Accidental Ashes: or that time I found out I was a demon, and all my friends were vampires and werewolves (Xoe Meyers Young Adult Fantasy/Horror Series) Read online

  Accidental

  Ashes

  That time I found out I was a demon, and all my friends were vampires and werewolves

  Sara C. Roethle

  Vulture’s Eye Publications

  Sierra Vista, AZ

  Accidental Ashes: that time I found out I was a demon and all my friends were vampires and werewolves.

  The second book in the Xoe Meyers Fantasy/Horror Series

  Copyright ©2011 by Sara C. Roethle

  Young Adult Fantasy/Horror

  ISBN 978-0-615-48124-1

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review.

  Published by Vulture’s Eye Publications

  Vulture’s Eye Publications

  www.vultureseyepublications.com

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my dad, for putting up with all of my random hippy gallivanting ways.

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks: To my Sarah muffincakes, for her editing and enthusiasm. To Susan D. Kalior, who is always helping me out in these matters. To Nate, for meeting all of my cover design demands. To my dad, for helping me with everything else. And to all of my family and friends, who have been unfalteringly supportive of me.

  Chapter One

  I was sitting on the green loveseat in my living room. Jason was beside me with his arm around my shoulders. I curled my legs up against his lap, content. I glanced over at the larger blue couch where Lucy, Allison, and Max sat.

  In the few months since we’d met him, Max had managed to get us all addicted to watching soccer, which we were all doing now.

  Suddenly, Max leapt out of his seat, spilling popcorn on the carpet. “Go! Go!” he shouted.

  It was World Cup time, and the game was USA against Mexico. One of the USA players had the ball and was running ahead of all of the opposing team towards their goal. Now, I hadn’t quite gotten a grasp on the rules yet, but I could tell this was a good thing. The rest of us jumped out of our seats and joined Max in cheering the player on. One of the Mexico players was gaining on him.

  “Ruuuun!” Max shouted while clamping his fingers onto his shaggy, sandy colored hair as if in pain. To say that Max was enthusiastic about soccer was an understatement. When you’re around someone that devout, you can’t help but get caught up in the excitement.

  I watched the TV screen, unblinking as the Mexico player surpassed the USA player. Suddenly they collided and both went down. One of the refs came running up to the fallen players, blowing his whistle and yelling something at the USA player. The USA player got to his feet and started yelling back. Uh-oh. The ref whipped out a red card and threw the USA player off the field.

  “What!” Max shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “That ref is delusional . . .” Max began a tirade, his pale green eyes squinted in anger.

  I got caught up in the moment and started yelling at the TV along with Max, feeling a sudden surge of anger at what Max deemed an unfair call.

  Then the TV exploded. Crap. Did I mention that I’m a half-demon?

  The past few months had been eventful, to say the least. A stranger named Dan had come to town. He happened to be a werewolf. Because of him, my best friend Lucy is a werewolf now too. With the help of Max (also a werewolf), and Jason (vampire), we had managed to rid ourselves of Dan. I won’t go into the grisly details on how we rid ourselves of him. Let’s just say that the event made me question my moral fiber more than a little.

  Amid all of this chaos, I found out that my dad, whom I’ve never met, is a demon, making me a half-demon. Demons aren’t bad or anything. Well, not all demons are bad. At least, that’s what Jason tells me. I have an sneaking suspicion that he only says that to make me feel better. Yet, seeing as I’m the only demon I know, I’ll just have to take his word for it.

  After the explosion, my friends all went completely silent, then turned in slow-motion to regard me as one. I looked back to the TV. The screen had completely shattered, and the frame was a charred mess. Heaps of black smoke poured out of its smoldering innards to fill my living room with an acrid stench.

  I stood under the pressure of their gazes only long enough to turn on my heel and run across my living room. I went right out my front door, slamming it behind me. I heard the door open and shut again as I ran into the tall pine trees that border my house. The scent of pine and crisp air hit me, instantly clearing my senses. I wasn’t sure I wanted them cleared at the moment.

  This had been happening to me a lot lately, the blowing up of random appliances thing. When my powers as a half-demon first manifested, I had burned my friend Brian just by touching him. Since then, I’d graduated to blowing things up or just lighting them on fire. My powers were related to my temper, and that temper was mighty hard to control these days. Even the most insignificant things could make me mad enough to do some real damage. I couldn’t control it, and the threat of what could happen weighed on me constantly.

  I stood trembling in the dark, silent trees, my arms wrapped tightly around me. I would not cry. I would not cry about the stupid TV. The moisture that I felt slipping down my face was simply a raindrop. Yeah, a raindrop, that’s it. I heard footsteps behind me, then felt arms gently wrap around me from behind.

  I leaned back against Jason’s chest and tried to take comfort in his presence. I unclenched my arms and rubbed my hands across the blue flannel shirt that encased his arms. I felt a slight bit of tension leave my body, but not nearly enough.

  “You do not need to be so upset about it,” he murmured. “We all understand.” Jason talks kinda funny, probably due to the fact that he was born in 1883. You would think he’d have picked up more on modern speech, given the fact that he’d been around to see it evolve, but he’d spent most of his life as a vampire alone, up until now at least.

