Shadow Lust

11

Demina's POV

Ink says,"I know why."

I look up to see Ink standing there. I scramble off the bed towards her and she frames my face in her hands.

She says,"My dear, you have had Agmos in you for a while."

I hear a snort come from Pulley and Porter smacks his chest.

Ink says,"When you came into the stone the first time, darkness took a hold of you."

I remember that. It was after I was kidnapped and tortured by Caden.

Flashback:

I hear Agmos's voice say,"I'm sorry, Demina. I failed."

I look around and say,"Agmos."

Agmos says,"I left you alone. I should have stayed. I was more concerned about why I care about you instead of being there for you."

I stand and go to take a step but something grabs my wrist. I turn and come face to face with Agmos. But there's something different about him. His eyes are more humane. There's more emotion in them.

I ask,"Who are you?"

He replies,"I'm Agmos...but I'm his soul."

I stumble back and he says,"You need to take care of him. He means well."

I turn in a circle as he disappears. A light cuts through the darkness and I blink rapidly. It's shining in front of me showing me something.

End of Flashback

I look at Ink and say,"That was a yr ago."

Ink says,"You've visited multiple times. You also left a piece of your light inside there. It's in Agmos. Now I'm not saying it's gonna make him something he isn't. He's a demon and he stays that way."

I say,"So, I'm becoming Agmos."

She smiles and says,"You are becoming something else. This darkness isn't yours. It was never meant to be yours."

I'm confused and I say,"I need a drink."

All of us head downstairs and I pour a glass of scotch. Swindle looks intrigued and I slide it to him. I pour a glass of whiskey and sip it as I walk out in my back porch in the night.

I ask,"What are you saying, Ink?"

She says,"The darkness took you because you were there when you weren't supposed to be. You really weren't supposed to be in the stone ever."

I ask,"So how do we fix it?"

She replies,"I don't really know. Agmos is the key."

I throw my hands out to my sides as I say,"In case ya didn't notice skull face is gone."

Ink says,"I can reach him. He will try to shut me out. But I can reach him."

She shuts her eyes and concentrates. She begins to glow an eerie black and white swirled color. Her eyes flash open and they're complete white orbs. She gets an angry look on her face before she closes her eyes again. The glow fades and we all wait. I sip my whiskey and head inside. I need to eat something I'm starving.

I grab a pan and pour some oil in it and set in the stove. I turn the flame on and grab the beef bulgogi potstickers out of the freezer. I set them on the counter and grab my glass taking a sip.

The alcohol burns going down but it's a burn I've gotten used to it. I also taste the different notes in it. They're clear. Like I can see them as I taste them. I'm confused and I take another sip. Vanilla. It's prominent. Then there's a something that tastes like honey but not honey.

I toss the bulgogi into the pan and cover it with a lid. It crackles in response to the hot oil and I stand at the counter taking the final sip of my whiskey. There's a wood like taste to it as well. Lost in my thoughts, I don't hear everyone come in.

Ink says,"Agmos is being a dumbass. I'm gonna try him again in several hours. You need to eat and rest."

She comes to me and says,"We will figure this out and you will return back to your human form, love."

I nod and she gives me a hug. She disappears and the stone warns against my chest. I sigh and turn the potstickers over.

I say,"Porter, I can hear your stomach growling, get the ramen cooked."

Porter gets to work filling up the big measuring cup and getting hot water from the water cooler. He fills up a big pot three times as he has it on a flame on the stove. Gets out the ramen packs and begins cooking the noodles as I throw more bulgogi into the pan. I toss the finished bulgogi in the ramen pot and begin stirring it all around.

Once it's done I take it off and begin scooping it out. Porter places a hand on my arm making me still. He takes the bowl from my hand and places the spoon back in the pot. He lifts my head up and looks in my eyes.

He says,"It's gonna be ok, Demina."

I say,"I don't know if you're right."

He wraps his arms around me and I take a shaky deep breath.

He says,"The guys and I will be here for you through it all."

Tears prick the back of my eyes and I take another shaky breath in as I try to keep myself from crying. I cling to Porter and he rubs my back. Pulley and the guys come over and turn it into a ack hug. Morganna joins in and drags Atticus with her. We hold onto each other in solidarity and I don't notice the three demons disappear into the shadows. The silence is deafening as we stand there.

Pulley says,"This would be the worst time for someone to fart."

We burst into laughter and break away from each other as we laugh. I don't really know where I'm going. But I know as long as I've got my friends by my side, I'll be just fine. I turn to find Achille, Bittie, and Swindle have left. But I feel someone watching me. Hmm...where did they go? Why did they go?

Porter pulls me from thoughts by handing me a warm bowl of potsticker ramen. We all sit in various spots in the living room having eating and telling stories of what we did when we were younger.

Porter says,"Yeah, let's just say I though the bleach blonde look was a good idea."

I look around at Porter's pack, my friends. This feels so normal. But none of it really is. I'm not human. Agmos is gone. And he doesn't seem to want to come back. I look down at my hands curled around the bowl. My metal talons clink against it when I shift.

The same talons that murdered three men. I shudder and suddenly feel very cold. I don't realize I'm visibly shivering until Atticus throws a blanket around me. I look up at him and he gives a warm smile. I curl into a ball under the blanket and Porter pulls me into his side.

I say,"Thanks, bro."

He snickers and I say,"I swear to god if you make a pea joke right now, I'll shove my foot so far up yer arse, you'll be tastin the cotton of my socks for days."

Porter rolls his eyes and says,"Fine I guess I won't say you look like Stitch about to roll across the ground."

I reply,"No. No. No. Calling me Stitch is fine."

Porter smiles and we all laugh. I lay against him and at some point my eyes close.