Read Online The Demon Side by Heaven Liegh Eldeen - Free Book Online Page B

my chest, wrapping my body around her. Another deafening boom cracked a foot wide crevasse in the floor. Looking through the hole I could see, Gabriel had Alastor pinned to the ground, but Alastor positioned his tail to throw Gabriel off. If he succeeded, it would push Gabriel right through the floor. I couldn’t risk Etta getting hurt.
    “We’ve got to go to the attic,” I called out as I ran toward the closet, tugging Etta with me. In my haste, I sent her flying through the access so hard her body crashed into one of the trusses. Just seconds after I jumped into the attic, Gabriel burst through the floor right where I had stood a moment before. I had made a wise judgment. Etta let out a whimpered moan. I flashed to her side.
    “Etta! Are you okay?” Panic struck me. “Etta, wake up!” I shouted.
    “Ugh. I’m fine.” Etta sat up, rubbing the back of her head. Blood trickled down her shirt from a small gash on her forehead.
    “You’re bleeding. Lie still.” I walked to where I kept my trinkets of the haunted past and pulled out a blue silk scarf I’d taken from an old Swedish couple. Pulling her chin up so I could get a good look at her wound gave me a sense of déjà vu . The look of uneasy peacefulness in her eyes was a familiar one. Shaking it off, I placed the scarf on her forehead. I searched her beautiful chocolate brown eyes for clues.
    “Thank you,” Etta whispered as she placed her hand on top of mine. Her touch brought the tingle back into my stomach and the look in her eyes changed to a smile, making my chest ache. As much as I didn’t like the feeling, I didn’t want her to let go of my hand, which was all the more reason to pull away.
    “Hold that. The pressure will stop the bleeding.” Etta gave me a sheepish smile as I stood up and sat on the other side of the attic. I had no clue what just happened. This girl had me twisted and confused. Why did she smile that way? Why did I relish it when she did? The more I asked the same questions, the more confused I became. So wrapped inside my own head that I didn’t realize the house had become silent. That didn’t make any sense. I stood to go check everything when the sonic boom of Gabriel’s departure sent Etta soaring to my side. She wrapped herself around my waist.
    “Don’t leave!” Etta trembled.
    “I’m not leaving you. That last boom was Gabriel leaving. They have a tendency of cleaning up their messes so your house should be fine and that should be the end of it. I’m just going to make sure. I’ll be right back.” I stroked Etta’s long curly hair hoping to comfort her until she looked up at me with those big brown eyes again. She was terrified, but not of me. The thought of me leaving her side with Alastor and Gabriel in the house scared her more than any of the horrible things I’d done to her in the past few months.
    “All right, I’ll stay for a few minutes, but then I need to check the house. If Gabriel left any signs or damage behind, I’ll need to clean it up before your parents get home.” Etta let out a long sigh as she freed my hand from hers. We sat silent for a half an hour with each other, listening for any noise, before she grew comfortable enough to let me go and check downstairs.

Chapter Nine
     
     
    It took me only seconds to go through the house. Gabriel had done a pretty good job of making everything look normal. The only thing out of place was the couch I had thrown while he sat on it. After putting it back in the family room, I flashed back up to the attic. Etta was standing in the corner staring off at my armor.
    “All clear,” I said.
    Etta jumped back almost knocking her head on another truss. “You scared me.”
    I couldn’t help but laugh at her as I flashed to her side.
    “What?” Etta giggled.
    “You’re a strange one,” I said with a snicker.
    “No stranger than you.” Etta smirked. “So…you and him are brothers?” she asked, ending our playful banter.
    “Don’t ask me