  “I know you’re all used to it by now,” I said between sniffles. “I just hate not being able to control it. What if it’s one of you next time?”

  Jason squeezed me a little tighter, keeping me warm despite the fact that I was only wearing a gray cotton t-shirt and jeans in Oregon, in December. He brushed his lips against my cheek.

  “We must simply be sure that we do not make you mad,” he said, trying to lighten the mood, “though it is a somewhat difficult task these days.”

  I struggled out of his arms and turned to point a finger in his smiling face. “This is no time to crack jokes.”

  He put his arms up in mock surrender. “Oh no! Do not burn me!”

  I pouted as I returned my hand to my side. “I could you know. I could hurt you, or Lucy, or Al, or Max.”

  Jason lowered his hands and took on a more serious tone. “You will not harm us. You have more control than you think. Otherwise you would have blown me up a thousand times over.”

  I crossed my arms and pretended to consider what he said. I nodded. “True, very true.”

  Jason smiled. “Come now my little demon, back inside.”

  I stomped my sneaker-clad foot on the hard, damp soil. “Half-demon,” I corrected sharply.

  “Of course,” he conceded. Then before I could react, he picked me up and threw me across his shoulder to carry me back inside.

  I fake struggled, shouting, “I’ll burn you! Don’t tempt me!�
�

  He paused and hoisted me up, getting a more secure hold on me. “I am well and truly terrified,” he replied. Jason easily held onto me with one hand while he opened the front door and walked us inside.

  By the time Jason managed to plop me back down on the couch, Lucy had swept up all of the TV bits and was emptying the dustpan in the kitchen. Jason left me to help Max lift what remained of the TV frame to take it outside, where it would await a ride to the dump. Poor TV. I didn’t know how I was going to explain this one to my mom. I mean, appliances only set fire so often. The toaster and the washing machine had each already met their untimely demise.

  Jason returned to sit beside me on the couch, wrapping his arm around my shoulders again. Allison came to stand in front of me while shrugging on her fake-fur lined coat. She pushed her long honey blonde hair behind her ears, then leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “We’re taking off Xoe. Call me tomorrow.”

  I gave her a feeble wave goodbye. Lucy leaned over the back of the couch to give me a hug, enfolding me in her petite arms and long, pin-straight black hair. As soon as Lucy backed away, Max gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze, and soon I was alone with Jason. For a little while anyway; my mom would be home from doing her Christmas shopping soon.

  I snuggled up against Jason’s broad, muscled chest (not over-muscled mind you. I like my men lean). His hand lifted to stroke my pale blond hair. It had grown long enough to brush past my shoulders. I was overdue for a cut.

  I turned my head so I could look into Jason’s deep blue eyes, and I do mean deep blue, like the color of the sky just before it turns to black. I’d never seen eyes that could be that dark and still manage to look blue until I met him.

  “Sorry I’m so messed up right now,” I said quietly. “I just can’t seem to get used to all of this demon stuff.”

  Jason smiled down at me warmly. “It is a lot to take in. You are doing well, given the circumstances.”

  I looked back down at my lap, feeling like a failure despite his encouragement.

  Jason continued to watch me, being far too observant for his own good. “What is wrong Xoe? I can tell you have something to say.”

  I debated for a few seconds on whether or not I wanted to tell him. I sighed. Here goes nothing. “The dreams started again.”

  Several months ago, before my life went to hell-in-a-hand-basket, I had started having these dreams, and I always awoke with a fever. I dreamed of fire, then I found out that I was part demon. A wolf was in one of my dreams, and my best friend got turned into a werewolf.

  Once things had calmed down, I’d finally confided in Jason about the dreams. The only other people who had known were my mom and Lucy. Jason had instantly come to the conclusion that I had a minor gift at premonition, and it had come out in my dreams.

  Jason’s arms tightened around me slightly. “Tell me.”

  “Well,” I began. “The fire’s back, for starters, but this time none of my friends or family are there.” I had seen my mom and my friends consumed by the flames in my previous dreams. “At first, I think that I’m alone, then I feel a presence at my side. I blink, and when I open my eyes, there is a man silhouetted against the flames. I can’t see him, but I somehow know him. Then, he turns away from me and jumps into the fire.”

  Jason was silent for a moment. He snuggled a little closer to me, if that was even possible. “Do you have any idea what it means?” he asked.

  I shook my head morosely. “Not a clue, but I don’t like it.”

  “Nor do I,” he replied quietly. “Have you told anyone else?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. There’s no sense in worrying the others. It could be nothing.”

  He gave me a very knowing smile. “Or it could very well be something. It cannot hurt to have everyone on their guard.”

  “But on guard for what? We don’t even know who the man in the dream is.”

  “All the more reason to be prepared for anything,” he countered.

  I pursed my full lips into a pout. “So, in other words, you’re not just gonna let me ignore it in the hopes that it goes away?”

  “Like you did with me?” he joked.

  I shoved away from him playfully. “I did not.”

