An Eternity of Dead Sun (An Eternity of Eclipse Novel Book 2) (23 page)

Because he’s your Guardian Demon,
a rational voice inside me whispered.
Without him, you won’t be able to find the missing part of your soul.
I nodded internally at the reasoning. It made perfect sense. I was emotional because my one vehicle in finding my soul was broken. There was definitely nothing else to it.

“What a pitiful sight,” Tony stated, looking at his baby brother in revulsion.

We were all so used to Eclipse in his glorious state that it was hard for everyone to stomach his current condition. No longer finding it bearable to stare at an unconscious Eclipse, Sloth finally raised one hand up and whispered a spell.

After that he simply said, “Wake.”

Hearts racing, we turned to Eclipse in anticipation.

After a couple of minutes, when I was beginning to suspect that the spell hadn’t worked, something amazing occurred: Eclipse began to stir from his sleep.

Slowly, his lids lifted like veils.

Without even searching for me, his chocolate brown eyes rested their lethargic gaze on me. I felt something strange leap in my heart when our eyes connected. It felt like it had been an eternity since I had seen those eyes. I didn’t realize how much I had missed him until he was awake.

As he was convalescing, Eclipse began to close and open his eyes to wake himself up from his dream-state. Once the lucidity worked itself over him, Eclipse took a moment to assess the room. His eyes landed on the bed and eventually landed on the hospital robe he had on. Without delay, a look of annoyance flitted across his handsome face.

“Holy fucking pigs,” he cursed, holding an embarrassed palm to his forehead. “Don’t tell me I went into hibernation mode.”

He lifted his face slightly and opened his eyes. Once he caught sight of his brothers, another moan poured from his lips. He reburied his face into the pillow.

“Teacup, you didn’t,” he mumbled like a little boy, his voice muffled by the fabric.

“Yes, I did,” I retorted from the other side of the room. Aside from being relieved, I was still pissed at him for making me run around like an idiot. “Did you think I was going to allow you to slack off on your job when it’s your duty to watch over me?”

“Good going, Junior,” Tony snapped, utilizing the hostility he had for me and spitting it at Eclipse. I wasn’t the only one who wanted to berate him. “You were told to lay low and you decided to announce your existence to the rest of the world instead?”

Eclipse sighed before he ripped the IV out of his arm. He sat up on his bed and then snapped his fingers. It seemed that Sloth’s powers overrode Eclipse’s hibernation mode and returned his powers. At Eclipse’s command, a pair of black slacks, a black dress shirt, leather shoes, and his signature Rolex materialized in front of him. With his blanket covering him, he grabbed his pants and began to change into them.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Elder,” he said lackadaisically.

“You should’ve been more careful,” Tony plowed on, unfazed that Eclipse was changing in front of us.

Though he was changing under the cover of the blanket, it caused me to burn up nonetheless.

“My Source could’ve been eaten alive by Demons and you’re telling me to be careful about announcing my existence?”

Eclipse shook his head, standing up and buckling the belt to his pants. Without a care in the world that there were two females in the room, he carelessly threw his hospital robe off. His muscled upper body flexed to life as he buttoned up his shirt. Gone was the sick human-like being, and back in the flesh was the immortally perfect Demon.

He turned to Tony while snaking his Rolex watch back on his wrist. “I would have no existence if she dies. You know that.”

“By the way, good job on putting your own Source in danger by going into a coma,” Sloth broke into the conversation, standing up from his seat and staring critically at Eclipse. “With how often this human gets into trouble, it would’ve only been a matter of time before other Demons found her and killed her.”

I frowned at the verity behind Sloth’s words.

Trouble did seem to find me at the most inconvenient and frequent of times.

“Yeah, it would’ve helped if you told me your little minion over here was there to help. Instead, he went after Gracie and attempted to kill her, thereby
forcing
me to use all my powers,” Eclipse countered resentfully, causing Phix to drop his jaw at the fact that Eclipse had thrown him under the bus.

Sloth, however, wasn’t fazed. “It was a miscommunication.”

“Or lack of communication,” Eclipse corrected.

“It doesn’t matter the quandary, Eclipse,” Tony reprimanded.

He looked downright annoyed. I felt like I was in the middle of a family squabble rather than at a demonic restaurant surrounded by powerful Dark Majesties.

“The outcome shouldn’t have been what it was. When you popped up here, it was only the Royal Family who knew. But with your little display of power, the rest of creation pretty much knows you’re here as well. Your only consolation is that they do not know you are the Demon of Lust.” Tony smirked. “But that will undoubtedly change when they start looking for you.”

