Chapter Twenty-Six

Make Like a Banana and Split!

After waking next to Oliver mid-afternoon, Eva lay within his arms, daring only to savor the moment briefly before easing herself free even as his grip tightened in his sleep. Sleep that she knew would be brief for him, during these hours of full sunlight.

Despite her desire to stay longer and drink up the moment, the clock had already begun ticking. Years of escaping one-night stands had perfected her ability to slither, contort, and wiggle free without disturbing the partner next to her. Gathering clothes to wear, she walked barefoot and silent to the bedroom door, allowing herself to look back at Oliver's sleeping form. The vice grip on her heart tightened as she permitted this one last look at him. Perfection. It had been perfection.

Leaving now was for the best. Perhaps the last night and day had been selfish of her. Surely the best night of her life, but how could she be a parasite feeding off the best thing that had ever happened to her, knowing that he might not be choosing her of his own free will? Having him without his freedom wasn't really having him at all.

Instinctively, her hand rose to her neck, still feeling the puncture of his teeth in her skin, the phantom ecstasy that had already closed either due to her own healing ability or some mystical property of vampire saliva. A small part of her wished for the ability to maintain the punctures as a reminder of the night, but no physical reminder remained for a part-demon monster like herself. Just the memories.

Turning, Eva pushed herself to get through the door, where she could silently dress before selfishness overtook her and she stayed. Her backpack, already loaded with what she'd come with, slid easily onto her heavy shoulders. Then, without another backward glance, she did the only thing she was good at. She ran, ran home to her haven.

Leaving the house was uneventful. No one stood between her and the garage, despite the fact that maybe a tiny piece of her wished she'd run into at least one person. The garage door smoothly and silently slid open with her approach, gaping and giving her the view of the drive and sunshine, where once again she hesitated briefly as she fought herself, her intentions, and her own desires. Shifters watched her through the guard house door as she stared straight ahead at the gate, unable and unwilling to meet their gaze. In the end, this gate also smoothly opened for her exit.

The old Suburban, filled with gas and driving better than it had in years rolled smoothly along the highway both toward and away from her greatest desires. As the tires spun along the road, they rhythmically reminded her: coward, coward, coward. She angrily wiped away tears that flowed freely from puffy eyes. Why was she crying? She'd chosen this. This was her decision. Her demon heritage didn't control it, and her grandmother's magic tethers and protections no longer made decisions for her.

At a gas station halfway through her trip, she took down the hanging talisman from the rear-view mirror that her grandmother had given her when she got her license and threw it across the parking lot. After filling the huge tank, she skulked across the parking lot, kicking up dust and gravel as her eyes scanned rapidly for the little yarn-and-jade figure. She snatched it up angrily after she found it in the gravel and tossed it in the passenger seat, where the hanging figure could no longer mock her.

Someone had parked in her carport. A tiny Smart car, one of those that got great gas mileage but took up little to no room and would certainly be no good in a crash. Good God, once the wards had fallen, had that left her home open to any bit of riffraff who wanted to take what was hers? All she'd felt the entire trip was anger and now Eva had somewhere to focus it. She parked in the drive, blocking the small car in. She gritted her teeth while stomping to the doorway, seething, prepared to contact a towing company and having the slip of a car towed away or beat it to pieces with a sledgehammer. She hadn't made up her mind yet, but both seemed viable options.

Stopping at the door, she took in the newly framed and painted door staring back at her. Oliver had insisted that he would have the home worked on, and she'd half expected things to still be the same. Eying it suspiciously, Eva knelt down in the dirt next to the front porch, searching for the rock that held her old key under a bush that, despite the early summer sunshine, held more dead leaves than living. A shiny new key had replaced her old one.

Hesitantly, she slid it into the lock where it smoothly clicked, suddenly uncertain what would face her when she opened the door. The hellhounds had done a number on her home. Was it even her home anymore? They'd slammed through the back door, ripping through the house before pounding once again straight through this doorway. Not that she blamed them. They were being controlled by the mage's black magic, driven by the unexplainable magic and fear for their little one. However, that didn't change the fact that her house had been in shambles and hadn't stood up well to the onslaught.

Taking a deep breath, Eva pushed her door open, half fearing that the home would still be filled with rubble and the smell of brimstone. Instead the fragrance of lavender and vanilla greeted her—along with a barefoot Delta lying on a new sofa, propping herself up with decorative pillows, a book open on her lap.

Not one of my works, flashed through Eva's mind.

"Hey there, girl!" Delta spoke as if her being there was the most natural thing in the world. "Get in here and close the door. Don't let in the flies or whatever flying, crawling things like to come in the house. Although I have my doubts this ole girl would let that happen."

