An Eternity of Dead Sun (An Eternity of Eclipse Novel Book 2) (25 page)

“Glad to be back as well,” he whispered before looping our hands together and mindlessly adding, “Now, let’s go home. There’s a puppy that sounds like a dying seal waiting for us.”

“If that doesn’t mean you were created for me . . .”
17
: Elixir of Life

It felt odd to be sitting back in class after returning home from a crazy journey. I not only resurrected my Guardian Demon from hibernation during this trip, but I also learned that I was born, not through natural means, but spawned by some malevolent, cataclysmic event that surpassed the birth of the Devil’s son.

Honestly, when you had the Demon of Lust looking at you in shock and telling you that he felt “mind-fucked” after learning how you were born, you know that you’ve got yourself an issue. It would be a tremendous lie to state that this newfound development did not scare the living daylights out of me. I couldn’t be more thankful to be home where everything was normal again.

I felt safer to be back in my college bubble where my main concerns were my grades and homework. Despite our safe return to Seoul and the normalcy of everything around me, I still found myself feeling edgy at times. I blamed my uneasiness on the behavior of the weather, or more precisely, the foreboding gloominess of the dark skies. The weather this year had been horrible and it appeared to have worsened since I returned from Serenity. Since Eclipse had conveyed to me that the skies were a foreshadowing of things happening around the world, I couldn’t help but feel afraid.

The skies looked too ominous and evil.

Something big was brewing out there, and I suspected it had everything to do with me.

“Grace? Did you hear what I said?”

A soft voice jerked me out of my reverie.

I dragged my eyes from the rainy window and turned to find Shin staring expectantly at me. I belatedly realized that he had asked me a question and was waiting for my response.

“I’m really sorry, Shin,” I uttered, gazing at him with dazed eyes. I gave him a perplexed smile. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

A kind chuckle emitted from him. His handsome face warmed at the confusion on my face. “I was just saying that class is over—that you should leave before you’re unknowingly stuck in another class session.”

My eyes bulged. I gazed below and like he pointed out, the lecture for our marketing class was over. It was just myself, Shin, and a couple of other classmates left packing up their belongings.

“Oh no.” I blushed, feeling like a complete dimwit. “How long has class been over?”

“A couple of minutes.”

He tipped his head to the side, allowing his half ponytail to fall over his gray jacket. The way the classroom light fell over him made him look refreshed, polished, and suave. I couldn’t help but blush at the way he was looking at me with his gentle eyes. “What has gotten you so lost in thoughts?”

“Oh nothing,” I lied, trying to play off my blush and trying to act normal. He didn’t need to know that I was thinking about Demons and all things catastrophic. “I was just bored.”

“You? Bored? In class?” He laughed as though that was the most ludicrous thing he had ever heard. “You’re always so diligent with your note taking though. I’m surprised.”

I laughed.

After we had been partnered up, it was funny that I started noticing Shin more around campus. I would wave to him in the hall and we would sit next to each other for our marketing lectures. Since then, we had small talks that bordered on flirtations every now and then. Despite being physically attracted to him, I had to admit that Shin had become a cool friend to have in my classes. He always made fun of me for being so studious. I imagined it was a surprise for him when I told him that I was “bored” in class.

I gave a halfhearted shrug as I packed my notebook and pen into my red bag. “We all have our days.”

He nodded, getting up with me. He stuffed his folded paper, pen, and cellphone into his dark jeans. “How was your Fall Break?”

“Hectic,” I admitted with filter. We began to descend down the stairs as students from the next class session started filing in. “Took a trip to visit my family in Busan. As usual, my family can be exhausting.”

“Families,” he said with amusement, holding open the door for me. “You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.”

Or you can kill them and then live without them
, I corrected in my mind before making a note not to say that out loud.

We walked into the hall where other business students were swimming from one direction to the other. I turned to him with a big smile on my face. “How was your break? Did you visit your family too?”

He shook his head. “My buddies and I hiked up Mt. Halla for the break.”

I clutched at the bottle of orange juice I was holding in surprise. The weather had been crazy these past couple of days. I couldn’t believe he’d brave the storm.

“Really?” I covered my mouth in slight wonderment. “How was the weather there?”

“Terrible,” he shared with a weary laugh. “The storm was awful. I slipped and fell a couple of times. My friends and I have a lot of bruises, and I think I caught a cold from the experience. Regardless, reaching the summit was well worth it in the end.”

“Yeah! I imagine!” I exclaimed, having a newfound admiration for him. I had always wanted to go hiking because people who reached the summit of any mountain would always boast about the entire experience, sharing with me that the view was indescribable and that I should do some hiking too. “Wow. That sounds like such a fun and exciting way to spend the break!”

He nodded before his eyes shifted to a section of the hall that was abuzz with activity.

“Is there a recruiter over there or something? Why is there such a big crowd of girls?”

I trailed after the direction of his gaze. My good mood turned sour when I caught sight of the one causing such a big commotion: Eclipse.

Dressed in a white jacket and jeans, he was sprawled over one of the business hall’s benches, sleeping on his side with his back facing towards us. His perfectly sculpted butt was in full view for everyone in the hall. Next to him was OinkOink, who was tilting his head and staring curiously at the girls who were checking out his master. The fact that Eclipse was asleep only gave my perverted classmates license to drool over him without shame.

“Gosh, who is that hunk?!”

“He’s so dreamy!”

“Dreamy? He’s freaking hot!”

Amidst the crowd’s appreciation for Eclipse and his . . .
assets
, Shin must’ve caught the jealousy in my eyes. “Is he your boyfriend?”

