Damned if I do | Damned trilogy #1

Chapter Eighteen: Wren

Going back to a human life was difficult. It wasn't just feeling like a piece of myself was missing. It wasn't just the relative coldness. It wasn't just the fact that I was surrounded by the mundane again. It was also the boys.

The presence of Truman, Ignacio and Kyle gave me equal amounts of solace and sadness. And they knew it. Truman kept most of his more sardonic comments to himself. Kyle fixed himself by my side as often as he could. And Ignacio had taken to scouting for every and any threat I might face on a daily basis. This led to more than one accident.

The blender had been replaced twice already because I'd managed to let it explode in my face and Ignacio wasn't going to let some mechanical beast vomit its guts on me.

Mrs Finster's cat had dared to hiss at me as I walked inside one afternoon and Ignacio had scared it so badly it had run too quickly inside and broken its own leg.

He'd bitten clean through the pipe of the vacuum cleaner because I somehow vacuumed up my own earring.

My computer was running too slowly for my fragile mood and I'd whacked it in annoyance so Ignacio threw it out the window.

He'd taken an interesting liking to Dad and could occasionally be distracted by following him around the house. Dad had taken a couple of days to get used to this behaviour, but actually quite enjoyed having a devilbum shadow after a week.

Kyle was besotted with Harmony. He was always agitated when I took too long to get ready for school, wanting to go downstairs and watch out the window for her car. And could always be found at the window when I walked in the front door.

When he wasn't on Harmony-watch, he was busy investigating – and tasting – everything Earth had to offer. His favourite discovery was Whizz Fizz sherbet. Anytime he ate it, it made his ears flap and his eyes blink rapidly while his tongue stuck out and he made a little high-pitched whining noise.

In between those two strenuous pastimes, he could be found with his nose pressed against the TV as he tried to lick whatever was on it. He particularly liked the ABC kid's shows with the songs and the colours. As he went about whatever else he was getting up to, he almost always sang one of those songs.

Truman was...Truman. As the most level-headed of the three of them, he appointed himself my 'out of the house' guardian. He could apparently appear invisible to whoever he wanted, so he came to school with me, following me around with his stately trot in complete silence.

Harmony had been surprised, to say the least, when I arrived back home with three devilbums and claiming I was married to Lucifer's son.

"Hang on," she'd said, shaking her head as Kyle batted her hip to get her attention. "Try that on me one more time."

"I..." Grunting in frustration, I pulled the photo off my bed where it had fallen. I showed it to her and she shrugged.

"Huh?"

I sighed. "Hot guy next door?"

"Yum. Remember him."

"That was Drake." I held the picture up again and she looked between us in confusion.

I saw the moment the lightbulb went off. "Oh. Oh!" she breathed. "As in, Drake?"

I nodded. "He came to collect me as his wife, to Hell."

Harmony pointed at Kyle. "I'm finding it hard to think you're crazy at this point."

"Kyle's...enthusiastic." I waved that away. "No. Look, I was gone two days here. But it was over a month there. Over a month."

"Of being stuck in Hell with Super Hotty." Harmony's eyebrows waggled cheekily. "Huh? Huh?"

I couldn't stop my smile.