Chapter 10

I stretched my body across the marshmallows again. I was starting to get use to this, pretty soon I wouldn't like my own bed anymore. I smiled just as my hand hit something soft. I turned thinking it was a pillow but it was Trent. What exactly was Trent doing in bed with me? I looked down hoping that I still had all of my clothes on, which I did. Pleased I had dodged that bullet, I lifted the covers to make sure he had his clothes on and he did. I sighed. He began to stir.

"Mmmm Rachel?" He said sleepily opening one eye. I laughed. I remembered Trent waking up on our road trip but it wasn't anything like this. Apparently sleeping in a car with a witch, a vampire, and a pixy makes you quite grumpy.

"Um not that I'm complaining Trent, but why are you in bed with me?" I was still laughing as he attempted to get both eyes open.

"You asked me not to leave you." He said simply and wrapped an arm around me. It felt really nice and I was not about to ask him to move it. I had asked him that hadn't I? I snuggled into him breathing in the scent of summer and wine. He smelled delicious when he woke up. Then the events of last night hit me. I had killed someone.

"Trent? I killed her didn't I?" I asked in a whisper trying not to cry.

"You didn't know that was going to happen. None of us did. It was an accident Rachel. You were protecting me." He said quietly.

"Still makes me a murderer." I sniffled letting the tears fall.

"Don't. Rachel just don't assign that title to yourself. You are not a murderer." Trent spoke with such authority I didn't want to argue. All I could do was let the tears fall on his chest as we lay there in silence. Once all the tears had been cried and I had nothing left I found I didn't want to talk about it. I wanted to get even. There was someone pulling the strings of the Druchii and probably more where the first one came from. Trent could sense the change in me as I gently pulled away from him.

"Tell me what you know." I said sitting up and making sure all the tears were gone from my face. Trent's eyes held a mixture of understanding and pain that I now knew came from the death of another person. He sat up leaning against the headboard never breaking eye contact.

"Her name was Ava. She has a body. I think a woman has it. I assume there are more Druchii at her disposal. Whoever she is she's prepared to go to whatever means necessary in severing any ties I have to you." Trent explained.

"Swell. I love when a stranger with evil elves at her disposal has taken a personal interest in your life." I dropped my head into my hands.

"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Trent asked.

I nodded. "There are about twenty people it could be but for this situation, I can't think of anyone. The only female I know that has taken some kind of an interest in my life is Ivy and Newt. Shit! Maybe it's Newt."

"Newt? Isn't she a demon? " Trent's expression actually showed his fear. He was right to fear her. No one was more powerful than Newt except maybe myself but she could still squash me like a bug.

"She's the one you elves missed in your quest to kill all the female demons." I sighed. "I need Al's help. The Druchii are nothing compared to having Newt come after us. Do me a favor and don't tell Ceri okay?"

"Rachel?" He gave a questioning look.

"Believe me. If you tell her she won't come out of the vault until she knows that Newt has had a forget spell put on her again." I hopped down to the floor and stretched my body. I hoped it would be that easy but I had a funny feeling that Newt may have already set something into motion that couldn't be stopped.

I walked into the church at the ungodly hour of eight in the morning. I heard the pixies going full steam and I didn't understand how Ivy could sleep through all the noise. As I made my way to the kitchen the smell of coffee hit me and I knew Ivy wasn't sleeping. Troll turds. She was a peach in the morning. I walked into the kitchen and Ivy was in front of the coffee pot extending a fresh cup to me.

"Thanks." I mumbled taking the cup and sitting in my chair.

"Ceri called." Ivy said into her cup. She was peeking at me over the top but I could tell she was scenting my mood.

"Does Jenks know too?" I whispered letting the bitter liquid hit my tongue.

"Of course I know." Jenks zipped into the kitchen landing on the table in front of me. "We don't think any less of you for it. Now suck it up and call Al. You have bigger problems to deal with Rache."

He was right. I didn't know what Newt would be sending next and I did not want her coming to finish the job herself. Something about the whole situation was off. I wondered if it really was Newt. Sure she was more than capable of all of it but I just couldn't put my finger on a detail that I knew I was missing.

"Ivy? Can you help me chart all of the events of the Druchii? Any details we can think of?" I asked finishing off my cup of coffee.

Ivy perked up and flew into motion. "I thought I would never hear those words come out of your mouth." She said jokingly. Ivy had the computer on tapping away and setting up a spread sheet to track the events of the Druchii. It took the three of us the next hour to get everything charted but we began to see a pattern. All of the events directly focused on Trent and myself. There was no bigger picture, no hidden agenda, just Trent and I.

"It's not Newt." I said firmly believing it.

"She's insane Rachel. How can you be so sure?" Ivy argued.