“Congratulations, genius,” Sloth scolded. “You just made this little odyssey of yours a thousand times harder than it already is.”

“Elders,” Eclipse began with an air of boredom. He sat back on the bed and let out an exhausted breath. “I say this with the utmost respect, but am I getting anything from listening to the two of you bit
c
h at me or is this just a free for all? Because, as I’m sure you know, I do not appreciate being spoken down to unless there’s something in it for me.”

“Eclipse!” I finally chided, turned off by his behavior. I didn’t spend the entire night begging Demons for help to have it all fall to pieces because of Eclipse’s pompousness. “Just shush up! You need their help, so stop being so damn stubborn and ask for it.”

Eclipse kept his mouth shut with me and simply stared at his brothers.

An impressed look skated across Tony’s face. He took a second to scrutinize both Eclipse and me. “Oddly enough, it seems that your Source has a better handle on you than any of us combined.”

Sloth laughed. “Hence the reason he’s in this predicament in the first place.”

Tony cocked his head at Eclipse. “Or is it you who has her wrapped around your finger?”

There was an insinuating tone in Tony’s voice that I caught, but couldn’t quite comprehend.

“You must be enjoying this right now,” Eclipse observed heatedly, pulling me out of any emerging thoughts about the tone in Tony’s voice. “You must really love that I’m at your mercy.”

“Very much so,” Tony said guiltlessly. “Remember, baby brother . . .
you
were the one who attempted to overthrow our monarchy.”

Eclipse rolled his eyes as if he had heard this all before. “It was a mistake.”

“It was treason.”

“It was ambition,” Eclipse amended with a tired exhalation. “We’re Demons, Elder, not Angels. It is in our nature to do shady things like that, even to our own blood.”

Tony scoffed at Eclipse’s response.

“Now can we cut this bullsh
i
t?” continued Eclipse. “We both know that you’re not going to let me die, so let’s get to the point and help me.”

“I’d actually prefer to see you suffer some more actually,” Tony quipped at once.

“Think about what’s coming up, Elder,” Sloth said softly, now acting as the mediator between the two. “He deserves all the sh
i
t you’re throwing at him, no doubt, but he is our brother nonetheless. Considering what’s coming up, you can’t leave him like this. I already gave him Phix to help him out. Perhaps you should do the same.”

He grinned, taking a moment to appraise me.

“Moreover, don’t you want him to live so we can continue to watch this small little thing torture him? I don’t know about you, but this is my first time seeing Eclipse bite his smart tongue around someone. I’m enjoying every second of it.”

“She’s literally torturing me to death,” Eclipse supplied with restrained humor. “I mean, look at her.” He gestured at my jeans, pink jacket, and pink scarf. “All she wears is pink, she is a nerd on every spectrum there is, and she is the biggest prude I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.”

I resentfully narrowed my eyes. That as
s
hole. How dare he call his friend out like this? This “prude” was the one considerate enough to run around like a fool to help him!

As the icing on the cake, Sloth added to Tony, “They will both be very entertaining to watch.”

Tony smirked at Sloth’s last words. He considered the suggestion for another second before he acquiesced with the idea. He locked eyes with Eclipse.

“This is the one and only time,” he emphasized sharply, getting down on one knee and laying his right hand flat on the red carpet.

An eerie silence began to submerge the room, making me feel uneasy.

I instinctively stepped further away from Tony. Whatever he was getting ready to do, I had the feeling that I didn’t want to be near the line of fire. I suppose I made the right decision because even Phix and Coco did the same. The only ones who remained rooted in their positions were Eclipse and Sloth. Their eyes were expectant. They already knew what Tony was getting ready to conjure.

Whoosh.

Though we were indoors, an unexpected draft started to filter into the room. The peculiar thing about this draft was that it felt warm—scorching.

Creak.

My gaze went upwards when I heard a loud creaking sound. Fear slithered over me once I observed that the large chandelier above us had started to swing back and forth. A multitude of whispers inundated the room as the draft grew stronger. Then—

Pop.

Pop.

Pop.

My insides chilled when I heard the familiar popping sound that was indicative of water boiling.

I hesitantly shifted my gaze to the large fountain in the room. Loud gurgling sounds rang from the water before the fountain began to boil like volcanic lava. The temperature in the room became so hot that I had to brace myself to stabilize my impending nosebleed.

Boom!

In a lightning fast succession, an inferno overtook the room. Red-hot fire burst from the chandelier while flames consumed the stairs. The water from the fountain turned into a blazing bonfire and a circle of fire spread across the circumference of the three brothers.

