Demon (2 page)

Rebecca huffed as she dropped the last box down on the floor. She had been lugging clothes, books, laptops, and other various necessities up three flights of stairs for several hours already. Even with the help of their parents, it had felt like a never-ending task. Yet, once it was accomplished, it was even worse watching her parents standing around awkwardly with nothing else to do. Her mother was teary eyed, and her father kept casting suspicious sidelong glances in Justyn’s direction. He still wasn’t happy about Rebecca moving in with a guy so soon after graduation. But she was eighteen, had earned a full scholarship, and worked all summer to pay her share of the rent for the off-campus apartment. So there wasn’t much he could do about it except cross his arms and give Justyn dirty looks.

Rebecca pretended not to notice her father’s foul mood and instead replenished the food and water supply in her cockatiel’s cage. Gizmo had been her birthday gift from Justyn. The little bird came complete with his own antique Victorian birdcage. The base and roof of the shelter were handmade from wood and carved with an ornate rose motif, and the brass bars shone despite their age. As soon as she’d seen Gizmo, Rebecca instantly fell in love with him. Justyn even taught him how to say her name. At the moment, he was a little too unsettled from the move to start chatting, but he did stretch out his gray-and-white wings and cocked his yellow head to one side when his mistress approached. He cooed and swung happily on his swing when she reached her hand in to stroke his soft feathers.

Justyn always picked out the most amazing, thoughtful gifts—the kind that had real meaning. It was just one of the things that made him so special. If only her father would try to see him the way she did, instead of obsessing over his wardrobe and facial piercings. Maybe then he’d stop looking at her as though his little girl were being corrupted.

Justyn’s mother Darlene made much better use of her time. As soon as the last of the boxes were deposited, she pulled out an iridescent abalone shell and a smudge stick. She lit the bundle of herbs on the stove and began to make protective symbols in the air with the smoke. Over the last few months, Rebecca had become accustomed to the sweet scent of burning sage. She instantly felt more relaxed as she allowed herself to be blanketed in the familiar, heady embrace. Mr. and Mrs. Hope, on the other hand, were watching Darlene with curious and slightly nervous expressions as she chanted under her breath and used the aromatic smoke to cleanse the apartment of negative energy.

As Darlene worked, the silver bells on her ankle bracelet jingled in time with her graceful movements. It reminded Rebecca of watching her beautiful belly dances. The way she undulated her hips never seemed to lose its enchantment. Even in her simple black Bohemian skirt, with her abundance of raven hair cascading down her back in a blanket of curls, she still carried herself with an air of exotic regality. She looked magical, especially with the pleather of silver necklaces that dangled around her neck, each baring some symbol of witchcraft. In comparison, Rebecca’s own mother looked like the stereotype of a middle-aged housewife, complete with widened hips and a flowered dress that was a throwback from the nineties.

“Nice place you got here.” Justyn’s stepfather Matt nodded his blond dreadlocks in approval as he studied the tiny two-room apartment. The kitchen and living room were merged into one room, with a counter nook in one corner. That left just enough space for a loveseat and small entertainment center that housed a television so old Rebecca was amazed it didn’t have rabbit ears. The bedroom wasn’t much bigger. Their landlord had barely managed to squeeze in a double bed and one tiny nightstand. The closet was little more than a crack in the wall. Still, it was cheap, larger than the average dorm room, and had no rules about co-eds intermingling. It was even within walking distance of the campus.

“I got you a little housewarming gift,” Matt continued. “Actually, I got you two.” He winked a green eye at Rebecca as he handed Justyn a brown bag. “I didn’t wrap it. No reason to pollute the earth with unnecessary garbage.”

Justyn rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”

As he reached into the bottom of the bag, Rebecca heard something clinking. It made her curious. She moved in a little closer and peered over Justyn’s shoulder to get a better look. She watched him pull out a beautiful wind chime. It was made from a piece of dried driftwood, and dangling down from the thick base were a half dozen crystal points and a few brass bells, all woven together with copper wire. It sparkled as it caught the light from the open window, making a family of rainbows dance across the still barren walls.

