Daughter of Blood and Nightmares

34: Angels, Ashton

The knock thunders through my chest. His voice sounds like it's right behind my ear. "Ashton, open the door..." A heavy pause, "...after you get dressed, of course. We need to talk. I need to explain."

There it is. Admission. But admission to what? Being a demon? Fluke explanation be damned. I'm cursed and he's not human. Or is it an admission that his on the verge of death kiss was a mistake? It was a mistake, I repeat to myself. I have to get out of here. In a panic, I throw anything on. I don't care if it matches or fits, I just need clothes on...now.

With a deep breath before opening the door, I gather my wits before facing what's outside. I can handle this. I've faced down many demons. And I can absolutely face the only person who has ever kissed me even with it being a mistake...and the fact that he's a demon.

At first sight, he looks like an average man. But there's a monster lurking underneath. The pieces don't fit, but I don't care. Details don't have to fit into place, logic doesn't need to be present when demons are involved.

He stands just outside the door, blocking my way out. He steps aside when he realizes his menacing statute. Within the small space he gives me to get out, I take it and race to the door, not a single word spoken to him even though I want to scream in his face, liar.

"Where are you going?" He asks as if he cares.

Unwillingly, I stop in front of the door, "I have to get out. I have to...I need to leave...I can't be here."

"It's not safe out there."

My head falls back in a fit of laughter. "Not safe? Out there? Says the demon in my room that's been hiding under my nose this entire time."

"You think I'm a demon?" He snaps clearly annoyed that I called him such a thing. His hand slides through his hair and quickly drops to his side. "Okay. I can see why you think that." He admits. "I'm not a demon though, Ashton. You have to believe me."

"I might have been flustered, terrified, in shock, but I..." remember it clear as day, I'm staring at you right in front of my face, perfectly fine. "I carried you to the car. There were no nightmares, no fears connecting. I thought that maybe it was because you were dying, but...you're far from dying, aren't you?"

How can he stand here, perfectly fine after being stabbed denying the obvious. I know I don't deserve the truth, why can't he just say the words? "You can cut the crap. There's no more lying to my face anymore." I don't know what comes over me, but my index finger goes to poke him in the chest right where the knife sliced through his flesh. "Maybe Zayne and the others, but not me."

Although, the others would have to be blind to look past this. My last jab is even harder than the others because he didn't even flinch from the previous three. Nothing. He's healed in what...three hours, if even? That isn't normal. He's not normal.

He swats my hand away when I go to poke at him again determined to find a remaining wound. "I'm not a demon." His face contorts with anger.

The second I give up, drop my hand to my side and take a step back, eyes on the ground, time stops and the silence eats at me.

I'm not going to coax it out of him. I'm not going to force him to be honest with me. Hell, I'm not sure I'll ever be honest with him in return. When he doesn't make a move to speak, I turn my back on him. "Whatever you say," I grumble as I take the door handle in my hand. I'm not even going to breach the subject of his misplaced kiss.

There's a deep huff from him as he mutters 'damn it' under his breath. There are several seconds before he speaks. "I'm a guardian...along with some others here." His words stop me, but I don't turn around. A guardian? I've heard demons call him that, but I never really thought about it. The Order could be considered guardians. "Angels, Ashton."