I swiveled to him, caught off guard with his question. I looked at him and then at Eclipse’s back. I turned back to Shin and smiled wearily. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m sure it is,” he responded so quietly that I almost didn’t hear him. He imparted me with a charming smile before tipping his head towards the exit at the other end of the hall. “Well, I’ll let you get back to him then. Get some rest, Grace. I’ll see you around.”

“Bye Shin,” I waved, watching him walk away.

Once Shin was gone, I pivoted my attention back to the dead weight sleeping on the bench. My insides simmered. I stomped over towards Eclipse and attempted to glare at all of his admirers. Unfortunately for me, they were all really nice and not the slutty girls I wished they were.

“Hey Grace!” one of my classmates giggled as she walked past me with her friends. “You have to check out the hot piece of ass sleeping on the bench! If you’re having a bad day, he’ll be sure to make it better!”

“Thanks for the tip, Jenny!” I chirped cheerily even though inside, I was seething. I hated that they were checking him out and I hated it more that my classmates were such nice girls that I couldn’t actually hate them.

Sensing my presence, OinkOink removed his attention from the swarm of girls and turned in my direction. Upon seeing me, the little pup’s expressive black eyes lit up. With an excited bark that reverberated through the hall, he jumped off the bench and gleefully bounced over to me.

“Hi OinkOink,” I greeted when he was in front of me.

I stooped down and picked him up. His tail wagged excitedly, and when he was close enough, he poked his little pink tongue out and began to lick at my chin. My heart expanded at the love he was showing me. I had received this same greeting from him when we returned from Serenity.

I had expected to find him dead when we walked in from our road trip. To my surprise, I found him whimpering quietly on a pillow bed. Beside him was a 5x7 photo frame with my picture in it. Apparently Eclipse had placed my picture there so OinkOink wouldn’t be depressed. It was a heartwarming sight to see the puppy whimper in sadness as he huddled close to my photo, crying as if he was crying to me. But it was an even more incredible sight when he saw me. Like a rocket, OinkOink ran to me as though his life depended on it. I was so happy to see him that I even gave him a kiss on the lips while I soaked in the feel of him shaking excitedly against me. The attachment I had formed with him was amazing. I had missed him dearly while I was away and I couldn’t have been happier to have the oversized rat back in my arms.

I ran my fingers through OinkOink’s fur, holding him securely with one arm while I turned to the Demon at his side. I was done with this circus. He was
my
Demon—no one else’s. I strutted over to Eclipse, feeling selfish and not wanting to share his “hot-piece-of-ass” with anyone else. I glared at his provocative self and started to shake him awake.

“Eclipse,” I hissed, nudging him as the rest of the girls started to scramble off in fear of being caught staring. “Eclipse, wake up. Why are you being so irresponsible and allowing people to objectify you?”

He woke up with a groan, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and stood up with a sheepish smile that had my heart racing. Damn him. That languorous look suited him well.

Like a sleepwalker, he walked around me, looped his arms around me from the back, and rested his chin over my head.

“Hi Gracie,” he greeted faintly, his voice overflowing with fatigue.

I could feel my neck ache from supporting his chin. However much this gesture made me feel nice, it was also straining my neck.

“If you’re so tired, then why are you here?” I asked quietly.

Eclipse chuckled softly, extracting his arms from around me and appearing by my side. “I like walking you home, Teacup,” he replied as we began towards the exit. “It’s the highlight of my day.”

We were ambling out when Eclipse stopped briefly.

As if something came over him, he turned his attention away from me and back to the dwindling hall. I followed his gaze and realized he was staring at the empty spot where I once stood with Shin.

“What?” I asked warily, wondering what caught his attention in that empty space.

I guess Eclipse must’ve just been exhausted because, as though there was nothing out of the ordinary, he redirected his attention back to me. He flashed me a light and assuring smile. “It’s nothing. I think I’m just really tired.”

I noticed that too. His lids looked heavy, like they were begging to rest for the day. “You should go home and sleep.”

He smiled as we stepped out of the business building and into the freezing night. In the distance, I could spot people walking around speedily, bundled up in their coats and scarves as they ran from one destination to the other. I was thankful that I chose to wear dark jeans and a white trench coat to keep me warm.

“Well,” he responded charmingly, “we’re going home right now, aren’t we?”

I nodded before getting serious. “How are you feeling?”

“Like there’s a jackhammer in my head,” he admitted with exhaustion. “It sucks being a Dimmed Demon who is still trying to renew his powers.”

“How long will it take for you to get better?”

“A couple of days.” His gaze flickered over to me. “Then I should be back to my old charming self.”

Oh man,
I thought in dread. I was getting too used to a tired Eclipse. I didn’t know if I could handle his energetic, charming, and flirtatious self again.

“By the way,” I prompted, changing the subject when I saw a white car drive by, “where’s my car?”

“Drowning in the Han River if I had it my way,” he bristled.

I shot him an angry glare, and he held back a smile.

Trying to control my temper, I calmly said, “Didn’t you give the baby Demons my address?”

“I’m sure they’ll find it sooner or later,” he replied carelessly.

“I get why you’re punishing those baby Demons,” I uttered, hurt that he was being such a bully to my car, “but why are you punishing my Rav4 too?”

He snorted and gave me an unimpressed look. He was angry, not at me but at the inanimate object I owned.

“What car broke down and caused us to go to that inn in the first place? What was the root of all these sacrilegious events that led me to this pathetic state in life?”

I closed my mouth when I saw his point. It was the Rav4’s fault. That was for sure.

“By the way,” he surreptitiously announced once we neared my apartment, “I have something for you.”

I stopped and turned to see what he was talking about. My eyes settled on the orange fruit he held in his hand: a persimmon.