Chapter 2
I heard frantic voices around me but I wasn't ready yet to let them know I was awake. Jenks and Ivy were arguing with Trent while Quen said very little to help either side. I had always thought he was a smart man. Someone had moved me to the couch and I was feeling quite uncomfortable in the space that I had. I could smell Ivy on the cushions but it was doing little to ease the panic I've been feeling today. I was sure I was alone in my head but something still felt off. I had that lingering feeling that someone was watching me.
"Her aura just brightened. She's awake." Jenks said. I snapped my eyes open to see Trent sitting beside me staring down at my eyes. No wonder I felt so uncomfortable, the man was practically sitting on top of me. He wasn't touching me but it felt like he was. It was the strangest sensation and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.
"It's just you in there right?" Ivy questioned. Her eyes were a nice chocolate brown so at least I knew she had her instincts under control.
"I was trying to see if it was gone. I'm pretty sure it isn't here anymore. Something still doesn't feel right." I sat up trying to not touch Trent as much as possible. He seemed to notice my awkward struggle and moved down a cushion to give me some space.
"Rachel, your aura is...different." Jenks flew over and landed on my shoulder. "It's still yours but there is this weird gold glow. It's really tight around you."
"I might know how that happened." Trent whispered.
"What did you do you little cookie maker!" Jenks' voice seemed to vibrate through my skull, scraping against the back of my eyeballs. "What did you do to Rache?"
"Jenks please, the shrieking, my head." I shifted to wrap my arms around my knees and get a better look at Trent. He looked calm and collected except for the slight tightening around his eyes. He smelled like sour wine. Crap. I wasn't going to like what he was going to say. He smirked as he watched all my thoughts dance across my face. "Stop it."
Ivy moved to stand in front of me but still stayed about a foot away. "You were screaming Rachel. Trent got that thing out of you and they had to hold you down. You were trying to scratch off your...skin." She looked as if she tried to come up with a better word but couldn't. Swell.
"Rachel, I saw what Trenton did. You were in no danger. He did it to protect you." Quen's voice was soft and his tone spoke of knowledge behind it. They think I'm going to be angry with Trent. I'm not always angry with Trent, well maybe not anymore. I looked at Trent again. He was studying me. He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it instead. I think I rather enjoyed the fact that I could make Trent Kalamack speechless.
I looked down at my hands. My fingers were covered in blood. I looked up my arms, they were bloody too. I had gouges from my wrist to my shoulders on both arms, noticing that I indeed had scratched off my own skin. There was a slight swelling under Trent's left eye. That was going to be black tomorrow. Quen had a few scratches down his arms as well. I looked like troll crap and felt it too.
"I did that?" I nodded my head towards Trent. He shook his head. Nice. He comes over here to save my ass and I give him a black eye. "And my arms?" He fidgeted under my gaze. I let out a loud sigh. "Trent, what did you do to me? I feel like there's someone touching me, I guess is the best way to explain it." Trent moved closer to me and the feeling lessened. That was weird. He went to move away but I grabbed his arm and stopped him in his tracks. Trent looked down at my hand on his arm but did nothing. As I was touching him I didn't feel like there was another person there. I just felt like me. "Why does it feel different when I touch you?"
"Sweet mother of Tink! Just tell Rachel what happened!" Jenks screeched in my ear.
"I had to give you some of my aura. I had to trick your body so that you would stop attacking yourself. It was the only way Rachel." Trent looked straight into my eyes. He held my gaze and I couldn't seem to look away.
Peachy. I am somehow sharing an aura with Trent. How does that even happen? It felt like there was another person there when I wasn't touching him. We are going to have to fix this. I refuse to live my life holding on to Trent all the time. If I really thought about it, I found that I liked touching him. His skin was warm under my hand. I could feel the muscles in his arm and I began to blush as I thought about Trent shirtless on our road trip. He did look really good without his shirt on. Sometimes it was easy for me to forget he wasn't as old as he appeared when he had on his businessman persona. It's been nice that it has slowly started to fade around me.
"Rache." Jenks snorted. "You're worse than a teenager."
"Shut up." I tried to keep thoughts of Trent shirtless out of my mind. I took my hand off of Trent's arm and the feeling ebbed back into me. "So are you going to explain what that thing was?" We were still sitting so close that we were almost touching but I was enjoying what little physical contact I could get. Trent made the events of today bearable.
"I think it was a Druchii, or at least the soul of one. There was nothing you could have done to fight it off. You have to battle wild magic with wild magic." Trent seemed to sense that I needed the physical contact from him and moved to where our legs were touching. That nagging feeling disappeared.
"What in Tink's name is a Druchii?" Jenks obviously had never heard of such a thing, nor had I. Ivy though had a strange look on her face which led me to believe she has. As Trent watched me and then Ivy he knew something had just passed between us.
"It's a black elf." Ivy sat on the chair across the room. "I thought they were extinct. They never left the ever-after."
