30. Evalee

EVALEE

“ Y ou know it’s not your fault, right?” Hunter says to me as we enter my bedroom where Maple is lazily laying on my bed, as if she doesn’t have a care in the world, something I’m kind of jealous about. “Ryleigh’s death, I mean.”

I don’t say anything as I cross my room and open the top drawer of my dresser to get some pajamas out. It feels so strange, looking for pajamas. So ordinary. So normal.

“Eva, please talk to me. You’re being so quiet and I’m starting to get worried.”

When I remain quiet, Hunter sighs.

The floorboards creak beneath his weight as he makes his way toward me. I don’t turn around, busying myself with finding clothes. Finding clothes is easy, and easy is what I need right now. However, I can’t find any damn pajamas! Anywhere! So, I just start tossing clothes on the floor.

He sets his hands on my shoulders.“Take a deep breath.”

“I can’t.” I’m afraid if I do, I’ll start gasping for air. And if I start gasping for air, I may never breathe again.

After giving my shoulders a brief massage, he steers me away from the dresser. When we reach the foot of my unmade bed, he twists me around to face him then gently pushes me down on the bed. Then, without saying a word, he returns to my dresser, opens the middle drawer, and digs out a pair of plaid pajama shorts and a tank top.

“You made that look so easy,” I tell him as he hands me my pajamas.

“You’re upset.” He crouches down in front of me. “And that’s okay. You’ve been through a lot.” He sweeps my hair off my shoulder. “But you need to know that what happened to Ryleigh isn’t your fault.”

“I know.” And I kind of do. Still, I feel like I failed her. “I think I might know whose fault it is.”

His brows scrunch. “You mean, you know who hit her with the petrifying curse?”

“I’m not positive, but I think it could’ve been Max.”

“The demon who kidnapped you?”

I nod. “Petrifying curses are used so rarely, yet he used it once on me and tried to use it on you. Apparently, it’s his go-to curse.”

He’s quiet for a lengthy amount of time. “I don’t want to upset you more, but I think that assumption might be a long shot.”

“I know that. But I want to look into it. And if he did, he needs to pay.”

He places his hands on my thighs. “I don’t want you going near that demon, or any demon, for that matter. Not when almost every demon out there is hunting you.”

“They’ve always been hunting me, haven’t they?” I ask. “What’s so different now?”

“They were never hunting you before. They were just trying to find a way to get close to you and feed off your powers without killing themselves. Now they’re literally coming after you. They’ve been looming around the house since that demon tried to feed off you. The only reason they haven’t come inside is because we had the most powerful faeries and witches basically drown the house in charms and protection spells.”

A cold chill runs down my spine. “What’s changed?”

“I’m not sure. My bet is that they’ve figured out a way to feed off you without dying.” He cups my cheek, looking me dead in the eye. “You can’t leave this house, okay? Promise me you won’t.”

My expression plummets. “You want me to stay in here forever?”

He swiftly shakes his head, wisps of his blond hair falling into his eyes. “Just until we can find another place for you to stay—a safe place.”

“You mean, I have to leave Mystic Willow Bay?” I want to add, leave my family , but I guess I don’t really have one.

I wonder if my fake parents know I know. I wonder if they care that I’m hurting. I wonder if they were upset when—and if—they heard I’d been taken by a demon.

“Don’t worry; I’ll go with you,” he promises, skimming my cheekbone with his finger.

As lovely as the gesture is, I have to wonder … “Why? We’re not really friends. Is it because of your job?”

“We are really friends,” he insists. “I already told you that was real.”

“Are we really friends, though?” I wonder. “I don’t really know you, and I think friends are supposed to know each other a little bit.”

“I already told you that you know me better than anyone.”

“But after you said that no one really knows the real you.”

“Eva …”

“Hunter …” I mimic his tone.

He sighs, and so do I, mostly to annoy him.

He shakes his head, but he’s on the verge of smiling. “You drive me so crazy sometimes.”

“Right back at you.”

He grins. “No matter what you say, we are friends, Evalee. We click way too well.”

I snort a laugh. “Click Ha! Yeah, right. We’re complete opposites.”

“And that’s why we’re so perfect for each other.” A lopsided smile lifts his lips. “No one can keep up with my banter like you can.”

I wish I could agree with him, and maybe a few days ago, I would have. Now I’m not even sure I know him at all. Besides, would he still say that if he knew what I was?

“What can I do?” he asks, searching my eyes for something.

“What do you mean?” I wonder, feeling so lost.

He gently sweeps a strand of hair behind my ear. “To help you feel better.”

I sigh heavily. “I’m not sure there’s anything you can do.”

“Of course there is.” Determination burns in his eyes. “I always used to be able to cheer you up whenever you were sad.”

“I know.” And I’m being truthful. Hunter was always good at cheering me up. “But I’m not sure I can be cheered up right now. After everything …” I suck in a tremulous breath, fighting back the tears. “Between Ryleigh being … gone, and the whole thing with the demon kidnapping me and telling me what he thinks I am …” I give a dreary half-shrug. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to cheer up soon. Sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry.” He rubs his lips together as he seems to decide on something. “He told you what you are?”

I nod, looking away from him. “He did.”

Silence drags between us.

“Can you …?” He struggles for words. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I shake my head, tears bubbling in my eyes.

He hesitates. “I don’t want to force you to do anything, especially right now, but if we knew what you are, it could help us figure out why the demons are after you.”

“By us and we, you mean the society, right?” A single tear falls to my cheek as shame burns in my chest.

I’m a monster.

“Yes.” He swipes the tear away with his thumb then rests his hand on my cheek. “I know you’re probably a little unsure of this society thing, but I promise that everything in it is working hard to protect you.”

“Even my fake parents?” Another tear escapes my eye and another. Freakin’ bawling baby witches, when did I become such a cry baby? I need to woman up!

He nods with remorse in his eyes. “I know you think everything was fake, but the people who are looking out for you care for you.”

“Then why aren’t my fake parents here?” I question, fearing the answer. “If they really care about me, why aren’t they here?”

His lips part, but no words come out. Sealing his lips together, he studies me intently, and then says, “I’m here.”

“I know.” I have to wonder why. Is it solely because of his job? Or is he here as my friend, too? I could ask him. Then again, I fear the truth. Instead, I ask, “Am I ever going to meet other people in the society?” Another thought clicks. “Is Peyton a part of it, too? I doubt it, because she’s a vampire, but she’s also my roommate, and so far, those are two for two.”

“Peyton’s not a part of it.” He gives a reluctant pause. “Eventually, you’ll meet the rest of the society. Some of the members you’ve already met, but there are some you haven’t.”

I eye him over carefully. “Why do you sound unhappy about me meeting them?”

He gives a dismissive shrug, his jaw set tight. “I… I’m not.”

“You are.” I wait for him to tell me what in the wiggling monkeys has got him so squirmy, but all he does is push to his feet.

“I’m going to let you shower and get changed into your pajamas. I need to go talk to Opal for a minute.”

I watch him cross my room, my heart aching in my chest. I may not know the real Hunter, but I can tell he’s keeping something from me.

Before he steps out of my room, he casts a glance over his shoulder. “I know you don’t want to talk about what the demon told you, but you really need to tell me soon, okay? If you don’t …” He wavers, worry flickering in his eyes. “Well, someone else from the society is going to get the truth out of you.” He quickly exits the room without so much as a backward glance.

Puzzlement swirls in my mind, thick and potent and laced with fear. Fear over telling the truth and fear because … Well, because when Hunter said someone else from the society would get the truth out of me, it sounded like a warning.