"You drive a Smart car?" Shocked, Eva complied with Delta's request, sliding off her shoes as she examined the room. If a house could be sentient, she would have sworn it welcomed her home. A soft, pleasant buzz reverberated through the room, brushing gently across her face in greeting. New furniture filled the front room, but the afghan folded on a chair was the same as before. The carpet was new and plush, but the pictures hanging on the walls were the same as before. The energy buzzing around the room oddly felt both familiar and new.

Setting her book aside, Delta stood invitingly, smiling, as if it were, in fact, her own home she sat in. "Come check out what's been done here. We tried to fix what we could fix, and only replace what we had to. I know that you'll want to add your own touches to things. I think you'll be pleased with what was done. I know she is."

Eva followed silently, dropping her keys in the bowl by the door out of habit, not daring to leave the vehicle keys in the Suburban now that she knew it was her grandmother"s wards that had kept the old SUV safe for years, not the disinterest of locals.

The front room wasn't the only room that had been changed. In fact, its changes were downright subtle compared to what was to come. The kitchen had been gutted; new mint-green cabinets framed in bright white retro appliances, even a dishwasher, fit the now customized space. The old, yellow floral flooring had been replaced with black-and-white checkered tiles. And the wobbly table had been replaced by a bright red table with matching vinyl-covered chairs. The backsplash now boasted mint-green and red tiles, with a fancy coffee machine and syrups taking up counter space and an array of tea choices she knew had to be all Delta.

"Ta da!" Delta waved her arms around. "If anything isn't exactly how you love it, we can get it changed out for you."

Eva examined the kitchen with wide eyes. It was perfect for the house: warm and welcoming, while functional. In fact, she couldn"t have designed it better herself given all the time in the world. Her home swelled with pride around her, filling the air with more of the lavender and vanilla scent that seemed to mark its happiness.

Speechless, Eva could only examine the room with bright eyes that she knew glistened with tears. She ran her hand along the smooth counter before opening and gently closing the dishwasher. It was like someone had plucked all the thoughts from her head and created the perfect kitchen for the cottage; a beautiful mix of old and new, bold and simple. A perfect contradiction.

Delta pulled Eva back through the doorway into the living area, before guiding her down the unrecognizable hallway. Suddenly, it seemed twice as long as it had in the past. Showing the first signs of uncertainty, Delta admitted quietly, "We switched things around a bit, but if you hate it we can change it, cross my heart."

Eva went into her bedroom, gasping at how much bigger it looked, finally finding her voice. "No, wow, it's perfect." And it was. The bedspread and pillows she immediately recognized from Oliver's guest room, the same ones she'd determined she must buy. Admittedly, she was a bit sad to see her oversized bed frame gone, but perhaps that was what made the room look so much bigger.

Relief crossed Delta's normally confident face. "I'm so relieved, but this is one of the changes I was talking about. We did extend the wall out a bit. A smidge anyway." She held apart her thumb and forefinger as if the extra square footage were nothing. "But I've been staying here. We moved you to the other room."

Disappointment briefly flickered through Eva; no matter, she could move herself back. She needed her office and even with extra square footage, the layout of the other room no longer worked for her.

Giggling, Delta pulled Eva along the hallway. "We'll check out the main bathroom later. It's been updated, but it's still just a bathroom."

Main bathroom? Her little place only had one bathroom, but Delta had been raised in a world far more affluent than hers; perhaps it was a habit to call it that. Next she would be referring to this as the main level of her single-level home.

Rushing along, Eva barely noted there was an extra door along the way and was more focused on the fact that the old office door had been relocated to the end of the hallway. It was for sure longer, not an illusion. They must have needed to rework the floor plans a bit after expanding her room.

"Close your eyes," demanded Delta and, with the first smile she'd felt in hours, Eva complied while the young witch pulled her into the room. "And open!"

"Holy, holy . . . wow!" Eva's mind and tongue stopped working altogether when she opened her eyes. The bedroom—her bedroom—was an entirely new addition, way beyond a small expansion of a few feet.

Her bed was placed in the middle of the room with two windows framing it on either side and even more floor space before the walls. No more scooting between a wall and the bed just to get into bed. Two dressers matched the over-sized bed. Her old, tall dresser had been replaced by the set that went with her oversized bed frame. This time, the comforter matched the one that she'd only recently discovered in Oliver's own bedroom. And if she were to guess, at least fifteen pillows of various shapes and sizes littered the bed.