  “Yes, uh-huh,” he replied. “You utterly refused to admit your feelings for me until after we almost died.”

  I raised my eyebrows coyly. “Who says I have feelings for you?”

  He grabbed me and pulled me close again. “I’m a vampire,” he answered dramatically. “We can sense these things.”

  Our banter was interrupted by the sound of a key in the door. A few seconds later, my mom walked in, hands full of shopping bags. She threw her bags on the floor and stripped off her khaki, knee-length trench to reveal dark-wash jeans and a dark brown, cable-knit sweater. Her newly shoulder length, dark brown wavy hair blended into the sweater so that you couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other began. She walked towards us and threw her coat across the back of the loveseat. “Hey you two, what are you . . . where’s the TV?”

  I smiled nervously.

  “Not again?” my mom sighed loudly in her rich, throaty voice. I like to lie to myself and pretend that my voice sounds like her’s, but in reality mine’s an octave or so higher. Though our voices are the least of our differences. My pale skinned, green eyed genetics were obviously not passed on from my mom’s side. Our looks are on opposite sides of the color spectrum.

  I nodded, trying to hold my nervous smile in place. “I think, maybe, we have like, an electrical problem or something?”

  My mom put her hands on her hips. “An electrical problem that causes household appliances to spontaneously combust?”

  Jason and I both shrugged.

  My mom stared at us skeptically, then turned to re-gather her shopping bags. I couldn’t imagine what she actually thought about the exploding appliances. She had played it pretty cool so far, but her observant patience could only last so long.

  My mom stopped to regard us again before she went up the stairs to her bedroom. “I’ll call the electrician tomorrow.” Then, when she reached the top she shouted. “And it’s 9:00!”

  9:00 was my “boy curfew,” 11:00 on weekends. After that, Jason either had to go home, or if we were out, I had to come home. Jason reached up and touched my face, gently guiding me towards him. He leaned forward and met my lips for a chaste kiss. His lips were warm and soft against mine. I lifted my arms to wrap behind his neck, twining my fingers in his tousled dark brown hair. The kiss turned a little less chaste. Before I knew it, I had scooted onto Jason’s lap. His arms circled my waist and pulled me against him. I sank into his warmth, feeling my troubles melt away. This was a relatively new feeling for me, feeling absolutely safe in someone’s arms.

  My dad had never been around, and as hard as my mom tried, she just didn’t really fit into the big, strong protector role. Up until now, I’d always felt that I simply had to protect myself. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it could be lonely. In other words, it wasn’t about needing to be protected, I just enjoyed finally having the option. Our little session went on for a while longer, until I reluctantly pulled back.

  I met his dark blue eyes again and almost dove back in for more. Sadly, I managed to restrain myself. “See you tomorrow?”

  He gave me one more gentle kiss. “You could not keep me away.”

  He was up and out the door in 5 seconds flat. It still unnerved me how quickly he moved. It was even more unnerving when Lucy did it, though she wasn’t as fast as Jason. I wasn’t very fast at all, and not for lack of trying. Hanging out with werewolves and a vampire all of the time had brought me to the conclusion that I was the worst half-demon ever. I just couldn’t compete.

  During my reverie I checked to make sure that Jason had locked the front door behind him, which he had, as always, then I journeyed upstairs to my bedroom. I got ready for bed in the adjoining purple themed bathroom, then changed into green flannel pj pants and an oversized David Bowie t-shi
rt. I sat down on my dark green comforter and hugged a yellow cased pillow to my chest. I was so not ready for bed.

  I looked over at my computer desk with its backdrop of old-school horror movie posters, and contemplated surfing the web for a while. Finally, I settled on snuggling up in bed and reading my copy of Stephen King’s Desperation that Jason had recently purchased for me.

  When I finally shut off the lights, I gave a weak prayer that I wouldn’t dream. Fat chance.

  Chapter Two

  Fire was all around me. I’d become rather used to fire, in the dream-world as well as in the real one. I sat cross-legged on a cold stone floor and watched the shadows of the flames dance in the darkness around me. I wasn’t scared, I was more . . . peaceful.

  I looked to my side to see the man from my previous dream was sitting beside me in the same cross-legged position. I couldn’t see his face, but once again felt like I somehow knew him. He held up one hand and snapped his fingers. A small flame appeared in-between his thumb and index finger, as if he’d lit a lighter, only there wasn’t any lighter. Flames reflected off his teeth as his mouth curled into a smile, though the rest of his face remained hidden in shadow.

  I slowly lifted my hand and mimicked his actions, producing a small flame of my own. I stared at my hand and smiled, pleased with what I had accomplished, though normally my powers didn’t please me at all. This seemed to be one I actually had some control over.

  When I turned back to smile at the man, he was gone, and the fire was gone from my surroundings. The smile slipped from my face as I realized I’d been left alone in the cool, stone darkness.

  I woke at 8:10am. It was a Tuesday, but it was also winter break, so no school. Hallelujah. I cringed upon remembering that my wish for a dreamless night had not been granted. My pajamas were soaked with sweat from the inevitable fever.