While Phix, Coco, and I stifled a gasp at this display of power, the brothers remained unfazed. None of this was a big deal compared to what they did in their daily lives.

With a sigh, Tony finally stood up. From the palm of his right hand, a string of fire that seemed to have originated from the pits of the earth rose up with him like a ribbon. It wriggled from one side to another, resembling the likeness of monstrous snakes you’d only see in movies. I assumed it was my imagination, but I could’ve sworn I heard hissing sounds emanate from that ribbon of fire.

Eyes firm with purpose, Tony turned back to Eclipse.

“Sloth has given Phix to aid you, and I’ll show the same courtesy in light of what’s coming up,” Tony began stringently, the twine of fire spitting out sparks of snake-like flames, “but trust me, baby brother . . . if you fu
c
k up again, no one will help you. In fact, the next time you screw up, I’ll happily watch you suffer the rightful consequences. Do we have an understanding?”

Eclipse merely inclined his head as confirmation.

Without wasting time, Eclipse raised his own right hand and motioned for the serpent flame to come to him. As though having a life of its own, the ribbon of fire detached itself from Tony’s grasp and slithered over the hot air towards Eclipse. As it approached its master, more fire came out of the pits of the earth.

“Thank you for your help tonight, Elder,” said Eclipse as the luminescent fire began to curl around him like an anaconda would its owner. He laughed before quipping final words that would eventually cause the entire room to quake with fury. “I promise that if I should ever attempt to overthrow the monarchy again, I won’t put you in a cage and feed you cow dung as I originally planned.”

While Sloth stifled a laugh at Eclipse’s fu
c
ked up joke, for there was nothing more ironic than feeding the Demon of Gluttony the furthest thing from “extravagance,” Tony didn’t find the same humor in it. In fact, he looked downright consternated.

“Cow . . . cow dung?” he repeated, his face abhorred by such atrocity. “You planned on feeding me cow dung?!” His face twisted in rage before the entire room caught on fire. “You piece of sh—!”

Tony never got to finish his enraged sentence.

At that second, a big flash of red light engulfed us before we were pulled from the restaurant and taken far away from Sloth and Gluttony.

“I feel my own knees grow weak.”
16
: Forty-Nine Seconds

When the outrageously bright light cleared, Sloth, Gluttony, and the restaurant were gone, and we were back in the air-conditioned hospital room.

It was just Phix, Coco, Eclipse, and I.

My stupefied eyes charted the room, staggered by the rapid change in setting. My heart was still beating frenetically against my ribcage. Holy shit. I still couldn’t get used to switching from one reality to another so quickly. One second, I was in a ballroom infused with snake-like fire and the next, I was back in the hospital room, returned to a world where my fellow humans had no idea such madness existed.

I placed a calming hand over my erratic heart and averted my eyes back to the “star” of tonight’s craziness.

“Glad to be able to get away from those Elders of mine . . .”

Eclipse continued to sit on his bed with his eyes closed. He took in a deep inhalation. The residual glow from the snake-like fire entered his body and disappeared within him like it never existed. The once ashen color on his face illumed with life.

“Are you okay now?” I inquired, staring at him from across the room.

At the sound of my voice, Eclipse opened his eyes. Once his gaze raked over me, a wolfish smile lifted over those alluring lips. As his response, he motioned for me to come to him with his index finger. At his beck and call, gravity abandoned me and I was lifted off my feet. I flew towards him with the speed of a bullet.

“Ahhh!”

Demonstrating an extraordinary show of dexterity, he caught me right before I landed on the bed. He unabashedly hugged me from behind, pressing his hard chest against my back and giving no care to the fact that there were two baby Demons in the room, staring awkwardly at us.

“Sorry for scaring you, Gracie,” he whispered, his mouth near my ear.

Unable to control it, I found myself smiling.

I looked over my shoulder to face him. The typical prude within me would’ve jumped off the bed and chided him for greeting me in such an intimate way. Alas, I was too distracted with the fact that he was okay again (and secretly too satisfied with being in his arms).

“You’re really okay this time?” I asked, recalling how he lied and said he was fine and then went into a coma moments later.

He bobbed his head, affectionately tracing his finger over my jaw. The look in his eyes was warm and assuring. “I need to rest for a couple of days to fully adjust to the powers Tony gave me, but yeah, I’m okay.”

I wrinkled my nose. “You still need to rest?”

After tonight, I didn’t want him sleeping ever again.

