Demon kissed: demon kissed

Chapter 15

"Hey Ivy," Eric reached for me, pulling me into the room. I wiped the expression off my face before they could see the full-blown panic in my eyes. I couldn't believe it. Eric was the Seeker. He was looking for me. "We're done here. So what'd she say you are?" They waited for me to answer. Terror pushed my pulse to an ungodly rate, as I fought to suppress my panic.

"Yes. Tell. What she say? I need to document your vocation before I leave." Julia's face held a bemused expression.

The one they were hunting was staring at them, but they had no clue. I held my voice steady, shoving my shaking hands in my pockets, "She said I'm a Seyer." Eric's mouth opened slightly.

Julia scoffed, "Heh. A Seyer!"

Eric's eyes darted between Julia's face and my nervous stance. He rubbed my forearm in a comforting gesture, "That's great. And rare. Wow." I smiled weakly, trying not to flinch away from his touch. They were reading my nervousness wrong—thank God. They thought it was because I was a Seyer.

I asked, "Really? Al made it sound like it was no big deal."

"And it ain't," the old woman's voice rang out behind me. "Each of us got a different part in the bigger picture of things. Ain't that right Julia?" Silver hair framed her face.

Julia sighed, waving her hands as she spoke, "Si, si. We know how you feel Althea." She looked away, rolling her eyes. It seemed like they had this discussion before.

Al took a step toward Julia, gesturing to me, "Ivy will help us with the prophecy."

My heart dropped into my toes. What did she say? "Excuse me?" I squeaked.

"Really?" Eric questioned, looking excited.

Julia humphed and folded her arms. "We know the prophecy. Our warriors will eradicate the problem—not this little girl."

"That's not what I've seen. It's this little girl who will be the one to eradicate the problem." Her old eyes looked at me. Panic was gripping me from my throat to my toes. Its tendrils laced into my stomach, and squeezed.

Al knows what I am. She's going to turn me over. I fought every urge of self-preservation that was franticly flowing within me, and kept my feet glued to the spot.

"Psh. You do your way. We do ours. I'll report your new Seyer," she said it with disdain, "and your prediction." Julia picked up her patent leather purse. Sister Al walked her out, leaving Eric and I alone.

"So," Eric turned towards me with a proud smile on his face, "A Seyer. Wow." Heart pounding, I nodded, avoiding the urge to run screaming from Eric.

Why did it have to be Eric? What was I supposed to tell him? That I was the one he was trying to kill. Faking what I was, was going to get much harder. Looking into his face, I saw peaceful amber eyes, not the warrior hunting me. I only saw Eric—sweet, thoughtful Eric. How could I be so incredibly wrong about people? Was my perception that bad? My stomach was in knots, as I held my fists tightly in my jean pockets. "I'm gonna meet up with Shannon, if that's okay?" It was difficult to look him in the eye, but I managed a weak nod.

Eric smiled, "Sure. You all right?"

"Yup. I'm good." I pulled my hands out of my pockets, and folded them over my chest. Slowly, I turned to walk away from him, and out the front doors. Shannon's little red car was waiting, just like we planned. Silently, I slid into the seat, and closed the door.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. The sunlight gave her hair a golden glow. She put the car into drive, and pulled into traffic.

I sat there for a second, unsure of what to do. The tension in my forehead wouldn't ease up. I pressed it with my fingertips, as we drove in silence. The truth slammed together in the back of my mind. I desperately wanted to deny it. Eric's words mixed with the things Shannon had told me earlier, and it made me feel sick. But, I knew it was true.