"I thought the same thing until today." Trent seemed to relax a little and the tightening of his eyes eased. His thigh was warm against mine and I fought the urge to touch him. "It's rumored that demons had kept them in bottles in the ever-after for over 2000 years. My question would be who let one out and why did they send it to Rachel?"
Quen seemed to disappear into the shadows. I didn't need anyone to tell me he was on edge and was doing a security check. Jenks noticed and followed him into the hall. I heard a wing chirp as Jenks called his kids and then silence.
"Would your demon send something like that on you, Rachel?" Trent's tone was angry.
"No. Al wouldn't hurt me Trent. He's my friend." I didn't even think before I answered but I knew he was. He may try to teach me a lesson but not one that could kill me in the process. I tried to keep my tone neutral knowing how much Trent disliked Al. Trent seemed unhappy about my response but he remained silent. I bit my lip and thought about who in the ever-after would have done this. I was the only female demon besides Newt and I thought that made me somewhat important to them. I didn't think any of them had me on their hit list but maybe it had nothing to do with the demons.
"Rachel, I think the Druchii will be back. I heard it in your thoughts. It wants help from you. It's going to try to use you to get to me." Trent was reluctant to say the last part. I don't blame him. Trent and I were finally able to start developing a friendship. I never thought that I would see the day that I became friends with Trent Kalamack.
"When isn't something after Rachel." I heard Ivy mutter. Even Trent smiled at that one. I on the other hand frowned. How does she know it was after me? I had gotten the impression from the conversation in my head with the Druchii that it was after Trent. Ivy got up and left the room without a word. I wonder what was bothering her.
Now that I was alone with Trent on the couch and touching; my mind jumped to the kiss we had shared in my kitchen. Physical contact between Trent and I may not be such a good idea. I moved back about an inch and the feeling came flooding back but I welcomed it this time. It took me a moment to catch my breath.
"Will this feeling go away? I don't like it." I looked at my hands. I had dried blood down the front of me. God I needed to shower. Trent even had some of my blood on his silk shirt. It's not like he didn't have the money to get another one but I hated that every time he helped me something would get ruined that he had to pay for.
"I don't care about my shirt Rachel. It's not the first one you bled on and I am sure it will not be the last." He smiled. "Yes, the feeling will go away. It will take a few days for your aura to repair itself, but there shouldn't be any permanent damage. I had no idea that an aura could be influenced like that. You attacked yourself like you were after something. You...you just scared us Rachel. I did the only thing that I could think of." Something in the back of Trent's eyes was different. He was concerned for me.
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and I hated it. I had been up against so much in the last few years. I wouldn't even be here now if it hadn't been for Ivy and Jenks. I knew I could trust Trent to help me through this. I trusted Trent with my life, not my heart.
"I need to take a look at some of my mother's books. Quen knows more of the Druchii. I have a feeling Ceri may be of the most help now." Trent's mind seemed to be going elsewhere as he tried to wrap this up.
Quen returned with the mention of Ceri's name with Jenks on his shoulder. I smiled seeing how Quen and Trent had finally let their guard down around Jenks. They were having a private conversation that I couldn't quite hear but by the slight reddening of Trent's ears I knew he could. Now what could they be saying that would make Trent blush? I was going to have to ask Jenks.
"Sa'han, Ms. Morgan's place is secure. Jenks and his family have their lines out." He stood in a lose stance near the back door. Guess it was time for them to go. He probably wanted to make sure Ceri was safe after knowing an evil elf that could posses people was running ramped this side of the lines.
"Damn straight my lines are out." Jenks flew to the table, dusting red in frustration.
"Thank you Quen." Trent nodded his head and Quen glided out the back door. I would never be able to move with that much grace. Trent grabbed one of my hands and squeezed. "We will figure it out Rachel. I'm here to help you with anything I can." He let go just as quickly and got up. "I need to go look through those books. Do not hesitate to call me. For anything." He headed through the hall to the front of the church. I felt more than heard the front door close as Trent left.
"You stink Rachel." Ivy appeared as if out of no where and I nearly jumped off the couch. Jenks snickered.
"How did you know what a Druchii was?" I looked at Ivy waiting for her to run away like she does when she was avoiding something. Instead, Ivy sat in the oversize chair.
"Piscary, had told stories of them. He was working with them. They had almost found a way to take the ever-after back from the demons. They aren't like the other elves. The Druchii are in a league with undead vampires and demons for the abilities they have. Rachel, they are bad. I want to know why one is after you." Ivy wasn't making eye contact with me which led me to believe she was holding part of the story back. If it involves Piscary I didn't want to know what details she wasn't sharing. I sighed. There was always something after me. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, demons, witches, and HAPA. I can't seem to catch a break.