Delta grabbed Eva's shoulders from behind, pivoting toward the right. "Walk-in closet," she announced. The light was already on, showing that at least part of the closet had clothes and shoes in it. Once again, pivoting her to the left where two doorways stood, she said, "Your bathroom, which I've been told under no circumstances could I use. But you'll die when you see the tub! Seriously, die, but don't die." A giddy Delta gently pushed Eva toward the other door. "But this . . . this is a masterpiece."

It was an office. Not just any office, but The Office. Bookshelves held her books, notebooks, and what appeared to be her research along the walls. A skylight let the sun fill the room with natural lighting, while the over-sized desk had been polished so well, it glowed. Pens and notebooks neatly lined up along the side of the desk. Eva's eyes darted around the room, stopping at a gas fireplace flickering along a wall opposite the desk.

"We kept it simple here," Delta explained. "There is room for a sofa or chairs by the fireplace, and we waited to pick out a chair for you. But you can put up new pictures or whatever all over there. You can enter through your bedroom or just come in through the hallway." She waved in the general direction of the doorway. "Surround sound, so you can connect your music and not always wear headphones. Do you love it? Please tell me you love it! Because if you don't, I'll happily take it off your hands."

Nodding, Eva continued gaping at the room. "What's not to love?" she questioned, shoving down the empty feeling that filled her as she looked at the amazing room. "Seriously, it's amazing. I don't even know what to say. But thank you. Thank you so much."

"I've only been here the last few days," Delta admitted. "It wasn't me who did all this. I mean, I've been resetting wards and pampering that gorgeous garden out there, but you know it wasn't me." Hesitating, not like the normal, outspoken Delta Eva had come to know, she added, "When walls were tore out, we found something your gram left for you. A letter for you."

She handed Eva a folded paper that had been waiting for her on the desk.

"My dearest Eva,

If you're reading this, then I'm gone. This letter is my backup plan. If all went well, in an ideal world, I would have been given the time to explain and if this letter is in your hands, then you're still waiting for that explanation.

I've told you I'm a witch, and I know you never believed me. You would smile at me with that cute little smile of yours, big brown eyes, and nod solemn agreement, but you didn't truly believe. But I am a witch, truly I am. I've used every ounce of my power to protect you and keep you safe. And I would give it all again for any measure of protection I could give you, because aside from being a witch I am more importantly your grandmother. I was born to be your Gram. Don't ever doubt that.

In the simplest terms, you are half demon. As soon as I saw you, I knew it. I don't think your mother had any idea. I dropped hints or suggestions, but she always remained insistent that you were the product of a one-night stand, a man whose last name she never got. Someone whom I've since learned was an incubus.A demon of lust, which makes sense, I guess.

It has been pure luck that your mother's wanderlust inadvertently kept you safe. Demons collect their half-blood progeny, for whatever reason I don't know, but if I gandered a guess it would not be for good purpose.And after my son brought you home, I knew I would give, do anything to keep my brown-eyed little girl safe. You stole my heart with that solemn little smile, and I knew instantly I would give my life for you.

And so I laid protections on you. Layers and layers to keep you safe, keep you hidden and, sadly, to make you forgettable. It broke my heart to see you left behind, forgotten, but know that I did it to keep you safe and hidden. I won't apologize for that, but I know it brought you grief. I wish I could leave you with more, more knowledge of who and what you are, but my discreet inquiries kept hitting dead ends. No one I found would admit to knowing anything of demon hybrids, so other than passing on the knowledge of what you are, I have nothing else to offer.

My home, our home, your home will always offer you sanctuary as long as my magic and the magic of my family holds. Know that you are loved and unforgettable. It took powerful magic to hide you away, but I know that it won't hold you forever. When it breaks, find your people, the people who see you and love you. They will be your protection.And if you're still mourning me, well, buckle up, buttercup, because this is surely not the end of me.

Gram

PS Remember there are no bad puns. Only unpunny ones.

PPS If you remember nothing else I've taught you always remember: Regret is worse than failure. Regret is wondering what might have been."

You miss all the shots that you don't take, Eva finished in her mind.

An unfamiliar half cry, half laugh hiccup erupted from her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the letter, her emotions from everything over the last few days, weeks, and even years overflowing.

Once again, Delta gently led her back into the master bedroom, pulling her onto the bed. "Tell Auntie Delta all about it." The witch lay on her side, pulling a pillow close to get comfortable.

Shaking her head, Eva admitted, "I don't want to talk about the letter right now, but she knew, the entire time she knew. She loved and protected me anyway."

