choking because I had drank it so quickly. “So... what’s the plan for today?” I questioned. “More movies?”

“You can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t involve leaving this apartment,” Jeb told me. “Have fun.”

The door to the bedroom closed behind him.

Okay. What was that about? He looked like he was in a bad mood. Not that I understood why. Did he not like me? I mean banshees. But last night he had said that I was all right. So what was it? What had set him off the edge? I didn’t plan on becoming best buds with Jeb or anything, but considering the fact that I was going to spend another twenty-four or more hours with him... it would’ve been preferable to not hate each other. Or maybe he was just busy doing whatever vampires did in their free time. Could it even be considered free time? Since he was still babysitting me.

I sighed, standing up and moving to the other side of the island so that I could wash the dish that I had eaten off of.

“Hey, Cam,” Jeb said, materializing out of nowhere after a couple of hours had passed. He had been on the phone the entire time, sounded like he was arguing with somebody. I couldn’t hear the rest, though.

I was watching some show, not really watching it, mostly thinking about Arthur and the man from my dreams. His father who “was” a big shot. “Cam?” Jeb repeated when I didn’t respond fast enough.

“Yeah?”

He lifted up a joint. “You smoke, right?”

“Indeed I do.” I got up from the couch, following Jeb out to the balcony.

“Keep it a secret from Arthur?” Jeb smirked a little as he passed it to me. “I feel like keeping my head.”

I took a hit, feeling my nerves start to calm. Jeb watched me closely as I did so. “No problem there.” I gave it back to him. “Did Arthur tell you not to let me?”

“Yep.” He didn’t sound too bothered by it.

“Breaking the rules, Jeb?” I smirked at him, nudging his side a little.

“You looked like you could use it,” he explained with a laugh, exhaling smoke through his nose.

I decided that I was going to like Jeb. “I did.”

To say that I was a messed up was an understatement. I had heard a rumor that vampires and other creatures with high tolerances normally did more potent drugs; it was true.

Jeb gave me this dress to wear. Said we were going to hit the club. It was a very uncomfortable dress. Same with the heels. They were too high and the dress didn’t have enough fabric.

I was too high to notice, or care. I think that at one point I asked Jeb if we were allowed to leave. Because Arthur said we weren’t supposed to. But he said that it was fine.

So I followed him down to the car, head spinning as I climbed into the passenger seat.

“Here, drink this,” Jeb said, offering me a bottle of water. His crimson eyes shone with something that I couldn’t recognize. He didn’t seem high at all. Amazing.

“Thanks,” I drawled, tongue heavy. I drank from the bottle, cringing at the taste. “What is this?”

“I put some meds in it, so that you wouldn’t throw up. You’re pretty messed up,” Jeb said, putting the car into drive and then speeding off.

I paused, considering his words. “Okay.”

We arrived at this random club, Jeb didn’t get the door for me like Arthur would’ve. Instead, he watched me struggle to climb out and waited off by the side.

“What’s this place?” I asked Jeb as he wrapped his arms around me and guided me inside. It was loud. Too many people and flashing lights. “What’re you doing?” He was leading us away from the crowd, towards the back that was marked by a sign saying VIP. I turned to Jeb, stare dubious. “Are you a VIP?”

“Shut up, Cam.”

I looked up at him, expression shocked. His tone was... not playful at all. He was serious. “Sorry,” I muttered.

Jeb and I walked into this dimly lit room that looked like it was straight out of a cheesy movie scene. He sat me down in a metal chair, the cold almost painful against my bare thighs.

He strapped me down, putting cuffs on my ankles and wrists. They were tight, so it hurt a lot. I couldn’t move. He looked over me, verifying that everything was secure. “You’re not a bad person, Cam.” Jeb walked over to a cart, body blocking my view. “I hate having to do this, I really do.”

“What’re you doing?” I questioned, yanking on my hands and legs and feeling the metal bite them. He moved slightly, allowing me to see better. “Jeb? What’re you doing?” He picked up a syringe and filled it with liquid from a jar that sat on a tray. I stared at him, eyes bulging. “Jeb?” I started fighting harder against my restraints despite knowing it was futile.

He brought the needle to my neck, slowly releasing the substance into my blood flow. The effects were almost immediate. The world started to grow dimmer and dimmer, clouds of black eating at my vision.

“For what it’s worth,” Jeb said, “I’m sorry.”