“To recharge,” he explained, continuing to trace lazy lines on my jaw. The more he touched me, the more I could feel his renewed powers pulse beneath the delicacy of his caress. “Tony gifted me with a portion of his powers to recharge the ones I used up. Once I fully consolidate my powers, I will be back to my extravagant Dimmed Demon self. In the meantime”—he shifted his attention to Phix and Coco—“starting tomorrow, you two will watch her. If you screw up like you screwed up at the inn, I’ll feed both of you to my hellhounds.” The baby Demons gasped in horror at the threat. Disregarding this, Eclipse finished up by sternly saying, “When you leave this hospital, do not use any more powers. We don’t need you two to leave traces behind. Having said all that, leave now, don’t fu
c
k up, and we’ll see you in Seoul.”

Phix and Coco nodded vigorously at his commands, resolved to doing everything he ordered.

Before they left, Phix hesitantly asked, “Your Dark Majesty, what do you want me to do with that crappy car?”

“Drive it into the Han River.”

“What?!” I cried, horrorstruck by the casualness of his command. I disentangled myself from Eclipse’s embrace, jumped off the bed, and pointed a threatening finger at Phix. “Don’t you dare drive it into the Han River. Just find a spot in the parking garage of my apartment and leave it there.”

Phix nervously looked to Eclipse to sign off on my command. Eclipse merely blinked in confirmation. He didn’t look happy, but he allowed my alternative order regardless.

“Anything else before we leave you for the night?” Phix inquired politely.

“Yeah,” Eclipse answered before proceeding to flip Phix off. “This is for screwing up and resulting in me ending up like this. I hate you—remember that.”

Phix’s face crumpled. As they ran out the door, it was evident on his crestfallen expression that he knew he was screwed. How could he expect to have a positive working environment when his boss expressed such contempt for him?

It was only when Coco and Phix were out of sight that I saw Eclipse crack a smile. From that alone, I suspected that he wasn’t entirely serious about flipping Phix off. He only wanted to give the baby Demon a hard time for screwing up in the first place.

I freed a long breath, feeling weird now that it was only the two of us. I wondered if he knew how hysterical I was when he was unconscious. Judging by how lackadaisical he appeared, I doubted he was aware of anything in his hibernation state.

“Do you realize what a big inconvenience you turned out to be?” I critiqued as he got off the hospital bed.

We began to pack up to leave.

“I didn’t think casting that last incantation to protect Father Baek would pull so much power out of me.” His jaw clenched in bitterness. “This is what I get for going against my nature and protecting a priest of all people.” A dry smile formed as he spoke. He assessed the room as we grabbed our backpacks and hoisted them over our shoulders. “And the hospital? Really, Gracie?”

“I was having a heart attack and everyone on the bus was panicking with me,” I defended. “We got here before I could come to my senses and stop them.”

A ghost of a grin played on his lips. He shook his head knowingly. “Were they lost as hell when they tried to diagnose me?”

Quiet laughter permeated from me. I didn’t find humor in it when it was happening, but now that it was over, I saw nothing but humor in it. “Yeah.”

Eclipse chuckled, taking one last inventory of the room before we started to head out. “This is what happens when you humans meet a highly evolved creature.”

“What happens?”

We passed through the door, and his smile turned suggestive and challenging. “You can’t handle us.”

After he said this, he stopped in his tracks and placed a hand on the doorway. A burst of light glowed from beneath his palm before it dimmed completely into the structure of the doorway.

“What are you doing?” I asked in a half-whisper, discreetly looking around the hall to make sure no one was watching.

“Saving them one big headache,” he answered, bringing his hand down. “Fortunately for us, we were only here for a short time. I could still erase their memories.”

“They won’t remember us at all?”

He nodded.

Though I was thrilled by this assurance, I was also unnerved by it. I glanced up at him once we stepped out of the room. “Won’t that take a big chunk of your powers?”

“Luckily I’m getting my rest soon then,” he said jokingly, doing well to placate my fears as we glided through the busy hall.

“What did Tony do for you?” I went on to ask. The image of the inferno had yet to leave my mind. “You know, with that thread of fire that looked like an overgrown anaconda.”

Eclipse stifled a laugh at my juvenile description of his brother’s powers.

“That thread of fire is a small portion of Tony's powers. Because mine are dormant, it acts as a catalyst to awaken my own powers. The ribbon of fire moves like a snake because it’s supposed to slither inside me and keep me from going into hibernation.” A grin split on his face. “It’s basically supposed to be the fuel that keeps me energized. With this fire pumping in my veins, it will only be a matter of time before my powers are renewed and I'm back to my Dimmed Demon self.”