“It’s beautiful!” Rebecca exclaimed.

“Made it myself. I even dug the crystals from a mine out in Arizona,” Matt declared proudly. “Back before I met Darlene, I spent ten years traveling with the Rainbow Gathering. That’s pretty much a bunch of hippies living off the land,” he explained when Rebecca’s family gave him a questioning glance. “I used to sell these things on street corners for thirty bucks a pop. Made it all the way cross country that way, when I wasn’t hitchhiking.”

Rebecca felt her mouth drop open. Whenever she thought Justyn’s family had ceased to amaze her with their adventures, they shared some new story that left her astounded and even a little envious that her life wasn’t nearly as interesting. She often wondered how Justyn didn’t get bored with her.

“Thanks, Matt.” Justyn gave this stepfather a comradely pat on the back. “Not just for this, but for everything. As far as stepparents go, you’ve been pretty decent.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo. You know, I’m really gonna miss having you around. Of course, on the bright side, now I can walk around the house naked.”

Rebecca saw her mother’s eyes widen. She was, after all, a strict conservative. Luckily, Darlene had just finished up her house blessing. She ran over and gave Matt a nudge with her shapely hips.

“Matt, darling, there is such a thing as too much information. Now, why don’t you go carry some of those boxes into the bedroom for us, hmmm?”

“Yes, dear.” Matt gave her a good-natured smile and smacked her butt on his way out the door.

Rebecca’s mother Mary cleared her throat. “We got you something as well.” She at least made an effort to give Justyn a friendly smile, which was better than what her father was doing. “I know my daughter is horrendous in the kitchen—well, you
are”,
she added when Rebecca narrowed her eyes, “so we thought a microwave might come in handy.” She gestured to a large box that sat in the corner of the kitchen, ready to be unpacked and placed on the bare countertop. Then she handed Rebecca a little envelope. “We also grabbed a few gift cards for the convenience store down the street, just in case you need something and are a little short on cash.”

“That’s awesome, Mom!” Rebecca gave her mother a hug as she accepted the gift. “Thanks so much! I’m sure there’ll be many late-night study sessions when this will come in handy.”

Mr. Hope folded his arms across his chest. “I certainly hope you plan to spend your time studying.”

Justyn was used to her father’s snide comments. He barely raised an eyebrow and went right on unpacking, completely unfazed. But Rebecca felt her smile freeze on her lips. Her father’s miserable attitude put a damper on what should have been an exciting day. She had to struggle to keep her voice pleasant when she replied, “Don’t worry, Dad. Schoolwork is my first priority.”

“If you can call singing and acting schoolwork,” Mr. Hope grumbled. “I don’t know how you ever expect to make a living with all that nonsense.”

Rebecca gritted her teeth, but still managed to keep her voice civil. “I’m also getting my teaching degree,” she reminded him. “I have a backup plan if the Broadway thing doesn’t pan out.”

Her father still didn’t seem satisfied, and Rebecca could feel her eyes starting to burn. Darlene could sense the tension growing and put her arm around Rebecca. “Since we’re all exchanging gifts, I should give you mine.”

Darlene grabbed an elaborate gift basket from one of the boxes she had carried in. The basket was actually a foldable carry bag, in black of course, with a silver pentacle hand stitched into the center. It was filled with a variety of antique glass bottles, each labeled and filled with different herbs. In the center was a ceramic teapot set complete with cups and diffusers. Intermingled with the jars were smaller vials of oils, scented sachets, colored candles, and smudge sticks.

“These are the most commonly used varieties of herbs,” Darlene explained. “I’ve already taught you about most of them, Becca, but Justyn will know how to use the rest. There’s lavender, spearmint, feverfew, St. John’s Wart, willow bark, dandelion, stevia, and oh my … so many more.

“I could stand here jabbering about them all day, but there’s a little recipe book in there to tell you how to mix teas and whatnot. I also threw in some oils, just the essentials like lavender and tea tree…great for all-natural bug repellents, which you’ll need out in those woods. And of course, eucalyptus in case one of you comes down with a cold. And well … you’ll see. There’s just about everything you could need in the way of healing and magic. And that little basket will be the perfect way to carry your groceries back from that store down the street.