"I just know. It's not her. This is someone else." I could feel it. I had been really good about trusting my instincts and I was going to do it right now even if I had to tie Ivy down to a chair to get her to listen. "Ivy please just believe me. I just know."

Jenks and Ivy were silent as they exchanged looks with one another.

"Rache hasn't been wrong yet when it came to demons." Jenks admitted.

"Why don't you just ask her then?" Ivy got up to refill our cups.

"I've never called her directly. She kind of scares the crap out of me." I admitted.

"Why don't you just call Al and have him talk to her?" Jenks asked.

I retrieved my calling glyph and sat back at the table. I was going to try to call Newt. I hope I was right. I would have told Ivy and Jenks to leave the church but it was still before ten in the morning so Newt couldn't just pop over if she decided she was angry with me. I exhaled and stretched my upper body trying to relieve the tension that was building.

"Calling an insane demon." I said as I positioned my fingers. "Newt? Hello, Newt? It's Rachel. I just had some questions if you aren't busy?" Ivy and Jenks both had the same look of concern on their faces as we all waited in silence to see if I would get a response. Five minutes had passed and I didn't feel anything.

"I guess she didn't want to pick up." I shrugged removing my fingers. I took the cup Ivy had extended to me and just as I filled my mouth with coffee I sneezed.

"Bloody hell Rache!" Jenks exclaimed and took to the ceiling with just his feet dripping of coffee. Ivy was snickering as she brought a towel over.

"Jenks I'm sorry!" Then I sneezed again and again. Someone was calling me. I pressed my fingers back into the mirror to be greeted by Newt.

'Rachel love, what can I do for you?' Newt asked sweetly. I almost preferred the insane, out of control Newt to this one. This was definitely more scary.

"Uh, well Newt I seem to be having a problem with a Druchii." I started.

'No! Rachel you must stop them! Kill them all!' Newt was frantic. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to call her personally.

"I did. I killed one last night." I hesitated but figured honesty was best with her.

'Find them and kill them. I can not control a Druchii. Only an elf can. What has your elf been up to my dear?' Newt was calm again which freaked me out even more.

"It's not him. I know it's not. How do I stop them?" I knew I probably shouldn't be asking Newt for help but why not? She was being civil enough and maybe I could learn something that Al didn't want me to know.

'Kill them. That's how you stop them.' Newt said and cut the connection off. I had a funny feeling I had just made a big mistake talking to Newt. I met Ivy's eyes and she knew it too.

"What did she say?" Jenks was wiping his feet on the towel on the table in front of me.

"Sorry about the coffee Jenks." I gave him an apologetic look. "She said kill them. I did get something useful though."

"What?" Ivy was trying to not look as interested as I knew she really was.

"That only an elf can control a Druchii." I smiled. I didn't know how this was going to help us but it would narrow the list of suspects that's for sure.

Ivy frowned. "But you only know so many elves Rachel. It has to be one of them."

"You think it's cookie farts?" Jenks looked serious.

"No." I didn't even hesitate to answer. I knew it wasn't Trent. It wasn't Ceri or Quen either. Jonathan was a dog so it couldn't be him. Did I know any other elves? I dropped my coffee cup as the thought hit me.

"Damn it Rache! Stop spilling coffee on me!" Jenks swore and flew up before it could soak anything other than his feet.

"Shut up Jenks! She knows who it is!" Ivy moved to clean up the coffee as I sat in silence.

"Ellasbeth."

It was three in the afternoon. I had been through every single one of my demon texts twice and they spoke nothing of the Druchii or how to control one or how to stop someone from controlling one. I knew that what I needed wasn't going to be found in one of my books but I was too much of a chicken to call Trent just yet. How do you tell someone their ex fiance was out to ruin what might be their next relationship and was the mother of their child to boot? Yeah that was a conversation I was not ready to have. Jenks and Ivy were taking turns checking on me about every five minutes and it was starting to piss me off. I was in the kitchen. I wasn't out on a run or unsupervised at the grocery store. Trent would be getting up from his afternoon nap soon and I needed to call him.

I put away all of my spell books and tried to think of how to tell him what I knew. I had no proof. I was going off the word of an insane demon and my instincts. I just hoped it would be enough for Trent to hear me out. He's listened to me with less before. This was a talk I needed to have in person. I grabbed my bag and headed for the sanctuary. I don't really know why I thought I would have gotten out of the church. Ivy and Jenks were waiting for me at the front door.

"Where ya going Rache?" Jenks snickered. Stupid annoying pixy.

"Fine. You guys want to come to Trent's with me?" I jingled my car keys trying to get this show on the road.

"Is your boyfriend awake from his afternoon nappies yet?" Jenks laughed. Ivy even had a smile.

