Dark Black Magic

Dark Black Magic: Chapter 5 - Town

Skyler POV

The morning light crawled into my bedroom, and the dawn chorus told me the storm had long passed. Sleepily I lay in a dreamy haze wondering about that thing I had been so upset about last night. Pushing back the covers, I felt the cool air caress my skin rousing me into wakefulness. Opening my eyes I saw a man dressed in black sat on the foot of my bed.

"Hello Skyler, did you sleep well?" He asked.

I screamed, pulling the covers over me, and scrambling into the corner of my bed. Peeking over the top of my blanket, I murmured, "Good morning Rayne."

"Did I scare you?" He asked apologetically.

"Only for a second, but how long have you been in my room?" I asked.

"All night- but in my defense," He added quickly , "I was going to discuss sleeping arrangements with you, but when I came up to your room, you were already asleep."

"So where did you sleep?"

"On the floor, next to your bed." He said.

I had half expected him to jump into bed with me, but surprisingly he hadn't. My heart flickered a little and I lowered the blanket down, smoothing it delicately over my lap.

"Well thank you for being a gentleman." I replied.

Rayne stood up from the bed and shrugged, "You said no, and I respected that."

Wow, a chivalrous demon who not only saves me from drunks and wasps, but also respects my boundaries. Rayne really was better than some of the human male species. I pulled a blanket around my shoulders and got out of bed. I was still wearing my clothes from last night.

"I'm going to grab a shower," I told Rayne, "If you want, you can stay up here or endure Grandma downstairs."

"I'll stay up here." Rayne said, making himself comfortable on the window seat.

"Okay then." I said.

I grabbed a fresh set of clothes and left Rayne to stare out over vast forest that surrounded our house. As I walked to the shower, I couldn't help thinking how weird it was seeing Rayne in my room. All the time he was stood there that little voice in my head squealed with delight, OMG there is a gorgeous man sat in YOUR ROOM! I disagreed with the little voice, rationalizing that there was a gorgeous demon sat in my room. A demon who I didn't know from Adam, and who could want to harm me. As much as I wanted to delude myself into some teenage romantic fantasy, Rayne was dangerous and I had to get rid of him. 

A demon exorcist was my only hope now, and it was an expensive hope. I had to get a job, and fast. The more time I spent with Rayne, the more I fell under his spell. I got into the shower, scrubbed myself up, and threw on my clothes. I went downstairs and bam, there he was. Grandma must have dragged him out of my room and was now feeding him burnt pancakes. Rayne stared at me with wide gray pleading eyes, begging me to save him from a charred battered breakfast.

"Grandma, Rayne and I need to go into town. Rayne can eat his pancakes in the car." I said sneaking a cereal bar into my sleeve. Rayne mouthed a grateful thanks and rose from the table, taking the plate with him.

"I've never seen you eager to go to town before!" Grandma said suspiciously.

"Well, we got stuff to do." I shrugged, brushing off Grandma's exasperation and putting on my cape. Grandma rolled her eyes and abandoned the burning pancake mixture she was nursing over the stove. Grabbing the sleeve of Rayne's jacket I began pulling him towards the front door, away from Grandma when he made me stop. It was one of those weird moments that should have meant nothing but ended up becoming something. Rayne pulled his sleeve out my hand, then wrapped his fingers around mine. I paused, staring down at our held hands, wondering if he had done it to annoy me, but when I looked up at his face, there was nothing. No expression, or arrogant lop-sided smile, there was just those unavoidable gorgeous eyes that were fixed on to mine, and in those eyes I could see something that felt like hope.