“Really, Mary, we couldn’t have planned it any better if we tried!”

She flashed Rebecca’s mother one of her brilliant smiles, and immediately the little bit of tension that had survived her speed talk evaporated. Somehow Darlene’s upbeat and carefree personality always managed to calm everyone down, even Rebecca’s overprotective father. The discomfort in the room settled into comradeship, and they were about to start unpacking a few of the boxes when Matt emerged from the bedroom and shoved his gift bag back under Justyn’s nose.

“Hey, you forgot about
my
other gift.” He pouted. He shook the bag to emphasize it wasn’t empty yet.

“You’ve already done so much,” Justyn told him. “You helped us find this place and drove up with us. You really don’t need to do anymore.”

Matt patted Justyn’s back. “Don’t sweat it. This is just something small, but definitely a necessity.”

Justyn narrowed his eyes at that explanation. Sometimes, even he was surprised by what his twenty-something, hippie stepfather considered a necessity. Nevertheless, he reached into the bag good-naturedly, with the whole room watching. He pulled out a box that very clearly read
All Natural, Organic Condoms
in bright, bold ink. It was a variety pack. Some of them were even flavored.

“We don’t want any babies before graduation,” Matt told them proudly.

Rebecca knew her checks had turned scarlet. Even Justyn blushed a little before quickly shoving the box back into the bag. He wasn’t fast enough though. Mr. Hope had seen the gift, and all the shocked expressions in the room paled in comparison to the horrified look on his face. Rebecca’s father had turned almost purple. She could actually see the veins pulsating in his bald head.

“You know what?” Darlene stretched her arms and gave an exaggerated yawn. She pretended not to notice Matt’s slightly inappropriate gift. “I think the kids can handle unpacking the rest of this on their own, don’t you? It’s getting late and we still have a three-hour ride back home.”

“Darlene is right.” Rebecca quickly nodded. “Dad, you have to be up early tomorrow for work. I’d hate for you to be exhausted on my account.”

“I guess we
should
get going,” her mother agreed reluctantly.

Rebecca went over to her parents and gave them each a big hug. That seemed to settle her father down, but Rebecca suddenly felt a little more emotional. She had been looking forward to freedom from her parents’ rules and regulations since she had officially become a teenager. Now that she was really leaving home, however, it was a little overwhelming. She realized how much she would miss them.

“Mom … Dad … I-I love you guys so much,” she stuttered.

That was when her mother finally lost it and started crying. Rebecca was actually surprised she’d made it that far. Mrs. Hope had cried at almost every single landmark in Rebecca’s life, from her kindergarten graduation to her first violin recital. Even her father forgot to stay angry; he was so choked up over the thought of saying goodbye to his little girl. Rebecca had to wipe away a few tears as she watched them walk toward the door.

Matt had already disappeared, but Darlene lingered behind a few minutes after Rebecca’s parents had gone. She gave Rebecca a huge hug before turning to her son. Justyn looked as calm and collected as ever, but Darlene’s eyes were misty with tears. For once, she seemed a little less ethereal.

“Make sure to smudge the apartment at least once a week,” she instructed and reached out to wrap her arms around her son. “And if your shoulder bothers you, I have some all-natural massage oils in that basket. I made it myself. Becca, you’ll take care of him for me, won’t you? Make sure he doesn’t overdo it?”

“Of course,” Rebecca agreed.

“Darlene … please,” Justyn rolled his eyes, “you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“I know that.” Darlene’s voice was thick with emotion. “Your father would be so proud. In fact, I know that he
is
proud. He tells me so all the time in my dreams.”

Now Justyn had to clear his throat. It was never easy for him to talk about his father, who had died when he was just a baby.

“I wouldn’t be here without
you
,” he told Darlene. “You always supported me, no matter how far out my dreams were. You made so many sacrifices, especially all those years we were on our own. I don’t know if I ever thanked you for that.”