"I guess we'll find out." I said, pushing them out of the way and heading out the door. I was surprised when they both followed me to the mini. I thought for sure Ivy would have stayed home. I had a feeling tempers were going to be running high and I hoped Ivy was up for dealing with it.

"Ivy I'm going to talk to Trent alone." I said shutting the door and starting the car.

She nodded but didn't say anything. I knew she wouldn't be far from where ever we went to talk. Maybe she could fill in Ceri and Quen while Trent and I talked. The ride was silent but for Jenks singing along with the Beach Boys on the radio. I was worried about talking to Trent. I hoped that the information I was going to give him didn't change anything between us. I had feelings for Trent. Now if I could admit it out loud we would make some progress.

I kept thinking of the memory Trent had shared with me from camp. I wanted to ask him for more memories but I was scared of what I might see. I was so deep in my thoughts that I hadn't even heard Ivy until she grabbed the steering wheel and made me pull off to the side of the road.

"What the hell Ivy?" I said as I put the car in neutral and pulled the emergency break.

"Rachel, we need to talk about what is going to happen with Trent." Ivy said smoothly taking the keys from me to make sure we didn't leave until she was satisfied.

"Oh good lord Ivy I'm not talking about my feelings!" I exclaimed.

"That's not what I was talking about." Ivy smirked. "I am curious about those but I meant what is going to happen when you burst in there to tell him Ellasbeth is trying to keep you two apart. What is he going to do to her? Will that change the relationship you have with him now?"

"Oh." I hadn't really thought about what Trent would do to Ellasbeth. I was pretty sure he wouldn't kill her but he was capable of anything. "He's not going to kill her Ivy."

"Do you know that for sure Rachel?" She wouldn't make eye contact with me and I wondered if my emotions were pushing her buttons.

"Yes, I know that for sure. She is the mother of his daughter. He won't kill her. I don't know what he will do to her but I know her death will not be an option." I stated. I sure hoped I was right. I wasn't going to doubt myself. I knew Trent very well now and I knew in my heart he wouldn't kill her.

"Rache is right Ivy. Trent isn't going to kill her. He might rough her up a bit but he's trying to be on his best behavior to impress Rachel." Jenks snickered from the rear view mirror.

"Shut it Jenks." I mumbled feeling my face turn red. Why was I getting embarrassed about Trent trying to impress me? I knew he was doing it but I didn't think he was doing it for the reasons Jenks was thinking of.

"I just want you to be prepared that things could change Rachel. I know you and Trent have become good friends recently and I don't want to see you get hurt." Ivy whispered. "I don't want to have to kill Trent." Jenks nodded in agreement. Great. Now if Trent hurts my feelings my friends are going to kill him?

"Neither one of you are going to kill Trent no matter what happens. I need him alive. Understand?" I exhaled feeling a little better about all of us being on the same page.

Ivy smiled. "So lets talk about those feelings?"

"Hell no." I reached over and took the keys out of Ivy's lap.

"I think she loooooves him." Jenks said trying to keep a straight face.

"I would have to agree with you there." Ivy said with a straight face also.

"Why? Why are you guys doing this to me?" I whined. I started the car and got back on the road to Trent's compound.

"He's not going to wait forever. You need to talk to him before you lose him. I think that elf would do damn near anything for you Rachel." Ivy said being completely serious.

"He would. I've seen some of the things he's already done Rachel. Believe me he has some very strong feelings for you." Jenks dusted blue from the mirror. I don't remember the last time he dusted blue.

"I know. I can't keep ignoring my feelings." I was quiet after finally admitting it. We drove in silence until we were at Trent's gatehouse. Seeing as I wasn't expected the gate was closed. I pulled up and rolled down the window to speak with the guard. He was a younger man dressed in a security uniform with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Ms. Morgan?" He questioned.

"Yeah. Surprise! Trent didn't know I was coming." I said as he took in my passengers.

He opened the gate and asked "Would you like me to let Mr. Kalamack know you are on the way up?"

"No!" I said quickly. "It's a surprise if you would just keep it to yourself." I smiled hoping the man would.

"Yes Ms. Morgan." He nodded and I continued through the gate.

"Wow. You can come and go when you please without an announcement of you coming?" Ivy had a puzzled look on her face.

"I guess so. This is the first time I've come without him knowing first." I shrugged. Trent would have to have a lot of trust in me to be able to freely enter his compound without his knowledge. It was kind of flattering when I thought about it. He wasn't a man that gave his trust easily and I had earned it. We pulled into the visitors lot and parked in the spot that Trent always had me use. Maybe I could get my name on one of those parking signs? Why would I need my own spot? I think I just wanted one. I wanted some claim to Trent if I was going to be honest.

"Lets go see if Trent is awake." I said, grabbing my bag and getting out of the car.