"I'm going to shower. If I come out smelling like moldy worms call Trent will ya?" I walked down the hall to my bathroom with Jenks in tow. I thought he would have stopped but he followed me all the way into the bathroom.
I gave him a tired look. "What's up Jenks? I really need to shower."
"I'm sorry Rachel." He landed on the washing machine and was looking at the linoleum floor.
"For what?" I asked becoming concerned at his mood.
"I couldn't stop the Druchii from taking over you. It's my fault. I should have seen how it got to you and I wasn't there." He sounded depressed.
I blew out my breath. "Jenks, that wasn't your fault. You wouldn't have been able to stop it. I don't even remember how it happened."
Jenks perked up a little at that. "It's not going to happen again."
"Agreed. Now get out so I can shower." I smiled at him. Maybe I will make some cookies tonight to cheer him up.
"Okay I'll go but I'm having Belle come watch you while you're in here." He hurried out of the room.
"Jenks! I don't need a babysitter!" I yelled but I knew he wasn't going to listen to me.
I took off what I was wearing and stuck it into the washing machine. I was tired of needing new clothes because the ones I owned were covered in blood stains. At least it was my own blood and not Trent's or Quen's. I turned on the shower and let it run until the water was almost too hot to get in.
Thoughts of Trent kept running through my head. I still didn't know what he was capable of when it came to magic. He hasn't shown me what he can do yet, and that thought scared me. He was dangerous which made him that much more attractive. Rachel candy.
I knew enough about elven magic to know that it was very unpredictable. I can do wild magic. The thought hit me and I nearly collapsed. I had used it before with Trent's charms. I had used it with the ring. I looked down at the ring on my hand, running my fingers over the smoothness. Trent knows I can use his magic. That was when the shakes started. I sat on the bottom of the tub and let the water wash the blood away. I didn't get up until all of the hot water was gone.
That night I decided it was a good idea to stay in. Lounging on the couch watching Die Hard just wasn't appealing. Ivy was hovering and I knew she was doing it because she was worried but it was driving me crazy. She had come into the living room thirteen times looking for a pen that she could never seem to find. Ivy never lost anything. I finally decided to get up to clean the kitchen.
I had just put the last of my spelling equipment into the sink when I heard a knock from the front of the church. All I wanted to do was get the dishes done and that wasn't going to happen. I didn't know where Ivy had wondered off to but she was in no hurry to get the door. I threw the sponge back in the sink and headed for the front of the church. They knocked again getting louder this time.
"I'm coming!" I yelled as I unbolted the door and opened it. "Ceri!"
Ceri smiled and gave me a big hug. "Rachel, may I come in?"
"Of course." I moved aside so that Ceri could come inside. "What are you doing here?" We moved into the sanctuary and Ceri was bombarded by Jenks' kids. You could never understand what all of them were saying when they talked at the same time. I definitely was in no mood for it seeing as their ultra sonic squeaks were killing my head. "Jenks! Get your kids." I heard a whistle and they disappeared.
"I wanted to check on you after today." Ceri said as we moved our way into the kitchen. "When Quen and Trenton came home, I was worried Rachel. You always find trouble. I just want you to be safe." She touched my arm and then took my chair at the table.
I sighed. "I'm fine Ceri. Really. Trent did some elfy thing and I have some of his aura but other than that the only thing still bothering me is some cuts on my arms.I'm going to do a healing curse later so they won't be bothering me for long." I went to start washing my pots in the sink.
"Trent gave you some of his aura?" Ceri questioned.
"Uh...yeah?" I said becoming nervous at her question. "He said the Druchii had turned my aura and the only way for me to not hurt myself was to transfer some of his own aura to me."
"Rachel, how did he give you some of his aura? I thought that was only a story. I wasn't aware he could do that." Ceri looked deep in thought which only made me more nervous.
"It isn't common even for an elf thing is it?" I asked setting my pot back down. Ceri shook her head. Shit.
"To be able to do something like that, the two auras have to be very similar. The troubling part is that the two people have to share strong feelings for each other for it to be possible." Ceri almost whispered the last part, knowing I didn't want to hear it.
"I've had strong feelings of hate towards Trent." I said hopefully.
"Not those kind of feelings Rachel." Ceri smiled.
"Ceri, I don't know how I feel about him. I'm confused. I don't try to think about it. Things aren't how they use to be and I don't know how to feel." I whined. "He's a different person. I understand him now. I trust Trent with my life, not my heart."
"The fact that you're having thoughts about not trusting him with your heart says a lot." Ceri said. "This is happening whether you want it to or not. Rachel, you will come to realize where you stand with him. You have to decide how you feel about Trenton before it ruins the friendship you two have developed."
"I can't Ceri. I can't go through what I went through when I lost Kisten." I whispered.
"You can. Trenton can help you. He is a good man. He just wasn't the man for me." Ceri smiled. "May I make you some tea?" She got up and filled the kettle with water.
"Sure." I smiled back. "Tea it is."