The In-Between (Book 1 - Death, Demons and Mere Mortals)

Chapter TWENTY - White Sands

The café buzzed with life. Jen sat at the computer with a small notepad that Blake had bought in front of her. She was alone. He'd left fairly early on due to boredom. Hours had passed as she wrote and drew on the paper. Her father's voice in her head comforting her.

She felt the pressure of importance sitting in her chest and dragging her down, causing her back to hunch as she worked. The noise in the café faded away as she zoned in on the computer. She didn't hear the chair beside her sliding out, a delicate frame sitting down beside her.

Jen scribbled furiously, the light from the sun outside making its way across her screen as the time passed by. The body beside her which was nothing but a blur of clothing turned in the chair and slid off, leaving the seat to spin idly. Minutes later, there was a crash as Blake threw himself in the chair, giggling quietly as he spun. Jen's head snapped up, the ringing of the world around her swarmed her senses.

She stared at Blake with a deadpan expression, watching his smile as he used the desk to spin beside her. As he caught her stare, he grabbed the desk and came to a halt. His smile faded and he looked to her writing.

'Get anything?' He asked, unaware of the disruption he'd caused. She nodded, moving back to her computer and clicking the mouse to follow another link. 'Well, you've got five minutes.' He warned, looking around the café.

Jen's head snapped up, her eyes dilated and frantic. 'What?' She fretted, her hands fumbling for the pen that she'd put aside. Blake's head moved to her with a teasing smile.

'They're closing soon.' He said through a breathless laugh as she poised herself and sent him a burning glare. 'Come on,' He urged, standing and grabbing his bag. Jen closed the computer, shutting the book and turning to follow him.

They walked through the streets in silence. Jen still wasn't too sure how she felt around him. Emma may feel comfortable enough but in a sense, Emma was dead. Jen couldn't help the nerves and worry that intertwined in her belly. A cold sweat broke out on every surface of her body, the pen slippery in her hand. She had trouble fighting the bad feeling that arose whenever she was around Blake.

To make a judgement, to talk to Emma wouldn't be wise. She could see how much the girl loved and trusted him. She couldn't take that away from Emma, she relied heavily on him. Jen watched him from the corner of her eye as they walked aside one another. She tried to break through his façade, at least what she believed to be lies. The front that he put on, she wanted to rip through and see what he was hiding.

'We should pick up some food.' He announced, turning to look at her. Jen snapped her gaze away, plastering a daze and a fake smile across her face. She nodded in agreement, following him into the small chippy. The smell of fryer oil and fat swelled within her and she only then felt the hunger surging within her.

The bags crinkled in their hands as they walked. Jen gripped her bag tight, rummaging through her mind for an excuse or a reason for his behaviour. She thought about who he was, where he was from and who he worked for. The ominous thought of a higher being controlling him became the subject of her thoughts the rest of the way back.

The sound of water rushing met them as they walked through the door. The journal sat on the desk, however, what they didn't see was the box underneath it. Emma had put the spell on the Sword when they were gone. She'd never admit that she didn't trust them with it, the shame she felt was enough to silence her.

She ran her fingers through her hair. The hot water singeing her scalp as she let the water slam onto her head. It trickled down her temple, running over her closed eyelids. Her mind was bustling, loud as the steam filled the room. The cubicle became stuffy and Emma held her breath. She felt her lungs clenching, begging for air as she kept her head under the water.