I blew out a reassured breath. I was relieved that Tony’s gift would keep Eclipse from going back into hibernation.

“I’m glad this is all over,” I announced after we stepped out into the cold night. Ice nipped at my skin as we walked away from the bright lights of the hospital. I was never a fan of hospitals to begin with, and the short time I spent with Eclipse in there was enough to last me a lifetime.

The corners of Eclipse’s mouth twisted upwards shrewdly. He appraised me with teasing eyes. “Were you worried about me, Teacup?”

“No,” I answered quickly to save face. I didn’t want it known that I had grown attached to this Demon. Displaying such weakness was dangerous with powerful beings like Eclipse. “I – I was just worried because we still have unfinished business with my soul.”

He smirked disbelievingly, his crafty smile knowing. He leaned in closer as our footsteps padded over the asphalt, his soft lips moving against my ear. “You’re saying you didn’t miss me?”

“No.”

A beautiful chuckle escaped him. “Liar.”

“I didn’t want to clean up after you.”

“Hmm-mmhm,” he murmured lazily, easing himself away and standing up straight. He didn’t bother to hide that he didn’t believe me.

Desperate to exonerate myself from whatever opinion he had formed of me, I hastily added, “I still need help with finding the missing part of my soul.”

“Oh yes,” he mocked lightly. “So saving me was based purely off selfish reasons?”

“Yes.”

He laughed again, paying no more tribute to our cat and mouse conversation. There was something else that was more pressing in his mind. “You know what’s unfortunate?”

“What?”

A seductive glint materialized in his gaze, making me hot with need. “We should’ve made out to our hearts’ content when I was 99% human. My powers wouldn’t have killed you in the slightest if we were intimate in that state.”

“The last thing on my mind was being intimate while I was fighting for my life,” I lied.

In actuality, the thought
did
cross my mind when I was sleeping in the shed with him. I had woken in the middle of the night from the roaring thunder and simply stared up at him. For the longest time, I found myself unable to pull my gaze from his tempting lips. My last thought that night was that since he was 99% human, it would’ve been okay for us to be intimate—to at least make out. However, in the face of the life and death situation we were in, it felt inappropriate to think of such things. And now that Eclipse was back to having his powers, there was no more need for this thought. We had missed our chance.

“Really? It was all I thought about when I became 99% human,” he provided, causing me to give him a surprised look. A killer smile too spectacular to be human replaced the typical charming grin he wore. “If we weren’t fighting for our lives, I would’ve given you the kiss to end all kisses.” He proceeded to cast a furtive glance at the hospital, never giving me a chance to fully mull over his words. Changing the subject, he quietly said, “Lyna was at the hospital with us.”

I gaped at him in awe. “You could tell?”

He nodded. “Yes. She left me a message in the room.”

“What’d she say?”

“‘
Good job fu
c
king up. Welcome back and try not to fu
c
k up again
.’”

I folded my arms in amusement. I should have known. Lyna wasn’t exactly known for her warm personality. I suspected that was one of the more endearing messages she could give. 

“She helped me find your Elders,” I shared.

A small gust of wind rustled the tree leaves above us, momentarily disrupting the quiet street. In the close distance, I spied a bus stop, and I knew it was going to be our ticket home.

“Out of the kindness of her heart?” His voice sounded skeptical. He knew she didn’t make it easy on me.

I shook my head. “I had to make a deal with her.”

His eyebrows drew down. “A deal?
With
Lyna?”

I nodded after we stopped at the bus bench. From afar, I could see the headlights of the bus approaching. It came right on time to take us home.

Eclipsed gawked at me like it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. He looked perturbed, confused even. “What deal could she possibly make with you?”

“She told me not to fall in love with you.”

He gaped at me incredulously, the concern on his face subsiding at my answer. “
That
was the deal?”

The bus came to a slow stop in front of us as I laughed in confirmation.

Eclipse laughed at the oddity of that arrangement. “What a waste of a deal. A human falling for a Demon? Talk about eating the forbidden fruit of all forbidden fruits. We both know you’re not gullible enough to fall in love with me.”

“Tell me about it,” I agreed, though a part of me felt offended that he’d say something like that. I ignored that peculiar feeling as we stepped onto the bus and moved to the back.

Once we settled into our seats, Eclipse urged me to update him on everything that happened after he went into hibernation. I acquiesced and told him about how the paramedics had to rush him into the hospital because he wouldn’t wake up, about Lyna appearing, about the baby Demons taking me to Luxuria, and finally, the interactions with his brothers thereafter.