How much easier life would have been if Gram had told her what she'd known. So much hurt could have been avoided. So much loneliness.Realization and anger hit Eva hard in the chest, nearly knocking the breath from her. Gram may have loved her, but her choices had been selfish and wrong. Gram hadn't protected her. She had cursed her existence in a world that couldn't see or remember Eva. Always a new kid, forever unseen and unnoticed. Forgotten. No connections, frozen in a space with no choice for anything different. Surely this had never been Gram's plan?

"Which is better: a long life, not lived to the fullest or a short life full of life, full of adventure?" Eva pondered. "I have lived in the shadow of a life. I want more than that."

The moment lay heavy on them, as the news settled over both of them, their slow breathing in and out the only sound in the quiet room. Delta had done well, Eva considered. The house still felt like home, just more. She could happily live and die here. Alone, alone, echoed glumly through her head.

"You're here sooner than I expected," Delta admitted. "I didn't think Oliver would let you leave."

Anger flashed through Eva, briefly replacing the sadness and loss. "No one lets me do anything anymore," she said sharply, her words cutting through her own heart before admitting, "How can I be with him if I don't even know if it's his choice or this weird magical tether forcing him to be with me, to like me?" Rigidly, she lay on her back, jaw clicking, staring at the ceiling, refusing to meet Delta's eyes, knowing that she would only find pity there.

"Oh, sweetie, that tether went snip snip the first day I worked on unraveling you. As the newest thread, it was the simplest to completely and quickly remove, since it had barely connected and hadn't begun enmeshing with all the older ones. If you feel anything, if either of you do, that's on you." Delta held Eva's hands in her own. "And even if the thread wasn't cut, the connection can't force feelings. It can help you connect to the other end of the connection, but anything you felt or still feel was and is completely real."

Eva let go of the breath she was holding, and it exploded out as she gasped and nearly cried as the tightness in her chest finally eased for the first time all day. All this time, she'd held out thinking that when the thread connecting them extinguished, so would her feelings for Oliver, as well as any feelings he had for her.

Delta continued sadly, "Oliver was out of his mind when you were taken. He did everything in his power to find you and every minute, every hour you remained gone expounded that grief tenfold. He blamed himself for you being taken, so if he's now denying any feelings for you, he's a liar as well as a coward."

Her eyes downcast, Eva whispered, pleading for understanding, "He didn't deny anything. I just thought . . . I thought, well, going away was the right thing to do. The only thing to do. I couldn't make him a prisoner of my demon side. The only person here who is a coward is me. It's always been me."

"Girl, I don't think you can make that vampire feel anything he doesn't want to feel," Delta admonished her. "He's crazy about you. Not cray-cray like chop you into little pieces and wear your skin so you can't leave him," she amended, causing a sharp bark of laughter to erupt from Eva.

"So how did you get so wise?" Eva hiccupped as she examined the young woman through narrowed eyes.

"Ha-ha! Is this a subtle way of asking my age? Mama Hecate always says to keep them guessing." She mimed zipping her lips innocently. "But I'll give you a hint: I'm older than you. Way older."

Gesturing toward the back yard, Delta informed Eva, "I think you have company back here. Well, I know you do, and I suspect more company than I can see."

Eva's forehead furrowed in confusion. Visitors had been left in the backyard? As soon as they walked through the new screen door that led from the kitchen to the back porch, a familiar fuzzy face peeked out from around an overgrown lavender bush that blocked a good portion of the view. Tongue lolling out with ears perked up, Apollo let out a yappy bark of happiness when he saw her.

Squatting down with a smile, she opened her arms encouragingly. "Apollo, you naughty boy! Your mom and dad are going to wonder where you've gotten off to." He eagerly rushed toward her and in his exuberance wasn't able to stop before knocking her off balance. He licked her face all over while his tail knocked repeatedly against Delta's legs, whipping her into stepping back and away from the two.

Glancing up, Eva noticed that Delta still scanned the yard, and she followed her gaze, not seeing anything or anyone out of the ordinary. Then hesitantly, another familiar furry face appeared around the bush, acting as if it were a perfectly normal thing for him to do.

"Baby Boy!" Shocked, Eva looked back up at Delta, who still scanned the yard. "You can't see him?"

"Nope, still can't see him, but he managed to get himself and this big fellow into the back yard the last couple of mornings. It literally looks like the big guy is running around playing with an invisible friend. Seeing him bowled over was sort of unnerving, so I suspected he wasn't alone."

Apollo sat on his hunches while the hellhound pup replaced him in Eva's arms, peppering her with rotten egg kisses and nuzzling her neck affectionately. Clearly, the two had become friends while the hellhound waited for her. Had he at one point had other pups to play with? Regardless, he seemed thrilled to escape from her hugs after a few minutes to once again pound across the lawn with Apollo in tow as they wrestled their way along.