Read Online Nameless: The Darkness Comes by Mercedes M. Yardley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mercedes M. Yardley
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thought. And Sparkles, well, she isn’t normal, you know. I mean, a normal bad mother. She walked out on my brother with some guy, which was terrible enough, but somehow she got involved in the whole demon thing.”
“Involved how?”
I turned and looked into his fantastic eyes. He wasn’t judging me. He wasn’t laughing at me. For the first time in my life, somebody believed me wholeheartedly. It was terrifying. It was also wonderful. He made me want to tell the truth.
“ It’s like there is a protective layer on the soul. Your soul. That soul belongs to you, right? But you can keep doing things to damage that layer, until finally it’s thin enough a demon can just hop on in, take a ride around with you. Sometimes you know they’re there, and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the person actually digs it. That was Sparkles. She got herself a demon, and they made quite the team.”
Reed Taylor looked wry. “That sounds like my last ex-girlfriend.”
“It sounds like everybody’s last girlfriend. Sparkles and her demon, they liked to hurt. If she wants Lydia, it’s not because of motherly love, that’s for sure. There’s something else going on.”
“So what are you going to do?”
I sighed. Curse it all.
“ You’re a good time, Reed Taylor, but Seth and I need to scheme. It sounds like I need to gear up for demonic battle.”
Chapter Thirteen
I walked in the front door and knew something was wrong. The house didn’t feel right.
“Seth? Lydia? I’m home,” I called out and dropped my backpack on the floor. Nobody answered.
“I’m leaving my jacket on the couch like a slob. I’m wearing my boots in the house, and I didn’t even wipe them. You should come yell at me.”
Silence.
The sticky weight of the atmosphere nearly took my breath away. The Mark between my shoulder blades tingled and burned, making me slightly nauseous. I tiptoed to the kitchen and peeked through the door. Nothing. I reached in and slid a heavy duty kitchen knife out of the block, just in case.
“Seth? Are you here?”
I walked through the downstairs, checking closets and under tables as I went. The knife shone dully and I swallowed hard. I hoped I didn’t have to use it. I took a deep breath and nearly decided not to go upstairs, telling myself I was obviously alone in the house, but the sickly, oily ambiance made me grind my teeth and continue on.
“Stupid demonic presence,” I muttered to myself as I climbed. I pressed my back against the wall and held the knife tightly in front of me. I thought of Seth, I thought of Lydia. I thought of this whole mess, and the idea of Sparkles ending up with sweet Baby Girl. Wasn’t gonna happen.
Seth wasn’t in his room. He wasn’t in Lydia’s. Not in mine. With every door I opened, I felt my hope turn to something ugly and full of despair. Where could they be? Why did the house feel like this? It felt like back in the old Sparkles days, but worse. Much, much worse.
There was only one door left. I turned to the bathroom and felt like my legs were going to give out. It was so quiet. So unnatural. I could barely get my legs to move. Had I ever been this frightened before? My hand fluttered up to my heart, which was pounding almost painfully. I gripped the knife tighter and forced my legs to walk. One step. Two steps. Maybe I was under a lot of emotional duress. Maybe Seth and Lydia were at the park. Maybe I was just going crazy. Please, let me be going crazy. I’d been expecting that for years. I was prepared to handle it.
I turned the door handle, and even before I pushed the door open, I knew. I knew.
Seth was fully clothed in the filled bathtub. His head was flopped to the side, half of his face submerged.
“Oh, Seth!”
I dropped the knife and ran to him. I fell to my knees and lifted his head out of the water.
“Seth! Seth, can you hear me? Wake up!”
He didn’t move. I felt for a heartbeat, but my hands were shaking so hard that I wasn’t sure if I
“Involved how?”
I turned and looked into his fantastic eyes. He wasn’t judging me. He wasn’t laughing at me. For the first time in my life, somebody believed me wholeheartedly. It was terrifying. It was also wonderful. He made me want to tell the truth.
“ It’s like there is a protective layer on the soul. Your soul. That soul belongs to you, right? But you can keep doing things to damage that layer, until finally it’s thin enough a demon can just hop on in, take a ride around with you. Sometimes you know they’re there, and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the person actually digs it. That was Sparkles. She got herself a demon, and they made quite the team.”
Reed Taylor looked wry. “That sounds like my last ex-girlfriend.”
“It sounds like everybody’s last girlfriend. Sparkles and her demon, they liked to hurt. If she wants Lydia, it’s not because of motherly love, that’s for sure. There’s something else going on.”
“So what are you going to do?”
I sighed. Curse it all.
“ You’re a good time, Reed Taylor, but Seth and I need to scheme. It sounds like I need to gear up for demonic battle.”
Chapter Thirteen
I walked in the front door and knew something was wrong. The house didn’t feel right.
“Seth? Lydia? I’m home,” I called out and dropped my backpack on the floor. Nobody answered.
“I’m leaving my jacket on the couch like a slob. I’m wearing my boots in the house, and I didn’t even wipe them. You should come yell at me.”
Silence.
The sticky weight of the atmosphere nearly took my breath away. The Mark between my shoulder blades tingled and burned, making me slightly nauseous. I tiptoed to the kitchen and peeked through the door. Nothing. I reached in and slid a heavy duty kitchen knife out of the block, just in case.
“Seth? Are you here?”
I walked through the downstairs, checking closets and under tables as I went. The knife shone dully and I swallowed hard. I hoped I didn’t have to use it. I took a deep breath and nearly decided not to go upstairs, telling myself I was obviously alone in the house, but the sickly, oily ambiance made me grind my teeth and continue on.
“Stupid demonic presence,” I muttered to myself as I climbed. I pressed my back against the wall and held the knife tightly in front of me. I thought of Seth, I thought of Lydia. I thought of this whole mess, and the idea of Sparkles ending up with sweet Baby Girl. Wasn’t gonna happen.
Seth wasn’t in his room. He wasn’t in Lydia’s. Not in mine. With every door I opened, I felt my hope turn to something ugly and full of despair. Where could they be? Why did the house feel like this? It felt like back in the old Sparkles days, but worse. Much, much worse.
There was only one door left. I turned to the bathroom and felt like my legs were going to give out. It was so quiet. So unnatural. I could barely get my legs to move. Had I ever been this frightened before? My hand fluttered up to my heart, which was pounding almost painfully. I gripped the knife tighter and forced my legs to walk. One step. Two steps. Maybe I was under a lot of emotional duress. Maybe Seth and Lydia were at the park. Maybe I was just going crazy. Please, let me be going crazy. I’d been expecting that for years. I was prepared to handle it.
I turned the door handle, and even before I pushed the door open, I knew. I knew.
Seth was fully clothed in the filled bathtub. His head was flopped to the side, half of his face submerged.
“Oh, Seth!”
I dropped the knife and ran to him. I fell to my knees and lifted his head out of the water.
“Seth! Seth, can you hear me? Wake up!”
He didn’t move. I felt for a heartbeat, but my hands were shaking so hard that I wasn’t sure if I
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